The crystal oscillator for surface mounting includes: a container body having first and second recesses on both principal surfaces thereof; a crystal blank hermetically encapsulated within the first recess; and an IC chip in which an oscillation circuit using the crystal blank is integrated, the IC chip being accommodated within the second recess. The IC chip is provided with a plurality of IC terminals including a pair of crystal terminals used for electrical connection with the crystal blank. A plurality of mounting electrodes to which the IC terminals are connected through flip-chip bonding are formed on a bottom surface of the second recess in correspondence with the IC terminals. A pair of mounting electrodes corresponding to the pair of crystal terminals are electrically connected to the crystal blank and also formed as a pair of dual-purpose electrodes having greater areas than the other mounting electrodes.

Crystal oscillators for surface mounting using a surface-mount type container for surface mounting and accommodating a crystal blank and an IC (integrated circuit) chip, which has an oscillation circuit using this crystal blank, in the container configured as a single unit are small and light, and are therefore widely used especially as frequency and time reference sources in portable electronic devices represented by cellular phones.
As one type of crystal oscillator for surface mounting, there is one using a container body having an H-figured cross section, on both principal surfaces of which recesses are formed, accommodating a crystal blank in the one recess and accommodating an IC chip on the other recess. FIGS. 1A and 1B are a cross-sectional view and a bottom view, respectively, showing the configuration of such a conventional crystal oscillator for surface mounting.
The crystal oscillator for surface mounting illustrated here is provided with container body 1 made of, for example, laminated ceramics. On one principal surface of container body 1, first recess 1a is formed, and on the other principal surface of container body 1, second recess 1b is formed. In container body 1, crystal blank 2 is accommodated in first recess 1a and IC chip 3 is accommodated in second recess 1b. Crystal blank 2 is, for example, an AT-cut quartz crystal blank, on both principal surfaces of which excitation electrodes (not shown) are formed, respectively. In crystal blank 2, lead-out electrodes extend from a pair of excitation electrodes toward both sides of one end of crystal blank 2, respectively. Both sides of one end of crystal blank 2 to which the lead-out electrodes extend are fixed to a pair of crystal holding terminals 4 provided on the bottom surface of first recess 1a of container body 1 using conductive adhesive 5. This causes crystal blank 2 to be held horizontally within recess 1a. Metal ring 6 is provided at an opened end face of recess 1a and by bonding metal cover 7 to metal ring 6 through seam welding, crystal blank 2 is hermetically encapsulated within first recess 1a.
IC chip 3 is made up of electronic circuits integrated on a semiconductor substrate, the electronic circuits including an oscillation circuit using crystal blank 2. On the bottom surface of second recess 1b of container body 1, there are provided a plurality of mounting electrodes 9 to which a plurality of IC terminals 8 of IC chip 3 are fixed, respectively, and IC chip 3 is fixed to the bottom surface of second recess 1b through flip-chip bonding which bonds corresponding IC terminals 8 and mounting electrodes 9 together by means of bumps 10. In IC chip 3, since electronic circuits are formed on one principal surface of the semiconductor substrate, this principal surface is called a "circuit forming surface" of IC chip 3.
The plurality of IC terminals 8 are provided on the circuit forming surface which is the surface on which IC chip 3 is bonded to container body 1. These IC terminals 8 include: a pair of crystal terminals 8a and 8b used for electrical connection between IC chip 3 and crystal blank 2; a power supply terminal; an output terminal; a grounding terminal; and an AFC (automatic frequency control) terminal. In the example shown here, there are further provided two independent writing terminals as IC terminals used to write temperature compensation data into IC chip 3. These IC terminals 8 are electrically connected to the electronic circuits within IC chip 3 and are provided along a pair of mutually facing sides, for example, in the lengthwise direction on the substantially rectangular circuit forming surface. Especially, crystal terminals 8a and 8b are connected to the oscillation circuit within IC chip 3 and in this way, an oscillation closed loop made up of the oscillation circuit and crystal blank 2 is formed. Of IC terminals 8, the power supply terminal and grounding terminal are used to supply electric power to the oscillation circuit and the AFC terminal is used to supply an AFC signal to the oscillation circuit. Oscillation output fout from the oscillation circuit appears at the output terminal in IC chip 3. For explanations, FIG. 1B shows the outline of IC chip 3 with a dotted line and also shows IC terminals 8 and mounting electrodes 9 hidden by IC chip 3 and further shows monitoring electrodes 12a and 12b which will be described later. Therefore, the dotted line in FIG. 1B shows a region in second recess 1b in which IC chip 3 is placed.
Mounting electrodes 9 are all formed as substantially rectangular, flat-shaped electrode layers and are formed facing respective IC terminals 8 of IC chip 3 and arranged in parallel along the longitudinal direction of substantially rectangular second recess 1b of container body 1. In the figure, four mounting electrodes 9 are arranged on a row near each long side of recess 1b. Of these mounting electrodes 9, mounting electrodes 9a and 9b to be bonded to crystal terminals 8a and 8b by means of bumps 10 are electrically connected to a pair of crystal holding terminals 4 provided on the bottom surface of first recess 1a via conductive paths including via holes (not shown) provided in container body 1. Other mounting electrodes 9 connected to IC terminals 8 such as the power supply terminal, output terminal and grounding terminal are electrically connected to external terminals 11 which are provided in the four corners of the end face surrounding second recess 1b of container body 1, that is, the outer bottom surface of container body 1. External terminals 11 are the terminals used to surface-mount this crystal oscillator for surface mounting on a wiring board. Furthermore, mounting electrodes 9 connected to the writing terminals are electrically connected to external terminals (not shown) for data writing provided on the outer side surface of container body 1.
In addition to mounting electrodes 9, a pair of monitoring electrodes 12a and 12b used for characteristic testing of crystal blank 2 as a crystal element are also provided on the inner bottom surface of second recess 1b of container body 1. Monitoring electrodes 12a and 12b extend from mounting electrodes 9a and 9b connected to crystal terminals 8a and 8b on IC chip 3 side and are provided in a central region of the inner bottom surface of second recess 1b, that is, within the region to be covered with IC chip 3. In the figure, of mounting electrodes 9 arranged in two rows, second mounting electrodes 9 counted from the positions of both ends on one side of a diagonal of second recess 1b for the respective rows of mounting electrodes 9 are mounting electrodes 9a and 9b to be connected to crystal terminals 8a and 8b, respectively. These two mounting electrodes 9a and 9b and monitoring electrodes 12a and 12b are electrically connected by elongated conductive patterns 12c and 12d formed on the bottom surface of recess 1b. Monitoring electrodes 12a and 12b are substantially rectangular and have the areas greater than the areas of mounting electrodes 9, 9a and 9b to make it easier to contact a probe of a jig connected to a measuring instrument (not shown) with monitoring electrodes 12a and 12b.
Monitoring electrodes 12a and 12b are used to judge defective products in the manufacturing process of crystal oscillators. More specifically, after hermetically encapsulating crystal blank 2 within first recess 1a of container body 1 and before accommodating IC chip 3 in second recess 1b, the probe is made to contact monitoring electrodes 12a and 12b to thereby test the oscillation characteristic of crystal blank 2 as a crystal element and separate conforming products from non-conforming products. IC chips are mounted on only products judged as conforming products in a later process.
Furthermore, monitoring electrodes 12a and 12b can also be used to adjust the vibration frequency of crystal blank 2. In such a case, before bonding metal cover 7 to metal ring 6, in the state that crystal blank 2 is fixed to crystal holding terminals 4 and, for example, the oscillation frequency of crystal blank 2 is adjusted by irradiating an ion beam onto crystal blank 2 while monitoring the vibration frequency of crystal blank 2 via monitoring electrodes 12a and 12b.
In order to protect the circuit forming surface of the IC chip, protective resin is generally injected, as so-called underfill, between the IC chip and the bottom surface of the recess in which the IC chip is accommodated in a crystal oscillator in a configuration with the crystal blank and IC chip accommodated in different recesses of the container body.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-49560 (JP, 2000-049560, A) describes that monitoring electrodes are provided only within a region in which an IC chip is placed, that is, at a position below the IC chip, the monitoring electrodes are thereby electrically shielded by a grounding potential plane within the IC chip and it is thereby possible to prevent stray capacitance from being generated between the wiring pattern of the wiring board on which a crystal oscillator for surface mounting is mounted and the crystal blank.
In the crystal oscillator for surface mounting in the above described configuration, on the bottom surface of second recess 1b, monitoring electrodes 12a and 12b are drawn through conductive patterns 12c and 12d from mounting electrodes 9a and 9b, which correspond to crystal terminals 8a and 8b of IC chip 3, and provided within the region in which IC chip 3 is placed, that is, in the region between the two rows of mounting electrodes 9. IC chip 3 is fixed to the bottom surface of second recess 1b through flip-chip bonding in such a way that the circuit forming surface thereof faces monitoring electrodes 12a and 12b.
As a result, stray capacitance C01 is generated between the circuit forming surface of IC chip 3, particularly a high-frequency circuit part such as the oscillation circuit in IC chip 3, and monitoring electrodes 12a and 12b, as shown in FIG. 2. In this case, the value of stray capacitance C01 is added up with a contribution of the extending path from mounting electrode 5, that is, conductive patterns 12c and 12d to monitoring electrodes 12a and 12b, and a contribution of the areas of mounting electrodes 9a and 9b. If the areas of conductive patterns 12c and 12d are sufficiently smaller than the areas of the electrodes, stray capacitance C01 results from the total area of monitoring electrodes 12a and 12b and mounting electrodes 9a and 9b.
Furthermore, on the bottom surface of second recess 1b of container body 1, there are a plurality of mounting terminals 9 in addition to mounting electrodes 9a and 9b to which crystal terminals 8a and 8b are bonded, and each of monitoring electrodes 12a and 12b is surrounded by three of these mounting electrodes 9 on the bottom surface of second recess 1b. Since these mounting electrodes 9 other than mounting electrodes 9a and 9b are also electrically connected to the circuits in IC chip 3, stray capacitance C01 is further added up with a contribution of stray capacitance produced between monitoring electrodes 12a and 12b and these mounting electrodes 9. Moreover, stray capacitance C02 is also produced between monitoring electrodes 12a and 12b.
Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, a closed loop without routing through the crystal element (i.e., crystal blank 2) is formed with stray capacitances C01 and C02 independently of the original oscillation closed loop made up of the crystal element and oscillation circuit within IC chip 3. FIG. 2 shows such an additional closed loop with dotted lines. As a result, a high-frequency current i′ is produced which passes through the additional closed loop but not through the crystal element, and this current i′ is mixed up with oscillation current i in the original oscillation closed loop and outputted from output terminal fout of IC chip 3. The high-frequency signal outputted in such a way is liable to contain noise. Monitoring electrodes 12a and 12b accompanying stray capacitances C01 and C02 can thus constitute factors of deteriorating an operating characteristic of the crystal oscillator, for example, phase noise characteristic.
On the bottom surface of second recess 1b, monitoring electrodes 12a and 12b are provided in the region in which IC chip 3 is placed independently of mounting electrodes 9a and 9b, and therefore the sizes of monitoring electrodes 12a and 12b are restricted depending on the size of IC chip 3. As the crystal oscillator for surface mounting becomes more compact, the size of IC chip 3 is also reduced, and therefore the areas of monitoring electrodes 12a and 12b need to be reduced, too. For example, as for the planer outside size of the crystal oscillator, an already established standard size of 2.5×2.0 mm or 2.0×1.6 mm is available and in such a case, the inside size of the bottom surfaces of the recesses of the container body are on the order of 1.85×1.45 mm or 1.45×1.20 mm. In this way, as the size of the crystal oscillator is reduced, the areas of monitoring electrodes 12a and 12b are also reduced, and it becomes more difficult to make the probe touch or contact monitoring electrodes 12a and 12b.


