A system and method for managing file data during consistency points in a file system is provided. A buffer data control structure is modified to include a flags array that tracks various status flags for both a current and a next consistency point (CP). By utilizing multiple pointers within a buffer control structure, the file system may permit write operations to continue to a file undergoing write allocation. Received writes during a write allocation procedure are stored in raw data buffers and the buffer control structure is marked as being dirty for a next CP.

A storage system is a computer that provides storage service relating to the organization of information on writable persistent storage devices, such as memories, tapes or disks. The storage system is commonly deployed within a storage area network (SAN) or a network attached storage (NAS) environment. When used within a NAS environment, the storage system may be embodied as a file server including an operating system that implements a file system to logically organize the information as a hierarchical structure of directories and files on, e.g. the disks. Each "on-disk" file may be implemented as a set of data structures, e.g., disk blocks, configured to store information, such as the actual data for the file. A directory, on the other hand, may be implemented as a specially formatted file in which information about other files and directories are stored.
The file server, or filer, may be further configured to operate according to a client/server model of information delivery to thereby allow many client systems (clients) to access shared resources, such as files, stored on the filer. Sharing of files is a hallmark of a NAS system, which is enabled because of its semantic level of access to files and file systems. Storage of information on a NAS system is typically deployed over a computer network comprising a geographically distributed collection of interconnected communication links, such as Ethernet, that allow clients to remotely access the information (files) on the filer. The clients typically communicate with the filer by exchanging discrete frames or packets of data according to pre-defined protocols, such as the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).
In the client/server model, the client may comprise an application executing on a computer that "connects" to the filer over a computer network, such as a point-to-point link, shared local area network, wide area network or virtual private network implemented over a public network, such as the Internet. NAS systems generally utilize file-based access protocols; therefore, each client may request the services of the filer by issuing file system protocol messages (in the form of packets) to the file system over the network identifying one or more files to be accessed without regard to specific locations, e.g., blocks, in which the data are stored on disk. By supporting a plurality of file system protocols, such as the conventional Common Internet File System (CIFS), the Network File System (NFS) and the Direct Access File System (DAFS) protocols, the utility of the filer may be enhanced for networking clients.
A SAN is a high-speed network that enables establishment of direct connections between a storage system and its storage devices. The SAN may thus be viewed as an extension to a storage bus and, as such, an operating system of the storage system enables access to stored information using block-based access protocols over the "extended bus". In this context, the extended bus is typically embodied as Fibre Channel (FC) or Ethernet media adapted to operate with block access protocols, such as Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI) protocol encapsulation over FC or TCP/IP/Ethernet.
A common type of file system is a "write in-place" file system, an example of which is the conventional Berkeley fast file system. In a write in-place file system, the locations of the data structures, such as inodes and data blocks, on disk are typically fixed. An inode is a data structure used to store information, such as metadata, about a file, whereas the data blocks are structures used to store the actual data for the file. The information contained in an inode may include, e.g., ownership of the file, access permission for the file, size of the file, file type and references to locations on disk of the data blocks for the file. The references to the locations of the file data are provided by pointers, which may further reference indirect blocks that, in turn, reference the data blocks, depending upon the quantity of data in the file. Changes to the inodes and data blocks are made "in-place" in accordance with the write in-place file system. If an update to a file extends the quantity of data for the file, an additional data block is allocated and the appropriate inode is updated to reference that data block.
Another type of file system is a write-anywhere file system that does not overwrite data on disks. If a data block on disk is retrieved (read) from disk into memory and "dirtied" with new data, the data block is stored (written) to a new location on disk to thereby optimize write performance. A write-anywhere file system may initially assume an optimal layout such that the data is substantially contiguously arranged on disks. The optimal disk layout results in efficient access operations, particularly for sequential read operations, directed to the disks. A particular example of a write-anywhere file system that is configured to operate on a storage appliance is the Write Anywhere File Layout (WAFL™) file system available from Network Appliance, Inc. of Sunnyvale, Calif. The WAFL file system is implemented within a microkernel as part of the overall protocol stack of the filer and associated disk storage. This microkernel is supplied as part of Network Appliance's Data ONTAP™ storage operating system, residing on the filer, that processes file-service requests from network-attached clients.
As used herein, the term "storage operating system" generally refers to the computer-executable code operable on a storage system that manages data access and may, in case of a filer, implement file system semantics, such as the Data ONTAP™ storage operating system. The storage operating system can also be implemented as an application program operating over a general-purpose operating system, such as UNIX® or Windows NT®, or as a general-purpose operating system with configurable functionality, which is configured for storage applications as described herein.
Disk storage is typically implemented as one or more storage "volumes" that comprise physical storage disks, defining an overall logical arrangement of storage space. Currently available storage system (filer) implementations can serve a large number of discrete volumes (150 or more, for example). Each volume is associated with its own file system and, for purposes hereof, volume and file system shall generally be used synonymously. The disks within a volume are typically organized as one or more groups of Redundant Array of Independent (or Inexpensive) Disks (RAID). RAID implementations enhance the reliability/integrity of data storage through the writing of data "stripes" across a given number of physical disks in the RAID group, and the appropriate storing of parity information with respect to the striped data. In the example of a WAFL-based file system, a RAID 4 implementation is advantageously employed. This implementation specifically entails the striping of data across a group of disks, and separate parity storing within a selected disk of the RAID group. As described herein, a volume typically comprises at least one data disk and one associated parity disk (or possibly data/parity partitions in a single disk) arranged according to a RAID 4, or equivalent high-reliability, implementation.
A consistency point (CP) is a wholly consistent and up-to-date version of the file system that is typically written to disk or to other persistent storage media. In a system utilizing CPs, a CP of the file system is generated typically at regular time intervals. Thus, in the event of an error condition, only information written to files after the last CP occurred are lost or corrupted. If a journaling file system is utilized where write operations are "logged" (stored) before being committed to disk, the stored operations can be replayed to restore the file system "up to date" after a crash other error condition. In the example of a WAFL-based journaling file system, these CPs ensure that no information is lost in the event of a storage system crash or other error condition. CPs are further described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,819,292, entitled METHOD FOR MAINTAINING CONSISTENT STATES OF A FILE SYSTEM AND FOR CREATING USER-ACCESSIBLE READ-ONLY COPIES OF A FILE SYSTEM, by David Hitz, et al., which is hereby incorporated by reference.
In a CP-based file system, the on-disk copy of the file system is usually slightly "out of date" compared to the instantaneous state of the file system that is stored in a memory of the storage system. During the write allocation phase of a CP, the file system identifies all information that must appear in the CP and writes it to disk. Once this write operation completes, the on-disk copy of the file system reflects the state of the file system as of the CP. However, the time required to identify the information that must be written to disk in a given CP and to perform the actual write operation typically takes much longer than the time required for an individual file system operation to complete. Thus, a file system utilizing CPs typically halts or otherwise suspends write operations during the time required to perform write allocation during the CP. Under heavy loads involving large files, this time may be on the order of tens of seconds, which seriously impedes access latency for clients of the storage system. For example, a client will not receive an acknowledgement of a write request until such time as the CP has completed, thus causing some application programs executing on the client to generate error messages or suffer failures due to timeout conditions.
Additionally, system performance may be impaired due to increased latency resulting from a large number of incoming write operations that may be queued and suspended while the CP write allocation operation is performed. A database that issues many write operations to modify a file: is an example of a system that may suffer reduced performance because of the increased latency. A solution to this problem is to allow execution of write operations during an ongoing CP. However, such a solution requires that the storage system be able to identify and differentiate incoming information (i.e., write data and metadata) associated with both the modified file and the CP that the information is related thereto. For example, if a file is currently undergoing write allocation and an incoming write operation is received, the storage system must separate and differentiate the incoming information from the information currently being write allocated. If the storage system fails to differentiate properly between the two types of information, the file system, and more specifically, the file undergoing write allocation, may lose consistency and coherency, with an accompanying loss of information or an inability to access the stored information.

System and method for managing file data during consistency points


A method for network printing. The method includes activating an interface between a document processing device and a workstation, providing at least one user interface to a user at the workstation. The interface allows the user to select operational settings for the document-processing device. The system then generates a document data file in accordance with the operational settings and communicates a location of the document data file and any auxiliary information to the document-processing device. This activates a document-processing job. The interface then receives a completion message upon completion of the document-processing job.

