An anchoring system for a hoop house includes a horizontal member. The horizontal member includes an anchor connector and a hoop connector. An anchor can be removably affixed to the anchor connector of the horizontal member. Moreover, an end of a hoop can be connected to the hoop connector. The anchor can include an attachment member that defines a non-vertical passage, where a post member can be inserted into the non-vertical passage and driven into the ground at an angle.

A hoop house is a tunnel with a flexible material applied around a series of hoops. The flexible material, for instance, can be made of polyethylene. Moreover, hoops included in conventional hoop houses oftentimes are semi-circular, square, or elongated. Hoop houses are commonly utilized as greenhouses; for instance, incoming solar radiation from the sun can heat an interior of the hoop house faster than heat can escape from the hoop house, which can warm plants, soil, etc. enclosed within the hoop house. Accordingly, a hoop house can be used as an off-season greenhouse, where the hoop house can retain heat during cool weather and protect crops from the environment (e.g., thereby extending a growing season). Moreover, a hoop house can provide higher humidity than that which is available in the environment. Further, a hoop house can protect crops from heat, bright sunlight, strong winds, hailstorms, cold waves, and other environmental conditions. Hoop houses can also be used for other purposes such as storage or shelter.
Hoop houses are typically secured to the ground with conventional anchor posts. A hoop house can be secured to the ground to mitigate displacement of the hoop house under various environmental conditions (e.g., wind, etc.), which otherwise may damage the hoop house or contents within the hoop house or cause a position of the hoop house to be altered. For instance, one end of an anchor post can be vertically driven into the ground. Moreover, an opposite end of the anchor post can include an opening into which an end of a hoop may be inserted, for example. According to another example, the hoop can be attached to the anchor post utilizing a tie or the like. By way of a further example, ends of each hoop can be driven down into the ground and act as anchors.
Installing anchor posts can be costly and labor intensive, as anchor posts oftentimes are accurately located and driven down several feet into hard or irregular surfaces such as concrete or rocky soil. An improperly located or insufficiently buried anchor post can compromise stability and safety of a hoop house.


A support element for a motor vehicle suspension spring, including a main part and a substantially rigid or semi-rigid insert. The suspension spring bears directly on the substantially rigid or semi-rigid insert.

The present invention relates to the field of motor vehicle suspensions and, more particularly, to variable-stiffness suspensions.
This type of suspension is, specifically, increasingly widespread in response to needs of comfort of vehicles. The most frequently used solutions to obtain a variable stiffness consist in producing a spring suspension assembly in which the spring is a wire spring of variable section, the spring resting on an element made of elastomer: the stiffness is thus minimal while the smaller diameter coils of the spring are not in contact with the elastomer support element, then increases with the length of the coil in contact with the support element. In order to provide a good hold of the spring, the latter may be clipped to the elastomer support element; such a solution also allows a nonaggressive contact with the spring.
The production of a variable-section spring is however relatively costly, and other solutions have been envisaged for producing a variable stiffness of the assembly, in particular the use of a variable-flexibility support element which then makes it possible to use a wire spring of constant section (see for example, and in a nonexhaustive manner, document EP0924445).
A first embodiment of a variable-flexibility support element consists, for example, in forming a set of notches on the surface of the support element, made of an elastomer, in contact with the spring: at rest, the stiffness in compression is minimal; in the compression phase, the notches deform and the stiffness increases. This solution is however not entirely satisfactory: in particular, it has poor resistance to grit, the grit building up between the notches and being able to damage the spring. In addition, it does not cover the needs of rapid increase of stiffness, and its endurance behavior is limited, because of the alternating actions to which the elastomer forming the support element is subjected.
A second embodiment of a variable-flexibility support element consists in placing, within the elastomer support element, a rigid insert, for example made of aluminum or plastic. The insert may, like the surface in contact with the spring, comprise notches, which makes it possible to obtain a greater maximal stiffness while increasing endurance behavior. A risk of performance deterioration over time however remains, because of the creep of the elastomer forming the support element.


A connection method for interconnecting end portions of a thermoplastic resin long body in which conductive unstretchable members are embedded within the thermoplastic resin along a longitudinal direction, wherein the unstretchable members in each of specific sections in the both end portions of the thermoplastic resin long body are heated using an induction heating portion so that the thermoplastic resin coating the unstretchable members is removed by melting for the unstretchable members to be exposed, after which the both end portions are interconnected while they are held in a state where the unstretchable members being exposed in the respective end portions are butt-connected to each other.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connection method of a thermoplastic resin long body for interconnecting the end portions of a long body made of thermoplastic resin in which conductive unstretchable members are embedded within the thermoplastic resin, such as a moving handrail of a passenger conveyer or an escalator.
2. Background Art
A moving handrail of a passenger conveyer, an escalator, or the like includes, as chief members, a handrail main body normally made of rubber or a thermoplastic resin material, a large number of long slender copper cables (tensile bodies) embedded within the handrail main body along the longitudinal direction, and a canvas laminated to the under side of the handrail main body.
The copper cables function as a stretch preventing member that provides the handrail with a desired strength in the longitudinal direction while at the same time they are allowed to bend in the vertical direction to make the handrail movable about rollers and a drive mechanism. The canvas is bonded to the handrail in a T-shaped channel at the bottom of the handrail and is furnished with a function to reduce a frictional coefficient between the main body guide and the moving handrail.
The moving handrail is first formed as a thermoplastic resin long body and completed as a final product when it is processed in the form of a loop having a desired length by interconnecting the end portions of the long body. For example, JP-T-2000-507893 proposes to cut the end portions in alternating complex patterns with a cutting tool in order to obtain a sufficient bonding strength when the end portions of the long body are interconnected. The process to form the alternating patterns in the end portions, however, requires a cutting process to separate the handrail main body, a large number of copper cables, and the canvas as well as a cutting process to form the patterns.
The cutting processes using a cutting tool as above have a problem that it takes a long processing time to process thermoplastic resin widely and long (or deeply and long). In particular, the process to separate the handrail main body and a large number of copper cables requires a certain degree of processing accuracy. This raises a problem that the processing speed cannot be increased.
In addition, by merely butt-connecting the tips of the copper cables when interconnecting the end portions of the thermoplastic resin long body, in a case where the long body is used as a moving handrail, there arises a problem resulting from aging that the copper cables break through the thermoplastic resin and come out to the surface of the moving handrail.

Connection method of thermoplastic resin long body


There is provided a nerve activity monitoring method that includes receiving an input signal indicative of activity in a nerve of a subject; receiving physiological data indicative of physiological activity in the subject; establishing a relationship between the physiological data and the input signal; identifying a plurality of periodic portions in the input signal based on the relationship between the physiological data and the input signal; and outputting the periodic portions identified.

Fast Neural Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) is a known method for producing tomographic 3D images of neuronal function. This technique was originally developed for the 10 brain where the resolution is ˜1 milliseconds and 200 μm. Typically, EIT uses ˜2-6 kHz and 16-60 electrodes.
In EIT an impedance signal is demodulated around a carrier with bandwidth ˜1 kHz. This demodulated signal is reconstructed into images. In order for the images to be generated, it is necessary for the impedance signal to vary over time. The basis of the EIT signals (dZ)
15 relates to action potentials in a nerve. These last a few milliseconds and so have a principal frequency of ˜2 kHz. When EIT is applied to neural functions, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is low. Therefore, it is desirable to use averaging to enhance the SNR.
In the past, an externally evoked response in the brain or compound action potential in the nerve would be initiated for averaging signals. Typically, this average would be generated from ˜128 evoked responses over ˜30 seconds at 5 Hz.
Typically, the nerve activity collection apparatus might contain 16 electrodes, and one averaged data set would be produced with current injection using an opposing pair of electrodes. Then, voltage would be recorded at the remaining 14 electrodes. Next, this process would be repeated for all 16 pairs. This process would yield 16×14 transfer impedance recordings, which could be reconstructed into images.
It is desirable to image spontaneous activity in peripheral nerves, such as somatic nerves and autonomic nerves. However, this is particularly complex for autonomic nerves, since activity may be spontaneous and phasic with variable cycling, and an 'artificial' trigger such as the externally evoked response may not be present.
In addition, it is desirable to be able to detect and monitor the activity of nerves in a human or an animal subject in an accurate and reliable manner. WO 2016/170327 describes one example of a device that can be used for monitoring the activity of nerves.
Referring to FIG. 1, it is known that a peripheral nerve 10 of a human or an animal subject can be coupled to a nerve monitoring device 20 for detecting activity in nerves. This device is described in greater detail in WO 2016/170327.
The device 20 comprises a cuff 22 which wraps around an outside perimeter of the nerve 10 and is provided with a plurality of electrodes for contacting the nerve. The cuff 22 may be held in place by an elastomeric tube 18. The device 20 also comprises an associated control unit 30 coupled to and located proximal to the cuff 22.
The apparatus described in WO 2016/170327 and illustrated in FIG. 1 can be used to detect electrical activity within a nerve, using techniques such as electrical impedance tomography (EIT). These techniques can be used to generate a signal indicative of electrical activity in the nerve.
Referring to FIG. 2, the device 20 can be connected to a nerve in a human or an animal subject. In this example, the subject is a sheep 40, and the device 20 generates an EIT signal 50 indicative of the electrical activity in the vagus nerve of the sheep 40.
In addition to the detection and monitoring of the activity of nerves, it is desirable to be able to monitor physiological activity occurring in a subject and to be able to correlate nerve activity with physiological activity. This would make it possible to associate certain types of nerve activity with specific physiological responses. This may allow, for instance, medical diagnoses to be made from the detection of nerve activity. Furthermore, this may allow previously recorded nerve activity to be stimulated in a nerve in order to induce a corresponding physiological response.
Previously, it has been possible to monitor activity in the somatic nerves. These nerves are generally associated with a subject's voluntary control of their body movements. It has been possible to associate somatic nerve activity with physiological responses in a subject, such as the movement of an arm or a leg of the subject. Thus, it is possible to monitor the activity in a particular somatic nerve whilst a specific physiological response is invoked. Since somatic nerves are, in general, associated with a limited number of physiological responses, it is possible to associate somatic neve activity with its corresponding physiological response. However, the situation is more complex when monitoring autonomic nerves, which are associated with the involuntary control of internal organs.
Typically, autonomic nerves are made up of a bundle of nerve fibers, and each one of these nerve fibers may be associated with a different physiological activity. Also, the nerve activity in each fiber is likely to be continuous, so that functions such as the beating of the heart can be maintained, but can be discontinuous or variable, to allow modulation of organ physiology, and in some cases is indicative of a disease state. These characteristics of autonomic nerves make it particularly difficult to associate physiological responses with nerve activity, particularly when nerve activity is measured using techniques such as EIT.
Typically nerve activity signals are contaminated with the noise, associated with the measurement systems and environment. Commonly, the noise has a larger amplitude than the measured neural activity itself. This requires averaging of the signal which in case of autonomic spontaneous activity is not possible using conventional techniques due to signal cancellation, as will be described in detail below.
Therefore, there exists a need for a way in which to more accurately monitor nerve activity.