Apparatus, systems, and methods implementing techniques for reducing the variation of a DC offset are described. An input signal is amplified to produce an intermediate signal. The intermediate signal is processed to produce a feedback signal and an output signal, where the output signal has a DC offset that varies with a varying parameter of the circuitry used to process the intermediate signal. Variation of the DC offset of the output signal is reduced using the feedback signal. In one implementation, the circuitry used to process the intermediate signal is a variable-gain amplifier circuit, and the DC offset of the output signal varies with a gain of the variable-gain amplifier.

The following disclosure relates to electrical circuits and signal processing.
A receiver in a communications system (hereafter referred to as a receiver) is typically designed to receive signals of varying strength. A wireless receiver (e.g., an IEEE 802.11, 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11e, 802.11g, 802.11h, 802.11i, 802.11n, and/or 802.16 compliant receiver), for example, can receive weak signals from transmitters that are far away from the wireless receiver or strong signals from transmitters that are close to the wireless receiver. To adjust for differing signal strengths, a conventional wireless receiver uses one or more gain stages to amplify or attenuate the received signal. In a conventional wireless receiver that mixes the received signal down to an intermediate frequency (IF) signal and later mixes the IF signal down to a baseband signal, both the gain of the IF signal and the gain of the baseband signal typically are adjusted.
Direct-current (DC) offset voltages can be generated in many of the circuits in a receiver. DC offset voltages can be amplified in gain stages along with the received signal if the design of the receiver allows the DC offset voltages to enter the gain stages. When two circuits are coupled using alternating-current (AC) coupling (e.g., by using a series capacitor to connect the output of one circuit to the input of the other circuit), low-frequency signal components, including any DC offset voltage, are heavily attenuated.
The amplifiers in an IF gain stage of a wireless receiver can be AC coupled to one another because the IF signal does not include any low-frequency signal components of interest. The amplifiers in a baseband gain stage, however, are typically direct-current (DC) coupled, because the baseband signal can have low-frequency signal components of interest. A DC offset voltage generated by a circuit early in a DC-coupled baseband region of the wireless receiver will be amplified in the baseband gain stage. Conventional baseband gain stages can supply over 45 dB of gain, so a DC offset voltage can be amplified by a factor of 200 or more. The large amplification of a DC offset voltage can cause amplifiers in the baseband gain stage to run out of voltage range for a given supply voltage, hence distorting the received signal.
Both wireless receivers and wireline receivers (e.g., gigabit Ethernet or fiber-channel receivers) typically have DC-coupled baseband gain stages in which important signal filtering and amplification is performed. DC offset voltages are often present in baseband circuits because of, for example, input device mismatch, current source mismatch, or load mismatch. In some conventional receiver designs, a highpass filter is added to the baseband gain stage to filter out any DC offset voltage. High-order highpass filters are typically used so that as little as possible of the received signal is filtered out.
When a highpass filter is used to remove a DC offset from a signal, several problems can arise. One problem occurs when the frequency of an oscillator in a wireless receiver differs slightly from the frequency that a wireless transmitter oscillator provides. When the oscillator signal generated by the oscillator in the wireless receiver is used to mix a received signal down to baseband, the frequency difference between the transmitter and receiver oscillators will cause the frequency components of the baseband signal to be shifted, resulting in a frequency-shifted baseband signal. When a frequency-shifted baseband signal is filtered with the highpass filter, desirable frequency components may be attenuated. The attenuation of frequency components when there is a frequency difference between the transmitter and receiver oscillators can cause signal distortion and degrade the quality of the received signal. High-order filters typically must be used to minimize the amount of signal distortion and quality degradation.
Additionally, if a highpass filter is used to remove a DC offset in the baseband gain stage, the corner frequency of the highpass filter typically depends on the gain setting of the baseband gain stage. If the corner frequency depends on the gain setting, the frequency components that are attenuated in the received signal will vary as a function of received signal power. Variation in the frequency components that are attenuated is typically an undesirable characteristic for a wireless receiver. In addition, a tradeoff typically exists between how high the corner frequency is and the speed at which the received signal can be filtered. Faster filtering requires attenuating more of the received signal.
For certain communications standards, a baseband signal near DC is important, so highpass filtering of the signal is not ideal. For example, highpass filtering of the received signal can cause DC-wandering problems, where the receiver loses a reference that was provided by the DC component in the received signal.
For certain wireless communications standards, a low-IF wireless receiver can mix the desired signal to a low intermediate frequency instead of to baseband. In this situation, if other problems associated with low-IF receivers are resolved, the DC-offset problem can be alleviated because the signal can be processed without the DC component. However, this only works well for some communications standards. High-bandwidth standards, for example, can be difficult to implement using a low-IF wireless receiver because high-order filters typically are required to isolate channels in the received signal. Care must also be taken with low-IF wireless receivers to avoid image-folding problems.
FIG. 1 shows a conventional differential amplifier 200. A first transistor 210 and a second transistor 220 are biased into the active region by a biasing current 230. A differential input signal 240 is applied between the base of first transistor 210 and the base of second transistor 220. A differential output signal 250 is present between the collector of first transistor 210 and the collector of second transistor 220.
If first transistor 210 and second transistor 220 are perfectly matched transistors, a first resistor 260 and a second resistor 270 are perfectly matched resistors, and there is no DC component in differential input signal 240, there will be no DC component in differential output signal 250. If, however, first transistor 210 and second transistor 220 are not perfectly matched transistors, or if first resistor 260 and second resistor 270 are not perfectly matched resistors, a DC component will be present in differential output signal 250 when there is no DC component in differential input signal 240.
DC components generated by component mismatches anywhere in differential amplifier 200 have the same effect on differential output signal 250 as a properly chosen representative DC offset voltage 280 has on differential output signal 250 when the components of differential amplifier 200 are perfectly matched. All DC offsets generated in differential amplifier 200 can be represented by DC offset voltage 280. For example, a DC component in differential output signal 250 due to a mismatch between first transistor 210 and second transistor 220 can be modeled as being caused by representative DC offset voltage 280 applied to the base of first transistor 210 with first transistor 210 and second transistor 220 being perfectly matched. Likewise, a DC component in differential output signal 250 due to a mismatch between first resistor 260 and second resistor 270 can be modeled as being caused by representative DC offset voltage 280 applied to the base of first transistor 210 with first resistor 260 and second resistor 270 being perfectly matched.


