The present invention relates to a bioactive material and to a method of producing a bioactive material which is suitable for use as an implant or for use as a bone substitute for repairing bone.

Restoration of skeletal defects or wounds such as femoral neck fracture, spine fusion and lost teeth is a common procedure. For example, over 500,000 hip prosthesis implantations, 250,000 spine fusion surgeries, and 500,000 dental implant surgeries are performed annually in the United States alone.
Titanium and its alloys, due to their high toughness and excellent biocompatibility, are widely used in medical implants such as joint prostheses, fracture fixation devices, and dental implants. Other materials commonly used in medical and dental implants, include cobalt chrome, polished zirconium, oxinium (zirconium oxide) and stainless steel. However, titanium and these other materials demonstrate poor ability to bond to bone chemically, and thus osteolysis and subsequent loosening of implants comprising these materials are common.
The performance of an orthopaedic implant can be influenced by the quality of the interface formed between the implant and bone or bone cement. The development of the implant-to-bone (or cement) interface relies on a number of factors including surface area, charge, topography, chemistry and contamination of the implant. The implant-to-bone interface is the surface of the implant which interfaces or lies adjacent the bone when implanted.
Various techniques are known to modify the implant-to-bone interface topography to enhance implant-to-bone integration. These techniques include plasma spraying and electrochemical anodising of the implant-to-bone interface surface. Problems associated with plasma spraying and electrochemical anodising include, the formation of an implant-to-bone interface which has low fatigue strength, demonstrates poor adherence to the implant, and suffers from degradation, delamination or cracking during long term implantation.
A commonly used technique for improving tissue ingrowth into orthopaedic implants is abrasive particle blasting of the implant surface, alternatively known as grit-blasting or sand blasting. This cost efficient process, imparts a micron scale surface structure by blasting abrasive particles on the implant surface. Such roughened surfaces have been shown to promote cell attachment and thus improved physical implant-to-bone bonding. Furthermore, the increased area of a roughened surface means that more cells can attach to the implant-to-bone interface which also improves implant-to-bone physical bonding. The implant having such a modified implant-to-bone interface demonstrates good osseointegrative properties even in poor quality bone.
However the technique of abrasive particle blasting can cause significant changes to surface topography by damaging the metal elements on the surface of the implant. The technique of abrasive particle blasting can also cause heterogeneity of the surface chemistry due to the presence of abrasive particles embedded in the surface of the implant. The presence of the abrasive particles contaminate the surface of the implant and adversely affect the quality of the implant-to-bone interface. Furthermore, the abrasive particles can detach from the surface of the implant, leading to increased wear on the bone, implant and implant site.
Additionally, a percentage of the embedded abrasive particles protrude from the surface of the implant causing localised micromotion, movement of the implant relative to the implant site, and disruption of tissue ingrowth in the surface of the implant. Up to 40% of the surface area of the grit blasted implant can become contaminated with abrasive particles which can lead to implant-to-bone interface problems, reduced bio-compatibility of the implant and inflammation of the area local to the implant.


A selective call receiver (100) for facilitating storage and presentation of a received selective call message. A microcontroller (105) executes a microcode program that controls operation of the selective call receiver (100). Received messages are stored by a memory manager (119) in a memory (115) coupled to the microcontroller (105). The memory manager (115) allocates and deallocates memory blocks, each block corresponding to a memory storage area (504) capable of storing at least a portion of the received message. The memory manager (119) also maintains a dynamic list (505) representing used and unused memory slots, the list being initialized in response to receipt of a database configuration message (301, 302) and updated in response to subsequent received selective call messages. An access manager (120) controls access to received selective call messages by grouping received messages by classification as determined at least in part by a portion of the received selective call message and the database configuration message (301, 302).

