Methods and apparatus for generating and using both speaker dependent and speaker independent garbage models in speaker dependent speech recognition applications are described. The present invention recognizes that in some speech recognition systems, e.g., systems where multiple speech recognition operations are performed on the same signal, it may be desirable to recognize and treat words or phrases in one part of the speech recognition system as garbage or out of vocabulary utterances with the understanding that the very same words or phrases will be recognized and treated as in-vocabulary by another portion of the system. In accordance with the present invention, in systems where both speaker independent and speaker dependent speech recognition operations are performed independently, e.g., in parallel, one or more speaker independent models of words or phrases which are to be recognized by the speaker independent speech recognizer are included as garbage (OOV) models in the speaker dependent speech recognizer. This reduces the risk of obtaining conflicting speech recognition results from the speaker independent and speaker dependent speech recognition circuits. The present invention also provides for the generation of speaker dependent garbage models from the very same data used to generate speaker dependent speech recognition models, e.g., word models. The technique involves processing the data included in the speaker dependent speech recognition models to create one or more speaker dependent garbage models.

Speech recognition involves the identification of words or phrases in speech. It generally involves using a speech recognition system including, e.g., a computer, that analyzes the speech according to one or more speech recognition methods to identify the words or phrases included in the speech. Speech recognition may be either speaker dependent, speaker independent or a combination of both.
Speaker dependent speech recognition normally uses a computer that has been "trained" to respond to the manner in which a particular person speaks. In general, the training involves the particular person speaking a word or phrase, converting the speech input into digital signal data, and then generating a template or model of the speech which includes information about various characteristics of the speech. Because template and models include speech characteristic information, e.g., energy level, duration, and other types of information, templates and models are well suited for speech recognition applications where such characteristics can be measured in received speech and compared to the information included in the templates or models. For purposes of this application, the words templates and models are used interchangeably to refer to sets of speech characteristic information used for speech recognition purposes.
Models generated during a speech recognition training process are normally stored in a database for future use during a speech recognition operation. During real time speech recognition applications, input speech is processed in a manner similar to that used to generate models during training. The signal characteristic information or data generated by processing the speech upon which a recognition operation is to be performed is then normally compared to a user's set of speaker dependent models and/or speaker independent models. A match between the input speech and the models is determined in an attempt to identify the speech input. Upon recognition of a particular word or phase, an appropriate response is normally performed.
Speaker independent speech recognition normally uses composite templates or models or clusters thereof, that represent the same sound, word, or phrase spoken by a number of different persons. Speaker independent models are normally derived from numerous samples of signal data to represent a wide range of pronunciations. Accordingly, speaker independent speech recognition normally involves the training of models from a large database of utterances, e.g., of the same word or phrase, collected from a large number of different speakers. Speaker independent speech recognition models are designed to recognize the same word or phrase regardless of the identity of the speaker and the potential specific speech characteristics unique to an individual speaker.
Because speaker independent speech recognition models are normally trained from relatively large databases of information, it is often possible to generate meaningful information regarding a relatively large number of speech characteristics for use as a speaker independent speech recognition model. In contrast, speaker dependent speech recognition models are often generated from relatively few utterances, e.g., three utterances. Because of this, the number of meaningful speech characteristics that can normally be statistically modeled to a useful degree during speaker dependent model training is often lower than the number of characteristics that can be modeled in a meaningful way during speaker independent training. As a result, speaker independent speech recognition systems often use more complicated higher resolution, e.g., detailed, models than speaker dependent speech recognition systems.
The use of Hidden Markov Models ("HMMs") is one common approach to generating both speaker independent and speaker dependent speech recognition models. Other modeling techniques are also known. Various training techniques for generating HMMs from speech, e.g., utterances of a word or phrase are also known.
One known technique for using a speech recognition model to recognize speech is referred to a Viterbi search. In such a search, speech characteristic information generated from a received utterance is compared, as a function of time, to a plurality of potential paths where each path represents one potential speech recognition result. Each path may include a plurality of speech recognition models arranged according to grammar rules. Normally, where the goal is to recognize a single word, one distinct path will be used to represent each word which may be recognized by the speech recognition system. Such a path may include, e.g., silence models, preceding the model of the word to be recognized. The arrangement of speech recognition models (paths) formed by grammar rules of a given system will simply be referred to a system's grammar. In some embodiment's recognition of a word or phase corresponding to a particular path formed by the grammar of a system is normally declared when a score for the path exceeds a predetermined threshold. Ideally, the path that most closely matches the received speech will be the first to exceed the recognition threshold and be recognized.
Existing speech modeling and recognition techniques have been applied to a wide variety of applications including, e.g., telephone voice dialing services. Despite improvements in speech recognition modeling techniques in recent years, including the use of HMM models, errors in recognition results still occur. In order to reduce the number of false positive recognitions, i.e., where a speech recognition system incorrectly determines that an utterance includes a modeled word or phrase, some systems have incorporated the use of speaker independent garbage models. These models are also speaker independent, sometimes also referred to as out of vocabulary (OOV) models. Garbage models have been used to identify and reject certain words, phrases or sounds which are not included in the speech recognition systems vocabulary.
Speaker independent garbage models are normally created from a large database of utterances and are trained to model sound characteristics which distinguish sounds, utterances or words not included in a speech recognition system's word or phrase vocabulary from those that are. Speaker independent garbage models have been used to model, e.g., the sound of coughs, uhm's and other non-significant sounds or words.
While the known modeling and speech recognition techniques have provided satisfactory recognition rates for many applications, undesirable erroneous recognition results still occur.
Erroneous recognition results are particularly a problem in the case of speaker dependent speech recognition applications where similar sounding words or names are to be recognized. This is because, as discussed above, speaker dependent speech recognition models are often trained using a rather limited number of training utterances resulting in somewhat less discriminating models than could be generated from a larger number of utterances. Speaker dependent recognition is often further complicated by the lack of useful speaker dependent garbage models. Unfortunately, in the case of speaker dependent speech recognition applications, the limited amount of data (utterances) available for training speaker dependent speech recognition models also makes the training of useful speaker dependent garbage models difficult to achieve.
Voice dialing is one example of a speech recognition application where a single user may have a plurality of like sounding names or names that sound similar to speaker independent commands, in a single directory. In as much as costs and wasted time may be associated with miss-identifications of names and/or voice dialing commands, e.g., in terms of misrouted calls, it is desirable to minimize erroneous speech recognition results.
In view of the above, it is apparent that there is a need to for methods and apparatus which can be used to improve speech recognition systems in general and to reduce erroneous recognition results in particular. In addition, there is a need for methods and apparatus for generating garbage models from a limited set of utterances so that useful speaker dependent garbage models can be created from a limited set of available information, e.g., the same information used to create speaker dependent speech recognition models.

Methods and apparatus for generating and using speaker independent garbage models for speaker dependent speech recognition purpose


A voltage stabilization circuit includes a control signal generating unit to generate a control signal that is enabled when a supply voltage is unstable and a voltage level maintaining unit for selectively controlling total capacitance of a plurality of capacitors to stabilize the supply voltage in response to the control signal.

1. Technical Field
The embodiments described herein relate to a semiconductor memory apparatus, and more particularly to apparatus and methods for generating a supply voltage in a semiconductor memory apparatus.
2. Related Art
As illustrated in FIG. 1, a conventional semiconductor memory apparatus includes a capacitor C to stabilize an internal circuit 1 and a supply voltage VCC applied to the internal circuit 1. When the supply voltage VCC becomes higher than a target level, the capacitor C stores heightened electric charges. Also, when the supply voltage VCC becomes lower than the target level, the capacitor C discharges the stored electric charges. In this manner, the level of the supply voltage VCC can be maintained at a constant level.
FIG. 2, however, is a diagram illustrating how noise that can effect the supply voltage VCC when the conventional semiconductor memory apparatus of FIG. 1 enters and exits from a power-down mode. For example, when a Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) device enters a power-down mode, the power consumption of the DRAM device is rapidly reduced, which can cause a spike in the supply voltage VCC. Meanwhile, when the DRAM exits from the power-down mode, the power consumption of the DRAM device is rapidly increased, which can cause a dip in the supply voltage VCC.
Accordingly, when the DRAM device enters the power-down mode, the supply voltage VCC supplied to the internal circuit 1 becomes higher than the target level for a predetermined time. Meanwhile, when the DRAM exits from the power-down mode, the supply voltage VCC becomes lower than the target level for a predetermined time. Such supply voltage VCC instability is due to the small capacitance of the capacitor C provided to stabilize the supply voltage VCC.
Normal operation of the internal circuit 1 requires a stable supply voltage VCC at a target level. However, when the level of the supply voltage VCC is above or below the target level, i.e., the level of the supply voltage VCC is unstable, then normal operation of the internal circuit 1 cannot be achieved. For example, a Delay Locked Loop (DLL) circuit, in which the supply voltage VCC is provided for a DLL operation, cannot generate a normal DLL clock when the DLL operating voltage gets higher or lower than the target level. But this type of problem can effect any internal circuit that receive the supply voltage VCC buffered by the capacitor C.

