A pool lift has a base, releasably positionable on a pool deck spacedly adjacent a pool edge. The base pivotally mounts an elongate arcuate lift frame about an axis parallel to the pool edge. A hydraulic cylinder extends in pivotal interconnection between the base and the medial portion of the arcuate lift frame to pivotally move a chair user support, carried by the lift frame and oriented in a direction parallel to the adjacent pool edge, from a first upright position spacedly above the pool deck to a second downward position spacedly below the pool deck in the pool cavity. An orienting cable maintains the chair user support in horizontal seating orientation during its course of motion. The hydraulic cylinder preferably is powered by a household pressurized water supply.

1. Field of the Invention
My invention relates generally to aiding and hauling handicapped persons and more specifically to a pool lift to move handicapped persons into and out of an in-ground swimming pool.
2. Description of Prior Art
Exercise in water of a pool has long been recognized as a beneficial type of physical therapy for persons having temporary and permanent disabilities. This type of therapy provides buoyancy in a more dense fluidic medium that removes or lessens more of the forces on a human body than it endures when supported on a rigid surface of a terrestrial environment in a gaseous environment. At the same time the fluidic medium provides more resistance to body motion to beget more exercise than the same motion would beget in a gaseous terrestrial environment. Moving a disabled person between a terrestrial environment and the fluidic environment of an in-ground swimming pool creates various problems, however, and responsively various transfer devices and methods have heretofore become known, many of which are particularly related by their structures to the nature of the disability of the person to be moved and the particular structure of the pool and its environs into which and from which the patient is to be moved. The instant invention provides a new and novel chair-type lift that is of a sufficiently generic nature as to be usable by disabled persons with a substantial range of disabilities and differing biologic characteristics for ingress into and egress from substantially any swimming pool type and size of modern use and construction.
A pool lift must move a user both vertically and horizontally to accomplish its purpose of providing for user ingress into and egress from a pool. Many earlier pool lifts provided a vertical pedestal supported in a pool chamber on the pool side or pool bottom to extend spacedly above a surrounding pool deck with a chair user support carried by a vertically movable portion of the pedestal or by a hoist carried on the upper portion of the pedestal or on a laterally extending beam supported by the upper portion of the pedestal. The chair user support then was pivotally moved in a horizontal plane about a vertical axis between loading and unloading positions which commonly was accomplished by some type of pivoting structure between the vertical pedestal and the chair user support or between the vertical pedestal and its support. These vertical pedestal type supports tend to be massive, often are sufficiently complex or such structure as to require the services of an attendant, were normally of a permanently installed irremovable nature and suffered maintenance and durability problems, especially by reason of continuous emersion in pool water. The instant pool lift is distinguishable from this prior type of pool lift by being removably supported on a pool deck spacedly adjacent a pool side for pivotal motion of a chair user support into the pool water so only the chair user support is immersed in the water environment for only a limited period of time at or between placement of a user into the pool water and removal of the user from the pool water.
Responsive to the foregoing problems various pool lifts having pedestal structures of some type that are mounted in or on a pool deck became known. With these deck mounted pool lifts some portion of the vertical support pillar, or the chair user support, still needed to pivot in a horizontal plane about a vertical axis between a loading and unloading position for use. This combination of horizontal, vertical and pivoting motion still requires complex mechanisms for its accomplishments and these deck supported lifts thus retained structural, mechanical, and operational problems of prior pool lifts having vertical pillars installed wholly or partially in the pool water. These prior pool deck supported lifts still generally require the assistance of an attendant for operation, unless their mechanisms are sufficiently complex to make them cost prohibitive, and most of this type of pool lift still are of a permanent non-movable nature.
The instant pool lift is distinguishable from the prior pedestal type pool lifts in providing a lift frame that is pivotally mounted on a base supported on a pool deck spacedly adjacent the pool edge for pivotal motion in a vertical plane about an elongate horizontal axis that is substantially parallel to the adjacent pool edge and only slightly above the pool deck level. The chair user support of the instant lift is of a chair type and is mounted on a bracket on the upper pool facing portion of the lift frame on an axle that extends horizontally and parallel to the axle interconnecting the base with the lower inner end portion of the lift frame. Further, the chair user support does not pivot in a horizontal plane about a vertical axis when it moves between its upper inward deck access position and its lower outward pool access position.
The particular motion and arcuate shape of the lift frame of the instant pool lift allows it to be of a smaller, more simple and more compact nature than prior pool lifts. The instant pool lift may be fastened to the pool deck for use by bolts or similar fasteners extending through the base and into secure engagement with fasteners carried within the pool deck structure or it may be supported on the pool deck by its own weight or by additional auxiliary weights without mechanical fastening to the deck. The pool lift provides wheels carried on its base to aid its locomotion to and from its mounting or use position. This configuration allows the pool lift to be mounted or supported on a pool deck so that it can be easily moved between a storage position remote from the pool and the pool deck when not required for use.
Various prior pool lifts have been powered by hydraulic systems, generally at relatively high pressures as the structure of such prior lifts often would not allow use of larger hydraulic cylinders that operated at lower pressures. The instant lift structure is of a relatively simple compact nature that does allow for the use of larger hydraulic cylinders and is powered by an ordinary pressurized household water system having water pressure of between approximately thirty and ninety pounds per square inch. This type of low-pressure hydraulic powering system allows use of a less expensive cylinder, provides more maintenance free operation than high-pressure systems and does not require its own pressurizing system. The particular structure of the instant pool lift and its powering system yet allow substitution of high pressure hydraulic cylinders, and known motor powered extensive devices such as screws, rach and pinions and the like. The lower pressure household water supply powering system is preferred over various electrically powered systems as it provides no possibility of electrical shorting problems in the often-wet environs of a swimming pool.
The instant pool lift uses a chair user support formed of molded plastic for greater durability and lower maintenance in the wet environment in which it is used. The molded plastic chair user support also provides fastening structures that allow simple releasable mounting and replacement, also allow formation of strong and durable connecting structures that provides the necessary reliability that is required for apparatus to be used by disabled persons. At the same time the chair user support allows use of safety and control devices and user comfort structures known and desired in contemporary supports for disabled persons.
Since the angular orientation of the chair user support relative to the lift frame and the base varies as the support moves between a position above the pool deck to a position therebelow in the pool cavity, the chair user support is pivotally mounted on the lift frame and its pivotal motion mechanically controlled to maintain a horizontal support orientation throughout the course of the support motion to provide necessary safety of use by a disabled person. To maintain the horizontal orientation of the chair, the pool lift provides a chair flexible push-pull orienting cable carried for axial motion within a flexible supporting tube. The chair orienting cable is interconnected at a first end to a radially extending lever irrotatably carried by the axle connecting the lift frame and the base, and interconnected at a second end with a radially extending lever carried by the axle carrying the chair user support at the upper outer end of the lift frame.
The instant invention lies not in any one of the foregoing features individually, but rather in the synergistic combination of all of its structures that necessarily give rise to the functions flowing therefrom as herein specified.


A loan program and process is structured to provide a significant end-to-end cost savings while overcoming many, if not all, of the drawbacks and regulatory obstacles present in the current payday loan industry. The program, the end-to-end process, and the arrangement thereof, permits a lender to offer short-term, small cash loans to employees through an employer controlled payroll system. Access to the employer controlled payroll system is achieved through an agreed upon relationship between a coordinator, a lender, and the employer. As part of the agreed upon relationship, the lender guarantees that all fees, interest, and other ancillary costs over and above a principle amount of the short-term, small cash loan will be kept at or below a predetermined annual percentage rate (APR). In addition, the loan is repayable over a number of payroll cycles such that each successive payday the principle balance of the loan decreases.