Selective call communication (paging) systems typically comprise a radio frequency transmitter/encoder (base station) that is accessed via a link to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and a radio receiver (e.g., a selective call receiver or the like) that has at least one unique call address associated therewith. Operationally, the selective call receiver receives and decodes information transmitted from the base station, the information having an address and possibly a data or voice message. When the selective call receiver detects its address, it typically alerts the user and presents any received information.
To implement messaging capability in a paging system, the address and message information referred to are transmitted using a protocol such as GSC (Motorola's Golay Sequential Code) or POCSAG (a code from Great Britain's Post Office Code Standardisation Advisory Group). These protocol formats are designed to communicate messages to at least one selective call receiver and are well known to one of ordinary skill in the art of Paging systems. A typical selective call message may consist of an address signal if the message is a tone only message, or an address signal and a data packet if the message is a data message.
Present selective call receivers receive messages in a first in--last out format, that is, the newest message is displayed or located at the top of a message queue and the oldest message is at the bottom of the message queue. Because a user must navigate through the messages received after the message that the user desires to present, this organization is quite cumbersome if a user desires to retrieve a message anywhere except at the top of the message queue. Furthermore, if the selective call receiver has either multiple addresses or sub-addressing capability (multiple addresses decoded from data transmitted in conjunction within a single conventional address), the received messages are stored in the same order as if they were received in a simplistic single address selective call receiver. This forces the user to search through many unrelated messages to find a message of interest.
A further problem with contemporary selective call receivers is that received messages are stored in sequentially allocated memory slots that are fixed in length at the time of receipt of a message. This creates a problem when the user deletes a message, in that the memory slot(s) previously occupied by the message(s) are left unused until message memory is cleared. In conventional selective call receivers, the only time that message memory is cleared is when the receiver's power is removed or a system reset occurs. Both of these alternatives are not desirable as they both cause the loss of all previously received messages.
Consequently, there is a need for a system in a selective call receiver that can efficiently manage a dynamic allocation of available message memory while at the same time maintaining a dynamically configured hierarchical structure that allows a user easy access to received selective call messages.

Selective call receiver with database capability


A formulation and method of printing an ink or meltable ink layer having reactive dyes or mixtures of reactive dyes and disperse dyes as colorants. The ink or ink melt layer also includes an alkaline substance, a binder, and optionally, a heat-activated printing additive. Permanently bonded color images are provided by the reaction between the reactive dye and the final substrate, which may be any cellulosic, protein, or polyamide fiber material, or mixtures with polyester. Reaction occurs upon heat activation of the printed ink image.

Words and designs are frequently printed onto clothing and other textile materials, as well as other objects. Common means of applying such designs to objects include the use of silk screens, and mechanically bonded thermal transfers. The silk screen process is well known in the art, and an example of a mechanical thermal bonding process to textile materials is described in Hare, U.S. Pat. No. 4,224,358.
The use of digital computer technology allows a virtually instantaneous printing of images. For example, video cameras or scanning may be used to capture an image to a computer. The image may then be printed by a computer driven printer, including thermal, ink jet, and laser printers. Computer driven printers are readily available which will print in multiple colors.
Heat activated, or sublimation, transfer dye solids change to a gas at about 400° F., and have a high affinity for polyester at the activation temperature. Once the gassification bonding takes place, the ink is permanently printed and highly resistant to change or fading caused by laundry products. While sublimation dyes yield excellent results when a polyester substrate is used, these dyes have a limited affinity for other materials, such as natural fabrics like cotton and wool. Accordingly, images produced by heat activated inks comprising sublimation dyes which are transferred onto textile materials having a cotton component do not yield the high quality images experienced when images formed by such inks are printed onto a polyester substrate. Images which are printed using sublimation dyes applied by heat and pressure onto substrates of cotton or cotton and polyester blends yield relatively poor results.
The natural tendency of the cotton fiber to absorb inks causes the image to lose its resolution and become distorted. Liquid inks other than sublimation inks wick, or are absorbed by cotton or other absorbent substrates, resulting in printed designs of inferior visual quality, since the printed colors are not properly registered on the substrate. To improve the quality of images transferred onto substrates having a cotton component or other absorbent component, substrates are surface coated with materials such as the coatings described in DeVries, et. al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,021,591. Application of polymer surface coating materials to the substrate allows the surface coating material to bond the ink layer to the substrate, reducing the absorbency of the ink by the cotton and improving the image quality.
Gross coverage of the substrate with the surface coating material does not match the coating with the image to be printed upon it. The surface coating material is applied to the substrate over the general area to which the image layer formed by the inks is to be applied, such as by spraying the material, or applying the material with heat and pressure from manufactured transfer sheets, which are usually rectangular in shape. To achieve full coverage of the surface coating, the area coated with the surface coating material is larger than the area covered by the ink layer. The surface coating extends from the margins of the image after the image is applied to the substrate, which can be seen with the naked eye. The excess surface coating reduces the aesthetic quality of the printed image on the substrate. Further, the surface coating tends to turn yellow with age, which is undesirable on white and other light colored substrates. Yellowing is accelerated with laundering and other exposure to heat, chemicals, or sunlight. A method described in Hale, et. al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,877, involves printing the polymer surface coating material to eliminate the margins experienced when aerosol sprays or similar methods are used for gross application of the polymeric coating material.
A process of thermal transfers wherein the ink mechanically bonds to the substrate is described in Hare, U.S. Pat. No. 4,773,953. The resulting mechanical image, as transferred, is a surface bonded image with a raised, plastic like feel to the touch. Thermal transfer paper can transfer an image to a final substrate such as cotton, however, this method has several limitations. First, the entire sheet is transferred, not just the image. Second, such papers are heavily coated with polymeric material to bind the image onto the textile. This material makes the transfer area very stiff and has poor dimensional stability when stretched. Finally, the laundering durability is not improved to acceptable levels. The thermal transfer paper technology (cited Hare patent) only creates a temporary bond between the transfer materials and the final substrate. This bond is not durable to washing.
The use of reactive dyes for printing on cotton and other natural fibers is well known in the art. For example, Gutjahr, et. al. in "Textile Printing", Second Edition, pp. 157-163 and Akerblom, et. al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,196,030 describe methods for the use of reactive dyes in print pastes for direct printing onto cellulosic fabrics using traditional printing techniques, such as silk-screen printing. Mehl, et. al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,664,670 describes the use of a transfer sheet impregnated with a nitrogen-containing compound that is printed by offset, gravure, or other traditional techniques using a sparingly soluble, non-subliming dye and a binder. The image thus produced is then transferred to cellulose or polyamide fibers. Koller, et. al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,097,229 describes the use of anthraquinone-type, sublimable, fiber-reactive disperse dyes that can be applied to a carrier sheet by spraying, coating, or printing, by such methods as flexogravure, silk-screen, or relief printing, and subsequently heat transferred to cellulose or polyamide fabrics. None of these processes are printed digitally and require pre- and after-treatments.
Digital printing processes using reactive dyes are known. For example, Yamamoto, et. al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,250,121 describes the use of a monochlorotriazine and/or vinyl sulfone reactive dye in an aqueous ink jet ink for printing directly onto pretreated cellulosic fabric. Von der Eltz, et. al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,542,972 describes the use of an aqueous formulation including a reactive dye whose reactive group contains a cyanamido group and an alkaline agent. The inks are used to print onto paper as a final substrate.
Melt transfer printing has been used since the nineteenth century to transfer embroidery designs to fabric. A design is printed on paper using a waxy ink, then transferred with heat and pressure to a final substrate. The Star process, developed by Star Stampa Artistici di Milano, uses a paper that is coated with waxes and dispersing agents. The design is printed onto the coated paper by gravure printing using an oil and wax based ink. The print is then transferred to fabric by pressing the composite between heated calendar rollers at high pressure. The ink melts onto the final substrate carrying the coloring materials with it. Fabrics printed in such a method using direct dyes are then nip-padded with a salt solution and steamed. Vat dyes can also be used in the ink, but the fabric must be impregnated with sodium hydroxide and hydros solution and steamed. The residual waxes from the transfer ink are removed during washing of the fabric. Thermal wax transfer printing utilizes a transfer ribbon consisting of a hot-melt ink coated onto a film such as PET, or Mylar. The imaging process consists of passing the ribbon past the thermal heads of a printer to cause the hot-melt ink to transfer from the ribbon to a receiver sheet. Typically, the colorants used are pigments and the receiver sheet is plain paper or a transparency. Another form of thermal transfer printing known as dye diffusion thermal transfer, or D2T2, is similar to thermal wax transfer printing. In D2T2 the colorants are dyes of the disperse or solvent type rather than pigments, and the receiver sheet is usually white plastic. Niwa, et. al., G.B. Patent No. 2,159,971A makes use of reactive disperse sublimation dyes for D2T2 printing. The dye, once transferred, forms a covalent bond with a modified receiver sheet, containing free hydroxy or amino groups. The dye, thus anchored to the receiver sheet gives good fastness properties to solvents and heat.


