A cushioning sole for use in footwear, in particular athletic shoes, is disclosed. The cushioning sole includes a rearfoot motion control device incorporated into a sole member. The device preferably functions to gradually control pronation motion. The device includes generally vertically extending rigid members and a plurality of horizontally extending plate members. In other preferred embodiments, a cushioning sole for use in footwear includes a rearfoot motion control device formed integrally with a heel supporting element, substantially rigid and generally vertical members of the rearfoot motion control device being perpendicular to each other, or an external surface of the rearfoot motion control device being visible from outside of the footwear.

The modern shoe, particularly an athletic shoe, is a combination of many elements which have specific functions, all of which must work together for the support and protection of the foot. Athletic shoes today are as varied in design and purpose as are the rules for the sports in which the shoes are worn. Tennis shoes, racquetball shoes, basketball shoes, running shoes, baseball shoes, football shoes, weightlifting shoes, walking shoes, etc. are all designed to be used in very specific, and very different, ways. They are also designed to provide a unique and specific combination of traction, support and protection to enhance performance. Not only are shoes designed for specific sports, they are also designed to meet the specific characteristics of the user. For example, shoes are designed differently for heavier persons than for lighter persons; differently for wide feet than for narrow feet; differently for high arches than for low arches, etc. Some shoes are designed to correct physical problems, such as over-pronation, while others include devices, such as ankle supports, to prevent physical problems from developing.
A shoe is divided into two general parts, an upper and a sole. The upper is designed to snugly and comfortably enclose the foot, while the sole must provide traction, protection, and a durable wear surface. The considerable forces generated by running require that the sole of a running shoe provide enhanced protection and shock absorption for the foot and leg. It is also desirable to have enhanced protection and shock absorption for the foot and leg in all types of footwear. Accordingly, the sole of a running shoe typically includes several layers, including a resilient, shock absorbing or cushioning layer as a midsole and a ground contacting outer sole or outsole which provides both durability and traction. This is particularly true for training or jogging shoes designed to be used over long distances and over a long period of time. A shoe also can include a heel support, or a heel counter for providing good stability and support for the heel of the foot as well as the arch of the foot. The sole also provides a broad, stable base to support the foot during ground contact.
The typical motion of the foot during running proceeds as follows. First, the heel strikes the ground, followed by the ball of the foot. As the heel leaves the ground, the foot rolls forward so that the toes make contact, and finally the entire foot leaves the ground to begin another cycle. During the time that the foot is in contact with the ground, it typically is rolling from the outside or lateral side to the inside or medial side, a process called pronation. That is, normally, the outside of the heel strikes first and the toes on the inside of the foot leave the ground last. While the foot is air borne and preparing for another cycle the opposite process, called supination, occurs. Pronation, the inward roll of the foot in contact with the ground, although normal, can be a potential source of foot and leg injury; particularly if it is excessive. The use of soft cushioning materials in the midsole of running shoes, while providing protection against impact forces, can encourage instability of the sub-talar joint of the ankle, thereby contributing to the tendency for over-pronation. This instability has been cited as a contributor to "runners knee" and other athletic injuries.
Various methods for resisting excessive pronation or instability of the sub-talar joint have been proposed and incorporated into prior art athletic shoes as "stability" devices. In general, these devices have been fashioned by modifying conventional shoe components, such as the heel counter, and by modifying the midsole cushioning materials. For example, one technique incorporates a relatively stiff heel counter support over the heel counter, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,288,929 to Norton et al. A similar technique, wherein support is provided to a heel counter by a bead of material, is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,354,318 to Frederick et al. Another prior art technique to enhance motion control during foot impact is by building up the heel counter itself, such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,255,877 to Bowerman and U.S. Pat. No. 4,287,675 to Norton et al. Another technique is the use of higher density cushioning materials on the medial side of the shoe to resist pronation, such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,364,188 to Turner et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,364,189 to Bates. The use of a less compressible or firmer fluid tight chamber in the medial heel area of a sole is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,297,797 to Meyers and 4,445,283 to Meyers. Although these prior art techniques have exhibited a degree of success in controlling sub-talar joint motion and, hence, over-pronation, they have certain disadvantages. Generally, these techniques add to the weight and manufacturing expense of the shoes. Furthermore, the firmer, higher density foam midsole materials are subject to compression set and reduce the efficacy of the cushioning system.
The present invention was designed to take advantage of the lightweight cushioning capability of the materials used in current athletic shoes, while enhancing the stability of the shoes without incurring the above disadvantages of prior art "stability" devices.

Athletic shoe with rearfoot motion control device


An optical amplifier includes an output unit that outputs a loss monitoring light having a wavelength that causes neither absorption nor gain with respect to each of the wavelengths of a light signal to be amplified with EDFs; a multiplexing unit that multiplexes the loss monitoring light with the light signal at an input stage of the light signal; a demultiplexing unit that demultiplexes the loss monitoring light from multiplexed light signal at an output stage of the light signal; a detecting unit that detects intensity of loss monitoring light at the input stage and intensity of loss monitoring light at the output stage; a calculating unit that calculates, based on the intensities, a loss of the loss monitoring light that has occurred between the input stage and the output stage; and a control unit that controls, based on the loss, the variable optical attenuator.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technology for amplifying light of multiple wavelengths in a wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) transmission system.
2. Description of the Related Art
A WDM optical transmission system can remarkably improve a signal transmission capacity by collectively amplifying a plurality of wavelengths using an optical amplifier. An optical amplifier most frequently used is an optical fiber amplifier doped with a rare earth element such as erbium.
Such an optical fiber doped with erbium (herein after, "erbium doped fiber (EDF)") amplifies signal lights in a range of 1.53 micrometers (μm) to 1.6 μm with excitation light in a 0.98 μm or 1.48 μm band. Wavelength dependency (hereinafter, "tilt") of light signals to be collectively amplified varies according to intensity of the excitation light.
FIG. 18 is a schematic for illustrating the tilt. A horizontal axis represents wavelength and a vertical axis represents power. Inclination of power is called tilt. FIG. 19 is a schematic for illustrating a relation between excitation light and EDF gain. A horizontal axis represents wavelength and an vertical axis represents EDF gain. As shown, the tilt varies according to intensity of the excitation light.
When the excitation light is increased and the EDF gain is increased, a gain on a short wavelength side with higher energy is larger than a gain on a long wavelength side. As a result, power on the short wavelength side is larger than power on the long wavelength side. Thus, the tilt occurs. Since unintended tilt can be a cause of deterioration of a transmission quality, particularly in a long-distance WDM-transmission system, it is necessary to perform gain control to make the tilt flat by an optical amplifier, to transmit all wavelengths with equivalent qualities.
FIG. 20 is a schematic of a conventional optical amplifier. An optical amplifier 200 includes EDFs (an EDF1 and an EDF2) 201 and 202 in two stages and a variable optical attenuator (VOA) 203 provided between the EDFs 201 and 202. The optical amplifier 200 performs a control to make output power constant even when input power fluctuates.
In the EDFs 201 and 202, the tilt changes when intensity of excitation light is changed and gain changes as described above. Thus, a control unit 205 performs automatic gain control (AGC) to make gains of the EDFs 201 and 202 constant. FIG. 21 is a schematic for illustrating a control for keeping tilt constant. When input power of an input to the EDF 201 changes, the control unit 205 performs automatic level control (ALC) for keeping output power of the EDF 202 constant by adjusting an attenuation amount of the VOA 203 while making a gain of the EDF 201 constant.
As shown in FIG. 20, the control unit 205 detects light intensity of WDM signals at input and output points of the optical amplifier 200 using photodiodes (PD) 211 and 214 (PD 1 and PD 4) to perform AGC. The control unit 205 detects light intensity of WDM signals at input and output points of the VOA 203 using PDs 212 and 213 (PD 2 and PD 3) and judges an attenuation amount of the VOA 203 to perform ALC (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-368698).
The optical amplifier 200 shown in FIG. 20 is an aggregate of a large number of optical components such as the EDFs 201 and 202, a dividing unit 220 that performs optical division for the PDs 211 to 214, a gain equalizing filter (not shown), an optical isolator for oscillation prevention, a WDM filter for coupling excitation light, and the VOA 203. Therefore, a gain obtained by the optical amplifier 200 is expressed as:optical amplifier gain=EDF gain−VOA loss−optical component loss  (1)
The optical component loss indicates a total loss excluding a loss (optical loss) of a part intentionally changed in the VOA 203.
The optical component loss fluctuates (in general, increases) due to aged deterioration and failure of the optical components, vibration impact at the time of transportation, a wind pressure due to forced air cooling, occurrence of a bending loss in a winding portion of an optical fiber due to a change in temperature, and the like.
However, in the conventional technology, the power is monitored by monitoring a main signal (a light signal) on a transmission path. Therefore, when changes, it is impossible to tell whether the change in a gain of the optical amplifier is caused by an optical component loss or a change in an EDF gain. In other words, only a sum of the first term and the third term in Equation 1 is detected.
The control unit 205 judges that gains of the EDFs 201 and 202 are insufficient, and executes feedback control such that an original optical amplifier gain can be secured by increasing excitation power. As a result, since the gains of the EDFs 201 and 202 are changed, unintended tilt occurs. In other words, for example, when an optical component loss increases in the optical amplifier, the control unit 205 misrecognizes the increase as a decrease in a gain, and increases the gain with the AGC function. As a result, unintended tilt occurs.
FIG. 22 is a schematic for illustrating a light level when an optical component loss occurs in the optical amplifier. When an optical component loss occurs in a point X before input of the EDF 1 (201), the PD 1 (211) on the input side does not detect the optical component loss. An amount of loss itself between the PD 2 and PD 3 (212 and 213) for controlling the VOA 203 does not change. Thus, the control unit 205 carries out a control for the VOA 203 while keeping the same attenuation amount as that before occurrence of the optical component loss. Since it is detected that output power in the PD 4 (214) on the output side is insufficient, the control unit 205 judges that a gain is insufficient with the AGC and executes adjustment to increase excitation light and return output power to a set value. In this case, as indicated by a dotted line shown in FIG. 22, in the EDFs 1 and 2 (201 and 202), inclination of a light level is steep according to an increase in a gain. As a result, the EDFs 201 and 202 operate with gains larger than a design value to cause tilt.
The conventional optical amplifier 200 operates on the premise that once the optical amplifier 200 is assembled, a loss of an optical component in the optical amplifier 200 does not change. However, when a loss of an optical component changes significantly after the assembly, a state of tilt changes and a desired optical characteristic is not obtained.
If there is a margin in power of an excitation light source and a gain enough for compensating for the increase in the loss is secured, both AGC and ALC normally operate, and, thus, abnormality due to the loss of the optical component cannot be detected. In other words, even if abnormality occurs in a WDM transmission section for transmitting a WDM signal, the abnormality is not detected in the WDM transmission section. The abnormality is detected after the WDM signal exits the WDM transmission section, for example, in a transponder device connected for each wavelength. Thus, it takes long time until the optical amplifier 200 is recovered from a failure after occurrence of the abnormality.

