A receiving device and a receiving method enabling the high-speed and high-accuracy interference reducing process are provided. The interference reduction receiving device despreading digital signal at a plurality of timings, multiplying each of the signals after being despread by a weight and combining the signals, comprises an estimation unit estimating channel response vector having, as elements, channel estimation values corresponding to the respective timings based on the digital signal, a quantizing unit quantizing the digital signal in the vicinity of the respective timings, a signal correlation matrix generation unit generating a signal correlation matrix having, as the element, each signal correlation value calculated based on the respective quantized signals, and an weight calculating unit calculating the weight based on the channel response vector and the signal correlation matrix.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an interference reduction receiving device and a method thereof that are used in a communication system employing a CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) method.
2. Description of the Related Art
A variety of high-speed and large-capacity wireless communication methods such as an HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) method are proposed at the present. The communication system using the CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) method also demands for a higher-performance demodulator than a conventional RAKE receiver in order to actualize high-speed and large-capacity wireless communications.
Further, there is multi-path interference that deteriorates a communication quality in this RAKE receiver. In this multi-path interference, mutual interference is caused due to mixture of reflected waves generated by reflection of radio waves on propagation paths and direct waves.
Accordingly, in the case of scheming to actualize the high-speed communications in the RAKE receiver, an important technology is a technology of efficiently reducing this multi-path interference. A G-RAKE (Generalized RAKE) receiver is proposed as this type of technology for reducing interference. One type of the G-RAKE receiver is such that respective signals at a timing of a peak detected in a delay profile (channel impulse response) of a multi-path signal and at other predetermined timings are each despread by a predetermined spreading code, and the signals further multiplied by weights and added up are thus outputted.
FIG. 20 is a diagram showing an outline of the conventional G-RAKE receiver, wherein there are included, in addition to the timings of peaks detected in a delay profile 15, other timings effective in eliminating the interference (refer to, e.g., Patent documents 1 and 2, and Non-Patent document 1). This type of G-RAKE receiver has an advantage that the characteristic is approximate to the best level while keeping an advantage that a calculation quantity for the weight multiplication gets small, and is therefore considered promising as a technology for reducing the interference.
Moreover, a weight w in the G-RAKE receiver is drawn as follows. To be specific, an output signal (complex signal) z of an adder 13 can be expressed such as:z=wHy
where y is a vector having, as elements, output signals (complex signals) of a plurality of correlators 14, and w is a vector of the weight. Herein, "H" represents Hermitian transposition.
Further, the vector y can be expressed by:y=hs+n
where s is transmission data of a specified user, h is a vector of a channel estimation value, and n is a vector of noises containing the thermal noise the multi-path interference.
Herein, in terms of removing the noise component n from the output signal z, by using a covariance matrix R expressed by the following formula:R=E[nnH] (E[ ] represents an expected value)
w used as the weight is expressed by the following formula:w=R−1h
FIG. 21 is a diagram showing an example of a circuit configuration for obtaining an element Rij of the covariance matrix in the conventional G-RAKE receiver. In the circuit illustrated in FIG. 21, the element Rij of the covariance matrix is obtained in the following manner. A pilot signal (CPICH: Common Pilot CHannel) in received data (chip data) is despread at a timing ti in a correlator 21, and, in an adder 23, a signal, into which the despread signals are averaged (averaging unit 22), is subtracted from the despread signals. Similarly, the pilot signal in the reception data is despread at a timing tj in a correlator 24, and, in an adder 26, a signal, into which the despread signals are averaged (averaging unit 25), is subtracted from the despread signals. Then, output signals from the adder 23 and from the adder 26 are multiplied in a multiplier 27, and the multiplied signals are averaged in an averaging unit 28, thereby obtaining the element Rij of the covariance matrix.
On the other hand, such a technology (refer to, e.g., Patent documents 3 and 4) of reducing the interference is disclosed that in the RAKE receiver, a despreading timing is set to a timing (MICT: Multi-path Interference Correlative Timing), wherein the MICT is in symmetrical position centering around one path timing from the other path timing corresponding to a time delay between arbitrary two paths. The Patent document 1 is "Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-527927." The Patent document 2 is "Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-503879." The Patent document 3 is "Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-133999." The Patent document 4 is "Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-173793." The Non-Patent document 1 is "Gregory E. Bottomley, Tony Ottosson, Yi-Pin Eric Wang, "A Generalized RAKE Receiver for Interference Suppression", IEEE JOURNAL ON SELECTED AREAS IN COMMUNICATIONS, VOL. 18, No. 8, AUGUST 2000."
In the G-RAKE receiver described above, however, the weight used for reducing the interference is obtained from the covariance matrix having, as the element, the value acquired by use of the known pilot signal, and hence, though the reduction of the interference is actualized, a problem arises, wherein the processing is delayed due to a large arithmetic quantity thereof, and resultantly the high-speed communications can not be actualized. This is because the covariance matrix is obtained from a correlation with the noise component, and therefore the known signal must be subtracted from the received signals. If a spreading factor of the pilot signal is, e.g., 256, only one piece of data can be obtained for every 256 chips, so that the sufficiently accurate covariance matrix and, more essentially, the sufficiently accurate weight can not be obtained in a short period of time.
Moreover, Non-Patent document 1 given above does not show any specific suggestion about the timing effective in eliminating the interference, and a point of how the timing effective in eliminating the interference is determined, is also a problem.

Interference reduction receiving device and method thereof


A thermal conductive sheet including at least 70-95 weight parts of inorganic filler and 5-30 weight parts of thermosetting resin composition and having flexibility in an uncured state is prepared. Through-holes are formed in the thermal conductive sheet and a conductive resin composition is filled in the through-holes. The thermal conductive sheet and a semiconductor chip are overlapped to match positions of the through-holes formed in the thermal conductive sheet with those of the electrodes formed on the semiconductor chip. The thermal conductive sheet and the semiconductor chip are compressed while being heated and the thermal conductive sheet is cured and integrated with the semiconductor chip. An external lead electrode is formed on the thermal conductive sheet at a side opposite to the surface where the semiconductor chip is overlapped, and that is connected with the conductive resin composition. According to the above-mentioned configuration, a semiconductor package that is not required to be sealed by resin, and is excellent in reliability, air-tightness and thermal conductivity can be realized.

