An automatic scanner calibration method and apparatus is disclosed in which a calibrated target, such as a Kodak® gray strip, is attached to a scanning surface of a scanner. The target is thin and has a width or length of platen of a scanner. During a normal scan, the calibration target area can be ignored or scanned depending on user selection. If the strip is scanned, then the resulting information is used to calibrate the scanner automatically. Such calibration is more accurate than an older in time or preset default calibration. Another embodiment of the invention actuates a print of a printer calibration target on a printer on a scheduled basis. Thereafter, the user can take the printer calibration target and place it on the scanner and perform a calibration of a scanner/printer system.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the calibration of a scanner. More particularly, the invention relates to a method and apparatus for automatically calibrating a scanner. Another embodiment of the invention relates to calibrating a printer automatically.
2. Description of Prior Art
Many scanning and printing technologies are complex and, due to many different physical and environmental factors, may drift in their color response. For example, in the case of a scanner, the quality of light produced by the light source drifts over time due to the gradual variation of both electronic and optical components of the scanner. In the case of a printer, the amount of color toner or ink that is printed on paper changes over time. It is preferable that printers and scanners have a steady and consistent color response.
Prior art systems attempt to compensate for the difference in color behavior between a measured response of the printer or scanner and an ideal response of the printer or scanner by various calibrating techniques. One common way to calibrate a scanner involves scanning a calibrated target strip with a scanner and then using software that accompanies the calibrated target strip to perform the calibration. The software measures density values on the strip and compares the measured values to stored density values known to correspond to the calibrated target strip. The software generates modified or calibrated density values and typically stores the calibrated values in an association table known in the art as the lookup table (LUT). More expensive scanners are capable of running the software, while less expensive scanners run such software on an associated personal computer (PC).
Common in the art are two types of calibrated target strips that come with color management software and that can be purchased on the market. The two common strips are the Kodak® Gray Scale calibrated target strip produced by the Eastman Kodak Corp. of Rochester, N.Y. and the ANSI-standard IT8 target manufactured by, for example, the Agfa Division, Bayer Corporation. The Kodak® Gray Scale comprises patches of varying densities of gray and the IT8 strips comprise color patches.
It is known to calibrate a color image reproduction system by generating a scanner calibration table and a printer calibration table. However, the method is elaborate in that it includes the steps of providing a set of calibration tools that are developed on a separate representative system and the steps of applying the calibration tools to calibrate the color image reproduction system. Refer to S. Wan and A. Leone, Color Image Reproduction System Field Calibration Method and Apparatus, U.S. Pat. No. 5,452,112. (Sep. 19, 1995).
L, Dietz, and T. Baer, Calibration Method and Apparatus For Optical Scanner, U.S. Pat. No. 5,689,110. (Nov. 18, 1997), disclose a method and apparatus for calibrating a specialized optical scanner known as a fluorescence spectrometer. One of the apparent significant applications of a fluorescence scanner is in the field of medicine wherein, for example, a blood sample is mixed with a fluorescence dye, and the blood sample is scanned and analyzed to determine certain cell characteristics. The calibration method and apparatus disclosed in the document by L. Dietz and T. Baer involves such techniques as calibrating to calibration standards, such as gold and rubies, and is not directly relevant to the type of color image scanner addressed in this document.
D. Quardt and K. M. Chang, Optical Scanner Threshold Setting Method and Sheet, U.S. Pat. No. 5,194,966 (Mar. 16, 1993), disclose a method for optimizing optical scanners by automatically determining image processing threshold values using a threshold image calibration sheet. One embodiment comprises the steps of repetitively scanning the sheet until scanner threshold values are determined. Another embodiment comprises the step of a single scan but uses two or more scanner cameras to work together to process the document images. The method disclosed in this document requires a significant amount of labor to complete repetitive scans and/or requires a scanning device having two or more cameras.
D. Sherman, Y. Accad, and E. Steinberg, Method For Calibrating A Color Printer Using A Scanner For Color Measurements, U.S. Pat. No. 5,537,516. (Jul. 16, 1996) disclose a method for calibrating a subject scanner that uses a standard target with respect to a calibrated reference scanner, known as the object scanner. The method generates scanner correction tables for the readings of the subject scanner. The output of the object scanner when scanning a reference target is compared to the output of the subject scanner when scanning the reference target. This method requires a deliberate action on the part of a user whenever calibration is desired in which the user is required to have the target on hand and the user is required to scan the target. Sherman et al. further provides an improved method of measuring ink densities using a subject scanner. In one embodiment, a target is placed at a defocused point with respect to a focal point of the scanning device, and in an alternate embodiment, a diffusing substrate rather than a defocusing means is placed between a target and the scanning device.
It is also known to generate a scanner profile by scanning a standard gray scale test strip comprising a plurality of gray scale patches and comparing the scanned test strip data to a stored data file containing density values known to correspond to the test strip. Refer to R. Falk, Color Calibration Method And System Having Independent Color Scanner Profiles, U.S. Pat. No. 5,760,913, (Jun. 2, 1998). discloses the use of a scanner as a densitometer to calibrate a printer. As in some of the previously described documents, the method and system taught by Falk requires the user to have the standard gray scale test strip or its equivalent readily available and requires the user to scan a calibration target and a test strip on the scanner to perform the desired calibration process.
It would be advantageous to provide an automatic scanner calibration method and apparatus. For example, a user who must perform a calibration of a scanner may have misplaced a calibrated target strip. In the prior art, calibration cannot be performed if a target strip is misplaced.
It would also be advantageous for an automatic scanner calibration method and apparatus to provide a means by which a user can calibrate the scanner during a normal scan of an object. An automatic scanner calibration method and apparatus providing the means to calibrate the scanner during a normal scan of an object has the potential to be more accurate than older in time calibrations and more accurate than a scanner set to the preset default settings provided by the manufacturer. For example, it is well known in the art that a scanner can have a warm up time of about twenty minutes before reaching a steady output value. A user may desire to scan an image prior to a scanner reaching the steady output value. It would be advantageous for the user to calibrate the scanner automatically.


An apparatus for cleaning a bank of tubing includes a small, portable, mobile, remote controlled cart that travels over the surface of the banking of tubing and directs at least one high pressure fluid jet onto the surfaces of the tubes comprising the banks of tubing over which the cart is traveling. A method of cleaning the exterior of a bank of tubing includes traversing a small, portable, mobile, remote controlled cart over the surface of the bank of tubing, and directing a high pressure water generally downwardly toward the tubing as the cart traverses the surface of the bank of tubing.

This invention relates to methods of and apparatus for cleaning the exterior of banks of tubing, such as the banks of tubing in a heat exchanger.
Heat exchangers, such as those used in boilers, typically consist of banks of tubing over which hot combustion gases are passed to heat fluid circulating through the tubes. Overtime dirt and debris build up on the outsides of the tubes, impairing heat transfer, and it becomes necessary to clean the exterior of the bank of tubes. However, because of their location and configuration, this cleaning process can be very difficult and time consuming.

Method of, and apparatus for, cleaning the exterior of tubing


A coating agent for plastic films which contains an intrinsically electrically conducting polymer and one or more additives which have an anti-adhesion action with respect to a metal coating to be applied to the plastic film can be used to coat plastic films. The plastic films so coated can be used to transfer a coated metal to another substrate.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a coating agent for plastic films, to plastic films coated with this agent and to the use of the plastic films so coated, in particular in transfer metallization.
2. Description of Related Art
In transfer metallization, thin metal coatings are transferred from a plastic carrier film to a substrate, for example a paper, to be metallized. The procedure followed is usually that a plastic film, for example a polypropylene film or a polyester film, is first coated with a thin metal coating. The metal coating is usually applied by a vacuum metallization technique. After metallization of the plastic carrier film, the latter is brought into contact with the substrate to be metallized, care being taken that the adhesion between the substrate to be metallized and the metal coating is greater than that between the metal coating and the plastic carrier film. This is usually effected by means of an adhesive, which is applied either to the substrate to be metallized or to the metal coating. After bringing substrate and metallized carrier film into contact and, where appropriate, after curing the adhesive, substrate and carrier film are separated again, the metal coating remaining on the substrate. The plastic carrier film can now be metallized again and used for a further transfer metallization process. Depending on the type and nature of the carrier film, this operation can be repeated several times.
Both the transfer metallization process itself and also suitable carrier films have been disclosed and are described in the art, for example, in EP-A-0,175,259, EP-A-0,208,257, EP-A-0,216,342, EP-A-0,266,650, DE-A-2,555,087, DE-A-2,856,510, DE-A-2,907,186, DE-A-2,747,241, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,153,495.
However, these known carrier films have numerous disadvantages. For example, polyester carrier films have such high adhesion to the metal coating, that the surface of this polyester film which is to be metallized must be provided with an adhesion reducing agent such as a release coating, in order to make transfer of the metal coating to another medium possible. In the case of multiple use of this carrier film, the surface to be metallized must be re-coated with the adhesion-reducing agent every time. For reasons associated with the process, this results in irregularities in the release coating in the edge regions of the carrier film and thus in uncontrollable variations in the metal adhesion. For this reason, a carrier film of this type has to be edge-trimmed after each metallization, which leads to ever narrower carrier films and thus ultimately restricts the number of times such a film can be reused. In addition, it is uneconomical for transfer metallization users if the width of the substrate to be metallized has to be adjusted every time to the varying width of the carrier film.
A further disadvantage is seen when the carrier film has double-sided metallization. This is usually the case because generally not only the metal coating to be transferred is applied to the carrier film but, in addition, a second permanent metal coating, which serves to dissipate electrostatic charges which result during the production and in particular during winding of the films, is applied to the rear of the carrier film. (The charge develops only if two different plastics are moved past one another.)
If there is no electrical discharge, so-called Lichtenberg figures appear on the metallized surface in the transfer step. Depending on the intensity of the electrostatic charge present, these may be more than just optical defects. In particular, the adhesion of the coatings to be transferred to the plastic web can also be increased to such an extent that delamination is subsequently no longer possible. This then leads to tearing of the carrier film and possibly damaging to the equipment used in the delamination process.
The use of polyolefin films also gives rise to a limitation in the processing temperature which can be used. As a result, long dwell times accompanied by long drying channels and transverse contraction of the film webs as a result of the tensile forces have to be taken into account if the temperatures during the process are too high for the films.
Furthermore, a carrier material is desired which has a higher resistance during curing of the two-component adhesive in the electron beam process than does the polypropylene most frequently used.