1. Field
This disclosure relates to document device drivers, more particularly to generic document processing clients for networked printers.
2. Background
In a typical office environment, users have access to several different types of devices for processing documents across a network. The devices may include printers, fax machines with dedicated phone lines, network fax machines that fax across a network, such as the Internet, plotters, enterprise document management (EDM) systems and knowledge management systems, as examples. The documents discussed here may include text documents, images, drawings, spreadsheets among many other user-generated items that user desire to be processed. Similarly, processing of these documents may include faxing, printing, copying, converting to different formats, entry into EDM and knowledge management systems, among others.
Currently, document processing typically involves having a device specific driver on the user's workstation. The user desiring the processing will request the processing from within the document generation application that user is running. The document generation application hands the document off to the device-specific driver and the driver converts it into the appropriate format for that device.
For example, a user desires to print a document from Microsoft® Word®. The user selects File>Print from the pull-down menu or selects the printer icon from a toolbar. Word then accesses the driver for the default printer. The default printer has been previously designated by the user and the appropriate driver has been loaded and identified as the default driver. The driver then converts the document into a print data file and sends it to the printer. The print data file then enters the printer queue and when the printer reaches that point in the queue, the document is printed.
There are several undesirable issues with this type of application. For example, the user may want to designate another printer but does not have the appropriate driver installed. The user can easily designate another network printer but then has to wait while the appropriate driver is accessed. If the appropriate driver is not installed, the user then has to locate the driver and provide it to the workstation for installation.
A larger problem is management of networked printers. Every time a new printer is added to a network, each workstation that may need access to that printer must have the specific driver for that printer installed. In larger networks, this can be time consuming and tedious to install and track all of the various copies of the printer drivers.
The problem becomes even more problematic when several different varieties of printers are on the network. When several different types of networked document processing devices are available, each type having several different varieties, management of the drivers may become oppressive.
Therefore, it would be desirable for a generic, non-device-specific driver to be installed on each workstation for interfacing with several different kinds of networked document processing devices, as well as several different varieties of each type.

Method and system for a generic document processing device client


A multi-purpose hand tool is disclosed. According to one embodiment, the tool may include a socket body, a key tip and an arm portion. The socket body may include a socket at a first end. The arm portion is connected between the socket body and the key tip. The key tip may include a hex key. The arm portion may define an opening for receiving a torquing device and the key tip may define a notch for receiving a torquing device.

The present invention is directed generally to various embodiments of a multi-purpose hand tool.
To service and upgrade telecommunications infrastructure, the various telephone service providers in the United States alone employ approximately 200,000 service technicians. Among other things, these technicians are required to access and enter serving terminals, cross-boxes, subscriber loop connection (SLC) cabinets, etc. Each of these cabinets/boxes typically has a different type of locking mechanism, requiring the service technician to carry as part of his everyday-gear a multitude of different tools.
For example, service technicians typically enter cabinets with a combination of passkeys, hex keys and sockets. For example, to open a SLC cabinet the service technician must typically use two separate tools—both a hex key and a 7/16″ socket. The socket may be part of a tubular, double-ended seven-inch tool called a "terminal wrench." The terminal wrench typically has the 7/16″ socket on one end, which is also used to lock and unlock cross-boxes, plastic covers on some elevated serving terminal and pedestals. The other end of the terminal wrench typically has a ⅜″ socket used to torque protectors and ground wire bolts in ONIs (outside network interface) in addition to tightening and loosening binding posts.
The diameter of conventional terminal wrenches, however, is so small that it is difficult for technicians to apply sufficient torque to properly lock cross-boxes, for example. This drawback is especially troublesome if the locking bolt on the cross-box seizes due to, for example, temperature changes. The result is that the service technicians are often careful not to lock cross-boxes too tightly for fear of having trouble opening it later. This can be a potential security threat as loose locking bolts are less likely to deter mischief.
Further, conventional terminal wrenches have unnecessary mass and size, making them cumbersome for service technicians to constantly carry, especially when one considers that service technicians are often required to climb telephone poles and otherwise exhibit nimbleness in servicing hard-to-reach equipment.

Multi-purpose hand tool and interconnected set of tools

BellSouth Intellectual Property Corporation


A nitrogen fertilizer composition includes urea and a nitrate-based fertilizer such as ammonium nitrate, calcium ammonium nitrate and mixtures of ammonium nitrate and calcium ammonium in which the urea and total nitrogen are at concentrations of 20 percent by weight or greater and the concentration of ammonium nitrate is at 30 percent or greater by weight. One or both of the urea and nitrate-based fertilizer are coated with an agriculturally compatible material. The fertilizer composition provides significant nitrate nitrogen for legitimate agricultural use yet is not amenable to the production of an explosive by crushing or by aqueous extraction. A pleasant smelling odorant is added to the composition to facilitate detection.

The destructive power of ammonium nitrate (AN) has been graphically demonstrated in a number of malicious attacks including the more widely known instances of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal building in Oklahoma City and the J.W. Marriott Hotel in Jakarta. AN mixed with fuel oil or with a catalyst such as aluminum powder creates a powerful explosive, which is often a weapon of choice for acts of terrorism. Despite its critical role in agriculture, AN has become a vehicle for spreading chaos and an ominous threat to modern society.
According to data published by the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization (JIEDDO), over 80% of the improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and home-made explosives (HMEs) deployed in Afghanistan in 2011 use AN as the explosive precursor. The manufacture of AN is prohibited in Afghanistan but is marketed in neighboring Pakistan as calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN), a mixture of water soluble AN and insoluble calcite (limestone) or dolomite. As marketed, CAN is typically a 4 to 1 prilled or granulated blend of ammonium nitrate and calcite or dolomite. CAN is somewhat less sensitive to detonation than pure AN but can be converted to an explosive with minimum effort. The two most common approaches for converting CAN into a bomb precursor is to simply crush it to increase its surface area/reactivity or to extract it with water followed by evaporative re-concentration of the ammonium nitrate. These two routes for making HME's require minimal sophistication and rely on readily available materials/equipment; i.e., sausage mills, diesel, aluminum, powdered sugar, etc. Furthermore, in addition to being readily converted into an explosive, CAN is easily hidden in any variety of packaging configurations and is essentially non-detectable by stand-off equipment or canines. The proposed fertilizer reformulation set forth in this document prevents the crushing or extraction of CAN to make an IED/HME while simultaneously using odorants to render it detectable by smell without the need for sophisticated detection equipment.
Urea is a commonly used alternate source of nitrogen in agriculture. However, CAN or AN is generally preferred due to improved and prolonged response of many field crops to nitrate nitrogen. Further, depending on soil moisture, temperature, and bacterial activity, urea is prone to volatile losses of nitrogen as ammonia gas making the timing of field application of urea more critical than for CAN.
Commercial-grade urea contains about 44% available nitrogen versus about 27 wt % nitrogen in CAN meaning that combining urea and CAN yields a product with a total nitrogen content greater than that of CAN. However, combining urea with CAN yields a highly hygroscopic mix that immediately begins to absorb atmospheric moisture, even in semi-arid conditions (i.e., the combination has a low critical relative humidity).
Absorption of water by the mixture of urea and AN or urea and CAN may be avoided by applying a thick coating to the urea or to the AN or CAN granules to prevent contact between the urea and the ammonium nitrate components: An attempt to increase detonability by crushing eliminates this barrier allowing the AN/urea or CAN/urea to interact and convert to a non-detonable slurry. Likewise, unlike the water-insoluble limestone component of CAN, the AN cannot be purified by aqueous extraction since both urea and AN are water soluble.
The platform for the detection and defeat of IED/HMEs set forth in this document entails coating urea and/or the nitrate fertilizer with gypsum or other agriculturally-compatible material and then blending the urea based and the nitrate based fertilizers into a single, high-nitrogen fertilizer. An odorant(s) with a low odor threshold is also added during or after coating to make it possible to detect the fertilizer by smell. Pleasant-smelling and non-toxic ester-based or similar odorants can be detected by humans in the parts per billion range and it is likely that military and police canines can be trained to detect such additives at even lower concentrations. Importantly, addition of a low-odor-threshold odorant facilitates detection without the need for sophisticated or cumbersome equipment.

Nitrogen fertilizer composition and method to improve detection and lessen the explosive potential of nitrogen-based fertilizers

UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY RESEARCH FOUNDATION


A semiconductor device includes a peripheral circuit region comprising a first substrate, circuit elements on the first substrate, a first insulating layer covering the circuit elements, and a contact plug passing through the first insulating layer and disposed to be connected to the first substrate; and a memory cell region comprising a second substrate, gate electrodes on the second substrate and stacked in a vertical direction, and channel structures passing through the gate electrodes, wherein the contact plug comprises a metal silicide layer disposed to contact the first substrate and having a first thickness, a first metal nitride layer on the metal silicide layer to contact the metal silicide layer and having a second thickness, greater than the first thickness, a second metal nitride layer on the first metal nitride layer, and a conductive layer on the second metal nitride layer.

The present inventive concepts relate to a semiconductor device.
As demands for high performance, high speed, and/or multifunction of a semiconductor device increase, a degree of integration of the semiconductor device is increasing. In manufacturing a semiconductor device having a relatively fine pattern, corresponding to a higher integration trend of a semiconductor device, it may be beneficial to implement patterns having a relatively fine width and/or a relatively fine separation distance. Therefore, efforts have been made to secure contact resistance at ends of contact plugs electrically connecting wiring structures and semiconductor elements. In addition, as one method for improving a degree of integration of a semiconductor device, a semiconductor device having a vertical transistor structure, instead of a conventional planar transistor structure, has been proposed.


