A doll includes a body having a torso defining a cavity housing a shelf and closed by a door. A user tears a sheet from a note pad, writes a "secret" upon the sheet, inserts the sheet into a pocket into the star-like body and inserts the latter upon the shelf. The door of the cavity is closed and the star-like body and the "secret" upon the note is displaced for subsequent reuse. The "secret" can also be written upon the sheet torn from the note pad using a pen with conventional "disappearing" ink. Preferably a door or doors of the doll is then locked by a suitable time-delay mechanism to prevent access to the note until the ink/secret has disappeared, thus telling the user/child that the "secret" has been received by the "inner child" or doll and is respected (secret) thereby through its disappearance. Further, in lieu of blank sheets, a stack of preprinted sheets or cards may be provided each with a different "secret" or message thereon which the user can select, fold, insert into the star-like body, etc.

The present invention relates to a therapeutic doll for use by a patient or the like, and more particularly, to a therapeutic doll including a cavity for storing icons and which includes features for dissuading a person from practicing his or her vice.
Addictions, including chemical dependency, afflict many people in our society. One of the most common procedures for curing someone with an addition is through self-help groups. It has been shown that talking about one's problems with others helps a person to cope with the physical suffering that accompanies an addiction such as chemical dependency. Such self-help groups have also been employed as therapy for other psychological maladies. Unfortunately, a person will spend more time outside of group therapy, away from the support of his or her peers. Therefore, there is a need for a method and device that allows a person to receive therapy away from the self-help group.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,762,494, a psychotherapy doll is described. The doll includes several hook and pile attachment areas for attaching items that include eyebrows, tears, a smile and others. The patient that uses this doll is better able to show personal feelings by expressing those feelings through the doll.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,917,607, a therapeutic doll is described. This rag-type doll includes a plurality of fabric forms that denote human feelings (e.g., hearts, light bulbs, star, etc.) These forms are inserted into appropriate areas by the patient to show where these feelings are experienced. By using this doll, the user is better able to communicate with a therapist.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,710,145, another therapeutic doll is described. This doll includes a tape recording device that records and plays back vocal messages. The use of this doll assists in communications between the therapist and his or her patient.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,645,470 describes a doll having a concealed pocket. The user of the doll is able to communicate thoughts and feelings by placing items, such as written notes, into the hidden pocket.
The aforementioned dolls deal with communications between the patient and the therapist. These dolls, however, do not deal with personal therapy where a patient is able to treat his or her mental ailment without the assistance of a therapist or a self-help group (or in addition to this type of help or between therapist visits). Thus, there is a need for a therapeutic device which allows a patient to obtain benefit from therapy without outside personal assistance.


A method for a near field communication circuit includes entering a low power mode and subsequently determining to exit the low power mode. The method further includes generating an open loop clock signal and providing the open loop clock signal to circuits of the near field communication circuit during a low power mode exit duration. Subsequently a reference clock signal is received from a host and used to clock the near field communication circuit.

In modern telecommunication devices, reducing power drain is of prime importance. This is especially true for portable devices powered by battery. Reducing power drain increases battery life. This increases user convenience and the usefulness of the telecommunication device.
Accordingly, a variety of techniques have been developed to reduce power drain in such telecommunication devices. One known technique is to enter a low power mode by powering down selected portions of the communication device. The selected portions can be powered up again periodically or when needed. When the selected portions become active, they can remain active and powered up while needed. When active communication begins, some or all of the device exits the low power mode.
A communication device needs to be ready to initiate communication when required, even when the communication is initiated remotely. However, to begin receiving transmissions, the communication device needs to power up or keep powered up certain components such as a receiver, demodulator, clock generator, etc. To get the lowest power drain, as much of this circuitry as possible should be powered down.
However, when powering up again, the powering up process must be done very quickly. This is necessary to ensure that no communications intended for the communication device are missed. In some cases, a system specification even determines the maximum time permitted to receive and respond to a received communication.
Further improvements to such systems and methods will continue to make them attractive options to businesses and consumers.

Open-loop frequency lock methods for fast boot-up time


A simplified, pressure-variation preventing tank structure capable of preventing pressure variations in a gas phase portion resulting from temperature variations, without bringing stored liquid into contact with air. This pressure-variation preventing structure includes a breather bag arranged in a gas phase portion of a tank and inflating/deflating in communication with outside air, and a manhole to which the breather bag is attached to suspend in a gas phase portion, including a communication hole for the breather bag to communicate with outside air. The breather bag has air-blocking, acid-resistant and expandable characteristics.

When liquid is stored in a tank, the pressure in a gas-phase portion of the tank is variable, depending on the temperature of the stored liquid, on the reaction in a reaction portion of a battery cell, and the like. When the pressure difference between the inside and the outside of the tank is strictly limited, as in the case of a polyethylene tank etc., it is possible to make the tank a sealed structure by providing an air release valve or the like, for positive pressure. Furthermore, if the internal pressure in the tank may become negative because of a temperature drop of the stored liquid, the negative pressure is generally avoided by communicating with outside air or providing an intake valve to take in outside air.
When the stored liquid in the tank cannot be exposed to the outside air, for example when it is extremely vulnerable to oxidation, however, it is necessary to blow in and flow inert gas such as nitrogen so as to prevent the negative pressure. As a result, the inert gas for preventing the negative pressure must be reserved, resulting in an undesired cost increase.
If a sealed structure filled with inert gas is employed to prevent this, degradation including oxidization of the stored liquid by air can be avoided, while preventing the negative pressure. When the stored liquid is electrolyte for a redox flow secondary battery or the like, an endothermic reaction at the time of charging and an exothermic reaction at the time of discharging, as well as changes of outside air temperature raises the temperature of the stored liquid up to about 42° C. in operation and lowers down to about 10° C. at rest. Therefore, as temperature varies in the range of 10° C. to 42° C., pressure accordingly varies in the sealed structure. When we represent the variation of pressure P as ΔP and the variation of temperature T (absolute temperature) as ΔT, (ΔP/P)=(ΔT/T) holds, since volume change ΔV is zero in a sealed structure. By inputting the above value, (ΔP/P)={32/(273+42)}≈0.1 results, and the above noted temperature variation causes a variation of about 0.1 atmosphere in operation under normal pressure. If an electrolyte tank for a redox flow secondary battery, for example, is to withstand this pressure variation of about 0.1 atmosphere, the structure thereof needs to be considerably rigid, which boosts up the cost of the entire battery system. The pressure-resistant performance of an inexpensive polyethylene tank or the like, fabricated by rotational molding etc. is at most about 0.01 atmosphere for positive pressure variation, and no more than about 0.005 atmosphere for negative pressure variation. In case of the electrolyte tank for the redox flow secondary battery, it is impossible to implement a tank having so rigid a structure that can withstand the pressure variation as mentioned above, due to the constraint of locational conditions or power generation costs.

Pressure fluctuation prevention tank structure, electrolyte circulation type secondary battery, and redox flow type secondary battery


A projection system includes a total reflection element, an image reader, an analysis system and a server device. The image reader reads a projective image guided by the optical projection device and the total reflection element and outputs a read signal. The analysis system analyzes the read image by an evaluation function and determines the clearest image on the projective plane so as to output an adjustment signal. The server device automatically performs the focal adjustment to the optical projection device based on the adjustment signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a projection system capable of automatic focus adjustment. In particular, the invention relates to a projection system that automatically adjusts the projection focus by an evaluation function applied in projective image analysis.
2. Description of the Related Art
Traditionally, projection systems have relied on the user""s visual assessment to adjust the focus of the projected image.
FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of the automatic focal adjustment device of a typical LCD projection system. In a Japan Patent Laying Open Hei No. 11-119185, as shown in FIG. 1, three LCD display devices 1400r, 1400g and 1400b respectively produce red, green and blue images through a cross prism 4000 to form a color image. The color image passes through a semitransparent reflective device 3000 to form images on the screen s through a projective lens 1000. The image on the screen s is reflected on an optical receiving device 500 through the semitransparent reflective device 3000. Further, a signal generation device 1600, a control device 9000, an operation device 8000 and a focus adjustment/control device 6000 are used to analyze and compare each image on the focal position of the projective lens 1000. However, as such, a semitransparent reflective device is required, which increases the distance from the projective lens 1000 to the three LCD display devices. As a result, the rear focal length of a projective lens and design difficulty for the projective lens are increased concurrently.
Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a projection system that automatically adjusts the focus of an optical projection device by an evaluation function applied in projective image analysis. The projective system includes a total reflection element, an image reader, an analysis system and a server device. The image reader reads the projective image guided by the optical projection device and the total reflection element and outputs a read signal. The analysis system analyzes the read image by an evaluation function and determines the clearest image on the projective plane so as to output an adjustment signal. The server device automatically performs the focal adjustment to the optical projection device based on the adjustment signal.
The invention has the advantage that the projective system can automatically adjust the focus of the optical projection device in any projective distance to produce the clearest image.
The invention is characterized in that the analysis system uses a modulation transfer function (MTF) analysis to have the clearest projective image.

