A system and methods are disclosed that generate a physical roadmap for the connectivity of a network, such as a network-on-chip (NoC). The roadmap includes a set of possible positions for placement of edges and nodes, which are known to be an acceptable and good position for placement of these network elements, that honors the constraints of the network. These known positions are made available to the system for synthesis of the network and generating the connectivity and placement based on the physical roadmap.

Multiprocessor systems implemented in systems-on-chips (SoCs) communicate through networks, such as a network-on-chip (NoC). Intellectual Property (IP) blocks or elements or cores are used in chip design. The SoCs include instances of intellectual property (IP) blocks. Some IP blocks are masters. Some IP blocks are slaves. Masters and slaves communicate through a network, such as a NoC.
Transactions, in the form of packets, are sent from a master to one or more slaves using any of the many industry-standard protocols. The master, which is connected to the NoC, sends a request transaction to a slave. The master uses an address to select the slave. The NoC decodes the address and transports the request from the master to the slave. The slave handles the transaction and sends a response transaction, which is transported back by the NoC, to the master.
The design of a network, such as the NoC, within a floorplan takes into account all the communication links between all the masters and their corresponding slaves. The various communication paths are represented by a connectivity mapping for the NoC within the floorplan. The connectivity map must take into account the location of the IP blocks in the floorplan, which represent physical constraints in the floorplan. The floorplan also includes spaces, such as corridors, where links or edged can be placed. Some approaches, such as Voronoi-based techniques, allow only 1 edge per corridor and thereby limit optimal utilization of the available space in the floorplan for placement of edges. Thus, systems and process that create a network topology given a set of constraints need to decide the optimal number of nodes and edges, and the positions of the nodes and placement of the edge in the floorplan. Therefore, what is needed is a system and method that generates a model, such as a physical roadmap, for the connectivity requirements of the network with constraints. The physical roadmap must honor the constraints while meeting the connectivity requirements of the network.

System and method for generating and using physical roadmaps in network synthesis


Phenoxyalkylcarboxylic acid derivatives represented by the following formula (I) ##STR1## having a strong and selective leukotriene antagonistic action and useful for prophylaxis and therapy of allergic diseases as asthma and processes of preparing the same.

The present invention concerns novel phenoxyalkylcarboxylic acid derivatives having a strong and selective leukotriene antagonistic action and useful for prophylaxis and therapy of allergic diseases as asthma, and processes of preparing the same.
The leukotrienes (leukotriene C.sub.4, D.sub.4, E.sub.4), which are metabolites of arachidonic acid through 5-lipoxygenase pathway, are the components of SRS-A (slow reaction substance of anaphylaxis) considered to be a major etiogenic substance of immediate type allergic diseases such as bronchial asthma and so on.
Hence, leukotriene antagonists are expected as a useful anti-allergic agent.
The inventors of the present invention had formerly found that a part of compounds of phenoxyalkylcarboxylic acid derivatives is leukotriene antagonists (Japanese Laid-open Publication No. Hei 2-1459 corresponding to EP 0 332 109 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,985,585), but there has been a desired creative preparation of compounds having activity in vivo.

Phenoxyalkylcarboxylic acid derivatives and process of preparing the same


A projector with air cleaning functionality is equipped with a negative ion generator. The negative ion generator is positioned along a cooling airflow route of the projector and is adjacent to a lamp module. A photo-catalyst sheet, which is stimulated by ultraviolet light emitted from the lamp module, can produce the negative ions quickly. The air, which is circulated along the cooling airflow route, carries the negative ions out of the projector so as to clean air in the surroundings.

1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to a projector and, in particular, to a projector with air cleaning functionality.
2. Related Art
Projectors are often used in a dark room to project a clear image on a screen. To avoid outdoor light from entering the room, screens are usually used on doors and windows to block the light. However, at the same time, there is no indoor airflow. If many people or smokers gather in such a room, there may be uncomfortable odors, dusts, and bacteria that will harm human bodies.

Projector with air cleaning functionality


A bone implantation instrument, punch apparatus and method of forming a recess in a bone are described. The instrument and apparatus include a punch that is extracted from the bone by prying force.

Total knee arthroplasty typically involves the replacement of a portion of the patella, femur and/or tibia with artificial components. In many surgeries, a proximal portion of the tibia and a distal portion of the femur are resected, prepared by further cutting, shaping, reaming, and/or punching the bone and replaced with artificial components. As used herein, when referring to bones or other body parts, the term "proximal" means closest to the heart and the term "distal" means more distant from the heart.
After preparing the distal surface of the femur and the proximal surface of the tibia, an opening is made into the medullary canal of the femur, and an opening is made into the medullary canal of tibia. Some implant components include an intramedullary (IM) stem, and when these components are used, the interior surface of the medullary canal and the IM tem of the femoral component are usually covered with polymeric cement. The IM stem is inserted into the medullary canal of the femur until the interior surface of the femoral component meets the distal surface of the femur. The IM stem of the tibial component is usually similarly cemented and inserted in the medullary canal of the tibia.
Occasionally, the femoral and tibial components are press fit without the use of cement. The use of cement has advantages and disadvantages. Press fit components rely on bone quality to obtain good fixation. Sometimes, however, it is impossible to obtain good fixation with a press fit component, and sometimes a press fit component will fail early because of failure of successful biological ingrowth. Cement assures good fixation, but may put strain along the component stem. In addition, cement can complicate the removal of a failed component.
Often, due to normal wear over time, the prosthetic knee must be replaced via a procedure known as revision surgery. When the primary cemented prosthetic is removed, the proximal surface of the tibia and the distal surface of the femur typically exhibit cavernous defects. Absent the use of bone graft, the proximal surface of the tibia and the distal surface of the femur must be carefully resected to remove cavernous defects before a replacement knee can be installed.
In addition, a revision surgery typically requires broaching and/or reaming the intramedullary (IM) canals to remove any remaining cement or cavernous defects existing in the canals before a replacement knee can be installed. Removal of the femoral component and preparation of the distal femur is performed using techniques known in the art. According to the state of the art, after the primary prosthetic is removed, the proximal tibia is resected with a cutting guide. The medullary canal is reamed. A proximal resection guide is attached to the reamer, and proximal resection is completed via slots in the guide.
Defects in the tibia, if present, are evaluated. If a tibial implant augment is deemed necessary, the proximal tibia is further prepared by attaching a multi-slotted augment cutting guide to the reamer and resecting the bone through the slot representing the optimum thickness for the augment to be implanted. After resection of the proximal tibia is completed, the tibial plateau is sized by placing and positioning the tibial template that provides the best coverage for that given tibia. The tibial template is pinned in this position. A punch guide is attached to the template and a keel or fin punch is used to provide a keeled or finned opening to accept the implant. The tibia implant has a cross-sectional keel or fin shape corresponding to the opening punched in the tibia that prevents rotation of the implant once it has been inserted into the punched opening.
Removal of the keel or fin punch typically involves the use of a slap hammer. Examples of devices that utilize slap hammers for the removal of punch instruments during knee surgery are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,690,636 and 5,788,701. Use of a slap hammer to remove a punch has certain disadvantages. One disadvantage of using a slap hammer is that the punch is removed in an uncontrolled manner. In addition, attachment and use of the slap hammer during a surgical procedure is relatively time-consuming, considering the relatively short time period to complete the surgical procedure. It would be desirable to provide a device and method that provides for the controlled removal of a punch from a bone during knee surgery.


An air guide apparatus includes a body installed at a discharge side of a rotary fan for sucking air, a plurality of first vanes arranged at one surface of the body to guide air sucked by the rotary fan toward the outer circumferential surface of the body, and a plurality of second vanes arranged on the other side of the body to guide air which has been guided by the first vanes from the outer circumferential surface of the body toward a central portion, formed in a spiral shape from the central portion of the body toward the outer circumferential surface of the body, and having disconnected portions formed at middle portions thereof.

In general, a fan motor assembly is commonly used for a vacuum cleaner that sucks to remove debris such as dust by using a suction force generated according to an operation of a driving motor.
The fan motor assembly includes a driving motor, a rotary fan engaged with a rotary shaft of the driving motor, an air guide member mounted between the driving motor and the rotary fan and guiding air toward the driving motor, and a cover that covers the rotary fan and the air guide member.
In a related art fan motor assembly for a vacuum cleaner, when a rotary fan is rotated fast by the driving motor to suck air, dust is collected in a dust collecting chamber, and air which has passed through the dust collecting chamber is exhausted to outside of a case, thereby performing cleaning. In this process, air distributively exhausted to an edge of the rotary fan is sent to the driving motor by a plurality of vanes formed at a guide member, cooling the driving motor, and then exhausted to outside of the case.
In an air guide member 1 of the related art fan motor assembly, as shown in FIG. 1, while sucked air is being guided or induced toward the driving motor (not shown), air has a viscous frictional force over a surface of a return vane 2, a boundary layer 3 is commonly formed on the surface of the return vane 2.
The boundary layer 3 increases a flow resistance of air blown to the driving motor, resulting in that air cannot smoothly guided toward the driving motor. Herein, the velocity of air flow indicated by an arrow becomes slow as it becomes closer to the surface of the return vane 2.
Accordingly, the amount of air guided to the driving motor, namely, the amount of air blown to the driving motor, is considerably reduced, degrading cooling efficiency of the driving motor, and a vacuum cleaner having such a fan motor assembly cannot have a good cleaning performance.