Voltage stabilization circuit and semiconductor memory apparatus using the same


A system and method is provided that introduces oil droplets into the combustion chamber of a lean burn natural gas engine via dedicated channels located in the cylinder head and a valve seat insert for providing multiple distributed sources of ignition in addition to the spark plug based ignition system.

The use of gaseous fuels in internal combustion engines provides a number of advantages over other hydrocarbon fuels, such as conventional diesel. Gaseous fuels such as natural gas may be less expensive than other hydrocarbon fuels, more readily available in remote areas and may burn relatively cleaner during operation. Cleaner burning can result in a reduced amount of combustion byproducts such as carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen (NOx), and unburned hydrocarbons. Compression ignited as well as spark ignited gaseous fuel internal combustion engines are well known and widely used.
One way to reduce the amount of NOx produced during the combustion process is to create a lean homogeneous mixture of air, natural gas, and pilot fuel throughout the combustion chamber prior to ignition. Combustion of only lean mixtures produces a lesser quantity of NOx than does combustion of a combination of rich mixtures and lean mixtures. Once ignition is desired, a spark plug may be used to ignite the lean homogeneous mixture.
One lean burning strategy for a gaseous fuel internal combustion engine is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,783,229 to Kim et al. Kim et al. propose a method for operating an internal combustion engine which includes introducing a pilot fuel such as lubricating oil into the air intake passage. The oil droplets are earned along by the air passing through the intake passage and into the cylinder, where it is mixed with the gaseous fuel to form a combustion charge. A spark plug may be activated al the desired time to ignite the combustion charge which results in increasing the pressure and hence the temperature in the combustion chamber to a level that oil droplets distributed in the combustion chamber also get ignited, resulting in a phenomenon known as distributed ignition. This results in faster heat release from much leaner fuel air mixtures. When the engine load is high enough and the in-cylinder charge temperature is hot enough to ignite the distributed oil droplets without spark plug ignition, a sustained distributed ignition is achieved in every cycle without the help of spark plug ignition.
In the present disclosure, a method and apparatus for controlling ignition of a homogenous distribution of pilot fuel and gaseous fuel with or without a spark plug is provided.

Oil injection methods for combustion enhancement in natural gas reciprocating engines


The present disclosure provides a method of producing transgenic plants which are resistant to at least one metal ion by transforming the plant with a recombinant DNA comprising a nucleic acid encoding a bacterial arsenic reductase under the control of a plant expressible promoter, and a nucleic acid encoding a nucleotide sequence encoding a phytochelatin biosynthetic enzyme under the control of a plant expressible promoter. The invention also relates a method of phytoremediation of a contaminated site by growing in the site a transgenic plant expressing a nucleic acid encoding a bacterial arsenate reductase and a nucleic acid encoding a phytochelatin biosynthetic enzyme.

The field of this invention is the area of plant molecular biology, in particular the genetic engineering of plants to express chimeric genes determining resistance to heavy metals and/or thio-reactive metals, for example, a plant-expressible arsenate reductase coding sequence and/or a phytochelatin biosynthetic enzyme (and optionally, a mercuric ion reductase gene) and the use of such plants in the phytoremediation of environmental pollutants including arsenate, arsenite, cobalt, copper, zinc, mercury, platinum, palladium, antimonate and cadmium ions.
As a consequence of the industrial revolution there has been a significant increase in anthropogenic emission of heavy metals into the biosphere (Ayers, 1992). Mining, smelting, vehicle exhausts, and toxic run-off agricultural products are the source of most anthropogenic pollution of soils and sediments (Nriagu, 1980). These activities have led to solid contaminated particularly with heavy metals such as Cu, Zn, Pb, Ni, Cd, Hg and As. Cadmium is a toxic metal widely spread in the environment and in foods consumed by man (Sherlock, 1984). Major uses of cadmium include electroplating (35%), paint pigments (25%), plastic stabilizers (15%), and batteries (15%) (Nriagu, 1980). One serious soil-related pollution problem is the elevated level of cadmium in agricultural products such as phosphate fertilizers and cadmium containing sewage sludges (Nicholson and Jones, 1994); Ryan et al., 1982) and cadmium accumulation in plants grown on the cadmium-contaminated soil and sediments. Chronic exposure to such soils and consumption of contaminated food pose a serious threat to human and animal health (Sherlock, 1984). Cadmium exposure causes anemia, hypertension, hepatic, renal and cardiovascular disorders.
Physical remediation methods like soil removal and burial are impractical because the expense involved in large-scale removal is too great. Moreover, unlike organic waste, which can be mineralized, metals are immutable and can not be degraded into harmless constituents (Meagher, 2000). Phytoremediation, the use of green plants to remove toxic contaminants from soil and water, is an environmental friendly and cost effective solution for cleaning up metal contaminated sites and it has been suggested that plants might play a significant role in the phytoremediation of toxic heavy metals such as Hg, As, Cd, Cr, Zn, Ni, and Pb from contaminated soil and water (Raskin, 1996).
For a successful phytoremediation strategy, plants must be able to tolerate and hyperaccumulate the toxic metals aboveground (Goldsbrough, 1998). A number of plant species can hyperaccumulate metals in their aboveground tissues to levels far exceeding those present in soil or in the non-hyperaccumulating species growing nearby (Baker and Brooks, 1989). Hyperaccumulation is usually defined as levels of metal ions greater than 0.1%-1% of the dry weight of the plant (Baker, 2000). At these concentrations the recovery of metals from the plant tissues is potentially economical (Baker, 2000). Recovery of even low hyperaccumulated concentrations of most toxic metals such as As, Cd, and Hg could be economically viable as an alternative to the extreme expense of physical remediation methods. In the past few years, interest has been shown to exploit plants' natural properties to remediate toxic heavy metals soils through phytoextraction and phytomining (Brown et al., 1995b; McGrath et al., 1993); Robinson et al., 1997). Unfortunately, most of these hyperaccumulator species are small and slow growing, therefore, their potential for large scale remediation of polluted sites is limited (Ebbs et al., 1997).
Bacterial cells have developed more assertive solutions to exposure to environmental toxins (Meagher, 2000). Bacteria have evolved mechanisms to reduce, oxidize or modify metal ions to less toxic forms and eliminate these toxic metals from their cytoplasm by specific transporters (Tsai et al., 1997). One such system is the ars operon which provides resistance to arsenate and arsenite. Resistance to arsenate is acquired by first reducing it to arsenite by the action of the arsC protein in conjunction with glutathione.

Arsenite is then pumped from the cell by the arsA/arsB complex (Rosen, 1999). The manipulation of bacterial arsenic resistance gene may provide resistance to arsenate and other metal ions. Bacterial genes modified for plant expression have been successfully expressed in plants for phytoremediation purposes. Transgenic plants expressing modified bacterial merA and merB genes have been shown to efficiently extract of elemental and methylmercury from contaminated media (Bizily et al., 1999; Rugh et al., 1998; Rugh et al., 1996). Similarly, transgenic Indian mustard plants overexpressing E. coli thio-rich peptides showed enhanced accumulation and tolerance to Cd (Zhu et al., 1999a; Zhu et al. 1999b).
Genetically engineered high biomass transgenic plants expressing genes responsible for hyperaccumulation hold potential for making phytoremediation a viable commercial technology (Brown et al., 1995a; Rugh et al., 1998). Higher plants can extract pollutants from the soil or water through their root systems, store and concentrate the pollutants in their cells and/or convert toxic pollutants to less toxic forms. Roots are more directly in contact with heavy metals in the environment than shoots and root growth usually responds more rapidly to metal exposure than shoot growth. Plants may produce up to 100×106 miles of roots per acre and thus plants are in contact with a vast expanse of soil surface area (Dittmer, 1937). Plant roots can also reach reasonable depths into the soil surface area (Stone and Kalisz, 1991). Therefore, one phytoremediation approach for heavy metals is to use plant roots to extract, the vascular system to transport, and leaves as a sink to concentrate the heavy metals aboveground. Our initial aim was to study whether ArsC protein reduces other structurally related metal ions. Herein, we disclose that the expression of arsC gene modified for expression in plants enables bacterial cells and transgenic plants including, but not limited to, transgenic Arabidopsis plants to grow on otherwise toxic levels of Cd(II) by reducing it to Cd(0).
There is a long felt need in the art for the in situ remediation of toxic metal ions including but not limited to arsenate; mercury, arsenite, antimony, zinc, copper, cobalt, platinum, palladium, and cadmium ions and ion complexes thereof. The present invention enables phytoremediation and/or revegetation of contaminated environments, especially those contaminated with cadmium, via the plant-expressible arsenate reductase and/or phytochelatin biosynthetic sequences and/or mercury reductase coding sequences disclosed herein.

Metal resistant plants and phytoremediation of environmental contamination

The University of Georgia Research Foundation, Inc.


An optical pickup device includes an optical isolator provided in a beam path of an optical system for modulating the laser beam radiated from an end face of a semiconductor laser device and returning it to an end face of the semiconductor laser device, and a detector for detecting changes in an output of the return beam from the other face of the semiconductor laser device. The optical isolator transmits a beam component having the same plane of polarization as that of the laser beam. The magneto-optical recording medium may be reproduced by an optical system without employing a differential optical system.