Projection system and method of automatic focus


Methods of providing for refueling of direct oxidation fuel cells. An electrical appliance which is powered by a fuel cell includes a fitting which provides sealed access to a fuel reservoir. A canister which contains fuel is engaged with the fitting in order to transfer fuel to the reservoir. The canisters are preferably distributed to users through conventional retail and/or on-line distribution channels. Alternatively, the fuel reservoir within the appliance is made in the form of a removable cartridge. When the cartridge is spent, a user may remove it and replace it with a new one. The fitting, canister and cartridge are preferably based on a standardized specification which enhances market adoption, user convenience and ease of use.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the refueling of fuel cells used in small electrical devices. More particularly it relates to methods of refueling fuel cells by means of standardized refueling canisters or removable fuel cartridges marketed through conventional channels, such as those that provide batteries for small electrical devices.
2. Background Information
A number of business organizations have announced the proposed marketing of fuel cells as substitutes and/or replacements for electrical storage batteries used in small appliances, such as wireless telephone handsets, notebook computers and even flash-lights. To provide a sufficient energy density in their fuel storage reservoirs these fuel cells are powered a fuel, such as methanol, that reacts in the cells to provide the hydrogen that is directly involved in electrical generation.
Since these cells are replacements for electric batteries, the fuel cells, initially at least, will preferably have the same form factors as the batteries and will have the same electrical contacts to facilitate integration with the appliances powered by them.

Methods of providing refueling for fuel cell-powered devices


A clutch plate for a friction clutch is disclosed having first and second torsion dampers coupling a hub to a friction disc. Each of the dampers includes a radial flange, two guide washers fixed to each other on axially opposite slides of the flange, and springs circumferentially interposed between each flange and its guide washers. The friction disc is fixed to one of the second stage guide washers and the first stage guide washers are fixed to the second stage damper. The second stage damper comprises a unit pre-assembled with the hub and is disposed within the confines of the second stage damper, and preferably between one of the guide washers and the flange of the second stage damper.

The present invention pertains to a clutch plate for a friction clutch.
The invention relates more particularly to such a clutch plate comprising a friction disc and a hub mounted for relative angular displacement within a predetermined range. The friction disc and the hub are coupled together by first and second stage torsion damping means. The first stage torsion damping means being lower rated or lighter than the second stage torsion damping means. Each stage torsion damping means has a radial flange, two guide washers on axially opposite sides of the associated flange and resilient means circumferentially interposed between the flange and the associated guide washers. The first stage damping means is operative between the hub and the second stage damping means and the friction disc is fixed to one of the guide washers of the second stage damping means.
The second stage damping means which is higher rated or stiffer and which may have more than one stage including springs of different spring stiffenesses has the main damping function during normal operation when the torque transmitted in either direction by the clutch plate has a substantial value. The second stage damping means has a filtering function in the transmission of torque particularly when it equips a motor vehicle.
The second stage damping means, despite its efficacy in normal operating conditions, is found to be insufficient to efficiently absorb vibrations when the torque transmitted by the friction disc is very low or nil, such as found when a motor vehicle idles; in this mode of operation the second stage damping means is incapable of preventing the noises known as dead point or idling noises from developing. That is the reason why the first stage damping means operates as a pre-damper specially adapted for damping vibrations and noises in particular operating conditions in which the torque transmitted is very low, notably when the vehicle is idling.
The present invention relates more particularly to a clutch plate in which the friction disc of the first stage damping means is fixed for rotation with the hub and the first stage guide washers are fastened to the second stage damping means.
It will be readily understood that the simultaneous presence of two torsion damping means poses a problem of bulkiness which heretofore has not been resolved in a very satisfactory manner. In particular in known clutch plate designs the two torsion damping means are interleaved and various components are mutually interengaged which results in a complicated assembly and lowers the mechanical strength of the entire clutch plate.

Clutch plate having two stage torsion damping means


Whenever a 4 to 3 shift condition is satisfied during a 3 to 4 upshift, 4 to 3 shifting is started before the 3 to 4 shifting is finished. The 4 to 3 shifting is executed according to a predetermined hydraulic control pattern. Therefore, responsiveness in shifting is enhanced.

As well known in the art, an automatic transmission automatically shifts speeds on the basis of a vehicle driving state and operation of a driver. Such an automatic transmission includes a plurality of frictional elements, such as clutches and brakes, such that multi-speed shifting is realized by hydraulically controlling them.
Throughout the present specification, including the claims, a frictional element that becomes engaged during a shifting is called an on-coming element, and a frictional element that becomes disengaged during a shifting is called an off-going element. In addition, a hydraulic pressure duty rate applied to the on-coming element is called an on-coming pressure duty, and a hydraulic pressure duty rate applied to the off-going element is called an off-going pressure duty.
According to the prior art, when a 4 to 3 downshift condition is satisfied during an execution of a 3 to 4 upshift, e.g., due to an accelerator pedal operation of a driver, a required 4 to 3 downshift is started only after a currently proceeding 3 to 4 upshift is fully finished.
Therefore, according to such a prior art, when a driving condition of a vehicle is rapidly changed such as in the case in which a driver quickly changes an operation of an accelerator pedal, such a request of a driver is not promptly achieved by prompt shifting. That is, responsiveness in shifting does not adequately react to a request of a driver.
Typically, a more prompt achievement of a request of a driver is expected during a 4 to 3 downshift to a 3 to 4 upshifting is requested.
The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms part of the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.

Method and apparatus for shift control of an automatic transmission


An articulating computer monitor apparatus has a base with a vertical stand and a support block which is infinitely adjustable over a range of vertical positions. A pair of cantilevered arms are pivotally attached to a support block attached to the upright stand. The cantilevered arms have an attachment end which are located close together which avoids creating a large gap between dual monitors mounted on the arms. The arms have an offset support section with pivotable clutch-hinges which are attached to flat panel monitors. The apparatus provides dual monitors which may be raised and lowered, pivoted toward each other or away and tilted backward and forward so that the user has the ability to move the monitors in three directions to create glare-free efficient viewing. Two of the assemblies can be used on a desktop to create a "stadium" effect.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an assembly for supporting computer monitors which adjusts vertically, pivots and tilts forward and back.
2. Background of the Art
Flat panel monitors for computer systems are known in the art. They are considered the expensive promised land for desktop computers which can now be produced at a reasonable price although they are still considerably more expensive than traditional large desktop monitors. The obvious advantage is a drastic reduction in space requirements, where space is often critical. In addition, they are much lighter and smaller for shipment or moving, have virtually no radioactive emissions, generate less heat and have less flicker which is associated with traditional monitors using CRTs. However, supporting assemblies for flat panel monitors are often rudimentary. One known system has a plurality of linerally aligned link segments which are linked at each end at a zig zag pattern which allow the monitor to be moved in or out and raised and lowered like a desk lamp. Pedestal systems are known which have a supporting stem with a single tilting adjustment. Side to side movement is accomplished by rotating the entire pedestal. In addition, it does not appear that the art has developed an assembly for multiple monitors, although obviously stand alone units could be positioned side by side.


Two methods (native and clone) are used for installing software, such as an operating system, on client system(s) booting from shared storage. The native installation method configures an interconnection network to create an exclusive communication zone between the client system and the shared storage system and installs the operating system on the client system using the exclusive communication zone. After the software is installed, the method terminates the exclusive communication zone. The clone installation method utilizes a point-in-time copy feature of the shared storage system to clone an operating system drive instantaneously. After the drive is cloned, it is logically attached to a new client and the operating system is customized for that client.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods for provisioning microcomputer systems where operating system data is stored in a data shared storage system. In particular, the present invention describes methods for creating and configuring operating systems and configuring storage and networking systems such that servers can be provisioned in an automatic manner.
2. Description of the Related Art
Within interconnected computer systems, Fibre Channel (FC) switch zoning is used to ensure that server ports and storage controller ports are visible or not visible from each other depending on the security policy. Fibre channel zones are conventionally used for security purposes. Another primary reason for the use of zoning is the performance impact related to adding/removing devices where a zone restricts the devices involved in the associated fiber channel protocols. This is very significant as the size of the storage area network grows. A zone is a logical entity administered by FC switches, in which FC ports that are in the same zone can see each other through the FC network. Typically, a server's port(s) and a storage controller's port(s) are put in the same zone so that they can see each other, and so that the host can access the logical disks on the storage controller.
In a typical FC configuration, a host will have multiple paths available from itself to the storage controller ports for high availability purposes. However, during some software installations (such as when installing an operating system), the multiple paths confuse the install programs because a single logical disk can appear many times over multiple paths. For example, the Windows install program does not know how to deal with multiple paths. When such installations fail, it is sometimes necessary for the administrator to physically remove or disable cables/adapters/ports to eliminate the multiple paths. To the contrary, it would be desirable if the installation of such software programs could be performed automatically.