The invention relates to a ion beam preparation device for electron microscopy which is capable of observing the preparation process with the aid of a scanning electron microscope (3) and hence deliberately operate on the sample (4). The device is fitted with a multi-axis sample bench, at least on ion source (1, 2), a scanning electron microscope (3) with electron detectors (7, 9, 8) to image secondary electrons (SE), back-scatter electrons (RE) and transmitted electrons (TE), an electron source as a discharger for isolating samples and a light microscope (5). The ability to observe the etching process in situ permits precise monitoring of the etching stage, e.g. the degree of thickness reduction of the sample, at high resolution and, with the aid of a control device (19), it is possible automatically to terminate the thinning process to precise instructions.

The subject of this invention is an ion beam preparation device for processing electron microscopy specimens with a vacuum chamber and at least one ion source for specimen bombardment in a specimen holder by a noble gas ion beam, in particular with argon ions.
For electronmicroscopical observation of specimens the latter must be suitably prepared, e.g. by ion beam etching (D. G. Howit,, Ion Milling of Materials Science Specimens for Electron Microscopy: A Review, Journal of Electron Microscopy Technique 1: 405-414 (1984); A. Garulli, A. Armigliato, M. Vanzi, Preparation of Silicon Specimens for Transmission Electron Microscopy, J. Microsc. Spectrosc. Electron. Vol. 10, No. 2, 1985, 135-144).
Ion etching for preparing specimens used in scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is a method that is principally used where conventional chemical and electrochemical processes fail or yield only inadequate preparation results. This applies in particular to TEM cross-sectional preparation of material and layer combinations with strongly selective etching behavior, and to chemically resistant materials. For these cases ion etching has developed into a routinely practiced method.
Whereas in the beginning cross-section specimens were usually examined with transmission electron microscopes with an acceleration voltage of 100 kV, preference is now given to medium voltage equipment with 300 kV and field emission sources. This equipment ensures uniform transmissibility of the cross-section specimens and is able to form beam probes in the nm range. This establishes the technical preconditions for structural examination and material analysis (EELS, EDX) in the finest details, that is, also on nanostructures.
The development of the nanotechnology, that is, the creation and utilization of structures and dimensions in the submicrometer and nanometer range (e.g. semiconductor component structures), imposes significantly more demanding requirements on the preparation technique. The necessary etching to the desired thickness of structures with extremely small dimensions requires a significantly better observation possibility of the specimen during the etching process so that the momentary stadium of the specimen preparation can be accurately determined.
The currently known, conventional ion beam etching systems such as the RES 010 from BAL-TEC, the PIPS model 691 and the Dual Ion Mill from Gatan, as well as the Ion Beam Thinning Unit from Technology LINDA, use light microscopy with a maximum magnification factor of 100 for observing the specimens. This is generally inadequate already in the cross-section preparation of simple multilayer systems because the moment at which the etching process is terminated cannot be accurately determined. In the case of specimen etching to the desired thickness of selected structures, in-situ evaluation of whether or not the structure of interest is located within the thinned down specimen area is entirely impossible. This applies already to structures (also samples with periodic structures) in the .mu.m range! As a consequence an elaborate "trial and error" process is needed in which the specimen must be repeatedly transferred between the etching system and the transmission electron microscope or the corresponding specimen holders. This often results in destruction of the specimen.
Another disadvantage of the known ion beam etching systems is the poor controllability of the final stage in the etching process. Neither the optical observability nor the automatic cut-outs known from the known ion beam etching systems allow determination of the exact etching process termination. The sensitivity of the optical and electronic cut-offs used in these equipments is inadequate for switching off the etching process on time. This applies in particular to the ion beam preparation of cross-section specimens. A certain improvement is achieved by the RES 010 from BAL-TEC which uses a special specimen holder with built-in Faraday cup for detecting all charged particles. However, this arrangement severely restricts the possibilities of the specimen holder because the specimen cannot be thinned and observed on the back.
In the known ion beam preparation devices the specimens are usually rotated during the etching process in order to improve the uniformity of erosion. From patent application U.S. Pat, No. 4,128,765 it is known that the specimens should not only be rotated but also the incidence angle of the ion beam should be varied during the etching process based on a random function. This is achieved by a rigid arrangement of the ion sources and by reciprocating the specimen holder containing the probe relative to the ion beam by a certain angle. After the etching process the specimen is ready for electronmicroscopical observation.
In addition to the conventional etching technique described above there is another technique that was initially developed for fault analysis on microelectronic circuits. With the aid of a finely focussed (diam. in nm range) scanning ion beam the specimen can be etched to the desired thickness and observed also through ion microscopy. This focussed ion beam technique (FIB) is currently used also for the preparation of specimens for scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy. For this purpose the specimen areas of interest are partially cut through etching by means of Ga liquid metal ion sources with extremely high ion densities of up to 10 A/cm.sup.2, either on one side (slope for SEM examination) or on both sides (ribs for TEM examination). In-situ observation of the etching process is performed with the secondary particles detached by the ion beam (e.g. Hitachi FB 2000, FEI FIB 200, 600 and 800) and lately also with an additional scanning electron microscope (FEI Dual Beam FIB/SEM workstation). The finely focused ion beam and the ability of accurately positioning the specimen and the ion beam allow accurate etching of the specimen to the desired thickness. However, as ion beam etching is only possible with a stationary specimen this results in strongly preferred structures on the etching slope. This is particularly disadvantageous in multilayer systems with strongly selective etching characteristics. The necessarily high ion current density results in strong back-coating of the etching slope and strong heating of the specimen. TEM specimens can only be produced as ribs with a thickness of approx. 100 nm which renders high-resolution TEM (HRTEM)examination in selected specimen areas impossible. As the ribs must be held in place by the remaining specimen material, tilting of the specimen in the TEM for exact specimen orientation is possible only within narrow limits due to the shading effect. For producing TEM specimens the specimen surface must be coated. This FIB (focused ion beam) technique has become known, for example, from the Japanese patent application JP 6231720 which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 5,525,806. A strongly focused ion beam is scanned at an angle of 90.degree. across the substrate to be processed, where cuboid areas are worked out of the substrate, leaving thin ribs that form the area of interest for subsequent TEM examination. The arrangement with the scanning ion beam is operated simultaneously as a SIM, that is, as an ion microscope, for observing the etching process. After sufficient etching has occurred on both sides of the rib-shaped area of interest, the area of interest is exposed and the ion source can be switched off. The specimen can subsequently be examined with the SEM.
Simultaneous observation of the specimen during the etching process is possible only with the Dual Beam FEI in SEM mode. In the case of all other equipment the specimen must be moved into an observation position and can be observed only with the ion microscope. Even if a lower ion current density and acceleration voltage are used, the disadvantage is that during the observation material is removed from the specimen area of interest or that bombardment ions are implanted, both of which alter the original specimen material.

Ion beam preparation device for electron microscopy


An aircraft display system includes a processor configured to receive a heading-based leg and to generate display signals based on the heading-based leg; and a display device including a horizontal situation indicator coupled to the processor. The horizontal situation indicator receives the display signals from the processor and displaying symbology representing the heading-based leg.

An important facet of aviation safety is the pilot's situational awareness of the status of the aircraft, including its position, velocity, and external factors such as wind direction and terrain. Toward this end, advances in human factors research have led to dramatic improvements in the display of information to the pilot. Further, advances in visual display technology, such as high quality flat display panels, have enabled the pilot to be presented with information in a visual format that is not possible with traditional dials and gauges.
During operation, the aircraft's heading corresponds to the horizontal component (perpendicular to the local gravity vector) of the direction in which the aircraft is pointing. If the aircraft is flying in wind that has a velocity component at an angle to the heading, the aircraft's direction of flight will change according to a drift angle that is proportional to the speed of the aircraft and the speed of the perpendicular component of the wind velocity. The resulting horizontal direction of the aircraft's motion along the ground is referred to as ground track (hereinafter "track").
One of the primary flight displays the pilot uses on the flight deck to determine whether the aircraft is on the planned flight path is a horizontal situation indicator (HSI). One function of the HSI is to provide a visualization of the position of the aircraft with respect to a VOR (VHF Omnidirectional Range) radial signal broadcast by a VOR station. The HSI also has a compass card that displays the direction of the aircraft relative to the earth's magnetic field. During flight, the pilot uses the HSI to verify the location of the aircraft against the flight plan.
Most flight plan path procedures are based on ground track, and the flight management system of the aircraft provides navigation information to the HSI that is based on ground track. As such, the information provided to the HSI by the FMS is based on a track-based flight plan. However, at times, air traffic controllers direct the aircraft to fly a heading-based flight plan path. In these situations, pilots must typically mentally convert the track-based indications provided by the HSI into the designated heading-based path, and manually fly the heading-based flight plan path.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide systems and methods that display symbology for heading-based legs of a flight plan. In addition, it is desirable to provide an HSI with symbology for heading-based legs. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the invention and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background of the invention

Systems and methods for displaying heading-based leg symbology


A wrapping machine stretch head comprises a pair of tension rollers having first ends mounted upon a base plate and second ends mounted within separate and independent brackets such that the second ends of the tension rollers are not connected to each other and define an axially open space therebetween. In this manner, when wrapping film is to be threaded or routed between and around the tension rollers, the wrapping film is able to be inserted into the axially open space in an axially oriented mode. The rotary drive system for the tension rollers is also mounted upon the base plate and not within an upper frame member as is characteristic of conventional wrapping machine stretch heads.