A growing segment of lower and middle class people are under stress to meet monthly obligations such as rent, groceries, gas, and rising interest rates on adjustable mortgages. Meeting such monthly obligations is difficult enough and often leaves these people with little room, if any, for adapting to emergencies or other unexpected costs. In addition, many of these people are often perceived as credit risks.
Traditionally, banks and credit unions are the source of small loans to consumers. However, since deregulation of the banking industry in 1980, profit pressure has forced many banks to closely scrutinize unprofitable products. Many branches have closed in lower income neighborhoods where on-deposit amounts couldn't justify branch cost. A number of banks merged during the past two decades to achieve cost efficiency in scale. And loan products that were not stand-alone profitable were discontinued. As banks are governed by their state of incorporation usury law, an annual percentage rate (APR) cap must be adhered to when pricing interest. In addition, safety and soundness rules governing the acceptance of loan applications means that banks may spend in a range of about $100 to $200 internally to originate one consumer loan. The internal costs include credit checks, income verification, collateral securitization, paperwork processing, etc. In order to be profitable, banks must recuperate these internal costs while still adhering to APR pricing regulations. The only feasible way to recoup such internal costs is for the banks to loan substantially large sums of money over many months. As a result, commercial banks will typically lend a minimum of $2,500 over a minimum of 24-36 months. This size of loan, combined with the number of periods outstanding and APR rates, allow banks to recover their internal costs and turn a profit. As such, banks have naturally avoided short term, small dollar loans. Given their APR usury caps and internal costs—there is practically no way for commercial banks to profitably lend small credit over a period of only a few weeks.
For Americans who are cash strapped, at their credit card limit, and who simply need "bridge" funds to tide them over till the next paycheck—small loans are an essential financial product. They cannot find this class of credit at their traditional bank. An industry, commonly referred to as the "payday lending" or "payday loan" industry, has stepped in to fill a need for these people by providing early access to needed money through short term, high interest payday loans. The technical banking term for this type of transaction is called a "short-term deferred deposit loan." Over the past decade, the payday lending industry has grown to generate a loan volume of about $40-Billion per annum where the fees received from this loan volume are about $6-Billion per annum. One reason for the growth, success, and staying power of the payday lending institutions is that mainstream banks and credit unions cannot affordably originate, transact, and manage small, short-term cash loans. In short, the transaction costs for the banks and credit unions are invariably too high in view of the requested loan amounts and further in view of the real or perceived credit risk. One way the payday lending industry deals with this conundrum and minimizes its risk is to couple the loan to the individual's paycheck and make the duration of the loan no more than one paycheck cycle (i.e., the individual must pay off the loan with the next paycheck received).
Due to the practices of the payday lending industry, many individuals find themselves trapped in a downward, financial spiral. It has been estimated that over 6,000,000 people access "payday loans" as a source of cash, some for legitimate emergencies and others to simply meet the financial demands of everyday life. At present, the only avenue for these people to obtain short term loans is to subject themselves to the practices and fees of the payday lending industry.
The payday lending industry started as small, individually owned neighborhood shops that offered two week loans (ranging from $300-$500) in exchange for a fee. Borrowers would sign an agreement and provide a post-dated personal check for the amount borrowed and return at their next payday to repay, in cash, the loan amount or alternatively authorize the lender to cash the post-dated personal check. In exchange and after a verification of the borrower's employment and residency information, the shop owner (i.e., lender) would front the cash less a loan fee. Typically, the fee is between about $15-$25 per $100 borrowed. By way of example, a $300 loan request minus the fee would yield net cash to the borrower of about $225-$255. According to the Colorado chapter of PIRG (Public Interest Research Group), the typical payday lender charged consumers an Annual Percentage Rate (APR) of 470% and an average fee of $18.28 to borrow $100 for two weeks. See http://www.tomorrowsmoney.org/youngpeople/section.cfm/400/2531.
One operating tenet of the payday lending industry is that the full amount of the payday loan must be repaid on the borrower's next payday. Often, the lender provides a reminder to the borrower shortly before the loan becomes due and payable. Inevitably, some borrowers find that they are unable to repay the loan in full on or before the next payday. The lenders have dealt with this dilemma by allowing the borrower to "rollover" their outstanding loan. Many times, this rollover is done by the same lender. The lender simply executes a new agreement for the amount of the outstanding loan with a new fee and gives the borrower till the next payday to repay.
Multiple consumer organization studies indicate that this rollover behavior happens, on average, about nine times per loan. Referring to FIG. 1 and using the example provided above with an initial loan request of $300 having a loan fee of $25 fee per $100 borrowed and assuming that the borrower rolls the entire loan amount over each time, the cumulative fees for rolling the loan over nine times would be $675 to the borrower. This example shows that the fees for rolling the loan over can and often do exceed the original loan amount. In this example, the fees exceed the initial loan request of $300 by 225%. The practice of rolling over payday loans has been referred to as the "debt spiral" because it traps the borrowers into a pattern of refinancing an extremely expensive cash loan past the initial payback period. For the lenders, it is advantageous and profitable to have as many loan transactions as possible.
There have been legislative efforts by some jurisdictions to limit or restrict the practice of rolling over payday loans. However, handshake agreements between lenders and desperate borrowers have found other ways to perpetuate the "debt spiral." Referring to an example shown in FIG. 2, a borrower makes a first loan request of $300 and is granted the first loan from a first lender, minus a $75 loan fee. When the first loan becomes due and payable on the next payday, the borrower may already know or may simply be referred to a second lender. The borrower executes a second loan in the amount of $400 and is granted the second loan from the second lender, minus the $100 loan fee of course. Thus, the borrower takes the $300 net cash, returns to the first lender and pays off the first loan with the first lender. On the next payday, the borrower finds themselves unable to payoff the second loan, so the borrower goes through the process again with either the first lender or with a third lender and the cycle continues for as long as the borrower can qualify for the increased loan amounts. In just the three identified transactions, the cumulative fees totaled to $300 and the borrower's payoff balance has nearly doubled from $300 to $525.
The payday lending industry operates in both brick and mortar infrastructure and through online portals. Some lenders operate exclusively online believing that the operating and transaction costs for servicing payday type loans is lower because there are no leased buildings, fewer employees, and no concerns about securing and handling physical stores of cash. In addition, the online lender is not limited to relying on local customers because the online lender has the ability to reach a vast pool of potential customers—anyone with access to the internet, for example. Theoretically, the online lender could reach a large pool of customers and then amortize the associated transaction costs into lower fees for the borrowers.
FIG. 3 shows an example of the relative operating costs for a brick and mortar lender 10 compared to an online lender 12. The infrastructure and labor costs 14 are estimated to be, on average, significantly higher for the brick and mortar lender 10 than they are for the online lender 12. As briefly mentioned above, the brick and mortar lender 10 has capital costs, equipment costs, lease or building acquisition costs, labor costs, security costs, money handling costs, etc.
Write off costs 16, which are the costs that must be absorbed when the borrower defaults on the loan, are estimated to be about the same for the brick and mortar lender 10 and the online lender 12. Conventionally and quite commonly, the lender 10, 12 mitigates the risk of default or insufficient funds by requiring the borrower to identify their next payday and executing an agreement for an electronic funds transfer (EFT) from the borrower's bank or credit union account on that day. In some cases, the borrower, either purposefully or mistakenly, may provide a payday date that is incorrect. In such a situation, the borrower withdraws their money well before the EFT instructions are received by the bank or credit union. In other cases, the borrower simply does not have enough funds to payoff the loan and must default on at least a portion of the loan amount. In either scenario, the lenders 10, 12 must bear the costs of dealing with the defaulting borrower.
As for marketing and advertising costs 18, it is estimated that the brick and mortar lender 10 has significant advantages over the online lender 12. The brick and mortar lender 10 typically attracts new borrowers by simply being present and visible to the local citizens. By being located in a preferred location, the brick and mortar lender 10 may be able to generate and sustain a profitable business from the local population with little to no advertising costs. The online lender 12, on the other hand, has significant costs of attracting and ultimately acquiring new borrowers. Given the hundreds of competitors, the similarity of services, and the commodity nature of the money lending business, the online lender 12 must advertise heavily to differentiate from others and may also have to commit significant resources on search engine optimization to rise to the top of an internet search. In sum, the online lender 12 trades the infrastructure and labor costs 14 for an equal or more expensive challenge of attracting and acquiring new borrowers online.
There have been attempts to reduce the cost of acquiring new customers. For example, U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2005/0075969 to Neilson et al. (Neilson) discloses a payday loan process having independent, but related contracts. The lending entity enters into a first contract with an employer and a second contract with an employee. The first contract provides that if an employee takes out an advance with the lending entity, then the employer is obligated to deduct the advance amount and related fees from the next paycheck of the employee and send this on to the lending entity. The second contract is executed separately with the employee. The second contract obligates the employee to authorize the employer to deduct the loan payoff amount and any fees from the employee's next paycheck. One drawback of Neilson is that the payday loan process taught therein continues the practice of requiring full restitution of the payday loan on the next payday while extracting high loan fees from the borrower.
Many practices and aspects of the payday lending industry have presented challenging issues for governments and consumer advocates. There continues to be a strong desire and even a strong need for small, short term cash infusions for people, especially people in the lower income sections of society. In addition and as mentioned above, mainstream financial institutions are unable to profitably service small, short term payday loans, so the people needing these types of loans must suffice with the existing model. However, the excessive fees and interest associated with the payday loans, the unforeseen "debt spiral," and the practice of rolling over loans multiple times has severely damaged the reputation and efficacy of the payday lending industry.
In response to the practices and tactics of the payday lending industry with respect to military personal, the U.S. government recently enacted legislation and regulations capping the interest rate to 36.00 percent on small consumer cash loans. Thus, the loan fees associated with payday loans cannot be greater than an amortized APR of 36.00%. See Public Law 109-364, John Warner National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007. The term "interest" is defined to include all extra charges and fees of any kind, including the sale of related products such as credit insurance.
The new law prohibits requiring military members to set up an allotment as a condition of receiving a loan; requiring the use of a vehicle title as security for any loans made to service members and military family members; using a check or any other access to a member's financial account as security for a loan; lenders from renewing, repaying, refinancing, rolling over, or consolidating consumer credit using the proceeds of other credit granted by the same lender to the military member; requiring military members to waive their rights under the Servicemembers' Civil Relief Act (SCRA), or any other federal law; denying the opportunity for military members to pay the loan off early, and any penalties for early payments; any unreasonable clauses in the contract designed to make it difficult for military members to take a creditor to court; and states from allowing creditors to violate state consumer loan protection laws for military members who are nonresidents. In short, the new law effectively closes down payday lending operations around military bases and to military personnel.
Closing down the payday lending operations around the military bases, however, may not cure the problem. Similar to the borrower involved in a cycle of obtaining loans from a variety of lenders, it is anticipated that military personnel will still continue to find ways of obtaining short term payday loans. Since the payday loan shops around the bases can no longer provide the loans, it is anticipated that many military personnel will use online payday loan vendors. Some of the high-fee, online lenders may be out of reach of government laws, while others may claim that they were not aware the borrower was a member of the military. Thus, while closing down the payday loan shops around the bases may have some positive effects, it does not cure the underlying issues and problems. Instead, closing down the payday loan shops around the bases is likely to simply shift the business to another venue, such as to online vendors, where oversight and enforcement of regulations may be much more difficult.
Commercial banks, with multiple physical locations and online resources, have been unable to profitably transact and process short term loans. This is due, in part, because of the federal banking deregulation of 1980, which caused for-profit banks to become increasingly cost conscious and bottom-line minded. The customer segment that needed small, unsecured cash loans to meet occasional emergencies, posed several problems in the banking industry's business model. First, the effort to originate and underwrite a loan is relatively costly and banks must meet certain professional, safety, and soundness standards. To recoup the transaction costs and still make a profit, commercial banks found that they would typically have to exceed the state usury laws governing their charter. Because the emergency loan amount required was small and the repayment term short, the resulting APR rate triggered usury violations. Instead of trying to find an alternate model, for-profit banks have essentially abandoned the servicing of small, unsecured cash loans to and have shifted their focus to a lower-risk target customer borrowing larger amounts over a longer period.
The payday lending industry operates under a business model, anticipated profit margin, and an overall business philosophy that prevents them from remodeling or even correcting some of the most glaring drawbacks within the industry. Although it is appreciated that small, short term cash loans may be a necessary survival tactic for some people, there is an urgent and overriding need for fundamental changes in the industry. In addition, there remains a need to provide military personnel small, short term cash loans within the boundaries of the new law, while keeping operating and transactions costs to a minimum.

