To provide a radio communication apparatus and a mobile station sensitive to change in the radio environment. A mobile station corresponding to the HSDPA and transmitting the CQI information used for the adaptive modulation control executed by a radio base station, comprising a radio environment supervising unit for supervising change in the radio environment on the basis of the received signal from the radio base station, a CQI generating unit for generating the CQI information reflecting change in the reception quality from the radio base station in accordance with the result of supervising by the supervising unit, and a transmitting unit for transmitting the generated CQI information to the radio base station.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a radio communication apparatus or a mobile station that may be used, for example, in a mobile communication system introducing the W-CDMA (UMTS) communication system.
2. Description of the Related Art
At present, the standardization of the W-CDMA (UMTS) system, one of the third generation mobile communication system, is continued by the 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project). One of the aspects of the standardization is the specification of HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) to realize the maximum transmission rate of about 14 Mbps in the downlink.
The HSDPA employs the Adaptive Modulation and Coding (AMC), which, for example, may be characterized by adequately switching the QPSK modulation scheme and the 16 QAM scheme in accordance with the radio environment between the base station and mobile station.
Moreover, for the HSDPA, the H-ARQ (Hybrid Automatic Repeat request) is employed. In the H-ARQ when an error is detected in the received data from a base station, a mobile station sends a re-transmission request to the base station. The base station having received this re-transmission request retransmits the data. Accordingly, the mobile station executes the error correction decoding using both the data already received and the retransmitted received data. If an error is detected in the H-ARQ, the number of times of retransmission is reduced by effectively using the data already received in the H-ARQ system.
The radio channels used for the HSDPA include the HS-SCCH (High Speed-Shared Control Channel), HS-PDSCH (High Speed-Physical Downlink Shared Channel) and HS-DPCCH (High Speed-Dedicated Physical Control Channel).
Both HS-SCCH and HS-PDSCH are shared channels of the downlink (namely, in the direction to a mobile station from a base station) and the HS-SCCH is the control channel for transmitting various parameters of the data transmitted with the HS-PDSCH. Various parameters may include modulation type (scheme) information indicating the modulation scheme to be used, the number of spreading codes (number of codes) to be assigned, and the information of the pattern of rate matching process to be executed before transmission.
Meanwhile, the HS-DPCCH is the individual control channel of the uplink (namely, direction to a base station from a mobile station). For example, this control channel is used by the mobile station to transmit, to the base station, the acknowledgment or no-acknowledgement of reception of the data received from the base station via the HS-PDSCH as the ACK signal or NACK signal. When the mobile station fails reception of data (when a CRC error is detected in the received data or the like), since the mobile station transmits the NACK signal as the retransmission request, the base station executes the retransmission control. If neither the ACK signal nor the NACK signal is received (in the case of DTX), the radio base station executes also the retransmission control. Accordingly, the DTX condition which occurs when the mobile station transmits neither the ACK signal nor the NACK signal may be considered as one of the retransmission request.
Moreover, the HS-DPCCH is also used to transmit the reception quality information of the received signal from the base station measured by the mobile station (for example, SIR) to the base station as the CQI (Channel Quality Indicator) information. The base station changes the transmission format of the downlink with the CQI information received. Namely, when the CQI information indicates that the radio environment in the downlink is good, the transmission format is switched to the modulation scheme which enables data transmission in the higher rate. When the inverse CQI information indicates that the radio environment in the downlink is bad, the transmission format is switched to the modulation scheme enabling data transmission in the lower transmission rate (namely, adaptive modulation).
[Channel Format]
Next, a channel format of the HSDPA will be described.
FIG. 1 illustrates a channel format of the HSDPA. Since the W-CDMA employs a code division multiplex method, each channel is demultiplexed by the code.
First, the channels not described above will be explained. The CPICH (Common Pilot Channel) and the P-CCPCH (Primary Common Control Physical Channel) are respectively the common channels of the downlink.
The CPICH is the channel used in the mobile station for channel estimation, cell search and as the standard timing of the physical channel of the downlink in the same cell. This channel is so-called used for transmission of the pilot signal. The P-CCPCH is the channel provided for each cell and used to transmit the broadcast information.
Next, the timings of channels will be explained with reference to FIG. 1.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, each channel forms one frame (10 ms) with 15 slots (each slot corresponds to the length of 2560 chips). As described above, since the CPICH is used as the reference channel of the other channels, the leading frames of the P-CCPCH and HS-SCCH frames are matched with the leading frame of the CPICH frames. Here, the leading frame of the HS-PDSCH frames is delayed by 2 slots for the HS-SCCH or the like. Accordingly, the mobile station is capable of demodulating the HS-PDSCH with the demodulation scheme corresponding to the received modulation scheme after reception of the modulation scheme information via the HS-SCCH. Moreover, the HS-SCCH and HS-PDSCH form one subframe with three slots.
The HS-DPCCH is the uplink channel and the first slot thereof is used to transmit the ACK/NACK signal as the response signal for verifying reception to a base station from a mobile station after passage of about 7.5 slots from reception of the HS-PDSCH. Moreover, the second and third slots are used for periodical feedback transmission of the CQI information for the adaptive modulation control to the base station. Here, the CQI information to be transmitted is calculated on the basis of the receiving environment (for example, result of SIR measurement of CPICH) measured during the period up to before one slot from before four slots of the CQI transmission.
FIG. 2 illustrates a CQI table for using the SIR (Signal to Interference Ratio) of the CPICH.
As illustrated in the figure, the table defines, for respective CQI information pieces 1 to 30, the correspondence relationship among the number of TBS (Transport Block Size) bits, number of codes, modulation scheme, and CPICH-SIR.
Here, the number of TBS bits indicates the number of bits to be transmitted in one subframe, the number of codes indicates the number of spreading codes used for transmission of the HS-PDSCH, the modulation scheme indicates any of QPSK and QAM used.
As is apparent from the figure, the better the SIR of CPICH is (SIR is larger), the larger the CQI becomes. When the CQI is larger, the number of corresponding TBS bits and the spreading codes becomes larger and the modulation scheme is switched to the QAM modulation. Accordingly, when the SIR is better, the transmission rate is faster, and the more radio resources (spreading code or the like) are used.
For example, the table illustrated in the figure may be stored in the memory of the mobile station. As explained previously, the mobile station periodically measures the SIR of the CPICH in the receiving environment measuring period and transmits CQI corresponding to the SIR measured with reference to the stored table to the base station by identifying the same CQI.
The base station achieves the transmission control considering the receiving environment of the CPICH in the mobile station by executing the adaptive modulation control described previously in accordance with the CQI information received. The channel format of the HSDPA has been briefly explained above.
Contents of the HSDPA described above is disclosed in the 3G TS 25. 212 (3rd Generation Partnership Project: Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network; Multiplexing and channel coding (FDD) V6. 2.0 (June 2004).
According to the related art described previously, a mobile station can smoothly realize transmission control with respect to the radio environment between the mobile station and a base station by periodically measuring the reception quality of the downlink signal and by periodically transmitting the parameter information (CQI information) used for the adaptive modulation control to the radio base station.
However, when the transmission period (cycle) of the CQI information is longer and when the same CQI information is repeatedly transmitted several times corresponding to a single trial of measurement, mismatching may easily be generated between the radio environment between the base station and mobile station to actually conduct the adaptive modulation control and the CQI information used for the adaptive modulation control.

Radio communication apparatus or mobile station


A color image forming apparatus of a so-called tandem type which has image forming units in correspondence with colors is provided. In the color image forming apparatus, a color discrepancy amount storage unit stores information of a color discrepancy amount of each of the image forming units, which is measured in advance. A first color discrepancy correcting unit performs color discrepancy correction in a pixel unit by performing coordinate conversion of bitmap data to be printed based on the information of the color discrepancy amount stored in the color discrepancy amount storage unit. A second color discrepancy correcting unit performs color discrepancy correction in less than a pixel unit by performing tone correction of the bitmap data corrected by the first color discrepancy correcting unit based on the information of the color discrepancy amount stored in the color discrepancy amount storage unit.

A color image forming apparatus of an electrophotographic method is well known. In this method, one photosensitive member undergoes developments of respective colors using a plurality of developers, color images are superposed and formed on a single transfer material by repeating exposure, development, and transfer processes a plurality of number of times, and these color images are fixed to obtain a full-color image.
However, this method must repeat three (four if black is used) image forming processes to obtain a print image on one sheet, resulting in a long image forming time.
As a system that can cope with this drawback, a so-called tandem system which superposes visual images obtained for respective colors using a plurality of photosensitive members to obtain a full-color print via a single paper feed operation is known. According to this tandem system, the throughput can be greatly improved. On the other hand, a color discrepancy program has occurred due to misalignments of respective colors on a transfer material resulting from errors of the positional precisions and diameters of photosensitive members, and the positional precision errors of optical systems, and it is difficult to obtain a high-quality full-color image.
Various measures against this color discrepancy have been proposed. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 64-40956 (parent reference 1) discloses a technique which forms a test toner image on a transfer material or a transfer belt which forms a transfer unit, detects the formed image, and corrects the optical path of each optical system or corrects the image write start position of each color based on the detection result.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-85237 (patent reference 2) discloses the following technique. The output coordinates of image data of respective colors are converted into those free from any registration errors. After that, based on the converted image data of respective colors, the positions of modulated light beams are corrected by an amount less than the minimum dot unit of a color signal.
However, the method disclosed in patent reference 1 poses, e.g., the following problems.
First, in order to correct the optical path of the optical system, a correction optical system including a light source and f-θ lens, a mirror in the optical path, and the like must be mechanically moved to adjust the position of the test toner image. For this purpose, high-precision movable members are required, resulting in high cost. Furthermore, since it takes much time until correction is completed, it is impossible to frequently perform correction. However, an optical path length difference may change along with an elapse of time due to temperature rise of mechanical components. In such case, it becomes difficult to prevent color discrepancy by correcting the optical path of the optical system. Second, in order to correct the image write start position, it is possible to conduct misalignment correction of the left end and upper left portion but it is impossible to correct the tilt of the optical system and to correct any magnification errors due to the optical path length difference.
The method disclosed in patent reference 2 poses, e.g., a problem of a large calculation volume since color discrepancy correction amounts must be calculated for all pixels. FIGS. 1A and 1B show an example. An image shown in FIG. 1A has a constant density value. In order to obtain an image shown in FIG. 1B by applying arbitrary color discrepancy correction to this input image, the density values corresponding to all pixels must be calculated. For this reason, the calculation volume becomes large, and the arrangement of a processing system becomes complicated.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A vehicle keypad device is provided that includes a touchscreen having an array of proximity sensors located on an exterior of a vehicle, a keypad display displaying virtual input icons proximate the proximity sensors, and a controller for dynamically adjusting size of the displayed virtual input icons based on a touch event.