The present invention relates to semiconductor packages used for various kinds of electric and electronic devices and a method for manufacturing the same and more particularly to a semiconductor package that is the same size as a semiconductor chip and is excellent in heat dissipation and a method for manufacturing the same.
In recent years, integration of semiconductor chips has become denser, and the functions of semiconductor chips have become ever more advanced. Consequently, the size of semiconductor chips and the number of electrodes on the semiconductor chip have become remarkable. On the other hand, it is required for a semiconductor package to be miniaturized to meet the demand for highly efficient and miniaturized electronic devices. Under these circumstances, a semiconductor package has shifted from the QFP (Quad Flat Package) type that is a semiconductor package having leads that are arranged around the peripheral part of the package to the BGA (Ball Grid Array) type that is a semiconductor package having electrodes arranged in area array on a bottom surface and the CSP (Chip Scale Package) type that is a semiconductor package that is further miniaturized.
FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the CSP type semiconductor package. As shown in FIG. 10, bumps 102 are formed on electrodes formed on a semiconductor chip 101, the semiconductor chip 101 having connected to electrodes 104 formed on a wiring substrate 105 with face down via conductive resin 103. Further, sealing resin 107 is filled between the semiconductor chip 101 and the wiring substrate 105 to ensure the air-tightness. In FIG. 10, numeral 106 indicates an external lead electrode.
When the CSP type semiconductor package is used, an area of a circuit board can be utilized efficiently by miniaturizing the package. Thereby the package can be suitable for high speed and low noise circuits.
However, the above-mentioned conventional CSP type semiconductor package has the following problems. That is, when reliability such as thermal shock is evaluated, a sealing part between a semiconductor chip and a wiring substrate is prone to the cracking, because the thermal expansion coefficient of the semiconductor chip and that of the wiring substrate are different, and as a result, the air-tightness might deteriorate. Further, the cost and the number of steps of manufacturing may be increased by performing a process for sealing resin and coating. Further, the thermal conductivity between the semiconductor chip and the wiring substrate is very poor and it is very difficult for heat that is generated in the semiconductor chip to be released.
The present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned subjects and provide a semiconductor package which is not required to be sealed by resin, is excellent in reliability, air-tightness and thermal conductivity, and can be manufactured at low cost easily, and a method of manufacturing the same.
To accomplish the above-mentioned object, a first configuration of a semiconductor package according to the present invention comprises a semiconductor chip, a thermal conductive mixture including at least 70-95 weight parts of inorganic filler and 5-30 weight parts of thermosetting resin composition that is bonded to an electrode surface of the semiconductor chip where electrodes are formed and to edge surfaces of the semiconductor chip that adjoin the electrode surfaces, and an external lead electrode that is formed on the thermal conductive mixture and is electrically connected with the semiconductor chip.
According to a first configuration of the semiconductor package, it is not required to provide a further resin seal for a semiconductor chip using a thermal conductive mixture as a substrate and a semiconductor package excellent in thermal conductivity can be realized. Further, the thermal expansion coefficient of a thermal conductive mixture as a substrate in the in-plane direction is almost the same as that of a semiconductor chip. Therefore even after a reflow test is conducted, an abnormality in the interface of the semiconductor chip and the package is not observed particularly, and the electrical resistance value of the semiconductor package including a part connecting the semiconductor chip and an external lead electrode changes only very slightly. As a result, a semiconductor package excellent in reliability can be realized.
In a first configuration of the semiconductor package, it is preferable that a through-hole is formed in a thermal conductive mixture opposing to an electrode formed on a semiconductor chip.
Further, in this case, it is preferable that a conductive resin composition is filled in a through-hole and an external lead electrode is connected electrically with a semiconductor chip via the conductive resin composition. In this case, it is preferable that a conductive resin composition includes at least thermosetting resin, a curing agent and at least one kind of metallic powder selected from a group consisting of gold, silver, copper, palladium and nickel.
In a first configuration of the semiconductor package, it is preferable that a bump is formed on an electrode formed on a semiconductor chip. According to this preferable example, reliability-in electrically connecting the semiconductor chip with an external lead electrode can be improved. Further, in this case, it is preferable that the bump penetrates into a thermal conductive mixture and is integrated with the external lead electrode.
In a first configuration of the semiconductor package, it is preferable that the inorganic filler includes at least one selected from a group consisting of Al2O3, MgO, BN and AlN. This is because they have high thermal conductivity.
In a first configuration of the semiconductor package, it is preferable that the inorganic filler has a particle diameter in a range between 0.1-100 xcexcm.
In a first configuration of the semiconductor package, it is preferable that a thermosetting resin composition includes at least one kind of resin as a main component selected from a group consisting of epoxy resin, phenol resin and cyanate resin. This is because they are excellent in electric property and in mechanical property.
In a first configuration of the semiconductor package, it is preferable that a thermosetting resin composition includes brominated multi-functional epoxy resin as a main component and further includes novolak resin of bisphenol A as a curing agent and imidazole as a curing promoter.
In a first configuration of the semiconductor package, it is preferable that a thermal conductive mixture includes at least one kind selected from a group consisting of a coupling agent, a dispersing agent, a coloring agent and a mold-releasing agent.
To accomplish the above-mentioned object, a second configuration of a semiconductor package according to the present invention comprises a semiconductor chip, a thermal conductive mixture including at least 70-95 weight parts of inorganic filler and 5-30 weight parts of thermosetting resin composition that is bonded to an electrode surface of the semiconductor chip where electrodes are formed and to edge surfaces of the semiconductor chip that adjoin the electrode surface, and a wiring substrate having electrodes formed on both surfaces that is bonded to the thermal conductive mixture, and the electrodes formed on one surface of the wiring substrate are electrically connected with the semiconductor chip and the electrodes formed on another surface serve as an external electrode.
According to the second configuration of the semiconductor package, the spacing and the arrangement of the external lead electrodes can be changed by providing a wiring substrate and it becomes easy for a semiconductor package to be mounted on electronic devices.
In a second configuration of the semiconductor package, it is preferable that a main component of a wiring substrate is the same as that of a thermal conductive mixture. According to this preferable example, the thermal expansion coefficient of a peripheral part of a semiconductor becomes almost the same as that of an external lead electrode, and therefore reliability can be improved.
To accomplish the above-mentioned object, one configuration of a method for manufacturing a semiconductor package in the present invention comprises a step of overlapping a semiconductor chip on the thermal conductive sheet including at least 70-95 weight parts of inorganic filler and 5-30 weight parts of thermosetting resin composition and having flexibility in an uncured state with face down, a step of compressing the semiconductor chip and the thermal conductive sheet while being heated to bond the thermal conductive sheet to an electrode surface of the semiconductor chip where electrodes are formed and to edge surfaces of the semiconductor chip that adjoin the electrode surfaces, the thermosetting resin being cured to connect electrically an electrode formed on the semiconductor chip with an external lead electrode.
According to the method for manufacturing a semiconductor package in the present invention, a thermal conductive semiconductor package having a semiconductor chip that is mounted inside can be realized easily. This is because the thermal conductive sheet has flexibility in an uncured state, and therefore the thermal conductive sheet can be formed in a desirable shape at low temperature and at low pressure, and that a thermosetting resin composition contained in the thermal conductive sheet can be cured with pressure while being heated, and therefore a rigid substrate can be formed of the thermal conductive sheet.
In the method for manufacturing a semiconductor package in the present invention, it is preferable that the temperature in a process for heat-pressing is in a range between 170-260xc2x0 C. This is because when the temperature is too low, a thermosetting resin composition is not cured sufficiently, and when the temperature is too high, the thermosetting resin composition starts to decompose.
In the method for manufacturing a semiconductor package in the present invention, it is preferable that the pressure in a process for heat-pressing is in a range between 1-20 MPa. This is because when the pressure is too low, it becomes difficult for a thermal conductive sheet to be bonded to an electrode surface of a semiconductor chip where electrodes are formed and to edge surfaces of the semiconductor chip that adjoin the electrode surface, and when the pressure is too high, a semiconductor chip is prone to the damage.
In the method for manufacturing a semiconductor package in the present invention, it is preferable that prior to a step of overlapping a semiconductor chip on a thermal conductive sheet with face down, a step of forming a through-hole in the thermal conductive sheet opposing to an electrode formed on the semiconductor chip is further included. According to this preferable example, when a bump is formed on an electrode formed in a semiconductor chip, it becomes easier to match a position of the semiconductor chip with that of the thermal conductive sheet. Further, in this case, it is preferable that a through-hole is formed by laser processing, drilling or punching. Further, in this case, it is preferable that after a through-hole is formed, a step of filling a thermosetting resin composition in the through-hole is further included. In this case, it is preferable that in a process for filling a conductive resin composition in a through-hole, the conductive resin composition is filled in only one part of the through-hole facing an opening and is not filled in another part of the through-hole facing another side. According to this preferable example, in integrating a semiconductor chip with a thermal conductive sheet, short circuit and disconnection caused by flowing out of excess conductive resin composition can be prevented. Further, as there is an opening at one side of the penetration, in overlapping a semiconductor chip having a bump formed on an electrode on a thermal conductive sheet, though there is a conductive resin composition, it becomes easier to match a position of the semiconductor chip with that of the thermal conductive sheet. In this case, it is preferable that a thermosetting resin composition includes at least one kind of metallic powder selected from a group consisting of gold, silver, copper, palladium and nickel, thermosetting resin and a curing agent.
In the method for manufacturing a semiconductor package in the present invention, it is preferable that after a plurality of semiconductor chips are overlapped on a thermal conductive sheet with face down and the plurality of semiconductor chips and external lead electrodes are formed integrally, the plurality of semiconductor chips, the thermal conductive sheet and the external lead electrodes that are formed integrally are divided into individual semiconductor packages. According to this preferable example, many semiconductor packages can be obtained with one operation.
In the method for manufacturing a semiconductor package in the present invention, it is preferable that after a bump is formed on an electrode formed on a semiconductor chip, the semiconductor chip is overlapped on a thermal conductive sheet with face down. Further, in this case, it is preferable that a bump is penetrated into a thermal conductive sheet to connect with an external lead electrode.
In the method for manufacturing a semiconductor package in the present invention, it is preferable that after metallic foil is overlapped on a surface of a thermal conductive sheet that is opposite to a surface on which a semiconductor chip is overlapped and integrated, the metallic foil is patterned in a desirable shape to form an external lead electrode.
In the method for manufacturing a semiconductor package in the present invention, it is preferable that an electrode pattern that is patterned in a desirable shape is transferred to a surface of a thermal conductive sheet at a side opposite to the surface on which a semiconductor chip is overlapped to form an external lead electrode.
In the method for manufacturing a semiconductor package in the present invention, it is preferable that a wiring substrate whose surface is patterned in a desirable electrode shape is bonded to a surface of a thermal conductive sheet at a side opposite to the surface on which a semiconductor chip is overlapped is integrated with the thermal conductive sheet to form an external lead electrode.
In the method for manufacturing a semiconductor package in the present invention, it is preferable that the inorganic filler includes at least one selected from a group consisting of Al2O3, MgO, BN and AlN.
In the method for manufacturing a semiconductor package in the present invention, it is preferable that the inorganic filler has a particle diameter in a range between 0.1-100 xcexcm.
In the method for manufacturing a semiconductor package in the present invention, it is preferable that a thermosetting resin composition includes at least one kind of resin as a main component selected from a group consisting of epoxy resin, phenol resin and cyanate resin.
In the method for manufacturing a semiconductor package in the present invention, it is preferable that a thermosetting resin composition includes brominated multi-functional epoxy resin as a main component and further includes novolak resin of bisphenol A as a curing agent and imidazole as a curing promoter.
In the method for manufacturing a semiconductor package in the present invention, it is preferable that a thermal conductive sheet includes at least one kind selected from a group consisting of a coupling agent, a dispersing agent, a coloring agent and a mold-releasing agent.

