Sowing heart for a single-grain sowing machine comprising: a sowing disk rotatable in a rotational direction R, the sowing disk having at least two sowing hole series, arranged concentrically to the sowing disk, with sowing holes, a receiving area for receiving seed at the sowing holes and a dispensing area for dispensing seed, in front of the dispensing area, a wiping device is provided for singulating seed at the sowing holes during the operation of the sowing heart, which has a first wiping element for the first sowing hole series and a second wiping element for the second sowing hole series, whereby the wiping elements are coupled and are designed to be adjustable with respect to one another. In addition, the invention relates to a single-grain sowing machine with a considerable number of sowing aggregates, in each case with an above-mentioned sowing heart and a corresponding wiping device.

Known sowing hearts for pneumatic single-grain sowing aggregates consist in general of two halves, namely a rear part, in which the mount of the sowing disk and the negative pressure area are installed, and a front part, into which the lower outlet of the seed container leads and which itself has a seed reservoir.
In sowing holes of the sowing disk matched to the size of the seed, which holes are arranged at specific intervals on a circle as a sowing hole series, individual grains of seed are removed from the seed reservoir and thrown off in a dispensing area by interrupting the negative pressure. If the interruption of the negative pressure is not sufficient to ensure dropping, an automatic wiper is provided at a short distance behind the ideal dropping spot. Per sowing disk, several sowing hole series can be arranged in circles of the sowing disk that are separated from one another.
In order to drop only one grain of seed if possible with each dropping, singulating devices are provided for each sowing hole series. In the case of a single seed, these devices work relatively reliably but hit their limits specifically in the case of tough seed, for example carrot seeds.

Scraping device, seed meter and single grain sowing machine


An electrical device (1) is provided, comprising an electrical high-frequency filter (9) and a shield (6) separating the filter from at least one further electrical component (9, 13) of the device, a signal conductor (17) which operably connects the filter (9) to the further component (9, 13) and traverses the shield (6) for transmitting a signal from the filter (9) to the component (9, 13) and a feedthrough capacitor system (19) being electrically arranged between the signal conductor (17) and the shield (6). The feedthrough capacitor system (19) comprises, in particular being formed essentially by, a plurality of surface mount capacitors (41) electrically arranged between the signal conductor (17) and the shield (6), the surface mount capacitors (41) in particular being surface mounted on a circuit board (11), which may be a printed circuit board.

Electrical devices according to the above are used for filtering oscillatory electrical signals commonly referred to as AC signals. High-frequency AC power generators and/or amplifiers may generate electromagnetic noise to other components in a device comprising the generator and/or in other devices. To prevent such noise, filtering of the noise from the desired AC signal and shielding are desired. Also, sensitive AC equipment may require shielding and filtering, e.g. against outside noise.
The signal conductor for carrying the signal that is (to be) filtered is arranged for transmitting the signal from the filter to the component. The feedthrough capacitor system is operably electrically arranged between the signal conductor and the shield wall, e.g. to reduce losses at the traverse of a signal transmitted from the filter to the component along the signal conductor and/or to reduce noise transmission along and/or through the traverse.
Different systems employing a feedthrough capacitor are known, see e.g. 4 US2005/0022744, JP 2004-207419, CN 2014490970U.
Commercially available feedthrough capacitors are available in a variety of combinations of properties such as capacitance, rated current and rated voltages. However, production and sale of feedthrough capacitors suitable for medium to high power radio-frequencies has been largely discontinued, leading to price increases and putting future replacement and/or repair of devices provided with such capacitors at risk. Moreover, presently available standard capacitors with wire terminals exhibit large series-inductances which limits performance achievable for filtering.
Surface mount ceramic feedthrough capacitors (also referred to as Surface Mount Device ceramic feedthrough capacitors or SMD ceramic feedthrough capacitors) are known and they enable a small mounting volume and a small series-inductance. However, such feedthrough capacitors tend to be expensive and to be commercially available only in limited combinations of properties like capacitance, rated current and rated voltages.
Further improvements are therefore desired, e.g. regarding at least one of filtering, noise reduction, allowable operational power, and manufacturing cost of the electrical device.

Electrical device comprising filter and feedthrough capacitor


An associative memory circuit including a first memristor, a second memristor, a fixed value resistor R, and an operational comparator. One terminal of the first memristor is a first input terminal of the associative memory circuit, and the other terminal of the first memristor is connected to a first input terminal of the operational comparator. One terminal of the second memristor is a second input terminal of the associative memory circuit, and the other terminal of the second memristor is connected to the first input terminal of the operational comparator. One terminal of the fixed value resistor is connected to the first input terminal of the operational comparator, and the other terminal of the fixed value resistor is connected to the ground. A second input terminal of the operational comparator is connected to a reference voltage.

Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a memristor-based associative memory circuit.
Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, associative memory function is achieved by CMOS circuits. However, the associative memory function requires a large amount of electronic components, a large-scale circuit, and high power consumption. Meanwhile, this method does not provide a basic biological model of the associative memory based on a time relationship of a stimulation signal.

HUAZHONG UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY


Nanofiber actuators and strain amplifiers having a material that generates a force or generates a displacement when directly or indirectly electrically driven. This material is an aerogel or a related low density or high density network comprising conducting fibers that are electrically interconnected and can substantially actuate without the required presence of either a liquid or solid electrolyte. Reversible or permanently frozen actuation is used to modify the properties of the actuator material for applications.

Actuator materials and mechanisms that convert electrical, chemical, thermal, or photonic energy to mechanical energy have been sought for over a century. Nevertheless, humankind has had little success in replicating the wondrous properties of natural muscle, which has meant that the most advanced prosthetic limbs, exoskeletons, and humanoid robots lack critically needed capabilities.
Probably no other material has been described for so many fundamentally different types of actuators than carbon nanotubes. Demonstrated electrically powered and fuel powered nanotube actuators provide up to a few percent actuator stroke and a hundred times higher stress generation than natural muscle. Large stroke pneumatic nanotube actuators have been demonstrated that use electrochemical gas generation within nanotube sheets. In other studies, nanotubes have been used either as electrodes or as additives to profoundly modify the response of other actuating materials—like dielectric, ionically conducting, photoresponsive, shape memory, and liquid crystal polymers.
The following provide examples of these diverse types of actuators based on carbon nanotubes. Electrostatic attraction and repulsion between two nanotubes was used for cantilever-based nano-tweezers [P. Kim, C. M. Lieber, Science 126, 2148-2150 (1999)] and mechanically-based switches and logic elements [T. Rueckes, K. Kim, E. Joselevich, G. Y. Tseng, C.-L. Cheung, C. M. Lieber, Science 289, 94-97 (2000), V. V. Deshpande, H.-Y. Chiu, H. W. Ch. Postma, C. Mikó, L. Forró, M. Bockrath, Nano Letters 6, 1092-1095 (2006)]. On the macroscale, electrically powered [R. H. Baughman et al., Science 284, 1340-1344 (1999); U. Vohrer, I. Kolaric, M. H. Hague, S. Roth, U. Detlaff-Weglikowska, Carbon 42, 1159-1162 (2004); S. Gupta, M. Hughes, A. H. Windle, J. Robertson, J. Appl. Phys. 95, 2038-2042 (2004)] and fuel powered [V. H. Ebron et al., Science 311, 1580-1583 (2006)]carbon nanotube actuators provided up to a few percent actuator stroke and a hundred times higher stress generation than natural muscle. Demonstrated large stroke pneumatic nanotube actuators used electrochemical gas generation within nanotube sheets [G. M. Spinks et al., Advanced Materials 14, 1728-1732 (2002)]. Carbon nanotube composites with organic polymers provided photoresponsive [S. V. Ahir, E. M. Terentjev, Nature Materials 4, 491-495 (2005)], shape memory [H. Koerner, G. Price, N. A. Pearce, M. Alexander, R. A. Vaia, Nature Materials 3, 115-120 (2004), P. Miaudet et al., Science 318, 1294-1296 (2007)], and electromechanical [S. Courty, J. Mine, A. R. Tajbakhsh, E. M. Terentjev, Europhysics Letts. 64, 654-660 (2003)] actuators.
Major limitations exist for the above described carbon nanotube artificial muscles, as well as prior art artificial muscles of any type. These limitations include muscle stroke, stroke rate, cycle lifetime, or temperatures of operation—and in most cases a combination of some of these and other limitations (like energy conversion efficiency).
Embodiments of the present invention provide energy efficient artificial muscles that can operate at extreme temperatures (near 0 K to above 1900 K) where prior-art muscles cannot operate, stroke rates and strokes that can exceed 4×104%/s and 250% in one direction and generate over 30 times higher force than for the same weight and length natural muscle.
In addition to extending the capabilities of artificial muscles to giant strokes and strain rates at extreme temperatures, the actuator mechanism of the present invention enables applications that relate to structural changes during large-stroke actuation. These include, for example, the ability to dynamically modify the diffraction of light at over kilohertz frequencies for optical applications and the ability to tune the density of actuator sheets and then freeze this actuation for optimizing electrodes for organic light-emitting displays, solar cells, charge stripping from ion beams, and cold electron field emission. Prototypical actuator materials are provided that enhance actuation using nanoscale amplification effects, due to giant Poisson's ratios and even negative linear compressibilities. Embodiments of the present invention show that these giant Poisson's ratios can be used to amplify the strokes of other actuator materials and for such applications as sensors.