Loan program and process for transacting the same


An alkaline-reserve-free, oil-based drilling fluid is disclosed as comprising an oleaginous liquid, and an amine surfactant having the structure R-NH.sub.2, wherein R represents a C.sub.12 -C.sub.22 alkyl group or alkenyl group. Such fluid is particularly useful in the drilling of subterranean wells in which CO.sub.2, H.sub.2 S or other acidic gases which adversely effect the rheologies and other properties of the drilling fluid are encountered. The alkaline-reserve-free oil-based drilling fluid permits the logging of acidic gases which otherwise could not be logged in the presence of lime or other alkaline.

The use of oil-based muds and drilling fluids has become increasingly popular since their introduction of the technology in the 1950's. Innovations in oil-based muds and drilling fluids are of on-going importance with the development of environmentally friendly drilling fluids and fluids having other special characteristics. Oil-based muds offer advantages over water-based muds in many drilling situations. In particular, oil-based muds are known in the art to provide excellent shale inhibition, borehole stability, lubricity, thermal stability, corrosion inhibition, tolerance of contamination and ease of maintenance. The selection of an oil-based drilling fluid, also known as oil-based mud involves a careful balance of both good and bad characteristics of such fluids in a particular application and the type of the oil or gas field in which the well is to be drilled.
Invert emulsion fluids or drilling muds are often utilized during the drilling of a subterranean well with an oil-based drilling fluid. Invert emulsion fluids generally include three major components, namely an oleaginous liquid which serves as a continuous phase, a non-oleaginous liquid which serves as a discontinuous phase and an emulsifying agent.
In addition to these three principle ingredients, lime or other alkaline materials are added to conventional invert emulsion fluids to maintain an alkaline reserve. The alkaline reserve is critical to maintaining the emulsion stability and the rheology of the conventional oil-based drilling fluid and thus the fluids usefulness in drilling. In some oil field areas, acidic gases such as CO.sub.2 or H.sub.2 S may be present in the formations penetrated by the well. These acidic gases can destabilize the invert emulsion causing the formation of a "flip-mud" which causes the immediate shut-down of drilling rig operations. The removal of flip mud from the well is costly and time consuming because the mud has a high viscosity. One of skill in the art should know that once a "flip-mud" has formed the invert emulsion fluid is considered to be useless and the components must be disposed of at great expense. Thus the role of the alkaline reserve, typically in the form of lime, is critical to prevent the formation of "flip-mud" and the accompanying instability and viscosity problems caused by acidic gases.
Although the inclusion of an alkaline reserve in the formulation of oil-based drilling fluids and invert emulsion is beneficial, sometimes it is desirable to log the amount of the acidic gases encountered during the drilling operation. The presence of the alkaline reserve inhibits the logging of acidic gases, in particular CO.sub.2 and H.sub.2 S, because of the rapid acid/base reaction that takes place. Thus it would be desirable and useful if one could formulate an oil-based drilling fluid without use of lime or other alkaline reserve materials. In this way since the oil-based drilling fluid will not react with acidic gases, it could be utilized in fields in which acidic gas containing formations are known or suspected. This will allow the drill rig operator to accurately analyze the gases present in the mud by suitable means such as gas chromatography, gas sensitive probes or titration of such acidic gases as CO.sub.2 and H.sub.2 S.

Oil-based drilling fluids suitable for drilling in the presence of acidic gases


A drive switching device includes a driving source and a switching unit. The driving source is rotationally driven in one direction. The switching unit is linked with the driving source such that a driving force therefrom is intermittently transmittable to the switching unit, and switches a transmission direction of the driving force from the driving source between a first direction and a second direction every time the switching unit is linked with the driving source.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to drive switching devices and image forming apparatuses.
2. Summary
According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a drive switching device including a driving source and a switching unit. The driving source is rotationally driven in one direction. The switching unit is linked with the driving source such that a driving force therefrom is intermittently transmittable to the switching unit, and switches a transmission direction of the driving force from the driving source between a first direction and a second direction every time the switching unit is linked with the driving source.

Drive switching device and image forming apparatus


The present invention provides a connector test device. The device includes a test jig which has a conductive test pin to detect whether a conductive pin of a connector is appropriately connected to the conductive test pin or not, and a moving pin and a test terminal to detect whether a waterproof pin of the connector is appropriately installed in the connector or not. The device simultaneously displays the electricity conduction states between the conductive pin and the conductive test pin and between the moving pin and the test terminal. The device easily and accurately measures the installed states of both the conductive pin and the waterproof pin provided in the connector.

FIG. 1 illustrates the construction of a conventional connector 1 which is the object to be tested using the connector test device of the present invention.
As shown in the drawing, the connector 1 includes a connector body having a plurality of holes formed through the connector body, with a plurality of conductive pins 3 inserted into some of the plurality of holes. An electric wire extends from each of the conductive pins 3.
An opposite connector (not shown), which is a second connector, is connected to the lower end of the above-mentioned connector 1 which is a first connector. The second connector has a plurality of conductive pins at positions corresponding to the conductive pins 3 of the first connector 1. The conductive pins of the first and second connectors each have an engaging slot, which is not shown in detail in the drawings and into which an associated conductive pin of an opposite connector is inserted.
The surface of each connector, which faces the opposite connector and is connected to the opposite connector, is referred to herein as a "connecting surface" of the connector.
The position and number of conductive pins inserted into the holes of a connector may be variously determined in accordance with the use of the connector. Thus, empty holes having no conductive pins remain in the connector. Moisture or foreign substances may be introduced into the empty holes having no conductive pins. To prevent such introduction of moisture or foreign substances into the holes, the empty holes must be closed. For example, nonmetallic waterproof pins 5 have been generally used to close the empty holes and prevent the introduction of such moisture or foreign substances into the holes.


A verification method and system are disclosed that verify a user. The user is provided a verification code via, for example, a website, to be communicated to the system via an application on a mobile communication device. If the correct verification code is communicated by the user, the user receives via the application a verification message containing another verification code, which the user submits to a website or on-line form or to another verification system for authentication.

With the increasing popularity of the Internet, it has become more important to require users to register with the websites they use in order for them to obtain information from the website, order goods through the website, store information through the website, etc. In some instances, the owners of the website wish to use the registration information to selectively target promotions or advertisements based on registration information and thus, get a secondary gain in addition to having the registrant or user visit the website or use the services provided through the website. In other instances, the user's registration information is not used for secondary gain, but instead is kept completely confidential and is used only for the purposes of allowing the registrant or user to enter the website and obtain information or goods and services through the website.
User authentication is fundamental to every Internet transaction. Individuals and businesses who wish to engage in trade on-line must authenticate themselves reliably by presenting credentials to establish their identity. Despite this, when doing business on the Internet, potential registrants or users often register with untraceable or false e-mail addresses and phone numbers. This can compromise the intended purpose of the registration, create a breach of security, and constitute fraud on the website owners.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