Semiconductor chip bonded to a thermal conductive sheet having a filled through hole for electrical connection

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


An electric motor driven hand-held tool, such as a drilling, hammering or screw driving tool having a tool housing within which is located an integrated switch unit (6). The switch unit (6) includes an electronic motor control unit (8), a first actuator which is actuated by a manually operable power member (4) and to which the control unit is responsive to power the motor and a second actuator (10) which is actuated by a manually operable forward/reverse member (14) and to which the control unit is responsive to drive the motor in a selected forward or reverse direction. The forward/reverse member (14) is located remotely from the switch unit (6) on a portion of the tool housing which can be seen by a user of the tool during normal operation of the tool. To facilitate this a linkage arrangement (16) is provided for actuating the second actuator (10) in response to a manual actuation of the forward/reverse member (14). The linkage (16) is pivotally mounted on a closed end of a jam pot motor casing (3). The linkage comprises a central annular portion (18) pivotally mounted on a boss (4) formed on the motor housing (3), a first upwardly extending arm (20) on which the forward/reverse lever (14) is formed and a second downwardly extending arm (22) which engages the second actuator (10).

The main switch and the forward/reverse switch are conveniently combined in a single integrated switch unit. Such integrated switch units generally includes a first actuator which is actuated via a trigger switch, which trigger switch is depressed by a user to turn the motor on and released to turn the motor off. Generally the speed of the motor can also be controlled depending on the extent that the trigger switch and thus the first actuator is depressed. An electronic control unit, is generally incorporated within the integrated switch unit, and is responsive to the first actuator to apply the appropriate current to the motor. The integrated switch unit will also generally include a second actuator which can be moved between two positions via a forward/reverse lever moveable by a user. The electronic control unit is also generally responsive to the second actuator and in a first forward position of the second actuator the electronic control unit will drive the motor in a forward direction of rotation and in a second reverse position of the second actuator the electronic control unit will drive the motor in a second reverse direction.
In order to prevent damage to the tool, the main switch and the forward/reverse switch are generally mechanically coupled, so that the position of the forward/reverse switch can only be changed to alter the direction of rotation when the main switch is released, ie. when the motor is switched off.
This mechanical and electronic integration of the main switch and the forward/reverse switch suffers from the disadvantage, that the forward/reverse lever, which is actuated by a user is generally located in the region of the trigger switch of the tool, and so is difficult for a user to see while the tool is being operated. Actuation of the main switch with the forward/reverse switch located in the wrong position may lead to damage to the tool, to a bit driven by the tool or to a fastener to be fixed or released by the tool.
This problem has been addressed in DE33 11 421 by separating the main switch and the forward/reverse switch, so that the forward/reverse switch can be located on an upper surface of the tool which upper surface can generally be seen by a user of the tool in normal operating positions of the tool. This is a disadvantage from a cost and an assembly perspective as two separate switch units are required, as opposed to the preferred type of integrated single switch unit described above. A mechanical interface, in the form of a slideable locking bar, is moved into the path of the trigger switch of the main switch by movement of the forward/reverse switch between the forward and reverse position or vice versa. The mechanical interface is arranged so that when the trigger switch is depressed the trigger switch blocks movement of the locking bar and so prevents movement of the forward/reverse switch between its two positions.


A thin film transistor substrate includes: a substrate; a thin film transistor and a capacitor formed on the substrate; and a protective film for protecting an electrode on a back surface side of the capacitor when an electrode on a front surface side of the capacitor is cut by irradiation with laser light, the protective film being disposed at such a position as to enclose a corner part of the electrode on the front surface side between the electrode on the front surface side and the electrode on the back surface side of the capacitor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a thin film transistor substrate having a thin film transistor (TFT) and a capacitor formed in the substrate, a defect repairing method therefor, and a display device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Flat-panel type display devices that are now becoming the mainstream of display devices include liquid crystal display devices, plasma display devices, organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display devices and the like. Some of these devices use a thin film transistor substrate (hereinafter referred to also as a "TFT substrate") in which substrate a driving circuit including a TFT is formed. The TFT substrate is obtained by forming the film of a wiring layer and a semiconductor layer on a substrate mainly made of a glass plate by sputtering or CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition), and patterning the film by photolithography to form a TFT circuit and a wiring pattern.
In a process of manufacturing the TFT substrate, foreign matter referred to as dust may result in a missing pattern or an excess residue. Such missing patterns (open defects) or excess residues (short defects) are collectively referred to as defects, and cause a circuit disconnection or a short circuit. As a result, various display abnormalities occur, such as a pixel dark dot (non-emitting dot defect), a pixel bright dot (dot defect of emitting light at all times or emitting noticeably brighter light than the periphery), a dark line (non-emitting line defect), a bright line (line defect of emitting light at all times or emitting noticeably brighter light than the periphery), an entire-surface display abnormality, or the like. Excluding a limited number of pixel dark dots, a display device having such a display abnormality is regarded as a defective, and cannot be shipped as a product.
Therefore, in a process of mass-producing the TFT substrate, a pattern defect is detected by using an optical inspection device, an electrical inspection device or the like, and a defect repair is made on the basis of a result of the detection to normalize the operation of the TFT substrate, or an abnormality alleviating measure such, for example, as making pixel bright dots or a bright line dark dots is taken.
One of repairing methods bridges disconnected parts to achieve conduction (connection type repair). As the bridging method of the connection type repair, a chemical vapor thin film forming (laser CVD) system using laser light, a conductive thin film transfer (laser transfer) system using laser light, and a system using a conductive micro-paste have been developed and put to practical use.
When an open defect is repaired by the connection type repair, patterns at both ends of the open defect may be directly connected to each other, or may be connected to each other via patterns connected to the patterns at both ends. In either case, the patterns to be connected need to be directly exposed on a surface, or need to be exposed under an insulating layer without being covered by another pattern.

Thin film transistor substrate, defect repairing method therefor, and display device


An automatic cash transaction apparatus includes a deposit/payment port for depositing/paying bills; a circulatable bill storage unit for storing therein circulatable bills used to be paid among the deposited bills: an uncirculatable bill storage unit for storing therein uncirculatable bills not used to be paid; a convey path for conveying bills among the deposit/payment port, the circulatable bill storage unit, and the uncirculatable bill storage unit; a feature extracting means provided on the convey path, for extracting a pictorial pattern for the respective bills deposited via the deposit/payment port; and a memory means for storing therein the features extracted by the feature extracting means with respect to each of the deposited bills.

The present invention relates to an automatic cash transaction apparatus used in a financial institution. More specifically, the present invention is directed to an automatic cash transaction apparatus capable of suitably handling bills.
In one conventional automatic cash transaction apparatus, bills deposited by a customer via a deposit port are separated one by one and the separated bills are discriminated. When the bills could not be judged as the genuine bills, or the normal bills during the discriminating process. Then, these bills are recognized as the abnormal bills, and these abnormal bills are conveyed to a payment port. To the contrary, when the bills could be recognized as the normal bills, all of these normal bills are temporarily stored into a stacker having a similar structure to that of a storage unit. As to bills, there are bills useable for a payment (namely, circulatable bills), and bills not useable for a payment (namely, uncirculatable bills). When the customer confirms a total amount of his deposited bills, the bills stored in the temporary stacker are again separated one by one, and the circulatable bills are stored in a circulatable bill storage unit whereas the uncirculatable bills are stored into an uncirculatable bill storage unit. When the customer cancels the deposit transaction, the bills stored in the temporary stacker are again separated one by one in a similar manner when the customer makes a confirmation. Then, the separated bills are returned to the payment port.
At this time, as in such an automatic cash transaction apparatus described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,478,992, in order that the bills stored in this transaction apparatus are correctly managed one by one, the characters or the symbols indicative of the features about all of the bills acquired into the transaction apparatus are read out. Then only the readable bills are stored into this transaction apparatus, and then the read information thereof is stored in the storing order.
During the payment, the bills are separated one by one from the circulatable bill storage unit, and then the separated circulatable bills are fed out therefrom so as to be discriminated. During the discriminating process operation, if each of these circulatable bills may own the feature defined as one sheet of bill, then this circulatable bill can be judged as the normal bill. The normal bill can be conveyed to the deposit/payment port for payment purposes. When the bill is judged as the abnormal bill, for example, such a bill whose sensor signal for extracting a feature of this bill represents an abnormal value, and such bills which are mistakenly conveyed in multiple mode, in shift manner, and in skew manner, this abnormal bill is not used for the payment, but is directly stored into a specific storage unit. After this cash transaction apparatus is turned OFF, a staff member confirms the total number and the amount sort of these abnormal bills stored in the storage unit.
As the uncirculatable bills, there are bills having heavy damage conditions, bills of certain amounts which are not originally used for payments, and foreign bills.
In the above-explained conventional automatic cash transaction apparatus, since the discriminated bills are stored into the temporary stacker without being separated into the circulatable bills and the uncirculatable bills, when these bills are conveyed from the temporary stacker to the deposit/payment port, or to the storage units, these conveyed bills must be again separated. However, during this reseparation operation, the following problem will occur. That is, the heavy damaged bills are bent, broken, or cut away. Otherwise, since the size of the temporary stacker is designed to be fitted to the largest-sized bill, the small-sized bills may cause skew problems, shift problems, and therefore paper jam problems.
Also, in the case that the above-described paper jam occurs, the customer cancels the transaction, or the customer has such a complaint that a total number/amount sorts of his deposited bills are not made coincident with those of the bills returned to the payment port, since only the characters and symbols of these bills are stored in the conventional automatic cash transaction apparatus, there is another problem that the customer could not receive satisfactory trouble reasoning from the staff members of the financial institution where this conventional automatic cash transaction apparatus is installed.
Furthermore, when the abnormal bills occur during payment, since the total number of the bills presently stored int the storage unit could not be grasped, there is a further problem that the automatic cash transaction apparatus should be interrupted while a certain limitation number is decided for the total number of bills stored in the storage unit.


