In a broadband wireless access system, when handover is performed while receiving data, a method of deferring IP address establishment procedures is provided to allow such data to be delivered between the base stations. When the terminal receiving downlink data moves from a first base station region to a second base station region, the first base station delivers the downlink data to the second base station, and the second base station uses a particular message to inform that there is data to be delivered to the terminal such that the IP address establishment of the terminal is deferred.

The present invention relates to a method of maintaining data service continuity in broadband (wideband) wireless (radio) access systems, in particular, to a method of establishing IP addresses of a mobile station for maintaining data service continuity during handover or in idle mode.
In general, in a broadband wireless (radio) access system, an idle mode for a mobile (or fixed) terminal (e.g., mobile station, mobile subscriber station (MSS), user terminal, user equipment (UE), etc.) is supported in order to minimize power consumption. In idle mode, a 'paging zone' is defined as the entire region that is handled by a plurality of bases station called a 'paging group' and all base station included within the same paging zone have the same paging cycle value (Paging_Cycle) and paging offset value (Paging_Offset).
The terminal may request to the base station for changing into idle mode, and the base station delivers its paging zone identification (Paging-group ID) and the paging cycle and paging offset associated thereto to the terminal to allow that terminal to change into idle mode state. During the idle mode, the terminal can determine whether to maintain or end its idle mode based upon the paging that is delivered in broadcast format from the base station at each paging period.
Additionally, when there is traffic (e.g., data, packets, etc.) that needs to be delivered by the terminal in idle mode, the terminal may end its idle mode at any time. Also, when a terminal in idle mode does not receive paging within a set period of time due to reasons such as moving into another paging zone, losing synchronization, etc., then the terminal ends its idle mode.
Hereafter, the procedures of a terminal transitioning into idle mode and a related art method of establishing an IP address when downlink data exists will be explained.
However in FIG. 1, a method of delivering downlink traffic (data) received by the terminal to a registered base station (BS), namely, from a previous base station (Serving BS) to a new base station (Target BS), is not defined in the related art. Also, even if a method of delivering data between base stations is defined, when the terminal re-establishes an IP address, the delivered data would be useless from the point of view of an application program in the terminal.
For example, in FIG. 1, if a terminal in idle mode moves into a paging zone and is within a zone of another base station BS#3, when downlink data arrives at the base station BS#1 that performed registration release for initially transitioning to the idle mode, the base station BS#3 informs the terminal to perform network entry through a paging message.
Then the data needs to be delivered from the base station BS#1 of which the terminal initially transitioned into idle mode to the base station BS#3 that currently received paging, but the related art does not define a method of such delivery.
Also, even if the above described problem is resolved, as shown in FIG. 2, in the related art, because the terminal performs IP address establishment (or re-establishment) upon receiving paging when there is downlink traffic (data), the received data is useless from the point of view of the terminal.
Accordingly, among the above-described operations in the related art, when there is traffic (data) that needs to be delivered to the terminal in idle mode, a method of receiving data without the terminal performing the IP establishment procedures is not defined.
Meanwhile, when performing handover in a broadband wireless access system, the terminal releases the connection with the base station that is in service (Serving BS), and performs handover to the targeted base station (Target BS) to which handover is to be made. When the terminal performs handover, a mobile terminal handover indicator (MOB_HO_IND) is delivered to the Serving BS, and if the handover indicator type (HO_IND_type) value is '00', this means that the Serving BS is released (Serving BS Release).
In the related art, if the handover indicator type (HO_IND_type) value is '00', Serving BS releases all connections and the state machine of the medium control layer (MAC) related to the terminal and the MAC PDUs (Protocol Data Units) can be ignored. Also, it is defined that the Serving BS can deliver the MAC state machine and MAC PDUs to the target base station (Target BS) for service continuity, or may be ignored by a request through a backbone message of the target base station. However, the particular operations that need to be performed for the terminal to receive such have not yet been specified.
Accordingly, the present invention defines the operations for receiving data delivered by the previous base station to the target base station after the terminal has moved.
FIGS. 3 and 4 depict two examples of performing handover by a mobile terminal. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, in the handover procedures according to a request of the terminal or a request of the base station, after the terminal performs initialization procedures for handover, a handover indicator (e.g., a MOB_HO_Indication) is transmitted to the base station (Serving BS) that is currently receiving service, and the relationship (connection) with the base station BS#1 receiving the service is released. Thereafter, the remaining procedures for accessing the target base station BS#3, namely, raging procedures and initial network entry, are performed by the terminal.
FIG. 5 depicts a format of a handover indicator (MOB_HO_Indication). When releasing the relationship (connection) with the base station BS#1 receiving service, the HO-IND-type is set as '00'.
However, as in the idle mode of the related art, if the serving base station delivers data to the target base station when the terminal performs handover, if the terminal that moved re-establishes the IP address during data reception, the received data become useless. Namely, as shown in FIG. 2, regardless of whether there is data being delivered after handover, the terminal immediately performs IP address establishment, and even if the delivered data is sent to the terminal, such data is useless from the point of view of the application program in the terminal. Thus, in such case, the time when IP address establishment should be performed needs to be clearly defined, but the related art fails to do so.

Performing handover by deferring IP address establishment


There is provided a semiconductor wafer treatment member in which the occurrence of slippage thereof is prevented and which has an adequate cohesiveness onto the semiconductor wafer and an excellent durability. The semiconductor wafer treatment member A of the present invention has at least a surface formed with a silicon carbide (SiC) film thereon, comprising a support portion for receiving a semiconductor wafer, said support portion being composed of salients with which said semiconductor wafer substantially comes into contact; and depressions formed with the silicon carbide (SiC) film to provide a coverage area between said salients, said salients being formed with top surfaces having a surface roughness Ra of 0.05 μm to 1.3 μm.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor wafer treatment member consisting of only a silicon carbide (SiC film) film thereon, or on the surface of the substrate having a silicon carbide film thereon, in other words, at least on the surface thereof and more particularly to a semiconductor wafer treatment member used as components in a jig for treating semiconductors such as wafer boards, susceptors, etc.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the process of the semiconductor manufacturing, it is a widely followed procedure to form a silicon nitride (Si3N4) or poly silicon thin film on the surface of semiconductor wafer. As a jig used to work on wafer boards for such thin film forming process, a quartz glass jig, or a jig having only a silicon carbide (SiC) film or a silicon carbide (SiC) film formed on carbon-impregnated, SiC-impregnated or SiC surfaces is used.
Such jigs composed of a semiconductor wafer treatment member having a SiC film formed on at least the surface thereof are widely used in CVD devices operated at a high temperature because of their better heat resistance cycle characteristics, better thermal shock resistance as compared to the quartz glass jig.
The film forming methods for obtaining a semiconductor wafer treatment member having a silicon carbide (SiC) film thereon on the surface thereof include (1) a method in which raw material gases of silicon and carbon origins are introduced into the reactor from outside to be heated at a normal pressure or a reduced pressure; or (2) a method in which, for the substrate being made of carbon, a raw material gas of silicon origin is introduced into the reactor from outside to be heated at a normal pressure or a reduced pressure.
The silicon carbide (SiC) film formed by chemical vapor deposition as discussed above is formed with serrations in the surface thereof. Although random in size, said serrations are formed of part of sharp crystal grains. FIGS. 4 and 5 provide general views thereof; FIG. 4 is an explanatory plan view and FIG. 5 is an explanatory view in cross section of the surface thereof. It is to be noted that the black areas show depressions while the white areas show salients.
In FIG. 5, the character B denotes a substrate of for example carbon with a CVD silicon carbide (SiC) film C. Further, said silicon carbide (SiC) film has salients 1 formed with serrations having sharp edges 1 which are part of crystal grains.
When the semiconductor wafer treatment member having this surface as described above is used for semiconductor wafer manufacturing, the serrations having sharp salients 1 generate mechanical or thermal stresses to cause the semiconductor wafer to be flawed or slippery.
In order to solve this problem, the (top) surface of the silicon carbide film (SiC film) is subjected to grinding on the machine platen after formation of the silicon carbide film to remove said edges of the serrations and obtain a mirror surface. The explanatory view of an obtained surface is shown in FIG. 6, which is a cross section to show the surface state thereof.
In this way, the silicon carbide (SiC) film polished into a mirror surface shows a strong contact characteristic to such an extent that the semiconductor wafer adheres to the silicon carbide film to give rise to a problem that the semiconductor wafer adheres to the silicon carbide when the semiconductor wafer placed there is to be taken out. Therefore, the semiconductor wafer is subjected to blasting after the grinding operation in order to have an optimum cohesion characteristic against the semiconductor wafer. In order to realize this purpose, the optimum irregularities are formed after the mirror surface grinding.
It is to be noted that said silicon carbide (SiC) film polished into a mirror surface undergoes mechanical external force at the entire surface thereof due to the grinding on the machine platen.
Further, the silicon carbide (SiC) film subjected to blasting after the mirror grinding to form an optimum irregularities receives a mechanical external force at the entire surface thereof.
The surface of the silicon carbide (SiC) undergoing such mechanical force from outside has minute microcracks especially in the grain boundary of the SiC crystal as well as damaged portions unobservable by visual check. Consequently, if the semiconductor wafer is subjected to the dry washing by oxygen baking or the like or the wet washing by hydrogen fluoride (HF) or the like prior or subsequently to the semiconductor wafer treatment, the degradation of said silicon carbide (SiC) film starts from said microcracks or cracks accompanying the growth of the damage, providing contributing factors of shortening of the service life of the semiconductor treatment member. Further, such cracks, once formed, give rise to problems that the substrate emits gases containing impurities such as carbon monoxide or carbon hydride, contaminating the semiconductor wafer to be treated.