A steam cooking utensil includes a base and a boiling liquid reservoir defined by the base. A heater is mounted in the base to heat liquid in the boiling liquid reservoir. A cooking bowl is supported by the base and includes a food support surface having a plurality of vent holes. An adjustable and removable divider basket is mounted in the cooking bowl and includes a food support surface aligned with the food support surface of the cooking bowl. The food support surface of the cooking bowl includes a plurality of vent holes for enabling steam formed in the boiling liquid reservoir to enter into the cooking bowl and into the divider basket. The divider basket comprises first and second sections movably connected to each other for enabling the use to adjust the effective cooking area of the cooking bowl and the divider basket. The divider basket includes handle means for enabling the user to remove the basket from the bowl.

This invention relates to steam cooking utensils and in particular to a divider basket for such utensils which can be used to partition the cooking bowl thereof so that different foods may be steamed simultaneously.
The use of steam cooking utensils has grown in popularity in recent years due to a general health consciousness of the population. Foods cooked in steamers tend to maintain their nutrients.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,097,753 issued on Mar. 24, 1992 in the name of Stuart Naft and is assigned to the same assignee as the assignee hereof. This patent discloses a steam cooking utensil including a cooking bowl having a food support tray. In actual use, the steam cooking utensil disclosed in the cited U.S. Pat. No. can generally only be used to steam one type of food at any given time It has been found that users of the steam cooking utensil sometime desire to simultaneously steam more than one type of food. Additionally, there may be times when in steaming two types of food, one of the types of food should be steamed for a relatively short period of time and the other type of food should be steamed for a relatively long period of time. In such instances, it is desirable that the food that is steamed for a relatively short period of time be easily and readily removable from the steam cooking utensil.
It is accordingly an object of this invention to provide a steam cooking utensil having a removable and adjustable divider basket that can be mounted within the cooking bowl so that two foods of different sizes may be simultaneously steamed.

Divider basket for steam cooking utensil


A multi-part surgical staple assembly is provided to provide uniform compression across stapled tissues. The staple assembly generally includes a U-shaped staple, a staple plate positionable against a backspan of the staple for engagement with one side of a stapled tissue section and a platen for receipt of tissue penetrating tips of the staple and engageable with an opposite side of a stapled tissue section. The staple plate and platen are provided with holes to receive the legs of the staple. In one embodiment, the staple plate is provided with a biasing member to bias the staple plate away from the backspan of the staple and toward the stapled tissue.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a multi-part surgical staple assembly. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a multi-part surgical staple assembly having augmented compression areas to provide uniform compression across a staple line in tissue.
2. Background of Related Art
During surgical procedures involving operations on tubular tissue sections it is often necessary to cut or segment the tubular tissue sections and staple them closed. One instance of this type surgery involves cutting out a diseased section of a tubular tissue section such as, for example, a section of a colon and temporarily staple of the healthy, free ends of the tubular tissue section closed prior to reattaching them together. A line or row of staples is typically placed across the tubular tissue section. In some instances, fluid pressure remains within the tubular tissue sections and exerts stresses or forces on the staple lines placed across the tubular tissue sections.
Failure at the tissue line may occur resulting in the luminal contents leaking into the abdominal cavity potentially causing morbidity or mortality. Failures such as these have been attributed to the staple interaction with the underlying tissue. Leaks may form either through the staple penetration holes through the tissue or between the compressed layers of tissue themselves.
In addition, during the wound healing processes of the stapled tissues, the mechanical strength of the tissues may decrease over time. The decrease in mechanical strength corresponds to a decrease in compressive properties within the tissues resulting in the possibility of leakage. Further, there exists the relationship between the leak pressure of a anastomosis or staple line junction and the amount of clamping pressure applied by the staples. If the pressure within the lumen exceeds the compressive stresses, then a leak will form. This can be represented by the formula P>σ t/r where P is the pressure within the lumen, σ is the compressive stress, t is the thickness of the tissue and r is the radius of the tubular tissue section.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a staple assembly capable of reducing leakage through tissue about staple legs of the staple assembly. It would further be desirable to provide a staple assembly capable of applying uniform compression across the areas of tissue secured by a staple of the staple assembly. It would still further be desirable to provide a staple assembly capable of compensating for losses in mechanical strength of the underlying tissue by maintaining constant compression levels on the stapled tissue.

Surgical staple with augmented compression area


In a lapping process for lapping away layers from a semiconductor device, where the region of interest is located near an edge or corner of the device, the method includes adding additional semiconductor material adjacent the region of interest.

Whenever a defect occurs in a semiconductor device it is desirable to be able to locate the source of the problem, thereby allowing the problem to be addressed. Numerous techniques have therefore been developed for locating defects in a die in the x-y plane as shown in FIG. 1. In particular scanning techniques such as e-beam (electron beam) and o-beam (laser beam) scanning has been developed to locate the source of a defect. However, this leaves questions as to the depth (z-axis) at which the defect identified in the x-y plane, is located. One solution to this problem is the gradual grinding or lapping away of layers of the semiconductor die. This involves a device such as the one shown in FIG. 2 which comprises a lapping wheel 200. The die 202 to be analyzed is attached to a fixture (sample holder) 204, which comprises a steel supporting plate. Typically the die 202 is attached to the sample holder 204 by means of wax, and the sample holder 204 is in turn connected to an oscillating head 206. During the lapping process the head 206 is lowered so that the die 202 engages the wheel 200. The wheel 200 has an abrasive surface 210 and rotates about a vertical axis 212. As the wheel 200 rotates, the head 206 oscillates back and forth to move the die laterally back and forth between the central axis 212 and the periphery 214 of the wheel. One problem with the lapping device is that it tends to lap or grind away the die more quickly along the outer edge 216 of the die and especially the corners of the die due to the greater speed of the lapping wheel 200 towards its periphery 204 as will be discussed in greater detail below. FIGS. 3 and 4 show a typical die 202 secured to a sample holder 204 and show how the profile of the die 202 changes in the course of lapping. FIG. 3 shows the profile before lapping and FIG. 4 shows the profile after lapping. It will be appreciated from the profile in FIG. 4 that if the defect is located along the outer edge 216 it becomes difficult to control the lapping to avoid lapping away all or portion of the defective region. The present invention seeks to provide a way of improving the lapping profile in the edge and corner regions of a semiconductor die.

Method of parallel lapping a semiconductor die


Techniques for electrodepositing zinc (Zn)-containing films are provided. In one aspect, a method of preparing a Zn electroplating solution is provided. The method includes the following steps. The solution is formed from a mixture of at least one zinc salt, a sulfonic acid and a solvent. The sulfonic acid is quenched with a base. A pH of the solution is adjusted to be either less than about 3.5 or greater than about 8.0. The pH of the solution can be adjusted by adding additional sulfonic acid to the solution to adjust the pH of the solution to be less than about 3.5 or by adding a second base to the solution to adjust the pH of the solution to be greater than about 8.0. A Zn electroplating solution and an electroplating method are also provided.