Optical amplifier and optical amplification method


A method for determining a state of mind of a user may include receiving one or more strings of characters composed by the user, and determining, by a processing device, the state of mind of the user by processing the one or more strings of characters. The processing of the one or more strings of characters may include identifying similarities of the one or more strings of characters with other strings of characters indicative of the state of mind. The method may also include determining, based on the one or more strings of characters, a severity of the state of mind of the user.

People have struggled with depression since the beginning of recorded history. Anthropological studies suggest that hunter-gatherer groups exhibited similar depressive symptoms as the modern-day population does, with similar reactions to similar types of issues, and similar resulting biological manifestations. Depression, anxiety, and other deteriorated states of mental health are often treated in similar fashion as discrete illnesses, where diagnoses and resulting treatments are primarily predicated on whether or not an observer, or a mechanical method of observation, suggests a person is in a specific state of mind: depressed or not depressed. However, depression is not a typical illness. Depression is a probabilistic tendency to exhibit any of a wide range of interrelated symptoms in response to environmental adversity. Simply stated, depression is more akin to an oscillation between two mental poles: happy and sad.

System and method for identifying and attenuating mental health deterioration


A composite armor element for protection against projectiles. At least one layer of effective bodies is disposed in rows next to one another in the composite armor element, the effective bodies being embedded in a matrix material. The effective bodies of one row are fixedly interconnected at least partially by means of webs to form a chain which is a monolithic element. An effective body element for insertion in a composite armor element comprises at least two effective bodies fixedly interconnected by at least one web to form a chain. The effective body element is a monolithic element, and a plurality of effective body elements are embedded in a matrix material.

The instant application should be granted the priority dates of Nov. 10, 2005, the filing date of the corresponding German patent application 10 2006 053 047.0, as well as Oct. 24, 2007, the filing date of the International patent application PCT/DE200/001921.
The present invention relates to a composite armor element for protection against projectiles or missiles, as well as an effective body element for insertion in a composite armor element.
Composite armor elements, such a composite armor plates or composite armor mats, which are comprised of a composite of several materials, are known. Frequently, composite armor elements are constructed in such a way that filler material or active or effective bodies are introduced between two, for example plate-shaped, elements, with a matrix material that is capable of being cast, for example polymeric materials or metals, subsequently being cast about the effective bodies.
The plates are frequently provided with end layers. The manufactured composite armor plates can have thick composite fiber layers glued to their back side, thus forming self-supporting armor elements, or they can be applied to metallic vehicle housings, such as a welded steel pan, whereby they achieve the complete protection effect together with the housing structure. It is additionally known to dispose shock-dampening materials between the effective bodies so that the effective bodies do not rest directly against one another in a disadvantageous manner.
DE 1 578 324 describes a composite armor plate, whereby individual balls or cylinders made of a hard ceramic material are utilized as active or effective bodies. The cylinders are disposed in rows in the plate in a plurality of uninterrupted layers or plies, i.e. their longitudinal axes are disposed essentially parallel to the plane of the plate and parallel to one another, whereby the cylinders of one layer are offset relative to the cylinders of the other layer. The cylinders are furthermore spaced from one another, whereby a plurality of layers of a spacing material are used in such a way that each layer of spacing material is alternatingly wound above or below the cylinders in their pertaining layer.
EP 1 071 916 B1 describes a composite armor plate having individual cylindrical ceramic effective bodies, whereby the space between the effective bodies is filled with triangular or hexagonal intermediate space pellets that are adapted to the shape.
EP 1 363 101 A1 describes a composite armor plate, whereby the individual active bodies are provided with a band to reduce the overall weight of the plate.
The drawback of the known plates is that the manufacture is expensive and imprecise due to the large number of the small effective bodes as well as the insertion of shock-dampening materials.
It is an object of the present invention to improve the aforementioned drawbacks.

Composite armor element and effective body element


Methods are provided for testing many semiconductor devices simultaneously. The devices are connected in a group, and checked for DC-type defects. Those identified to have such a defect are electrically disconnected from the group, and thus also from further group testing. Then testing in the AC mode is performed. The disconnected devices do not sense the AC testing, and the defect does not affect the testing of the others. Semiconductor devices are also provided that are amenable to such testing. These include additional pads, and a special circuit that includes at least one fuse. Disconnection is by cutting the fuse of a device identified to be defective. While afterwards testing for AC-type defects, the power supply and the ground is applied through the additional pads. This grounds the power line of defective chips.

The present invention relates to a semiconductor memory device and, more particularly, to a test power supply circuit of a semiconductor device.
As integration levels of semiconductor chip devices increase, the test time for evaluating the characteristics of a fabricated semiconductor chips also increases. This increases disproportionately the cost of the semiconductor chip. To solve this problem, it is required to simplify the test algorithms and improve testing circumstances.
A recent main method for preventing increase in the test time is a multi-test method. A number of semiconductor chips formed on a wafer are tested at the same time.
Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional wafer has a plurality of semiconductor chips 3 formed on a silicon substrate 1. Direct current (hereafter referred to as xe2x80x9cDCxe2x80x9d) and alternating current (hereafter referred to as xe2x80x9cACxe2x80x9d) characteristics of each of the semiconductor chips 3 are tested in the test step. Since all are tested simultaneously, this reduces test time.
Scribe lines 5 delineate the boundaries regions between the semiconductor chips 3. After testing, the semiconductor chips 3 are cut from the wafer 1 along the scribe lines 5, and packed.
Based on xe2x80x9cOhm""s Lawxe2x80x9d, electric characteristics such as open or short of each of the semiconductor chips 3 (i.e., short or not of power supply voltage VCC and ground voltage VSS) are tested at the DC characteristic test operation. Conditions such as power supply voltage margin, timing, and temperature are applied to each of the semiconductor chips 3, thereby testing circuit operation of each of the semiconductor chip 3 and a storage status.
A test system for testing the semiconductor chips 3 tests the DC and AC characteristics of each of the chips 3 through a probe card by loading and then aligning the wafer of these chips. The probe card includes a very fine needle that is fixed on a printed circuit board (PCB). A signal generated from the test system is transferred to each circuit of the semiconductor chips 3 through the needle of the probe card, and a signal generated from a circuit in the semiconductor chip 3 is transferred to the test system through the probe card.
In general, a plurality of (e.g., four) semiconductor chips are simultaneously tested.
Referring to FIG. 2, a physical arrangement is shown for testing 4 devices DUT110, DUT220, DUT330, DUT440, which are arranged at the corners of a rectangle. Test-targeted circuits 10, 20, 30, and 40 are tested by connecting power pads VCC and VSS, and input/output pads I00, I01, . . . , I014, I015 with a mutual-sharing arrangement.
During the test operation, a test system supplies power supply voltage VCC, ground voltage VSS, and input signals I0, I1, . . . , I14, and I15 (not all are shown) to the circuits of the chips, through each needle of a probe card and each pad (not shown) of the chips. And, the test system receives the voltages VCC and VSS, and output signals O1, O2, O14, and O15 (not shown) through the pad and the needle of the probe card.
The sharing arrangement of the power pads VCC and VSS has to a poignant problem at AC test operation. This is illustrated by assuming that device 20 has a defect, illustrated by resistor R2 as partially shorting VCC and VSS of DUT220. The resistor R2 generates a large amount of leakage current. In this case, the power supply voltage VCC supplied to DUT20, and also to the other circuits 10, 30, and 40 goes down to a low level, due to the sharing arrangement.
While this is expected during testing for DC-type defects, it is a big problem while testing for AC-type defects. This causes increase in test time of a semiconductor fabrication device, and considerably reduces a yield of a fabrication process.
The invention overcomes the problems of the prior art.
The invention provides methods for testing a plurality of semiconductor devices. The devices are connected in a group, and checked for DC-type defects. Those identified to have such a defect are electrically disconnected from the group. Disconnection is by electrical action, while maintaining the physical connection. Thus the defective are also effectively disconnected from further group testing. Then testing in the AC mode is performed. The disconnected devices do not sense the AC testing, and the DC-type defect does not affect the AC testing of the remaining devices.
The method of the invention can be practiced with a number of arrangements. For example, the testing apparatus can have individualized leads that disconnect for individual devices, while permitting the remaining devices to be tested for AC-type defects.
The invention also provides semiconductor devices, which are specially made to be amenable to testing according to the method of the invention. These include additional pads, and a special circuit that include at least one fuse. Disconnection is by cutting the fuse of a device identified to be defective. The subsequent AC testing is by applying the power supply and a ground through the additional pads. The fuse will determine which power is applied to the power line of the device.
A further understanding of the nature and advantage of the invention herein may be realized by reference to the remaining portions of the specification and the attached drawings.