Fan motor assembly and air guide apparatus thereof


The invention relates to a hair dye system. The hair dye system includes at least one dye precursor, an oxidizing agent, and a catalyst. The catalyst is a homogeneous catalyst or a heterogeneous catalyst and the dye system has a viscosity of less than about 2,500 mPa-s, when measured at a shear rate of about 25 s−1 and at about 25° C.

Coloring of hair has become an increasingly popular practice. People desire hair coloration for reasons spanning from style choices to achieving more youthful appearances. As people age, the production of melanin slows, resulting in hair greying. Melanin can be purposely altered by chemical treatments to give lighter shades. The lightening is achieved by oxidizing the melanin pigments, usually with an oxidizing agent in alkaline solution, also called bleaches. Examples of oxidizing agents that can be used are hydrogen peroxide, potassium, sodium or ammonium salts of perborate or percarbonate, persulfate and percarbamide.
Bleaches are also used during oxidative dyeing treatments. Oxidative (or "permanent") dye compositions comprise "precursor dyes" which are small molecules capable of diffusing into the hair. These molecules mainly belong to three classes of aromatic compounds: diamines, aminophenols and phenols. They are sufficiently small to diffuse in the hair shaft where, once activated by an oxidizing agent such as hydrogen peroxide, they further react with other precursors to form larger colored complexes. Oxidative hair dye compositions commonly contain, in addition to the dye precursors and a source of peroxide, a variety of additional cosmetic and peroxide stabilizing agents.
Oxidizing agents can activate oxidative dye precursors across a range of pH. However, it is known that enhanced dye oxidation can be achieved via the use of a hair-swelling agent (HSA) that can adjust the pH of the oxidizing solution. Such HSA's further enhance the oxidizing and dyeing process by swelling the hair fibers to aid both the diffusion of the peroxide and dyeing agents into the hair and enabling faster, more thorough dye oxidization and hair dyeing. Preferred hair-swelling agents for adjusting the pH of peroxide hair oxidizing compositions are aqueous alkaline solutions containing ammonia (ammonium hydroxide) or monoethanolamine (MEA).
Low levels of chelants are routinely used as stabilizers or preservatives in various oxidizing compositions. For example, EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) is commonly used as a stabilizer in hydrogen peroxide solution, which would otherwise decompose too rapidly and could not be stored for a long time. Ethylene diaminedissucinnic acid (EDDS) is also known as a good stabilizing agent component to increase the stability of laundry bleaching products. Amounts as low as 0.1% by weight of the oxidizing composition are usually used to stabilize the oxidizing agent contained in the oxidizing compositions.
Oxidative treatments of hair such as bleaching (decoloration) and oxidative dyeing give good results and are very commonly used. They are however not without drawbacks. The oxidizing agents used for bleaching and oxidative dyeing damage hair, to some extent. The mechanism by which damage is caused to the hair fibers is not perfectly understood. However, it is known that some of the disulphide bonds linking the keratin chains break in the presence of oxidizing compositions. Repeated oxidative treatments leave weak, brittle hairs, which have little shine and luster. An enormous effort has been made to address this problem, and various solutions have been proposed.
Today, most dyeing or bleaching compositions are sold with a conditioner, which is applied on hair after the bleaching or dyeing composition has been rinsed off. Examples of conditioning agents are silicones, cationic surfactants and cationic polymers. However efficient, conditioners cannot prevent successive chemical treatments causing premature hair breakage. In fact, conditioners do not bring the hair back to its initial condition but merely conceal the damage under a protective layer of the conditioning agent, which only results in an improved feel of the hair.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,686,849 to Forbes et al. addresses the use of organotitanates as catalysts for oxidative hair color. The patent acknowledges that these organotitanate catalyst are prone to hydrolysis, offering hydrolysis as the reasoning and mechanism for organotitanates acting as bonding agents. The high pH instability of organotitanates is known in the literature, academic as well as vendor, and it is fully expected that these catalysts will hydrolyze under high pH formulation conditions to make titanium dioxide.
There is an ongoing need to provide hair color with a stabilized approach for minimizing or reducing hair damage in an oxidative hair dye system.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


Disclosed herein is a bird launcher with a remote controlled system. The bird launcher includes a box open on its top. First and second support bars are extended widthwise from the upper corners of the sidewalls of the box. A pair of cradle rods are each rotatably inserted at both ends into two holes formed in one-side ends of the support bars. A net-shaped fabric is attached at opposite side ends to the cradle rods. A holding lever is rotatably attached to the box by a center pin, and rotatably provided at its upper end with a roller bearing. A release lever rotatably is attached to the first support bar so as to position a bird accommodated in the fabric in the box when its bend portion is engaged with the roller bearing and a depression formed on the box. A transmitter transmits a user""s command. A receiver operates a solenoid to release the release lever fixed by the roller bearing attached to the holding lever and the depression formed on the center of the upper portion of one sidewall of the box, and outputs a beep sound.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a bird launcher with a remote controlled system, which is capable of launching birds while hunting dogs carry out pointing training.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,983,551 filed on Mar. 6, 1998 and issued on Nov. 16, 1999, xe2x80x9cremote controlled apparatus and method for training retrieving dogsxe2x80x9d is disclosed.
The prior art remote controlled apparatus is used to train retrieving dogs by launching birds from different location in various directions and at various heights and angles. The prior art remote controlled apparatus, using launch mechanisms of the type formed with a firing chamber, firing pin means, trigger means for actuating the firing pin means for firing a blank cartridge placed in the firing chamber and a launch barrel designed for explosive release of gas from a blank cartridge for launching a retrieving dummy or bird mounted on the launch barrel, is comprised of a ground engaging frame means, a plurality of support means connected to the frame means, the support means supporting a plurality of the launch mechanisms with the launch barrels, and a plurality of trigger control means mounted to the frame means.
However, the prior art remote controlled apparatus for training retrieving dogs is problematic in that the retrieving dogs do not approach the prior art remote controlled apparatus because the noise of operation is excessively great while the prior art remote controlled apparatus is operated to launch birds.
Additionally, the fabricating costs of the apparatus are high because of the complexity of its structure, the high costs of maintenance are required to troubleshoot the apparatus, and the usage of the apparatus is difficult.
Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a bird launcher with a remote controlled system, which allows hunting dogs to easily approach the bird launcher without a fear.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a bird launcher with a remote controlled system, which has a simple structure, thereby reducing its fabricating costs.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a bird launcher with remote controlled system, which is capable of being easily maintained with low costs.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a bird launcher with a remote controlled system, which is capable of being easily and conveniently utilized.
In order to accomplish the above object, the present invention provides a bird launcher with a remote controlled system, comprising: a box provided with a plurality of through holes to reduce its weight and ventilate its interior, and opened on its top; first and second support bars extended widthwise from the upper corners of the sidewalls of the box; a pair of cradle rods each rotatably inserted at both ends into two holes formed in one-side ends of the support bars; a net-shaped fabric attached at both ends to the center portions of the cradle rods so as to accommodate a bird; a holding lever rotatably attached to the outer surface of one sidewall of the box by a center pin, and rotatably provided at its upper end with a roller bearing; a release lever rotatably attached to the upper outer bracket of the first support bar so as to position a bird accommodated in the fabric in the box when its bend portion is engaged with the roller bearing attached to the holding lever and a depression formed on the center of the upper portion of one sidewall of the box; a safety pin attached to a support bracket mounted on one sidewall of the box through a wire, rope or string so as to prevent the rotation of the holding lever when the safety pin is inserted into a through hole formed on the holding lever and a through hole formed on one sidewall of the box; spring tension adjusting means for varying the unfolding speed of the cradle rods; a transmitter for transmitting a user""s command; and a receiver for operating a solenoid to release the release lever fixed by the roller bearing attached to the holding lever and the depression formed on the center of the upper portion of one sidewall of the box so as to launch a bird, and outputs a beep sound so as to notify a user of a location of the box.