A semiconductor memory device includes a memory array for outputting data stored in a memory cell at an address corresponding to an address signal generated according to an address control signal synchronized with a clock pulse, a data reading circuit for reading a data signal outputted from the memory array, an activation signal generating circuit for receiving a delay signal generated based on the address signal and generating an activation signal for activating the data reading circuit to read the data signal outputted from the memory array into the data reading circuit, and a data output circuit for outputting a data signal outputted from the data reading circuit according to the input of an output enable signal synchronized with the clock pulse.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a semiconductor memory device, and particularly to a synchronous DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) for outputting control signals for read and write operations, each of which is synchronized with a clock pulse.
2. Description of the Related Art
A synchronous DRAM (hereinafter called "SDRAM") is known as a high-speed operable DRAM. An SDRAM of an address-increment pipeline scheme system disclosed in "1994 Symposium on VLSI Circuits Digest of Technical Papers" published from IEEE, 1994, pages 81-82 has been proposed as this type of SDRAM.
In the conventional SDRAM, a column address signal is latched in a first stage, data read from a memory array supplied with the column address signal is latched in a second stage. In the subsequent third stage, the read data is outputted through an output buffer activated with an external clock as a trigger.
In such a pipeline process, the respective stages need to be distributed to even or uniform numbers of clock pulses respectively. A clock frequency is considered to increase in order to achieve the high-speed operation. However, the operation of the first stage requiring the longest processing time interferes with the increase in clock frequency. Therefore, the memory array is divided into two arrays to achieve the high-speed operation in the above-described scheme system. Further, the first stage is divided into two blocks for purposes of the divided two arrays. In the divided individual blocks of the first stage, the reading of data from the divided individual arrays corresponding to the respective blocks is processed in parallel to achieve the high-speed operation.
In the conventional SDRAM, however, the time between latching the column address signal, i.e., inputting the address signal to the memory array and reading data from the memory array requiring the longest processing time subsequent to its input is basically controlled in synchronism with the clock.
Therefore, the length of the processing time between the input of the address signal to the memory array and the reading of the data from the memory array has no flexibility.
In the conventional SDRAM as is understood from this point of view, when the frequency of a master clock is being set to, e.g., 125 MHz (clock cycle is being set to 8 ns), a high-speed operation at 125 MHz or more cannot be achieved even if the processing in the first stage is done in a cycle less than or equal to this clock cycle.

Semiconductor memory device capable of higher-speed operation and activated in synchronism with clock


Communication apparatus (100) corrects for amplitude imbalance caused by differences in circuitry that process in-phase and quadrature signals. The in-phase and quadrature signals are alternately routed in rapid succession through first and second parallel processing circuits or signal paths (140, 150) to cancel imbalances between the signal paths. Switches (132, 134) are employed at inputs to and outputs from corresponding portions of both signal paths, and these switches (132, 134) are synchronously operated in response to a control signal to interchange signals on the signal paths.

This invention relates in general to communication devices, and in particular, to communication devices susceptible to gain imbalance caused by mismatches and imperfections in circuitry that process in-phase and quadrature-phase signals.
Certain radio frequency (RF) applications perform signal processing operations by separating radio frequency signals into signal components representing in-phase and quadrature channels (I and Q channels). For example, in direct conversion receivers, in-phase and quadrature phase signals are utilized to help in demodulating received signals. Generally, signals on the I and Q channel have equal amplitudes and a ninety degree phase difference, and these signals are separately processed by similar circuitry that maintain the amplitude and phase relationships. However, imperfections and mismatches in implementing circuitry may lead to an amplitude or phase imbalance, i.e., a deviation from the ideal amplitude and phase relationships.
When phase or gain imbalance distorts the received signal, subsequent signal processing is impacted. The prior art has long used higher tolerance components in an attempt to avoid imbalances between the I and Q components. Such an approach has significant cost impact and may still not adequately address the problem. Another prior art approach attempts to account for imbalance by estimating and removing the imbalance. One such approach is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,396,656 issued on Mar. 7, 1995, to Jasper et al., for a Method For Determining Desired Components Of Quadrature Modulated Signals. Here, a closed loop feedback technique is used to continuously determine an error signal by updating estimates of an imbalance component until the magnitude of the error signal is negligible. Yet another approach is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,122,448 issued on Oct. 24, 1978, to Martin, for an Automatic Phase And Gain Balance Controller For A Baseband Processor. Martin uses a pilot signal to determine phase and amplitude imbalances, and these imbalances are corrected using a feedback circuit.
It is desired in the art to provide an effective solution to mitigate imbalance caused by imperfections or mismatches in separate circuitry that process I and Q signals. Preferably, such solution is easily adaptable to existing circuit designs and does not have substantial circuitry and/or signal processing requirements.

Method and apparatus to correct for in-phase and quadrature-phase gain imbalance in communication circuitry


A disclosed coaxial audio speaker may include a treble sound unit and a bass sound unit co-axially surrounding the treble sound unit. The bass sound unit may be in form of a single magnetic gap mechanism and have a magnetic-conductive base. The magnetic-conductive base may be with an auxiliary magnetic adjoining space and a coil movement space adjacent to the auxiliary magnetic adjoining space. A magnet, a vibrating vocal tone diaphragm along with a wiring board may be disposed within the coil movement space. A bass vibration audio source point and a treble vibration audio source point may be at the same horizontal level. Therefore, the size of the audio speaker may be reduced. And the broader electricity adjustability may be achieved as the bass vibration audio source point and the treble vibration audio source point may be horizontally aligned.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to an audio speaker, in particular, to an audio speaker with Z-shaped cross-sectional magnetic-conductive base. Specially, the audio speaker employs a bass sound unit and a treble sound unit surrounded by the bass sound unit. Further, a bass vibration audio source point and a treble vibration audio source point may be aligned at the same horizontal level.
2. Description of Related Art
Traditional earphones or audio speakers are equipped with one single amplifier (sound unit) and that renders difficult the realization of a broad range of listening experience. And certain tradeoff becomes necessary if the bass performance needs to be enhanced (at the expense of the treble performance). Even for achieving the goal of the above mentioned broad listening experience, multiple separate sound units (for example, distinct treble sound unit and bass sound unit) need to be placed within the earphones or the audio speakers, occupying additional space inside the earphones or the audio speakers and inevitably increasing the size of the same.

Coaxial audio speaker using single audio source

Huiyang Dongmei Audio Products Co., Ltd.


A laser pulse shape measuring system to measure the pulse shape of pulses generated by a pulsed laser. Each pulse includes a pulse width and a peak wavelength. The system includes: a beam splitter coupled to the laser to separate each of the pulses into a test pulse and a probe pulse; a pulse width compression means coupled to the beam splitter to compress the pulse width of each probe pulse; a controllable delay means to control a time offset between each test pulse and a corresponding probe pulse; a nonlinear optical medium arranged such that the test beam path and the probe beam path intersect within it to generate wavelength converted pulses corresponding to intersecting pairs of pulses; a detector coupled to the nonlinear optical medium to detect the pulse energies of the wavelength converted pulses; and a processor to determine the pulse shape of the laser pulses.

The invention of ultrafast lasers in 1965 led to the desire for new techniques to measure the duration of ultrashort optical pulses. Direct measurement techniques using photodetectors and oscilloscopes are inadequate to temporally resolve the pulses being produced by ultrafast lasers, typically less than 1 ns in duration. An indirect technique with subpicosecond time resolution has been proposed and demonstrated, however. This technique is based on the nonlinear process of second-harmonic generation (SHG). The optical pulse is divided into two beams, which travel different paths before being recombined in a nonlinear crystal, to generate a new second harmonic pulse that is then detected. The second harmonic pulse represents the autocorrelation of the ultrafast pulse at a particular temporal offset. One of the path lengths of the two beams is varied so that the second harmonic pulses may sketch out the autocorrelation function of the ultrafast pulses. The autocorrelation technique for pulse measurement does not provide a way of measuring pulse shape but instead gives correlation functions, which can be used to resolve pulse duration as shown in Equation 1.
                                          I            auto                                          (            τ            )                          ∝                                                                        ∫                                  -                  ∞                                ∞                                                          E                                                                                (                                          t                      -                      τ                                        )                                    ·                  E                                                                                (                  t                  )                                                                                ⅆ                  t                                                                          2                                    (        1        )
Unfortunately, Equation 1 illustrates that the autocorrelation function is always temporally symmetric, even if the laser pulse E(t) has an asymmetric shape. Therefore this approach is not desirable for determining the shape of ultrafast laser pulses.
A Frequency-Resolved-Optical-Gating (FROG) provides a way to solve this problem. An autocorrelation technique as previously described only captures the intensity information of a laser pulse. To fully characterize the pulse, it is desirable to capture phase information as well as intensity information. To solve this problem, a FROG device was proposed to measure the pulse shape. A FROG is also an autocorrelator, but what differentiates a FROG from a typical autocorrelator is that it captures the spectrum of the signal, as opposed to just the intensity for each delay position. The phase information of the pulse is contained in the spectrum. Thus, the pulse shape can be retrieved from the FROG trace.
When measuring a laser pulse shape use this FROG method, it is desirable to have good spectral resolution to ensure that the necessary phase information recorded. A typical femtosecond laser pulse has a wavelength bandwidth of less than 1 nm. Such a bandwidth may be easily resolved with presently available spectrometers, and the FROG technique works well for determining the pulse shape and duration of femtosecond laser pulses. However, FROG techniques do not work as well for picosecond laser pulses. For example, a transform-limited 20 ps laser pulse at 1053 nm has a bandwidth of 0.1 nm, which may be difficult to resolve accurately using a spectrometer.
Another approach that has been proposed to measure the pulse shape of ultrafast pulses is to image the pulses using a streak camera. This method works well for longer pulses, but may have difficulties with obtaining highly precise and accurate pulse shape measurements for pulse widths less that about 1 ns due to jitter in the timing circuitry of the camera. Improvements in these circuits may extend the range of this method, but some jitter is likely to remain.
The present invention provides a method that may be used to accurately measure pulse shapes for optical pulses over a broad range of pulse widths, including picosecond laser pulses that are difficult to measure by other techniques.

