A reprogrammable integrated circuit (IC) including overwritable nonvolatile storage cells. Cell contents are compared in a differential sense amplifier against a variable reference signal that has a number of selectable reference levels corresponding to reprogrammed cell threshold voltages. With each write cycle the nonvolatile storage cells are overwritten and then, compared against a different, e.g., higher, selectable reference level.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to nonvolatile storage and more particularly to integrated circuit chips including nonvolatile storage such as one or more or an array of nonvolatile random access memory (NVRAM) cells.
2. Background Description
Nonvolatile floating gate storage devices, such as may be used for memory cells in a nonvolatile random access memory (NVRAM), are well known in the industry. In such an NVRAM cell, the cell's conductive state is determined by the charge state of the storage device's floating gate. The floating gate is an electrically isolated gate of a field effect transistor (FET) stacked in a two device NAND-like structure. Charge is forced onto or removed from the floating gate through a thin insulator layer that, normally (during a read operation), isolates the gate electrically from other adjoining conductive layers. For example, a negatively (or positively) charged floating gate is representative of a binary one state, while an uncharged floating gate is representative of a binary zero state or, vice versa.
Typically, the other device in the NAND-like structure is connected to a word line and a bit line. In typical state of the art designs, adjacent cells are connected to a common bit line. The word lines of these adjacent cells must be uniquely addressable and physically distinct. Intersection of each word line with each bit line provides unique cell selection for reading and writing the selected cell. For reading, a read voltage (e.g., Vhi or ground) is applied to a control gate (or program gate) that is capacitively coupled to floating gates of the nonvolatile devices of devices being read. Thus, when the word line is raised, those devices programmed for zeros and those programmed for ones do not. For writing, a write voltage is applied to the control gate (or program gate) is capacitively coupled to floating gates of the nonvolatile devices and, when the gate, source and drain voltages are biased properly, the charge changes on the floating gate, i.e., to write selected cells.
Normally, once a state of the art device has been programmed, i.e., charge is forced on the floating gate, the device is first erased before it is re-written. While programming such a state of the art device using channel hot electron techniques may require voltages up to 5V, common erase operations using Fowler-Nordheim tunneling techniques that requires at least twice the write voltage. Thus, these nonvolatile storage devices require special decoder circuits and additional process complexity to handle much higher than normal erase voltages. Additional processing decreases yield. Lower yield increases per chip manufacturing cost. Consequently, the associated yield degradation and additional cost have always been a major inhibitor for embedding reprogrammable nonvolatile storage on other types of chips, e.g., dynamic RAM (DRAM), static RAM (SRAM), microprocessors, custom logic and etc.
Occasionally, logic applications may require some facility to reconfigure in situ or on the fly. Further, this reconfiguration may be infrequent, occurring only a few times over the life of the logic chip. Nonvolatile storage devices have been used for these applications with some success. However, the overhead and cost of including such a nonvolatile facility (e.g., circuit area added for decoders, high voltage drivers and additional processing to handle erase voltages) may outweigh the convenience of including it. This is especially true when scattering the nonvolatile devices across a chip may be most their efficiently use and/or when only a small amount of resident nonvolatile storage (e.g., several hundred, several thousand or even a million devices) is needed/desired. For example, the increase in memory chip cost for including nonvolatile redundancy selection may well outweigh the benefits of electrical programmability and make the memory chip unmarketable.
Thus, there is a need for nonvolatile storage devices that can be written/erased at voltage levels that are on the order of normal read voltages and that do not require special area consuming decode, erase and write circuits.

Reprogrammable integrated circuit (IC) with overwritable nonvolatile storage

International Business Machines Corporation


The present disclosure relates to the technical field of health care products and foodstuffs, in particular to a composition, a preparation method, and the use thereof in preparation of products for relieving thyroid nodules. The composition provided by the invention uses AtractylodisMacrocephalaeRhizoma and ChuanxiongRhizoma as raw materials, which show synergistic effect through rational combination. Experiments show that the composition provided by the invention can improve thyroid epithelial cell proliferation and reduce the thyroid index of thyroid nodules, and has the advantages of relieving thyroid nodules and protecting thyroid function. The invention has the advantages of simple combination, high safety, simple and easy handling and definite cure effect.

Due to the stress from both work and daily life, the incidence of thyroid nodules is increasing in recent years, especially in middle-aged women, posing a threat to people's health. Epidemiological studies show that 5% women and 1% men have touchable thyroid nodules in iodine-sufficient regions. The detection rate of thyroid nodules by high-resolution ultrasound examination in randomly-selected people is 19%˜67%. The incidence rate of thyroid cancer among thyroid nodules is 5%˜10%.
Thyroid nodules can be classified into different types including hyperplastic nodular goiter, neoplastic nodule, cysts and inflammatory nodules. The occurrence of thyroid nodules is related to the genetic background and autoimmune environment of the individual, including many pathological changes such as thyroid degeneration, inflammatory response, autoimmune thyroid disease, traumatic and neoplastic changes. Regardless of the cause of thyroid nodules, the thyroid nodules always involve hyperplastic lesions of thyroid cells. Comprehensive therapies with a combination of surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, as well as thyroid hormone suppression or supplement therapy, radioiodine therapy, laser coagulation therapy, high-frequency ultrasound ablation and the like, are usually adopted according to western medical practice. However, these treatments are effective only in a minority of people, accompanying with low cure rate, high side effects, adverse reactions and proneness to postoperative recurrence, due to the big individual difference and difficulty in handling. The efficacy and safety of some emerging technique (such as laser coagulation and high frequency focused ultrasound treatment) remain to be verified owing to lack of enough clinical data.
According to the Chinese traditional medicine theory, thyroid nodules belong to gallae, mostly caused by internal injury by emotional strains, improper diet and poor acclimatization, qi stagnation, phlegm coagulation and anterior cervical junction obstructing by blood stasis. "Prescriptions for Succouring the Sick-Treatment of gallae" recites: gallae are mostly caused by excess happiness, sorrow and worries. The qi and blood inside one's bodies circulate well when one maintains in peaceful mood. Otherwise, gallae are induced by qi stagnation and phlegm coagulation. Women are prone to thyroid nodules, which are mainly caused by phlegm coagulation, qi stagnation and blood stasis. The pathological characteristics could be summarized as deficiency for a manifestation of excess and mixed actual situation. The Chinese traditional medicine shows unique advantage for the treatment of thyroid nodules due to the merits including safety and convenience, easy handling, low cost, high cure rate and wide adaptability and the like.
There are some Chinese herbs for the treatment of thyroid diseases based on Chinese traditional medicine theory, however, most of them have complex ingredients and include many scarce and expensive crude drugs, which are not listed in the catalog of health care food and not safe. In view of the complexity of traditional ingredients, unclear targets and lack of pertinence in the treatment of thyroid nodules, it is necessary to develop a safe, effective product which targets the thyroid nodules.

Composition, preparation method and use of the same in manufacture of a product for relieving thyroid nodules


An LED (20) includes a base (24), a chip (21) and an encapsulation (22) made of a transparent material. The base has a concave depression (240). The chip is mounted on a bottom of the concave depression. The first encapsulation is received in the depression for sealing the chip. The chip includes a light emitting surface (210). The encapsulation includes a light output surface (25) over the light emitting surface. The light output surface defines a plurality of recesses (26). A mixture (29) formed by mixing another transparent material (27) and fluorescent powder (28) is filled in each of the recesses.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a light emitting diode (LED), and more particularly to an LED which can provide a uniform illumination.
2. Description of Related Art
Light emitting diodes (LEDs) are a commonly used light source in applications including lighting, signaling, signage and displays. The LED has several advantages over incandescent and fluorescent lamps, including high efficiency, high brightness, long life, and stable light output. The LED creates much higher illumination and space brightness with less electricity consumption.
A conventional LED generally includes a base, a chip mounted on the base, and an encapsulation sealing the chip. The encapsulation is made of a transparent or translucent epoxy resin and usually has an output surface. The LED emits light rays towards the output surface. A portion of the light rays, especially those incident on lateral parts of the output surface, will be reflected at the output surface and cannot be wholly emitted to an outside of the LED. Even, because angles between the lateral parts of the output surface and the chip are so large, the light rays incident on the lateral parts may be totally reflected. As a result, a large light density on a central part and a small light density on the lateral parts of the output surface are formed. Thus, the LED cannot provide a uniform illumination.
Therefore, there is a need for an LED, which can provide a uniform illumination.