Board of Regents, The University of Texas System


An unlatching system is provided in a latchable electrical connector system which includes first and second electrical connectors mateable in a given mating direction. The first connector includes a pair of latch devices interengageable with complementary latches on the second connector when the connectors are mated to resist unmating of the connectors. The latch devices are flexible in a direction transverse to the mating direction for movement into and out of latching interengagement with the latches of the second connector. A transversely flexible unlatching mechanism is coupled between the latch devices and is bowed outwardly therefrom, whereby inward flexing of the unlatching mechanism, as by the application of pressure by a user, is effective to cause outward unlatching movement of the latch devices.

Most mating electrical connectors are mated with a push/pull action, such as in mating male and female connectors. It often is desirable to latch the connectors in mated condition to resist or prevent unmating. In some applications, latching devices are designed simply to hold the connectors in mated condition but to allow the connectors to be readily unmated. In other applications, latching devices are designed to prevent unmating of the connectors unless the latching devices, themselves, are physically unlatched. In the latter applications, unlatching of the connectors can be very difficult or cumbersome because of the design of the latching devices or because of the small dimensions of the connectors which render manual manipulation very difficult. In fact, some latching/unlatching mechanisms require a user to physically hold a connector with one hand while unlatching the latch mechanism(s) with the other hand.
There are a wide variety of latching systems for electrical connectors. Many such systems utilize flexible or resilient latch arms, cam latches on flexible walls of a connector, or the like, all of which operate on a sort of resilient snap-lock action. In other words, a pair of electrical connectors will be automatically latched upon mating, and the latching device therefore must be unlatched or released in order to unmate the connectors. If a latching device snaps into a latched position upon mating of the connectors, the latching device must be moved out of its latched condition before the connectors can be unmated. Problems constantly are encountered in effecting unlatching and unmating of the connectors because of unnecessary manual manipulations required.
Latching mechanisms also are prone to cause other problems in the design of electrical connectors. For instance, latching devices often create projections which interfere with or trap extraneous objects, such as electrical wires. Latch arms often are prone to breakage, because the arms often are integrally molded with an electrical connector housing.
This invention is directed to a latchable electrical connector system which solves the above and other problems in many previous latching devices by affording a simple one-hand unlatching action in a mechanism which prevents entanglement of the latching devices with wires or other extraneous objects and which is not prone to breakage.


A method, system, and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for calibrating an implement actuation sensor of a machine are disclosed. The method may include calculating a first elevation value of an implement of the machine in a gravity reference frame of the machine. The method may further include calculating a second elevation value of a ground-engaging device of the machine in the gravity reference frame of the machine. The method may further include determining a difference between the first elevation value and the second elevation value. The method may further include calibrating the implement actuation sensor based on the determined difference.

Autonomously and semi-autonomously controlled machines are capable of operating with little or no human input by relying on information received from various machine systems. For example, based on machine movement input, terrain input, and/or machine operational input, a machine can be controlled to remotely and/or automatically complete a programmed task. By receiving appropriate feedback from each of the different machine systems during performance of the task, continuous adjustments to machine operation can be made that help to ensure precision and safety in completion of the task.
Earthmoving machines such as track type tractors, motor graders, scrapers, and/or backhoe loaders, have an implement such as a dozer blade or bucket, and need continuous adjustment for their operations. For example, the dozer blade or bucket must be adjusted on a worksite in order to alter a geography or terrain of a section of earth. The implement may be controlled by an operator or by a control system to perform work on the worksite such as achieving a final surface contour or a final grade on the worksite. The determination of an absolute 3-D position of the implement cutting edge (e.g., blade cutting edge) is critical for the implement to achieve the desired results.
Conventionally, an implement control system may include a 3-D positioning sensor (e.g. a Global Positioning System (GPS)) attached to the chassis of the machine. In this configuration, actuator position sensors measure displacement of the implement actuators (e.g. hydraulic cylinders) and these sensor outputs are used to calculate the position of the implement cutting edge with respect to the machine chassis (i.e. in a local coordinate frame). Such calculations are, however, highly dependent on precise calibration of the actuator position sensors.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,253,160 to Hanseder ("the '160 patent") discloses an arrangement for calibrating a tool positioning mechanism. The tool positioning mechanism includes a plurality of encoders, which indicate the position of the tool (e.g., a bucket). The encoders are calibrated by mounting a first GPS antenna on the tool and resolving a vector between the first antenna and a second antenna mounted on another portion of the chassis of the machine. Calibration is accomplished by setting the outputs of the encoders to a predetermined value, such as a full-range, which is measured using the vector when the tool is fully extended.
While the '160 patent may provide a useful way to calibrate a tool positioning mechanism, precise calibration may be challenging because the tool positioning mechanism may only work if the machine is placed on a flat surface, which would be difficult if the calibration has to be done in the field.
The implement position control system of the present disclosure is directed toward solving one or more of the problems set forth above and/or other problems of the prior art.

Implement position control system having automatic calibration


An optical disc is disclosed having a substrate in which data can be written on or read from, such optical disc has a transparent cover sheet which is held at a desired spacing from the substrate at least at an inner radius and an outer radius. In order to prevent the transparent cover sheet from deflecting due to pressure differences between the outside atmosphere and the air in the space between the substrate surface and the transparent cover sheet, a plurality of air passages in the transparent cover sheet are provided near an inflection point where on one lateral side of the point the transparent sheet will bulge and on the other lateral side it will be depressed due to centrifugal force acting upon air entrapped between the transparent cover sheet and the substrate surface during disc rotation in an optical disc drive. This arrangement equalizes the pressure in the air space between the transparent cover sheet and the substrate surface and the outside atmosphere.

As with all information storage devices, the recording surface of an optical disc must be protected from dust, small particles, or any other source of contamination. Since optical drives use removable media, such a protection is usually incorporated in the disc design. For instance, the widely used compact discs of various formats incorporate a layer of transparent plastic to separate the recording surface from the outside world. Such a surface in a 355.6 mm in diameter optical disc is protected by a polycarbonate transparent cover sheet. The latter is radially tensioned and sealed to a spacer and a perimeter ring at the inner and outer radii of the disc, respectively. The space under the cover sheet is filled with air enclosed there during assembly of the disc. Obviously, the barometric pressure of air under the cover sheet (equal to the air pressure in the clean room during assembly) and the atmospheric pressure of air surrounding the disc during drive operation may have different values. This will create a pressure differential for the air inside and outside the disc resulting in deflection of the cover sheet.
Due to centrifugal forces during disc rotation, the air under the cover sheet will be displaced toward the outside periphery of the disc. This air motion will result in additional deflection of the cover sheet. Its original surface will be transformed into a more complicated shape that may result in catastrophic conditions when the cover sheet touches the objective lens (at the outer radius) or the substrate (at the inner radius). For examples of optical discs with cover sheets, see commonly assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,507,774 and 4,539,573.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a prior art two-sided optical disc has a substrate 10 which is protected from the outside world by transparent cover sheets 20 and 30. The disc is provided with a central opening 70. Each sheet is radially tensioned and sealed to spacers 40 or 50 and to a perimeter ring 60 at the inner and outer radii of the disc, respectively. Since the spacer thicknesses are larger than the height of the ring, the space under the cover sheet represents a frustum of a cone. Its volume is filled with air enclosed there during assembly of the disc.
As stated above, the barometric pressure of air under the cover sheet (equal to the air pressure in the clean room during assembly) and air surrounding the disc during drive operation may have different values. This will create some pressure differential for the air inside and outside the disc that will result in deflection of the cover sheet. Several graphs are shown in FIG. 3 illustrating the deformed cover sheet when the optical disc is placed at different altitudes. With increased altitudes above the sea level, the air pressure in the surrounding atmosphere is decreasing resulting in the cover sheet bulging. In such conditions, when the disc is used in the drive, the cover sheet may touch the objective lens of the optical head making reading or writing impossible. Similarly, at decreasing altitudes below the sea level, the air pressure of the surrounding atmosphere is increasing that deflects the cover sheet toward the substrate. If at high levels of pressure differentials the cover sheet touches the substrate, reading or writing becomes once again impossible. To avoid such catastrophic cases, the cover sheet deflection due to pressure differentials must be reduced or eliminated completely.
On top of that, when the disc is rotated in the optical drive, centrifugal forces will displace the air in the air space under the cover sheet toward the outside periphery of the disc. This will decrease the pressure of the entrapped air at the inner zone of the disc and increase the air pressure at the outer part of the disc. As a result, additional deflection of the cover sheet will occur transforming the latter into an S-shaped sheet. Such a case is illustrated in FIG. 4 where several graphs show the deflected shape of the cover sheet due to disc rotation at various angular velocities. With the increasing number of revolutions per minute (rpm) in disc rotation, the S-shaped cover sheet deflects at higher rates that may bring the cover sheet in contact with the substrate of the disc or the objective lens of the optical head.
Each graph in FIG. 4 was derived by an experimentally verified mathematical model developed to describe the cover sheet behavior at different conditions. As seen here, graphs for deflected cover sheet due to disc rotation intersect the original cover sheet of a stationary disc at the same so-called inflection point where on one lateral side of the point the cover sheet will bulge and on the other lateral side it will be depressed. At the inflection point, no deflection of the cover sheet occurs since at that point the air pressure has the same value if measured outside and inside the disc. This phenomena is observed only when the disc operation takes place at any altitude but with the air pressure inside and outside the disc statically equalized before rotation starts.
With the deflected cover sheet due to static pressure differentials, avoiding catastrophic cases of drive operation when the sheet touches the substrate or the objective lens may be achieved by lowering the difference in pressure values of the air entrapped under the cover sheet during the disc assembly and air surrounding the disc when it is used at various altitudes.

