This is a method for use in architecting low cost networks using a thin optical transport layer. A long reach hot pluggable interface is inserted onto an electrical switch resulting in a standardization of the optical layer. Standardized parts like the long reach hot pluggable interfaces and standard control planes form the logic that connects components of the low cost optical layer. After the components are in place, provisioning is done at end points only. This ensures an automatic and fast turn-up capacity without the need to visit intermediate sites in the network.

With an increase in usage and deployment of optical networks, network reliability, scaling, and costs have become serious problems in providing communication services. Currently, to add capacity to a network, providers must go through a painstaking and time-consuming effort to build out the network offline. That process is further complicated because there is no convenient time for an optical network to be out of service. Original deployment can also be a problem as equipment providers often limit solution offerings to entire networks comprising proprietary components and do not provide for inter-working with other vendors' products. Proprietary components act as a further limiting factor for network growth.
Photonic layers of today's optical networks often are vendor dependent and have proprietary interfaces. Each vendor independently optimizes each individual component and sells full proprietary solutions, often without leveraging standardized platforms. However, advances in technology have reduced transmission limitations, increased the number of wavelengths that can be sent down a fiber, improved amplification techniques, performance, protection and redundancy of the network.
Until recently, transport was provided at the core of the network and provided only point-to-point transport services. A strong shift in revenue opportunities, changing traffic patterns from the enterprise customer, and capabilities to drive optical fiber into metropolitan (metro) areas has opened up additional applications of optical networking.
As is known in the art, a traditional service provider network includes a plurality of processing sites generally referred to as nodes connected by one or more physical and/or logical connections. When the connections establish transmission of a signal between the nodes, the connections are generally referred to as links. Each node typically performs a switching function and one or more additional functions. The nodes may be coupled together in a variety of different network structures.
FIG. 1 shows a state of the art optical network architecture. The architecture includes reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexers (ROADMs) (104, 110, 122, 124, 112). Operators can send soft commands to the ROADMs to remotely reconfigure them. The ROADMs can drop or add wavelengths without interrupting the 'pass-through' channels. The ROADMs are located in major cities for adding and dropping traffic. In between cities, the ROADMs are linked by optical transport networks of optical fibers (128, 120) and amplifiers (106, 126).
The transmission of a signal from a first or source node to a second or destination node may involve the transmission of the signal through a plurality of intermediate links and nodes coupled between the source node and the destination node. FIG. 1 shows such a plurality of links (128, 120) and nodes (100, 108,114, 130, 118). The succession of links and nodes between a source node 100 and a destination node 114 is referred to as a path (128, 120). This example path starts at the transponder 102 (described in detail below) to ROADM 104 and continues through the link 128 and then through the ROADM 110, through the link 120 and to the transponder 116 to the destination switch 114.
FIG. 2 shows more detail on how a client, such as the switches (200, 224), is connected to a state of the art network. Short reach hot pluggable interfaces (202, 206, 218, and 222) are frequently used in connecting clients because they can be inserted or removed from a live network without disturbing other in-service channels. These interfaces facilitate keeping and installing ready-to-use spares, which in turn reduces the amount of redundancy needed for related components. Another advantage of hot pluggable interfaces is lower cost, as they are a standard for multiple vendors and are flexible since they work with a variety of equipment and vendors' products.
Transponders (208, 216) are automatic devices that receive, regenerate, and retransmit a signal on a different wavelength. For example, a transponder can translate a short reach client signal into a long reach line signal. The transponder, while extremely necessary in optical networks, is a high cost component and many of them are needed relative to the quantities of other equipment in the network. Current architecture somewhat reduces the number of transponders needed by allowing optical expressing and selective regeneration to clean up noise at ROADM nodes. Because the transponders are so prevalent in the network and they are so expensive, there is a need to further reduce the number of transponders.
Short reach hot pluggable interfaces (202, 206, 218, 222) are used on the switches (200, 224) and the WDM transponder (208, 216) with "grey" optics (204, 220) in between. The connection 204, 220 between pairs of short reach hot pluggable interfaces is a low grade optical connection. This connection includes grey optics, a low cost laser lacking good wavelength control and stabilization. From the WDM transponder 208, the signal is multiplexed by the optical MULTIPLEXER 210 and transmitted through the optical line 214, including amplifiers and ROADMs (not shown in detail here). The signal is demultiplexed by the optical DEMULTIPLEXER 212 on the other side of the network and then again translated by a WDM transponder 216 and sent through grey optics 220 and the short reach hot pluggable interface 222 to the switch 224.
The optical network shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 may be a Synchronous Optical Network (SONET). SONET is both a standard and a set of specifications for building high speed, digital communications networks that run over fiber-optic cables while interfacing with existing electrical protocols and asynchronous transmission equipment. The use of fiber-optics in such networks provides a dramatic increase in available bandwidth. Bandwidth is currently estimated in the hundreds of gigabits per second. One of the principal benefits of SONET is that it allows for the direct multiplexing of current network services, such as DS1, DS1C, DS2, and DS3, into the synchronous payload of Synchronous Transport Signals (STS). The STS provide an electrical interface that is used as a multiplexing mechanism within SONET Network Elements (NE). In the SONET multiplexing format, the basic signal transmission rate, i.e., STS-1, operates at 51.84 million bits per second. STS-1 can carry 28 DS1 signals or one asynchronous DS3. STS-1 signals are then multiplexed to produce higher bit rates STS-2, STS-3, etc. This is referred to as grooming. SONET signal levels are also defined in terms of an optical carrier (OC). Since the bit rates are the same in each case, the bit rate of STS-1 equals the bit rate of OC-1 with the only difference relating to the type of signal that is being referenced.
In a DWDM network, intermediate optical amplification sites may allow for the dropping and adding of certain wavelength channels. In most recent networks, this is done infrequently, because adding or dropping wavelengths requires manually inserting or replacing wavelength-selective cards. This is costly, and in some networks requires that all active traffic be removed from the DWDM network, because inserting or removing the wavelength-specific cards interrupts the multi-wavelength optical signal.
Flexibility is an important feature in network architecture. Networks today must support a variety of traffic types, including legacy traffic based on regional SONET ring structures that require multiple traffic adds/drops (that is, voice, asynchronous transfer mode [ATM], frame relay). At the same time, those networks must support high-speed Internet backbones which typically act as express lanes requiring little add/drop multiplexing. Networks today combine long haul and short haul traffic for better network flexibility.
A reduction in the cost of bandwidth is an important goal for a successful network. In conventional long-haul technology, the transmission signals must be regenerated every 500 km or so to overcome signal distortion due to dispersion and nonlinear effects and to overcome the build-up of noise generated within the amplifiers. This regeneration is often accomplished through optical-to-electrical-to-optical (O-E-O) conversion, the signal being regenerated during the electrical phase. Regeneration equipment is required on a per-channel basis and is, therefore, very expensive, and it also requires a large equipment footprint and high electrical power consumption and subsequent site climate control. Any reduction in regeneration equipment would result in a significant cost saving.
Control functions and interconnection mechanisms are important attributes of any network. Those attributes permit provisioning, routing, and control across disparate types of underlying transport technologies, such as IP, ATM, SONET/SDH, and DWDM. Control and interconnection are complicated because each transport technology has its own control protocols, and therefore cannot communicate directly. Often provisioning in today's hybrid networks must be done manually by a technician having knowledge of each technology domain.
Reducing complexity by providing a single access method to provision across the entire optical transport network would be highly desirable. Provisioning across multiple-vendor domains within the transport network would save in operations costs and capital costs. The word "thin" is used to denote architectures or architectural components having little complexity and low costs.
One strategy for alleviating the multi-vendor problem is providing a standard or general control plane. Generalized Multiprotocol Label Switching (GMPLS) is an example of that strategy which uses general addressing between legacy and new networks and even heterogeneous networks. GMPLS is an example of a control plane that represents a standard protocol for optical transport network elements. Such a standard protocol could be used to support functions responsible for path setup/teardown, link management and resource accounting. Standards-based protocols allow network providers a substantial cost savings by enabling them to introduce any vendor equipment into any given domain.
As IP-based services expand and traffic increases, there is a need for more cost effective network architectures. The cost associated with building and operating multiple overlay networks has become an impeding factor for traditional service providers to stay competitive. There therefore remains a need for a cost-effective technique to improve operations and provisioning cycles, provide for scalability and limit infrastructure expense, while minimizing the above-described disadvantages.