Film wrapping machines for wrapping products or articles in wrapping film conventionally comprise a film roll upon which a supply of the wrapping film is disposed, and a plurality of rollers around which the wrapping film is routed so as to have a predetermined amount of tension developed within the film such that the wrapping film exhibits a predetermined or requisite amount of tension required for the film wrapping operation. One conventional type of film wrapping machine comprises a set of rollers fixedly mounted within respective upper and lower frame members whereby, for example, a leading end of the wrapping film must be withdrawn from the film supply roll and manually routed or threaded through and around the set of tension rollers. This process or operation, however, has proven to be very awkward, difficult, and tedious for operator personnel because the film must be threaded or routed beneath the upper frame member and between the tension rollers. Such requirements have additionally manifested themselves in rendering the wrapping film threading or routing process or operation quite time consuming whereby non-productive downtime, attendant for example the exchange of wrapping film supply rolls when a particular wrapping film supply roll which has been depleted is being removed and a new wrapping film supply roll which has a fresh supply of wrapping film thereon is being installed, has been relatively extensive.
In order to improve upon the foregoing conventional type of film wrapping system such that the film threading or routing operation is rendered less awkward, difficult, tedious, and time-consuming, another conventional type of film wrapping system was developed wherein the threading or routing of the wrapping film around the various tension rollers was, in effect, rendered "automatic" due to the presence or relative disposition of, for example, a plurality of fixed film tension rolls and a plurality of relatively movable press rolls. A system of this type is disclosed, for example, within U.S. Pat. No. 4,914,891 which issued to Suolahti on Apr. 10, 1990.
With reference being made to FIG. 1 of the present patent application drawings, which corresponds to FIG. 2 of the drawings of U.S. Pat. No. 4,914,891, the patented system of Suolahti is seen to comprise a pair of vertically oriented film tension rolls 23 which have their upper and lower ends respectively mounted within fixed upper and lower frame plates 22 and 21. A drive motor 27 and transmission means 28 are mounted upon the upper frame plate 22 and are operatively associated with the tension rolls 23. In a similar manner, three vertically oriented press rolls 30 are mounted upon a frame 29 which is pivotally mounted with respect to the frame plates 21 and 22, and the tension rolls 23 thereon, such that the frame 29, and the press rolls 30 thereof, is pivotally movable, as indicated by the arrow, between a closed position, at which the three press rolls 30 are disposed in an interdigitated manner upon opposite sides of, and between, the two tension rolls 23 whereby wrapping film from a wrapping film roll 5 may be properly routed, threaded, or disposed around the tension rolls 23, and an opened position, as illustrated, whereby a depleted wrapping film roll 5 may be removed from the framework comprising upper and lower frame plates 22 and 211, and a new wrapping film roll 5 may be installed in place of the previously depleted wrapping film roll 5. The lower fixed frame plate 21 is provided with a slot 33 within which a bushing 34 of wrapping film roll 5 is accommodated. When the new wrapping film roll 5 is installed within the framework and between the upper and lower frame plates 22 and 21, the film is withdrawn from the film roll 5 and moved across the tension rolls 23 in a direction transverse to the vertically oriented axes of the tension rolls 23.
Another system similar to that of Suolahti is disclosed within U.S. Pat. No. 5,414,979 which issued to Moore et al. on May 16, 1995. This patented system is likewise seen to comprise, as illustrated in FIG. 2 of the present patent application drawings which corresponds to FIG. 1 of the drawings of the noted patent to Moore et al., a first dispenser frame assembly 26 upon which is mounted a pair of vertically oriented upstream and downstream prestretch rollers 36 and 40, an orienting roller 80, and a spindle 30 for supporting a roll 32 of stretch wrap packaging material 14. The system further comprises a second dispenser frame assembly 50 upon which an intermediate orienting roller 52, and orienting rollers 82 and 84, are mounted for cooperating with the prestretch rollers 36 and 40, and the orienting roller 80, of the first dispenser frame assembly 26 in an interdigitated manner as illustrated. The second dispenser frame assembly 50 is pivotally mounted relative to the first dispenser frame assembly 26 by means of a hinge mechanism 56 such that, for example, the second dispenser frame assembly 50 can be moved between opened and closed positions relative to the first dispenser frame assembly 26 in connection with the threading or routing of the packaging material 14 from the supply roll 32 when a new supply roll 32 of film or packaging material 14 is installed and wherein the film or packaging material 14 is to be properly tensioned. As was the case with the patented system of Suolahti, the film or packaging material 14 is withdrawn from supply roll 32 and moved across prestretch rollers 36 and 40, and orienting roller 80, in a direction transverse to the respective vertically oriented axes of the rollers 36, 40, and 80.
While it may therefore be appreciated that the systems of Suolahti and Moore et al. comprise improvements over the prior systems, wherein manual threading or routing of the packaging or wrapping film between and around the various tension or prestretch rollers and the press or orienting rollers was required, in that the threading or routing of the packaging or wrapping film was rendered substantially easier in view of the opening of the roller system by means of the movement of the press rollers or the orienting rollers away from the tension rollers or prestretch rollers, such systems of Moore et al. and Suolahti nevertheless present operational problems or drawbacks in view of the fact that attendant a supply film replacement or replenishment operation, the movable frame assemblies must be operated between their opened and closed positions in order to permit the new supply of wrapping or packaging film to be inserted, routed, or threaded between the various rollers. Such movements of the movable frame dispenser or assembly are therefore still time-consuming in view of the necessary opening and closing operations, and in addition, such operations still result in non-productive downtime.
A need therefore exists in the art for a new and improved film packaging or wrapping machine stretch head, station, or dispenser wherein the routing or threading of the film or packaging material is facilitated in a readily quick and simple manner, and wherein further, in the interest of production economy, the moving components of such prior art stretch head, station, or dispenser are able to be eliminated.

Quick thread wrapping machine stretch head and wrapping film method


This invention relates to a composition with desulfurization property, in which the desulfurization component is a kind of molecular sieves with incorporation of vanadium into the skeleton. The composition has high hydrothermal stability and the vanadium is hard to lose.

Fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) is a petroleum refining process, which has been applied commercially on a large scale. The FCC feedstocks usually contain sulfur in the form of organic sulfur compounds, e.g. mercaptans, sulfides and thiophenes. The FCC products correspondingly contain sulfur impurities, which were induced into the gasoline fraction in some ratio and then into the gasoline blending pool. With the increasing attention to the environment recently, the limitation of the sulfur content in gasoline fraction is becoming more critical. The limitation is not only advantage to the environmental protection but also important for decreasing the poison degree of sulfur in the catalytic transformer of automobile.
The traditional desulfurization is hydrogenation process used to remove a part of sulfur compounds to decrease the sulfur content of gasoline. The FCC feedstocks can be hydrogenated before cracking alternatively; and the cracked products can be hydrogenated after FCC process. The former is expensive in terms of the capital cost of the equipment and the operation because of the high hydrogen consumption. The later tends to saturate the olefins in the products leading to the lost of octane value.
From the economic point of view, it would be desirable to remove sulfur in the FCC process itself without additional treatment. In order to fulfill this target, some research works have centered on the removal of sulfur from the regenerator stack gases, but actually the sulfur levels of cracking products are not greatly affected through this method (Krishna et. al., Additives Improve FCC Process, Hydrocarbon Processing, 1991, 11, 59-66); other works are removal of sulfur from gasoline directly in FCC process by adding additives with desulfurization properties.
The investigations on the additives with desulfurization properties indicate that some metal elements such as V, Ni, Cu, Cr, Sn, B, Al and Zn etc. have such properties. For example, a desulfurization catalyst GFS and a desulfurization additive GSR for decreasing the gasoline sulfur have been developed by Grace Davison. The desulfurization additive disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,376,608 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,525,210 is a kind of Al2O3 materials loaded with metals, in which the metal component could be selected from Ni, Cu, Zn, Ag, Cd, In, Sn, Hg, Tl, Pb, Bi, B and Al. The Al2O3 materials loaded with 5˜10 wt % V disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,482,315 show better desulfurization activities from gasoline when used in combination with FCC catalysts contained a zeolite Y as active component.
Chinese patent CN1261618A disclosed a method used for the removal of gasoline sulfur in FCC process. The composition of desulfurization catalysts in this method comprises a porous molecular sieves component, normally a faujasite such as zeolite USY, a metal in an oxidation state above zero value deposited within the pore structure of the sieves, preferably the vanadium, as well as a rare earth component employed to increase the cracking activities.
In catalytic cracking process the FCC catalysts are always used at high temperatures and need a recycle process such as steam stripping and oxidation-regeneration steps. So, the stability especially the hydrothermal stability of the FCC catalysts is very important. The cracking catalysts with desulfurization property mentioned above are formed by supporting metal compounds on matrix. The metal ions are present as exchanged cationic species, which leads to the decrease of hydrothermal stability of the catalysts. At high temperatures the supported metal component could transfer to the molecular sieves and lose desulfurization property. Especially, the transferred metal component vanadium will destroy the structure of the active molecular sieves and result in the deactivation of the FCC catalysts.