Optical discs with cover sheets and pressure equalization of the enclosed air


An optical film 10 has a transparent base film 11 made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a prism made of photo-curing resin such as acryl modified epoxy on an incident surface 12 that is one face of the base film 11, and a hologram similarly made of photo-curing resin on an exit surface 13 opposing the incident surface 12. The prism has grooves or ridges each having a substantially triangular cross section to totally reflect incident light so as to bend the light into a direction perpendicular to the exit surface 13. The hologram anisotropically diffuses light exiting from the exit surface 13, to improve brightness.

Liquid crystal displays are used as computer displays, control panels of home appliances, cellular phone displays, and the like. There is an increasing demand for reducing the power consumption, weight, and thickness of the liquid crystal display. The liquid crystal display typically employs a transmissive liquid crystal panel.
The liquid crystal display of this type employs a surface light source as a backlight to illuminate a liquid crystal panel from the back. The surface light source has a light guide to emit areal light based on light from a light source and an optical film to control the direction of outgoing light of the light guide so that as much light as possible is emitted toward the front of an observer who watches the liquid crystal display.
FIG. 1 shows a configuration of a liquid crystal display according to a related art.
The liquid crystal display has a light source 111 such as a light emitting diode for emitting white light, a light guide to guide the light from the light source 111 and emit areal light, an optical film 110 such as a prism sheet to bend light 114 obliquely emitted from the light guide 112 into a direction perpendicular to an exit surface, a diffuser 132, and a transmissive liquid crystal panel 130 to display images. From the liquid crystal display toward an observer, light 134 illuminated the liquid crystal panel 130 is emitted.
The diffuser 132 is arranged to suppress moire fringes caused by periodical prism or hologram structures of the optical film 110 and periodical pixel intervals in the liquid crystal panel 130, subdue Newton rings occurring between the liquid crystal panel 130 and the optical film 110, and reduce a chromatic dispersion of light 116 emitted from the optical film 110. The diffuser 132, however, adds interfaces and decreases brightness due to Fresnel reflection by the interfaces. To cope with this, there has been proposed an idea to form the diffuser 132 on the exit surface of the optical film 110. Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publications No. 9-281310 and No. 9-281311 include microscopic beads or rods in an exit surface of an optical film to roughen the exit surface with irregularities and provide the exit surface with a light diffusing ability. This technique may suppress moire fringes and Newton rings but is unable to control the range of diffusion angles of the microscopic beads or rods. As a result, light may substantially uniformly diffuse into every direction, to drastically deteriorate front brightness.
In the liquid crystal display, the light source 111, light guide 112, optical film 110, and diffuser 132 form a surface light source for supplying areal light to the liquid crystal panel 130.
FIG. 2 shows a relationship between incident light 114 and outgoing light 116 on the optical film 110.
The incident light 114 to the optical film 110 forms an incident angle θi and the outgoing light 116 from the optical film 110 forms an output angle θo. The incident angle θi and output angle θo are angles made by the incident light 114 and outgoing light 116 with respect to normals of the incident and exit surfaces of the optical film 110, respectively.
The incident angle θi with respect to the optical film 110 is dependent on the design of the light guide 112 and is in the range of 20° to 80°. A role of the optical film 110 is to efficiently bend light obliquely made incident from the light guide 112 to the incident surface into a direction perpendicular to the exit surface, i.e., a direction in which the output angle θo is 0°. For this, the material and shape of the optical film 110 must be designed to reduce Fresnel reflection, i.e., interfacial reflection between an air layer and the optical film 110 and maximize light that advances in the 0° direction. If the outgoing light 116 has an angular distribution, the optical film 110 is provided with a light bending characteristic so as to maintain brightness in a perpendicular direction even if the incident angle θi slightly varies. This may increase brightness in a front direction compared with providing a fixed light bending angle. The light source emits white light, and therefore, it is necessary to reduce wavelength-dependent dispersion and suppress unevenness and blurs in images displayed on the liquid crystal panel 130.
The optical film 110 and light guide 112 employ a refraction law such as the Snell's law to bend outgoing light in a geometrical-optical manner. In this case, the optical film 110 may be made of a prism sheet having an incident surface provided with prism grooves and ridges. The prism sheet of this type is structurally simple and is easy to manufacture.
In place of the conventional refractive prism sheet, a hologram optical film may be used. The hologram optical film utilizes a diffraction phenomenon based on the wave characteristic of light. Employing the hologram realizes a function of bending light as well as a function of condensing light. A method of designing an optical element with a hologram is disclosed in, for example, Victor Soifer, Victor Kotlyar, and Leonid Doskolovich, "Iterative Methods for Diffractive Optical Elements Computation," Taylor Francis (1997).
The hologram has been considered improper for bending white light because it causes spectral dispersion and high-order diffraction.
It is known that obliquely emitting light from a light guide provides the emitted light with directivity and that bending the directive light in a perpendicular direction improves brightness. (For example, refer to Japanese Patent Publication No. 2739730.)
An optical film employing any one of the prism sheet and hologram is required to further increase the brightness of outgoing light oriented in a direction controlled by the optical film.
As mentioned above, perpendicularly bending directive light obliquely emitted from a light guide improves the brightness of the light. It is difficult, however, to align output angles over the surface of the light guide. Then, brightness unevenness easily occurs. There is an idea to insert a diffuser capable of maintaining brightness and eliminating brightness unevenness between the light guide and the optical film. To achieve this, the diffuser must have a limited range of diffusion angles. The diffuser having a limited range of diffusion angles, however, hardly secures a required diffusion characteristic to control a brightness distribution if light is obliquely made incident thereto from the light guide.