1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an optical pickup device for reproducing signals recorded on, for example, a magneto-optical recording medium.
2) Prior Art
The method for detecting signals of a magneto-optical recording medium, such as a magneto-optical disc, consists in detecting the information recorded as the direction of magnetization on a signal recording surface of the magneto-optical disc after converting it into minute rotation of a polarization plane by the Faraday effect or the Kerr effect which is the interaction between the light and magnetization. However, since the pin photo diode etc. taking charge of photoelectric conversion lacks in selectivity with respect to polarized beam, there is employed a method of detecting the rotation of the polarization plane after converting it into changes in beam intensity using a polarized beam splitter or a polarizer.
3) Description of the Prior Art
Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional signal detecting device for a magneto-optical disc is explained. In this figure, the laser beam from a laser beam source 21, such as a semiconductor laser device, is a laser beam of a P polarization component (P wave). This laser beam is irradiated on the signal recording surface of the magneto-optical disc 9 by an objective lens 20 via a beam splitter 22 so as to be converged on the signal recording surface. The light reflected from the magneto-optical disc 9 is again incident on the beam splitter 22 and again reflected by the beam splitter 22. The reflected beam from the beam splitter 22 has its polarization plane rotated by 45.degree. by a 1/2 wavelength plate 23 and is separated by a polarized beam splitter (PBS) 24 into polarized beam components having planes of polarization which are at right angles relative to each other. The first polarized light component reflected by the polarized beam splitter 24 is incident on a photodetector 25 constituted by a pin diode. The second polarized beam component transmitted through the polarized beam splitter 24 is incident on a photodetector 26 similarly constituted by a pin photo diode. Output signals of the photodetectors 25, 26 are inputted to a differential amplifier 27 by which in-phase components are removed. That is, the in-phase components are removed by an optical differential method, so that only signals of the magneto-optical disc, that is optical magnetic signals, are detected.
Signals recorded on a magneto-optical disc are usually detected by taking advantage of changes in intensities of the beam reflected from the optical disc. In such case, a servo control system, such as focusing and tracking control units, need to be provided in the optical pickup device, in addition to optical components for reading information signals from the optical disc, so that the laser beam from the laser beam source is focused on a signal recording surface of the disc while the laser beam correctly follows the recording track(s) of the disc. Random accessing may be achieved by feeding the optical pickup device radially of the disc. Above all, if faster random accessing is demanded of an optical disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus, the feed velocity of the optical pickup device becomes crucial. For achieving a fast feed of the optical pickup device, it is required of the optical pickup device to be of a small size and a small weight.
In order to meet this demand, a self-coupled optical pickup (SCOOP) making use of a self-coupling effect of a laser diode, is under investigation. FIG. 2 shows an arrangement of the self-coupled optical pickup which is required for signal detection of the optical recording medium, as taught by, for example, the Japanese Patent Publication No. 57-58735 (1982).
In FIG. 2, a laser diode 41 has two parallel cleavage end faces 41a, 41b, running at right angles to a pn junction surface 41j, which cleavage end faces constitute reflecting mirror surfaces to provide light resonation.
When a driving current I is injected from, for example, a driving circuit, laser oscillation is produced at higher than a threshold value of the injection current, so that a laser beam is radiated from the end face 41a. The laser beam is passed through a collimator lens 43 and an objective lens 44 and converged on a reflecting mirror M which may, for example, be a reflecting surface of an optical disc, such as its signal recording surface. The laser beam is then reflected by this reflecting mirror M and returned to the end face 41a of the laser diode 41 to constitute an external resonator.
If there is any return beam, the threshold value of the injected current is decreased substantially in proportion to the intensity of the return beam. If the value of the injected current is set at an intermediate value Im between the threshold value when there is the return beam and that when there is no return beam, a beam emitted from the laser diode 41 is significantly changed in conformity to changes in reflectance of the reflective mirror M. A rear beam emitted from another end face 41b of the laser diode 41 is also significantly changed in proportion to a light output from the end face 41a, so that, by providing a photodetector 42, such as a photodiode, facing the end face or terminal 41b, for detecting the rear beam emitted of the laser diode 41, an optical pickup which is small-sized and lightweight may be produced.
Meanwhile, the laser diode 41 and the photodetector 42 may be accommodated in one and the same package. The collimator lens 44 may also be omitted to provide a unitary lens system.
Although it is possible with the above-mentioned SCOOP to reduce the size and the weight and to lower the costs of the optical pickup device, there is raised a problem of a high signal noise level, above all, a problem of a noise caused by stimulated vibrations produced as a result of the distance between the beam source and the reflecting surface of the return beam and the beam velocity. The present Assignee has already proposed in JP-A-01 232544 a pulse read system in which, by setting the irradiation time duration of a laser beam intermitted at a predetermined period so as to be shorter than the basic period of the vibrations produced by the return beam, any noise produced by the stimulated vibrations may be inhibited to provide a SCOOP type optical pickup device of a practically useful level.
However, a differential optical system is still needed, as in the case of FIG. 1, if the SCOOP is to be used for reproducing the magneto-optical disc. Thus the above proposal has not been fully satisfactory in mitigating the complexity of the optical pickup device.
Furthermore, signals +.theta..sub.k and -.theta..sub.k are reproduced as magneto-optical (MO) signals of the magneto-optical recording medium. After reproduction, these signals are frequently detected by differentiation by an electric circuit for decoding as data. Since the differential detection is carried out on a time frequency scale, it becomes necessary to change the equalizer setting by the difference in MTF. For example, it is necessary to change the time constant depending on, for example, the linear velocity of the disc during reproduction or on the difference between the velocities on the inner and the outer peripheries.


The present invention aims at making it possible to easily fill liquid into a droplet spraying and applying head module, while saving work. The droplet spraying and applying head module includes a droplet spraying and applying head and a tank. The droplet spraying and applying head includes a liquid chamber for containing liquid and a plurality of nozzles communicating with the liquid chamber, and sprays droplets through the nozzles The tank contains liquid to be supplied to the liquid chamber, and communicates with the liquid chamber. The droplet spraying and applying head and the tank are coupled to each other with a coupling member. A revolute joint is interposed between the coupling member and the droplet spraying and applying head.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a droplet spraying and applying head module, a droplet spraying and applying apparatus, and a method of manufacturing a coated body. In particular, the present invention relates to: a droplet spraying and applying head module used for manufacturing a coated body such as a liquid crystal display panel or an organic electroluminescence (EL) display panel; a droplet spraying and applying apparatus including this droplet spraying and applying head module; and a method of manufacturing a coated body by using this droplet spraying and applying apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-31070, a droplet spraying and applying apparatus is known which is used for manufacturing an organic EL display panel.
In this droplet spraying and applying apparatus, liquid made by dissolving coloring matter such as polymer luminescent material in a solvent is sprayed as droplets through nozzles of a droplet spraying and applying head, and the sprayed droplets are applied to a substrate surface. Then, by evaporating the solvent in the droplets applied to the substrate surface, a film formed of the coloring matter remains on the substrate. Thus, an organic EL display panel is manufactured.
In such a droplet spraying and applying apparatus, there are some cases of using a droplet spraying and applying head module 100 such as shown in FIG. 6.
This droplet spraying and applying head module 100 includes a droplet spraying and applying head 101, a buffer tank 102, and an apparatus fixation portion 103. The droplet spraying and applying head 101 and the apparatus fixation portion 103 are screwed to each other, and the droplet spraying and applying head 101 and the buffer tank 102 are connected to each other with a flexible supply pipe 104.
The droplet spraying and applying head 101 includes a casing 105 and a nozzle plate 106 fixed to one side of the casing 105. In the casing 105, a plurality of liquid chambers (not shown) are formed, and a plurality of piezoelectric elements (not shown) are provided corresponding to the respective liquid chambers. In the nozzle plate 106, a nozzle (not shown) is formed for each liquid chamber.
The buffer tank 102 contains liquid (e.g., ink) made by dissolving coloring matter in a solvent. This liquid is supplied through the supply pipe 104 to the liquid chambers in the casing 105. A main tank (not shown) is connected to the buffer tank 102, and the buffer tank 102 is replenished with the liquid from the main tank.
In the case where the droplet spraying and applying head module 100 is attached to the droplet spraying and applying apparatus, before this attachment, the liquid is filled into the droplet spraying and applying head module 100. In the case where the liquid is filled into the droplet spraying and applying head module 100, bubbles are prone to enter the liquid chambers and the nozzles. The bubbles which have entered therein need to be removed.
Accordingly, in order to remove these bubbles, the work of filling liquid into the droplet spraying and applying head module 100 is performed with the droplet spraying and applying head module 100 attached to a filling jig. In the droplet spraying and applying head module 100 attached to the filling jig, the buffer tank 102 is fixed in place, and the droplet spraying and applying head 101 can rotate in a vertical plane.
After the liquid is filled into the droplet spraying and applying head module 100 attached to the filling jig, the droplet spraying and applying head 101 is rotated in the vertical plane. This rotation moves bubbles existing in the liquid chambers and the nozzles toward an exhaust port 107 provided in such a way that the exhaust port 107 is connected to the liquid chambers. By opening the exhaust port 107, the bubbles are expelled outside the droplet spraying and applying head 101.
Thus the flexible supply pipe 104 connecting the droplet spraying and applying head 101 to the buffer tank 102 has a length enough not to cause any problem even when the droplet spraying and applying head 101 is rotated in the vertical plane.
After the droplet spraying and applying head 101 attached to the filling jig is rotated and the bubbles are expelled through the exhaust port 107, a purging process for causing liquid to flow out through the nozzles is performed. In this purging process, the droplet spraying and applying head 101 is rotated to a position where the nozzles point upward, and a pressure is applied to the inside of the buffer tank 102, thereby causing liquid to flow out through the nozzles. In the case where the bubbles remain in the liquid chambers and the nozzles, this purging process expels the bubbles together with the liquid through the nozzles.
After the process of expelling the bubbles through the exhaust port 107 by rotating the droplet spraying and applying head 101, and the purging process for causing the liquid to flow out through the nozzles are finished, the droplet spraying and applying head module 100 is detached from the filling jig, and then is attached to the droplet spraying and applying apparatus.
After the bubble expelling process and the purging process are finished, no bubbles exist in the liquid filled in the droplet spraying and applying head module 100. Accordingly, droplets can be sprayed through the nozzles of the droplet spraying and applying head 101 without causing failure of spray or defective spray. The droplet spraying and applying head 101 is part of the droplet spraying and applying head module 100 attached to the droplet spraying and applying apparatus.
However, in the above-described droplet spraying and applying head module 100 and the droplet spraying and applying apparatus employing this droplet spraying and applying head module, no consideration is given to the following points.
When the droplet spraying and applying head module 100 is attached to or detached from the filling jig or when the droplet spraying and applying head module 100 is attached to the droplet spraying and applying apparatus, the droplet spraying and applying head 101 and the buffer tank 102 are individually attached or detached. This requires a lot of labor.
Moreover, since the supply pipe 104 connecting the droplet spraying and applying head 101 to the buffer tank 102 is long, the supply pipe 104 is prone to hit against the other members during the work of detaching the droplet spraying and applying head module 100 from the filling jig and of attaching the droplet spraying and applying head module 100 to the droplet spraying and applying apparatus. If the supply pipe 104 hits against the other members during this work, pressure fluctuation occurs in liquid in the droplet spraying and applying head module 100 due to the hit. There are some cases where gas is sucked in through the tips of the nozzles due to this pressure fluctuation. The sucked-in gas causes failure of spray or defective spray of droplets through the nozzles.