Shared locks are employed for controlling a thread which extends across more than one protocol layer in a data processing system. The use of a counter is used as part of a data structure which makes it possible to implement shared locks across multiple layers. The use of shared locks avoids the processing overhead usually associated with lock acquisition and release. The thread which is controlled may be initiated in either an upper layer protocol or in a lower layer.

The present invention is generally directed to the control of process threads in a data processing system. More particularly, the present invention is directed to the control of process threads that extend across protocol layers. Even more particularly, the present invention is directed to the use of locking mechanisms which have low impact on system performance but which still provide safe thread and data handling.
As used herein, a "mutual exclusion lock," or just "lock" for short, is a synchronization service which is employed in data processing systems and which is used to ensure exclusive access to data shared between threads so that shared data is always seen by the threads in a consistent state.
Protocol layering is a common approach to building complex communication protocols. However, the resulting layer structure is also criticized for its performance overhead. One of the typical overhead "hits" incurred in thread-safe protocol layering is double locking. This means that lock mechanisms are invoked in multiple layers for a single thread. There is no coordination of locking between layers. Yet locking mechanisms are still required for process and data integrity.
Solely for the purposes of clarity and consistency in the present description, in the protocol layering discussions herein, the protocol above is defined to be the upper layer protocol (ULP) and the protocol below is defined to be the lower layer protocol. Both the upper and the lower layer protocols use locking to guarantee thread safety. A user's call to the upper layer protocol's Application Program Interface (API) typically results in the following exemplary down-call sequence.
The upper layer protocol:
1. Acquire ULP lock
2. Request/Event/Data preprocessing
3. Release ULP lock
4. Call to the lower layer protocol's API
The lower layer protocol:
4.1 Acquire LLP lock
4.2 Request/Event/Data processing
4.3 Release LLP lock
4.4 Return to the upper layer protocol
The upper layer protocol:
5. Reacquire ULP lock
6. Request/Event/Data postprocessing
7. Release ULP lock
8. Return to the user
Also, the lower layer protocol can handle synchronous/asynchronous events and generates callbacks to the upper layer protocol, resulting in the following exemplary up-call sequence.
The lower layer protocol:
1. Acquire LLP lock
2. Event preprocessing
3. Release LLP lock
4. Callback to the upper layer protocol
The upper layer protocol:
4.1. Acquire ULP lock to protect the upper layer protocol's data structure
4.2. Event processing
4.3. Release ULP lock before returning to the lower layer protocol
4.4. Return to the lower layer protocol
The lower layer protocol:
5. Reacquire LLP lock
6. Event postprocessing
7. Release LLP lock
8. End of event handling
It is also pointed out that up-call sequences and down-call sequences may be embedded in each other, depending on whether the layering allows it or not. Clearly, both sequences (threads or thread portions) acquire and/or release two locks. This is a very expensive operation in terms of the utilization of system time and resources. On some systems it is worse than others but often depends on the application itself. It also can be argued that Steps 3 and 5 in the two scenarios shown above are not necessary because there is no circular dependency (for example, with an up-call holding lock B and waiting for lock A while a down-call is holding lock A and is waiting for lock B). In this situation there is no deadlock situation.

Sharing lock mechanism between protocol layers

International Business Machines Corporation


Systems, methods, and processing nodes for limiting connection requests from wireless devices instruct certain wireless devices to stop sending connection requests or to turn off a radio of the wireless devices, based on a determination that the wireless device is not authorized to access the wireless network. Thus, resource consumption associated with signaling overhead is minimized.

Wireless devices are increasingly used for applications other than telephone calls. For example, today's smartphones are used as computing devices and web interfaces, connecting to Wi-Fi networks and utilizing services such as VoIP, etc. Such functionality may be enabled by various radios on the wireless device, which typically include a cellular radio, a data radio, a Wi-Fi radio, and a BLUETOOTH radio, among others. However, most wireless devices are primarily programmed as cellular phones, in that they periodically or repeatedly attempt to connect to cellular networks via their cellular radios. For wireless devices that are not registered with a cellular network, or for wireless devices intended on being used as computing devices connected over Wi-Fi or other networks, these connection attempts can cause unnecessary network traffic across the wireless network as they would be denied. The battery life of wireless devices is wasted in such repeated attempts. Further, a user wishing to avoid connecting to cellular networks must manually turn off a wireless device cellular radio to avoid wasting network and power resources.

Limiting connection requests from wireless devices


A plurality of retaining grooves for rolling members are arranged in the inner cylinder. The retaining grooves have semicircular bottom halves and top halves having sector-shaped sections diverging radially outwardly. The rolling members are accommodated in the bottom halves of the retaining grooves and grease fills the top halves. Then, the inner cylinder is fit into the outer cylinder. In rotating the bearing, the rolling members are rotated by the bottom halves of the retaining grooves serving as a sliding bearing and rolled on the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder. When a heavy load is applied, the rolling members are pushed down to the same level as the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder, thereby distributing and supporting the load by the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder and the rolling members. Therefore, the present invention can provide a roller bearing which is made compact by omitting the retainer for the rolling members and which exhibits good lubrication performance and endurance, avoiding vibration and noises.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sliding roller bearing obtained by improvement of a small roller bearing comprising inner and outer cylinders and a plurality of cylindrical rollers which are circumferentially spaced apart from each other intervening between inner and outer cylinders.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a roller bearing is characterized in that rolling members, such as balls and rollers, used as machine elements susceptible to a load are rolled between inner and outer races. The typical examples of this type of bearing are shown as follows; a conventionally known ball bearing in FIG. 5; a cylindrical roller bearing in FIG. 6; a shell type needle roller bearing in which the needle rollers roll between the outer race and the shaft in FIGS. 7 and 8; and a solid type needle roller bearing in which the needle rollers roll between inner and outer rollers in FIG. 9. The foregoing conventional roller bearings are constructed such that the rollers rotate and revolve, thus withstanding a load by rolling contact.
In the needle roller bearing among the above-mentioned roller bearings, the needle rollers are retained by a retainer and intervene between the shaft and the outer race, or between the inner and outer races. When the thin needle rollers, that is the needles, rotate, they are likely to skewed and further twisted, thus impairing endurance and causing noises and vibration.
Also, when hardened thin needles are used for a conventional bearing with a view to increasing loadcarrying capacity, stress occurring on a contact point is likely to increase locally. Hence, the load cannot be supported completely only by rolling the rollers. Further, when the shaft diameter is small, the number of needles for supporting the shaft is inevitably decreased, and therefore, the carrying capacity per one needle must be increased.
Concerning lubrication, the use of the needle roller bearing in the oil causes no problem, whereas grease lubrication easily causes grease scattering, thus impairing endurance. On the other hand, the use of a seal also causes some problems such as the enlargement of the periphery of the bearing and troublesome handling.

Sliding roller bearing having rolling members


There is disclosed a silver halide photographic emulsion, which comprises silver halide tabular grains that have {100} planes as principal planes and have the following features, the emulsion being subjected to chemical sensitization: (a) 50% or more of the projected areas of the tabular grains is attributed to tabular grains having an aspect ratio of 2 or more, (b) each of the tabular grains has a mixed crystal region containing, in addition to main halide ions, different halide ions in an amount of 0.01 mol % or more, but 25 mol % or less, in the nucleus part and/or in part of the growth part or in the whole of the grown part, and (c) when the principal planes of the tabular grains are observed using a transmission-type electron microscope, one or more, but ten or less, dislocation lines are observed on the principal planes of each grain of 50% or more of the tabular grains. The photographic emulsion, in which dislocation is fixed in grains even after the growth and post-ripening processes, is high in aspect ratio and monodispersibility of grains.

Presently, commercially available silver halide color photographic light-sensitive materials, and methods for forming an image using them, diversify variously and are used in various fields.
For the purpose of attaining high sensitivity, the halogen composition of the silver halide emulsions used in these many light-sensitive materials is usually silver iodobromide or silver chloroiodobromide, mainly made up of silver bromide in many cases, and it has now become a trend that tabular silver halide grains that have various merits because of their shape are used.
On the other hand, the demand for rapid processing for color photographic light-sensitive materials has increased more and more in recent years, and to meet the demand it is required to provide a silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material whose silver halide emulsion is made up mainly of silver chloride.
As a known technique in which a silver halide emulsion is made up mainly of silver chloride, silver chloride tabular grains whose principal planes are {100} planes are disclosed, for example, in JP-A ("JP-A" means unexamined published Japanese patent application) No. 204073/1993. When these grains are used in silver halide color photographic light-sensitive materials, they are expected to be excellent in rapid processibility and advantageous in the attainment of high sensitivity. The mechanism of anisotropic growth of these tabular grains having {100} planes is disclosed in the Journal of Crystal Growth 23 (1974) 207-213 and JP-A No. 59360/1994, which suggest that they are caused by dislocation present in the grains. However, since, up to the present, no report has been made in which the dislocation is observed after post-ripening, it seems that this dislocation disappears during growth of the {100} tabular grain formation or during post-ripening. Thus, it is the present state of the art that the graininess and photographic properties of tabular grains when the dislocation is purposely made to be present in the grains after the growth process and after completion of the post-ripening process, are not known at all up to the present.