The present invention provides a wellbore fluid, such as a drilling, completion or workover fluid, said wellbore fluid comprising a glucomannan additive. Further provided is a method of forming a gel plug from the wellbore fluid, a method of modifying the properties of a wellbore fluid, a method of drilling a subterranean hole with such a fluid and the use of glucomannan in wellbore fluids.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wellbore fluid, particularly a water-based wellbore fluid, comprising a glucomannan additive, a method of forming a gel from the wellbore fluid, a method of modifying the properties of a wellbore fluid, a method of drilling a subterranean hole with such a fluid and the use of glucomannan in wellbore fluids.
Background Art
Various wellbore fluids can be used for a variety of functions in the drilling, completion and working of a wellbore. For instance, during drilling, the wellbore fluid may be a drilling fluid which is circulated through a drill string and drill bit into the wellbore, and then may subsequently flow upward through the wellbore to the surface. A drilling fluid can act to remove drill cuttings from the bottom of the wellbore, conveying them to the surface, can hold cuttings and weighting material in suspension when circulation is interrupted, can control subsurface pressure, can maintain the integrity of the wellbore until the well section is cased and cemented, can provide sufficient hydrostatic pressure to prevent the ingress of formation fluids into the wellbore, thereby isolating the drilling fluid from the formation, can cool and lubricate the drill string and drill bit, and/or can maximize penetration rate.
Wellbore fluids are typically formulated to exhibit properties desired for a particular function. For instance, a drilling fluid is preferably formulated to exhibit a rheology that both enhances the suspension characteristics of the fluid for the removal of drill cuttings and also minimizes the pressure drop in the drill string.
While the viscosity of the drilling fluid at high shear rates affects the pressure drop in the drill string and annulus, the viscosity of the drilling fluid at low shear rates influences the suspending and solids (i.e. weighting agents, drill cuttings) carrying capacity of the drilling fluid. Drilling fluid rheology at high shear rates is commonly referred to as the plastic viscosity (PV), or high shear rate viscosity, as defined by the Bingham plastic model:τ=PV(γ)+YPwherein τ is the shear stress [force/area; lb/100 ft2] applied to the drilling fluid, and γ is the shear rate [time−1]). Rheology at low shear rates is often characterized by the yield point (YP), also referred to as the low shear rate viscosity, as defined by the Bingham model. The Bingham model is widely employed to describe fluid flow in the drilling fluids industry.
Wellbore fluids may be water-based, non water-based or gaseous (pneumatic). Water-based wellbore fluids are principally composed of an aqueous solution as the continuous phase. A variety of components or additives may be added to the water-based wellbore fluid in order to achieve different desired fluid properties. Water-based wellbore fluids are normally formulated to include one or more rheology modifiers, particularly for many rotary drilling operations. A rheology modifier imparts desired rheological properties to the fluid by influencing its flow and deformation. Such a rheology modifier may be a viscosifying agent. In general, viscosifying agents are typically natural and synthetic polymers such as polysaccharides and polysaccharide derivatives. Examples of suitable viscosifying agents include starches, scleroglucans, guar gums, polyacrylates, xanthan gum, as well as combinations of these compounds.
Xanthan gum is a natural polysaccharide which is often used as an additive for water-based wellbore fluids, especially drilling fluids, particularly for rheological control, such as taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,758,356. Xanthan gum provides a high activity in combination with a good low shear rheology profile and robustness to contamination. However, it is costly and at elevated temperature exhibits a loss of low shear rate viscosity (LSRV). A need therefore exists to provide an alternative additive which addresses these problems which can be incorporated into wellbore fluids to impart improved properties, particularly rheological control, temperature stability in terms of higher LSRV at elevated temperature, and lower cost.


A process for making an alkyl phosphinate polymer having a formula

The flame retardancy of polyester or nylon may be obtained by mixing with various additives. Generally, halogenated compounds, especially polybrominated aromatic compounds have been used as the flame retardant additives in these types of polymers. It is commonly believed the additive restrains the free radicals reaction in the gas phase of the flame when the product is lit, which makes halogenated flame retardants widely used as the additives for different types polymer material including polyester and nylon. However, in the last 15 years, halogenated flame retardants have been scrutinized on account of ecological concern. Presently, the flame retardant industry is changing towards development of the environment friendly flame retardant additives under the pressure. Phosphorus product is a logical substitute for halogenated flame retardants. In some applications, the phosphorus retardant shows the same high activity with that of halogenated flame retardants, but the phosphorus retardant is rarely used. Most of the phosphorus-containing retardants provide flame retardant activity by condensed-phase reaction, promotion of the polymer carbonization, and char conversion. The effectiveness of the methods obviously depends on the polymer used in connection with the retardant therein. Therefore, phosphorus-containing structure shall be designed as useful for various polymers. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, various salts of diaryl phosphinic acid, alkyl aryl phosphinic acid, or dialkyl phosphinic acid are prepared, such as the aluminum or zinc salt thereof, as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,180,495; 4,208,321; and 4,208,322, where the phosphinate is added to PET or polymerizes with polyester at 10-20 wt % and the flame retardancy is improved as shown by measuring the Limiting Oxygen Index (LOI).
The addition reaction of alkyne with P—H containing phosphinic acid compound as initiated by the free radical is known: U.S. Pat. No. 5,647,995A discloses the preparation of a series of alkyl phosphinic acid compounds by the reaction. U.S. Pat. No. 6,727,335B2 discloses the preparation of polymerization phosphinic acid with high polymerization degree by using the reaction, and the polymerization route is as follows:

Obviously, the preparation method provides very limited range for the selection of the polymer end group, which is only suitable for an olefin or alkane having 2 carbon atoms or more or H atoms. The effect of the end group on the performance of the polymer may be ignored when the polymerization degree is high; however, for polymers having low polymerization degree, the effect of the end group on the performance of the polymer is great.

Alkyl phosphinate polymer and methods for preparing and using the same

Abstract: comprising mixing a phosphinic acid or an alkali metal salt of phosphinic acid, a molecular weight modifier, and a polar solvent to form a mixture, adding an alkyne to the mixture, stirring and adding a free radical initiator solution to the mixture, adding the alkyne until saturation, heating and cooling the mixture, and adding to a metallic compound or protonated nitrogen base. The alkyl phosphinate polymer has high heat resistance and is suitable for use in a flame-retardant composition and flame-retardant polymer molding composition.

Shanghai Huihai Chemical Technology Co., Ltd.


This composition for a hole collecting layer of an organic photoelectric conversion element contains: a charge-transporting substance comprising a polyaniline derivative represented by formula (1); a fluorine-based surfactant; and a solvent. The composition provides a thin film suitable for a hole collecting layer of an organic photoelectric conversion element, and is particularly suited for producing an inverse lamination type organic photoelectric conversion element.

An organic photovoltaic element is a device that converts light energy into electric energy by using an organic semiconductor, and includes, for example, an organic solar cell.
An organic solar cell is a solar cell element using an organic material in an active layer and a charge transporting substance, and a dye sensitized solar cell developed by M. Grätzel and an organic thin-film solar cell developed by C. W. Tang are well known (Non-Patent Documents 1 and 2).
Both of them are different from currently mainstream inorganic solar cells in terms of features, for example, they are lightweight, thin and flexible, and can be produced by roll-to-roll processes. Therefore, new market formation is expected.
Among them, organic thin-film solar cells have features such as electrolyte free and heavy metal compound free, and, recently, have been reported to have a photoelectric conversion efficiency (hereinafter abbreviated as PCE) of 10.6% by the group of UCLA and others. For such reasons, organic thin-film solar cells are attracting great attention (Non-Patent Document 3).
On the other hand, organic thin-film solar cells are drawing attention not only for solar cell applications but also for applications of optical sensors such as image sensors because of their features of showing a high photoelectric conversion efficiency even at low illuminance and enabling element thinning and pixel refining, as compared with photovoltaics using existing silicon-based materials, and being able to have the properties of color filters as well (Patent Documents 1 and 2, and Non-Patent Document 4). Hereinafter, those involving applications of optical sensors and the like, in addition to organic solar cells (dye sensitized solar cells and organic thin-film solar cells), are generically referred to as organic photovoltaic (hereinafter sometimes abbreviated as OPV) element.
The organic photovoltaic element is configured so as to include an active layer (photovoltaic layer), a charge (hole, electron) collecting layer, an electrode (anode, cathode), and the like.
Among these, the active layer and the charge collecting layer are generally formed by a vacuum deposition method, but the vacuum deposition method is problematic in terms of complexity due to mass production process, increase in cost of apparatus, utilization efficiency of materials, etc.
From these points, a water dispersible polymer organic conductive material such as PEDOT/PSS is used as a coating type material for a hole collecting layer, in some cases. However, the material is an aqueous dispersion, and thus has problems of difficulty in completely removing moisture and controlling moisture reabsorption and easiness in accelerating the deterioration of the element.
Moreover, the PEDOT/PSS aqueous dispersion has the property that the solid content tends to aggregate, and thus has problems of easily causing defects in the coating film and easily causing clogging and corrosion in the coating apparatus. Further, it is unsatisfactory in heat resistance, and various issues in mass production remain.

Composition for hole collecting layer of organic photoelectric conversion element

Abstract: (In the formula, R1 to R6 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, etc., but one of R1 to R4 is a sulfonic acid group, one or more of the remaining R1 to R4 are a C1-20 alkoxy group, a C1-20 thioalkoxy group, a C1-20 alkyl group, a C2-20 alkenyl group, a C2-20 alkynyl group, a C1-20 haloalkyl group, a C6-20 aryl group, or a C7-20 aralkyl group, and m and n are numbers which satisfy 0≤m≤1, 0≤n≤1 and m+n=1).