Ultrafast laser pulse shape measurement method and system

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


The disclosed invention provides a semiconductor device that enables early discovery of a sign of aged deterioration that occurs locally. An LSI has a plurality of modules and a delay monitor cluster including a plurality of delay monitors. Each delay monitor includes a ring oscillator having a plurality of gate elements. Each delay monitor measures a delay time of the gate elements. A CPU #0 determines if a module proximate to a delay monitor suffers from aged deterioration, based on the delay time measured by the delay monitor.

The present invention relates to a semiconductor device.
A method for detecting a deterioration of a device such as an integrated circuit is known. For instance, a method disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes periodically determining a maximum operating frequency of a digital system and generating a warning signal that indicates a decrease in the reliability of the digital system if at least one of the following cases is true: (i) the measured or estimated maximum operating frequency of the digital system is less than a warning threshold operating frequency for the digital system and the warning threshold operating frequency is equal to or more than a minimum operating frequency specified for the digital system by its manufacturer; and (ii) a rate of change obtained from a difference between measured maximum operating frequencies of the digital system exceeds a threshold of an allowable rate of change for the digital system.


An inorganic seal for encapsulation of an organic layer during passivation of an integrated circuit device and method for making the same is disclosed. The seal creates a structure which forms an inorganic to inorganic passivation seal over Reactive Ion Etched (RIE) edges in an all organic planar back end of the line (BEOL) insulator. The edge seal prevents the delamination of the passivation layer from the integrated circuit device or a metallization ring which may lead to subsequent formation of moisture-filled channels and corrosion of the metal lines of the device and the failure of the integrated circuit.

The processing of a semiconductor wafer is divided into various groups of steps normally referred to as: the front-end-of-the-line (FEOL); middle-of-the-line (MOL) and back-end-of-the-line (BEOL). One of the final steps at the BEOL in the wafer processing is applying a protective passivation layer on the entire wafer. The passivation step includes the deposition of a protective passivation layer over the integrated circuit (IC) device. The function of the passivation layer is mechanical, to protect the processed wafer from the environment during transportation, handling, and final packaging. An edge seal is a region between the active chip area and the dicing channel that is susceptible to moisture damage. Moisture damage can alter the electrical properties of the integrated circuitry of the individual IC chips on the wafer, thus leading to device failure. Eventually, passivation areas are removed forming dicing regions to allow dicing the wafer into individual IC chips.
When the BEOL is formed using organic insulators like polyimide formed on the silicon insulator surface, a difficulty arises when this polyimide passivation layer, peels (delaminates) or cracks at the edge seal region due to stress. During final wafer processing of the polyimide passivation layer, the layer is etched by a process such as reactive ion etching (RIE) to open terminal via (TV) pads over the metal landing pads and edge seal channel regions to the silicon insulator. The edge seal channels are exposed silicon insulator locations not covered with polyimide which will eventually be diced. Uncovered edge seal channels of the passivation layer become problematic. For example, an edge of a polyimide passivation layer etched by RIE may absorb up to 15 percent more moisture on its RIE etched edges; as compared with the bulk polyimide passivation regions. This causes the edges to swell and ultimately delaminate from the silicon insulator. As the edges delaminate, capillary-like separations are formed between the passivation layer and the silicon insulator, providing a site for moisture to aggregate, creating moisture-filled channels within the IC device. These channels allow ions to move freely about and hence are drawn into the active chip area, which inevitably leads to corrosion within the IC device and ultimately failure.
Heretofore, various methods have been proposed for protecting the etched edges of a passivation layer from delamination by peeling or cracking. For example, one method proposed application of a second polyimide layer over the edge of a first polyimide passivation layer etched by RIE. The second polyimide layer is then wet etched to reopen the channel as well as the TV pads. A disadvantage of this method is that it is (A) more time-consuming and, (B) expensive, and (C) impacts layout ground rules as it requires the use of an additional mask to perform the wet etch. Therefore, there exists a need for an improved passivation layer edge seal for an integrated circuit device.

Inorganic seal for encapsulation of an organic layer and method for making the same

International Business Machines Corporation


A method for enabling communication over a cellular network between a first communication device of a first substation and a second communication device of a second substation. The substations are connected to a power transmission line. The method includes the steps of: receiving multicast communication from the first communication device, wherein the multicast communication including a plurality of multicast packets, and each multicast packet includes a phasor value associated with the first substation and a sequence number; receiving an acknowledgement from the second communication device, the acknowledgement including a plurality of sequence numbers of the most recently received multicast packets, that the second communication device has received from the first communication device; and determining a packet loss to the second communication device when there is a mismatch between the sequence numbers of the acknowledgment, when compared with the sequence numbers of the received multicast communication.

Protective IEDs (Intelligent Electronic Devices), such as relays for line differential protection, currently use point to point wired communication when installed in different substations. The wired communication is reliable, but can be expensive to deploy and is not scalable. The cost can be reduced if the wired communication is replaced by utilizing the readily available communication infrastructure such as public cellular networks, enhancing flexibility and scalability while reducing cost.
However, current structures of cellular communication networks are not sufficiently reliable to be used for critical applications such as line differential protection.
US 2015/035681 A1 discloses point-to-multipoint polling in a monitoring system for an electric power distribution system. US 2012/046891 A1 discloses a method and apparatus for communicating power distribution event and location. WO 2017/039493 A1 discloses a method for transmitting downlink signals.
US 2012/046891 A1 discloses a method and an apparatus for communicating power distribution event and location.
WO 2017/039493 A1 discloses embodiments for transmitting downlink signals.

Enabling communication between a communication devices of a substations


The present invention relates to a method for a context transfer in a communication network comprising a plurality of heterogeneous access networks, (220, 221, 222) wherein a mobile terminal is attached to one of the access networks. Further, the present invention relates to a context transfer manager performing the method (220, 600). Moreover, the present invention relates to a mobile terminal specially adapted to perform the provided method for a context transfer. To facilitate a context transfer between heterogeneous access networks, the present invention introduces a context transfer manager generating at least one context based on capabilities and parameters associated to the mobile terminal and capabilities and parameters of the neighboring access networks taking into account the respective access technology (FIG. 5). Further the context transfer manager is common to the heterogeneous access networks in the communication network and performs the context transfers related to a particular mobile terminal.