Methods for testing a group of semiconductor devices simultaneously, and devices amenable to such methods of testing


In the optimization of a non-discharge correction parameter for correcting a non-discharge using a non-discharge correction nozzle, a first test chart including a non-recording region that is the recording position of the non-discharge correction nozzle, a measurement chart region where a measurement chart is formed, and a uniform concentration region is formed for a designated nozzle that is previously designated. Then, the first test chart is read, the reading data is analyzed, the concentration at the measurement chart and the concentration at the uniform concentration region are compared for each non-discharge correction parameter, and a non-discharge correction parameter corresponding to the concentration at the measurement chart that minimizes the concentration difference from the uniform concentration region is derived as the optimum value of the non-discharge correction parameter for the designated nozzle.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus, and an apparatus, method and a recording medium for optimizing a defective-recording-element compensation parameter, and particularly, relates to a correction technique for a defective recording element including a non-discharge nozzle in an image recording apparatus such as an ink-jet recording apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the image recording by the ink-jet method, a nozzle in a non-discharge state (non-discharge nozzle) is produced by a clogging or a malfunction in association with use of an ink-jet head. In the case of the image recording by the single pass method, a white line is recognized at the position for the non-discharge nozzle in an image, and therefore, a correction (compensation) is necessary. To date, many correction techniques for the non-discharge nozzle have been proposed.
When the white line caused by the production of the non-discharge nozzle appears, the image recording by non-discharge correction nozzles, which are normal nozzles close to the non-discharge nozzle, is deepened, and thereby, the visibility of the white line is decreased. Examples of the method for deepening the image recording by the non-discharge correction nozzles include a method of scanning an output image, a method of intensifying a discharge signal and rectifying the discharge dot diameter such that it is increased, and the like.
A non-discharge correction parameter indicating the correction intensity in the non-discharge correction nozzle depends on the degree of the variability among nozzles in the impact position errors of the ink to be discharged from the nozzles, and the degree of the variability in the amount of the ink to be discharged from the nozzles, and therefore, the optimum values are different values for each nozzle.
However, the number of nozzles in an ink-jet head to perform the image recording by the single pass method, which is several thousands to several tens of thousands, is very high, and it is required that a technique for optimizing all these many nozzles has an efficient optimizing scheme.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-71474 describes a correction technique for a defective recording element that utilizes a defective-recording-element compensation parameter selection chart. The defective-recording-element compensation parameter selection chart is configured by a reference patch and a measurement patch. The reference patch is configured by a uniform image that has a constant gradation and a uniform concentration and in which a region on a recorded medium is drawn.
In the measurement patch, one or plural of a plurality of recording elements to draw the reference patch is in a non-recording state, and a candidate value of a defective-recording-element compensation parameter indicating a correction amount is given at the drawn part by a recording element to perform the recording near the non-recording position for the recording element of the non-recording. Further, the measurement patch reproduces a state after the correction by the correction amount corresponding to the candidate value of the defective-recording-element compensation parameter.
Then, the defective-recording-element compensation parameter selection chart is read by an optical reading apparatus. In the calculation of an evaluation value that is an evaluation index for evaluating the difference between a capture image for the reference patch and a capture image for the measurement patch, a weight reflecting the recording property of a recording head for recording the reference patch is given to a value indicating the difference between the capture image for the reference patch and the capture image for the measurement patch, and the evaluation value is calculated. Then, the defective-recording-element compensation parameter is calculated based on the evaluation value.
The correction technique described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-71474 can efficiently select the defective-recording-element compensation parameter, in the case of targeting only particular recording elements.

Image recording apparatus, and method and recording medium for optimizing defective-recording-element compensation parameter


A optical sensor for measuring tranmissive properties of a solution having: a cuvette body with an enclosed flow passage for the solution, wherein the flow passage further includes a solution inlet and a solution outlet and a cuvette between the inlet and outlet; a light source projecting light of a predetermined wavelength through the cuvette and solution flowing through the cuvette and to a light sensor, wherein the cuvette has inner wall surfaces opaque to the light of said predetermined wavelength, and the inner wall is in contact with the solution.

The present invention is directed to an apparatus and system for measuring the constituent concentration value present in a liquid. This invention is applicable to sensing a hematocrit (Hct) level of blood in an extracorporeal circuit.
Renal Replacement Therapy (RRT) has evolved from the long, slow hemodialysis treatment regime of the 1960's to a diverse set of therapy options, the vast majority of which employ high permeability membrane devices and ultrafiltration control systems. Biologic kidneys remove metabolic waste products, other toxins, and excess water. They also maintain electrolyte balance and produce several hormones for a human or other mammalian body. An artificial kidney, also called a hemodialyzer or dialyzer, and attendant equipment and supplies are designed to replace the blood-cleansing functions of the biologic kidney. At the center of artificial kidney design is a semipermeable filter membrane that allows passage of water, electrolytes, and solute toxins to be removed from the blood. The membrane retains in the blood, the blood cells, plasma proteins and other larger elements of the blood.
Over the last 15 years, RRT systems have evolved into a subset of treatment alternatives that are tailored to individual patient needs. They include ultrafiltration, hemodialysis, hemofiltration, and hemodiafiltration, all of which are delivered in a renal care environment, as well as hemoconcentration, which is typically delivered in open heart surgery. RRT may be performed either intermittently or continuously, in the acute or chronic renal setting, depending on the individual patient's needs.
Ultrafiltration involves the removal of excess fluid from the patient's blood by employing a pressure gradient across a semipermeable membrane of a high permeability hemofilter or dialyzer. For example, removal of excess fluid occurs in hemoconcentration at the conclusion of cardiopulmonary bypass surgery. Hemodialysis involves the removal of toxins from the patient's blood by employing diffusive transport through the semipermeable membrane, and requires an electrolyte solution (dialysate) flowing on the opposite side of the membrane to create a concentration gradient. A goal of dialysis is the removal of waste, toxic substances, and/or excess water from the patients' blood. Dialysis patients require removal of excess water from their blood because they lack the ability to rid their bodies of fluid through the normal urinary function.
One of the potential risks to health associated with RRT is hypotension, which is an abnormal decrease in the patient's blood pressure. An abnormally high or uncontrolled ultrafiltration rate may result in hypovolemic shock, hypotension, or both. If too much water is removed from the patient's blood, such as might occur if the ultrafiltration rate is too high or uncontrolled, the patient could suffer hypotension and/or go into hypovolemic shock. Accordingly, RRT treatments must be controlled to prevent hypotension.
Alternatively, a patient may experience fluid overload in his blood, as a result of fluid infusion therapy or hyperalimentation therapy. Certain kinds of RRT machine failures may result in a blood fluid gain rather than fluid loss. Specifically, inverse ultrafiltration may result in unintended weight gain of a patient and is potentially hazardous. Uncontrolled infusion of fluid into the patient could result in fluid overload, with the most serious acute complication being pulmonary edema. These risks are similar in all acute and chronic renal replacement therapies (ultrafiltration, hemodialysis, hemofiltration, hemodiafiltration, hemoconcentration). Monitoring patients to detect excessive fluid loss is needed to avoid hypotension.
Rapid reduction in plasma or blood volume due to excessive ultrafiltration of water from blood may cause a patient to exhibit one or more of the following symptoms: hypovolemia-hypotension, diaphoresis, cramps, nausea, or vomiting. During treatment, plasma volume in the patient's blood would theoretically remain constant if the plasma refilling rate equaled the UF (ultrafiltration) rate and thus the hematocrit (Hct) would remain constant. However, refilling of the plasma is often not completed during a RRT session. The delay in refilling the plasma can lead to insufficient blood volume in a patient.
There appears to be a "critical" blood volume value below which patients begin to have problems associated with hypovolemia (abnormally decreased blood volume). Fluid replenishing rate is the rate at which the fluid (water and electrolytes) can be recruited from tissue into the blood stream across permeable walls of capillaries. Maintaining the critical blood volume ensures that blood volume is maintained relatively constant. Most of patients can recruit fluid at the rate of 500 to 1000 mL/hour. When patients are treated at a faster fluid removal rate, they begin to experience symptomatic hypotension.
Hypotension is the manifestation of hypovolemia or a severe fluid misbalance. Symptomatically, hypotension may be experienced by the patient first as light-headedness. To monitor patients for hypotension, non-invasive blood pressure monitors (NIBP) are commonly used during RRT. When detected early, hypotension resulting from the excessive loss of fluid is easily reversed by giving the patient intravenous fluids. Following administering fluids the RRT operator can adjust the ultrafiltration rate to make the RRT treatment less aggressive. Hct increases in proportion to blood volume loss barring blood loss and can be considered as a surrogate of blood volume. It is known to monitor Hct in the prevention the hypotension by decreasing the ultrafiltrate rate when Hct is seen to increase beyond a desired set value.
The wavelengths of light absorbed by a solute are a characteristic of the solute. Different solutes absorb light at different wavelengths. The concentration of a solute can be determined by measuring the light absorption at the wavelengths corresponding to the solute. If two solutes with different absorption spectra are in solution, their respective concentrations can be determined from the ratio of the light absorbed at two different wavelengths. Hemoglobin (Hb) absorbs less light of wavelength 940 nm (infra red light) than oxyhemoglobin O2Hb, but absorbs more light of wavelength 660 nm (red light)—which is why oxygenated (arterial) blood appears redder than deoxygenated (venous) blood. The four types of hemoglobin have absorption spectra which differ from each other. By using four different wavelengths of light, each corresponding to a type of hemoglobin, the hemoglobin saturation can be determined from the levels of adsorption of light at each of the four wavelength ranges.
In invasive saturation monitoring, light beams only pass through blood and therefore hemoglobin oxygen saturation measurement is easy. The linearity of the Beer-Lambert law may be limited by chemical and instrumental factors, such as: 1) deviations in absorptivity coefficients at high concentrations (>0.01 M) due to electrostatic interactions between molecules in close proximity, 2) scattering of light due to particulates in the sample, 3) fluorescence or phosphorescence of the sample, 4) changes in refractive index at high analyte concentration, 5) shifts in chemical equilibrium as a function of concentration, 6) non-monochromatic radiation, (deviations can be minimized by using a relatively flat part of the absorption spectrum such as the maximum of an absorption band) and 7) stray light.
A sensor for measuring light absorption by a fluid may include a fluid passage, e.g., a blood tube, a light source and light detector defining a light path passing through the fluid passage, and a cuvette that is a structural body for the fluid passage between the light detector and source. It has been discovered that a cuvette body having transparent or reflective walls may improperly transmit light to the light detector. It has been shown that a cuvette body that has light paths not including the blood sample resulting from reflections or refractive body paths known as light pipes will give inaccurate optical transmission readings. It was noticed by the inventors that certain cuvette body materials, e.g., clear tubes, act as light pipes resulting in false transmittance readings. Some of the LED light instead of being transmitted through the liquid medium passed through the cuvette (blood tube) and made its way through the cuvette material to the photodiode. In the case of blood, high Hcts resulted in reflection and scattering with much of the resultant reflected LED lights making their way through the cuvette and to the photodiode via the cuvette wall. This resulted in erroneous transmittance readings which would lead to false Hct or the readings of other substance concentrations and other substance concentrations.
The cuvette blood passage should minimize light scattering and stray light that passes through the fluid passage and reaches the light detector. It has been discovered that clear walls of conventional blood tubes and filtrate tubes transmit reflected light intended to pass directly through the blood. The tubing acts as a light pipe that transmits the reflected light. The light transmitted by the walls of the blood tube may be sensed by the light detector intended to sense light flowing directed from a LED, through the blood cuvette and to the detector. By sensing the reflected light coming from the walls of the blood tube, the light detector may output a false signal that is improperly influenced by the light from the walls of the tube. Extraneous light paths therefore cause errors in measuring transmission and these errors are then propagated into the calculation of absorption. Accordingly, there is a need for a sensor for measuring the light absorption of blood flowing through a tube that does not transmit light into the sensor that has not passed through the blood.