Automotive vehicles are commonly equipped with various user input devices for entering user inputs to control devices or functions. For example, keypads are often provided on the vehicle body exterior to enable a user to enter a sequence of inputs as a code to actuate a door lock or unlock function without the need to use a mechanical key or key fob. Conventional keypads employed on motor vehicles typically include mechanical switches actutable by a user. Additionally, display devices are often implemented on the interior of the vehicle. It would be desirable to provide for an enhanced input device that may more readily accommodate varying use conditions.

Variable size user input device for vehicle


Disclosed are compounds and compositions that inhibit the action of fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) and monoacylglycerol lipase (MGL), methods of inhibiting FAAH and MGL, methods of modulating cannabinoid receptors, and methods of treating various disorders related to modulation of cannabinoid receptors.

Presently, two Gi/o protein coupled cannabinoid receptors have been characterized in mammals and other organisms: CB1, a receptor found in the mammalian brain and a number of other sites in peripheral tissues; and CB2, a peripheral receptor found principally in cells related to the immune system. Compounds known as cannabinergic ligands bind to, and thereby modulate, CB1 and/or CB2 receptors in a subject. Such modulation of CB1 and/or CB2 receptors can produce numerous physiological effects in a subject. In vitro methods for assaying the ability of a compound to bind to CB1 and/or CB2 receptors are known, and results from these assays correlate with, and predict, the in vivo ability of that compound to bind to CB1 and/or CB2 receptors.
Despite having a rapid onset of action, the magnitude and duration of in vivo CB1 and/or CB2 receptor modulation by cannabinergic ligands are relatively short, because of a rapid inactivation process comprising hydrolysis of that cannabinergic ligand. Fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) and monoacylglycerol lipase (MGL) are two enzymes responsible for the termination of endocannabinoid signaling. FAAH (also referred to as anandamide amidase (AEAase) and anandamide amidohydrolase (AAH)), is an intracellular membrane-bound enzyme that degrades and inactivates members of the endocannabinoid class of signaling lipids such as anandamide(arachidonoyl ethanolamine). FAAH belongs to the amidase signature (AS) super family of serine hydrolases and, in contrast to the classical serine-histidine-aspartate triad found in most serine hydrolases, the catalytic machinery of this enzyme is a serine-serine-lysine catalytic triad. FAAH has been isolated, molecularly cloned and its 2.8 Å crystal structure was recently reported.
FAAH can not only hydrolyze anandamide into arachidonic acid and ethanolamine but it can also catalyze its reverse synthesis from the two hydrolysis components. FAAH can also hydrolyze several bioactive fatty acid amides not belonging to the endocannabinoid family, including, but not limited to, the sleep inducing lipid oleamide, the appetite-suppressing agent oleoylethanolamine, the related 1-oleoylglycerol and 2-oleoylglycerol, and the peripheral analgesic and anti-inflammatory mediator palmitoylethanolamine. In general, FAAH can hydrolyze a range of fatty acid amides, ethanolamides, esters, arachidonoyl substrates, and oleoyl substrates, as well as other substrates.
Although FAAH has been shown to catalyze hydrolysis of 2-arachidonoylglycerol (another endogenous cannabinergic ligand) in vitro, MGL plays the predominant role in catalyzing 2-AG hydrolysis in vivo. MGL (also known as MGL, MAG lipase or MAGL) is a serine hydrolase that converts 2- and 1-monoglycerides to fatty acid and glycerol.
The physiological responses that result from modulation of cannabinoid receptors have recognized therapeutic potential. (see Saario and Laitinen (2007) Basic & Clin. Pharmacol. Toxicol. 101:287-292; Jhaveri et al. (2007) Brit. J. Pharmacol. 152:624-632; Karanian et al. (2007) J. Pharmacol. Expt. Thera. 322:1059-1066; Scherma et al. (2008) Neuorophmarmacol. 54:129-140. However, the effectiveness of these responses is limited and short-lived due to the hydrolytic activity of FAAH and MGL.
A need, therefore, exists for compounds that inhibit the hydrolytic activity of FAAH and/or MGL, thereby maintaining or increasing the magnitude and duration of cannabinoid receptor modulation.

Inhibitors of fatty acid amide hydrolase and monoacylglycerol lipase for modulation of cannabinoid receptors


In some examples, an electronic device includes a plurality of network interfaces to communicate over respective different networks, and a storage medium to store information associating a first application of the electronic device with a first profile, and associating a second application of the electronic device with a second profile. The first profile selects a first network interface of the plurality of network interfaces to use for communications, and the second profile selects a second network interface of the plurality of network interfaces to use for communications.

An electronic device can include various applications to allow a user to perform different tasks. For example, the user may use the electronic device both in a work environment and outside of work (referred to as a "personal environment" of the user).
Throughout the drawings, identical reference numbers designate similar, but not necessarily identical, elements. The figures are not necessarily to scale, and the size of some parts may be exaggerated to more clearly illustrate the example shown. Moreover, the drawings provide examples and/or implementations consistent with the description; however, the description is not limited to the examples and/or implementations provided in the drawings.

Different profiles for selecting different network interfaces for communications of an electronic device


A stereoscopic map display system includes (a) a stereoscopic vision display unit for providing a stereoscopic vision by displaying a right-eye image and a left-eye image with parallax so as to be visually recognizable by the right eye and the left eye, respectively, (b) a map database storage unit for storing map data, and (c) a display control unit for providing the right-eye image and the left-eye image at least part of which has the parallax, to the stereoscopic vision display unit based on the map data. The map data stores feature data indicating a shape of a feature and a display-depth adjusted object indicating an object other than the feature and displayed by a display depth under a predetermined rule. The display control unit displays the display-depth adjusted object with the multi-staged display depths under a predetermined rule for an attribute or a display position thereof.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a stereoscopic map display system for performing stereoscopic vision by displaying an image for the right eye and an image for the left eye by giving parallax.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an electronic map used in a navigation apparatus, a computer screen and the like, a three-dimensional map expressing features such as a building in three-dimensionally is used in some cases. As an example for such a three-dimensional map, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2011-186960 discloses a method of displaying a three-dimensional map using map data prepared in advance in the form of image data drawn three-dimensionally by parallel projection. Regarding the three-dimensional map, a method of displaying a three-dimensional model expressing a three-dimensional shape of a feature by perspective projection and the like are known in addition to the above-described method.


A lithographic projection apparatus includes a laser cleaning device. The laser cleaning device is constructed and arranged to clean a surface. The laser cleaning device includes a laser source constructed and arranged to generate radiation, and an optical element constructed and arranged to focus the radiation in a focal point in order to generate a cleaning plasma in a background gas above the surface. The laser cleaning device is further provided with a gas supply constructed and arranged to generate a jet of protection gas at a location near the plasma.