A multi-focus reflector antenna for providing a plurality of antenna patterns from a single reflector structure eliminates the need for multiple reflector antennas on a single spacecraft. The multi-focus reflector antenna includes a plurality of at least partially overlapping reflecting structures on a single support structure, each reflecting structure having a focal point and a focal axis. A plurality of RF signals radiate from the focal points, at least one of which passes through at least one of the plurality of reflecting structures and is incident upon another of the plurality of reflecting structures. The plurality of reflecting structures then direct the plurality of RF signals along the plurality of focal axis and generate a plurality of antenna patterns. The multi-focus reflector has applications in communications systems and more particularly, in satellite voice and data communications, and other RF type signals.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of reflector antennas, and more particularly, to a reflector antenna which includes a plurality of frequency selective or polarization sensitive structures to provide a plurality of antenna patterns from a single support structure.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Reflector antennas are frequently used on spacecrafts to provide communication links with the ground or other spacecrafts. A single spacecraft will typically house multiple antennas to provide multiple communication links. These multiple antennas on a single spacecraft typically operate at different frequencies or polarizations to lower crosstalk and interference between antennas.
One method of providing multiple frequencies and multiple communication capabilities on a single spacecraft is to provide multiple reflector antennas, one for each desired frequency of operation. Although this method provides good isolation between antennas, it requires a large amount of space on a spacecraft, is expensive and extracts a weight penalty.
A second method of providing multiple frequencies and multiple communication capabilities on a single spacecraft is to provide a single reflector antenna having multiple feeds, each feed radiating a separate RF frequency or polarization. One feed is placed at the focal point of the reflector while the other feeds are located as near the focal point as practical. This results in a loss of signal strength for the unfocused feeds and may require a larger reflector to compensate for the losses. A larger reflector requires more space on the spacecraft and provides an antenna pattern with a narrower beamwidth, which may be undesirable.
A third method of providing multiple frequencies and multiple communication capabilities on a single spacecraft is to utilize a frequency sensitive structure, also known as a dichroic structure, as the subreflector in a cassegrain type reflector antenna. A cassegrain type reflector antenna has a main reflector and a smaller subreflector. The dichroic subreflector is hyperbolic in shape and has two focal points, one located on each side of the subreflector. The subreflector is placed between the main reflector and the focal point of the main reflector with the convex side of the subreflector facing the main reflector. The focal point on the concave side of the subreflector is placed at the focal point of the main reflector and a first feed, radiating a first RF signal at a first frequency, is placed at this focal point. The dichroic subreflector is configured to pass the first RF signal through the subreflector such that the first RF signal will be incident on the main reflector and generate a first antenna pattern at a first frequency.
A second feed, radiating a second RF signal at a second frequency, is placed at the focal point on the convex side of the subreflector. The dichroic subreflector is configured to reflect the second RF signal and redirect it towards the main reflector such that the second RF signal will be incident on the main reflector and create a second antenna pattern at a second frequency. In this way, a single reflector can provide antenna patterns at two separate frequencies. This scheme, however, is limited to combining two antennas into a single structure. In addition, the size of the reflector typically determines the gain and beamwidth of the antenna pattern and the focal axis determines the location of the antenna pattern. Using a single main reflector with a dichroic subreflector typically results in the first and second antenna patterns having the same gain-beamwidth product and the same location which may be undesirable. A subreflector can also add a level of complexity to the antenna and provide antenna blockage that may be undesirable.
A need exists to have a single reflector apparatus with multiple focal points. This would allow a single spacecraft to carry the weight and expense of one reflector apparatus while having the ability to provide communication links with multiple communication stations or vehicles.


A meter display device includes a display panel that can display a plurality of different types of display information on the same position. The display information includes, at the least, first display information related to a hybrid vehicle and second display information related to the hybrid vehicle. The meter display device also includes a meter control unit that performs control such that any one of the plurality of different types of display information are displayed on the display panel.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a meter display device, a display method for the device, and a hybrid vehicle equipped therewith. More particularly, the invention relates to a meter display device, a display method for the device, and a hybrid vehicle equipped therewith that is used in a hybrid vehicle including an internal combustion engine and a motor that are controlled such that power from one and/or both of the engine and the motor is output to a drive shaft that rotates wheels.
2. Description of the Related Art
A meter display device that is used in a hybrid vehicle including an internal combustion engine and a motor is described, for example, in Japanese Patent Application No. JP-A-10-129298. In the hybrid vehicle, the internal combustion engine and the motor are controlled such that power from one and/or both of them is output to a drive shaft. The described meter display device displays the rotation speeds and torques of various structural elements on a display panel in accordance with the running mode. When the vehicle is being driven by the motor, the meter display device displays an input shaft rotation speed and an input shaft torque of an automatic transmission in a rotation speed display section and a torque display section of the display panel. On the other hand, when the vehicle is being driven by the engine, the device displays the engine speed and the engine torque in the rotation speed display section and the torque display section of the display panel.
With the meter display device described above, however, a relatively large display space is required since the two display sections, namely, the rotation speed and torque display sections, are arranged next to each other in the display panel.

Method display device, display method for the same, and hybrid vehicle equipped therewith


Proteases that comprise an amino acid sequence that is at least 70% identical to the amino acid sequence indicated in SEQ ID NO. 1 over its entire length and that comprise, in the count in accordance with SEQ ID NO. 1, the amino acid substitution R99D in combination with at least two further amino acid substitutions that are selected from the group consisting of S3T, V4I, and V199I, display very good cleaning performance in particular on blood-containing stains, as well as very good temperature stability.

Proteases are among the technically most important of all enzymes. For washing and cleaning agents they are the longest-established enzymes, contained in practically all modern high-performance washing and cleaning agents. They cause the breakdown of protein-containing stains on the material to be cleaned. Among these in turn, proteases of the subtilisin type (subtilases, subtilopeptidases, EC 184.108.40.206), which are categorized among the serine proteases because of the catalytically effective amino acids, are particularly important. They act as nonspecific endopeptidases and hydrolyze any acid amide bonds that are located within peptides or proteins. Their optimum pH is usually in the markedly alkaline range. An overview of this family is offered, for example, by the article "Subtilases: subtilisin-like proteases" by R. Siezen, in "Subtilisin enzymes" pp. 75-95, edited by R. Bott and C. Betzel, New York, 1996. Subtilases are formed naturally by microorganisms; among them, the subtilisins formed and secreted by Bacillus species are to be mentioned in particular as the most significant group within the subtilases.
Examples of proteases of the subtilisin type used with preference in washing and cleaning agents are the subtilisins BPN′ and Carlsberg, protease PB92, subtilisins 147 and 309, the protease from Bacillus lentus, in particular from Bacillus lentus DSM 5483, subtilisin DY, and the enzymes (to be classified, however, as subtilases and no longer as subtilisins in the strict sense) thermitase, proteinase K, and the proteases TW3 and TW7, as well as variants of the aforesaid proteases that comprise an amino acid sequence modified as compared with the initial protease. Proteases are modified in controlled or random fashion using methods known from the existing art, and are thereby optimized, for example, for use in washing and cleaning agents. These include point mutagenesis, deletion or insertion mutagenesis, or fusion with other proteins or protein parts. Correspondingly optimized variants are thus known for most proteases known from the existing art.
The international patent applications WO 95/23221 and WO 92/21760 disclose variants of the alkaline protease from Bacillus lentus DSM 5483 that are suitable for use in washing or cleaning agents. The international patent application WO 2011/032988 furthermore discloses washing and cleaning agents that likewise contain variants of the alkaline protease from Bacillus lentus DSM 5483. The protease variants disclosed in these documents can be modified (in addition to further positions) at positions 3, 4, 99, and 199 in the count of the alkaline protease from Bacillus lentus DSM 5483, and can comprise at the aforesaid positions, for example, the amino acids 3T, 4I, 99D, 99E, or 199I. Combinations of these modifications as described hereinafter are, however, not evident from these documents.
It has now been found, surprisingly, that a protease of the type of the alkaline protease from Bacillus lentus DSM 5483 or a protease sufficiently similar thereto (based on sequence identity), which comprises several of these modifications in combination, is particularly suitable for use in washing or cleaning agents and is advantageously improved in particular with regard to washing performance and/or stability.
The subject matter of the invention is a protease comprising an amino acid sequence that is at least 70% identical to the amino acid sequence indicated in SEQ ID NO. 1 over its entire length, and comprises, in the count in accordance with SEQ ID NO. 1, the amino acid substitution R99E or R99D in combination with at least two further amino acid substitutions that are selected from the group consisting of S3T, V4I, and V199I.
A further subject of the invention is a method for manufacturing a protease, comprising the introduction of an amino acid substitution R99E or R99D, in combination with at least two further amino acid substitutions that are selected from the group consisting of S3T, V4I, and V199I, in the count in accordance with SEQ ID NO. 1, into an initial protease that is at least 70% identical to the amino acid sequence indicated in SEQ ID NO. 1 over its entire length.
A "protease" for purposes of the present patent application therefore encompasses both the protease as such and a protease manufactured with a method according to the present invention. All statements with regard to the protease therefore refer both to the protease as a substance and to the corresponding method, in particular method for manufacturing the protease.
Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the invention and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background of the invention.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Performance-enhanced and temperature-resistant protease variants


According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a first semiconductor region of a first conductivity type, a second semiconductor region of a second conductivity type, a third semiconductor region of a first conductivity type, a first electrode, and a contact region. The second semiconductor region is provided on the first semiconductor region. The third semiconductor region is provided on the second semiconductor region. The first electrode has a first and a second portion. The first portion is provided in a first direction and has a lower end being positioned below a lower end of the third semiconductor region. The second portion is in contact with the first portion and is provided on the third semiconductor region. The contact region is provided between the first portion and the second semiconductor region and is electrically connected to the first electrode and the second semiconductor region.