Research Institute of Petroleum Processing, SINOPEC


An optical cable having a metal tube receiving an optical fiber and bent to form a waved shape is disclosed. The optical cable may prevent cutoff of the optical fiber or deterioration of optical characteristics though tensile force is applied to the optical cable in its longitudinal direction since the metal is formed in a waved shape. To bend the metal tube, the metal tube is passed through roller pair(s) which are shaken in a direction perpendicular to the advancing direction of the metal tube. Thus, it is possible to obtain excess fiber length (EFL) easily and accurately as desired.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical cable, and more particularly to an optical cable capable of enduring tensile force applied from outside.
2. Description of the Related Art
An optical cable has one or more optical fiber which shows sensitive optical features against an external force, so several protective layers are coated on the optical fiber so that the optical fiber is sufficiently protected from the external force during or after installation of the optical cable.
Though the optical cable has a thick protective layer, a section of the optical fiber is no more than several millimeters with a long length. Thus, if the optical fiber is inserted into the optical cable by a length identical to the optical cable, the optical fiber is apt to be easily cut off or stretched in a longitudinal direction due to the external tension or the change of external temperature caused by the change of seasons, thereby deteriorating optical characteristics of the optical cable.
In order to solve this problem, there is proposed a method for inserting an optical fiber into a metal tube and then surrounding the metal tube with a sheath to make an optical cable, in which the optical fiber has a length somewhat longer than the metal tube. At this time, a length of the optical fiber in excess of the optical fiber is called excess fiber length (EFL). Though the sheath and the metal tube are expanded or contracted due to external tension, the optical fiber in the optical cable is not influenced by the external tension since EFL is prepared.
Seeing conventional techniques for generating EFL, there is a method for spirally twisting an optical fiber to be put into the metal tube, and then surrounding the optical fiber with a metal tube so that the spiral optical fiber has a longer length than the straight metal tube.
As another method, a straight metal tube having wrinkled surface is used. In this method, an optical fiber is inserted into the wrinkled metal tube, which is then surrounded by a sheath to make an optical cable. At this time, a cooling process is executed so that the wrinkled metal tube is shortened when the sheath of the optical cable is thermally contracted, thereby making the length of the optical fiber longer than the contracted optical cable.
However, such conventional methods have problems that the optical cable is significantly affected by characteristics of the optical fiber inserted into the cable as well as material or composition of the metal tube. In particular, in case a plurality of optical fibers are received in an optical cable, EFL formed depending on the number of optical fibers and the size of the optical cable does not have a constant value, so it is not easy to control the processes for obtaining a desired EFL.

Optical cable having waved metal tube, and method and apparatus for producing the same


A bobbin is provided for a stator of an electromagnetic device. The bobbin has two spaced-apart walls around which copper windings are wound. The spaced-apart wall arrangement reduces the material and space occupied by the bobbin, allowing for additional copper windings.

Bobbins are known in a variety of applications for supporting copper windings while at the same time containing the windings to prevent contact between the windings and a metallic stator of an electromagnetic device. The stator may have a plurality of stator poles each with a copper winding. The copper windings provide magnetic flux during operation of the electromagnetic device. Such an electromagnetic device may include a motor, solenoid, pump, or an eccentric pump motor. Bobbins also expedite manufacturing processes by allowing separate steps of winding the copper onto the bobbin and then installing the bobbin with winding onto the stator.
Contact between the windings and the stator can damage insulation on the wire and eventually short out the electrical circuit. Operation of the electromagnetic device and devices powered thereby can result in vibration and wear. Vibration and wear can affect the integrity of the electromagnetic device, including the bobbin. Additional copper wire in the windings can improve performance, especially power density, of the electromagnetic device.


A lithographic apparatus includes a liquid confinement system to confine liquid in a space between a final element of a projection system and a substrate, and a first and a second substrate stage that are configured to mutually cooperate in order to perform a joint movement for bringing the lithographic apparatus from a first configuration, in which the liquid is confined between a first substrate held by the first substrate stage and the final element, towards a second configuration, in which the liquid is confined between a second substrate held by the second substrate stage and the final element, such that during the joint movement the liquid is essentially confined within the space with respect to the final element. The apparatus also includes a position measurement system configured to at least during the joint movement measure the position of the first and second substrate stages.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lithographic apparatus and a method for manufacturing a device.
2. Description of the Related Art
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 such a case, 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. including 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. Conventional lithographic apparatus include so-called steppers, in which each target portion is irradiated by exposing an entire pattern onto the target portion at once, and so-called scanners, in which each target portion is irradiated by scanning the pattern through a radiation beam in a given direction (the "scanning"-direction) while synchronously scanning the substrate parallel or anti-parallel to this direction. It is also possible to transfer the pattern from the patterning device to the substrate by imprinting the pattern onto the substrate.
One of the most challenging requirements for micro-lithography for the production of integrated circuits as well as liquid crystal display panels is the positioning of stages. For example, sub-100 nm lithography demands substrate- and mask-positioning stages with dynamic accuracy and matching between machines to the order of 1 nm in all 6 degrees of freedom (DOF).
A popular approach to such demanding positioning requirements is to sub-divide the stage positioning architecture into a coarse positioning module (e.g. an X-Y table or a gantry table) with micrometer accuracies but travelling over the entire working range, onto which is cascaded a fine positioning module. The latter is responsible for correcting for the residual error of the coarse positioning module to the last few nanometers, but only needs to accommodate a very limited range of travel. Commonly used actuators for such nano-positioning include piezoelectric actuators or voice-coil type electromagnetic actuators. While positioning in the fine module is usually effected in all 6 DOF, large-range motions are rarely required for more than 2 DOF, thus easing the design of the coarse module considerably.
The micrometer accuracy desired for the coarse positioning can be readily achieved using relatively simple position sensors, such as optical or magnetic incremental encoders. These can be single-axis devices with measurement in one DOF, or more recently multiple (up to 3) DOF devices such as those described by Schäffel et al "Integrated electro-dynamic multicoordinate drives", Proc. ASPE Annual Meeting, California, USA, 1996, p. 456–461. Similar encoders are also available commercially, e.g. position measurement system Type PP281R manufactured by Dr. J. Heidenhain GmbH. Although such sensors can provide sub-micrometer level resolution without difficulty, absolute accuracy and in particular thermal stability over long travel ranges are not readily achievable.
Position measurement for the mask and substrate stages at the end of the fine positioning module, on the other hand, has to be performed in all 6 DOF to sub-nanometer resolution, with nanometer accuracy and stability. This is commonly achieved using multi-axis interferometers to measure displacements in all 6 DOF, with redundant axes for additional calibration functions (e.g. calibrations of interferometer mirror flatness on the substrate stage).
With the above approach, every time the stage is brought (back) into the range of the fine positioning module, the position of the stage has to be (re)calibrated in six degrees of freedom. This may take a considerable amount of time, and as a result the throughput of the lithographic apparatus may be decreased.
Furthermore, with the above approach, in the case of a lithographic apparatus including two substrate stages, one of the substrate stages can eclipse the substrate stage for a signal of one of the interferometers; the first substrate stage can be located between the interferometer and the second substrate stage.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,785,005 (herein incorporated by reference) discloses such position measurement system having two substrate stages. In this system the eclipse problem as indicated above is solved by providing the substrate stage which is located the furthest from the interferometer, with a mirror surface which is larger than the first substrate stage, so that in every position of the first substrate stage a signal of one of the interferometers can be directed on the mirror surface of the second substrate stage. However, this solution is unsatisfactory since the substrate stage have different sizes. Furthermore, the solution makes a complex switching between the interferometers necessary when the first substrate stage moves before the second substrate stage.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,879,382 (herein incorporated by reference) discloses another position measurement system for continuously measuring the position of two substrate stages of a lithographic apparatus. The position measurement system includes interferometers to determine the position of both substrate stages. Although the position measurement system of U.S. Pat. No. 6,879,382 makes determination of the position of the two substrate stages in the x-y plane possible, it does not offer the flexibility which is desired to make an immersion head take-over possible as described in the co-pending application having U.S. application Ser. No. 11/135,655 the contents of which is herein incorporated by reference.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method


A system and method are provided for controlling a wind farm. Accordingly, a demand signal is received from the electrical grid. The farm-level controller also receives a plurality of capability metrics from each wind turbines, which include, at least, a steady-state power availability, a transient power availability and a responsive capability of each wind turbine. The farm-level controller determines a power production capability profile for each wind turbine and determines the availability of each wind turbine to meet at least a portion of the demand signal based on the power production capability profiles. The farm-level controller also determines which portion of the demand signal to be satisfied by each wind turbine based on the availability and the power production capability for each wind turbine.