A lithographic apparatus is a machine that applies a desired pattern onto a substrate, usually onto a target portion of the substrate. A lithographic apparatus can be used, for example, in the manufacture of integrated circuits (ICs). In that instance, a patterning device, which is alternatively referred to as a mask or a reticle, may be used to generate a circuit pattern to be formed on an individual layer of the IC. This pattern can be transferred onto a target portion (e.g. comprising part of, one, or several dies) on a substrate (e.g. a silicon wafer). Transfer of the pattern is typically via imaging onto a layer of radiation-sensitive material (resist) provided on the substrate. In general, a single substrate will contain a network of adjacent target portions that are successively patterned.
Lithography is widely recognized as one of the key steps in the manufacture of ICs and other devices and/or structures. However, as the dimensions of features made using lithography become smaller, lithography is becoming a more critical factor for enabling miniature IC or other devices and/or structures to be manufactured.
A theoretical estimate of the limits of pattern printing can be given by the Rayleigh criterion for resolution as shown in equation (1):
                    CD        =                              k            1                    *                      λ                          NA              PS                                                          (        1        )            where λ is the wavelength of the radiation used, NAPS is the numerical aperture of the projection system used to print the pattern, k1 is a process dependent adjustment factor, also called the Rayleigh constant, and CD is the feature size (or critical dimension) of the printed feature. It follows from equation (1) that reduction of the minimum printable size of features can be obtained in three ways: by shortening the exposure wavelength λ, by increasing the numerical aperture NAPS or by decreasing the value of k1.
In order to shorten the exposure wavelength and, thus, reduce the minimum printable size, it has been proposed to use an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation source. EUV radiation sources are configured to output a radiation wavelength of about 13 nm. Thus, EUV radiation sources may constitute a significant step toward achieving small features printing. Such radiation is termed extreme ultraviolet or soft x-ray, and possible sources include, for example, laser-produced plasma sources, discharge plasma sources, or synchrotron radiation from electron storage rings.
A property of EUV radiation is that all known materials are highly opaque to EUV radiation. As a consequence, reflective elements instead of lenses are used in any optical systems of the lithographic projection apparatus. For this reason, the patterning device is typically also reflective instead of transmissive.
A transmissive optical element that cannot easily be replaced by a reflective one when using EUV radiation, is a pellicle. Pellicles are known in the art, for instance from United States Patent Application Publication No. US2005/0280789. Contamination deposits on the pellicle, while radiation transmits through the pellicle. Since the pellicle is located at a certain predetermined distance from the patterning device, the contamination will be out-of-focus and thus will not be projected onto the target portion of the substrate. Because the transmissivity of the pellicle to the radiation that is to be patterned contributes to the proper functioning of the pellicle, a pellicle cannot be used when EUV is being used. Therefore, a pellicle does not provide acceptable solution to contamination deposition on the patterning device.

Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method


A semiconductor chip is ESD protected, in part, by utilizing floating lateral clamp diodes. Unlike conventional clamp diodes, which are based upon parasitic bipolar devices associated with large MOS transistors, the floating lateral clamp diodes utilize a well formed in the substrate as the cathode, and a plurality of regions of the opposite conductivity type which are formed in the well as the anode.

1.0 Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection circuits and, more particularly, to ESD protection circuits which utilize floating lateral clamp diodes.
2.0 Description of the Related Art
In recent years, increasing attention has been devoted to protecting packaged integrated circuits from damage which results from an electrostatic discharge (ESD) event. This has become increasingly important as the gate oxide thickness of MOS transistors has become thinner due to improved processing technologies which are now commonly in use.
An ESD event typically occurs when the packaged chip is exposed to static electricity, such as when the pins are touched by an ungrounded person handling the chip prior to installation, or when the chip slides across another surface on its pins.
FIGS. 1A and 1B show schematic diagrams which illustrate a portion of a conventional chip 100. As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, chip 100 includes a plurality of input/output (I/O) pins, such as first and second I/O pins 110 and 112, each of which is connected to the core of chip 100.
In operation, I/O pins 110 and 112 either receive signals that have been output by an external driver, such as driver 114, or output signals that have been received from an internal driver, such as internal driver 116.
As further shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, chip 100 also includes a VCC wire 120 and a ground wire 122 which are both formed to completely encircle the periphery of chip 100. In addition, chip 100 further includes an ESD protection circuit which, in turn, includes a plurality of upper clamp diodes, such as diodes D1 and D3, and a plurality of lower clamp diodes, such as diodes D2 and D4.
Each upper clamp diode has an anode connected to an I/O pin, and a cathode connected to VCC wire 120. Similarly, each lower clamp diode has an anode connected to ground wire 122 and a cathode connected to an I/O pin. Furthermore, the ESD protection circuit also includes a plurality of ESD switches, such as ESD switch 130, which are connected to VCC wire 120 and ground wire 122.
As shown in FIG. 1A, when first I/O pin 110 is positively charged with respect to second I/O pin 112 in response to an ESD event, the resulting ESD current Izap flows from pin 110 through diode D1, ESD switch 130, and diode D4 to pin 112.
Similarly, as shown in FIG. 1B, when second I/O pin 112 is positively charged with respect to first I/O pin 110 in response to an ESD event, the resulting current Izap flows from pin 112 through diode D3, ESD switch 130, and diode D2 to pin 110.
In both of the aforementioned cases, the current Izap flows through ESD switch 130 in the same direction. Thus ESD switch 130 is conventionally a unidirectional switch.
FIG. 2 shows one possible embodiment of the ESD switch 130. As shown in FIG. 2, switch 130 includes a switch transistor 210, an inverter 212, and an RC circuit 214. Switch transistor 210 has a drain connected to VCC wire 120, a source connected to ground wire 122, and a gate.
Inverter 212, in turn, includes a p-channel transistor 220 that has a drain connected to the gate of transistor 210, a source connected to VCC wire 120, and a gate; and an n-channel transistor 222 that has a drain connected to the drain of transistor 220, a source connected to ground wire 122, and a gate connected to the gate of transistor 220.
Furthermore, RC circuit 214 includes a resistor R which is connected to the gates of transistors 220 and 222, and to VCC wire 120; and a capacitor C which is connected to resistor R, and to ground wire 122.
In operation, the values for R and C must be chosen such that the RC time constant will be long with respect to an ESD event (approximately 5-25 ns), and short with respect to the power supply rise time (which cannot be faster than 4 ms, assuming a 60 Hz AC line). This restriction will insure that switch transistor 210 will turn on during an ESD event, but will not turn on when the power supply is initially applied.
FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram which illustrates how the upper and lower clamp diodes D1 and D2 were implemented using the prior art. As shown in FIG. 3, clamp diodes D1 and D2 are made from a pair of parasitic lateral bipolar transistors Q1 and Q2 that are associated with a pair of very large p-channel and n-channel CMOS devices M1 and M2. The bipolar transistors Q1 and Q2 are configured with their bases connected to their collectors in order to form the required upper and lower clamp diodes D1 and D2.
3.0 ESD Diode Requirements
In order to provide adequate ESD protection, clamp diodes D1 and D2 must have a very low forward voltage drop. This implies that diodes D1 and D2 must have a very low forward resistance (approximately 1-2 ohms) since diodes D1 and D2 must conduct a very high forward current (approximately 1.3 A-2.0 A) during an ESD event.
4.0 Disadvantages of the Prior Art
The primary disadvantages of the prior art are discussed below.
4.1 Large Chip Area, High Pin Capacitance and High Input Leakage
In order to meet stringent ESD diode requirements, CMOS transistors M1 and M2 in FIG. 3 must be made very large. This large size, in turn, has three disadvantages. First, large CMOS transistors consume more silicon real estate than smaller CMOS transistors and, therefore, increase the die area required.
Second, large CMOS transistors connected to I/O pins, such as transistors M1 and M2, increase the pin capacitance to approximately 6-12 pF, a significant disadvantage (especially for switchable high-impedance bus pins, such as TRI-STATE™ pins). Third, the large pn junction periphery/area present in large CMOS transistors also increases the input leakage current.
4.2 No ESD Protection For Floating Ground Lines on Mixed Signal Chips
Another serious disadvantage to forming clamp diodes D1 and D2 from parasitic bipolar devices relates to the design of mixed-signal (analog/digital) chips. FIG. 4 shows a schematic diagram which illustrates a portion of a conventional mixed-signal chip 400.
As illustrated by chip 400 in FIG. 4, mixed signal chips usually contain multiple ground lines. These ground lines can be broadly classified as dirty ground lines DGL, clean ground lines CGL, analog ground lines AGL, and substrate ground lines SGL.
Dirty ground lines only service the noisy (high di/dt) digital output buffers. Dirty ground lines are so named because high di/dt output buffers can generate significant ground bounce (switching noise) when multiple output drivers discharge their load capacitances on the same ground line at the same time.
FIG. 5 shows a circuit diagram which illustrates a portion of an output circuit 500. As shown in FIG. 5, output circuit 500 includes a common ground line 510, and a series of output drivers driver#1-driver#N which are each connected to common ground line 510.
During normal operation, when a single output driver is switched from a logic high to a logic low, a time varying discharge current i(t)D is placed on ground line 510. Similarly, when each of the output drivers driver#1-driver#N simultaneously switches from a logic high to a logic low, a large time varying current is placed on ground line 510.
The large time varying current, which is the sum of the individual time varying currents i(t)D, causes the voltage on ground line 510 to also vary due to the inductance of ground line 510 (which is shown as an inductor L). As shown in EQ. 1, the voltage variation VLG on ground line 510 is defined as follows:VLG=L*N(di(t)/dt)  EQ. 1where L represents the inductance of ground wire 510 (including package inductance and bondwire inductance), N represents the number of drivers driver#1-driver#N that are discharged at the same time, and di(t)/dt represents the time varying discharge current i(t)D of a single driver.
Thus, as shown in FIG. 5, an extremely high ground bounce (switching noise) can be generated when several drivers driver#1-driver#N switch from a logic high level to a logic low level at the same time.
Clean ground lines usually service the relatively quiet (low di/dt) internal standard cells and/or digital macro cells. Depending upon the analog signal levels involved, the clean ground lines may or may not be connected to the ground lines which service the analog blocks.
In order to keep substrate noise to an absolute minimum, one or more substrate ground pads can be used. These pads should only be connected to the P-substrate, with as many substrate contacts as possible.
In order to minimize the amount of switching noise which is directly coupled into the substrate, the clean and dirty ground lines must be isolated from the substrate (i.e. not directly connected to it), and they must also be isolated from each other.
Since these on-chip ground lines are effectively floating with respect to the substrate, they cannot be ESD protected using clamp diodes formed from parasitic bipolar devices. The reason for this can be seen by examining FIG. 3.
As shown in the figure, the base of the parasitic NPN transistor Q2 is formed in the P-substrate. Since the base and collector of transistor Q2 must be connected together to form the anode of lower clamp diode D2, the anode of diode D2 must also be connected to the substrate.
This constraint makes it impossible to ESD protect the floating clean and dirty ground lines, since they are not directly connected to the substrate. This lack of ESD protection for the multiple ground lines on mixed signal chips is a major limitation.
4.3 High Forward Voltage Drop
There is another serious disadvantage to forming clamp diodes
D1 and D2 from parasitic bipolar transistors—high forward voltage drop across the clamp diodes. The only way to mitigate this problem is to make the P-channel/N-channel CMOS devices (M1/M2 in FIG. 3) extremely large in size. As described above, however, large size wastes valuable chip area, increases pin capacitance (extremely bad for switchable high-impedance outputs, such as TRI-STATE™ outputs) and increases the leakage current at each pin.
The basic reasons for the high diode forward voltage drop can be see by examining the equations which define the voltage drops VD1 and VD2 across diodes D1 and D2 in FIG. 3. As shown in EQ. 2, the forward voltage drop VD1, across upper clamp diode D1, is defined as follows:VD1=VbeQ1+(ICQ1/BQ1)(RBP+RP)  EQ. 2where VbeQ1 is the base-emitter voltage of parasitic transistor Q1, ICQ1 is the forward collector current of parasitic transistor Q1, BQ1 is the beta of parasitic transistor Q1, RBP is the base resistance associated with the resistivity of the N-well, and RP is the base contact resistance due to aluminum/N-well contact.
Similarly, as shown by EQ. 3, the forward voltage drop VD2, across lower clamp diode D2, is defined as follows:VD2=VbeQ2+(ICQ2/BQ2)(RBN+RN)  EQ. 3where VbeQ2 is the base-emitter voltage of parasitic transistor Q2, ICQ2 is the forward collector current of parasitic transistor Q2, BQ2 is the beta of parasitic transistor Q2, RBN is the base resistance associated with the resistivity of the p-substrate, and RN is the base contact resistance due to the aluminum/p-substrate contact.
In the prior art shown in FIG. 3, transistors Q1 and Q2 are implemented as lateral bipolar devices, which are known to have low betas at high collector current. Therefore, because high collector current flows during an ESD event, the betas of Q1 and Q2 will be low, thereby increasing the forward voltage drops VD1 and VD2 in the equivalent ESD protection diodes D1 and D2.
Furthermore, as shown in EQs. 2 and 3, the resistor values RBP and RBN must also be minimized in order to minimize the diode forward voltage drops VD1 and VD2. Since resistor values RBP and RBN are respectively associated with columns of N-well contacts and substrate contacts, the best way to minimize the resistance values of RBP and RBN would be to place the N-well contacts and substrate contacts directly on top of the bases of parasitic transistors Q1 and Q2. This cannot be done, however, because the bases are covered by the poly gates associated with MOS transistors M1 and M2. Thus, it is very difficult to make the resistance values RBP and RBN very low in value. The best that can be done is to place the associated N-well/substrate contacts as close as possible to the gates of MOS transistors M1 and M2. Increasing the number of N-well/substrate contact columns also helps, but significantly increases the area required to build the ESD protection diodes D1 and D2.
4.4 No ESD Protection for Multiple VCC Lines on Mixed Signal Chips
Another disadvantage of the ESD protection circuit shown in FIG. 3 is that it does not provide any means for ESD protecting the multiple, isolated VCC lines which are usually found on mixed-signal chips. FIG. 6 shows a schematic diagram which illustrates a conventional mixed-signal chip 600.
As illustrated by chip 600 in FIG. 6, these lines can be broadly classified as dirty VCC lines DVL, clean VCC lines CVL, and analog VCC lines AVL. Dirty VCC lines only service the noisy (high di/dt) digital output buffers because, as with the dirty ground lines, high di/dt buffers can generate significant VCC bounce (switching noise) when multiple output drivers turn on and charge their load capacitances at the same time.
FIG. 7 shows a circuit diagram which illustrates a portion of an output circuit 700. As shown in FIG. 7, output circuit 700 is similar to output circuit 500 and, as a result, utilizes the same reference numerals to designate the structures which are common to both circuits.
As further shown in FIG. 7, output drivers driver#1-driver#N are each connected to a common VCC line 710. During normal operation, when a single output driver switches from a logic low to a logic high, a time varying charge current i(t)C is placed on VCC line 710. Similarly, when each of the output drivers driver#1-driver#N simultaneously switches from a logic low to a logic high, a large time varying current is placed on VCC line 710.
The large time varying current, which is the sum of the individual time varying charge currents i(t)C, causes the voltage on VCC line 710 to also vary due to the inductance of VCC line 710 (shown as inductor L). As shown by EQ. 4, the voltage variation VLV on VCC line 710 is defined as follows:VLV=L*N(di(t)/dt)  EQ. 4where L represents the inductance of VCC wire 710 (including package inductance and bondwire inductance), N represents the number of drivers driver#1-driver#N which charge their load capacitance at the same time, and di(t)/dt represents the time varying charge current i(t)C.
Thus, as shown in FIG. 7, extremely high VCC bounce (switching noise) can be generated when several drivers driver#1-driver#N switch from a logic low to a logic high at the same time.
Clean VCC lines usually service the relatively quiet (low di/dt) internal standard cells and/or digital macro cells. Depending upon the analog signal levels involved, the clean VCC lines may or may not be connected to the VCC lines which service the analog blocks.
In order to minimize crosstalk between the clean and dirty VCC lines, these lines must be isolated from each other. Generally speaking, analog VCC lines should be isolated from the dirty/clean VCC lines, and sensitive analog VCC lines are usually isolated from each other. None of this is possible in the prior art because, as shown in FIG. 3, the cathode of diode D1 is connected to a common VCC line.
4.5 Reliability Issues with Respect to Thin Oxide
Yet another disadvantage of using large p-channel and n-channel MOS transistors to make ESD diodes, such as transistors M1 and M2 in FIG. 3, is that these transistors contain thin gate oxide. As a result, these transistors are much more prone to ESD damage in comparison to ESD diodes which do not contain any thin oxide.
4.6 Summary of Disadvantages of the Prior Art
From the foregoing discussion, it can be seen that the main disadvantages of the prior ESD art (as illustrated in FIG. 3) can be summarized as follows:                ESD protection of multiple isolated VCC lines and multiple isolated ground lines is not possible.        The method of forming ESD protection diodes, utilizing parasitic bipolar transistors, imposes the following disadvantages:                    High forward voltage drop due to low beta and high equivalent base resistance            High leakage current due to large transistor size            High pin capacitance (especially bad for switchable high-impedance TRI-STATE™ outputs)            Low reliability (due to the presence of thin oxide in the ESD protection devices M1 and M2 in FIG. 3)            Common anode for all of the lower ESD protection diodes (as illustrated by diode D2 in FIG. 3)            Increased silicon area due to the large device sizes which are required
As implied by the above disadvantages, there is a great need for a more efficient ESD clamp diode, and a more flexible ESD clamping circuit. These items will now be discussed in the following paragraphs.


A printed chip-on-board substrate is for mounting a high-power semiconductor chip. As a construction for efficiently releasing or dissipating heat to be generated in the semiconductor chip, the printed substrate has a printed interconnected substrate and a metal plate bonded on a back side of the substrate. The printed interconnected substrate is constructed by forming an interconnected layer on a surface of the substrate. At a mount area where the semiconductor chip is to be mounted, an opening is formed reaching the metal plate. The metal plate covers the opening on the side of the back side and is formed with a thickness capable of providing rigidity sufficient to support thereon at least the semiconductor chip to be mounted.

1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a printed substrate for mounting a high-power semiconductor chip thereon and also to a driver component making use of the printed substrate.
2) Description of the Related Art
A high-power semiconductor chip for driving a driver component typified by a print head has conventionally been mounted on a chip-on-board printed substrate because of reduce dimension achieved by the use of the printed substrate.
FIG. 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of a chip-on-board, which shows one example of the conventional arrangement. In the chip-on-board, a printed interconnected substrate 20 is constructed of an insulating substrate 21 and a printed interconnected layer 22 provided on a surface of the insulating substrate 21. The printed interconnected substrate 20 is also provided with a heat dissipator 23 disposed on the insulating substrate 21 as a means for permitting the mounting of a high-power semiconductor chip 24. The heat dissipator 23 is made of a metal plate having good thermal conductivity. The semiconductor chip 24 is bonded on the heat dissipator 23 and is connected to the printed interconnected layer 22 via wires 25. The heat dissipator 23, high-power semiconductor chip 24, printed interconnected layer 22 and wires 25, which are all mounted on the printed interconnected substrate 20, are enclosed with a sealing resin 26.
The heat dissipator 23 is provided on the chip-mounting area of the printed interconnected substrate 20, since it is more efficient at dissipating heat generated in the semiconductor chip 24, not only from the surface of the semiconductor chip 24 but also from the heat spreader 23 having a larger surface area than relying upon the former heat dissipation route alone.
Heat dissipation through a printed interconnected substrate, as described above, is effective for semiconductor chips of relatively small power consumption, but is insufficient for mounting semiconductor chips of large power consumption exceeding several watts for which the demand has been increasing in recent years. For example, the number of wire dot pins used in a wire dot print head has increased as a result of the recent trend toward higher print quality. This has led to an increase in the electric power (watt) applied to a semiconductor chip for driving the wire dot print head so that the quantity of heat generated in such a semiconductor chip is ever increasing.

Printed substrate for mounting high-power semiconductor chip thereon and driver component making use of the printed substrate


A digital data reproducing apparatus comprising: a reading unit configured to read digital data stored in a recording medium at a speed higher than a reproduction speed to store the digital data into a first memory; an encoding unit configured to store encoded data obtained by encoding the digital data read by the reading unit into a second memory; a reproducing unit configured to reproduce the digital data stored in the first memory at the reproduction speed; and a transferring unit configured to transfer the encoded data stored in the second memory into a third memory different from the second memory.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a digital data reproducing apparatus and a recording medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
Audio and video digital data stored in a recording medium such as CD (Compact Disc) are converted into the MP3 (MPEG Audio Layer-3) format and transferred to an external memory such as a portable player through USB (universal Serial Bus), etc., in some cases. Such encoding of digital data for transfer to the external memory such as compression is called ripping. A reproducing apparatus such as an audio device or a personal computer may perform the ripping to transfer the data generated by the ripping to an external memory while reading digital data at the same speed as the reproduction speed and reproducing the read digital data to output audio or video (see, e.g., Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2007-133955). When such a reproducing apparatus is used, ripped data may be transferred to an external memory while enjoying audio and video.
The data generated by the ripping is temporarily stored in a work memory inside or outside the reproducing apparatus. The data stored in the work memory are read and transferred to the external memory through USB, etc. When the transfer speed to the external memory is lower than the ripping speed or when the transfer to the external memory is temporarily interrupted, the ripped data are accumulated in the work memory and the remaining capacity of the work memory is reduced. In such a case, the readout of digital data from a recording medium such as CD must temporarily be stopped to prevent the work memory from overflowing. If the readout of digital data is temporarily stopped in the case of ripping during reproduction, the reproduction of audio or video is discontinued while the read out is stopped since the digital data are read at the same speed as the reproduction speed.

Digital data reproducing apparatus and recording medium

Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC


The invention provides a gas sensor for selective detection of hydrocarbons in low-oxygen gases, having a capacitive element and a gas-permeable sensitive layer as a dielectric. The sensitive layer is a precious-metal-doped zeolite which has a regular crystalline structure made of primary pores whose diameter is in the order of the gas-kinetic diameter of the gas molecules to be detected.

This application claims the priority of German Application No. 196 30 209.9-52, filed Jul. 26, 1996, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to the use of a gas sensor for the selective detection of hydrocarbons (in the following also abbreviated HC) in low-oxygen gases.
It is known to use hydrocarbon sensors to determine the efficiency of exhaust gas after treatment systems on motor vehicles having Otto internal-combustion engines. A special requirement with respect to the hydrocarbon sensor is its insensitivity to CO and H.sub.2, since both such constituents are present in large quantities--compared with hydrocarbons--in the exhaust gas of Otto engines.
European Patent Document EP 0 426 989 B1 discloses a selective chemical sensor for gases which meets these requirements. In one embodiment, the sensor consists of a platinum-containing zeolitic layer on an interdigitated capacitor structure. (In the following, "interdigitated capacitor" is sometimes abbreviated IDC). In "Sensors and Actuators", B 24-25 (1995) 403-406, it is shown that a PTNaY-IDC sensor produced on this basis by means of screen printing at 350.degree. on air has 1,000 ppm butane while, at the same time, neither 1,000 ppm CO, nor 1,000 ppm H.sub.2 are detected.
Another difficult requirement when using Otto internal-combustion engine is the considerably reduced oxygen concentration (in the range of .lambda.=1) in comparison to atmospheric conditions. Simultaneously, hydrocarbons in concentrations of significantly below 100 ppm must be detected.
The sensors described in the two above-mentioned documents relate to the detection of hydrocarbons exclusively in high-oxygen gases, for example, in ambient air (oxygen proportion approximately 20%). In the case of a high oxygen concentration, the hydrocarbons and the CO and the hydrogen in the course of a catalytic total oxidation are in each case completely converted into the thermodynamically most stable compounds. In the case of hydrocarbons, CO.sub.2 and H.sub.2 O are produced; in the case of CO, only CO.sub.2 is produced; and, in the case of H.sub.2, only H.sub.2 O is produced. The catalytic activity of the precious-metal-containing zeolites considered here is so high that H.sub.2 is completely converted even at room temperature; and CO is completely converted at a temperature below 100.degree. C. In contrast, a significantly higher temperature is required for the catalytic conversion of hydrocarbons. At the operating temperature of the hydrocarbon sensor, the reaction duration for the total conversion of hydrocarbons is significantly greater than that of H.sub.2 and CO.
At a given temperature, cations jump to adjacent adsorptive states in zeolite's pore system under the force of an electric field so that a mobility of cations in the zeolite pore system is established. In case of an alternating voltage and given cation mass, mobility depends on frequency. Thus, the zeolite sensor system will respond with frequency dependent impedance when alternating voltage is applied. The cation mobility may be influenced, if a chemical reaction takes place within the extremely narrow pore systems of zeolites. Whether or not a measurable sensor effect occurs depends qualitatively on whether or not the duration of catalytic reaction and cation jump velocity will fit together.
The duration of the catalytic reaction, the ionic conductibility of the zeolite at the operating temperature of the sensor, the steric conditions of the pore system of the zeolites (that is, the spacing of the cationic adsorption sites and of the catalytically effective centers) must be precisely coordinated with one another. In the case of catalytical total oxidation of hydrocarbons the mobility decreases which leads to the sensor effect in EP 0 426 989 B1. But in the case of catalytic total oxidation of hydrogen and CO at comparable temperatures no sensor effect occurs, as the duration of catalytic reaction and cation jump velocity don't fit.
In the case of very low oxygen concentrations, the hydrocarbons are only partially oxidized instead of totally oxidized as described above, and different reaction times and reaction products will occur. For such catalytical partial oxidation of hydrocarbons which is the subject of the present patent it is unknown whether or not duration of catalytic reaction and cation jump velocity will fit together. No person skilled in the art therefore could say in advance whether a sensor effect will occur with this type of sensor in the case of catalytical partial oxidation of hydrocarbons. That is, the essential principle which the function of the sensor according to the EP 0 426 989 B1 is based on is a total oxidation. Consequently a person skilled in the art should expect, that this sensor doesn't work when a gas containing a low concentration of oxygen is used. Thus, the above-mentioned known hydrocarbon sensors do not appear to be suitable for detecting hydrocarbons with very low oxygen contents, such as occur in the exhaust case of Otto internal-combustion engines wherein .lambda.=1.
One object of the invention is to provide a sensor for the selective detection of hydrocarbons in low-oxygen gases (O.sub.2 -proportion lower than 10,000 ppm).
This and other objects and advantages are achieved by the hydrocarbon detector according to the invention. Surprisingly, it was found that the hydrocarbon-sensitive sensor, which is known per se from European Patent Document EP 0 426 989 B1, also has a high sensitivity in the case of a reduced oxygen content. The sensor according to the invention therefore comprises:
a component operating as a capacitor, PA1 a gas-permeable sensitive layer as a dielectric, the sensitive layer being a precious-metal-doped zeolite which has a regular crystalline structure made of primary pores whose diameter is on the order of the gas-kinetic diameter of the gas molecules to be detected.
The sensor is based on the following measuring principle: The impedance of the sensor is (as noted previously) a function of both the applied frequency and the ionic conductibility of the zeolite, the latter being influenced by the interaction of the measuring gas component with the interior zeolite surface. The catalytic conversion of the hydrocarbons on the precious-metal centers in the pores of the zeolites, at the sensor operating temperature, does not occur infinitely fast, but at a finite speed. During the time period of the catalytic conversion, the mobility of the cations in the electric field is hindered by the reaction which results in an increase of the resistance in the considered frequency range. The operating temperature of the sensor is in the range between 300.degree. C. and 500.degree. C.
Detection is achieved by determining the impedance of the sensor at a suitable fixed frequency.
In a preferred embodiment, a ZSM5-zeolite is used as the zeolite, particularly having a module SiO.sub.2 /Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 (that is, a ratio of the content of SiO.sub.2 and Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 to zeolite) of 20 to 50. Pt or Pd, particularly at a proportion of from 0.1 to 5% by weight are preferably used as zeolite crystallites. A ZSM5-zeolite with a Pt fraction of 3% by weight in the zeolite powder was found to be particularly advantageous.
The following table lists several zeolites according to the invention together with their respective pore diameter:
______________________________________ ZSM5 0.53 nm * 0.56 nm mordenite 0.67 nm * 0.70 nm beta 0.76 nm * 0.64 nm Y 0.74 nm ______________________________________
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Use of a gas sensor for the selective detection of hydrocarbons in low-oxygen gases