A device using silicon carbide (SiC), for example, has received attention as a low-loss semiconductor device which can be operated under high temperature. Silicon carbide (SiC) has excellent physical properties such as a band gap being three times that of silicon (Si), breakdown electric field strength being approximately ten times that of silicon, and thermal conductivity being approximately three times that of silicon. It is desired, in such semiconductor device, that an electrode to be connected to an electric circuit or the like establish an ohmic contact. A high avalanche breakdown voltage can be obtained by a low on-state resistance and excellent well potential control when the electrode establishes a satisfactory ohmic contact.

Semiconductor device and method for manufacturing the same


Complex machining such as lathe machining and milling including non-circular machining is effected by a single machine tool effectively and highly accurately.. The machine tool comprises a spindle stock having the C-axis control function, a carriage which can be moved and positioned in a direction of the axis of a main spindle, and two tool rests installed on the carriage. Lathe machining and milling are performed by the first tool rest, and non-circular machining is performed by the second tool rest. A tailstock can be also moved in the direction of the main spindle axis, and positioning of the movable members is controlled by an NC device. A force for supporting a workpiece is controlled by a chuck and a tailstock spindle in response to an M function command.

1. Industrial Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to improvements of tool rests and a tailstock of a machine tool for complex machining which mainly comprises two tool rests one of which performs usual circular lathe machining whereas the other tool rest exclusively performs non-circular machining.
2. Prior Art
In mechanical machining of metal, generally, each workpiece must be subjected to various kinds of machining to finish it as a product. In the case of a workpiece which requires non-circular machining, circular lathe machining, milling and so forth, it is necessary to process the workpiece by machine tools having the respective machining characteristics in different processing steps, i.e., to conduct non-circular machining by a machine tool of a copying method or numerical control method (U.S. Pat. No. 5,085,109), circular machining by a lathe (G.B. Patent No. 2,178,991A), and milling by a machining center or a milling machine (U.S. Pat. No. 4,358,888). Further, every time the machine tools are changed for the next processing step, a skillful operator uses jigs and measuring devices so as to obtain alignment of a reference position for the previous step and a reference position for the subsequent step.
A workpiece is supported by a chuck at a distal end portion of a main spindle which serves as workpiece supporting means, and by thrust of a tailstock spindle of a tailstock. In this case, clamping force of the chuck and thrust of the tailstock spindle are determined by hydraulic pressure control such that the supporting force during machining of the workpiece can endure the maximum cutting resistance. Usually, the workpiece supporting force is unchanged until the machining is over. The clamping force and the thrust more than necessary cause the workpiece to be deformed or distorted, and it is difficult to maintain high machining accuracy.
When the machining arrangement is changed, a tailstock is manually moved and positioned in most cases. In the case of automatic operation, the tailstock is moved for a predetermined distance forwardly or backwardly by means of a hydraulic cylinder or the like, and the tailstock can not be freely positioned at an intermediate location in this stroke.
As described above, various kinds of machining are often required for a single workpiece. Conventionally, there has been used a machine tool for complex machining which performs lathe machining, milling and drilling by use of C-axis, Z-axis, X-axis and Y-axis mechanisms. However, there has not been found a machine tool for complex machining which enables non-circular machining such as elliptic machining.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a machine tool for complex machining which has a non-circular machining function, a circular lathe machining function, and/or a milling function, in order to improve accuracy in workpiece machining including non-circular machining and to lessen the number of processing steps, thereby enhancing the productivity. For instance, a piston for an engine has pin holes, oil holes and ring grooves, and the outer periphery generally has an elliptic cross-sectional configuration whose length and breadth have a slight difference. In order to process such a workpiece, elliptic finishing requires an elliptic machining function, and machining of the ring grooves requires a lathe machining function, while machining of the pin holes and oil holes requires a drilling function. Especially when the elliptic finishing is performed, the target portion of the workpiece is usually processed into a circular cross-sectional configuration before the final elliptic finishing so as to improve the machining accuracy. Also, alignment of machining references such as positional relations between the pin holes and the oil holes with respect to the length and breadth positions of the elliptic cross-sectional configuration is necessary for finishing the piston as a product.
Consequently, alignment of the reference of non-circular machining and the reference of milling is required. In the prior art, every time the machining arrangement is changed for the next processing step, machining reference positions must be determined by use of precise jigs and various measuring devices so as to determine reference positions for the preliminary machining. Such operations interposed between the processing steps often induce errors, and accumulated errors become so large that it is difficult to maintain the machining accuracy of each workpiece at a certain level when the workpiece is finished. Taking this into account, a machine tool for complex machining which has a non-circular machining function, a circular lathe machining function, and/or a milling function is required for improving accuracy in workpiece machining including non-circular machining and for enhancing the machining efficiency.
As workpiece supporting means, there have conventionally been employed a method of supporting a workpiece only by a chuck at a distal end portion of the main spindle, and a method of supporting a workpiece both by a chuck at a distal end portion of the main spindle and a tailstock spindle on the side of a tailstock (as disclosed in, for instance, G.B. Patent No. 2,178,991A). In general, considering the cutting resistance at the time of workpiece machining, clamping force of the chuck and thrust of the tailstock spindle are determined by hydraulic pressure control, and the workpiece supporting force is kept constant until the machining is over. When the supporting force is constant in this manner irrespective of the cutting resistance of the workpiece, the supporting force exceeds the rigidity of the workpiece, and the workpiece during the machining is deformed or distorted. As a result, when the workpiece is released from the supporting force after the machining is over, it is often found that the workpiece does not have a predetermined machining accuracy as a final product. The elliptic configuration of a piston only allows an error of several microns in the machining accuracy. Therefore, since deformation or distortion caused by the workpiece supporting force greatly influences the machining accuracy, it must be made as small as possible.
Moreover, when the machining arrangement is changed for another workpiece, the tailstock must be moved and positioned in accordance with the size of the workpiece. In this case, manual operation for moving the tailstock requires a large amount of labor, and an operator must be particularly careful for positioning the tailstock precisely.