Droplet spraying and applying head module, droplet spraying and applying apparatus, and method of manufacturing coated body


An autonomous correlation system correlates user data from a content provider and advertising view data from an advertising provider, wherein the user data is present on one autonomous system and the advertising view data is present on another autonomous system distinct from the one autonomous system, the systems being autonomous in that each is normally secured against unconstrained access by another. The autonomous correlation system comprises logic to accept a first message from a user, wherein the first message contains an indication of an object being presented to the user, the object being at least one of a content page and an advertisement, a first user identifier associated with the user by a presenter of the object; a reference database for storing an association between the first user identifier and the user; logic to accept a second message from the user, wherein the second message contains an indication of an object being presented to the user, the object being at least one of a content page and an advertisement, a second user identifier associated with the user by a presenter of the object; wherein the reference database stores an association between the second user identifier and the user.

The present invention is described with reference to the Internet, a global internetwork of networks in common usage today for a variety of applications, but it should be understood that references to the Internet can be substituted with references to variations of the basic concept of the Internet (e.g., intranets, virtual private networks, enclosed TCP/IP networks, etc.) as well as other forms of networks.
Generally, network nodes that connect to other network nodes support a variety of protocols as various network levels. At the application level, many Internet nodes support HyperText Transport Protocol (HTTP) for sending and receiving hypertext pages, which might include HyperText Markup Language (HTML) pages and other data supported by devices and software that handle HTTP messages. HTTP is a client-server protocol, in that a node that acts as an HTTP client makes requests of a node that acts as an HTTP server. When an HTTP client makes a request, the request includes a Universal Resource Locator (URL) that refers to the page or data requested. The URL comprises a globally unique domain name and possibly other fields that are specific to that domain name. Thus, any HTTP client can make a request by sending the request into the network. The network will resolve the domain name and route the request to an HTTP server at the specified domain and that HTTP server will resolve the remaining fields of the URL to determine what was requested.
When HTTP first came into common use, HTTP was a sessionless protocol in that a client making an HTTP request established a communication session with the HTTP server at a lower network layer, made the request, received the file and then the communication session was terminated and the client and the server did not track activity. Thus, if a server received a sequence of page requests from the same client, the server would not notice that they were from the same client, as the server had no way of tracking a "session" comprising multiple requests and responses.
In later versions of HTTP, the concept of "cookies" was added. Cookies are data elements that a server provides to a client with the expectation that the client will return the cookie in subsequent transactions, thus allowing the server to "remember" the client from request to request and thereby establish sessions and client "state" at the application layer. An example of a cookie-enabled HTTP system is shown in FIG. 1. There, a user system 10 is shown comprising a browser coupled to a network and a display coupled to the browser. The browser is shown comprising a page generator, an HTTP client and a cookie table. In operation, the HTTP client requests pages over the network, providing relevant cookies with the requests and stores received cookies. The page generator generates the requested page, sending requests for additional pages to the HTTP client as indicated by the page being generated for display. As is well-known in the art, an HTTP client might retrieve an HTML page that references other pages and in generating a display of that page, the HTTP client might make additional requests for additional pages referenced by the initial requested page.
In a typical session, a client sends a request to the server and the server returns a response to the request, along with a cookie that the server generates. The cookie is unique to that client, and possibly that session with that client. The client uses the response and stores the cookie along with an indication of the server that sent the cookie. Then, whenever the client makes a request to that server, the client includes with the request the cookie that the server provided. Since the server has associated that cookie with a particular client, the server can tailor its responses based on the client's state.
The ability to maintain client state at an HTTP server allowed content providers to provide content specific to the user of a particular client. For example, one widely used content provider is the Yahoo! network (based at www.yahoo.com). A computer user (or computing device or client device user) can access the content of the Yahoo! network by coupling a client to the Internet (or other equivalent network) and directing HTTP page requests to the Yahoo! servers. The user can operate in a stateless manner, wherein each page is served without reference to, and possibly without knowledge of, prior activity of that user. However, a more customized experience can be provided where the Yahoo! system maintains a state for the user. An example of this is the My Yahoo! property found at "my.yahoo.com".
The Yahoo! system, as well as other stateful content systems, maintains a state for each registered user. The state might include personal data (e.g., name, e-mail address, street address, telephone number, etc.), demographic data (e.g., age, gender, preferences, interests, etc.) and network behavior (pages visited, interests as determined by common page views). If a user is identifiable, the system can provide a customized experience by, for example, showing only content known to be of interest to that user and advertising that would likely be of interest to that user.
FIG. 2 illustrates an arrangement of systems for browsing content with advertisements included. As shown there, a content provider system 12 is coupled to user system 10 and an advertising provider system 14 is coupled to user system 10. Typically, such coupling is via the Internet. Content provider system 12 is shown comprising a content server 20 coupled to the network, content storage 22 coupled to content server 20 and user profile storage 24 coupled to content server 20. Advertising provider system 14 is shown comprising an ad server 30, an ad reference server 32, ad views data storage 34, campaign data storage 36 and campaign generator 38.
In a typical operation, a user uses user system 10 to request a page of content. The request is a URL directed at content server 20. In response, content server 20 provides the requested page, which may include a reference to an advertisement maintained elsewhere (e.g., at advertisement server system 14). Typically, the user logs into content server 20 so as to identify the user with the content server. If the content server can identify the user, typically associating the user with a content provider assigned ID, the content server can access user profile storage 24 to provide customized content for that user and establish behaviors of that user (e.g., what pages visited and other observed preferences). The user profile might also contain user-volunteered demographic information.
In response to the advertisement reference, user system 10 will request an advertisement, such as a banner ad, from ad server 30. The particular advertisement requested is often determined by campaign generator 38, which provides campaign data to ad reference server 32, which in turn provides the reference to content server 20 so that content server 20 can provide it to user system 10. Ad server 30 serves up the ad that is requested and logs the page view in ad views data 34. At the end of a campaign, the results of the campaign, such as how many page views occurred and how many unique page views occurred, can be obtained by reviewing the ad views data 34.
Data is probably the most significant component of third party advertisement serving. With the right data and reports, decisions can be made to better run advertising campaigns and measure proper performance of campaigns. With the right reporting technology, this data can also help bridge the gap between online and offline reporting and ultimately media-buy. At present, agencies and advertisers must guess on the usefulness of a particular data source before they run their campaign on a disparate network, since there is typically no opportunity to shop for better or more comprehensive data after the campaign universe has been created.