Provided is a power semiconductor module that can secure insulating properties. A semiconductor element is mounted on a resin-insulated base plate including a circuit pattern, a resin insulating layer, and a base plate. A case enclosing the resin-insulated base plate is bonded to the resin insulating layer with an adhesive. The resin insulating layer and the case are bonded together with a region enclosed by the resin insulating layer and a tapered portion of the case formed closer to the resin insulating layer being filled with the adhesive made of a material identical to that of the sealing resin. Air bubbles in the adhesive appear in the tapered portion opposite to the resin insulating layer.

In conventional semiconductor devices, a base plate is fixed to a case with a thick adhesive fillet between the case and the upper surface of the base plate (for example, see paragraphs 0013 to 0016 and FIGS. 1 and 2 of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-96797).
However, when an adhesive with high viscosity such as a sealing resin with which the case is filled is used, fluidity of the adhesive decreases, and air bubbles are easily generated. Thus, insulation on the insulating substrate is sometimes insufficient.

Power semiconductor module with adhesive filled tapered portion


An instrument to test electronic components, the instrument including a drive unit electrically connecting the component and electrically driving the component to generate a field in the nearby space. The instrument also includes a test device electrically insulated from the component and mounted in its vicinity in order to measure the field generated by the component. The drive unit is designed to apply a voltage to the component. The test device includes an instrument amplifier measuring the voltage differential of two electrodes positioned at two sites in the electric field generated by the component. One of the electrodes is positioned near the component.

An instrument for testing circuit boards is known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,254,953, wherein a first electrode and a component being tested act as plates of a capacitor of which the capacitance is determined in the instrument by the change in capacitance. For that purpose the measuring amplifier must measure the current in a conductor between the first and second electrodes, latter in the known instrument of the species acting as the ground of the circuit on a circuit board subjected to testing.
This instrument allows component-testing for instance of circuit boards. Illustratively, if the component being tested does not make proper contact due to inadequate soldering or due to an electrical discontinuity, then only the substantially lower capacitance subtended with more remote components, for instance, the line on the other side of the discontinuity, shall be determined.
The instruments of this species offer the advantage of not requiring an electrical, hence mechanical contact between the first electrode and the component. Contact surfaces of high conductivity are not required at the component.
Illustratively, oxide layers do not interfere. Moreover, the measurement may be carried out passing through insulating layers or non-conducting housings.
Because the measurement gap is included in the measured capacitance, and provided the first electrode is accurately positioned, it is possible to ascertain geometric deviations of the component being tested, such as would be caused by bending, oblique assembly or the like. Furthermore, socket contacts can be measured that are designed only for single use and, therefore, may not be mechanically stressed, for instance by a tester plug.
The capacitive testing procedure of the known instrument incurs the drawback of requiring a current in the circuit for changing the change on the capacitor. In complex circuits, such a current also usually passes through other components of which any deviations will be included in the test result.
Because the measuring amplifier determines the current going to circuit ground, there always is additional capacitance between the first electrode and the circuit ground in parallel with the capacitance to be measured. Moreover, this spurious parallel capacitance is usually larger than that which is to be measured, and deviations in this parallel capacitance with ground entail substantial deviations. Also high test sensitivity is required in order to allow determining the small deviations of the measurement capacitance within the large total capacitance (measurement capacitance+much larger capacitance to ground).
A test instrument of this kind is known from the German patent document A1 26 39 831. In this known instrument, the field generated by the component when electrically loaded by a drive unit is measured with a field probe. In this known design, the field probe is a coil that responds solely to the field constituents of the component-generated electromagnetic field. However, magnetic fields are generated only if there is a current in the component. Accordingly, the drive unit must be designed so as to generate a current in the component. However, this feature entails drawbacks similar to those described above in relation to the capacitive method. All adjacent circuit components also passing a current might interfere. Components that somehow were improperly connected and, hence, do not pass a current cannot be tested at all. Furthermore, the inherent coil size limits the spatial resolution of this testing procedure.
An objective of the invention is to create a kindred instrument retaining the advantages of contact-less measurement and offering greater sensitivity in detecting deviations of the component being tested while being less sensitive to other circuit deviations.
In the instrument according to the present invention, the two electrodes are used to determine a voltage between two sites of the electrical field generated by the component under applied voltage. A magnetic field, and hence a current in the component, is not required. Accordingly, it is enough to make contact by one conductor alone with the component or a circuit fitted with a component. DC voltage may be used, and hence a purely electrostatic field is then generated. The two electrodes constitute a field probe allowing to survey with high accuracy the field geometry around the component. Both electrodes, preferably however one electrode near the component, may be displaced. Near the component to be tested, the field essentially depends only on that component. If the component illustratively is disconnected from the drive voltage because of inadequate soldering or a break in a conductor, there will be marked field deviations. These deviations can be easily ascertained relative to the nominal state that, for instance, was ascertained by a previous measurement on a properly operating circuit board. Geometric deviations of the component being tested, for instance skewness, bending etc. are very easily detected by the resultant field changes. Because of their geometrically remote positions, other components affect the field very little, especially as regards the near field around the component to be measured. The measurement procedure does not necessarily entail currents in the circuit and their ensuing spurious measurement errors. As in the kindred state of the art, any contact between the electrodes and the circuit is eliminated. Thus, surfaces offering good contacts are not needed. Measurement can be carried out across insulated surfaces or through plastic housings, for instance inside an IC imbedded in a plastic case. Because field asymmetries are detected especially well, the heretofore unsolved problem of spotting electrolytic capacitors mounted at the wrong polarity is now solved in a simple manner. The drive unit may apply special voltages to the component, for instance DC, which allows circumventing capacitor problems in the circuit. However, pulses, for instance AC voltages of arbitrary frequencies, also may be used. Even the electric field may be determined which is generated by the components at rated circuit operation. In this manner the instrument of the invention also may be used as a function tester. When the field probe of the invention offers appropriate geometric resolution, it will allow observing even the switching processes within an IC.
The second electrode may be mounted anywhere in the electric field, for instance far from the site of measurement. In this case the first electrode only need be moved from test site to test site. If both electrodes are near the component to be tested, then the electric near field, where the field intensity differentials are very high, shall be measured very accurately, free from the fields of other components.
The field probe can be mounted in very simple manner to the end of a shielded cable. As a result, field measurements can be carried out with a spatial resolution of less than 1 mm.
As a result of further features of the invention, when carrying out near-field measurements on components, it is possible to avoid electric contact with these components, even in the case of .position deviations that would entail interfering electrical contact with the circuit.
The first electrode also may simultaneously sense several components. Provided there is appropriate excitation, i.e. drive, for instance in sequence, of the individual components, each time the other components being at ground, for instance by mans of the drive unit, a single position of the first electrode will allow measuring a. substantial number of components. This feature is especially advantageous when the components are substantially identical geometrically and electrically, for instance if they were the contact pins of a plug or the connection pins of an IC.
The drive unit may apply a DC voltage and generate an electrostatic field that can be accurately measured by the instrument of the invention. Advantageously, however, a pulsed voltage can be applied, or an AC voltage, which is more easily detected by the measuring amplifier.
Advantageously, low-frequency pulse trains are used which are outside the conventional frequency range being radiated by nearby test equipment and computers.
Preferably, the pulse shape is triangular. This feature offers the advantage that differentiation by the test instrument""s capacitors will shape them into rectangles which are more easily processed by this instrument.
The measuring amplifier preferably suppresses DC voltages. Electrostatic fields, such as are generated by electrostatic charges accumulating in the vicinity of the test site and that may lead to spurious test results, are thereby suppressed. Advantageously, the test instrument is designed such that it suppresses any interference frequencies, such as line power (50-60 Hz range), and frequencies that are generated by nearby line-powered equipment, and other interfering frequencies near the measurement site, for instance by computer CPUs in the 100 MHz range, from robot control motors and the like.
In further accordance with the present invention, the electrical field near one or several components on a circuit board is mapped quantitatively by moving the electrode in its geometric configuration.
Alternatively, a large number of electrodes in a matrix array acting as the first electrodes are mounted, for instance parallel by their plane surfaces, to the circuit board to be tested. The matrix electrodes are connected, by means of an appropriate system, to the measuring amplifier and, in this manner, provide a static, immobile construction affording spatial resolution of the field generated by the component.
By means of column-and-row electrodes, of which every pair is crossing and connected to the measuring amplifier, allowing multiplex control, surface resolution of the field is possible. This is because, when connecting two electrodes of the matrix array, only these particular two are detecting at this time. The connected electrodes have their highest sensitivity at the location where they cross, whereby this crossing point indicates its local field intensity. By multiplex-controlling sequentially all column-and-row electrodes, the field intensities at all crossing points can be determined.