Silver halide photographic emulsion and method for producing the same


A digital signal processing system utilizes an internal filter of a delta-sigma modulator in a novel manner to implement both the integration functions of the delta-sigma modulator and a decimation function. Using the internal filter to combine integration and decimation functions can eliminate the need for a separate decimation filter. The combination of integration and decimation functions can also improve signal-to-noise ratio by improving low-pass filtering performance.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to the field of signal processing, and more specifically to a system and method for using an internal filter of a delta-sigma modulator to provide integration and decimation functions.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many signal processing systems, such as audio signal processing systems, utilize delta-sigma modulators to provide output data with a high, in-band signal to noise ratio ("SNR"). FIG. 1 depicts a conventional digital signal processing ("DSP") system 100 for processing a signal source 102 into a digital signal. For example, the DSP system 100 can be used to perform high quality encoding of super audio compact disk ("SACD") data. Analog-to-digital converter ("ADC") 104 receives an input signal from the signal source 102 and converts the signal into a digital signal represented by discrete digital data sampled at a particular sampling frequency, fs. It is well known that operating at large multiples of the sampling frequency spreads typical noise signals across a larger frequency band, thus improving SNR. This is particularly true for audio signals because audio signals reside in a relatively small baseband between 0 Hz and 25 kHz. Currently, a typical ADC 104 operates at 128 times ("*") fs, and operational frequencies are expected to increase to 256*fs and beyond over time.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, some DSP systems utilize one-bit output data and others utilize multi-bit output data. For example, SACD uses one-bit output data to encode high fidelity audio signals. The ADC 104 typically provides a multi-bit output. DSP system 100 utilizes delta-sigma modulator 108 to provide a high, in-band SNR and to provide a one-bit output when desired. The delta-sigma modulator 108 operates at a lower frequency than ADC 104, such as 64*fs. Additionally, as depicted in FIG. 2, much of the noise energy 202 in the output data of ADC 104 resides near the Nyquist frequency. Thus, decimation filter 106 down samples the output data from ADC 104 and provides a low-pass filter with a frequency response. Without low-pass filtering of the output data from ADC 104, significant noise energy near the pre-decimation Nyquist frequency would fold down into the signal baseband.
Delta-sigma modulator 108 includes an L-order loop filter 110 that includes a series of integration stages to shape the noise in the decimated output data out of the baseband. Delta-sigma modulator 108 also includes a 1 or multi-bit quantizer 112 to provide a series of output bits representative of the baseband input signal by quantizing the output data of loop filter 110 and providing feedback to loop filter 110 in a well-known manner. "Delta-sigma modulators" are also commonly referred to using other interchangeable terms such as "sigma-delta modulators", "delta-sigma converters", "sigma delta converters", and "noise shapers".
FIG. 3 depicts a simulated response of DSP system 100 in the frequency domain when decimating from 128*fs to 64*fs for 128*fs equal to approximately 6 MHz. The z-domain transfer function, H(z), of decimation filter 106 is H(z)=(1+z−1)/2, which represents a two sample averaging filter. Other transfer functions can be used. The peak quantization noise 302 near the Nyquist frequency of 3 MHz dropped to approximately −40 dB. FIG. 4 depicts an amplified view of the peak quantization noise 302 in the top 20 kHz, which is the energy that would be folded back due to aliasing.
Several problems exist with DSP system 100. For example, use of the decimation filter 106 requires additional processing resources that could be used for other operations and/or occupy additional integrated chip area. Additional noise reduction of noise that will fold into the baseband is advantageous.

Delta sigma modulator with integral decimation


An apparatus can include a support portion of a connector and at least a portion of wire component coupled to a first side of the support portion. The apparatus can include a protrusion portion have a distal portion, a proximal portion, and an opening disposed between the distal portion and the proximal portion. The proximal portion can be coupled to a second side of the support portion, and the protrusion portion can have a width tapering from the proximal portion to the distal portion. A contact can be disposed in the protrusion portion and can have a surface exposed to an ambient environment through the opening.

Many known computing devices can have one or more receptacles to which one or more connectors can be coupled (e.g., inserted). Receptacles and connectors can function as conduits through which signals, power, etc. can be communicated to and/or from outside sources (e.g., external peripherals) to the computing devices. As a specific example, a computing device can be supplied with power through a connector of an electrical cord of a power adapter that can be inserted into a receptacle included within a housing of the computing device.
Because connectors of an electrical cord are often coupled to an external source, the connectors and/or electrical cords including the connectors can be exposed to unintentionally applied external forces. For example, a connector inserted into a receptacle within a housing of a computing device can extend from the housing of the computing device. The connector, because it extends from the housing of the computing device, can be unintentionally hit and/or pulled by a user of the computing device and/or object that can cause damage to the connector and/or the receptacle into which the connector is inserted. Thus, a need exists for systems, methods, and apparatus to address the shortfalls of present technology and to provide other new and innovative features.

Methods and apparatus related to receptacles and releasable connectors


A system operates to adaptively control the stability of an on-frequency repeater. A unique signature is imposed on RF signals transmitted by the repeater, and RF signals received by the repeater analyzed to detect signal components corresponding to the signature. The signature and the detected signal components are correlated by a micro-controller, which operates in accordance with an Adaptive Control Algorithm to adjust the ERP of RF signals transmitted by the repeater to limit signal leakage and thereby control the stability of the repeater.

In the modern communications space, wireless access networks are increasingly popular, as they enable subscribers to access communications services without being tied to a fixed, wireline communications device. Conventional wireless access network infrastructure (e.g., base stations) is typically "built out", by a network service provider, using a network-centric approach. Thus the build-out normally begins with major Metropolitan Service Areas (MSAs) using base stations located at the center of overlapping coverage areas or "cells". The build-out, and corresponding wireless communications services, subsequently migrates outward from the MSAs to areas of lower population/service densities (e.g., urban to suburban to rural, etc.). At some point, usually dictated by economics, the build-out slows and/or becomes spotty leaving many individual wireless subscribers with unreliable or non-existent service.
On-frequency repeaters are known in the art for improving wireless services within defined regions of a wireless network (e.g., within a building or a built-up area). Such on-frequency repeaters are typically provides by the wireless network provider in order to improve signal quality in high noise or attenuation environments, where signal levels would otherwise be too low for satisfactory quality of service. In some cases, a wireless network provider may install a repeater in order to improve service in an area lying at an edge of the coverage area serviced by a base station, thereby effectively extending the reach of the base-station.
Prior art repeaters are part of a network-centric, view of the wireless network space, in that they are comparatively large systems provided by the network provider in order to improve wireless service to multiple subscribers within a defined area. As such, they form part of the network "build-out plan" of the network provider. These systems suffer the disadvantage in that an individual subscriber cannot benefit from the improved services afforded by the repeater unless they happen to be located within the coverage area of the repeater. However, there are many instances in which wireless subscribers may reside or work in areas where the coverage area of the wireless network is unreliable. Typical examples include mobile subscribers, and subscribers located in suburban and rural areas. Also, in-building coverage can be unreliable even within MSAs, depending on the size, location and construction of buildings and/or other obstacles. In such cases, it may be uneconomical for a network provider to build-out the network to provide adequate coverage, thereby leaving those subscribers with inadequate wireless services.
Accordingly, Applicant's co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/809,218, filed on Mar. 16, 2001 and entitled Adaptive Personal Repeater, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, provides a method and apparatus that enables an individual subscriber to cost-effectively access high quality wireless communications services, independently of the location of the subscriber. The Adaptive Personal Repeater (APR) transparently mediates signaling between a subscriber's wireless communications device (WCD) and a transceiver (base station) of a wireless communications network. The APR includes a Directional Donor Unit (DDU) and a Subscriber Coverage Unit (SCU). The DDU maintains a network link with the base station of the wireless communications network. The SCU maintains a local link with the WCD within a personal wireless space of the APR. Total system gain is divided between., and integrated with, the DDU and the SCU, so that a separate gain and system control unit is not required. This division of system gain also enables high-performance on-frequency repeater functionality to be obtained without the use of high-cost components and building blocks.
As described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/809,218, the APR represents a subscriber-centric solution for improving wireless services as required by one or more subscribers, and in a manner that is transparent to the network. However, in order to provide this functionality, it is necessary for the repeater to provide sufficient system gain in each of the uplink and downlink paths to compensate for propagation losses in these paths. On the other hand, if the system gain (in either the uplink or downlink paths) is too high, signal leakage between the two antennas will cause system oscillation. In principle, system stability can be obtained by ensuring that the antenna isolation is equal to or less than the system gain. However, in practice, the antenna isolation is difficult to predict (due to signal reflections in the environment within which the antennas are located), and will frequently change over time. Accordingly, conventional on-frequency repeaters are normally adjusted to provide a total system gain of about 10–15 db less than the antenna isolation, it order to provide an unconditionally stable system that precludes oscillation (even in a changing RF environment). This high (10–15 db) margin between antenna isolation and system gain is commonly achieved by limiting and sacrificing system gain, which significantly decreases the sensitivity (and thus efficiency) of the repeater.
Typically, antenna isolation and system gain are adjusted by service personnel during installation and set-up of the repeater unit, in order to achieve satisfactory performance. However, this is labor-intensive, iterative operation requiring skilled technicians using specialized equipment. This increases the cost and complexity of installing and maintaining the repeater, and thereby greatly discourages individual subscribers from acquiring a repeater for their personal use.
As is well known in the art, base stations and repeaters will frequently have overlapping coverage areas. Where one or more transmitters have overlapping coverage areas, signals from each of the transmitters will tend to interfere with one another. In particular, at locations within the overlapping coverage area where the phase difference between signals propagating from each transmitter approaches zero degrees, the signals will tend to interfere constructively, thereby increasing the signal power received by a subscriber's wireless communications device. Conversely, as the phase difference approaches 180°, the signals will interfere destructively to thereby reduce the signal power received by the subscriber's wireless communications device.
As may be appreciated, the extent of destructive interference will be a function of both signal amplitude and phase of each of the interfering signals. In particular, destructive interference increases as the phase difference approaches 180°, and as the difference between the signal powers approaches zero. Thus, when the signal powers are equal and the phase difference is 180°, the two signals will exactly cancel one another so that subscriber's wireless communications device will not receive any signal at all. Even when interfering signals do not completely cancel one another, destructive interference can sufficiently reduce the received signal power to prevent successful wireless communications. A region within which this occurs is referred to as a spatial null.
The geographical locations of spatial nulls within the coverage area of the network generally depend on the number, location and effective radiated power (ERP) of each transmitter serving an area, as well as the characteristics of the propagation paths from each of the transmitters. Because of the large number of variables, it is frequently difficult to predict the location of spatial nulls within the coverage area of a network. Accordingly, wireless network providers frequently do little to find and mitigate spatial nulls. Most subscribers are unaware of the existence of spatial nulls, and thus are confronted by unexplained interruptions in communications as they move from one location to another.
Accordingly, a method and system capable of enhancing wireless access by adaptively controlling system stability and mitigating spatial nulls, at a moderate cost, remains highly desirable.