Optical film and surface light source using it


An object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor device which comprises a barrier film having a high etching selection ratio of the interlayer insulating film thereto, a good preventive function against the Cu diffusion, a low dielectric constant and excellent adhesiveness to the Cu interconnection and a manufacturing method thereof.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and a manufacturing method thereof and more particularly to a semiconductor device comprising a multi-layered interconnection that is formed by the damascene method and a manufacturing method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, accompanying the progress in technology to attain higher integration of the semiconductor device and smaller chip size, further miniaturization of the interconnection and wider application of multi-layered interconnection have been being made, and, as the method of forming the multi-layered interconnection structure, there has become in wide use what is called the damascene process wherein the interconnection or the via plug is formed by filling up the interconnection trench or the via hole with Cu and then applying the planarization by the CMP (Chemical Mechanical Polishing) method thereto. Although this damascene process certainly enables the interconnections to be spaced densely, the interconnections once placed close to one another may bring about a problem of signal delay owing to the parasitic capacitances between these interconnections. In order to overcome the problem of this signal delay, the reduction of the interconnection capacitance is, therefore, a matter of great importance.
As the method of reducing the interconnection capacitance, the method in which a material with a low dielectric constant is utilized for the interlayer insulating film, in place of a conventional SiO2-based insulating film, has been much investigated. Now, referring to the drawings, a conventional damascene process wherein a low-dielectric-constant film is employed as an interlayer insulating film is described. FIGS. 11 and 12 are schematic cross-sectional views illustrating, in sequence, the steps of a conventional damascene method.
First, as shown in FIG. 11(a), after a first barrier film 2 and a first interlayer insulating film 3 are grown, in succession, on a substrate 1, coatings of an anti-reflection film and a photoresist are successively applied onto the first interlayer insulating film 3 and, then, the exposure and the development are performed to form a resist pattern (not shown in the drawings), and with this resist pattern being used as a mask, a first interconnection trench is formed by a known technique of dry etching. Next, after the resist pattern and the anti-reflection film are removed by means of oxygen ashing, depositions of a first barrier metal 4 and Cu are applied thereto and, then, by removing portions of the first barrier metal 4 and Cu overlaid the first interlayer insulating film 3, a lower layer interconnection 5 is formed.
Next, as shown in FIG. 11(b), on this lower layer interconnection 5, a second barrier film 6 of SiCN that prevents the Cu diffusion and acts as an etching stopper in the via hole formation and a second interlayer insulating film 7 made of a film of a low-dielectric-constant material such as SiOC, hydrogen silsesquioxane (referred to as HSQ hereinafter) or methyl silsesquioxane (referred to as MSQ hereinafter) are grown in succession. After that, coatings of an anti-reflection film and a photoresist are successively applied onto the second interlayer insulating film 7 and, then, the exposure and the development are performed to form a resist pattern (not shown in the drawings) for the formation of a via hole 7a, and with this resist pattern being used as a mask, a second interlayer insulating film 7 is etched by a known technique of dry etching. Next, after the resist pattern and the anti-reflection film are removed by means of oxygen ashing, the second barrier film 6 is etched by etch back to form a via hole 7a to run through the second interlayer insulating film 7 and the second barrier film 6.
Next, as shown in FIG. 11(c), depositions of a second barrier metal 8 that is to be used as a base for the interconnection material and Cu 9a are applied thereto and thereafter, as shown in FIG. 11(d), portions of the second barrier metal 8 and the Cu 9a overlaid the second interlayer insulating film 7 are removed, and thereby a via plug 9 connecting with the lower layer interconnection 5 is formed.
After that, in the same way as described above, a third barrier film 10 and a third interlayer insulating film 11 are grown thereon, and, using known techniques of photolithography and dry etching, a second interconnection trench 11a is formed (See FIG. 12(a)), and then, after depositions of a third barrier metal 12 and Cu 13a are made (See FIG. 12(b)), portions of the third barrier metal 12 and the Cu 13a overlaid the third interlayer insulating film 11 are removed by the CMP method to form an upper layer interconnection 13 (See FIG. 12(c)). A semiconductor device with a prescribed multi-layered interconnection structure may be fabricated by performing these steps repeatedly.
In such a damascene process, the barrier film must perform not only a function of preventing Cu in an underlying interconnection or via plug from diffusing out into its overlying interlayer insulating film but also a function of acting as an etching stopper when a via hole or an interconnection is subsequently formed in that overlying interlayer insulating film. If, for example, the second barrier film 6 cannot perform as the etching stopper satisfactorily, when the second interlayer insulating film 7 is etched in the step of FIG. 11(b), the etching without being stopped by the second barrier film 6 proceeds to expose the lower layer interconnection 5, and, as a result, in the oxygen ashing which is carried out to remove the resist pattern, the surface of the lower layer interconnection 5 may be oxidized, and the faulty connection between the lower layer interconnections 5 and the via plug 9 may be brought about. To overcome the above problem, it is essential for the barrier film to provide a high etching selection ratio of the overlying interlayer insulating film thereto and, from this viewpoint, a material such as SiC, SiN or SiCN is generally employed.
Further, regarding the deposition of the barrier film with SiN, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 9150/2002, there is set a problem that, as the deposition temperature of SiN is 400° C. or so, Cu becomes more liable to aggregate and the homology of the Cu surface may deteriorate, with rising the substrate temperature. One of the methods to suppress the Cu aggregation is obviously setting the deposition temperature lower, but if the deposition temperature is set low, the film of SiN may become an insulating film of low density, which cannot provide a satisfactory etching selection ratio of the interlayer insulating film of SiO2 or such. Accordingly, in the above publication, it is disclosed that a barrier film (a Cu-diffusion preventive insulating film) is made to have a layered structure composed of a first insulating film grown at a low temperature below 350° C. by the CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) method and a second insulating film grown at a high temperature in a range of 350° C. to 450° C. Inclusive by the CVD method, and, therein, the Cu aggregation is suppressed by making the deposition temperature of the film on the side of the interconnection low, while the drop of the etching selection ratio is prevented by making the deposition temperature of the film on the side of the interlayer insulating film high.
Further, when a low-dielectric-constant film is used as an interlayer insulating film, it is required to lower the dielectric constant of the barrier film as well so that the parasitic capacitance between the interconnections may be reduced. The dielectric constant of the SiN-based barrier film is considerable high, and when a fluorine-containing film of SiOF or such is used as the underlying interlayer insulating film and this film is subjected to the plasma etching, the SiN-based film may be damaged by fluorine radicals produced in that etching. Meanwhile, the SiC-based barrier film may have advantages of the excellent etching selection ratio and the low dielectric constant in the region of 5 but also disadvantage of the insufficient capability to prevent the Cu diffusion. Accordingly, there are disclosed, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 83869/2002, a structure wherein, on an interlayer insulating film (a first insulating layer) with a low dielectric constant where a trench or a hole is set, there is formed a second insulating layer whose main constituent elements are Si, C and N, wherein the ratio of the number of C atoms to the number of Si atoms is set to be 0.2 to 0.8 and the ratio of the number of N atoms to the number of Si atoms is set to be 0.15 to 1.0; and further in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 83870/2002, another structure wherein a second insulating layer contains 1021 to 1022 (cm−3) carbon-hydrogen bond containing groups (CHn groups), whereby both the low dielectric constant and the high etching selection ratio may be attained.
Nevertheless, in the art described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 9150/2002, only the functions of preventing the Cu diffusion and acting as the etching stopper are considered as the functions necessary for the barrier film, and the dielectric constant is not taken into account, at all. In consequence, even if the low-dielectric-constant film is used as the interlayer insulating film, the barrier film may increase the overall dielectric constant so that a problem that the interconnection capacitance cannot be reduced sufficiently may remain.
Further, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 83869/2002 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 83870/2002, it is described that the SiCN-based insulating film that is set to overlie the interlayer insulating film and act as an etching stopper in each structure can provide a high etching selection ratio of the underlying interlayer insulating film thereto, a low dielectric constant as well as an excellent function of making the metal diffusion low. However, in the case of the SiCN-based insulating film, when its C content becomes larger, the etching selection ratio falls, but when its C content becomes smaller, its dielectric constant increases so that the reduction of the interconnection capacitance cannot be achieved. In effect, the structures described in these publications cannot provide the rise of the etching selection ratio and the reduction of the dielectric constant, simultaneously.
Further, for the barrier film, in addition to the above functions, it is essential to have good adhesiveness to Cu that is an interconnection material. Unless the adhesion between Cu and the barrier film is kept well, Cu atoms on the interconnection surface become liable to move, giving rise to a problem of deterioration of the electromigration resistance. Yet, in the above publications, the adhesiveness between Cu and the barrier film is not taken into consideration, at all.
In short, in the damascene method wherein the Cu interconnection is formed by the CMP method, it is important for the barrier film formed between the Cu interconnection and its overlying interlayer insulating film to meet the following four demands; that is, 1. the etching selection ratio of the interlayer insulating film thereto should be high; 2. the Cu diffusion should be prevented with effect; 3. the dielectric constant should be low; and 4. it should adhere well to the Cu interconnection, and a new proposal for the barrier film capable to satisfy all these demands has been long waited for.
In light of the above problems, the main object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor device which comprises a barrier film having a high etching selection ratio of the interlayer insulating film thereto, a good preventive function against the Cu diffusion, a low dielectric constant and excellent adhesiveness to the Cu interconnection and a manufacturing method thereof.

Semiconductor device and manufacturing method thereof

Abstract: The barrier film (for instance, a second barrier film 6) disposed between the interconnection or the via plug and its overlying interlayer insulating film is made to have a layered structure made of a plurality of films containing silicon and carbon (preferably, silicon, carbon and nitrogen), with different carbon contents, and, in particular, a low-carbon-concentration film 6a with a small carbon content is set to be a lower layer therein and a high-carbon-concentration film 6b with a large carbon content is set to be an upper layer therein, whereby the effectual prevention against the Cu diffusion, a high etching selection ratio and good adhesiveness to the Cu interconnection can be certainly provided by the presence of the low-carbon-concentration film 6a, while the overall dielectric constant can be well reduced by the presence of the high-carbon-concentration film 6b.


A method is provided for injection molding of parts in a mold having a mold cavity. The method comprises: 1) supplying pressurized fluid to a mold cavity prior to injection; 2) injecting a combination of non-mixable materials into the mold cavity against the pressurized fluid, thereby creating a resultant internal counterpressure within the combination of materials; and 3) maintaining the internal counterpressure within the combination of materials sufficiently to cause the materials to solidify in a predetermined configuration based on their respective modulus.

When molten plastic is processed by an injection molding machine, the plastic enters a mold cavity where it is cooled to form a desired part shape. As the cooling occurs, the plastic contracts within the cavity. As a result of this contraction, the part actually shrinks in size, and sink marks or low spots often occur on the surface of the part. Shrink and sink marks have caused major problems for injection molders since injection molding was first developed. Several methods have been developed in an attempt to eliminate these problems. Some examples include gas-assisted injection molding, structural foam molding, liquid gas assisted molding, etc. In addition, foaming agents have been used in the molding process for mixing with molten plastic in order to generate inert gases in the plastic. These gases provide internal pressure in the plastic which enables the plastic to more fully fill the cavity of the mold and packs the plastic against the cavity walls. This, in turn, helps reduce sink on the surface of the plastic parts. Also, gas counterpressure in the mold cavity has been used to improve surface smoothness of molded parts.
These prior art methods are all problematic due to the large number of variables in the molding process. Varying injection pressures and injection speeds, varying melt pressures and temperatures, varying cavity conditions, and uncontrolled venting of gases all contribute to an unstable molding environment. These various problems in the molding process create burning and scission of polymer chains and create internal stresses within the plastic which remain in the plastic as the plastic material cools in the cavity. These internal stresses cause shrink, sink, and warpage of the plastic part to be molded. In addition, these various molding problems lead to degradation of the plastic material as it is processed through an injection molding machine. In general, erratic variations in pressure, temperature, and injection speed create material break-down and cause internal problems in the plastic which show up in the final molded product.
Another disadvantage of prior art systems is that the plastic melt flow in these systems experiences changes in pressure due to changes in cavity geometry as the molten plastic moves into the cavity of the mold. These pressure changes cause certain areas of the cavity to be filled more quickly than other areas resulting in different cooling characteristics in different areas of the cavity. These cooling variations cause inconsistencies in the direction of plastic solidification, which results in surface stresses, weld lines, or sink.
It is desirable to use a balanced injection molding process in which the pressure of the molten plastic is continuously controlled as the plastic moves through the injection molding machine. It is further desirable for an injection molding process to balance pressures acting upon the molten material in order to eliminate the above referenced problems caused by variations in polymer chain conditions so as to reduce internal stresses in the plastic. The ultimate goal of such an injection molding process is to produce a final product which nearly perfectly matches the cavity surface of the mold, is fully relieved of internal stresses which lead to shrink, sink, and warpage, and has greatly improved mechanical properties. In addition, part weight may be reduced, which will provide significant material savings to the manufacturers of such products.