Method for installing operating system on remote storage: flash deploy and install zone

International Business Machines Corporation


Method for detecting pulsed laser radiation having two-dimensional resolution of the direction of incidence with a CCD sensor having an imaging optic. Method includes generating, in signal processing having sampling frequency of at least 5 kHz, single images by comparing each pixel of CCD sensor to respective threshold values and by storing a pixel value exceeding the respective threshold value for an image processing, ascertaining, in the signal processing, a mean or peak value of stored pixel values of the single image pixel-by-pixel over at least 10 samples, forwarding a signal image obtained in signal processing for image processing at image frequency of 10 Hz to 500 Hz, and identifying from signal image, in an image processing, at least one signal pixel representing incident laser radiation. Method further includes determining direction of incidence of laser radiation from position of signal pixels on signal image.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the invention are directed to a method for detecting pulsed laser radiation and to an imaging laser alerter which implements the method. The method and laser alerter are used for the detection and two-dimensional direction determination of incident, pulsed laser radiation, in particular low intensity pulsed laser radiation, which can be caused, e.g., by steering lasers in laser-controlled guided missiles (beam rider guided missiles).
2. Discussion of Background Information
Beam rider guided missiles represent a high-level military threat. They may be detected early in principle on the basis of the steering laser. However, this is made very difficult because of the very low level of laser pulse energy incident at the target, e.g., on the order of magnitude of several fJ/cm2, which is frequently completely covered by the ambient brightness at least during the day. In addition to the early detection, the precise determination, as much as possible to approximately 1°, of the direction of incidence in azimuth and elevation from which the threat comes is also important for possible countermeasures.
According to the general prior art, large-area photodiodes are used as a detector for beam rider detection. Typically, a high limiting frequency of the detection bandwidth is sought by way of the construction of the photodiodes and by special electronic circuitry. To cover the required overall detection angle, typically a plurality of detection sectors—typically quadrants—are each monitored using one detector.
Due to the large area, the total signal intensity incident on the detector is increased in this case. Due to the high limiting frequency, the best possible separation of the pulse signal of the steering laser from the signal of the background brightness is sought. However, since capacitance increases with the area of the photodiodes and limiting frequency of the detection decreases as a result thereof, the achievable signal-to-background ratio of such a detector is limited in principle.
A further substantial disadvantage of this solution is that precise directional detection is not possible, since the number of detection sectors is kept small to limit the technical expenditure. A further disadvantage is that the suppression of the background signal is only possible to a limited extent, since the background light is accumulated over the entire detection sector of a detector in principle. If the sun is located within this sector, beam rider detection is normally hardly possible here, or is only possible with greatly reduced sensitivity.
In a solution approach known from U.S. Pat. No. 7,683,310 A, it is proposed that the directional precision can be increased by using an array of detectors and simultaneously, by using a plurality of detector layers having wavelength separation. In this manner, additional information can be obtained and additional suppression of the background light can be achieved. The disadvantage here is the immensely growing expenditure for a high angular resolution: thus, for an angle determination to 1° for a half space, an array of approximately 27,000 of these detector elements would be necessary, each in turn having a plurality of photodiode layers and corresponding amplifier electronics.
For improved directional determination, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,280,167 discloses the function of the directional determination and the detection are separated. For the detection, a large-area photodiode that detects over one quadrant in each case is again used. Using the pulses received from this detector, a prediction of the next incoming pulse is then generated in a complex logic circuit (the "code breaker"), which then triggers an image amplifier camera. The laser threat can then be localized with higher location resolution and—in the event of correct pulse prediction—lower background signal in the image of this image amplifier camera. A disadvantage of this assembly is that the detection capability of the photodiode detector is limited in principle, as already described above for the solution of a large-area detector element. A further disadvantage is the high expenditure: In addition to the complex code breaker, an image amplifier camera provided with a closure device ("gate") is required, which additionally only has a small angle of vision to achieve higher location resolutions. As a remedy, it is proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,280,167 A that this image amplifier camera be placed on a pivot-tilt head. The expenditure is in turn increased and a time delay arises due to the time required for aligning the pivot-tilt head. The concept is additionally restricted, due to the required pulse prediction, to the detection of accordingly predictable laser threats, which are sufficiently known in their characteristics for this purpose.

Method for the detection of pulsed laser radiation and imaging laser alerter


A primary conductor having a solid wire or wire strands that are enclosed by an insulating coating which has ribs that extend radially outwardly. The insulating coating provides electrical insulation between neighboring conductors. The ribs define air spaces which are between the ribs and space the insulated primary conductors from each other, thereby reducing the overall dielectric constant of the cable assembly. This in turn reduces the line-to-line capacitance between adjacent conductors, thereby minimizing Near End Cross Talk.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the insulating of primary conductors. Undesirable Near End Cross Talk (NEXT) between primary conductors or between twisted pairs (each comprised of two primary conductors) in a cable is primarily a function of capacitance. As a cable produces more capacitance, the amount of cross-talk also increases. In order to reduce the NEXT, the capacitance between the primary conductors or the twisted pairs must be reduced. Capacitance is dependent on two factors: (1) the center-to-center distance between the conductors, and (2) the combined or effective dielectric constant of all of the matter between the conductors or between the twisted pairs.


An outer casing of a non-aqueous electrolyte battery is capable of being mass-produced as well as thin and resistant to damage. The outer casing 4 comprises a casing body 4a and a cover 4b. After being internally packaged, a non-aqueous electrolyte battery 2, e.g. a lithium-ion polymer secondary battery, is sandwiched between the casing body 4a and the cover 4b, which are then joined together integrally. The cover 4b is formed from a film-shaped sheet material 4c of a synthetic resin to make the outer casing 4 thin. The casing body 4a and the cover 4b have a casing body outer peripheral frame 9 and a cover outer peripheral frame 10, respectively, formed by injection molding. Joint portions of the casing body 4a and the cover 4b have stepped portions 9a and 10a, respectively. The stepped portions ensure the mechanical strength against shock and impact. With this structure, the outer casing 4 is resistant to damage.

Conventionally, a lithium-ion battery is housed in a metal case, e.g. a steel can, or an aluminum can, and a polymer battery is packaged in an aluminum laminated film. These batteries need to be further externally packaged to protect them against shock from dropping or other external impact. There are known methods for externally packaging the battery body, for example, a method wherein the battery body is hermetically covered with a case-shaped member formed of an aluminum sheet, a plastic material, etc., and a method wherein the outer surface of the battery body is covered with a thermoplastic resin by injection molding, thereby packaging the battery body in the molded resin.
It is also publicly known that heat-shrinkable tubing made of polyvinyl chloride or the like is used as a heat-shrinkable synthetic resin material for covering batteries. Stretched tubing made of a mixed composition consisting essentially of an olefin-based ionomer resin is also publicly known as an example of heat-shrinkable tubing [for example, see Japanese Patent Application Unexamined Publication (KOKAI) No. Hei 11-170365].
However, the conventional externally packaging methods have not yet satisfied all the demands but still have many problems to be solved. Particularly, cellular phones and the like require as thin a battery as possible, and a battery that meets the requirement has appeared. If this battery is covered with thin hear-shrinkable tubing, the tubing may be partially wrinkled. Therefore, there is a problem in terms of reliability in mass production of batteries of stable quality. Meanwhile, injection molding is excellent in mass productivity but disadvantageous for the following reason. With the conventional injection molding, the flow of molten resin is deteriorated as the thickness of the molded part to be produced is reduced. Accordingly, there is a limit to the reduction of the part thickness.
Cellular phones and the like require a material having chemical resistance and fire retardance. To prepare a resin material satisfying these requirements, PBT (polybutylene terephthalate) resin may be mixed with a fire retardant consisting essentially of an inorganic material, for example. In this case, a part thickness of at least 0.3 mm to 0.4 mm is required because the flow of molten resin would otherwise be deteriorated. Thus, it is even more difficult to obtain a thin molded part. Accordingly, the thickness of injection-molded parts cannot be reduced to less than a predetermined thickness as long as an injection molding method based on the presently common technique is employed. Lithium-ion polymer secondary batteries, in particular, are characterized by their capability of implementing a thin and lightweight structure. Therefore, a thick outer casing that would lessen the advantageous feature of lithium-ion polymer secondary batteries cannot be adopted.
The outer casing for lithium-ion polymer secondary batteries is required to exhibit stable mechanical strength despite the thin and lightweight structure. Meanwhile, there has been proposed a method of producing a thin-walled molded part for housing an electronic component, wherein a thin-walled portion of the molded part is formed of a film, and a thick-walled portion thereof is formed by injection molding [Japanese Patent Application Unexamined Publication (KOKAI) No. 2002-283507]. However, the thin-walled molded part does not completely cover the outer surface of the housed component. Therefore, it cannot be employed for the above-described outer packaging of batteries.

Outer casing of non-aqueous electrolyte battery and production method therefor


Described is a femur fracture fixation device for treating a fractured, proximal end portion of a femur. The femur fracture fixation device comprises: an intramedullary nail; an extramedullary plate, including a main body portion for attachment to a lateral surface of the femur, and a posterior support portion extending from the main body portion for attachment to a posterior surface of the greater trochanter region of the femur; and a bone fastener, configured for insertion through an opening of the main body portion of the extramedullary plate, through an opening of the intramedullary nail, and into the head portion of the femur.