A set of one or more positional control parameters includes at least one of a geographic limit, a velocity limit, and a direction of travel limit. A control list identifies at least one feature in a mobile device. The at least one feature may be associated with at least one of the positional control parameters.

Use of mobile devices such as cellular telephones, personal digital assistants, handled computers, etc., is quite common. Such mobile devices may provide for a variety of communications, e.g., voice communications, instant messaging, e-mail, etc. Further, mobile communications devices may be used in a variety of contexts, e.g., in homes, offices, schools, automobiles, etc.
Use of mobile communications devices presents a variety of potential risks and hazards. For example, it is particularly unsafe for drivers, particularly recently licensed drivers, to make and receive voice calls, send and receive text messages, etc. while driving. In another example of risks and hazards of using mobile communications devices, children at present are generally able to send and receive communications without limitations regarding the other parties with whom communications may be made, regardless of the child's geographic location. There is presently no way of preventing children from sending or receiving communications based on a geographic location of the child's mobile device. Moreover, there is presently no way to manage communications services available to children based on a geographic location of the child's mobile device. Further, therefore, there is no way to restrict or manage the other parties with whom a child may communicate based on a geographic location of the child's mobile device.

Position and velocity-based mobile device management


An automatic slack adjusting mechanism for a rotary oscillatory cam actuated brake assembly including an elongated housing having an opening therethrough and a bore, a worm gear rotatably mounted in the opening, a shaft mounted for rotation in the bore and having a worm nonrotatably secured thereto and drivingly engaging the gear. A detent part in the housing is axially fixed relative to the bore and a link is pivotally connected to one end of a plunger assembly and to the housing whereby pivotal movement of the link relative to the housing will move the plunger assembly relative to the detent part and the detent will rotate the plunger, the worm and the worm gear upon return movement of the plunger assembly following outward movement of the assembly beyond a predetermined distance relative to the detent. The detent part includes a spring biased pawl extending into toothed engagement with a helical toothed surface portion of the plunger. The opening includes a first, second and third bore having successively smaller diameters and forming flanges intermediate thereof. The worm gear is maintained in sliding relation with the second bore and a first intermediate flange by an annular retainer which is disposed in the third bore in abutting relation with a second intermediate flange. The retainer includes an annular channel formed from two coaxial axially extending portions connected by a radially extending portion which is filled with an elastomeric material which forms an annular face seal maintained proximate an annular face of the worm gear. The opposing annular faces include seals which cooperatively define a sealed area which extends radially inwardly of said annular face portions.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to an automatic slack adjusting mechanism for a cam actuated brake assembly, and more specifically, to an automatic slack adjusting mechanism which features a low friction adjusting gear.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various types of cam actuation levers including automatic slack adjusting mechanisms for cam actuated brake systems are known in the prior art. One type is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,949,840 which is herein incorporated by reference. Adjustment of the slack present in such a system is accomplished by rotation of a worm gear with respect to an angularly rotatable lever. The worm gear is driven by a pinion having a helical gear formed thereon. A thrust force associated with rotation of the pinion engaging the worm gear must be resisted. Such a design results in friction in the adjusting mechanism. A benefit may be realized by use of a low friction mechanism for accomplishing the slack adjusting feature.

Automatic slack adjusting mechanism including a low friction adjusting gear


The invention relates to process for preparing persimmon vinegar, in which persimmon extract is added to persimmon concentrate to obtain a mixture and then the mixture is spray dried; and vinegar powder having a taste and a smell convenient to eat, produced by the process. The persimmon vinegar powder is prepared by concentrating persimmon vinegar to 12˜18° BX using vacuum concentrator to obtain a concentrate of persimmon vinegar; adding 15˜30 weight % of extract of persimmon leaf and 5˜9 weight % of cyclodextrin, based on the weight of the concentrate, to the concentrate to obtain a solution and then stirring the solution; dissolving 1˜5 weight % of lactose, 25˜35 weight % of maltodextrin, and 5˜9 weight % of gum, based on weight of the concentrate, in the stirred solution and homogenizing the solution: and spray drying the homogenized solution to obtain a powder. According to the present invention, a sour taste of persimmon vinegar is eliminated and a characteristic flavor of persimmon leaf is added, which lead to prepare persimmon vinegar powder having improved preference, and also prepare standard and economical persimmon vinegar powder by use of the concentrate. The method may prepare vinegar powders from vinegar, which is made from numerous fruits and vegetables such as grape, apricot, plum, garlic, etc. In some cases, Chineses matrimony vine, Maximowiczia chinensis and pine needle may be added.