Coverage area signature in an on-frequency repeater


A method for performing mobile communications may include comparing a received digitized signal with a local reference synchronization sequence to generate a plurality of candidate timing estimates. Each of the plurality of candidate timing estimates may represent an estimated temporal location of a synchronization sequence in the received digitized signal. The method may further include demodulating the received digitized signal according to each of the plurality of candidate timing estimates to produce a plurality of reliability metrics, wherein each of the plurality of reliability metrics may be associated with one of the plurality of candidate timing estimates. The method may additionally include selecting one of the plurality of candidate timing estimates as a selected timing estimate based on a comparison between one or more of the plurality of reliability metrics and performing synchronized mobile communications using the selected timing estimate and a frequency offset value associated with the selected timing estimate.

Mobile communication networks require a high degree of synchronization between a User Equipment (UE) and a base station (BS) in order to in order to effectively support wireless transmission and reception. Network configurations that use orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) schemes for wireless transmission, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE), are particularly sensitive to synchronization mismatch. Accordingly, it is imperative to establish and maintain proper synchronization of wireless communications between a UE and an Evolved NodeB (eNodeB) in an LTE network.
Current LTE networks utilize OFDM for downlink transmissions, and consequently the reception of wireless signals by a UE must be closely synchronized with the corresponding transmission of the wireless signals by a cell located at a nearby eNodeB. Both timing synchronization and carrier frequency synchronization are vital to effective wireless communication.
Due to the potential the asynchronous transmission timing schedules between cells in LTE networks and signal propagation delays from different cells, a UE attempting to receive downlink signals from an cell must obtain timing synchronization. This may be conventionally performed using synchronization sequences such as Primary Synchronization Signals (PSSs) and Secondary Synchronization Signals (SSSs) that are periodically transmitted by a transmitting cell at an eNodeB. In addition to containing important information detailing the identity of a transmitting cell, these PSSs and SSSs may be used to align the downlink reception schedule of a UE with the corresponding downlink transmission schedule from a particular cell. A UE may subsequently receive downlink transmissions and perform uplink transmissions to and from a cell using the newly synchronized timing schedule. Due to the sensitive nature of OFDM-based systems, small inaccuracies in timing synchronization may result in significant performance degradation. Acquisition of accurate timing synchronization information is thus an essential element to effective network operation.
Carrier frequency synchronization is similarly vital to LTE network performance. Carrier frequency synchronization may be necessary due imperfections in receiver and transmitter oscillators as well as Doppler shifts. These oscillator imperfections may result in a carrier frequency offset, in which the carrier frequency used by a receiver to demodulate a wirelessly modulated signal does not match the carrier frequency used by the transmitter. The resulting carrier frequency offset may be addressed by identifying a carrier frequency offset value and performing appropriate compensations on the receiver side.
Utilizing a high quality local oscillator in a UE for carrier frequency generation may reduce the degree of carrier frequency offset, thereby improving synchronization. However, component ageing as well as the use of poor precision quality parts for cost reduction purposes may result in local oscillator deviations upwards of 20 parts per million (ppm) from a target value. Additionally, new applications of LTE communications in a variety of machine devices from pacemakers to car keys (e.g. for Internet of Things (IoT)) has resulted in the adoption of standards (e.g. by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project, or 3GPP) that allow for the use of low-cost oscillators with accuracy of +/−10 ppm. These relatively high local oscillator inaccuracies therefore require a robust timing and frequency synchronization scheme for LTE receiver devices that are capable of tolerating a large frequency offset.
The LTE standard has adopted the use of Zadoff-Chu sequences as the aforementioned PSSs used for UE to cell synchronization. While utilization of these sequences offers a variety of benefits such as reduced interference between cells, the sequences themselves are also uniquely susceptible to carrier frequency offset. High levels of carrier frequency offset may significantly affect performance (due to e.g. damage of the autocorrelation property of Zadoff-Chu sequences), and accordingly it is imperative that carrier frequency offset be appropriately compensated for.
A conventional method of identifying and subsequently addressing carrier frequency offset involves identifying several different carrier frequency offset hypotheses in a presumed range of possible carrier frequency offset values. Cell search and measurement is performed following by Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH) decoding. Timing and carrier frequency offset values may then be determined based on the results, and subsequently used for synchronization purposes.
However, each hypothesis test can take up to several hundred milliseconds to complete PBCH decoding, and accordingly this process suffers from long latency. This long latency badly deteriorates the user experience for a variety of scenarios, such as e.g. a UE waking up from sleep state. Consequently, a simultaneously low-cost and low-latency approach is desired to obtain proper synchronization information.

Method for performing mobile communications and mobile terminal device


Disclosed are methods, compositions and uses of bone precursor cells. Bone precursor cells are cells which are not hematopietic and which can differentiate into osteoblasts upon exposure to a bone growth factor and deposit calcium into the extracellular matrix. In addition, methods of differentiating bone precursor cells into osteoblasts are disclosed. Bone precursor cells are useful in the treatment of certain bone related disorders and diseases such as, promoting fracture repair.