Bird launcher with remote controlled system


A semiconductor device having a high-voltage transistor and a polysilicon-insulator-polysilicon (PIP) capacitor, and a method for fabricating the same are provided. A current flow path of the high-voltage transistor is widened to reduce on-resistance of the device. Thus, electric characteristics of the device are enhanced. The semiconductor device includes a substrate having a high-voltage transistor area and a PIP capacitor area, an extended drain region disposed in the high-voltage transistor area and separated from a source region, an impurity region formed in an upper portion of the extended drain region, and a drain region formed on a surface of the substrate and disposed within the impurity region.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and fabricating method thereof, and more particularly, to a semiconductor device having a high-voltage transistor and a polysilicon-insulator-polysilicon (PIP) capacitor, and a fabricating method thereof.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a related art semiconductor device having a high-voltage transistor and a PIP capacitor.
Referring to FIG. 1, a well region (not shown) and an n− extended drain region 110 are formed in a high-voltage transistor area of a p− substrate 100 having a high-voltage transistor area and a PIP capacitor area. Subsequently, a LOCOS device isolation layer 120 is formed as a device isolation layer. After a pad oxide layer (not shown) for forming the LOCOS device isolation layer 120 has been removed, an oxide layer 130 to be used as a gate insulating layer in the high-voltage transistor area is formed over the substrate. A polysilicon layer 140 and an insulating layer pattern 150, e.g., an oxide layer pattern, are formed on the oxide layer 130 and the LOCOS device isolation layer 120. The insulating layer pattern 150 covers the entire high-voltage transistor area but exposes a surface of the polysilicon layer 140 corresponding to a PIP capacitor forming area within the PIP capacitor area. Subsequently, the exposed surface of the polysilicon layer 130 in the PIP capacitor area is doped with phosphorus oxychloride (POCl3).
Referring to FIG. 2, the insulating layer pattern 150 is removed. By patterning the polysilicon layer 140 in the high-voltage transistor area and the PIP capacitor area, a gate conductive layer pattern 141 and a first electrode layer pattern 142 are formed in the high-voltage transistor area and the PIP capacitor area, respectively. A gate spacer layer 160 is formed on a lateral side of the gate conductive layer pattern 141. By ion implantation and annealing, an n+ source region 171 and an n+ drain region 272 are formed. Optionally, to form a lightly doped drain structure, ion implantation may be performed prior to forming a gate spacer layer 160 to form source/drain extended regions. Subsequently, a dielectric layer pattern 180 and a second electrode layer pattern 190 are sequentially stacked on the first electrode layer pattern 142 in the PIP capacitor area. By wiring, the n+ source and drain regions 171 and 272 in the high-voltage transistor area are electrically connected to source and drain electrodes S and D, respectively. The first and second electrode layer patterns 142 and 190 in the PIP capacitor area are electrically connected to lower and upper electrodes C1 and C2, respectively. Hence, the high-voltage transistor and the PIP capacitor are formed in the high-voltage transistor area and the PIP capacitor area, respectively.
A current path of the high-voltage transistor, shown by the arrow extending from n+ source region 171, includes a channel region in the substrate 100 under the gate conductive layer pattern 141 and a surface of the n− extended drain region 110. Therefore, resistance is raised along the lightly doped n− extended drain region 110 and an increase in on-resistance of a device occurs. This degrades the electrical characteristics of the device.

Semiconductor device having high-voltage transistor and PIP capacitor and method for fabricating the same


A connecting device for pipelines or hose lines with a threaded body and with a pipe-like end piece which can be inserted into a receptacle formed on the threaded body and which can be fitted therein by means of a swivel nut screwed onto the threaded body, wherein the receptacle of the threaded body has the shape of a widening cone and the circumferential surface of the end piece that engages in the receptacle has a conical design, is characterized in that the circumferential surface (12) of the threaded body (10) that bears the external thread (30) has, in the direction of the front end of said surface, an inclined profile directed opposite to the cone of the receptacle (11), and the swivel nut (17) has, with its surface (18) bearing the internal thread (31), a profile complementary thereto, and the external thread (30) and internal thread (31) are designed as tapered threads in such a way that a radial force emanating from the tapered thread with the swivel nut (17) screwed on is directed opposite to the radial force exerted, with the connecting device mounted, by the conical end piece (13) onto the receiving cone (11) formed in the threaded body (10).

A generic connecting device is known from DD 204 059 A1. Here, the external thread constructed on the threaded connection body and the associated internal thread constructed in the union nut are in each case constructed as a cylindrical thread, so that the circumferential surface of the threaded connection body carrying the external thread has a course parallel to the longitudinal axis of the connecting device. The receptacle of the threaded connection body accommodating the end piece has the shape of a cone expanding outwardly towards the end piece to be plugged in, preferably in the form of a so-called 24° cone. To produce corresponding bearing surfaces between the threaded connection body and end piece, the end piece is constructed with a conicity corresponding to the receiving cone of the threaded connection body in the region to be pushed into the receiving cone of the threaded connection body.
The known connecting device is connected with the disadvantage that when installing, owing to the cylindrical thread, the union nut must initially be screwed for a plurality of rotations onto the threaded connection body before it is tightened with a suitable tool until a predetermined torque in the final installation position is reached. Installation of this type is troublesome and difficult to carry out, particularly in the case of connecting devices to be arranged in regions which are difficult to access. A further disadvantage can be seen in the fact that in the event of too strong a tightening of the union nut, the end piece pushed into the receiving cone of the threaded connection body with a corresponding axial force seeks to widen the receiving cone of the threaded connection body with respect to the cylindrical bearing surface of the union nut screwed onto the cylindrical external thread constructed on the threaded connection body with a cylindrical internal thread, so that corresponding damage of the threaded connection body or the union nut and leakiness of the pipe connection connected therewith may result.

High-pressure resistant screw connection for pipe or hose lines with a tapered thread

Parker Hannifin Manufacturing Germany GmbH & Co. KG


A helmet system includes: a helmet shell; right and left bottom guards; a head strap comprising a head band and a plurality of flexible tethers, including a main tether stem and a tether connector, including a connector stem and a connector blocking member, such that the flexible tethers protrude from an outer periphery of the head band and are connected to tether apertures in the helmet shell. The head band can optionally include an opening with a band lock, and right and left upward curved sections. The helmet system can optionally include shoulder pads.

Helmets are used in a number of areas to protect the head of humans on work sites and during sports activities.
However, conventional helmet designs rely on padding that establishes a large contact area with the head, and while they may aid in preventing blunt force trauma from direct impact, are generally not effective in preventing head movement and as such may not prevent brain injuries caused by sudden movement of the head.
As such, considering the foregoing, it may be appreciated that there continues to be a need for novel and improved devices and methods for helmet systems that reduce the risk of injury from head movement.


An electrical wall plate may include one or more of the following features. A face plate comprising at least one electrical device opening extending through the face plate. At least one box mounting screw opening configured to receive at least one box mounting screw to fasten the face plate to an electrical device. A power connector extending in a direction away from the face plate and configured to connect with the electrical device. A camera integrated with the face plate and in electrical connection with the power connector and configured to operate by power obtained from the electrical device when the power connector is connected to the electrical device. A camera movement control feature may comprise externally-engageable components coupled to the face plate and configured to movably position the camera or a camera lens by pan or tilt to point in different directions.

An electrical wall plate is a typical device used to prevent access to electrical wires and electrical receptacles therein. Conventional electrical wall plates commonly mount to electrical receptacles via connection by fasteners, such as screws, or by a mechanical fit involving interlocking components designed to secure the wall plate to the receptacle. Recently, some electrical wall plates have incorporated lights or other electronic components, thereby offering additional functionality beyond mere prevention of access to the electrical wires and receptacle. However, such electrical wall plate designs suffer from one or more of cumbersome and unsafe wiring arrangements, bulky design geometries, and infective communication abilities.

Electrical wall plate with movably positionable camera


A flowable powder fabric dry cleaning formulation is disclosed. The formulations contains powdered cellulose, borax hydrated amorphous silica, anionic surfactants, an organic solvent, water; and a zeolite.

Powdered cleaning formulations for dry cleaning carpets and other textiles are known. The formulations generally contain surfactants, absorbants and water. In use the powder is brushed into the carpet fibers; allowed to absorb the soil. After drying the carpet is then vacuumed thereby removing the soil laden powder leaving a clean carpet.
Various absorbants have been used, ranging from clays to dried corn cobs, a combination of cellulose fibers, powdered borax, wood flour and fumed silica. Both cellulose fibers and borax have been used as absorbants but not in the same formulation. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,659,494, 4,834,900 and 4,395,347.
Zeolites, natural and synthetic, in combination with surfactants and organic solvents (nonaqueous) have also been used in formulations for dry cleaning textiles. See U.S. Pat. No. 4,648,882.
The problem is that such prior art formulations are not complete cleaning systems. For example, water must be added before use. Moreover the formulations are fluffy causing difficulties in filling containers during manufacture. These powders have very poor flowing characteristics that make effective dispersals on carpets difficult.

Flowable powder carpet cleaning formulations


An eye examining apparatus includes an eye examining system provided with an image pickup device for picking up the image of an eye to be examined and for examining the eye to be examined, a driver for driving the eye examining system, an input device for permitting an operator to effect an input operation to operate the driver a display for displaying the image of the eye to be examined obtained by the image pickup device, and a controller for changing the relation between the direction of the input to the input device and the direction of driving of the driver conforming thereto in conformity with the direction of the display.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an eye examining apparatus for use in ophthalmic hospitals or optician's stores.
2. Related Background Art
Alignment for aligning an eye to be examined with the optical system of an eye examining apparatus has heretofore been effected by operating an operating rod mechanically connected to the sliding stand of the apparatus. At this time, an examiner operates the operating rod while observing a monitor screen displaying the image of the front eye part of the eye at a position opposed to an examinee with the apparatus interposed therebetween, but since the examiner is away from the examinee, it is difficult for the examiner to give close care to the examinee such as to raise his eyelashes, or to observe the fatigue of the examinee. For these purposes, it is preferable for the examiner to move near the examinee and effect adjustment or eye examination.
(1) However, it has been difficult for the examiner to move away from the location opposed to the examinee to be near the examinee on the examinee's side of the apparatus and perform the operation while observing the image of the front eye part on the monitor screen.
(2) Also, for the purpose of alignment, there has been proposed a method of providing an electronic viewfinder for observing the eye of the examinee, but this method suffers from the problem that the observation field will be lacking unless observation is made with the examiner's eye brought very close to the position of an eyepiece.