Low cost network architecture using thin optical transport layer


A first scanner unit and a second scanner unit simultaneously read the front surface and rear surface of a document, respectively, once stores the read image data in a first memory while adjusting the timing by a memory I/F, and then transfers the same to an ASIC. The image data is read out of the first memory and is inputted into an R channel and a B channel at an identical timing. The ASIC executes predetermined image processings and stores monochrome data on the front surface and rear surface of the document in a second memory through a PCI bus in parallel.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus. More particularly the present invention relates to an image forming apparatus that includes both: a color image forming apparatus and an image forming apparatus that can simultaneously read both surfaces of a monochrome document.
2. Description of the Related Art
Some image forming apparatuses have a configuration for reading both surfaces of a document. Two configurations can realize this. First, provide a single scanner unit and pass the document under the scanner unit two times: once to read one surface and then to read the other surface. Second, provide two scanner units: one for reading one surface and another for reading the other surface.
Because the running cost of a color copier is still considerably high, there is a trend to put up with monochrome scanner.
Moreover, recently, a technique has been used to read a color document with a color scanner and send the read data to a personal computer (PC) or the like via a local area network (LAN) for outputting at the PC. Because, a configuration for forming images is not prepared in the color scanner, it is possible to lower the overall cost.
For example, in Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 2003-163792 discloses a conventional image forming apparatus. This image forming apparatus is provided with a color information reading sensor unit having laser diode (LD) light sources that emit lights with respective colors of R, G, and B, respectively, and a monochrome information reading sensor unit having a laser emitting diode (LED) light source that emits light to read monochrome information. According to this image forming apparatus, when reading color information of a document, only one side of the document is read, and when reading monochrome information of a document, both sides of the document are read by a one-time reading scan.
Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. H11-331493 discloses another conventional image forming apparatus. This image forming apparatus is a both-sided color document reading device having a configuration in which color image sensors by a light-source sequential lighting method are arranged opposite each other and that is capable of simultaneously reading both sides of a document. This is realized by inputting, into an image processing device, color signals with three colors of one line of respective surfaces of the image sensor unit in sets while switching the same by turns for the front and rear, both surfaces of a document are simultaneously read.
Meanwhile, a color scanner output image data on three channels of RGB, whereas a monochrome scanner output image data on only one channel. In both of the conventional arts described above, an image processing is executed for the front page first (front image processing) and then executed for the rear page (rear image processing). In addition, because front and rear image effective image areas are different in the arranging position of a charge-coupled device (CCD) and a contact image sensor (CIS), image effective gate signals are differently inputted. Therefore, it is necessary for a color scanner and a monochrome duplex scanner to employ different circuit configurations between when reading color image information and when reading both surfaces in monochrome, and it is necessary to separately provide dedicated circuits when both scanners are used.


A magnetic resonator is provided which has a support structure and a plurality of roller assemblies mounted thereto for rotation about respective axes of rotation which are generally parallel one to another. Drive means are coupled to the roller assemblies to rotate each of the roller assemblies about its respective axis of rotation relative to the support structure. Each roller assembly houses a plurality of magnets disposed along respective axes of the roller assemblies. The plurality of magnets are grouped in a plurality of first and second arrangements with a first arrangement being interspersed between a pair of second arrangements. At least one of the first and second arrangements incorporates a pattern or shape based on sacred geometry.

A variety of devices have been proposed for the purpose of purifying water through the use of magnetic fields. Most purifying devices are stagnant magnets, few are rotating and require contact with one or more rotating magnets within a vessel containing the water to be purified. In contrast, Applicant has previously invented magnetic purification devices which require only that the substance to be purified be near the device. Applicant's earlier inventions are exemplified in Applicant's Canadian Patent Application Nos. 2,488,776 and 2,526,977.
Applicant's earlier inventions recognize that using a plurality of magnets arranged in patterns which conform to "sacred geometry" (which is discussed in more detail below) is significantly more effective than the simple rotation of a bar magnet. Nevertheless, despite Applicant's advances to date, there is a desire for even more efficient and compact devices for purifying such things as food, water, air and soil and direct application to human and animal body surfaces for healing.
The term "sacred geometry" does not refer to any religious significance. In contrast, the term "sacred geometry" is a well-known term of art which refers to a number of basic geometrical patterns and sequences which reoccur in nature. While some of the patterns may have been used in religious rituals because of the belief that such patterns have a fundamental connection with nature and humanity, this is not the focus of the present invention.
There are numerous publications which discuss sacred geometry. Exemplary ones include The Ancient Secret of the Flower of Life (Vol. 1 and II) by 'Drunvalo Melchizedec and the Internet (see for example http:/www.intent.com/sg) and the reader is referred to those for a more in-depth study of sacred geometry.
Very broadly, sacred geometry generally relates to patterns and figures created or embodying one of five basic geometrical ratios: Pi, √2, √5, √3, and Phi.
Pi is the ratio of the diameter of the circle to its circumference.
√2 is the length of a diagonal of a square with sides of length 1.
√5 the length of the a diagonal of a rectangle with sides of length 1 and length 2.
√3 is the length of the chord connecting the points of intersection of two circles each having a radius 1, where the circumference of each intersects the centre of the other.
Phi is (1+√5)/2 and is a naturally occurring ratio prevalent in animal and plant skeletal structures. It is also referred to as the "golden ratio". Most naturally occurring fractal patterns, such as snowflakes, tree shapes and so on, follow the golden ratio.
Sacred geometrical patterns are patterns constructed using the sacred geometrical ratios, such as exemplified by the "Seed of Life" pattern, used in the description of preferred embodiments set out below. Other sacred geometrical shapes and patterns include, without limitation, pentagons, pentagrams, hexagrams, equilateral triangles, squares, rectangles with sides having a 2:1 ratio, vesicapisces and 3-dimensional structures such as the pyramid and the cathara grid. Other shapes, patterns and structures will be known to those versed in sacred geometry.

Multi-rotator magnetic resonator embodying sacred geometry


The present disclosure relates to a display panel and a method of fabricating the same, and a display device. A display panel is provided which comprises: a display substrate having a first face and a second face opposite to the first face, the display substrate including a display area and a non-display area in the first face; a Chip-On-Film (COF) component disposed on the second face, the Chip-On-Film component comprising a COF film and an integrated circuit (IC) chip on the COF film; a connection hole located in the non-display area and at least penetrating the display substrate and the COF film; and an electrical connector disposed in the connection hole and electrically connecting the display substrate and the Chip-On-Film component.

With the continuous developing of display technologies, display panels are increasingly used in electronic products. Display products (for example, a mobile phone (especially a full-screen phone) or wearable devices (for example, a smart watch) with a narrow bezel attract a large number of consumers because they can provide a better viewing experience for the user.
At present, in most cases, a display product having a narrow bezel is achieved with a connection terminal bending (also, referred to as Pad Bending). However, the display product produced by the connection terminal (hereinafter, also referred to as terminal) bending process has yield problems, and has a display failure phenomenon caused by cracks in the inorganic insulating layer. Further, the prior art terminal bending technology also increases process difficulty and manufacturing cost, and reduces production efficiency. In addition, the formation of the terminal bending region, P, requires an increase in space, and the display product produced by the connection terminal bending process has a low utilization ratio of the substrate.
Therefore, there is a need for a novel display product having a narrow bezel and a method of manufacturing the same.

Display panel, display device, and method for manufacturing display panel

CHENGDU BOE OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


The method for a printing device determines the maximum amount of colorant that is to be deposited on a specific region of print media to form an image with a reduced quantity of visual defects. The method entails inputting at least one colorant value on the specific region of print media. The at least one colorant value indicates a total amount of at least one colorant that is to be applied by the printing device. A colorant limit is derived for each color or combinations thereof according to a text ink limit algorithm and each derived color ink limit is applied to the image to limit the quantity of ink used by the printing device when one of the derived colorant limits is exceeded.

Inkjet printing typically involves the use of water based inks. These water based inks interact with papers differently than inks used in other printing systems such as web offset printing. In particular, water based inks can cause print defects, such as bleed and mottle, and can cause paper deformities, such as cockle, curl, and show through of the text onto the opposite side of the page. These defects result in a need to limit the total amount of ink applied to the paper per unit area of a printed image. This limitation is often referred to as the upper ink limit (UIL) used for data processing for the printing system. The UIL necessary for one paper may not be the same as that appropriate for another paper, due to differences in paper type, weight, and coating. Thus, for each paper used on a given inkjet printing system, a different UIL needs to be specified by the user.
In the field of production printing, the ability to print text of various hues and saturations is commonly desirable. In order to achieve this range of colors, text may be printed using one or more colors of ink. Most commonly, process color prints are made using four inks: cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. Due to the defects mentioned above and the fine level of detail needed to render smaller point sizes of text and certain fonts with small features such as serifs, all possible ink loadings are not always acceptable. In particular, higher ink loads often result in printing defects, such as "ink bleed" that may cause small point sizes of text to be of unacceptably low quality or entirely illegible. The UIL allowable for text is partly dependent on the particular font and point size of the text, as well as the particular paper stock used for printing.
Typically, print defects are avoided by limiting the amount of ink that is used when printing smaller point sizes of text. The use a single ink limit for all colors of text is not often the most effective approach because when more than one color of ink is used for a particular text color a higher level of total ink might be permitted than for a text color that is created using only a single color of ink. The press operator or graphic designer may, therefore, specify several different total ink limits for small sizes of text based on whether the text is composed of one or more colors of ink. Empirically determining each of these limits for each paper and system configuration can be a tedious process.
A need exists for a series of steps to derive automatically the total ink limits of multi-ink texts using user supplied limits for text colors composed of just one or two inks. A need exists for a series of steps that enable the automatic adjustment of data coming into an ink jet printer and the use of these derived limits saving a user time and money for manually inputting two ink limits. A need has existed for a user to simply input one or two values for single and two-ink limits derive the remaining ink limits and apply all these ink limits to all parts of a print job regardless of size. The present methods meet these needs and save a user a significant amount of time and labor