System and method for correlating user data from a content provider and user data from an advertising provider that is stored on autonomous systems


The present invention relates to discovery that oxygen may be used to stabilize the efficiency and performance of an excimer laser. Therefore, oxygen is not a contaminant to be minimized but rather a necessary part of an excimer lasing composition.

One of the recognized problems of excimer lasers is contamination of the lasing gas composition. contamination can occur from impurities created during laser operation and by the various contaminants introduced into the lasing gas composition from the components used in the laser, such as, for example, plastics. To deal with these sorts of impurities, a number of elaborate purification methods and devices have been developed including those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,964,137, 5,073,896 and 5,090,020, the complete text of which are hereby incorporated by reference. Amongst the undesirable impurities that these methods and devices were developed to remove include CO.sub.2, Cl.sub.2, CO, CCl.sub.4, SiF.sub.4, HF, NO, NO.sub.2, N.sub.2 O.sub.4, H.sub.2 O, NH.sub.3, N.sub.2, O.sub.2, H.sub.2, CF.sub.2 O, OF.sub.2, CH.sub.3 Cl, CH.sub.4, and CH.sub.3 F.
Another source of potential contamination, not specifically addressed by the aforementioned patents, is imparted during the manufacture of the gas. Contaminants may be introduced during gas handling and mixing.
Gas manufacturers have always attempted to minimize the content of impurities in their gas. While certain maximum tolerances are often established by manufacturers for impurities such as N.sub.2, O.sub.2, HF and H.sub.2, manufacturers traditionally attempt to keep the amount of such impurities well below maximum tolerance. For example, the inventor has always attempted to maintain O.sub.2 below 5 ppm, although published tolerance was 25 ppm. Manufacturers have also attempted to maintain consistently low levels of contaminants such as oxygen well below any published tolerances from batch to batch to help foster predictable and repeatable laser performance.
But, despite their best efforts to maintain strict quality control specifications, inexplicably, some cylinders of lasing gas composition produce acceptable performance, i.e. consistent and high levels of output and lasing efficiency, and some do not. One aspect of the present invention is the identification of a cause of that variability.
The inventor undertook an extensive analysis of rare gas halide lasing compositions which provided unstable lasing performance in an attempt to determine the source of the instability. After analyzing the data, the present inventor was struck by a trend in the characteristics exhibited by excimer lasers using "acceptable" and "unacceptable" batches of lasing composition. It was apparent to the inventor that the first quantity of lasing composition introduced into the excimer laser from cylinders containing otherwise "unacceptable" lasing compositions always produced the best performance.
To resolve this minor mystery, one cylinder of rare gas halide lasing composition which had provided unstable lasing performance was subjected by the inventor to a test in which the cylinder was repeatedly unhooked and re-attached to the laser each time a lasing run was finished. Normal air purging procedures were followed each time the tank was re-attached to remove the air introduced into the gas feed assembly. Despite purging, however, the inventor discovered that this procedure had the effect of letting some air into the laser, air which was not completely expelled with the subsequent introduction of additional lasing composition. Amazingly, the output power of the laser did not decrease between each run as previously observed. In short, the laser exhibited a more stable power output. The inventor therefore concluded that some component of air was a required additive to stabilize excimer laser performance.
Additional tests were conducted whereby standard lasing compositions were doped with HF, hydrogen, synthetic air, natural air (wet) and oxygen. It was determined that synthetic air, natural air (wet) and oxygen made the laser work better, i.e. provided more stable performance. Nitrogen and HF had no noticeable impact on the laser performance. This test established that not all of the components of naturally occurring air provided additional stabilized performance to excimer lasers.
To confirm that oxygen was responsible for the increased stability and performance of an excimer laser, two new batches of lasing composition were produced containing three and five ppm of oxygen respectively. When these formulations were introduced into an excimer laser, the results were poor. Ten ppm of oxygen was then added to one cylinder and 15 ppm of oxygen was added to the other. The resulting lasing compositions were re-introduced into an excimer laser and the excimer laser exhibited exemplary performance. The inventor has therefore discovered that oxygen, or oxygen containing compounds, formally thought to be contaminants to be minimized, are actually necessary for providing stable lasing performance to rare gas halogen excimer lasers. The inventor does not currently know why the introduction of O.sub.2 or other oxygen containing compounds stabilizes an excimer laser's output. The inventor does know, however, that the introduction of O.sub.2 as described herein does not in any way change the nature of the excimer, i.e. the laser still emits at the same frequency.

Addition of oxygen to a gas mix for use in an excimer laser


A method of forming a spin transfer torque reversal assisted magnetic recording (STRAMR) writer is disclosed wherein a spin torque oscillator (STO) has a flux guiding layer (FGL) wherein magnetization flips to a direction substantially opposing the write gap (WG) field when sufficient current (IB) density is applied across the STO between a trailing shield and main pole (MP) thereby enhancing the MP write field. The FGL has a center portion with a larger magnetization saturation×thickness (MsT) than in FGL outer portions proximate to STO sidewalls. Accordingly, lower IB density is necessary to provide a given amount of FGL magnetization flipping and there is reduced write bubble fringing compared with writers having a FGL with uniform MsT. Lower MsT is achieved by partially oxidizing FGL outer portions. In some embodiments, there is a gradient in outer FGL portions where MsT increases with increasing distance from FGL sidewalls.

As the data areal density in hard disk drive (HDD) writing increases, write heads and media bits are both required to be made in smaller sizes. However, as the write head size shrinks, its writability degrades. To improve writability, new technology is being developed that assists writing to a media bit. One approach that is currently being investigated is microwave assisted magnetic recording (MAMR), which is described by J-G. Zhu et al. in "Microwave Assisted Magnetic Recording", IEEE Trans. Magn., vol. 44, pp. 125-131 (2008).
In a MAMR writer, the main pole generates a large local magnetic field to change the magnetization direction of the medium in proximity to the writer. By switching the direction of the field using a switching current that drives the writer, one can write a plurality of media bits on a magnetic recording medium. In MAMR, a spin torque oscillator (STO) is inserted in the WG, and when a critical current is applied, a STO oscillation layer is driven into a precessional state to apply a RF field on a magnetic medium bit to provide a MAMR assist by lowering bit coercivity and thereby lower the switching current necessary to provide a MP field for a write process. Magnetic flux in the main pole proceeds through the ABS and into a medium bit layer and soft underlayer (SUL). In some common designs, the flux returns to the write head through a trailing side loop comprised of a trailing shield structure, and through a leading side loop that includes a leading shield and back gap connection. There is also a gap field that exits the main pole through the write gap, side gaps, and leading gap, and is not directly responsible for writing.
Although MAMR has been in development for a number of years, it has not shown enough promise to be introduced into any products yet because of several technical problems. One problem is a fringing growth when the spin torque oscillator (STO) bias is turned on to provide a STRAMR assist. Thus, in addition to a MAMR assist at a relatively low applied current density, the oscillation layer (FGL) magnetization may flip to be anti-parallel to the WG field at a higher applied current density. As a result, the reluctance in the WG is increased thereby boosting the MP write field and the return field to the trailing shield. To counteract the tendency of a growth in fringing as the MP write field increases, a recessed STO has been proposed and is described in related U.S. Pat. No. 10,446,178.
Spin transfer (spin torque) devices are based on a spin-transfer effect that arises from the spin dependent electron transport properties of ferromagnetic (FM)-non-FM spacer-FM multilayers. When a spin-polarized current passes through a magnetic multilayer in a CPP (current perpendicular to plane) configuration, the spin angular moment of electrons from a first FM layer (FM1) that are incident on a second FM layer (FM2) interacts with magnetic moments of FM2 near the interface between the FM2 and non-FM spacer. Through this interaction, the electrons transfer a portion of their angular momentum to FM2 (i.e. FGL). As a result, spin-polarized current can switch the FM2 magnetization direction if the current density is sufficiently high.
Existing MAMR designs utilize a STO device in one or more of the write gap, leading gap, and side gaps adjoining the MP that produce a magnetization after spin flipping that substantially opposes a field in the WG, leading gap, and side gaps, respectively. Although a STO having a greater width and made of a higher Ms (saturation magnetization) material can generate a larger assist effect than a lower Ms material, the STO with the higher Ms has a FGL that is more difficult to flip. Thus, a larger applied current density is needed for FGL magnetization flipping that induces larger write bubble fringing from the STO edge corners. Accordingly, an improved STO is needed where a given amount of write assist (FGL flipping) is provided with a relatively low applied current density, and causes less write bubble fringing than with existing designs.

Writer with laterally graded spin layer MsT


The present disclosure provides a final drive assembly for powering a wheel of a machine. The final drive assembly includes a hub adapted to support the wheel, a spindle casting coupled to the hub and a bearing disposed within the hub. The spindle casting at least partially defines a steering axis about which the wheel pivots. The final drive assembly also includes an electric motor disposed within the bearing, the electric motor positioned between the spindle casting and hub.