Magnetic sensing chips and methods of fabricating the magnetic sensing chips are disclosed. A magnetic sensing chip as described herein includes an EMR sensor formed on a substrate from multiple semiconductor layers. One or more of the semiconductor layers form a quantum well comprising a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) or hole gas (2DHG). The magnetic sensing chip also includes one or more transistors formed on the substrate from the multiple semiconductor layers. The transistor(s) likewise include a quantum well comprising a 2DEG or 2DHG. The EMR sensor and the transistor(s) are connected by one or more connections so that the transistor(s) amplifies data signals from the EMR sensor.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention is related to the field of magnetic sensing systems and, in particular, to fabricating a magnetic sensing chip having an extraordinary magnetoresistive (EMR) sensor and one or more transistors formed on the same substrate.
2. Statement of the Problem
A magnetoresistive (MR) read element based on extraordinary magnetoresistance (EMR) effect has been proposed for magnetic recording hard disk drives. Read elements based on EMR include an EMR sensor. The advantage of an EMR sensor over conventional giant magnetoresistive (GMR) sensors and tunneling magnetoresistive (TMR) sensors is that EMR is based on the Lorentz force, similar to devices based on the Hall effect. Thus, EMR sensors utilize nonmagnetic semiconducting materials rather than magnetic metals to detect magnetic fields, and therefore EMR sensors do not suffer from the problem of thermal magnetic noise or spin-torque noise.
An EMR sensor includes an EMR structure that is fabricated on a substrate as a mesa comprising a semiconductor heterostructure. A subset of the layers of the semiconductor heterostructure comprises a quantum well structure comprising a two-dimensional (2D) electron or hole gas, which is referred to as the EMR active region. A pair of voltage leads and a pair of current leads are formed on one side surface of the mesa in contact with the active region of the EMR structure, and an electrically conductive metal shunt is formed on an opposing side surface of the mesa in contact with the active region. In the absence of an applied magnetic field, injected current through the current leads passes into the active region and is shunted through the metal. When an applied magnetic field is present, current is deflected from the metal shunt and travels a longer distance through the semiconductor region. Because the semiconductor is much more resistive than the metal shunt, the electrical resistance of the device increases. The change in electrical resistance due to the applied magnetic field is detected across the voltage leads. EMR is described by T. Zhou et al., "Extraordinary magnetoresistance in externally shunted van der Pauw plates", Appl. Phys. Lett., Vol. 78, No. 5, 29 Jan. 2001, pp. 667-669. An EMR sensor for recording head applications is described by S. A. Solin et al., "Nonmagnetic semiconductors as read-head sensors for ultra-high-density magnetic recording", Appl. Phys. Lett., Vol. 80, No. 21, 27 May 2002, pp. 4012-4014.
Presently, EMR sensors are fabricated on a wafer substrate and then cut from the wafer to form individual EMR sensors. The voltage leads of an individual EMR sensor are then typically connected to a signal amplifier circuit to amplify data signals that are sensed by the EMR sensor. One problem with connecting the EMR sensor to the signal amplifier circuit is that the signal amplifier circuit is separately fabricated on a separate chip. The EMR sensor is typically connected to the separate signal amplifier circuit by electrically conductive wires. A capacitance is created between the electrically conductive wires, and the amount of capacitance is a function of the distance between the EMR sensor and the signal amplifier circuit. Additionally, the EMR sensing device typically has a resistance of a few hundred to a few thousand ohms, which is considerably higher than the 50 ohm standard impedance used for propagating high frequency signals. Thus, the capacitance and resistance can unfortunately reduce the signal being propagated to the signal amplifier circuit by RC roll-off because most remote low noise amplifiers require about 50 ohm impedance.

EMR sensor and transistor formed on the same substrate

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands, B.V.


A PoP (package-on-package) package includes a bottom package coupled to a top package. Terminals on the top of the bottom package are coupled to terminals on the bottom of the top package with an electrically insulating material located between the upper surface of the bottom package and the lower surface of the top package. The bottom package and the top package are coupled during a process that applies force to bring the packages together while heating the packages.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to semiconductor packaging and methods for packaging semiconductor devices. More particularly, the invention relates to a PoP (package-on-package) using electrically insulating material between the packages and thermal compression bonding to couple the packages.
2. Description of Related Art
Package-on-package ("PoP") technology has become increasingly popular as the demand for lower cost, higher performance, increased integrated circuit density, and increased package density continues in the semiconductor industry. As the push for smaller and smaller packages increases, the integration of die and package (e.g., "pre-stacking" or the integration of system on a chip ("SoC") technology with memory technology) allows for thinner packages. Such pre-stacking has become a critical component for thin and fine pitch PoP packages.
A problem that arises with thin and fine pitch PoP packages is the potential for warping as the pitch is reduced between terminals (e.g., balls such as solder balls) on either the top package or the bottom package in the PoP package. The warping problem in the PoP structure may be further increased with the use of thin or coreless substrates in the packages. The top package and the bottom package in a PoP structure may have different warpage behavior because of differences in the materials used and/or differences in their structures. The differences in warpage behavior may be caused by differences in the characteristics of materials used in the packages that cause the packages to expand/contract at different rates.
The differences in warpage behavior between the top and bottom packages may cause yield loss in the solder joints coupling the packages (e.g., the connections between solder balls on the top package and landing pads on the bottom package). A large fraction of PoP structures may be thrown away (rejected) because of stringent warpage specifications placed on the top and bottom packages. The rejected PoP structures contribute to low pre-stack yield, wasted materials, and increased manufacturing costs.