Molding of normally non-mixable materials


A switching device includes an input stage switch group 1-1 including a plurality of input lines, an output stage switch group 1-3 including a plurality of output lines, an intermediate stage switch group 1-2 arranged between the input stage switch group and the output stage switch group, and a scheduler 1-22 deciding a signal path of each of intermediate stage switches 1-21 in the intermediate stage switch group based on information input to the respective input lines. The intermediate stage switch group is divided into a plurality of groups, a plurality of the schedulers is arranged in a distributed fashion to correspond to the plurality of groups, respectively and the schedulers operate independently of one another.

In recent years, network traffic has increasingly thickened. Because of development of optical transmission technology, a bottleneck on the network has changed from a transmission line to a switch device and a router device, and demand for a large capacity switch has risen. From economical viewpoints, however, to introduce a large capacity switch from a stage at which traffic is light is an investment in vain. Namely, at an initial stage of business, it suffices that a switch capacity is small. Therefore, a switch having expandability such that the capacity of the switch is small initially but can be increased according to an increase in the number of users, and such that the large capacity switch can be finally constructed is desired.
A multistage switch structure is known as one of methods of expanding a switch capacity. A multistage switch of this type is disclosed in Patent document 1.
The multistage switch disclosed therein is configured to include a plurality of unit switches as shown in FIG. 17. A three stage CLOS (CLOS is an inventor's name) switch, for example, is configured to include three stages of unit switch groups, i.e., an input switch group 13-1, an intermediate switch group 13-2, and an output stage switch group 13-3. The input stage switch group 13-1 is configured to include unit switch groups 13-11-1 to 13-11-k in each of which k m×n unit switches, where k is the number of m×n unit switches, are arranged in parallel. The m×n unit switch has m input lines and n output lines, where m is the number of input lines and n is the number of output lines. The intermediate stage switch group 13-2 is configured to include unit switch groups 13-21-1 to 13-21-n in each of which n k×h unit switches, where n is the number of k×h unit switches, are arranged in parallel. The k×h unit switch has k input lines and h output lines, where k is the number of input lines and h is the number of output lines. The output stage switch group 13-3 is configured to include unit switch groups 13-31-1 to 13-31-h in each of which h n×j unit switches, where h is the number of n×j unit switches, are arranged in parallel. The n×j unit switch has n input lines and j output lines, where n is the number of input lines and j is the number of output lines. The input stage group 13-1 is connected to the intermediate stage switch group 13-2 by a line group 13-13-1 to 13-13-(k×n), and the intermediate stage group 13-2 is connected to the output stage switch group 13-3 by a line group 13-32-1 to 13-32-(n×h), thereby constituting a switching device having a large capacity of mk×jh. In this way, with the multistage switch structure, it is possible to constitute a switch in a scale according to the number of unit switches at each stage and to the number of corresponding links, by using small-capacity unit switches.
Furthermore, various scheduling methods for the switching device have been conventionally proposed. If these scheduling methods are classified according to arrangement of functions, they are roughly divided into a scheduling method by arranging scheduling functions in a distributed fashion and a scheduling method by arranging scheduling function in a centralized fashion. FIGS. 18 and 19 show configurations disclosed in Patent document 2 and 3, respectively. The configurations of FIGS. 18 and 19 show states of conventional arrangement of scheduling functions, respectively. Specifically, FIG. 18 shows the configuration in which scheduling functions are arranged in a distributed fashion whereas FIG. 19 shows the configuration in which scheduling functions are arranged in a centralized fashion.
As shown in FIG. 18, with the configuration in which the scheduling functions are arranged in a distributed fashion, the switching device includes a plurality of switches and schedulers 14-1 to 14-m. By mutually connecting adjacent schedulers, the respective schedulers can transmit and receive scheduling information to and from one another, and carry out all scheduling processings.
As shown in FIG. 19, with the configuration in which the scheduling functions are arranged in a centralized fashion, a scheduler 15 is connected to all switches to provide one control circuit, thereby carrying out all scheduling processings. The centralized scheduler of this type has advantages of small wiring delay and smaller mounting restrictions caused by the wiring delay because of no need to connect a plurality of schedulers to one another. However, if a switching device is a large-scale switch, then circuit scale is made larger to disadvantageously make mounting difficult. Besides, the switching device is inferior in expandability because the number of inputs that can be accommodated is fixed after mounting.
If the switching device excellent in expandability is to be constituted, it is advantageous to use distributed schedulers. However, if the number of schedulers increases, the number of connecting lines for connecting the schedulers to one another increases, thus disadvantageously increasing mounting restrictions. Besides, the number of mounting restrictions also increases due to delay generated by exchange of information. To solve the disadvantages, there is proposed a method of carrying out scheduling processing for which the schedulers are not mutually connected and do not exchange scheduling information with one another.
Patent document 1: JP-A 2002-325087 (FIG. 17)
Patent document 2: JP-A 2002-152267 (FIG. 18)
Patent document 3: JP-A 6-70347 (FIG. 19)

Switching device, switching method, and switch control program


An auto drive system for a vehicle includes an accelerator member which can be operated by a vehicle driver. A detecting device associated with the accelerator member serves to detect a quantity of operation of the accelerator member. A stopping device engageable with the accelerator member serves to stop the accelerator member and to determine an unoperated position of the accelerator member. A driving device serves to move a position of the detecting device and a position of the stopping device by a movement amount along directions corresponding to a direction of increasing the quantity of operation of the accelerator member. A first controlling device serves to control a vehicle driving power on the basis of an output of the detecting device during unexecution of auto drive. A second control device serves to activate the driving device and to control the vehicle driving power on the basis of a target vehicle speed during execution of auto drive.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an auto drive system for a vehicle or a cruise control system for a vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Japanese published unexamined patent application 61-1545 discloses an auto drive (cruise control) system for a vehicle. The auto drive system of Japanese application 61-1545 includes a potentiometer for detecting the degree of depression of an accelerator pedal, and first and second control devices. The first control device adjusts the degree of opening of a throttle valve on the basis of an output signal from the potentiometer, enabling the vehicle to be driven in response to the depression of the accelerator pedal. When auto drive is required, the second control device adjusts the degree of opening of the throttle valve so as to regulate the speed of the vehicle at a desired speed.
The auto drive system of Japanese application 61-1545 has a problem as follows. After setting of the desired auto drive speed is completed and then the accelerator pedal is released, the accelerator pedal is returned to its undepressed position by a return spring while the throttle valve is held at a desired open position. This positioning of the throttle valve independent from the accelerator pedal is enabled by the absence of a mechanical connection between the accelerator pedal and the throttle valve. Thus, when the vehicle driver requires an interruption of auto drive and a temporary increase in the vehicle speed from the desired auto drive speed, it is necessary for the vehicle driver to depress the accelerator pedal from its undepressed position. During the depression of the accelerator pedal, the vehicle speed is held at the desired auto drive speed by the auto drive system until the accelerator pedal reaches a position corresponding to the desired auto drive speed. Accordingly, during a former stage of the depression of the accelerator pedal, the vehicle speed is insensitive to the movement of the accelerator pedal. This insensitiveness tends to cause the vehicle driver to excessively depress the accelerator pedal.


An apparatus, a method, and a computer program are provided for distinguishing relevant security threats. With conventional computer systems, distinguishing security threats from actual security threats is a complex and difficult task because of the general inability to quantify a “threat.” By the use of an intelligent conceptual clustering technique, threats can be accurately distinguished from benign behaviors. Thus, electronic commerce, and Information Technology systems generally, can be made safer without sacrificing efficiency.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to network security and, more particularly, to the use of conceptual clustering in order to determine and eliminate potential security threats.
2. Description of the Related Art
Due to the increased reliance on Information Technology (IT) in the present business arena, there is an ever-increasing need to protect the IT infrastructure. In protecting the IT infrastructure, Network Security has become a paramount issue. There is a need to protect the IT infrastructure for a variety of reasons, such as to limit down-time and provide secure data transmission.
However, implementation of security measures is not a simple task. For an IT system, the basic approach to security is to monitor traffic across the IT network to identify patterns that indicate system intrusion. There are a variety of methodologies that may be employed to identify intrusion patterns, such as regression analysis and certain inductive techniques. Generally, the security approaches monitor usage behaviors and requests of network ports and resources in order to determine potential intrusion risks. For example, certain requests at certain times of day or night can be indicative of a system attack. Thus, pattern analysis can be employed to make such determinations. However, methods of attacks are neither finite nor static. Instead, methods of attacks change. Hence, pattern analyses must be updated to at least maintain equal footing or at least a semblance of parity with those who mean to cause harm to the IT infrastructure.
In addition, as the volume of events occurring on a network increases relative to a generally lower volume of actual intrusions, the difficulty in determining threats correspondingly increases. The space can be simplified, but if the space is too general, the patterns will trigger false positives, needlessly interrupting system operation, wasting management resources and degrading system reliability.
Therefore, a need exists for a method and/or apparatus for utilizing qualitative and quantitative measurements to improve the degree of accuracy in analyzing potential security risks that addresses at least some of the problems associated with convention methods and apparatuses associated with current security algorithms.