An apparatus for reliably and easily controlling articles in custody, for example articles in a safe, has a storage unit lockable to keep the articles therein and unlockable to allow the articles to be taken out therefrom, an input unit to input biometric information for unlocking the storage unit, a registration unit to register biometric information in advance, a collator to collate the input biometric information with the registered biometric information, a controller to unlock the storage unit if the collation by the collator authenticates the input biometric information, and a recorder to record at least a person related to the authenticated biometric information in response to the unlocking of the storage unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for controlling articles in custody, such as articles kept in a safe or a vault.
2. Description of the Related Art
An example of an apparatus for controlling articles in custody is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid Open Publication No. 6-133068. This disclosure effectively prevents the theft of articles kept in a safe. The disclosure provides a safe with an electronic lock to lock and unlock the safe with electric signals and a cylinder lock to mechanically lock and unlock the safe with a key. The cylinder lock is unlockable to open the door of the safe only after unlocking the electronic lock. A control center transmits a command to the safe through a telephone line. A detector provided for the safe detects the command, and the electronic lock is locked or unlocked in response to the command. Namely, the safe is remotely controlled.
Such remote control has a problem that the safe is unlockable only in response to a command from the remote control center, to force troublesome operations when the safe must frequently be opened and closed by a plurality of persons.

Apparatus for controlling articles in custody


A mist eliminator cartridge generally comprises a roll of mesh in the form of a tube mounted to an annular flange and extending normally from a face of the flange. The face of the flange of the cartridge is positioned against an annular face positioned peripherally around the an upper gas outlet in a mist eliminator vessel. The roll of mesh extends into the vessel from the upper gas outlet. The cartridge provides a simple way to retrofit a vessel to prevent liquid carryover.

In one aspect, this invention relates to a mist eliminator cartridge. In another aspect, this invention relates to a mist eliminator unit which contains a mist eliminator cartridge. In yet another aspect, this invention relates to a mist eliminator cartridge which can be easily installed in a mist eliminator vessel to eliminate a liquid carryover problem which has developed since the vessel was initially installed.
It is known that pads of mesh can be used to eliminate mist from a gas stream carrying entrained liquid. The vessels designed for such mist elimination carry the pads on internally built frames. Installation, repair or replacement of the pads and/or frames generally requires cutting into the vessel for access, rewelding the vessel once the turnaround is complete, and having the vessel recertified prior to being placed back on line. A technique for positioning a mist eliminator pad in a mist eliminator vessel which does not require cutting, welding and recertification would be very desirable.


An FPSCR (Floating Point Status and Control Register) mechanism supports de-serialized floating point unit (FPU) instruction execution. The FPSCR mechanism provides for speculative execution of all FPU instructions. In particular, instructions that directly alter FPSCR data values may be executed speculatively. Instructions of this type which may be de-serialized include the move-from FPSCR instruction, the move-to-condition register from FPSCR instruction, the move-to FPSCR field immediate instruction, the move-to FPSCR field instruction, the move-to FPSCR bit 0 instruction, the move-to FPSCR bit 1 instruction, as well as FPU register-to-register instructions having a recording bit set. Speculative execution is implemented by providing an accurate working FPSCR at the time the speculatively executing instruction sources FPSCR data. Moreover, the FPSCR mechanism re-establishes the working FPSCR when exceptions occur, or speculative execution is cancelled. The FPSCR de-serialization mechanism is compatible with prior art out-of-order FPU register-to-register instruction execution. By implementing each of these functions, the FPSCR mechanism permits the out-of-order execution of eligible floating point unit instructions.

As computers have been developed to perform a greater number of instructions at greater speeds, many types of architectures have been developed to optimize this process. For example, a reduced instruction set computer (RISC) device utilizes fewer instructions and greater parallelism in executing those instructions to ensure that computational results will be available more quickly than the results provided by more traditional data processing systems. In addition to providing increasingly parallel execution of instructions, some data processing systems implement out-of-order instruction execution to increase processor performance. Out-of-order instruction execution increases processor performance by dynamically allowing instructions dispatched with no data dependencies to execute before previous instructions in an instruction stream that have unresolved data dependencies. In some data processing systems, instructions are renamed and instruction sequencing tables, also referred to as re-order buffers, facilitate out-of-order execution by re-ordering instruction execution at instruction completion time.
Re-order buffer devices are also used to allow speculative instruction execution. Therefore, data processing systems which support speculative instruction execution can be adapted for out-of-order execution with the addition of relatively minimal hardware. A portion of this added hardware includes issue logic which is used to determine a time and order that instructions should be issued. Such issue logic can be extremely complex since the dependencies of instructions and a state of a pipeline in which the instructions are being executed must be examined to determine a time at which the instruction should issue. If the issue logic is not properly designed, such issue logic can become a critical path for the data processing system and limit the frequency of instruction execution such that performance gains which could be achieved by out-of-order issue are destroyed.
The out-of-order instruction execution implemented by many prior art systems increases processor performance by dynamically allowing instructions dispatched with no data dependencies to execute before previous instructions in the instruction stream that have unresolved data dependencies. Register file renaming, renaming selected bits of architected facilities such as floating point status and control registers (FPSCR), and instruction sequencing tables (re-order buffers) facilitate out-of-order execution by re-ordering instruction execution at instruction completion time. For more information on such structures, refer to "An Efficient Algorithm for Exploiting Multiple Arithmetic Units," by R. M. Tomasulo, published in IBM Journal, January 1967, pp. 25-33. It should be noted that these devices are also used to allow speculative instruction execution. Therefore, system architecture supporting speculative instruction execution can be adapted for out-of-order execution with the addition of relatively "little" hardware and few overhead expenses. Thus, register file renaming may support out-of-order execution without modification from a speculative instruction execution architecture. However, in order to support out-of-order execution of floating point instructions, additional mechanisms have been required. Because the floating point status and control register (FPSCR) associated with the execution of floating point instructions contains a history of prior executing instructions, renaming the FPSCR is inadequate to support out-of-order instruction execution. When an instruction executes out-of-order, results from earlier instructions in an instruction stream are unavailable as partial results are sometimes saved in the rename buffer.
Therefore, mechanisms have been introduced that maintain a history of instruction execution exceptions for each instruction which is finished out-of-order. This allows the architected register to be reproduced and completed as if the instruction had executed in instruction sequence. The exception history from instructions that have previously completed, or are completing in a current cycle are also reordered. In this way, an FPSCR status for sticky exception bits of the FPSCR may be determined. With respect to non-sticky status for the FPSCR, the status is derived from a last instruction completing in a given cycle that modifies this status. Status information is also reported to a re-order buffer which allows interrupts to be posted as if the instructions were executed in an instruction order.
However, this mechanism for out-of-order floating point instruction execution does not allow for the out-of-order execution of a class of floating point instructions. These are instructions that operate on the FPSCR directly, or are register-to-register instructions that alter the condition register, that is, have a recording bit set. These will collectively be called FPSCR instructions. Such instructions, which source the status bits of the FPSCR, must execute "in order" to read the correct status from all prior, with respect to program order, floating point instructions.
To accomplish the sourcing of a correct FPSCR, the execution of FPSCR instructions have been serialized, wherein FPSCR instructions are not issued until all prior, in program order, FPU rr instructions have completed. Such serialization is slow. FPSCR instructions may appear frequently in floating point operations, particularly in an object oriented prograrmning paradigm. Floating point subroutines, usually referred to as methods in the object oriented programming art, must ensure the rounding mode of the operation. Functions are defined to operate in specific floating point rounding modes independently of the rounding mode in the program code calling the function. In order to perform the required rounding mode transactions, multiple FPSCR instructions are executed. Therefore, to improve performance in execution of object oriented software, there is a need in the art for a mechanism to execute FPSCR instructions without serialization, and which is compatible with existing out-of-order floating point execution mechanisms.

Data processing system having an apparatus for de-serialized status register operation and method therefor

International Business Machines Corporation


An acoustic dampener (100) comprising a base member (101) having a first surface (102) and a second surface (103), the first surface (102) and the second surface (103) are spaced apart from each other defining a thickness (104) therebetween. The acoustic dampener (100) further comprising a pair of side arms (105), each having a first end (109) and a second end (110). Each side arm (105) is attached to the base member (101) at its first end (109) at a predetermined angle. The side arm (105) extends from the base member (101) to form a channel formation (119) to receive a batten. A flange (106) extends substantially orthogonally from the second end (110) of each side arm (105) for retaining a batten within the channel formation (119).