Every moving mobile node that is connected to a network may perform a handover to a new network at the time when it leaves the coverage area of the old one to sustain connectivity. If the mobile node has an ongoing data session over the connection than the connection will brake at least for the time of the handover process. Additional mechanisms like MobileIP can allow rerouting the traffic to the new point of connection so the session may be resumed. However, the handover duration is the lower time limit for the session discontinuity.
It is therefore appreciated to keep the handover duration as short as possible. A mechanism to preserve this is pro-active context transfer. Pro-active Context-Transfer allows establishing a session state in an access router (AR) or access point (AP), before the mobile node (mobile terminal) starts a handover to new network. The transfer is done through the backbone network the access router or access point is connected to. This could be for example the Internet.
The origin of the transferred data is an entity that has already knowledge about the context. In an alternative solution for the pro-active context transfer, the so-called reactive context transfer, the transfer of the context is started when the handover already has begun.
An important function to realize a pro-active context transfer is the selection of candidates to which the context is transferred before performing the handover. It is normally not predictable, which access router or access point is the next point of connection as the movement pattern of the mobile node is unknown. Generally, it is assumed that the cell coverage areas of the access points overlap such that a handover may be performed. However, if there are multiple new access points in reach this also gives only little help for the selection process of the new network to join.
Seamoby CTP and CARD
The IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force) working group Seamoby has developed two protocols concerning context transfer. These are the context transfer Protocol (CTP, see Loughney et al., "Context Transfer Protocol", Internet Draft, October 2003, all Internet Drafts and RFCs available at http://www.ietf.org) and the Candidate access router Discovery (CARD, see Liebsch et al., "Candidate Access Router Discovery", Internet Draft, September 2003). CTP serves as the protocol to initiate the context transfer and to carry the context data. Three parties are involved in the CTP communication, the mobile node (mobile node), the previous access router (pAR) and the next access router (nAR). All three, with different message types, can initiate the protocol exchange. If mobile node wants to or has to change its point of network access it sends a request at least to the next access router, in case it is already disconnected from previous access router. If the mobile node uses some sort of next access router prediction, maybe through CARD, it even sends a message to the previous access router starting context transfer to the predicted next access router before connecting to next access router itself. It contains the IP address of the next access router, mobile node's old IP address on previous access router, a list of to be transferred context data, the possibly known IP address on next access router and a flag requesting secure and/or reliable transfer of context. The context data, called "feature context", is then sent in a further message.
The CARD protocol consists of only two messages, the CARD request and the CARD reply. They even can be used between two access routers, the possibly next access router (nAR) and the current access router, called previous access router (pAR), or between a mobile node and a previous access router or next access router. Between access routers, CARD helps to get capability information of the next access router candidates that is needed to select the most suitable one for context transfer and later mobile node handover. Between mobile node and previous access router a CARD request is issued to demand a list of next access router candidates. In this request the mobile node can send any next access router data link layer (Layer 2) identifiers it might have detected by some mechanism, so the previous access router has a hint, which access router is in range of the mobile node. The way the previous access router identifies a next access router by its Layer 2 identifier is not specified in the CARD draft. In the reply to the mobile node previous access router sends a next access router list with the belonging next access router capabilities that could have been pre-filtered by a previous access router determined criteria to reduce the number of next access routers the mobile node has to process as candidates.
Context Transfer in Wireless Local Area Networks (IEEE 802.11f)
In Wireless Local Area networks (WLAN) information about the client or station (STA) between the access points (AP) involved in the handover allowing the re-association process at the new access point are exchanged. A context transfer scheme to accelerate this re-association process is used. Two functional entities, the access point and the RADIUS server are involved in the context transfer. For the station (STA) the management process is transparent. The RADIUS server fulfils the task of mapping delivered Basic Service Set Identifiers (BSSID) to IP addresses or Fully Qualified Domain Names (FQDN) of access points. This mapping implicitly shows if an access point belongs to the same extended service set (ESS) as the RADIUS server. It also distributes on request cipher keys to the access points to allow encrypted communication between two access points. The communication includes all management data that allows the movement of clients between the nodes and enforces the association of a client only with one access point at a time. The management messages can contain context data. Each access point in an ESS following maintains a dynamic representation of its neighboring access points. This representation is also referred to as the Neighbor Graph.
Important to note is that in the IEEE Draft IEEE 802.11f-D3 "Recommended Practice for Multi-Vendor Access Point; Interoperability via an Inter-Access Point Protocol Across Distribution Systems Supporting IEEE 802.11 Operation", January 2002, states in the annex B, section B.3.1, that context transfers between media with different service models should not be expected to be successful. Attempts to transfer context between cellular devices and IEEE 802.11 access points according to the IEEE 802.11 context transfer mechanism will fail unless the cellular access points implement the same set of services as the 802.11 access points. In conclusion the document states that context transfers between heterogeneous technologies will fail.
Other Mechanisms
Additionally to the access router and mobile node of the CTP scenario, the mechanism described in US 2003/0,103,496 A1 comprises a Policy Server (PS) that serves the task of retrieving the neighboring access networks (AN) and access routers capable of a context transfer (comparable to CARD mechanism). The access networks are indicated by Layer 2 information in beacon signals, received by the mobile node, and looked up in a local database by the PS. The PS communicates with neighboring Policy Servers if they are capable to serve the mobile node and pre-authenticates it with them. One drawback of this mechanism is that it needs even more secured connections (or Security Associations in other terms) than the CTP scenario. Next, it does construct the context from a dynamic and static part before sending to the new access network, but it does not take into account any features or capabilities of the target network.
US 2003/0,092,444 A1 describes a mechanism that takes dynamic parameters like current traffic load and user rights into account for selection of neighboring candidates. The list of candidates may differ therefore for each mobile node. The transfer process itself is performed between the access routers of the access networks.
A mechanism for discovery of neighboring access routers, useable for a context transfer mechanism, is presented in US 2003/0,087,646 A1 and is abbreviated GAARD. It allows detecting geographically neighboring access networks even if they are not topologically neighbors considering e.g. IP addresses. In this document, a mobile node has a local cache of Layer 2 (data link layer) addresses and Layer 3 (network layer) addresses. When the mobile node receives a beacon signal with a Layer 2 address and wants to initiate a context transfer to this node, it looks up the corresponding Layer 3 address in its cache. If the cache lookup fails, the mobile node requests the serving access router to lookup the corresponding Layer 3 address. The access router itself looks up its cache. If the address is not found, it starts a dynamic discovery process to derive the requested Layer 3 address. The access router returns the address to the mobile node that in turn uses it to start a context transfer or other handover mechanisms to the identified access router. The functionalities of this system must exist in every access router and mobile node that wants to use or support this system. The mechanism can serve as an implementation of the CARD process.
In contrast to the generic context transfer scenario, where all neighboring access routers are even possible points of access for a mobile node, the latter assumption is not true in a scenario of networks, working together on a contract base. A neighboring access router may belong to a network operator without a roaming agreement with the mobile node's home operator. So the mobile node receives beacons of the foreign network but an authentication process will fail, as the Authentication Authority in the foreign network is unable to connect to the home AAA (authentification, authorization and accounting) server of the mobile node or at least will not trust this unknown server. A context transfer to such a network will also fail for the same reason.
A way to integrate networks without a direct roaming agreement with the mobile node's home operator is the use of proxy AAA servers. The access network operator trusts the proxy AAA server of an operator that itself trusts the home operator of the mobile node. This way the mobile node can be authorized even in this foreign network.
It is probable that mechanisms like the context transfer in WLAN are developed also for other local area network technologies. Context transfer between topologically adjacent entities has the advantage of short distance, and this way low latency transfers.
Associated with the previous issue is the fact of a heterogeneous access network structure. It is very likely that a moving mobile node's context cannot be regarded as static data. It will change as the access network infrastructure of the new point of access differs from the previous one. The simple forwarding of context data to the new access network will not solve this issue.
A general problem of context transfer is the trust relationship between the entities involved in the context transfer process. In a scenario with an area containing a number of n neighboring access routers, transferring context data between each other, this gives an upper bound of
      n              (              n        -        1            )        2trust relationships between all the access routers. As these relationships are technically represented by some cipher key exchange between peers to allow encrypted communication, a large number n means a lot of storage space for key data sets, in the example n−1 data sets per access router. Also these relationships must be established before context transfer is possible between the peers, requiring a management function. A method to reduce the number of trust relationships would therefore save storage space and management effort. An already existing technology for secure data transport is IPSec naming the trust relationships Security Associations (SA).
A mobile node, in most cases, will be connected to its point of access by a wireless link. These links normally have lower bandwidth than wired links in the backbone part of the access network and the interconnection of the different access networks. This leads to higher transfer cost per amount of data in the wireless domain.
Another aspect is the power consumption of the mobile node. The consumption is directly correlated with the number of send packets to the wireless link. Both aspects lead to the objective to keep the amount of management traffic as low as possible, compared to the user payload traffic.

Context transfer in a communication network comprising plural heterogeneous access networks


A sampling device for collecting depth-specific samples in silt, sludge and granular media has three chambers separated by a pair of iris valves. Rotation of the middle chamber closes the valves and isolates a sample in a middle chamber.

Accurate analyses of samples, regardless of the source, begins with the method for collecting the sample. Core samples of soils and sludges must be reliable, accurate, and reproducible in determination of the depth at which a sample was taken and must minimize contamination by soils and sludges at different depths. Numerous devices have been reported.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,978,932 to Mielke discloses a core sampler for soils characterized by a resilient retaining ring beneath a liner. U.S. Pat. No. 5,831,185 to Maxwell et al. discloses a pneumatically driven core sample having a trap door to retain the sample.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,376,392 to Beitel discloses a pneumatic sludge sampler. U.S. Pat. No. 5,474,141 to Hart discloses a chisel shaped core sampler with a trap door collection system. U.S. Pat. No. 5,492,021 to Bourgeoise et al. discloses a core sampler for hard surfaces based upon a hole saw.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,494,119 discloses a pneumatic core sampler with a split spoon collector. U.S. Pat. No. 4,096,749 to Stewart discloses a double-walled core sampler for testing wet concrete. U.S. Pat. No. RE 37,066 to Casey et al. is directed to a soil sampler with multiple removable liners for collection at different depths.
Common commercial samplers are available from vendors such as Enviroquip, Fisher Scientific, Kahl Scientific Instrument Corp., AMS Inc., and Advanced Concepts and Designs, Inc.
Core samplers for soils require a driving system, often pneumatic. Samplers for silts, sludge, other semi-plastic materials and granular or comminuted material may be hand operated. Accuracy of depth of the collected sample becomes critical, especially with rivers, lakes and ponds, storage tanks, and other soft materials which have been serially loaded with (different) contaminants and/or have been mixed before analytical processing. Improved, easier to operate, accurate sludge samplers always are in demand.


A clock reference frequency is digitally derived from a base signal, then digitally modulated by ramping the clock reference frequency up and down about a desired frequency. The modulation occurs in periodic fashion at a prescribed modulation frequency. Such modulation spreads the electromagnetic energy of the system signals over a band that is a portion of the desired clock frequency. As a result, energy in harmonics of the respective system signals also are spread. When the energy spreading of any system signal or harmonic of such signal occurs over a bandwidth greater than the 120 kHz bandwidth of conventional communication receivers, adverse EMI emissions are reduced.