Work vehicles, such as a motor grader, can be used in construction and maintenance for creating a flat surface. When paving a road, a motor grader can be used to prepare a base foundation to create a wide flat surface for asphalt to be placed on. A motor grader can include two or more axles, with an engine and cab disposed above the axles at the rear end of the vehicle and another axle disposed at the front end of the vehicle. A blade is attached to the vehicle between the front axle and rear axle.
The present disclosure is not exclusively directed to a motor grader, but rather can extend to other powered vehicles as well. For exemplary and illustrative purposes, however, the present disclosure will focus on a motor grader. In FIG. 1, for example, a conventional motor grader 100, such as the 772G Motor Grader manufactured and sold by Deere & Company, includes front and rear frames 102 and 104, respectively, with the front frame 102 being supported on a pair of front wheels 106, and with the rear frame 104 being supported on right and left tandem sets of rear wheels 108. An operator cab 110 is mounted on an upwardly and forwardly inclined rear region 112 of the front frame 102 and contains various controls for the motor grader 100 disposed so as to be within the reach of a seated or standing operator, these controls including a steering wheel 114 and a lever assembly 116. An engine 118 is mounted on the rear frame 104 and supplies power for all driven components of the motor grader 100. The engine 118, for example, can be configured to drive a transmission (not shown), which is coupled for driving the rear wheels 108 at various selected speeds and either in forward or reverse modes. A hydrostatic front wheel assist transmission (not shown) may be selectively engaged to power the front wheels 106, in a manner known in the art.
Mounted to a front location of the front frame 102 is a drawbar 120, having a forward end universally connected to the front frame 102 by a ball and socket arrangement 122 and having opposite right and left rear regions suspended from an elevated central section 124 of the front frame 102 by right and left lift linkage arrangements including right and left extensible and retractable hydraulic actuators 126 and 128, respectively. A side shift linkage arrangement is coupled between the elevated frame section 124 and a rear location of the drawbar 120 and includes an extensible and retractable side swing hydraulic actuator 130. A blade 132 is coupled to the front frame 102 and powered by a variable displacement circle drive motor 134.
Referring to FIG. 2, a front axle 200 of the conventional motor grader 100 is shown in greater detail. The front axle 200 includes a first side 202 and second side 204 to which front wheels 106 are coupled. A portion 206 of the front frame 102 is shown in which the first side 202 and second side 204 each include a final drive assembly 208. In this conventional grader, a hydraulic motor (not shown) is disposed in the final drive assembly 208 to drive the corresponding front wheel. In other words, a hydraulic motor (not shown) is mounted at the first end 202 and second end 204 of the front axis 200. A wiring and hydraulic hose bundle 218 is coupled to each hydraulic motor and passes through the front frame 102 at different locations. The bundle 218 also attaches to different portions of the vehicle.
To achieve complete motion, a lean bar 210 is coupled to the front frame 102 and lean castings 214. A steering casting 212 is also disposed at each end of the front axle 200 to allow the front wheels 106 to steer about a steer pivot. A guard 216 is also provided at each end adjacent the final drive assembly 208. The configuration of the front axle 200 is such that sufficient clearance is provided between a ground surface and the axis 200 to aid with vehicle performance.
New technology, however, is being introduced to convert a conventional motor grader into an electric drive motor grader. This is not exclusive to motor graders, but rather other powered vehicles are being converted to electric drive as well. Previous attempts to convert a hydrostatic system to an electric drive system, particularly with respect to a motor grader, require the wheel hub and final drive assembly of the grader to be reconfigured to accommodate an electric motor. This is the result of the electric motor being larger in size (i.e., diameter and width) compared to a hydraulic motor. Thus, packaging the electric motor within a conventional final drive assembly is problematic due to space constraints.
A need therefore exists to provide a reconfigured package of a wheel hub of a front axle that includes an electric motor and that satisfies space constraints without changing the design of the wheel hub and castings of the front axle. It is further desirable to provide a package that achieves complete vehicle performance, including the ability to achieve desired rotation about the lean axis and steering axis through a full range of angles.


A novel co-crystal of N′-(7-fluoropyrrolo[1,2a]quinoxalin-4-yl)pyrazine-2-carbohydrazide with oxalic acid is disclosed. The disclosed oxalic acid co-crystal demonstrates cancer cell growth inhibition and is more bioavailable than the corresponding free base when administered as a suspension.

1. Field
This disclosure relates to co-crystals of nitrogen-containing heterocycles with carboxylic acids for the treatment of diseases.
2. Description of the Related Art
Neamati et al. reported nitrogen-containing heterocycles for the treatment of cancer and disorders associated with angiogenesis function (see U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/265,593; Grande et al., "Synthesis and Antitumor Activities of a Series of Novel Quinoxalinhydrazines," Bioorg. Med. Chem. 15, 288-94 (2007), which are expressly incorporated herein by reference in their entireties). These nitrogen-containing heterocycles include compounds of Formula II:
wherein R is H, alkyl, or halogen; R′ is H, alkyl, or halogen; X is CH or N; and Y comprises a homocyclic or heterocyclic ring, wherein Y is 3-, 5-, or 6-pyrazinyl or 3-, 4-, 5-, or 6-pyridinyl when R is H, R′ is H, X is CH, and Y is pyrazinyl or pyridinyl. One example reported therein is N′-(7-fluoropyrrolo[1,2a]quinoxalin-4-yl)pyrazine-2-carbohydrazide ("NVX-144"):

Aakeröy et al. discuss the advantages of co-crystals of nitrogen-containing heterocycles with carboxylic acids over the corresponding salts (see Aakeröy et al., "Cocrystal or Salt: Does It Really Matter?" Mol. Pharmaceutics, 4, 317-22 (2007), the entirety of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference). They report that salt formation, resulting from proton transfer from the acid to the base, is almost ten times more likely to result in a lattice with an unpredictable chemical (solvate) or stoichiometric composition than is molecular co-crystal formation, where no proton transfer occurs. They conclude that the resultant simplification of structure prediction and targeted supramolecular synthesis should allow increased diversity of accessible solid forms of drug substances that exhibit desirable properties.

(Pyrroloquinoxalinyl) pyrazinecarbohydrazide-oxalic acid co-crystal for treatment of cancer and other diseases