Method and system for distinguishing relevant network security threats using comparison of refined intrusion detection audits and intelligent security analysis

International Business Machines Corporation


A system comprising a supply voltage isolation module (50), and a battery detector (52), both responsive to a battery pin (41). The system further including a voltage detection module (54) responsive to a voltage supply pin (42), where the voltage detection module (54) compares a supply voltage from the voltage supply pin (42) to a threshold. The system also including control logic (56) responsive to the battery detector (52) and the voltage detection module (54). Also disclosed are methods for responding to connection of a battery (36) to a logic device (12), placing a logic device (12) into a low power state in response to connection of a battery (36) to the logic device (12), and detecting a battery condition for a logic device (12) having a battery pin (41).

This invention relates generally to logic devices, and more specifically to detecting and responding to battery conditions within logic devices.
In many battery powered systems, such as those in the portable electronics market, logic devices, such as microprocessors and microcontrollers, play the role of the main controller and/or the power management unit. In this role, it is important to protect the logic device""s internal logic states and volatile memory (RAM, control registers, logic states, etc.) as long as possible when batteries become weak or are removed. Therefore, a need exists to provide systems and methods to detect and respond to various different battery conditions for logic devices.

Methods and systems for detecting and for responding to connection of a battery to a logic device


According to the measuring head, the zero point and the amount of front travel settings are facilitated. Firstly, the amount of front travel is set by allowing contacts 34, 34 to abut a master 50. Then, rotating the lever 42 in a direction indicated by an arrow E, or a close position, causes the bearing member 36 to be fastened to the swinging support shaft 28. At this time, a restoring force, or a force caused by reaction, of the bearing member 36 transferred from the bearing member 36 through the arm 38, cam plate 40 and shaft 48 to the measurement lever 32 causes the measurement lever 32 to deflect by an amount that equals to the amount of front travel, and therefore from the position where the amount of front travel is set to the zero point position. This automatically sets the zero point position.

Comparative measurement of an outer diameter of a workpiece with a certain design dimension initially requires the zero point adjustment of a detector using a master of the dimension. The zero point adjustment must be made each time the dimensions of the measured workpiece are changed, requiring a large amount of time and effort.
A measuring head disclosed in Japanese Patent Examined Application Publication No. 6-48161, as shown in FIG. 8, is mainly composed of a base lever 2 including a detector 1 at a base end thereof, a measurement lever 3 including a contact 3a at a tip end thereof, a rotatable fulcrum shaft 4 pivotally supporting a tip end of the base lever 2 as well as a base end of the measurement lever 3, a clamp mechanism 5 that connects/releases the base lever 2 and measurement lever 3 to/from the fulcrum shaft 4, a setting arm 6 for swinging the base lever 2 relatively to the fulcrum shaft 4, and a manipulating mechanism 7 for actuating the clamp mechanism 5 and setting arm 6. The zero point adjustment for the head is accomplished as described below.
Rotating a handle 8 of the manipulating mechanism 7 causes a manipulating shaft 8a to rotate, and an eccentric cam 9b fixed to the manipulating shaft 8a acts on the clamp mechanism 5 and then the fulcrum shaft 4 is unclamped. The base lever 2 and measurement lever 3 are then rotatably supported relatively to the fulcrum shaft 4. The rotation of the manipulating shaft 8a also causes a regulator plate 6a to move forward with the action of the eccentric cam 9a fixed to the manipulating shaft 8a, and to push the setting arm 6, moving the base lever 2 to the zero point position of the detector 1.
At this point, a master is placed between the contacts 3a and caught by the contacts 3a. Rotating a handle 8 again causes the clamp mechanism 5 to actuate with the action of the eccentric cam 9b, and the base lever 2 and measurement lever 3 are fastened to the fulcrum shaft 4. At the same time, the action of the eccentric cam 9a causes the regulator plate 6a to move backward, releasing the setting arm 8. This makes the head ready for measurement and completes the zero point adjustment.
Although the measuring head with the above arrangement can accomplish the zero point adjustment, it suffers from the disadvantage that it has a complex mechanism and a large number of parts, leading to cumbersome assembly and a large size of the overall head.
A measuring head 100 disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-181502, as shown in FIG. 9, is rotatably provided with a base arm 114 in a head body 112 by means of a rotating support shaft 116 as the fulcrum. A swinging support shaft 136 is provided at the tip end of the base arm 114. A measurement arm 138 is swingably supported by the swinging support shaft 136, and the measurement arm 138 can be secured in a position at any angle to the swinging support shaft 136 by means of a clamp mechanism 140. A setting arm 122 is provided on the base arm 114, and pushing the setting arm 122 with a movable plate 124 causes the base arm 114 to move to the zero point position of a differential transformer 118. The zero point adjustment is accomplished by causing the base arm 114 to move to the zero point position of a differential transformer 118, and swingably supporting the measurement arm 138 relatively to the swinging support shaft 136. In this state, a master W is caught between contacts 142, and then the measurement arm 138 is secured by the clamp mechanism 140.
The measuring head with the above arrangement, however, also suffers from the disadvantage that it has a complex mechanism for the zero point adjustment, leading to cumbersome assembly and zero point adjustment.
In view of the circumstances noted above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a measuring head that facilitates the zero point adjustment and is small and simple in its construction.


An intake system component for an internal combustion engine includes a tubular curved portion extending in a curved manner. The curved portion includes an inner wall located on an inner side of a curve relative to an inner passage. The inner wall is made of a breathable fibrous molded body. A part of the curved portion excluding the inner wall includes a portion having a lower breathability than the inner wall.

The present invention relates to an intake system component for an internal combustion engine.
The intake passage of an internal combustion engine includes an intake duct. Such intake ducts include, for example, an inlet duct made of a hard plastic (refer to, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2016-125379).
In an intake duct including a tubular curved portion extending in a curved manner, the following problem occurs. A conventional intake duct shown in FIG. 5 includes a curved portion 123. The curved portion 123 includes an inner wall 134 located on the inner side of the curve relative to the inner passage 121. On the wall surface of the inner wall 134, air separation occurs to generate an eddy V1. This limits the airflow in the vicinity of the wall surface of the inner wall 134 and reduces the cross-sectional area of the flow passage of the main flow of the air in the curved portion 123. As a result, the pressure loss increases, and the airflow resistance increases.
Such a problem is not limited to the intake duct but occurs similarly in other intake system components having a tubular curved portion extending in a curved manner.

Intake system component for internal combustion engine


Disclosed is a method and apparatus to electronically tabulate items marked with a bar code. The system may optionally operate to manage, control and tabulate inventory, produce vendor-correct purchase orders, manage multiple locations, multiple buildings, multiple clients and multiple stores to facilitate efficiency for a wholesaler or retailer or alternatively for a distributor, broker or sales agent. The system may alternatively be used to manage inventory for a manufacturing environment or for tracking evidence or items in a chain of custody environment useful for governmental and scientific functions.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to electronic inventory control utilizing a pre-programmed, handheld, computer scanner. Specifically the palm-sized device maintains database tables relating bar code scanned items to functions and optional Internet connectivity. The applicability of this device including the programming includes but is not limited to retail stores in accounting for inventory flow control, manufacturing enterprises where many parts are combined and need to be accounted for in the transition from individual parts to assembled parts as well as the multitude of parts; government agencies and scientific laboratories which must account for movements and locations of evidence or samples; distribution companies which visit on-site purchases and account for their own inventory on shelves or in stockrooms, such as in hospitals, doctor's offices, veterinary clinics, wholesale and retail outlets, grocery stores and others.
2. Description of Related Art

Electronic inventory movement and control device


A recording medium includes a protective layer and a porous ink receiving layer. The protective layer includes a first binder and a first set of polymeric beads. The first set of polymeric beads has an average volume-based particle size equal to or greater than ten microns. The protective layer has a coat weight equal to or less than three grams per square meter. The recording medium also includes a porous ink receiving layer including a first set of pigments and a second binder.

Recording media such as sheet media and web media may be used to receive pigmented ink to form images thereon. The images may be in a form of designs, symbols, photographs, and/or text. The pigmented ink may be applied to the recording media by an ink applicator unit.
Throughout the drawings, identical reference numbers designate similar, but not necessarily identical, elements.

Recording medium having a protective layer

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A sensor device to detect a level of carbon dioxide in a body of gas includes one or more lead selenide detectors as infrared sensing elements. The sensor device operates without temperature regulation required by conventional lead selenide-based sensors, and instead measurements of the sensor device are compensated for a temperature measured by a thermal sensor.