PoP structure with electrically insulating material between packages


Disclosed is an Hidden Markov Model (HMM) training apparatus in which a capacity for discriminating between models is taken into consideration so as to allow a high level of recognition accuracy to be obtained. A probability of a vector sequence appearing from HMMs is computed with respect to an input vector and continuous mixture density HMMs. Through this computation, the nearest different-category HMM, with which the maximum probability is obtained and which belongs to a category different from that of a training vector sequence of a known category, is selected. The respective central vectors of continuous densities constituting the output probability densities of the same-category HMM belonging to the same category as that of the training vector sequence and the nearest different-category HMM are moved on the basis of the vector sequence.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a pattern representation model training apparatus used in learning the parameters of hidden Markov Models (hereinafter referred to as "HMMs") used in a speech recognition apparatus or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
An HMM is a model representing a feature sequence of a variable sequence length in terms of a probability, and is composed of a plurality of states and transitions therebetween, using, as parameters, inter-state transition probabilities and output probability densities output at the time of transitions. It may be considered that the output probability densities represent the individual features constituting a feature sequence and that the transition probabilities represent feature displacements along the sequence. A basic formulation of an HMM is given in Speech Recognition By Probability Models by Seiichi Nakagawa (Society of Electronic Information Communication), pp. 33-40. FIG. 1 illustrates a concept of an HMM.
Generally, HMMs can be classified into two types: discrete density HMMs and continuous density HMMs. A discrete density HMM represents a feature sequence composed of discrete labels, whereas a continuous density HMM usually represents a feature sequence composed of continuous vectors. An output probability density of a discrete HMM is a probability of each label being output at a corresponding state transition, a value of probability being preset for each label. In an output probability density of a continuous density HMM, a probability of a feature vector is represented in the form of a continuous density such as the Gaussian distribution. In particular, in the case of a continuous mixture density HMM, an output probability density is usually represented by a plurality of Gaussian distributions, each Gaussian distribution being defined by a variance-covariance matrix between a central vector and the parameters and by branch probabilities corresponding to weights on distributions. A probability in which each of the Gaussian distributions constituting a continuous mixture density will be output with respect to a certain vector will be called a "partial probability". A formulation of a continuous mixture density HMM is given in an article "Recognition of Isolated Digits Using Hidden Markov Models with Continuous Mixture Densities" by L. R. Rabiner, B. H. Juang, S. E. Levinson and M. M. Sondhi (AT&T Technical Journal Vol. 64, No. 6, July-August 1985). When representing a vector sequence by means of a discrete density HMM, a vector sequence is transformed into a label sequence by using a vector quantization (hereinafter called VQ). A formulation of VQ is given in Nakagawa, pp. 26-28.
A probability of a certain feature sequence output from an HMM is called an "appearance probability", or simply, a "probability". The appearance probability can be computed from a Trellis algorithm (a forward-path algorithm). This is intended to obtain the sum total of the probabilities of the feature sequences being output with respect to all the paths along which feature paths can be represented. Details on the Trellis algorithm are given in Nakagawa, pp. 40-42. The higher the transition probability and the output probability corresponding to the feature sequence input with respect to each path, the higher the appearance probability obtained.
Another method is to use a Viterbi algorithm, in which a path of the HMM having the highest probability of a feature sequence being output is obtained and the probability thus obtained is used as an appearance probability. Details on the Viterbi algorithm are given in Nakagawa, pp. 44-46. A path obtained here may be regarded as an optimal HMM path with respect to the feature sequence, and called the "Viterbi path".
HMM parameters are generally determined by a maximum likelihood estimation method. In this method, with respect to at least one prepared training feature sequence of a known category, parameters of an HMM of that category are iteratively renewed in such a manner that probabilities of these feature sequences with respect to the HMM become higher. Generally, a Baum-Welch algorithm is used as a maximum likelihood estimation method in connection with a discrete density HMM. A formulation of the Baum-Welch method is given in Nakagawa, pp. 55-61. A method of determining the parameters of a continuous mixture density HMM by a maximum likelihood estimation is described in the article by Rabiner et al.
Pattern recognition using HMMs is performed by the following procedures. First, a parameter-estimated HMM is prepared for each of the categories constituting an object to be recognized. Subsequently, a probability of an input feature sequence of an unknown category appearing with respect to each HMM is obtained. Then, the category to which the HMM of the highest probability belongs is output as the recognition result.
When recognizing a vector sequence by means of HMMs, discrete density HMMs generally require less computation, allowing a recognition apparatus to effect high-speed recognition. However, when using discrete density HMMs, since a vector sequence input is transformed into a label sequence by VQ, a lack in pattern information called a "VQ distortion" occurs, if a vector dispersion is large, resulting in the deterioration of recognition performance. Continuous density HMMs, in contrast, allow a vector sequence to be directly handled, thus making it possible to obtain a high level recognition performance without any influence by a VQ distortion. Of the continuous density HMMs usually employed, continuous mixture density HMMs provide the best representation characteristic and the highest level recognition performance. These facts are experimentally confirmed in the article by Rabiner et al.
Of the HMM training methods for speech recognition using a maximum likelihood estimation, a method by which a continuous mixture density is used as an HMM output probability density is effective, as described in the article by Rabiner et al., in particular, in the case where such data having a large dispersion in acoustic features as obtained from a number of speakers are represented.
FIG. 2 shows the configuration of the HMM training system described in the article by Rabiner et al. In the drawing, the reference numerals 1A, 2A, 3A and 4 indicate an initial continuous mixture density HMM, an acoustic feature vector sequence, a maximum likelihood parameter estimation means and a training result, respectively. In this prior-art example, the unit of the acoustic feature vector sequence and the continuous mixture density HMM is a word.
In this method, however, training is only performed with respect to the unique known acoustic vector input, no relative change being effected with respect to other acoustic vector inputs.
Such parameters as the number of states, the interstate transition, transition probabilities and output probability densities are preset for the initial continuous mixture density HMMs 1A prepared for a plurality of word categories. The acoustic feature vector sequence 2A belonging to any one of the plurality of word categories can be obtained through sound analysis of speech signals. The maximum likelihood parameter estimation means 3A re-estimates, of the above-mentioned initial continuous mixture density HMMs, the parameters of the same-category HMM belonging to the same word category as the above-mentioned acoustic feature vector sequence, such that an appearance probability of this acoustic feature vector becomes higher. The re-estimated HMM is considered as the initial continuous mixture density HMM. After performing the above-mentioned process a requisite number of times on the same or a different acoustic feature vector sequence, the continuous mixture density HMM obtained is output as the training result 4.
The HMM training by the maximum likelihood estimation method does not take the inter-model discrimination capacity into consideration, so a model obtained has a limited discrimination performance. A learning system has been proposed in which such a problem can be solved in connection with an HMM training method using discrete density HMMs [see, for example, "A New Algorithm for the Estimation of Hidden Markov Model Parameters" by L. R. Bahl, P. F. Brown, P. V. de Sousa and R. L. Mercer (Proc. IEEE ICASSP 88, S11, 2)].
The HMM training system described in the above article may be considered as a system in which recognition estimation is effected on a training feature sequence by using discrete density HMMs prepared for a plurality of categories, the HMMs being renewed in such a manner that recognition errors with respect to this feature sequence are reduced, thereby improving discrimination performance.
FIG. 3 shows the configuration of the training system described in the article by Bahl et al. In the drawing, the reference numerals 1B, 2B, 5, 6, 7, 8, 3B and 4 indicate an initial discrete density HMM, an acoustic feature label sequence, a probability computing means, a probability, a selecting means, a selection result, a label appearance frequency control means and a training result. In this prior-art example, the unit of the acoustic feature label sequence and the discrete density HMM is a word.
Such parameters as the number of states, inter-state transitions and transition probabilities and output probability densities are preset for the initial discrete density HMMs 1B prepared for a plurality of word categories. In this example, the parameters of the initial discrete HMMs are obtained by the maximum likelihood estimation method. The acoustic feature label sequence 2B belonging to any one of the above-mentioned plurality of word categories is obtained from a speech signal by sound analysis and VQ. The probability computing means 5 outputs the probabilities 6 of this acoustic feature label sequence appearing from each of the above-mentioned plurality of initial discrete density HMMs. The selecting means 7 selects, from among the plurality of initial discrete density HMMs, the nearest different-category HMM which belongs to a category different from that of the acoustic feature label sequence used by the probability computing means and which maximizes probability obtained by the probability computing means, and the selecting means then outputs the selection result 8. The label appearance frequency control means 3B controls the label appearance frequency parameters of the same-category HMM selected from the initial discrete density HMMs and belonging to the same word category as the acoustic feature vector sequence and of the nearest different-category HMM selected by the selecting means in such a manner that the probability of the acoustic feature vector sequence is high in the same-category HMM and low in the nearest different-category HMM, thereby re-estimating the HMM parameters. The re-estimated HMMs are used as the initial discrete density HMMs. After performing the above-mentioned process a requisite number of times on the same or a different acoustic feature vector sequence, the discrete density HMM obtained is output as the training result 4.
Next, the operation of the label appearance frequency control means 3B shown in FIG. 3 will be described in detail. FIG. 4 shows a label appearance frequency control algorithm. It will be assumed that the logarithm of the probabilities of the acoustic feature label sequence appearing from the same-category HMM and from the nearest different-category HMM are PA and PB, respectively. When PA is sufficiently larger than PB, that is, PA-PB>.delta. and .delta.>0, no recognition error is considered to occur with respect to the acoustic feature label sequence, and any HMM is not renewed. When PA is smaller than PB, that is PA-PB.ltoreq.0, a recognition error is considered to occur and the following procedure is performed. Assuming that L(f) indicates the label of the f-th frame of the acoustic feature label sequence, and SA(f) and SB(f) indicate the states which are determined by Viterbi paths obtained at the time of probability computation (such a relationship between the feature sequence and the HMM state as will maximize the probability), and which correspond to L(f) with respect to the same-category HMM and the nearest different-category HMM, respectively, the appearance frequencies c(SA(f), L(f)) and c(SB(f), L(f)) of the label L(f) in the respective states are renewed as follows: ##EQU1##
However, when c(SB(f), L(f))<0, EQU c(SB(f), L(f))=.epsilon. (2)
(.epsilon. is a sufficiently small value). Further, when PA is larger than PB but the difference between them is small, that is, 0<PA-PB.ltoreq..delta., the above-mentioned label appearance frequencies are renewed as follows by using a value .gamma. (0.ltoreq..gamma..ltoreq..beta.): EQU c(SA(f), L(f))=c(SA(f), L(f))+.gamma. (3) EQU c(SB(f), L(f))=c(SB(f), L(f))-.gamma. (4) EQU where .gamma.=.beta.(1-(PA-PB)/.delta.
However, when c(SB(f), L(f))<0, EQU c(SB(f), L(f))=.epsilon. (5)
(.epsilon. is a sufficiently small value).
The concept of the label appearance frequency renewal will be explained with reference to FIG. 5. As shown in the drawing, the label output probabilities in the respective HMM states may be considered as the respective label appearance frequencies in these states normalized by the total label appearances. As can be seen from FIG. 5, the above-mentioned appearance frequency renewal causes the probability with respect to the same-category HMM to become higher, and the probability with respect to the nearest different-category HMM to become lower. Through the label appearance frequency control, the output probability of L(f) in the state SA(f) becomes higher and the output probability of L(f) in the state SB(f) becomes lower, so that the HMM is renewed such that PA increases and PB decreases. As a result, the recognition error with respect to the acoustic feature label sequence is reduced. It may be concluded from this that a capacity for discriminating between HMMs can be improved.
The HMM training device shown in the article by Rabiner et al. is intended for continuous mixture density HMMs and can be expected to provide a high level of discrimination performance. Since, however, it does not take into consideration a capacity for discriminating between models, such a device has a limited HMM discrimination performance.
The HMM training device shown in the article by Bahl et al. adopts a training system aiming at an improvement in the capacity for discriminating between models, and can provide HMMs having a higher level of discrimination capacity as compared to the case where the maximum likelihood estimation method is used. Since, however, such an HMM training device is intended for discrete density HMMs, a deterioration in performance due to VQ distortion is inevitable.
The training method adopted in the article by Bahl et al. for the purpose of enhancing the capacity for discriminating between models controls the label appearance frequency, and cannot be applied to the training system of Rabiner et al. where a vector sequence is treated directly.

Pattern representation model training apparatus


A carrier chain includes an attachment link with a wing to limit the tilt of a support member. The wing extends from a base portion of a plate of the attachment link toward a plate of a pin link. When the attachment link begins to rotate in reaction to a force that is applied to the support member, the lower edge of the wing contacts upper edge of the plate of the pin link such that the adjacent roller link is constrained to be generally in line and to rotate with the attachment link. By extending the pitch between reaction rollers that contact upper and lower surfaces of a guide track, the attachment link restricts the rotational displacement of the support member.