Boot of the front entry type with variable volume having a shell that includes an upper and a shell base that overlap at least partially in the area corresponding to the dorsal zone of the boot, the upper being pivotally connected to the shell base. A bending mechanism is integrated in its dorsal zone where it is sandwiched between the upper and the shell base on which it is attached and rigidly affixed, and such bending mechanism is formed by a flexible strip that includes a vertical notch, open upwardly and whose delineating edges extend freely beneath the upper. The bending mechanism enables the flexibility characteristics of the boot to be determined.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to a sports boot of the front entry type with variable volume having a shell constituted of an upper and a shell base that overlap each other at least partially and that are connected to each other in a pivoting manner; it is also related to a bending mechanism adapted to determine the flexibility characteristics of the upper relative to the shell base.
2. Description of Background and Relevant Information
In known boots of this type, such as the ski boots disclosed in the European patent applications EP 666 036 and EP 671 133, the European patent EP 350 023 and the German Utility Model G 92 17 787.5, the overlapping zone of the upper with the shell base extends approximately along the entire area corresponding to the user's ankle for obvious sealing reasons. More specifically, in the dorsal zone of the boot, the shell base has a more or less thin and flexible vertical extension originating in one piece with its wall, which is nested beneath the lower border of the upper. This vertical extension, which forms the equivalent of a half tube, is slit via a vertical notch, open upwardly, whose demarcating edges extend freely beneath the upper, and at a level located above the pivot axes thereof. By these arrangements, when the upper pivots towards the front, the slit part of the vertical extension can becomes deformed elastically without being buttressed and thus accompany the upper that overlaps it in its movements.
As has been taught, the pivoting of the upper is thus made possible as long as the elastic resistance of the vertical extension, and thus of its slit portion, can be overcome, which implies a relative coming together of the opposing edges demarcating the notch. The bending capacity of the vertical extension consequently determines the flexibility characteristics during the bending of the boot. However, because the vertical extension is made in one piece with the shell base, it is the type of material constituting the shell base that actually determines whether the boot will be more or less flexible, i.e., that imparts it with its initial flexibility.
In view of the fact that the shell base of these types of boots, as is the case with most "variable volume" boots, must be adjusted on the foot by means of tightening devices that adjust the effect of its enveloping, the known solution for obtaining an adapted optimum initial flexibility for each relevant portion of the boot thus consists of varying the thickness of the wall of the shell base, which is made from a given material, most often plastic. To this end, the wall is designed to be thin in the region of the closure flaps of the shell base, and clearly thicker in the region of the slit portion of the vertical extension, as well as in the lower region that extends down to the walking sole.
This design for boots with variable volume enables reaching a good stiffness-flexibility compromise for a given design of boot, as long as the plastic material selected is not too stiff, because in this case it would be necessary to obtain extremely thin walls, perhaps even excessively thin walls, in the areas of the tightening devices, i.e., in areas where the shell base has to be adjusted on the user's foot, as, for example, in the instep zone. In fact, almost always, it is a relatively flexible material that is usually used, which enables defining the various regions of the shell base into wall thicknesses that remain compatible with traditional plastic molding methods, even if there is a need to increase the thickness of the most biased areas.
The boots designed in this manner, i.e., with an increased thickness of the wall especially on the slit portion of the vertical extensions, definitely provide a measure of satisfaction as regards functionality because the flexibility of the upper results from a pulling effect on the dorsal zone of the shell base without any blocking during the entire period that the opposite edges of the notch remain free to come closer together. In addition, by proceeding in this manner, the force that the user applies on the upper is distributed over a large enveloping surface, extending along the entire lower frontal zone of the leg, which means that substantial localized pressures can be avoided. However, this boot design has the disadvantage of making them considerably heavier, and it also does not allow for the development of a base structure that can be common or standard for several boot designs wherein varying initial flexibility characteristics are desired. Indeed, with this object in mind, it becomes necessary to obtain a specific shell base for each design, or even for each level of initial flexibility desired, by varying the choice of the plastic material used and/or by varying the thickness of its walls.
Obviously, it is known to attach and/or associate to the bending slit of the shell base, adjustment devices intended to modify the initial flexibility characteristics that the slit is capable of providing for a given boot design. This is the main focus of the documents EP 666 036, EP 671 133, EP 350 023 and DE G 92 17 787.5 cited previously.
More specifically, the adjustment devices of the boots described in the European documents EP 350 023, EP 666 036, and EP 671 133, act on the opposite edges of the vertical extension notch originating from the shell base, whereas the one from the boot described in the German document G 92 17 787.5 acts directly between the upper and the shell base. Thus, the initial flexibility of the upper can be modified and controlled very easily, both in terms of force as well as in terms of amplitude, by simply varying the value of the space left free between the opposite edges of the notch and/or the height of the notch that is allowed to bend. Obviously, the latter adjustment simultaneously causes a change in the level of the forces to be generated because it modifies the height of the support taken by the upper on the slit portion of the vertical extension with respect to the connecting and pivot axes of the upper. However, it is apparent from these boot constructions that obtaining the vertical slit extension all in one piece with the shell base, once again adversely impacts these types of boots. Indeed, by acting directly, for example, on the edges of the notch with the adjustment devices taught by the documents EP 350 023, EP 666 036 and EP 671 133, the stresses, especially the pressures, are very high in the area of the contact points with the adjustable abutments of these devices, and that they cause a rapid deterioration of the edges of the notch. This deterioration is a result of the fact that the available support surface is limited to the surface offered by the wall thickness of the vertical extension in the area of the notch, and to the surface offered by the ends of the adjustable abutments. Another reason is the fact that the elastic material constituting the vertical extension is the same as that of the shell base, i.e., relatively flexible so as to allow a good stiffness-flexibility compromise, whilst remaining compatible with the traditional molding methods of plastic materials.
Obviously, in the case of the adjustment device taught by the German document G 92 17 787.5, the above-cited disadvantage does not manifest itself because this adjustment device acts directly between the upper and the shell base by using a tension adjustable spring. However, this device extends along the dorsal zone of the boot and, consequently, has a substantial encumbrance in this zone, which must often be relatively clear so as to provide space for the binding and/or affixing systems of the boot on sports devices, such as skis, for example. In addition, this device is relatively complex because it makes use of numerous mechanical elements.
It is clear that regardless of the adjustment devices that are implemented on this type of boot, they are only efficient in the sense that they make the boot less flexible than it was initially by reducing the frontward bending ability of its upper and/or by increasing the level of forces that can be generated on the latter in order to cause it to bend. The adjustment devices of the boots disclosed hereinabove thus necessarily have to provide a specific shell base and/or an "upper-shell base" structure for each boot design, i.e., specific to each level of initial flexibility desired.

Sports boot having a predetermined flexibility


Fixtures and methods are described herein to measure fastener stretch after fastener application. The measurement fixtures may include fastener contacting portions having contact plates that may move orbitally about a measurement shaft to allow contact plates to abut against non-parallel end surfaces of a fastener. The fixtures may also include datum assemblies that have datum plate mounted in fixed relation to the contacting portions that allow for measurements to be made between the datum plates. Adjustable dials may be included to transfer rotational movement of the dial to translation movement of the contacting portions. Measurement fixtures may further include a frame and mounting portions.

The present disclosure relates generally to measurement fixtures and, more particularly, to fixtures capable of measuring fastener length changes.
Varieties of fasteners are utilized in several industries to mechanically affix two or more objects together. For example, automobiles require the use of many different fasteners to join together different vehicle components. As a result, it may be important to analyze fastener characteristics both before and after tightening or attaching to ensure the quality of joints. Fastener length may be measured to analyze the stretch of fasteners after tightening or attaching the fastener to assess torque set point and bolt relaxation. Such information may provide insight to axial tension in order to assess assigned torque values and give confidence that a torque setting on process equipment is creating a desired axial tension in the fastener. Additionally, length measurements may provide bolt relaxation data to determine how fastened joint characteristics change over time.
Many procedures for detecting and measuring fastener stretch involve the use of elaborate and expensive ultrasonic equipment, and can be time and resource intensive. Additionally, such procedures may require the processing or changing of fastener surface characteristics rendering them unfit for use on a completed vehicle or other finished product.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.


A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device includes: a source region and a drain region formed at a distance from each other in a semiconductor substrate; a tunnel insulating film formed on the semiconductor substrate between the source region and the drain region; a charge storage film formed on the tunnel insulating film; a first alumina layer formed on the charge storage film, and having a first impurity element added thereto, the first impurity element having an octacoordinate ion radius of 63 pm or greater, the first impurity element having a concentration distribution in a layer thickness direction of the first alumina layer that becomes the largest in a region close to the side of the charge storage film; a second alumina layer formed on the first alumina layer, and not having the first impurity element added thereto; and a control gate electrode formed on the second alumina layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device and a method for manufacturing the nonvolatile semiconductor memory device.
2. Related Art
It has been known that flash memories are essential as high-capacity nonvolatile memory devices that enable portable telephone devices and portable music players to become smaller in size. There is a strong demand from various fields for smaller flash memories with higher capacities. Meanwhile, there are physical limitations on conventional electric insulating materials, and there is a strong demand for a novel electric insulating material with higher applicability.
It is well known that NAND-type flash memories are useful as high-capacity flash memories. As NAND-type flash memories have rapidly become small in size and high in capacity, the structure of each floating gate (FG) memory currently needs to be modified, due to problems such as the interference between neighboring cells and the difficulty in burying an insulating film between cells.
As replacements for such FG memories in the circumstances, nonvolatile semiconductor memory devices each having MONOS (Metal/Oxide film/Nitride film/Oxide film/Semiconductor) memory cells have been suggested (see JP-A 2004-363329 (KOKAI), for example). Each of such MONOS memory cells has a gate stack structure formed on the channel existing between the source/drain diffusion layers on a Si substrate. This gate stack structure includes a tunnel insulating film for letting write/erase charges pass, a silicon nitride film that functions as a charge storage layer, a silicon oxide film or an aluminum oxide film as an insulating film that serves to block a current, and a gate electrode. With such a gate stack structure, the above described problems with FG memory cells can be easily solved.
Meanwhile, studies on high-dielectric gate insulating films have been continued as the device size has become smaller. Especially, hafnium silicate (HfSiO) is considered to have great potential, and is being studied all over the world. For example, JP-A 2006-203200 (KOKAI) discloses the results of studies on hafnium silicate and an example method for preventing a decrease in device reliability due to crystallization. Although JP-A 2006-203200 (KOKAI) teaches the process of replacing silicon with aluminum, a composite oxide containing aluminum (aluminate) differs from a composite oxide containing silicon (silicate) in the valence and crystalline structure. For example, Si is a tetravalent element, and Al is a trivalent element. SiO2 as the base of silicate has an α-quartz structure, while Al2O3 as the base of aluminate has a corundum structure or a γ-alumina structure.
However, with a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device including MONOS memory cells, there is a concern about a decrease of the trapping efficiency with which charges are trapped into the charge storage film at the time of writing, since the charge storage film has become thinner as the device size has become smaller.

Nonvolatile semiconductor memory device and method for manufacturing the same


An interface circuit includes a deserializer and a frame detection circuit. The deserializer includes a serial input terminal for receiving a serial signal, the serial signal including a frame start code; and a plurality of first output terminals for outputting a plurality of parallel signals based on the received serial signal, one of the plurality of parallel signals being a frame signal including the frame start code. The frame detection circuit is configured to detect the frame signal at one of the output terminals of the plurality of first output terminals.

Example embodiments relate generally to signal transfer, and more particularly to interface circuits, interface systems and methods of interfacing signals transferred between devices having parallel interfaces.
According to development of semiconductor technology, various electronic devices, such as an application processor device, a memory device, a display device, etc., are being developed to have smaller size, higher performance and higher speed. Signal transfer between the devices of higher performance needs to be performed with higher speed through a reduced number of transmission lines.
In response to such demands, serial communication may be adopted such that a plurality of parallel signals are serialized by a transmitting device, and the serialized signal is transferred through a transmission line and then the received signal is deserialized back to the plurality of parallel signals by a receiving device. Conventional serial communications require excessive information such as packet header and tail to be included in the serialized signal and complex logics for encoding and decoding of transferred serial signals, thereby increasing transfer latency and size of the communication system.

Interface circuit, interface system and method of interfacing signals transferred between devices

Samsung-ro, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do


A method, apparatus and system are provided herein for an electrically assisted chemical oxygen iodine laser. The preferred system, in accordance with the present invention, includes a laser resonator with a laser-active gas mixture of at least excited oxygen and dissociated iodine. A first electrical generator in which a primary flow of at least excited oxygen is electrically generated from a first gas that includes at least ground state oxygen. A second electrical generator in which a secondary flow of at least dissociated iodine atoms is electrically generated from a second gas that includes at least diatomic iodine. The system further includes a means to inject the secondary flow into the primary flow to generate the laser-active gas mixture.

This invention relates generally to chemical oxygen iodine lasers (commonly known as xe2x80x9cCOILxe2x80x9d) and more particularly to a method, system and apparatus for an electrically assisted COIL.
Since the initial development of the Chemical Oxygen-Iodine Laser (COIL), COIL technology has undergone numerous improvements. However, much of the COIL technology development to date has focused on the singlet-oxygen generator, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,099,805; 6,072,820 and 5,802,095. In a classic COIL system, a singlet-oxygen generator is used to create singlet delta oxygen (O2(1xcex94)) from gaseous chlorine (Cl2) and liquid basic hydrogen peroxide (BHP), which is a mixture of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and a strong base, such as potassium hydroxide (KOH). This aqueous solution reacts chemically to form O2(1xcex94), as well as byproducts such as salt (KCl), and liquid BHP carryover. The O2(1xcex94) enters a channel where diatomic iodine molecules (I2) are mixed into the O2(1xcex94) flow. The O2(1xcex94) and I2 enter a supersonic mixing nozzle and quickly mix to dissociated the I2 into excited iodine atoms (I*). The I* specie is used to extract energy from the mixed gases, which is used by laser cavity mirrors to produce a laser beam. The mixture left over from the lasing will thereafter move farther downstream and enter into a scrubber and thereafter exit to the atmosphere.
Several issues arise from this classic COIL system. First, it is desired to avoid carryover of liquid BHP into the flow downstream of the generator, because BHP scatters laser light and produces water vapor. The water vapor also decreases the chemical efficiency because of deactivation reactions with the O2(1xcex94). Second, the weight and volume of the liquids and gases needed to produce O2(1xcex94) tend to be extremely large to sustain a beam or provide multiple beams. There are also problems associated with carrying toxic gases, such as Cl2 which is needed in the classic COIL system for the creation of O2(1xcex94). In addition thereto, a significant fraction of the O2(1xcex94) is used simply to dissociate 12 into iodine atoms, therefore a significant amount of energy is being used for dissociation rather than for the laser beam. Also, as mentioned above, byproducts from the generator include salt (KCl), which can cause additional problems as noted in U.S. Pat. No. 5,925,286 which is directed to a system generating molecular oxygen in the excited singlet-delta state without significant salt formations. A need therefore exists to provide a chemical oxygen iodine laser that addresses and satisfies these issues.
In accordance with the present invention a method, system and apparatus provide for an electrically assisted chemical oxygen iodine laser. In the preferred system, the electrically assisted COIL includes a first electrical generator, which receives a first gas consisting of at least O2. The first electrical generator electrically excites the O2 to produce a primary flow of at least O2(1xcex94). The primary flow enters a flow channel where it mixes with a secondary flow of already (completely or partially) dissociated I2 molecules (I). The I2 is dissociated previously in a second electrical generator. The secondary flow of dissociated I2 molecules are injected into the primary flow, where they enter a supersonic mixing nozzle to generate excited iodine atoms labeled by I(5P1/2) and which will be referred to as I*. Energy is then extracted from the I* specie by stimulated emission by the radiation fed back by laser cavity mirrors, which is used to produce a 1.315 xcexcm laser beam. The byproduct gases are exhausted through a scrubber or alternatively exhausted and recycled, if the system is a closed or partially closed loop cycle.
Numerous other advantages and features of the invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description of the invention and the embodiments thereof, from the claims, and from the accompanying drawings.

Method, system and apparatus for an electrically assisted chemical oxygen iodine laser


A system and method for testing CMOS image sensors includes a test supporter, a light source controller, an interface card and an image processor. The test supporter supports a CMOS image sensor under test. The light source controller provides a test light to the CMOS image sensor under test. The interface card includes a signal processor and an output port. The signal processor receives a testing data from the CMOS image sensor under test and processes corresponding output data to the output port according to a predetermined output mode. The image processor determines the output mode, and has an input port corresponding to the output port for receiving the output data from the interface card. The image processor determines whether the CMOS image sensor under test is good or not. Therefore, the system can utilize image processors manufactured by various test system manufacturers so as to broaden compatibility.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system and method for testing, and particularly to a system and method for testing CMOS image sensor.
2. Description of the Related Art
With reference to FIG. 1, a conventional system 10 for testing CMOS image sensor disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,625,558 comprises a test supporter 11, a light source controller 12, an image processor 13 and a tester 14. The test supporter 11 is used to support a CMOS image sensor (not shown) under test. The light source controller 12 provides with a test light to the CMOS image sensor under test.
When the test begins, a control signal is sent from the image processor 13 or the tester 14 such that the light source controller 12 provides a predetermined test light to the CMOS image sensor under test. After the test light is received by the CMOS image sensor under test, the test supporter 11 outputs an image data waveform to the image processor 13. The image processor 13 comprises an interface card 131 for receiving the image data waveform output from the test supporter, and a digital processor for processing to obtain the corresponding pixel data. The image processor 13 determines whether the CMOS image sensor under test is good or not according to the processed pixel data. The tester 14 is connected to the image processor 13 for controlling the image processor 13 and storing the data of the image processor 13.
In the conventional system 10, the interface card 131 and the digital processor are disposed in the image processor 13 or the test supporter 11. The data format and the data output connector of the image processor 13 and the test supporter 11 and the interface card 131 are different from various test system manufacturers. The data format and the data output connector designed by different test system manufactures are totally different. For example, it is impossible to connect the image processor of one manufacturer to the test supporter of another manufacturer. Alternatively, the digital processor is fixed in the image processor 13, and cannot be extended freely as required.
Therefore, it is necessary to provide a system and method for testing CMOS image sensor to solve the above problems.

System and method for testing CMOS image sensor

Advanced Semiconductor Engineering, Inc.


Telescopic conveyor with integrated indexing and measuring conveyor is described, the telescopic conveyor having a frame, at least one telescopic segment mounted so as to be extendable with respect to the frame and a transport conveyor, the transport conveyor is driven at a first conveying speed (v1) and is supported on the at least one telescopic segment and on the frame and wherein the indexing and measuring conveyor is arranged on a delivery side of the transport conveyor. The telescopic conveyor enables the packet items located thereon to be automatically separated while taking up as little space as possible. The indexing and measuring conveyor is mounted on the same frame and is driven at a second conveying speed (v2), the second conveying speed (v2) being greater than the first conveying speed (v1).

Telescopic conveyors are used to load or unload transport devices such as trucks, containers, swap bodies or semi-trailers. For this purpose, the telescopic conveyors have a frame with telescopic segments movably guided thereon, which are arranged telescopically, that is to say can be moved into one another or apart. When unloading the transport device, the telescopic segments can usually be telescoped so far that they reach into the transport device and the packet items to be unloaded can be manually loaded onto the telescopic conveyor. The telescopic conveyors are usually equipped with a transport conveyor in the form of a belt system, which adapts to the respective extension length of the telescopic segment(s) and continuously conveys packet items during the unloading process. The term packet is understood to mean piece goods units of different dimensions and external properties, such as parcels or small parcels.
A telescopic conveyor with three telescopic segments is disclosed in DE 102014103202A1, for example. In a parking position, the telescopic conveyor is pushed together and placed under a roller conveyor to save space. To reach an operating position, the frame referred to as the support frame can first be moved forward under a roller table and then the telescopic segments of the telescopic conveyor can be moved out in the direction of a transport device to be loaded.
Both the frame and the telescopic segments are guided in guide elements and thus arranged to be movable. Incoming packets are taken down by the operating staff and placed in a roll container. However, such manual registration and distribution of the packet items has proven to be too slow and inefficient. In addition, the manual registration and distribution of the packets by operating personnel takes up a lot of space, which is usually not available in logistics centers and also negates the advantage of the telescopic conveyor taking up the smallest possible space.
Another prior art is described in DE 10255843 A1 with a telescopic conveyor which has a traveling head with its own drive device at its front end. The front end moves into the transport device for unloading or loading by means of the traveling head, whereby the telescopic segments are pulled apart according to the travel path. The driving head is used to move the telescopic conveyor in and out as well as to attach optionally connected additional devices such as handling robots or unloading belts and move them spatially. In this known telescopic conveyor, the registration and distribution of the packet items after leaving the telescopic conveyor are not clarified, especially if several packet items are closely spaced and individual packet items are not recognized by an automated detection system and are therefore not automatically transported on.
Consequently, the object of the invention was providing a telescopic conveyor which enables the packet items located thereon to be automatically separated while taking up as little space as possible.

Telescopic conveyor with integrated indexing and measuring conveying means