In the realm of orthopedic surgery, it is known to use implants to fix the position of bones. In this way, bones can be reconstructed, and malformations or other injuries corrected. There exists a wide variety of situations in which it is desirable to fixate adjacent bone pieces or segments to promote healing of a fracture.
Trochanteric and subtrochanteric femur fractures are currently treated with an intramedullary nail or rod that can be inserted and fixed within a femur having a proximal end fracture or fractures. Typically, during a minimally invasive procedure, the intramedullary nail is inserted through a proximal end of the femur and into a medullary cavity in the femur. One or more cortical screws can then be inserted through cortical bone of one side of the femur, through a bore extending through the intramedullary nail and into cortical bone of a second side of the femur.
A screw, sometimes called a "lag screw," can also be inserted through cortical bone and a bore in a proximal end portion of the intramedullary nail. Such a lag screw can include a distal end portion that can be inserted into a head portion of the femur. The distal end portion of the lag screw can engage trabecular or cancellous bone within the head portion of the femur. After the lag screw has engaged the head portion, the head portion can be pulled by the lag screw toward a neck portion and a shaft portion of the femur to rejoin the head portion with the femur at a fracture in the region of the femur known as a greater trochanter, for example.

Femoral fracture fixation device with posterior support portion


A Doherty power amplifying apparatus includes a harmonic-controlled Doherty amplifier; and an input matching unit and an output matching unit for input matching and output matching the harmonic-controlled Doherty amplifier, respectively. The harmonic-controlled Doherty amplifier includes a carrier amplifier; a peaking amplifier arranged in parallel to the carrier amplifier; and a harmonic control circuit, arranged in front of the output matching unit, for controlling a harmonic component of an output of the Doherty amplifier to enable the Doherty amplifier to perform a switching or saturation operation.

In general, a Doherty power amplifier has a structure of a carrier and a peaking amplifier connected in parallel by using a quarter-wave transformer (λ/4 line). Further, the Doherty amplifier is driven by a method in which the peaking amplifier controls a load impedance of the carrier amplifier by increasing the amount of current supplied to the load from the peaking amplifier as the power level is increased, thereby improving efficiency.
A microwave Doherty amplifier was first proposed by W. H. Doherty in 1936, and had initially been used in an amplitude modulation (AM) transmitter of a broadcasting apparatus using a high-power low-frequency (LF) vacuum tube or a medium frequency (MF) vacuum tube. Since then, there have been a variety of proposals for implementing the microwave Doherty amplifier with a solid-state device without using a vacuum tube, and numerous researches have been conducted to implement the proposals.
A Doherty amplifier employing an asymmetric power driving method has achieved high efficiency and linearity. Especially, the Doherty amplifier employed in base stations and handsets for mobile communications has been highly enhanced in performance. Such a Doherty amplifier for the high frequency range includes a power divider; a transmission line for synchronizing phases between a carrier amplifier and a peaking amplifier; the carrier amplifier and the peaking amplifier capable of outputting a maximum power by configuring the input matching circuits and the output matching circuits of the respective amplifiers such that the output level of the carrier amplifier is same as that of the peaking amplifier; an offset line for generating a proper load modulation by increasing an impedance output while the peaking amplifier is not operating; and quarter-wave transmission lines for performing the Doherty operation.
In this configuration, by sequentially providing the output matching circuits and, in turn, the offset line at output ends of transistors in the carrier amplifier and the peaking amplifier, an imaginary part as well as a real part can be matched, thereby enabling the Doherty operation while obtaining the maximum output power. (See Y. Yang et al, "Optimum Design for Linearity and Efficiency of Microwave Doherty Amplifier Using a New Load Matching Technique," Microwave Journal, Vol 44, No. 12, pp. 20-36, December 2002.)
Further, an N-way Doherty amplifier having an optimum design for efficiency and linearity while improving a typical Doherty amplifier was also studied (See, Y. Yang et al, "A Fully Matched N-way Doherty Amplifier with Optimized Linearity," IEEE Trans. Microwave Theory and Tech., Vol. 51, No. 3, pp. 986-993, March 2003.)
Moreover, there is presented an N-stage Doherty amplifier for gradually achieving high efficiency from a much lower power level in comparison with a conventional Doherty amplifier (See N. Srirattana et al, "Analysis and design of a high efficiency multistage Doherty amplifier for WCDMA," EuMC Digest 2003, Vol. 3, pp. 1337-1340, October 2003.)
Further, in order to solve a problem in which the Doherty amplifier do not produce a maximum power output due to a low bias when the Doherty amplifier is implemented by using a solid-state device, there has been proposed a Doherty amplifier by using an envelope tracking device (See Y. Yang et al, "A Microwave Doherty Amplifier Employing Envelope Tracking Technique for High Efficiency and Linearity", IEEE Microwave and Wireless Components Letters, Vol. 13, No. 9, September 2003., and J. Cha et al, "An Adaptive Bias Controlled Power Amplifier with a Load-Modulated Combining Scheme for High Efficiency and Linearity", IEEE MTT-S Int. Microwave Sympo. Vol. 1, pp. 81-84, June 2003.)
However, even in the proposed Doherty amplifier, an additional device for controlling the power level of the peaking and the carrier power amplifiers is still required in order to achieve an improved linearity and the maximum output. To solve this problem, a research has been made about a Doherty power amplifier using an uneven power drive in which input powers are fed unevenly (J. Kim et al, "Optimum Operation of Asymmetrical-Cells-Based Linear Doherty Power Amplifiers-Uneven Power Drive and Power Matching," IEEE Trans. Microwave Theory Tech., Vol. 53, No. 5, pp. 1802-1809, May, 2005; J. Kim et al, "Advanced Design Methods of Doherty Amplifier for Wide Bandwidth, High Efficiency Base Station Power Amplifiers," 35th European Microwave Conference, Paris, France, pp. 963-966, October, 2005).
As discussed above, there have been developed various techniques for the Doherty power amplification. However, as base stations for mobile communications and terminal systems are being further reduced in size while there are increasing demands for saving the cost, a power amplification of a higher efficiency than the conventional Doherty power amplifiers is required.

Doherty amplifying apparatus using a harmonic control circuit


Disclosed is a semiconductor device with a transistor in which an oxide semiconductor is used. An insulating layer on a back channel side of the oxide semiconductor layer has capacitance of lower than or equal to 2×10−4 F/m2. For example, in the case of a top-gate transistor, a base insulating layer has capacitance of lower than or equal to 2×10−4 F/m2, whereby the adverse effect of an interface state between the substrate and the base insulating layer can be reduced. Thus, a semiconductor device where fluctuation in electrical characteristics is small and reliability is high can be manufactured.

A technique by which transistors are formed using semiconductor thin films formed over a substrate having an insulating surface has been attracting attention. Such transistors are applied to a wide range of electronic devices such as an integrated circuit (IC) and an image display device (display device). As semiconductor thin films applicable to the transistors, silicon-based semiconductor materials have been widely used, but oxide semiconductors have been attracting attention as alternative materials.
For example, disclosed is a transistor whose active layer is formed using an amorphous oxide containing indium (In), gallium (Ga), and zinc (Zn) and having an electron carrier concentration of lower than 1018/cm3 (see Patent Document 1).
A transistor including an oxide semiconductor is known to have a problem of low reliability because of high possibility of fluctuation in electrical characteristics, although the transistor including an oxide semiconductor can be operated at higher speed than a transistor including amorphous silicon and can be manufactured more easily than a transistor including polycrystalline silicon. For example, the threshold voltage of the transistor fluctuates between before and after a bias-temperature stress test (BT test). Note that in this specification, a "threshold voltage" refers to a gate voltage which is needed to turn on a transistor. "Gate voltage" refers to a potential difference between a source electrode and a gate electrode when the potential of the source electrode is used as a reference potential.

Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.


The invention relates to compounds, methods, uses, compositions, combinations, kits and packages for the prevention and/or treatment of parasite infection (e.g., Plasmodium parasites) and/or disease (e.g., malaria) based on uses of (a) cystamine, cysteamine, and analogs, derivatives, prodrugs, precursors thereof; an agent capable of inducing their production; and/or salts thereof, and (b) artemisinin and functional derivative, analog, conjugate, metabolite, prodrug or precursor thereof, and/or salts thereof.

Parasites are organisms that live on or within another organism (the host) and harm the host. Diseases caused by parasites such as protozoa and helminths are among the leading causes of death and disease in tropical and subtropical regions of the world.
Malaria is an infectious disease that causes severe morbidity and mortality with an estimated 300-500 million cases worldwide and more than 1 million deaths annually in sub-Saharan Africa alone. The disease is caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Plasmodium, transmitted by mosquitoes. The most serious forms of malaria are caused by Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax, but other species (e.g., Plasmodium ovale, Plasmodium malariae, and Plasmodium knowlesi) can also infect humans.
Among the murine malarial parasites, Plasmodium chabaudi (P. chabaudi) AS provides a unique experimental model to study the erythroid stage of the disease (Li, C. et al., 2001. Med. Microbiol. Immunol. (Berl) 189:115-126). P. chabaudi AS produces an infection in mice that shares many similarities with P. falciparum malaria in humans, including anemia, splenomegaly, hepatomegaly, renal alterations, hypoglycemia, and parasite sequestration (Cox, J. et al., 1987. Parasite Immunol. 9:543-561; Landau, I. and Gautret, P. 1998. Animal models: rodents. In Malaria, Parasite Biology, Pathogenesis, and Protection. I. W. Sherman, editor ASM Press, Washington D.C., pages 401-417). Among the murine malarial parasites, Plasmodium berghei (P. berghei) ANKA provides a unique model to study the cerebral stage of the disease (Hunt, N. H. et al., 2006 Int. J. Parasitol 36: 569-582). P. berghei ANKA produces an infection in mice that shares many similarities with cerebral malaria in humans, including sequestration of infected erythrocytes at the blood brain barrier, and appearance of cerebral symptoms such as fever, tremors, paralysis, coma and death.
In humans, malaria provides a clear example of host genetic factors influencing onset, progression, type of disease developed and ultimate outcome of infection (Hill, A. V. 1998. Annu. Rev. Immunol. 16: 593-617). Epidemiological data, together with linkage and association studies have shown that selection pressure from the parasite has caused retention of disease-associated but malaria-protective alleles in the human population, suggesting co-evolution of the host and parasite. Such otherwise deleterious alleles include those causing sickle cell anemia (Allison, A. C. 1954. Br. Med. J. 1(4857): 290-294; Willcox, M. A. et al., 1983. Ann. Trop. Med. Parasitol. 77: 239-246), thalassemias (Weatherall, D. J. 2001. Nat. Rev. Genet. 2: 245-255), and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency (Ruwende, C. et al., 1995. Nature 376: 246-249). Polymorphisms in other erythroid proteins, including common variants of the Duffy antigen (Miller, L. H. et al., 1976. N. Engl. J. Med. 295: 302-304), the erythrocyte band 3 (anion exchanger) (Allen, S. J. et al., 1999. Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg. 60: 1056-1060), and glycophorin C (Patel, S. S., et al., 2001. Blood 98:3489-3491), as well as variants in the TNF-α cytokine (McGuire, W. et al., 1994. Nature 371:508-510) and the CD36 scavenger receptor (Aitman, T. J. et al., 2000. Nature 405: 1015-1016) are also associated with protection against malaria. Additional linkage studies in Burkina Faso have suggested a complex genetic component of susceptibility showing blood parasitemia levels linked to the 5q31-q33 region (Rihet, P. et al., 1998. Am. J. Hum. Genet. 63: 498-505). The genetic component of malaria susceptibility is further modified by environmental factors (Kwiatkowski, D. 2000. Curr. Opin. Genet. Dev. 10: 320-324).
No efficacious vaccines are currently available to prevent or control the spread of parasitic diseases such as malaria, and most existing therapeutics are either not completely effective or toxic to the human host. Also, drugs often fail as a result of the selection and spread of drug resistant variants of the parasites. Notably, control of malaria has been hampered by the spread of drug resistance in both the Plasmodium parasites and the Anopheles insect vector, and by the lack of an efficacious vaccine (Moorthy, V. S. et al., 2004. Lancet 363: 150-156).
Therefore, there is a need to develop new approaches for the prevention and/or treatment of parasitic diseases such as malaria.
The present description refers to a number of documents, the content of which is herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Combination therapy and uses thereof for treatment and prevention of parasitic infection and disease

The Royal Institution for the Advancement of Learning/McGill University


The invention relates to a signature hopper loader and method for feeding signatures to a hopper on a binding line. The hopper loader includes a conveyor and a deblocker that work together to feed signatures to the hopper. The deblocker is preferably positioned adjacent the conveyor such that the deblocker serves to laterally shift the signatures facilitating deblocking and/or alignment of the signatures.

A typical binding operation utilizes multiple hoppers or packer boxes that are each adapted to receive signatures from a source of signatures. The hoppers incrementally deliver individual signatures onto a binding line where complete books of signatures are gathered and carried onto another location for further processing to complete the binding process.
Signature hopper loaders are typically used to supply the signatures to the hopper. The advantages of automatically supplying signatures to the hopper instead of manually loading signatures into the hoppers are well known. A typical signature hopper loader receives a log of signatures at one end, and through a series of conveyors delivers a supply of signatures to the hopper.


The invention is directed to a remote 3-D imaging system which uses a novel illumination source to establish the relationship of the image features to the system, which is displayed by virtue of calculations. In addition to static surfaces, moving surfaces may be studied and corrections due to turbidity and platform position are also easily compensated for. The instant system may also contain a plurality of sensing systems based on light, including traditional reflective or elastic scattering and novel fluorescent or non-elastic scattering still and video imaging systems, including time-gated systems.

Interest in the profile of underwater surfaces has grown significantly in the past several decades. Indeed, the ability to map and detect features in the underwater environment has become of interest in the areas of science, resource exploration, and national defense, to name a few. This has led to the development of various types of instrumentation for imaging the areas of interest.
One type of imaging system employs the use of sonar technology and translates the differences in the echo signal to locate abnormalities in a body of water. U.S. Pat. No. 5,321,667 to Audi et al represents such a system. These systems are adapted to generate information over a large scan area, but are limited in degrees of resolution, which dictates accuracy of the information, based on the ping rates and distance to the object.
A multi-platform system for acoustic surveillance is disclosed in Gaer, U.S. Pat. No. 5,231,609. In Gaer, a plurality of acoustic platforms aid in providing an accurate sonic image or shadow. Because of the use of more than one signal to produce the image, Gaer is able to track a moving object. This system, however, requires a highly sophisticated interfacing of the actual signals and signal generators to provide the sought information, thus making it a very expensive system and one that, by virtue of the amount of variables to be controlled, may be difficult to keep in synchronization.
Another system, which employs a plurality of platforms, is disclosed in Schmidt et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,894,450. This multi-AUV system is able to obtain a profile of data by virtue of collecting the single data sets obtained by the AUVs and collating the same. This again may be a highly expensive and complicated system to use.
Another imaging system is described in Haley et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,155,706. In Haley et al. the data obtained from different passes over the image are manipulated according to an algorithm to produce a clearer image of the desired object or feature. This system, although being lower in cost and easier to use than the multi-platform systems, admittedly produces notable false readings.
An additional patent to Haley et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,612,928, also describes a pixel classifying system, but again this system is incapable of producing 3-D images of photo quality, but instead produces images that resemble computer renderings.
Jaffe et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,855,961, describes another sonar imaging system employing a plurality of transmitters in conjunction with a plurality of receivers to assist in establishing a 3-D image of the object. This system, since it uses sonar for imaging, is limited in the degree of resolution available.
Another method of determining the size of an object by virtue of measurements at known spaces apart is taught by Wallin in U.S. Pat. No. 5,543,910. In Wallin, the size of an object is calculated based on a geometric model with two signals being sent from two different periscopes and at two differing angles with respect to the host devices to determine the actual distance via the geometric model from the feedback. The Wallin system is capable of location and is not a per se imaging system.
Cooper, U.S. Pat. No. 6,319,079, discloses a system with a video camera that sends back images from the underwater site. This device is also limited in that it requires a diver to operate the equipment.
Geiger, U.S. Pat. No. 5,947,051 also describes a system with a camera attached to it and discusses 3-D images. Geiger uses a system with a lidar x-y raster scanning laser beam instead of a video type of camera to obtain images. Because of the raster feature, this differs from a single fixed source. In addition, a TV camera is also disclosed as an alternate embodiment, but there is no discussion of the turbidity problems that underwater optical imaging can experience.
Patterson et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,995,882, also describes a system with a video camera. No disclosure is made on how the images are enhanced or obtained in sufficient clarity to produce accurate representations of the object under investigation.
The use of fluorescence to detect organic materials is taught in Andrews, U.S. Pat. No. 5,929,453. In Andrews a spectrometer type of instrument is used to detect trace organics for oil spill determination but the system is not part of a moving or scanning type of device.
Finally, Schmidt et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,687,137, describes a combination wide-scale and smaller scale measurement system which can be programmed to respond to a signal instructing it to return to an area of interest and activate finer measurements via tomography. This system, although it is sonic in design, is capable of both broad scanning and finer types of scans. No imaging specifics are addressed in this patent.


A solid-state imaging apparatus is provided which includes a plurality of pixels (101) arranged in a matrix for generating a signal by a photoelectric conversion, a plurality of column amplifier units (102) arranged each correspondingly to each of columns of the plurality of pixels, for outputting a first signal generated by amplifying at a first gain the signals from the plurality of pixels, and a second signal generated by amplifying at a second gain the signals from the plurality of pixels, and an analog to digital converting unit (108) for selecting one signal from the first and second signals for analog to digital conversion.

Solid-state imaging apparatuses are required to have an improved S/N ratio and an increased dynamic range. In order to meet such requirements, an amplifier circuit and a detection circuit, which detects the signal level of each pixel signal, in each of columns of pixels arranged in a matrix are provided for each column in PTL 1. With this configuration, signal saturation in each column amplifier circuit is avoided, the gains of pixel signals are controlled such that small-amplitude ones do not cause saturation, and the gains are returned to the original values in a downstream circuit.
In PTL 2, a column amplifier circuit for each of columns generates a low-gain signal and a high-gain signal from each pixel signal from an imaging device. Signals obtained by returning high-gain signals to the same gain as the gain of low-gain signals and the low-gain signals are selectively combined to increase a dynamic range while maintaining an S/N ratio.
However, in the technique disclosed in PTL 1, a detection circuit for detecting a pixel signal is provided for each of columns of pixels, and the columns have different gains. A circuit for controlling the configuration is more complicated, and a solid-state imaging apparatus occupies a larger area. In addition, the pixels may have different S/N ratios.
In the technique disclosed in PTL 2, signals with different gains generated from each of a plurality of image signals are both subjected to AD conversion. This leads to an increase in the number of data transfer lines for AD-converted signals and a cost increase. If data transfer for one of the different gains and data transfer for the other gain are alternately and successively performed, transfer time doubles, and photographic speed decreases.

Solid-state imaging apparatus that selects among different analog signals


A high-frequency bipolar transistor structure includes a base region of a first conductivity type formed in a silicon layer of a second conductivity type, the base region comprising an intrinsic base region surrounded by an extrinsic base region, an emitter region of the second conductivity type formed inside the intrinsic base region, the extrinsic base region and the emitter region being contacted by a first polysilicon layer and a second polysilicon layer respectively. The first and the second polysilicon layers are respectively contacted by a base metal electrode and an emitter metal electrode. Between the extrinsic base region and the first polysilicon layer, a silicide layer is provided to reduce the extrinsic base resistance of the bipolar transistor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a high-frequency bipolar transistor structure, and to a related manufacturing process.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Sophisticated techniques are employed to fabricate high-frequencies bipolar transistors, with cutoff frequency higher than 20 GHz, propagation delays below 40 ps and speed-power products of about 40 fJ. Such techniques involve, for example, dielectric or trench isolation, multiple polysilicon layers, self-aligned processes making use of SiO.sub.2 or composite material spacers, rapid thermal processes (RTP), and so on.
High-performance Double PolySilicon Self-Aligned Transistors (DPSSATs) feature shallow junctions, with the emitter region formed by diffusion of dopants from an overlaying second polysilicon layer into the intrinsic base region; this last is surrounded by a heavily doped extrinsic base region, which is formed by diffusion of dopants from a first polysilicon layer into an epitaxial layer. The second and first polysilicon layers are respectively contacted by metal emitter and base electrodes. The intrinsic base can be formed by implantation, or by diffusion of dopants through the second polysilicon layer.
A review of such transistors can be found in P. C. Hunt, "Bipolar device design for high density high performance applications", Proceedings of IEDM 1989, 791-794, which is incorporated herein by reference.
To improve the AC performance of these transistors, their distributed base resistance (r.sub.bb) should be reduced. In this way, the charge/discharge time of the emitter-base junction capacitance would be decreased, and the dynamic behavior of the transistors improved. Further, the Noise Figure (NF) would be significantly reduced.
To further improve the speed performance the extrinsic base region should be shallower than the intrinsic base. The influence of the ratio of the extrinsic base to the intrinsic base junction depths is described in R. Dekker et al, "Charge Sharing Effects in Bipolar Transistors with Sub-half-micron Emitter Widths", Proceedings of IEDM 1990, 29-32, which is incorporated herein by reference. A shallower extrinsic base region would also allow a reduction in the base-collector junction parasitic capacitance, since the distance between the junction and the buried layer would increase, and the depletion region would be wider.
In view of the state of the art discussed, it is an object of the present invention to provide a high-frequency bipolar transistor structure with improved speed performance.

High-frequency bipolar transistor structure

Consorzio per la Ricerca sulla Microelettronica nel Mezzogiorno


A local interconnect structure for an integrated circuit is formed from a patterned refractory metal silicide. The local interconnect has an overlying oxide layer, which prevents part of the amorphous silicon used to form the interconnect from becoming silicided. This results in a local interconnect layer which has thinner silicide portions than silicide regions formed over adjacent source/drain regions and gate electrodes.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the fabrication of integrated circuits, and more particularly to a structure and method for fabricating an interconnect structure in an integrated circuit.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As integrated circuits become more and more complex, the need for increased packaging density, reduced device parasitics, and low resistivity interconnects increases. Buried contacts and self-aligned contact techniques have been developed to increase packaging density. Similarly, silicides are utilized to reduce device parasitics as well as interconnect resistances.
One method known in the art to form a silicided interconnect utilizes a refractory metal, such as titanium, and amorphous silicon. A patterned layer of amorphous silicon is formed over a layer of refractory metal, and the integrated circuit is then annealed to form silicide. The silicide creates the interconnect structure. Those skilled in the art will recognize that during silicidation a monocrystalline silicon, such as a semiconductor substrate, is consumed faster than amorphous silicon. Furthermore, because the amorphous silicon layer is typically consumed during the silicidation process, a thicker silicided layer is formed in the area covered with the amorphous silicon layer than in the areas not covered with the amorphous silicon layer.
This difference between the silicidation rates of amorphous silicon and a monocrystalline silicon such as a semiconductor substrate can lead to problems with the integrated circuit. Forming a thick silicided area utilizing amorphous silicon over a source/drain region within a semiconductor substrate can cause dopants in the source/drain regions to out-diffuse through the silicide to other areas and reduce the effective junction concentration, resulting in junction leakage. This phenomena is due to the fact that the monocrystalline silicon in the semiconductor substrate is consumed faster than the amorphous silicon during the silicidation process. Those skilled in the art will recognize that losing the silicon in the source/drain regions during silicidation and having dopants out-diffuse into other areas can lead to the problem of junction leakage.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a method to form interconnect structures which limits the thickness of the interconnect structure, minimizes diffusion of dopants, and which reduces the potential for junction leakage. It is also desirable that such a method not significantly increase the complexity of the fabrication process.

Interconnect structure for an integrated circuit


The antenna particularly for domestic, collective or community installations, receives plural telecommunication beams and comprises a preferably paraboloidal fixed reflector with an axis of symmetry. At least one grating of annular diffraction members is substantially symmetrical with regard to the axis and is placed parallel to the reflector. The grating defines first and second focal points symmetrical to the axis towards which are susceptible to converge first and second beams directed substantially parallel to straight lines going through the centre of the grating and through first and second focal points respectively. A microwave head can sweep the focal plane along a focal line, or several microwave heads are positioned on a gantry thereby receiving or emitting plural beams, though the reflector is fixed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a telecommunication beam receiving or emitting antenna.
In particular, the antenna is intended for domestic installations in individual houses, for collective installations in buildings, or for community installations serving to feed the heads of cable networks for receiving plural beams emitted by telecommunication satellites, notably carrying television signals.
In addition, the invention can be used for professional applications notably in data communication networks.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The currently most widely sold antenna for satellite reception on the market comprises a fixed reflector of which the reflecting surface is a paraboloid of revolution, or an elliptical paraboloid, approximately 90 to 120 cm wide, or a portion of such a paraboloid for an antenna with off-axis illumination, referred to as an offset antenna. The axis of symmetry of the reflector is pointed towards the satellite whose transmissions are to be picked up. A microwave reception head, usually fastened by stays, is positioned at the single focus of the paraboloid reflector.
When the aforesaid satellite has an orbital position very close to other geostationary satellites, e.g. such as the TDF 1, OLYMPUS and TV SAT 2 satellites situated at 19.degree. longitude west, the antenna can pick up the beams of these different satellites.
If the user wishes to receive beams from another satellite having an orbital position different to that of the abovementioned satellites, e.g. located at longitude east, the reflector of the receiving antenna must be turned around to be pointed to this other satellite. There are two solutions: either the user climbs onto the roof of a house or building in order to manually position the reflector, or the antenna must comprise remote-controlled motorized means for orientating the reflector.
In practice, the first solution is very rarely implemented by the user in view of the difficulty in gaining access to the antenna. It therefore requires recourse to an installation expert and a further adjusting of the position of the reflector, and is therefore highly dissuasive for the user.
The second solution is penalized by the cost of the antenna and its installation, an antenna with a motorized reflector requiring an infrastructure that is heavier and more cumbersome.
Other antennae are flat and are based on the FRESNEL lens principle (German patent applications Nos. 3,536,348 and 3,801,301) in order to remedy the high cost and unsightly appearance of parabolic antennae. However, these antennae also have a single focus and therefore a single pointing direction.