Any discussion of the prior art throughout the specification should in no way be considered as an admission that such prior art is widely known or forms part of the common general knowledge in the field.
Strip form acoustic insulation for use between sheet building products and a structural building substructure, such as timber joists on a frame, are known. They are generally arranged between a flooring sheet and a flooring substructure and the flooring sheet is directly fixed to the flooring substructure through the insulating strip. Although some reduction in sound transmission may occur, it is limited because of the direct connection of the flooring sheets to the flooring substructure.
Insulating systems, for providing dampening of acoustic transmission, including multiple layers of sheet material with graded properties, are known. These multiple layer systems, such as those employing two or more layers of paper faced gypsum boards, increase the cost of a flooring system both by increasing the amount of materials used for a given floor area and by requiring additional labour time for installation.


A mechanism for a reclining having a headrest and a backrest movable with respect to a seat, the backrest being supported by a reclining mechanism which includes an arc fastened to pads sliding in guiding plates, actuated by a motoreducer, and a mobile trapezoidal lever that is mobile backward and forward and that supports a bottom roller that is stationary and a top roller that is integral with the frame of the seat. The rollers are pivotable around axes that are parallel and are perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the chair, so that, simultaneously with the shifting of the pads along the guiding plates, the frame of the seat performs a rheonomous tilting movement, upward or downward of its end corresponding to the anterior end of the chair seat.

In the history of dentistry, at least until the 1960's, dentists used to work standing, while today dentists habitually work sitting. Dental unit manufacturers strive to provide dental treatment units allowing dentists to work ergonomically, i.e. comfortably and without damaging their musculoskeletal system while providing dental therapy.
At the same time, dental patient chairs must be comfortable for patients: a patient feeling comfortable is more relaxed, and for dentists working is easier.
In the known art, there are provided two kinds of patient chairs:
Patient chairs provided with a seat consisting in a unique part, whose only articulation is at the level of patient's hip; this means that patient's thighs and distal portion of legs form a steady angle;
Patient chairs having a two-part seat, having a first articulation at the level of patient's hip, and a second articulation at the level of patient's knee. In these chairs provided with a two-part seat, patients can seat upright as in any chair, with the distal leg portion forming an angle of about 90° with respect to thighs. In this kind of chairs there is provided a seat, which remains substantially parallel to the floor, and a leg-rest, which can rotate from a positions substantially parallel to the floor, to a position substantially perpendicular to the floor; in other words, the angle between thighs and distal portion of legs is variable.
An appreciated feature of dental patient chairs is the possibility of holding the patient in the Trendelenburg position. The Trendelenburg position, or anti-shock position, is the position wherein a patient lies in case of shock or during the performance of specific operations: the patient is supine, lying so that her/his head is lower than her/his knees and pelvis, to help blood flow to the brain. Moreover, the Trendelenburg position reclines the patient's body allowing chest and legs to form an angle, instead of having chest and legs aligned in a position that can be uncomfortable for patients. The Trendelenburg position eases the dentist's work in performing different types of therapies.
A problem linked to the reclining of backrest is that while the backrest reclines, patient's head, on which the dentist operates, progressively relocates in space, from a position substantially aligned with her/his hip joint, to a position wherein patient's head is at a marked distance from patient's hip, say in the order of tens of centimeters. This forces the dentist, normally positioned on patient's side or behind the patient, to replace along with backrest reclining with respect to the room and the dental treatment unit. The figures, particularly FIGS. 3 and 4, will help to better clarify this effect.
Moreover, when the working position is aligned with the chair longitudinal axis, and therefore the dentist is positioned behind patient's head, often when reclining the chair no room is left for the dentist. Therefore, wide spaces become necessary to accommodate the dental treatment unit and all the accessories and tools needed by the dentist.
Manufacturers have been producing dental chairs for over 100 years; a patent concerning dental patient chairs is e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 3,804,460 to Pelton & Crane.
The above-quoted patent, with many others, describes patient chair internal structure, allowing the movement of the chair. In fact, while in use the chair has typically a position, in which its backrest is at about 90° with respect to the floor (upright position) and a position, in which the backrest is substantially parallel to the floor (reclined position), with all the intermediate positions between said two extremities. A wide variety of relatively complex mechanisms and actuators allow obtaining said positions.
The same applicant filed the application EP3108867A1, describing a dental patient chair wherein the backrest is supported by an oscillating mechanism, comprising:
at least a cam having a pre-set curvilinear contour; said cam supports said seat and is at least oscillating around an axis substantially corresponding to an oscillating axis of the seat;
at least a carriage or a slide;
at least a leading hole for said carriage, which extends substantially in the direction of the contour of said cam;
said carriage having cooperating means with the contour of said cam, while said carriage is slidingly actuated by the oscillating mechanism of the backrest,
so that when said carriage slides inside said leading hole thanks to an actuating system, said carriage, interfering with cam's contour, commands at least an oscillatory movement controlled by the contour of the cam itself, said cam being freely movable by said oscillation from a position wherein it cooperatively interferes with said cooperating carriage means to a position wherein said cam is at a distance from said cooperating means.
Nonetheless, the mechanical solution described in EP3108867A1 has shown some limits upon mechanical testing, for example, the stress of the supporting roller and the friction between roller and pin are excessive.


A backlight generating apparatus of an LCD device comprising a light-passing plate which is sloped with respect to a diffusing plate by a predetermined angle. The space between the two plates is filled with a diffusing material having a larger index of refraction than that of the light-passing plate. The present invention employs a diffusing plate with a transmissivity of over 30% to increase light efficiency, improve brightness, and decrease power consumption.

The present invention relates to a backlight generating apparatus of a liquid crystal display (LCD) device, and, more particularly to a backlight generating apparatus of an LCD device with an improved light-diffusing structure for increasing light efficiency.
Generally, an LCD device, as shown in FIG. 1, comprises polarizing filter layers 1 on both of its outer surfaces. Front and rear plates 2 and 3 form a closed space filled with liquid crystal 6 by means of sealing material 7 placed on the inside edges of the LCD device. A number of transparent electrodes 4 are disposed on the front plate 2 and the rear plate 3 in an opposing relationship. An orientation layer 5 coats the upper part of transparent electrodes 4 and the whole inner surface of the front plate 2 and the rear plate 3 which is exposed between the transparent electrodes.
The above LCD device is not a self-luminous device such as a cathode-ray tube or a vacuum fluorescent display, but a non-emissive display which performs the display by means of light from outside.
There are two kinds of LCD devices--a front reflection-type LCD which shows the predetermined pattern generated by the alignment of crystal liquid 6 using the light incident through front plate 2 and a transmission-type LCD which uses the backlight of a backlight generating apparatus incident from the rear side of the LCD to realize the display. The present invention relates to the latter, the backlight generating apparatus of a transmission-type LCD.
The conventional structure of the backlight generating apparatus of the transmission-type LCD is illustrated in FIG. 2. The illustrated backlight generating apparatus comprises a diffusing plate 11 placed facing the bottom of the rear plate 3 of an LCD device and separated from the rear plate 3 by a polarizing filter layer 1. A light-passing plate 12 is installed to the bottom of a diffusing plate 11, and a reflecting plate 13 is installed to the bottom of a light-passing plate 12 for reflecting the diffused light entering the light-passing plate 12 toward diffusing plate 11. For providing light to the light-passing plate 12, a lamp L is placed on one side of light-passing plate 12. Lamp L has a fluorescent film and reflecting film having a combined predetermined thickness, and is installed in a housing H.
In a conventional backlight generating apparatus constructed as above, the light irradiated from lamp L is irradiated onto the diffusing plate 11 via the light-passing plate 12, and then diffused by the diffusing plate 11 and directed to the rear plate of an LCD.
However, in such a conventional backlight generating apparatus, since the incident light is diffused only by diffusing plate 11, a considerable amount of the light generated from lamp L is lost. Therefore, due to the small amount of light-passing through the diffusing plate 11 onto the rear plate, a picture having sufficient brightness cannot be viewed through the LCD. This is because it is impossible to use a diffusing plate having a suitable transmissivity for diminishing the partial brightness difference of a picture. Since the transmissivity of a conventional diffusing plate is about 20-30%, a considerable amount of light is lost in the diffusing plate, thus decreasing the amount of light contributing to the display of the picture. Accordingly, heretofore, power has been applied to the lamp to compensate for the diminished brightness. However, this necessitates an undesirable increase in total power consumption.

Backlight generating apparatus of a liquid crystal display device


A developing unit of an image forming apparatus includes a developer cartridge detachably mounted on the developing unit, a developing case in which a developing member and a first supply member are provided, a developer supply passage to supply a developer stored in the developer cartridge to the developing case, and a developer supplement unit mounted in a portion connecting the developing case and the developer supply passage, to agitate the developer supplied through the developer supply passage and to supply the agitated developer to the developing case.

