In a fusing device having first to third rollers, the first and second rollers are forcibly driven so that a peripheral speed of the third roller is higher than of the first roller. Further, a movable guide is set so as to change the number of nip portions through which a recording medium passes.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fusing device incorporated into an image forming apparatus, used for fusing a toner image formed on a recording medium.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Concerning a conventional method for fusing a toner image formed on a recording sheet, there is provided a nip portion between a pair of rollers, wherein one is a heating roller and the other is a pressurizing roller coming into pressure contact with the heating roller, and the recording sheet on which an unfused toner image is formed is made to pass through the nip portion, so that the toner image can be thermally fused on the recording sheet. Recently, there is a tendency that the processing speed of an image forming apparatus is remarkably increased. Also, there is a tendency that the color image forming apparatus has been widely used. Especially when a multi-color image is fused on a recording sheet, it is necessary to ensure a stable coloring property of the fused color image.
Ensuring a stable coloring property of the fused color image can be accomplished when the masking of a lower toner layer conducted by an upper toner layer is removed. The masking of the lower toner layer conducted by the upper toner layer can be substantially removed as follows. The toner layer is heated and fused by a fusing device. At the same time, the toner layer is given a high pressure by the fusing device, so that voids formed on the toner layer can be reduced, and the toner layer is compressed to be a thin layer. As a result, the upper toner layer color and the lower toner layer color are appropriately mixed with each other. Therefore, it is possible to accomplish an excellent coloring property. Even if, a small toner grain boundary exists at this time, the coloring property is not affected. In this connection, since voids on the toner layer are reduced, the toner layer surface is made to be flat, so that the fused toner image becomes glossy. It is possible to change the glossiness in a range from a value not less than 5 to a value smaller than 20 when the heating and fusing time of the toner layer is changed and also the compressing time is changed while the coloring property is maintained high.
In the case where a multi-color image is fused on a transparent sheet, it is necessary to provide a high transparence. It is possible to realize a high transparence by preventing light from diffusing on the toner layer.
In order to prevent light from diffusing on the toner layer, it is necessary to heat, fuse and compress the toner layer while a longer time than that required for fusing the multi-color image on a recording sheet is taken, so that the voids and the grain boundary on the toner image, which are the causes of diffusion of light, can be removed and so that the toner layer surface can be made as flat as a mirror surface. In this connection, the glossiness can be changed by a value not less than 20 while a high transparence is maintained.
In the case where a monochromatic image is fused on a recording sheet or alternatively a black image is fused on a transparent sheet, it is sufficient that the adhesive strength of the toner layer onto a recording sheet is ensured. Accordingly, in this case, a period of time required for heating, fusing and compressing the toner layer may be shorter than that required for fusing a multi-color image on a transparent sheet described above. In this case, since the toner image contains a number of voids, there are irregularities on the surface, and the glossiness can be changed by a value smaller than 5 while the adhesive strength is ensured.
Accordingly, when the multi-color image is fused, it is necessary to heat, fuse and compress the toner layer while a longer period of time than that of a case of fusing a monochromatic image is taken. Therefore, in order to fuse a multi-color image by the conventional fusing device composed of a pair of rollers, it is necessary to decrease the passing speed of a recording sheet, or alternatively it is necessary to increase a width of the nip portion so that a period of time in which the toner layer on a recording sheet passes through the nip portion can be extended.
However, the method of decreasing the passing speed of a recording sheet is against the tendency of increasing the processing speed. Also, the method of increasing the width of the nip portion by extending a roller diameter is disadvantageous in that the size of the image forming apparatus can not be decreased. Also, the method of increasing a contact force of the pressurizing roller with the heating roller is disadvantageous in that the nip portion width can not be extended so long and the toner layer of a multi-color image can not be sufficiently heated and fused, and further the durability of rollers is deteriorated and wrinkles are caused on a recording sheet.
In order to solve the above problems, Japanese Patent Publication No. Sho. 55-29822 discloses the following method. An endless belt is trained round two pressurizing rollers, and the endless belt is made to come into pressure contact with one heating roller, so that a longer nip width can be provided. Also, the following method is disclosed. Two pressurizing rollers are made to come into pressure contact with one heating roller, and a stationary guide mechanism is arranged between the two pressurizing rollers while the stationary guide mechanism is separate from the heating roller, so that a recording sheet can be contacted with the heating roller. Due to the above arrangement, the number of the nip portions is increased, so that a period of time for heating, fusing and compressing the toner layer can be increased.
However, according to the method disclosed in Japanese Publication No. Sho. 55-29822 in which the nip portion width is extended by making the endless belt to come into pressure contact with the heating rollers, a contact force of the pressurizing roller with the heating roller via the endless belt is set at a low value so that wrinkles or elongation can not be caused on the endless belt. Consequently, an intensity of the contact force of the endless belt with the heating roller is maintained low. For this reason, the toner layer is not sufficiently compressed. Accordingly, in the case of fusing a multi-color image, the masking of the lower toner layer conducted by the upper toner layer can not be sufficiently removed, and the coloring property is deteriorated.
When toner (sharply melted toner), the fusing point of which is lower than that of common toner, is used to solve the above problem, toner tends to adhere onto a restricting blade and a cleaning blade of the developing unit of the electrophotographic apparatus. As a result, defective images tend to occur, and further cleaning can not be appropriately to carried out, so that the durability is deteriorated. Furthermore, it is difficult to rotate the endless belt at high speed without vibration and slippage onto one side. Consequently, it is difficult to highly increase the processing speed of the image forming apparatus.
In the arrangement disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. Sho. 55-29822 in which two pressurizing rollers are made to come into pressure contact with one heating roller, a stationary guide mechanism is arranged between the two pressurizing rollers while being separate from the heating roller, so that the following problems occurred. That is, the fusing device comprises a first roller (a heating roller as a heating member) for heating a recording medium or a recording sheet of paper, a second roller (a pressurizing roller as a pressurizing member) pressed against the first roller to form a first nip portion at a two-dimensional area of contact therebetween, and a third roller (a pressurizing roller as a pressurizing member) pressed against the first roller to form a second nip portion at a two-dimensional area of contact therebetween. The fusing device heats, fuses and permanently fixes a toner powder image formed on the recording sheet by passing the recording sheet through the first nip portion and the second nip portion. In the roller arrangement of the fusing device, the second and third rollers are turned by the first roller with the aid of frictions each between the peripheral surfaces of the adjacent rollers.
In the fusing device thus constructed, the outer peripheral surface of the second roller is softer than of the first roller. The or surface of the third roller is harder than of the first roller. A contact pressure in the nip portion causes a surface expansion therein, and a transfer of a torque through the nip develops a shearing stress. When the surface of the roller moves out of the nip, the surface contracts, and a peripheral speed of the roller decreases. A peripheral speed of one roller whose surface is more deformable is lower than of the other whose surface is less deformable. In the prior art, the second roller is slower than the third roller when these rollers turn.
In the three-roller fusing device, when the roller diameter or the recording sheet thickness is varied, a quantity of deformation of the roller varies, and hence a distance from the roller center to the roller surface also varies. This possibly causes a variation of the roller transporting speed.
Also when a coating amount of oil and/or roller temperature varies transporting force is varied. Sometimes, this entails an, and a frictional force on the roller surface varies, a substrate instable relative shift between the roller surface and the copy sheet.
In the three-roller fusing device disclosed, the second and third rollers serve as follower rollers. Because of this, the fusing device suffers from the following disadvantage. The transport speed of the third roller is varied by 1) the thickness of the recording medium, 2) the surface conditions of the second and third rollers, for example, oil coating conditions, and 3) temperature of the first to third rollers. The variation of the transport speed of the third roller makes it difficult to keep the peripheral speed of the third roller higher than of the second roller.
When the transport speed is instable, the recording medium is sometimes slackened between the second roller and the third roller. In this case, the recording medium is detached from the first roller between the second roller and the third roller, and there will not be enough heat transfer to deteriorate the fusing/fixing performance. Further, if the slackening of the recording medium is further increased, a tension of the recording medium in the roller axis direction is lost, so that a gentle undulation of the recording medium tends to occur in the roller axis direction. When the roll pair receives the undulated recording medium in the second nip portion, the recording medium is wrinkled. When the wrinkles of the recording medium become heavy, a torque for the paper transport rapidly increases. When the transport torque exceeds the torque by the drive source, the paper transporting operation stops, causing paper jams.
Further, it is difficult to remove a recording sheet in the occurrence of paper jams in which the fusing device is jammed by the recording sheet, since the stationary guide obstructs the operation of jam clearance.
On the other hand, the subjective judgment of beauty and preference on an electrophotographic image is greatly affected by a combination of the glossiness of a toner image with the surface property of a recording sheet. There are various types of recording sheets. Examples of usable recording sheets are: rough paper such as reclaimed paper and bond paper, the surface of which is rough, and the glossiness of which is low; plain paper, the glossiness of which is intermediate; and smooth paper, the surface of which is smooth and glossy. Inventors made investigation into the glossiness of images and recording sheets and the subjective values of evaluation while the fusing conditions were variously changed and images of various glossiness were printed and fused on recording sheets of various surface roughness. As a result of the investigation, it can be concluded that the smaller the difference between the glossiness of images and the glossiness of recording sheets which are the background of the images, the higher the subjective values of evaluation. In other words, there is a tendency that the subjective values are high when the glossiness of an image is the same as the glossiness of the background. That is, a mat surface, the glossiness of which is low (the glossiness is lower than 5), is suitable for rough paper. A gloss surface, the glossiness of which is high (the glossiness is not lower than 20), is suitable for smooth paper. The intermediate glossiness (not lower than 5, and lower than 20) is suitable for paper of the intermediate surface roughness.
However, in some cases, images of high glossiness or images of low glossiness are preferred irrespective of the surface roughness of recording sheets. For the above reasons, in order to meet the demands of all users, it is preferable that the glossiness can be arbitrarily selected in accordance with their preference.
In the conventional fusing system in which periods of time to heat, fuse and compress a toner layer are set at constant values, in order to fuse monochromatic images or multi-color images on various recording sheets, it is necessary that the periods of time to heat, fuse and compress a toner layer are set in accordance with the fusing conditions for fusing a multi-color image on a transparent sheet, wherein the periods of time to heat, fuse and compress a toner layer are the longest when a multi-color image is fused on a transparent sheet.
However, the following problems may be encountered in the above conventional fusing system. As described before, the glossiness of an image is increased to a value not lower than 20 at that time. Therefore, especially when rough paper is used as a recording sheet, the glossiness of an image and the glossiness of the background are greatly different from each other, and everybody feels a sense of incongruity. Even when a user likes an image of low glossiness, only an image of high glossiness is provided.
According to the method in which the glossiness is changed when a pushing force of the pressurizing roller to the heating roller is changed, an amount of change in the width of the nip portion is small. Therefore, an amount of change in the period of time of heating, fusing and compressing a toner layer is small. Accordingly, the glossiness can be changed only in a range from the intermediate glossiness to the high glossiness (from 10 to 20). Consequently, everybody feels as sense of incongruity when the toner image is fused on rough paper. Even when a highly accurate pressurizing roller and heating roller are used, they have a small camber and further their diameters fluctuate in the longitudinal direction. Accordingly, the width of the nip portion fluctuates when these rollers are rotated. When a pushing force of the pressurizing roller to the heating roller is reduced, the fluctuation of the width of the nip portion affects the average width of the nip portion, and unevenness of fusing becomes remarkable.
In an arrangement in which a belt is made to come into pressure contact with a heating roller, when the contact width (the nip portion width) of the belt with the heating roller is changed, a period of time to heat, fuse and compress a toner layer is changed. In the above system, in the same manner as that of the method disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 55-29822, an intensity of the pushing force of the belt to the heating roller is low. Therefore, it is impossible to sufficiently compress the toner layer. As a result, in the case of fusing a multi-color image, the masking of the lower toner layer conducted by the upper toner layer can not be removed, and the coloring property is deteriorated.