1. Field of the Disclosure
The disclosure relates to the performance of heater-less lead selenide based detection of carbon dioxide levels, and to calibration for temperature of a lead selenide detector.
2. Description of the Related Art
Sensor devices that implement Non-Dispersive Infrared (NDIR) gas analysis by means of lead selenide (PbSe) detectors that are sensitive to infrared radiation are known. Generally, these sensor devices employ heaters to maintain the temperature of the lead selenide detectors within very tight tolerances during operation. The regulation of temperature of the lead selenide detectors increases initialization time for users, increases the cost of manufacture and/or maintenance, and may adversely impact the longevity of these conventional devices.
Sensor devices that employ lead selenide detectors without heaters and temperature regulation generally use the detectors themselves to detect their own temperature. This is because a detector's "dark resistance" (i.e., the DC resistance of the detector in total darkness) is related to the detector's temperature, a phenomenon leveraged in such sensor devices.

System and method for performing heater-less lead selenide-based capnometry and/or capnography


A system for improved cable management is disclosed in several example embodiments. The disclosed embodiments describe example structures for supporting cables, for example telecommunications and fiber optic cables, within a cable storage cabinet. The disclosed embodiments also describe a door for a cable storage cabinet. The example door includes a hinge control and handle system which allows the door to be opened along either side to therefore allow the door to be opened either way from a single handle. The disclosed embodiments also describes an indicator system which informs a user when the door for the cable storage cabinet is in either a closed position or an open position. Each of these embodiments improves the utility and safety of cable management, particularly within cable storage cabinets.

Cables, for example fiber optic telecommunication cables, are often stored in cabinets. When users access these cabinets to install or service the cables, adjustments to the equipment used for storage is often necessary. In many cases, users are not able to immediately obtain different storage management equipment to adapt to the circumstances, such as cable number or size, so the user must return to a remote office, wasting valuable time. It is therefore needed to develop advancements in cable management which can be adjusted in the field.
These cabinets often are enclosed with very heavy doors, which can cause injury if not closed properly. It is therefore needed to develop advancements in cable management which can indicate to a user when a cabinet door is properly closed.
The cabinets are often positioned in confined surroundings and have difficulty-accessed internal cavities. It is therefore needed to develop advancements in cable management cabinets which can increase accessibility in confined surroundings and also provide improved accessibility to internal cavities which are difficult to access.

Cabinet including door locking indicator


Call-center (FIG. 1) performance is improved by assigning different service-time objectives (222) to different types of calls or to call queues (21) for different types of calls, and then selecting (212), for an agent (25) who has just become available (200) to handle a call, a waiting call that is farthest along in exceeding its assigned service-time objective. The objectives represent limits on the amount of time that calls should spend waiting for agents before being handled. For example, a video call may need to be serviced within tens of seconds of its arrival, and a voice-only call may need to be serviced within minutes, while e-mail may need a response within hours of its arrival. Relative distance of calls from their assigned service-time objectives is preferably determined by determining (206) the calls' present or anticipated wait times and computing (210) weighted percentages of the assigned service-time objectives that are represented by the present or anticipated wait times. The call with the highest weighted percentage is then selected (212) and assigned (214) to the available agent for handling. The process is repeated each time that any agent becomes available.

In automatic call-distribution (ACD) systems, calls incoming to a call center are answered and handled by a plurality of agents. The ACD system automatically distributes and connects incoming calls to whatever agents are suited to handle the calls and available, that is, not handling other calls at the moment.
It often happens that the call center becomes overloaded by calls, so that no suitable agents are available to handle calls at the moment that the calls come in. The calls then back up. They are placed in different queues based upon some preestablished criteria, and are placed in each queue in the order of their arrival and/or priority. There they await suitable agents becoming available to service them. The waiting calls are distributed to agents for handling on an oldest-call-waiting (OCW) basis. That is, when an agent becomes available, the system considers the call at the head of each queue from which that agent is eligible to handle a call, and selects the one of the calls that has been waiting the longest. The system does not take into consideration the unique service-time needs of different types of calls. For example, a video call may need to be serviced within tens of seconds of its arrival, and a voice-only call may need to be serviced within minutes, while e-mail may need a response within hours of its arrival.

Waiting-call selection based on objectives


An oximetry technique permits determination of hemoglobin oxygenation in vascular beds such as the inner retinal capillary beds. For a retinal application, an oximeter (FIG. 2) uses as a probe light source a multiline argon laser (11) that operates at three wavelengths in the hemoglobin absorption band, preferably 488, 501, and 514 nm. The oximeter optics module (30) attaches to the output end of a conventional slit lamp microscope (20). Reflected probe light is separated (34) into its constituent wavelengths, and photon counters (38) are used to measure light intensity for each wavelength. Data acquisition and analysis are performed by an oximeter processor (40) that computes hemoglobin oxygenation ratios from the intensity measurements, and determines the corresponding percent oxygen saturation.

The retina is supplied with oxygen through both choroidal and retinal circulation. Oxygen diffusion from the choroid supplies oxygen to the avascular outer retina and photoreceptors, while the inner retina and nerve fiber layer is supplied with oxygen via the retinal vascular system (arteries, veins and capillary beds).
Like other neural tissues, the retina is very metabolically active and has a high oxygen demand. Consequently, diseases that alter retinal circulation, such as diabetic retinopathy, sickle cell disease, hypertension, and vascular occlusive diseases, result in impaired oxygen delivery. As a consequence, optical function can be significantly impaired, and severe damage to retinal tissues can occur.
The specific problem to which the invention is applicable is optical retinal oximetry--the use of noninvasive optical means to determine hemoglobin oxygen saturation in the inner retina. More generally, the invention is applicable to optical hemoglobin oximetry techniques f or use with any tissues (such as vascular beds) that are optically accessible.
In the context of the specific problem, retinal oximetry techniques have been used in the clinical evaluation of retinal diseases such as diabetic retinopathy. In diabetes, progressive retinal vascular disease leads to retinal ischemia, which in turn induces production of vasoproliferative factor that eventually results in neovascularization with its multiple complications. (References 1,2,3,4 at the end of the Background). The current front line treatment for neovascularization is laser panretinal photocoagulation (PRP). This treatment modality has proven to be extremely effective, but exactly why it is effective is unclear. (References 5,6,7,8)
Three proposed mechanisms may contribute to the regression of diabetic retinal neovascularization to greater or lesser degrees. The first of these suggests that the total retinal metabolic demand is reduced by ablating hypoxic retinal tissue with PRP. The second proposes that the PRP scars somehow alter the circuitory relationship between the choroid and hypoxic inner retina thereby allowing improved oxygen delivery. Alternatively, it has been found that laser scars cause the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) to release a protein that directly inhibits neovascularization.
It seems likely that more than one, if not all, of these mechanisms contribute to neovascular regression post PRP treatment. What has been lacking is an accurate and available means by which to evaluate retinal metabolism, oxygenation and development of neovascularization.
Invasive techniques to provide such information are not practical for routine clinical use or research. Consequently, several techniques for noninvasive evaluation of retinal metabolism have been developed.
The first of these has looked at retinal blood flow as a measure of retinal metabolism. (References 9,10) Efforts to noninvasively evaluate retinal oxygen metabolism remained relatively stagnant however, until the principles of optical hemoglobin oximetry were first applied to the retina in 1963. (Reference 11)
Techniques for optical oximetry have been evolving, and have been applied to both animals and humans. (References 12,13) Early efforts were based on using only two wavelengths of light filtered from incandescent light sources. Unfortunately, this led to inaccurate results because of the Lambert-Beer Law, which strictly limits two wavelength oximetry to only hemolyzed solutions.
In 1975, these limitations for non-hemolyzed blood were overcome by the development of an accurate three-wavelength technique for the measurement of percent oxyhemoglobin. (Reference 14) Three-wavelength oximetry is based on several important principles. The first of these states that light absorption by blood depends on O.sub.2 Sat and wavelength. Second, a relationship exists between a measurable optical quantity like optical densities and the extinction coefficient of the mixture of oxyhemoglobin (HbO.sub.2) and deoxy-hemoglobin (Hb) at a given O.sub.2 Sat. (Reference 15) Finally, optical densities at two specific wavelengths can be compared to the optical density at a third specific wavelength and hemoglobin absorption values may then be calculated and used to accurately obtain percent O.sub.2 Sat. (Reference 14)
The relationship between the extinction coefficients of HbO.sub.2 and Hb in the visible spectrum are available for use when calculating percent O.sub.2 Sat. The advantages and disadvantages of these wavelengths using existing technology have previously been explored. (References 16,17)
In particular, wavelength selection criteria for retinal oximetry have been based on inherent characteristics of retinal tissue and blood. Wavelengths significantly below 520 nm have not been explored because of strong absorption by hemoglobin, leading to relatively low retinal tissue reflectance, which would require intense polychromatic illumination.
Three wavelength oximetry has been adapted to real-time measurements of retinal vessel oxygen saturations (O.sub.2 Sat). (References 15,16,17) These retinal oximeters use a bright source of non-collimated light (typically a broad spectrum halogen or arc light) that is filtered to provide three selected wavelengths--the light source and the filters are cooperatively selected to provide at least one isobestic wavelength (i.e., a wavelength at which hemoglobin absorption is essentially independent of 02 Sat) and at least one wavelength for which blood absorption is dependent upon O.sub.2 Sat.
To probe a selected area of the retina, the light is focused on either a large caliber retinal artery or a large caliber retinal vein. The percent O.sub.2 Sat is calculated from measurements of the light reflected from either the artery (in which hemoglobin oxygenation is relatively high) or the vein (in which hemoglobin oxygenation is relatively low), and from the RPE background.
This technique for performing retinal oximetry is disadvantageous in several respects. It is complicated to control, requiring precise focusing on retinal blood vessels and a complicated filtering to produce a multiwavelength probe. It limits percent O.sub.2 Sat measurements to large caliber blood vessels, and does not allow O.sub.2 Sat measurements to be made in the intraretinal capillary beds. It is based on measuring reflected light, and therefore uses wavelengths up in the reflectance (or partial transmittance) band above 600 nm, which tend to yield low contrast for the vascular blood column, and to provide less uniform reflections with variable background fundus pigmentation. Because, it requires a bright light source (to ensure adequate reflectance for measurement), it has a tendency to probe the sub-retinal choroidal blood, which makes it difficult to isolate the retina for O.sub.2 Sat measurement.
Optical oximetry techniques have been used to determine hemoglobin oxygenation in non-ocular tissues. For example, optical oximeters are used to measure oxygen saturation in relatively thin tissues (such as the ear lobe or the finger) through which probe light of wavelengths substantially longer than 520 nm can be transmitted. Because of the high level of optical absorption in hemoglobin even for wavelengths longer than 520 nm, the reliance on the transmission of probe light through the tissue significantly restricts the applications for these oximetry techniques.
Accordingly, a need exists f or an improved optical oximetry technique, one that has specific applicability to determining hemoglobin oxygenation in the capillary beds of the inner retina, and more general applicability to other light-accessible tissues.