Derivation of multicolor text colorant limits from single color text colorant limit


An apparatus for hanging an object from a wall comprises a generally triangular-shaped frame having a horizontal portion, a vertical portion and cross-member between the vertical and horizontal portions. The vertical portion is configured for attachment to a wall stud. The horizontal portion defines an elongate slot that extends a substantial length of the horizontal portion. A hook member is slideably coupled to the slot and is configured to support a weight of an object suspended therefrom.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to devices for hanging larger objects, such as various decorative items, including, but not limited to, large scale paintings, large scale picture frames, large mirrors and the like, to a wall where substantial weight must be supported and the desired point of support is between wall studs, and more specifically to an apparatus for hanging such items to a wall that has a first portion that is coupled to a wall stud and a second portion that extends over the surface of the wall to a location between wall studs that is configured to support a heavy object.
2. State of the Art
Various devices for hanging decorative items on a wall are well known in the art. In wood stud and gypsum board (e.g., SHEET ROCK) construction, walls are formed from evenly spaced, vertical wood studs that are covered by gypsum board. The gypsum board may then be textured, if desired, and painted. Once the wall is completed, if one desires to hang a heavy object on the wall, they must either anchor the object through the gypsum board and into one of the studs, or use an anchoring device that is coupled to the gypsum board.
Such anchoring devices include plastic inserts that are hammered or screwed into a hole in the gypsum board. These devices are configured to receive a metal screw that is threaded into the plastic insert causing the insert to expand in the hole and retain the screw relative to the gypsum board. The screw is then used as an anchor for supporting a decorative object.
Another type of anchoring system employs the use of an expandable metal insert that is inserted through a hole in the gypsum board and then expands to engage the back side surface of the gypsum board, thus preventing the anchoring system from being pulled back through the hole.
In each of the foregoing anchoring systems that are coupled to the gypsum board, they rely on the strength of the gypsum board to support the anchoring system and thus the entire weight of the decorative item coupled thereto. In the case of large mirrors or paintings, the weight of such objects can easily exceed 50 pounds and many can weight a hundred pounds or more.
Thus, there exists a need in the art to provide an apparatus for supporting a heavy decorative item that is easy to install, does not rely solely on the strength of the gypsum board to support the object, and allows for easy and adjustable placement between wall studs.


The present invention provides a polishing head 1 comprising a carrier 3, a guide ring 4, a dress ring 5, and a head body 2, wherein the head body 2 is rotatable, and holds the carrier 3, the guide ring 4, and the dress ring 5; the head body 2 has a reversed-bowl shape and has a hollow 8; the dress ring, and at least the guide ring or the carrier are held by being coupled to a lower brim of the head body via a diaphragm 6; the hollow of the head body is sealed. During polishing, the pressure of the sealed hollow is adjusted with a pressure regulating mechanism 9 communicating with the hollow, thereby elastically deforming the diaphragm. As a result, a wafer W can be polished while the wafer and the dress ring are pressed with a given pressing force against a polishing pad 11 on a turn table 12 with rotating the wafer held by the carrier and the dress ring. Consequently, there is provided a polishing head or the like with which excessive polishing in the outer periphery of a semiconductor wafer can be prevented and generation of impressions or scratches in the edge portion of the wafer can be prevented effectively.

Apparatuses for polishing the surfaces of semiconductor wafers such as silicon wafers include single side polishing apparatuses polishing one sides of wafers at a time, and double side polishing apparatuses polishing both sides of wafers at a time.
As shown in FIG. 12, a typical single side polishing apparatus is composed of a turntable 73 to which a polishing pad 74 is attached, a mechanism 76 of providing a polishing agent, a polishing head 72, and the like. A wafer W is polished with such a polishing apparatus 71 by rubbing the surface of the wafer W against the polishing pad 74 while the wafer W is held by the polishing head 72, the mechanism 76 of providing a polishing agent 75 to the polishing pad 74, and the turn table 73 and the polishing head 72 are rotated respectively.
Wafers can be held by a method of sticking the wafers on a flat disklike plate with an adhesive such as wax or the like, a method of sticking with water the wafers on a soft pad (a backing pad), a method of sucking the wafers with vacuum, or the like.
FIG. 14 illustrates a schematic example of a polishing head holding a wafer with a backing pad. This polishing head 91 has an elastic pad (a backing pad) 95 made of polyurethane or the like on the underside of a disklike carrier 92 made of ceramic or the like. The pad 95 is dampened with water to hold a wafer W with surface tension. In addition, in order to prevent the wafer W from coming off from the carrier 92, a ring (retainer ring) 94 is provided around the carrier 92.
For example, when a silicon wafer is polished, the retainer ring is typically made of plastic such as phenylene sulfide, which is softer than silicon single crystals for the purpose of preventing generation of scratches or impressions on the edge portion of the wafer and for the purpose of preventing metallic contamination. However, because a polishing agent enters between the retainer ring and the edge portion of the wafer (a chamfered portion) during polishing and the wafer rotates freely during polishing, the wafer comes into contact with the retainer ring, thereby polishing the inner periphery of the retainer ring and forming a groove there. When the edge portion of the wafer is caught in the groove, the wafer being pressed uniformly over the surface by the carrier is further pressed by the retainer ring, and which affects polishing of the outer periphery of the wafer. As a result, there is a problem that the outer periphery of the polished wafer has a degraded flatness level.
Therefore, in order to prevent the degradation of flatness level in the outer periphery of a wafer, it is necessary to change the retainer ring frequently, resulting in increase in cost.
In order to prevent excessive polishing in the outer periphery of a wafer, a polishing head with a tube or a diaphragm for adjusting pressing force of a retainer ring separated from a pressing force adjusting mechanism of a carrier (see Japanese Patent Publication No. 3158934). It is stated that the excessive polishing in the outer periphery of a wafer can be prevented as a result of adjusting pressing force of the retainer ring against the polishing pad by such a mechanism of adjusting pressing force of the retainer ring to prevent waviness deformation of the polishing pad.
In order to prevent a wafer from being unfastened from a carrier during polishing, a polishing head is suggested that has a ring guide around the carrier; a pressure ring for pressing a polishing pad, the pressure ring being outside of the ring guide; and an air cylinder or a roller for adjusting pressing force of the pressure ring (see Japanese Patent Publication No. 3045966).
Typically, the pressure ring is made of a hard material such as ceramic that is less prone to wear and has less frictional resistance against a polishing pad. When the pressing force adjusting mechanism designed specifically for the pressure ring (the retainer ring) is provided, pressing force of the pressure ring can be prevented from directly influencing on pressing force of the wafer. However, both the wafer and the pressure ring are always subjected to strong force in the thrust direction during polishing due to friction against a polishing pad. Typically, a wafer has a coefficient of friction larger than the pressure ring during polishing. When foreign matters such as a polishing agent enters where the edge portion of the wafer comes into contact with the inner periphery of a guide ring that holds the wafer, because the pressing force adjusting mechanism for the wafer and the pressing force adjusting mechanism for the pressure ring are separated and independent of each other, the wafer comes in contact with the pressure ring due to sideways deviation of the wafer, the guide ring or the carrier. As a result, impressions or scratches tend to be generated on the edge portion of the wafer even when the inner periphery of the guide ring holding the wafer is made of plastic.

Polishing head, polishing apparatus and polishing method for semiconductor wafer


The invention provides wafer handling apparatus for use with a wafer handling mechanism of the type that supports and transports wafers through and during semiconductor processes. Typically, the wafer has a first surface for semiconductor processing and a second surface having a surface finish with microfeatures therein. The invention utilizes at least three prongs extending from the mechanism and arranged to support the wafer. A stylus tip--preferably made from diamond--resides at a distal end of each prong. Each tip has a point that is smaller than at least some of the microfeatures of the second surface of the wafer such that the interaction of the tips with the microfeatures resists lateral movement of the wafer relative to the tips when the wafer rests on the tips by the force of gravity. This interaction is sufficient to move the wafer without substantial contribution from the coefficient of friction between the tips and the wafer. The invention solves the problems of the prior art associated with outgassing by rubber pads and low coefficients of friction associated with quartz pads. Motors with feedback control adjust the speed at which the prongs interact with the wafers so as to prolong tip life.