Fusing device with rollers having different speeds, and image forming apparatus using same


A method of isolating nucleic acid from a sample containing nucleic acid is provided. The method includes contacting the sample with a bifunctional material that contains an amino group and a carboxyl group and is positively charged at a first pH to allow binding of the nucleic acid to the bifunctional material; and extracting the nucleic acid at a second pH higher than the first pH from the complex.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of isolating nucleic acid using a material containing an amino group and a carboxyl group and which is positively charged at a first pH.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional methods of isolating nucleic acid using pH-dependent ion-exchange matrices include U.S. Patent Publication No. 2001-0018513, which discloses a method of isolating nucleic acid using a material having an ionizable group, wherein the ionizable group is positively charged at a first pH so that the material can bind with nucleic acid, and the material releases the bound nucleic acid at a second pH which is higher than the first pH. Examples of the material having an ionizable group include N-2-acetamido-2-aminoethanesulfonic acid (ACES), N-2-acetamido-2-imidodiacetic acid (ADA), N-trihydroxymethyl-methyl-2-aminoethanesulfonic acid (TES), trihydroxymethylaminoethane (Tris) and the like. Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No. 6,310,199 discloses a method of isolating nucleic acid using a pH-dependent ion-exchange matrix comprising a silica magnetic particle and a plurality of first ion exchange ligands. Each of the first ion exchange ligands contains an aromatic hydrocarbon ring, a spacer covalently attached to the aromatic hydrocarbon ring, and a linker comprising a linker alkyl chain covalently attached to the silica magnetic particle at a first end of the chain and covalently attached to the amino terminus of the spacer at a second end of the chain.
However, despite the prior art methods described above, there is still a demand for a material having an ionizable group that can bind with nucleic acid at a high rate, and can release the bound nucleic acid with high efficiency upon an increase of pH. Thus, the inventors of the present invention have searched for a material which can bind with a nucleic acid at a higher rate to adsorb the nucleic acid rapidly, and can release the bound nucleic acid with remarkably high efficiency upon an increase of pH, and found a bifunctional material containing both a carboxyl group and an amino group, thereby completing the invention.

Method of isolating nucleic acid using material positively charged at first pH and containing amino group and carboxyl group


An electronic device comprises a computing module and a storing module. The computing module receives a first image having a first region with two spots, determining whether a first interval between the spots of the first region is larger than a threshold, computing the first image with a parameter of a parameter set for obtaining a second image having a second region corresponding to the first region with two spots if the first interval is larger than the threshold, and determining whether a second interval between the spots of the second region is larger than the threshold. The storing module records the parameter, if the second interval is smaller than or equal to the threshold.

"Chromatic aberration" is a common deficiency of a lens in which when hybrid light passes through the lens to form an image, there is a failure of the lens to focus the color lights with various wavelengths on the same point because the lens has different refractive indices for different wavelengths of the color lights. In general, chromatic aberration can be divided into longitudinal chromatic aberration and transverse chromatic aberration. Both of them causes color defusing shifting. Usually, a foreground object on the focusing plane produces a reddish image whereas a background object on the focusing plane produces a bluish image.
Therefore, there is a need for providing a setting method for image compensating parameters, an electronic device, a storing medium and a computer program product.

Electronic device for chromatic aberration compensation


Some embodiments include an isolation layer defining an active region of a substrate, a gate pattern formed on the active region, and source/drain regions formed in the active region. Sidewall spacers are formed on sidewalls of the gate pattern, and a blocking insulation layer is formed on the isolation layer and on a portion of the active region neighboring the isolation layer. A silicide layer is formed on source/drain regions between the blocking insulation layer and the sidewall spacers. Some embodiments include defining an active region of a substrate using an isolation layer, forming a gate pattern on the active region, implanting impurities into the active region, and forming a spacer insulation layer on a surface of the substrate with the gate pattern. A region of the spacer insulation layer becomes thinner the closer it is to the gate pattern. Other embodiments are described in the claims.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
This disclosure generally relates to methods of fabricating semiconductor devices and more specifically to methods of fabricating silicide layers that are aligned to source/drain regions.
2. Detailed Description of the Invention
A conventional method for fabricating a semiconductor device is to form a silicide layer on source/drain regions and on a polysilicon gate. The silicide layer provides various advantages such as a good ohmic contact, lowering the resistance of the polysilicon gate, and providing an etch stop layer to the source/drain region and the polysilicon gate.
A conventional process for forming a silicide layer is a self-aligned silicide process, also known as a salicide process. The salicide process includes a step of forming a metal layer, for instance, formed of cobalt, nickel or titanium combining silicon without reacting with a silicon oxide layer and a silicon nitride layer. The metals react with the silicon to form a low-resistance silicide such as CoSi2, NiSi or TiSi2. The salicide process is applied to the semiconductor substrate with a gate electrode and source/drain region to form an aligned silicide layer on the source/drain regions and on the gate electrode with exposed silicon. The salicide process may form a thin and uniform silicide layer on the source/drain region and on the gate electrode.
In processes for fabricating semiconductor devices, a trench isolation layer is used for electrically isolating unit elements adjacent to each other. However, the trench isolation layer has a disadvantage that a dent is formed on a boundary with the active region.
FIGS. 1 and 2 are cross-sectional diagrams illustrating a conventional method for fabricating semiconductor devices.
Referring to FIG. 1, an isolation layer 12 is formed in a semiconductor substrate 10 to define an active region 14 by a trench isolation technique. As shown in FIG. 1, it is common for a dent to form in the isolation layer 12 neighboring the active region 14.
Referring to FIG. 2, a gate pattern 16 is formed on the active region 14, and source/drain regions 18 are formed in the active region neighboring the gate electrode 16. Sidewall spacers 20 are formed on sidewalls of the gate electrode 16. Continuously, a conventional salicide process is applied to the resultant structure to form a silicide layer 22 on the source/drain regions 18 and the gate pattern 16. Because a dent D exists on a boundary between the active region 14 and the isolation layer 12, the silicide layer 22 is formed along a topology of the dent because the silicide layer provided by the salicide process is thin and uniform. Therefore, the silicide layer 22 forms a deep spike 26 to a bottom of the substrate in the dent D. As a result, leakage current occurs due to a focusing of electrical field through the spike 26, making the resulting shallow source/drain structure ineffective for preventing short channel effects such as punch through.
Embodiments of the invention address these and other disadvantages of the prior art.

Semiconductor device having silicide layers and method of fabricating the same


A method is provided of cleaning of a portion of a mold component, the portion of the mold component including a passage configured, in use, to allow passage of fluid and to prevent passage of melt, the method comprising: entering the mold component into a cleaning configuration, whereby a portion of the passage becomes part of a molding surface; performing a molding cycle to fill in at least the portion of the passage with molding material for incorporation and removal of a residue there from. Also provided is a mold having a first mold half and a second mold half, the halves being movable relative to each other. A mold shut height adjustment apparatus can provide for a change in the mold shut height.

Molding is a process by virtue of which a molded article can be formed from molding material by using a molding system. Various molded articles can be formed by using the molding process, such as an injection molding process. One example of a molded article that can be formed, for example, from Polyethylene Teraphalate (PET) material is a preform that is capable of being subsequently blown into a beverage container, such as, a bottle and the like.
As an illustration, injection molding of PET material involves heating the molding material (ex. PET pellets, etc.) to a homogeneous molten state and injecting, under pressure, the so-melted PET material into a molding cavity defined, at least in part, by a female cavity piece and a male core piece mounted respectively on a cavity plate and a core plate of the mold. The cavity plate and the core plate are urged together and are held together by clamp force, the clamp force being sufficient enough to keep the cavity and the core pieces together against the pressure of the injected PET material. The molding cavity has a shape that substantially corresponds to a final cold-state shape of the molded article to be molded. The so-injected PET material is then cooled to a temperature sufficient to enable ejection of the so-formed molded article from the mold. When cooled, the molded article shrinks inside of the molding cavity and, as such, when the cavity and core plates are urged apart, the molded article tends to remain associated with the core piece. Accordingly, by urging the core plate away from the cavity plate, the molded article can be demolded, i.e. ejected off of the core piece. Ejection structures are known to assist in removing the molded articles from the core halves. Examples of the ejection structures include stripper plates, ejector pins, etc.
When dealing with molding a preform that is capable of being blown into a beverage container, one consideration that needs to be addressed is forming a so-called "neck portion". Typically and as an example, the neck portion includes (i) threads (or other suitable structure) for accepting and retaining a closure assembly (ex. a bottle cap), and (ii) an anti-pilferage assembly configured to cooperate, for example, with the closure assembly to indicate whether the end product (i.e. the beverage container that has been filled with a beverage and shipped to a store) has been tampered with in any way. The neck portion may comprise other additional elements used for various purposes, for example, to cooperate with parts of the molding system (ex. a support ledge, etc.). As is appreciated in the art, the neck portion can not be easily formed by using the cavity and core halves. Traditionally, split mold inserts (sometimes referred to by those skilled in the art as "neck rings") have been used to form the neck portion.
With reference to FIG. 1, a section along a portion of an injection mold 50 illustrates a portion of typical molding insert stack assembly 60 that is arranged within a molding system (not depicted). The description of FIG. 1 that will be presented herein below will be greatly simplified, as it is expected that one skilled in the art will appreciate general configuration of other components of the injection mold 50 that will not be discussed in the following description.
The molding insert stack assembly 60 includes a neck ring insert pair 52 that together with a mold cavity insert 54, a gate insert (not shown) and a core insert 61 define a molding cavity (not separately numbered) where molding material can be injected to form a molded article, such as a preform 63. In order to facilitate forming of the neck portion of the preform 63 and subsequent removal of the preform 63, the neck ring insert pair 52 comprises a pair of complementary neck ring inserts that are mounted on adjacent slides of a slide pair 68. The slide pair 68 is slidably mounted on a top surface of a stripper plate 66. As commonly known, and as, for example, generally described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,799,962 to Mai et al (granted on Oct. 5, 2004), the stripper plate 66 is configured to be movable relative to a cavity plate assembly 74 and a core plate assembly (not depicted), when the mold is arranged in an open configuration, whereby the slide pair 68, and the complementary neck ring insert pair 52 mounted thereon, can be laterally driven, via a cam arrangement or some other means (not shown), for the release of the molded article from the molding cavity.
A typical neck ring insert has a body that includes a pair of projecting portions 70 that extend from a top and a bottom face of a flange portion 72 (i.e. a top projecting portion and a bottom projecting portion). Typically, the bottom face of the flange portion 72 abuts, in use, a top surface of the slide pair 68. Even though not depicted in FIG. 1, one skilled in the art will appreciate that the neck ring insert pair 52 cooperates with suitable fasteners for connecting to a respective one of the slide pair 68. In use, during certain portions of a molding cycle, the top projecting portion cooperates with a female receptacle disposed on the cavity plate assembly 74.
FIG. 2 depicts an example of a prior art implementation of a neck ring 200 of the neck ring insert pair 52. More specifically, FIG. 2 depicts a front planar view of the neck ring 200. The neck ring 200 comprises a molding surface 202 for forming, in use, various portions of the neck finish of the preform and a mating surface 204 for abutting, in use, another one of the neck ring 200. The neck ring 200 further includes a venting structure 206. The venting structure 206 comprises (i) an air vent groove 208 for collecting and venting, in use, excess air from the molding cavity as it is being filled with the molding material and (ii) an air collector groove 210 in fluid communication with the air vent groove 208 for providing an evacuation path for the air to be vented from the vent groove 208.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,939,009 issued to Balboni, et al. on May 10, 2011 discloses a preform that is formed by an upper neck which maintains unchanged its form in the final object and a hollow body, joined to the neck. The method foresees the insertion, within a matrix cavity, of a metered body of polymeric material whose mass is metered according to a reference value, and the subsequent pressure insertion of a punch within the matrix cavity until it closes the mold's molding chamber, the punch conferring the shape to the inner surface of the preform and the matrix having an inner surface which confers the shape to the outer surface of the preform. According to the invention, in the molding of the preform, the error of the mass of the metered body with respect to the reference value is distributed in the hollow body, which undergoes a subsequent hot deformation until it achieves the final shape. In the mold, the matrix comprises at least one deformable wall (31) whose inner surface defines at least part of the inner surface of the matrix part intended to give form to the hollow body of the preform, said deformable wall (31) having, at least in part, a relatively thin thickness which permits it to be elastically deformed under the pressure of the polymeric material in the final preform molding step, thereby varying the thickness of the hollow body.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,128,865 issued to Martin on Oct. 31, 2006 discloses an injection molding method and apparatus for ejecting a molded plastic preform from a mold. A first lifting structure and/or step is configured to have an inner surface with an area for sealing and aligning with a complementary surface on a core, and to have an upper surface with an area for sealing and aligning with a complementary surface on a second lifting structure, said upper surface of said first lifting structure being configured to lift a molded plastic preform from the injection mold in a lifting direction for a first period of time, the lower portion of the molded plastic preform lying in a plane substantially perpendicular to the lifting direction. A second lifting structure and/or step is configured to have an inner surface configured to lift an outer surface of the molded plastic preform from the injection mold in the lifting direction for a second period of time, the outer surface of the molded plastic preform including structure lying in a plane substantially parallel with the lifting direction. Since the molded plastic preform is lifted by its end, the preform does not have to be solidified at its interior, thus allowing earlier removal of the preform from the mold, reducing cycle time.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,481,642 issued to Niewels on Jan. 27, 2009 discloses a method and apparatus for controlling a vent gap in a mold for an injection molding machine, which include an active material insert configured to be regulate the degree of opening of the vent gap. The active material insert is configured to be actuated in response to signals from a controller, so as to selectively block the opening of the vent gap during the molding process. Wiring structure is coupled to the active material insert, and is configured to carry the actuation signals. Melt flow sensors may also be provided to aid in regulating the vent gap, and may be connected to the controller in order to provide real-time closed loop control over the operation of the vent gap. Preferably, the methods and apparatus are used as part of a system for controlling the flow of melt within a mold cavity.

Molding system having a residue cleaning feature and an adjustable mold shut height


A network is described which has a Manhattan Street architecture that is implemented using a token ring system, such as the fiber distributed data interface, with the primary and secondary rings representing vertical and horizontal lines, respectively.