The rate of bone fractures in the United States is estimated at 6,000,000 individuals per year. In 1984 (Holbrock et al., 1984) these injuries resulted in a direct cost (i.e., excluding loss of income) of $17,000,000,000 per year. When a bone is completely fractured, a significant number of fractures require medical intervention beyond simple immobilization (casting), particularly those involving trauma. A major problem in such instances is the lack of proximity of the two bone ends (referred to as non-union). This results in an inappropriate and prolonged repair process, which may prevent recovery. The average length of time for the body to repair a fracture is 25-100 days, for moderate load-bearing, and one year for complete repair. Thus, both simple fractures and medically complicated breaks would benefit from novel therapeutic modalities which accelerate and/or complete the repair process. The same is true for those bone diseases (referred to as osteopenias) which result in a thinning of the bone the primary symptom of which is an often-debilitating fracture.
Primary Osteoporosis is an increased, progressive bone loss which accompanies the aging process. As such, it represents significant health risk in the United States which greater than 15 million Americans suffering from primary (idiopathic) osteoporosis resulting in a direct cost of $6,000,000,000 per year (Holbrock et al., 1984). Primary osteoporosis is the most common of the metabolic bone disease, and some 40,000-50,000 fracture-related deaths per year are attributed to this disorder. This mortality rate is greater than deaths due to cancer of the breast and uterus, combined. Significantly, this disorder, which is one of the osteopenias, is asymptomatic until a bone fracture occurs. Affected individuals typically fracture the radius, femoral head, or collapse vertebrae. Osteoporosis has a greater impact on the female population with larger numbers of women than men struck by this disorder, and a significant increase in the rate of osteoporosis occurs post-menopause. The rate of osteoporosis in these women is slowed but not ameliorated by estrogen replacement therapy. Indeed, there is no convincing medical evidence that any treatment is successful in restoring lost bone mass of any kind. Given the aging of the American population, patients with osteoporosis also represent a significant target population for effective and novel bone therapies.
There is no current treatment for lost bone mass, including various growth-promoting proteins and Vitamin D.sub.3. Likewise, there is no effective replacement or implant for non-union fractures or crush injuries of the bone. Currently, these latter types of injury utilize bovine (cow), or human cadaver bone which is chemically treated (to remove proteins) in order to prevent rejection. However, such bone implants, while mechanically important, are biologically dead (they do not contain bone-forming cells, growth factors, or other regulatory proteins). Thus, they do not greatly modulate the repair process. All of these concerns demonstrate a great need for new or novel forms of bone therapy.
Bone development results from the proliferation of mesenchymal cells, their differentiation into osteogenic progenitor cells, and the eventual calcification of cartilage and bone extracellular matrix (Urist et al., 1983). Human bone marrow contains a distinct cell population that expresses bone proteins and responds to growth factor .beta.1 (TGF-.beta.), but not to hematopoietic growth factors (Long et al., 1990).
Little information exists concerning the growth factors or cytokines controlling development of bone precursor cells (osteoprogenitor cells and preosteoblasts) into their differentiated progeny, the osteoblasts. Likewise, few studies address the impact of extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules on this stage of human bone cell development, or the impact of aging on either of these two areas. In the past, human bone cells (both precursor cells and osteoblasts) have been technically difficult to acquire and purification/characterization studies or protocols were few in number. Additionally, current in vitro models of bone formation are limited as the use of post-fetal mesenchymal tissue to generate bone cells often results in chondrogenesis, but is inadequate for osteogenesis, (Urist et al., 1983). Thus, information concerning the cellular activation signals, differentiation, and bone matrix production during the early phases of human bone cell development is limited, at best.
The regulation of chondro-osteogenic gene activation is induced during bone morphogenesis by an accumulation of extracellular and intracellular signals. (Urist et al., 1983). Importantly, extracellular signals are known to be transferred from both cytokines and extracellular matrix molecules (Urist et al., 1983), to responding cell surface receptor(s) resulting in eventual bone formation. The formation of bone occurs by two mechanisms. Direct development of bone from mesenchymal cells (referred to as intramembranous ossification; as observed in skull formation) occurs when mesenchymal cells directly differentiate into bone tissue. The second type of bone formation (the endochondral bone formation of skeletal bone) occurs via an intervening cartilage model.
The development and growth of long bones thus results from the proliferation of mesenchymal cells, their differentiation into osteogenic progenitor cells and (then) osteoblasts, cartilage deposition, and eventual calcification of the cartilage and/or bone matrix. Concurrently, bone is remodeled to form a tubular bone space in which hematopoietic cell differentiation occurs. Interestingly, the number of osteoprogenitor cells in adult bone seems too small to replace all of the large mass of bone normally remodeled in the process of aging of skeleton. (Urist et al., 1983). Our observations (vide infra) confirm this concept by showing that one (unexpected) source of osteoprogenitor cells is the bone marrow. This reduced progenitor cell number also implies that there is a disassociation of bone progenitor cell recruitment from subsequent osteogenic activation and bone deposition, and further suggests multiple levels of regulation in this process.
One of the central issues concerning bone formation regards the developmental lineages of the bone cell types, namely the osteoblast and the osteoclast. There is adequate evidence to suggest that osteoblasts arise from local mesenchymal cell populations, and that osteoclasts are derived from blood-born monocyte/macrophage cells. Fischman and Haye first demonstrated that monocytes fused to form osteoclasts in regenerating newt limbs (Fishman et al., 1962). Although the role of macrophage fusion remains controversial (Hattersley et al., 1989 and Horton et al., 1985), further evidence for the blood-born origin of the osteoclast was pioneered by LeDouarin using a chick:quail chimera in which nuclear morphology allows clear distinction of cell derivation. These studies conclusively demonstrated that osteoblasts and osteocytes are derived from the limb bud mesenchyma whereas osteoclasts arise from blood-born hematopoietic cells (Jotereau et al., 1978 and Le Douarin, 1973). The importance of these observations was subsequently shown by the successful cure (by osteoclasts) of osteopetrosis utilizing bone marrow transplantation in both animals (Ash et al, 1980), and humans (Coccia et al, 1980). While such data conclusively show the hematogenous origin of the osteoclast, little knowledge exists on the nature or location of the stem cell population(s) capable of differentiating into bone-forming osteoblasts.
Like other developing tissues, bone responds to bone-specific, and other soluble growth factors. TGF-.beta. is a member of a family of polypeptide growth regulators which affects cell growth and differentiation during developmental processes such as embryogenesis and tissue repair (Sporn et al., 1985). TGF-.beta. strongly inhibits proliferation of normal and tumor-derived epithelial cells, blocks adipogenesis, myogenesis, and hematopoiesis (Sporn et al., 1985). However, in bone, TGF-.beta. is a positive regulator. TGF-.beta. is localized in active centers of bone differentiation (cartilage canals and osteocytes) (J. Massague, 1987), and TGF-.beta. is found in high quantity in bone--suggesting that bone contains the greatest total amount of TGF-.beta. (J. Massague, 1987 and Gehron Robey et al., 1987. During bone formation, TGF-.beta. also promotes chondrogenesis (J. Massague, 1987)--an effect presumably related to its ability to stimulate the deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) components (Ignotz et al., 1986). Besides stimulating cartilage formation, TGF-.beta. is synthesized and secreted in bone cell cultures, and stimulates the growth of sub-confluent layers of fetal bovine bone cells, thus showing it to be an autocrine regulator of bone cell development (Sporn et al., 1985).
In addition to TGF-.beta., other growth factors or cytokines are implicated in bone development. Urist and co-workers have been able to isolate various regulatory proteins which function in both in vivo and in vitro models (Urist et al., 1983). Bone morphogenic protein (BMP), originally an extract of demineralized human bone matrix, has now been cloned (Wozney et al., 1988), and when implanted in vivo results in a sequence of events leading to functional bone formation (Wozney et al., 1988 and Muthukumaran et al., 1985). The implanting of BMP is followed by mesenchymal cell migration to the area of the implant, differentiation into bone progenitor cells, deposition of new bone, and subsequent bone remodeling to allow the establishment of bone marrow (Muthukmaran et al., 1985). A number of additional growth factors exist which regulate bone development. In particular, bone-derived growth factors (BDGF) stimulate bone cells to proliferate in serum-free media. (Hanamura et al., 1980 and Linkhart et al., 1986). However, these factors seem to function at a different level from BMP (Urist et al., 1983).
The extracellular matris (ECM) varies in its tissue composition throughout the body, consisting of various components such as collagen, proteoglycan, and glycoprotein. (Wicha et al., 1982). Numerous studies point to the influences of ECM in promoting cellular development. Gospodarowicz et al. demonstrated that ECM, the natural substrate surrounding cells in vivo, greatly affects corneal epithelial cell proliferation in vitro (D. Gospodarowicz and C Ill, 1980 and Gospodaroiwcz et al., 1980). Studies by Reh et al. show that extracellular components such as laminin are involved in inductive interactions which give rise to retinal and retinal pigmented endothelium (Reh et al., 1987). Also, differentiation and growth of mammary epithelial cells are profoundly influenced by ECM components, and mammary cell growth in vivo and in vitro requires type IV collagen (Wicha et al., 1982), Finally, studies from one of the inventor's laboratories show that bone marrow ECM also plays a major role in hematopoiesis in that complex ECM extracts greatly augment cell proliferation (Campbell et al., 1985), and that marrow-derived ECM contains specific cytoadhesion molecules (Campbell et al., 1987; Campbell et al., 1990; M. W. Long and V. M. Dixit, 1990, Long et al., 1990; and Long et al., 1992).
A number of non-collagenous matrix proteins, isolated from demineralized bone, are involved in bone formation. Osteonectin is a 32 kDa protein which, binding to calcium, hydroxyapatite and collagen, is felt to initiate nucleation during the mineral phase of bone deposition. (Termine et al., 1981). In vivo analysis of osteonectin message reveals its presence in a variety of developing tissues (Nomura et al., 1988 and Holland et al., 1987). However, it is present in its highest levels in bones of the axial skeleton, skull, and the blood platelet (megakaryocyte) (Nomura et al., 1988). Bone gla-protein (BGP, osteocalcin) is a vitamin K-dependent, 5700 Da calcium binding bone protein which is specific for bone and may regulate Ca++ deposition (Termine et al., 1981; Price et al., 1976, and Price et al., 1981). Other bone proteins seem to function as cytoadhesion molecules (Oldberg et al., 1981 and Somerman et al., 1987), or have unresolved functions (Reddi, 1981).
While bone morphogenesis is ECM dependent, bone ECM also contains a number of the more common mesenchymal growth factors such as PDGF, basic, and acidic fibroblast growth factor (Urist et al., 1983; Linkhart et al., 1986; Hauschka et al., 1986; and Canalis et al., 1985). These activities are capable of stimulating the proliferation of mesenchymal target cells (BALB/c 3T3 fibroblasts, capillary endothelial cells, and rat fetal osteoblasts). As well, bone-specific proliferating activities such as the BMP exist in bone ECM. While these general and specific growth factors undoubtedly play a role in bone formation, little is understood concerning the direct inductive/permissive capacity of bone-ECM or bone proteins themselves on human bone cells or their progenitors. Nor is the role of bone ECM in presenting growth factors understood--such "matricrine" (factor:ECM) interactions may be of fundamental importance in bone cell development.
The present invention provides the isolation, purification, characterization, and growth factor responsiveness of these precursors to osteoblasts, and the identification of a human osteoprogenitor cell. Immunological separation of bone marrow non-adherent low-density (NALD) cells results in a marked enrichment of bone precursor cells that express osteocalcin, osteonectin, and bone alkaline phosphatase. Flow cytometric analyses show that distinct cell subpopulations exist among these isolated cells. The majority of the bone antigen-positive cells are approximately the size of a lymphocyte, whereas other, antibody-separated subpopulations consist of osteoblasts and osteoprogenitor cells. In serum-free cultures, TGF-.beta. stimulates the small, antigen-positive cells to become osteoblasts as these cells both increase in size, cellular complexity, and express increased levels of osteocalcin and alkaine phosphatase.
Antibody-separated cells also contain a separate population of progenitor cells that form colonies of osteoblast cells when cultured in serum-free, semi-solid media. Two types of osteoprogenitor cells are observed: a colony-forming cell (CFC) that generates several hundred bone antigen-positive cells, and a more mature cluster-forming cell that has a lesser proliferative potential and thus generates clusters of 20-50 antigen-positive cells. Osteopoietic colony-forming cells and cluster-forming cells have an obligate, but differential requirement for osteogenic growth factors. The CFCs respond to TGF-.beta., basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), bone morphogenetic protein-2 BMP-2), and 1, 25-dihydroxy vitamin D3 (1,25-OH D3). In contrast to the colony-forming cells, cluster-forming cells are regulated predominately by 1,25-OH D3 and TGF-.beta., but fail to respond to bFGF. We conclude that human bone marrow contains a non-hematogenous, heterogeneous population of bone precursor cells among which exists a population of proliferating osteoprogenitor cells. The use of these bone precursor cell populations should yield important information on their role in osteogenesis in both health and disease.