The prior art is familiar with wafer handling systems. Typically, semiconductor wafers are processed through a variety of chambers and are mechanically carried between chambers by a robotic transport. These wafers are for example eight inches in diameter and have one planar surface subjected to semiconductor processes. The robotic transport supports the wafer on the other surface; so typically the first surface is upwards and the robotic transport supports the second surface underneath the wafer.
To accomplish this, the robotic transport typically utilizes a three-prong (or more) fixture that supports the wafer during transport. The prongs of the fixture are covered with a non-abrasive material, relative to the wafer, such as rubber, and are sized so as to provide sufficient surface area contact to prevent slipping during horizontal movement of the wafer through the chambers.
FIGS. 1 and 1A illustrate prior art wafer handling fixturing 8. FIG. 1 shows a side view of the fixturing 8 supporting a wafer 10. The wafer 10 has a first surface 10a and a second surface 10b. The first surface 10a is used to deposit selective semiconductor materials onto the wafer 10, such as by room temperature ion implantation. The fixturing 8 includes three representative prongs 14, supported by a base 12, that are capped with rubber pads 16 to provide good friction contact with the wafer 10 during movement 18. The pads 16 are typically between about 1/16" to 1/4" in diameter to ensure good contact with the surface 10b. FIG. 1A shows a top view of the wafer 10 and the arrangement of the pads 16 made so as to provide sufficient support. The pads 16 of FIG. 1A are illustratively shown as dotted lines.
The problem with the fixturing 8 of FIGS. 1 and 1A is that it does not survive in processes involving high temperatures, such as plasma CVD, thermal CVD, plasma vapor deposition ("PVD") and etch, and annealing. These processes can involve temperatures as high as six hundred degrees Celsius. Further, processes such as CVD and PVD are typically done in an evacuated environment; and rubber outgasses, presenting unwanted particulates and material within the deposition process. To overcome this problem, the prior art has replaced the pads 16 with a temperature-resistant material such as quartz. While this overcomes the high temperature problem, quartz and other temperature-resistant materials used in the prior art, such as brass and alumina, have low coefficients of friction with silicon. Therefore, the movements 18 must occur at low lateral accelerations so as to ensure that the wafer 10 stays on the fixturing 8 during transport. For example, typical accelerations for rubber pads can be up to about 0.5 g; while accelerations for quartz are at most 0.1 g. This reduces efficiency and production yield.
It is, accordingly, an object of the invention to provide apparatus which reduces or eliminates the afore-mentioned problems of the prior art.
A further object of the invention is to provide wafer handling fixturing that is resistant to high temperatures and that achieves high lateral acceleration, as compared to the prior art.
These and other objects will become apparent in the description which follows.

Microfeature wafer handling apparatus and methods


A method for transitioning between a first engine operating mode and a second engine operating mode of an internal combustion engine involves establishing an engine mode transition region between the first engine operating mode and the second engine operating mode, which engine mode transition region is defined by at least one engine operating parameter. The engine operating parameter which defines the engine mode transition region is monitored. When the engine is operating in the transition region a first engine operating mode fuel rate is determined, a second engine operating mode fuel rate is determined, and an engine mode transition region fuel rate is determined which is a function of both the first engine operating mode fuel rate and the second engine operating mode fuel rate.

An internal combustion engine may operate in a variety of different modes, particularly in modern engine systems which are electronically controlled based upon a variety of monitored engine operating parameters. Some typical operating modes include a cold mode, a warm mode, a cranking mode, a low idle mode, a high idle mode, and an in-between mode which is between the low idle mode and the high idle mode. Various engine operating parameters may be monitored to determine the engine operating mode including engine speed, throttle position, vehicle speed, coolant temperature, and oil temperature, as well as others. In each operating mode it is not uncommon to use different techniques to determine the amount of fuel to deliver to the engine for a fuel delivery cycle. For example, different fuel rate maps might be utilized in two different modes or a fuel rate map might be used in one mode and in another mode an engine speed closed loop control may be used. Switching from one engine operating mode to another can therefore result in a stepped fuel rate change that exceeds a desired level and may result in undesired engine noise or vibration.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems as set forth above.

Method for transitioning between different operating modes of an internal combustion engine


A method for the production of an improved water soluble resin binder for laminating printing inks has been discovered. The method comprises esterifying the carboxylated Diels Alder adduct produced from the reaction of rosin and at least one carboxylated dienophile with a sufficient amount of at least one polyol to produce-a modified rosin having an acid number greater than 157. The modified rosin is reacted with a sufficient amount of an acrylic copolymer having an acid number greater than 180 under esterification conditions between 175.degree. C. and 185.degree. C. for a time sufficient to produce a resin binder having an acid number greater than 157. A laminating ink formulation of the invention comprises water, pigment, styrene-acrylic varnish, shellac varnish, alkanol and the improved water soluble resin binder of the invention as described above.

The formulation of printing inks is dominated by the application for which the ink is to be used. Inks for gravure printing of paper or paperboard present a comparatively mild challenge to the artisan to formulate an appropriate ink but other applications can escalate that challenge beyond the scope of the state of the art. The required presentation of the printed article, the composition of the substrate on which the ink is to be printed and the post-printing process and use to which the article is to be exposed readily conspire to complicate the formulation process, often creating a need to formulate well beyond the state of the art. Metallized substrates, food packages and the packing process, laminates and the laminating process are just a few examples of specific end-uses or post-printing processes offering continuing challenges to the ink formulation artisan.
Known ink formulations are confronted constantly with the test to meet the needs of an ever changing mix of consumer products with ever changing print demands. Now, a fundamentally new constraint is being imposed upon many ink formulations by environmental regulations that urge a reduction in the use of organic solvents in ink formulations. For the more exacting applications such as inks suitable for laminates and the lamination process, the need to produce water based ink formulations which meet or preferably exceed the performance of formulations of laminating inks known in the art represents a prodigious challenge to the artisan. To this challenge, the present applicants have bent their efforts and provided the instant invention of a water based laminating ink formulation with performance properties that exceed those of the prior art.
Inks for lamination comprise a wide range of formulations depending upon the type of lamination process--adhesive, extrusion lamination or extrusion coating--the many substrates used, adhesive type and end-use of the laminate. In the foregoing laminates the printing ink is within the interface of the two substrates and the performance of the ink formulation must take into account and be compatible with the stresses of the lamination process. Key ink requirements are bond strength to the substrate and compatibility with the adhesive. Acrylic-based resins, among others, have been found to be useful as binders in meeting the formulation requirements of laminating inks. The physical mixture of styrenated acrylics and rosin esters as binders in flexible packaging inks is known to be particularly useful, but with limitations. They usually impart gloss and heat resistance to systems formulated with them. However, problems such as crinkle resistance, alcohol tolerance, bond strength and rheology can arise with their use.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,164,262 to Boswell, et al. discloses a method for the production of an acrylic polymer modified rosin ester binder for gravure printing ink formulations for paper. The binder is soluble in organic solvents such as toluene. U.S. Pat. No. 5,166,446 also to Boswell, et al. claims the acrylic polymer modified rosin ester. The Boswell, et al. patent is described hereinafter in greater detail with respect to the pertinency to the instant invention
U.S. Pat. No. 5,026,755 to Kveglis, et al. teaches a water-dispersable graft copolymer of a polyamide and an acrylic monomer produced by free radical polymerization.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,183,847 to El-Hefnawi, et al. discloses alkali soluble resins of carboxylated polyamide/acrylic resin prepared by a fusion process.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,216,064 to Rivera, et al. teaches rosin-based resin-fortified emulsion polymer compositions and the method for their preparation. The emulsions are prepared by polymerization of vinyl monomers and are used to prepare water based inks.
It is an objective of the present invention to provide a method for the production of a water soluble modified rosin-acrylic vehicle for laminating ink formulation.
Another objective of the invention is to provide a laminating ink exhibiting superior properties and containing the water soluble modified rosin-acrylic vehicle.

Process for the production of water soluble modified rosin ester vehicles for laminating inks


A semiconductor device having a planar integrated circuit interconnect and process of fabrication. The planar integrated circuit comprises a substrate having a first line wire formed in the substrate, a dielectric layer formed on the substrate, a second line wire formed in the dielectric layer, a contact via formed within the dielectric layer extending through the dielectric layer from the second line wire to the first line wire, and a dummy via which extends into the dielectric layer and is filled with a low dielectric material.