In response to a market demand for the ability to transmit data, typically over relatively short distances, local area networks (LANs) have been developed. LANs are telecommunications networks which interconnect a plurality of stations which are typically located in a relatively compact geographical area. In contrast, the long distance telecommunications network spreads over an enormous geographical area. The differences, e.g., geographical area, between the two types of networks frequently lead to design differences. For example, the physical location of nodes, i.e., a point where two or more fines intersect, is determined primarily by geography in long distance networks but in LANs the location of nodes is frequently determined by other considerations, such as the frequency of communications between two stations, i.e., how frequently two stations talk to each other, transmission medium, transmission delays, etc., rather than by geography.
In attempts to optimize the efficiency of LANs, different topological configurations have been developed. These configurations include star, ring, bus, and tree. A discussion of all of these topologies will not be given because it is not required to understand this invention. Ring or loop systems will be discussed because they are relevant to the invention. A loop system has a plurality of serially connected stations in a ring. For a description of such a system see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,293,948 issued on Oct. 6, 1981. The loop configuration is simple and straightforward because each station is connected directly to the loop, but consideration of the requirements for efficient operation shows that the system should have an orderly means of determining which station transmits information and which station receives the information. One means that has been developed is termed the token. During system operation, a station waits until it receives the token and transmits only while it possesses the token. The addressed station copies the information while nonaddressed stations regenerate the signal and transmit it to the next station on the loop. The originating station removes the information from the loop after one trip around the loop. Token rings may be either synchronous or asynchronous.
The loop system described is unidirectional and consequently suffers several drawbacks, including single paths between two stations, thereby rendering the system subject to catastrophic failure and decreased efficiency if some portions of the loop are used more extensively than are other portions. To overcome these drawbacks, as well as for other reasons, bidirectional loop systems, such as the fiber distributed data interface, have been developed. This system, commonly referred to by the acronym FDDI, is a token ring network which uses two rings that are referred to as the primary and the secondary ring. Information flows in opposite directions in the two rings, but only one loop is typically used in the absence of faults. The stations are designated as either Class A or Class B stations. Class A stations have two inputs and two outputs with one out of each connected to the primary ring and to the secondary ring. Class B stations have a single input and a single output and are connected only to the primary ring. Each station can identify faults in the rings and initiate steps so that the network reconfigures itself and remains in operation,: i.e., the system uses distributed control.
While this system is advantageously employed in many situations, it and other loop systems suffer from several limitations. One of the two rings is generally used more than the other ring, thus lowering system utilization. Furthermore, each station has means for switching packets, i.e., a defined set of bits, between the primary ring and the secondary ring which is generally used only if faults are present. Thus, this switching means, as well as the means for transmitting packets on the secondary loop, is not much used in the absence of faults. Also, any two stations are connected by a very limited number of possible paths, and the number does not increase as the number of stations increases. Furthermore, transfers between loops are accomplished with apparatus termed bridges which occupy positions on the loop but perform no station functions.
Several of these limitations can be avoided by the use of mesh networks. Such networks have pluralities of intersecting horizontal and vertical lines, i.e., paths, with a station or other apparatus located at the points of intersection or nodes. A mesh network thus has a plurality of point-to-point communication paths or channels. Mesh networks are advantageously employed, as compared to loop networks, because they provide numerous alternative paths between stations, thus making the network more resistant to faults than are loop systems and providing alternative routes in times of heavy usage. One mesh network is termed the Manhattan Street Network and is commonly referred to by the acronym MSN. See, e.g., the article by Maxemchuk in A.T.&T. Technical Journal, pp. 1659-1685, September 1985 for a detailed description of an MSN. The name MSN is descriptive of the network because it is a mesh with a first plurality of paths running horizontally and a second plurality of paths running vertically. The first and second pluralities are referred to as streets and avenues, respectively, because streets and avenues in the city of Manhattan run generally east-west (horizontal) and north-south (vertical), respectively. Each point where the first and second pluralities intersect is a node with two inputs and two outputs. Each packet is identified by two coordinates (one for the row and one for the column) for the source and by two coordinates for the destination. The MSN is a relatively efficient system because there is a choice of routes between the source and destination, thereby permitting both faulty routes and busy nodes to be avoided.
The relatively economical use of system resources and ease of switching present in MSN networks has not been realized in token loop systems.

Manhattan street network with loop architecture


Embodiments describe an approach for improving learning techniques based on a virtual augmented reality learning platform, comprising generating one or more augmented reality learning memories of one or more instructors teaching a task to one or more instructees. Creating ranking scores for the one or more augmented reality memories based on learning effectiveness of the one or more instructees. Incorporating a portion of the one or more augmented reality memories into a virtual augmented reality learning platform based on the ranking scores, and sharing the virtual augmented reality learning platform with the one or more instructees not associated with the portion of the one or more augmented reality memories.

The present invention relates generally to the field of education and virtualization, and more particularly to augmented reality and virtual instructing platforms.
Child education and/or learning starts at home and parents are often considered the first teachers. In some cases, school teachers are burdened with large class sizes and tight schedules, in which children can be devoid of individual attention. In spite of the aforementioned setbacks, all students in a classroom are taught the same content, which is one of the factors resulting in the inability of some children to be able to grasp the content. The large class sizes and large student to teacher ratios can result in some children falling behind because of the unavailability of resources and/or inability of guardians/teachers to help the struggling students/children understand the concepts. When parents are actively and constructively involved in their children's education, it can make a very big difference in how well students do in school, which is why there is a need to empower parents to be better collaborators in their child's education, and to assist children/students performing at lower levels to ensure they have the same environment as their peers.

Generating a virtual instructing platform for replicating and sharing teaching styles

International Business Machines Corporation


The present invention is intended to stabilize a luminance and prevent a degradation during use in a display device of an active matrix driving system that arranges TFTs in matrix, by completely repairing a defective portion through application of a reverse voltage and repairing a short-circuit or leak area of a light emitting device. A light emitting device with a pixel structure of an active matrix driving system having TFTs arranged at each pixel has a feature that a reverse voltage is applied to the light emitting element without passing through the TFT is disclosed. The present invention provides a pixel structure capable of attaining the feature and a method of manufacturing the same.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a light emitting device that includes a light emitting element containing a luminous body in a single layer or a laminate of plural layers between a pair of electrodes, and a method of manufacturing the same. In particular, the present invention relates to a technique in which a short-circuit or leak area developing in a step of manufacturing the light emitting element can be repaired with a simplified method.
2. Description of Related Art
As an example of a light emitting element formed using a light emitting medium called an organic electroluminescent material, there is a structure in which an organic amine-based hole transport layer and a layer containing an organic compound such as a tris-(8-quinolinolato) aluminum complex (Alq3) that exhibits an electron conduction property and also has a luminescent property, are laminated between a pair of electrodes. The light emitting element can obtain a luminance of several hundred cd/cm2 through application of DC voltage at 6 to 8V.
In the light emitting element, when layers responsible for emitting light directly or indirectly are functionally represented, distinction may be made among layers, like a light emitting layer, a hole injection layer, an electron injection layer, a hole transport layer, an electron transport layer, and the like. These functional representations occasionally enable distinguishment clearly on the layer basis, but cannot lead to clear distinguishment on the layer basis because a layer formed as a part of a mixed structure in some cases. An extremely simple structure has an anode/a light emitting layer/and a cathode, which are laminated in this order. In addition to this structure, there are other structures having an anode/a hole injection layer/a light emitting layer/and a cathode, and having an anode/a hole injection layer/a light emitting layer/an electron transport layer/and a cathode, laminated in the stated orders.
A light emitting element operating normally shows a rectification property in which a so-called current-voltage characteristic as a diode has is observed. That is, when applying a forward bias to the light emitting element, a current increases exponentially in response to the applied voltage. When applying a reverse bias, a current hardly flows until the voltage reaches a breakdown voltage. In order to cause the element to emit light, charge is necessarily injected, and therefore a forward bias is applied.
JP 8-234683 A discloses an example of a light emitting device having an active matrix driving system that controls the above-mentioned light emitting element with a field effect transistor. According to JP 8-234683 A, a structure is disclosed in which an organic electroluminescent layer is formed as an upper layer on a thin film transistor (TFT) made from polycrystalline silicon via an insulating film formed of silicon dioxide. Further, a passivation layer having an end processed into a tapered shape on an anode, is positioned on a lower layer side of the organic electroluminescent layer. Furthermore, a material having a work function of less than 4 eV is selected to form a cathode. An alloy of metal such as Ag or Al and Mg may be adapted.
Incidentally, when a reverse voltage, which is not involved in emitting light, is applied to the light emitting element, it is empirically known that a life of the element extends. JP 2001-109432 A discloses a light emitting device of an active matrix driving system that utilizes this phenomenon and applies a reverse voltage in a non-light emitting period according to synchronous timings of input video image data.
Meanwhile, as to a solar cell or the like that forms diodes with semiconductor thin films, various techniques are experimented for repairing a short-circuit portion by applying a reverse voltage. An example of the technique is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,365,825 B in which a current concentratedly flows on a short-circuit portion by the reverse voltage application, and a short-circuit defect is repaired by insulating the portion with use of heat generated due to Joule heat.
FIG. 9(A) schematically shows a light emitting element that includes short-circuit defects caused by a pinhole 14 and a foreign matter 15 mixing therein, and is a drawing useful in explaining the reverse voltage effect. When there is a short-circuit defective portion 14 in a diode element 10 including a thin film 12 that enables a rectifying contact or a rectifying junction between a pair of electrodes composed of a anode 11 and a cathode 13, a current equal to or higher than a reverse saturation current flows via the portion upon application of a reverse voltage.
As schematically shown in FIG. 9(B) using points A and B indicated by the dotted lines at the time of applying the reverse voltage, a current-voltage characteristic of the diode element 10, the reverse current rapidly increases at a certain voltage. For example, at the short-circuit defect caused by the short-circuit defective portion 14 including the pinhole, the reverse current flows at a relatively low voltage because a cathode material wraps around the portion. Further, when the minute foreign matter 15 is included in the element, a withstand voltage becomes lower, forming the short-circuit defective portion 15 where the reverse current increases at a breakdown voltage or lower due to dielectric breakdown.
At this time, the current concentratedly flows on the short-circuit defective portions 14 and 15, and a current density increases. Heat is thus generated to reach a high temperature, whereby the portion is modified to be insulated. Therefore, from the second voltage scanning operation onward, a normal diode characteristic can be obtained. Even if the short-circuit defective portion is not repaired by scanning a voltage once, when the voltage scanning is repeated plural times, a probability of repairing the defective portion increases. In this way, the short-circuit portion is insulated to be repaired by the application of a predetermined reverse voltage.
The repairing of the short-circuit portion through the application of a reverse voltage can be conducted relatively easily. However, a principle of the repairing is to utilize a heat generation phenomenon caused by the current concentration. It is thus necessary to make a large current flow instantly. Therefore, a constant voltage source having a current supply capacity suitable for the flow of large current is required for a power source to be applied.
However, as to a drain current of a TFT used in an active matrix driving system, when a gate voltage is determined as shown in FIG. 10, a flowing current almost saturates no matter how the drain voltage is increased. That is, as long as the operation is executed in a saturation region of the TFT, this is equivalent to a case where the connection is made to the constant current source. Also, even when the operation is executed in a linear region, this leads to the same result, in other words, a current equal to or higher than the saturation current is not allowed to flow. Even when a reverse voltage is applied via the TFT, a limitation is placed on a maximum current value. Therefore, such a short-circuit defect shown in FIG. 9 cannot be insulated sufficiently.
The present invention has been made with a view toward solving the above-mentioned problems, and it is therefore an object to stabilize a luminance and prevent a degradation during use in a display device of the active matrix driving system that arranges TFTs in matrix, by completely repairing the defective portion through the application of a reverse voltage and repairing the short-circuit or leak area of the light emitting element.

Light emitting device and manufacturing method thereof

Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.


In an A/D converter having a single flux quantum circuit having a flux quantum as an information carrier, a superconducting amplifier circuit driven by an AC current, and a semiconductor circuit, the operations of the circuits are synchronized with each other and a data signal from the single flux quantum circuit is transmitted to the semiconductor circuit.

A single flux quantum (hereinafter, abbreviated as SFQ) circuit having a single flux quantum (Φ0=h/2e=2.07×10−15 Weber) as an information carrier is a superconducting circuit featuring an ultrafast operation above tens of GHz (109 Hz) and a low power consumption characteristic below microwatt (μW) per gate. Based on the principle shown in Non-Patent Document 1 (IEEE Trans. on Appl. Supercond., vol. 1, No. 1 (1991) p. 1), various logic gates have been developed, and the development of practical circuits combining these with each other is widely advanced.
As an application of an SFQ circuit, there is an analog-to-digital (hereinafter, abbreviated as A/D) converter. To exploit the feature of the SFQ circuit, an oversampling method-is employed for the conversion method. In this method, an input signal is sampled (oversampled) at a frequency sufficiently higher than a bandwidth with accuracy of a small number of bits, and its sampling data signal is then signal-processed to obtain a digital data signal with high accuracy in a necessary bandwidth. A front-end circuit performing oversampling is constructed of the SFQ circuit operable at tens of GHz, and a back-end circuit performing signal processing is constructed of a semiconductor circuit excellent in integration properties, thereby realizing a high-performance A/D converter.
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-374152
[Patent Document 2]
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-345488
[Non-Patent Document 1] IEEE Trans. on Appl. Supercond., vol. 1, No. 1 (1991) p. 3

Superconductor semiconductor integrated circuit

Abstract: An AC current as the power source of a superconducting amplifier circuit is inputted as a master clock signal to the single flux quantum circuit and the semiconductor circuit to synchronize the operations of the circuits with the master clock signal. The single flux quantum circuit has a clock signal frequency multiplier circuit, a demultiplexing circuit and a memory circuit.

International Superconductivity Technology Center, the Jurdical Foundation


A system and method for controlling an exhaust gas recirculation valve during transient cycles of engine operation to improve fuel consumption efficiency. The system and method includes first determining a flow rate of total mass out of the intake manifold of the combustion engine and the current mass fraction of exhaust gas in the intake manifold of the combustion engine, calculating a mass flow rate for exhaust gas into the intake manifold that is based on the flow rate of total mass out of the intake manifold and the current mass fraction of exhaust gas in the intake manifold, and actuating a control valve to a position based on the calculated mass flow rate for exhaust gas into the intake manifold.