A conveying system incorporating one or more carrier chains is commonly used to transport cartons through a packaging machine by which the cartons are erected, loaded, and sealed. Each carrier chain is typically tightened around two sprockets that are spaced apart. The links of the carrier chain engage the teeth of the sprockets and the sprockets rotate to drive the carrier chain. In some applications, a guide track, having surfaces above and below the chain, constrains the movement of the chain to a nearly linear path as the chain moves between the sprockets. The amount of play between the guide track and the chain determines how much the individual links of the chain can rotate or otherwise deviate from the linear path.
A typical carrier chain is a roller chain that includes several different types of links including pin links, roller links, and attachment links. The attachment links are spaced along each roller chain at a regular interval and a support member, such as a lug, is integral or attached to the attachment link.
Each support member supports and abuts a portion of a carton that has been at least partially erected, and cooperates with other support members to transport the carton through a packaging machine where the carton is loaded with articles and folded and secured to form a package. The support members support the carton to keep the corners of the carton substantially square before and during loading and as the end flaps of the carton are closed and glued. The support members can transport the package through the packaging machine by pushing or otherwise causing the package to slide along a flat supporting surface (such as a dead plate or otherwise any stationary support member) of the conveyor. Or the supporting surface can be defined by conveyor plates which are attached to the carrier chains or otherwise are not stationary. As the package slides along the supporting surface of the conveyor, the support members are subjected to numerous opposing forces, such as the frictional forces between the package and the supporting surface, package guides, and flap folding mechanisms, and the forces caused by any change in momentum and/or compression of the package. These opposing forces cause the attachment link to rotate, to the extent allowed by the guide track, and causes the support member to angularly displace relative to a plane that is perpendicular to the support surface or tilt according to the degree of rotation of the attachment link. The play between the guide track and the rollers of the carrier chain allow the attachment link a certain degree of rotation. A large amount of tilt of the support members can cause problems as or after articles are packaged in cartons that are transported by the carrier chains. For example, if the support members tilt excessively, the walls of the cartons are caused to be slanted such that articles are not properly packaged in the carton, articles cannot fit through the opening of the carton, or the walls of the carton are not squared with respect to the support surface as the end flaps of the carton are folded and secured to form end walls.
According to one solution, to compensate for forces applied to a support member that would generate a large degree of tilt, a forward tilt is imposed upon the support member to compensate for the tendency of the support member to tilt rearwardly. Thereby, the displaced or tilted position of the support member generally squares the corners of the package pushing against it. However, the forward tilted support member does not square the corners of an unloaded carton since the unloaded carton generally does not produce as great of an opposing force against the support member as a package that is loaded with articles. As mentioned earlier, a non-square carton can lead to problems during loading. This is especially true for taller cartons where the upper and lower panels of the carton become more offset and can require remedies such as overhead squaring to be introduced into the process.
It is therefore desirable to limit the degree of differential tilt of the support members regardless of the magnitude of the opposing force exerted by either an unloaded carton or loaded package. This has been attempted using several methods. One method for decreasing differential tilt is to tightly control the distance, or play, between the surfaces of the chain guide track and the rollers of the carrier chain. This is expensive from a manufacturing standpoint since a guide track with tighter tolerances requires more precision to manufacture. Additionally, tighter tolerances cause increased contact and friction between the carrier chain and the guide track. As a consequence, the sprockets must supply a greater drive force, which in turn, causes the chain links and guide track to wear out faster. Another method is to increase the pitch of each individual attachment link. However, the pitch of the attachment link is dependent on the characteristics (diameter, spacing between teeth, and the like) of the sprocket that is selected to drive the other links of the carrier chain. Thus, the pitch of the attachment link can only exceed a standard chain link pitch by a limited amount if it is to be used with a sprocket that is designed for use with the standard chain link pitch.
Therefore, a heretofore unaddressed need exists in the industry to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies. What is needed is an improved carrier chain that reduces the undesirable differential tilt of an attached or integral support member in response to a force is applied to the support member. Further, the carrier chain should be easily manufactured and should have the ability to be incorporated into a standard roller chain.


The present disclosure is directed to a method and apparatus for estimating ambient light conditions for an OLED display. Embodiments of the method and apparatus use one or more columns of OLEDs in the display to perform two functions: their typical function of emitting light in a display mode, and the additional function of sensing light in a sense mode. To perform the additional sense mode functionality, the one or more columns of OLEDs in the display are temporarily placed into a photovoltaic and/or photoconductive mode. A sensing circuit is used to measure this current produced by the one or more columns of OLEDs while operating in the sense mode and report it back to a controller. The controller can then use this information to estimate the ambient light conditions of the environment where the OLED display is currently operating and to perform a touch and/or proximity sensing function.

An OLED converts electrical energy into light through a phenomenon called electroluminescence. To produce electroluminescence, the OLED is forward biased with an external voltage causing electrons and holes to be injected into an organic (carbon-based) material of the OLED. The electrons and holes combine in the organic material into an electron-hole pair and, in the process, emit a photon of light.
FIG. 1 shows an example OLED 100 formed on a substrate 102, such as glass. OLED 100 includes an anode 104, a cathode 106, and two or more layers of organic material 108. When a voltage source 110 with sufficient potential is applied as shown in FIG. 1, OLED 100 becomes forward biased and a current flows from cathode 106 to anode 104. Cathode 106 provides electrons to organic material 108, and anode 104 removes electrons from organic material 108 or, equivalently, gives holes to organic material 108. The electrons and holes combine in organic material 108 and emit photons of light through the phenomenon of electroluminescence. In general, as the current flowing from cathode 106 to anode 104 is increased, more electrons and holes are injected into organic material 108 and more photons of light are emitted thereby increasing the brightness or luminance of OLED 100. The color of the light emitted by OLED 100 depends on the type of organic molecules in organic material 108.
An array of OLEDs, such as OLED 100, can be deposited and patterned on a substrate to form a display. The brightness or luminance of each OLED in the array can be individually controlled to form an image viewable on the display. Today, such OLED display technology is used in a wide range of electronic devices and appliances, from small handheld mobile phones all the way up to large-panel TVs. The power consumption associated with OLED displays, although often superior to liquid crystal displays, can be relatively high because they are often driven with sufficient power to provide enough light output to compete with the strongest ambient light environments that they may be operated within, such as outdoor environments where sunlight can be strong.
One solution used to combat the issue of high power consumption is the inclusion and positioning of an ambient light sensor on the outer surface of an OLED display. The ambient light sensor is used to estimate the ambient light conditions of the environment where the OLED display is currently operating, which is then used to adjust the brightness of the OLEDs in the display to meet, but not greatly exceed, the brightness required for the ambient light conditions. Although this solution can improve power consumption, the addition of an ambient light sensor adds cost to the display and increases its overall size. In addition, for mobile devices such as smart phones or tablets, the ambient light sensor is prone to being obstructed by a user's hand or finger, or by a portion of the mobile device protective cover, making the ambient light sensor useless.
Therefore, what is needed is a method and apparatus for estimating ambient light conditions for an OLED display, while at the same time eliminating the need for a traditional ambient light sensor and the drawbacks associated therewith.
The embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawing in which an element first appears is typically indicated by the leftmost digit(s) in the corresponding reference number.


The invention relates to a method for an automated starting of a means of transport (80) at a light-signal system (70), comprising: recording an image of the light-signal system (70) by means of a first optical sensor (30) of the means of transport (80), determining a signaling state of the light-signal system (70) by means of the recorded image, executing an automated starting process of the means of transport (80) in response to a signaling state representing and/or announcing a travel clearance, determining a user action of a driver of the means of transport (80) for plausibility checking of the starting process, and depending on a result of the plausibility check, automatically continuing or terminating of the starting process.

From the prior art, driver assistance systems are known which perform an automatic longitudinal control of a means of transport in relation to other road users and/or objects. Such driver assistance systems, referred to below as adaptive cruise control, are usually used for automated distance control with respect to means of transport travelling ahead or in connection with an emergency braking functionality to avoid collisions from the point of view of the means of transport. For this purpose, means of transport travelling ahead are detected, for example by means of radar and/or LIDAR sensors, and their position and movement behavior in relation to the means of transport are determined. In response to this, automated or semi-automated interventions into the longitudinal control of the means of transport may be carried out for acceleration or braking.
Furthermore, the German patent disclosure DE 10 2011 116304 A1, for example, proposes a driver assistance system that is capable of evaluating light signals from a light-signal system in order to inform a driver of a means of transport on a current state of the light-signal system. As a result, this driver assistance system may be used, for example, to remind the driver to start driving if the driver's attention is not focused on the light-signal system when stopping at them. For this purpose, in the prior art, in a display of the means of transport, among other things, symbols of a current signaling state of the light-signal system are represented. In addition, also further optical and/or acoustic and/or haptic indications may be used to draw the driver's attention to the traffic situation. However, modern control and display concepts for means of transport generally aim to avoid confronting the driver too frequently with corresponding indications, so as not to impair driving comfort and to ensure that the driver's full attention is paid to safety-relevant indications (e.g. for necessary manual brake intervention). Moreover, such a driver assistance system serves only to inform the driver and does not itself execute a control of the movement of the means of transport, such as longitudinal control. A starting process in response to an indication of a travel clearance by the light-signal system must therefore be carried out manually by the driver. Furthermore, the output of optical and/or acoustic and/or haptic indications of a signaling state of the light-signal system does not necessarily represent an intuitive connection for the driver with regard to a starting process.
In addition, methods and devices are known which allow fully automated driving of a means of transport, wherein ideally no intervention in the control of the means of transport by the driver is required. Accordingly, such methods and devices must be extremely reliable in order to prevent potential danger to oneself or danger to other road users. A realization of such a fully automated driving is therefore associated with a high technical effort and correspondingly high costs. Even if the driver of a means of transport driving fully automatically is usually required to monitor all driving maneuvers of the fully automated control system, he or she is not forced by principle to check the plausibility of each individual control action by a confirmation action, i.e. that a possible misinterpretation of the current traffic situation by the fully automated control system may possibly not be intercepted by the driver.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to reduce and/or eliminate the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art.