The present invention relates to the manufacture of semiconductors and, more specifically, to a semiconductor with a low dielectric constant material between intermetallic leads and a process for manufacturing such semiconductors.
In semiconductor chip design, the various micro-electrical components that comprise the working components of an integrated circuit are connected together by metal interconnects. The metal interconnects are typically made of copper, aluminum, or some alloy of those metals. The various micro-electrical components include, for example, transistors, capacitors, resistors, and the like.
As complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) chips (typically silicon) have become more complex, both on-chip interconnects and associated fabrication processes have become critical to the performance, reliability, and cost of integrated circuits. For example, the needs for higher performance and lower cost per chip for successive CMOS generations have led to linear increases in the number of devices, but quadratic increases in the number of interconnects.
To improve the signal speed of logic chips, it is necessary to reduce the dielectric constant of the insulator between the metal lines. Silicon dioxide has preferentially been used as the insulator because it has superior mechanical strength and electrical and chemical integrity. In addition, silicon nitride and silicon dioxide-silicon nitride composites have also been preferred over other insulators because they have excellent insulation properties and low defect levels. These insulators exhibit a high dielectric constant, however, which hinders signal speed.
Recently, attempts have been made to replace the conventional silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, and silicon dioxide-silicon nitride composites with low dielectric constant materials as the dielectric material insulator. Examples of such materials include silicon containing low dielectric constant organic materials, silicon containing low Kappa dielectric (silk, a product of the Dow Corp.), diamond-like carbon, and aerogels (which use microscopically small trapped air bubbles to lower the dielectric constant). The use of low dielectric constant materials reduces the capacitance between the lines (or leads), thus reducing the RC time constant (i.e., the time constant for a series connection of a resistor R and a capacitor C). Unfortunately, these low dielectric insulators cause significant problems. For example, low dielectric materials often have inferior mechanical strength and reduced chemical and thermal conductivity compared to silicon dioxide.
The deficiencies of the conventional processes of reducing the dielectric constant of the insulator between metal lines show that a need still exists for a process which reduces the dielectric constant of the insulator but also retains the mechanical and chemical properties of silicon dioxide. To overcome the shortcomings of the conventional processes, a new process is provided. An object of the present invention is to provide a process for fabricating a semiconductor having a low dielectric constant material between intermetallic leads such that the low dielectric constant material improves signal speed versus typical silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, or silicon dioxide-silicon nitride composite insulators. Another object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor having a low dielectric constant material between intermetallic leads which exhibits superior mechanical strength and electrical and chemical integrity over conventional low dielectric material insulators.
To achieve these and other objects, and in view of its purposes, the present invention provides a semiconductor device having a planar integrated circuit interconnect which has a reduced dielectric constant. The circuit interconnect comprises a dielectric material between two levels of line wires, in which the dielectric material has dummy vias filled with a low dielectric material.
The invention also provides a process of fabricating the circuit interconnect described above. The process comprises the following steps. First, a substrate having a first line wire is formed. Next, a dielectric layer is formed on the substrate. A second line wire is then formed in the dielectric layer. Next, a contact via is formed in the dielectric layer which interconnects the first and second line wires. A dummy via, which is filled with a low dielectric material, is then formed. The dummy via extends into the dielectric layer such that it does not contact the first or second line wires.
A second embodiment of the process of the present invention comprises the following steps. First, a substrate is provided having a first line wire formed in the substrate. A dielectric layer is then formed on the substrate. Next, a plurality of recesses are formed which extend into a portion of the dielectric layer, forming precursor contact vias and dummy vias. The recesses are then filled with a low dielectric material. Next, a line wire trench is formed in the dielectric layer such that it does not contact the dummy vias but does contact the precursor contact vias. The precursor contact vias are then etched to the first line wire. Next, the precursor contact vias and line wire trench are filled with a metal, forming contact vias and a second line wire. The final result is a planar integrated circuit interconnect that can be repeated as needed to form the desired number of stacked interconnects.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary, but are not restrictive, of the invention.

Process for making a planar integrated circuit interconnect

International Business Machines Corporation


A network element for use in an IMS network is disclosed herein. The network element includes a communication interface operable to receive a SIP request message from a communication device, such as an SIP invite. The network element also includes a communication processor operable to process the SIP request message, extract registration information from a header of the SIP request message, and update a registration of the communication device with the IMS network based on the registration information.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention is related to the field of communication networks and, in particular, to systems and methods for maintaining registrations of communication devices within an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network.
2. Statement of the Problem
The Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) is an application-layer control protocol for creating, modifying, and terminating sessions with one or more users. These sessions include Internet telephone calls, multimedia distribution, and multimedia conferences. SIP invitations create sessions that allow the users to agree on a set of compatible media types based on session descriptions configurable within the protocol. When a user desires a session with another user in a SIP based network, such as the IMS, the network discovers the host where the destination user may be reached. This discovery process is often performed by SIP network elements such as proxy servers and redirect servers. These network elements receive requests from originating users, locate destination users, and forward the requests to establish links between the users.
Before the links between users can be established, the users register with the network. The registrations create "bindings" in a location service for a particular domain that associates an address-of-record uniform resource identifier (URI) with one or more contact addresses. When a network element for the domain receives a request with a Request-URI that matches an address-of-record, the network element forwards the request to the contact addresses registered to that address-of-record.
Registration is performed by users sending a REGISTER request to a user agent server (UAS) known as a registrar. In IMS, this function may be performed by a home subscriber server (HSS). The REGISTER request adds, removes, and/or queries bindings. For example, a REGISTER request from a user may add a new binding between an address-of-record and one or more contact addresses. A REGISTER request may also remove previous bindings upon expiration or query bindings to determine which bindings are currently in place for an address-of-record.
The REGISTER request also establishes a time limit for the registration. For example, the REGISTER includes an "expires" header field that is used to establish a desired duration for registration of the user's device with the network. If no expires header parameter is provided in the "contact SIP header" and no "expires SIP header" exists, the network establishes a default expiration for the bindings at 3600 seconds, unless updated, or "refreshed". Once a binding expires for a present address of record, the user is no longer able to receive incoming calls from the network at its present contact address.
Each device is responsible for refreshing the bindings that it has previously established. A device should not refresh bindings set up by other devices. The 200 (OK) response from the registrar contains a list of contact fields enumerating all current bindings. The device compares each contact address to see if it created the contact address, using comparison rules (see e.g., section 19.1.4 of RFC 3261). If so, the device updates the expiration time interval according to the expires parameter or, if absent, the Expires field value. The device then issues a REGISTER request for each of its bindings before the expiration interval has elapsed. It may combine several updates into one REGISTER request.
A problem exists with the present REGISTER request when it is used to update the expiration time interval due to the number of REGISTER requests being processed. A network may have hundreds of thousands of devices registered at any given time. Thus, a network element may be continuously bombarded with REGISTER requests that are used to merely refresh an already registered device. These requests may cost the network element precious clock cycles that could be better used processing other message traffic.


Improved nonaqueous electrolytes for application in electrical storage devices such as electrochemical capacitors or batteries are disclosed. The electrolytes of the invention contain salts consisting of alkyl substituted, cyclic delocalized aromatic cations, and their perfluoro derivatives, and certain polyatomic anions having a van der Waals volume less than or equal to 100 .ANG..sup.3, preferably inorganic perfluoride anions and most preferably PF.sub.6.sup.-, the salts being dissolved in organic liquids, and preferably alkyl carbonate solvents, or liquid sulfur dioxide or combinations thereof, at a concentration of greater than 0.5M and preferably greater than 1.0M. Exemplary electrolytes comprise 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate dissolved in a cyclic or acylic alkyl carbonate, or methyl formate, or a combination therof. These improved electrolytes have useful characteristics such as higher conductivity, higher concentration, higher energy storage capabilities, and higher power characteristics compared to prior art electrolytes. Stacked capacitor cells using electrolytes of the invention permit high energy, high voltage storage.

Significant effort has been invested over the years in improving the energy and power of electrical energy storage devices such as capacitors and batteries. These are particularly useful in short term, high energy applications such as electric vehicles or cellular communication. Warren et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,418,682, discloses a capacitor having an electrolyte consisting of tetraalkyammonium salts which include nitrile or dinitrile solvent and teaches that such a system provides a high dielectric constant, which is needed for capacitance. Morimoto et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,725,926, discloses a nonaqueous electrolyte comprising quaternary phosphonium salts in organic solvents for use in electric double layer capacitors.
A wide variety of solvents and salts are available for such use, offering specific advantages depending on the application being considered (e.g., low temperature vs. high temperature). Ionic liquids based on the imidazolium cation have recently received attention as nonaqueous electrolytes in various electrochemical devices (Koch et al., J. Electrochem. Soc. 143:155, 1996). These electrolytes have significant advantages compared to the numerous quaternary onium salts that have been previously investigated for use in carbon double-layer capacitor electrolytes (Ue et al., J.
Electrochem. Soc. 141:2989, 1994).
Electrochemical capacitors based on nonaqueous electrolytes offer greater electrochemical stability (up to 4 V) compared to aqueous systems, thereby providing greater energy storage (E=1/2CV.sup.2). However, due to the lower conductivity of nonaqueous electrolytes compared to aqueous systems, lower power capabilities are observed. In addition, with the porous materials used in electrochemical capacitors, the high viscosity typically associated with the high dielectric constant solvents used in nonaqueous electrolytes is detrimental to conductivity in porous electrodes.
Furthermore, the lower ion concentrations typically obtained with nonaqueous electrolytes result in increased electrolyte volume requirements for packaged devices. It is an object of the present invention to solve the above mentioned problems inherent in the use of conventional nonaqueous electrolytes.