Wind power is considered one of the cleanest, most environmentally friendly energy sources presently available, and wind turbines have gained increased attention in this regard. A modern wind turbine typically includes a tower, a generator, a gearbox, a nacelle, and one or more rotor blades. The nacelle includes a rotor assembly coupled to the gearbox and to the generator. The rotor assembly and the gearbox are mounted on a bedplate support frame located within the nacelle. The one or more rotor blades capture kinetic energy of wind using known airfoil principles. The rotor blades transmit the kinetic energy in the form of rotational energy so as to turn a shaft coupling the rotor blades to a gearbox, or if a gearbox is not used, directly to the generator. The generator then converts the mechanical energy to electrical energy and the electrical energy may be transmitted to a converter and/or a transformer housed within the tower and subsequently deployed to a utility grid. Modern wind power generation systems typically take the form of a wind farm having multiple such wind turbine generators that are operable to supply power to a transmission system providing power to an electrical grid.
These wind turbine generators and wind farms are typically designed to deliver power to the electrical grid. Generally, wind turbines are optimized to provide steady-state power in response to a relatively constant wind. Optimally, this power is delivered to an electrical grid which is also stable. Traditionally, wind turbines are not particularly well-suited to aid the electrical grid in responding to transient conditions, such as, a sudden failure of generation, line fault or connection of a large load. However, as more power generated by wind turbines is interfaced through the utility system, it would be desirable for wind turbines to also contribute to the electrical grid's response to the transient conditions in order to stabilize the power system.
In order to respond to transient conditions, it may be desirable to utilize transient energy which may be available in the wind turbines, and by extension the wind farm. However, different environmental and/or mechanical conditions may exist at individual wind turbines within the wind farm. As a result of these differences, the power production capabilities of the various turbines may differ from turbine to turbine. As such, it may be desirable to tailor the demands placed on each wind turbine in responding to the transient conditions.
Thus, the art is continuously seeking new and improved systems to control the wind farm and tailor the demands placed on any individual wind turbine. Accordingly, the present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for controlling a wind turbine so as to establish power production commands for the individual wind turbines based on the capabilities of the individual turbines.

System and method for controlling a wind farm


The present disclosure relates to a soluble microneedle and a filler composition with an excellent anti-wrinkle effect. Using the microneedle according to the present disclosure, crosslinked hyaluronic acid (hyaluronic acid filler material) can be intradermally or subcutaneously administered by a simple method, and a swelling property of the crosslinked hyaluronic acid is improved after administration, thereby exhibiting the excellent anti-wrinkle effect.

For metical and cosmetic purposes, it has been used to improve facial wrinkles by paralyzing facial nerves to deplete wrinkle muscles as Botox or enhancing soft tissues using hyaluronic acid, collagen and micro polymers, and the like. In particular, since the hyaluronic acid is a constituent of internal tissues of the body and has no side effects, it is widely used in medical and medical appliance or cosmetic applications such as ophthalmic surgical aids, joint function improving agents, drug delivery substances, eye drops, anti-wrinkle agents, and the like, and for the cosmetic purpose, the hyaluronic acid market has been rapidly increased in the last decade. Abundant content of hyaluronic acid in skin improves moisture persistence and skin elasticity, and improves wrinkles due to the skin volume enhancement effect caused by the ability to hold moisture and cell activation effect of the hyaluronic acid. However, hyaluronic acid itself has a short half-life of only a few hours in the body, so it is limited to be injected into the body, and thus, hyaluronic acid was crosslinked and was developed as a dermal filler for skin enhancement to increase the half-life (persistence in the body) in a form of hydrogel, and Galderma's Restylane and Allegan's Hylaform are sold as representative products.
However, various fillers including hyaluronic acid fillers are crosslinked polymer materials, and most of them require prescription and skilled injection techniques to be injected into skin. Therefore, there is a need for a method that can be easily applied to skin by anyone. External substances can be injected into body by injection, patch, microneedles or microjet type, and the patch-crosslinked hyaluronic acid is difficult to penetrate stratum cornea, and the microjet type is difficult to apply due to the viscosity issue and size of the crosslinked hyaluronic acid. Therefore, a method for injecting it into skin in a microneedle form has been devised. When a hyaluronic acid filler is injected by injection, the filler swells and the skin volume is increased, resulting in an anti-wrinkle effect, but it is very painful initially when the filler is injected due to its swelling property, and thus the filler component may contain an anesthetic.
Accordingly, the development of a new system which uses crosslinked hyaluronic acid as a hyaluronic acid filler material and can be easily applied and exhibits an excellent effect is required.

Hyaluronic acid filler using microneedle patch


A heat shield structure includes an engine body having an exhaust manifold at its side portion, a fuel pump arranged above the engine body, and an engine cover. The engine cover includes a covering portion and a heat shield portion. The covering portion covers the fuel pump and the engine body from above. The heat shield portion protrudes downward from the covering portion. The heat shield portion partitions a space above the engine body and a space above the exhaust manifold from each other. The engine cover has an air guide passage between the engine body and the covering portion, the air guide passage extending from a front side of a vehicle toward the fuel pump.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a heat shield structure and an engine cover.
2. Description of Related Art
In a vehicle engine in which a fuel pump is arranged on a cylinder head cover, there is known a heat shield structure, in which a heat shield plate is provided on the cylinder head cover so as to surround the fuel pump in order to suppress an increase in the temperature of the fuel pump due to heat that is emitted from an exhaust manifold (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2009-085121 (JP 2009-085121 A)).


In a radiotelephone (200) having a moveable antenna (213), an apparatus and method generates a control signal (511 or 412) responsive to the movement of the antenna (213). The control signal (511 and/or 412) comprise a hookswitch control signal (511) and/or a power on/off control signal (412). Operating modes of the radiotelephone (200) may be enabled or disabled responsive to the hookswitch control signal (511). The hookswitch control signal (511) or on/off control signal (412) may also be produced by activation of keys on the radiotelephone's keypad (205). The apparatus and method provides convenient user operation, protection from accidental activation of exposed control keys and reduced cost, weight and thickness for the communication device.

A wireless communication device, of which a cellular radiotelephone portable subscriber unit is a convenient example, provides an appropriate setting for describing the need for the present invention. The small size of portable radiotelephones enables the user to conveniently carry and store the unit virtually anywhere. This portability, however, allows the portable radiotelephone to be placed in locations where foreign objects may come in contact with a user interface mechanism and inadvertently enable or disable control functions of the radiotelephone. Such undesirable actuation of the control functions is likely to engage related functions which reduce the operating life of a storage battery which powers the portable radiotelephone and may inhibit normal operation.
Some manufacturers offer foldable portable radiotelephones having a housing portion 101 hinged to the body portion 103 of the portable radiotelephone 100 as shown in FIG. 1. Operation of such a portable radiotelephone has been described in U.S. patent application No. 267,156 entitled "Multipurpose Hinge Apparatus" filed in behalf of Beutler et. al. and assigned to the assignee of present invention. The housing portion 101 covers the user interface mechanism 105 when the radiotelephone is not in use and exposes the user interface mechanism when the radiotelephone is in use. To use the portable radiotelephone 100, the user opens the hinged housing portion 101, depresses an "on/off" key on the user interface mechanism 105 to turn the radiotelephone "on" and extends the antenna 109 for optimal wireless communication performance. Disposed on a side of the portable radiotelephone 100 are volume control buttons 107 which may adjust the volume of electroacoustic transducers within the portable radiotelephone 100. To store the portable radiotelephone 100, the user retracts the antenna 109, depresses the "on/off" key to turn the radiotelephone "off" and closes the hinged housing portion 101. The housing portion 101, covering the user interface mechanism 105, offers some protection from accidental control function actuation when the portable radiotelephone 100 is not in use.
In addition to the housing portion covering the user interface mechanism, some manufacturers have taken additional steps to disable control functions when the portable radiotelephone is not in use in the event that small objects such as coins or paper clips should become trapped between the housing portion and the user interface mechanism. A hookswitch, integrated within the portable radiotelephone, senses the position of the housing portion relative to the body portion and may enable or disable control functions responsive to the position of the housing portion relative to the body portion. U.S. Pat. No. 4,845,772 entitled "Portable Radiotelephone With Control Switch Disabling", filed in behalf of Metroka et. al. and assigned to the assignee of the present invention describes a portable radiotelephone which disables an on/off switch under the housing portion and transducer volume level controls 107 on the side of the portable radiotelephone when the portable radiotelephone is not in use. U.S. patent application No. 439,993 entitled "Communications Device With Voice Recognition And Moveable Element Control Interface", filed in behalf of Metroka et. al. on Nov. 20, 1989 describes a portable radiotelephone which deactivates a voice recognition circuit and couples electroacoustic transducers to the portable radiotelephone when the portable radiotelephone is not in use. A cordless telephone manufactured by the Panasonic Company distinguished by model number KXT3000 disables the dialling, number recall, and call processing functions when the housing portion covers the dialling keypad.
The position of the housing portion may also be used to enable control functions of the portable radiotelephone. U.S. patent application No. 439,983 entitled "Communications Device With Moveable Element Control Interface", filed in behalf of Metroka et. al. on Nov. 20, 1989 describes a portable radiotelephone which activates illumination of a keypad, enables a display and a hands free function when the housing portion is opened to expose the user interface mechanism.
Priority goals for portable radiotelephone designs include reducing the radiotelephone's cost, weight and thickness. These goals have been accomplished partly by eliminating the housing portion hinged to the body portion of the portable radiotelephone. Consequently, many of the aforementioned advantages offered by sensing the position of the housing portion relative to the body portion are no longer available and the problems that once plagued portable radiotelephones with exposed user interface mechanisms have resurfaced. Additionally, the hookswitch function, previously performed by positioning the hinged housing portion relative to the body portion, now requires a manual keystroke operation. Manufactures have attempted to compensate for the exposed user interface mechanism by positioning the top surface of individual keys flush with the surrounding housing surface of the body portion. Although this approach eliminates accidental actuation of the keys by large objects, small objects approximately the size of a human finger or smaller may still cause accidental actuation. Additionally, some users having large finger tips complain that the flush keys are difficult to use. Furthermore, accidental actuation is much harder to prevent on radiotelephones having a membrane type user interface mechanism wherein the individual keys are relatively flat and joined to one another without a bordering housing portion to isolate and protect each individual key. Accidental actuation of a membrane type user interface mechanism is usually deterred by including a housing portion that is slightly higher than the mechanism's highest surface and bordering the periphery of the entire keypad.
For may situations, of which cellular portable radiotelephones is merely an example, the prior art has not produced an apparatus or method of generating a control signal to meet the difficult requirement of enabling or disabling control functions at the appropriate time, subject to accidental activation via the exposed user interface mechanism, while providing for the advantage of reduced cost, weight and thickness.