Cuvette apparatus and system for measuring optical properties of a liquid such as blood


A vertical drilling boom for a rock drilling equipment includes a vertical boom (2) mounted at its lower end turnably about a horizontal shaft (6) with respect to a carrier (1) of the rock drilling equipment. The vertical boom (2) comprises two boom portions (2a, 2b) mounted longitudinally slideably with respect to each other and an actuating device (2c) for displacing the boom portions (2a, 2b) with respect to each other to adjust the length of the boom (2). An actuating device (7a, 7b) for turning the boom (2) about the shaft (6) and a boom head (3) for turning a feeding beam (12) of a rock drilling machine mounted to the boom (2) about a shaft (5) transverse, preferably perpendicular, to the longitudinal axis of the boom (2) are provided. Motors (5a, 5b) are provided for turning the boom head (3). Pressure fluid for operating the rock drilling machine and actuating devices associated with it is passed from the carrier (1) to the rock drilling machine and its actuating devices and back to the carrier (1) through conduits (16a to 18a, 16b to 18b) leading through the boom head (3) of the vertical boom (2).

The invention relates to a vertical drilling boom for a rock drilling equipment comprising a vertical boom mounted at its lower end turnably about a horizontal shaft with respect to a carrier of the rock drilling equipment, the vertical boom comprising two boom portions mounted longitudinally slideably with respect to each other and an actuating device for displacing the boom portions with respect to each other to adjust the length of the boom; at least one actuating device for turning the boom about the shaft; a boom head for turning a feeding beam of a rock drilling machine mounted to the boom about a shaft transverse, preferably perpendicular, to the longitudinal axis of the boom; and means for turning the boom head.
On drilling so-called production holes parallel with each other in a rock, especially in tunnels, so as to systematically blast off material to be excavated, it is customary to use a vertical drilling boom for carrying out the drilling process. The vertical drilling boom is a vertical boom the lower end of which is mounted in the drilling equipment turnably about a horizontal axis in such a way that the upper end of the boom can be turned along a curved path with respect to the drilling equipment. At the upper end of the vertical boom there is provided a swing joint the shaft of which is parallel to the shaft of the lower end of the boom and to which the drilling boom is connected by means of a so-called Herculean joint. The Herculean joint is provided with an arm attached to the swing joint of the upper end of the boom, the other end of the arm being attached to the feeding beam of the drilling machine turnably about an axis parallel to the turning axis in such a way that when the vertical boom is tilted, the feeding beam is maintained in the same direction and in the same position in the longitudinal direction of the feeding beam with respect to the joint of the lower end of the vertical boom, and, as a result, with respect to the rock to be drilled.
The use of the Herculean joint has many disadvantages due to its complicated construction and the great number of joints. The displacement of the feeding beam from hole to hole is complicated for the operator and the displacement is very difficult to automate as the arrangement would require several sensors and adjusting devices which have to be controlled. A further disadvantage is that the solution requires several actuating devices to which a great number of pressure fluid hoses has to be drawn, whereby the provision of the required hoses is difficult to realize in such a way that all the required positions of the boom are possible. As a result, the arrangement involves large bunches of hoses and the dimension of the vertical boom in the direction of the turning axis is large so that the dimensions of the equipment will be unnecessary large.


A television receiver for searching and displaying pictures from multiple TV channels can display at least two parallel screens. Each screen is capable of simultaneously displaying picture signals from first and second tuners. The receiver includes an interface for receiving a signal from a user to begin a channel-search operation. A memory stores the screen mode existing before the channel search command was received. A multi-window view displays a plurality of pictures such that a user can perform the channel search operation to select a desired channel picture signal. After the channel search operation is completed, a controller coupled with the memory automatically returns the display to the original screen mode view at the time the channel search function was requested.

There are television receivers which provide a multi-screen view, e.g., a double-screen view comprising a main screen view on one side of a display and a sub-screen view of almost the same size on the other side of the display.
An example of such a conventional television receiver will be described hereinafter, in reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.
As shown in FIG. 5, such a television receiver has two tuners 21 and 22 respectively selecting pictures from desired channel broadcast TV signals, under a control of a controller 29. These first and second tuners 21 and 22 each have a picture signal processing unit for converting the received TV signal into an intermediate frequency (IF) picture signal.
These IF picture signals are combined into a double-screen view signal in a multi-screen processor 26 and then applied to a display 28 such as a CRT. Thus, the display 28 provides a double-screen view comprising a main screen view based on the first picture signal on one side of a display and a sub-screen view based on the second picture signal on the other side of the display at almost the same sizes.
In the double-screen view mode, the first and second picture signals from the first and second tuners 21 and 22 are compressed in the horizontal direction by a factor of two by a main picture compressor 24 and a sub-picture compressor 25, respectively, so that their horizontal sizes are reduced by 1/2. Then the compressed picture signals from the main picture compressor 24 and the sub-picture compressor 25 are combined in the multi-screen processor 26. The combined picture signal is then supplied to the display 28. At this time, a switch SW5 is controlled by a controller 29 so as to establish a signal path M to provide a double-screen view signal from the multi-screen processor 26 to the display 28.
Further, a direct signal path N is provided for supplying the first picture signal from the first tuner 21 to the display 28 in a bypassing manner over the circuit units 24, 26 etc. Thus, the direct signal path N is established under a control of a controller 29, the conventional single-screen view responding to only the first picture signal is displayed on the display 28 through the direct signal path N.
Therefore, in the double-screen view mode, the first picture signal selected by the first tuner 21 can be displayed through the main screen X and the pictures selected by the other tuner can be displayed on the sub-screen Y as shown in FIG. 6, while in the single-screen mode, the pictures selected by the first tuner 21 can be displayed on the single-screen.
Among such television receivers described above, there are some receivers that have been designed to display pictures on the main screen and the pictures received from other broadcasting stations on the sub-screen as reduced-size pictures so as to give convenience to users in selecting channels. Such a function is called the channel-search function and has been added to double-screen television receivers as a new function in these years because this function facilitates the channel-search while displaying multi-window view (hereinafter, referred to as the search-screen) as shown in the figure.
In a pending Japanese patent application (Tokugan Hei) No. 7-30880, assigned to the same applicant of the present patent application, a television receiver for displaying multi-window view on a sub-screen is proposed. In the co-pending application, it is also proposed that a channel-search operation for selecting a desired broadcast TV signal is carried out on a multi-window view provided on the sub-screen of the display by locating a cursor on a desired channel picture in one of the multiple windows.
The channel-search technique proposed in the Japanese application is advantageous because it continuously displays the current picture on the main screen while searching for a desired channel picture on the sub-screen. However, the proposed technique has a problem that after the completion of the channel-search operation, the display the screen mode just before the channel-search operation is lost. Thus, the user is required to manually reset the screen mode on the display.
Television receivers as proposed in the pending application, as well as conventional television receivers have a problem that users are required to manually reset the current display to a desired channel display.