1. Field of the Invention
The present general inventive concept relates to a developing unit in which a developer cartridge is detachably mounted, and an image forming apparatus having the developing unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIGS. 1 and 2 are views illustrating an example of an image forming apparatus.
In FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus capable of color printing includes a feeding unit 10, a plurality of developing units 20, a transferring unit 30, a fixing unit 40 and a discharging unit 50.
An image is printed on a sheet of paper picked up by the feeding unit 10 while the sheet of paper passes through the developing unit 20 and transferring unit 30. The printed image is then fused by the fixing unit 40, and the fused image is discharged to the outside of the image forming apparatus.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the developing units 20 of FIG. 1. In FIG. 2, each of the developing units 20, which have different color toners, includes a developing roller 21, a photosensitive medium 22 and a cleaning unit 23, which are integrated with their respective developing units 20. A developer contained in the developing units 20 may form clumps over time due to internal stress, and accordingly vertical streaks may appear on the image during printing. In order to eliminate such streaks, the developer must be thoroughly agitated, and then supplied to the developing roller 21.
The developing roller 21, photosensitive medium 22 and cleaning unit 23 integrated with their respective developing units 20 of a compact image forming apparatus are often made to have similar service lives. However, in the case of a large-scale image forming apparatus (e.g., one used in an office), numerous sheets of paper are printed and the developer becomes exhausted more rapidly than the photosensitive medium 22 and cleaning unit 23. In order to reduce maintenance costs incurred by a user, a developer cartridge is needed which can supplement the developer without having to also replace the entire developing unit.
Accordingly, if a detachable developer cartridge is provided, the user can reduce maintenance costs for consumables, but various problems can arise when the developer contained in the developer cartridge is supplied to the developing unit.
For example, a separate supplying unit may be required to supply the developer discharged from the developer cartridge to the developing unit, which causes additional inconvenience for the user. Since the developer discharged from the developer cartridge tends to stick together, an image may not be uniformly printed if the developer is not sufficiently agitated. Thus, a structure which enables the supplied developer to be agitated may also be required according to the configuration of the supplying unit.

Developing unit and image forming apparatus having the same


An amplifier arrangement comprises a first transistor (N1) having a control electrode coupled to an input terminal for receiving an input signal (Vin), a first main electrode coupled to a first supply-voltage terminal (2), and having a second main electrode. A second transistor (N2) has a control electrode, a first main electrode coupled to the second main electrode of the first transistor, and a second main electrode coupled to a second supply-voltage terminal (3) by means of a current source (J1). An output terminal supplies an output signal (Vout). An amplifier (N4, N5) has an inverting input (V1) coupled to the second main electrode of the first transistor, and an output (V0) coupled to the control electrode of the second transistor. An apparatus (N3, N6, N7, N8, P1, P2, P3, P4) is provided for correcting a first potential on the second main electrode of the first transistor depending upon a second potential on the control electrode of the first transistor in a manner such that the first transistor is operated at a desired point of saturation.

This invention relates to an amplifier arrangement comprising a first transistor having a control electrode coupled to an input terminal for receiving an input signal, having a first main electrode coupled to a first supply-voltage terminal, and having a second main electrode, a second transistor having a control electrode, having a first main electrode coupled to the second main electrode of the first transistor, and having a second main electrode coupled to an output terminal for supplying an output signal, and a control amplifier having an inverting input coupled to the second main electrode of the first transistor, and having an output coupled to the control electrode of the second transistor.
Such an amplifier arrangement can be used in general for amplifying a signal in integrated semiconductor circuits.
Such an amplifier arrangement is known inter alia from European Patent Application EP-A 0,397,240, which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 5,039,954 Aug. 13, 1991. The known amplifier arrangement amplifies an input signal applied to the input terminal so as to obtain an output signal on the output terminal, the control amplifier maintaining a substantially constant potential on the second main electrode of the first transistor. As a result of the substantially constant potential the known amplifier arrangement can provide a high gain, although in some cases the output impedance and hence the internal gain of the amplifier arrangement are too low, which is a disadvantage.


A method for performing an electromigration check and detecting EM problems in a device or circuit. The method uses the capacitance and resistance of the conductors of the device or circuit as parameters in determining a power limit that maintains a required temperature environment that ensures the reliability of the device or circuit. The power limit is then used to check each device interconnect to identify the location of potential EM problems. Corrective action is taken to avoid EM problems as they are detected in the device or circuit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is generally related to the field of integrated circuits, and more particularly related to a method for avoiding excessive local heating that creates electromigration in the metallic interconnects of an integrated circuit device.
2. Background of the Invention
Metallic interconnections of integrated circuit (IC) devices are subject to a degradation phenomena known as electromigration (EM). EM is caused by the electronic interactions of the metal atoms and ions in the conductors of an IC device. EM effects become more prominent as IC feature sizes decrease and as IC frequencies and current densities increase.
EM in IC devices occurs due to direct current flow. High direct current density in an IC device causes atoms and ions in the conductors of the device to move in the opposite direction of the direct current flow. In particular, when high direct current densities pass through thin conductors, metal ions accumulate in some regions and voids form in other regions of the conductors. The accumulation of metal ions may result in a short circuit to adjacent conductors and the voids may result in an open-circuit condition. However, if the current density can be kept below a predetermined EM threshold, EM can be rendered negligible for the life of any particular IC device. Therefore, EM due to direct current flow in IC devices is a major concern with respect to the potential for device failures and the overall reliability of the device.
IC devices may also have alternating current flow. The alternating current density in an IC device that results from alternating current flow causes atoms and ions in the conductors of the device to first move in one direction and then move in the opposite direction, back to their original positions. A plurality of conductors with alternating current flow are defined as a signal net. In contrast to conductors with direct current flow, conductors with alternating current flow do not directly cause EM problems. However, conductors with alternating current flow do use power and generate heat. Since EM is very sensitive to the temperature of the conductors, it is often necessary to limit the temperature increase of the conductors in IC devices that results from the heating due to alternating current flow. Therefore, the alternating current flow in a conductor does have an impact on EM because the heating due conductors with alternating current may increase the overall temperature of the IC device by heating up neighboring conductors with direct current flow.
As noted above, EM effects also become more prominent as IC feature size decreases. To counteract this effect, background art methods for controlling EM used wider conductor widths for an entire IC wiring network affected by EM. However, since EM problems become less severe as one moves away from a current source pin and toward each of the current sink pins of a wiring network, wider conductor widths are typically not required for the entire IC wiring network. Often, only a small segment of the IC wiring network needs the wider conductor width to eliminate EM problems for the entire IC wiring network. Therefore, these background art methods that use wider conductors throughout the IC wiring network often wastes valuable space on the IC device.
Other background art methods provide EM control by setting limits on the power dissipated in conductors with alternating current flow. In these background art methods adjacent conductors with direct current flow are only allowed to be heated by a maximum temperature difference ΔTMAX in order to maintain the reliability of the IC device. In particular, to limit the heat generated as a result of the temperature difference ΔT caused by alternating current flow in adjacent conductors, a maximum root-mean-square (RMS) current limit (IRMS) is set for all conductors with alternating current flow adjacent to a conductor with direct current flow. The maximum current limit is set by: (1) considering the minimum distance between conductors with alternating current flow and conductors with direct current flow; and (2) the maximum temperature difference Δ-TMAX that maintains the reliability of the IC device. However, using this type of worst-case "minimum distance-between-conductors" approach to determine space between conductors also wastes valuable space on the IC device.
Therefore, there is a need to limit heating due to alternating current flow in an IC device by determining a power limit that provides device reliability due to excellent EM control and efficiently uses the space available on the IC device.

Electromigration check of signal nets using net capacitance to evaluate thermal characteristics