Machine tool for non-circular and other machining


A pattern forming method of forming a desired pattern on a semiconductor substrate is disclosed, which comprises extracting a first pattern of a layer, extracting a second pattern of one or more layers overlapped with the layer, the second pattern being arranged close to or overlapped with the first pattern, calculating a distance between the first and second patterns on a semiconductor substrate in consideration of a predetermined process variation, determining whether or not the distance between the first and second patterns satisfy an allowable margin given for the distance between the first and second patterns, and correcting, if the distance does not satisfy the allowable margin, at least one of the first and second patterns to satisfy the allowable margin.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mask pattern. In particular, the present invention relates to a pattern forming method and system, which are suitable for forming patterns having a sufficient process margin, and to a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device using the pattern forming method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, high integration and high-speed performance of semiconductor devices have advanced. For this reason, the requirements for pattern formation of semiconductor integrated circuits are very severe.
In semiconductor integrated circuits, the design rule representing the design and manufacture minimum line width becomes narrow with the improvement of nano-fabrication techniques. At present, semiconductor integrated circuits having a line width of less than 100 nm are manufactured.
If a range satisfying the foregoing design rule is given, designers can freely make a design of the circuit pattern.
Semiconductor integrated circuits are manufactured by etching various material films formed on a semiconductor substrate using resist patterns formed by a lithography technique as masks. For this reason, predetermined rule (pattern rule) is required in the pattern critical dimensions of each exposure mask and relative pattern critical dimensions between exposure masks.
For example, when the layout of the semiconductor integrated circuits is designed, the following matters are determined as the pattern arrangement rule. One is the minimum processing dimension, and another is dimension change (difference in processing conversion) before and after processing. Another is alignment accuracy when overlapping different exposure masks.
However, the circuit pattern is micronized, thereby influencing the semiconductor device characteristic resulting from the following reason. The pattern formed on the exposure mask is transferred onto the semiconductor substrate in the lithography process in the manufacture of semiconductor devices. In this case, deviation is given due to optical proximity effect (OPE) between design dimension and actual dimension when transferred onto the semiconductor substrate.
For example, even if the pattern satisfies the design rule, the acute portion of the pattern is not fully transferred; as a result, it becomes round. In addition, line dimension changes due to isolated and nested distribution of the line pattern.
In order to correct the deviation, the following method, that is, the optical proximity correction (OPC) technique, has been known. According to the OPC technique, the pattern critical dimensions on the exposure mask are corrected using optical simulation. For example, the pattern width is partially thickened, or a dummy pattern is provided.
However, the OPC technique corrects the pattern critical dimensions on the exposure mask so that the pattern formed on the semiconductor substrate is formed as design pattern critical dimensions. Thus, the OPC technique is not suitable for increasing the process margin in the lithography process.
Consequently, the OPC technique is not effective with respect to a patterns having process margin, which does not satisfy the reference value. The process margin shows an allowable range where the pattern is formed based on the dimensions having no problem on the semiconductor device characteristic even if the following condition is given. The condition is that exposure parameters, for example, exposure and focal length vary from their proper value when the pattern is transferred onto the semiconductor substrate.
The pattern forming method to solve the foregoing problem is disclosed in JPN. PAT. APPLN. KOKAI Publication No. 2002-131882 (pages 5 to 8, FIG. 2), for example.
The pattern forming method disclosed in the Publication No. 2002-131882 will be explained with reference to FIG. 17 to FIG. 20. FIG. 17 is a flowchart to explain the pattern forming method. FIG. 18 is a view showing the layout before circuit patterns are corrected. FIG. 19 is a layout view showing circuit the patterns of maximum and minimum line dimension when conditions such as an exposure amount and a focal length are varied to the circuit patterns shown in FIG. 18. FIG. 20 a view showing the layout after the circuit patterns shown in FIG. 18 are corrected.
As shown in FIG. 18 to FIG. 20, the pattern is composed of lines and spaces. More specifically, patterns 102 to 104 are arranged in parallel on an exposure mask 101. The pattern 102 has a line dimension L1. The pattern 103 has a line dimension L2, and is formed via a space dimension S1. The pattern 104 has a line dimension L3, and is formed via a space dimension S2.
First, the design pattern data is read from a data recorder, and a process margin is obtained from the relation between lines and spaces. Thereafter, the pattern having process margin, which does not satisfy the reference value, is extracted from the design pattern.
More specifically, lithography simulation is carried out while changing the exposure and focal length by predetermined ratio. By doing so, variables δ1 to δ3 of line dimensions L1 to L3 of patterns 102 to 104 are determined.
In the foregoing Publication No. 2002-131882, it is determined that δ2 and δ3 are larger than δ1, and each process margin of patterns 103 and 104 does not satisfy the reference value (step S101).
The pattern is corrected so that the process margin satisfies the reference value (step. S102). More specifically, both edges 103a and 103b of the pattern 103 are shifted to their sides so that the line dimension L2 is widened to L2′. An edge 104a of the pattern 104 is shifted to the side so that the line dimension L3 is widened to L3′.
The pattern is corrected, and thereafter, a check is made whether or not the pattern pitch is kept constant (step S103).
If the pattern pitch is not kept constant, the procedure returns to step S102, and then, the pattern is again corrected in the following manner. Space dimensions S1 and S2 are narrowed down to S1′ and S2′ in accordance with the line dimension correction so that the pattern pitch before and after correction is kept constant.
Then, it is determined whether or not the wiring capacitance of the corrected pattern is in an allowable range (step S104). This is because the following matter is taken into consideration. In correcting the process margin of the pattern, the line dimension is widened, and thereby, there is a possibility described below. Parasitic capacitance (wiring capacitance) generated between top and bottom layers exceeds an allowable value in multi-layer interconnection.
If the wiring capacitance is not in the allowable range, the procedure returns to step S102, and then, the pattern is again corrected.
If the wiring capacitance is in the allowable range, it is determined whether or not the corrected pattern satisfies the design rule. More specifically, it is determined whether or not the line and space dimensions of the corrected pattern are more than the minimum line and space dimensions predetermined in the design rule (step S105).
If the corrected pattern does not satisfy the design rule, the procedure returns to step S102, and then, the pattern is again corrected to satisfy the design rule.
On the other hand, if the corrected pattern satisfies the design rule, the optical proximity correction (OPC) is carried out with respect to the necessary portions of the corrected pattern (step S106).
Finally, an exposure mask is prepared based on the corrected design pattern data (step S107).
The Publication No. 2002-131882 discloses the method of another embodiment taking the relation of one contact hole pattern with the space between adjacent contact hole patterns. According to the method of another embodiment, a pattern having a process margin, which does not satisfy the reference value is extracted. Thereafter, the extracted pattern is corrected to satisfy the process margin.
As described above, the pattern forming method disclosed in the Publication No. 2002-131882 improves the process margin of the following patterns. The patterns are patterns (line patterns) to be formed on the same exposure mask or patterns in the same exposure mask such as a contact hole pattern.
However, higher accuracy is required in pattern transfer to the semiconductor substrate, and in addition, further technical development is required to manufacture high-integrated semiconductor devices.
The foregoing pattern forming methods have a problem that it is not suitable for improving the process margin between patterns to be formed using a plurality of exposure masks.

Pattern forming method and system, and method of manufacturing a semiconductor device


The present invention provides an electrode material comprising a combination of a compound having a disulfide group and a conductive polymer, or a conductive polymer having a disulfide group, wherein an S-S bond of the disulfide group is cleaved by the electrolytic reduction to form a sulfur-metal ion bond or a sulfur-proton bond, and the sulfur-metal ion bond or the sulfur-proton bond re-forms an S-S bond by the electrolytic oxidation. The present invention also provides a lithium rechargeable battery comprising a cathode, a solid electrolyte, and an anode, wherein the cathode is made of a composition containing as its main components lithium thiolate having a sulfur-lithium ion bond capable of forming a disulfide bond by the electrolytic oxidation and a .pi. electron conjugated conductive polymer; or a composition containing as its main component a .pi. electron conjugated conductive polymer having a sulfur-lithium ion bond capable of forming a disulfide bond by electrolytic oxidation; the solid electrolyte is a composition containing a salt containing lithium, or a polymer containing the salt; and the anode is made of a composition containing as its main components aluminium or an alloy containing aluminium, and carbon.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a reversible electrode material, a method for producing a reversible electrode using the electrode material, and a lithium battery using the reversible electrode.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Since conductive polyacetylene was discovered by Shirakawa et al. in 1971, the use of this conductive polymer as an electrode material has been extensively studied. This is because electrochemical devices such as lightweight batteries with a high energy, electrochromic elements having a large area, and biochemical sensors using minute electrodes can be expected by using the conductive polymer as the electrode material. However, since polyacetylene has some disadvantages for practical use because of its chemical instability, other .pi. electron conjugated conductive polymers, which are relatively stable, such as polyaniline, polypyrrole, polyacene, and polythiophene have been studied. Lithium secondary batteries using these polymers for their cathodes have been developed. Since these polymer electrodes take in anions existing in the electrolyte as well as cations while they are charged or discharged, the electrolyte in the battery not only functions as a medium for ion conduction but also participates in the battery reaction. Therefore, it is required that the electrolyte is supplied to the battery in an amount corresponding to the battery capacity. The energy density of the battery is limited in the range of about 20 to 50 Wh/kg, which is nearly equal to or lower than that of conventional secondary batteries such as nickel-cadmium or lead-acid batteries.
As an electrode material which can provide a higher energy density, a disulfide compound has been disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,833,048. This compound is most simply represented by R-S-S-R (where R is an aliphatic or an aromatic organic group and S is a sulfur atom). An S-S bond is cleaved by the electrolytic reduction in an electrolytic cell containing cation of M.sup.+ to form a salt represented by R-S.sup.-. M.sup.+. This salt returns to the R-S-S-R by the electrolytic oxidation. In the U.S. Pat. No. 4,833,048, a metal-sulfur type rechargeable battery obtained by combining a disulfide compound with metal M which supplies and captures the cations (M.sup.+) has been proposed. According to this rechargeable battery, an energy density of 150 Wh/kg or more, which is much more than that of conventional secondary batteries, can be expected.
As described above, the disulfide compound is proposed as an electrode material which can provide a higher energy density. However, as the inventors of U.S. Pat. No. 4,833,048 reported in J. Electrochem. Soc, Vol. 136, No. 9, pp. 2570 to 2575 (1989), the difference between the oxidation potential and the reduction potential is very large. For example, when [(C.sub.2 H.sub.5).sub.2 NCSS-].sub.2 is electrolyzed, the oxidation potential differs from the reduction potential by 1 V or more. According to the electrode reaction theory, the electron transfer of the disulfide compound proceeds extremely slowly. Because of this, it is rather difficult to obtain a rechargeable battery providing a higher current output of 1 mA/cm.sup.2 or more at room temperature. The operation of a battery comprising an electrode of disulfide compound is limited to a high temperature in the range of 100.degree. to 200.degree. C., where the electron transfer can proceed faster.