A pressure transmitter in a process control system for transmitting pressure on a process control loop includes a transmitter housing, an isolation diaphragm configured to couple to a process fluid, and a pressure sensor body of a brittle corrosion resistant material operably coupled to the housing and positioned in the housing. The pressure sensor comprising a first portion bonded to a second portion by a fusion bond, the fusion bond substantially free of foreign material. An isolation fluid is configured to fluidically couple the pressure sensor body to the isolation diaphragm to thereby couple the pressure sensor to a pressure of the process fluid. Measurement circuitry in the transmitter housing coupled to the pressure sensor provides an output which is a function of capacitance, a loop interface in the transmitter housing coupled to the measurement circuitry configured to transmit a pressure related signal on the process control loop as a function of the pressure.

The present invention relates to the process control industry. In particular, the invention relates to a pressure sensor in a pressure transmitter.
Pressure transmitters in process applications measure pressure of a process and responsively communicate the information over a two-wire process application loop, for example a 4-20 mA current loop. Pressure sensors in transmitters typically comprise some type of a pressure responsive structure which has a deflectable diaphragm that moves in response to applied pressure. These structures can be used to measure both absolute and differential pressure. As used herein, a differential pressure sensor is a sensor which measures a relatively small pressure differential (such as that generated across an orifice in a flow tube or between two different heights in a fluid filled container) over a relatively wide absolute pressure range. In a typical prior art transmitter, to measure differential pressure, two different pressures are applied to opposing sides of the structure causing a relative deformation in the structure which is measured. Measurement of the deformation, for example, can be by measuring a change in electrical capacitance due to movement of capacitor plates carried on the structure or by change in resistance of a resistive strain gauge.
Highly accurate absolute pressure sensors have been desired. However, it has been difficult to obtain an absolute pressure sensor which can deliver an accurate output over a wide pressure range, from 0.4 psi to 4000 psi for example. It would also be desirable to measure differential pressure with two absolute pressure sensors because this is mechanically much simpler than it is to mechanically couple two pressures to a differential pressure sensor. Additionally, an over-pressure in a such a differential pressure sensor can damage the differential pressure sensor.
However, it has been difficult to obtain absolute pressure sensors with sufficient accuracy to allow differential pressures in the 0.4 psi to 40 psi range to be measured in a device which must withstand static or line pressure extremes of as much as 4000 psia. For example, 0.01% of 4 psid requires 0.00001% of 4000 psia (10xe2x88x927 or 0.1 ppm).
Typical known pressure sensors used in process applications have unit-to-unit variations in sensitivity to sensed pressure as well as unit-to-unit variations in undesired responses to extraneous parameters such as temperature. This can be a particular problem when the outputs of two absolute or gauge pressure sensors are combined to provide an output representing differential pressure or when the sensor is used over a large pressure range. Additionally, mechanical stress associated with mounting the sensor to the pressure transmitter results in relatively large errors in pressure measurement.
A pressure transmitter in a process control system for transmitting pressure on a process control loop includes a transmitter housing, an isolation diaphragm configured to couple to a process fluid, and a pressure sensor body of a brittle corrosion resistant material operably coupled to the housing and positioned in the housing. The pressure sensor comprising a first portion bonded to a second portion by a fusion bond, the fusion bond substantially free of foreign material. An isolation fluid is configured to fluidically couple the pressure sensor body to the isolation diaphragm to thereby couple the pressure sensor to a pressure of the process fluid. Measurement circuitry in the transmitter housing coupled to the pressure sensor provides an output which is a function of capacitance, a loop interface in the transmitter housing coupled to the measurement circuitry configured to transmit a pressure related signal on the process control loop as a function of the pressure.

Pressure sensor for a pressure transmitter


An engine ECU executes a program including the steps of: detecting a vibration corresponding to a first radial resonance mode by using a band-pass filter, from vibrations sensed by an in-cylinder pressure sensor provided at an upper central portion of the cylinder; calculating knock intensity N based on a result of comparison between the detected waveform and a knock waveform model prepared in advance as a vibration waveform when knocking occurs; determining that knocking occurred when the knock intensity N is larger than a predetermined reference value; and determining that knocking has not occurred when the knock intensity N is not larger than the predetermined reference value.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a knocking determination device and, more specifically, to a knocking determination device for an internal combustion engine that determines whether knocking occurs or not, based on vibration waveform of the internal combustion engine.
2. Description of the Background Art
Conventionally, a technique for detecting knocking of an internal combustion engine is known. Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2001-227400 discloses a knock control device for an internal combustion engine that can accurately determine whether the engine knocks. The knock control device for an internal combustion engine includes a signal detector detecting a signal representing a waveform of vibration occurring in the internal combustion engine (or a vibration waveform signal), an occurrence period detector detecting a period as an occurrence period during which the vibration waveform signal detected by the signal detector assumes a predetermined value or higher, a peak position detector detecting a peak position in the occurrence period detected by the occurrence period detector, a knock determiner determining whether the internal combustion engine knocks based on the relation between the occurrence period and the peak position, and a knock controller controlling an operation state of the internal combustion engine in accordance with a determination result of the knock determiner. The knock determiner determines knock (knocking) occurs when the peak position relative to the occurrence period is in a predetermined range.
According to the knock control device for an internal combustion engine disclosed in the publication, a signal representing a waveform of vibration occurring in the internal combustion engine is detected by a signal detector. An occurrence period during which the vibration waveform signal assumes a predetermined value or higher and a peak position therein are detected by an occurrence period detector and a peak position detector, respectively. Thus, the knock determiner can determine whether the engine knocks by detecting the position of the peak in the occurrence period of the vibration waveform signal. According to the knock determination result, the operation state of the internal combustion engine is controlled. When the peak position relative to the occurrence period is in a predetermined range, that is, when a waveform has such a shape that the peak position appears earlier relative to a predetermined length of the occurrence period of the vibration waveform signal, the knock determiner recognizes it as being particular to knocking. Thus, even in a transition state where an operation state of the internal combustion engine abruptly changes or when electric loads are turned on/off, whether or not the internal combustion engine knocks is accurately determined, and the operation state of the internal combustion engine can be controlled appropriately.
However, while the engine knocks, a vibration that is greater in magnitude than a vibration attributed to knocking may sometimes be detected as noise. That is, in some cases a vibration attributed to a fault of a knock sensor or attributed to a vibration of the internal combustion engine itself may be greater in magnitude than a vibration attributed to knocking. In such cases, with the knock control device for an internal combustion engine of Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2001-227400, there has been a problem that the engine is erroneously determined as not knocking while the engine actually knocks, based on the fact that the peak position relative to the occurrence period is not within a predetermined range.

Internal combustion engine knock determination device


An optical proximity correction (OPC) process is provided. The method comprising receiving a first pattern corresponding to a first structure of a semiconductor structure, and a second pattern corresponding to a second structure of said semiconductor structure. Next, a first OPC process is performed for the first pattern to obtain a revised first pattern, wherein the revised first pattern has a first shift regarding to the first pattern. A second OPC process is performed for the second pattern to obtain a revised second pattern, wherein the second OPC process comprises moving the second pattern according to the first shift.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an OPC process, and more particularly, to an OPC method for a dual damascene structure.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In semiconductor manufacturing processes, in order to transfer an integrated circuit layout onto a semiconductor wafer, the integrated circuit layout is first designed and formed as a photo-mask pattern. The photo-mask pattern is then proportionally transferred to a photoresist layer positioned on the semiconductor wafer.
In recent years, with the increasing miniaturization of semiconductor devices, the design rule of line width and space between lines or devices becomes finer. However, the width is subject to optical characteristics. To obtain fine-sized devices in the exposure, the interval between transparent regions in a mask is scaled down with device size. When the light passes through the mask, diffraction occurs and reduces resolution. Moreover, when light passes through the transparent regions of a mask having different interval sizes, the light through the regions having small interval sizes is influenced by the transparent regions having large interval sizes and results in deformation of the transfer pattern. Currently, a technical called "optical proximity correction (OPC)" is developed. The OPC method is to imitate the feature that light passes through the photo-mask and to further compensate the pattern of the mask to form the desired pattern after the exposure process.
In the conventional arts, the "dual damascene" process is wildly used to form a metal interconnection system which is consisted of metal lines and plugs. However, the OPC method used for forming the masks of the metal interconnection system is not well studied.