International Business Machines Corporation


A phase-locked loop circuit generates a clock signal synchronized with a color burst signal contained in a composite color picture signal. The phase-locked loop circuit contains a phase synchronization loop having a loop gain, extracts the color burst signal from the composite color picture signal, compares the phases of the generated clock signal and the color burst signal, and controls the phase of the generated clock signal to reduce the difference between the above phases. The phase-locked loop circuit further detects the vertical blanking signal, and reduces the loop gain for the duration of the vertical blanking signal. Alternatively, a horizontal synchronizing signal is used instead of the color burst signal. Another phase-locked loop circuit generates a clock signal synchronized with a reference clock signal based on first frequency information indicating a frequency of the reference clock signal. This phase-locked loop circuit generates the clock signal so that the phase of the generated clock signal is controlled according to an output of an amplifier. Second frequency information indicating the frequency of the generated clock signal is generated, and a difference between the frequencies of the reference clock signal and the generated clock signal is obtained. The amplifier amplifies the difference with a gain which can be controlled externally. When a change in the polarity of the difference, a large amount of the absolute value of the difference, or a loss of the first information, is detected, the gain is reduced or suppressed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a phase-locked loop (PLL) circuit which generates a clock signal synchronized with a color burst signal contained in a composite color picture signal (composite picture signal).
The present invention further relates to a phase-locked loop circuit which is provided on a receiver side of a digital transmission system, and which regenerates a clock signal which is used on a transmitter side, based on information on the frequency of the clock signal. In particular, the present invention relates to a phase-locked loop circuit which is provided on a receiver side of a picture signal transmitting system, and regenerates a sampling clock signal which is used on a transmitter side for sampling an original picture signal to generate the (sampled) picture signal to be transmitted, where a transmission clock signal used for transmitting the picture signal does not synchronize with the sampling clock signal.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a picture signal transmitting system transmitting a composite color picture signal, high quality is required for a composite color picture signal which is regenerated on a receiver side from a received picture signal. In particular, the precision of frequencies and vector stability of color signals depend on the precision of a clock signal which is used for regenerating a composite color picture signal. Such a clock signal is generated as a clock signal which synchronizes with a color burst signal contained in the composite color picture signal.
According to one of the conventional methods of regenerating a clock signal which synchronizes with a color burst signal contained in the composite color picture signal, first, the color burst signal is extracted by generating, based on the timing of the horizontal synchronizing signal, a gate pulse which is active at the timing of the color burst signal in the composite color picture signal, and extracting the color burst signal by using the gate pulse. Then, the extracted color burst signal is used as a reference signal in a phase-locked loop circuit which generates the clock signal. In the phase-locked loop circuit, the phase of the generated clock signal is compared with the phase of the extracted color burst signal for each timing of the horizontal synchronizing signal to control the phase of the clock signal so that the clock signal synchronizes with the color burst signal.
However, no color burst signal exists for the time of a vertical blanking signal contained in the composite color picture signal. Therefore, the frequency of the clock signal may fluctuate in the duration of a vertical blanking signal due to the absence of the color burst signal as a reference signal. Conventionally, a second phase-locked loop circuit is provided in the stage following the above phase-locked loop circuit to reduce the fluctuation of the frequency of the clock signal. However, since the period of the variation of the frequency is long, the comparison frequency (the frequency of phase comparison performed) in the second phase-locked loop circuit must be low. The low comparison frequency in the second phase-locked loop circuit results in a low loop gain in the second phase-locked loop circuit, and the pulling-in operation at a transitional period becomes slow due to the low loop gain.
When a transmission clock signal used for transmitting sampled information does not synchronize with a sampling clock signal which is used on a transmitter side for sampling certain information to generate the (sampled) information to be transmitted, it is required to regenerate, on a receiver side, the sampling clock signal synchronized with the transmitted information, and the regenerated sampling clock signal must have a precise frequency.
For example, when a transmission clock signal used for transmitting a (sampled) picture signal does not synchronize with a sampling clock signal which is used on a transmitter side for sampling an original picture signal to generate the (sampled) picture signal to be transmitted, it is required to regenerate on a receiver side the sampling clock signal synchronized with the transmitted picture signal, where the regenerated sampling clock signal must have a precise frequency.
According to one of the conventional methods of regenerating on a receiver side a clock signal synchronized with a picture signal sampled on the transmitter side in a picture transmission system in which a transmission clock signal used for transmitting the picture signal does not synchronize with a sampling clock signal used for sampling an original picture signal to generate the (sampled) picture signal to be transmitted, first information on a first difference between frequencies of the sampling clock signal and the transmission clock signal is generated on the transmitter side, and is transmitted together with the picture signal to the receiver side. Then, in a phase-locked loop circuit on the receiver side, second information on a second difference between frequencies of a regenerated sampling clock signal which is regenerated by the phase-locked loop circuit and the transmission clock signal is generated in the same manner as the manner in which the first information is generated on the transmitter side, and a third difference between the first and second differences is obtained to control a voltage controlled oscillator in the phase-locked loop circuit based on the third difference so that a clock signal which synchronizes with the picture signal is regenerated as the sampling clock signal.
However, the conventional phase-locked loop circuit which is to be used on a receiver side of a picture transmission system in which a transmission clock signal used for transmitting a picture signal does not synchronize with a sampling clock signal which is used on a transmitter side for sampling an original picture signal to generate the (sampled) picture signal to be transmitted, has the following drawbacks.
(1) Firstly, the frequency of the regenerated sampling clock signal rapidly varies at a transitional period such as the time of power-on or the stop of the transmission of the picture signal, and therefore the color signals which are regenerated from the composite color picture signal by using the regenerated sampling clock signal rapidly vary. This may cause irregular chromaticity in the regenerated color picture.
(2) Secondly, the frequency of the regenerated sampling clock signal greatly swings back and forth before converging on the frequency of the original sampling clock signal, for example, at a transitional period such as the time of power-on or the stop of the reception of the picture signal.
(3) Thirdly, the converging time of the regenerated sampling clock signal is long.
(4) Fourthly, the frequency of the regenerated sampling clock signal regenerated on the receiver side may greatly vary when the transmission of the picture signal is stopped or restarted. This may cause irregular chromaticity in the regenerated color picture at a transitional period caused by the stop or restart of the picture signal.

Phase-locked loop circuit for generating stable clock signal for use in regeneration of picture signal


A method for load balancing in a communication network having a plurality of link aggregate groups includes receiving a data unit at a first one of the plurality of network devices associated with a first one of the plurality of link aggregate groups, applying a hashing function to the data unit to generate a first hash value, where the first hash value identifies a communication link in the first one of the plurality of link aggregate groups, receiving the data unit at a second one of the plurality of network devices associated with a second one of the plurality of link aggregate groups, and applying the hashing function to the data unit to generate a second hash value that is distinct from the first value, where the second hash value identifies a communication link in the second one of the plurality of link aggregate groups along which the data unit is to be communicated.

Today, hashing functions are widely used in a variety of computing applications to map data in a larger set to a value in a smaller set. For example, a relatively long sequence of bits may be supplied as an input into a mathematical function to generate a shorter sequence of bits that serves as an index into a database table. In general, mathematicians and engineers prefer hashing methodologies that have low computational complexity, are deterministic, yield hash values uniformly distributed across the smaller set, and have other properties useful in computing.
One area of application in which hashing can be particularly useful is load balancing in network switching. In general, a network switch may receive and transmit data packets via multiple ingress and egress links. In many situations, it is permissible to direct a received data packet via more than one egress link to properly route the data packet to its destination. Moreover, network switches sometimes are purposefully aggregated into load-balancing networks to provide more bandwidth between communicating devices or networks. Grouping links together to define wider communication channels is known as link aggregation (LAG). In those situations where multiple links present equally attractive routing choices to a network switch, the routing technique is typically referred to as equal-cost multi-path (ECMP) routing. If, on the other hand, some of the links present non-equal routing choices to the network switch, the routing technique may be referred to as weighed-cost multi-path (WCMP).
To properly balance the distribution of data packets among the multiple equally appropriate links in LAG applications, the network switch may "hash" the data packets into the corresponding links. However, known hashing techniques often produce polarization, or "favoring" of a particular link in a group of suitable links for certain types of packets. Further, when multiple network switches operate as respective hops in a load-balancing network, the same load balancing decision may be made at each hop, thus further polarizing a particular path through the load-balancing network.


A one-pot synthesis of Nb5+-doped TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) with low cost and high efficiency for dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) is disclosed in the present invention. The Nb5+-doped TiO2 NPs with Nb dopants of 0˜5 mol % are prepared by directly mixing TiO2 slurry with Nb2O5 gel obtained by UV treatment of a mixture of NbCl5 powder, ethanol and water in a certain ratio, following by heat treatment without using hydrothermal method. The as-prepared NPs exhibit well-crystallized pure anatase TiO2 phase with uniform particle distribution. The incorporation of Nb5+ leads to a stronger and broader light absorption in visible light range and a decrease of band gap with increasing Nb dopant content, which enhances the efficiencies of light-harvesting and electron injection and suppresses the charge recombination. The present method provides a simple and cost-effective mass-production route to synthesize n-type metallic ion doped TiO2 nanoparticles as excellent photoanode materials.

