A scheduling-based downlink MU-MIMO mechanism is proposed in a wireless communication system. An access point transmits a first scheduling message to a plurality of stations. The first scheduling message reserves a first transmission burst for channel sounding. The AP then transmits a sounding signal and in response receives channel state information (CSI) from the plurality of stations. Based on the CSI, the AP performs MU-MIMO encoding and applies transmit beamforming (precoding). The AP transmits a second scheduling message that reserves a second transmission burst for MU-MIMO transmission. The AP then transmits downlink data streams to multiple stations simultaneously. Finally, the AP receives uplink acknowledgements from the stations. In one embodiment, the scheduling-based MU-MIMO is implemented using PSMP scheduling technique. PSMP-based downlink MU-MIMO allows both 802.11n and 802.11ac stations to process multiple spatial streams with reduced complexity, enhanced performance, and significant power saving.

Multi-user multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO) transmission is becoming a new system technique to enable high system capacity in both the upcoming IEEE 802.11ac and the LTE (long-term evolution) standards. As compared to single-user MIMO (SU-MIMO), MU-MIMO has several key advantages. First, MU-MIMO allows for a direct gain in multiple access system capacity proportional to the number of access point antennas. Second, MU-MIMO allows the higher degree spatial multiplexing gain to be obtained without the need for higher number of antennas at the mobile stations by keeping the intelligence and cost at the access point. Third, MU-MIMO appears immune to most propagation limitations plaguing SU-MIMO communications because multiuser diversity can be extracted even in a simple line of sight (LOS) propagation environment. As a result, the LOS propagation, which causes degradation in single user spatial multiplexing schemes, is no longer a problem in the multiuser setting.
FIG. 1 (Prior Art) illustrates a typical downlink MU-MIMO process adopted by IEEE 802.11ac systems. For a Time-Division Duplexing (TDD) system, it is not possible to simultaneously transmit and receive signals in the access point or router. To avoid simultaneous transmission and reception, all transmitted downlink spatial streams need to end concurrently to preventing any mobile station from transmitting a signal back during the downlink stream transmission. This is accomplished through a process called padding. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the shorter spatial streams (i.e., SS3 for STA 3 and SS2 for STA2) are appended with extra non-information bearing data to fill up the same length as that of the longest spatial stream (i.e., SS1 for STA 1). The process of padding and un-padding the downlink spatial streams at the transmitter and the receiver are stipulated in the IEEE 802.11ac specifications. For uplink transmission, however, although MU-MIMO transmission is possible, it is currently not included in the IEEE 802.11ac specifications due to difficulties in the timing synchronization. Instead, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the multiple mobile stations transmit uplink acknowledgements (i.e., block acknowledge (BA)) sequentially (i.e., separated by SIFS (short interframe space) intervals or RIFS (reduced interframe space) intervals) in response to the MU-MIMO downlink transmission in a scheduled or polled time division multiple access (TDMA) fashion.
In contrast to the SU-MIMO transmission, where the mobile station receivers are equipped with sufficient number of antennas (equal to or greater than the number of spatial streams) and the capability of the signal processing to estimate the channel and to separate the spatial streams, it is crucial in a MU-MIMO transmission for the access points or routers to bear the most of the burden in the signal processing and hardware complexity to allow for simpler mobile station implementation. To achieve this aim, the access point or router should apply transmit beamforming (precoding), computed from channel information acquired in the MU-MIMO downlink transmission to achieve an orthogonal (or near-orthogonal) transmission of multiple streams to multiple users, i.e., eliminating (or reducing) the amount of mutual interference between the transmission to multiple mobile stations. Under this condition, each mobile station only receives the spatial stream(s) intended for itself and not the interference from the spatial stream(s) intended for other mobile stations. With reduced number of spatial streams directed toward individual mobile stations, all mobile stations only need to be equipped with sufficient number of antennas for processing the spatial streams intended for itself and not worrying about eliminating the interference from other spatial streams.
The processing of multiple spatial streams at the receiver is well known to those skilled in the art. In widely deployed IEEE 802.11n systems, low cost mobile stations with SU-MIMO capability are equipped with multiple antennas and the ability to process multiple received spatial streams intended for itself, i.e., the capability for low degree of spatial processing. The commonly used receiver processing algorithms include linear processing such as zero forcing (ZF) or minimum mean square error (MMSE) and more complex nonlinear processing based on maximal likelihood receiver. For SU-MIMO, the transmit beamforming (precoding) can be optionally applied at the transmitter to mitigate the effects of noise enhancement issues in the linear processing receiver thereby enabling the linear receiver to achieve the performance of the maximal likelihood receiver.
Although the legacy 802.11n mobile stations possess the similar capability for processing the received MIMO spatial streams as the 802.11ac mobile station, they do not have the capability to process the padding and un-padding of spatial stream and to handle the scheduled or polled uplink response. This is the key obstacle for performing MU-MIMO to the legacy 802.11n devices. A solution is sought to enable downlink MU-MIMO transmission for both 802.11ac and legacy 802.11n systems to achieve enhanced system capacity.

PSMP-based downlink multi-user MIMO communications


A heater block for bonders used in a semiconductor assembly line uses a vacuum suction force to securely hold the heater plate on the heater block via vacuum passages and vacuum adhesion holes connected to a vacuum pump so that an attachment and removal of the heater plate is accomplished easily and in a short span of time by merely turning on and off the vacuum suction adhesion force.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a heater block used in semiconductor manufacturing devices such as wire bonders, etc.
2. Prior Art
A conventional heater block in wire bonding machines selectively uses a multiple number of heater plates. When there is a change in the type of lead frames upon which bonding is to be performed, one of the heater plates which most matches the lead frames is selected and installed on a heater block body which contains a heater.
Japanese Utility Model Application Publication ("Kokoku") Nos. 1-42352 (called "Example 1") and 57-54278 (called "Example 2") disclose heater blocks having the structure described above. Example 1 uses two pins for horizontal positioning of the heater plate on the heater block body. In Example 2, the heater plate is fastened to the heater block body via screws.
These conventional examples have several problems. In Example 1, since the heater plate is merely placed at a specified position on the heater block body, the heater plate may float upwardly with respect to the heater block body. Thus, the bonding reliability tends to be low.
Contrarily, in Example 2, the heater plate is installed to the heater block body via screws. Accordingly, the heater plate is tightly fastened to the heater block body, and there are no such problems as seen in Example 1. However, since such a fastening in Example 2 is accomplished by means of screws, replacement of the heater plate requires a considerable amount of time.