Persimmon (Diasoyros kaki), which is a nutritious and alkaline fruit, contains 11˜15% of sugar such as fructose and glucose, about 20˜50 mg/100 g (edible portion) of vitamin C, which is about 5˜12 times as much as that of apple, and more minerals than apple. Additionally, persimmon contains a great quantity of vitamin A and tannic acid, the latter of which produces a bitter taste. Especially, tannic acid is known to remedy diarrhea or stomach disorder, as well as lower the blood pressure without affecting an electrocardigram. Accordingly, many of research in persimmon, as both food and medicine, are actively going on.
Amount of persimmon produced in domestic was about 155,111 ton (in 1992), but has been increasing yearly to about 239,570 ton in 1997. Also, cultivation area of persimmon is increasing yearly. Because the persimmon has a higher profitability than other fruit, e.g., apple, significant increasing of its cultivation area is expected. Thus, there is a need for the development of persimmon for use as both food and medicine.
Meanwhile, persimmon vinegar has been produced for a long time, in order to obtain maximally the effect of the beneficial nutrients in persimmon. Persimmon vinegar is described as "new fruit vinegar" in the literature of [San-Lim Kyun-je, published in the late Chosun Dysnasty]. Vinegar is a widely used seasoning, and its constituents has been known to have important influences on the human metabolism, since Krebs (U.S.A) and Kipman (England) reported the TCA cycle theory in 1953.
Vinegar contains a great quantity of organic acids involved in the TCA cycle, including acetic acid, and thus smoothly activates the TCA cycle without accumulating a lactic acid in body. Therefore, the vinegar is effective to refresh and makes the blood a weak alkali. Such vinegar has been made from numerous fruits and grains. Of these, persimmon vinegar has a better flavor than others (for example, apple vinegar, brown rice vinegar, etc.). The persimmon vinegar also contains a great quantity of tannin, which is a polyphenolic compound, and thus lowers the blood pressure and strengthens blood vessels. The persimmon vinegar also contains a great quantity of acetic acid as main component and other organic acids involved in TCA cycle, which make it good for refreshment, increase appetite and prevent numerous adult diseases.
Despites the fact that persimmon vinegar is a traditional fermented seasoning, there are few studies of persimmons and persimmon vinegar. But today, as the interest in health food is increased, it began to study pharmacological components of persimmon and standard method for preparing the persimmon vinegar. Sugahara et al. studied a preference for persimmon beverages (reference: Sugahara, T., et al., The preference for Kaki beverage. Nippon Shokuhin Kogyo Gakkaishi, 33(4), 281-284, 1987). Nakashima et al. produced persimmon vinegar using an Acetobacter, which isolated from persimmon during fermentation of the persimmon, and studied changes in the composition of the persimmon vinegar (reference: Nakashima, M., et al., Changes in the composition of persimmon vinegar induced by Acetobacter sp. isolated from "Sanja" persimmon fruits during the fermentation; Nippon Shokuhin Kohyo Gakkaishi, 34(12). 818-825, 1987). Nippon patents relating to persimmon vinegar include a method for producing alcohol beverage using persimmon (reference: Nippon nonexamined patent No. 56-25104), and a method for preparing persimmon vinegar that reduces alcohol concentration in blood (reference: Nippon nonexamined patent No. 61-224980).
There is a report that superior strain producing an acetic acid is isolated and cultivated with stirring to obtain persimmon vinegar having an acidity of 5%, in Korea (ref: Won Sub CHA, Joon hee PARK, Jin Gu KIM; Study of production of persimmon vinegar, 20, 29-32, 1980, in articles of Sang-ju Agricultural Specialized University). Also, there has been a study of development of instant vinegar, in which major microorganism involved in fermentation of persimmon vinegar is isolated from persimmon vinegar and then identified, and concentration of acetic acid is assayed (ref: Myung Chan KIM et al., Production of vinegar using persimmon, Korean Industrial Microbiology, 8(2), 103-111, 1980). Also, there has been continuous studies of production of persimmon vinegar, including study of production of persimmon vinegar using Saccharomyces cerevisiae FWKS 260 yeast and Acetobacter aceti (ref.: Choong Yeon WON et al., Study of development of instant vinegar using persimmon, Korean Nutritional Food Academic Committee Fall Thesis Presentations, p. 55, 1994), and study of production of vinegar using persimmon which deteriorated due to low temperature storage (ref: Korean Nutritional Food Academic Committee, 25(1), 123-128, 1996). Korean patents relating to persimmon vinegar include a method for preparing persimmon vinegar (Korean Patent Publication Nos. 93-008120, 98-151732, and Korean Patent Appln. No. 98-002239), a method for producing a galenical preparation using persimmon vinegar (Korean Patent Open-laid No. 96-028915), a method for preparing instant persimmon vinegar (Korean Patent Publication No. 98-149279), method for preparing beverage composition containing persimmon vinegar (Korean Patent Open-laid No. 97-032521), and a method for preparing persimmon vinegar using a fertile egg of white silky fowl (Korean Patent Open-laid No. 97-074922). However, all these previous studies are limited to the production of persimmon vinegar or simple application of already-produced persimmon vinegar to beverages, and fail to extend to the study of the technique for processing persimmon vinegar into beverage convenient to drink.
Now, persimmon vinegar is used as sour seasoning for cooking in Korea, but major use of the persimmon vinegar is to directly drink it as health food. In such case, it is general to dilute it and directly drink it with honey. However, even though it is diluted, characteristic strong sour taste and smell of the persimmon vinegar make it very difficult and substantially painful to drink. Also, since being in liquid form, it is inconvenient to carry and difficult to use as an ingredient for cooking. Accordingly, there is a need for the development of technique capable of overcoming these disadvantages. That is to say, persimmon vinegar, having acidity of approximately 4%, generally has strong smell and taste of its own and thus is inadequate to directly drink in terms of preference. Also, liquid form of the persimmon vinegar limits handling of the vinegar, blending with other food, as well as its application and use. Therefore, it is attempted to pulverize persimmon vinegar, in order to overcome such disadvantages.
Korean Patent Open-laid No. 98-000188 describes a method for preparing persimmon vinegar powder, in which molecules of the persimmon vinegar is entrapped using a entrapping property of dextrin, smell of the persimmon vinegar is entrapped using a gum, and then persimmon vinegar as above is dried. However, the above method is a merely one which a general method for pulverizing liquefied material is applied to persimmon vinegar. The method has a difficulty in properly alleviating a sour taste of persimmon vinegar or entrapping a smell of its own. The method also comprises the step of pretreating or aging persimmon vinegar in a sealed container, which makes processing of the vinegar complex and requires a considerable time. Thus, the method is inadequate for pulverization of persimmon vinegar. Also, since the method uses a stock solution of persimmon vinegar, the used container has to be very large, concentration of persimmon vinegar in persimmon vinegar powder is very low and concentration fluctuation of persimmon vinegar is very severe. Especially, the sour taste of the persimmon vinegar powder, which prepared by the method is not adequately masked, and thus problems of prior liquefied persimmon vinegar still remain, when consuming the persimmon vinegar powder. Therefore, there is a need for techniques, which can control taste and smell of the persimmon vinegar so that it can be consumed directly, and inhibit a loss of active ingredients of vinegar, as well as prepare persimmon vinegar powder of good quality in a standard and convenient way.
Therefore, we make an effort to pulverize persimmon vinegar to make it easy to consume. In result, we found that when extract of persimmon leaf and the other excipients are added to a concentrate of persimmon vinegar to obtain a mixture, and then the mixture is pulverized, sour taste of persimmon vinegar can be eliminated and the characteristic flavor of persimmon leaf is added, which lead to prepare persimmon vinegar powder having an enhanced preference. We also found that standard and economical persimmon vinegar powder can be produced by use of the concentrate of persimmon vinegar, so as to complete the present invention.

Persimmon vinegar powder and process for preparing the same


A method, apparatus and program storage device for performing a self-healing cache process is described. At least one error affecting a cache is detected. The cache may have a matching address tag for a fetching operation. Based on the type of error, a self-healing cache process is performed based.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to cache operations and more particularly to a method, apparatus and program storage device for performing a self-healing cache process.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A computer system typically includes a processor coupled to a hierarchical storage system. The hardware can dynamically allocate parts of memory within the hierarchy for addresses deemed most likely to be accessed soon. The type of storage employed in each staging location relative to the processor is normally determined by balancing requirements for speed, capacity, and costs.
Computer processes continually refer to this storage over their executing lifetimes, both reading from and writing to the staged stored system. These references include self-referencing as well as references to every type of other process, overlay or data. It is well-known in the art that data storage devices using high-speed random access memories (RAM) can be referenced orders of magnitude faster than high volume direct-access storage devices (DASD's) using rotating magnetic media. Such electronic RAM storage relies upon high-speed transfer of electrical charges over small distances, while DASD's typically operate mechanically by rotating a data storage position on a magnetic disk with respect to read-write heads. The relative cost of a bit of storage for DASD and RAM makes it necessary to use DASD for bulk storage and electronic RAM for processor internal memory and caching.
A commonly employed memory hierarchy includes a special, high-speed memory known as cache, in addition to the conventional memory which includes main memory and bulk memory. Cache memory may be arranged in a variety of configurations.
For example, in a cache that uses direct mapping, a data item in main memory is always stored at the same location in the cache. Its address is split into three parts: the first is used to address the line that the data can be found in, the second is stored in the tag RAM to uniquely identify the data in the cache, and the third is the offset of the data in the line.
Fully associative caches are configured to allow any line in memory to be stored at any location in the cache. Associative caches use fewer bits to address the cache line than would be necessary to uniquely identify it. Thus data items can map to multiple lines. Most caches are n-way associative caches, meaning most caches can map data to n distinct locations. In order to identify which data is in the cache, more bits have to be used in the tag RAM. Due to the multiple lines in which a data item may be stored, accessing the cache requires a search process. In order to keep the speed of the lookup operation at the level of a direct mapped cache, the search process must be performed in parallel, requiring n comparators for an n-way associative cache. Advantages of implementing an n-way associative cache include, data items that would map to the same line in a direct mapped cache can now be stored in the cache at the same time, trashing is reduced and utilization improved. Cache memory can be dedicated for instructions or for data. Caches can also exist for addresses translation entries and other types of data.
Cache memory speed increases the apparent access times of the slower memories by holding the words that the CPU is most likely to access. For example, a computer may use a cache memory that resides between the external devices and main memory, called a disk cache, or between main memory and the CPU, called a CPU cache.
A high-speed CPU cache enables relatively fast access to a subset of data instructions, which were previously transferred from main storage to the cache, and thus improves the speed of operation of the data processing system. Cache memory may also be used to store recently accessed blocks from secondary storage media such as disks. This cache memory could be processor buffers contained in main memory or a separate disk cache memory located between secondary and main storage.
A disk cache is a memory device using a semiconductor RAM or SRAM and is designed to eliminate an access gap between a high-speed main memory and low-speed large-capacity secondary memories such as magnetic disk units. The disk cache is typically in a magnetic disk controller arranged between the main memory and a magnetic disk unit, and serves as a data buffer.
The principle of a disk cache is the same as that of a central processing unit (CPU) cache. When the CPU accesses data on disk, the necessary blocks are transferred from the disk to the main memory. At the same time, they are written to the disk cache. If the CPU subsequently accesses the same blocks, they are transferred from the disk cache and not from the disk, resulting in substantially faster accesses.
Other levels of cache are available separate from disk cache and CPU cache. For example, L1 cache, from Level 1 cache, is known as the primary cache and is built into a microprocessor. L1 cache is the smallest and fastest cache level. L2 cache, short for Level 2 cache, is a second level of cache that is larger and slower compared to L1 cache. L2 cache, also called the secondary cache, may be found on a separate chip from the microprocessor chip or may be incorporated into a microprocessor chip's architecture. Other layers of cache may also be implemented. Disk cache, in relation to L1 and L2 caches, is much slower and larger. The CPU cache, comparatively speaking, is very slow and very large.
When a request to read from memory can be satisfied from the cache without using the main memory, the cache controller behaves differently depending on the cache type. For a read operation, the controller selects the data from the cache line and transfers it into a CPU register; the RAM is not accessed and the CPU efficiency increases. For a write operation, the controller may implement one of two basic strategies called write-through and write-back. In a write-through operation, the controller always writes into both RAM and the cache line, effectively switching off the cache for write operations. In a write-back or copyback operation, only the cache line is updated, and the contents of the RAM are left unchanged. After a write-back or copyback operation the RAM must eventually be updated. When a cache miss occurs, the cache line is written to memory, if necessary, and the correct line is fetched from RAM into the cache entry.
With performance being very important and semiconductor geometries shrinking, it is becoming common to implement large caches. L2 caches of 512K to 1 MB are becoming ordinary. However, these caches can experience many types of failures, some of them being transient and some permanent. Caches may have built-in failure checks and may use either parity or error correction code (ECC) methods for detecting errors. For example, parity checks require an extra bit for every 8 bits of data and check for memory errors using even parity or odd parity checks. For even parity, when the 8 bits in a byte receive data, the chip adds up the total number of 1s. If the total number of 1s is odd, the parity bit is set to 1. If the total is even, the parity bit is set to 0. When the data is read back out of the bits, the total is added up again and compared to the parity bit. If the total is odd and the parity bit is 1, then the data is assumed to be valid and is sent to the CPU. But if the total is odd and the parity bit is 0, the chip knows that there is an error somewhere in the 8 bits and dumps the data. Odd parity works the same way, but the parity bit is set to 1 when the total number of 1s in the byte is even.
Parity checking can detect all single bit errors and is 50% effective against random corruption. However, parity does nothing to correct them. If a byte of data does not match its parity bit, then the data are discarded and the system must recover. This problem can reduce cache efficiency and performance.
Some memory caches use a form of error checking known as error-correction code (ECC). Like parity, ECC uses additional bits to monitor the data in each byte. The difference is that ECC uses several bits for error checking instead of one. ECC memory uses a special algorithm not only to detect single bit errors, but actually correct them as well. For example, Many memory systems and caches use some type of Hamming code to perform ECC. ECC memory will also detect instances when more than one bit of data in a word fails. Such failures are not correctable, even with ECC and software is left with little choice but to reset and start over and determine if the problem reoccurs. When permanent errors are present in any type of cache, the same error is repeatedly detected resulting in decreased cache efficiency and performance.
Recovery from uncorrectable errors may involve a lengthy process of resetting and reloading all the code to the computer system. During this time, the customer may not be able to perform useful work, or if it is a redundant system, there exists the increased risk that a code bug during the recovery process could bring down the entire system. Error recovery code is very difficult to test and does tend to have higher error rates than code that is executed more frequently.
It can be seen that there is a need for a method, apparatus and program storage device for increasing cache performance, efficiency and recoverability.

International Business Machines Corporation


A method (100) is disclosed for generating a page description from a list of items (201 to 204) to be rendered to the page. At least one of the items in the list belongs to a class of key items (201). Such key items may for example be text items. The method (100) traverses (601) the list, and classifies items (202, 203) not designated as key items that would when rendered overlie at least one key item (201). At least one other non-key item is then rendered to image data (104, 105), and the page description is generated (107) from page description commands which describe the key items (201), page description commands describing the classified items (202, 203), and rendered image data of the remaining items (200). Including certain items (201, 202 and 203) in the page description using page description commands ensures that the quality of such items is retained. Also, including the remainder of the items (200) using image data provides for high compression.

A Page Description Language (PDL) is a language that describes the contents of a document at a higher level than an actual output bitmap. A PDL script defines page items, or graphical objects, independently of render technology, such as printers or display devices, so that a document's appearance is consistent regardless of the specific render device used. Graphical objects may include lines, rectangles, arcs, images and text. Examples of PDLs include Adobe® PostScript®, PDF (Portable Document Format), and Hewlett Packard® PCL (Printer Control Language).
PDL compression is commonly achieved by decimating images and processing PDL commands to remove redundant colors, useless clips, degenerate strokes and unused objects. For example, Adobe® Acrobat® Professional's PDF Optimizer compresses PDF by:                Downsampling color and grayscale images using JPEG, ZIP, run length, JBIG2, or CCITT compression;        Unembedding fonts;        Flattening transparency;        Discarding unused objects;        Converting smooth lines to curves;        Detecting and merging image fragments;        Using Flate to compress uncompressed streams;        Removing invalid bookmarks and links; and        Removing unreferenced named destinations.The application PDF Compress by VeryPDF Inc. is another software application that compresses PDF files in a similar way, by:        Applying JPEG2000, JPEG, or Flate compression for color images;        Applying CCITT Group4, or Flate compression for grayscale images; and        Removing unused objects.
On-line catalogues that are designed in products such as QuarkXpress® or Adobe® Illustrator® are often of the order of 1 MB per page. This size is prohibitive for display of catalogues on websites. The compression applications described above do not achieve sufficient compression. A more aggressive algorithm is required to generate files of a size suitable for web download, which also preserves the quality of certain graphical objects, referred to as key items.
Text is an example of a class of key items. The previous methods mentioned above do not sufficiently preserve the following text attributes:                Visual appearance: Is the text crisp and clear to read?        Readability: Are text kerning, leading and word spacing preserved?        Searchability: Is the text searchable in viewer applications?        Scalability: Is the visual appearance of the text retained with zooming into and out of the text?        Extractability: Is the text extractable from the document, while retaining all its attributes?
Other classes of key items include PDF graphical objects that are intended to represent real-world objects. Users of computer aided design (CAD) documents which include such objects often require information about the scale and units of measurement of the corresponding real-world objects and their relationship to units in PDF user space. The extractability of measurement information from these PDF graphical objects must be preserved by the compression method. This information enables users of viewer applications to perform measurements that yield results in the units intended by the creator of the original document.

Compressing page descriptions while preserving high quality


An organic electroluminescent material is sealed within the outer housing of a portable radio telephone along with the control grids to cause the material to luminesce in a pixilated pattern. The pixels are controlled to generate a visual alarm which flashes a warning to a user as either a message or a flashing color of the housing or image. The visual alarm may be combined with audible and vibratory alarms within the mobile telephone.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to communication devices, such as mobile telephones, pagers and personal digital assistance (PDAs), and more particularly, to a visual alarm and signaling system for such devices which incorporates organic electroluminescent materials.
2. Description of the Related Art
In modem modular digital communication devices, such as, mobile telephones, pagers and PDAs, the external appearance and aesthetic design aspects of such devices are becoming increasingly important both from the standpoint of consumer marketing appeal as well as from the user interface point of view. Such devices are now manufactured with various bright colored plastic housings and are often decorated with designs such as flowers to increase their appeal to consumers. Certain designs of cellular telephones, for example, also offer customization features such as flip covers over the display and keypad areas which come in assorted colors as well as with artistic designs on the outer surface. These design features are often very important criteria in a buyer's decision to purchase one model of mobile telephone or pager over another.
Modular digital devices such as mobile telephones and pagers have, however, generally always incorporated the same principal types of alarms and user signaling. These alarms consist of an audible buzz or ring and/or a vibration of the entire unit to allow comparatively confidential signaling of an alarm to a user carrying the module on their person.
Conventional user signaling for a device such as a mobile telephone holds little possibility of customizing the user signaling interface to capitalize upon fashion trends. Moreover, conventional audible signaling systems are of virtually no use to users who are hearing impaired or deaf and are of limited use in very noisy environments.
Thus, a need exists for an alarm and signaling design for a communication device such as a mobile telephone, which can also serve as an eye catching decorative feature of the telephone in keeping with current fashion trends. An alarm and signaling system for a mobile telephone which is strikingly visual, either with or without auditory and vibrating alarms, would also be extremely useful for a user which is hearing impaired or deaf. The system of the present invention incorporates such advantages.


Example methods, apparatuses, or articles of manufacture are disclosed herein that may be utilized, in whole or in part, to facilitate or support one or more operations or techniques for reducing power consumption or error of a digital compass.

1. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to processing of sensor information for use with mobile communication devices and, more particularly, to reducing power consumption or error of a digital compass for use in or with mobile communication devices.
2. Information
Mobile communication devices, for example, cellular telephones, portable navigation units, laptop computers, personal digital assistants, or the like play an important role in allowing society to maintain its mobility. For example, mobile communication devices may enable users to request or access information, services, etc. anytime anyplace via one or more applications hosted on computing platforms associated with these devices. Such applications may include, for example, navigation or position-tracking applications, geo-processing or mapping applications, Web-browsing applications, game or music-related applications, or the like.
To support a number of applications in today's market, mobile communication devices may employ a variety of sensors. These sensors may typically, although not necessarily, be capable of converting physical phenomena into analog or digital signals and may be integrated into (e.g., built-in, etc.) or otherwise supported by (e.g., stand-alone, etc.) a mobile communication device. For example, a mobile communication device may feature one or more accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers, gravitometers, ambient light detectors, proximity sensors, thermometers, etc., capable of measuring various motion states, locations, orientations, ambient environments, etc. of the mobile device. Sensors may be utilized individually or may be used in combination with other sensors, depending on a particular application.
Obtaining or providing more accurate or useful sensor measurements for use by applications hosted on a mobile communication device may, for example, improve or enhance performance of such applications. Accordingly, from time to time, it may be desirable to calibrate one or more associated sensors in some manner.

Reducing power consumption or error of digital compass


An apparatus for housing a storage processor includes first and second side portions each extending in a plane defined by a first direction and a second direction, and separated from each other in a third direction; first and second flapper components disposed between the first side portion and the second side portion, extending in a first plane and a second plane, respectively, and rotatable about a first axis and a second axis, respectively, the first flapper component coupled to the first side portion and having a first end face, the second flapper component coupled to the second side portion and having a second end face; and first and second magnetic components disposed in the first end face and the second end face, respectively, and configured to be coupled to each other by a magnetic force so as to couple the first end face to the second end face.

Recently, storage servers for providing data storage services have been widely applied. The storage server generally comprises a storage array and a storage processor. As an amount of data to be stored increases, a need to improve a capacity and a density of the storage array also increases accordingly. The increase in the capacity and the density of the storage array results in a significant increase in a power density of the storage server, particularly the storage array.
The increase of the power density of the storage server poses many challenges, one of which involves a heat dissipation of the storage array. It is desirable to provide a cooling mechanism to improve the heat dissipation of the storage array to address the challenge of increasing the power density. A scheme for providing a cooling airflow has been proposed to improve the heat dissipation. As the demand for the improved heat dissipation of the storage array continues to increase, the amount of the cooling airflow increases accordingly. The increase in the amount of the cooling airflow causes a backflow of the cooling airflow to become stronger. It is desirable to provide an effective solution to overcome the backflow of the cooling airflow in order to avoid adverse impacts caused by the backflow of the cooling airflow on the heat dissipation of the cooling airflow.

Apparatus for housing storage processor, and storage server


Systems, methods, and apparatus are disclosed for managing a loyalty program. In some embodiments, a system includes a loyalty program management (LPM) system and a point-of-sale (POS) terminal. The POS terminal is configured to read a membership identifier, identify a plurality of goods, complete a sale of the identified plurality of goods to the member, and transmit, to the loyalty program management system, the read membership identifier and information about the identified plurality of goods. Based on the received information, the LPM system is configured to identify one or more point categories, and update earned loyalty points of the member in each of the identified one or more point categories. The LPM system is further configured to provide the POS terminal with a redemption value to be applied to the sale.

Loyalty programs generally refer to marketing efforts that reward customer behaviors that are potentially beneficial to the company offering the loyalty program. Companies often require customers to register for a loyalty program in order to reap the associated benefits. As a result of registering, a company may assign the customer a unique account or membership number that may be used to identify the customer. A company may further issue the customer a loyalty card that is visually similar to a credit card and that includes the unique account number assigned to the customer. The cards typically have a barcode, magnet strip, RFID, or some other identifier which enables the customer's account number to be easily scanned or otherwise electronically read by a card reader commonly associated with a point-of-sale terminal or point-of-sale location (e.g. gas station pump). By presenting the card at the point of sale, the customer is typically entitled to either a discount on the current purchase, or an allotment of points that may be used for future purchases. Thus, loyalty programs may provide a form of centralized virtual currency in which reward points may be exchanged for goods or services but not back into cash.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Loyalty program system, apparatus, and media


A security verification method includes: starting a monitoring process and monitoring a third-party application in an active state in the monitoring process; obtaining identification information of a current interface of the third-party application; determining, according to the identification information, whether the current interface is included in a preset monitoring list; displaying a security verification interface if the current interface is included in the monitoring list, and performing security verification on a user according to interaction between the user and the security verification interface; and displaying the current interface if the security verification succeeds. In addition, the present disclosure further provides a security verification apparatus.

A mobile device has an independent operating system and independent running space, and allows a user to install applications, such as software, games, and navigation applications, provided by a third party. With the growing popularity of mobile devices, applications can provide an Internet portal on mobile terminals for users so as to meet their demands for consultation, shopping, social networking, entertainment, search and so on. Some applications are not payment applications, but some interfaces in the applications are payment interfaces. Because funds transactions are involved, it is necessary to particularly avoid transaction risks.
In the existing technology, after an application is started, no security verification is set for entering interfaces of the application and security of sensitive information of a user on the interface cannot be protected.

Security verification method and apparatus

TENCENT TECHNOLOGY (SHENZHEN) COMPANY LIMITED


A nonvolatile magnetic random access memory can be achieved by an array of magnet-Hall effect (M-H) elements. The storage function is realized with a rectangular thin-film ferromagnetic material having an in-plane, uniaxial anisotropy and inplane bipolar remanent magnetization states. The thin-film magnetic element is magnetized by a local applied field, whose direction is used to form either a "0" or "1" state. The element remains in the "0" or "1" state until a switching field is applied to change its state. The stored information is detcted by a Hall-effect sensor which senses the fringing field from the magnetic storage element. The circuit design for addressing each cell includes transistor switches for providing a current of selected polarity to store a binary digit through a separate conductor overlying the magnetic element of the cell. To read out a stored binary digit, transistor switches are employed to provide a current through a row of Hall-effect sensors connected in series and enabling a differential voltage amplifier connected to all Hall-effect sensors of a column in series. To avoid read-out voltage errors due to shunt currents through resistive loads of the Hall-effect sensors of other cells in the same column, at least one transistor switch is provided between every pair of adjacent cells in every row which are not turned on except in the row of the selected cell.

Ever increasing data processing requirements demand faster and denser random access memory to keep pace with improved CPU speed and throughput. Semiconductor memories such as dynamic RAM and static RAM have very fast access times but are also volatile. Electrically erasable/programmable read only memories (EPROMs) are nonvolatile but have very long write times and offer a conflict between refresh needs and radiation tolerance. A ferroelectric RAM (FRAM) offers short read and write access times, but the data retention (nonvolatility) and the longevity of the ferroelectric material (reliability) are in question. The magneto-resistive random access memory (MRAM) is nonvolatile and has no problem with longevity but has long read access times (on the order of microseconds). None of the existing technologies can satisfy all of the needed data storage requirements. An objective of this invention is to provide an integrated fast access (<100 nsec), nonvolatile, radiation hard, high density (>10.sup.6 bit/cm.sup.2) random access memory for high speed computing using magnetic material for storage and Hall-effect sensors for reading out data stored.
It is noted that the concept of using magnetic material for a nonvolatile RAM has been implemented before, e.g., in core memory, cross-tie memory and the recent magnetic random access memory (MRAM). The Hall effect has also been used since it was discovered in 1879 to detect small magnetic fields. What has not been conceived heretofore are memories which combine magnetic storage with Hall-effect sensing to form what is referred to herein as magnetic-Hall random access memory MHRAM. Recent improvements in InSb deposition processing and technology, and recent studies on very small and thin permalloy particles, currently make possible the implementation of the novel MHRAM concept for high density, fast access, nonvolatile, radiation hard, random access memory.


A method to manage achieving an objective may include collecting data related to the objective and determining a set of drivers related to the objective. The method may also include calculating a gap for each driver between a baseline and a goal for the objective. The method may further include analyzing the gap to associate a quantity of gap points with each driver to achieve the goal.

The present invention relates to managing objectives, such as business objectives or the like and more particularly to a method and system to manage achieving an objective, such as customer satisfaction, delight or the like.
In many industries, there is significant competition for customers. This includes attracting new customers and retaining current customers. This is particularly true in the banking industry as well as other service sector businesses where customer satisfaction or delight is important. A dissatisfied customer is highly unlikely to recommend the business or service to others and may even take his business to a competitor. Worse, a dissatisfied customer could spread "negative word-of-mouth" to other potential customers. Additionally, retained customers tend to be less expensive to service. Therefore, a customer who is delighted stays longer with a service provider, generates more income and costs less which will lead to increased net present value over time.
Many businesses pay little attention to customer satisfaction or delight, and if they do, predicting customer satisfaction is little more than guess work. The results are rarely based on sound analysis and targeted initiatives.

Method and system to manage achieving an objective


Methods of assembly for a semiconductor light emitting device package may include positioning a submount on a mounting substrate with a solder material and a flux therebetween. The semiconductor light emitting device is positioned on a top side of the submount with a solder material and a flux therebetween to provide an assembled stack that has not been reflowed. The assembled stack is reflowed to attach the submount to the mounting substrate and the light emitting device to the submount.

This invention relates to microelectronic devices and fabrication methods therefor, and more particularly to light emitting devices, such as light emitting diodes (LEDs) and manufacturing methods therefor.
Light emitting diodes are widely used in consumer and commercial applications. As is well known to those having skill in the art, a light emitting diode generally includes a diode region on a microelectronic substrate. The microelectronic substrate may comprise, for example, gallium arsenide, gallium phosphide, alloys thereof, silicon carbide and/or sapphire. Continued developments in LEDs have resulted in highly efficient and mechanically robust light sources that can cover the visible spectrum and beyond. These attributes, coupled with the potentially long service life of solid state devices, may enable a variety of new display applications, and may place LEDs in a position to compete with the well entrenched incandescent and fluorescent lamps.
Gallium Nitride (GaN)-based LEDs typically include an insulating or semiconducting substrate, such as silicon carbide (SiC) or sapphire, on which a plurality of GaN-based epitaxial layers are deposited. The epitaxial layers include an active or diode region having a p-n junction which emits light when energized.
LEDs may be mounted substrate side down onto a submount, also called a package or lead frame (hereinafter referred to as a "submount"). In contrast, flip-chip mounting of light emitting diodes involves mounting the LED onto the submount with the substrate side facing up (i.e. away from the submount). Light may be extracted and emitted through the substrate. Flip chip mounting may be an especially desirable technique for mounting SiC-based LEDs. In particular, because SiC has a higher index of refraction than GaN, light generated in the active or diode region generally does not totally internally reflect (i.e. reflect back into the GaN-based layers) at the GaN/SiC interface. Flip chip mounting of SiC-based LEDs also can improve the effect of certain substrate-shaping techniques known in the art. Flip chip packaging of SiC LEDs may have other benefits, such as improved heat dissipation, which may be desirable depending on the particular application for the LED.
One potential problem with flip-chip mounting is that when an LED is mounted on a submount using conventional techniques, a conductive die attach material such as silver epoxy is deposited on the LED and/or on the package, and the LED and the submount are pressed together. This can cause the viscous conductive die attach material to squeeze out and make contact with the N-type substrate and/or layers in the device, thereby forming a Schottky diode connection that can short-circuit the p-n junction in the active region.
Metal-metal bonds formed by soldering, thermosonic scrubbing and/or thermocompression bonding are alternative attach techniques. However, tin (Sn) is a component of most types of solder, and migration of Sn from the bonded surface into the device can cause unwanted degradation of the device. Such migration can interfere with metal-semiconductor interfaces such as ohmic contacts and/or the function of metal-metal interfaces such as reflective interfaces that serve as mirrors.
Semiconductor light emitting devices, such as LEDs, may be first attached to a submount and then the submount may be mounted to a substrate. So as to distinguish the substrate to which the submount is mounted from the semiconductor substrate on which the light emitting device is fabricated, the substrate to which the submount is mated will be referred to herein as a "mounting substrate." The mounting substrate may, in turn, be mounted to a circuit board or other electrical circuit depending upon the particular application for the LED. Each of these connections typically includes both electrical and physical connection aspects.
A common form of connection used for mounting an LED to a submount and a submount to a mounting substrate is soldering using, for example, a die solder process. Soldering may be used to provide a metal-to-metal connection providing mechanical mounting, a thermal pathway and an electrical connection. Solder materials may generally be categorized as low temperature, medium temperature and high temperature solders. The temperature categorization may be based on the eutectic temperature of a particular composition. For example, a silver-tin (AgSn) alloy with eighty percent (80%) silver generally has an associated solder temperature of about 220 degrees centigrade (° C.), making it a medium temperature solder material. A high temperature solder material may be, for example, gold-tin (AuSn) having a solder temperature of about 280° C. A low temperature solder may be, for example, lead-tin (PbSn) having a solder temperature of about 180° C.
It is generally preferable not to reflow a previously formed solder connection. Thus, in applications involving multiple solder reflow process steps, different temperature solder materials may be selected so that subsequent reflow process steps do not detrimentally impact previously formed solder bonds. For example, it is known to use a high temperature solder material to connect an LED to a submount in combination with a medium temperature solder material for connecting the submount to a mounting substrate. A low temperature solder material may then be used for connecting the mounting substrate to a circuit board. Thus, each subsequent process step may be carried out at a temperature below the reflow temperature for the previously formed solder connection. However, it is also known to use a high temperature solder material to connect an LED to a submount and then a high temperature material to connect the submount to a substrate and then a medium temperature solder material to connect the assembly to a circuit board and a low temperature to connect the circuit board to a mother board.
It is also known to use a medium temperature solder for the LED to submount connection in combination with a low temperature solder for the submount to mounting substrate connection. The mounting substrate may then be connected to the circuit board using a low temperature solder but in a manner that reduces the heating of the submount to mounting substrate connection to avoid reflow of that connection in the later process. For example, the mounting substrate may be mounted to the circuit board using standoffs providing thermal isolation from the heat used to solder the standoffs to the circuit board. Similarly, it has been proposed to use leads offset to the side from the submount to provide thermal isolation of the LED to submount solder bond from the heat generated when soldering the submount leads to the circuit board. However, these various approaches may not be compatible with higher density circuit board mounting techniques, particularly in surface mount applications that are generally used where higher density mounting of components on the circuit board is desired.
It is known to use automated machines to produce submount mounted LEDs. In such apparatus, the LEDs may be provided on a tape. A punch (ejector pin) is typically used to push an LED off of the carrier tape into a chuck (collet). The chuck is generally attached to a pick and place mechanism used to move the LED from the tape to place it in a desired position on a submount for soldering thereto. While the punch is generally designed to have a rounded contact surface to reduce the potential for damage to the LED during contact, in use, a punch may be damaged and develop sharp edges, which are a greater risk for causing damage to an LED. This may be particularly problematic for flip-chip mounting applications, where the LED is generally provided on the carrier tape with the epitaxial layer side (epi-side) down to simplify the placement mechanics used by the chuck to move the LED into position with the epi-side down on the submount. Various known defects may be introduced when cracks are presented in one or more of the epi-side layers of the LED as described, for example, in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/002,244, which is incorporated herein by reference. Such cracks may be introduced by a punch, particularly where the punch has any sharp edged features, for epi-side down carrier tape applications used in flip-chip mounting of LEDs.


A device for locating vertical wall features and for translating those features onto drywall board or sheeting material to be placed onto the vertical wall. The device includes a main body having a top edge and a bottom edge, at least one channel, the at least one channel being substantially perpendicular to the bottom edge. A rail is provided having first and second terminal ends sized to be slidably and selectively retained within the at least one channel and a lock that selectively prevents sliding of the rail within the channel The rail is of a length such that as its first terminal end locates the features, the second terminal end translates the position of those features onto drywall board to be later placed upon the vertical wall proximate the features.

The application of drywall board or sheeting material to wall framing stud members is a standard element of commercial and residential construction having been carried out for many years Under normal circumstances, the drywall board or sheeting material is applied to wall framing stud members after the insulation, plumbing, heating, air conditioning and electrical connections have been completed. The drywall board or sheeting material is nailed or screwed to wall flaming stud members and later seams are taped and the surface "mudded" which, upon sanding and finishing, creates an interior wall ready for painting or other finishing.
In instances in which a vertical wall is free of conduit or vent openings, the above-described application process is carried out quickly both at floor level and at elevations, the latter requiring ladders and scaffold The drywall or sheeting material is generally applied board-by-board at four foot elevations until the entire vertical wall has been covered. The installation process, however, becomes much more complex when conduits, plumbing and heating penetrations and vent openings are to pass through the to-be applied drywall or sheeting material. Generally, this is accomplished as a two man procedure One man is on a scaffold taking measurements of the penetrations through the wall and calling them out to the man on the floor with the material to be installed at the higher elevations after he marks and cuts out the penetrations. This process is labor intensive because the man on the scaffold must first call out measurements while the man on the floor with the material waits only to then cut out the penetrations in the material to be applied at the higher elevation. After the bottom man cuts the sheet material to be applied at the higher elevation, he passes the material to the man on the scaffold for him to install The man on the bottom then stands and waits for the man on the scaffold to install the material and when the installation is complete, the scaffold is moved and the whole measurement and cutting process starts over again. During this installation process one man is constantly waiting for the other man to complete his work. He is left standing with no constructive work to do until the other man has completed his work.
In order to complete this method of penetration measurement and sheeting material installation a scaffold must be erected according to Federal and O.S.H.A. requirements to obtain the penetration measurements and prepare the material to be installed, and then install the material. This is a two man process. The above described process makes the drywall board or sheeting material installation a tedious time consuming and labor intensive process and one which is fraught with potential injury.
It is thus proposed through the present invention that one can transcribe and cut features such as electrical and mechanical penetrations and sheet cutoffs onto drywall board and sheeting material at proximate floor level without the aid of scaffolding in order to prepare the sheeting material for future installation. These and further objects will be more readily apparent when considering the following disclosure and appended claims.

One man high wall penetration measurement transfer tool


A device for subdividing semiconductor bars into wafers comprises a grinding tool having two concentrically arranged grinding discs. A rough grinding disc is arranged inside of an outer smooth polishing grinding disc. The grinding tool grinds a lower face of a semiconductor bar to a smooth planar form. A first electrolytic truer operates in conjunction with the outer smooth polishing grinding disc while a second electrolytic truer operates in conjunction with the inner rough grinding disc. The truers are arranged to define an axial offset between the grinding surfaces of the grinding discs so that a lower face of the bar is smoothed. The device also has a slicing tool for slicing the bar into wafers which will have a smooth planar form.

The invention relates to a method for subdividing cylindrical pieces of brittle non-metallic materials into wafer-form intermediate products. In this method, materials which have a Vicker hardness of up to HV 15000 N/mm.sup.2 can be subdivided. In particular, the materials which can be subdivided are the substrate materials for electronic structural parts, for example silicon, germanium or gallium arsenide. These materials make extreme demands on the machining process due to their special material properties.
The method in accordance with the invention is particularly important for subdividing semiconductor bars into semiconductor wafers which are highly planar on one side and have optimum surface quality.
The invention also relates to a device for subdividing cylindrical pieces of brittle non-metallic materials into wafer-form intermediate products.
The semiconductor raw materials for the semi-finished product are molded in cylinder form called the "bars" or "ingots". In order to perform additional working on the bar, a subdivision or slicing of the bars into thin discs, called "rounds" or "wafers", is required. The process of slicing the bars makes increasingly higher demands with respect to dimensional accuracy and surface quality of the wafers obtained in this way. To achieve these higher demands, the wafers should be plane-parallel as much as possible. Furthermore, it is of particular importance that one of the two faces of the wafer is as planar as possible so that it can serve as a reference plane for subsequent working on the bar.
It is known from West German Patent DE 36 13 2 C2, corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 4,896,459, granted Jan. 30, 1990, and West German Patent DE 37 37 54 0 C1, corresponding to U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,967,461 granted Nov. 6, 1990 and 4,881,518 granted Nov. 21, 1989, to provide a device which suggests a solution to the requirement for a planar reference surface. These devices provide for an integration of the slicing and planing processes wherein the front face of the bar which is uneven due to the preceding slicing process, is planed through a milling removal process before a further wafer is sliced. After a further slicing process, the face, planed in this way serves in the wafer generated therein as planar reference surface for the further working.
As described in the above-cited publications, the planing process of the bar front face is carried out by grinding. The slicing process is preferably accomplished by means of an internal-hole saw. As is further disclosed in the above-cited publications, under the aspect of productivity, an especially advantageous application resides in carrying out grinding and sawing processes simultaneously, or with only a slight time difference such that the grinding and sawing processes can be carried out utilizing the same advance motion.
However, this technique illustrated a significant limitation in prior art devices such as those mentioned above. This limitation is that since the slicing process is the more critical of the two processes, parallel operating steps are carried out with an optimum advance motion particular to the slicing process, i.e. that the flow and speed of motion is tuned especially to the slicing process. In the sense of the above stated productivity aspect, the grinding process is carried out utilizing the same advance motion, wherein the process conditions for the grinding process in the general case are not optimal.
In addition, in these prior art devices, the constructional and kinematic boundary conditions require that for the grinding process only plane-side longitudinal grinding is possible wherein the advance speed must be identical with that of the slicing process. These limiting boundary conditions significantly impair the surface quality of the grinding process in a lasting manner. In view of sufficient removal performance and permanent cutability, a relatively coarse grain must be selected for the grinding process on which the surface quality achieved thereby must, by necessity, be relatively coarse. For the further fabrication and additional working of the wafers, it would, however, be particularly advantageous if the plane surface of the wafers generated by grinding would already have a good surface quality that would meet the demands of the subsequent processes without intermediate working.
However, a fundamental problem of grinding technology is encountered. As is known in the art of grinding technology, either grinding takes place with a coarse grain tool and relatively large removal performance with relatively poor surface quality is obtained on the wafer, or grinding takes place with a fine grain tool and low removal performance with good surface quality. In the present case, the high demands of the slicing process and the advance speed connected therewith require a relatively high removal performance and, consequently, a coarse grain which by necessity generates a relatively rough surface on the workpiece. However, as already stated above, a fine surface would be desirable for the further processing and additional working of the wafers.
The standard attempt to provide solution in the art of grinding technology entails a two-stage working: pregrinding with a coarse grain tool and then final-finishing working with a fine grain tool. However, the standard approach used in practice in this simple form is not usable here since two grinding tools in classic form under the given constructional boundary conditions, and utilizing the same advance motion, cannot act upon the same workpiece to thereby subdivide the semiconductor bar.

Method and arrangement for subdividing semiconductor bars into semiconductor wafers