Nonaqueous electrolyte for electrical storage devices


A method is disclosed for acoustic calibration of a towed hydrophone line array. In a very low frequency band, calibration is performed using a surrounding ambient acoustic noise environment observed by one or more calibrated reference standard hydrophones and hydrophone channels of the array being calibrated. The array hydrophone sensitivities are computed by comparing output voltages of the array hydrophones with the output voltages of one or more calibrated reference hydrophones. The method extends the low frequency limit for the calibration of a towed hydrophone line array to substantially less than the minimum frequency at which the acoustic projectors commonly used for acoustic calibrations can transmit a useful acoustic signal.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention is a method for the measuring the complex sensitivity of a hydrophone data channel in a line array at a frequency less than a minimum operating frequency of acoustic projectors.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Calibration of a hydrophone, or array thereof, is often performed using a free field comparison method (See "American National Standard: Procedures for Calibration of Underwater Electroacoustic Transducers" ANSI/ASA S1.20-2012). In the method, one or more calibrated reference standard hydrophones with known free field sensitivity are used to measure the acoustic field that is transmitted by an acoustic projector at one or more locations in the vicinity of the hydrophone to be calibrated (i.e., the test article). The free field voltage sensitivity of a hydrophone channel is defined for the purpose of this invention as the ratio of the complex voltage output by the hydrophone to the complex acoustic pressure acting on the hydrophone. Thus, the free field voltage sensitivity is a complex quantity with both a magnitude and a phase. The magnitude is traditionally expressed as decibels relative to one volt per micropascal (e.g. dB re 1V/uPA). The phase is expressed in degrees relative to the incident acoustic field pressure.
Methods taught by the prior art for the comparison calibration of a hydrophone require the use of an acoustic projector to generate signals for comparison between the output of the test article and the output of the calibrated reference hydrophone. The projectors are capable of transmitting low frequency sound underwater; however, existing projectors do not generate acoustic signals that are suitable for a measurement of complex sensitivity at a very low frequency, or less than approximately 20 Hz.
A solution to the problem of an inadequate source level for an acoustic projector at a very low frequency is to perform calibration measurements in a comparatively small, confined, and controlled acoustic domain. Podalak (U.S. Pat. No. 2,918,651) teaches a method for hydrophone calibration at a very low frequency. In operation, the cited reference teaches a method where an acoustic projector is used to generate an acoustic field inside a rigid walled tube containing the test article (hydrophone) and the calibrated reference hydrophone.
Various refinements have been incorporated to improve accuracy and to allow for calibration measurements throughout a range of temperatures and pressures (See L. G. Beatty, R. J. Bobber and D. L. Phillips "Sonar Transducer Calibration in a High-Pressure Tube", J. Acoust. Soc. Am., 39, pp 48-54 (1965) and J. F. Zalesak and W. J. Trott, "Low-Frequency Technique for the Underwater Calibration of Individual Elements of a Line Hydrophone Array", J. Acoust. Soc. 62, pp 91-101 (1977)). While these methods may be effective; the methods are performed in a laboratory setting and are not generally applicable for hydrophones installed in end use equipment due to the requirement of the method to place the equipment in a comparatively small and confined space.
A different approach to the projector source level problem is disclosed in van Hoesen (U.S. Pat. No. 3,257,839) in which groups of three, closely-spaced acoustic transducers are integrated into an end use system. Known reciprocity calibration methods are employed for each of the hydrophones (See R. J. Bobber, "Underwater Electroacoustic Measurements", Peninsula Publishing, Los Altos (1988)). Because each hydrophone in the array includes an integral primary calibration system; the free field voltage sensitivity can be measured over the life of the system without removing the array from service. However, the system is not useful for the calibration of hydrophones outside the integrated hydrophone data channels of the system.
The McEachern reference (U.S. Pat. No. 4,441,173) teaches a method to perform hydrophone calibration measurements at a very low frequency. In the reference, the calibration signal is generated by harmonically varying the hydrostatic pressure to which the test article and calibrated reference hydrophone are exposed. The time varying, hydrostatic pressure is generated by installing the acoustic receivers (a test article and a reference hydrophone) on a lever submerged in a body of water. A mechanism is used to harmonically vary the elevation of the acoustic receivers relative to the free surface of the water at a very low frequency. The sensitivity of the test article is provided by comparison with a calibrated reference standard hydrophone. While this measurement method eliminates the problem of an inadequate source level of standard acoustic projectors; it is not a feasible approach for the calibration of hydrophones that are integrated in larger systems.

Measurement of complex sensitivity of data channels in hydrophone line array at very low frequency

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy


A unit element of undersea pipe, in particular for providing a bottom-to-surface connection, constituted by an assembly of two coaxial pipe elements of the PiP type (1) presenting an inner pipe element (2) and an outer pipe element (3) coaxial thereabout with an annular space (41) between the pipes, preferably including a thermally insulating material (42) in the annular space, and including at each end a junction piece (6, 6a-6b) in the form of a steel forging for connecting together two of the unit elements of axial pipe (1), the junction forgings (6) being welded to the ends of both of the inner and outer pipes, the unit elements being characterized in that the inner pipe element (2) comprises in its main portion an inner tube (21) of metal presenting thickness that is small relative to the thickness of the ends of the inner pipes that are welded to the junction forgings (6), the thickness of the inner tube being less than 50% the thickness of the ends of the inner pipe, the inner tube (2) being covered in a material (22) comprising longitudinal continuous fibers wound around the inner tube so as to cover the surface of the inner tube entirely.