Eye examining apparatus having a driver for driving an eye examining system


A fluidic variable focal length optical lens has a sealed housing having a first fluidic chamber filled with a first fluidic medium and a second fluidic chamber filled with a second fluidic medium, the first and the second fluidic chamber being separated from each other by an elastic membrane, wherein the first and the second fluidic medium have different refractive indices, and a deformator configured to deform the membrane laterally within a pump zone, thereby laterally displacing the first fluidic medium from the pump zone to a lens zone and the second fluidic medium from the lens zone to the pump zone, so that the membrane also deforms in the lens zone and changes a focal length of the lens zone along a normal direction.

The present invention relates to a fluidic variable focal length optical lens and a method for manufacturing the same.
There is an ever-increasing need for miniaturization and cost-effective solutions for lenses as part of imaging systems with either static or dynamic functions. In conventional optical imaging systems and cameras with auto-focus and zooming options, the physical positioning of a movable lens element to focus an image onto an image sensor or to change the overall magnification of the system is often realized by a manual operation of a bulky mechanical positioning system based on a complex arrangement of gears. The large physical dimension of a focusing and zooming system makes it difficult to place such optical zooming functions onto cell phone cameras or, if this is done nevertheless, the image quality is low compared to that of conventional photo cameras. Moreover, mechanical positioning systems are subjected to corrosion or mechanical wearing processes such as abrasion.
In order to improve the functionalities, increase the efficiency and decrease the costs of a zoom objective, an auto-focus option or other (adjustable) optical element for miniature imaging systems, alternative solutions have been adopted, including lenses of continuously varying focal length.
In the art, known design of variable lenses employed for optical imaging and adaptive optics make use of various fundamental processes for varying the focal length, wherein the basic idea is to either change the geometry or the optical properties of the lens material. Known designs of variable lenses use, for instance, processes such as a deformation of an elastic membrane as provoked by an externally exerted hydraulic pressure on the surrounding medium, the variation of contact angle respectively meniscus of a two-fluid-interface forming a lens by means of electro-wetting effect, volume variation of lens materials via thermal contraction respectively dilation or pH variation in organic gels' lenses, refractive index variation in lenses made of liquid crystals by electrically changing the liquid crystals' orientation, lenses made of electro-optic materials whose bulk polarization can be changed by varying an applied electric field, and lenses made of thermo-optic materials which respond to temperature variation.
In WO 2007/069213 A2, U.S. Pat. No. 6,188,526 B1, J. Draheim et al., "Fabrication of a fluidic membrane lens system", J. Micromech. Microeng. 19 (2009) 095013 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,580,195 B2, several different focus fluid lens devices having a fluidic chamber are described, wherein a membrane is deformed by an activation of some actuator configured to act as a pump so as to change a focal length of the respective lens device. In WO 2007/069213 A2, the actuator has two distinct states of deformation only, which essentially result in two different focal lengths as well. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,188,526 B1, a pump zone and a lens zone of the fluidic chamber laterally overlap each other, so that the construction is complicated. A disadvantage of the lens device as described in J. Draheim et al., "Fabrication of a fluidic membrane lens system", J. Micromech. Microeng. 19 (2009) 095013 is that it uses channels and, therefore, is characterized by a relative complex structure. In U.S. Pat. No. 7,580,195 B2, the structure of the lens device has one fluidic chamber filled with a fluidic medium with the membrane separating the fluidic medium from the environmental medium, so that the control of the focal length is difficult due to dependencies on environmental physical conditions.
However, a general problem of known designs is that they present restrictions regarding the degree of miniaturization, compactness and robustness.

Fluidic variable focal length optical lens and method for manufacturing the same

Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.


A device images time-wise in parallel using transducer elements of a group. The elements are of a current group and imaging is time-wise sequential by group. The groups may be spatially disposed with respect to each other so as to mutually intermesh element-wise. The imaging may include volumetric imaging. The device may be configured for not collectively using any of the elements to focus, nor to steer, a beam used in the imaging. The device may further be operable to transition between spacing states at least one of which is characterized by a respective minimum, nonzero, degree of intra-group, element-to-element non-adjacency, or may be fixed at a selected spacing state. The transitioning may be automatic, in response to input indicative of blood vessel size and/or depth.

Assessing the well being of fetus is a very important clinical practice in pregnancy care. Currently, the most prevalent ways for doctors to assess fetal well-being are the analysis of fetal heart rate using a cardio-tocograph (CTG) and the assessment of maternal and fetal blood vessel flows using ultrasound Doppler. Ultrasound Doppler waveform analysis of specific blood flows of fetus and mother is part of established medical practice, and a standard recommendation in various clinical guidelines for the diagnosis and assessment of high-risk pregnancies (type-2 diabetes, hypertension or pre-eclampsia in mother and IUGR—intra-uterine growth restriction of fetus). One of the main aims of routine antenatal care is to identify the "at risk" fetus in order to clinically intervene, thereby reducing the incidence of perinatal morbidity and mortality. Some of the vessels useful in the assessment of fetal well-being are: the umbilical artery, the middle cerebral artery, the ductus venosus, and the (left and right) uterine arteries and umbilical veins.
Ultrasound scanners have become indispensible in the monitoring of pregnancies worldwide. They currently provide the best option to monitor the growth and development of the fetus. Duplex ultrasound scanners provide ultrasound pulsed wave Doppler in addition to the regular scan. Color and power Doppler are newer additions to the range of scanners that provide for vascular imaging. Color Doppler, in particular, is commonly provided, resulting in what is often called a "triplex" scanner.
Doppler exams typically require a great degree of skill to obtain a clinically useful measurement. For example, correct orientation of the probe with respect to the vessel is essential to ensure that the beam-flow angle is less than 60 degrees. Errors in measurements are amplified when angles of greater than 60 degrees are used in the determination of velocities. The standard workflow on a clinical ultrasound scanner allows a sonographer to determine the orientation of the probe with respect to the vessel using a standard B-mode and Color Flow display. The spectral Doppler measurements are then obtained thus ensuring that the measured velocities are correct.
The use of ultrasound in vascular applications to perform Doppler velocimetry requires availability of skilled personnel.

Excitation schemes for low-cost transducer arrays


A differentiated identification system facilitates dynamically differentially morphed access for one or more requesters. The system receives an access request including at least one differentiable voucher from a requester and assesses the type of the received access request by considering the access request, the differentiable voucher and one or more semblances. The system then dynamically differentially morphs an access to one or more service or data based on the assessment of the access request type, enabling the system to provide the requester with dynamically differentially morphed access to the one or more service or data.

The present invention relates to systems and methods for differentiated identification for configuration and operation.
Given the need to enable utilization of electronic computing devices and/or computer facilitated services by authorized individuals and/or entities, and the need to prevent, control and/or alter utilization of such devices and/or services by and/or under the influence of unauthorized individuals and/or entities, a need exists for differentiated identification for configuration and operation of electronic computing devices and services.
The breach of huge databases exposing extremely sensitive consumer data to a world of bad actors has stripped away billions of dollars in corporate market value and made it woefully and painfully obvious to consumers that the security of their personal data cannot be comfortably entrusted solely to third parties who may have conflicting interests. Revelations such as Stuxnet, the Snowden NSA and 2017 CIA cyber-spying leaks, the 2016 Hillary Clinton campaign hacks and the May 2017 hospital ransom-ware attacks have made consumers aware that the threat to their data privacy and security extends to nation state actors, multi-national corporations and global crime syndicates in addition to pranksters, crooks, white-hat hackers and whistleblowers. Further, as 60% of small companies suffering a cyber attack are out of business within six months, this has become an existential threat to investors, employers, and employees worldwide.
Third parties—typically not consumers—control the storage, structure, protection, authentication and authorization of access to and use of computer services and data—on both personal devices and remote servers. Even on nominally consumer-owned personal devices, the software on those devices is owned by third parties and often much of the data as well. Typically, a user must use the security mechanisms and the access policies provided by the device manufacturer and/or a remote service provider. It is nearly impossible for a user to alter, replace, strengthen or alter those security facilities outside of the bounds of often poorly documented menus of settings whose effects are often hidden and which may change without notice. It is largely a poorly understood take-it-or leave it proposition.
Worse, today's secure access control mechanisms have a characteristically binary operation. One either succeeds in being authenticated and gaining access or one fails to be authenticated, thus not gaining access and instead typically notified of one's failure. This regime is extremely helpful for bad actors trying to gain illicit access. There is essentially no ambiguity or deception. Failure is quickly and clearly apparent, thus speeding processes of elimination and/or deduction.
Regardless of how well computer systems are secured, they will continue to be breached. Perhaps the most certain reason for this is that licit users are increasingly being coerced by powerful individuals or entities—for example by armed criminals or bullying bosses—to enter their access credentials so that such individuals or entities can gain access to the user's computerized services and data. The true failing of today's systems is this: even though it is well understood that access control will be breached, the systems thusly exposed are not designed to dynamically configure operation in a fashion that differentiates legitimate access from successful (perhaps coerced) illicit access.
Now picture a contrasting example, a system that supports a plurality of valid (i.e., accepted) passwords for a given username. One valid password when authenticated enables normal dynamically configured operation of the accessed computer system. However, another valid password when authenticated enables an alternative dynamically configured operation of the accessed computer system. So, if that latter valid password is provided to a prying boss, it provides seeming access to the coerced user's computer services and data, but in fact provides access to a perhaps similar, but altered, substitute. The intruder is satisfied, but in fact fooled. Even if they are suspicious, they may be hard pressed to be certain that they have been deceived.
It is therefore apparent that an urgent need exists for differentiated identification for configuration and operation of computing devices and services. This improved system for securing computer services and data enables protection via nuanced identification of illicit access coupled with access to a deceptive substitution rather than utilizing absolute access denial.

Systems and methods for differentiated identification for configuration and operation


A display box for protectively packaging contents is disclosed. When the display box is in the closed position, the contents are retained by at least one depression or aperture in the forward wall of at least one right triangular prism that comprises the display box. When in the open position, the display box is self-supporting, has several surfaces for displaying information or decoration, and is designed to be displayed with the contents. Each of the right triangular prisms is hingedly fastened at its back edges to at least one adjacent right triangular prism so that all of the right triangular prisms are fastened in series and are moveable between a first open position and a second closed position. In the first open position, the back planar surfaces of the right triangular prisms are co-planar. In the second closed position, the vertex edge of each right triangular prism lies along a central vertical longitudinal axis of the display box. In the preferred embodiment, there are four right triangular prisms which are hollow and the depression is an aperture allowing the viewing of at least a part of an inside surface of the back planar wall. The preferred embodiment is further formed of flexible sheet material which is a single contiguous piece. In an alternate embodiment, the right triangular prisms are solid, and have a depression.

The field of invention relates generally to display packaging, and more particularly, pertains to display packaging which is to be retained and utilized with the contents. The field of packaging includes prior art that is designed to provide safe transport for a product. This has been accomplished through durability of the packaging itself, or else additional partitions or inserts designed to cushion the contents. Both the external packaging, and the internal partitions or inserts are typically discarded after the package is transported and the contents removed. This waste, in recent years, has placed a severe strain on sanitary landfills and on our disposal systems. Such is especially the case when the packaging materials are not constructed of biodegradable substances.
In the packaging industry, emphasis has also been placed on packaging which is designed to enhance the attractiveness of the goods while the goods are in the package. This is particularly true in the case of consumer goods. Product enhancement is accomplished by packaging that either allows for the viewing of all or part of the contents while packaged, or else packaging that is appealing in its own right. On occasion, it is accomplished through packaging that creates the impression that the contents are larger than what is actually the case. Even in the context of decorative packaging, the packaging is designed to be discarded immediately after removal of the contents. This occurs in almost all instances of consumer packaging. Many times the disposal of the packaging is virtually assured by the fact that it is necessary to destroy or damage the packaging in order to obtain access to the contents.
In the separate field of display booths or table top displays, the emphasis is on the provision of a lightweight, but structurally sound construction that will permit the mounting of various advertising signs, literature, or samples. Sometimes these structures are designed for reuse, but often they are intended to have only a single use. This again creates the disposal problems that were mentioned above. In addition, these display structures are meant to advertise the aspects of a product only. They are not meant to be a container for the product for transport and protection.
The present invention is intended to consolidate the advantageous features that exist in both the area of packaging and the area of display booths or table top displays in a novel combination, while overcoming the problems.
These and other difficulties experienced with the prior art packaging, display booths and table top displays have been obviated in a novel manner by the present invention.
It is, therefore, a principal object of the invention to provide a display box that will provide protection for the contents during shipment and storage.
Another object of this invention is the provision of a display box that will avoid waste in packaging, by utilizing the packaging after shipping, and causing a decrease in the volume of disposed material.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of a display box that is constructed from biodegradable material.
It is another object of the instant invention to provide a display box that may be easily opened without damage to the packaging or the contents.
A still further object of the invention is the provision of a display box that when in the closed position will provide a uniform, symmetrical, package which is conducive to packaging a quantity of display boxes in a larger package, or for stacking in a storage facility.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a display box that will be lightweight to reduce shipping costs.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a display box with a plurality of flat surfaces to allow for the imprinting of commercial messages or ornamentation.
Another object of the invention is the provision of a display box that, when in the open position, will be self-supporting, to allow for the viewing of the package itself.
A further object of the invention is the provision of a display box that will enhance the theme of the contents when viewed together with those contents.
It is another object of the instant invention to provide a display box that will allow for observation from an external vantage point of at least a portion of the internal surface.
With these and other objects in view, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the invention resides in the combination of parts set forth in the specification and covered by the claims appended hereto.


A Fourier transform interferometer for rapid scanning of scenes such as explosions wherein an incoming beam of light to be analyzed is split by a beam splitter into a first portion and a second portion. The first portion of the incoming light is sent down one arm of the interferometer where it passes through a rotating scanning cube for changing the path length in that arm of the interferometer. The light is then reflected by a retro mirror and sent back through the scanning cube to the beam splitter for sending a portion of the returning beam to a detector. The second portion of the incoming light is sent down a second arm of the interferometer where it passes through a compensator. The light is then reflected by a retro mirror and sent back through the compensator to the beam splitter for sending a portion of the returning beam to a detector. The first and second portions of the incoming light having differing path lengths interfere and the detector measures the fringes created.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to interferometers and more particularly to Fourier transform interferometers having a rotary refractive window.
2. Description of the Related Art
One of the most common arrangements for performing the interferometric function is known as the Michelson Configuration which uses light interference in spectroscopy where two beams of light with separate optical paths are directed toward a common point forming interference fringes.
Dybwad, U.S. Pat. No. 4,654,530, issued Mar. 31, 1987, titled Refractively Scanned Interferometer discloses a window 30 which refractively changes the path length of a light beam. The window is rectangular which produces 4 spectrum scans per rotation.
Further Dybwad uses two arms of the interferometer traveling through the window for additively changing the path length of the light beams and compensating for non-linearities occurring in the window.

Ultra fast fourier transform spectrometer with rotating scanning cube


A process for preparing polyimide gas separation membranes is disclosed. The process involves preparing polyamic acid salt membrane precursors that are converted into polyimide membranes by mild thermal or chemical treatments. The gas separation processes that utilize these polyimide membranes are further disclosed.

This invention describes the preparation of improved polyimide gas separation membranes and gas separation processes that utilize these membranes. Specifically, soluble polyamic acid salt (PAAS) precursors comprised of tertiary and quaternary amines, ammonium cations, sulfonium cations, or phosphonium cations, are prepared and fabricated into membranes that are subsequently imidized and converted into rigid-rod polyimide membranes with desirable gas separation properties. A method of tailoring membrane gas separation and permeation characteristics by controlling the imidization process and PAAS counter ion selection without changing the chemical structure of the polyimide membrane is also disclosed.
The use of polymeric membranes for gas separation applications is well documented in the art. The relationship between the polymeric structure and the gas separation properties has been extensively studied, see for example, W. J. Koros, Journal of Membrane Science, Volume 83, pp1, 1993; L. M. Robeson, Journal of Membrane Science, Volume 62, pp165, 1991; and L. M. Robeson, Polymer, Volume 35, pp4970, 1994. It is well documented in the art that stiffening the polymeric backbone while simultaneously inhibiting chain packing can lead to improved gas permeability combined with an increase in gas selectivity for certain gas mixtures. Polyimides are examples of such rigid-rod polymers showing desirable gas separation properties, see for example, D. R. B. Walker and W. J. Koros, Journal of Membrane Science, Volume 55, page 99, 1991; S. A. Stern, Journal of Membrane Science, Volume 94, page 1, 1994; K. Matsumoto, P. Xu, Journal of Applied Polymer Science, Volume 47, page 1961, 1993,). U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,705,540; 4,717,393; 4,717,394; 5,042,993; and 5,074,891 disclose the preparation of such aromatic polyimide gas separation membranes. For practical industrial applications polymeric gas separation membranes are fabricated into an asymmetric or a composite configuration with thin separation layers. The membranes can be further configured into flat sheets or into hollow fibers. Although rigid-rod polyimides have excellent gas separation properties, they frequently can be dissolved only in aggressive organic solvents such as N-methyl-pyrrolidinone (NMP), N,N-dimethyl formamide (DMF), or phenols which makes it difficult to prepare composite membranes with ultrathin separation layers and can further cause environmental problems. For example, polyimide membranes have been fabricated from chlorophenol solutions as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,440,643.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,618,334; 5,725,633; and 5,744,575 disclose modified polyimides containing sulfonic acid groups that exhibit improved solubility in common organic solvents. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,440,643 and 5,141,642 disclose the process of fabricating polyimide gas separation membranes from polyamic acid precursors. However, polyamic acids can undergo degradation and are sensitive to temperature and moisture variations, which makes the manufacturing of polyamic acid membranes that exhibit reproducible properties most difficult. Furthermore, some polyamic acids are not soluble in mild organic solvents, and all polyamic acids require harsh conditions to complete imidization. For example, temperatures as high as 300xc2x0 C. are generally required to complete imidization of polyamic acids by thermal treatment. The limited availability of solvent systems and high imidization temperatures prohibits the application of polyamic acid precursors as the coating material for the fabrication of composite polyimide membranes when preferred, readily available polymeric substrates, such as polysulfone are used. To maintain the high porosity of the porous substrate the thermal imidization temperature must be lower than the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the porous substrate polymer. Most of the commercially employed polymeric substrates have glass transition temperatures below 200xc2x0 C., for example, the Tg of polysulfone is 190xc2x0 C.
It is known in the art that polyimide polymers can be prepared from polyamic acid salt precursors. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,290,929 and 5,719,253 disclose the use of polyamic acid solutions of tertiary amine. The following publications also disclose the synthesis of polyamic acid salts: R. J. W. Reynolds and J. D. Seddon, Journal of Polymer Science, Part C, Volume 23, pp45, 1968; and J. A. Kreuz, A. L. Endrey, F. P. Gay, and C. E. Sroog, Journal of Polymer Science, Part A-1, Volume 4, pp 2607, 1966; Y. Echigo, N. Miki, and I. Tomioka, Journal of Polymer Science, Polymer Chemistry, Volume 35, pp2493, 1997.
It has been taught in the art that amphiphilic polyamic alkylamine salts can form Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films on water surfaces that subsequently can be converted into polyimide films, see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,939,214 as well as Y. Nishikata, et al., Polymer Journal, Volume 20, pp269, 1988, and Y. Nishikata, et al., Thin Solid Films, Volume 160, pp15, 1988. Marek et al. disclose preparation of thin LB films for gas separation applications from dimethyldodecyl-ammonium and dimethylhexadecyl-ammonium polyamic acid salts, see M. Marek et al., Polymer, Volume 37, pp2577, 1996. The authors concluded that LB films with gas separation characteristics cannot be obtained from the short-chain tertiary amine salts of polyamic acid. Marek et al. found that to form LB films that exhibit gas separation property, one of the alkyl chains in the tertiary amine salt has to be longer than 16 carbon atoms to form an acceptable LB film. The use of polyamic acid salt precursors for membrane preparation in the prior art is thus limited to LB film techniques which are not practical for commercial membrane production due to the requirement of forming films on a water surface, then transfering such film to a porous substrate. Therefore, a need still remains for improved methods to prepare polyimide membranes, in particular methods that employ mild organic solvents and/or mild heat or chemical treatments in polyimide membrane preparation.
The present invention teaches an improved and industrially feasible method to fabricate polyimide gas separation membranes. In a preferred embodiment, the polyimide membranes of the present invention are produced by a two-step process, wherein: (a) a membrane is formed from a polyamic acid salt membrane precursor that contains the following units in its structure:
wherein R is a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic, alicyclic, heterocyclic, or aliphatic radical;
X is an ammonium ion, a phosphonium ion, a sulfonium ion, a protonated tertiary amine, a quaternary amine or mixtures thereof; the quaternary amine ion can be a heterocyclic, alicyclic or an aromatic amine ion or an ion of the following general formula: R1R2R3R4N+; the protonated tertiary amine can be a heterocyclic amine, alicyclic amine, an aromatic amine or an amine of the following general formula: R1R2R3NH R1, R2, R3 and R4 can be the same or different and are aryl or alkyl radials; and (b) the membrane formed from the polyamic acid salt precursor is subsequently converted into the polyimide membrane by thermal or chemical treatment.
The invention is based on the unexpected findings that certain polyamic acid salts, preferably tertiary amine salts or quaternary salts of polyamic acids, have very good solubility in mild organic solvents and that the imidization of these polyamic acid salts can be realized at relatively mild thermal conditions. These characteristics are extremely useful for the fabrication of gas separation membranes, in particular, composite membranes.
In one embodiment of this invention, the polyimide gas separation membrane is produced by (a) preparing a membrane casting solution containing polyamic acid salt in at least one polar solvent; (b) forming a membrane configuration shaped as a flat sheet or as a hollow fiber from the polyamic acid salt solution; (c) conveying said membrane configuration through an evaporation zone; (d) bringing said membrane configuration into contact with a coagulating liquid to form a solidified membrane; (e) washing said solidified membrane to remove residual solvent; and (f) drying the solid membrane. (h) converting the polyamic acid salt membrane into a polyimide membrane by heat or chemical treatment. In a preferred embodiment, a caulking procedure may be further applied to the PAAS membrane surface, and/or to the surface of the polyimide membrane to repair defects and imperfections.
In another embodiment of the invention, a polyimide gas separation membrane is produced by (a) forming a solution of polyamic acid salt in a solvent system; (b) applying the thus formed solution to a porous substrate to form a coating layer; (c) solidifying the coating layer by drying or by immersing it into a nonsolvent followed by drying; and (d); converting the polyamic acid salt layer into a polyimide layer In a preferred embodiment, a caulking procedure may be applied to the membrane surface, and/or to the surface of the polyimide membrane to repair defects.
In a further embodiment of this invention, a porous polyimide membrane is formed by forming a porous polyamic acid salt membrane that is then converted into a porous polyimide membrane.
In an even further embodiment, the gas permeation characteristics of the polyimide membranes prepared according to the teaching of the present invention can be tailored by changing the counter ions in the PAAS precursors and by controlling the imidization process conditions. This feature allows one skilled in the art to modify the gas separation and permeation characteristics of polyimide membranes without utilizing the conventional method of modifying the chemical structures of the polyimides, an approach that is limited by the availability of monomers and the economics of the polymer synthesis.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the invention.

Production and use of improved polyimide separation membranes


A device comprising a doped semiconductor nano-component and a method of forming the device are disclosed. The nano-component is one of a nanotube, nanowire or a nanocrystal film, which may be doped by exposure to an organic amine-containing dopant. Illustrative examples are given for field effect transistors with channels comprising a lead selenide nanowire or nanocrystal film and methods of forming these devices.

Semiconductor nanocrystals constitute a novel class of materials with physical properties that are significantly different from those of bulk materials. The electronic structure of semiconductor nanocrystals is strongly dependent on the nanocrystal size and shape providing additional options to design and optimize material properties [Murray et al., Ann. Rev. Mater. Sci., 30, 542 (2000)]. Moreover, the ability of semiconductor nanocrystals to form stable colloidal solutions allows their integration into electronic devices by relatively inexpensive and high-throughput solution based processes like spin-coating, dip-coating, drop-casting and jet-printing. The films of close-packed nanocrystals exhibit extremely poor conductivities [Morgan et al., Phys. Rev. B. 66, 075339 (2002)] hindering their application in electronic devices. Recently it has been shown that electrochemical doping of semiconductor nanocrystals results in significant improvement of their conductivity [Yu et al., Science 300, 1277 (2003), Yu et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 216802 (2004)]. However, electrochemical doping requires the presence of liquid electrolyte, and may not be suitable for use in solid state electronic devices.
Semiconductor nanowires [Lieber et al., US Published Application US 2002/0130311 A1] together with carbon nanotubes are considered as important elements of nanoelectronics. The previous studies involved in situ n-doping of semiconductor nanowires during their growth from gas-phase precursors [Greytak et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 84, 4176 (2004)]. However, it is not easy or possible to vary in a controllable manner the doping level along the nanowire using gas phase doping after the nanowire has been integrated into a device because the higher temperatures typically used in gas phase doping may not be compatible with device processing. Alternative approaches such as solution phase processing provide various advantages, one of which is the ability to readily control the doping level along the nanowire at temperatures compatible with device processing.