Bone precursor cells: compositions and methods

The Regents of the University of Michigan


The present invention includes a polishing pad to improve polishing uniformity across a substrate and a method using the polishing pad. The polishing pad has a first region that lies closer to the edge of the polishing pad and a second region that lies further from the edge of the polishing pad. The second region has a plurality of openings or a larger average pore size compared to the first region. Each opening or the average pore size of the second region may be 1) between about 250-1000 microns or 2) in a range of about 25-1000 percent larger than the average pore size of the first region. The polishing pad may be used in a chemical-mechanical polishing without having to substantially changing the polisher or the operational parameters of the polisher other than the oscillating range.

Planarization of semiconductor substrates is becoming more important as the number of layers used to form a semiconductor device increases. Nonplanar semiconductor substrates have many problems including difficulty in patterning a photoresist layer, formation of a void within a film during the film deposition, and incomplete removal of a layer during an etch process leaving residual portions of the layer, which are sometimes called "stringers." A number of planarization processes have been developed and include chemical-mechanical polishing.
FIGS. 1 and 2 include illustrations of a part of one type of a chemical-mechanical polisher that is used to polish semiconductor substrates. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a chemical-mechanical polisher 10. The polisher 10 has a platen 14 and a polishing pad 11 attached to the platen 14 with an adhesive compound (not shown). Above the polishing pad 11 are substrate holders 12, and each substrate holder 12 has a semiconductor substrate 13. The polisher 10 also includes a polishing slurry and a slurry feed, both of which are not shown. The polishing pad 11 may be made of a porous polyurethane material that has a relatively uniform thickness of about 1-2 millimeters. FIG. 2 includes a top view illustrating the relationships of motion between the polishing pad 11 and the substrates 13. During polishing, the polishing pad 11 rotates counterclockwise or clockwise, but the substrates 13 typically rotate in the same direction as the polishing pad 11. While the substrates 13 and polishing pad 11 are rotating, the substrates 13 are being oscillated back and forth across the polishing pad. The oscillating motion covers a distance called an oscillating range and is performed at an oscillating velocity. While the polishing is being performed, the polishing slurry may be recycled.
In actual use, chemical-mechanical polishing typically has nonuniform polishing rates across a substrate surface. In many cases, the polishing rate near the edge of the substrate is higher than the polishing rate near the center of the substrate because the relative velocity between polishing pad and the substrate is higher near the edge of the substrate compared to the center of the substrate. Therefore, some area of the substrate near the center may be underpolished, some area of the substrate near the edge may be overpolished, or both.
The polishing pad may contribute to the nonuniformity. A brief overview of the formation of polyurethane polishing pads is now presented. Polyurethane polishing pads are typically formed by reacting the chemicals that form polyurethane within a cylindrical container. After forming a cylindrical-shaped piece of polyurethane, the piece is cut into slices that are subsequently used as polishing pad. The polishing pad typically has pores that have a size of about 100-200 microns. Although the pores may vary in size, the average pore size for any region of the polishing pad is typically about the same as any other region of the polishing pad. As used hereinafter, this type of prior art polishing pad is referred to as a conventional polishing pad. The nonuniformity occurs because the edge of the substrate is moving faster relative to the polishing pad compared to the center of the substrate and the conventional polishing pad does not have a feature to compensate of the polishing nonuniformity.
The prior art has addressed the problem of nonuniformity polishing by modifying a conventional polishing pad by forming a pattern within the polishing pad. These polishing pads include forming a variety of geometric patterns including openings. It should be kept in mind that polishing pads are typically porous, and the pores are formed during the reaction to form the polishing pad material. As used in this specification, openings are distinguished from pores because openings are formed within the pad after the reaction to form the polishing pad material has occurred. A conventional polishing pad has pores but does not have any openings. The prior art polishing pad with openings typically have a width on the order of centimeters, or the prior art polishing pad has a density of openings that decreases with the distance from edge of the polishing pad.

Polishing pads used to chemical-mechanical polish a semiconductor substrate


The present invention provides a method for transmitting an uplink signal to a base station by a terminal in a wireless communication system supporting an unlicensed band, and a device supporting the same. More particularly, the present invention provides a method for transmitting an uplink signal through an LBT method of a terminal and a plurality of unlicensed component carriers on the basis of the LBT method when two or more unlicensed component carriers among the plurality of unlicensed component carriers are included in different timing advance groups (TAGs) in a wireless communication system supporting the plurality of unlicensed component carriers, and a device supporting the same.

Wireless access systems have been widely deployed to provide various types of communication services such as voice or data. In general, a wireless access system is a multiple access system that supports communication of multiple users by sharing available system resources (a bandwidth, transmission power, etc.) among them. For example, multiple access systems include a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) system, a Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) system, a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) system, an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) system, and a Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA) system.
As more communication devices require larger communication capacities, the demand for a proposal of an operation of each communication device on a contention-based accessible unlicensed band is rising.
At the same time, necessity for mobile broadband communication improved better than the existing Radio Access Technology (RAT) is on the rise as well. Moreover, the next generation communication also considers massive Machine Type Communications (MTC) providing various services anywhere and at any time by connecting a multitude of devise and things together. Besides, a communication system design in consideration of a service/UE sensitive to reliability and latency is taken into consideration.
As described above, the introduction of the next generation RAT considering the enhanced mobile broadband communication, massive MTC, Ultra-reliable and low latency communication (URLLC), and the like has been discussed.

Method for transmitting uplink signal through multiple unlicensed component carriers in wireless communication system supporting unlicensed band, and device supporting same


An apparatus for controlling weft inserting enables the calculation of accurate pressures suitable to an actual weft and weft inserting device. One or more definite weaving conditions determined by one or more manufacturer's textile and weaving machine specifications and one or more indefinite weaving conditions determined by human senses are inputted to a fuzzy inference circuit in which the pressure value of fluid supplied to a weft inserting nozzle is calculated by fuzzy inference on the basis of the definite and indefinite weaving conditions thus inputted. The weft inserting pressure of the fluid delivered to the weft inserting device is adjusted on the basis of the inferred value.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for controlling weft inserting in an air jet loom, a water jet loom or the like, and more particularly, to an apparatus for controlling the pressure of fluid for weft inserting.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a jet loom, there is a known disclosure relating to an apparatus for controlling weft inserting which calculates, in particular, a pressure value of fluid provided in a nozzle for weft inserting as well as a weft inserting condition on the basis of textile conditions such as weft types, weft size, woven density, textile width and woven texture, and adjusts the pressure of the fluid on the basis of the calculated pressure value. (Japanese Patent Public Disclosure (KOKAI) Nos. 63-21951 and 63-21953)
In this conventional apparatus for controlling weft inserting, the textile conditions to be used for calculation are the values determined according to the set-up textile conditions such as a weft type: spun yarn-count #50, a fabric width: 150 cm, and a woven density: 50 pcs/in.
In case of the same type of weft, the easy flyability and cuttability thereof would seem to be all the same, but this is not the case. In other words, if the production lots in a weft production process even in the same type of weft are mutually different, the dispersion with respect to the easy flyability and cuttability cannot be avoided since there is some unevenness of the weft in size or some fluff. It cannot be said that the dispersions in easy flyability and cuttability are strictly the same even in the same type of weft.
Such a thing can be said with other things than the dispersion of weft while the weft is manufactured. For example, the same thing can be said with performance of the devices relating to weft inserting such as a weft inserting nozzle, a reed and a length measuring storage device. As described above, the easy flyability and cuttability of weft as well as the performance of a weft insertion device are not such definite values as described above but indefinite values such as "easy to fly", "hard to fly", "easy to be cut" and "hard to be cut".
Since the injection timing of fluid for weft inserting and the operation timing of an engagement pin are not significantly influenced by the preceding indefinite values, there are no problems even in calculating these timing values by using a prior art. In particular, the injection pressure of the weft inserting fluid is, however, largely influenced by the preceding indefinite values.
In the preceding conventional apparatus for controlling weft inserting, however, any preceding indefinite values are not taken into consideration, and therefore, no accurate weft inserting injection pressure suitable to any actual weft and any weft insertion device could be calculated.

Fuzzy inference circuit apparatus for controlling weaving nozzle fluid pressure


A shoulder adjuster which comprises: a guide rail shaped into a long plate and formed with a longitudinally extending slot at its central portion; a slider arranged along the vehicular compartment side of the guide rail and made slidable in a longitudinal direction of the guide rail; a female thread formed in the slider for mounting a shoulder anchor; and devices for retaining the slider on the guide rail at a predetermined interval. The slider has a cylindrical portion to be fitted in the slot, and the female thread formed in the inner circumference of the cylindrical portion.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a shoulder adjuster and, more particularly, to a shoulder adjuster of the type to be attached to the center pillar of an automobile for adjusting the height or level of a belt anchor for anchoring a seat belt.
2. Related Art
An ordinary automobile is equipped with a seat belt for protecting a passenger in an emergency such as collision by restricting him on the seat.
In case the passenger's body is to be restricted by the seat belt, the portion of the body is required to have a high strength so that it can stand a load which would grow several ten times as high as the weight of the body. Therefore, a wrap belt is desired to wrap the hipbone without fail, and a shoulder belt is desirably positioned between the shoulder joint and the neck.
The passenger or an object to be restricted has a large difference in individual sizes from kids to adults, and the adjustment of seat position of the passenger is also different for the individuals. In order to cope with these differences, a shoulder adjuster to be used for adjusting the height of the belt anchor of the shoulder belt can have its slider attached to a guide rail and retained on the guide rail at a predetermined pitch and its belt-anchor attached to the slider. Incidentally, there is known in the art a guide rail which is shaped into a long plate so as to maximize the compartment space of an automobile.
In the prior shoulder adjuster, as described above, the slider is equipped with a cylindrical member protruded into the compartment so that it may have the belt anchor attached thereto, and this cylindrical member has its inner circumference internally threaded to receive a belt for mounting the belt anchor.
If the cylindrical member is thus protruded from the slider into the compartment, the belt anchor accordingly projects into the compartment to narrow the compartment space.


The discussion relates to middlebox reliability. One example can apply event filters to a dataset of middlebox error reports to separate redundant middlebox error reports from a remainder of the middlebox error reports of the dataset. The example can categorize the remainder of the middlebox error reports of the dataset by middlebox device type. The example can also generate a graphical user interface that conveys past reliability and predicted future reliability for an individual model of an individual middlebox device type.

Datacenters deploy a variety of intermediary devices or middleboxes, such as load balancers, firewalls, intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDPS), and virtual private networks (VPNs). These devices provide broad range functionalities to secure, manage, and improve the performance of hosted services as well as support new traffic classes and applications. Even in enterprise networks, the number of middleboxes is becoming comparable to the number of routers. The middleboxes constitute a significant fraction of the network capital costs and operational expenses, e.g., human experts to manage them.


A multicarrier radio communication technology that enables radio resources to be used effectively, interference-to be suppressed, and a cell search to be performed at high speed, in a multicarrier CDMA system. In this technology, a secondary synchronization code (S-SCH signal) for identifying the group of scrambling codes divided into groups beforehand is frequency multiplexed in a plurality of subcarriers. A secondary synchronization code is coded in the time direction. Subcarriers in which a secondary synchronization code is multiplexed are mutually separated and equally spaced. The number of subcarriers in which a secondary synchronization code is multiplexed can be set to a small value with respect to the total number of subcarriers. A secondary synchronization code is an orthogonal code. On the receiving side, a cell search is carried out using such a frequency multiplexed type S-SCH.

Nowadays, in radio communications, and especially in mobile communications, various kinds of information such as images and data are transmitted as well as voice. Henceforth, demand for the transmission of various kinds of content is expected to continue to grow, further increasing the necessity of highly reliable, high-speed, large-volume transmission. However, when high-speed transmission is carried out in mobile communications, the effect of delayed waves due to multipath propagation cannot be ignored, and transmission characteristics degrade due to frequency selective fading.
Multicarrier modulation methods such as OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) are attracting attention as one kind of technology for coping with frequency selective fading. A multicarrier modulation method is a technology that achieves high-speed transmission by transmitting data using a plurality of carriers (subcarriers) whose transmission speed is suppressed to a level at which frequency selective fading does not occur. With the OFDM method, the subcarriers on which data is placed are mutually orthogonal, making this the multicarrier modulation method offering the highest spectral efficiency. Moreover, the OFDM method can be implemented with a comparatively simple hardware configuration. For these reasons, OFDM is an object of particular attention.
Spread spectrum methods such as CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) are another example of technology for coping with frequency selective fading. CDMA improves interference tolerance by spreading each user's information directly on the frequency axis with a user-specific spreading code to obtain spreading gain, and is already in use in mobile communications.
Recently, a method combining OFDM and CDMA (known as MC (multicarrier)-CDMA or OFDM-CDMA, but hereinafter referred to as "multicarrier CDMA") has been attracting particular attention as an access method for implementing faster transmission. Multicarrier CDMA methods are broadly divided into a time domain spreading type, in which spread chips are placed on the time axis in each subcarrier, and a frequency domain spreading type in which spread chips are placed on the frequency axis at each time. In the former case, a path diversity effect is obtained but a frequency diversity effect is not obtained, whereas in the latter case, conversely, a frequency diversity effect is obtained but a path diversity effect is not obtained.
An example of a cell search method with this kind of multicarrier CDMA is described in "3-Step Cell Search Performance using frequency-multiplexed SCH for Broadband Multi-carrier CDMA Wireless Access" (Hanada, Atarashi, Higuchi, Sawahashi), TECHNICAL REPORT OF IEICE NS2001-90, RCS2001-91 (2001-07), pp. 73-78.
Here, in a broadband radio access method using multicarrier CDMA in the downlink, FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) window timing is first detected by means of a peak in the correlation values arising from a guard interval section and effective symbol section (first stage: FFT window timing detection). Next, FFT processing is performed using this FFT window timing, the correlation between the subcarrier component in which a Synchronization Channel (SCH) is multiplexed and an SCH replica is integrated over the length of one frame for each subcarrier, this correlation detected value is averaged by power addition in the frequency direction and time direction, and the timing at which the maximum correlation output after averaging is detected is detected as the frame timing (second stage: frame timing detection). Then, the correlation of each scrambling code is integrated in the time direction for each subcarrier using a Common Pilot Channel (CPICH) time-multiplexed at the detected frame timing, and a correlation value for each subcarrier is detected, in-phase addition is performed in the frequency direction, power addition is performed in the time direction, and a correlation value for each scrambling code is detected. The scrambling code for which the scrambling code correlation value is a maximum is detected, and the scrambling code is identified (third stage: scrambling code identification).
However, a problem with the above-described conventional cell search method is that, since the correlation value of the time-multiplexed common pilot channel and scrambling code is found for each scrambling code, the scrambling code at the time of this correlation value being a maximum is detected, and the scrambling code is identified, after frame synchronization is achieved, a cell search (achieving initial synchronization) takes time when there are a large number of scrambling codes. There is a further problem in that, even after initial synchronization, the same kind of processing as in the initial synchronization cell search must be carried out when another cell search is performed, which similarly takes time.

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


This invention relates to current leads for a superconducting magnet system of the type that are constructed of two-stages. Such structures of this type, generally, operate from ambient temperature to the temperature at the thermal shield and from the temperature of the thermal shield to that of the magnet such that ohmic losses are reduced.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to current leads for a superconducting magnet system of the type that are constructed of two-stages. Such structures of this type, generally, operate from ambient temperature to the temperature at the thermal shield and from the temperature of the thermal shield to that of the magnet such that ohmic losses are reduced.
2. Description of the Related Art
Today, low power electronic systems are being used increasingly as controllers for much larger mechanical/electrical machinery. A wide variety of industries across the country are finding that these automated electronic equipment--including adjustable-speed drives, programmable logic controllers and power supplies in computers--are vulnerable to overvoltage, undervoltage, momentary interruptions and other disturbances that have always existed in the utility power line. Much of this advanced equipment also generates disturbances back onto the utility line. Therefore, a more advantageous system, then, would be presented if such amounts of these various electrical disturbances were reduced.
Also, it is known to employ the use of current leads in electrical equipment. However, the nature of these leads often results in high ohmic loses. These ohmic loses can adversely affect the performance characteristics of the electrical equipment. Therefore, a still further advantageous system would be presented if such amounts of these ohmic loses were reduced.
It is apparent from the above that there exists a need in the art for a current lead assembly which is capable of being utilized in a superconducting magnet, and which at least equals the performance characteristics of known superconducting lead assemblies, which at the same time is capable of reducing the ohmic loses. It is a purpose of this invention to fulfill this and other needs in the art in a more apparent to the skilled artisan once given the following disclosure.