Traditionally, many internal combustion engines are typically provided with an exhaust gas recirculation ("EGR") system to recirculate a portion of the exhaust gas to an intake passage to control the emission and suppress the generation of NOx by lowering maximum combustion temperature and to improve fuel consumption by reducing pumping loss. In such EGR systems, a recirculation control valve for controlling the flow of the recirculation exhaust gas is typically positioned at or near the cylinder head of the internal combustion engine. Moreover, a recirculation exhaust gas inlet through which part of the exhaust gas flowing through an exhaust passage is extracted is formed in an exhaust manifold or an exhaust pipe of the engine.
Recently, in some engine designs, cooled EGR can be used to increase the fuel efficiency since the addition of cooled EGR substantially reduces the knock tendency of the engine, resulting in a potential to increase the engine compression ratio and an opportunity to improve combustion phasing and combustion cycle efficiency. Combining advanced combustion phasing with increased specific heat of the fuel-air mix results in a substantial decrease in combustion temperatures which reduces the need for a rich mixture at even the highest power levels.
A block diagram of an exemplary EGR system is shown in FIG. 1 (prior art). As shown, the EGR system includes a four-cycle engine 1 for automobiles, powered by the combustion of a gas mixture comprising fuel and air. Specifically, an intake pipe line 2 (i.e., an intake runner) is connected to the engine 1 and provided to supply air to the engine 1. Moreover, an intake manifold 10 is provided from which the intake pipe line 2 extends. As known to those skilled in the art, the intake manifold 10 receives air from the outside that is filtered by an air cleaner 3 (e.g., an air filter) to remove dust contained in the outside air as well as for feeding air to the intake line 2 via the intake manifold 10. Furthermore, a throttle valve 5 is provided for regulating the amount of air that is fed into the intake manifold 10 and a fuel injector 4 is provided on the intake line 2 for injecting fuel including gasoline into the engine 1. Alternatively, the engine 1 can have a fuel injector 4′ located at a position where fuel is injected directly to the combustion chamber or sub-combustion chamber. Further, an exhaust pipe line 6 is connected to the engine 1 to expel the exhaust gas generated by combustion in the engine 1, and a purifying apparatus 7 (e.g., a catalytic converter) is positioned at the opposing end of the exhaust line 6 to purify the exhaust gas before it is forced out of the tailpipe (not shown).
As further shown, engine 1 includes a combustion chamber 1a, an intake valve 1b for closing communication between the intake line 2 and the combustion chamber 1a, an exhaust-gas valve 1c for closing communication between the exhaust pipe line 6 and the combustion chamber 1a, and a piston 1d which moves vertically in the combustion chamber 1a during operation. The operation of engine 1 is known to those skilled in the art and will not be repeated herein. It should also be appreciated that while only one engine cylinder is shown, the engine configuration contemplated herein is for a four cylinder engine, V6 engine, V8 engine or the like and that the single cylinder is shown in FIG. 1 only for illustrative purposes.
The EGR components of the system include an EGR valve 8, an exhaust gas intake pipe line 15, an EGR pipe line 16 and a control unit 18. The exhaust gas intake pipe line 15 extends from the exhaust line 6 and is provided to transfer the exhaust gas to the EGR pipe line 16 to recirculate the exhaust gas to the intake manifold 10. Further the control unit 18 is provided to control the EGR valve 8 by outputting a control signal in response to the running state of the engine. Such controls can typically be based on engine operation conditions, including the temperature of engine coolant, the number of engine rotations and the degree of opening the injector (amount of fuel injection). Once the EGR valve is opened (or its positioned is changed) in response to the control signal, exhaust gas flows into the EGR pipe line 16 and returns to the engine combustion chamber 1a through the intake manifold 10 and the intake line 2. Consequently, combustion in the automobile four-cycle engine 1 is suppressed by the amount of non-flammable exhaust gas returned to the combustion chamber 1a. As discussed above, some designs include an EGR cooler 17 that can be provided on exhaust gas intake pipe line 15 to cool the exhaust gas before it is introduced into the intake manifold 10.
In conventional EGR systems, assuming an instantaneous responsive EGR valve, the EGR mass flow rate into the intake manifold 10 equals the total mass flow rate out of the intake manifold 10 into the engine 1 multiplied by the desired mass fraction in the intake manifold. The EGR mass flow rate can be mathematically described by equation (1) as follows:{dot over (m)}ie=Xde·{dot over (m)}ot  (1)where,                {dot over (m)}ie is the EGR mass flow rate into the intake manifold;        {dot over (m)}ot is the total mass flow rate out of the intake manifold and into the engine cylinder; and        Xde is the desired EGR mass fraction in the intake manifold.
The desired EGR mass fraction Xde is a variable value that is determined by the engine manufacturer to maximize fuel consumption efficiency based on operating conditions. In order to achieve the desired EGR mass fraction Xde, the EGR control valve is electronically actuated by the control unit 18 to varying predefined positions to control the amount of exhaust gas that is recirculated back into the intake manifold 10 via the EGR pipe line 16. The position of the EGR control valve will vary depending on engine operating conditions as discussed above and as would be known to those skilled in the art.
Once the EGR control valve is actuated to a defined position and the exhaust gas is introduced into the intake manifold 10, the amount of exhaust gas (i.e., EGR mass) in the intake manifold 10 increases or decreases in proportion to the amount of air being introduced through the intake lines. The current EGR mass fraction in the intake manifold can be represented by equation (2) as follows:
                              X          ce                =                              m            e                                              m              u                        +                          m              a                                                          (        2        )            where,                Xce is the current EGR mass fraction in the intake manifold;        me is the current EGR mass in the intake manifold; and        ma is the current mass of air in the intake manifold.
Based on the foregoing, it should be appreciated that the EGR mass flow out of the intake manifold {dot over (m)}oe is the current EGR mass fraction Xce multiplied by the total mass flow rate {dot over (m)}ot. This result can be represented by equation (3) as follows:{dot over (m)}oe=Xce·{dot over (m)}ot  (3)where,                {dot over (m)}oe is the current EGR mass flow rate out of the intake manifold;        {dot over (m)}ot is the total mass flow rate out of the intake manifold; and        Xce is the current EGR mass fraction in the intake manifold.
When the engine is operating at a steady state, the current EGR mass fraction Xce will equal the desired EGR mass fraction Xde because the EGR flow rate into the intake manifold {dot over (m)}ie will be constant and equal to the EGR flow rate out of the intake manifold {dot over (m)}oe. However, during a transient cycle of the engine, for example when the engine load is increasing or decreasing during engine acceleration or deceleration, the EGR flow rate will be changing in response to a change in the throttle position. Generally, the rate of change of EGR mass in the intake manifold can be represented by equation (4) as follows:
                                          ⅆ                          m              egr                                            ⅆ            t                          =                                            m              .                        ie                    -                                    m              .                        oe                                              (        4        )            This equation is defined by the EGR mass flow rate out of the intake manifold {dot over (m)}oe subtracted from the EGR mass flow rate into the intake manifold {dot over (m)}ie. Thus, during engine acceleration, the throttle is open, which results in an increase in the mass flow rate out of the intake manifold {dot over (m)}ot and, therefore, a higher EGR mass flow rate into the intake manifold {dot over (m)}ie. Alternatively, during engine deceleration, the throttle is closed, which effectively decreases the total mass flow rate out of the intake manifold {dot over (m)}ot leading to a lower EGR mass flow rate into the intake manifold {dot over (m)}ie.
Next, the rate of change of EGR mass in the intake manifold can further be represented in terms of desired EGR mass fraction Xde and actual EGR mass fraction Xce by substituting the foregoing equations (1) and (3) into equation (4) to derive the following equation:
                                          ⅆ                          m              egr                                            ⅆ            t                          =                              (                                          X                de                            -                              X                ce                                      )                    ·                                    m              .                        ot                                              (        5        )            where,                Xde is the desired EGR mass fraction in the intake manifold;        Xce is the current EGR mass fraction in the intake manifold;        {dot over (m)}ot is the total mass flow rate out of the intake manifold; and
      ⅆ          m      egr            ⅆ    t  is the current rate of change of EGR mass in the intake manifold.
As discussed above, when the engine is operating in a transient state, for example when the engine is accelerating or decelerating, engine manufacturers typically design engines to increase or decrease EGR flow to maximize fuel consumption efficiency. For example, as shown in FIG. 2 (prior art), at approximately the 17 second mark, the engine switches from a low load to a high load (i.e., engine acceleration), and the desired EGR flow rate EGR_des is designed to increase from slightly under 20 g/s to 40 g/s. As noted above, this is done by adjusting the position of the EGR control valve to increase the EGR flow rate into the intake manifold 10. Moreover, at approximately the 70 second mark as shown in FIG. 2, the engine load switches to a low load (i.e., engine deceleration) and the desired EGR flow rate EGR_des decreases to the original rate accordingly.
Although the change in desired EGR flow rate EGR_des is almost instantaneous, in actual operation in conventional EGR systems, there is a substantial delay in the actual EGR flow rate EGR_act from reaching the maximum desired rate of 40 g/s. This delay is also shown in FIG. 2 and is a result of the transport delay. In other words, although the EGR control valve opens instantaneously (or close to instantaneously) in response to the change in engine load, the amount of exhaust gas that is actually in the intake manifold 10 at that time is relatively low. Therefore, there is an inherent delay before exhaust gas is expelled into the intake pipeline 2 from the intake manifold 10 because it takes a given amount of time or number of engine cycles before the intake manifold 10 is filled with exhaust gas from EGR pipe line 16 and, thus, exhaust gas is also transferred from the intake manifold 10 into the engine 1. The delay is represented in FIG. 2 as shown for the actual EGR flow rate EGR_act. Moreover, it should be appreciated that the change in EGR mass in the intake manifold dm/dt is indirectly proportional to the derivative of the actual EGR flow rate EGR_act. Therefore, as the actual EGR flow rate EGR_act reaches its desired rate of 40 g/s, the change in EGR mass dm/dt reaches zero. Furthermore, at approximately the 70 second mark when the engine load switches back to a low load during engine deceleration, the change of rate of EGR mass in the intake manifold will be a negative value, before slowly returning to a zero value.
It is further understood to those skilled in the art that during operation of conventional internal combustion engines, and specifically after the exhaust stroke of the combustion cycle, that residual gases (containing combustion products and nitrogen) generally remain in the cylinder. Residual gas affects the engine combustion processes (and therefore emissions and performance) through its influence on charge mass, temperature and dilution.
In conventional EGR systems, the amount of excess residual gas that collects in the cylinder during a transient cycle of engine operation often increases above stable limits for combustion. For example, as shown in FIG. 3 (prior art), when the engine is operating at a high load with high intake pressure, the amount of residual gas that collects in the cylinder is relatively low because the high intake pressure forces the residual gas through the exhaust port during valve overlap of the exhaust stroke. Once the vehicle decelerates (i.e., decreased engine load), the intake pressure also decreases. As a result of this pressure drop, the concentration of residual gas in the cylinder increases dramatically and quickly. At the same time, the decrease in engine load, which is achieved by closing the throttle valve, also results in a reduction in the EGR flow to the intake manifold 10. However, because the intake manifold 10 is relatively full of exhaust gas at that time, there is a delay before the EGR out of the intake manifold 10 and into the combustion chamber of the engine is realized due to the transport delay discussed above with respect to FIG. 2. Effectively, the concentration of EGR into the cylinder decreases at a rate slower than the concurrent spike in the concentration of residual gas in the cylinder. The combination of EGR and residual gas in the cylinder (i.e., the burned gas) peaks above a stable limit for combustion resulting in operation condition problems, such as engine misfire. Accordingly, what is needed is an EGR control system and method that reduces transient delays for EGR flow rates caused by change in engine operating conditions.

Exhaust gas recirculation control method and system


Coherent bursts of N wideband, low repetition frequency width-modulated pulses are transmitted, and they are received with pulse compression and then sampling. For each range gate and each speed hypothesis, a selection is made of the corresponding samples of N repetitions of a burst after compensation for the migration in distance. On each set of N samples, for a given speed hypothesis, a Fourier transform and a threshold-setting operation are performed. The distance and the unambiguous speed of the detected targets are then extracted.