Device comprising doped nano-component and method of forming the device

International Business Machines Corporation


A semiconductor device, including: a P-type substrate; an N-type region, contacting with the P-type substrate; a N+-type doped region, disposed in the N-type region; a first P+-type doped region, disposed in the N-type region; a second P+-type doped region, disposed in the N-type region; a P-type buried layer, disposed in the P-type substrate under the N-type region and contacting with the N-type region; and a N-type doped region, disposed in the P-type substrate under a contact surface between the P-type buried layer and the N-type region.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to semiconductor devices, and more specifically, to semiconductor devices capable of avoiding latch-up.
2. Description of the Related Art
Latch-up effect is common in Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) devices. The main reason of the formation of the latch-up effect is that parasitic Silicon Controlled Rectifier (SCR) component between the N-type Metal Oxide semiconductor (NMOS) and the P-type Metal Oxide Semiconductor (PMOS) has been trigged. Once the parasitic SCR component has been triggered, unintended high-current will be generated, thereby affecting the normal operation of the semiconductor device even further causing the wafer to be put too much current and burned.
FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram of a conventional CMOS device 10. The CMOS device 10 comprises a P-type substrate 100, a P-type well region 102 and a N-type well region 104 formed on the P-type substrate 100, a P+-type doped region 110 and a N+-type doped region 111 formed on the P type well region 102, and a P+-type doped region 112 and a N+-type doped region 113 formed on the N-type well region 104. As shown in FIG. 1A, the CMOS device 10 has a pair of parasitic Bipolar Junction Transistors (BJT), namely the parasitic PNP-type BJT Q1 and the parasitic NPN-type BJT Q2. The parasitic BJTs Q1 and Q2, the resistance RNW of the N-type well region 104 and the resistance RPW of the P-type well region resistance 102 form the parasitic SCR component 140 as shown in FIG. 1B. When the parasitic SCR component 140 is triggered, the parasitic NPN-type BJT Q2 is turned on to generate the base current, and the base current will flow through the parasitic PNP-type BJT Q1 such that the collector voltage of Q1 rises to over the turn-on voltage, thereby turning on the parasitic PNP-type BJT Q1. After the parasitic PNP-type BJT Q1 is turned on, the base current is generated, and will then flow through the parasitic NPN-type BJT Q2 and generate more current. Such positive feedback phenomenon may cause the current to be increased repeatedly, leading to damage of the semiconductor device.
Taking a power circuit as an example in the following for illustrating how the parasitic SCR component in the CMOS device is triggered. FIG. 2A is a circuit diagram of a conventional power circuit. The power circuit includes the power PMOS transistor P1, the Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) NMOS transistors N1, the resistor R and the output terminal VOUT. FIG. 2B is a circuit diagram of a conventional power circuit under the short circuit test (SCT). As shown in FIG. 2B, in the short circuit test, the output terminal VOUT is connected to the ground, resulting in a negative bias. While this negative bias falls into the emitter of the parasitic NPN-type BJT Q2, as shown in FIG. 2C, the parasitic NPN-type BJT Q2 is turned on and a current INMOS is generated, and the parasitic PNP-type BJT Q1 is then turned on accordingly, thus the latch-up current is generated and causes damage to the power circuit components.
Thus, there is a need for the development of the semiconductor device to avoid occurrence of the latch-up.


An edible food container which is self supporting and stable in a generally upright position when placed on a rigid and substantially planar support surface. The edible food container includes a pair of spaced apart side walls and a base connecting the side walls. The base includes at least two spaced apart line bearing contact surfaces for supporting the edible food container on the substantially planar surface. Preferably, the base includes at least two elongate spaced apart ribs which define the at least two line bearing contact surfaces. The base may further include a raised portions on both ends of the base to increase the ability of the food container to hold fillings therein.

The present invention relates to an edible food shell and, more particularly, to an edible taco shell.
Conventional taco shells are formed from a circular tortilla, which is bent and then cooked, for example by baking, in order to form a shell that is generally rigid and holds its generally U-shaped configuration so that it can be filled with a taco filling for consumption. Before cooking, the tortilla is placed in a "mold" which bends the tortilla about a central portion to form a pair of opposed and spaced apart side walls. The side walls are interconnected by a generally semi-circular or round base to thereby define a cavity in which the taco filling, such as lettuce, beans, cooked meat or poultry or the like, is placed. Consequently, the taco shell is not stable in the vertical position and must be laid on one of its sides to prevent the taco shell from tipping over. However, when the taco shell is on its side, the taco shell can no longer hold the taco filling, which falls out through the open mouth of the taco shell.
In order to hold taco shells upright, various taco shell holders have been devised. Typically, the taco shell holder has a body with a wide base and a taco shell receiving opening in which the taco shell sits while it is filled with the taco filling and from which it is subsequently removed for consumption. However, the taco shell holders are not edible and, therefore, generate a significant amount of waste. Furthermore, in the fast-food-take-out environment, taco shell holders make it difficult to package the taco shell when the taco shell is filled with taco shell filling.
Proposals have been made to modify the conventional taco shell to include a generally flat based taco shell. Flat based taco shells have heretofore not provided the stability or strength required for taco shell manufactures due to the high stresses concentration factors associated with the sharp corners at the base of the taco shell. Furthermore, due to the variation in the surface topology of taco shells, the flat base shell does not provide coplanar support points and, instead, provides a plurality of support points at different elevations which causes the taco shell to be unstable when it is supported by its base.
Consequently, there is a need for a taco shell which is self supporting and can assume a generally upright position so that the taco filling will generally remain in the taco shell.


A computer-implemented method for generating a layout of a design includes invoking the computer to receive a schematic representation of the design, generating a connection graph associated with the design, comparing the connection graph with a plurality of connection graphs stored in a database and selecting a layout associated with the matching connection graph in generating the layout of the design.

The present invention relates to placement and routing of an electronic circuit, and more particularly to a knowledge-based analog layout generation method and system.
Modern system-on-chip (SoC) design often contains both digital and analog circuits. The digital circuit design has been extensively assisted by modern design automation tools, while the analog counterpart is still a manual, time-consuming, and error-prone task because the performance specification of modern analog circuits are becoming increasingly stringent.
Many placement-and-routing methods have been proposed to automatically generate analog layouts while considering various analog layout constraints, such as symmetry, regularity, common centroid, thermal gradient, monotonic current paths, and other general placement constraints. Although these layout constraints are designed to minimize the impact from layout-induced parasitics, the resulting layouts are sometimes unacceptable because manual layouts contain much more experts' knowledge, and designers may have their own layout preferences, which cannot simply be expressed by those layout constraints.


Some embodiments include methods of forming dielectric materials associated with semiconductor constructions. A semiconductor substrate surface having two different compositions may be exposed to a first silanol, then to organoaluminum to form a monolayer, and finally to a second silanol to form a dielectric material containing aluminum from the organoaluminum together with silicon and oxygen from the second silanol. Alternatively, or additionally, an organoaluminum monolayer may be formed across a semiconductor substrate, and then exposed to silanol within a deposition chamber, with the silanol being provided in two doses. Initially, a first dose of the silanol is injected the chamber, and then the first dose is flushed from the chamber to remove substantially all unreacted silanol from within the chamber. Subsequently, the second dose of silanol is injected into the chamber. Some embodiments include semiconductor constructions.

Electrically insulative materials (in other words, dielectric materials) are widely used in semiconductor fabrication to electrically isolate various electrical components from one another. Devices that extend into a semiconductor substrate may be electrically isolated by trenched isolation regions formed within the substrate between the components. In such technique, trenches are etched into a semiconductor substrate (such as a silicon substrate); and the trenches are subsequently filled with dielectric material (such as silicon dioxide).
Various methods have been developed for depositing dielectric materials across semiconductor substrates. Such methods include chemical vapor deposition (CVD) processes and atomic layer deposition (ALD) processes. ALD processes are generally processes in which precursor materials react at a surface, rather than in a vapor phase above the surface. In contrast, CVD processes are generally processes in which precursor materials react in a vapor phase above the surface to form the deposit that ultimately accumulates on the surface. ALD processes will generally be characterized by successive, controlled formation of monolayers across a substrate surface, with the monolayers building up to form the desired deposit to a desired thickness. CVD process will not comprise controlled formation of monolayers, and instead will form a thick bulk deposit across a substrate surface in a single deposition step.
An advantage of CVD is that it is relatively rapid, and accordingly may be utilized to achieve high throughput of wafers through a fabrication process. A disadvantage of CVD is that it tends to lead to relatively poor uniformity of deposition across a substrate. In contrast, an advantage of ALD is that it may accomplish relatively good uniformity of deposition across a substrate, and a disadvantage of some ALD processes is that they tend to be slow and accordingly associated with low throughput of wafers through a fabrication process. It is desired to develop processes having the good uniformity associated with ALD, while also allowing relatively high throughput of wafers through a fabrication process.

Semiconductor constructions, and methods of forming dielectric materials


Headgear for wrestlers to cover and protect wrestler's ears and consisting of a pair of ear cover members, a plurality of straps to maintain the ear cover members in positions protecting the wrestler's ears, each of the cover members being comprised of a cup shape member having inner and outer surfaces and formed of a relatively hard shape retaining plastic foam material, a layer of soft conforming plastic foam on the inner surface of the cup shape member and having an inner surface shaped to conform to the shape of the wrestler's head in areas around the ears, a pair of inner and outer fabric members on the outer surface of the cup shape member and enveloping the plastic foam and providing a durable, washable and comfortable inner surface engagable with the wrestler's head and a tough, wear resistant color codable outer surface, and a plurality of hollow grommets extending through the ear cover members to provide sound passages to the ears of the wrestler.