There is an increased demand for chalcogenide materials containing copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), tin (Sn), sulfur (S) and/or selenium (Se), such as Cu2ZnSn(S/Se)4 (CZTS), for use as absorber layers in solar cells. In order to fabricate CZTS absorber layers for next generation low cost solar cells, the production of whisker and dendrite free controlled thin films of Zn will be required. A whisker, for example, is a protrusion of a metal bar or needle which is usually submicrometer to a few micrometers in length, and which causes shorting in the device. See, for example, J. J. Scragg et al, "Synthesis and Characterization of Cu2ZnSnS4 Absorber Layers by an Electrodeposition-Annealing Route," Thin Solid Films, 517(7), pgs. 2481-2484 (2009), M. Kurihara et al., "Kesterite Absorber Layer Uniformity From Electrodeposited Pre-Cursors," Phys. Status Solidi, C6 (5) 1241-1244 (2009) and T. K. Todorov et al., "High-Efficiency Solar Cell with Earth-Abundant Liquid-Processed Absorber," Advanced Materials, 22, 1-4 (2010). In addition, controlled Zn thin films will be in high demand for applications such as corrosion resistance layers on ferrous materials, as well as on decorative parts, electronic materials and automotive parts. See, for example, M. S. Pereira et al., "The Influence of Sorbitol on Zinc Film Deposition, Zinc Dissolution Process and Morphology of Deposits Obtained from Alkaline Bath" J. Appl. Electrochem., 36, 727-732 (2006) and M. Li et al., "Effect of Additives on Electrodeposition of Nanocrystalline Zinc from Acidic Sulfate Solutions," J. Electrochem. Soc., 154 (11), D567-D571 (2007).
Many current Zn thin film plating techniques, however, require high plating temperatures and contain very toxic materials like cyanide and ammonium, or use an alkaline solution which is a potential source of oxygen as an impurity in the deposit. Other Zn thin film plating techniques have low plating efficiency or use an acidic bath that is only for Zn-alloys with metals such as nickel (Ni) and others. Commercial galvanizing methods are mainly applied for thick layers of Zn deposit and are not suitable for thin film fabrication.
Therefore, improved techniques for controlled Zn thin film plating would be desirable.

Zinc thin films plating chemistry and methods


A method of manufacturing a co-molded lens assembly comprising injecting a first material in a complete bezel mold having a bezel injection half and a bezel ejection half to form a bezel, and then injecting a second material in a complete optics mold to form a lens that is co-molded to the bezel. A third material is injected in a complete gasket mold to co-mold a gasket to the bezel.

Light Emitting Diodes (LED) light fixtures are becoming commonplace as utilities, governments, businesses, and individuals seek methods of decreasing energy costs. LED lights have the advantage of decreased energy usage when compared to traditional light sources such as incandescent, metal halide, and high pressure sodium. Additionally, with projected lives of 100,000 hours or more, they provide the ideal replacement where maintenance costs are high, such as street lighting.
Typically, an LED fixture comprises a housing, an LED light source, a lens, a bezel for securing the lens to the housing, and a gasket for creating a seal between the housing and the bezel. Creating a sealed fixture is particularly important when the fixture will be exposed to harsh environments, such as weather when the fixture is used for outdoor or street lighting. Traditionally, the lens, gasket, and bezel are separate components and must be preassembled before securing to the fixture. A one piece lens, gasket, and bezel would reduce assembly cost by eliminating the preassembly step.
Plastic or polymer components, including the lens and gasket, and sometimes the bezel, are typically injection molded. In the injection molding process, material is fed into a heated barrel, mixed, and forced into a mold cavity where it cools and hardens to the configuration of the cavity. Molds can be of a single cavity or multiple cavities. In multiple cavity molds, each cavity can be identical and form the same parts or can be unique and form multiple different parts during a single cycle. Molds are generally made from tool steel, but stainless steels and aluminum molds are suitable for certain applications.
A parting line, sprue, gate marks, and ejector pin marks are usually present on the final part. None of these features are typically desired, but are unavoidable due to the nature of the process. Gate marks occurs at the gate which joins the melt-delivery channels (sprue and runner) to the part forming cavity. Parting line and ejector pin marks result from minute misalignments, wear, gaseous vents, clearances for adjacent parts in relative motion, and/or dimensional differences of the mating surfaces contacting the injected polymer. Dimensional differences can be attributed to non-uniform, pressure-induced deformation during injection, machining tolerances, and non-uniform thermal expansion and contraction of mold components, which experience rapid cycling during the injection, packing, cooling, and ejection phases of the process. Mold components are often designed with materials of various coefficients of thermal expansion.
The mold consists of two primary components, the injection mold and the ejection mold. Plastic resin enters the mold through a sprue in the injection mold and a sprue bushing on the mold tightly seals against the nozzle of the injection barrel of the molding machine to allow molten plastic to flow from the barrel into the mold. The sprue bushing directs the molten plastic to the cavity images through channels that are machined into the faces of the injection and ejection molds. These channels allow plastic to run along them, so they are referred to as runners. The molten plastic flows through the runner, enters one or more gates, and flows into the cavity to form the desired part.
The amount of resin required to fill the sprue, runner and cavities of a mold is a shot. Trapped air in the mold can escape through air vents that are ground into the parting line of the mold. If the trapped air is not allowed to escape, it is compressed by the pressure of the incoming material and is squeezed into the corners of the cavity, where it prevents filling and causes other defects as well.
Sides of the part that appear parallel with the direction of draw are typically angled slightly (referred to as draft) to ease release of the part from the mold. The draft required for mold release is primarily dependent on the depth of the cavity: the deeper the cavity, the more draft necessary. Shrinkage must also be taken into account when determining the draft required. If the skin is too thin, then the molded part will tend to shrink onto the cores that form them while cooling and cling to those cores. Then the part may warp, twist, blister or crack when the cavity is pulled away. The mold is usually designed so that the molded part reliably remains on the ejection mold of the mold when it opens, and draws the runner and the sprue out of the injection mold along with the part. The part then falls freely when ejected from the ejection mold. Ejector pins, also known as knockout pins, are circular pins placed in either half of the mold (usually the ejection half), which push the finished molded product of a mold after it has cooled sufficiently.
The standard method of cooling is passing a coolant (usually water) through a series of holes drilled through the mold plates and connected by hoses to form a continuous pathway. The coolant absorbs heat from the mold (which has absorbed heat from the hot plastic) and keeps the mold at a proper temperature to solidify the plastic at the most efficient rate.
Over-molding refers to inserting previously molded parts into an injection molding machine to inject a new plastic or polymeric layer around the first part. Co-molding refers to molding multiple components of the same assembly in the injection molding machine, typically at the same time, either with the same mold or with multiple molds.
Two-shot or multi-shot molds are designed to co-mold within a single molding cycle and must be processed on specialized injection molding machines with two or more injection units. This process is actually an injection molding process performed twice. In the first step, the first material molded into a basic shape, which contains spaces for the second shot. Then the second material is injection-molded into those spaces and adheres to the first material.


A fault tolerant capability for the reliable collection and aggregation of disparate data from multiple processing units. Data of a processing unit is collected and locally aggregated at that processing unit. The locally aggregated data is stored in a local database, and periodically forwarded to a central manager. In response to receiving the data, the central manager determines whether the data should be included in a total aggregate of data for the processing environment.

In a distributed processing environment, such as a clustered environment, data is collected and aggregated from multiple processing units of the environment. This aggregated data can be employed in many tasks, including, but not limited to, workload management within the processing environment.
Previously, in order to collect this data, data was sent by a processing unit to a central manager of the environment. The central manager then had the responsibility of aggregating the data. However, the communications medium between the processing unit and the central manager is unreliable, and therefore, data was lost and/or repeatedly sent. This led to inaccuracies in the data aggregation.

Fault tolerant facility for the aggregation of data from multiple processing units

International Business Machines Corporation


A motor vehicle power steering system, including a steering column and a power steering motor. The column has an upper part bearing a steering wheel and a lower part acting on a mechanical steering device. A setpoint at which the motor should apply a power assist to the steering column is set on the basis of information concerning the torque exerted on the steering wheel. The information is obtained by measuring angles at the steering wheel and at the lower part of the column, and the setpoint is established by comparing the two angle measurements, taking into account the rigidity of the steering column between the two angle-measuring points.

In known electrical power steering systems, the steering wheel torque exerted by the driver when the vehicle is in motion is measured by a dedicated torque sensor. The information thus obtained is subsequently processed by an on-board computer in order to determine the set point of the torque that must be applied to the steering column by the assistance motor, for example, in the case of turning.
These electrical power steering systems have the major disadvantage that the torque sensors have a complex and bulky structure and are difficult to use and calibrate.

Method for setting, in a motor vehicle electrical power steering system, the power steering torque set point


An exemplary embodiment according to the present invention is an imaging device including a substrate in which a plurality of light receiving portions is arranged, an insulator configured to be arranged on the substrate, a plurality of first members configured to be arranged on the substrate so that each of projections of the plurality of first members on the substrate overlaps at least in part with any of the plurality of light receiving portions, and each of the plurality of first members sides is surrounded by the insulator, a second member configured to be arranged on the insulator and the plurality of first members, and a light shielding portion configured to be arranged in the second member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an imaging device and a method for manufacturing the imaging device.
2. Description of the Related Art
An imaging device including optical waveguides for increasing the amount of light incident on light receiving portions has recently been discussed. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-261249 discusses an imaging device that includes a plurality of light receiving portions, optical waveguides for guiding light from an object to the light receiving portions, and light shielding portions for preventing incidence of light on adjacent light receiving portions.

Imaging device, imaging system, and method for manufacturing imaging device


An endoscopic instrument includes a housing having shaft extending therefrom that defines a longitudinal axis therethrough. The shaft includes an articulating section disposed thereon. The articulating section has a central annulus extending therealong and first and second pluralities of bores. The first plurality of bores configured to receive corresponding tendons therethrough and the second plurality of bores configured to receive corresponding conductive leads therethrough. An end effector assembly operatively connected to a distal end of the shaft including a pair of first and second jaw members. The corresponding conductive leads transition from a first state for enabling articulation of the shaft about the articulating section, to a second state for disabling articulation of the shaft about the articulating section.

Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to an articulating surgical apparatus. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to an articulating surgical apparatus including an articulating section configured to lock the surgical apparatus in a non-articulated configuration.
Description of Related Art
Surgical instruments that are configured to articulate or bend are well known in the medical arts. Surgical instruments of this nature are utilized in many surgical procedures. For example, laparascopic, endoscopic, or other minimally invasive surgical procedures are just a few of the many surgical procedures where articulating surgical instruments may find use. When utilized in such procedures, the surgical instruments may include a housing, a handle assembly, an articulating shaft, a device for articulating the shaft, and an end effector including a pair of jaw members.
As can be appreciated, the relatively small operable working space that is created within a cavity of a patient during a surgical procedure often makes it difficult for the surgeon to position the jaw members adjacent or close to target tissue. The articulating shaft allows a surgeon to position the jaw members adjacent target tissue.
Various articulating devices or mechanisms may be utilized to articulate the shaft. For example, some surgical instruments utilize one or more articulating cables or tendons that couple to one or more articulation links on the shaft. Typically, the cables or tendons provide a mechanical interface from the one or more articulation links to an actuation device, e.g., rotatable dials, disposed on the housing and/or handle assembly of the surgical instrument such that actuation of the actuation device moves or articulates the shaft about the articulation links. In particular, the cables or tendons are "pulled" or otherwise manipulated via one or more mechanisms in the handle assembly or the housing to articulate the shaft about the articulating links.
Under certain surgical scenarios, it may prove advantageous to maintain the shaft in a relatively fixed or stationary position, such as, for example, when positioning tissue between the jaw members or when the shaft is inserted through a trocar or cannula. Locking the cables or tendons so that the shaft is prevented from articulating typically requires eliminating, what is commonly referred to in the art as, cable or tendon "stretch" from the cables or tendons. Cable or tendon "stretch" is the ability of the cable or tendon to stretch under a predetermined load. To remove this cable or tendon stretch, the cables or tendons are typically highly loaded in tension. Removing this cable or tendon stretch limits and/or eliminates "post lock" articulation. However, due to the length of the surgical instrument and, thus, the corresponding length of the cables or tendons between the articulating links and the actuation device and/or locking device, a fairly large "spring rate" exists with a corresponding "stiffness" penalty being observed. That is, overtime, subjecting the cables or tendons to high load tension reduces the stiffness of the cables or tendons and, thus, the overall stiffness of the shaft. As can be appreciated, reducing the "stiffness" of the shaft may result in the shaft not functioning in a manner as intended.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


The stranded optical cable 10 includes a plurality of stranded multicore optical cables 12 and a cable sheath 16 covering the multicore optical cables 12, each multicore optical cable 12 including at least two of optical units 13 as a pair and a unit sheath 14 covering the optical units 13, each optical unit 13 being formed by bundling a plurality of optical fibers. And, parts of the cable sheath corresponding to both ends of the stranded optical cable 10 are removed to expose the multicore optical cables 12 certain lengths so that the optical connectors 21 are connected to the multicore optical cables 12, respectively.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a stranded optical cable in the formation of an optical communication network. As shown in FIG. 5, the stranded optical cable 1 is configured such that plural loose optical cables 2a or tape optical cables 2b are bundled around a tension member 5, and that the entirety is covered with a common cable sheath 6. Each of the loose optical cables 2a or tape optical cables 2b is covered with a unit sheath 4, and it is made a multicore optical cable of 20 cores or so. The loose optical cable 2a is such that plural optical units 3a are loosely accommodated in the unit sheath 4, and each optical unit 3a is such that plural optical fibers 8 are bundled round a tension member 7 and are then covered with a sheath 9. The tape optical cable 2b is formed by stacking and then bundling plural tape fibers 3b in each of which several optical fibers are united in the shape of a tape.


A three dimensional structure fabricated from a self-healing polymeric material, comprising poly(ester amides) obtained from ethylene glycol, azelaic acid and 1,1-aminoundecanoic acid, wherein polymeric material has a melt index above 2.5 g/10 min. as determined by ASTM D1238 at 190° C. and 2.16kg, impact resistance and ductility sufficient to resist cracking and brittle fracture upon impact by a 9 mm bullet fired at a temperature of about 29° C. at subsonic speed in a range from about 800 feet/sec to about 1000 feet/sec. It has been determined that the important factors necessary for self-healing behavior of polymers include sufficient impact strength, control of the degree of crystallinity, low melting point and the ability to instantly melt at impacted area.

Since the discovery that panels of Surlyn® self-heal after being shot with a bullet at subsonic speeds, it has been of interest to understand the underlying mechanism of this self-healing process. Such understanding could lead to the development of new materials that would self-heal in a variety of environments and temperatures. Included would be applications in space structures, which could contain the internal atmospheres should a breach occur due to micrometeoroid impact.
In recent years there have been many research groups exploring several different mechanisms of self-repairing polymeric systems. One such system involves encapsulation of dicyclopentadiene, then dispersing it into a composite matrix containing catalyst. When crack growth breaks the capsules, the monomer is released. The monomer polymerizes when it comes into contact with the catalyst, thereby hindering further crack propagation and regaining some mechanical strength. Another mechanism involves reversible cross-linking via a heat-initiated Diels-Alder reaction. This system offers advantages over traditional hot plate welding techniques, in which chain entanglements or intermolecular interactions are responsible for regaining strength in the material. The Diels-Alder technique forms covalent bonds to repair the damage in the material.
Recent research has revealed that different grades of Surlyn®, a polymer manufactured by DuPont, underwent recovery after being shot with a 9 mm bullet at subsonic speeds. Although the remaining impressions varied in appearance after impact, depending upon bullet impact speeds, no hole remains in the sample in all cases when shot at ambient temperature. This behaviour is the reason this polymer is used in targets at firing ranges under the name React-A-Seal®.
Surlyn® is a copolymer of ethylene-methacrylic acid, which is neutralized with different counterions. The properties of these and similar ionomers have been studied since the late 1960s. Although these polymers possess many qualities distinctive to ionomers, such as ionic cluster formation, no conclusions have been determined as to why these polymers recover after bullet impact. It has been speculated that ionic cluster formation may be a driving force for the material to flow back together after bullet impact. No subsequent studies on other ionomeric systems were initiated to support this claim, and no satisfactory explanations have been provided to explain the self-healing characteristics of these polymers.
There thus remains a need for determining the mechanisms by which such polymers self-heal, the development of additional self-healing polymers and the production of structures such as fuel tanks fabricated from polymeric materials that exhibit such self-healing characteristics.

The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration


It is an object of the present invention to provide a polyalkyleneimine alkyleneoxide copolymer, which is suitably used as a builders for a detergent, a detergent, a water treatment agent, a dispersant and the like and which can exert high basic performance in point of the detergency or the like, a production method thereof, and use thereof.

A polymer which has a main chain of polyalkyleneimine and formed by adding ethyleneoxide or the like to a nitrogen atom in polyalkyleneimine is also referred to as modified polyethyleneimine ethoxylate and can act, for example, as a polymer-based builder. Such a polymer is indispensable as a component constituting a liquid detergent since it has a property of being soluble in the liquid detergent. When the modified polyethyleneimine ethoxylate is comprised together with an activator in a detergent, the detergent will prevent recontamination due to soil having been removed by washing to exhibit high detergency.
With respect to such a detergent containing modified polyethyleneimine ethoxylate, JP Kokai Publication Hei 7-116473 (p. 8–10) discloses a builder composition for a detergent, which comprises an ethoxylated amine dispersant/redeposition inhibitor. This ethoxylated amine has an alkyleneoxide adduct represented by —[(R5O)m(CH2CH2O)n]- (wherein R5 is C3–C4 alkylene or hydroxyalkylene, preferably propylene; when this amine is polyamine and an amine polymer, m is 0 to 10 and n is at least 3; and these polyoxyalkylene portions can be mixed to form a block), and is a polymer in which an end structure of the alkyleneoxide adduct is a soluble nonion group, an anion group and a mixture thereof. Examples of the nonion group may comprises C1–C4 alkyl groups, hydroxyalkyl ester groups, ether groups, hydrogen, acetate and methyl ether, and examples of the anion group may comprises PO32− and SO3−.
JP Kohyo Publication Hei 11-508318 (p. 46–55) discloses a liquid washing detergent composition containing water soluble and/or dispersible modified polyamine having a functional main chain portion, which exerts an effect of releasing cotton soil. This modified polyamine is a polymer having an alkyleneoxide adduct represented by —(R1O)mB (wherein R1 is C2–C6 alkylene and a mixture thereof, preferably ethylene; and m has a value of 4 to about 400), and an end structure of the alkyleneoxide adduct, represented by B, is hydrogen, C1–C6 alkyls, —(CH2)qSO3M, —(CH2)pCO2M, —(CH2)q(CHSO3M)CH2SO3M, —(CH2)q(CHSO2M)CH2SO3M, —(CH2)pPO3M, —PO3M (wherein M is a hydrogen or a water-soluble cation, which is sufficient for satisfying charge balance; p has a value of 1 to 6; and q has a value of 0 to 6).
Further, JP Kohyo Publication 2002-518585 (p. 11–16) discloses a washing detergent composition comprising alkoxylated polyalkyleneimine. This alkoxylated polyalkyleneimine is a polymer having an alkyleneoxide adduct represented by —(R1O)m(R2O)nR3 (wherein R1 is 1,2-propylene, 1,2-butylene and a mixture thereof, preferably 1,2-propylene; R2 is ethylene; R3 is hydrogen, C1–C4 alkyls and a mixture thereof, preferably hydrogen or methyl, more preferably hydrogen; m is about 1 to about 10; and n is about 10 to about 40.), and an end structure of the alkyleneoxide adduct is hydrogen, C1–C4 alkyls and a mixture thereof.
However, in these prior arts, when the polymer is used in the use of a detergent, there was a room to contrive the structure of the polymer having an alkyleneoxide adduct for the purpose of improving the detergency by rendering the polymer more favorable as a high polymer-based builder to adequately prevent recontamination or for the purpose of improving basic performance in another uses.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a polyalkyleneimine alkyleneoxide copolymer comprising an alkyleneimine monomer unit having polyalkyleneoxide,