In most industrial fields it is desirable to find high performance insulation systems for keeping the fluids conveyed in pipework at constant temperature, so as to make it possible to transfer fluids between equipments that are considerable distances apart, e.g. of several hundreds of meters or even of several kilometers. Such distances are frequent in industries such as oil refineries, liquefied natural gas installations (at −165° C.), and undersea oil fields, extending over several tens of kilometers. Such oil fields are being developed in ever increasing depths of water, where depths can significantly exceed 3000 meters (m).
Numerous systems have been developed to reach a high degree of thermal performance, and specific versions have been developed to operate in satisfactory manner at great depths, i.e. to withstand the pressure at the bottom of the sea. The highest performance technologies that have been developed for this purpose are known as "pipe-in-pipe" or "PiP", in which an inner pipe conveys the fluid and an outer pipe disposed coaxially about the inner pipe comes into contact with the surroundings, i.e. the sea. The annular space between the two pipes may be filled with an insulating material, or it may be evacuated of all gas.
In very great depths, i.e. 2000 m or 3000 m, or even more, the weight of pipes increases very quickly since the outer pipe must withstand the pressure and as a result it is very thick. Thus, laying such pipe requires very heavy equipment, since in the catenary configuration taken up by the pipe while it is being laid, not only does the length of said catenary increase with increasing depth, but also its unit weight, since the outer pipe must withstand a greater implosion pressure, thereby leading to very high levels of tension in the pipe, at the laying tower installed on the ship, which tensions can reach 500 (metric) tonnes to 700 tonnes, or even 1000 tonnes or more.
In that type of pipe, the annular space, optionally filled with an insulating material, is generally at an absolute pressure that is lower than atmospheric pressure, or is even evacuated of all gas, and to a first approximation it can be considered that the inner pipe must withstand radially the bursting pressure due to the internal fluid, while the outer pipe withstands the implosion pressure created by the hydrostatic pressure at bottom level (ρ.g.h) which is about 1 megapascal (MPa) per 100 m of depth of water, i.e. 30 MPa at a depth of 3000 m. An effect of axial expansion or longitudinal stretching due to pressure, known as the "bottom effect" acts on the circular section of the outer and inner pipes and parallel to the axis of said pipes, and is shared, to a first approximation, by both pipes (because they are interconnected at their ends), prorata their respective sections of material, generally steel.
The internal pressure P within a pipe leads firstly to a "bottom effect" or "piston effect" that is characterized by an axial longitudinal force tending to stretch or longitudinally expand said pipe, and it has the value Fi=P×s, where s is the section of the pipe. Secondly, the internal pressure generates a "radial effect" tending to cause the pipe to burst, with the force acting on a unit length of the wall having the value Fe=π×R×P, where R represents the inside radius of the pipe.
The inner pipe must therefore also be strong and thus present increased thickness when laying at great depths in order to be able to withstand the bottom effect and the bursting radial effect.
Thus, the first problem posed by the present invention is to provide a PiP type insulated pipe of lighter weight so as to present weight per unit length that is considerably reduced, while continuing to present mechanical reinforcement characteristics that ensure that its fatigue behavior is capable of withstanding the stresses generated during laying at great depth.
In installations at great depth, undersea pipes and undersea coaxial pipe assemblies are assembled on land to constitute elements of unit length, of the order of 20 m to 100 m depending on the holding capacity of the laying system. They are then transported in that form out to sea on a laying ship. During laying, the unit lengths of the various coaxial pipe assembly elements are connected to one another on board the ship while they are being laid at sea. It is thus important for the connection operation to be capable of being integrated in the method of assembling and laying the pipe on the sea bottom while slowing the method down as little as possible, in other words the operation must be capable of being performed quickly and easily.
When laying a conventional PiP at great depth, said PiP is subjected to bending, mainly in its bottom portion close to the sea bottom. The bending is at its maximum at the point of contact with the bottom since the radius of curvature decreases from the surface down to the point of contact with the bottom, where it is then at a minimum, after which the PiP rests substantially horizontally on the sea bottom so as to present a radius of curvature that is infinite. The bending generated during laying generates high levels of stress in each of the tubes of the PiP and in the zone interconnecting two successive lengths of PiP.
Junction parts are used in the form of connecting steel forgings that are assembled to the ends of said coaxial pipe assembly elements that are to be assembled together. The junction forging at the downstream end of a first coaxial pipe assembly element that has not yet been assembled is connected to the upstream free end junction forging of a second coaxial pipe assembly element that has already been assembled downstream.
Patents GB-2 161 565 and GB-2 191 842 describes a PiP and its method of assembly, and give two embodiments of junction or connection pieces made of forged steel, the first patent GB-2 161 565 describing a forging made as a single piece, and the second patent GB-2 191 842 describing a forging made up of two elements with the junction between the two elements of two junction forgings being provided by a screw thread, said thread being glued in order to provide sealing.
In both configurations, the forging has two circularly symmetrical branches comprising an outer branch and an inner branch defining between them an annular space, i.e. forming a fork with free cylindrical ends that are assembled to the cylindrical ends respectively of the outer and the inner pipes.
Nevertheless, in both embodiments, shortcomings are observed in the mechanical reliability of the connection of unit lengths of coaxial pipe assembly fitted at their ends with such junction or connection forgings.
One of the shortcomings of the junction forgings proposed in those prior patents lies in the diameter of the forgings in the connection zone thereof is reduced so as to correspond substantially to the diameter of the inner pipe. This leads to a very large change in the second moment of area of the cross-section of the PiP between the main zone of said PiP and the connection zone between two unit lengths of the PiP, thereby creating a point of weakness at each of said connections by welding between two forgings, the zone of said welding then being particularly sensitive to fatigue phenomena, both during laying and throughout the lifetime of the pipe.
In order to avoid that zone of weakness and to conserve a second moment of area for the cross-section that is substantially constant, it is possible to increase the wall thickness of the forging throughout the zone situated between the solid portion of said forging and the chamfered zone where welding is performed. However that would generally require said thickness to be almost doubled. With pipes of large diameter or that are to be laid in great depths, welding then becomes problematic because of the very great thickness of steel, which thicknesses may reach 40 millimeters (mm) to 50 mm, thus requiring welding methods that are very difficult, and under certain circumstances that are practically impossible without defects, given the dynamic effects at sea on the mass of molten steel. Furthermore, since said welding is performed on board laying ships, where such ships present an extremely high hourly cost, the cost of the installation becomes prohibitive and the risks of failure are considerable because of the complexity of said welding operations performed on site.
It is then preferable to use the method described in patent FR-2 751 721 which consists, in a particular way of making the ends of a PiP, associated with a particular way of reinforcing the connection zone between two unit lengths of PiP by means of a sliding sleeve with little clearance relative to the outer pipe, said sliding sleeve being secured to said outer pipe by adhesive. That disposition makes it possible locally to increase the second moment of area of the cross-section so as to limit the stresses in the connection zone between two unit lengths of PiP, however it requires several mechanical parts to be fabricated that are complicated to assemble together and that require a relatively difficult connection operation to be performed. In addition, the proposed adhesive remains subject to creep and deteriorates over thermal cycling of the kind to which the pipes are subjected during their lifetime of 20 years to 30 years. Finally, that type of adhesive cannot be provided in reliable manner for bottom-to-surface connections, since the dynamic effects of the swell and of current on the pipe suspended between the sea bottom and the floating support quickly degrade the plane of adhesion, leading to rapid and excessive fatigue over the connection zone of the PiP.
Thus another problem of the present invention is to make a connection between lightweight insulated pipes of the PiP type in which the connection zones between two unit lengths are reinforced so that the stresses generated during laying are minimized.
More precisely, another problem posed is to make a connection between unit lengths of PiP type coaxial pipe assemblies that is improved so as to make it easier to implement the connection means and to perform connection operations, in particular by optimizing laying equipment, and in which the connection zones between two unit lengths are reinforced, so that the stresses generated during laying are minimized and so that the fatigue behavior in bottom-to-surface connections is radically improved.
It is known to make pipes completely out of composite material. However they are generally of high cost and present the major drawback of being buoyant under certain situations, which means that they need to be weighted down by adding external mass so that they stay in position after being laid, or even so as to make laying possible.
In addition, and above all, pipes made of composite material are:                either made as continuous lengths that can therefore not be made by connecting together unit assemblies of coaxial pipe on board a laying vessel at sea;        or else made by connecting together unit elements on board a laying ship at sea; but under such circumstances, connecting together said unit elements of composite material presents major complications due to the stresses in the connection zone between two successive lengths. Junction parts made out of composite material are not strong enough, given the stresses in the vicinity of the connection. Furthermore, junction forgings made of steel are not easily fitted to coaxial pipe elements made of composite material.
Finally, when it is desired to convey a corrosive fluid in the inner pipe, e.g. such as H2S, it is necessary to provide an extra thickness of stainless steel that is suitable for withstanding such corrosion, thereby firstly further increasing the weight of the pipe, and secondly being complex and expensive to make.
A final problem on which the present invention is based is thus that of providing a PiP pipe assembly comprising an inner pipe whose inside wall is made of special anti-corrosion steel without making the pipe heavier and in a method of fabrication that is simplified.
EP 0 635 667 discloses simple undersea pipes made of steel that can be said to be "bound" because they are reinforced by composite material deposited by winding glass or carbon fibers over the length of each of the elements apart from their end portions, said end portions being reinforced after said elements have been interconnected on board the laying ship, within the J-lay tower, so as to present substantially uniform strength all along said pipe. With that type of composite pipe, the fibers are wound at an angle lying in the range 65° to 87°. The steel pipe must be capable of fully withstanding the bottom effect, while the radial bursting effect is taken up essentially by the composite reinforcement. During laying, all of the laying tension is taken up by the steel pipe, the composite material reinforcement not contributing significantly to the traction strength of the steel and composite pipe. In that type of single-walled steel and composite pipe, the composite material performs a binding role only, and the steel pipe must present sufficient strength of withstand traction forces during laying and also the bottom effect when the pipe is under pressure, thus requiring thickness that is indeed likely reduced but still relatively large for the steel wall of said pipe, and in particular greater than more than 50% of the thickness of the non-reinforced ends of the pipe or of a steel pipe of the same diameter for taking up the same bottom effect. The reduction in weight that is obtained by such a disposition is therefore fairly limited. In addition, that type of pipe does not present sufficient thermal insulation properties.
The various problems on which the present invention is based are solved by providing a coaxial pipe element in which the inner pipe is made of a composite material comprising a very thin inner tube of metal that is covered by inorganic fibers wound around said inner tube, i.e. a tube having thickness that is less than 50% that of a steel pipe of the same diameter needing to withstand the same bottom effect in full.

Light and reinforced undersea coaxial pipe element


A robot cleaner capable of vacuuming foreign materials on a floor includes a main body to which a dust collector is mounted and a vacuuming unit provided at a front portion of the main body to clean a floor. The vacuuming unit is configured to move relative to the main body. If it is determined that the robot cleaner is located near a wall or an obstacle, the vacuuming unit moves to the wall or the obstacle. Since the vacuuming unit contacts the wall or the obstacle, a region of a floor near the wall or the obstacle may be cleaned. Further, a manual cleaner may be selectively connected to a channel connector of the robot cleaner so that a user may choose automatic or manual cleaning of a floor at the user's convenience.

1. Field
One or more embodiments relate to a robot cleaner capable of vacuuming foreign materials on a floor and a control method of the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
A robot cleaner is a self-powered appliance utilizing an automatic travel function to clean a room or the like by vacuuming foreign materials, such as dust, from a floor of a room without user intervention. The robot cleaner detects a distance to an obstacle, such as furniture, office supplies, walls or the like, present in a zone to be cleaned using a distance sensor, and changes traveling directions by selectively driving a left-wheel motor and a right-wheel motor to perform cleaning of the zone to be cleaned.
A robot cleaner may be formed in a cylindrical shape. A cylindrical-shaped robot cleaner may have characteristics of smoothly changing traveling directions at a corner of a zone to be cleaned and being prevented from being caught by an obstacle.
A robot cleaner is provided with a vacuuming unit at a bottom surface thereof. A brush assembly may be rotatably mounted to a vacuuming unit. The brush assembly functions to collect dust on a floor and send the dust to the vacuuming unit. The vacuuming unit and the brush assembly may be disposed at a front or rear portion of the robot cleaner. In the case wherein the vacuuming unit and the brush assembly are disposed at a front or rear portion of the cylindrical-shaped robot cleaner, a specific region of a floor, such as a region near a wall, may not be cleaned although the robot cleaner travels on the specific region of a floor.

Robot cleaner and control method thereof


A technique for immediate, total breast reconstruction is described that equally preserves the skin of both the mastectomy and remaining breast. The technique is most applicable to a mastectomy which is performed through a circumareolar incision. Replacement tissue for the excised nipple-areolar complex is provided by a latissimus dorsi flap having a cutaneous peg. The pectoralis major and latissimus dorsi flap serve to create a submuscular prosthetic compartment. The submuscular compartment, together with the volume of the latissimus dorsi flap, closely approximates the volume of the contralateral breast, and the normal contour of the breast skin envelope. Accordingly, insertion of a permanent implant instead of an expander is possible. The nipple-areolar reconstruction can also be completed at the initial operative stage.