Heater block for use in a bonder utilizing vacuum suction attachment means


The present invention relates to hydrogenated polybutadiene comprising monomeric units of 1,4-butadiene and 1,2-butadiene addition products. The copolymer is hydrogenated and comprises at least 10% by weight of at least one crystallizable segment and at least one low crystallinity segment.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to hydrogenated polybutadiene comprising monomeric units of 1,4-butadiene and 1,2-butadiene addition products. More particularly, it relates to polybutadiene comprising hydrogenated blocks or segments of monomeric units of 1,2-butadiene and 1,4-butadiene addition products containing at least one crystallizable segment or block comprising an average of at least about 10 weight percent of the total hydrogenated copolymer chain, and at least one low crystallinity segment or block. The instant invention also relates to oleaginous compositions containing said copolymers as viscosity index improver additives, a process for making these copolymers and a method to control the viscosity of oleaginous compositions.
2. Description of Related Art
Various copolymers of butadiene with other olefins are known to be used as oil additives. These include hydrogenated copolymers of butadiene with another conjugated diene such as isoprene. The copolymers are disclosed to be random or block copolymers. The following review of the related art illustrates attempts which have been made to develop hydrogenated butadiene base copolymers for use as an oil additive including a viscosity modifier.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,804,794 discloses segmented copolymers of ethylene and at least one other .alpha.-olefin monomer. Each copolymer is intramolecularly heterogeneous and intramolecularly homogeneous. At least one segment of the copolymer constituting at least 10% of the copolymer chain, is a crystallizable segment. The remaining segments of the copolymer chain are termed low crystallinity segments, and are characterized by an ethylene content of not greater than about 53 weight percent.
The .alpha.-olefin can include those containing 3 to 18 carbon atoms. .alpha.-olefins having 3 to 6 carbon atoms are indicated to be preferred. With the most preferred copolymers being copolymers of ethylene with propylene or ethylene with propylene and diene. The copolymers are disclosed to improve the properties in oleaginous fluids, in particular lubricating oil.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,419,365 discloses hydrogenated copolymers of butadiene and styrene as pour point depressants for distillate fuel oil; U.S. Pat. No. 3,393,057 discloses polymers of butadiene C10 to C24 normal alpha-monoolefins and styrene or indene as pour point depressants for fuel and lubricating oils; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,635,685 discloses pour point depressants comprising hydrogenated butadiene-styrene copolymers which contain a hydroxy, carboxy, or pyridyl terminal group.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,312,621 discloses polymers of conjugated diolefins which are predominantly in the 1,4-addition configuration, as viscosity index (V.I.) improvers. Butadiene, isoprene, 1,3-pentadiene, and copolymers of such diolefins are specifically disclosed as suitable.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,600,311 discloses viscosity index improvers of hydrogenated homopolymers of butadiene in which about 45 to 95% of the butadiene monomers are in the 1,4-configuration.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,795,615 discloses viscosity index improvers of hydrogenated copolymers of butadiene with a different conjugated diene, e.g., isoprene in which the monomer units in the polymer are predominantly in the 1,4-configuration. This patent discloses that hydrogenated 1,4-polybutadiene is not useful as a viscosity index improver, since the final product is an oil-insoluble polyethylene. Hydrogenated polybutadienes with an appropriate amount of 1,2-structure would give the necessary solubility and would have viscosity index improving properties. However, this references teaches that it is necessary to very precisely control the amount of 1,2-structure formed. If an inadequate amount of 1,2-structure is formed, the polymer is not sufficiently soluble; if too much 1,2-structure is formed, the polymer is not as effective in increasing the viscosity index. The patent further discloses that when polybutadiene is anionically polymerized to the high degree of polymerization needed for viscosity index improvers, it is very difficult to obtain precise control of the amount of 1,2-addition product by variations in reaction conditions.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,965,019 discloses hydrogenated random, tapered or block copolymers of butadiene and isoprene to be useful as viscosity modifiers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,032,459 discloses a viscosity index improver comprising a copolymer of butadiene and isoprene having between 20-55% 1,4-configuration, this polymer then having been hydrogenated to remove substantially all of the olefinic unsaturation.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,073,737 discloses viscosity index improver comprised of a hydrogenated copolymer produced by copolymerization of from about 1 to about 10 mole percent butadiene, at least one other C5 to C12 conjugated diene, and up to 45 mole percent of a vinyl aromatic monomer.
A useful class of viscosity index improvers for lube oil compositions are star-shaped polymers comprising a nucleus such as divinylbenzene with polymeric arms linked to it. Such polymers are disclosed in patents, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,358,565 and 4,620,048. Generally star-shaped polymers are disclosed to be formed by polymerizing one or more conjugated dienes and optionally, one or more monoalkenylarene compound in solution in the presence of an ionic initiator to form a living polymer. For the purpose of the present invention the term "living polymer" is used consistent with Billmeyer, Textbook of Polymer Science, 2d Ed., page 348, Wiley-Interscience, John Wiley and Sons, page 318 (1971). Specific conjugated dienes include conjugated dienes having 4 to 12 carbon atoms and optionally, one or more monoalkenylarene compounds. Typical and useful conjugated dienes include butadiene (1,3-butadiene) and isoprene. The living polymers thereby produced are then reacted with a polyalkenyl coupling agent to form star-shaped polymers The coupling agents have at least two non-conjugated alkenyl groups. The groups are usually attached to the same or different electron drawing groups, e.g., an aromatic nucleus. Such compounds have the property that at least two of the alkenyl groups are capable of independent reaction with different living polymers, and in this respect, are different from conventional dienes polymerizable monomers, such as butadiene and isoprene. The coupling agents may be aliphatic, aromatic or heterocyclic. Examples of aliphatic compounds include polyvinyl and polyallyl acetylenes, diacetylenes, phosphates, and phosphites, as well as the dimethacrylates, e.g., ethyl dimethacrylate. Examples of suitable heterocyclic compounds include divinyl pyridine and divinyl thiophene. Coupling agents disclosed to be preferred in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,358,565 patent are polyalkenyl aromatic compounds with the most preferred being indicated to be polyvinyl aromatic compounds. Examples of such compounds include those aromatic compounds, e.g., benzene, toluene, xylene, anthracene, naphthalene, and durene which are substituted by at least two alkenyl groups, preferably directly attached thereto. Specific examples include polyvinyl benzenes, e.g., divinyl, trivinyl, and tetravinyl benzenes; divinyl, trivinyl and tetravinyl, autho, meta and paraxylenes, divinyl naphthalene, divinyl ethyl benzene, divinyl biphenyl, diisobutenyl benzene, diisopropanol benzene, and diisopropanol biphenyl. The polyalkenyl coupling agent should be added to the living polymer after the polymerization of the monomers is substantially complete, i.e., the agent should only be added after substantially all of the monomer has been converted to living polymer.
The amount of polyalkenyl coupling agent added may vary, but preferably, at least 0.5 moles is used per mole of unsaturated living polymer. Amounts from 1 to 15 moles, and preferably 1.5 to 5 moles are preferred.
There exists a need for viscosity index improvers which, when added to oleaginous compositions, such as lube oil compositions, yield compositions exhibiting better or improved low temperature viscometric characteristics than are obtainable by the use of conventional viscosity index improver additives. The copolymers of the instant invention provide oleaginous compositions exhibiting such improved low temperature viscometric characteristics, and additionally, improved shear stability.
For convenience, certain terms that are repeated throughout the present specification and claims are defined below.
a. Viscosity Index (V.I.) is the ability of a lubricating oil to accommodate increase in temperature with a minimum decrease in viscosity. The greater this ability, the higher the V.I.
b. A block copolymer is a copolymer having at least one sequence (also referred to as block or segment) of the same monomer units. Each sequence has at least two monomer units. Block copolymers typically have a plurality of each type of monomer making up the copolymer. The terms relating to block copolymer are consistent with those given in Billmeyer, Jr., Textbook of Polymer Science, Second Edition, Wiley-Interscience (1971). For the purpose of the present invention the term block or segmented copolymer includes a copolymer comprising monomeric units of 1,2-butadiene and 1,4-butadiene.
c. Average methylene content of a segment of the hydrogenated copolymer is the average number of methylene moieties or units present in the segment. The methylene units are those present in the particular segment as a result of the polymerization and hydrogenation of butadiene and at least one other conjugated diene, such as isoprene. Thus, for example, the hydrogenation product of the 1,4-addition product of two 1,4-butadiene molecules contains one methylene segment comprised of eight methylene units and has a methylene content of 100%, i.e., --CH.sub.2 --CH.sub.2 --CH.sub.2 --CH.sub.2 --CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 --CH.sub.2 --. The hydrogenation product of the 1,2-addition product of 1,2-butadiene contains one methylene units alternating with an ethylene substituted methylene unit, i.e., ##STR1##
The following defines how percent methylene units are calculated from the percentages of hydrogenated 1,2 and 1,4 polybutadiene in the polymer. Each enchained 1,4-butadiene (B.sub.1,4) unit contributes four methylenes. Each 1,2-butadiene contributes one methylene and one substituted methylene. Where B represents the mole fraction 1,4-butadiene then (1-B) is the fraction 1,2-butadiene. The mole fraction methylenes present, X.sub.CH.sbsb.2 is then ##EQU1## where B.sub.1,4 is the fraction of 1,4-addition of butadiene. For B.sub.1,4 =1, X.sub.C.sbsb.2 =1. For all 1,2-addition X.sub.CH.sbsb.2 =0.5, but there can be no long methylene sequences.
To obtain crystallizable sequences there must be sequences of 1,4 enchained units. For random addition of 1,2-butadiene and 1,4-butadiene units B.sub.1,4 is approximately 0.3 or 30 percent to obtain crystallinity. From formula (1) X.sub.CH.sbsb.2 =0.73 at B.sub.1,4 =0.3. In principle, if the statistical distribution of 1,2 and 1,4-butadiene additions is of a block type, than random crystallinity could occur at B.sub.1,4 below 0.3.
In all cases where sequences of methylenes are long enough to crystallize at least two adjacent hydrogenated 1,4-butadiene units are present, and generally 3 or more are present. In such cases, methylenes from 1,2-butadiene becomes less important for crystallization since they add only one or two units to an 8 to 12 unit sequence. For purposes of the present invention the composition of crystallizable segments is in terms of 1,4-butadiene content, i.e, only those methylene segments contributed by 1,4-butadiene units are counted.
d. By "crystallize" it is meant that the methylene sequences in the polymer associate into ordered state consistent with the classical definition of polymer crystallinity as set forth, for example, by Flory, Principles of Polymer Chemistry, Cornell University Press (1953).
e. Crystallizable units are defined as methylene groups in sequence which exhibit a heat of fusion when measured by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) upon cooling from the melt. In a procedure useful for the present invention a sample can be formed into an approximately 0.030 inch thick sheet for 30 minutes at 150.degree. C. and then annealed at 20.degree. C. for 48 hours prior to measurement, loaded into the calorimeter at that temperature, rapidly cooled to -100.degree. C. and scanned to 150.degree. C. at 20.degree. C./minute. Only sequences melting between 20.degree. C. and 140.degree. C. are included.
f. The weight percent crystallizable units is: ##EQU2##
On this basis pure melt crystallized polymethylene of high Mw (i.e., where the end groups effects are not significant; typically greater equal or about 20,000) has about 60% crystallizable units. Kinetic restrictions prevent them from all crystallizing. Percent crystallinity can be measured by a techniques, as defined in G. Ver Strate, Z. W. Wilchinsky, J. Pol. Sci. Physics, A2, 9, 127 (1971), which is incorporated herein by reference. The degree of crystallinity measured is a function of the sample's annealing history. Some low amount is desirable in this product when the sample is annealed at 20.degree. C. for more than 48 hours after preparation of a void-free, strain-free specimen by heating to 150.degree. C. for 30 minutes in a suitable mold. Crystallizability also depends on other factors: temperature, diluent, and the composition of the copolymer.
g. The association temperature (T.sub.a), is the temperature at which crystallization of the copolymer of the present invention can be determined by studying the temperature dependance of the relative viscosity (.eta.rel). Deviation from an established (d.eta.rel/dT) trend occurs when significant association at polymer segments due to crystallinity starts. (ASTM method D-445 for kinematic viscosity can be run at a series of temperatures. The polymer concentration in these measurements should be the same as that in the formulated oil, for example, 1%).
h. The cloud point temperature is the temperature (T.sub.c) at which crystalline clouds (turbidity) are first observable upon cooling of oil when tested according to ASTM D-2500. The cloud paint temperature can be correlated with the association temperature.
i. A crystallizable segment of the hydrogenated copolymer chain is rich in methylene units, with an average methylene content of at least about 75 mole percent. The methylene content depends on the monomers used to prepare the polymer and the nature of their inclusion in the polymer. The methylene units will crystallize at a given temperature and concentration in solution only if they are in long enough sequences, with only a limited number of interruptions due to substituted methylene units. More interruptions are acceptable with methyl substitutions than with larger groups since methyl groups can enter the polymethylene crystal lattice. Methylene units can be identified by C.sub.13 NMR, T. Hayashi, Y. Iroue, R. Chujo, Macromolecules, 21, 3139, 1988, and references therein. Sequences of 5 or more cannot be distinguished. However units are actually crystallizable only if they are present in sequences of about 13 methylenes or longer.
j. A low crystallinity segment has an average methylene content less than about 75 mole percent, and is characterized in the unoriented bulk state after at least 24 hours annealing by a degree of crystallinity of less than about 0.2% at 23.degree. C.
k. Molecular weights of the hydrogenated copolymer were measured by a combination of gel permeation chromatography and on line laser light scattering and described in G. Ver Strate, C. Cozewith, S. Ju, Macromolecules, 21, 3360, 1989. The specific refractive index increment in trichlorobenzene at 135.degree. C. was assumed to be -0.104 cc/g for all hydrocarbon structures.

Viscosity modifier polybutadiene polymers


A suspension device suspends a driving wheel and a caster, which are laterally spaced from one another. A cab is located above the caster. A drive unit support supports a drive unit to which the driving wheel is attached. The drive unit support is fixed to a rotary shaft that extends in the lateral direction of the vehicle. The rotary shaft is located in front of the drive unit. The drive unit support is not located between the drive unit and the cab. Thus, the width of the cab is maximized without increasing the width of the vehicle body.

The present invention relates to a suspension device of an industrial vehicle and, more particularly, to a suspension device for a reach type forklift.
FIG. 17 illustrates a suspension device for a reach type forklift, which is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 8-164722. FIG. 17 is rear view of a forklift. The suspension device suspends a rear wheel 183 and a caster 184 such that the rear wheel 183 and the caster 184 move vertically relative to the vehicle body. The rear wheel 183 functions as a driving wheel and a steered wheel.
A cab 180 is located at the rear right of the body. An operator stands in the cab 180. A control panel 181 is located in the front of the cab 180. A steering wheel 182 is located to the left of the cab 180. The rear wheel 183 is steered in accordance with manipulation of the steering wheel 182. The rear wheel 183, or the driving wheel, is located to the left of the cab 180. The caster 184 is located below a bottom plate 180a of the cab 180.
The suspension device includes a parallel linkage 188. The parallel linkage 188 includes a support link 191, an upper link 192, a lower link 193 and a caster link 194. The support link 191 includes a horizontal support base 191a and an arm 191b, which extends downward from one end of the support base 191. A drive unit 187 for supporting the driving wheel 183 is attached to the support base 191a. The drive unit 187 includes a drive motor 185 and a gear housing 186. The gear housing 186 has gears for transmitting rotation of the drive motor 185 to the driving wheel 183. The caster 184 is attached to the distal end of the caster link 194.
One end of the upper link 192 is coupled to the vehicle body by a shaft 195. The other end,of the upper link 192 is coupled to the support base 191a by a shaft 197. One end of the lower link 193 is coupled to the lower end of the arm 191b by a shaft 198. The other end of the lower link 193 is coupled to the vehicle body by a shaft 196. The proximal end of the caster link 194 is coupled to the shaft 196. The axes of the shafts 195 to 198 are the vertexes of an imaginary parallelogram.
The shafts 195, 196 are fixed to the vehicle body. In other words, the shafts 195, 196 are fulcrums of the linkage 188. The parallel linkage 188 is moved about the shafts 195, 196 in accordance with the load acting on the driving wheel 183 and the caster 184. The shafts 195, 196 function as fulcrums. As a result, the driving wheel 183 and the caster 184 are moved in opposite directions.
A lift mechanism (not shown) for carrying loads is located in the front portion of the vehicle body. A reach cylinder 110 is located at the lower part of the body in the center of the lateral direction. The reach cylinder 110 moves the lift mechanism forward and-rearward. The reach cylinder 110 extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body and intersects the lower link 193.
The cab 180 is preferably wide for permitting an operator to easily manipulate the forklift (width is the left-right dimension of FIG. 17). However, in the forklift shown in FIG. 17, the arm 191b of the support link 191 is located to the right of the drive unit 187. That is, the arm 191b is located between the drive unit 187 and the cab 180. Accordingly, the width of the cab 180 is reduced by an amount corresponding the size of the arm 191b.
The width of the vehicle may be increased to increase the width of the cab 180. However, increasing the width of the vehicle hinders loading and unloading in small spaces.
The lower link 193 is located below the bottom plate 180a of the cab 180. The reach cylinder 110 is located below the lower link 193 and is transverse to the lower link 193. Therefore, a relatively large space is required below the bottom plate 180a for the lower link 193 and the reach cylinder 110. To permit the lower link 193 move vertically, space for the lower link 193 to move must be provided. Accordingly, the bottom,plate 180a must be located at a relatively raised position.
However, raising the bottom plate 180a makes it harder for an operator to get on and off the vehicle. Operators frequently get on and off reach type forklifts. The bottom plate 180a, which is raised to a relatively high position, thus lowers efficiency and increases operator fatigue.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 8-156544 discloses a suspension device that is similar to the device of FIG. 17. The device of the publication No. 8-156544 does not include a parallel linkage. However, like the device of FIG. 17, elements that form the suspension are located between the cab and the drive unit. Therefore, the width of the cab is limited.
Accordingly, it an objective of the present invention to provide a suspension device that increases the width of the cab of a vehicle without increasing the width of the vehicle body of the vehicle.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a suspension device that lowers the bottom plate of the cab.
To achieve the foregoing and other objectives and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, a suspension device for an industrial vehicle is provided. The vehicle has a driving wheel and a coasting wheel, which are laterally spaced apart. The suspension device suspends the driving wheel and the coasting wheel relative to a vehicle body. A cab is located at a side of the vehicle body and above the coasting wheel. The suspension device includes a coasting wheel support, a drive unit, a drive unit support and a coupler. The coasting wheel support supports the coasting wheel such that the coasting wheel moves upward and downward relative to the vehicle body. The driving wheel is attached to the drive unit. The drive unit support supports the drive unit such that the drive unit moves upward and downward relative to the vehicle body. The coupler is located in the vehicle body. The drive unit support is coupled to the coupler such that the drive unit support moves relative to the vehicle body. The coupler is located at a position other than a position that is lateral of the drive unit.
The present invention provides another suspension device for an industrial vehicle. The vehicle has a driving wheel and a coasting wheel, which are laterally spaced apart. The suspension device suspends the driving wheel and the coasting wheel relative to a vehicle body. The suspension device includes a coasting wheel support, a drive unit, a drive unit support and an interlock mechanism. The coasting wheel support supports the coasting wheel such that the coasting wheel moves upward and downward relative to the vehicle body. The driving wheel is attached to the drive unit. The drive unit support supports the drive unit such that the drive unit moves upward and downward relative to the vehicle body. The interlock mechanism interlocks the drive unit support with the coasting wheel support such that the driving wheel and the coasting wheel move in opposite directions. The interlock mechanism includes a rotatable shaft that extends in the lateral direction of the vehicle body. Load acting on the driving wheel and load acting on the coasting wheel are applied to the shaft as opposing torsional forces. The shaft rotates such that the torsion applied to the shaft by the driving wheel and the torsion applied to the shaft by the coasting wheel are balanced, and the driving wheel and the coasting wheel move in opposite directions.
The present invention further provides another suspension device for an industrial vehicle. The vehicle has a driving wheel and a coasting wheel, which are laterally spaced apart. The suspension device suspends the driving wheel and the coasting wheel relative to a vehicle body. The vehicle includes a cab located at a side of the vehicle body and above the coasting wheel. The vehicle also includes a carrier for carrying a load and an actuator for moving the carrier forward and rearward. The suspension device includes a coasting wheel support, a drive unit, a drive unit support and an interlock mechanism. The coasting wheel support supports the coasting wheel such that the coasting wheel moves upward and downward relative to the vehicle body. The driving wheel is attached to the drive unit. The drive unit support supports the drive unit such that the drive unit moves upward and downward relative to the vehicle body. The interlock mechanism interlocks the drive unit support with the coasting wheel support such that the driving wheel and the coasting wheel move in opposite directions. The interlock mechanism crosses the actuator at a location that is forward or rearward of the cab.
Other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example the principles of the invention.

Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho


A method and system for reconstructing an image in a time-of-flight (TOF) positron emission tomography (PET) system is provided. The method includes using a reconstructed image to determine predicted timing information. Timing bias data is updated based on received timing information associated with acquired scan data from a PET system and the predicted timing information. The method further includes reconstructing the image, based on the updated timing bias data.

This invention relates generally to medical imaging systems, and more particularly, to image reconstruction using Positron Emission Tomography (PET) systems.
A PET system generates images that represent the distribution of positron-emitting nuclides within the body of a patient. When a positron interacts with an electron by annihilation, the entire mass of the positron-electron pair is converted into two 511 keV photons. The photons are emitted in opposite directions along a line of response. The annihilation photons are detected by detectors that are placed along the line of response on a detector ring. When these photons arrive and are detected at the detector elements at the same time, this is referred to as coincidence. An image is then generated, based on the acquired image data that includes the annihilation photon detection information.
In a PET system, the image quality depends on image statistics. The image statistics may be improved by acquiring the image data for longer durations. However, the total time required to acquire the image data is limited by the decay of the radioactive isotope used in the imaging process and by the inability of the patients to remain immobile for extended durations.
Image quality may be improved by including time-of-flight (TOF) information of the emission data. Strictly speaking, TOF is the time taken by an annihilation photon to travel from the origin of annihilation to detector elements along the line of response, but this cannot be measured directly since the time at which the emission takes place is not known. Therefore, TOF usually refers to the difference in the time at which the photons are detected by the detector elements. The timing difference is used to localize the source of emission along the line joining two detector elements in TOF PET systems.
In order to maintain a good signal-to-noise ratio in the images in the reconstruction process in TOF PET systems, it is important to measure the timing difference accurately. A systematic error or bias in the estimation of the timing difference between photon detection in the two detector elements will translate into a shift of the estimated source of photon annihilation along the line joining two detector elements. Calibration errors can result in such a timing bias. For example, if the timing bias is 0.1 ns, the reconstruction process shifts the data along the line between the detector elements by 1.5 cm. Reconstruction of images with these timing biases will result in image noise, particularly if the timing bias is large compared to the timing resolution of the detectors.
In known PET systems, timing errors are measured by introducing a known source distribution into the scan region of the PET system and thereby acquiring a TOF data set. Since the location of the activity is known, the expected timing difference data may be computed, for example, if the activity is known to be at the midpoint of the line between two detectors, the expected timing difference is equal to zero. If the average measured timing data is not equal to the expected timing difference, the difference between the average measured timing data and the expected timing difference represents the TOF error for that detector element pair.
In known TOF PET systems, the photon arrival time is digitized and coincidence is determined by comparing the digital time stamps of each measured photon. In an effort to compensate for timing errors measured in the PET system, the detector signals are tuned or calibrated by introducing a variable amount of delay in the signal before it is digitized in each detector element. However, a system with a large number of detector elements will, for reasons of economy of manufacture, use a common set of electronics to process a group of detector elements. It is commonly not known which detector within the group has received a photon, and therefore which value of the delay should be applied to the signal before the signal is digitized and processed. Therefore, differences in the timing bias among the detectors in a group cannot be individually corrected, and if these differences are significant there will be a loss of accuracy in the reconstructed image.
Another known method of calibrating a TOF PET system is to introduce a delay after the signal is digitized, by changing the digital time stamp. In this event, the timing bias of a particular detector element is adjusted by changing the digital time stamp according to the least significant bit (LSB) of the digital circuit. As a result, the timing signal of each individual detector element can only be adjusted in multiples of the LSB, even though the system may have the capability to determine that the timing is a fraction of the LSB. The adjustment can reduce the timing bias to only ±½ LSB. Because this occurs for each of the two photons in the coincidence pair, the timing bias of the coincidence pair may be as large as ±1 LSB. For example, if the LSB is 50 ps, it corresponds to a location error of up to ±1.5 cm along the coincidence line of response.
Moreover, the timing biases of a plurality of detector element pairs are not stable, for example, due to time, temperature variations affecting the electronic components, and the like. Therefore, the timing biases measured during the calibration procedure may not be accurately applied to subsequent acquired scan data, resulting in degradation of the reconstructed image.

Method and system for reconstructing an image in a positron emission tomography (PET) system


In the spectrometer 1, a lens portion 3 having a spherical surface 35 on which a spectroscopic portion 4 is provided and a bottom plane 31 in which a light detecting element 5 is disposed, has a side plane 32 substantially perpendicular to the bottom plane 31 and a side plane 34 substantially perpendicular to the bottom plane 31 and the side plane 32. Then, a package 11 that houses a spectroscopy module 10 has side planes 16 and 18 respectively coming into planar-contact with the side planes 32 and 34, and contact portions 22 coming into contact with the spherical surface 35. Therefore, the side planes 32 and 34 of the lens portion 3 are respectively brought into planar-contact with the side planes 16 and 18 of the package 11 while bringing the spherical surface 35 of the lens portion 3 into contact with the contact portions 22 of the package 11, that positions the spectroscopic portion 4 and the light detecting element 5 with respect to a light incident window plate 25 of the package 11.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a spectrometer configured such that a spectroscopic portion and a light detecting element are housed in a package.
2. Related Background of the Invention
A spectrometer is an apparatus in which a light to be measured is dispersed by a spectroscopic portion such as a prism or a diffraction grating, to detect the light by a light detecting element. Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. H08-145794 (Patent Document 1) has disclosed a spectrometer provided with an optical bench on which various optical elements are mounted and a vessel that houses the optical bench. In this spectrometer, the optical bench has an element attachment portion to which the optical elements are attached and a vessel fixing portion fixed to the vessel, and the element attachment portion is formed to have a cantilever structure with respect to the vessel fixing portion.


Methods, systems, and computer program products for dynamic pricing of energy consumed from a shared battery using real-time consumption data are provided herein. A computer-implemented method includes calculating wear cost arising from a battery shared by multiple users, wherein the wear cost is based on usage data of the battery; calculating a proportionality factor for each of the multiple users for the calculated wear cost, wherein the proportionality factor is based on individual usage of the battery; apportioning the calculated wear cost to each of the multiple users based on the user's proportionality factor; and determining a dynamic price for energy used by the battery for each of the multiple users, based on said apportioning.

Batteries are electrochemical devices which convert chemical energy into electrical energy, or vice versa, by means of controlled chemical reactions. Batteries are commonly used, for example, as backup power sources during power outages and also as energy buffers in renewable energy systems. Capital expenditure (CapEx) and operating expenses (OpEx) associated with battery storage can be significant as compared to energy generation cost. Additionally, active chemicals commonly used in storage batteries breakdown gradually and face decreasing lifespans with usage.
Such usage can include multiple users extracting power from a shared deep-cycle battery operating in an off-grid setup. In such a context, the lifespan of the battery chemicals depends on the usage patterns of the battery across the multiple users.

Dynamic pricing of energy consumed from a shared battery using real-time consumption data


A burnproof device of triple/double switch combination faucet, including a faucet main body having an L-shaped cold water inlet switch seat and an L-shaped hot water inlet switch seat on two sides. A communicating tube inward extends from the side of each of the cold and hot water inlet switch seats. A center of the main body is disposed with a controlling switch seat for controlling the discharging of the water from downward spout or upward sprinkler. The communicating tube communicates the cold and hot water inlet switch seats with the controlling switch seat. A switch is disposed at a transverse tube opening of each of the cold and hot water inlet switch seats for controlling the water to flow from the longitudinal inlet into the center of the main body and mix therein. The controlling switch of the controlling switch seat is used to control whether the water should be discharged from the spout or the sprinkler. The center of the communicating tube of the hot water switch seat is formed with a longitudinal circular water pipe seat. A bypass passage is disposed between the communicating tube of the cold water switch seat and the central controlling switch seat. The water is bypassed to rear side of the controlling switch seat to connect with the water pipe seat. A burnproof water pipe composed of an outer and an inner fitting pipes is fitted in the water pipe seat.

The present invention relates to a burnproof device of triple/double switch combination faucet, including a faucet main body having an L-shaped cold water inlet switch seat and an L-shaped hot water inlet switch seat on two sides. A communicating tube inward extends from the side of each of the cold and hot water inlet switch seats. A center of the main body is disposed with a controlling switch seat for controlling the discharging of the water from downward spout or upward sprinkler. The center of the communicating tube of the hot water switch seat is formed with a longitudinal circular water pipe seat. A bypass passage is disposed between the communicating tube of the cold water switch seat and the central controlling switch seat. A burnproof water pipe composed of an outer and an inner fitting pipes is fitted in the water pipe seat. In the case that the cold water pressure is reduced to be less than that of the hot water, the diaphragm of the inner fitting pipe is upward pushed away from the symmetrical position by the hot water pressure, whereby the slots of the inner and outer fitting pipes are disaligned from each other, preventing the hot water from further going into the inner fitting pipe. At this time, only the cold water flows out from the upper end opening of the inner fitting pipe and the upper water outlet of the water pipe seat to the communicating tube on outer side of the water pipe seat so as to protect the user from being burned by the hot water.
FIG. 1 shows a conventional triple switch combination faucet structure. The faucet main body 10 includes an L-shaped cold water inlet switch seat 11 and an L-shaped hot water inlet switch seat 12 on two sides. A communicating tube 13 inward extends from the inner side of each of the cold and hot water inlet switch seats 11, 12. The center of the main body is disposed with a controlling switch seat 14 for controlling the discharging of the water from downward spout or upward sprinkler. The communicating tube 13 communicates the cold and hot water inlet switch seats 11, 12 with the controlling switch seat 14. A switch 15 is disposed at a transverse tube opening of each of the cold and hot water inlet switch seats 11, 12 for controlling the water to flow from the longitudinal inlet 111, 121 into the center of the main body and mix therein. Then the controlling switch 16 of the controlling switch seat 14 is used to control whether the water should be discharged from the spout or the sprinkler.
The above faucet structure can only adjust the ratio of the cold water to the hot water so as to adjust the temperature of the water. However, the existing users of the tap water often suffer low water pressure and need to use a pressurizing motor to increase the water pressure. The water pressure after pressurized is often still insufficient due to using of water of the peripheral toilet or faucet. Therefore, the cold water pressure is reduced and the cold water in the combination faucet is reduced so that the ratio of the cold water to the hot water is lowered. As a result, the mixed water becomes hotter and this may lead to burn wound of the user.

Burnproof device of triple/double switch combination faucet


A charge-trapping device includes a field effect transistor, which has source and drain regions. The source and drain regions have a dopant concentration profile, which has a gradient each in a vertical and a lateral direction with respect to a surface of a semiconductor substrate. The gradient in the lateral direction towards a depletion region of the transistor is larger than the gradient in the vertical direction towards a well region.

Memory cells of a flash memory array are based on trapping of charge carriers in a floating gate or in a dielectric memory layer confined by thin confinement layers, e.g., an ONO-layer sequence. These non-volatile memory cells are electrically programmable and erasable.
One cell concept has been developed to allow for the storage of two bits per cell. Therein, a wordline crossing an active substrate and provided with an ONO-layer sequence is designed to charge-trap channel hot electrons (CHE) in confined regions of the ONO-layer sequence on both sides of a channel or depletion region in the substrate. In other words the charge carriers are trapped in a location of the ONO-layer sequence sandwiched between the word line (or gate electrode) and the active substrate, where separated source and drain regions, the depletion region and the gate electrode approach each other.
Charge carriers moving from source to drain through the channel or depletion region are accelerated and gain enough energy in order to penetrate through the lower confinement layer of the ONO-layer sequence. These charge carriers are then trapped within the memory layer. As a result, the trapped charge carriers influence the threshold voltage of the cell transistor structure. Different programming states can then be read by applying the appropriate reading voltages.
In consequence, programming and reading occurs by means of applying different voltages to each two bitlines connecting opposite source and drain regions of a transistor. Which of the two locations per cell is read out with respect to the stored charge carriers depends on the current direction according to the voltage drop between the two bitlines.
In one embodiment of a semiconductor flash memory, memory cells are arranged within an array 2 at cross-points of word lines 14 with bit lines 10, 12 as shown in FIG. 1. Each memory cell has a transistor 16 with source and drain regions 11, 13 (see FIG. 2). Reference numeral 10 in this embodiment refers to bit lines connecting source regions 11, and numeral 12 denotes bit lines connected with drain regions. In the architecture of this embodiment, e.g., erase operations are performed collectively and simultaneously with respect to multiple memory cells arranged in a so-called e-sector (erase sector) 19 or 21, wherein an e-sector is defined by control units 18, 20 associated with a dedicated set of word lines. An e-sector is the smallest possible segment of an array to perform the task of erasing bits.
When erasing bit information stored in the memory cells, a considerable voltage of, e.g., −7 V is applied to all the word lines 14 of an e-sector (e-sector 21 in FIG. 1). At the same time a large voltage of, e.g., +6 V is applied to the bit lines 10 and 12 in order to generate hot holes, which compensate for the electrons stored in the memory layer when being injected therein.
One problem that may arise due to such architectures is that memory cells associated with word lines 14 of a neighboring e-sector 19 undergo the same voltage difference with respect to source and drain as those cells located within the currently active e-sector 21, because these are connected with the same bit lines 10 or 12.
FIG. 2 shows a cross section of two field effect transistors 16 of respective two-bit memory cells, which neighbor each other. The memory cells are accessed via respective word lines 14a, 14b, which form the outermost word lines of a corresponding e-section 19, 21. Word line 14b (gate electrode) of the memory cell within the e-sector 21 is provided with a voltage of −7 V and drain bit line 12 is provided with a voltage of +6 V.
As a result, an electron-hole pair is generated (band-to-band tunneling). The electron moves towards the large drain potential. The hole gains energy and drifts towards the negative gate electrode potential and is eventually injected into the ONO-layer in order to erase the bit content stored therein as it is desired.
However, due to the large an amount of holes thus generated some holes may also be accelerated vertically down towards the substrate (well). Secondary electrons may be generated there by means of impact ionization. These secondary electrons are attracted by gate electrode (word line 14a) currently supplied with a voltage of +4 V and not being intended to be erased. If the secondary electrons equally gain sufficient energy, they may even enter the memory layer and thus program a hitherto non-programmed memory cell (bits #1 or #2 of the neighboring memory cell) despite the extraordinarily large voltage of +6 V supplied to the drain region 13 located between the gate electrodes. Note, a voltage of +3 V or +4 V (instead of, e.g., zero voltage) may be applied to word lines 14 of neighboring e-sectors in order to inhibit unintended erasure of programmed bits (inhibit voltage).
Further, as shown in FIG. 2, an electron-hole pair may also be generated by impact ionization at the pn-junction at the bottom of drain region 13, which is connected to bit line 12, due a generally strong gradient of free charge carrier concentration. The same effect of unintended programming of unprogrammed bits due to hot electrons may happen as described above.
Moreover, in excess of what happens with respect to neighboring word lines of different e-sectors as described above, the electron-hole pair generation at the bottom pn-junction of the drain region may affect each word line of a neighboring (inhibited) e-sector. The effect of undesired programming of bits during an erase is known as a bit line disturb.
As is further shown in FIG. 2, source regions 11 connected to non-selected bit lines 10 may be supplied with a voltage of 4 V, which is accomplished by means of so-called shunt transistors. The goal is to reduce unintended programming of erased bits due to the injection of channel hot electrons.
Hence, there is a need to improve a semiconductor flash memory particularly with regard to the performance characteristics during erase operations. Further, the lifetime (number of write and erase cycles) of a semiconductor flash memory product should be increased.

Charge trapping device and method of producing the charge trapping device


A Baccarat derivation incorporates an adjustable house advantage while eliminating confusing card-drawing rules, resulting in a more exciting and playable game. A table layout includes betting areas for a competition wager that one side or the other will win the game as well as a proposition wager area that the sides will tie. As with conventional Baccarat, the players can wager for either side. The methodology is suited for any game where a result is determined according to ranked values such as Baccarat, Blackjack, War or Dice.

(NOT APPLICABLE)
The present invention relates to casino games and gaming formats and, more particularly, to betting options and modified versions of existing games where a result is determined according to ranked values.
Baccarat is played internationally with different rules and different names, such as Punto Banco and Chemin-de-Fer. In the U.S., Baccarat is typically played in a dedicated VIP high-stakes gaming area. In an effort to increase the popularity of the game, smaller versions of Baccarat such as Mini-Baccarat have been introduced in the regular gaming area.
There are several drawbacks associated with conventional Baccarat. In particular, in certain situations, the house takes a commission on wagers. Although the house needs an advantage, the use of commission can deter many players. Moreover, from a casino perspective, calculating commissions slows down the game. To correct this, the game may be operated where the commission is collected not after each hand, but at the end of each shoe (a shoe holds multiple decks of cards from which hands are dealt by the dealer), prior to reshuffling the decks. While this speeds up the game, collection of commission may be impacted by the player running out of funds or not wishing to meet the obligation.
Moreover, for novice players, the rules of play seem obscure, and the procedure is prone to error. In Baccarat, there is a player hand and a banker hand, but the casino player may bet either hand. Each hand receives two cards with 10""s and face cards counting as zero. The superior hand is the higher hand, with 9 being the highest total and with each hand being allowed to draw a third card in certain circumstances. The card draw option to the player hand is determined by the player two-card total, and the card draw option to the banker hand is determined by the banker two-card total and the exact third card drawn by the player. With these rules, although the game is simple in its concepts, the game has a complicated appearance.
Still further, with conventional Baccarat, there is an inherent hand-value deterioration bias. That is, a two-card total of 5 improves with a 1, 2, 3 or 4 value card, but deteriorates with a 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9 value card, which creates the inherent bias.
Additionally, as a tie is a push with respect to wagers, there is no casino advantage working on the player and banker wagers when a tie occurs. If the tie outcome could be incorporated into the outcome of the basic wager, the house advantage could be manipulated as desired.
In one modified version of Baccarat, so called Bahama Baccarat or No Commission Baccarat, the commission aspect has been successfully removed. The house advantage is incorporated in a bar rule so a specific result is determined differently than with conventional Baccarat. In this context, however, the game retains a complicated draw process, does not offer higher payoffs, the tie is a non-result, and the bar rule gives an impression of a lack of balance.
There is thus a need for a Baccarat variant that not only removes the commission aspect of the game, but also eliminates card drawing complications, incorporates a house advantage in the tie result, and removes the inherent deterioration bias in conventional Baccarat. With such a Baccarat variant, the game would be simple to operate and attractive to new players.
According to the present invention, a Baccarat variant is a simplified version of the conventional game, incorporating player hand win or banker hand win bet options as well as a tie bet option. The methodology according to the invention can be applied to other ranked value games such as Blackjack, War, Dice or an original ranked value game.
According to a particular aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of playing a game where a result is determined according to ranked values. The method includes the steps of (a) receiving at least one wager that at least one of a plurality of events will occur, the plurality of events including (1) a first side having a higher ranking value than a second side, (2) the second side having a higher ranking value than the first side, and (3) the first side having a ranking value equal to the second side; (b) adjusting a house advantage by determining rules for resolving ties; (c) dealing two playing cards to each of the first side and the second side and determining a numerical total of each of the two playing cards according to predetermined rules of the game; and (d) resolving the at least one wager according to the respective numerical totals and the rules for resolving ties, wherein upon the occurrence of a tie, wagers for events (1) and (2) are pushed except for ties with a numerical value of zero. In this context, upon the occurrence of a zero tie, step (d) may be practiced by taking wagers on events (1) and (2); taking wagers on events (1) and (2) when the zero tie results from two zero-value cards for each of the first side and the second side and by paying 1 to 1 on wagers for events (1) and (2) when the zero tie results from any other combination of cards; taking half of the wagers on events (1) and (2); or holding wagers on events (1) and (2) for a next deal of cards, and resolving the wagers on events (1) and (2) in the next deal of cards.
The wagers on events (1) and (2) held according to step (d) may be resolved in the next deal of cards according to the following:
(i) if the first side wins the next deal of cards, wagers on event (1) are returned and wagers on event (2) are taken;
(ii) if the second side wins the next deal of cards, wagers on event (2) are returned and wagers on event (1) are taken; and
(iii) if a result of the next deal of cards is a tie, then the wagers on events (1) and (2) are resolved according to special rules.
The special rules may comprise paying a payout on the held wagers for events (1) and (2); taking the held wagers for events (1) and (2); pushing the held wagers for events (1) and (2); or further holding the held wagers for events (1) and (2) for another deal of cards.
Step (d) may alternatively be practiced by paying 1 to 1 on wagers for events (1) and (2) when the respective numerical totals tie with 2, 4, 6 or 8, taking wagers on events (1) and (2) when the respective numerical totals tie with 1, 3, 5, 7 or 9, and pushing wagers on events (1) and (2) when the respective numerical totals tie with zero.
According to another particular aspect of the invention, an apparatus for playing a game where a result is determined according to ranked values includes structure for carrying out the method of the invention.
According to still another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of playing a game where a result is determined according to ranked values. The method includes the steps of (a) receiving at least one wager that at least one of a plurality of events will occur, the plurality of events including (1) a first side having a higher ranking value than a second side, (2) the second side having a higher ranking value than the first side, and (3) the first side having a ranking value equal to the second side; (b) dealing two playing cards to each of the first side and the second side and determining a numerical total of each of the two playing cards according to predetermined rules of the game; and (c) resolving the at least one wager according to the respective numerical totals, wherein upon the occurrence of a tie, wagers for events (1) and (2) are pushed except for ties with a numerical value of zero, wherein upon the occurrence of a zero tie, step (c) is practiced by one of taking wagers on events (1) and (2), taking wagers on events (1) and (2) when the zero tie results from two zero-value cards for each of the first side and the second side and paying 1 to 1 on wagers for events (1) and (2) when the zero tie results from any other combination of cards, taking half of the wagers on events (1) and (2), and holding wagers on events (1) and (2) for a next deal of cards, and resolving the wagers on events (1) and (2) in the next deal of cards.

Method and apparatus for playing a game with numerical result


A method of efficiently forming a circuit using a thin film transistor with a semiconductor layer in which preferable crystallinity is obtained is provided. A location on which stress concentrates according to crystallization of a semiconductor layer formed on a substrate having unevenness corresponds to the edges and their vicinities of the unevenness provided on the substrate, that is, the boundary between a concave portion and a convex portion and its vicinities. Thus, the location in which stress concentration is caused can be specified and controlled according to the shape of a slit-shaped base layer. In addition, an island-like semiconductor layer (1305) which becomes the active layer of a TFT is formed on the concave portion or the convex portion of the substrate having the unevenness. At this time, at least a portion which becomes the channel formation region of the TFT is formed without crossing the boundary between the concave portion and the convex portion. Such TFTs are used in parallel to construct a TFT having a large channel width so that fluctuation in electrical characteristics is averaged.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, and a semiconductor device manufactured by the manufacturing method. The semiconductor device described here includes an electro-optical device such as a liquid crystal display device and a light emitting device, and an electronic device using the device as a display portion.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, there has been widely used a technique of crystallizing an amorphous semiconductor layer formed on an insulator, more specifically, a glass substrate to obtain a crystalline semiconductor layer and producing thin film transistors (hereinafter referred to as TFTs) using the crystalline semiconductor layer as an active layer, and an electrical characteristic of the TFT has been markedly improved.
Therefore, various signal processing circuits conventionally externally mounted using an IC and the like can be produced using the TFTs so that a display device in which a pixel portion and driver circuits are integrally formed on a substrate is realized. By a reduction in the number of parts, display devices are compact and lightweight, and further a manufacturing cost can be greatly reduced. Recently, research and development have been widely advanced.
As one of methods of preferably crystallizing an amorphous semiconductor layer, there is a technique of irradiating CW (continuous wave: continuous oscillation) laser light to the semiconductor layer while being scanned in a single direction so that crystals are grown in a scanning direction to form single crystals lengthened in that direction. When this method is employed, it is considered that a layer is obtained which includes few grain boundaries at least in a channel direction of the TFT. Further, the respective grain boundaries have a composition close to single crystal so that an electrical characteristic and uniformity thereof are superior.
According to this method, in order to irradiate laser light to the semiconductor layer while its energy density is continuously kept to a sufficient magnitude, laser light is linearly condensed and irradiated. Therefore, when the entire semiconductor layer on the substrate is crystallized, a laser light spot is shifted relative to the substrate to scan it on the substrate, thereby conducting laser irradiation. Thus, a point in which it takes a long time for processing becomes a problem. Note that a spot of laser light is accurately made to an elliptical shape or a rectangular shape. However, its aspect ratio is large. Thus, it is defined to be a line shape.
Also, as means for improving the crystallinity of the semiconductor layer, there is means to which the fundamental principle of graphoepitaxy is applied. This is to utilize the anisotropy of surface energy which growing crystal has, that is, a property in which all orientation surfaces are not randomly produced in crystal growth but bias in orientation is caused in a specific condition.
As shown in FIG. 1A, when Si is grown on a smooth amorphous quartz substrate or an SiO2 film 201, a (100) orientation surface is easy to produce on a surface which is in contact with the substrate. However, there is no regulating element with respect to an in-plane orientation so that the orientation becomes arbitrary. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1B, a slit-shaped unevenness portion made from a base insulating film 202 is provided on a smooth surface and crystal growth is made thereon. At this time, because Si is in contact with the bottom surface, the top surface, and the side surface of the slit, it is grown such that a (100) orientation surface and a (010) orientation surface and a (001) orientation surface which are equivalent thereto are in contact with the respective surfaces thereof. Accordingly, single crystals in which in-plane orientations vertical to and parallel to the substrate are aligned are grown. Similarly, as shown in FIG. 1C, when a slant slit-shaped unevenness portion is formed and crystal growth is made thereon, single crystals having a (110) orientation surface can be also obtained. Details on crystal growth based on this principle are described in, for example, "Crystalline Silicon on Insulators by Graphoepitaxy (1979, IEEE page 210–213)".
In FIG. 2A, a process of forming a base layer 1102 on a substrate 1101, subsequently forming a semiconductor layer 1103 thereon, and crystallizing it to obtain a crystalline semiconductor layer is considered. When the semiconductor layer formed over the substrate is crystallized, stress resulting from crystallization is produced within the layer. There is a time difference in in-plane crystallization. Thus, a stress distribution does not become uniform so that a point on which the stress concentrates appears. For example, a stress distribution as shown in FIG. 2A is caused in a grain boundary between crystal grains 1105 and in the vicinity thereof so that a surface which would originally become a smooth surface indicated by reference numeral 1104 has a shape in which the center and its vicinities of crystal grain rises. In addition, there is the case where cracks are caused as indicated by reference numeral 1106.
By the way, a driver circuit of a display device will be described as an example of a semiconductor device. FIG. 3A shows an example of a general display device. It has a pixel portion 503, a source signal line driver circuit 504, a gate signal line driver circuit 505, and the like on a substrate 501, and the resultant substrate 501 is bonded to a counter substrate 502. A signal from the outside is inputted through a flexible print circuit (FPC) 506.
FIG. 3B simply shows a configuration of the source signal line driver circuit of the display device. It has a shift register 511 composed of a plural stages of D-flip-flops 512, NANDs 513, buffers 514, sampling switches (analog switches) 515, and the like.
In accordance with clock signals (CLK and CLKb) and a start pulse (SP), sampling pulses are outputted from the shift register 511 in succession. Subsequently, they are shaped to pulses which are not duplicated between adjacent lines by the NANDs 513, passed through the buffers 514, and then inputted to the sampling switches (analog switches) 515. The sampling switches (analog switches) 515 are turned ON at timings when the sampling pulses are inputted thereto and video signals at respective times are captured to the source signal lines (S1, S2, . . . , Sn).
Here, the sampling switches (analog switches) 515 each have a large load (here, a wiring resistor, a capacitor, or the like of the source signal line). Thus, in order to provide sufficient drive capacity, a channel width (W) is increased. Further, even in the buffers 514, in order to drive the sampling switch having a large W, W in a post-stage is increased. Its size is changed according to the amount of load but is usually several hundreds of μm.
With respect to a TFT using a semiconductor layer formed on an insulating substrate as an active layer, variations in electrical characteristics resulting from in-plane nonuniformity of semiconductor crystals becomes a problem. In particular, in the case of a TFT having a large size, a degree of variations thereof cannot be neglected. Further, when the characteristics of the sampling switches and the like are varied, video signal capture operation is influenced thereby. Thus, a display quality is reduced so that it becomes serious.

Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.


The distributed game system disclosed herein provides for interacting play between multiple users, even though the users are interconnected with a host computer through a data communication network having appreciable latency. The host computer supports a program for tracking and coordinating the definitive state of the game. The computers employed by each of the users support at least two types of program components, a display component and an interaction component. The interaction component is responsive to at least two kinds of user input, goal input which identifies user proxy movement within a virtual world and impact input which identifies direct interaction between the inputting user's proxy and the proxy of an identified other user. Goal input is interpreted by the host computer which distributes to all users information defining a plan of movement for the inputting user's proxy. In contrast, impact input causes the inputting user's computer to itself generate an effect plan which defines the effect the impact input will have on the other user's proxy. The effect plan is directly acted upon by the inputting user's display program and is distributed by the host computer to other users.

The present invention relates to a multi-user interactive game and more particularly to such a game which may be played between distributed users interconnected with a host computer through a data communication network having appreciable latency, such as the Internet.
There is appreciable interest in multi-user interactive gaming both for training purposes and for entertainment. For example, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has funded the development of a SIMNET/DIS architecture for use in military training. The SIMNET/DIS architecture is based essentially on peer-to-peer Ethernet networks supporting a multicast mode of communication.
In the case of the SIMNET/DIS architecture, the effect of an action by one player on another player was typically modeled by the player towards which the action was directed so that the present situation and condition of that player (or his proxy) could be taken into account. For example, if the game being modeled was a tank battle, the effect of the firing of one tank upon another would be determined by the computer playing the role of the attacked tank, i.e. the proxy for one of the players.
There have also been proposed multi-user games in which the multiple users are linked through a host computer. While that host computer might be an Internet server, it was typically necessary that all players of a given game have direct access to that server rather than being connected through the Internet itself, because of the Internet's appreciable and often variable latency. In this type of game, essentially all interactions are controlled or modeled by the host which takes in input information from the distributed users and informs all users of the results of that input.
A principal object of the present invention is to facilitate multi-user, interactive play to users who may be fairly widely distributed and interconnected only by means of a data communication network having significant and variable latency, such as the Internet. To this end, a novel hybrid architecture has been devised.

Distributed game architecture to overcome system latency


A system has a first temperature sensor located at a first location. A second temperature sensor is located at a second location. A control is configured to determine a difference between voltages indicated of a temperature sensed by each of the first and second sensors. A method is also disclosed.

This application relates to a temperature difference measurement system. Temperature difference information is utilized in any number of applications for modern systems. As one example, a temperature difference might sensed to determine the health of various components within a system.
However, current systems for measuring a temperature difference typically rely upon a sensor voltage being sent to a so called "cold junction." A temperature sensed at the cold junction is used to reach an absolute value for the temperature sensed by the sensor.
Such cold junctions require a transition from a sensor wire to a copper wire, and a way to measure the temperature at the cold junction. Once the temperature is measured then an adjustment must be added or subtracted to arrive at the apparent temperature at the two locations.
This may not always be as accurate as is desired. Further, the method is complex and carries the possibility of error.

Temperature difference measurement system


Disclosed is an ion beam irradiation device including a holder supporting a substrate; and an ion beam source that is a predetermined distance from the substrate and inclined to be substantially parallel with the substrate and that irradiates the substrate with an ion beam.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ion beam irradiation device, and more particularly, to an ion beam irradiation device for irradiating ion beams onto an alignment layer in the manufacturing process of a liquid crystal display (LCD), thereby providing uniform liquid crystal orientation.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, cathode ray tubes (CRT) have been widely used to display image information. However, CRTs have many disadvantages, including being heavy and large for its screen size.
In addition, as the electronics industry quickly advances, display devices that have been used in limited applications such as for TVs are now widely employed in a variety of applications such as for personal computers, laptop computers, mobile devices, and on dashboards of vehicles. Furthermore, with the development of information and communication technology that facilitates the transmission of a large amount of video information, next generation displays that can process and display the large amount of video information are becoming more important.
Among next generation displays, liquid crystal displays (LCD) are the most attractive because LCD have many advantages including being light weight, low power, slim, compact, and low price.
The resolution of the LCD is superior to that of other flat displays, and it has a fast response speed that is as fast as a CRT for displaying a motion picture.
LCDs are driven using the optical anisotropy and polarization characteristics of a liquid crystal. Because a liquid crystal molecule has a structure that is slim and long, it has a specific orientation and polarity when it is arranged. The orientation of the liquid crystal molecule can be adjusted by applying an electromagnetic field thereto. Accordingly, by adjusting the orientation of the liquid crystal molecule, the liquid crystal molecule can selectively transmit or block light according to the molecules orientation, by which a color image may be realized.
FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a conventional LCD. In FIG. 1, the LCD 100 include lower and upper substrates 101 and 102, and a liquid crystal layer 190 disposed between the lower and upper substrates 101 and 102. The structure of the lower and upper substrates 101 and 102 will be briefly described below.
First, the lower substrate 101 includes a gate electrode 121 formed of a conductive material such as a metal on a first transparent substrate 111 and a gate insulating layer 130 formed of a silicon nitride (SiNx) layer or a silicon oxide (SiOx) layer that may be deposited on the first transparent substrate 111 while covering the gate electrode 121.
An active layer 141 may be formed of amorphous silicon on a portion of the gate insulating layer 130 corresponding to the gate electrode 121, and ohmic contact layers 151 and 152 that are doped with impurities are formed of amorphous silicon are formed on the active layer 141.
Source and drain electrodes 161 and 162 are formed of a conductive material such as a metal on the ohmic contact layers 151 and 152. The source, drain, and gate electrodes 161, 162, and 121 define a thin film transistor (TFT).
A passivation layer 170 is formed of a silicon nitride layer, a silicon oxide layer, or an organic insulating layer on the gate insulating layer 130 while covering the source and drain electrodes 161 and 162. In addition, the passivation layer 170 has a contact hole 171 exposing a surface of the drain electrode 162. A pixel electrode 181 is formed of a transparent conductive material on a pixel region of the passivation layer 170 such that the pixel electrode 181 is connected to the drain electrode 162 through the contact hole 171.
Formed on the pixel electrode 181 is a first alignment layer 191 formed of a polyimide-based material. The exposed surface of the first alignment layer 191 may be rubbed in a predetermined orientation.
The gate electrode 121 is connected to a gate line and the source electrode 161 is connected to a data line. The gate line and the data line perpendicularly cross each other to define the pixel region.
The upper substrate 102 is disposed opposite the lower substrate 101. The upper substrate 102 has a second transparent substrate 110 disposed opposite the first transparent substrate 111 with a predetermined space in between.
Disposed on the second transparent substrate 110 is a black matrix 120 corresponding to the TFT that prevents light from leaking from a non-pixel region.
A color filter 131 formed of alternately arranged red (R), green (G), and blue (B) colors is formed on the second transparent substrate 110 covering the black matrix 120. One color of the color filter 131 corresponds to one pixel region. The color filter 131 may be formed through a dyeing process, a printing process, a pigment dispersion process, or an electrodeposition process.
Formed on the color filter 131 is a common electrode 140 formed of a transparent conductive material, on which a second alignment layer 150 of a polyimide-based material is formed and rubbed to have a predetermined orientation.
The liquid crystal layer 190 is formed between the first and second alignment layers 191 and 150. Initial orientation of the liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer 190 are determined by the orientation of the first and second alignment layers 191 and 150.
A process of forming the alignment layers to determine the initial orientation of the liquid crystal molecules in the LCD will be described below.
First, a process for depositing an alignment layer and arranging the alignment layer in a predetermined orientation is carried out.
A polyimide-based organic material is generally used for the alignment layer and a rubbing process may be used for the arrangement of the alignment layer.
In the rubbing process, a polyimide-based organic material is first coated on a substrate and then is aligned after a solvent is vaporized at a temperature of about 60–80□. Afterwards, the organic material is hardened at a temperature of about 80–120□, thereby forming a polyimide alignment layer. Then, the alignment layer is rubbed in a predetermined direction with a rubbing cloth such as velvet to form orientation patterns. The rubbing process has several advantages, including a simple process, mass producability, stable orientation, and easy control of a pretilt angle.
However, because the rubbing process is carried out by the rubbing cloth directly contacting the alignment layer, a cell may be contaminated by particles generated by the rubbing, and the TFT device on the substrate may be damaged due to the resultant static electricity. Therefore, an additional cleaning process is required. Furthermore, when the rubbing process is applied to an LCD having a large-sized screen, the orientation of the alignment layer may be non-uniformly realized, deteriorating the yield of the LCDs.
To solve the above-described problems of the rubbing process, non-rubbing orientation techniques have been proposed.
Examples of non-rubbing orientation techniques are a process using a Langmuir-Blodgett film, a light orientation process using ultraviolet ray irradiation, a process using an inclined deposition of SiO2, a process using a micro-groove formed through a photolithography process, and a process using ion beam irradiation.
Among these processes, the ion beam irradiation process has advantages in that a conventional orientation material may be used, and it may be applied to the process of making an LCD having a large-sized screen while overcoming the problems caused by the rubbing process.
FIG. 2 shows a schematic view illustrating a conventional ion beam irradiation device for forming an alignment layer. As shown in the drawing, a conventional ion beam irradiation device 260 is divided into three regions: a plasma generation region 203 where injected gas is ionized into ions and electrons to generate plasma; an ion beam acceleration region 206 where the ions are converted into a beam and accelerated; and a beam irradiation region 211 where the accelerated ion beam 210 irradiates a substrate. The injected gas is ionized in the plasma generation region 203, and the ions are discharged, accelerated, and irradiated to the substrate 220. The ion beam irradiation device 260 is configured such that the ion beam 210 irradiates the substrate 220 fixed on a holder 221 in a vacuum container 240.
The ion beam irradiation device 260 includes an ion beam source 200, the vacuum container 240, and the holder 221. The ion beam source 200 includes a cathode 201, an anode 202, an ion beam discharge medium 204, and an ion beam accelerating medium 205. The vacuum container 240 is designed to allow the ion beam 210 generated from the ion beam source 200 to irradiate the substrate 220 while making a straight advance. In addition, the holder 221 holds the substrate 220 so that the substrate can maintain a predetermined angle in the vacuum container 240.
Although not shown in the drawing, a shutter may be disposed between the ion beam source 200 and the substrate 220 to adjust the irradiation time of the ion beam on the substrate 220.
The ion beam source 200 generates ions and forms the ion beam 210. Injected gas is ionized by a voltage difference between the cathode 201 and the anode 202 to generate plasma containing electrons and ions. The ions in the generated plasma pass through the ion beam discharge medium 204 by way of a discharge electrode, and are then discharged as the ion beam 210. The ion beam 210 discharged from the plasma is accelerated by an electric field applied to the ion beam accelerating medium 205 and then irradiates the substrate 220 at a predetermined angle.
The substrate 220 is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the irradiated ion beam 210. As a result, an alignment layer deposited on the substrate 220 is formed in a predetermined orientation pattern by the ion beam 210, thereby determining an initial orientation (i.e., pretilt angle) of liquid crystal molecules.
The chemical structure of the polyimide organic material used for the alignment layer is divided into a main chain and a side chain. The main chain functions to arrange the liquid crystal molecules in a particular direction, and the side chain functions to form the pretilt angle. Particularly, the side chain is designed to be cut at a predetermined portion by reacting with the irradiated ion beam so that the liquid crystal molecules can be oriented with a specific orientation.
As described above, the ion beam 210 generated from the ion beam source 200 is discharged in a direction normal to the ion beam source 200. The pretilt angle of the liquid crystal molecules is determined by an ion beam irradiation angle θ2 of the ion beam irradiated on the substrate 220 inclined at a predetermined angle θ1. The ion beam irradiation angle θ2 indicates an angle between the ion beam irradiation direction and a direction normal to the substrate 220.
The relationship between the ion beam irradiation angle θ2 and the pretilt angle is shown in FIG. 3.
FIG. 3, shows that the pretilt angle varies in accordance with the ion beam irradiation angle. That is, when the ion beam irradiation angle is in a range of 40–60°, a maximum value of the pretilt angle is obtained. When the ion beam irradiation angle is less than 40° or greater than 60°, the pretilt angle is less than 5°.
For example, a twisted nematic (TN) LCD requires a pretilt angle of about 5°, and an in-plane switching (IPS) LCD requires a pretilt angle of about 2°. Therefore, for the TN LCD, the ion beam irradiation angle is set to about 40–50°, and for the EPS LCD, it is set to about 10–20°.
Accordingly, to uniformly obtain the desire pretilt angle, the ion beam should be irradiated with an appropriate irradiation angle and with a uniform energy. To obtain a desired pretilt angle by the ion beam discharged from the ion beam source in a direction perpendicular to longitudinal axes of the discharge and accelerating media and irradiated on the alignment layer, the substrate should be appropriately inclined so that the ion beam can reach the substrate with a desired irradiation angle. However, when the substrate is inclined, the distances from the ion beam source to upper and lower surfaces of the substrate is not uniform, and the ion beam effect is varied from the upper portion to the lower portion.
FIG. 4 shows a relationship between the ion beam source and the substrate in the conventional ion beam irradiation device for forming the alignment layer. As shown in the drawing, the distance where an ion beam 310 discharged from the ion beam source 300 reaches the surface of a substrate 320 through a penetration part 301 varies in accordance with a location of the surface of the substrate 320. Because the substrate 320 is inclined at a predetermined angle θ1, the distance from the ion beam source 300 to the substrate 320 varies from a minimum length Lmin to a maximum length Lmax along a vertical direction of the substrate 320.
As a result, there may be a difference in energy of the ion beam 310 landing on the surface of the alignment layer and deposited on the substrate 320. The energy is proportional to the number of ion beams 310 per unit area and a velocity of the ion beam 310. As the traveling distance of the ion beam increases, the velocity increases.
Accordingly, a chance of collision between the particles at a portion of the surface that is far from the ion beam source 300 is increased, and straightness and intensity of energy of the particle beam deteriorates, thereby deteriorating the orientation effect. As a result, the alignment layer is not uniformly formed.


Described are phase adjustment circuits for clock and data recovery circuits (CDRs). Systems and apparatuses may include an input to receive a serial data signal, an edge data tap to sample transition edges in the serial data signal for generating a data edge detection signal, a CDR circuit including a phase detector to receive the serial data signal and the data edge detection signal, and to output a phase lead/lag signal indicating the phase difference between the serial data signal and the data edge detection signal, and a phase adjustment circuit to generate phase lead/lag adjustment data. The CDR circuit is to output a recovered clock signal based, at least in part, on the phase lead/lag signal adjusted by the phase lead/lag adjustment data.

Clock and Data Recovery (CDR) circuits are important receiver (RX) components in serializer/de-serializer (SerDes) designs, such as high speed serial input/output (I/O) designs. In order to transmit serial data at a high speed, the CDR extracts phase information from received serial data and generates a clock in synchronization with the data—i.e., outputs recovered clock and data signals for the RX component.
The ability to generate an accurate clock signal from an incoming data stream requires a sampling position that yields the lowest bit error rate (BER). For high-speed serial data transmissions, baud rate phase detection is frequently used rather than over-sampling processes due to its simplicity and low power consumption.
The principle of known baud rate phase detection processes, such as Mueller-Müller phase detection, is to detect the best sampling position based on the combined pulse response through the use of error information, which is defined by comparing the incoming data signal to a reference threshold at the sampler input; however, for interconnections having high speeds or high insertion loss (e.g., due to a long channel), these known baud rate phase detection processes produce sub-optimal samples, leading to incorrect clock and data recovery results.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Phase adjustment circuit for clock and data recovery circuit