Abstract: wherein the polyalkyleneoxide has an end structure containing at least one selected from the group consisting of:

Abstract: (1) —CO—R2—COOX;        (2) —CH2CH(OH)—R3;        (3) —CH2CH(OH)CH2—O—R4; and        (4) —C(O)—NH—R5,wherein R2 represents an alkylene group having 2 to 8 carbon atoms, an alkenylene group having 2 to 8 carbon atoms, an arylene group having 6 to 14 carbon atoms or a sulfoalkylene group having 2 to 8 carbon atoms; R3 represents an alkenyl group having 2 to 6 carbon atoms, an aryl group having 6 to 14 carbon atoms, a sulfoalkyl group having 2 to 6 carbon atoms or a hydroxyalkyl group having 2 to 6 carbon atoms; R4 represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 2 to 8 carbon atoms, an alkenyl group having 2 to 6 carbon atoms, an aryl group having 6 to 14 carbon atoms or a sulfoalkyl group having 2 to 6 carbon atoms; R5 represents an alkyl group having 2 to 8 carbon atoms, an alkenyl group having 2 to 8 carbon atoms, an aryl group having 6 to 14 carbon atoms or a sulfoalkyl group having 2 to 6 carbon atoms; and X represents a hydrogen atom, an alkaline metal atom, an alkaline earth metal atom, an ammonium group or an organic ammonium group.


A method of forming circuitry components includes forming a stack of horizontally extending and vertically overlapping features. The stack has a primary portion and an end portion. At least some of the features extend farther in the horizontal direction in the end portion moving deeper into the stack in the end portion. Operative structures are formed vertically through the features in the primary portion and dummy structures are formed vertically through the features in the end portion. Horizontally elongated openings are formed through the features to form horizontally elongated and vertically overlapping lines from material of the features. The lines individually extend from the primary portion into the end portion, and individually laterally about sides of vertically extending portions of both the operative structures and the dummy structures. Sacrificial material that is elevationally between the lines is at least partially removed in the primary and end portions laterally between the horizontally elongated openings. Other aspects and implementations are disclosed.

Integrated circuits are often formed on a semiconductor substrate such as a silicon wafer or other semiconductive material. In general, layers of various materials which are semiconductive, conductive, or electrically insulative are utilized to form the integrated circuits. By way of examples, the various materials may be doped, ion implanted, deposited, etched, grown, etc. using various processes. A continuing goal in semiconductive processing is to strive to reduce the size of individual circuitry components, thereby enabling smaller and denser integrated circuitry.
Memory is one type of integrated circuitry, and is used in computer systems for storing data. Such is usually fabricated in one or more arrays of individual memory cells. The memory cells might be volatile, semi-volatile, or nonvolatile. Nonvolatile memory cells can store data for extended periods of time, in many instances including when the computer is turned off. Volatile memory dissipates and therefore requires being refreshed/rewritten, in many instances multiple times per second. Regardless, the smallest unit in each array is termed as a memory cell and is configured to store data as one of at least two different selectable states. In a binary system, the states are considered as either a "0" or a "1". In other systems, at least some individual memory cells may be configured to store data as one of more than two selectable states.
Integrated circuitry fabrication continues to strive to produce smaller and denser integrated circuits. Accordingly, the fewer components an individual circuit device has, the smaller the construction of the finished device can be. A simple memory cell will be comprised of two conductive electrodes having a programmable material there-between. The programmable material is selected or designed to be configured in a selected one of at least two different physical memory states to enable storing of information by an individual memory cell. The reading of the cell comprises determination of which of the states the programmable material is in, and the writing of information to the cell comprises placing the programmable material in a target memory state. Some programmable materials retain a memory state in the absence of refresh, and thus may be incorporated into nonvolatile memory cells.
Some programmable materials may contain mobile charge carriers larger than electrons and holes, for example ions in some example applications. Regardless, the programmable materials may be converted from one memory state to another by moving the mobile charge carriers to alter a distribution of charge density within the programmable materials. Some example memory devices that utilize ions as mobile charge carriers are resistive RAM (RRAM) cells, which can include classes of memory cells containing multivalent oxides, and which can include memristors in some specific applications. Other example memory devices that utilize ions as charge carriers are programmable metallization cells (PMCs); which may be alternatively referred to as a conductive bridging RAM (CBRAM), nanobridge memory, or electrolyte memory.
The RRAM cells may contain programmable material sandwiched between a pair of electrodes. The programming of the RRAM cells may comprise transitioning the programmable material between first a memory state in which charge density is relatively uniformly dispersed throughout the material and a second memory state in which the charge density is concentrated in a specific region of the material (for instance, a region closer to one electrode than the other).
A PMC may similarly have programmable material sandwiched between a pair of current conductive electrodes. The PMC programmable material comprises ion conductive material, for example a suitable chalcogenide or any of various suitable oxides. A suitable voltage applied across the electrodes generates current conductive super-ionic clusters or filaments. Such result from ion transport through the ion conductive material which grows the clusters/filaments from one of the electrodes (the cathode), through the ion conductive material, and toward the other electrode (the anode). The clusters or filaments create current conductive paths between the electrodes. An opposite voltage applied across the electrodes essentially reverses the process and thus removes the current conductive paths. A PMC thus comprises a high resistance state (corresponding to the state lacking a current conductive filament or clusters between the electrodes) and a low resistance state (corresponding to the state having a current conductive filament or clusters between the electrodes), with such states being reversibly interchangeable with one another.
Another type of nonvolatile memory is known as flash memory, a type of EEPROM (electrically-erasable programmable read-only memory) that may be erased and reprogrammed in groups. A typical flash memory array includes a large number of nonvolatile memory cells usually grouped into blocks. Each of the cells within a block may be electrically programmed by charging its programmable gate material. The charge may be removed from the programmable gate material by a block erase operation. NAND is a basic architecture of flash memory. A NAND architecture comprises at least one select gate coupled in series to a serial combination of memory cells (with the serial combination being commonly referred to as a NAND string).

Stack of horizontally extending and vertically overlapping features, methods of forming circuitry components, and methods of forming an array of memory cells


Systems and methods for electronically publishing content are disclosed. An example method includes receiving a content selection and receiving a selection of rights assigned to the content. The method also includes receiving a selection of one or more tags and associating the content with the rights assigned and the tag to enable a security trimmed rank adjusted search return of the content.

Content is sometimes electronically published to enable others to access and/or view the content. However, with many known systems, content is often published multiple times causing inefficient storage. Additionally, storing multiple copies of a publication may cause confusion regarding which document is the most up to date version (i.e., the official source document) or which context of the document is to be used. Further, known publishing systems may not provide the relevance rank or provide content restriction delivery.


A ball joint for use with an external fixator has a sleeve in engagement with a rod of a strut for the external fixator. A ring insert and a blocking element are provided, having a combined circumferential surface being able to be introduced into a hole of a ring of an external fixator. The ring insert and blocking element have complementary wedge surfaces allowing a relative radial displacement therebetween to enlarge the diameter of the combined circumferential surface for blocking the ball joint inside the hole. Additionally the sleeve comprises a spherical hollow ball portion with concentrical inner and outer spherical portions, wherein the outer spherical portion engages a complementary spherical socket of the blocking element and wherein the inner spherical portion is engaged by a ball nut. A connection element extends through the sleeve, blocking element and ring insert, wherein a radial displacement and axial displacement of the ring insert and blocking element are activated by the connection element.

The invention relates to a ball joint for a rod, especially a telescopic rod for an external fixator, especially for use with an external ring fixator. It is further related to a strut comprising a rod and two ball or universal joints at the free ends of the rod.
A plurality of compression-distraction apparatus have been designed and improved by Ilizarov and his group using two external rings to be placed around the limb to be fixed. There are usually at least two such rings, one proximal and one distal ring, which are connected with a plurality of struts or rods. Preferably, these struts are linked to the rings in a way that the attachment points can be pivoted and the length of the strut can be varied to enable adjustment of the external fixation rings.
Ilizarov has also provided some improvements for said systems. EP 0 377 744 shows a telescopic rod for such an external fixator. U.S. Pat. No. 4,615,338 shows a further device to control the length of such telescopic rods. The rods are extending through the rings and are attached to said rings via nuts. The use of said devices is inconvenient since the two rings, between which the struts are to be arranged, need to be in nearly perfect orientation to fit the straight rods through the ring holes of said rings.
A different external ring fixator having telescopic rods is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,702,389. There the connection between the rods and the two related rings use a different structure. That patent discloses spheres incorporated into the ring system, being half-spheres attaching two rods to such a hole. Further, in order to achieve adjustability, one part of the connector is introduced into a hole of the fixator ring and consists of a flexible material which then attaches to the rod part of the strut. This allows for pivotal connection of said rod/strut to one hole of the ring of the fixator.


Systems and methods are provided for targetless optical measurement and optical information projection. A non-contact optical measurement device is provided for determining at least one of position and orientation of a workpiece. A projector is provided for projecting a part definition on the workpiece. Advantageously, beams from the non-contact optical measurement device and the projector pass through common optics.