Apparatus and method for generating a control signal responsive to a movable antenna


A hybrid vehicle includes: a battery; a charging unit and an onboard cable for feeding electric power to the battery from a power supply located externally to the vehicle; an inner lid operated for a charging operation by means of the charging unit; and a harness mechanically coupled to the inner lid for making an electrical connection between the battery and the onboard cable. The harness is configured so that the electrical connection made by the harness between the battery and the onboard cable is severed in response to displacement of the inner lid that is caused when the lid is operated. Accordingly, the vehicle having a simple configuration and including a plurality of charging means for charging the power storage device can be provided.

Regarding conventional vehicles, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2011-15548 for example discloses an electrically-powered vehicle having a plurality of means for charging a power storage device and aiming to improve convenience for users (PTD 1).
A hybrid vehicle which is an electrically-powered vehicle disclosed in PTD 1 includes a power cable and an inlet, as well as a charger receiving electric power fed to the power cable and the inlet. In the case where the power cable is used to charge the power storage device, a relay disposed between the charger and the power cable is controlled so that the relay is ON, while a relay disposed between the charger and the inlet is controlled so that this relay is OFF. In the case where the inlet is used to charge the power storage device, the relay disposed between the charger and the power cable is controlled so that this relay is OFF, while the relay disposed between the charger and the inlet is controlled so that this relay is ON.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2009-27851 discloses a charging port structure of a vehicle with the aim of preventing an inner lid from being left opened while keeping the structure simple (PTD 2). The charging port structure of a vehicle disclosed in PTD 2 includes a charging connector, an inner lid for covering the charging connector, a housing which is a recessed region provided inside the right side of the rear body and in which the charging connector is disposed, and an outer lid for closing an opening of the housing.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2010-172126 discloses a charging cable for a vehicle with the aim of improving twisting of the cable (PTD 3). The charging cable for a vehicle disclosed in PTD 3 includes a vehicle-side connector which is connectable to a charging port of a vehicle, and a cable having one end connected to the vehicle-side connector and the other end connected to a plug adapted to an external power supply.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2010-52861 discloses a cord set for charging an electric vehicle with the aim of safe use and good appearance (PTD 4).
The cord set for charging an electric vehicle disclosed in PTD 4 includes a circuit breaker having a pair of terminals for interrupting an electrical circuit between the paired terminals upon occurrence of a ground fault, a first cord having one end provided with a plug to be connected to an outlet installed in a building wall and the other end connected to one of the terminals of the circuit breaker, and a second cord having one end provided with a connector to be connected to an inlet of an electric vehicle and the other end connected to the other terminal of the circuit breaker.

Vehicle with a plurality of charging means


A multi-phase phase interpolator receives two input clocks to generate several equally spaced output clocks using several phase interpolators. A phase interpolator may include a first circuit branch and a second circuit branch with output nodes that are connected together to provide an output clock. The output clock may be generated at least based on resistor values of the phase interpolator.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to electrical circuits, and more particularly but not exclusively to phase interpolators.
2. Description of the Background Art
Phase interpolators are widely used to generate a plurality of multi-phase clocks from two clock sources. An ideal multi-phase phase interpolator 100 is shown FIG. 1. The phase interpolator 100 receives two input clocks c1 and c2 and generates (m+1) output clocks, which in FIG. 1 comprise output clocks p0 to pm.
FIG. 2 shows the waveforms for input clocks c1 and c2 and output clocks p0 to pm of the ideal phase interpolator 100. As shown in FIG. 2, the time spacing between the input clocks c1 and c2 is equal to A. In other words, input clock c2 has the same waveform as the input clock c1 except delayed by an amount Δ. The output clock p0 and pm are simply from delaying inverted clocks c1 and c2, respectively, by a specific amount δ. That is, the output clock p0 is the input clock c1 inverted and delayed by an amount δ, and the output clock pm is the input clock c2 inverted and delayed by an amount δ. The other output clocks, i.e., output clocks p1 to Pm-1, are generated by interpolating clocks c1 and c2, and are equally spaced between p0 and pm. With (m+1) output clocks, the time spacing between any two neighboring output clocks is equal to Δ/m, which represents 1 least significant bit (LSB).


To authorize the selection of a cell in a cellular mobile radio network terminal in the standby state, a parameter is calculated representative of the transmission quality with reference to that cell. If the parameter has a sufficient value relative to a cell selection threshold, setting up of a call involving said terminal is authorized in relation to that cell. If the parameter does not have a sufficient value relative to the cell selection threshold, but has a sufficient value relative to a cell deselection threshold, less than the cell selection threshold, some or possibly all of the functions relating to setting up of a call involving said terminal are authorized in relation to that cell.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention is generally concerned with mobile radio networks.
The present invention is more particularly concerned with a terminal for a cellular mobile radio network, such as the GSM network in particular, and even more particularly with a device for authorizing the selection of a cell in a terminal of this kind in the standby state.
2. Description of the Prior Art
To be able to receive calls in the standby state, a terminal of this kind must execute a number of functions, such as listening out for "paging" messages in particular. These messages are broadcast in each cell on a broadcast control channel characteristic of the cell.
The terminal continuously selects the optimum cell, i.e. that for which transmission quality is the highest, to listen to these paging messages.
A parameter representative of the transmission quality is therefore defined, allowing in particular for the signal level as received by the terminal in a cell on the broadcast control channel of that cell, to which end the broadcast control channel is broadcast continuously in that cell.
This parameter, known as "C1" in the case of the GSM system, for example, is described in more detail on pages 453 through 455 of "The GSM System for Mobile Communications" by Michel MOULY and Marie-Bernadette PAUTET (Europe Media Duplication--1992).
Briefly, in the GSM system, to select a cell the terminal calculates the parameter C.sub.1 for each of the various cells surrounding it, eliminates those cells for which the value of C.sub.1 obtained is below a given cell selection threshold, selected to guarantee a guaranteed grade of service to the user once a call involving the terminal has been set up in the cell selected in this manner, and retains whichever of the cells obtained in this way yields the highest value C.sub.1.
If no value of C.sub.1 above the cell selection threshold can be found, because receive levels are too low, no cell can be selected and the terminal is unable to access the network to set up calls.
An essential aim of the present invention is to reduce the number of situations in which a terminal is prevented in this way from accessing the network, because no cell can be selected, or in other words, to enlarge to some degree the coverage area of the network.

Device for authorizing the selection of a cell in a terminal of a cellular mobile radio network in the standby state


A select gate of a NAND memory array has a first dielectric layer formed on a semiconductor substrate. A first conductive layer is formed on the first dielectric layer. Conductive spacers are formed on sidewalls of the first conductive layer and are located between an upper surface of the first conductive layer and the first dielectric layer. A second dielectric layer overlies the first conductive layer and the conductive spacers. A second conductive layer is formed on the second dielectric layer. A third conducive layer is formed on the second conductive layer, passes though a portion of the second conductive layer and the second dielectric layer, and contacts the first conductive layer. The third conductive layer electrically connects the first and second conductive layers.