Method, device and means of transport for an automated starting up of a means of transport at a light signal system

Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft


A longitudinal bias layer and an electrode layer are formed on a non-magnetic material layer. The longitudinal bias layer and the electrode layer are partially removed by an etching technique so that a narrow gap defining the track width Tw is formed in the longitudinal bias layer and the electrode layer. Furthermore, a three-layer film consisting of, from bottom to top, a magnetoresistance effect layer, a non-magnetic layer, and a transverse bias layer, or otherwise a spin valve film consisting of a free magnetic layer, a non-magnetic layer, a fixed magnetic layer and a bias layer is formed on the above structure. The three-layer film or the spin valve film is then partially removed by an etching technique so that the three-layer film or the spin valve film remains only in the above-described narrow gap formed in the longitudinal bias layer and the electrode layer. The shape of the side walls of the three-layer film or the spin valve film is precisely determined by the side walls of the longitudinal bias layer and the electrode layer. The resultant three-layer film or the spin valve film exhibits excellent magnetic detection characteristics. Furthermore, the longitudinal bias layer has good magnetic coupling with the magnetoresistance effect layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a thin-film magnetic head for use for example as a floating type magnetic head in a hard disk device, which is designed to detect, by means of the magnetoresistance effect, a leakage magnetic flux coming from a recording medium, and more particularly to a thin-film magnetic head having a plurality of layers, which can be formed easily, and exhibiting improved performance in terms of detecting a magnetic field, and furthermore to a production method thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIGS. 12A to 12D are schematic diagrams illustrating a production method of a conventional thin-film magnetic head based on the magneto-resistance effect. FIG. 13 is an enlarged sectional view illustrating a part (the portion denoted by reference symbol XIII in FIG. 12D) of a thin-film magnetic head obtained after completion of the production process.
In a conventional method of producing a thin-film magnetic head, as shown in FIG. 12A, a three-layer film 2 is deposited, by means of for example a sputtering technique, on a non-magnetic material layer (lower gap layer) 1 such as Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 formed on a lower shielding layer. As shown in an enlarged fashion in FIG. 13, the bottom layer of the three-layer film 2 serves as a transverse bias layer 2a for generating a transverse bias field. The transverse bias layer 2a is a soft magnetic layer (SAL) made of a soft magnetic material such as an Fe--Ni--Nb (iron-nickel-niobium) alloy. The layer disposed on the transverse bias layer 2a is a non-magnetic layer (shunt layer) 2b made of for example Ta (tantalum). The top layer is a magnetoresistance effect layer (MR layer) 2c. The magnetoresistance effect layer 2c is made of for example a Ni--Fe alloy.
A resist material is coated on the three-layer film 2 shown in FIG. 12A, and then subjected to an exposing and developing process using a deep-UV technique or the like thereby forming a resist layer 3 having a shape such as that shown in FIG. 12B. As shown in FIG. 12B, the resist layer 3 has undercuts 3a, 3a formed at its lower positions on both sides. The track width (TW) of the thin-film magnetic head is determined by the dimension of the resist layer 3.
The three-layer film 2, except regions on which the resist layer 3 is formed, is then removed using an etching technique such as an ion milling technique, as shown in FIG. 12C. In this etching process, both sides of the three-layer film 2 are removed, and slanted planes (i) are produced. A longitudinal bias layer (hard bias layer) 4 and an electrode layer 5 are then sputtered using the resist layer 3 as a mask so that these layers are formed only in the regions in which the three-layer film 2 is not formed. In the regions near the contacting interface between the three-layer 2 and the longitudinal layer 4 and the electrode layer 5, the thickness of the longitudinal layer 4 and the electrode layer 5 changes in such a manner as shown in FIG. 13 due to the undercuts 3a, 3a formed on the sides of the resist layer 3.
After the resist layer 3 is removed, an upper gap of a non-magnetic material such as Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 is formed on the resultant multi-layer structure shown in FIG. 12D, and furthermore an upper shielding layer is formed thereon.
In this thin-film magnetic head, the longitudinal bias layer 4 is a so-called hard bias layer or a hard magnetic layer made of for example Co--Pt (cobalt-platinum) alloy. The magnetoresistance effect layer 2c is magnetized in the X-direction into a single magnetic domain by a magnetic field maintained in the longitudinal bias layer 4. If a detection current is supplied to the magnetoresistance effect layer 2c from the electrode layer 5 via the longitudinal bias layer 4, a magnetic field is induced in the magnetoresistance effect layer 2c by the current, and thus the transverse bias layer 2a experiences a magnetic field in the Y-direction originating from the magnetoresistance effect layer 2c. As a result, the transverse bias layer 2a pinned magnetic layer is magnetized in the Y-direction. The transverse bias field in the Y-direction in this transverse bias layer 2a is applied to the magnetoresistance effect layer 2c, and thus the uniform magnetization performed by the longitudinal bias field and the transverse bias field ensure the linearity of the detection output relative to the change in the leakage magnetic field in the Y-direction applied from a recording medium.
FIG. 14 is a front view of a conventional thin-film magnetic head of the spin valve type. The magnetic recording medium such as a hard disk moves in the Z-direction relative to this thin-film magnetic head, while the leakage magnetic field (external magnetic field) from the magnetic recording medium occurs in the Y-direction. The thin-film magnetic head shown in FIG. 14 includes a non-magnetic material layer (lower gap layer) 1 formed of a non-magnetic material such as Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 (aluminum oxide), and a spin valve layer (SV) formed on the non-magnetic material layer, wherein the spin valve layer consists of 6 layers including a lower non-magnetic layer 20 such as a Ta (tantalum), free magnetic layer 21, non-magnetic conductive layer 22, fixed magnetic layer (pinned magnetic layer) 23, antiferromagnetic layer 24, and upper non-magnetic layer 25 such as Ta.
The lower non-magnetic layer 20 ensures that the free magnetic layer 21 formed on the lower non-magnetic layer 20 can have uniform crystal orientation, and can have a low specific resistance. The free magnetic layer 21 and the fixed magnetic layer 23 are made of a Ni--Fe (nickel-iron) alloy. The antiferromagnetic layer 24 is a bias layer for making the magnetization of the fixed magnetic layer 23 uniformly occur in the Y-direction. That is, anisotropic exchange coupling occurs at the interface between the antiferromagnetic layer 6 and the fixed magnetic layer 23, and as a result the fixed magnetic layer 23 is magnetized in the Y-direction (in the upward direction perpendicular to the drawing plane of FIG. 14) into a single magnetic domain. The antiferromagnetic layer 24 is made of an alloy such as Fe--Mn (iron-manganese), Ni--Mn (nickel-manganese), or Pt--Mn (platinum-manganese).
A longitudinal bias layer 4 such as a Co--Pt (cobalt-platinum) alloy is formed on both sides of the spin valve layer SV having the 6-layer structure described above in such a manner that the longitudinal bias layer is in contact at the contacting interface (V) with all six layers constituting the spin valve layer SV. On the longitudinal bias layer 4, there is further disposed a layer made of a material having a small specific resistance, such as Cu (copper), Ta, or Cr (chromium).
In this thin-film magnetic head of the spin valve type, the longitudinal bias layer 4 is permanently magnetized in the X-direction, and the free magnetic layer 21 is magnetized in the X-direction by a magnetic field from the permanently magnetized longitudinal bias layer 4. The fixed magnetic layer 23 is magnetized in the Y-direction (the upward direction perpendicular to the drawing plane) by the antiferromagnetic layer 24. A steady-state current flows from the electrode layer 5 to the longitudinal bias layer 4 and further into the spin valve layer SV having the six-layer structure in the X-direction. If a magnetic field in the Y-direction is applied from a magnetic recording medium, the magnetization direction of the free magnetic layer 21 is inverted by this external magnetic field from the X-direction to the Y-direction. The electric resistance of the spin valve layer SV changes depending on the relationship between the magnetization direction of the free magnetic layer 21 and the magnetization direction of the fixed magnetic layer 23. Therefore, it is possible to detect the leakage magnetic field from the magnetic recording medium by detecting the voltage drop associated with the steady-state current.
The thin-film magnetic head shown in FIG. 14 can be produced as follows. First, the lower non-magnetic layer 20, free magnetic layer 21, non-magnetic conductive layer 22, fixed magnetic layer 23, antiferromagnetic layer 24, and upper non-magnetic layer 25 are successively sputtered on the non-magnetic material layer 1 thereby forming the spin valve layer SV consisting of these six layers. The spin valve layer SV is coated with a resist material. The resist is exposed to for example deep-UV light, and then developed so that a resist pattern having a width corresponding to the track width (TW) is formed on the spin valve layer SV. Using the resist pattern as a mask, The spin valve layer SV is etched by means of for example an ion milling technique thereby removing the portions of the spin valve layer which are not covered with the resist pattern. In this etching process, the shape of the resist layer formed by the deep-UV exposure and development process affects the shape of the cross section of the resultant spin valve layer SV and thus the width between one contacting face (V) and the other contacting face (V) increases with the contacting position approaching the bottom layer.
The longitudinal bias layer 4 is then formed by performing sputtering using the resist layer remaining on the spin valve layer SV as a mask. Due to the shape of the resist pattern, the thickness of the longitudinal bias layer 4 in the vicinities of the contacting interfaces (V) decreases with the contacting position approaching the top layer as shown in FIG. 14. Except for the vicinities of the contacting interfaces (V), the longitudinal bias layer 4 has a substantially constant thickness. The electrode layer 5 is then formed on the longitudinal bias layer 4.
The thin-film magnetic head having the structure shown in FIG. 13 which is produced according to the process shown in FIGS. 12A to 12D has problems as described below.
(a) In this thin-film magnetic head, the three-layer film 2 and the longitudinal bias layer 4 are in contact at the slanted plane (j) with each other. However, since the magnetoresistance effect layer 2c is located at the top and the longitudinal bias layer 4 is located at the bottom, the longitudinal bias layer 4 in the region (ii) is not parallel to the magnetoresistance effect layer 2c extending in the X-direction. In order for the longitudinal bias layer 4 extending in a slanted direction to magnetize the magnetoresistance effect layer 2c in the X-direction into a single magnetic domain along the plane (i), it is required that the longitudinal bias layer 4 have isotropic magnetic characteristics. To achieve the isotropic characteristics, it is required to form the longitudinal bias layer 4 without introducing magnetic strain. However, this requires difficult sputtering conditions.
(b) The angle and the length L in the X-direction of the slanted plane (i) of the three-layer film 2, and the thickness and the shape of the longitudinal bias layer 4 in the region (ii) are all affected by the shape of the resist layer 3 formed in the process shown in FIG. 12B. The shape of the resist layer 3 is determined by the exposure and the development conditions, and there is a great variation in the shape of the resist layer 3, in particular the shape of the undercuts 3a, 3a. Therefore, it is very difficult to obtain thin-film magnetic heads having small variations from product to product in terms of the angle and the length L of the slanted plane (i) of the three-layer film 2 and the thickness and the shape of the longitudinal bias layer 4 in the region (ii).
(c) Due to the variations in the shape of the resist layer 3, practical thin-film magnetic heads have a small slanting angle of the plane (i) and a great length L in the X-direction. However, if the length L of the slanted plane (i) increases, the transverse bias layer (soft magnetic layer) 2a will have longer portions at its both ends which do not face the magnetoresistance effect layer 2c. The portions of the transverse bias layer 2a extending in the X-direction beyond the ends of the magnetoresistance effect layer 2c are difficult to magnetize in the Y-direction by the magnetoresistance effect layer 2c. As a result, the portions (i) of the transverse bias layer 2a have an independent sensitivity to a leakage magnetic field from a recording medium. This sensitivity affects the detection current, and can be a cause of Barkhausen noise.
(d) When the longitudinal bias layer 4 is formed by performing sputtering using the resist layer 3 as a mask, the material for the longitudinal bias layer has to penetrate into the spaces under the undercuts 3a, 3a of the resist layer 3. Therefore, the deposition rate of the film in these regions is slow, and a great variation occurs in the thickness of the resultant film. In practical production process of thin-film magnetic heads, the longitudinal bias layer 4 is deposited, with the low deposition rate and the thickness variation in these spaces being taken into account. As a result, the portion of the longitudinal bias layer 4 which is not in contact with the three-layer film 2 (or the portion on which resist layer 3 is not present) has an unnecessarily great thickness. This results in a long production time. Furthermore, the total thickness of the magnetic head becomes great. The gap length of the thin-film magnetic film is determined by the thickness of the non-magnetic material layer serving as the lower gap layer and by the thickness of the lower gap layer formed on the three-layer film 2. In recent magnetic heads of this type, it is required to reproduce a signal recorded at a high density and thus a smaller gap length is required. However, if the thickness of the longitudinal bias layer 4 becomes unnecessarily great, the gap length inevitably becomes greater. As a result, it becomes impossible to meet the requirement of the high-density signal reproduction.
On the other hand, the thin-film magnetic head having the structure shown in FIG. 14 has problems described below.
(e) In the conventional structure shown in FIG. 13, since the electrode layer 5 and the longitudinal bias layer 4 are in contact at the slanted plane (i) with the three-layer film 2, the detection current flows from the electrode layer 5 via the longitudinal bias layer 4 not only into the magnetoresistance effect layer 2c but also partly into the transverse bias layer 2a.
(f) In order for the free magnetic layer 21 to be magnetized in the X-direction by the longitudinal bias layer 4, it is required that the longitudinal bias layer 4 can be uniformly magnetized in the X-direction. However, in the regions on the contacting interfaces (V), the thickness (dimension in the X-direction) of the longitudinal bias layer 4 changes in such a manner that the longitudinal bias layer 4 goes up the spin valve layer SV. As a result, it is difficult to uniformly magnetize the longitudinal bias layer 4 in the X-direction. One reason is that in these regions in which the thickness of the longitudinal bias layer 4 changes in the above-described a manner, when an attempt is made to magnetize the longitudinal bias layer 4 in the X-direction, demagnetization occurs randomly in the direction and magnitude. This makes it difficult to magnetize the longitudinal bias layer 4 in the X-direction. Another reason is that since the longitudinal bias layer 4 is in contact with all six layers constituting the spin valve layer SV, the magnetic characteristics of the longitudinal bias layer 4 near the contacting plane (V) change from part to part in response to the changes in the material of the spin valve layer from layer to layer. For these reasons, it becomes difficult to uniformly magnetize the longitudinal bias layer 4 into the X-direction. As a result, the degree of magnetization of the free magnetic layer 21 in the X-direction into a single magnetic domain becomes low, and Barkhausen noise becomes great.
(g) The longitudinal bias layer 4 is in contact with both sides of each of the fixed magnetic layer 23 and the antiferromagnetic layer 24. As a result, the permanently-magnetized longitudinal bias layer 4 exerts great magnetic influences on the fixed magnetic layer 23 and antiferromagnetic layer 24 of the spin valve layer SV. Thus, the fixed magnetic layer 23 is not uniformly magnetized in the Y-direction and great Barkhausen noise occurs.
(h) In order for the free magnetic layer 21 to receive a sufficiently large magnitude of magnetic field from the bias layer 4, it is required that the upper surface 4a of the longitudinal bias layer 4 is located at a position higher than the position of the upper surface of the free magnetic layer 21. To meet this requirement, it is necessary to perform a sputtering process for a long time so that the longitudinal bias layer 4 has a sufficiently large thickness.