In manufacturing operations, complicated assemblies and contoured parts are often mated to other complicated assemblies and parts. A variety of techniques are currently used to locate the assemblies and parts for mating.
For example, some assembly techniques use factory aids such as templates that are made out of paper, Mylar™, or the like to find reference targets for accurately placing smaller parts on larger parts. These factory aids are subject to wear and tear and, as a result, are replaced from time-to-time. The factory aids must be replaced when engineering changes are made. Also, errors may be made by manufacturing personnel when using the factory aids. All of these aspects of the factory aids introduce additional costs into the manufacturing operation.
In other assembly techniques, a laser tracker measures coordinates of a number of reference targets of known design points on a large part. In this case, the large part is assumed to have been built identically to a defined design. This technique allows the laser tracker to "buck" into the part's coordinate system, or to locate precisely the coordinate system of the tracker with respect to the coordinate system of the part. When a smaller part is to be mounted onto a larger part, a laser tracker with a visible beam points onto the larger part and can thus designate the mounting position to guide the mechanic in the assembly.
However, this technique only gives one point indicating the location of the part. Typical laser trackers are not able to directly measure the coordinates of the mounted hardware relative to the reference targets or other mounted hardware. This is because typical laser trackers only measure off retro-reflective targets, and because the line-of-sight path between the laser and the retro-reflective targets is blocked.
Use of retro-reflective targets introduces additional time and labor costs into manufacturing operations. Most retro-reflectors must be positioned within a small range of angles to be useful, so time and effort are expended setting up the targets. Further, the retro-reflectors must be periodically pointed and re-pointed to remain within the useful range of angles. Because of their angle-sensitivity and time requirements, retro-reflectors are not able to be used to make measurements in a production line as part of the production process. Instead, retro-reflectors are typically set up and measurements are typically performed on back shifts, such as a midnight shift, when production operations are not being performed.
Further, laser trackers cannot provide the factory aid function described above, such as would provide information about how the part should be oriented. If information regarding orientation of the part is desired, then the desired orientation information is currently provided by a different system using a different laser that passes through a laser galvanometer scanner that is positioned next to the laser tracker. The scanner motor and mirrors are much more agile than those of the laser tracker, such that a pattern may be drawn at an update rate that appears to be a projected pattern.
To project the pattern, the projector needs to know the part definition and the position of the tool and/or workpiece onto which it projects the pattern. The laser radar allows the projector to acquire the position of the tool and/or workpiece. Because known systems use a separate tracker and a separate projector, the relative positions of the tracker and the projector need to be known and resolved, especially when operating at tolerances on the order of 1/1000 inch or less for critical operations.
It would be desirable to perform measurements without retro-reflectors and project information using a single system. However, there is an unmet need in the art for a system and method for performing measurements without retro-reflectors and for projecting information with the same system.

Method and apparatus for combining a targetless optical measurement function and optical projection of information


Disclosed is an apparatus for destroying electronic memory media by use of a bi-directional degaussing device. The degaussing device utilizes an SCR gate controller to cause bi-directional polarity from a charged capacitor into a sealed chamber containing the magnetic media. The chamber has a movable steel plate cover and floor that encloses the chamber containing magnetic media during the degaussing stage. The cover and floor cause a reflective chamber that focuses and directs the flux level to the magnetic media. The gate controller allows the use of the same capacitor bank to power a coil in two different directions to obtain effective degaussing without multiple coils or directional capacitors.

Electronic storage of media is currently the preferred method of storing information. From non-essential phone numbers to top level government security information, magnetic media has been found to be secure as long as the magnetism of the storage medium is protected. For this reason the reliance upon magnetic storage mediums for storing all types of information is increasing exponentially. Should the storage medium be discarded, the ability for an unauthorized person to read such materials could be most damaging. Thus, the need to erase information from the storage medium has become of paramount importance.
While most computers could be repaired when they fail, technological advances and the low cost of replacement has made such repair uneconomical and most computers are simply discarded should a failure occur. During the discard process, the stored data is first transferred from the failed computer to the new computer. The hard drives of the discarded computer may be removed and the information stored thereon be erased. There are various devices employed to erase the information stored on hard drives but the most conventional is by degaussing to obtain reliable and complete erasure of the information contained on the hard drive.
Unfortunately, the finding of discarded electronic storage media still containing data is now common news. People believed the data had been deleted when a data storage device had been degaussed. Computers with information still in the memory have been sold or discarded. The high profile media coverage of some of these happenings and the potential liability and losses from such disclosures have made it more important than ever to provide extra security against such inadvertent loss of information.
While certain memory media may be easily destroyed, like optical memory, hard drives with rotating memory storage disks may be more difficult to degauss due to the housing structure. Hard disc drives typically include magnetic coatings rising past hard coercivities of 3000 Oersteds. The prior art systems using permanent magnets may not address the problems associated with degaussing of the newer type of hard drive components that are not readily accessible, due to such factors as the sealing of the hard drive disk and/or head within an enclosure having high coercivity magnetic media.
In order to properly erase U.S. Government classified magnetic media having a high coercivity magnetic media, erasure in as many spatial planes as possible is necessary. The applicant was granted U.S. Pat. No. 7,324,321 for a device capable of degaussing by use of a rotatable plate for rotating a hard disk between permanent magnets so as to expose the hard disk to various degrees of magnetism from various directions, the contents of which are incorporated by reference. A number of prior art devices that employ magnets for degaussing are embodied in patents such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,157,581; 4,286,295; 4,423,460; 4,551,782; 4,639,821; 4,757,419; 5,132,860; 5,666,413; 5,721,665; 5,979,774; and 6,714,398.
In many instances the act of degaussing must address the more difficult to reach hard disc media and/or remove signal data plus any residual magnetic noise if the disc is to be reused. The use of a capacitive discharge has been found to reach the more difficult hard disc drives and address extraneous or structurally generated magnetic noise pulses that might remain in the magnetic coating. The use of a capacitor discharge for degaussing is known in the prior art, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,838,720; 2,962,560; and 3,321,586 as illustrative examples.
Current teachings in this area have further found that the reversing of polarity improve the degaussing technique. U.S. Pat. No. 4,621,299 discloses a coil of wire having a substantially rectangular cross section in which a magnetic tape is inserted. A capacitor is charged and repeatedly discharged through the coil. A second capacitor is provided across which a control voltage develops. The voltage across the second capacitor is compared with the voltage across the storage capacitor. When the storage capacitor has charged to a level related to the control voltage, the storage capacitor is discharged at the same time the tape is rotated to reverse the field direction and ensure uniform degaussing.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,757,419 discloses an apparatus for generating pulse line of magnetic force using a diode in parallel with a first capacitor and a diode connected in parallel with a second capacitor, the capacitors have opposite polarity wherein the peak charge current required for the first capacitor can be reduced, and the capacitor discharge in opposite polarity.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,198,959 discloses a device for de-magnetizing magnetic recording tape. This device employs a cylindrical coil which is provided with exciting windings, the filed distribution of which extends essentially parallel to the winding plane of the recording medium.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,691,873 discloses a device for generating high-power magnetic pulses at shortened pulse intervals using multiple thyristors and a pair of coil members disposed to generate opposing magnetic fields when energized.
Thus, what is lacking in the art is a degaussing apparatus capable of housing a magnetic disc for subject to a capacitor based bi-directional degaussing current, the housing acting as a reflective chamber and allowing a pass through of the storage medium.

Capacitor based bi-directional degaussing device with chamber


A method provides an error detection of periodic aircraft data transmitted between a sending unit and a receiving unit. A keyword is sent as the last word of the data being transmitted. The receiving unit receives the data and performs an error detection on data with keywords thus sued for synchronization.

The ARINC 429 data bus is used for transmission of data between avionics units. The bus is a broadcast bus with one transmitter transmitting to multiple receivers. The data path between the sending and receiving units includes many elements such as a transmitter, receiver, input/output controller, memory, and processor interface electronics. An error could be introduced during transmission through any of these elements. If errors are undetected, there could be serious consequences in critical flight avionics applications. This often leads to the incorporation of costly additional redundancy.
A Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) exists to check the data transmitted on an ARINC 429 bus and provide the critical means necessary to detect for errors. CRCs are well known in the data communications area of technology. The CRC is performed by defining a dividend based on the data to be checked. The resultant remainder is the CRC. Usually, the CRC is added at the end of the data when it is transmitted. The integrity of the checked data can be verified on the receiving end by reassembling the data, computing the CRC, and comparing it to the received CRC attached to the data. If the CRCs match then no error exists.
Data can be sent over the bus periodically or aperiodically. Aperiodic data is event driven which means that data is requested and in reply to the request, data is sent. Currently, aperiodic data is transmitted in the ARINC 429 as blocks of data which can be thought of as a pulse of data. FIG. 1 shows aperiodic data which has a start, designated by a header, and an end, designated by an end, with data words in between. With aperiodic data, the end of the block is where the CRC information is embedded.
A label is used to give a designation to the data. At the receiving unit, desired data to be checked is identified and sampled by the data label. Sampling is basically retrieving data based on the label desired. Once the data is sampled, the data is retrieved so that a CRC is performed. All aperiodic data in a block has the same label. Therefore, each data word in the block has the same label attached to it. Due to the format of the block, it is important to keep track of the sequence the data is sent so that it may arrive at the receiving unit in the same block order.
Periodic data, on the other hand, is sent periodically with the data words sent in any order and not in the form of a block. The transmission is time critical and clock driven. However, with this type of databus and associated avionics architecture, the clocks of the transmitting and receiving units are not synchronized. As a result, the data could be sampled such that the received CRC check word corresponds to a different data set than the sampled data set. The CRC computed would not match the CRC attached and an error signal would be sent when in fact, an error may not truly exist. Without a synchronization mechanism, this occurs often enough to render CRC checking unsafe.
FIG. 2 shows an example of erroneous sampling which is symbolized by the dashes. As stated before, this erroneous sampling results in errors detected incorrectly.
Each block of five words represents a message and associated CRC. The horizontal line with an arrowhead indicates the direction the data is moving. Therefore, block A moves through the databus first, and then block B and then block C. As can be seen in block B, for example, one word from block A data set is sampled along with an incomplete block B data. This results in an inconsistent sampled data set and consequent erroneous failure of the CRC.
As a result, it would be beneficial and critical to have a means available for CRC integrity checking for periodic data which overcomes the inherent limitations of asynchronous sampling.