Cancer of the female breast is a significant health matter worldwide. The current treatment of breast cancer includes surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy, as well as various combinations of these three modalities. Approximately one-half the women in the U.S. that are diagnosed with breast cancer will elect or will require a mastectomy. Thus, mastectomy procedures are commonly used for the treatment of breast cancers.
Mastectomies have been performed since the late 1800s, by a procedure commonly known as the Halstead radical mastectomy. During this procedure, the breast tissue and the pectoralis major muscle along with a variable amount of skin including the nipple-areolar complex is removed. Typically, an axillary lymph node dissection is performed concurrently with the mastectomy. This procedure leaves the patient with a Halstead radical mastectomy deformity which is disfiguring and is often emotionally traumatic. The deformity is especially disfiguring when skin grafting is required to close the defect.
The Halstead (radical mastectomy) procedure has been modified by preserving the pectoralis major muscle (a "modified radical mastectomy"), and by reducing the skin excision to allow for direct linear closure of the defect.
In the past, mastectomy closure techniques have included split thickness skin grafts attached directly to the rib cage, in the context of a Halstead radical mastectomy, or simple straight line closure of an elliptical skin excision. Closure of the skin defect could also involve the immediate incorporation of a cutaneous or myocutaneous flap to at least partially replace the resected tissue. Myocutaneous units are commonly used to cover defects, whether traumatic or post-resectional. A myocutaneous unit can be prepared as a combination of both skin and muscle, or as a muscle unit that subsequently can be skin grafted. A myocutaneous unit may be transferred as a free flap (a flap detached from its intrinsic blood supply), thereafter connecting the unit's axial blood supply to recipient vessels near the defect.
Latissimus dorsi or rectus abdominis myocutaneous flaps are the most frequently utilized myocutaneous flaps for mastectomy closure. Some common applications for latissimus dorsi flaps include coverage of defects in the head and neck area, especially defects created from major head and neck cancer resection. Other applications include coverage of chest wall defects other than mastectomy deformities. The latissimus dorsi may also be used as a reverse flap, based upon its lumbar perforators, to close congenital defects of the spine such as spina bifida or meningomyelocele.
The latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap procedure was first combined with the Halstead mastectomy by Dr. Tansini in Italy in 1906. (Maxwell: Iginio Tansini and the Origin of the Latissimus Dorsi Musculocutaneous Flap, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery 65(5):686-692 (1980)) As illustrated in FIG. 1, a latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap having a cutaneous paddle P, was used to close the mastectomy defect. This myocutaneous flap has an intrinsic axial blood supply that is critical to the transfer and survivability of the flap.
Prior to the development of the Tansini procedure, random cutaneous flaps had limited survivability due to the paucity of their blood supply. The Tansini procedure did not, however, result in breast reconstruction. The flap was used only to close the chest wall defect.
Mastectomy closure techniques serve only to close the excision site. Due to the adverse characteristics of a mastectomy deformity, either from a radical mastectomy or a modified radical mastectomy, many women opt for post-mastectomy breast reconstruction. Reconstruction can take place contemporaneously with the mastectomy, or at a later time.
To achieve breast reconstruction, it is common to use a submuscular breast expander or a permanent implant in conjunction with a mastectomy closure technique. A breast expander allows for, and generally requires, sequential addition of fluid which stretches the remaining breast tissue. Accordingly, expanders or implants are inserted beneath the mastectomy incision, and have been used as a method for either immediate or delayed breast reconstruction.
There are several disadvantages to postmastectomy use of former latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flaps for excision closure or for breast reconstruction. In either of these contexts, there is always a significant transverse scar across the chest. Transverse scarring Ts is illustrated, for example in FIG. 1. The donor site scar on the back is also substantial. When such procedures are used and a breast is then reconstructed, the disadvantages are exacerbated since there is a large elliptical paddle of skin across the breast. This skin paddle has different pigmentation than the adjacent breast skin. Furthermore, the large flap of skin does not adequately recreate the contour of the breast. The resulting breast was typically malformed and flat.
Previously, major resections of skin occurred during radical or modified radical mastectomy procedures. More recently, skin resection has been limited to the nipple-areolar complex, through a circumareolar or periareolar incision. Modified radical mastectomies with circumareolar incisions have been performed on patients who did not have pre-existing invasion of the surrounding breast skin. When the skin excision is limited to the region of the nipple-areolar complex, the skin envelope of the breast is preserved.
When a circumareolar mastectomy is performed via an excision of the nipple-areolar complex, a straight line closure with insertion of breast expander has been used. (Grossman et al.: An Alternative Technique for Modified Radical Mastectomy with Immediate Reconstruction. Contemp. Surg. 38(6):20-24, (1991)) When the mastectomy and reconstruction are completed a breast expander or permanent implant is inserted, and the incision is closed with a straight line closure. Consequently, the reconstructed breast is skin deficient in comparison to the contralateral breast. This tissue shortage frequently required a repositioning surgery, with resulting scarring, on the contralateral breast.
Heretofore, a latissimus dorsi flap procedure has not contemporaneously been combined with a circumareolar mastectomy. For example, the state of the art for immediate breast reconstruction was discussed at the most recent (1992) Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons, in Washington D.C. Notably, when discussing the use of latissimus dorsi flaps for immediate reconstruction, this procedure was not discussed in combination with a circumareolar mastectomy. Rather, the latissimus dorsi flap was described as a myocutaneous unit with a large elliptical paddle of skin extending well beyond the boundary of the nipple areolar complex. (Van Natta: Use of the Latissimus Dorsi Myocutaneous Flag for Immediate Breast Reconstruction, oral presentation and written abstract provided Sep. 22, 1992)
Although latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flaps have not been combined with a circumareolar mastectomy, trans-rectus abdominis muscle flaps (TRAM flaps) have been used in combination with a circumareolar mastectomy. TRAM flaps serve to close a mastectomy defect and to provide breast reconstruction. With the TRAM flap a circular skin island is designed and transferred to the mastectomy defect. However, this skin island does not result in a reconstructed breast having a nipple-areolar complex with the same projection as a normal breast. In a TRAM flap procedure, the subcutaneous tissue of the flap, rather than a breast implant, fills the void left by the removal of the breast tissue. The subcutaneous tissue is primarily adipose tissue. The transferred rectus abdominis muscle functions merely as a conduit of the vascular supply. Typically, the muscular component of the TRAM flap does not serve to create a structural component of the reconstructed breast, such as a submuscular prosthetic pocket. With TRAM flaps, there is no muscular sling to be used in creating a prosthetic compartment to achieve breast volume. Rather, the majority of the reconstructed breast volume is filled by adipose subcutaneous tissue of the TRAM myocutaneous unit.
There are several disadvantages with TRAM flaps. The flap loss rate is higher, because the circulation of the myocutaneous unit is less reliable with TRAM flaps than with latissimus dorsi flaps. In many cases, a nipple-areolar reconstruction with harvesting of the patient's own areola is not possible due to the paucity of TRAM flap blood supply.
The TRAM flap is placed on top of the pectoralis muscle. Thus, an inherent disadvantage of the TRAM flap procedure is that a chest wall cancer recurrence can be covered up by this flap, which could delay the diagnosis of chest wall cancer recurrence. Since subcutaneous adipose tissue provides the majority of the reconstructed breast volume, fat necrosis of this tissue is a significant complication with this procedure. When fat necrosis of the adipose tissue occurs, calcifications and connective tissue masses can result. These sequelae can further exacerbate the difficulty of diagnosing a chest wall cancer recurrence.
In infrequent situations, the TRAM flap has been used with a pre-muscular breast prosthesis. Such pre-muscular prostheses also exacerbate the difficulty of detecting any chest wall cancer recurrence.
The donor site scar is also a significant drawback to the TRAM procedure, since it is located on the lower abdomen and runs hip to hip. Patients may also be subject to abdominal wall weakness and hernia formation as one or two rectus muscles are transferred to the breast.
The TRAM flap can be performed only once. Breast reconstruction for any subsequent breast cancer would require the use of a different technique. Furthermore, use of a TRAM flap is severely limited if the woman has any abdominal scars or if the woman has an inadequate amount of subcutaneous tissue. These limitations are especially problematic when attempting to reconstruct a large breast. Due to the involved nature of TRAM flap surgery, the procedure is often excluded for patients who have risk factors such as smoking, diabetes, or pulmonary dysfunction.
A free gluteal flap may also be designed in a similar fashion to the TRAM flap. The gluteal flap would suffer the same disadvantages as the TRAM flap, as well as the disadvantages attendant to free flaps.
In general, there are several significant drawbacks with prior breast reconstruction procedures when used in combination with a standard modified radical mastectomy. Severe scarring is one of the most serious problems. Due to the substantial contour distortion produced by these techniques, a reliable method of immediate and total breast reconstruction could not be performed, since it was difficult to determine where the nipple-areolar complex should be placed in a one-stage procedure. Thus, such procedures necessitate a multiple stage breast reconstruction that must be carried out over several months. Each subsequent procedure carries additional surgical risks, such as infection, bleeding, and anesthetic complications. After the breast is reconstructed, the resulting breast has an artificial appearance due to the large amounts of skin resection. Frequently, repositioning of the contralateral breast is required due to loss of skin on the mastectomy side.

Method for total, immediate, post-mastectomy breast reconstruction using a latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap