A microprocessor includes a main processor and a service processor. The service processor is configured to detect and break a deadlock/livelock condition in the main processor. The service processor detects the deadlock/livelock condition by detecting the main processor has not retired an instruction or completed a processor bus transaction for a predetermined number of clock cycles. In response to detecting the deadlock/livelock condition in the main processor, the service processor causes arbitration requests to a cache memory to be captured in a buffer, analyzes the captured requests to detect a pattern that may indicate a bug causing the condition and performs actions associated with the pattern to break the deadlock/livelock. The actions include suppression of arbitration requests to the cache, suppression of comparisons cache request addresses and killing requests to access the cache.

The present inventor has observed that there are classes of bugs in microprocessor designs in which the microprocessor gets hung (i.e., it is no longer retiring instructions) because a deadlock or livelock condition has occurred at one of the cache memories of the microprocessor. For example, a bug may cause the processor to be unable to answer an external snoop of its caches and consequently "snoop stall" indefinitely, which has the effect of blocking the bus from performing any further bus cycles (i.e., a "bus hang"). For another example, a bug may cause the processor to be unable to drive data in response to a snoop and "DBSY stall" indefinitely, which also causes a bus hang. Such bugs may obviously have detrimental effects in a computing system that includes the microprocessor. Furthermore, such bugs may be difficult to debug if the microprocessor stays in the deadlock/livelock condition. What is needed is a way to break the deadlock/livelock situation.

Deadlock/livelock resolution using service processor


The invention relates to devices for testing and evaluation of characteristics of information and recognizing systems in particular imaging systems. It may be used for testing of medical and industrial diagnostic systems.. The test phantom for information systems is divided into several areas, being identified on the output image or on the informative field of the system. The areas are united in one or several groups. Each of groups comprises identical test elements, thereby their maximum quantity is less than the number of said areas included in the group. All of these test elements are identical within one group, but they can be different in various groups. The disposition of test elements may be changed so that their final positions are not known to the examiner but may be determined, and they are arranged so that none of said areas may contain more than one test element.. Design of test phantom and the identification of areas on the image of phantom can be executed by various ways. Each test element can be disposed in a flat disc and moved relatively to a plate divided into numbered areas, or located eccentrically in a separated disc which can be displaced within appropriate group of identified areas independently from other ones.. The operative statistical method of using test phantom provide the opportunity to obtain probabilities of true, true-positive and true-negative answers of operator.

The invention relates to devices for testing and evaluation of characteristics of information and recognizing systems in particular imaging systems. It may be used with efficiency for testing of medical and industrial diagnostic systems, e.g., estimating their detectability of defects and pathological details. The invention is suitable for X-ray, gamma and ultrasound diagnostic systems as well as for computer tomography and magnetic resonance imaging.
At present many of phantoms for quality control of medical and industry diagnostic systems are known (booklets of RMI, Inc., Nuclear Associates, Inc., PTW-Freiburg, Inc.; Phantoms and Computational Model in Therapy, Diagnostics and Protection--ICRU Report 48 June 1992; Test Phantoms and Optimization in Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine--Proceedings of Discussion Workshop held in Wurzburg, Germany 15-17 June, 1992).
Most of these phantoms have definitely disposed test elements simulating defects or pathologies. The diagnostic system is evaluated by distinguishing various test elements on the output image of the system and by defining the minimum detectable size of the test element.
The main shortcoming of known phantom is the fixed position of test elements that is known to the examiner beforehand. The impossibility of impartial testing leads often to conflicting opinions between producers and users of diagnostic equipment. RMI's Low Contrast Resolution Test Tool, Model 151 or Contrast Resolution Tissue-equivalent Ultrasound Test Object (U.S. Pat. No. 4,331,021) can serve as examples of such phantoms. There are also test phantoms with changeable position of test elements (Inventor's certificate of USSR No 699915). However the lack of identification of phantom areas on the output image, which determinate coordinates of each distinguished element does not make it possible to obtain probabilities of true, true-positive and false-positive answers of the examiner. Thus it is also impossible to obtain an impartial quantitative assessment of detectability of phantom details.

Test phantom for information systems and method of its use


In a method and apparatus for discriminating a coal species, discriminating values of coal species/properties are prepared corresponding to coal ranks, a coal to be discriminated is irradiated with near-infrared rays having different wavelengths, and light of near-infrared rays reflected from the coal is received; Aborbances of the coal are acquired, and the coal species/property discriminating value of the coal is discriminated on the basis of the absorbances and a prescribed calibration curve.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus of automatically identifying the species of coal (hereinafter referred to as "coal species"), i.e. discriminating a coal species from other coal species in a non-contact manner.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The property of coal varies according to its production area. The coal can be roughly classified into anthracite (hard coal), bituminous coal (soft coal), lignite (brawn coal). etc. on the basis of the property of coal. The coal was formed as a result that the fiber elements of plants stacked in the geological age were subjected to dehydrating reactions to be humificated. The humification degree of coal increases with advancement of the brawn coal, bituminous coal and anthracite. Correspondingly, the coal rank increases to have a tendency of the volatile component becoming small. In this way, the contents or component of the coal vary with the degree of humification. Thus, the many species of coal were born from various areas. However, conventionally, the property of the coal could not be precisely discriminated by color or smell. For this reason, the property obtained from the chemical analysis of components of the coal was compared with the past data of the property so that the coal species was discriminated from one another.
However, the chemical analysis requires a relatively long time (three or four days) and skill. The method using the chemical analysis was disadvantageous in a case where the coal species should be discriminated instantaneously, for example, the species of coal to be used as fuel in a fuel supply line for a boiler should be changed for combustion adjustment.
There was also an attempt of measuring the volatile component of coal using intermediate-infrared rays to automate and continue the quality control. However, this attempt was disadvantageous in discriminating the species/property of coal at great accuracy for the reasons: (1) the sensitivity of a detector is low because of using intermediate infrared rays, (2) weak reflected light due to strong absorption of water in an intermediate infrared region lowers the S/N ratio so that the discrimination accuracy is greatly affected by stray light, and (3) because the infrared rays due to the thermal radiation from a coal sample to be measured are radiated in the intermediate region, the identifying accuracy will be affected by the temperature of the coal sample.
Further, as the case may be, the coal species may be changed in a fuel supply line for e.g. a boiler. In this case, even if the property of coal can be discriminated, it was difficult to discriminate the coal species at issue from other coal species.

Method and apparatus of discriminating coal species


A container carrier having a support frame pivotally connected at its bottom end to a truck chassis and a carrying frame pivotally connected at its top to the top of the support frame. The carrying frame has support arms for holding a container. The support frame is generally upright with the carrying frame folded adjacent the support frame when the carrier is in a container carrying position on the truck chassis, the center of gravity of a carried container located forwardly of the rear wheels of the truck. The support frame extends rearwardly with the carrying frame unfolded when the carrier is in a container pick-up position. In the pick-up position, the support arms on the carrying frame are located past the rear end of the truck chassis and extend rearwardly therefrom to engage a container on the ground. Moving means move the support and carrying frames between the carrying position and the pick-up position.

1. Technical Field
This invention is directed toward a waste container carrier.
2. Background Art
The waste container carrier of the present invention is of the type mountable on the chassis of a truck and having the carrier movable between a container pick-up position off the rear of the chassis of the truck and a container carrying position on the chassis of the truck. The container is usually a refuse or waste holding container that is placed on the ground at a location where it can be filled with refuse or waste, and when full, a truck is dispatched to pick it up and transport to a location where it can be unloaded and then returned to its previous location.
The known container carriers usually locate the container rearwardly of the rear wheels of the truck, in the carrying position, in order to be able to easily pick up and drop off the container. Such a carrying position however makes the truck unstable during operation. In order to make the truck more stable during operation, it is known to move the container forwardly on the chassis of the truck once it has been lifted up during loading so that the container is located between the front and rear wheels of the truck. An example of such a carrier is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,778,327. However this carrier is relatively expensive since the chassis of the truck must be extensively modified to accommodate a track used to move the container forwardly of the rear wheels on the chassis.


The invention relates to a sensor board comprising a plate-like body comprising a body material and having two surfaces substantially parallel to each other, and at least one optical sensor and at least one non-optical sensor, the sensors being positioned at the same surface of the body, wherein the body includes a first area having a thickness D1 of the body material and a second area having a thickness D2 of the body material, where D1>D2>0, the at least one optical sensor being positioned at the second area.

The invention relates to a sensor board comprising a plate-like body comprising a body material and having two surfaces substantially parallel to each other, and at least one optical sensor and at least one non-optical sensor, where the sensors are positioned at the same surface of the body,
In this context the term sensor board denotes a board of solid material carrying two or more sensors on at least one surface of the board.
Optical sensors are widely used in analytical devices for analyzing samples within several technical fields, e.g. for assessing the quality of food and drinking products or industrial products.
Optical in vitro determination of parameters in a blood sample is normally performed by means of blood gas analyzers as, e.g. the blood gas analyzers produced and sold by Radiometer Medical ApS, Copenhagen, Denmark, under the name ABL800 FLEX. In these analyzers the optical sensors are normally installed as self-contained photometric units and require space and, furthermore, make the analyzing path longer, which again may require larger samples.
Due to the tendency of minimizing the amount of blood required for measurements, which is particularly true for critically ill patients for which many subsequent samples may be required and neonates for which the available amount of blood is highly limited, it is desired to minimize the analyzing path e.g. by providing as many sensors for analyzing different parameters in as little volume as possible.
Also in other applications the requirement for minimal sample volume may be relevant, e.g. when specimen from where the sample is derived is sparse or expensive. Consequently, it would be a significant advantage if optical sensors could be combined with other sensors on a sensor board.


Coupling apparatus for a telephone handset comprises a handset-coupling cradle having a dome at one end thereof for locating the earpiece (receiver) of the handset, and sound ports at the other end of the cradle in the region where the mouthpiece (microphone) of the handset resides. The handset-coupling cradle is shaped to accommodate a variety of different handset styles. An inductive sensor is mounted within the dome and it responds to electromagnetic fields generated by the handset receiver. Such a sensor eliminates the need to closely couple the receiver to the apparatus. A low acoustic impedance loudspeaker is mounted beneath the sound ports for acoustically coupling signals to the handset's microphone. Such a loudspeaker eliminates the need to closely couple the microphone to the apparatus.

Portable data transmitting/receiving apparatus, such as a TDD (Telecommunications Device for the Deaf), is not always used in a location that permits convenient connection to the Public Switched Telecommunications Network (PSTN). Moreover, such apparatus can be made less expensive and more portable by eliminating dialing circuitry and other electrical equipment needed for interconnection with the PSTN. The idea of acoustically coupling signals between the apparatus and a conventional telephone handset has been around for many years to satisfy this need. However, one of the problems associated with acoustic coupling has been the inability to operate with a variety of different handset shapes and in various environments--including those where the ambient noise level is high.
Coupling efficiency between the handset and a handset-coupling device (cradle) on the apparatus has been improved by the use of compliant seals in the cradle that conform to the shape of the handset. Perhaps the most well-known seals used in such devices are rubber cups that are shaped to individually enclose the handset's mouthpiece and earpiece. Rubber cups are particularly well suited to seal certain handset shapes such as AT&T's model "G" handset which has circularly shaped mouthpiece and earpiece regions. The rubber cups not only reduce ambient noise, but they also provide a sealed enclosure similar to the one created when the receiver is held tightly against the user's ear. This sealed enclosure provides the proper acoustic impedance match for conventional receivers which is needed for signal coupling efficiency--otherwise acoustic signals are degraded.
Over the years, telephone handset shapes have proliferated to such a degree that many no longer fit into the rubber cups that cooperate so well with "G" handsets. Additionally, users have complained that the rubber cups form such good seals with "G" handsets that they are quite difficult to insert and remove.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a cradle for coupling signals between a telephone handset and a data terminal, or similar equipment, that improves existing acoustic coupling techniques. It is also desirable that the cradle be suitable for a variety of handset sizes and shapes. Finally, it is desirable that the cradle allow easy insertion and removal of the telephone handset.

Coupling apparatus for telephone handsets


A photo-irradiating apparatus includes a UV lamp generating the UV light, a lens, a polarizer in which the UV light is linearly polarized, and a substrate exposed by the linearly polarized UV light. The UV lamp, the lens, and the polarizer are arranged in a line. The UV light is irradiated into the alignment layer during the moving of a scan motor to irradiate the whole area of the alignment layer uniformly. In addition, the light is obliquely irradiated into the alignment layer so that the area exposed to the light is enlarged.

The present invention relates to an ultraviolet irradiating device and related method, and more particularly to an apparatus for a photo-alignment process in which the UV light is uniformly and widely irradiated into the alignment layer to obtain a large size liquid crystal display.
A conventionally used liquid crystal display is mainly a twisted nematic liquid crystal display (referred as TNLCD), which has a changeable transmittance at each gray level according to the viewing angle. In particular, while the transmittance is symmetrical in the horizontal direction, the transmittance is asymmetrical in the vertical direction. Therefore, in the vertical direction, a range with an inverted image phenomenon occurs so that the vertical viewing angle becomes very limited.
To overcome this problem, a multi-domain liquid crystal cell, in which a pixel is divided into more than two pretilts where the pretilt defines pretilt angle and pretilt direction, is introduced.
However, manufacturing the multi-domain liquid crystal cell by the conventional method, a reverse rubbing method, is too complicated because it comprises the following steps: rubbing the entire alignment layer in a first rubbing direction; applying a photoresist as a mask for blocking one domain; rubbing the other domain in a reverse direction to the first rubbing direction; and removing the photoresist. Using a reverse rubbing process generates dust and/or an electrostatic discharge, thus reducing productivity and/or damaging the thin film transistor which drives a pixel. In addition, to eliminate an image inversion phenomenon completely, each pixel is divided into more than 4 domains. However, it is exceedingly difficult to fabricate a 4-domain liquid crystal cell by this reverse rubbing technique.
As another alignment method, a photo-alignment method is used. In this method, since the pretilt, defining a pretilt angle and a pretilt angle direction, is determined on the alignment layer by irradiating UV light instead of a rubbing process, the fabricating process is simple and the damage to the substrate can be prevented. By irradiating light into the alignment layer, which includes a photopolymer, the photopolymer is photopolymerized by the cross linking generated between the polymers. Therefore, a pretilt on the alignment layer is determined according to the direction and the degree of cross linking of the photopolymers; the cross linking depending on the polarization direction, the incident direction of the light, and the amount of photo-energy of the light absorbed into the alignment layer. In other words, the direction and the magnitude of the pretilt are determined according to the polarization direction of the UV light and the photo-energy absorbed into the alignment layer. Indeed, to make a multi-domain liquid crystal cell, each domain is respectively exposed to UV light having a different polarization direction and a different photo-energy. Therefore, it is important to conform the uniformity of photo-energy absorbed into the alignment layer as well as the size of the spot of the light to make a large size liquid crystal display.
FIG. 1 is a view showing the conventional UV light irradiating apparatus. In FIG. 1, the UV light generated from a UV lamp 1 is focused by a lens 2 and then linearly polarized by a polarizer 3. These elements are arranged in a line with a substrate 4. The substrate 4, coated with an alignment layer 5 that can be photo-reacted, is exposed by the circular spot of the UV light, so that a pretilt is given to the alignment layer 5 formed on the substrate 4.
Irradiating UV light to the alignment layer 5 by the conventional UV irradiating apparatus, however, is limited by the size of the UV lamp 1, so the exposed circular area 6 on the alignment layer 5 is also small as shown in FIG. 2a. In addition, to get a uniform pretilt on the alignment layer 5, the available alignment layer size is smaller than the area corresponding the plateau of the graph of FIG. 2b having a uniform photo-energy. The available alignment layer size is restricted by the size of the lamp.
Accordingly, it is difficult to employ this UV irradiating apparatus for a large size liquid crystal display. In addition, there is a problem that the UV light cannot be uniformly irradiated into the entire alignment layer. As a result, the absorbed energy on the whole alignment layer is not uniform.

Ultraviolet irradiating device for photo-alignment process and an irradiating method using the same


A system and method of loading and unloading a shipping container onto and off a tilt-tray vehicle is described. The system includes a drawbar assembly adapted to be releasably attached to opposite corner connectors provided on the container. A winch is provided for applying fraction to the drawbar assembly to draw the container onto the vehicle tray and to facilitate loading of the container onto the tray. An ejector assembly is also provided to releasably engage the drawbar assembly connected to the container. When it is desired to unload the container, the ejector assembly is moved towards the rear of the tray to move the container partially off the vehicle.

Cargo or sea containers are commonly used for transporting goods either on land by rail or road transport, or at sea on container ships. Such shipping containers are generally of a rectangular parallelepiped configuration so as to enable the containers to be stacked one on top of the other or to enable the containers to be supported on a deck of a ship or on a tray of a transport vehicle such as a railcar or road vehicle. Shipping containers are usually provided with doors on at least one end to provide access to the interior of the container. Corner fittings or sockets are provided at each external corner of the container for engagement by connecting devices to secure the container to the deck of a ship or tray of a vehicle or to secure containers together. The corner fittings include elongate apertures on the lower side of the container for receipt of rotatable cleats or lugs of the connecting devices which are receivable within the apertures and which are rotatable to lock the containers in position. Apertures are also provided in the corner fittings on the top, side and end faces of the container so that containers stacked upon each other can be locked together or adjacent containers locked together by similar connecting devices in an end-to-end or side-by-side configuration.
A particular difficulty occurs when a shipping container which is on the ground is to be loaded onto a road vehicle having a flat bed or tray, but no crane or hoist to lift the container onto the tray. With this type of vehicle the bed or tray (which is often slidably mounted on the vehicle chassis) is tilted to an inclined position and moved into longitudinal alignment with and adjacent to an end of the container. A winch cable, attached to a winch provided centrally at a front end of the tilt-tray, is coupled to the container. When the winch is operated, the intention is for the container to be drawn onto the tray. However it is not uncommon for the end of the container to abut the rear end of the tray and to become jammed against the rear end of the tray, thereby preventing the container from being winched onto the tray of the vehicle. The result is that a substantial load is then placed on the winch producing high tension in the cable, with the potential for catastrophic failure of either the winch or the cable. If the cable should break it may result in severe injury and even death for any person in the vicinity who may be struck by the cable.
To help avoid this situation and to make it easier to load a container onto a vehicle flat-bed tilt-tray, commonly-owned Australian Patent No 2006900175 describes a method and apparatus for loading containers which involves the use of a specially designed elongated drawbar assembly. The method and apparatus of AU2006900175 has been very successful in overcoming the problems associated with loading a container onto a flat-bed tray. However there are also problems associated with the reverse process of unloading a container from a flat-bed tray. For example, when the container is ready to be unloaded, the gravitational forces acting on the container by tilting the tray may not be sufficient to overcome the frictional forces between the bottom of the container and the tray. There is a risk that the container may slide backwards off the tray in an uncontrolled manner.
The present invention was developed with a view to providing a system and method of both loading and unloading a shipping container more safely from a flat-bed tray. The invention also relates to an ejector assembly for assisting in unloading a shipping container from a vehicle tray, and relates more particularly to a vehicle with a tilt-tray which is fitted with such an ejector assembly.
References to prior art in this specification are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not to be taken as an admission that such prior art is part of the common general knowledge in Australia or elsewhere.

System and method of loading and unloading containers


A nonvolatile semiconductor memory includes a memory cell constituted by at least first and second floating gates, first and second control gates, and a source and a drain. The first floating gate is formed on a semiconductor substrate through a gate insulating film. The second floating gate is formed on a region without the first floating gate via the gate insulating film. The first control gate is formed on the first floating gate via an insulating film. The second control gate is formed on the second floating gate via the insulating film. The source and the drain are formed in the semiconductor substrate to sandwich the first and second floating gates.

The present invention relates to a nonvolatile semiconductor memory having a memory cell allowing an electrical data write and erase.
Conventionally, a flash memory which can be erased in blocks has received a great deal of attention as one of electrically programmable and erasable read only memories (EEPROMs) which are classified as one of nonvolatile semiconductor memories. The flash memory cell has a MOS transistor structure wherein a floating gate insulated from the peripheral region is formed between the control gate and the substrate having the channel. Discrimination between data of level "1" and data of level "0" depends on the presence/absence of charges in the floating gate.
Techniques of storing multivalue data in one cell have been conventionally developed. As the first prior art, multivalue data is realized by the circuit operation. In this prior art, the amount of charges to be stored in the floating gate is changed to realize, e.g., quarternary data.
In this case, however, the number of power supplies necessary for realizing multivalue data increases to result in a heavy load on, e.g., a charge pump circuit.
Additionally, to realize multivalue data by the circuit operation, a threshold value range per value must be considerably narrow. For this reason, the amount of charges to be injected into the floating gate must be strictly controlled to result in an increase in load on the controller or write time. This narrow threshold value range also imposes limitations on the margin to a change over time in data holding characteristics to lower reliability. More specifically, when the held charge amount changes along with the elapse of time, the read current changes accordingly, and a data value different from that stored is read.
As the second prior art, in a nonvolatile semiconductor memory, two floating gates and one control gate are arranged in correspondence with one channel (memory cell), and the impurity concentration on the side of the drain continuous to the channel is set to be lower than that on the side of the source continuous to the channel, thereby storing quarternary data in one memory cell (reference 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1-212472).
FIG. 6 shows the schematic arrangement of the nonvolatile semiconductor memory. As shown in FIG. 6, in this nonvolatile semiconductor memory, the drain on a semiconductor substrate 701 has an n.sup.+ -type drain region 702 and an n.sup.- -type drain region 709 adjacent to a channel region 704. The channel region 704 is divided into three parts: a channel region 704d near the n.sup.- -type drain region 709, a channel region 704s near a source region 703, and a channel region 704c between the channel region 704d and the channel region 704s.
In this nonvolatile semiconductor memory, two floating gates 706d and 706s are insulated from each other. The floating gate 706d is formed on part of the n.sup.- -type drain region 709 and the channel region 704d via a gate oxide film 705. The floating gate 706s is formed on part of the n.sup.+ -type source region 703 and the channel region 704s via the gate oxide film 705. The channel resistance of the n.sup.- -type drain region 709 is changed by lowering the impurity concentration relative to the n.sup.+ -type drain region 702 or the n.sup.+ -type source region 703.
A control gate 708 is formed on the floating gates 706d and 706s via an insulating film 707 and on the channel region 704c via the gate oxide film 705. The distance between the control gate 708 above the channel region 704c and the semiconductor substrate 701 is almost the same as that between the floating gates 706d and 706s and the semiconductor substrate 701.
The operation of the nonvolatile semiconductor memory with the above arrangement will be described next.
A write is performed by selectively injecting electrons into the floating gates 706d and 706s. Electron injection into the drain-side floating gate 706d will be referred to as a write D. Electron injection into the source-side floating gate 706s will be referred to as a write S.
In the write D, a control gate voltage VG of 12.5 V and a drain voltage VD of 8 V are applied, and the n.sup.+ -type source region 703 and the semiconductor substrate 701 are grounded. At this time, the channel regions 704d, 704c, and 704s are inverted to flow electrons from the n.sup.+ -type source region 703 to the n.sup.- -type drain region 709. These electrons are accelerated by the voltage between the drain and the source and become hot electrons near the n.sup.- -type drain region 709. The hot electrons are attracted by the electric field of the control gate 708 and injected into the floating gate 706d across the energy gap of the gate oxide film 705. When the electrons are selectively injected into the floating gate 706d, the write D is complete.
On the other hand, in the write S, a control gate voltage VG of 12.5 V and a source voltage VS of 8 V are applied, and the n.sup.+ -type drain region 702 and the semiconductor substrate 701 are grounded. As a result, electrons are selectively injected into the floating gate 706s, as in the above-described case, and the write S is complete.
Even when a voltage of 12.5 V is applied to the memory transistor which has undergone the write D as the control gate voltage VG, and the n.sup.+ -type drain region 702 and the semiconductor substrate 701 are grounded, the channel regions 704d, 704c, and 704s are inverted. When a voltage of 8 V is applied as the source voltage VS, the write S can be performed without damaging the write D, as in the above-described case. This operation will be referred to as a write D & S.
As described above, as the write state of this nonvolatile semiconductor memory, the write D, the write S, or the write D & S can be selected. When a nonwrite state in added, quarternary data is realized.
In this nonvolatile semiconductor memory, however, the quarternary data is determined using the difference in threshold value and the difference in channel resistance between the write states. A threshold value VT corresponds to the control gate voltage VG at which the drain current starts flowing after gradual voltage application to the control gate. The erase state, the write D state, and the write S state have different threshold values VT of 1 V, 2 V, and 3 V, respectively, but equal conductance characteristics. The write S state and the write D & S state have the same threshold value VT of 3 V, though the conductance characteristics beyond the threshold value are different. Therefore, when the control gate voltage VG is 3 V, the write S cannot be discriminated from the write D & S, so only three values are read. To discriminate the write S from the write D & S, the control gate voltage must be set to be higher than 3 V, and 5 V in the second prior art, using the difference in conductance characteristics. That is, to read quarternary data, a high control gate voltage is required.
In addition, since this nonvolatile semiconductor memory requires, under the control electrode, not only the area for the two floating gates but also some area for the channel region 704c having no floating gate, the area of one cell increases.
As the third prior art, there is an other nonvolatile semiconductor memory having two floating gates per cell which are arranged relatively close to each other, unlike the above-described nonvolatile semiconductor memory (reference 2: Japanese Patent Application No. 6-77498).
In this nonvolatile semiconductor memory, source and drain regions 801 and 802 spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance are formed in the surface layer of a semiconductor substrate 800 consisting of p-type silicon, as shown in FIG. 7. A floating gate 804 consisting of polysilicon is formed on the channel region between the source and drain regions 801 and 802 via a first gate insulating film 803.
The floating gate 804 is divided into two parts along the channel length. A control gate 806 consisting of polysilicon is formed on divided floating gates 804a and 804b via a second gate insulating film 805.
To erase data in the above arrangement, electrons are extracted from the floating gate 804 or injected into the floating gate 804 at once. Alternatively, the floating gate 804 may be irradiated with a UV ray.
On the other hand, to write data, electrons are selectively injected into the source- and drain-side floating gates 804a and 804b by using F-N tunneling or hot electrons.
With the write, the following four states can be obtained. As the first state, electrons are injected into neither the floating gate 804a nor 804b. As the second state, electrons are injected into the floating gate 804a. As the third state, electrons are injected into the floating gate 804b. As the fourth state, electrons are injected into both the floating gates 804a and 804b.
If the floating gates 804a and 804b have different areas, i.e., the threshold voltage of the memory cell transistor changes, quarternary data can be stored in this memory cell.
In this nonvolatile semiconductor memory, however, since a gap is formed between the two floating gates arranged in the source/drain direction, the channel resistance undesirably increases.
As described above, the conventional techniques of realizing multivalue data by the circuit operation have the following problems.
In the first prior art, the number of power supplies necessary for realizing multivalue data increases to result in a heavy load on, e.g., the charge pump circuit.
To realize multivalue data by the circuit operation, the threshold value range per value must be considerably narrow. For this reason, the amount of charges to be injected into the floating gate must be strictly controlled to result in an increase in load on the controller or write time. This narrow threshold value distribution also imposes limitations on the margin to a change over time in data holding characteristics to lower reliability.
In the second prior art, a high control gate is required to read data, as described above. In addition, since the device requires, under the control electrode, not only the area for the two floating gates but also some area for the region having no floating gate, the area of one cell increases.
In the third prior art, the area of one memory cell can be reduced. However, since a gap is present between the two floating gates arranged in the source/drain direction, the channel resistance undesirably increases. For this reason, in the third prior art, the absolute value of the read current becomes small, and the margin between determination currents for multivalue data narrows accordingly, so quarternary data determination by the sense amplifier is difficult.
In the second and third prior arts, the source and the drain are controlled to write data in the two floating gates. This requires a large current for write control. In addition, source-drain or source--source interference between adjacent memory cells must be prevented. For this purpose, adjacent memory cells must be insulated from each other by, e.g., an element isolation region. As a result, high integration is impeded because of necessity of the isolation region.


The present invention relates to a data processing system in a hierarchical network configuration for executing applicable data processes in a comprehensible and executable form. The present invention allows data processing capabilities to be established with high precision in a short time based on a fuzzy-neuro-integrated concept. A fuzzy model is generated by a data processing system in the form of membership functions and fuzzy rules as technical information relating to a control target. According to this fuzzy model, a weight value of the connection between neurons is set and a pre-wired neural network is established. Then, the data of the control target are learned by the neural network. The connection state and a weight value of the neural network after the learning enable tuning of the fuzzy model.

In a conventional serial processing computer (Neiman computer), it is very difficult to adjust data processing capabilities with the change of usage and environment. Accordingly, more flexible data processing units have been demanded and developed to process data using a parallel and distributed method in a new hierarchical network configuration specifically in the technical field of pattern recognition, applicable filter, etc. In this hierarchical network data processing unit, programs are not written explicitly, but an output signal (output pattern) provided by a network structure in response to an input signal (input pattern) presented for learning determines a weight value of an internal connection of a hierarchical network structure so that the output signal corresponds to a teaching signal (teacher pattern) according to a predetermined learning algorithm. When the weight value is determined by the above described learning process, a "flexible" data processing function can be realized such that the hierarchical network structure outputs a probable output signal even though an unexpected input signal is inputted.
In the data processing unit in this hierarchical network configuration, there is an advantage in that a weight value of an internal connection can be automatically determined only if a learning signal is generated. However, there is also a disadvantage in that the content of a data process which is dependent on a weight value is not comprehensible. A successful solution would allow this data processing unit in a network structure to be put into practical use. To practically control this data processing unit in a hierarchical network configuration, an effective means must be presented for high speed, high precision data processing.
In a data processing unit comprising a hierarchical network configuration, a hierarchical network comprises one kind of node called a "basic unit" and an internal connection having a weight value corresponding to an internal state value. FIG. 1 shows a basic configuration of a basic unit 1. The basic unit 1 is a multi-input/output (i/o) system. That is, it comprises a multiplier 2 for multiplying a plurality of inputs by respective weight values of an internal connection, an accumulator 3 for adding all products of the above described multiplications performed by the multiplier, and a function converter 4 for applying function conversion such as a non-linear threshold process to the resultant accumulation value so that a final output can be obtained.
Assuming that a layer h is a preprocess layer and a layer i is a post-process layer, the accumulator 3 of the i-th basic unit 1 in the layer i executes the following operation using expression (1), and the function converter 4 executes a threshold operation using expression (2). EQU x.sub.pi =.SIGMA..sub.h y.sub.ph W.sub.ih ( 1) EQU y.sub.pi =1/(1+exp (-x.sub.pi +.theta..sub.i)) (2)
where
h: a unit number in the layer h PA1 p: a pattern number of an input signal PA1 .theta..sub.1 : a threshold of the i-th unit in the layer i PA1 W.sub.ih : a weight value of an internal connection between the layers h and i Y.sub.ph : output from the h-th unit in the layer h in response to an input signal in the p-th pattern. PA1 "if (X is small) and (Y is small) then Z is middle," the connection of the unit 22b, 22c, and 22e respectively to the unit 23a is not required. Thus, the pre-wired-rule-part neuro is defined as a data processing system where only necessary parts are connected between the antecedent membership function realizer 26 and the rule part 17 (in the rule part 17) and between the rule part 17 and the consequent membership function realizer, according to the rules of a fuzzy teacher.
The data processing unit in a hierarchical network configuration configures its hierarchical network such that a plurality of the above described basic units 1 are hierarchically connected as shown in FIG. 2 (with input signal values distributed and outputted as an input layer 1') thus performing a parallel data process by converting input signals into corresponding output signals.
The data processing unit in a hierarchical network configuration requires obtaining, by a learning process, a weight value of a hierarchical network structure which determines the data conversion. Specifically, a back propagation method attracts special attention for its practicality as an algorithm of the learning process. In the back propagation method, a learning process is performed by automatically adjusting a weight value W.sub.ih and a threshold .theta..sub.i through feedback of an error. As indicated by expressions (1) and (2), the weight value W.sub.ih and the threshold .theta..sub.i must be adjusted simultaneously, but the adjustment is very difficult because these values must be carefully balanced. Therefore, the threshold .theta..sub.i is included in the weight value W.sub.ih by providing a unit for constantly outputting "1" in the layer h on the input side and assigning the threshold .theta..sub.i as a weight value to the output, therefore allowing it to be processed as a part of the weight value. Thus, expressions (1) and (2) are represented as follows: EQU x.sub.pi =.SIGMA..sub.h y.sub.ph W.sub.ih ( 3) EQU y.sub.pi =1/(1+exp (-x.sub.pi)) (4)
In the back propagation method, as shown in the three-layer structure comprising a layer h, a layer i and a layer j in FIG. 2, the difference (d.sub.pj -y.sub.pj) between an output signal y.sub.pj and a teaching signal d.sub.pj is calculated when the output signal y.sub.pj outputted from the output layer in response to an input signal presented for learning and a teaching signal d.sub.pj for matching the output signal y.sub.pj are given. Then, the following operation is performed: EQU .alpha..sub.pj =y.sub.pj (1-y.sub.pj) (d.sub.pj -y.sub.pj) (5)
followed by: ##EQU1##
Thus, an updated weight value .DELTA.W.sub.ji (t) between the layers i and j is calculated, where t indicates the count of learnings.
Then, using the resultant .alpha..sub.pj, the following operation is performed: ##EQU2## followed by: ##EQU3##
Thus, an updated weight value .DELTA.W.sub.ih (t) between the layers h and i is calculated.
Then, weight values are determined for the following update cycles according to the updated value calculated as described above: ##EQU4##
By repeating the procedure above, learning is completed when the weight values W.sub.ji and W.sub.ih are obtained where an output signal y.sub.pj outputted from the output layer in response to an input signal presented for learning corresponds to a teaching signal d.sub.pj, a target of the output signal y.sub.pj.
When the hierarchical network has a four-layer configuration comprising layers g, h, i, and j, the following operation is performed: ##EQU5##
followed by: ##EQU6##
Thus, the updated amount .DELTA.W.sub.hg (t) of a weight value between the layers g and h can be calculated. That is, an updated amount .DELTA.W of a weight value between the preceding layers can be determined from the value obtained at the last step at the output side and the network output data.
If the function converter 4 of the basic unit 1 performs linear conversion, the expression (5) above is represented as follows: EQU .alpha..sub.pj =(d.sub.pj -y.sub.pj) (11)
the expression (7) above is represented as follows: ##EQU7## and the expression (9) above is represented as follows: ##EQU8##
Thus, an expected teaching signal is outputted from the output layer in response to an input signal presented for learning in the data processing unit in a hierarchical network configuration by assigning a learned weight value to an internal connection in the hierarchical network. Therefore, a data processing function can be realized such that the hierarchical network structure outputs a probable output signal even though an unexpected input signal is inputted.
It is certain that, in the data processing unit in a hierarchical network configuration, data can be appropriately converted with a desirable input-output function, and a more precise weight value of an internal connection can be mechanically learned if an additional learning signal is provided. However, there is also a problem in that the content of data conversion executed in the hierarchical network structure is not comprehensible, and that an output signal cannot be provided in response to data other than a learning signal. Therefore, an operator feels emotionally unstable when data are controlled, even in the normal operation of the data processing unit in a hierarchical network configuration, because an abnormal condition is very hard to properly correct. Furthermore, as a learning signal is indispensable for establishing a data processing unit in a hierarchical network, a desired data processing function may not be realized when sufficient learning signals cannot be provided.
On the other hand, "a fuzzy controller" has been developed and put into practical use recently for control targets which are difficult to model. A fuzzy controller controls data after calculating the extent of the controlling operation from a detected control state value by representing, in the if-then form, a control algorithm comprising ambiguity (such as determination of a human being) and executing this control algorithm based on a fuzzy presumption. A fuzzy presumption enables the establishment of an executable teacher for use with a complicated data processing function by grouping the combinations of input/output signals and connecting them ambiguously according to attribute information called "a membership relation." A fuzzy teacher generated by the fuzzy presumption has an advantage in that it is comparatively comprehensible, but has a difficult problem in that a value of a membership function cannot be determined precisely, and the exact relation of the connection between membership functions cannot be determined mechanically, thus requiring enormous labor and time to put desired data processing capabilities into practical use.

Neuro-fuzzy-integrated data processing system


An apparatus for intermittently feeding glass containers continuously approaching in a first plane in a first direction into an annealing lehr in a second direction in the first plane by a feed bar mounted for reciprocal movement in the second direction on a carriage suspended by support struts slidably connected to parallel guide rails disposed in a plane substantially normal to the first plane.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention, in general, relates to a novel apparatus for feeding articles into a lehr. More particularly, the invention relates to a novel apparatus for feeding continuously conveyed hot glass containers into a lehr. Preferably, the apparatus is provided with a feed bar arranged in parallel relationship to glass containers moved in an erect disposition on a first conveyor, a cantilever for supporting the feed bar, a carriage movable in a first transport direction for guiding the cantilever, drive means for moving the carriage in the first transport direction, drive means for moving the feed bar in a second direction normal to the first transport direction, drive means for moving the feed bar in a third transport direction vertically of the plane defined by the first and second transport directions, and a support including guide rails for guiding the carriage.
2. The Prior Art
Following their manufacture, it is necessary gradually to cool down and to anneal glass containers in a lehr. The lehr is loaded by a loader, i.e. a movably mounted feed bar which is preferably provided with receptacles corresponding to the shapes of the various glass containers. The feed bar serves to feed a plurality of glass containers which are continuously moved by a conveyor belt, in a direction laterally of the conveyor belt into the lehr.
Such devices for feeding hot glass containers into a lehr have been known for a long time. As a rule, they consist of a feed bar of the kind described, by a forward edge of which the hot containers are seized, a cantilever on which the feed bar is mounted, and a carriage movable parallel to the direction of movement of the conveyed containers, as well as a carriage which is arranged for movement normal to the direction of movement, i.e. in a direction into the lehr. Moreover, a linkage may be provided to allow upward pivoting of the cantilever so that upon its movement away from the lehr it may be moved over any glass containers which may have been forwarded by the conveyor belt in the meantime. In conventional apparatus, the carriage supporting the cantilever is movable in a housing in a direction normal to the direction of movement of the glass containers. On this carriage, there is provided a second carriage movable in a direction parallel to the conveyor belt and supporting the pivotal cantilever. For moving the carriage in a feed direction, there is provided a drive within the housing. Movement is imparted either hydraulically or by means of a cam drive.
Calibration of the known drives, i.e., their synchronization, in respect of the arriving glass containers is a matter of considerable difficulty and can only be accomplished when the apparatus is idle. This means, however, that operation of the apparatus must for this purpose be interrupted. This leads to high costs because of the interrupted operation or because of too low a utilization of the equipment. Moreover, hydraulic and/or mechanical cam drives require relatively frequent and involved maintenance.

Apparatus for feeding articles into a lehr


Methodologies for determining the presence of specific nucleic acid sequences in a sample of eucaryotic origin using in situ hybridization are described. The in situ hybridization is performed using a hybridization solution comprising at least one binding partner capable of hybridizing to the specific nucleic acid sequence to be determined so as to form hybrids and a hybrid destabilizing agent in an amount effective to decrease the melting temperature of hybrids formed between the nucleic acid and the binding partner so as to increase the specific binding and decrease the non-specific binding. The binding partner used is a polymeric strand of polymerized moieties having a non-cyclic backbone, the polymeric strand being capable of hybridizing to the nucleic acid sequence to be determined. The method is particularly suitable for diagnosing different human diseases such as bacterial and viral infections, genetic diseases and neoplastic disorders.

Hybridization has traditionally been used to describe the general technique by which complementary strands of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) molecules, ribonucleic acid (RNA) molecules or combinations of DNA and RNA are separated into single strands and then allowed to renature or reanneal and reform base-paired double helices. Hybridization techniques are generally classified in three major classes: solution hybridization whereby the individual cell is disrupted and the internal nucleic acid is extracted into solution prior to hybridization; this technique includes different levels of purification of the nucleic acid prior to hybridization; filter or blot hybridization, whereby DNA or RNA is bound to a solid matrix either directly or after separation of the individual nucleic acid fragments on e.g. an agarose gel or a polyacrylamide gel and the subsequent hybridization is carried out with a labelled probe for detection of hybrids; and in situ hybridization (ISH) whereby a method is provided for the detection and localization of specific nucleic acid sequences directly in a specific structure, e.g. within a cell, a tissue, a nucleus or a chromosome. Although these techniques are based on the specific interaction between the target and a probe capable of binding specifically to the sequence to be detected, these techniques are quite different and distinguishable from each other.
In situ hybridization allows detection of specific cellular or chromosomal nucleic acid sequences in the cellular material such as in paraffin-embedded tissue sections, fresh or frozen biopsies, cells or chromosomes. Traditionally, nucleic acid probes having a base sequence that is sufficient complementary to the target sequence to be detected have been used. For this type of detection, nucleic acid probes labelled with detectable groups other than radioisotopes have been used widely.
The demand for more sensitive methods is increasing. Ways of increasing the sensitivity are to use an enhancing detection system and/or to increase the number of probes with different sequences targeting the nucleic acid sequences to be detected. When closely related sequences are to be distinguished, it is often limited how many probe variations can be used to detect a given target.
An increase of the sensitivity for in situ nucleic acid hybridization in tissue sections or cell smears has been described using the so-called "in situ PCR". The principle of in situ PCR is to combine the techniques of PCR and ISH through the amplification of specific nucleic acid sequences inside the individual cells, resulting in an increase of copy numbers to levels detectable by ISH. Reproducible results depend on the integrity of the sample. During pretreatment of the sample, the cell membrane may be damaged giving rise to a risk of so-called "diffusion artefacts". PCR products may leak out of cells and serve as template for extracellular amplification. This may give rise to false positive signals. A recent report summerizes the pitfalls of "in situ PCR" (Cell Vision, 3, 231-235 (1995)).
In accordance with the present invention binding partners and protocols are provided for in situ hybridization procedures for the detection of specific nucleic acid sequences in a sample of eucaryotic origin. In the present method, hybridization is performed using a binding partner, which is a polymeric strand of polymerized moieties having a non-cyclic backbone, the polymeric strand being capable of hybridizing to the nucleic acid sequence to be determined. Examples of such polymeric strands are given in WO 92/20702.
In WO 92/20702, the term Peptide Nucleic Acid (PNA) was introduced to describe some compounds having a non-cyclic backbone and nucleic acid binding properties.
In WO 93/24652, PNA probes have been postulated to be feasible for in situ hybridization carried out without addition of a denaturing agent, such as formamide, and further with hybridization performed at low temperature. The postulated simplification of the in situ hybridization procedure is based on the prior assumption that PNA form triplex structures with double-stranded DNA. In WO 93/24652, there is no experimental data to support this simplification. It has now been shown that the hypothesis of triplex formation put forward in 1991 (Science, 254, 1497-1500 (1991)) only applies if a homopyrimidine PNA is combined with a homopurine DNA whereby (PNA).sub.2 /DNA triplexes are formed, such as (PNA(T)).sub.2 (polydA) (TIBTECH, 11, 384-386 (1993)).

In situ hybridization to detect specific nucleic acid sequences in eucaryotic samples


Methods and systems taught herein allow mobile device manufacturers to preconfigure mobile devices for subscription with any network operator having access to a centralized device directory server. The directory server stores device records, each including a preliminary subscription identity. Manufacturers individually provision new mobile devices with these preliminary subscription identities, and network operators preliminarily register subscribers by submitting requests to the directory server that cause it to link individual device records with the appropriate credential server addresses. Mobile devices gain temporary network access by submitting their preliminary subscription identities, which get passed along to the directory server for verification. In turn, the directory server generates authentication vectors giving the mobile devices temporary network access, and returns the appropriate credential server addresses. The mobile devices use the address information to submit secure requests for permanent subscription credentials, and the involved credential servers securely return permanent subscription credentials responsive to valid requests.

1. Technical Field
The present invention generally relates to provisioning mobile devices, and particularly relates to facilitating over-the-air activation of mobile devices through the use of preliminary subscription identity information maintained in a centralized device directory that is accessible by one or more network operators.
2. Background
Efficient equipment manufacture, distribution, and activation are key enablers for effectively exploiting the range of business opportunities provided by the continuing revolution in wireless communications. The existing approaches to "provisioning" user equipment with the necessary subscription credentials represent one impediment to more efficient operations.
For example, one conventional approach relies on selling or otherwise distributing user equipment with installed Subscriber Identity Modules, SIMs. Each SIM comprises a tamper-resistant circuit module, commonly embodied in a small, card-like form factor, where the circuit module stores credential information for a specific network operator. In other words, the user equipment is tied to a particular network operator by virtue of the preprogrammed SIM, and the subscriber calls or otherwise contacts the network operator to provide billing information, etc. In response, the network operator marks that SIM as active in one or more subscriber databases, thereby making the user equipment operational.
Other approaches to automating the provisioning process, at least partially, have been proposed. Examples include U.S. Publication 2005/0079863 to Macaluso, which discloses a form of over-the-air provisioning (commonly noted as "OTA" provisioning in the relevant literature); U.S. Publication 2007/0099599 to Smith, which discusses dynamic provisioning of wireless services and initial provisioning via access to an internet database; U.S. Pat. No. 6,980,660 to Hind, which discloses methods for initializing wireless communication devices using an enterprise database; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,490,445 to Holmes, which discloses the use of temporary access information in wireless equipment, to allow a form of restricted network access for over-the-air provisioning.
As a general proposition, however, it seems that the complexity of the overall problem framework has prevented the past approaches from providing an overall system and method that simplifies manufacturing, sales, and, ultimately, registration of mobile devices with regard to secure over-the-air provisioning.

Method and system for mobile device credentialing


A liquid crystal array substrate includes a number of pixels, each pixel includes a main region, a first sub-region, and a second sub-region. The main region includes a first thin film transistor (TFT), the first sub-region comprises a second TFT, and the second sub-region comprises a third TFT. Gates of the first TFT, the second TFT, and the third TFT of each pixel are connected to a first scan line, a source of the first TFT is connected to a first data line, a drain of the first TFT is connected to one corresponding pixel electrode; sources of the second TFT and the third TFT are connected to a second data line, drains of the second TFT and the third TFT are respectively connected to corresponding pixel electrodes.

Nowadays, liquid crystal electronic device, such as liquid crystal display (LCD) and LCD television are more popular. A common liquid crystal electronic device usual has a multi-angle display mode. In the multi-angle display mode, because liquid crystal molecules are pointed to different directions when viewing at different viewing angles, which causes a color distortion when viewing at a large viewing angle. Usually, in order to improve the color distortion, one pixel of the liquid crystal molecule is divided to two parts when designing pixel of the liquid crystal molecules, one part is a main region, and the other is a sub-region. The color distortion is improved by controlling the voltage of the two regions. Therein, the design of dividing the pixel to the main region and the sub-region is referred to as a low color shift (LCS) design. However, the improvement of the design by dividing the pixel into the two parts is limited.

Liquid crystal array substrate and electronic device

SHENZHEN CHINA STAR OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD


A method and system unifying existing data of a target industry from existing sources of the data by designing a data model by applying varying data integrity methods to define characteristics, features and/or functions of items in the target industry as data elements, electronically reading, parsing and transforming data from existing electronic data sources of the target industry to input to the data model, designing user interfaces to the data model, the user interfaces corresponding to user segments of the target industry, and dynamically maintaining normalization of the data model according to the varying data integrity methods during any type of access to the data model by the user segments. A data entry access to the data model comprises dynamically constructing search indexes, each search index defined as a unique data field and a text searchable concatenation of other fields' data in any given data table of the data model.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to artificial intelligence (expert) data model (mapping) systems and methods. In particular, the present invention provides an expert data model system to design a data model (modeling a database structure) for a subject with very large number of elements (fields) that describe the subject, to intelligently validate existing data (data related to the subject), to intelligently enter the existing data into the database, to intelligently search the database and provide any information based on the entered data, and to substantially increase data integrity as well as simplify database search, database search speed, efficiency, and effectiveness.
2. Description of the Related Art
Typically existing data of a target industry is electronically stored for information retrieval by creating a database and entering, via an automated process and/or manually, the existing data into the database. However, subjects, such as a compendium of prescription drugs, books, DVD's, Internet addressing data, and electronic parts and components, can have potentially very large number of data elements (fields/domains), which typically increase risk of substantial reduction in data integrity level, such as validity, consistency and accuracy of the data in the database. A reduced level of data integrity reduces accuracy level of information retrieval from the database (i.e., frustrates searching), which increases undetectable error risks as well as adversely affecting users' strategic decision making based upon inaccurate and/or incomplete information (i.e., affecting an organization's established/defined purpose and uses of the data).
For example, data models of typical databases are relational and flat data sets with limited number of data elements, limited number of primary keys, and ill-defined data element constraints. Such relational and flat data sets typically provide substantially reduced search speed when a subject has very large number of data elements. Significantly, because of lack of and/or ill-defined domain constraints, automated and/or manual entry of existing data typically provides a low level of data consistency, providing inefficient data storage, and substantially degrading search speed and search result accuracy. In particular, inconsistencies may exist within data and/or inconsistencies are likely introduced during entering of the data. Further, limited number of primary keys substantially frustrates effective information retrieval, providing overly and unnecessarily inefficient, complicated and extremely time consuming data search. Even combinations of database keys alone do little to increase the effectiveness and the efficiency of the data storage and/or search retrieval results.
In case of electronic components target industry, buyers/planners, engineers, quality assurance personnel, and component manufacturer sales and marketing individuals, each typically have significant problems in the identification, location, and procurement of electronic components using existing data sources of manufacturer, sales representative, distributor web sites, print and/or electronic catalogs.
The following illustrates the typical problems of each member of the procurement chain. For engineers, identifying parts takes too much time, catalogs are obsolete, general search engines on the web do not work well, meeting with salespeople may not be productive in identifying parts, receiving samples is time consuming, arrival of samples is not practical to predict and delay in parts delays a product.
For buyers/planners, tracking down parts can be unnecessarily time consuming, there is no time to verify that the components purchased are the best or most cost effective and communicating with engineers takes too much time. For quality assurance, there is too many products to verify compliance with specifications and communication with engineers takes too much time.
For the manufacturer, personnel costs (e.g., manufacturer representative and distributor commissions) unnecessarily increase because of such inefficiencies to accommodate the engineers and the buyers/planners, and the manufacturer does not know the buyers directly.
Therefore, there is a need to provide a unified data source for data of a target industry to interface various user types of the data in the target industry.

Data entry, cross reference database and search systems and methods thereof


A semiconductor device is tested without destroying a substrate immediately after a formation of a metal film and before patterning the metal film.. To this end, the substrate is first divided into a product region and a test pattern region. Next, an insulating film is formed on the substrate. Thereafter, openings are formed in the insulating film and on the product region and the test pattern region. Subsequently, the metal film is formed in the openings and on the insulating film. Finally, the metal film is patterned to form a wiring pattern.. Under these circumstances, a forming state of the metal film in the opening on the test pattern region is actually tested. Specifically, the presence or absence of a void is checked. In accordance with this test result, a forming state of the metal film in the opening in the product region is evaluated.

This invention relates to a semiconductor device and a method of testing the same and, in particular, to a method of checking a forming state of a metal film in an opening formed in an interlayer insulating film.
Recently, a diameter of an opening, such as a contact hole, a through hole and a via hole, has been reduced with a high integration of a semiconductor device. The opening is generally formed in an interlayer insulating film. In this case, an aspect ratio which is obtained by dividing a depth of the opening by the diameter has been increased because the depth of the opening is almost kept constant. Therefore, the opening is not sufficiently covered with a metal film, such as aluminum film, through the conventional sputtering method. Consequently, a connecting resistance becomes large, and further a disconnection often occurs.
To solve such problems, a proposal has been made about a method of filling the opening with tungsten through a chemical vapor deposition method (CVD). However, according to this method, a manufacturing duration increases and further, the manufacturing cost is increased. This is because the method has a plurality of manufacturing steps.
Therefore, a suggestion has been made about a method of embedding an aluminum film in the opening by reflowing aluminum through a heating process, as disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Patent Publications No. H4-65831 and H1-76736. However, according to this method, a void is often caused to occur in the aluminum film where the opening is not sufficiently filled with the aluminum. In this case, the void means a space which is left in the aluminum film after the reflow. The void increases a contact resistance and often causes a disconnection to occur. Thus, where the void remains in the aluminum film embedded in the opening, such a void can not be directly detected from the outside of the substrate by an optical microscope because the void is left inside the aluminum film. Accordingly, the substrate must be cleaved or cut to detect the void inside the aluminum film by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM).
However, this method can not be directly adopted for an actual product because the product must be destroyed. Therefore, an additional substrate for monitoring is prepared besides the product substrate. This additional substrate is cleaved to detect the void. However, this method requires an additional cost for manufacturing the additional substrate. Further, a forming state of the aluminum film embedded in the opening is different from each other between the product substrate and the monitoring or additional substrate. Consequently, the product substrate itself can not be correctly tested even when the monitoring substrate is checked.
Therefore, another proposal has been made about a method of checking the forming state of the aluminum film by arranging a test pattern region in addition to a product region on the same substrate. For example, the test pattern region has a test pattern which connects the openings in series. In this circumstance, the serial resistance is measured after the aluminum wiring pattern is formed to check the forming state of the aluminum film in the opening. Namely, the presence or absence of the void in the aluminum film embedded in the opening is checked by measuring the serial resistance. Although the forming state of the aluminum film in the opening can be tested without destroying the substrate in this method, the test should be performed after completion of the aluminum wiring pattern. In other words, the test can not be performed in the above method before completion of the aluminum wiring pattern. As a result, a long duration is taken to detect the void. Consequently, a plurality of defective products having the void are manufactured before the void is detected. This increases the manufacturing cost.
Another testing method has been suggested to detect the void before the aluminum wiring pattern is completed. In this method, the test pattern region is also provided besides the product region on the same substrate. In this event, the aluminum film in the opening is etched in the test pattern region to detect the void when the aluminum film in the product region is etched to form an aluminum wiring pattern. In this case, the void is detected by the SEM. However, the test pattern region must also be etched to detect the void in the above method. Namely, the test pattern region must be destroyed. In addition, the test can not be performed before the etching of the aluminum film is completed to form the aluminum wiring pattern in the above method. As a result, a relatively long duration is required to detect the void. Consequently, a plurality of defective products having the void are manufactured before the void is detected. This increases the manufacturing cost.

Semiconductor device and method of testing the same


A light emitting element array is made with large light emitting elements and small light emitting elements are arranged on a substrate in a matrix-like form. The large light emitting element has the luminescent area of about 1 mm square. There is a clearance N1 of about 0.5 mm between the large light emitting elements. The small light emitting element has the luminescent area of about 0.5 mm square, and each small light emitting element is disposed at a position corresponding to each clearance N1 in the scanning direction. Because the large light emitting elements and the small light emitting elements do not overlap each other in the scanning direction, even if the light emitting element array comes close to a thermosensitive recording paper, there becomes no uneven distribution of light quantity of the light emitting element array in the scanning direction.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a light emitting device including a light emitting element array on which plural light emitting elements are arranged, and emitting light toward a photosensitive material moving relative to the light emitting element array.
2. Description Related to the Prior Art
An optical fixing unit for a thermal printer is known as the light emitting device to emit light toward the photosensitive material. The optical fixing unit emits fixing light toward a thermosensitive recording paper, on which an image is thermally recorded by a thermal head, to optically fix thermosensitive coloring layers. The optical fixing unit is disposed on a conveyer passage, and emits the fixing light toward a whole recording surface of the thermosensitive recording paper on passage in a sub scanning direction. To optically fix the whole recording surface evenly, distribution of light quantity of the optical fixing unit should be uniformed in a scanning direction (a width direction of the recording paper).
As disclosed in Laid-Open Japanese Patent Application 2003-145812, a light emitting element array on which plural light emitting elements (for example LEDs) are arranged is known as a light source of the optical fixing unit. To uniform the light quantity distribution of the light emitting element array, it is ideal to arrange the light emitting elements with no clearance between each of elements. However, in practice, there is a need to make a clearance between the adjacent light emitting elements, for connection between wiring patterns of a circuit board and the each light emitting element, and so on. An uneven light quantity distribution occurs by these clearances. The unevenness of the light quantity distribution is compensated by diffusion of the light when a clearance between a luminescent surface of the light emitting element array and the recording surface of the thermosensitive recording paper is widened. However, if the clearance becomes wider, illumination efficiency and energy efficiency become worse, and illumination intensity is further reduced by the diffusion of the light. According to this, longer time is required for the fixation.
In Laid-Open Japanese Patent Application 2003-145812, a light emitting element array 100 as shown in FIG. 6 is described. In the light emitting element array 100, light emitting elements 102, 104 having width of about 1 mm are arranged to form a first element line and a second element line along the scanning direction, respectively. Each light emitting element is arranged in a zigzag form, such that the each light emitting element 104 in the second element line is disposed at a position corresponds to each clearance N1 (about 0.5 mm), which is formed between the adjacent light emitting elements 102 in the first element line, in the scanning direction. According to this arrangement, an experiment shows that even if a clearance L between the luminescent surface of a light emitting element array 100 and a recording surface of the thermosensitive recording paper 106 became about 20 mm, even distribution of light quantity in the scanning direction was maintained.
If the clearance L becomes narrower, the illumination efficiency and the energy efficiency become more enhanced. However, by the above arrangement, if the clearance L becomes narrower than 20 mm (for example about 10 mm), the uneven light quantity distribution occurs at positions where the light emitting elements 102 in the first element line and the light emitting elements 104 in the second element line overlap each other in the scanning direction.


A water purification device includes a fluid pump, a diaphragm unit having a diaphragm, which separates a primary side from a secondary side, and a consumer having a pressure requirement. The fluid pump is connected with the primary side and the consumer is connected with the secondary side. In order to supply the consumer with water under a high pressure, the fluid pump supplies the pressure (P2) for the consumer through the diaphragm. A pressure control valve is arranged upstream of the diaphragm unit to control the pressure on the primary side in dependence of the pressure on the secondary side.

A water purification device of this kind is known from U.S. Pat. No. 6,139,740. By means of the fluid pump, the fluid is pumped to the primary side under a relatively high pressure. According to the principle of reverse osmosis, the water then penetrates to the secondary side. During this penetration, the water is demineralised or purified. In order to simplify the following explanation, the water on the secondary side is merely called "secondary side water".
The secondary side water is usually collected in a tank, from which it is at the disposal of the consumer. The consumer then has the possibility of tapping the required amount of secondary side water on need.
In some applications, however, the consumer requires the secondary side water under a higher pressure. An example of such an application is a spraying system, with which plants can be irrigated. To enable the spraying of the secondary side water through orifices, higher pressures are required, for example more than 30 bar. A usual spraying pressure for secondary side water is even 70 bar. Another example of the application of secondary side water is the so-called water hydraulics, whose components are sold under the name of "NESSIE" by Danfoss A/S, Nordborg, Denmark.
In order to bring the secondary side water to the desired higher pressure, one or more pumps are used, which are arranged between the hold tank on the secondary side of the diaphragm unit and the consumer. This pump brings the secondary side water to the desired higher pressure. However, it has turned out that with demineralised water the required water pumps have a relatively short life. The life is substantially shorter than with the use of "normal" or unpurified water. Even with saltwater the life is longer.


This invention discloses a method and a semiconductor structure for integrating at least one bulk device and at least one silicon-on-insulator (SOI) device. The semiconductor structure includes a first substrate having an SOI area and a bulk area, on which the bulk device is formed; an insulation layer formed on the first substrate in the SOI area; and a second substrate, on which the SOI device is formed, stacked on the insulation layer. The surface of the first substrate is not on the substantially same plane as the surface of the second substrate.

The present invention relates generally to a method of forming semiconductor devices, and more particularly to a simplified method to integrate thin body silicon-on-insulator devices with "bulk" substrate devices.
A key electronic component in the integrated circuit (IC) is the planar, bulk metal-oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET). A key driver for the IC industry has been the continuous reduction of the physical dimensions of the MOSFET. In the near future, traditional CMOS technology is expected to reach the limits of scaling. As the MOSFET gate dielectric is scaled down to a thickness of 1.5 nm, the gate leakage current increases sharply. Therefore, non-classical transistor structures will likely be implemented due to their higher performance with lower leakage than the limited conventional scaled CMOS approaches. Unique MOSFET structures such as ultra-thin body (UTB) MOSFETs and double gate MOSFETs offer paths to further scaling in the future. The UTB and double gate MOSFETs can be integrated with silicon-on-insulator ICs. These UTB silicon-on-insulator MOSFETs reduce short channel effects (SCE), increase IC performance and speed, and reduce power consumption. Also, additional design enhancements such as SOI ICs using strained silicon MOSFET technology, as well as dual silicon crystal orientation substrates have started to be implemented to further increase the IC performance.
"Silicon-on-insulator" (SOI) technology utilizes two separate silicon substrates in an IC. The SOI structure is typically comprised of three substrates: a single-crystal silicon layer SOI substrate with a thickness of 1 mm or less; a bulk silicon substrate; and a thin SOI to bulk insulator that electrically isolates the single-crystal layer substrate and the bulk substrate. This thin insulator layer inhibits the parasitic or incidental capacity normally produced between a device and the substrate in conventional wafers. The result is lower power consumption and higher processing speeds.
One method to improve IC performance is to implement UTB MOSFETs on a SOI wafer. In an UTB transistor, leakage current is controlled through the use of the body region, which is significantly thinner than the gate length, where gate lengths may be down to 20 nm in prevalent designs. The potential barrier for any path between the source and drain is more strongly coupled to the gate than the drain. This is accomplished by fabricating the body using a thin silicon film with a thickness approximately one half of the source to drain spacing. When a transistor is constructed with this thin body, the gate potential controls all source-to-drain current paths. As the gate modulates the potential of the channel region, it also modulates the potential of all the other sub-surface leakage paths, thus the UTB transistor does not rely on body doping to provide a potential barrier between its source and its drain. In UTB SOI structures, control of SCE and the adjustments of the threshold voltage (Vt) can be realized with little or no channel doping.
Another method to improve IC performance is to implement double gate MOSFETs on a SOI wafer. Double gate MOSFETs are similar to single gate transistors, except that a second (bottom) gate electrode, which is fully self-aligned to the first (top) gate electrode, is added. The double gate MOSFET has superior control of SCE due to the electrical shielding effects of the bottom gate. It has near ideal sub-threshold slope and mobility enhancement. A double gate MOSFET controls roughly twice as much current as a single gate MOSFET. In addition, the double gate design provides inherent electrostatic and hot carrier coupling in the channel. However, double gate MOSFETs are not commonly implemented because its fabrication is more complex and requires a higher fabrication cost compared to the fabrication of single gate MOSFETs.
Yet another method to improve IC performance is to implement strained silicon MOSFET technologies, which provide high electron mobility by stretching the top silicon layer with an underlying layer of silicon germanium (SiGe). Strained silicon MOSFET incorporation has been proven to provide a 20 to 30 percent performance enhancement. Strained silicon MOSFET technologies can also be implemented on a SOI structure.
Yet another method to improve IC performance is to implement a dual silicon crystal orientation substrate, which is also called a hybrid-orientation substrate. For example, one known implementation, called "Hybrid Orientation Technology", gives a 40 to 65 percent performance enhancement by increasing the mobility of the positive charges, or holes, through the device channels. In that implementation, CMOS ICs consist of positively charged field effect transistors (PFETs) and negatively charged field effect transistors (NFETs). For PFETs, hole mobility is known to be 2.5 times higher on a silicon crystal orientation (110) surface compared to that on a standard silicon crystal orientation (100) surface. Therefore, by incorporating two substrates—a silicon (110) substrate and a silicon (100) substrate—a substantial performance enhancement can be achieved due to higher mobility on the silicon (110) substrate.
Some conventional designs integrate a SOI substrate with a Bulk substrate within an IC, which may also incorporate other implementations such as UTB MOSFETs, double gate MOSFETs, strained silicon MOSFETs, and a hybrid-orientation substrate. By utilizing these implementations, IC performance can be enhanced with allowances for future scaling. Although conventional designs permit the fabrication of an IC with the above structures, they are complex and very costly to implement.
Therefore, desirable in the art of SOI/Bulk structure semiconductor fabrication are improved structures that simplify the fabrication processes, thereby reducing fabrication costs and maintaining allowances for future scaling.

Semiconductor structure and method for integrating SOI devices and bulk devices

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company


An integrated circuit (IC) includes a substrate that is common to the IC and variants of the IC. The IC also includes a first set of interconnect layers fabricated above the substrate. The first set of interconnect layers is used to couple programmable interconnect of the IC to a first circuit in the substrate. The IC further includes a second set of interconnect layers fabricated above the substrate. The second set of interconnect layers is used to differentiate features of the IC from variants of the IC by selectively coupling the programmable interconnect to a second circuit in the substrate.

A variety of technologies have been developed to provide varying degrees of customization or configuration of ICs to end users. For example, one class of IC, the application specific IC (ASIC), typically provides little or no customization. Put another way, an ASIC is typically customized at the design and fabrication stage for a particular end-use. As another example, FPGAs are ICs that are designed and manufactured in order to allow an end-user to program or configure the devices after fabrication or manufacturing has concluded. As a result, FPGAs provide relatively high levels of flexibility to end-users. The increase in flexibility typically results in larger die and higher cost than an ASIC geared towards a particular end-use.
Structured ASICs occupy an intermediate space between ASICs and FPGAs in term of flexibility and customization. Instead of providing programmability of resources, such as logic circuits and interconnect, like FPGAs do, structured ASICs typically use different sets of masks for fabrication of each design. For example, some logic circuitry, such as lookup tables (LUTs) are "hardened" (generally no longer programmable) during the fabrication of a structured ASIC by mapping the circuit into an arrangement of standard cells. The hardening occurs during fabrication of the devices, rather than when used by end-users, and results in changes in the circuitry integrated or fabricated in the substrate of the structured ASIC.

Apparatus for field-programmable gate array with configurable architecture and associated methods


A series hydraulic circuit for permitting motorized operation and independent control of a plurality of cutting decks of a mower. The circuit allows separate operation of one of the decks while enabling operation of one or more of the other decks associated with the mower to simultaneously occur.

It is known to provide a hydraulic circuit to conduct the flow of hydraulic fluid so as to allow a motor of a vehicle, such as a mower, to be operated. Typically, these circuits are provided with a series of valves and switches to direct the flow of that liquid, whereby pressure associated with that flow to that motor permits its device, a blade as in the case of a mowing tractor, to move.
In providing these circuits, at least two designs have been used to accomplish the above. A first design has included providing a separate circuit for each of the motors, and thus the devices whose motion they control. A second design has included providing a single circuit and connecting each of the motors in series whereby flow to a particular motor can be accomplished through control of an associated valve manifold or collection of valves within the circuit.
With each of the above designs, disadvantages exist. In the case of providing a separate circuit for each of the separate motors, each circuit would require its own pump and control valve whereby the cost of doing so disfavors providing an economical product to the consumer. In the case of providing a circuit having each of the motors connected in series, efficiency, or the ratio of the work output to the work input across a system, is often decreased. This decreased efficiency results from drops in pressure across the valves which control the direction and function of flow and pressure through the circuit. These valves exist to regulate, as stated above, the pressure across the circuit when it is necessary to control the flow of hydraulic fluid to a first motor while preventing flow to one or more of a series of motors when it is desired to only operate one or a combination thereof. As fluid passes over these valves, the system experiences a drop in fluid pressure causing the system to be less efficient than it could otherwise be. Additionally, cost disadvantages also exist in this design due to the provision of these control valves.
Thus, it would be beneficial to provide a circuit which could allow for the control of multiple motors in a series circuit while doing so with low parasitic loss, or the pressure drop across the manifold, and a minimal number of valves within the manifold as a result of how fluid is directed to a particular motor.

Series hydraulic circuit for controlling operation of multiple cutting decks of a tractor


An extension rod has an interior end and an exterior end. The exterior end is formed with male screw threads. A primary bit has a cylindrical interior end and a conical exterior. Female threads at the interior end releasably couple with the extension rod. A secondary bit has a cylindrical interior end and a conical exterior end. Female threads at the interior end releasably couple with the extension rod. A length of line is coupled to the exterior end of the secondary bit. A coupler has a rearward end couplable to a linear member. A forward end is couplable to the rearward end of the secondary bit. In this manner the line, secondary bit and linear member may be pulled through the bore hole.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a boring and conduit/pipe system and more particularly pertains to forming a hole through a wall and for pulling a linear member through a hole.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of boring and conduit/pipe systems of known designs and configurations is known in the prior art. More specifically, boring and conduit/pipe systems of known designs and configurations previously devised and utilized for the purpose of boring through known methods and apparatuses are known to consist basically of familiar, expected, and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which has been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,888,035 issued Mar. 30, 1999 to Cutler relates to a system for installing a length of cable within a wall. U.S. Pat. No. 6,561,269 issued May 13, 2003 to Brown relates to a canister, sealing method and composition for sealing a bore hole. U.S. Pat. No. 5,242,026 issued Sep. 7, 1993 to Deken relates to a method and apparatus for drilling a horizontal controlled borehole in the earth. U.S. Pat. No. 5,133,418 issued Jul. 28, 1992 to Gibson relates to a directional drilling system with eccentric mounted motor and biaxial sensor and method. U.S. Pat. No. 4,953,638 issued Sep. 4, 1990 to Dunn relates to a method and apparatus for drilling a horizontal controlled borehole in the earth. U.S. Pat. No. 4,942,930 issued Jul. 24, 1990 to Millsapps relates to a lubrication system for an earth boring drill bit and method for filling and retrofit installing thereof. U.S. Pat. No. 4,143,723 issued Mar. 13, 1979 to Schmotzer relates to a carbide tipped drill bit for boring holes in concrete and steel. Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,737,245 issued Mar. 30, 1973 to Mater relates to a drill bit for pole boring machine.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe boring and conduit/pipe system that allows forming a hole through a wall and for pulling a linear member through a hole.
In this respect, the boring and conduit/pipe system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of forming a hole through a wall and for pulling a linear member through a hole.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a new and improved boring and conduit/pipe system which can be used for forming a hole through a wall and for pulling a linear member through a hole. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.