Fixed-reflector antenna for plural telecommunication beams


An image forming apparatus generates a PWM signal corresponding to input image data and controls a timing of a light source to emit a light beam based on the PWM signal in order to perform tone reproduction. The image forming apparatus includes a data processing unit configured to generate the PWM signal for one pixel based on image data for continuous two pixels in the image data. The data processing unit selects an origin of pulse growth in generation of the PWM signal for one pixel in accordance with the image data for the two pixels to generate the PWM signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus that forms an image by irradiating the surface of a charged photosensitive material with a laser beam to form an electrostatic latent image and relates to a control method of the image forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
An image forming apparatus forming an image by electrophotography typically includes a charging unit that uniformly charges the photosensitive surface of the photosensitive drum. The image forming apparatus also includes a latent-image forming unit that forms a latent image corresponding to image information on the charged photosensitive surface, a developing unit that develops the latent image, and a transfer unit that transfers the developed latent image to a sheet of paper. The image forming apparatus sequentially performs image forming while rotating the photosensitive surface of the photosensitive drum.
The latent-image forming unit includes a semiconductor laser that outputs a laser beam resulting from light modulation of the input image information by a laser driver controller. The laser beam is reflected from a polygon mirror in the latent-image forming unit, and the reflected laser beam scans the photosensitive drum to form the latent image.
Such a semiconductor laser has a current-optical output characteristic shown in FIG. 14. The semiconductor laser emits light emitting diode (LED) light when the semiconductor laser is driven at a current Ib lower than a threshold current Ith, and emits a laser beam having an optical output Po when the semiconductor laser is driven at a current Io higher than the threshold current Ith. This current-optical output characteristic is varied with variation between semiconductor lasers and change in temperature.
Accordingly, the latent-image forming unit generally includes an automatic power control (APC) circuit that performs automatic power control (hereinafter referred to as APC) such that the semiconductor laser stably emits the laser beam without being affected by the change in temperature when the semiconductor laser forms the latent image on the photosensitive drum.
The latent-image forming unit further includes a pulse width modulation (PWM) circuit that generates a PWM signal to be supplied to the semiconductor laser in order to form a tone image on a transfer sheet of paper.
FIG. 15 is a graph showing the relationship between the pulse width of a PWM signal and the integrated value of optical outputs in PWM drive of the semiconductor laser. A line (1) shows the relationship between the pulse width of the PWM signal and the quantity of light when Ib=0 and bias APC for controlling the emission of the LED light is not performed, a line (2) shows the relationship when 0<Ib<Ith, and a line (3) shows the relationship when Ib=Ith.
In the case of Ib=0 (the line (1)), the semiconductor laser provides no response and the quantity of light is equal to zero when the pulse width of the PWM signal is less than 10%, the semiconductor laser starts to light up when the pulse width of the PWM signal is equal to 10%, the quantity of light linearly increases along with the increase of the pulse width of the PWM signal when the pulse width of the PWM signal is more than 10% and less than 90%, the quantity of light sharply increases when the pulse width of the PWM signal is more than 90%, and the quantity of light is saturated at 100%.
In the case of 0<Ib<Ith (the line (2)), the semiconductor laser provides no response and the quantity of light is equal to zero when the pulse width of the PWM signal is less than 5%, the semiconductor laser starts to light up when the pulse width of the PWM signal is equal to 5%, the quantity of light linearly increases along with the increase of the pulse width of the PWM signal when the pulse width of the PWM signal is more than 5% and less than 90%, the quantity of light sharply increases when the pulse width of the PWM signal is more than 90%, and the quantity of light is saturated at 100%.
In the case of Ib=Ith (the line (3)), the semiconductor laser provides no response and the quantity of light is equal to zero when the pulse width of the PWM signal is less than 5%, the semiconductor laser starts to light up when the pulse width of the PWM signal is equal to 5%, the quantity of light sharply increases along with the increase of the pulse width of the PWM signal, the quantity of light linearly increases along with the increase of the pulse width of the PWM signal when the pulse width of the PWM signal is more than 10% and less than 95%, the quantity of light sharply increases when the pulse width of the PWM signal is more than 95%, and the quantity of light is saturated at 100%.
As disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-294837, performing the bias APC for setting the bias current Ib increases the proportion of the linear area of the PWM characteristic to improve the quality of an output image.
However, it is not possible to establish a linear relationship between the pulse width of the PWM signal and the quantity of light in the pulse width from 0% to 100% even in such a PWM circuit in the related art, and dead-band zones appear in areas near a pulse with of 0% and near a pulse width of 100%. Increasing the resolution of the pulse width of the PWM signal and finely controlling an area near 10% where the quantity of light sharply increase and an area near 90% where the quantity of light is toward the saturation in order to avoid the dead-band zone increases the number of input bits in the PWM circuit and the PWM circuit becomes complicated. For example, since it is said that the number of levels of the density gradation which a human being can perceive is about ten in an image having a resolution of 600 dpi, it is sufficient to provide 4-bit density data for an image. However, in order to increase the resolution of the pulse width of the PWM signal for fine control of the semiconductor laser, it is necessary to provide 8-bit density data. Accordingly, there is a problem in that the cost is increased because the number of bits in an image controller that processes image data is unnecessarily increased.
The dead-band zone of the semiconductor laser is determined by the characteristics of the semiconductor laser and the characteristic of a driving circuit therein. With the same semiconductor laser and the driving circuit being used, the proportion of the dead-band zone is increased with an increase of the drive frequency and the linear area is reduced, thus degrading the controllability. For example, a semiconductor laser having the dead-band zone below a pulse width of 5% at a drive frequency of 10 MHz has the dead-band zone below a pulse width of 10% at a drive frequency of 20 MHz.
The tone reproducibility in a lower density area near a pulse width of 0% and in a higher density area near a pulse width of 100% is reduced as the drive frequency of the semiconductor laser is increased along with an increasing need for high-speed processing and for higher image quality of output images and, therefore, the improvement of the image quality of the output images is inhibited.

Image forming apparatus and image forming method


A method and apparatus to adaptively validate a physical net routing topology of a substrate design to a target topology of the substrate design. A tree data structure is generated by mapping physical net routing topology objects to tree data structure objects the tree data structure representing the substrate design. The tree data structure is then compressed to form a compressed tree data structure. The compressed tree data structure is validated by comparing the target topology with the compressed tree data structure to determine if the target topology is electrically equivalent to the compressed tree data structure. One or more branches of the validated tree data structure is named, and the validated tree data structure is partitioned and saved.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to the field of substrate design. In particular, the present invention is related to a method and apparatus to adaptively validate a physical net routing topology to a target topology of a substrate design.
2. Description of the Related Art
A substrate design is a physical layout of components on a circuit board and illustrates e.g., junctions, nodes, metal fills, component types and shapes, specific distances between nodes, etch endpoints, interconnects, etc. as they physically appear on the circuit board. Designers frequently use computers to design substrates from a given target topology. A physical net routing topology comprises a description of the nodes, interconnects and components of the substrate design. The physical net routing topology may be stored in a database and may be used to verify if a given target topology has been followed in the substrate design.
A target topology, typically provided by an engineer, is a logical description of the circuit that is used e.g., by a designer to design the substrate.
In order to verify that the given target topology is complied with in the substrate design, the target topology is compared with the physical net routing topology. Conventional checking algorithms that compare the given target topology with the physical net routing topology of the substrate design are inflexible and may not allow a comparison between the two topologies (i.e., the target topology and the physical net routing topology) if the two topologies differ, even though the two topologies are electrically equivalent. For example, if a test-point is added in a substrate design and the added test-point does not affect the electrical equivalence between the target topology and the physical net routing topology, conventional checking algorithms fail.

Method and apparatus to adaptively validate a physical net routing topology of a substrate design


Disclosed herein is a light guide, which includes a light-receiving surface and a light-emitting surface. The light-emitting surface includes a plurality of gratings spaced apart from each other by a spacing interval. Each grating has a number of prisms extending in a predetermined direction. The predetermined direction of at least one grating is different from that of another grating. These gratings cooperate together to allow light in a wavelength range to transmit the gratings, and to restrict light in another wavelength range to transmit the gratings. An electrophoretic display apparatus switchable between black-white mode and color mode is disclosed as well.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a light guide and an electrophoretic display apparatus switchable between a black-white mode and a color mode.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventional electrophoretic display devices exhibit black-white images and can not provide colorful images. For the purpose of providing colorful images, many researches attempt to add color filters in conventional electrophoretic display devices. However, the pigment or dye in the color filters adsorbs about two-third of incident light so that the brightness of the electrophoretic display devices is significantly decreased. In addition, this kind of electrophoretic display devices exhibits color images only, and can not be switchable between a black-white mode and a color mode. Therefore, there exists in this art a need for a new electrophoretic display apparatus which is capable of resolving these issues.

Light guide and electrophoretic display apparatus switchable between black-white mode and color mode


A regenerative device can include a first side section, a second side section, and a top section extending between and connecting the first side section and the second side section. The top section and the first and second side sections can each be formed from a porous material that retains its structure after implantation in the patient. The regenerative device can be used for ridge augmentation of a maxilla or a mandible. The top section can include an opening configured for receiving an implant. The porous material can be permanently implanted in the mouth and promote bone regeneration or ridge augmentation. One or both of the first and second side sections of the device can include one or more openings or apertures for receiving a fastener to secure the device to the alveolar ridge.

Dental implants may be used for the replacement of all, or a portion of, a patient's teeth. Following the extraction of one or more teeth, the bone that forms the maxilla or the mandible may resorb in the area where the one or more teeth were removed. The resulting loss of bone may make it difficult to secure a dental implant in the patient's mouth where the one or more extracted teeth were previously positioned. As such, various materials may be used to restore the bone prior to, or as part of, a procedure to place the implant(s) inside the patient's mouth.
In some cases, a titanium mesh material can be used in combination with a grafting material, in order to help promote bone growth. In addition to or as an alternative to a metal material, a resorbable material can be used to regenerate bone.

Dental regenerative device made of porous metal


Embodiments of the present invention relate to systems and methods for configuring computing devices to join a peer group. A peer group may be created on a subnetwork by a computing device. When a new computing device enters the subnetwork, it may join the peer group and be given access to the shared resources on the peer group and associated computing devices, using a communications layer and an authorization layer. Allowing a new computing device to join a peer group includes inviting the new device to join and then challenging the device for a passkey of the peer group. After joining the peer group, the computing device will be able to access and share resources with the peer group and other computing devices associated with the peer group.

Typically, sharing resources between computing devices requires a lot of effort on the part of the user of each device to configure each computing device to both share resources (and determine which resources to share) and to access resources from other devices. It further subjects each user to undue security risks. Allowing computing devices to join a peer group, for example, when at a home location, can provide an easier method of sharing resources, while retaining security. A peer group may be particularly helpful to a user when the user operates multiple computing devices and would like to share resources between the devices.