A controller assigns initial sound component groups to buttons and specifies the group corresponding to the hit button, and assigns medium sound component groups to buttons and specifies the group corresponding to the hit button. The two-component Hangul characters that are combinations of the specified groups, the numbers of three-component Hangul characters that are combinations of the two-component Hangul characters and lax final sound components or un-lax final sound components are assigned to the buttons. When the button assigned to the character is hit, the two-component Hangul character is confirmed. When the button assigned to the number is hit, three-component Hangul characters corresponding to the number are assigned to the buttons. When the button assigned to the character is hit, the three-component Hangul character is confirmed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a Hangul character input method to input a Hangul character into a device such as a cellular phone having 12 through 18 buttons. Further, the present invention relates to a Hangul character input device to execute the Hangul character input method, a Hangul character input program to make a computer act as the Hangul character input device and a computer media in which the Hangul character input program is stored.
2. Prior Art
A Hangul character is a phonogram expressing a syllable of the Korean-language, and one Hangul character expresses one syllable. Each Hangul character is a combination of plural Hangul components that express a vowel (including a semivowel) and a consonant. Each component is classified in an initial sound component expressing a top consonant (or expressing there is no consonant), a medium sound component expressing a vowel and a final sound component expressing a consonant at the end. A Hangul character that consists of an initial sound component and a medium sound component in up-and-down or right-and-left is a "two-component Hangul character", and a Hangul character that combines a final sound component with a two-component Hangul character is a "three-component Hangul character". A medium sound component determines whether the components of a two-component Hangul character are arranged up-and-down or right-and-left.
There are nineteen varieties of initial sound components, twenty-one varieties of medium sound components, and twenty-seven varieties of final sound components. Therefore, there may be 399(=19×21) varieties of two-component Hangul characters and 10,773(=19×21×27) varieties of three-component characters, 11,172 varieties of Hangul characters in total theoretically. However, only about 2,300 varieties of characters are generally used. Therefore, the Korean standard cord table KSC5601 prescribes 2,350 varieties of Hangul characters only.
In this specification, a Hangul character prescribed in the Korean standard cord table KSC5601 is referred to as a "common Hangul character" and a Hangul character except a common Hangul character is referred to as an "uncommon Hangul character".
According to the above construction of a Hangul character, any Hangul character can be input into a computer by selecting an initial sound component, a medium sound component and a final sound component (if necessary) sequentially. It is easy to input a Hangul character to a computer having a full-keyboard because all the initial, medium or final sound components can be assigned to the respective buttons.
On the other hand, in a device having 12 through 18 buttons such as a cellular phone, since the number of buttons is smaller than the number of the Hangul components, each Hangul component must be divided into a plurality of elements (a vertical line, a horizontal line or the like) and a Hangul component is specified by a plurality of keystrokes. Varieties of the elements are smaller than varieties of Hangul components, which allows to assign the elements to a small number of buttons. The above-described Hangul character input method has been generally applied to conventional cellular phones that have e-mailing function.
However, the method for inputting a Hangul character by sequentially specifying elements of each Hangul component requires a large number of keystrokes to input a Hangul character. For example, 12 keystrokes are required at the maximum to input one Hangul character with a marketed cellular phone, which disturbed the efficiently input of a Hangul character string.

Hangul character input method, hangul character input device, hangul character input program and computer media with hangul character input program


There is provided an image processing device including an image composition unit that generates a composite image by compositing a plurality of color images having differing color components and acquired by image capture, and a code recognition unit that, from the composite image, recognizes an information code formed by a plurality of cells.

Recently, along with the development of image recognition technology, the use of information codes such as two-dimensional barcodes is proliferating. Specifically, if an information code is printed onto a paper medium, for example, and a captured image of the information code is obtained by an image capture device, it becomes possible to recognize the information code by image recognition, and obtain information according to the recognition result.
Also, as described in Patent Literature 1 to Patent Literature 4, multi-colored information codes, a scanning device for such information codes, are also known. By forming an information code with multiple colors, it becomes possible to handle more information, for example.

Image processing device, image processing method, and program


A head unit, in which unit head rows are formed by respectively arraying unit heads in parallel on both sides of a transmission substrate. The head unit includes a first liquid fluid channel that is disposed on a first side of the transmission substrate and a second liquid fluid channel that is disposed on a second side of the transmission substrate. The unit heads are provided with a flexible cable. A first head fluid channel sandwiches the flexible cable and is provided on a side that is opposite a transmission substrate side. A second head fluid channel is provided on the transmission substrate side. The first head fluid channel is in communication with a first liquid fluid channel on a surface side on which the unit heads are disposed. The second head fluid channel straddles the transmission substrate and is in communication with a second liquid fluid channel on a surface side that is opposite the unit heads.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a head unit that is provided with a plurality of unit heads that eject a liquid from a nozzle, and a liquid ejecting apparatus.
2. Related Art
A liquid ejecting apparatus is an apparatus that is provided with a liquid ejecting head that is capable of ejecting a liquid as liquid droplets from a nozzle, and that ejects various liquids from the liquid ejecting head. As a representative example of this kind of liquid ejecting apparatus, it is possible to include an image recording apparatus such as an ink jet type recording apparatus (printer) that is provided with an ink jet type recording head (hereinafter, referred to as a recording head) and performs recording by ejecting a liquid ink (in the form of ink droplets) from a nozzle of the recording head. Further, in addition to the above, liquid ejecting apparatuses are used in the ejecting of various types of liquid such as coloring materials that are used in color filters for liquid crystal displays and the like, organic materials that are used in organic EL (Electro Luminescence) displays, and electrode materials that are used in electrode formation. Further, liquid ink is ejected in recording heads for image recording apparatuses, and solutions of the respective color materials of R (Red), G (Green) and B (Blue) are ejected from color material ejecting heads for display manufacturing apparatuses. In addition, liquid electrode material is ejected from electrode material ejecting heads for electrode formation apparatuses, and solutions of living organic matter are ejected from living organic matter ejecting heads for chip production apparatuses.
In a printer such as that mentioned above, a single recording head that ejects ink is configured as a unit head, and there are printers in which a single head unit is configured by arraying a plurality of such unit heads (for example, refer to JP-A-2012-183758). Each unit head introduces ink from an ink supply source (such as an ink cartridge) into a pressure chamber (pressure generation chamber), generates a pressure variation in the ink inside the pressure chamber by operating pressure generation units such as a piezoelectric element or a heater element. Further, each unit head is configured to eject the ink inside the pressure chamber (in the form of ink droplets) from a nozzle (formed as an opening in a nozzle surface) using the pressure variation. In addition, a head unit such as that described above is provided with a transmission substrate that sends a drive signal to each of the pressure generation units.
In recent years, the miniaturization of head units has been progressing. For example, head units are being developed in which a plurality of unit heads (in which two nozzle rows are provided) are arrayed on both surface sides of a transmission substrate that forms a base of a wiring substrate. Each head unit is provided with a flexible cable, one end of which is connected to the transmission substrate. Further, a fluid channel that is in communication with each nozzle row is provided on both sides of the flexible cable with the flexible cable interposed therebetween. That is, a fluid channel that is on the transmission substrate side and a fluid channel that is on a side that is opposite thereto are provided in each unit head with the flexible cable interposed therebetween. If such a configuration is adopted, since the fluid channel that is on the transmission substrate side is disposed between the transmission substrate and the flexible cable, a contact portion of the transmission substrate and the flexible cable becomes an obstruction in cases in which the fluid channel on the transmission substrate side comes into contact with the fluid channel on the upstream side. In particular, since the width of the flexible cable with respect to the unit head becomes relatively larger if unit heads are miniaturized, the arrangement of a fluid channel that comes into contact between the fluid channel on the upstream side and the fluid channel of the unit head becomes complicated, and the connection of fluid channels is more difficult.


A document retrieval and display system for retrieving source documents in different languages from servers linked by a communication network, translating the retrieved source documents as necessary, storing the translated documents, and displaying the source documents and translated documents at a client device connected to the communication network. The translation process is activated automatically by a control module, and is carried out by a machine translation module. The control module decides when a translation is necessary, selects whether to display the source document or a translated document at the client device, and determines when the source document has been updated and must be retranslated.

The present invention relates to a document retrieval and display system having a translation function, and more particularly to a system for retrieving documents in different languages through a communication network and translating and displaying the retrieved documents.
Document retrieval and display systems are used to obtain many types of information from computer networks. Some systems employ linked documents (also known as hypertext), which enable a user to retrieve information by tracing links from one document to another. This can usually be done simply by selecting certain tagged words or items in the document on display with a pointing device.
The documents need not all be stored in the same place. A network may have many document storage sites, each with an associated server for finding stored documents and sending them where they are required.
Particularly in international networks, some retrieved documents may be in a foreign language which the user cannot easily read, or cannot read at all. However, machine translation systems are available which can translate documents from one language to another. A user can use a document retrieval and display system to retrieve information in one language, then use a machine translation system to have the information translated into another language.
A problem in translating linked documents by machine is that tags linking the documents to other documents may be embedded directly in the document text. There exist machine translation systems, however, that can recognize tags and other non-textual elements and transfer them from the source document to the appropriate points in the translated document without attempting to translate them.
By combining these known arts, a person should be able to retrieve a linked document in a foreign language, have it translated by machine and displayed in his native language, then use the tags embedded in the translated document to retrieve further documents. In practice, however, this turns out to be a slow and inconvenient process, for the following reasons.
First, the document retrieval system and machine translation system are separate and independent systems. After using the retrieval system to retrieve a document from a network, the user may have to send the document back through to the same or a different network to the machine translation system to have it translated. In the worst case, the retrieved document may have to be physically transported from the retrieval site to the machine translation site. Even if the user can access both the retrieval and machine translation services from the same personal computer or other computing device, the user must still go through the work of accessing two separate systems and transferring documents from one system to the other. This will be true even if the machine translation system runs on the user's own personal computer.
Second, suppose that upon reading the translated version of a linked document in a foreign language, the user finds in it a link to a further document that he wants to read. The user must then transfer the translated document back to the retrieval system so that he can use the information embedded in the translated document to request the further document. This is not only inconvenient, but with some retrieval systems it may be impossible, in which case the user must compare the original and translated versions of the document to identify the position of the link in the original document, and request the further linked document by pointing to the link in the original document. This is a difficult task if the original document is in a language the user cannot read.
In either case the further linked document will usually be in the same foreign language, so the user must once again go through the process of transferring the retrieved document from the retrieval system to the machine translation system to have it translated. If the user attempts to trace a chain of links from one document to the next, these problems arise at every link in the chain. Instead of being able to skip from one document to another simply by pointing to tagged items in the documents, the user must expend much time and energy in transferring documents back and forth between the retrieval system and machine translation system.
A third problem is that the document normally cannot be transferred from the retrieval system to the machine translation system until it has been completely received. Receiving a long document may take some time. Transferring the document from the retrieval system to the machine translation system also takes time, so there is a considerable delay in getting the translation process started.
A fourth problem is that the retrieval and display system does not know when a user has had a retrieved document translated, and has no way of furnishing the translated version of the document to other users who may request it. If requested by many users, the same document may end up being machine-translated into the same language many times, and many users will have to wait for a long time to get translations of documents which, unknown to them, have already been translated in the past.
A fifth problem is that neither the retrieval and display system nor the machine translation system provides any means of telling when a translation has gone out of date. A user who has had a source document translated may continue to use the translated document after the source document has been updated, unaware that the translation is no longer valid.
The first, third, fourth, and fifth problems also arise in systems that retrieve non-linked documents.