The present invention relates to a method and a device for the detection of targets for a wideband, unambiguous pulse Doppler radar with low frequency of repetition and high distance resolution.
In modern surveillance radars in particular, the increase in their range obliges them to adapt usually to ambiguities in distance or speed. In distance; the ambiguities result from lack of knowledge of the transmission pulse producing an echo at a given point in time. The distance ambiguity is given by D.sub.a =c Tr/2 where c is the velocity of light and Tr is the period of repetition of the pulses. The distance from a target is therefore known only to within the nearest multiple of D.sub.a. In speed, the ambiguities arise out of the very principle of the measurement of the Doppler effect, based on the measurement of the progress of the phase shift between the local oscillator and the received echo, from one pulse to the next. This progress of the phase shift measures the movement of the target between two successive pulses, assessed in wavelengths: since the phase shift is measured only to the nearest 2.pi., the speed is measured only within V.sub.a =.lambda./(2 Tr), V.sub.a giving the ambiguity in speed.
This leads to the existence of blind speeds, every V.sub.a starting from the zero speed. For a ground radar, this leads to the elimination of all the possible targets moving close to these ambiguous speeds at the same time as the clutter, and therefore limits the domain of coverage (in speed) of the radar.
For a radar of sufficient range, these problems of ambiguities become large enough for an attempt to be made to cope with them by the transmission, in each direction of observation, of several bursts of pulses with different repetition frequencies (hence blind speeds). Unfortunately, this makes it necessary, in order to maintain a sufficient rate of renewal, to reduce the duration of each burst and hence lower the resolution in speed. It is possible to obtain a situation where the number of pulses in each burst is so small that anti-clutter Doppler filtering eliminates a major proportion of the targets.
To overcome these drawbacks, it becomes necessary to conceive of radars that are ambiguous both in distance and in speed: these are Mean Frequency of Repetition (MFR) radars. These radars are moderately ambiguous in distance and in speed (they show a few ambiguities) and it becomes possible to reconstitute the real distance and speed by transmitting a small number of coherent bursts in each direction, at the cost however of a certain degree of complexity due to the ambiguity removal processing operations and a generally acceptable reduction in the resolution in speed.
In the case of airborne nose-cone radars, where the clutter echoes received have radial speeds ranging from -Vp to +Vp (Vp being the speed of the carrier), the radars have several modes of operation, again because of problems of ambiguity. These are the High Frequency of Repetition mode (HFR operation, unambiguous in speed) for the detection of targets in approach mode, the Low Frequency of Repetition mode (LFR operation, unambiguous in distance) for upward sighting and the Mean Frequency of Repetition mode (MFR operation, ambiguous in distance and speed) for the detection and tracking of targets moving away. The removal of ambiguity is done according to the multi-burst principle described here above. In general, the values of resolution in distance of these radars is in the range of about a hundred meters in watching mode.
However, resolution in distance of this kind is quite insufficient for certain applications such as cartography by airborne radar using the synthetic antenna method or the method of threat analysis (raid analysis and target classification). The high values of resolution in distance that are needed extend from some meters to some decimeters. They are generally obtained by pulse compression or by synthetic bands (the transmission of successive coherent bursts or bursts interlaced at different carrier frequencies).
These modes with high distance resolution generally avoid the problems of ambiguity by the fact that they are limited to certain conditions of operation. In cartography, the radar used is of the LFR type, and the speed domain is limited to the unambiguous domain. In threat analysis, the target is designated in advance, generally by another radar mode, and only the distance-speed domain corresponding to this designation is analyzed.
However, it is clear that a radar with high resolution in distance that is, at the same time, unambiguous, would be of very great value. One of the problems that emerge immediately, is that of the migration of the targets in distance. Indeed, owing the high resolution in distance, hence the small width of the range bins, a moving target does not remain in the same range bin between the first repetition and the last repetition of a period of analysis (burst of pulses). This does not enable the application of standard Doppler analysis, range bin by range bin.

Target detection method and device for wideband unambiguous pulse Doppler radar


A memory has defective locations in its user portion replaceable by redundant locations in a redundant portion. Data latches in the user and redundant portions allow data sensed from or to be written to a memory to be exchanged with a data bus. A defective location latching redundancy scheme assumes the column circuits including data latches for defective columns to be still useable. The data latches for the defective columns are used to buffer corresponding redundant data that are normally accessible from their data latches in the redundant portion. In this way both the user and redundant data are available from the user data latches, and streaming data into or out of the data bus is simplified and performance improved.

Solid-state memory capable of nonvolatile storage of charge, particularly in the form of EEPROM and flash EEPROM packaged as a small form factor card, has recently become the storage of choice in a variety of mobile and handheld devices, notably information appliances and consumer electronics products. Unlike RAM (random access memory) that is also solid-state memory, flash memory is non-volatile, and retaining its stored data even after power is turned off. In spite of the higher cost compared to magnetic disk storage, flash memory is increasingly being used in mass storage applications. Conventional mass storage, based on rotating magnetic medium such as hard drives and floppy disks, is unsuitable for the mobile and handheld environment. This is because disk drives tend to be bulky, are prone to mechanical failure and have high latency and high power requirements. These undesirable attributes make disk-based storage impractical in most mobile and portable applications. On the other hand, flash memory, both embedded and in the form of a removable card are ideally suited in the mobile and handheld environment because of its small size, low power consumption, high speed and high reliability features.
The memory devices typically comprise one or more memory chips that may be mounted on a card. Each memory chip comprises an array of memory cells supported by peripheral circuits such as decoders and erase, write and read circuits. The more sophisticated memory devices also come with a controller that performs intelligent and higher level memory operations and interfacing. There are many commercially successful non-volatile solid-state memory devices being used today. These memory devices may employ different types of memory cells, each type having one or more charge storage element. Examples of EEPROMs and methods of manufacturing them are given in U.S. Pat. No. 5,595,924. Examples of flash EEPROMs, their uses in memory systems and methods of manufacturing them are given in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,070,032, 5,095,344, 5,315,541, 5,343,063, 5,661,053, 5,313,421 and 6,222,762. Examples of memory devices with NAND cell structures are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,570,315, 5,903,495, and 6,046,935. Examples of memory devices with a dielectric layer for storing charge have been described by Eitan et al., "NROM: A Novel Localized Trapping, 2-Bit Nonvolatile Memory Cell," IEEE Electron Device Letters, vol. 21, no. 11, November 2000, pp. 543-545, and in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,768,192 and 6,011,725.
A memory device is usually organized as a two-dimensional array of memory cells arranged in rows and columns and addressable by word lines and bit lines. The array can be formed according to an NOR type or an NAND type architecture. Examples of NOR type memories are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,172,338 and 5,418,752. Examples of NAND architecture arrays and their operation as part of a memory system are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,570,315, 5,774,397 and 6,046,935.
A memory will often have defective portions, either from the manufacturing process or that arising during the operation of the device. In particular, in order to maximize manufacturing yield, defects found upon manufacturing are corrected to salvage an otherwise defective product. A number of techniques exists for managing these defects including error correction coding or remapping portions of the memory, such as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,602,987, 5,315,541, 5,200,959, 5,428,621, and US 2005/0141387 A1. The discloures of these publications are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
After manufacturing, a memory chip is tested prior to shipment. If a defect is found, the chip may be salvageable by substituting the defective portion of the memory with a redundant portion. A common type of defect found in memory is due to problems in a column of the array. For example, in a flash memory a column defect may be due to any one of the following errors in the memory cell area: bit line to bit line shorts; bit line shorted to other signals; bit line opens; bad cells that do not program or are too slow to program; and/or bad data latches.
Conventional column redundancy scheme replaces the whole column, including the bit lines, sense amplifiers, and data latches within in the column. The redundancy scheme also has is a high speed match circuit along with separate access signals which get enabled when a bad column is encountered.
One prior art system managing defective columns on the memory chip itself uses a binary decoding scheme to manage bad column replacement. The address from the host is first latched into a register and the column address is incremented by a 10-bit adder to manage the columns from 0 to 540 bytes. The column address (10 bits) is then pre-decoded into 15 to 20 lines which run through the column decoder area. Three signals are chosen from among these 15 to 20 lines to form a column select. Bad columns in this binary decoding system are managed by comparing an incoming column address with a list of bad column addresses. If a match is found, the incoming column address is reassigned to another, good column address. If the incoming address does not match the bad column addresses, the incoming column address is not changed. The binary column select scheme has a high degree of flexibility in locating random column addresses. However, it has the disadvantage is that it is relatively slow because of the multiple stages of logic necessary to replace a defective column, and this makes it difficult for the binary decoding scheme to run much faster than a 20 MHz data input or output rate.
Also, in the case of a memory array with an architecture serviced by sets of sense amplifiers from both top and bottom of the array, defective columns may not be efficiently remapped due to the location of a redundant column relative to each set of sense amplifiers.
Therefore there is a general need for high performance and high capacity non-volatile memory with improved performance. In particular, there is a need for defect management with improved performance and efficiency.

Method for column redundancy using data latches in solid-state memories


The invention is directed to methods and kits for performing an RNase H2-mediated cleavage reaction on a sample in an emulsion.

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a widely used biotechnology that allows researchers to amplify a single copy of DNA to generate large quantities of a desired product. Like many technologies, the PCR methodologies are continuously being modified to improve their efficacy. One of the challenges of PCR is the formation of "primer dimers," wherein the primers in the reaction unintentionally hybridize to each other along complementary bases. Primers that have dimerized are unable to hybridize to the target sequence on DNA, preventing amplification. Carefully designing primers reduces the likelihood of primer dimer formation; however, it is occasionally necessary to position primers at suboptimal locations in a target DNA sequence.
RNase H-dependent PCR (rhPCR) was developed in part to reduce primer dimer formation in PCR. In an rhPCR system, the primers are "blocked" with the inclusion of non-extendable groups at the 3′-end of the primer, such as a label or a C3 spacer. The primers include one or more ribonucleotide residues near the 3′-end of the primer, and an RNase H is used to cleave the primer at the RNA base region if there is perfect complementary between the primer and target. The cleaving of the primer with RNase H removes the blocking group and allows extension with a DNA polymerase. RhPCR therefore enhances the specificity of the priming/extension and reduces unwanted extension products such as the products that may result from primer-dimers.
Walder et al., described the use of an RNase H2 enzyme derived from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus abyssi (P.a.) (see, e.g., International Patent Application Publication WO 2013/142364). RNase H enzymes are endoribonucleases that cleave the phosphodiester bond in an RNA strand when it is part of an RNA:DNA duplex. P.a. RNase H2 is active at high temperatures with reduced activity at lower temperatures, allowing the PCR reaction to be setup at room temperature without premature cleaving of the ribonucleotide. RNase H2 is compatible with most PCR buffers, and when added directly to the PCR master mix, cleavage of the ribonucleotide residue occurs seamlessly with PCR amplification by the DNA polymerase (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,911,948).
Improving the sensitivity and accurate quantification of amplified targets are additional areas of development in PCR technology. In particular, the combination of digital PCR and emulsion-based technologies has yielded a highly sensitive and quantitative PCR platform. In digital PCR (also known as "single molecule PCR" or "limiting dilution PCR"), a sample is sufficiently diluted and partitioned such that each partition contains on average a single copy or less of the target nucleic acid; the amplified target can additionally be quantified by including a probe in the reaction (see, e.g., Vogelstein et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 96: 9236-9241 (1999) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,440,706). In emulsion PCR, partitions are generated by creating a water-in-oil emulsion, wherein each droplet of water contains on average a single copy or less of a nucleic acid and the necessary reagents for performing PCR. Reaction volumes can be significantly reduced as compared to conventional 96-, 384-, or even 1536-well reactions. Emulsion PCR also permits high-throughput analysis of amplification products.
The combination of digital and emulsion based PCR platforms has yielded digital droplet PCR, which allows a nucleic acid sample to be partitioned into tens of thousands of droplets in an emulsion, with PCR amplification and quantification of the desired target occurring in each individual droplet. Digital droplet PCR provides sensitive and specific detection of single template molecules. As with all types of PCR, however, digital droplet PCR is also susceptible to primer dimer formation (see Hindson et al., Anal Chem, 83:8604-8610 (2011)).
The potential utility of rhPCR in a droplet digital format is extensive (see, e.g., U.S. Patent Application Publication 2013/0310269). There is a need, however for digital rhPCR methods with reduced side reactions and increased specificity. The present invention provides such methods.