A ceiling light fixture includes a housing forming a channel having a trapezoidal cross section and a light-transmitting cover panel fixed in and covering the channel. The channel has a bottom wall forming a slot. A circumferential mounting frame is formed on a back of the bottom wall of the channel and barbs extend from the mounting frame. The bottom wall further forms a fitting hole. The ceiling light fixture selectively receives a first lamp assembly in the mounting frame and secures the lamp assembly with the barbs so that a light source of the lamp assembly is exposed through the slot for irradiating light or alternatively an end seat of a lamp tube is fit and retained in the fitting hole to set and fix the lamp tube in the slot to realize interchangeable use of the ceiling light fixture with different lamp assemblies.

(a) Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a ceiling light fixture that is adaptable to various lamp assemblies without modification of structure thereof so that discarding an original but still workable light fixture in the course of replacing the traditional more power-consuming light sources with a newly-developed, less power-consuming light source is not necessary and the amount of waste caused by discarding the original light fixture is substantially reduced.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
The world is now in the beginning of the twenty-first century and people are now more aware of the fragile and delicate balance between the amount of energy consumed and the global weather than those living in the years of industrial revolution and the modern realizes that the Earth will die and become hostile to life forms very soon due to depletion of resources and deterioration of ecological environment if low energy consuming technology is not immediately taken in all respects of the human society to overcome all sorts of problems caused by the current energy-consuming based living model. One of the major factors that consume a great amount of energy and cause significant change to the Earth weather is electricity based lighting. Most of the electrical power consumed today is obtained from fossil energy and a minor port of the electrical power is obtained otherwise. In generating light to light up the housing and surroundings, heat is also caused and dissipated to the surroundings. The total amount of heat generated by lighting is very huge. This is even worse for the traditional lighting technology, for they do not have a high efficiency conversion between electricity and light and need to consume more electricity to give the same level of brightness. This is generally a waste of energy and a source of heat leading to warming of the world. Thus, a lot of countries of the world set limitation on the use of high power-consuming lighting devices and encourage replacement of the traditional high power-consuming lighting devices with newly-developed less power consuming light sources with an attempt to alleviate the damage caused the lighting that is required for daily living of human society.
The high efficiency, less power-consuming light source developed by the modern technology is generally set toward using electronic lighting device that is powered by low-voltage electronic circuits to meet the regular needs of daily lighting. One of the most mature technologies available nowadays is brightness-enhanced light-emitting diode (LED), which now gradually replace the traditional lamp bulb of traffic lights and is also getting available for household lighting. On the other hand, as compared to the incandescent lamps, even in the early age, a fluorescent lamp tube is considered a less power-consuming lighting device. The fluorescent lamp, although having problems of pollution due to the fluorescent agent contained therein and other problems, such as that a broken lamp tube usually has a sharp edge that might cut human body, is still widely used in many areas and countries due to less consumption of power. However, with the sever warming of the Earth and the gradual depletion of natural resources, completely using the light-emitting diode base light source to replace all sorts of traditional light source, including both incandescent bulb and fluorescent tube is no way of escape.
With such a trend of completely replacing the fluorescent tube with the light-emitting diode, the traditional ceiling mounted light fixtures that are only adaptable to the traditional light sources must be discarded totally. This produces a great amount of garbage and is also a waste. Thus, under this trend, a ceiling mounted light fixture, such as one that is commonly used in for example offices, must be of a design that allow for use with both the traditional light source, such as the fluorescent tube, and the newly-developed electronic light source, such as light-emitting diodes, so that during the transition from the fluorescent tube to the light-emitting diode, no immediate and complete replacement of the original light fixture is needed and the garbage so produced is eliminated.
In view of the above discussion, the present inventor has devoted himself to the development of such a novel ceiling light fixture that is adaptable to various light sources in order to overcome the problems induced during the transition from the traditional light source to the newly-developed light sources.

Ceiling light fixture adaptable to various lamp assemblies


A sheet supplying apparatus is provided including a sheet stacking unit for stacking a plurality of sheets, a first roller for supplying an uppermost sheet on the sheet stacking unit and a second roller for supplying a lowermost sheet on the sheet stacking unit. A separation roller is disposed between the first and second sheet supply rollers to pass a single sheet toward a predetermined direction and to separate the other sheets from the single sheet for return. The first and second sheet supply rollers and the separation roller are made of the same material, and the first and second sheet supply rollers are disposed upstream of the separation roller in a sheet supplying direction. The apparatus also includes a controller for controlling (i) a motor for driving the separation roller and the first and second sheet supply rollers, (ii) a pendulum gear train for selectively connecting the first or second sheet supply rollers to the motor and for reversing a rotational direction of the separation roller and (iii) a solenoid for shifting the sheet stacking unit to position the sheets thereon at a predetermined position with respect to the first and second sheet supply rollers.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sheet supplying apparatus used with a recording apparatus having a plurality of functions such as a copying function, a facsimile function, a printing function and the like, and a recording apparatus using such a sheet supplying apparatus.
2. Related Background Art
Normally, a recording apparatus includes an image reading portion, an image signal transmitting portion, and an image recording portion so that communication of image signals is effected, and a copying function is realized by driving the image reading portion and the image recording portion simultaneously. Further, in the image reading portion, there is provided a sheet supplying apparatus for separating plural originals one by one and supplying the separated original. Regardless of the communication function and the copying function, the original is supplied by using such a sheet supplying apparatus.
In FIG. 28 schematically showing the entire construction of a conventional recording apparatus, an original stacking plate 101 is constituted by an upper cover on which a plurality of originals S can be stacked. The recording apparatus comprises an image recording portion 102 for reading image information on the original S, a recording portion 103 comprised of a laser beam printer, an original convey portion 104, an image sensor 105 of close contact type for reading an image on the original, an original discharge tray 106, a laser scanner 107, an image forming portion 108, a photosensitive drum 109, a fixing portion 110, a cassette sheet supply portion 111, a recording sheet discharge tray 112, an upper original tray 113, a lower original tray 114, an operation portion 115, an auxiliary convey roller 116, a separation portion 117, a separation roller 118, and a reverse rotation roller 119.
First of all, an operator rests the originals S on the original stacking plate 101 with the imaged surfaces facing downside and then inserts the originals into the original convey portion constituted by the upper and lower original guides 113, 114. Then, the operator selects an operation mode by using selection keys on the operation portion 115. The operation mode may be a transmission mode, a copy mode, an image resolving power mode, a post-transmission stamp mode or the like.
When the original is sent or transmitted, after the original transmission mode is selected, the operator inputs the FAX telephone number of an receiver via the operation portion 115 and then depresses a start key on the operation portion. On the other hand, when the original is copied, the copy mode is selected, the operator inputs the copy number (number of parts) via the operation portion and then depresses the start key.
When the start key is depressed, the originals are sent to the separation portion 117 by the auxiliary roller 116. When the originals reach the separation portion 117, an lowermost original is separated from the other originals by the separation roller 118 (which tries to pull the lowermost sheet) and the reverse rotation roller 119 (which tries to return the laminated originals). The separated original is sent to the downstream original convey portion 104.
An image on the imaged surface (lower surface) of the original sent to the original convey portion is read by the image sensor 105 of close contact type. An analogue signal outputted from the image sensor 105 close contact type is subjected to image treatment such as shading correction, A/D conversion and the like. Thereafter, the signal is sent to a control portion (not shown) as image information. When the original is transmitted (facsimile transmission), the image information sent to the control portion is outputted to the circuit through a modem; whereas, when the original is copied, the image information sent to the control portion is outputted to the recording portion 103. After the image on the original is read, the original is discharged onto the original discharge tray. Accordingly, the originals are re-stacked with the imaged surface facing downside from the firstly supplied original to the lastly supplied original (so-called "face-down" and "page sequence").
When the original is copied, in the recording portion 103, scan light from the laser scanner 107 is illuminated on the photosensitive drum 109 of the image forming portion 108 in response to an image signal outputted from the control portion, thereby forming the image information on the photosensitive drum 109. Then, the image information is transferred onto a recording sheet P supplied from the cassette sheet supply portion 111 to the image forming portion 108. The recording sheet P to which the image information was transferred is sent to the fixing portion 110, where the image information is permanently fixed to the recording sheet. Thereafter, the recording sheet is discharged onto the recording sheet discharge tray. The recording sheets are stacked on the tray with the imaged surface facing upside from the first discharged sheet to the last discharged sheet (so-called "face-up" and "reverse page sequence"). In the case where the original is copied, when the recording sheets are stacked in a face-up fashion, since the imaged surface of the recording sheet can easily be ascertained, it is easy to check the image quality.
However, in the conventional technique as shown in FIG. 28, since the originals are read in page sequence and the recording sheets are stacked in the face-up fashion, there arises a problem that the recording sheets are stacked in the reverse page sequence. In order to stack the recording sheets in the same sequence as the original (page sequence), it is necessary to read the originals from the last page toward the first page and to stack the recorded recording sheet in the face-up fashion, or to read the original from the first page toward the last page and to stack the recorded recording sheets in the face-down fashion. However, in the former case, there arises a problem that, in the transmission (facsimile transmission), the information of the originals is sent from the last page. Further, in the latter case, there arises a problem that, in the copying operation, it is hard to check the image quality. To solve these problems, it is considered that the page sequence is reversed between the facsimile transmission and the copying operation, and the originals with page sequence or reverse page sequence are set in the sheet supplying apparatus. However, in this case, the handling of the originals becomes troublesome to frequently cause the mis-setting (upper/lower surface error), thus making the apparatus hard to use.
In consideration of the above circumstances, the inventors have proposed an improved sheet supplying apparatus capable of eliminating the drawbacks in the conventional technique shown in FIG. 28 (see Japanese Patent Publication No. 61-1335 (1986)). In this improved apparatus, two pair of combinations of sheet supply means and separation means are provided on two shafts, respectively so that sheets (originals) can be supplied from both an uppermost one and a lowermost one. Accordingly, if the improved sheet supplying apparatus is used with the recording apparatus shown in FIG. 28, it is not required that the page sequence is reversed or changed between the facsimile transmission and the copying operation, thereby making the recording apparatus easy to use.
However, in the above-mentioned improved apparatus, since there must be provided two pairs of combinations of the sheet supply means and the separation means having different coefficients of friction, the arrangement becomes complex and the number of parts is greatly increased, thereby making the sheet supplying apparatus very expensive, and, thus, the recording apparatus using such a sheet supplying apparatus is also expensive and complex.