Superconducting current leads for a cryogenless superconducting magnetic energy storage device


In a sheet post-finishing apparatus, a stapling device conducts a saddle stitching process on a bundle of sheets, based on an instruction signal; a sheet guide member, mounted on the stapling device, faces a surface of a sheet to be stacked on a sheet stacking section; a stapling device moving section allows the stapling device to move along a line dividing the sheet into two equal portions, perpendicular to a sheet conveyance direction; and a control section controls the stapling device to stand by above a lateral center of the sheet to be conveyed to the stapling device, while the sheets are stacked as the bundle of sheets, and after the bundle of sheets is formed, the control section controls the stapling device to sequentially move to predetermined plural positions, whereby said control section sends the instruction signal to the stapling device which was stopped at the predetermined positions.

Sheet post-finishing apparatuses are extensively used, which stack the sheets sent from the image forming apparatus to form bundle of sheets, and which conducts a saddle stitching process onto the bundle of sheets to generate a booklet.
Among various technologies having been applied onto the stitching process, most well-known is a technology to stitch the bundle of sheets by a stapling device.
A saddle stitching process represents a process to stitch the bundle of sheets with staples at a predetermined central position in the long direction of the bundle of sheets where each sheet is to be divided into two equal portions.
The sheet post-finishing apparatuses to conduct said saddle stitching process are mostly premised to be combined to the image forming apparatus, and used as an image forming system (See Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Publication No. H8-192,951).
The stapling device used in the saddle stitching process cannot be placed at the edge portion of the sheets to be stacked, though the stapling device used in a stitching process to staple the edge portion of the sheets can be placed.
Accordingly, the stapling device is configured in such a way that before the bundle of sheets is formed, the stapling device stays away to a position where the stapling device does not interfere with the sheet stacking operation, such as a position at the edge of the sheets to be stacked along the long edge, and after the bundle of sheets has been formed, the stapling device returns to its functional position, and conducts the stapling operation.
In order to conduct a correct stitching process, the leading portion and both end portions of the bundle of sheets stacked on a sheet stacking section must be neatly aligned.
However, as described above, since the stapling device is configured to move along the surface of the bundle of sheets, it is very difficult to provide guide members to restrict both surfaces of the sheet being conveyed toward the sheet stacking device, at the desired position.
Specifically, in case of a stapling process in which a single stapling device is sequentially moved to staple the bundle of sheets at plural portions (see Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-334,803), the stapling device moves over a large area, so that the guide member is barely provided at the desired position.
As a result, the sheet is unstably conveyed into the sheet stacking section, whereby the edges of the sheets being stacked on the sheet stacking section are not properly aligned, which is an adverse matter.
Accordingly, a guide member, to restrict both surfaces of the sheet being conveyed into the sheet stacking section, is necessarily provided to face a center surface of the sheet. When said stapling device is moved, a driving mechanism is necessarily provided to move said guide member, so that the movement of the stapling member is not disturbed.
However such a driving mechanism may result in a price increase of the apparatus.

Sheet post-finishing apparatus and image forming apparatus using the same

Konica Minolta Business Technologies Inc.


A GNSS/IMU-based tilt measurement system includes a GNSS/IMU receiver. The GNSS/IMU receiver includes a GNSS antenna, a GNSS positioning board, an IMU inertial sensor and a position transfer device. The GNSS antenna is configured to receive a satellite navigation positioning signal. The GNSS positioning board is configured to calculate coordinates of the phase center of the GNSS antenna according to a signal received by the GNSS antenna and use the coordinates of the phase center as reference coordinates for measuring a relative position point. The IMU inertial sensor is configured to measure the acceleration and the angular velocity of the receiver. The relative position transfer medium is configured to connect the reference coordinates and the coordinates of the relative position point to be measured. The position transfer device is configured to implement the measurement function of the relative position point.

A GNSS receiver generally includes a GNSS antenna and a GNSS positioning board. The GNSS positioning board calculates the position of the phase center of the GNSS antenna according to a GNSS satellite positioning signal received by the GNSS antenna. However, the phase center of the GNSS antenna is located inside the GNSS receiver, while the point to be measured is located outside the GNSS receiver. In this regard, it is required to transfer the position of the phase center of the GNSS antenna inside the GNSS receiver to the point to be measured outside the GNSS receiver to realize the measurement of the point to be measured.
The traditional surveying and mapping method uses a centering rod or a tripod to transfer the phase center of the GNSS antenna inside the GNSS receiver to the position of the point to be measured outside the GNSS receiver. During the structural design of the GNSS receiver, the geometric center of the GNSS antenna and the installation center of the housing of the GNSS receiver are arranged coaxially to establish the communication between the phase center of the GNSS antenna and the outside. Additionally, the deviation of the phase center of the GNSS antenna relative to the external installation center is calibrated as leaving the factory. During an actual measurement, the GNSS receiver is installed on the centering rod, the bottom tip of the centering rod is placed on the point to be measured, and the leveling bubble on the centering rod is maintained to be centered, so that the geometric center of the GNSS antenna, the installation center and the point to be measured are arranged coaxially to share a common axis that is parallel to the plumb line, thereby transferring the phase center of the GNSS antenna to the measurement point to facilitate the measurement of the measurement point. As shown in FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B, x, y, and h are factory calibration values.
In the traditional operation mode, the GNSS receiver needs to be centered and leveled, and the GNSS receiver is maintained to be parallel to the local horizontal plane, so that the position of the phase center of the GNSS antenna is transferred to the measurement point, which is to measure the relative position point in essence. As a result, operation efficiency is low, and it is labor intensive. Moreover, wall corners, slopes and other similar obstructions make it difficult to measure directly. In order to improve operation efficiency and reduce labor intensity, some companies in the industry have developed a tilt measurement scheme. The tilt measurement is one implementation of the measurement of the relative position point and is typically accomplished by two methods: a magnetic tilt measurement method based on attitude and heading reference system (AHRS) technology, and a multi-position measurement method based on a space intersection theory.
The AHRS-based magnetic tilt measurement method includes: calculating the three-dimensional attitude of the GNSS receiver through an AHRS algorithm, that is, tracking the pitch angle and the roll angle of the GNSS receiver by using an accelerometer or a combination of the accelerometer and a gyroscope, and tracking the heading angle of the GNSS receiver by using a magnetometer; generating a direction cosine matrix by jointly using the pitch angle, the roll angle and the heading angle to realize the coordinate conversion of the space vector, and compensating the position of the phase center of the GNSS antenna to the ground measurement point. However, this method has at least the following disadvantages:
1. Since the absolute tracking accuracy of the pitch angle and the roll angle of the GNSS receiver depends on the measurement accuracy of the accelerometer, it is necessary to calibrate the zero-offset of the accelerometer regularly. The calibration accuracy directly affects the tracking accuracy of the pitch angle and the roll angle of the GNSS receiver, and customers generally do not have the professional knowledge and equipment conditions for calibrating the accelerometer.
2. A premise for tracking the pitch angle and the roll angle of the GNSS receiver by the accelerometer is that the accelerometer is only sensitive to gravity. In this regard, this method can only be used under the quasi static condition, but has unreliable accuracy of angle tracking when used under the dynamic condition. Even if the gyroscope is adopted, it only improves the dynamics of the angle tracking and achieves the effect of smooth angle tracking. Under the long-term dynamic condition, the absolute accuracy of the angle tracking still depends on the accuracy of the accelerometer.
3. A change in the electromagnetic environment directly affects the measurement output of the magnetometer. Thus, it is required to calibrate the magnetometer regularly. Optimally, the magnetometer is calibrated every time the equipment is activated. The calibration effect of system deviation of the magnetometer directly affects the measurement accuracy of the heading angle, thereby affecting the accuracy of the tilt measurement. Moreover, it is difficult to monitor the changes in the electromagnetic environments inside and outside the GNSS receiver during use. Therefore, this method has poor reliability.
The aforementioned magnetic tilt measurement method cannot ensure accuracy, has poor reliability, poor repeatability, and involves a complicated calibration process, and therefore, has poor practicality.
The multi-position measurement method based on the space intersection theory includes: fixedly placing the bottom tip of the centering rod on a known point, moving the centering rod to acquire the coordinates of the GNSS receiver at multiple positions, taking the length of the centering rod as a constraint for spatial intersection to determine the position of the bottom tip of the centering rod. However, the measurement accuracy of this method is restricted by the geometric structure of the spatial distribution of the acquisition points of the GNSS receiver at multiple positions. For example, the GNSS receiver has limited movement space under obstructive environments, such as a wall corner. Therefore, this method has a poor geometric structure of the acquisition points at the multiple positions, and has unsatisfactory measurement accuracy that only reaches the decimeter level. Moreover, the centering rod needs to be moved multiple times to acquire the coordinates at the multiple positions to complete the measurement, which is inefficient.

GNSS/IMU surveying and mapping system and method

Shanghai Huace Navigation Technology LTD.