This invention relates generally to methods and apparatus for reducing electromagnetic interferences (`EMI`) emissions in a digital system, and more particularly for reducing EMI emissions in a computer or other digitally-clocked system.
Electromagnetic interference is electromagnetic energy emitted from electronic devices which, either directly or indirectly, contributes to a degradation in performance of an electronic receiver or other electronic system. Poorly shielded electronic devices, for example, degrade radio and television signals resulting in audible or visible static at receivers picking up such signals. Governments typically regulate EMI emissions to enhance public use of the radio wave and other electromagnetic wave spectrums. In the United States, for example, the F.C.C. requires testing of devices and rates the devices by class according to their emissions. The United States F.C.C. Agency rates EMI emissions over a 120 kilohertz bandwidth. The 120 kHz bandwidth corresponds to the typical bandwidth of a conventional communication receiver, such as an FM receiver. Reduced EMI emissions within such bandwidth reduce the interference output perceived by a listener or viewer as, for example, static, white noise, or "ghosts."
Typical precautions taken by electronic manufacturers are to provide shielding of electronic devices to minimize EMI emissions. Computer manufacturers, for example, typically use shielded cables and shielded housings to minimize EMI emissions. This invention is directed toward a digital method and apparatus for spreading electromagnetic interference over a wide bandwidth so as to reduce the energy level within the 120 kHz bandwidth of commercial receivers.

Digital method and apparatus for reducing EMI emissions in digitally-clocked systems


A development device includes a developer bearer to carry by rotation developer to a development range facing a latent image bearer, and a planar metal developer regulator to adjust an amount of developer carried by the developer bearer to the development range. The developer bearer includes a developer carrying range having surface unevenness, and the developer regulator includes a fixed end portion held by a regulator holder and a free end portion to contact a surface of the developer bearer.

Development devices that include a development roller having surface unevenness are known. For example, JP-2007-178901-A and JP-2007-121951-A propose forming projections having a substantially identical height and recesses having a substantially identical depth regularly in the surface of the development roller and disposing rubber developer regulators (i.e., doctor blades) are disposed in contact with the development roller to adjust the amount of toner carried thereon.
Such configurations are advantageous in that toner present on the projections can be removed by the developer regulator and that the amount of toner carried on the development roller can be constant because only toner present inside the recesses can be carried thereon. The amount of toner carried to a development range can be set to a desired amount by designing the recesses to have a desired capacity to contain toner.
Additionally, providing a supply roller at a position facing the development roller is proposed. Toner contained in a toner containing chamber provided inside the development device is supplied by the supply roller to the development roller in a supply nip where the supply roller faces the development roller. As the development roller rotates, toner supplied thereto passes through the development range, returns to the supply nip, and then is collected by the supply roller. The supply roller and the development roller may rotate in an identical direction in the supply nip.

Development device and image forming apparatus incorporating same


A method for production of anti-tumor TRAIL includes inserting a TRAIL molecule, encoded by a viral vector irreversibly derived from a cell line, into a carrier cell, thereby obtaining a stably TRAIL-producing carrier cell, and wherein the TRAIL molecule includes a soluble molecule.

The word TRAIL is known to technically define a molecule belonging to the family of the so-called "death ligands", i.e. a family of Tumor Necrosis Factor molecules (TNF),
In practice, a TRAIL molecule can induce cell death in diseased tissues only, and spare healthy tissues, and for this characteristic it is a particularly interesting molecule for use in oncological treatments and in other biomedical fields.
TRAIL-based treatment of an organism affected by tumor cells may occur in two particular manners: in the former, the TRAIL molecule is chemically synthesized beforehand, in which case it is defined as recombinant TRAIL, and later administered to the tumor-affected organism; in the latter the TRAIL molecule may be introduced into a tumor-affected organism through a carrier consisting of a TRAIL-producing cell.
In the former case, the need was found for combined use of chemotherapeutic agents to enhance anti-tumor effects, because the latter have been found to progressively decrease, due to the very short half-life of the TRAIL molecule, i.e. of the order of 20/30 minutes, the high renal excretion rate of this molecule, and TRAIL resistance. The combination with chemotherapeutic drugs encourages the use of the recombinant TRAIL molecule due to its specific tumor cell eliminating capacity, but this combination is affected by high toxicity toward hepatocytes, lymphocytes and osteoblasts, and leads to undesired side effects for the organism.
Furthermore, due to short half-life and high excretion rate, repeated administration of chemotherapeutic drugs was required in combination with TRAIL and this caused a considerable increase of overall costs upon repeated TRAIL administrations. In the latter case, the TRAIL molecule is contained in a virus that is used as a vector therefor and allows release of its genetic makeup containing the TRAIL-encoding sequence, which is later translated into a protein and transferred to the membrane of the cell infected by such viral vector.
These infected cells become the medium that carries TRAIL in direct contact with target tumor cells, thereby causing apoptosis thereof.
The viral vectors used heretofore are vectors that belong to the lentivirus or adenovirus family.
The cells infected by these vectors can carry the TRAIL molecule to the location of the organism in which an anti-tumor effect, i.e. apoptosis of neoplastic cells is required.
For this purpose, multiple cell types are used, which all have a particular tropism for tumor disease sites: for example, hematopoietic stem cells and mesenchymal stem cells are used.
Nevertheless, this prior art still has certain drawbacks.
A first drawback is that the viral vector in use may have considerable restrictions of use due to its biological properties.
For instance, if an adenovirus is used, the greatest restriction consists in the inability of the viral genome to be stably integrated in the genome of infected cells, and this characteristic generates a transient, short-lasting form of TRAIL, which is designed to deplete, thereby causing a limitation of the duration of the therapeutic effect, like in the infusion of recombinant TRAIL.
An additional drawback, independent of the viral vector in use, is that the studies that have been conducted and published heretofore have concerned application of TRAIL only as a transmembrane protein and disregarded the existence of a biologically active domain of the molecule even in the form of a soluble ligand having a strong anti-tumor activity. This involved the generation of cell vectors that could only produce TRAIL cells as membrane proteins capable of inducing selective apoptosis of the target tumor cell only through direct contact allowed by interaction between the TRAIL on the carrier cell and its receptor on the target tumor cell; therefore, the membrane TRAIL carrying cell must be necessarily located in the proximity of or in contact with the tumor mass to ensure its therapeutic effect.
Another drawback is that the membrane TRAIL-carrying cell located in the tumor mass must survive and proliferate for the time required to exert its anti-tumor action; thus, the cell dose to be infused must be substantially comparable to the number of tumor cells to be eliminated, because cytotoxic action only occurs through cell contact.
As mentioned above, this causes high cell production costs and may give rise to side effects associated to infusion in the patient.
Another drawback is that the lack of an excreted TRAIL form has prevented more intensive pharmacokinetic studies on infused cells, and the duration of its effect with time could not be understood.
A further drawback is that carrier cells such as bone-marrow derived cells, have been used in the studies, without considering that these might produce molecules that can inhibit or even block the anti-tumor action of TRAIL molecules. The cell used as a carrier shall produce a small number of or no decoy receptors (such as OPGs), i.e. receptors capable of sequestering
Finally, the cell that is used as a carrier, in the case of stem cells, shall not have the TRAIL-specific receptors (DR4 and DR5) potentially capable of causing the suicide of the carrier cell, and hence hindering any therapeutic effect.
Recent studies have suggested that a tumor is a complex mixture composed by different cell types with different grade of malignancy (Mueller M M and Fusenig N E, Nature Reviews 2004). In several malignancies it has been identified a small population of tumor cells sharing many similarities with normal stem cells including self-renewal and multipotency, and for this reason defined cancer stem cells (CSC) (Visvader J E and Lindeman G J, Nature Reviews 2008).
CSC have the ability to regenerate a new CSC and to give rise to the variety of proliferating and differentiated cancer cells that make up of the bulk of a tumor (Al-Hajj M and Clarke M F, Oncogene 2004).
Inside the tumor CSC reside in a well-described compartment defined "CSC niche".
The niche microenvironment regulates CSC stemness and proliferation influencing tumor progression and metastasis formation. In addition, it plays a protective role shielding them from environmental insults (Borovski T et al. Cancer Res, 2011).
Thanks to this defensive microenvironment in which CSC reside and due to specific cellular mechanisms that they develop including relative quiescence, high expression of several ABC drug transporters, active DNA-repair capacity and a resistance to apoptosis, CSC display an effective drug-resistance that allows them to survive to the chemotherapy treatment, repopulating the tumour and provoking disease relapse (Dean M et al. Nature Reviews 2005).
For this reason, CSC eradication represents the target for enduring curative effects after treatments. Unfortunately, these cells are resistant to the majority of the conventional therapies, therefore they have been very difficult to eliminate (Yi S Y and Hao Y B Cancer Treatment Reviews 2013).
In addition, due to their low frequency in tumor burden, the identification of CSC sub-population is not easy achievable. Many different markers have been used to characterize these cells. Among these, CD133 represents one of the most common used antigens for CSC identification and isolation (Grosse-Gehling P et al. J Pathol. 2013).
In addition, due to their stem-like properties these cells show high levels of stem-related genes such as OCT4, NANOG, SOX2 and c-Myc (Cabarcas S M et al. International Journal of Cancer 2011; Heddleston J M et al. Br J Cancer 2010). In particular, c-Myc is a well-known important regulator in the G1/S phase transition and self-renewal in stem cells and it has been extensively studied for its instrumental role in proliferation and growth of neoplastic cells (Shachaf C M and Felsher D W Cancer Res 2005). More, c-Myc has been recently recognized as an important regulator of stem cell biology connecting malignancy and "stemness".
In CSC, c-Myc activates an embryonic stem cell-like transcriptional module, which strongly correlates with tumor metastasis, proliferation and maintenance (Jialiang Wang, et al. PlosOne 2008; Sheelu Varghese et al. PlosOne 2012; Robyn T. Sussman et al. Cancer Biology & Therapy 2007).
In these years in vitro and in vivo studies by applicants have demonstrated that the pro-apoptotic molecule TRAIL delivered by human pericytes extracted from adipose tissue (AD-PC) is particularly active to induce tumor cell apoptosis in several different epithelial and mesenchymal cancer types including cervical carcinoma, pancreas, colon, multiple myeloma, osteosarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma and Ewing's sarcoma.
Interestingly, the anticancer effect displayed by TRAIL when delivered by AD-PC in some cases resulted even more effective than the one obtained with the recombinant protein (Grisendi G. et al Cancer Res 2010; Grisendi G. et al Stem Cells 2014).
The action of TRAIL is related to its interaction with functional TRAIL receptors (DR4 and DR5) that are widely expressed on cancer cells surface. Ligand and receptor binding trigger the apoptotic signal inside the target cell. This signal induces the activation of two apoptotic pathways, defined one as extrinsic and the other as intrinsic.
The extrinsic pathway is activated when TRAIL binds to DR4 and/or DR5, inducing receptor oligomerization and the recruitment of Fas-associated protein with death domain (FADD) on the intracellular side. This complex contributes to the formation of the DISC when inactive pro-caspase 8 is recruited.
Auto-activation of the DISC may promote the activation of caspase-8 causing the cleavage and subsequent activation of the effector caspases-3, -6, -7 leading to the execution of apoptosis. In addition to DNA fragmentation and membrane bebbling, the activated caspase-8 may promote the cleavage of a pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 family member called Bid.
Bid represents the connection with the intrinsic apoptotic pathway, whose activation concomitant with the extrinsic pathway may be necessary for an efficient apoptosis in certain cell types. Bid on turn interacts with Bax/Bak causing the release of the cytocrome c from mitochondria.
This contributes to the formation of the apoptosome with APAF-1 and pro-caspase-9 that gets activated the effector caspases, leading to the hallmarks of apoptosis (Johnstone R W et al. Nature Reviews 2008; Holoch P A European Journal of Pharmacology 2009).
It is known that c-Myc oncoprotein represents one of the major catalysts of TRAIL sensitivity and its overexpression dramatically sensitizes cells to the apoptotic action of TRAIL. One of the mechanisms by which c-Myc enforce TRAIL apoptotic signal is represented by up-regulation of DR4 and DR5 receptors (Sussman R T Cancer Biology & Therapy 2015; Wang Y et al. Cancer Cell 2004). Moreover c-Myc augments TRAIL-dependent activation of caspase-8 through transcriptional inhibition of FLIP, which antagonizes generation of active caspase-8 in DISC (Ricci M S et al. Molecular and Cellular Biology 2004).
Finally, it was shown that c-Myc controls a "feedback amplification loop" involving activation of Bak and amplifies the TRAIL-induced caspase-8-Bid signals to induce full-blown apoptosis (Nieminen A I et al. Cell Cycle 2007).