This invention relates generally to headgear for athletes and more particularly to headgear for wrestlers in which the ears of the wrestler are protected without inhibiting the movements of the wrestler and without creating any dangers for the wrestler's opponents.
Headgear for wrestlers usually consist of a pair of cup-shape ear covers and a plurality of straps adjustably secured to the covers and operable to maintain the covers in positions protecting the wrestler's ears. It is desirable that the ear covers are comfortably interfaced with the wrestler's head so that they are not a distraction during competition. Furthermore, it is desired that the covers protect the wrestler's ears from pressure applied directly to the covers. In addition, it is further required that the top and rear adjustment straps cooperate with a chin strap to insure the right location of the ear covers and maintain the ear covers in the correct position throughout a vigorous use of the helmet during competition. Prior art headgear can be improved and this invention provides such improvement.
It is the principal object of this invention to overcome the shortcomings in the prior art and provide headgear for wrestlers which is comprised of two semi-rigid ear cover members connected together by a plurality of retention straps which maintain the headgear in a stable position on the head of the wrestler for prolonged time periods even though the ear cover members are frequently in contact with the floor mat or the body of an opponent wrestler.
The ear cover members include foam molded ear cups comprised of differing layers of density but with all of the layers being from the same family of foam plastics so as to allow for bonding between the layers during the heating portion of a molding cycle. Outside laminates of fabric envelope the entire ear cover member and provide a durable, washable, and comfortable inner surface and a tough, wear-resistant color codable outer surface.
The cup shape of the ear cover enables the provision of four recessed grommets in the finished holes of the cover that provide sound passageways to the ear without any sharp edges or surfaces. A contoured inner ear section comprised of a soft conforming foam with a laminated fabric exterior that extends beyond the outer circumference of the ear cup provides a better distribution of impact forces by closely matching the contours of the head/jaw areas of the wrestler. A set of top and rear adjustment straps constructed of a semi-flexible polypropylene webbing with Velcro adjustment sections and a set of keepers strapped at each end. Keeper straps made of soft non-stretch webbing and sewn in such a manner as to eliminate harsh edges provide a method of keeping the two adjustment straps from pulling apart under stress.
The top and rear adjustment straps being of a different material than the ear cover member and attached by sewing during the assembly of the headgear can be used in different colors to provide a variety of two-tone color variations matching individual team uniforms. A throat strap comprised of a soft webbing attached to the lower comer of one ear cover member and a plastic loop attached to the other cover member is attached by means of a short folded length of webbing sewn to the lower comer of the other ear cup. VELCRO (namely, hook and loop fastener) sections sewn to the outer side of the throat strap allow for individual size adjustment when the strap is passed through the plastic loop and folded back upon itself and the hook and loop fastener sections.
In summary, therefore, the headgear for wrestlers of this invention provides not only for a stable positioning of the headgear on the wrestler but also provides ear covers which have soft molded surfaces which engage the wrestler's head in the ear area are comfortable and maintain space in the ear cover so that the wrestler can hear through the hollow grommets. The outside laminates of fabric which envelope the entire ear cover member provide a durable, washable, tough, wear-resistant surface which will glide over a wrestling mat surface easily.
Further advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates from the following description of the preferred embodiment and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


Embodiments of the present invention may include methods of incorporating an embedded etch barrier layer into the replacement metal gate layer of field effect transistors (FETs) having replacement metal gates, as well as the structure formed thereby. The embedded etch stop layer may be composed of embedded dopant atoms and may be formed using ion implantation. The embedded etch stop layer may make the removal of replacement metal gate layers easier and more controllable, providing horizontal surfaces and determined depths to serve as the base for gate cap formation. The gate cap may insulate the gate from adjacent self-aligned electrical contacts.

The present invention relates to semiconductor devices, and particularly to recessing the gate dielectric and work function metals of a replacement metal gate field effect transistor (FET).
FETs are commonly employed in electronic circuit applications. FETs may include a source region and a drain region spaced apart by a semiconductor channel region. In planar FETs, the semiconductor channel region may be a semiconductor substrate. In finFETs, the semiconductor channel region may be a semiconductor fin. A gate, potentially including a gate dielectric layer, a work function metal layer, and a metal electrode, may be formed next to the channel region. By applying voltage to the gate, the conductivity of the channel region may increase and allow current to flow from the source region to the drain region.
Due in part to the relative instability of the dielectric layer and work function metal layer of the gate, a gate-last process, or replacement metal gate process, may be used where a sacrificial gate is formed prior to forming other components of the FET. The sacrificial gate may then be removed to form a recessed region that may then be filled with a replacement metal gate potentially including a gate dielectric layer, a work function metal layer, and a metal electrode. Because the replacement metal gate is formed after the other components of the FET, it is not subjected to various potentially damaging processing steps, for example high-temperature anneals. Prior to forming the metal electrode, the gate dielectric layer and the work function metal layer may be recessed to a height less than the height of the recessed region to reduce the gate resistance.

Recessing RMG metal gate stack for forming self-aligned contact


Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, a device, and a system for realizing disaster tolerance backup. The method includes the following steps: a device with an active-standby function determines a current state of the device with the active-standby function, after it is determined that the current state is an active state, the device with the active-standby function issues reachable route information to a connected routing device, where the device with the active-standby function and a device of which a current state is a standby state have a same IP address, the reachable route information includes route information relevant to the IP address, so that the IP address is reachable, and the device with the active-standby function and the device of which the current state is the standby state are backup devices for each other. The present invention can realize remote disaster tolerance backup and avoid service interruption.

To avoid service interruption, some key service processing devices in a network have backup devices. In addition, to meet a reliability requirement of the network, the backup devices usually need to be deployed remotely. Therefore, in the network, a disaster tolerance solution for the devices deployed remotely is required.
Currently, a dual-host disaster tolerance technology may adopt a virtual route redundancy protocol (VRRP) solution, in which a virtual router needs to be created in the network, and the virtual router is composed of an active router and several standby routers. Both the active router and the standby routers need to receive an address resolution protocol (ARP) request packet sent by a host, and then, the active router makes a response. In this solution, the active router and the standby routers are required to be located in a same layer 2 switching network. However, the devices deployed remotely usually interwork in a layer 3 switching network and a remote layer 2 switching network is difficult to be provided, so the VRRP solution is not suitable for remote disaster tolerance. In addition, for the remote disaster tolerance, a manner of configuring different IP addresses for an active device and standby devices can be adopted. This manner needs to configure, on a host, IP addresses corresponding to the active device and the standby devices, and after the active device is abnormal, an IP address of a standby device is automatically switched to and used. Therefore, this solution has a capacity requirement for the device, and after the IP address is changed, a connection needs to be reestablished, which may cause service interruption.

Method, device, and system for realizing disaster tolerance backup


Embodiments of the present invention provide methods and systems to enable a digital wallet identifier to be present in communications associated with transaction data for transactions that are facilitated by a digital wallet provider. In one embodiment, a communication device of a user receives a request for payment credentials required to conduct a transaction and obtains the payment credentials. The payment credentials include a digital wallet identifier and at least some of the payment credentials are obtained from a trusted execution environment associated with the communication device. The obtained payment credentials are provided to an access device associated with a merchant. The access device is configured to initiate the transaction by generating an authorization request message including the payment credentials for onward transmission to an issuer computer.

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to methods and systems that enable a digital wallet identifier to be present in communications associated with transaction data of transactions that are facilitated by a digital wallet provider.
Digital wallets are becoming increasingly popular for conducting various types of transactions. A digital wallet can store financial account information or other information associated with a user, for example, information associated with credit cards, debit cards, coupons, rewards, receipts, concert tickets, and the like. A digital wallet may be linked to a user's payment credentials as well as personal information. The wallet data may reside on a communication device such as a user's mobile device or a personal computer, on a server of a wallet provider or other cloud storage, and may be obtained by and transferred to a merchant from a user's communication device. This reduces the need to enter payment credentials or present a physical card each time a payment transaction is conducted.
Digital wallets may be associated with merchants, mobile network operators, financial institutions such as banks, or third party vendors. A transaction may be initiated from the communication device of a user using one of many digital wallets associated with the user's communication device. A problem associated with such transactions is that there may be no mechanism available to identify a digital wallet provider associated with the transaction by downstream entities in a typical transaction flow, for example, by a merchant or an acquirer associated with the merchant. As a result, these downstream entities may not be capable of obtaining sufficient data relating to transactions facilitated by digital wallet providers. For instance, a merchant and its associated acquirer may not be capable of readily ascertaining which digital wallet providers are favored by users when transacting at the particular merchant.
Further, in some digital wallet implementations, a transaction may be initiated by providing payment credentials in the form of a payment token instead of providing conventional account information such as a Primary Account Number (PAN), a card expiry date and a Card Verification Value (CVV) to a merchant. The payment token may be transmitted to a payment processing network capable of using the payment token to identify the account information and route the transaction to the appropriate issuing institution. This mechanism may reduce security risks, for example, in that a user's sensitive payment credentials may remain hidden from merchants.
In some cases, a user may, for example, generate payment tokens using more than one communication device. As a result, one payment account may be represented by a plurality of different payment tokens, and entities such as merchants and acquirers may not have sufficient information to identify the different tokens as being associated with a single payment account or user. Tracing these different tokens to a payment account or user may be desirable, for instance, to allocate benefits or rewards to a user regardless of whether the user employed different payment tokens to transact.
Embodiments of the invention aim to address these and other problems, individually and collectively.