Method and apparatus for determining hemoglobin oxygenation such as in ocular and other vascular beds


A fully adjustable electrical receptacle housing used for mounting in a floor includes a junction box for receiving a conduit, a leveling tray and a receptacle cover for mounting an electrical termination device. The leveling tray is positioned within an opening of the junction box and is adjustable in any plane with respect to the opening. The receptacle frame is seated upon and is fully supported by the leveling tray without the need for mechanical connection to the tray.

In modem concrete construction it has become customary to provide conduits in the floors of a building over which concrete is poured to complete the floor. These conduits provide passages for electric wiring, telephone cables and the like. Receptacle housings through the concrete floor are provided at desired positions and suitable fixtures are mounted in the receptacles to provide power and telephone and data connections. These receptacle housings are closed on all sides except where joined to conduits and except for the fronts of the housings which face the openings in the floor. The receptacle housings are typically provided with a cover plate upon which the electrical fixture is mounted.
It is desirable that the open front of a receptacle housing be positioned adjacent to the surface of the floor so that when a fixture, such as a switch or outlet, is mounted in the receptacle the front of the switch or outlet will be substantially flush with the surface of the floor. However, difficulty is frequently encountered in correctly positioning the receptacle box and cover plate whereby the electrical fixture is properly flush with the finished floor. Because the receptacle housings are typically installed before the concrete is poured and before the finished floor surface is applied, it is difficult to estimate the proper location of the housing to insure that the front of the switch or outlet will be flush with the floor surface. If the receptacle housing protrudes out from the floor surface then the switch or outlet will appear unsightly and may present a tripping hazard on the floor surface. If the receptacle housing is too far recessed in the floor surface it may not be possible to mount the switch or outlet therein. This necessitates compensation through the use of shims or other mechanical adjustment mechanisms to attempt to bring the electrical fixture into proper flush relation with the exposed surface of the finished floor.
A number of adjustable electrical receptacle housings have been proposed to allow mounting a switch or outlet so that it is substantially flush with a wall or floor surface. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,634,015 to Taylor discloses an adjustable electrical outlet box attachment for mounting to a wall surface. The box includes a frame, mounted to slide forwardly and rearwardly within a collar, and adjustment screws mounted within the box frame to adjust the frame flush with the wall surface. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,599,485 to Smolik discloses a wall receptacle box which is adjustable through the use of two deformable mounting brackets. The mounting brackets are bendable in order to compensate for irregularities in the mounting surface so that the electric fixture box can be mounted flush with respect to the wall covering. Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 2,886,630 to Gill discloses an adjustable outlet box which is especially designed for use in poured concrete floors. The box includes adjustment screws which connect the outlet to the receptacle box and which may be adjusted to bring the outlet flush with the floor surface.
These and other conventional devices typically include adjustment mechanisms, such as screws, which are mechanically connected to the receptacle cover or outlet. As such, the adjustment mechanisms are also typically the means of supporting the cover or outlet. The result is a cover or outlet which is supported at only one or more points within the receptacle housing. In the case of a floor receptacle, supporting the cover or outlet in a multiple-point fashion may not be sufficient to withstand the weight of a person who may step on the receptacle. Also, mechanically connecting the cover or outlet to the receptacle box during installation or replacement is difficult and time consuming and results in limited adjustability. Accordingly, there is a need for an adjustable electrical floor receptacle housing providing maximum adjustability without compromising support of the cover or outlet.

Fully adjustable electrical receptacle housing


An implantable medical apparatus for detecting diastolic heart failure, DHF, has a DHF determining device for determining at least one blood pressure parameter for detecting a DHF state of the heart of a patient. The DHF determining device has a pressure measuring unit for measuring the absolute value of left atrial pressure during the diastasis phase just before atrial contraction, or the absolute value of the pressure in the pulmonary vein when the pulmonary valve is closed, for a predetermined workload situation and a rest situation of the patient. A comparator compares the difference between left atrial pressure or pulmonary vein pressure, in the workload and rest situations, with a predetermined pressure difference reference value. A pacemaker includes such an apparatus and a control unit that optimizes pacing therapy depending on the result of the comparisons with the reference values. In a corresponding method of detecting diastolic heart failure, DHF at least one blood pressure parameter for detecting a DHF state of the heart of a patient is determined. The absolute value of left atrial pressure is measured during the diastasis phase just before atrial contraction, or the absolute value of the pressure in the pulmonary vein when the pulmonary valve is closed, for a predetermined workload situation and a rest situation of the patient. The difference between left atrial pressure or pulmonary vein pressure in said workload and rest situations is compared with a predetermined pressure difference reference value.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an implantable medical apparatus for detecting diastolic heart failure (DHF), of the type having a DHF determining device for determining at least one blood pressure parameter for detecting a DHF state of the heart of a patient. The invention also relates to a pacemaker provided with such an apparatus, and a method of detecting DHF, including the step of determining at least one blood pressure parameter for detecting a DHF state of the heart of a patient.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There is a growing recognition that congestive heart failure caused by a predominant abnormality in the diastolic function, i.e. diastolic heart failure, DHF, is both common and causes significant morbidity and mortality. Therefore early detection of DHF is important. Patients do not, however, seem to have symptoms at an early stage. In addition it has been hard to separate diastolic and systolic heart failure and they may also exist simultaneously.
It has been discovered that among the few parameters, separating diastolic heart failure from systolic heart failure, are certain blood pressure parameters obtained during work of the patient. Thus U.S. Pat. No. 6,438,408 describes an implantable medical device for monitoring congestive heart failure, CHF. A number of heart failure parameters indicative of the state of the heart failure are measured employing EGMs, blood pressures including absolute pressures, developed pressures (=systolic pressures−diastolic pressures) and the time derivative dP/dt, as well as heart chamber volumes. One of these parameters is the relaxation or contraction time constant τ of the heart chamber. This constant τ is calculated from a continuous pressure signal and is the drop in ventricular pressure at the end of systole and in the first part of diastole. The τ parameter is thus a general parameter reflecting the relaxation process.
Patients suffering from DHF have both elevated ventricular filling pressure and elevated pulmonary venous pressure. To maintain cardiac output under load higher filling pressures are required to achieve adequate left ventricular filling, see H. Weinberger, Diagnosis and Treatment of Diastolic Heart Failure, Hospital Practice, http://www.hosppract.com/issues/1999/03/weinb.htm. However, for DHF patients increased filling pressure does not result in increased left ventricular diastolic volymes. This is illustrated in FIG. 1 which shows results of studies on patients with isolated diastolic dysfunction, see D. W. Kitzman et al, "Exercise Intolerance in Patients with Heart Failure and Preserved Left Ventricular Systolic Function: Failure of the Frank-Starling Mechanism", J. Am. Coll. Cardiol., 17:1065-1072, 1991. FIG. 1a shows the pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, PCWP, as a function of workload for patients with isolated diastolic dysfunction and for control persons not suffering for this dysfunction, and FIG. 1b shows corresponding curves for the left ventricular end-diastolic volume index, LVEDVI as a function of the workload. From the figures it appears that for patients suffering from the mentioned diastolic dysfunction, PCWP was elevated at rest and further elevated during exercise. This indicates that the ventricular filling pressure was increased under both conditions, whereas LVEDVI did not increase with exercise.