A vibration driven motor including a vibration member for generating a vibration therein, a rotor arranged in frictional contact with the vibration member and driven by the vibration, a rotary output member, and a connection member connecting the rotor to the output member. The connection member includes a bent portion that is deformed in an axial direction on the rotary output member. In another aspect a connection member having a bent portion may be provided for engaging the vibration member at a predetermined portion. In each case, the bent portion(s) of the connection member absorbs any change in the dimensions thereof, e.g., due to a change in the temperature or other environmental factors.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vibration driven motor for driving a movable body and a vibrating body relative to each other by a vibration wave, in particular, by a travelling vibration wave.
2. Related Background Art
Conventional vibration driven motors have been proposed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 1-303072, 2-155480, and the like. In a motor of this type, a ring-like rotor 6 or a stator 3 shown in FIG. 7 is supported by a plurality of support elements radially or obliquely projecting from the rotor or stator main body. The conventional motor will be described in detail below with reference to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a conventional vibration driven motor, and FIG. 8 is a perspective view thereof.
In FIGS. 7 and 8, an elastic body 1 and a piezo-electric element 2 are adhered integrally with each other to constitute the stator 3. The rotor 6 is constituted by a rotor ring 4 and a slider 5, and contacts the stator 3 under pressure by a compression member (not shown).
A stator support member 9 has an elasticity, and is provided with a plurality of support elements 9-a, which project radially inwardly from a ring-like main body 9-b, and are arranged at equal angular intervals in the circumferential direction.
FIG. 9 shows the shape of the stator support member. The support elements 9-a are adhered to the lower surface of a flange portion 1-a arranged on the outer peripheral portion of the elastic body 1. The support member 9 is fixed to a fixing member (not shown) by its ring-like main body 9-b.
The rotor 6 is supported by a rotor support member 7 constituted by support elements 7-a integrated with the rotor ring 4, and a rotor support member main body 7-b. The rotor support elements 7-a have an elasticity like in the stator support member 9, and are arranged to extend radially therefrom at equal angular intervals in the circumferential direction.
However, in the conventional vibration driven motor, one end of each stator support element 9-a is integrated with the ring-like main body 9-b fixed to the fixing member (not shown), and the other end thereof is adhered to the flange portion 1-a of the stator 3. For this reason, each stator support element 9-a is restricted in the radial direction. Similarly, one end of each support element 7-(a) of the rotor 6 is integrated with the rotor ring 4, and the other end thereof is supported by the rotor support member 7. Thus, each rotor support element 7-a is also restricted in the radial direction. For this reason, the elastic displacements of the support elements in a direction to bring the rotor 6 and the stator 3 into tight contact with each other cannot be increased either when the support elements project radially, of when the support elements are arranged in an oblique direction. As a result, a pressurizing force between the rotor 6 and the stator 3 can cause a compression nonuniformity as a result of a dimensional precision error or an assembling error in the constituent members, or as a result of pressurizing force changes due to a change in dimensions over time, thus deteriorating motor characteristics.
Furthermore, in a case wherein the support member and other members fixed to the support member have different linear expansion coefficients, or in a case wherein they have the same linear expansion coefficient, when the temperatures of the respective members change or when a temperature gradient is formed among the respective members due to a change in the environmental temperature, a beam deforms as shown in FIG. 10 in a compression state. For this reason, when the support elements 7-a or the support member main body 7-b receives a tension in the longitudinal direction of the beam, a partial force of the pressurizing force of the tension is generated, and the pressurizing force is increased. On the other hand, when the support elements 7-a or the support member main body 7-b receives a compression force in the longitudinal direction, the pressurizing force is decreased. As a result, motor characteristics change inadvertently, and in an extreme case, the adhered portions between the support elements 9-a and stator flange portion 1-a can peel.

Elastic supporting member for a vibration driven motor


An optical transmission system includes a light emitting device: an optical waveguide portion positioned to and disposed on the light emitting device; and a reflecting means for introducing an optical signal generated by the light emitting device to the optical waveguide portion; wherein the optical waveguide portion has a plurality of cores for transmitting the optical signal and a cladding portion for surrounding the cores; the light emitting device has a plurality of light emitting units for separately generating the optical signals; and the light emitting units are disposed in such a manner as to individually correspond to the cores.

The present invention relates to an optical transmission system for supplying an optical signal generated by a light emitting device, and a method of manufacturing the optical transmission system.
The optical transmission system or optical coupling system of this type is configured such that an optical signal generated by a light emitting device is collected at an end portion of optical fibers via an optical lens for allowing the optical signal to be transmitted via the optical fibers. That is to say, an optical signal generated by the light emitting device is colleted by the optical lens and is supplied to the optical fibers.
The optical transmission system of this type has the following problems.
Since the optical lens must be disposed between the light emitting device and the optical fibers, it is required to ensure a space required for providing the optical lens, with a result that the number of parts becomes large, and it is difficult to miniaturize the system.
If the number of the optical fibers used is large, it is also difficult to miniaturize the optical transmission device, and is also difficult to lay out a lot of optical fibers in a desired pattern in a housing of electronic equipment. Accordingly, such a system is disadvantageous in terms of mounting.
Since heat is generated from the light emitting device upon operation, it is required to effectively transfer the heat to the outside.
An object of the present invention is to provide an optical transmission device capable of realizing the miniaturization, reducing the number of parts, and effectively performing heat radiation, and to provide a method of manufacturing the optical transmission system.
To achieve the above object, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an optical transmission system including: a light emitting device: an optical waveguide portion positioned to and disposed on the light emitting device; and a reflecting means for introducing an optical signal generated by the light emitting device to the optical waveguide portion; wherein the optical waveguide portion has a plurality of cores for transmitting the optical signal and a cladding portion for surrounding the cores; the light emitting device has a plurality of light emitting units for separately generating the optical signals; and the light emitting units are disposed in such a manner as to individually correspond to the cores.
With this configuration, since an optical signal generated by the light emitting device is reflected by the reflecting means provided on the optical waveguide portion to be introduced to the optical waveguide portion, it is possible to eliminate the need of provision of an optical lens which has been required to be provided separately from the optical waveguide portion, and hence to certainly supply the optical signal generated by the light emitting device to the optical waveguide portion.
Since the optical waveguide portion is composed of a plurality of the cores and the cladding portion for surrounding the cores, it is possible to facilitate the handling of the optical waveguide portion as compared with the conventional configuration in which a plurality of optical fibers are laid out. Since the light emitting units of the light emitting device correspond to the cores, an optical signal generated by each light emitting unit can be certainly supplied to the corresponding core via the reflecting means. Since the reflecting means is provided on the optical waveguide portion, it is possible to reduce the number of parts, and since it is required to provide an optical lens which has been conventionally used, it is possible to miniaturize the system.
In the above optical transmission system, the reflecting means is preferably disposed at an end portion of the optical waveguide portion, or at a midpoint of the optical waveguide portion.
The above optical transmission system preferably further includes a positional adjustment means for adjusting the position of the optical waveguide portion along the direction in which an optical signal is generated by the light emitting device, thereby adjusting the position of the optical waveguide portion to the light emitting device.
By use of the positional adjustment means, it is possible to accurately adjust the position of the optical waveguide portion to the light emitting device along the direction in which an optical signal is generated by the light emitting device.
In the above optical transmission system, the light emitting device is preferably directly disposed on a heat transfer portion.
With this configuration, since heat generated by the light emitting device is directly radiated to the heat transfer portion, it is possible to stably operate the light emitting device by preventing overheat of the light emitting device.
The above heat transfer portion is preferably a housing of electric equipment.
To achieve the above object, according to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing an optical transmission system, including the steps of: disposing a light emitting device in a notch formed in a board in such a manner that the light emitting device is adjustable in its position along a first direction, and is fixed in its position along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction by the board; positioning an optical waveguide to the board; adjusting the position of the light emitting device along the first direction of the board for introducing an optical signal generated by the light emitting device to the optical waveguide portion; and fixing, after completion of the positional adjustment of the light emitting device along the first direction of the board, the light emitting device on the board side.
According to the above configuration, the notch is provided in the board, and the light emitting device is disposed in the notch. In the state in which the light emitting device is disposed in the notch, the light emitting device is adjustable in its position along the first direction and is fixed in its position along the second direction perpendicular to the first direction.
Then, the optical waveguide portion is positioned to the board, and the position of the light emitting device is adjusted along the first direction of the board for introducing an optical signal generated by the light emitting device to the optical waveguide portion. Next, after completion of the positional adjustment of the light emitting device along the first direction of the board, the light emitting device is fixed to the board.
Accordingly, it is possible to accurately perform the relative positioning of the board, optical waveguide portion, and light emitting device only by adjusting the light emitting device along the first direction. Such an optical transmission system does not require the optical lens which has been conventionally used, and therefore, it is advantageous in realizing the miniaturization and reducing the number of parts.
In the above manufacturing method, preferably, the light emitting device has a plurality of light emitting units integrated with each other, and the plurality of light emitting units are disposed in the notch formed in the board.
In the above manufacturing method, preferably, the light emitting device has a plurality of light emitting units separated from each other; the board has a plurality of the notches; and the plurality of light emitting units are disposed in the notches.