The present invention provides a check valve which, when placed at the end of a pump suction pipe, allows the pump to draw fluid therethrough from a continuously replenished, below-ground fluid source. When the fluid in the fluid source has been depleted to a level below that which allows fluid to be drawn therefrom by the pump, the present check valve maintains the suction pipe full of fluid. The check valve also maintains the suction pipe full of fluid when the pump has been shut off. In this manner, the pump can resume drawing fluid from the fluid source without the need for priming.

The present invention relates to a check valve and, more particularly, to one which, when placed on a pump suction pipe, allows the pump to draw fluid intermittently from a fluid source located below the level of the pump, without the necessity of priming the pump each time the pump is started.
In many instances, it is desired to remove fluid over an extended period of time from a below-ground fluid source which is continually replenished, such as a well or sump. A convenient and economical means for removing such fluid is to position a pump on ground level just outside of the fluid source and lower a suction pipe, attached to the pump suction port, into the fluid source. Each time the fluid in the fluid source rises to a predetermined level, the pump is switched on to draw the fluid up and out of the fluid source. When the fluid level has been drawn down below the level of the suction pipe inlet, the pump is switched off.
As an example of the foregoing, when a portion of the soil becomes contaminated, a technique known as soil vacuum extraction may be used to clean up the affected area. In accordance with this technique, a number of wells are dug at the affected site. The purpose for these wells is to collect contaminated ground water and rainwater as it percolates through the contaminated soil. The wells fill with contaminated water and are pumped dry, or down to any desired level, on a continuous basis. The contaminated water is collected and treated to remove the contaminants therefrom. This cycle continues until all, or substantially all, of the contaminants are removed from the affected site.
As another example, bacteria are sometimes placed into the soil at contaminated soil sites to ingest the contaminant. To keep the bacteria viable, they must be supplied with replenishment fluids on a continuous basis. Because the replenishment fluids can become contaminated, wells are dug at the affected site to collect the fluids. As with the previous example, the wells are continually pumped as they fill with the replenishment fluids so that the fluids can be collected and treated.
As a further example, containments are often used to prevent contaminated fluids from escaping a contained area, such as a landfill. In the case of a landfill, a containment may take the form of a berm or dam which encircles the landfill. One or more sumps may be placed between the landfill and the containment to collect any runoff rainwater or other fluids. As the sumps fill with contaminated fluid, they are pumped dry or nearly so on a continuous basis so that the collected fluid can be removed and treated.
With known pumping arrangements, once the fluid in the fluid source has been pumped down to a level below that of the suction pipe inlet, all of the remaining fluid in the pump suction pipe will either be drawn into the pump or will fall back into the fluid source due to a vacuum break in the suction pipe. When this situation occurs, the pump must be primed before pumping can be resumed as required (i.e. when the fluid level has risen above the suction pipe inlet). Pump priming involves filling the pump and suction pipe with fluid prior to starting the pump.
The continual loss of pump prime and the resultant necessity to re-prime the pump prior to each pump start greatly encumbers the removal of fluids from continuously replenished fluid sources. In the first place, pump priming is generally a manual operation. Although self-priming pumps exist, they typically do not possess sufficient priming capability to be of use in the removal of fluids from below-ground fluid sources. Thus, the removal operation cannot be automated. Instead, vigilant surveillance and frequent manipulation of the pumping operation is needed. When the level of fluid in the fluid source has been pumped down below the level of the suction pipe inlet (such that fluid is no longer being drawn into the pump), the pump must be shut off soon thereafter to avoid damage thereto. Surveillance is further needed to ensure that the pump is primed and switched on again at the appropriate time. Fluid removal operations from wells, sumps, and the like frequently take place at remote sites. Thus, the manual presence and involvement necessitated by the continuous loss of pump prime is quite burdensome, as well as inefficient. It would be highly desirable to be able to automate such fluid removal processes
Accordingly, it is seen that a need exists in the art for a means of removing fluids from a continuously replenished, below-ground fluid source which will maintain the prime of a pump positioned outside the fluid source so that the pump can be stopped and started without having to be primed each time. Such means would allow such fluid removal operations to be automated.


Apparatus for controlling dissemination of garments. First and second rotatable cassettes are provided, one of which is used to store clean garments, the other of which serves as a depository for soiled garments. Each of the rotatable cassettes has an access door which permits access to a shelf segment of each cassette. A processor is provided which will generate first and second actuating signals for unlocking the doors of the cassette. An actuating signal is generated by the processor when a card reader recognizes a user access card, and determines tht the user's account status is in order. Each time a deposit is received, or a clean garment dispensed, the user's account status is brought up to date, reflecting the transaction. Thus, users who have not returned garments, and have too many account debits may not receive a new garment.

There are a variety of industries and care facilities including hospitals and manufacturers of pharmaceutical and computer chips which require automatic garment or material dispensing systems. Specifically, they require an automatic dispensing system which permits an authorized user to obtain clean garments, as well as monitoring the dissemination of such garments, and which exchange soiled garments therefor.
To illustrate, hospitals generally require that doctors, nurses and assistants wear garments and scrub suits meeting specific cleanliness requirements. These requirements may dictate that the garments be changed and/or washed a number of times in the course of a 24 hour period. In addition, certain manufacturing industries also require garment specifications, particularly in the manufacture of pharmaceutical and computer chips. A particular clean room, for example, may require garments be cleaned to remove particles of 50, 100 or even 200 microns. These requirements present inventory control concerns in that first, specific garments must be issued to specific users and second, that a user can only enter a clean room once he has checked out the appropriate garment.
Traditionally, garments were simply folded and placed on laundry carts accessible to various users; or the carts were transported to an area, for example an operating room, locker room or scrub room, where the user could readily acquire a clean (or new) garment and discard the old garment. Such inventory control systems relied on an honor system which has proven unreliable in that some users often take multiple clean garments and fail to return the used or soiled garment; this results in economic hardships for the facility. Experience has shown that, on the average for every 100 sets of issued scrub wear, only 95 are returned constituting an approximate 5% daily loss in scrub wear garments or an annual loss for some institutions exceeding $100,000.00.
Since many facilities must have an inventory system but cannot justify the costs associated with honor systems, there is a need for a more controllable system. The system must be capable of issuing a specific garment to a specific user, monitoring if that particular user returns the garment either prior to picking up a clean garment or by a specific time designated by the system and, where different garments are required for different areas, that the user has checked out the appropriate garment prior to entering a controlled area.
Complicating the situation even further is that many hospitals (or other facilities) have often encountered growth rates ahead of their anticipated growth at the time of construction. It therefore becomes exceedingly difficult to designate appropriate and sufficient space to maintain a garment distribution system or center at a convenient location. Hence, it becomes important to have garment inventory control systems compact, convenient, easy to operate and inexpensive to maintain, load and relocate.
Automated inventory control systems are available in the industry. These systems dispense clean garments to authorized users who have been issued magnetic cards, or tokens, identifying these users to a dispensing machine as being authorized to receive one or more garments. These systems are most applicable in hospitals, wherein large quantities of scrub wear are routinely used and returned by hospital personnel for an exchange of clean scrub wear. However, such systems have generally been large, expensive and difficult to relocate.
Inventory control of scrub wear is further complicated by the fact that often garments cannot be marked to personalize them to individual users or, in some cases, the same hospital. Frequently, a hospital's central laundry vendor merely returns similar but not the same scrub wear.
Thus, any improvement in automatic inventory control systems which automatically dispense reusable garments, must necessarily efficiently process and credit the user for garments dispensed and returned without complete reliance on indicia-indicating tags or optically-read information on garments which deteriorates over the useful life of the garment.

Inventory control system for automatic dispensing