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A method and device for concurrently calendaring an appointment or event between at least two persons comprises selecting a recording instrument having a check format. The recording instrument may be a check book folder, pocket calendar, or electronic calendar device. The check format has blank lines for entering at least the names of the persons, a date and time, and a signature line. The date and time are entered on the check format. The names of the persons are applied to the check format. A signature of at least one of the persons is obtained. The recording instrument is separated into at least two parts and the parts are distributed to the at least two persons involved. A bridging element may be provided that extends across the at least two parts of the check format for maintaining a symbolic connection between the at least two parts.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and device for concurrently calendaring appointments or events with an increased level of commitment and value. More particularly, the present invention relates to a recording instrument having a transactional check format where the appointment information is recorded on the check format and then separated into at least two parts for at least two persons involved.
2. Prior Art
Within the last two decades, a heightened awareness of the value of time has occurred, with an attendant increased effort for conscience control of time. Time has become increasingly viewed as a primary resource or asset to be carefully monitored and programmed. Indeed, a large industry has developed around the concept of time management and has produced a host of motivational and instructive seminars and other materials to teach people how to manage, account, and/or prioritize their time. Other systems go further by aiding people in identifying and prioritizing the various categories of activities in their lives.
All these systems and associated materials have a primary objective of making the most of time. These systems endeavor to achieve these objectives with complex day planners, calendars, and electronic devices. The concept of time management has now become an icon for success in the business community, and even in private life. Most of these materials and systems allow for scheduling or calendaring of appointments or events while some provide for other aspects such as prioritizing tasks, accounting for time, etc. While these materials and systems may help the person using them to value and manage their time, they do little to influence other persons who are also involved in the appointment or event. Furthermore, these systems fail to help the person and those with whom the person associates or does business to place a higher value on a commitment to an appointment or event with this person.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to develop a method and device capable of making a person and those with whom the person associates more aware of the value of time. It would also be advantageous to develop a method and device capable of making a person more accountable for the person's time. In addition, it would be advantageous to develop a method and device capable of making a person and those with whom the person associated experience greater commitment to an appointment or event.

Method and device for concurrently calendaring appointments


The present device provides a composite rotary union assembly which overcomes the disadvantages of prior art rotary union assemblies. The composite rotary union assembly of the present invention provides for supplying water or gas to a rotatable reel assembly, it also provides metal inserts for high wear areas of the rotary union assembly, including the threads, for longer useful life of the assembly while providing a resin structure for supporting and placing the metal portions.

Garden hoses are a necessity for homeowners and business owners for lawn and garden care, as well as general all-around home care. Typically, hoses are found either wound and left on the ground near a water spigot, or wound on one of many known hose reel-type storage devices. These devices include stationary frames, stationary hose reel hangers that can be mounted to a surface of a building such as an outer wall of a house, and hose reel carts that include wheels for portability. A typical hose reel cart includes a rotatable reel or spool which includes a crank handle extending through the frame such that the spool can be rotated by hand and the hose can be wound or unwound about the spool for storage or use. To provide for flow of water from a water source to the hose, hose reel structures further contain rotary unions. Typical rotary unions have a stationary inlet tube and a movable outlet tube. The stationary inlet tube of the rotary union extends away from the reel and is structured to be coupled to a supply hose, which is further coupled to a water supply. The movable outlet tube cooperates with the inlet tube on one end so that it is rotatable with the spool and includes a second end that is disposed on the circumference of the reel. A hose is coupled to the second end of the movable outlet and is used to deliver water to the end use. The hose is merely wound upon the reel for storage, and pulled or dispensed from the reel for use. Often, these hose reel carts include wheels to permit ready transport of the hose from one location to another.
Hose carts are commonly purchased by the general consumer, wherein it is desirable that the hose cart can be easily assembled with minimal use of hand tools. In an effort to provide easy-to-assemble hose reel assemblies, they are typically made of plastic and sold with as many preassembled parts as possible. Many hose reels are currently sold in a ready to use condition, whereby the user merely needs to hook the device to a supply of water or air to use the device.
While such efforts have provided the general consumer with a product that is ready to use out of the box, disassembly for maintenance or repair can be difficult. The components are typically formed from resin, e.g. plastic, thereby including plastic threads for cooperation with the hoses that connect to the water or air supply and to the distribution hose. Plastic threads wear quickly and are easily cross-threaded during assembly of the hoses, resulting in leaks that can only be cured with component replacement. In addition, plastic degrades quickly in many environments causing the plastic to become brittle, whereby threads are easily broken.
Metal rotary union assemblies have been suggested, however, the complexity of the parts requires expensive tooling. In addition, machining operations are typically required to provide the finishes necessary for proper operation. The nature of molding hot metal necessarily requires extensive maintenance to keep the tooling in operation, increasing the cost of metal rotary union assemblies.
Therefore, what is needed in the art is a rotary union assembly for a hose reel that is formed predominantly from resin materials while including metal inserts in high wear and typical fail points of rotary union assemblies.
Thus, the present invention provides a rotary union assembly which overcomes the disadvantages of prior art rotary union assemblies. The rotary union assembly of the present invention not only provides for supplying water or gas to a rotatable reel assembly, it also provides metal inserts for threads and high wear areas for longer useful life of the components.


A method and system of submitting healthcare claims for adjudication at the point of service is provided. The system provides methods and secure central storage for providers of healthcare services to maintain user created and maintained patient lists, provider location lists, and superbill forms for healthcare claims submission according to the user's unique and individual requirements. The system transmits completed healthcare claims while protecting patient privacy, and provides real-time adjudication of the claims, giving an almost instantaneous claim result in the form of a patient summary receipt back to the point of service at the healthcare provider's location. This is achieved through a real-time interface with the enterprise server claims adjudication engine. Customized lists and superbill forms as required by the individual user are also stored on the enterprise server.

1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems providing services that assist healthcare providers to manage their provider location data and their specific patient population data along with the capability to submit healthcare claims via the Internet and receive back an indication of the claim resolution. More specifically, registered healthcare provider representatives enter claims via the Internet and interact with the system to correct any claim entry errors so that claims can be adjudicated real-time. The present invention allows registered healthcare provider representatives to construct their own customized superbill for claim entry or use the standard claim entry Web pages available in the system. The system provides a patient summary receipt so that the registered healthcare provider representative knows the correct co-payment or cost share to collect from the patient at the point of service. The patient summary receipt also indicates the amount the healthcare provider will be paid.
2. Description of Prior Art
The administration of insurance claims represents a significant overhead in the overall cost of health care. The introduction of computers and the Internet and the adoption of standardized procedure and diagnosis codes has facilitated the claim submission and adjudication process. Nevertheless, the reliance by insurers and other third party payors and by health care providers on customized claim forms often necessitates the re-entry of patient and provider information and can result in erroneous entries. As a consequence, payments are delayed and processing overhead is increased.
Numerous proposals have been made for using the Internet in the processing of insurance claims, for example, Eldridge et al., U.S. Patent No. US 2001/0037224 A1; Boyer et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,208,973 B1; Bryant, Jr. et al., U.S. Patent No. US 2002/0169955 A1; Moore et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,930,759; and Tarter et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,704,044. Further suggestions have been made specific to health care claims. Boyer et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,208,973 B1, shows the use of a credit card to facilitate point of service payment and suggests using the Internet to transmit information about claims so that they may be adjudicated in real time. In a system described by Provost et al., U.S. Patent No. US 2002/0091549 A1 and Provost et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,341,265 B1 when a potential claim is adjudicated and found to be not covered, the system provides information about the reason the claim is not covered and is may suggest an alternative service or treatment. Peterson, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,343,271 B1 and Peterson et al., U.S. Patent No. US 2002/0019754 A1 show a system that allows doctors to access patient information from a central database.
None of the prior art systems observed allow health care providers using the system at the point of service to access centrally stored information customized specifically for their practice without the use of specialized hardware or software.

Provider data management and claims editing and settlement system

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of South Carolina


The embodiments relate to tamper protection of a field device. The method includes: checking whether manipulation of the field device has taken place; outputting a non-manipulation certificate in case a negative inspection result is determined; transferring the non-manipulation certificate; a registration device checking the non-manipulation certificate; determining an active status of the field device in case the non-manipulation certificate is valid; checking the field device by querying the status of the field device; transferring field device data to the monitoring device; and accepting the field device data if the field device has an active status. The invention further relates to a monitoring system for a field device and a use.