Memory devices are typically provided as internal storage areas in computers. The term memory identifies data storage that comes in the form of integrated circuit chips. In general, memory devices contain an array of memory cells for storing data, and row and column decoder circuits coupled to the array of memory cells for accessing the array of memory cells in response to an external address.
One type of memory is a non-volatile memory known as flash memory. A flash memory is a type of EEPROM (electrically-erasable programmable read-only memory) that can be erased and reprogrammed in blocks. Many modern personal computers (PCs) have their BIOS stored on a flash memory chip so that it can easily be updated if necessary. Such a BIOS is sometimes called a flash BIOS. Flash memory is also popular in wireless electronic devices because it enables the manufacturer to support new communication protocols as they become standardized and to provide the ability to remotely upgrade the device for enhanced features.
A typical flash memory comprises a memory array that includes a large number of memory cells arranged in row and column fashion. The rows and columns are usually formed using two separate masking steps. Each of the memory cells includes a floating-gate field-effect transistor capable of holding a charge. The cells are usually grouped into blocks. Each of the cells within a block can be electrically programmed on an individual basis by charging the floating gate. The charge can be removed from the floating gate by a block erase operation. The data in a cell is determined by the presence or absence of the charge on the floating gate.
A NAND flash memory device is a common type of flash memory device, so called for the logical form in which the basic memory cell configuration is arranged. Typically, the array of memory cells for NAND flash memory devices is arranged such that the control gate of each memory cell of a row of the array is connected to a word-select line. Columns of the array include strings (often termed NAND strings) of memory cells connected together in series, source to drain, between a pair of select lines, a source select line and a drain select line. The source select line includes a source select gate at each intersection between a NAND string and the source select line, and the drain select line includes a drain select gate at each intersection between a NAND string and the drain select line. The select gates are typically field-effect transistors. Each source select gate is connected to a source line, while each drain select gate is connected to a column bit line.
The memory array is accessed by a row decoder activating a row of memory cells by selecting the word-select line connected to a control gate of a memory cell. In addition, the word-select lines connected to the control gates of unselected memory cells of each string are driven to operate the unselected memory cells of each string as pass transistors, so that they pass current in a manner that is unrestricted by their stored data values. Current then flows from the source line to the column bit line through each NAND string via the corresponding select gates, restricted only by the selected memory cells of each string. This places the current-encoded data values of the row of selected memory cells on the column bit lines.
For reasons stated below which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the present specification, there is a need in the art for alternatives for forming NAND memory devices.

Memory cells and select gates of NAND memory arrays


A motor and drive mechanism having a drive hub which positively locks to a core for a ribbon roll, and a drag hub which also positively locks to a core for a ribbon roll. A ribbon roll has a core formed of concentric cylindrical shells separated from one another with a ribbon wound about the outer shell and one or more coding marks are provided on this shell to indicate both the printer control system and, to a visual observer, information specific to the ribbon.

This invention relates to printers and, more particularly, to drive mechanisms for rolls of ribbons used in such printers
The use of electronically controlled printers of several kinds has grown rapidly. Continued decreases in costs and increases in performance suggests that this trend will continue.
The presence of various kinds of such printers in the marketplace is in response to the different requirements necessary to satisfy different segments thereof. One of these segments is the marketplace portion for label printers. Such printers print on "peel-away" labels adhering to a coated paper ribbon substrate stored usually by being wound into a roll. The coated paper substrate with the labels is fed between a pinch roller and a printing head along with an ink ribbon so that the print head may cause, by localized heating, a transfer of ink from the ribbon to a label thereagainst.
The ink ribbon is supplied from a roll of ink ribbon having a core with that ink ribbon wound thereabout. Information concerning the ink ribbon situation is often desired to use both by the operator, and by the control arrangement as a basis to make internal adjustments of parameters in the printer to obtain the best possible printing through taking into account varying ink ribbon conditions.
One known way for conveying such information to the printer control arrangement is to provide some coding scheme on the core of the ink ribbon roll through providing some markings thereon. These markings can be detected by directing light from an optical source onto a path containing the code markings and detecting the presence or absence of reflected light to an optical detector.
However, slippage between the roll of ink ribbon and the rotation support mechanism therefor can lead to errors in the optical sensing process. Similarly, such slippage can lead to smudging and smearing in the printing of the labels. Thus, there is desired a drive arrangement for the an ink ribbon roll which will avoid slippage.


Systems and methods provide for improving the accuracy of a location system. The location system can capture partial phase vector data from one or more access points (APs). The location system can capture associated data associated with the partial phase vector data across multiple dimensions, such as identity data of the APs and client devices generating the partial phase vector data and frequency band data, location data, a time and date, and other data associated with the partial phase vector data. The location system can determine correlation data across the multiple dimensions using the first partial phase vector data and the associated data. The location system can a cause of the partial phase vector data based on the correlation data. The location system can perform one or more remediation actions based on the cause of the partial phase vector data.

Location systems generally operate to locate objects of interests (e.g., users, devices, and things) within an area. These systems can use a wide variety of technologies to determine the locations of objects of interest. For example, location systems can rely on acoustic signals, optics, magnetic fields, radio waves (e.g., Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular, or other radio frequency (RF) technology), or other sensory information, to pinpoint the location of users, devices, and things. These systems can also utilize various measurement techniques to determine location, such as proximity-based methods, distance-based methods, angle-based methods, pattern-based or fingerprint-based methods, or some combination of these methods.
Angle-based techniques (or angulation) may be based on angle of arrival (AoA) measurements. AoA can be defined by the angle between the propagation direction of an incident wave and some reference direction. A common approach to obtain AoA measurements is to use an antenna array. The location of an object of interest (e.g., a mobile device) can be determined based on the intersection of all rays when two or more non-collinear beacons (e.g., access points or APs) are available. Under ideal conditions (e.g., when there is little to no noise), a minimum of two APs can accurately locate the object of interest. However, such conditions can be rare and it can be challenging to assess the accuracy of a location system and to remediate issues that may be degrading the system's accuracy.

Partial phase vectors as network sensors


A connector for electrical cable includes a tubular receptacle member and a wire-gripping member which mate with a wedge-fit so that the wire-gripping member squeezes down tighter on the electrical cable as it is pushed farther into the receptacle. The wire-gripping member includes wire gripping legs. The wire-gripping member is assembled together with the receptacle by inserting it through discontinuities in the receptacle, rotating it a few degrees, and then pushing it axially into the receptacle.

The present invention relates to electrical connectors, and, in particular, to electrical connectors for receiving and gripping electrical cable in a knock-out opening of an electrical box.
Some electrical connectors are known for receiving and gripping electrical cable, but these connectors require the use of a tool in order to make the connector grip the cable. These connectors are also made so as to accept only a single size of cable, so that it is necessary to stock several different sizes of connectors in order to be able to work with different cable sizes.


In one embodiment, the invention is a secondary game played concurrently with a conventional Keno game. In Keno, a player selects a plurality of numbers (e.g., 4-20) within an M×N grid (e.g., 8×10) of different numbers. A random number generator randomly selects a plurality of numbers (e.g., 20) in the grid. The player is then granted a first award based on matches between numbers that the player selected and the randomly selected numbers. As a secondary game played over the Keno game, for each number randomly selected, all numbers in the same row and column in the grid as the selected number are highlighted on the grid display. The player is granted a second award (e.g., free games) for each number not being in a highlighted row or column at the end of the Keno game. Variations of the secondary game are described.

Keno is a popular game whose basic rules are well known. Keno is offered in most casinos. In a standard Keno game, there are 80 numbers arranged in an 8 row×10 column grid. The Keno game may be played all electronically or the player can use a paper ticket and a pen to make selections. Players pay a wager to play each game, and the award is proportional to the wager. In one type of Keno game, the player is allowed to select six numbers (called "spots") of the 80 possible numbers. After the players have made their selections, a random number generator sequentially selects a predetermined number of numbers in the grid, and these randomly selected numbers are highlighted on the grid. In one type of Keno game, 20 numbers are randomly selected. The player's numbers are compared to the randomly selected numbers for matches. Then, a pay table is consulted that equates the number of matched numbers (called "catches") with an award. There may be many pay tables depending on whether the player can select a variable number of "spots." In another type of Keno game, only six numbers are randomly selected, but the payouts are higher for a match. The pay table is calculated so that, over the long term, the casino will make a profit.
After the random selection process, the game is over, and the player must place a new wager for the next game. The player may continue to play with the same numbers or choose a new set of numbers.
The Keno game may be a stand-alone game or a bonus game in a slot machine. The Keno game may be played by a single player on an individual terminal with a small display of the grid, or the grid may be on a large display so all the players can view and play with the same grid.
Although Keno is fun and popular, it would be desirable to add a special feature to the game without changing the basic rules of the base game. Such a special feature would add more excitement and possibly bring in more revenue to the casino or game terminal.

Matrix game involving an award based on non-highlighted grid positions