Method and apparatus of applying CRC to arinc 429 periodic data


A flash memory device includes a write driver for driving a data line according to data to be written in a flash memory cell during a program period, a sense amplifier circuit for sensing and amplifying the data stored in the flash memory cell during a program verify period, and an insulation circuit for electrically insulating the sense amplifier circuit from the data line during an operation period of the write driver.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a memory device and, more particularly, to a flash memory device.
2. Description of Related Art
Generally, a semiconductor integrated circuit device performs internal operations using an externally supplied power supply voltage. Further, the semiconductor integrated circuit device generates a higher voltage than the externally supplied power voltage therein and performs the internal operations using the higher voltage. For example, in a semiconductor integrated circuit device using a higher voltage than 3.3 V, a MOS transistor of a circuit area operating with a power supply voltage (hereinafter referred to as "low voltage circuit area") has a breakdown voltage durable to a higher voltage generated therein. In this case, a circuit area operating with a high voltage (hereinafter referred to as "high voltage circuit area") may be directly connected to the low voltage circuit area. Although the high voltage circuit area is directly connected to the low voltage circuit area, the MOS transistor of the low voltage circuit area is not broken down by the high voltage from the high voltage circuit area. This is because the MOS transistor of the low voltage circuit area has a breakdown voltage durable to the high voltage.
As a power supply voltage drops and the integration density of semiconductor integrated circuit devices increases. MOS transistors of a low voltage circuit area includes a low voltage transistor that has a high current capacity and occupies a smaller area. Thus, breakdown voltages of the MOS transistors of the low voltage circuit area also drop. Particularly, in the case where the breakdown voltage of the low voltage transistor is lower than the high voltage used in the high voltage circuit area, the low voltage transistor of the low voltage circuit area may be broken down by the high voltage from the high voltage circuit area when the low voltage circuit area is directly connected to the high voltage circuit area.


Semiconductor device packages formed in accordance with methods of packaging semiconductor dice in grid array-type semiconductor device packages using conventional lead frame or lead lock tape assembly equipment are disclosed. Circuitry-bearing segments having an electrically insulating layer that carries redistribution circuitry and redistributed bond pads and which is supported from beneath by a support layer are secured to the active surface of a semiconductor die. The support layer may comprise an electrically conductive material, which may act as a heat sink or as a ground plane for the packaged semiconductor device. The methods provide increased accuracy with which segments are placed on a semiconductor die relative to the placement accuracies provided when pick-and-place equipment is used to position conventional grid array substrates relative to semiconductor dice.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to methods of manufacturing semiconductor devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to tape-based methods of manufacturing semiconductor devices having so-called ball grid array connection patterns for electrically connecting a semiconductor die to an external device (e.g., a printed circuit board). The present invention also relates to so-called ball grid array (BGA) semiconductor device packages formed in accordance with the disclosed methods.
2. Background of the Related Art
The dimensions of electronic devices are ever-decreasing. Consequently, alternative methods of semiconductor device assembly and packaging are continually being provided to reduce the effective size of such devices. One such method provides for a decrease in the size of the "footprint" of the semiconductor device on higher-level packaging, substrates, or carrier substrates, such as printed circuit boards (PCBs) or printed wiring boards (PWBs). Semiconductor devices having grid array connection patterns are being fabricated with increasing frequency, as the manner in which such devices are electrically connected to carrier substrates reduces the surface area consumed by such devices on the carrier substrates to an area the same as, or only slightly larger than, the device dimensions. Semiconductor devices with grid array connection patterns, including BGA semiconductor device packages, provide improved surface mountability and greater package density as well.
Flip-chip semiconductor device packages are known in the art and, in general, include a semiconductor die having an active surface with bond pads thereon. An insulative layer, which may be formed of a resin material, is placed or deposited on the active surface of the semiconductor die and includes openings therein to expose the bond pads of the semiconductor die. Conductive traces in the form of a so-called "redistribution layer" (RDL) are patterned on the insulative layer in contact with the bond pads and solder balls or other electrically discrete conductive elements are placed at the ends of the traces opposite the bond pads on the top of the insulative layer. While the resulting semiconductor device is extremely compact, it is also somewhat delicate as the semiconductor die itself must be handled, rather than a supporting substrate.
It is known to fabricate a BGA package using a polymer substrate carrying conductive traces in the form of leads extending over a slot in the center thereof and adhesively bonded to the active surface of a semiconductor die, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,310,390 to Moden, assigned to the assignee of the present invention. The bond pads on the semiconductor die may be connected to the cantilevered lead ends extending over the slot by thermocompression bonding and the leads may communicate signals from the wires to discrete conductive elements in the form of solder balls. By way of example, the layer may be formed of a polymer film element which may be adhered and cut from a larger film after the semiconductor die and others adhered to the film are otherwise assembled.
Several disadvantages to such packaging methods and semiconductor packages so assembled have been recognized. For instance, BGA semiconductor device packages manufactured by such a method are not structurally reinforced and, thus, may be difficult to handle. As a result, some manufacturing processes provide for structural reinforcement by providing a support layer on the bottom surface of the semiconductor die. These methods, however, increase the vertical profile of the devices, which is undesirable. A further disadvantage of typical BGA packages is poor heat dissipation and/or management. Failure to adequately manage heat may result in premature failure of the semiconductor device.
Various attempts have been made to overcome these difficulties. One such attempt is presented in U.S. Pat. No. 6,300,165 B2 to Castro (hereinafter the "'165 patent"), the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by this reference as if set forth in its entirety herein. The '165 patent teaches an integrated circuit (semiconductor die) package substrate for use with a ball grid array, and method of manufacturing the same, wherein circuitry-bearing decals are applied directly to a rather large metal heat sink. The heat sink has a dielectric layer formed directly on a bottom surface thereof. A circuit pattern which will accommodate a ball grid array is formed on the dielectric layer. A plurality of these package substrates are formed adjacent one another and are supplied in the form of a lead frame segment. A single segment, on its dielectric layer, contains all of the circuitry desiredfor a series of semiconductor packages. Preferably, the segment is applied to multiple integrated circuit devices in succession in a width-wise, or transverse, direction with respect to the longitudinal axis of the segment. Subsequently, electrical connections are secured and the tape is cut at separation indicators located between the devices. The individual units are then singulated from the segment by conventional trim and form techniques and the segment is subject to a final cutting operation in which the lead frame rails are removed.
While the ball grid array substrate of the '165 patent provides improved rigidity and heat management, it has a number of drawbacks. For instance, since the circuitry-bearing dielectric layer of the '165 patent is secured directly to the heat sink, a polyimide PWB panel must be fabricated to carry the circuit traces. Fabrication requires milling and/or drilling of a wire bond slot, as well as tooling holes and alignment fiducials. Further, during singulation of the integrated circuit packages, either end milling or punch tooling must be used. Such additional process steps are undesirable. Additionally, machine placement of the segment on a series of semiconductor devices in this manner permits accuracies of only ±100 μm. This is somewhat undesirable as bond pads on semiconductor devices are often separated only by this degree of error and, thus, wire bond connections to the bond pads must be individually inspected for accuracy of wire bond placement. Further, the method of the '165 patent is a rather slow process, thus affecting throughput goals.
Another attempt at producing an improved BGA semiconductor device package provided in U.S. Pat. No. 6,268,650 B1 to Kinsman et al. (hereinafter the "'650 patent"), the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by this reference as if set forth in its entirety herein. The '650 patent teaches a semiconductor package formed of a semiconductor die having an electrically conductive layer and an insulating layer thereon which supports a ball grid array substrate. The conductive layer is formed of metal which provides structural support (stiffness) and also acts as a heat sink dissipating heat away from the die. An adhesive layer may be placed between the active surface of the die and the conductive layer to adhere the conductive layer to the semiconductor die. The ball grid array substrate is electrically connected to the die by wires, traces, and/or other conductive elements as known in the art. Additionally, one or more of the conductive elements may be connected to the conductive layer enabling the conductive layer to be used as a ground plane for the device.
A plurality of semiconductor packages of the '650 patent may be formed by a tape-based process and subsequently separated from one another. The tape structure, in one embodiment, is of an indefinite length and includes an upper insulating layer and a lower conductive metal layer. A single tape segment, on its insulating layer, contains all of the circuitry desired for a series of semiconductor packages and is preferably applied to multiple semiconductor devices in succession in a widthwise, or transverse, direction to the longitudinal extent of the tape segment. Subsequently, electrical connections accommodating a grid array connection pattern may be secured to the semiconductor die and the tape may be cut at separation indicators located between the devices to separate the individual packages from one another.
Semiconductor packages manufactured by the methods of the '650 patent provide improved rigidity and heat management relative to conventional BGA packages. However, this approach has certain drawbacks as well. For instance, because a single tape segment contains all of the circuitry desired for each of a series of semiconductor devices, machine placement thereof provides accuracies only within the same margin of error as the method of the '165 patent (i.e., ±100 μm). Again, this is undesirable, as bond pads are often separated only by this degree of error and, as such, wire bond connections to bond pads must be individually inspected for accuracy.
Upon consideration of the above-described state of the art, the inventor has recognized that a method of applying circuitry-bearing tape segments to the active surface of a semiconductor die which offers a placement accuracy statistically improved over ±100 μm would be desirable. Further, the inventor has recognized that a method of fabricating semiconductor devices using conventional lead frame attach equipment (e.g., leads-over-chip (LOC) and lead lock tape assembly equipment) to attach circuitry-bearing tape segments to the active surface of a semiconductor device would provide enhanced placement accuracy and associated higher yield. Further, the resulting semiconductor devices would exhibit improved thermal, electrical and rigidity properties over the current state of the art.