Field devices, for example traffic signal installations for traffic control, signal installations for trains, and switches, are usually connected to a control station or a signal box for the operating and monitoring thereof. In this context, the communication between field device and control station may take place both by wired connections (run cables) or also wirelessly by a radio link.
In order to be able to detect a physical manipulation at a field device by a possible attacker, sensors, for example motion sensors, may be used. In order to impede a manipulation of electronic circuits in the field device itself, hardware security-integrated circuits may be used that store cryptographic keys and perform cryptographic operations. Such integrated circuits usually have a tamper protection, for example in the form of sensors arranged directly on the integrated circuit. The sensors are designed for detecting an unauthorized opening of the integrated circuit.
Such a hardware security-integrated circuit may be a "trusted platform module," the data for which can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trusted_Platform_Module. For example, such integrated circuits are installed in PCs or notebooks.
The field of burglar alarm installations and alarm installations for buildings use contacts at doors and windows, and/or motion sensors for signaling a break-in or unauthorized opening or penetration into the building or into a room. In the case of a break-in into a building, for example, an alarm is triggered by a siren, or something similar, and it is also possible to contact a police operations center at the same time. To protect the alarm installation against manipulations, the sensors themselves may be equipped with so-called tamper sensors that detect a manipulation of the burglar alarm installation or of the alarm installation, especially when the housing is opened and/or a sensor is dismantled. The tamper sensors then transfer the information to the alarm installation that, in turn, triggers an alarm.
One way to protect parts of a circuit board or an entire circuit board against manipulation is to screw metal plates onto the circuit board in such a manner that a capacitor is formed overall. The capacitance of this capacitor is then continuously monitored so that in the case of a deviation of the normal capacitance value, for example by touching the metal plate or its removal, a change in the capacitance occurs. If a change in the capacitance is found, an alarm may be triggered and a memory on the board that, for example, contains sensitive data, may be deleted so that an attacker cannot obtain access to the sensitive data.

Method for monitoring a tamper protection and monitoring system for a field device having tamper protection


A printed circuit board according to one embodiment of the present invention is a printed circuit board including a plate-shaped or a sheet-shaped insulating material having a penetrating hole, and a metal plating layer layered on both surfaces of the insulating material and an inner peripheral surface of the insulating material, wherein an inner diameter of the penetrating hole monotonically decreases from a top surface of the insulating material toward a back surface, and wherein the inner diameter of the penetrating hole at a center in a thickness direction of the insulating material is smaller than an average of an opening diameter on the top side and an opening diameter on the back side.

In recent years, interconnections of printed circuit boards have been shrinking, and there are demands for thinner printed circuit boards and smaller through-holes in printed circuit boards.
Generally, a through-hole is formed by performing electroless plating on the inner peripheral surface of a penetrating hole formed in an insulating material to become a substrate and performing electroplating on a metal layer layered by the electroless plating as an object to be adhered thereon. In the electroplating, plating currents are likely to concentrate on corner between top and back surfaces and the inner peripheral surface of the penetrating hole, and the plating thickness of the corner is likely to be greater than the other portions. Therefore, if the through-hole is decreased in diameter, the opening of the penetrating hole is closed by the metal plating layer prior to sufficiently filling the inside of the penetrating hole with the metal, which causes a disadvantage of generating a void (a space that is not filled with metal) in the inside of the penetrating hole.
In view of the disadvantage, a technique has been proposed in which a penetrating hole is formed into a drum shape (a shape in which two conical surfaces are combined so that the diameter becomes smaller in the center) that expands the diameters from the center in the thickness direction of the insulating material toward the top and back surfaces, so that the penetrating hole is filled with a plating metal such that the penetrating hole is sequentially closed from the center in the thickness direction, thereby preventing a void from being formed in the penetrating hole (see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication No. 2004-311919).

Printed circuit board and method of manufacturing a printed circuit board

SUMITOMO ELECTRIC PRINTED CIRCUITS, INC.


An example information processing apparatus executes a setting process of setting a content set including a plurality of game contents for a player of the information processing apparatus. The information processing apparatus executes a selection process of selecting at least one game content from the content set. A game content is chosen, according to a predetermine rule, from a game content group including a plurality of game contents selected by performing the selection process on each of content sets that have been set for a plurality of players. A game process based on the chosen game content is executed.

Among conventional racing games in which a plurality of players can participate simultaneously is one in which a racing course that is to be actually used is randomly selected from a plurality of previously prepared racing courses. For example, a predetermined number of racing courses randomly selected from a plurality of previously prepared racing courses are presented to players. Each player selects one from the presented racing courses. A racing course that is to be actually used in the game is randomly selected from the racing courses selected by the players.
The same optional racing courses are conventionally presented to all the players. Each player selects one from the options common to all the players. Therefore, there are almost no tactics for selecting a racing course.
With the above in mind, the present application discloses a storage medium storing a game program that has improved strategic aspects of a game involved in selecting a game content for use in the game, an information processing apparatus, an information processing system, and a game processing method.
(1) A non-limiting example storage medium according to the present disclosure stores a game program for causing a computer of an information processing apparatus to function as a set setting means, a content selecting means, a content choosing means, and a game executing means. The set setting means executes a setting process of setting a content set including a plurality of game contents for a player of the information processing apparatus. The plurality of game contents may be different from each other in at least one of game rule, game condition, and game stage. The content selecting means executes a selection process of selecting at least one game content from the content set. The content choosing means chooses, according to a predetermined rule, a game content from a game content group including a plurality of game contents selected by performing the selection process on each of content sets that have been set for a plurality of players. The game executing means executes a game process based on the chosen game content.
According to the feature (1), a game content is selected from a content set, a game content is chosen from those that have been selected for a plurality of players, and a game process based on the chosen game content is executed. According to the feature (1), different content sets can be set for different players (note that two or more content sets may be accidentally the same). Therefore, when operations such as setting a content set and selecting a game content from a content set are performed, a player can consider or guess what kinds of a content set has been selected by another player. Therefore, there are tactics for performing the above operations, so that the strategic aspects of the game involving in selecting a game content for use in the game can be improved. In addition, according to the feature (1), in a game in which a plurality of game contents are prepared that are different from each other in at least one of game rule, game condition, and game stage, the strategic aspects of the game involving in selecting a game content for use in the game can be improved.
(2) A series of processes including the selection process, the process of choosing a game content, and the game process based on the chosen game content may be repeatedly executed as gameplay proceeds during a round of gameplay. The game program may cause the computer to further function as a set changing means. The set changing means changes a game content included in at least one of the plurality of content sets, depending on proceeding of gameplay during a round of gameplay.
According to the feature (2), the contents of a content set are changed, depending on proceeding of gameplay. This allows a player to perform the above operations in gameplay, taking the changed contents of the content set into account, and therefore, the strategic aspects of the game can be further improved.
(3) The set changing means may exclude a game content from the content set in the selection process, if one or more conditions including one that the game content has been chosen are satisfied.
According to the feature (3), a game content that has actually been played is excluded from the content set. Therefore, the possibility that the same game content is played a plurality of times in a round of gameplay can be reduced, and therefore, the possibility that a player gets bored with the game can be reduced.
(4) The set changing means may exclude the chosen game content, in the selection process, from the content set from which the chosen game content has been selected, and may not exclude the chosen game content from the other content sets.
According to the feature (4), even a game content that has actually been played is not excluded in the selection process from a game content from which the game content has not been selected. Therefore, the possibility that a player complains about the game because a game content that has not been selected is excluded from the content set, can be reduced.
(5) The set changing means may exclude a game content from a content set in the selection process, if one or more conditions including one that the game content has been selected in the selection process are satisfied.
According to the feature (5), a game content that has been selected in the selection process and has not been played can be prevented from being selected again in the subsequent selection process. As a result, the possibility that tactics for selecting game content are reduced can be reduced.
(6) The set changing means may exclude a game content that has been selected in the selection process, in the selection process, from a content set from which the game content has been selected, and may not exclude the game content from the other content sets in the selection process.
According to the feature (6), even a game content that has been selected in the selection process is not excluded in the selection process from a game content from which the game content has not been selected. Therefore, the possibility that a player complains about the game because a game content that has not been selected is excluded from the content set, can be reduced.
(7) The content selecting means may select at least one game content from a content set in the selection process, according to an instruction from a player corresponding to the content set.
According to the feature (7), a player can specify a portion of the game content group for choosing a game content to be played, by themselves. This allows a player to specify a game content, taking into account whether a game content which the player is good at (or a game content which another player is bad at) should be specified at the current time, or saved for the next time, etc. As a result, the strategic aspects of the game involved in choosing a game content to be executed can be improved, resulting in an improvement in the amusingness of the game.
(8) The set setting means may set a content set specified by a player from a plurality of previously prepared content sets, as a content set for the player.
According to the feature (8), none of the players needs to select a game content that is to be included in a content set, on a one-by-one basis, i.e., a player can easily set a content set.
(9) The game program may cause the computer to further function as a set creating means. The set creating means creates a content set including a plurality of game contents specified by a player from a plurality of previously prepared game contents. The set setting means may set a content set including a plurality of game contents specified by a player, as a content set for the player.
According to the feature (9), a player can freely set the contents of a content set. For example, a player can set a content set including only their favorite game contents.
(10) The game program may cause the computer to further function as a set creating means. The set creating means receive an instruction to automatically create a content set, from a player, and creates a content set including a plurality of game contents automatically selected from a plurality of previously prepared game contents according to the instruction. The set setting means may set a content set including a plurality of game contents automatically selected according to a player's instruction, as a content set for the player.
According to the feature (10), the contents of a content set are automatically set according to a player's instruction. Therefore, a player can easily set a content set.
(11) A series of processes including the selection process, the process of choosing a game content, and the game process based on the chosen game content may be repeatedly executed during a round of gameplay. The game program may cause the computer to further function as a registration receiving means and a set creating means. The registration receiving means receives a registration instruction to register a game content that has been executed in the gameplay, at a predetermined timing during the round of gameplay. The set creating means newly creates a content set including a game content for which the registration instruction has been input. The set setting means may set the created content set as a content set for the player who has input the registered instruction.
According to the feature (11), a player can register a game content that has actually been played, and thereby set a content set including the registered game content. For example, a player can register a favorite game content, and thereby set a content set including the favorite game content. In addition, according to the feature (11), a player can input an instruction to register a game content in gameplay, and therefore, can more easily input the registration instruction.
(12) The content choosing means may choose a game content from the game content group in a probabilistic manner.
According to the feature (12), a game content is chosen from the game content group substantially randomly. If none of the players is allowed to exactly guess a game content that is to be chosen, the amusingness of the game can be improved in terms of choice of a game content.
(13) If two or more of the same game content are included in the game content group, the content choosing means may choose that game content with a higher probability than when that game content is singly included in the game content group.
According to the feature (13), the probability with which a game content is chosen varies depending on whether or not the game content group includes two or more of that game content. Therefore, a player selects a game content, taking into account the possibility that the player selects the same content set that is selected by another player. Therefore, the strategic aspects of the game involved in selecting a game content can be improved.
(14) The content choosing means may adjust a probability with which a game content included in a content set of a player who satisfies a predetermined condition, of a plurality of players, is chosen such that the probability is higher than a probability with which a game content included in a content set of a player who does not satisfy a predetermined condition is chosen.
According to the feature (14), the probability with which a game content is chosen varies depending on whether or not the player corresponding to the game content satisfies a predetermined condition. Therefore, a player plays the game, taking into account which of the players satisfies a predetermined condition. As a result, the strategic aspects of the game can be improved.
(15) The predetermined condition may be for starting a series of processes including the selection process, the process of choosing a game content, and the game process based on the chosen game content during a round of gameplay. In the case where the series of process is executed if the predetermined condition is satisfied, the content choosing means may adjust a probability with which a game content included in a content set of a player who satisfies the predetermined condition is chosen such that the probability is higher than a probability with which a game content included in a content set of a player who does not satisfy the predetermined condition is chosen, in the series of processes.
According to the feature (15), a game content corresponding to a player who satisfies the condition for starting the series of processes is more likely to be chosen, and therefore, a player can be motivated to satisfy the condition. Therefore, the execution of the series of processes are more readily initiated, so that the game can proceed more smoothly.
(16) The game program may cause the computer to further function as a display control means. The display control means displays, on a display device, an image indicating regions associated with the respective game contents included in the game content group. The area of each region represents a probability with which the corresponding game content is chosen.
According to the feature (16), a player can intuitively recognize a probability with which a game content is chosen, based on the area of the corresponding region in the image.
(17) The game program may cause the computer to further function as a prize giving means. The prize giving means gives a prize in the game to a player, depending on the result of the game process based on the chosen game content. In the case where a predetermined prize depending on the result is given to a player, the prize giving means may give a greater prize to a player when the chosen game content is from a content set of the player than when the chosen game content is not from a content set of the player.
According to the feature (17), a player can get a greater prize when the chosen game content is from their own content set than when the chosen game content is not from their own content set. As a result, a player pays more attention to whether or not a game content selected from their own content set is chosen. Therefore, the strategic aspects and amusingness of the game can be further improved.
(18) The game program may cause the computer to further function as a set presenting means. The set presenting means presents, to a player, a set image indicating game contents included in a content set corresponding to another player.
According to the feature (18), a player can play the game, taking into account the contents of a content set that has been set for another player.
(19) The game program may cause the computer to further function as a display control means for displaying a game image on a display device. The display control means may not present, to a player, an image the game contents of a content set corresponding to another player, during a round of gameplay in which a series of processes including the selection process, the process of choosing a game content, and the game process based on the chosen game content is executed.
According to the feature (19), in gameplay, none of the players can exactly know the contents of a content set that has been set for another player, and a player only guesses the contents of a content set that has been set for another player. Therefore, the strategic aspects of the game can be improved.
Note that non-limiting example information processing apparatuses or information processing systems including the means described in (1)-(19) are herein disclosed. In addition, non-limiting example game processing methods executed in the information processing apparatus (or the information processing system) described in (1)-(19) are herein disclosed.
According to the storage medium storing the game program, the information processing apparatus, the information processing system, and the game processing method, the strategic aspects of a game involved in selecting a game content for use in the game can be improved.
These and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present exemplary embodiment will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present exemplary embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Game program, information processing apparatus, information processing system, and game processing method