The present invention is directed to setting the direction and the quantity of movement by a point and to execute scrolling. A reference point is set in the display screen of the display apparatus of the electric device, in advance. When a user selects a display mode of a data processing function and designates a point within the display screen through a coordinate inputting apparatus, the device calculates a positional deviation of a designate point from the reference point as a deviation of a coordinate value, switches a display image so that an image component which is displayed at a position corresponding to the designate position is located at a position corresponding to the reference position, and scrolls the image. Further, when a point is designated successively a plurality of times as a designation point, an image which is sequentially switched is scrolled the plurality of times at predetermined time intervals. Still further, when designating is successively executed for a plurality of times, the predetermined time is shortened in accordance with the number of designating. When a display image includes a character, an approximate value of a deviation which denotes a positional deviation is found among integer-multiples of the width of a rectangular region which includes the character.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data processing apparatus which is applicable to personal computers, small electric devices, etc., and which has a function of converting data into an image which can be visually displayed for visual display.
2. Description of Related Art
In application software used in a personal computer and in a small portable electric device called "electric scheduler," created data are visually displayed as an image in a display screen of displaying means of the device. A user looks at the image which is obtained by visualizing the data and grasps the contents of the data.
When the created data have a large quantity, at least one size of the image visualizing the data may become wider than the size of the display screen of a display apparatus in the same direction as that of the one size. A small electric device, in particular, has a small display screen, and therefore, the width of the image of the data becomes larger than the width of the display screen in many cases. For example, when data created on a personal computer or other machine are to be transmitted to and visually displayed in a small electric device, the size of an image of the data becomes larger than that of a display screen. Data to be transmitted may be a log of communications on a personal computer. In addition, when a map used in a navigation machine is to be visualized into an image and visually displayed in a small electric device, an image of the map becomes larger than the size of a display screen.
In some cases, in a small electric device, a display screen of a display apparatus is small and the quantity of data which can be visually displayed at a time in the display screen is small. For instance, the number of characters which can be visually displayed in a display screen may be smaller than in other machines. Hence, the size of an image of data often exceeds the size of a display screen, as described above.
When the size of an image of entire data is larger than the size of a display screen, only a portion of the (data is displayed in the display screen. A user may wish to visually display the data of the portion which is not displayed in the display screen, in such a condition. The user, therefore, scrolls the image of the data which is visually displayed in the display screen so that an image of the data which is not displayed is visually displayed in the display screen. Scrolling is not limited to an action of sequentially moving an image little by little in a direction which is specified by a user, but also includes an action of switching an image to another image.
A first conventional technique to instruct scrolling is related to an apparatus which instructs scrolling of an image by means of manipulation of a cursor key. A cursor key is on keyboard, for instance. Alternatively, a cursor key is set as-a visually displayed image which is displayed in a display screen. The cursor key is manipulated by clicking a mouse. "Clicking of a mouse" is an action in which a button of the mouse is operated with a cursor which follows the mouse located at the same display position as a predetermined image which is to be clicked within a display screen. A predetermined image is a character, for instance.
FIG. 28 is a diagram showing a display image 3 which includes an image 1, which is visually displayed data, and a cursor key 2. When data are visually displayed, such a display image 3 is displayed in a display screen of displaying data of a small electric device and a display screen of a display apparatus of a personal computer. The image 1 is obtained by visualizing a portion of data to be visually displayed into an image. The cursor key 2 is a virtual image including the image 1, and serves as a key for scrolling a virtual image which is obtained by visualizing the entire data to be visually displayed into an image. The cursor key 2 includes a left-hand direction key 2a, a right-hand direction key 2b, a forward direction key 2c, and a backward direction key 2d. The forward/backward direction is perpendicular to the right/left direction but is parallel to the display screen. For example, when the backward direction key 2d is operated only once, a display image 4 of FIG. 29 is displayed in the display screen instead of the display image 3 of FIG. 28.
An image 1a which is included in the display image 4 is an image which is obtained by scrolling the image 1 of the display image 3 one line in the forward direction. In the image 1a, an image 5 which used to be in a line which is displayed in the most forward portion of the image 1 is deleted, and instead, an image 6 of a new line is added to the most backward portion of the image. This line image 6 is an image which is included in the virtual image of the entire data, i.e., the image which used to be behind the image 1 within the virtual image. Thus, by manipulating the cursor key 2, the display image which is displayed in the display screen is changed and the data are sequentially visually displayed.
Further, in addition to a cursor key, as means for instructing scrolling, an designation area called "scroll bar" is set within the displayed screen in some cases. FIG. 30 is a diagram of a display image 7 which includes the designation area. The display image 7 includes images of designation areas 9, 10, in addition to an image 8 for visually displaying data within the display screen. In the designation areas 9, 10, the cursor key 2 described above is also set in some cases.
The designation areas 9, 10 are set along the direction of scrolling the image 8. The designation area 9 is an area for instructing scrolling of the image 8 in the forward/backward directions. The designation area 10 is an area for instructing scrolling of the image 8 in the right/left directions. A user clicks the cursor key 2 with a mouse, for instance, so that the image 8 is scrolled by a predetermined quantity of movement. In addition, when characters 9a, 10a set within the designation areas 9, 10 are clicked using the mouse while moving the mouse, the positions of the characters 9a, 10a within the designation areas 9, 10 are moved. As the characters 9a, 10a are moved, the image 8 is scrolled by the quantity the characters 9a, 10a are moved.
In this conventional apparatus, when instructing scrolling of an image, a user looks at the images 1, 8 which are displayed in the display screen, and determines tow much scrolling of the images 1, 8 is necessary in which direction in order to visually display data which are not visually displayed in the display screen. Next, the user looks at the cursor key 2 and the designation areas 9, 10 which are located in an area other than the area in which the images 1, 8 are displayed within the display screen. Following this, the user operates the cursor key 2 and the designation areas 9, 10 which are found, in a necessary direction by a necessary quantity, so that the images 1, 8 are scrolled. In this manner, this apparatus requires a user to determine a number of points before instructing scrolling, and therefore, quick operation for scrolling is difficult.
Further, in this apparatus, when scrolling is instructed, a direction which can be designated with one instruction is limited to a predetermined move direction. For example, when the cursor key 2 and the designation areas 9, 10 shown in FIGS. 28 to 30 are used to instruct scrolling, a move direction in which an image can be scrolled is limited to either one of two directions orthogonal to each other, i.e., the forward/backward direction and the right/left direction.
Therefore, when an image is to be scrolled in a diagonal direction which intersects both two directions, the image is scrolled in one of the forward/backward direction and the right/left direction first, and is then scrolled in the other one of the forward/backward direction and the right/left direction. For this reason, a user must re-evaluate the scroll quantity which is judged during instructing earlier into the move quantity in each one of the forward/backward direction and the right/left direction, and individually instruct the scroll quantity and the move quantity in each direction.
Further, when scrolling is instructed using the cursor key 2, the quantity an image moves in accordance with one instruction is kept to a constant quantity. Hence, to scroll an image by a necessary quantity of movement, it is necessary to repeat the same instruction which uses the cursor key 2, a plurality of times. Such an operation is a so-called digital operation, and therefore, does not always coincide with an analog-like operation which a user expects, such as to move an image in a diagonal direction by a desired quantity.
In addition, a display screen of displaying data of a small electric device, i.e., one example of the apparatus according to the present invention, is smaller than a personal computer. When the display image 7 is visually displayed in this device, the sizes of the designation areas 9, 10 become extremely smaller than when the display image 7 is visually displayed in a display apparatus of a personal computer. It is difficult to operate the scroll bars of the small designation areas 9, 10 to give an instruction of scrolling. With a small electric device in which inputting means is formed by overlaying a tablet on a display screen, in particular, it is difficult to accurately operate the tablet which is located at a position corresponding to a small scroll bar. Moreover, in the apparatus according to the present invention, since a tablet which is as large as or larger than the images 1, 8 is necessary, the tablet tends to be large. This makes it difficult to decrease the size of the product.
A second conventional technique related to scrolling of an image is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 5-94504 (1993). In an electric image processing apparatus disclosed in the publication, a digital tablet having a wider area than a display screen is set on the display screen as inputting means. A user designates a point within the area of the tablet, using a pen. For instance, the user moves the pen, from an area immediately above the display screen within the tablet toward an area which is in a peripheral portion of the display screen within the tablet but is outside the area which is located immediately above. When the pen arrives at the tablet in the peripheral portion of the display screen, a predetermined operation is executed on a displayed image, in accordance with the direction in which the pen moves.
If the direction in which the pen moves within the area of the tablet is a left-hand direction which extends from an area on the display screen toward a left-hand side peripheral portion of the area of the peripheral portion of the display screen, data which are displayed as an image are replaced. If the direction in which the pen moves is a right-hand direction, an image is scrolled. If the direction in which the pen moves is a backward direction, an image is expanded. If the direction in which the pen moves is a forward direction, this operation is ended and switched to a menu screen. Further, when instructed scrolling is executed, the speed an image is scrolled is determined in accordance with the pressure with which the tablet is pressed down with the pen during instructing.
In this electric image processing apparatus, after scrolling of an image is instructed, it is necessary to designate the direction and the quantity of scrolling once again, which is complex. In addition, in this apparatus, since a tablet which is equal to or larger than a display screen is needed, the tablet is large. This makes it difficult to decrease the size of the product.
The applicant of the present application has also proposed a technique for easily instructing scrolling, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 63-102461(1988). In an electric file apparatus of the publication, a tablet is set on a display screen of a CRT, as inputting means. In the display screen, a rectangular display region for visually displaying data is set to have a size smaller than the display screen. In the display region, an image visually showing a portion of data which are to be displayed is displayed. In an external peripheral portion of the display region, scroll designation areas are set. One scroll designation area is set in a peripheral portion of each side of the display region.
When a user wishes to newly visually display data other than the currently visually displayed portion of the data which are to be displayed, within a virtual image which virtually shows the entire data to be displayed as an image, the user operates a tablet which is in a portion which corresponds to the scroll designation area which is set in the same direction as a direction in which an image of the desired portion of the data exists as viewed from the image of the currently visually displayed portion of the data, so that scrolling of an image is instructed. For instance, when a tablet corresponding to the designation area which is set on the right-hand side of the display region is operated, the image which is displayed in the display region is scrolled in a direction from the right-hand side to the left-hand side.
Further, the applicant of the present application has proposed a technique for constantly displaying an operation designation area called "icon," in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 61-7914 (1986). An icon is displayed as an image within a display screen. In the display apparatus of the publication, icons are printed and displayed on a transparent acrylic plate which is disposed over a display screen. A tablet which serves as an inputting unit is larger than the display screen, and has an area which is about the same as the size of the transparent acrylic plate. To designate an icon, a tablet which is in a portion which corresponds to the portion of the icon on the transparent acrylic plate is to be operated. When the tablet in this portion is operated, the apparatus performs an operation which corresponds to the icon.
In addition, in some of recent personal computers and portable small electric devices, an operation called "dragging" is performed. To perform dragging, a user executes pointing by pressing down a tablet which corresponds to a desired position within a display image, with a pen, for instance, and moves the pen without lifting up the pen. Alternatively, a user executes pointing by clicking a mouse at a desired position within the image, and moves the mouse. As a result of such an operation, an image which is displayed within the display screen moves as the pen and the mouse move. Dragging is often used when a plurality of window images overlap with each other in an apparatus which performs so-called window displaying, in order to move the window images. Dragging is an operation to move only an image within a display image, and therefore, it is difficult to move an image beyond the display image.

Data processing apparatus for scrolling a display image by designating a point within the visual display region