Ball grid array structures having tape-based circuitry


Regions of the PspA protein of the R.times.1 strain of Streptococcus pneumoniae have been identified as containing protection-eliciting epitopes which are cross-reactive with PspAs of other S. pneumoniae strains and which is cross-protective. One region comprises the 68-amino acid sequence extending from amino acid residues 192 to 260 of the R.times.1 PspA strain while another region comprises the C-terminal amino acid sequence extending from amino acid residues 293 to 588 of the R.times.1 PspA strain.

Streptococcus pneumoniae is an important cause of otitis media, meningitis, bacteremia and pneumonia. Despite the use of antibiotics and vaccines, the prevalence of pneumococcal infections has declined little over the last twenty-five years.
It is generally accepted that immunity to Streptococcus pneumoniae can be mediated by specific antibodies against the polysaccharide capsule of the pneumococcus. However, neonates and young children fail to make an immune response against polysaccharide antigens and can have repeated infections involving the same capsular serotype.
One approach to immunizing infants against a number of encapsulated bacteria is to conjugate the capsular polysaccharide antigens to proteins to make them immunogenic. This approach has been successful, for example, with Haemophilus influenzae b (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,496,538 to Gordon and U.S. Pat. No. 4,673,574 to Anderson). However, there are over eighty known capsular serotypes of S. pneumoniae of which twenty-three account for most of the disease. For a pneumococcal polysaccharide-protein conjugate to be successful, the capsular types responsible for most pneumococcal infections would have to be made adequately immunogenic. This approach may be difficult, because the twenty-three polysaccharides included in the presently-available vaccine are not all adequately immunogenic, even in adults. Furthermore, such a vaccine would probably be much more expensive to produce than any of the other childhood vaccines in routine use.
An alternative approach for protecting children, and also the elderly, from pneumococcal infection would be to identify protein antigens that could elicit protective immune responses. Such proteins may serve as a vaccine by themselves, may be used in conjunction with successful polysaccharide-protein conjugates, or as carriers for polysaccharides.
In McDaniel et al (I), J.Exp.Med. 160:386-397, 1984, there is described the production of hybridoma antibodies that recognize cell surface proteins on S. pneumoniae and protection of mice from infection with certain strains of encapsulated pneumococci by such antibodies. This surface protein antigen has been termed "pneumococcal surface protein A" or PspA for short.
In McDaniel et al (II), Microbial Pathogenesis 1:519-531, 1986, there are described studies on the characterization of the PspA. From the results of McDaniel (II), McDaniel (III), J.Exp. Med. 165:381-394, 1987, Waltman et al., Microb. Pathog. 8:61-69, 1990 and Crain et al., Infect. Immun. 58:3293-3299, 1990, it was also apparent that the PspAs of different strains frequently exhibit considerable diversity in terms of their epitopes, and apparent molecular weight.
In McDaniel et al (III), there is disclosed that immunization of X-linked immunodeficient (XID) mice with non-encapsulated pneumococci expressing PspA, but not isogenic pneumococci lacking PspA, protects mice from subsequent fatal infection with pneumococci.
In McDaniel et al (IV), Infect. Immun., 59:222-228, 1991, there is described immunization of mice with a recombinant full length fragment of PspA that is able to elicit protection against pneumococcal strains of capsular types 6A and 3.
In Crain et al, (supra) there is described a rabbit antiserum that detects PspA in 100% (n=95) of clinical and laboratory isolates of strains of S. pneumoniae. When reacted with seven monoclonal antibodies to PspA, fifty-seven S. pneumoniae isolates exhibited thirty-one different patterns of reactivity. Accordingly, although a large number of serologically-different PspAs exist, there are extensive cross-reactions between PspAs.
The PspA protein type is independent of capsular type. It would seem that genetic mutation or exchange in the environment has allowed for the development of a large pool of strains which are highly diverse with respect to capsule, PspA, and possibly other molecules with variable structures. Variability of PspA's from different strains also is evident in their molecular weights, which range from 67 to 99 kD. The observed differences are stably inherited and are not the result of protein degradation.
Immunization with a partially purified PspA from a recombinant .lambda. gtll clone, elicited protection against challenge with several S. pneumoniae strains representing different capsular and PspA types, as described in McDaniel et al (IV), Infect. Immun. 59:222-228, 1991. Although clones expressing PspA were constructed according to that paper, the product was unstable and isolation from cell fragments following lysis was not effected.
While the protein is variable in structure between different pneumococcal strains, numerous cross-reactions exist between all PspA's, suggesting that sufficient common epitopes may be present to allow a single PspA or at least a small number of PspA's to elicit protection against a large number of S. pneumoniae strains.
In addition to the published literature specifically referred to above, the inventors, in conjunction with co-workers, have published further details concerning PspA's, as follows:
1. Abstracts of 89th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, p. 125, item D-257, May 1989; PA1 2. Abstracts of 90th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, p. 98, item D-106, May 1990; PA1 3. Abstracts of 3rd International ASM Conference on Streptococcal Genetics, p. 11, item 12, June 1990; PA1 4. Talkington et al, Infect. Immun. 59:1285-1289, 1991; PA1 5. Yother et al (I), J. Bacteriol. 174:601-609, 1992; PA1 6. Yother et al (II), J. Bacteriol. 174:610-618, 1992; and PA1 7. McDaniel et al (V), Microbiol Pathogenesis, 13:261-268, 1992.
In the aforementioned copending U.S. patent applications Ser. Nos. 656,773 and 835,698 (corresponding to published International patent application, WO 92/1448), as well as in Yother et al (I) and (II), the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference, there are described the preparation of mutants of S. pneumomiae that secrete an immunogenic truncated form of the PspA protein, and the isolation and purification of the secreted protein. The truncated form of PspA was found to be immunoprotective and to contain the protective epitopes of PspA. The PspA protein described therein is soluble in physiologic solution and lacks at least the functional cell membrane anchor region.
The aforementioned USSNs' also describe characteristics of the mature R.times.1 PspA protein. The mature protein is composed of 588 amino acids and has a molecular weight of 65 kD. The N-terminal 288 amino acids are highly charged and predict an .alpha.-helical coiled-coil protein structure. The C-terminal 217 amino acids contain the surface anchor of PspA and does not appear to be .alpha.-helical. In the middle of the molecule is a proline rich region that is thought to traverse the cell wall.
In the specification which follows and the drawings accompanying the same, there are utilized certain accepted abbreviations with respect to the amino acids represented thereby. The following Table I identifies those abbreviations:
TABLE I ______________________________________ AMINO ACID ABBREVIATIONS ______________________________________ A = Ala = Alanine C = Cys = Cysteine D = Asp = Aspartic Acid E = Glu = Glutamic Acid F = Phe = Phenylalanine G = Gly = Glycine H = His = Histidine I = Ile = Isoleucine K = Lys = Lysine L = Leu = Leucine M = Met = Methionine N = Asn = Asparagine P = Pro = Proline Q = Gln = Glutamine R = Arg = Arginine S = Ser = Serine T = Thr = Threonine V = Val = Valine W = Try = Tryptophan Y = Tyr = Tyrosine ______________________________________

Epitopic regions of pneumococcal surface protein A


A method of developing an interactive system, including inputting application data representative of an application for the system, the application data including operations and parameters for the application, generating prompts on the basis of the application data, and generating grammar on the basis of the application data. The prompts and grammar are generated on the basis of a predetermined pattern or structure for the prompts and grammar. The grammar also includes predefined grammar. Grammatical inference is also executed to enhance the grammar. The grammatical inference method for developing the grammar may include processing rules of the grammar, creating additional rules representative of repeated phrases, and merging equivalent symbols of the grammar, wherein the rules define slots to represent data on which an interactive system executes operations and include symbols representing at least a phrase or term. The grammar is hierarchical and the rules include a reference count representing the number of other rules that reference the rule. Additional rules to be created during grammatical inference are determined on the basis of attribute constraints.

Interactive systems, such as interactive voice response systems (IVRs), are able to communicate with other machines or humans using natural language dialogue. The systems are able to prompt a communicating party for data required to execute application tasks and need to cater for a wide variety of possible responses to the prompts, particularly when communicating with humans. Developing a set of rules which defines all of the possible answers or responses to the prompts is particularly problematic and labour intensive. Also developing a structure to manage the dialogue which occurs between the communicating parties, is complex. Accordingly, it is desired to provide a method and tools which facilitates application development or at least provides a useful alternative.

Method of developing an interactive system