System and method for efficiently retrieving and translating source documents in different languages, and other displaying the translated documents at a client device


A golf ball with a dimple pattern designed to maximize flight characteristics employs dimples which are created by joining two or more intersecting surfaces. The invention provides for single radius or dual radius dimples, preferably including smaller radius cylinders tangentially arranged along the side of the larger cylinders. The intersection of the cylinders forms tri-cylinders, tri-semicylinders, bi-cylinders, quad-semicylinders, penta-semicylinders, or more generally n-cylinders depending upon the number of intersecting cylinders. The golf ball includes a plurality of single or dual radius dimples created by intersecting n-cylinders to create maximum turbulence on the ball during flight.

The present invention relates to a new golf ball dimple configuration comprised of two or more intersecting surfaces. Preferably, the intersecting surfaces are cylindrical.
Dimples are provided in the surface of a golf ball in order to control and improve the flight of the ball. The dimples serve to reduce the pressure differential between the front and rear of the ball as it rotates and travels through the air. One basic criteria for the use of dimples is maximize the surface coverage of dimples on the ball without diminishing the aerodynamic symmetry of the ball.
Golf balls are produced having various dimple patterns, dimple sizes, and dimple configurations so as to have a substantially constant geometric surface while improving the flight characteristics of the ball.

Dimples comprised of two or more intersecting surfaces


An electronic distance meter includes a sighting telescope having an objective lens for sighting an object; a reflection member positioned behind the objective lens; an optical distance meter which includes a light-transmitting optical system for transmitting a measuring light via the reflection member and the objective lens, and a light-receiving optical system for receiving a portion of the measuring light which is reflected by the object, passed through the objective lens and not obstructed by the reflection member; a focus detecting device which detects a focus state from a correlation between a pair of images respectively formed by two light bundles which are respectively passed through two different pupil areas on the objective lens; and at least one optical element, positioned outside the two different pupil areas, to deflect the portion of the measuring light toward an optical axis of the light-receiving optical system.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic distance meter having a sighting telescope and a focus detection device for detecting a focus state of the sighting telescope.
2. Description of the Related Art
When a surveyor measures the distance between two points, an electronic distance meter (EDM) is generally used. An electronic distance meter calculates the distance via the phase difference between a projecting light and a reflected light and via the initial phase of an internal reference light, or via the time difference between the projecting light and the reflected light.
A typical electronic distance meter is provided, behind the objective lens of a sighting telescope thereof, with a light transmitting mirror positioned on the optical axis of the sighting telescope to project the measuring light toward a target through the center of the entrance pupil of the objective lens of the sighting telescope. The light which is reflected by the target to be passed through the objective lens of the sighting telescope passes the peripheral space of the light transmitting mirror to be captured via a wavelength selection filter and a light receiving mirror.
In such an electronic distance meter, the light which is reflected by the target and passed through the objective lens of the sighting telescope is interrupted by the aforementioned light transmitting mirror by a greater amount as the target is closer to the electronic distance meter. If the light which is reflected by the target and passed through the objective lens of the sighting telescope is interrupted by the light transmitting mirror by a great amount, the light amount of the incident light upon the aforementioned light receiving mirror decreases, which deteriorates the precision in measuring the object distance. If the target is very close to the electronic distance meter, the light which is reflected by the target and passed through the objective lens of the sighting telescope may not be incident on a light-receiving element (photo-receiver) at all, which makes it impossible to perform a distance measuring operation. To prevent these problems from occurring, various methods have been proposed.
Advancements have been made in the development of surveying instruments provided with a sighting telescope having an autofocus system, wherein phase-difference detection type autofocus system is widely used in the autofocus therefor. With this system, an in-focus state is detected based on the correlation between two images formed by two light bundles which are respectively passed through two different pupil areas upon passing through different portions of an objective lens of the sighting telescope to bring the sighting telescope into focus in accordance with the detected in-focus state.
However, in the case where a phase-difference detection type autofocus system is incorporated into an electronic distance meter, it is difficult to overcome the problem of a decrease in the amount of light incident upon the aforementioned light receiving element (photo-receiver) when the target is close to the electronic distance meter and also the problem of deterioration of the precision in measuring the object distance that is caused by a decrease in the amount of light incident upon the light receiving element.
The present invention has been devised in view of the problems noted above, and accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an electronic distance meter having a sighting telescope and a focus detection device for detecting a focus state of the sighting telescope, wherein the electronic distance meter is free from the problem of the amount of light incident upon a light-receiving element decreasing when the target is close to the electronic distance meter, and further free from deterioration of precision in measuring the object distance.
To achieve the objects mentioned above, according to an aspect of the present invention, an electronic distance meter is provided, including a sighting telescope having an objective lens for sighting an object; a reflection member positioned behind the objective lens on an optical axis of the objective lens; an optical distance meter which includes a light-transmitting optical system for transmitting a measuring light via the reflection member and the objective lens, and a light-receiving optical system for receiving a portion of the measuring light which is reflected by the object, subsequently passed through the objective lens and not obstructed by the reflection member; a phase-difference detection focus detecting device which detects a focus state from a correlation between a pair of images respectively formed by two light bundles which are respectively passed through two different pupil areas on the objective lens; and at least one optical element, positioned outside the two different pupil areas, to deflect the portion of the measuring light which is reflected by the object, subsequently passed through the objective lens and not obstructed by the reflection member, toward an optical axis of the light-receiving optical system.
Preferably, the at least one optical element has at least one function of reflecting, refracting, and diffracting light which is incident thereon.
Preferably, the at least one optical element is positioned between the two different pupil areas.
In an embodiment, the light-receiving optical system includes a wavelength selection mirror positioned behind the reflection member, the at least one optical element being positioned between two different pupil areas on the wavelength selection mirror.
In an embodiment, two of the optical elements are positioned on opposite sides of the optical axis of the light-receiving optical system.
In an embodiment, the light-receiving optical system includes a light-receiving element, the at least one optical element being designed so that a sufficient amount of the portion of measuring light which is reflected by the object is received by the light-receiving element when the object is positioned at a short distance.
In an embodiment, the at least one optical element is a Fresnel mirror which includes a series of mirror sections.
Preferably, the mirror sections of the Fresnel mirror function as either an inclined plane mirror or a concave mirror.
In an embodiment, the reflection member is made of a parallel-plate mirror having front and rear surfaces parallel to each other, the reflection member being inclined to the optical axis.
The present disclosure relates to subject matter contained in Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-154256 (filed on May 25, 2000) which is expressly incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.


A dual-port corporate-feed broadband antenna uses two pairs of crossed dipoles in each bay, fed by a single hybrid coupler in each bay, to support hybrid-mode IBOC® VHF-band broadcasting. Each 3 dB quarter-wave coupler receives a share of an analog FM broadcast signal on a first input and a digital OFDM broadcast signal, 20 dB down, on a second input. The respective coupler output ports drive coaxial lines to tees feeding respective quarter-wave-separated crossed dipoles. The dipoles in each bay are arranged in a square to one side of their coupler, making side mounting practical. The resultant omnidirectional analog and digital radiation patterns have the same circular polarization and opposite phase rotation. Bay spacing for vertical null is a function ((n−1)/n) of the number of bays in the antenna.