First rear swing arms are pivotably supported at their front ends to a drive shaft on which drive wheels are mounted. The rear ends of the first rear swing arms are pivotably supported through a shaft to the front ends of side rails, and first idlers are mounted on the shaft. Second idlers are mounted on a shaft to which the rear ends of the side rails are supported, and second rear swing arms are supported at their lower ends to shafts supported to the rear ends of the side rails. The upper ends of the second rear swing arms are supported to a shaft supported to a floor. A track belt is wrapped around the drive wheels and the idlers. Sliders and are individually mounted on the first rear swing arms and the side rails, respectively.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a snowmobile having a steerable ski supported on a front portion of a vehicle body and an endless track device supported on a rear portion of the vehicle body.
2. Description of Background Art
An endless track device for a snowmobile is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,093,033. This endless track device includes a drive wheel, a swing arm pivotably supported to a vehicle body, a side rail supported to a rear end of the swing arm and extending in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, idlers supported to a front portion and a rear portion of the side rail, and a track belt wrapped around the idlers and the drive wheel. The side rail is formed with a slider extending in the longitudinal direction for slidably guiding the track belt. The front end of the slider extends to a position in the vicinity of the drive wheel.
Further, a rear cushion device consisting of a damper and a cushion spring is provided between the swing arm and the side rail.
When an impact load is applied from a snow surface to the side rail of the endless track device during operation of the snowmobile, the swing arm is swung upwardly. At this time, the front end of the side rail moved upwardly together with the swing arm is gradually separated from a portion of the track belt between the drive wheel and the front idler. Eventually, the swing arm cannot slidably guide the track belt.


The present invention is to provide an LED driver circuit which includes a capacitor and at least one LED respectively connected in parallel to a power source through a switch device, and a controller having an input end connected to a line between the switch device and the power source and being configured for detecting an input voltage applied to the LED. When the controller detected that the input voltage is unable to drive the LED to emit light, the controller activates the switch device to make only the connection between the capacitor and the at least one LED, such that the capacitor discharges a voltage stored therein to the at least one LED to continuously emit light. Since the driver circuit only needs a small-capacity, low-cost capacitor for increasing the light emission time of the at least one LED, the cost of the driver circuit can be lowered effectively.

Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are light-emitting elements made of semiconductor materials whose properties enable conversion from electric energy into light energy. LEDs have been massively used in lighting- and display-related applications due to their small physical volumes, long lifetimes, low driving voltages, short response times, and ready adaptability to various products in our daily lives.
FIG. 1 schematically shows the circuit structure of a conventional simple LED driver circuit 100, which includes a power source 11 and at least one LED 13. The power source 11 can generate a pulsed direct-current (DC) voltage for driving the LED 13.
Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the input voltage VIN generated by the power source 11 varies periodically over time. When the input voltage VIN is higher than the forward bias voltage VF of the LED 13, the LED 13 can be successfully driven to emit light by the power source 11, as in the state of S=1 in FIG. 2. When the input voltage VIN is lower than the forward bias voltage VF of the LED 13, however, the LED 13 cannot be driven to emit light by the power source 11, as in the state of S=0 in FIG. 2.
Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, in order for the LED 13 to emit light continuously, one conventional approach is to add a capacitor 15 to the LED driver circuit 100. The capacitor 15 is charged by the power source 11 and thus stores a stored electric energy VC while the power source 11 is driving the LED 13. Therefore, the power supplied from the LED driver circuit 100 to the LED 13 will be a ripple voltage, which is the sum of the input voltage VIN and the stored electric energy VC (i.e., VIN+VC) and which can keep the LED 13 emitting light, as in the state of S=1 in FIG. 3.
However, despite the fact that the LED driver circuit 100 with the additional capacitor 15 can drive the LED 13 to emit light continuously, the aforesaid circuit design entails a waste of energy, for the capacitor 15 will keep discharging even when the power source 11 is at a relatively high potential level (e.g., when the input voltage VIN is higher than the forward bias voltage VF of the LED 13).
Moreover, in order to provide a sufficient driving power to the LED 13 incessantly, the ripple voltage (VIN+VC) must maintain at a relatively high level for a long time, and this cannot be done without a large-capacity capacitor 15 for energy storage. Nevertheless, as a large-capacity capacitor 15 generally can only be implemented by an electrolytic capacitor, which is both costly and prone to damage, the resultant LED driver circuit 100 will have a high circuit cost and less-than-satisfactory quality.