With the great increase of global energy consumption, the development of highly efficient and low-cost renewable energy resources becomes extremely important and necessary, in which the most feasible technology is to directly convert solar energy into electronic power by solar cells.[1,2] As an attractive alternative to conventional silicon-based solar cells for low-cost clean energy, dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have received considerable interests due to its low production cost, simple fabrication processes, environmental friendliness, and relatively high photoelectric conversion efficiency.[3-6] For DSSCs, achieving high energy conversion efficiency is one of the most important keys to the future commercialization in the huge electricity generation market.[1,7] In the past few decades, the development of DSSCs can be regarded as a process of continuously improving efficiency since nano-crystalline DSSCs were reported by Grätzel et al. in 1991.[1-8] The energy conversion efficiencies over 12% has been achieved for DSSCs in the lab size devices,[5] however, it is still far lower than the current multicrystalline silicon solar cells (˜20%),[9] and there is a large space for the improvement of DSSCs performance.[10] Therefore, developing new materials and structure with low-cost fabrication technique for DSSCs, and understanding the intrinsical mechanisms of photo-electron conversion are highly desired.
In general, a typical DSSC comprises a dye-sensitized TiO2 nanocrystalline porous film coating on a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) glass substrate as the photoanode, a liquid redox electrolyte containing an I−/I3− redox couple, and a platinum (Pt) catalyst as the counter electrode (CE).[3] The photoanode containing porous TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs), one of the most important components in DSSCs, is responsible for adsorbing dye molecules, transferring the photogenerated electrons from the dye to TiO2 and to the conductive substrate, and providing a diffusion path for redox ions, which importantly influences the charge recombination, electron collection and transportation rate, and the light absorption.[11,12] Therefore, the characteristics of the porous TiO2 NPs, especially the morphology and size, interparticle connectivity, pore structure, and electric structure, are greatly vital in determining the final photovoltaic performance of DSSCs.[13] It has been demonstrated that the wide band gap of TiO2 (3.2 eV) and high recombination rate of photogenerated hole-electron pairs are main limitation factors for its performance improvement and widespread application in industry.[14] In order to address these problems, several strategies, such as dye sensitizing, heterostructure, ion doping, etc., have been developed.[14-17] Among them, the ion doping is believed to be the most economical and facile method to optimize the performance of TiO2 NPs by simply modifying its structure (morphology, size, electronic structure), which has been widely used in the photocatalysis, biological engineering and gas sensors fields,[18-21] but there are relatively few studies applied in DSSCs.[15,22] More recently, in order to further improve the efficiency of DSSCs, several efforts has been tried to modify nanostructured TiO2 NPs by metal ions doping such as Er3+, Yb3+, Mg2+, Zn2+, Mn2+, Co2+, Sn4+, and Nb5+, aiming to enhance electron transportation and suppress charge recombination.[12,22-26] Of these doping elements, the Nb stands out to show great potential in improving DSSCs performance due to the synergistic advantages of superior electrical conductivity, similar atom radii with Ti, high valence favorably enhancing free carriers, and excellent ability in stabilizing the phase structure and tailoring the optical properties. For example, Lü et al.[26] and Nikolay et al.[22] have synthesized Nb-doped TiO2 particles by a hydrothermal method and used them in high efficiency DSSCs. However, an important limitation for the practical application of the Nb-doped TiO2 NPs applied in DSSCs is that the starting materials either use expensive niobium ethoxide or the preparation method adopts the hydrothermal technique which includes multi steps and long time,[22,26,27] thereby leading to high preparation cost and low production efficiency. For example, Nb-doped TiO2 was prepared by a sol-gel method followed by a hydrothermal treatment in Lü et al; the original sources of TiO2 and Nb in Nikolay et al. were from niobium powder and tetrabutyl titanate, which were added into hydrogen peroxide and ammonia (5:1 v/v) to obtain the precursor and followed a series of procedure. Both of these conventional methods are more complicated and in higher cost to synthesize the TiO2 and precursor.
Therefore, a facile one-pot synthesis as an economical, simple, and high yield approach for preparing Nb5+-doped TiO2 nanoparticles for use in highly efficient DSSCs with a high energy conversion efficiency is highly demanded.

One-pot synthesis of Nb2O5-doped TiO2 nanoparticles

NANO AND ADVANCED MATERIALS INSTITUTE LIMITED


A stabilized solid controlled release dosage form having a coating derived from an aqueous dispersion of an acrylic polymer is obtained by overcoating a substrate including a therapeutically active with an aqueous dispersion of the plasticized acrylic polymer and then curing the coated substrate at a temperature above the glass transition temperature of the plasticized acrylic polymer, until the coated dosage form attains a stabilized dissolution profile substantially unaffected by exposure to storage conditions of elevated temperature and/or elevated relative humidity.

An important aspect of all forms of low dosage forms is related to the stability of the same. The stability of a pharmaceutical dosage form is related to maintaining its physical, chemical, microbiological, therapeutic, and toxicological properties when stored, i.e., in a particular container and environment. Stability study requirements are covered, e.g., in the Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), the U.S.P., as well as in New Drug Applications (NDAs) and Investigational New Drug Applications (INDs).
The ingredients used in sustained release dosage formulations often present special problems with regard to their physical stability during storage. For example, waxes which have been used in such formulations are known to undergo physical alterations on prolonged standing, thus precautions are taken to stabilize them at the time of manufacture or to prevent the change from occurring. Fats and waxy materials when used in purified states are known to crystallize in unstable forms, causing unpredictable variations in availability rates during stability testing at the time of manufacture and during later storage.
It is known that certain strategies can be undertaken to obtain stabilized controlled release formulations in many cases, such as insuring that the individual ingredients are in a stable form before they are incorporated into the product, and that processing does not change this condition, retarding the instability by including additional additives, and inducing the individual ingredients of the dosage form to reach a stable state before the product is finally completed.
It is also recognized that the moisture content of the product can also influence the stability of the product. Changes in the hydration level of a polymeric film, such as the ethyl celluloses, can alter the rate of water permeation and drug availability. Also, binders such as acacia are known to become less soluble when exposed to moisture and heat. However, moisture content of a product can be controlled fairly successfully by controls in the processing method and proper packaging of the product.
Hydrophobic polymers such as certain cellulose derivatives, zein, acrylic resins, waxes, higher aliphatic alcohols, and polylactic and polyglycolic acids have been used in the prior art to develop controlled release dosage forms. Methods of using these polymers to develop controlled release dosage forms such as tablets, capsules, suppositories, spheroids, beads or microspheres are to overcoat the individual dosage units with these hydrophobic polymers. It is known in the prior art that these hydrophobic coatings can be applied either from a solution, suspension or dry. Since most of these polymers have a low solubility in water, they are usually applied by dissolving the polymer in an organic solvent and spraying the solution onto the individual drug forms (such as beads or tablets) and evaporating off the solvent.
Aqueous dispersions of hydrophobic polymers have been used in the prior art to coat pharmaceutical dosage forms for aesthetic reasons such as film coating tablets or beads or for taste-masking. However, these dosage forms are used for immediate release administration of the active drug contained in the dosage form.
Attempts to prepare stable controlled release pharmaceutical formulations using aqueous dispersions of hydrophobic polymers have been unsuccessful due to stability problems.
Therefore, it is desirable to prepare a controlled release formulation prepared from an aqueous dispersion of a hydrophobic polymer. However, to date, attempts to prepare stable controlled release pharmaceutical formulations using aqueous dispersions of hydrophobic polymers have been unsuccessful due to stability problems.
In particular, when coating these pharmaceutical forms using aqueous polymeric dispersions to obtain a desired release profile of the active drug(s) over several hours or longer, it is known in the art that the dissolution release profile changes on ageing. This was recently demonstrated by Munday, et al., Drug Devel. and Indus. Phar., 17 (15) 2135-2143 (1991), which reported the effect of storing theophylline mini-tablets film coated with ethyl cellulose with PEG (2:1 ratio; total coating=3% w/w), ethyl cellulose with Eudragit.RTM. L (2:1 ratio; total coating=3% w/w); and Eudragit.RTM. RL (amount of coating=1.5% w/w) at varying temperatures and relative humidities upon the rate of drug release. Samples were subjected to isothermal storage at 28.degree. C., 35.degree. C. and 45.degree. C. with the relative humidity (RH) maintained between 55-60%, under cyclic conditions of 45.degree. C. at 55% RH for 24 hours, then at 28.degree. C. and 20% RH for 24 hours, and then at 5.degree. C. and 10% RH for 24 hours, after which the cycle was repeated, and alternating conditions every 24 hours between 45.degree. C. and 55% RH and 28.degree. C. and 0% RH. The aging process brought about by storage under the above stress conditions impeded dissolution, irrespective of the nature of the polymeric film. The greatest reduction in release rate was said to occur in the first 21 days (isothermal storage) after coating.
This instability problem is known to not exist when the polymers are applied from organic solvent solution. The use of organic solvents in the preparation of polymer coatings is considered problematic as the formulations have inherent problems with regard to flammability, carcinogenicity, environmental concerns, and safety in general.
Furthermore, attempts to prepare controlled release pharmaceutical formulations using organic coatings have been largely unsuccessful due to stability problems, the rate of drug release being changed upon storage.
For example, it has been considered desirable in the art to prepare a controlled release formulation which utilizes a retardant coating derived from an aqueous acrylic polymer dispersion, such as Eudragit.RTM., commercially available from Rohm Pharma. However, to date it has not been possible to obtain a controlled release formulation which is stable under various storage conditions.
More particularly, it is known that a controlled release coating comprising Eudragit.RTM. is not stable when cured according to recommended curing conditions by the manufacturer of 45.degree. C. for 2 hours.

Stabilized controlled release formulations having acrylic polymer coating