iBiquity Corporation has developed a specification for its "in-band on-channel" (IBOC®) broadcasting system that meets the requirements of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Transmitting a hybrid (both analog and digital) IBOC®-compatible broadcast requires radiating an analog signal with frequency modulation (FM) technology and a digital signal with orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) technology. The OFDM signal occupies the edges of the FM signal's emissions mask and has a total radiated power one hundredth (−20 dB) that of the FM signal. Each hybrid IBOC® signal uses one of the hundred radiotelephone channels for public reception established between television channels 6 and 7 in the very high frequency (VHF) band (88.1 MHz to 107.9 MHz). IBOC® also defines standards for all-digital VHF and for AM-band (535 KHz to 1705 KHz) radio.
A previous IBOC® antenna design disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,084,822 ("the '822 patent"), incorporated herein by reference, includes crossed dipoles for radiation of analog and digital signals. The propagation concept disclosed includes, in at least one embodiment, two pairs of dipoles in each bay, with the dipoles in each pair spaced horizontally by a quarter wavelength, oriented at right angles to each other within parallel planes, and driven with two substantially unrelated signals, where the two signals are fed as traveling waves from opposite ends of a coaxial line and coupled therefrom to drive the dipoles.
A crossed-dipole pair so driven reinforces signal emission at some azimuths and cancels signal emission at other azimuths to produce generally peanut-shaped and overlaid circularly polarized patterns—beams—for the two signals. Each beam has two lobes; the lobes for that beam have the same circular polarization, but are opposite in phase at each instant. The '822 patent discloses a second dipole pair that taps the coaxial line a quarter wavelength from a first dipole pair for impedance cancellation, and that has an azimuthal orientation at right angles to that of the first pair, so that each bay radiates two circularly polarized signals with opposite handedness and oppositely rotating phase. The signals generally fill in at intermediate azimuths to an extent sufficient for the antenna to be termed omnidirectional.
While effective, this embodiment is somewhat constrained by the traveling-wave feed method, and is better suited to tower-top mounting and a small number of bays. A second embodiment in the '822 patent feeds crossed dipole pairs from taps on a traveling wave coaxial line, splitting the tapped signals to drive the pairs. This allows all of the radiating elements to be placed to one side of the coaxial line, but is still further limited in power by halving the number of coupling taps per radiator.
Another previous IBOC® antenna design is disclosed in copending U.S. application Ser. No. 11/698,065, filed Jan. 26, 2007, titled "Antenna System and Method to Transmit Cross-Polarized Signals from a Common Radiator with Low Mutual Coupling," incorporated herein by reference. This design includes separate corporate feed from analog and digital transmitters to a plurality of hybrid couplers per bay, each hybrid including unbalanced inputs and balanced outputs, so that multiple crossed-dipole radiators with integral cross-coupling cancellation can be provided in a plurality of bays with low mutual coupling. While highly effective, broad banded (>20% BW for VSWR<1.05:1), and high power capable, this design can be complex, preferably using either a tower-top mounting scheme or a plurality of discrete mountings around a tower or other structure to realize omnidirectional coverage.
Multiple-channel broadcast towers are costly to build and occupy significant amounts of real estate in rare locations (high up and near the center of population regions but low in local population, so transmitters can be clustered around them). Many such broadcast towers are relatively full, that is, they are limited in the number of antennas that can be mounted on them with adequate vertical separation, and desirable positions such as tower tops are typically already taken, leaving small or low positions or replacement of existing antennas as enhancement possibilities. Some IBOC®-compatible antenna designs are not readily adapted to tower-side mounting, because they use highly symmetrical structures to achieve omnidirectional patterns and would require robust, extended—and massive—cantilever brackets for tower side mounting.

Crossed-dipole antenna for low-loss IBOC transmission from a common radiator apparatus and method


An electronic device, including at least one software component and at least one hardware component, generates a hash value by performing a hashing algorithm on an identifier of the at least one software component and an identifier of the at least one hardware component. The electronic device uses this generated hash value to determine whether software used by the electronic device for accessing a wireless network remains unmodified.

1. Technical Field
Exemplary embodiments of this invention relate a mobile software terminal identifier. More particularly, exemplary embodiments of this invention relate to a mobile software terminal identifier which is generated as a hash value and used to ensure that software for interfacing with a wireless network has not been modified in an unauthorized manner, and to track terminal hardware and terminal software for obtaining wireless access.
2. Description of Related Art
The use of a hash algorithm on a PC has be performed by Microsoft®. The hash algorithm is used to ensure that the Microsoft® operating system software only operates on the PC on which it was originally installed. Alternatively, the hash algorithm is used to ensure that the Microsoft® operating system only operates on the PC to which it has been moved and that the operating system has been re-validated by Microsoft®.
Many known mobile terminals are "closed" devices which permit essentially no user access to the software programming of the device (except recently for .applications). These terminals are thus "fixed" except for the terminal manufacturer's initiated bug fixes and upgrades. Each of these terminals that uses a licensed Third-Generation Partnership Protocol (3GPP) radio band is identified by an international mobile equipment identifier (IMEI). This IMEI is a unique number that can be accessed by a network operator. This IMEI may be linked to the manufacturer of the terminal and the testing that ensured that the terminal conformed to the 3GPP requirements.
A new configuration of "terminal" has now been developed with the addition of a wireless local area network (WLAN) to the 3GPP access technologies. This "terminal" or "user equipment" may include a personal computer (PC) or personal digital equipment (PDA) or other device with a processor plus WLAN capability software (either built-in or added via a network interface card (NIC)) for WLAN access to the 3GPP network operator, and a subscription identification module (SIM or universal subscription identification module (USIM)) with a reader to interface the SIM (or USIM) to the PC and its software. This terminal has no IMEI since it does not use a licensed 3GPP radio band.
This "terminal" may be assembled by the user. Since it is PC or PDA-based, there is an opportunity to "hack" the software used to interface with the network operator. This opportunity to "hack" the software is much greater than in the "closed" terminals used in the licensed 3GPP radio bands. With the WLAN "terminal" configured by the user (or by others) which is based on a PC or PDA, there is no means of tracking the software used for the 3GPP WLAN access or tracking the "terminal" (i.e., computer plus WLAN NIC and software). There is also no means of ensuring that the software has not been "hacked." Even further, there is no means for the network operator to "personalize" the "terminal" to ensure that the terminal (which includes software provided by the 3GPP network operator) operates only with a SIM or USIM provided by the network operator.


An electronic device may be provided with electronic device structures such as housing structures and structures associated with electrical components. The electronic device structures may be attached to each other using ultraviolet and visible light curable adhesive. A layer of adhesive may be interposed between electronic device structures. A light source may generate ultraviolet light. The structures may include an ultraviolet-light-transparent structure through which the ultraviolet light passes to illuminate and cure the adhesive. The ultraviolet-light-transparent structure may form one of multiple shots of injection molded plastic in a device structure, may be formed using a plastic that is opaque at visible wavelengths, or may have a coating such as a metal coating to help reflect ultraviolet radiation onto the adhesive. Perforations in the coating may be used to pass ultraviolet radiation to the adhesive.

This relates generally to adhesives and, more particularly, to curing adhesives using ultraviolet and visible light.
Adhesives are widely used to attach structures to each other. As an example, electronic devices such as computers and cellular telephones often contain adhesives for mounting components to housing structures, for attaching housing structures to each other, and for otherwise assembling structures within a completed device.
Thermally cured adhesives can be difficult to control and involve the use of elevated temperatures. The use of elevated temperatures may not be desirable, because many devices include sensitive components with relatively low temperature tolerances. In contrast, ultraviolet and visible (UV/Vis) light curing adhesives can be cured immediately upon application of UV/Vis radiation at room temperature. The ease of controlling the curing process and the relatively low temperatures involved in curing make UV/Vis radiation curing adhesives satisfactory in a wide range of applications.
It can be challenging, however, to use UV/Vis radiation curing adhesives in assemblies that contain opaque structures. If care is not taken, the opaque nature of a structure may cause the structure to block UV/Vis radiation from reaching the adhesive during the curing process. If too much UV/Vis radiation is blocked, the adhesive may be poorly cured.
It would therefore be desirable to be able to provide improved electronic device structures to facilitate the use of UV/Vis radiation curing adhesives.

Methods for attaching structures using ultraviolet and visible light curing adhesive


A winged plow for moving snow or other materials with a vehicle has a support frame pivotally connected with one end of a plow vehicle. An elongated plow blade having two opposing ends is pivotally connected with the terminal end of the support frame for generally horizontal rotation between a centered position with the plow blade oriented generally perpendicular to the support frame and an angled position with the plow blade rotated substantially away from the centered position. One of a pair of plow blade wings is pivotally connected at each of the opposing ends of the plow blade for rotation between a closed position in which the wings project generally forward, the wings and plow blade defining a generally U-shaped assembly, and an open position in which the wings project in generally opposite directions, away from each other, effectively extending the length of the plow blade. An actuator, which may be cable, hydraulically or mechanically operated, is responsive to the position of the plow blade relative to the support frame manipulates the wings between the closed position when the plow blade is substantially in the centered position and the open position when the plow blade is rotated substantially away from the centered position, either left or right.

The present invention relates to winged plow assemblies for use with a vehicle.
Straight blade plows cantilevered from an end of a plow vehicle are commonly found in those geographic regions where winter snow accumulation must be cleared from a surface, such as streets, parking lots, and walkways for example, so that people may travel about their daily business without undue hazard from deep snow. During the plowing operation, a plow may be operated either in a centered position, being generally square with the vehicle and generally perpendicular to the vehicle motion, or in an angled position in which the plow is directed toward one side or the other at an angle to the vehicle motion. When plowing with the plow centered, snow will accumulate in front of the plow and typically spill over the ends of the plow. Thus, in the interest of increased plowing efficiency, plow operators are known to fix plates at the ends of the plow blade to minimize such spill over and retain the snow in front of the blade to effectively increase the plow capacity. However, while these additional plates enhance straight line plowing, they are equally detrimental to angled plowing because the plates then effectively clog the blade surface with accumulated snow, thwarting the objective of casting snow to the side during angled plowing.
Accordingly, a need has been recognized for plows to enable either angled or straight/centered plowing, and to increase the efficiency of the plow in the centered position by preventing spill over from the plow ends while allowing proper material flow along the plow blade during angled plowing.