Method for producing a thin film magnetic head


A moistener having a porous applicator tip attached to an upper end of a container holding liquid with an opening in the surface of the applicator tip communicating with a tube to allow the replacement of the loss of volume equivalent of air in the container during use of the apparatus to apply a film of water to a surface.

Devices that apply a film of liquid to a surface have been known before. Typically, such devices are used for applying the film of liquid or moisture to a gummed flap of an envelope for sealing the same. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,073,227 issued to Rehberg describes a moistening device for the application of a liquid film to a gummed surfaces of an envelope flap. The moistening device includes a reservoir for holding water. A sponge sits on a support within the reservoir. A brush holder is supported above the reservoir and holds a brush and an absorptive strip that extends over the length of the brush. The absorptive strip has an angled end which is disposed in the liquid. The brush accordingly is sandwiched between the absorptive strip and the sponge so as to be continuously supplied with liquid. The bristles of the brush take up liquid from the sponge and the strip. The brush transfers the water to a gummed flap that is moved in contact with the brush. A porous material, such as felt, fleece or foam material with large pores, is used as the material for the sponge and the absorptive strip.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,771,727 issued to White et al describes a liquid dispensing applicator for moistening glue on stamps, envelopes and the like. A liquid holding tank with an open top rotatably supports a roller. The roller extends slightly above the open top of the tank. The liquid in the tank is picked up on the roller by rotation. The liquid transfers to a gummed surface by passing the envelope, the stamp, or the like in contact with the rotating roller.
The devices discussed above are particularly suited for use in postage metering devices and the like. Hand held containers having a porous tip also are known for applying a film of liquid to surfaces. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,924,837 issued to Lehre describes a moistener having a reservoir with a liquid dispensing tip for applying a film of moisture to a gummed lap of an envelope. The porous tip is a foamy sponge secured to a chamber at an upper end of the reservoir. During use of the apparatus, the reservoir container is squeezed to fill the chamber behind the foam with liquid. The sponge then communicates the liquid from the chamber to the surface in contact with the foamy sponge. While this device accomplishes the goal of applying a liquid film to a surface, it has drawbacks which limit its utility. The squeezing and pumping action may provide a very irregular pattern of liquid flow to reach the tip of the foam sponge. It is difficult to achieve a smooth and even flow of moisture through the sponge tip. Occasionally a large amount of liquid may be released through the sponge tip by a forceful squeeze of the container. This release may damage the surface to which the moisture is being applied. In addition, the useful life of the foam sponge is relatively short.
Other devices, such as markers, also provide a film of liquid to a surface. These devices typically have a solid body container with a fibrous wick that communicates the liquid from a reservoir to the dispensing tip. These devices however are not refillable and are therefore not reusable and economical. Further, the quantity of useable fluidal material contained within such devices is much less. The volume accepted by the wick reduces the available volume for the fluidal material as compared with a same size container without a wick.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a rigid body moistener that does not require a wick for applying a film of liquid to a surface.