Method for production of anti-tumor TRAIL protein


A method for retrieving process, operation or maintenance relevant data of a process plant by way of a field monitor, wherein multiple wireless field device networks are present in the process plant. Data from the field devices from different field device networks are gathered by way of the field monitor. Plant information from the field devices belonging to different field device networks are displayed on a display of the field monitor to a user regardless of the respective field device network they belong to.

Different devices for servicing a process plant are known in the state of the art. For example the company Endress+Hauser proffers the so called FieldXpert—a handheld device which can be used to receive process information and the like.
When servicing a process plant and the equipment of the plant, which consists of field devices such as measurement devices, valves, gateways etc. information can be retrieved from the field devices by way of such a hand-held device. That is when service-personnel is in the vicinity of one or more field devices a wireless connection between the handheld and the field device can be established in order to exchange or receive data via a wireless interface of the field device and the handheld. This connection can, however, be established through a gateway or via an additional hardware interface.
Process control or data exchange in general can take place e.g. via a wired link between the field device. it is also known to use wireless communication which is set up between the field devices in order to allow data exchange. Wireless industrial networks such as WirelessHART, ISA-100 or ZigBee are well known in the state of the art.
However in larger process plants a multitude of wireless networks is present. Hence there are different wireless industrial networks available in one and the same place on the site of a process plant.
Hence it is a problem of the present invention to provide—especially to the service personnel—an easy and convenient way to retrieve engineering, process, operation or maintenance relevant data.


Elastomer films in which active chemical substances, such as corrosion inhibitors, lubricants or biocides for medical use are uniformly dispersed in the form of gel inclusions, processes for preparation and applications of these films.. The elastomer film contains at least one active chemical substance in the form of a phase which is dispersed in the elastomer, wherein the disperse phase is in the form of a gel, reversible or irreversible, as a function of temperature, and filled with an active chemical substance.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to elastomer films in which active chemical substances such as corrosion inhibitors, lubricants or biocides for medical use are uniformly dispersed in the form of gel inclusions as well as processes of preparation and various applications for these films.
The present invention also relates to stable dispersions containing a continuous phase formed by a solution of elastomer in an organic solvent and a disperse phase including at least one active chemical substance included in a gel, which dispersions are capable of being converted into elastomer film, and to the process for their preparation.

Elastomer films containing at least one active chemical substance, process for their preparation and their applications


A connector assembly includes a cable bundle, a backshell, and a conductive gasket. The cable bundle includes a plurality of cables. The cables each have at least one inner conductor, a grounding element, and a cover layer that surrounds the at least one inner conductor and the grounding element. The backshell has walls defining a cavity. The cavity receives a terminating end of the cable bundle. The backshell has a cable end. The cable bundle extends from the backshell through a cable opening at the cable end. The conductive gasket is held within the cavity of the backshell at least proximate to the cable opening. The conductive gasket is electrically connected to the backshell. The conductive gasket extends between the cables of the cable bundle. The conductive gasket engages the grounding elements of the cables to provide electrical current paths between each of the cables and the backshell.

The subject matter herein relates generally to connector assemblies, and more particularly to connector assemblies with cable bundles.
An electrical interconnection between devices is typically made by joining together complementary electrical connectors that are attached to the devices. One application environment that uses such electrical connectors is in high speed, differential electrical systems, such as those common in the telecommunications or computing environments. In a traditional approach, two circuit boards are interconnected with one another in a backplane and a daughter board configuration. However, similar types of connectors are also being used in cable connector to board connector applications. With the cable connector to board configuration, one connector, commonly referred to as a header, is board mounted and includes a plurality of signal contacts which connect to conductive traces on the board. The other connector, commonly referred to as a cable connector or a receptacle, includes a plurality of contacts that are connected to individual wires in one or more cables of a cable bundle. The receptacle mates with the header to interconnect the board with the cables so that signals can be routed therebetween.
With the ongoing trend toward smaller, faster, and higher performance electrical components such as processors used in computers, routers, switches, etc., it has become increasingly desirable for the electrical interfaces along the electrical paths to also operate at higher frequencies and at higher densities with increased throughput. For example, performance demands for video, voice and data drive input and output speeds of connectors within such systems to increasingly faster levels. Because of the environments that such electrical connectors are used in, the electrical connectors may generate and/or be subjected to various levels of electromagnetic interference (EMI) or radiofrequency interference (RFI) emitted from the electrical connectors and/or from external sources, such as electronic devices in the vicinity of the electrical connectors. The EMI and/or RFI may interrupt, obstruct, or otherwise degrade or limit the effective performance of the electrical connectors or other electronic devices in the vicinity of the electrical connectors.
Typically the electrical connectors include a backshell that provides shielding from EMI and/or RFI and prevents EMI and/or RFI from being emitted into and/or out of the enclosure of the backshell. The backshell is a metal part that surrounds the cables of the cable connector. However, the cables extend from the backshell through one or more holes, and the one or more holes provide a break in the shielding where EMI and/or RFI leakage may occur. In some known connector assemblies, the cable bundle includes a bulk cable shield that surrounds the cables. The bulk cable shield mechanically and electrically connects to the backshell to extend the shielding around the cables outside of the backshell. However, the bulk cable shield typically has a large geometry and couples to the backshell at only a single location. Therefore, if the connection between the bulk cable shield and the backshell were to fail, a significant shielding problem would result. Furthermore, the cost of a bulk cable shield, outer jacket, and any other outer layers of the cable bundle surrounding the cables may be prohibitive, especially for long distances between electrical connectors and devices.
A need remains for a connector assembly that provides better shielding of the cables of a cable bundle and better EMI and/or RFI containment within the backshell than prior art devices.