Sheet supplying apparatus including first and second sheet supply rollers and a separation roller all made of the same material


A ceramics particle produced by a flame fusion method, containing MgO and SiO2 as main components, and having a MgO/SiO2 weight ratio of from 1.0:1 to 1.45:1, and an average particle size of from 0.001 to 1.5 mm; a spherical molding sand containing MgO and SiO2 as main components, and having a MgO/SiO2 weight ratio of from 1.0:1 to 1.45:1, and an average particle size of from 0.001 to 1.5 mm, produced by a flame fusion method; a spherical molding sand, comprising MgO and SiO2 as main components, and having a MgO/SiO2 weight ratio of from 1.0:1 to 1.45:1, an average particle size of from 0.001 to 1.5 mm, and a spherical degree of 0.95 or more; a process for producing the above spherical molding sand; a casting mold containing the spherical molding sand as defined above; and a casting produced by casting with the mold as defined above.

As a technique of improving spherical degree and lowering in water absorption of a molding sand, thereby improving its fluidity and filling ability during the production of a casting mold, JP2004-202577 A discloses a spherical molding sand produced by a flame fusion method, wherein the spherical molding sand contains Al2O3 and SiO2 as main components.


A quick lock connector assembly has a female connector and a male connector. The female connector has a first insulative housing, multiple first terminals, an outer casing and a locking lever. The locking lever is mounted pivotally on the outer casing and has two locking pins. The male connector is engaged detachably with the female connector and has a second insulative housing and multiple second terminals. The second insulative housing has two locking recesses selectively engaged respectively with the locking pins. The locking lever is able to quickly lock the male connector on the female connector.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector, and more particularly to a quick lock connector assembly that has a female connector and a male connector. The female connector is capable of additionally locking the male connector to prevent inadvertent separation of the female connector from the male connector.
2. Description of Related Art
Board-to-board connectors are common components employed in electronic devices and are used to connect mother boards and expansion boards so that the motherboards can acquire additional functions and facilitate maintenance and replacement of the expansion boards.
Conventional board-to-board connectors are set into pairs such as a male connector and a female connector matching the male connector. The male and female connectors are mounted respectively on different printed circuit boards (PCBs) and are detachably engaged with each other.
However, after repetitive plugs and pulls of the male and female connectors, material fatigue and deformation happen to cause engagement of the male and female connectors to be loosened and weakened. The male connector easily separates from the female connector. Furthermore, no locking mechanism is implemented between the male and female connectors so that inadvertently pulling the motherboard on which the male or female connector is mounted may separate the male and female connectors.
To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention provides a quick lock connector assembly to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems.


A modular multi-channel syringe pump assembly includes a chassis in which are mounted two or more parallel syringe banks. Each syringe bank includes a syringe for retaining a fluid in a chamber with a syringe plunger for drawing fluid into or forcing fluid out of the chamber. A syringe drive actuator includes a syringe drive motor and a mechanical linkage for activating the syringe. At least one position sensor detects syringe position and generates a position signal corresponding to the syringe position. A controller receives the position signal for each syringe bank and generates control signals for operation of the two or more syringe banks.

Syringe pumps are widely used in a variety of applications for precisely transferring liquid samples and reagents, bulk dispensing, diluting, pipetting, and other processes where accurate liquid handling of small liquid volumes (e.g., picoliter to milliliter) is required. A non-exhaustive list of applications for syringe pumps includes pharmaceutical compounding, microinjection, infusion and drug delivery, microfluidics, chemical synthesis, mass spectrometry, and flow cytometry. The amount of liquid discharged and drawn-up by a syringe pump is determined by the amount of movement of a plunger, and drive screws are generally used as the driving mechanism therefor. Driving apparatuses that discharge and draw up liquid in multiple flow paths by connecting multiple syringe pumps in parallel and driving them simultaneously, i.e., multi-channel pumps, are also known, and are widely used in automated and robotic laboratory systems such as those used for analytical chemistry, molecular and in-vitro diagnostics, assays, food laboratory, flow cytometry, and other applications. One example of such a pump apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,361,157, which is incorporated herein by reference.
The field of fluidic precision metered pumping is relatively mature. Existing commercially-available devices are offered in configurations of a single channel, or multiple channels, i.e., 2, 3, 4-8 and even 16 channels. These devices, in general, are configured in a standard size. For independent control of multiple channels, the typical approach is to use multiple syringe pump assemblies. For synchronized flow, the approach is to drive multiple syringes with a single drive motor or assembly or to use synchronized electronics and sensors to match flow performance in an open or closed control loop. This can be limiting in situations in which it becomes necessary to provide multiple independently-driven syringes or multiple banks of syringes in the same assembly to provide precise coordinated yet independent motion of the fluids dispensed.
Traditional pumps are defined by their stroke. For example, the designation "3000" corresponds to 30 mm of travel, and "6000" corresponds to 60 mm of travel, where the specified travels correlate to the available syringe sizes. CAVRO®/Tecan Trading AG, Parker Hannifin Corp, Kloehn/Norgren, Hamilton, and TriContinent/Gardner are major commercial suppliers of such precision syringe pumps. The products available from these manufacturers include one-channel independent pumps as well as 2-, 4-, and 8-channel linked motion pumps in which a single motor controls all of the syringes. Currently-available independently-controlled multi-channel devices tend to be an amalgam of multiple discrete single channel devices as opposed to a true multi-channel device.
One problem that frequently occurs when attempting to precisely dispense two or more liquids using discrete syringe pumps is that thermal expansion and variations in manufacturing tolerances of the individual assemblies cause the relative displacements of the two syringes to vary, even when being used for similar operations. A similar problem arises where multiple independently-controlled syringes cannot be synchronized to an appropriate degree of precision to perform similar or complementary functions as a result of their independent components and tolerances. This is typically because the controllers are physically, electrically or logically independent of one another. One approach to avoid the problem of multi-channel pump matching is to control all pumps with the same controller in such a manner as to cause synchronization of motion and, thus, fluid flow.


The present invention relates to a hematology control product for automated hematology instruments containing an aqueous solution of at least one blood cell analog, an absorbance agent in an amount sufficient to simulate a hemoglobin concentration, and a stabilizing agent in an amount sufficient to stabilize the size of the blood cell analog when the control product is subjected to temperature ranging from -15.degree. C. to 45.degree. C. The control product does not require controlled temperature storage for product stability. In addition, a novel method of using a hematology control product is provided wherein the control product contains a single blood cell analog and is used to simulate both red blood cells and white blood cells on an automated hematology instrument.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hematology control product for use in automated hematology instruments using electronic, optical and absorption means. The hematology control product provides quality assurance of proper instrument operation.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Quality control is a necessary and routine procedure in clinical hematology. Hematology control products are widely used as a quality control material to monitor automated electronic instrument determinations of blood cell values in various established clinical hematology procedures. Specific blood cell measurements that are made by these procedures include white blood cell count (WBC), red blood cell count (RBC), hematocrit (HCT) hemoglobin content (Hgb), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MHC) and platelet parameters such as platelet count. The function of a hematology control product is to provide a means of ascertaining the accuracy and precision of the instrument used to make these specific blood cell measurements.
Hematology control products for the above clinical hematology procedures are known. In these prior art products, a blood cell analog having known attributes is prepared from human or animal cells, or synthetic particles, such as latex, and maintained in an aqueous suspension to simulate human blood. Typically, the control products are required to be stored at a temperature between about 2.degree. C. and 8.degree. C. If the control product exceeds this temperature range, the product will not be suitable as a hematology control product because of product deterioration. Usually, stabilized red blood cells re used to simulate red blood cells in whole blood and fixed white or red lood cells are used to simulate white blood cells in whole blood.
With the numerous types of automatic hematology instruments for particle counting now available, quality control using hematology control products is necessary since the possibility of malfunctioning of the instrument is ever present. Although this disclosure will be directed primarily to embodiments involving the use of automated hematology instruments of the Coulter type, as exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,656,508 and 3,502,974. It should be understood that the hematology control product and the method of use described herein finds wide application with hematology instruments generally. Accordingly, the term "automated hematology instrument" as used herein, should be understood to include, in addition to Coulter type hematology instruments, any other type of automated hematology instrument which discriminates among particles by the use of measurements of direct current (DC) resistance, radio frequency (RF) resistance, absorbance, light scatter, fluorescence and combinations thereof.
Automated hematology instruments are now being widely used in developing countries. However, many of these countries lack adequate controlled temperature shipping and storage facilities. The lack of such facilities has presented special problems for hematology control products. Typically, the control products require controlled shipping temperatures to remain useful by the time when the customer receives it. More specifically, if the control product freezes and thaws during shipping or is subjected to temperatures greater than 10.degree. C., the control product will deteriorate and will not work for quality control purposes. The freeze and thaw causes the red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets, or analogs thereof, to change in size or to lyse, so that the control product is no longer useful for quality control measurements. Similarly, the elevated temperature causes the red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets, or analogs thereof, to either be destroyed or to change in size so that he control product is no longer useful for quality control measurements. In addition, the control product needs to have open vial stability, without refrigeration, because the laboratory might not ave sufficient refrigerated storage for the control product. More specifically, he commercial control product will rapidly deteriorate when not maintained at roper storage conditions, 2.degree. C. to 8.degree. C., making it unsuitable for quality control measurements. Consequently, there exists a need for a new hematology control product which is stable to shipping at extreme temperatures and which has an extended product stability. The hematology control product is used to monitor automatic hematology instrument performance and to aid the customer in the repair of the unit on site with minimal service representative intervention.

Stable hematology control composition and method of use


An inflatable light stick includes an inflatable bag body, an inflation inlet provided at a first end of the bag body, and a light emitting circuit provided in the bag body at a second end thereof. The light emitting circuit includes a controller, which has a front end extended into the bag body, and a rear end outward projected from the bag body to serve as a power-on control. Air can be blown via the inflation inlet to inflate the bag body, and the controller can be pulled to supply power from batteries to the light-emitting diode, making the inflated bag body firm and upright while showing colorful lights, and suitable for use as an eye-catching light stick for waving to create joyful and exciting atmosphere and achieve enhanced entertaining effect.

Famous athletes, singers, and movie stars always attract young people. For example, whenever an outstanding basketball athlete scores a point or performs excellently, the fans and spectators around the court would cheer loudly and continuously. Similarly, in a big-scaled music performance, when the colorful lights change along with the signers' beautiful sound, the audience is intoxicated, shouts with joy, and waves all kinds of cheering devices to encourage the singers.
Due to the large number of fans, there is an amazing potential market for different cheering devices, such as cheering sticks, fluorescent sticks, fluorescent badges, electroluminescent (EL) cold light products, horns, whistles, EL light strips, and various kinds of novel luminous products. These products are constantly developed or improved, and introduced into the market.
Among others, the conventional glow stick is small in volume, easy to carry, and convenient to use, and therefore becomes the most welcomed cheering device in almost all the big-scaled meetings or events. When the glow stick is bent lightly, an inner tube thereof is broken, and two initially isolated substances are combined to produce light and create a unique visual effect and wonderful environmental atmosphere. However, the glow stick each can produce only one single color light which lasts for about 48 hours, and is a single-use product. It should be noted that some of the chemical substances being filled in the glow stick might cause cancer. In the event these chemical substances leak from the glow stick and are inhaled or touched by users, conditions unfavorable to human health, such as vomiting, nausea, dizziness, palsy, or even coma might appear. Therefore, the conventional glow stick has potential danger and is not recyclable to cause problems in environmental protection.
An electric light stick is a new generation of the glow sticks for use safely. As one example, Taiwanese Patent Publication No. 590042 discloses an improved glow stick that includes an ultraviolet fluorescent lamp and a set of fluorescent sleeves coated with a long-acting fluorescent agent and a fluorescent material. Light having a special wavelength emitted from the fluorescent lamp causes photoluminescence of the fluorescent sleeves. Meanwhile, due to the long-acting fluorescent agent, the photoluminescence of the fluorescent sleeves can extend for a long period of time even if the fluorescent lamp is turned off. Therefore, the electronic light stick has the advantages of having low power consumption, being repeatedly usable, and being environment-friendly without causing pollution.
There are still many differently designed light sticks employing light-emitting diode (LED) or cold light. Examples are seen in Chinese Patent Publication Nos. CN 2137554Y entitled Entertaining Spinning Stick, CN2506854Y entitled Light Stick, and CN 2790553Y entitled Musical and Luminescent Toy Magic Stick. These structures are internally provided with batteries and repeatedly usable, and are characterized by colorful flashing light emission.
However, all the above-listed conventional electronic light sticks have a fixed volume to be either too short or too long for use. To enable convenient carrying, the conventional light sticks usually have a short outer case and limited luminescent area, and are accordingly, not so useful in creating a joyful atmosphere. On the other hand, for the light sticks to be more eye-catching, they must have an increased length to provide increased luminescent area, and have more complicated circuit design to produce colorful lights. The lengthened light sticks have increased volume and could not be conveniently carried or stored.
It is therefore tried by the inventor to develop an inflatable light stick to overcome the problems existed in the conventional glow sticks.


Apparatus and method of tracking a wordline signal using a tracking circuit having a first detector biased between a first power supply voltage and a ground voltage, and a second detector biased between a second power supply voltage and the ground voltage. The first power supply voltage is greater than the second power supply voltage. The wordline signal is driven to the first power supply voltage.

The invention relates to tracking signals.
Memory cells in memory devices, such as dynamic random access memories (DRAMs), are typically arranged in arrays. Portions of an exemplary array 14 in a memory device 8 are shown in FIG. 1. A memory cell, such as cell 18, is selected for access by activation of a wordline signal WLi driven by a row address decoder 10 and activation of a column select signal YSi driven by a column address decoder 12. Each memory cell is connected to one of a pair of bit lines BL and BL.sub.-- through a pass transistor, such as n-channel MOSFET 16. The bit lines are connected to sense amplifiers 20, which when activated drive BL and BL.sub.-- to opposite states depending on the charge stored in the connected memory cell.
Upon completion of an access to the array 14, the sense amplifiers 20 are shut off. To ensure that each bit line pair EL/BL.sub.-- is precharged to a known state, a signal decoder 22 drives a precharge activation signal P1 to the sense amplifiers 20 to equalize the bit lines BL and BL.sub.--, typically to half an internal power supply voltage Vccr. Thus, when the array 14 is inactive, the bit lines are maintained at the equalization voltage (Veq).
When a wordline signal WLi is driven high (typically to an elevated voltage Vccp that is greater than the internal power supply voltage Vccr, as shown in FIG. 2), all the pass transistors connected to the wordline signal are activated. As a result, the charges stored in the selected memory cells flow onto corresponding bit lines BL or BL.sub.--. In the timing diagram shown in FIG. 2, the cell 18 is assumed to contain a "0" charge, which causes the bit line BL to be pulled lower than the complementary bit line BL.sub.--. If the cell 18 contains a "1", then the bit line BL would be pulled to a slightly higher voltage then BL.sub.--.
After the wordline signal WLi is turned on, the sense amplifiers 20 are activated by a strobe signal S1 driven by the signal decoder 22. At some later time, the column decoder 12 asserts one of the column select signals YSi to output the selected bit onto input/output lines IOi and IOi.sub.-- connected to the outputs of the sense amplifiers 20.
Referring to FIG. 3, a tracking circuit 24 is shown that has been used in some DRAM devices to track the wordline signals to control the strobe signal S1 and precharge activation signal P1. An RC network 100 models the resistance and capacitance of a wordline signal WLi, the RC network providing a signal MWL that is driven by a model wordline driver 23 from row control signals. The capacitance of the network 100 is obtained by connecting an n-channel MOSFET 101 having the equivalent width of the multiple n-channel MOSFETs connected to a wordline WLi in the array 14.
The tracking circuit 24 includes a low trip point detector 130 having p-channel MOSFETs 102 and 104 and n-channel MOSFETs 106 and 108 connected in series between Vccr and Vss, as well as a high trip point detector 132 having p-channel MOSFETs 110 and 112 and n-channel MOSFETs 114 and 116, also connected in series between Vccr and Vss. The model wordline signal MWL is connected to the gate of each of the MOSFETs 104, 106, 112 and 114. The sources of p-channel MOSFETs 104 and 112 and the drains of n-channel MOSFETs 106 and 114 are connected to a common node N1, which is further connected to the input of an inverter 118. The output of the inverter 118 is connected to the gates of p-channel MOSFET 110 and n-channel MOSFET 108, as well as to the input of an inverter 120. The output of the inverter 120 is connected to the gates of n-channel MOSFET 116 and p-channel MOSFET 102, as well as to an inverter 122, which outputs a signal WLTRACK used by the signal decoder 22 to control S1 and P1.
The transistors 110, 112, 114, and 116 are sized to provide a relatively high trip point; that is, the output driven by the MOSFETs 110, 112, 114, and 116 does not transition low in response to the model wordline signal MWL transitioning high until it reaches a predetermined high voltage. The transistors 102, 104, 106, and 108 are sized to provide a low trip point; that is, the output driven by the MOSFETs 102, 104, 106, and 108 does not transition high in response to the signal MWL transitioning low until it has reached a predetermined low voltage. In this manner, the signal WLTRACK is not asserted or deasserted until the signal MWL has transitioned to predetermined voltage levels.