A method and apparatus for processing natural language and deducing meaning from a natural language input characterized by the steps of (a) receiving an ordered string of word objects having a natural language meaning, (b) selecting a word window length, and (c) successively moving the word window along the ordered string and analyzing the meaning of a substring of word objects that fall within the word window. The substring is removed from the ordered string if the substring has a recognized meaning, until all substrings of the ordered string that fit within the window have been analyzed. In a step (d), the word window length is reduced and step (c) is repeated until only an unrecognized residual of the ordered string remains. The meaning of the substring is analyzed by mapping the substring against a database using one or more mapping routines. The mapping routines are preferably arranged in a hierarchy, wherein a successive mapping routine is used to analyze the substring when a previous mapping routine in the hierarchy cannot map the substring. A computer-implemented task is determined from the recognized substrings and performed by the computer system. The apparatus of the present invention implements the method on a pen-based computer system, and the ordered string is preferably received from strokes entered by a stylus on a display screen of the pen-based computer or from a microphone receiving speech input.

The present invention relates generally to computer systems, and more particularly to methods for processing natural language input from users of computer systems.
Computerized personal organizers are becoming increasingly popular. They perform such functions as keeping a calendar, an address book, a to-do list, etc. While these functions can be provided by conventional computer systems, they are more conveniently provided by personal organizers which are relatively inexpensive, small, and lightweight (i.e. portable). Personal organizers are available from such companies as Sharp and Casio of Japan.
A relatively new form of computer, the pen-based computer system, holds forth the promise of a marriage of the power of a general purpose computer with the functionality and small size of a personal organizer. A pen-based computer system is typically a small, hand-held computer where the primary method for inputting data includes a "pen" or stylus. A pen-based computer system is commonly housed in a generally rectangular enclosure, and has a dual-function display assembly providing a viewing screen along one of the planar sides of the enclosure. The dual-function display assembly serves as both an input device and an output device. When operating as an input device, the display assembly senses the position of the tip of a stylus on the viewing screen and provides this positional information to the computer's central processing unit (CPU). Some display assemblies can also sense the pressure of the stylus on the screen to provide further information to the CPU. When operating as an output device, the display assembly presents computer-generated images on the screen.
The dual-function displays of pen-based computer systems permit users to operate the computers as computerized notepads. For example, graphical images can be input into the pen-based computer by merely moving the stylus across the surface of the screen. As the CPU senses the position and movement of the stylus, it generates a corresponding image on the screen to create the illusion that the stylus is drawing the image directly upon the screen, i.e. that the stylus is "inking" an image on the screen. With suitable recognition software, the "ink" can be identified as text and numeric information.
Computer systems, including pen-based computer systems, can also incorporate speech recognition. Although still mostly in the developmental stage, speech recognition has many potential uses in computer systems. For example, in a portable pen-based computer, speech input and recognition can be used to conveniently record dictated messages or other spoken documents and to present the dictated words as an electronic text document for editing, printing, faxing, etc. or to input commands into the computer system.
Stylus, speech, keyboard, and other forms of input can take the form of "natural language," i.e. an "utterance." Natural language is written or spoken input that is in a natural form that a person would use as if speaking or writing to another person. Non-natural language would be language, such as computer commands or programs, which is constrained by a limited syntax, structure, and/or scope.
Natural language input permits a user to easily interface with a computer system using well-known language. One area in computer systems which is particularly well-adapted for natural language input is computerized assistance. Computers systems that use computerized assistance deduce or hypothesize a user's intent and automatically provide a service based on the deduced intent. For example, a tasks such as printing a document or scheduling an appointment can be implemented by a computer system by deducing information from a user's inputs or preferences. Natural language input allows a user to quickly specify a service or task to be implemented using a complex form and thus is well suited for use with computerized assistance.
The recognition of natural language by computer systems has been difficult due to the complex and shifting "rules" of human natural language. A user may input a natural language phrase, such as, "meeting with Bill on Tuesday at lunch" to instruct the computer system to schedule the meeting in a calendar application program. The computer system typically recognizes the individual words to recognize the meaning of the entire phrase. However, by recognizing small portions of the input phrase separately, a complete, overall meaning for the phrase is often incorrect, inaccurate, or incomplete.
Natural language input has been typically processed using one of several methods. A natural phrase or string can be matched to a known phrase in a phrase lexicon used by the computer. A long command is typically processed by matching individual words or smaller phrases to items in the lexicon. Another method used to process natural language is to examine parts of the input phrase for a standard pattern. For example, a number including a colon and followed by "am" or "pm" fits the pattern of a phrase indicating time. A different method used to process natural language is to query a database that stores a large number of phrases and match a phrase to one or more items stored in the database.
The abovementioned processes have typically been used with a fixed set of rules to interpret natural language. An a priori specification of known linguistic structures and their meaning is used to perform semantic interpretation. Each of the abovementioned processes has limitations in versatility and the time required to match a phrase. Natural language processing of the prior art has thus been inefficient and rigid in its ability to recognize the meaning of natural language utterances.
What is needed is a natural language processor that will quickly and accurately identify and map natural language input phrases. What is further needed is a natural language processor that identifies phrases according to a dynamic set of rules and data.

Method and apparatus for processing natural language


A stereoscopic image pair may be viewed through a plate having an appropriately-sized aperture. When the viewer""s left and right eyes view the image pair through the aperture, a stereoscopic effect may result. In one embodiment, a stereoscopic video conference system may include stereoscopic cameras positioned between the viewer and the apertured plate.

This invention relates to techniques and apparatus for stereoscopically viewing images.
A variety of techniques are available for viewing stereoscopic image pairs. In some cases, a pair of left and right images may be creating using a variety of well known techniques. Those image pairs may then be viewed stereoscopically to create the impression of a three dimensional form through the combination of the left and right stereoscopic image pairs.
In some cases, special filtering lenses may be utilized to selectively view the left and right image pairs. For example, stereoscopic viewing glasses may be utilized in this way. In one embodiment, the left and right images may be alternatively viewed at high speed so that the user perceives a stereoscopic image. In still another alternative, the viewer""s eyes may be separated by a divider so that the left eye sees the left image only and right eye sees the right image only. The viewer may perceive a stereoscopic image.
While each of these techniques has various advantages, there is still the problem that they require considerable overhead. For example, special glasses must be utilized in some cases and special apparatus may be needed in others.
Thus, there is a need for better ways to stereoscopically view images.


An assembly is provided for seeking an area of interest within a body. The assembly includes an elongated directable member having a distal end for insertion into the body. The distal end includes a tip portion. The assembly also includes a deflector coupled to the directable member for deflecting the distal end of the directable member to direct the directable member within the body. The assembly further includes a sensor located in close proximity to the top portion of the directable member for sensing an area of interest within the body. The sensor generates an indicator signal upon detection of the area of interest. The assembly still further includes a control unit coupled to the deflector for controlling deflection of the distal end of the directable member by the deflector. The control unit generates a control signal to drive the deflector. The control unit stops deflection of the distal end of the directable member in response to the indicator signal generated by the sensor upon detection of the area of interest. The control unit holds the tip portion of the directable member in a stationary position directed toward the area of interest.

The present invention relates to a device for seeking an area of interest within a body. More particularly, the present invention relates to a control system for guiding a sensing device through cavities in a body to automatically seek out and locate an area of interest within the body.
Detection, diagnosis, and treatment of damaged or diseased tissues within a human body is often difficult. In addition, inspection of industrial or mechanical devices to look for defects or damage can also be difficult, especially if the device is located in a harsh environment or in a place having restricted or limited access. It is therefore desirable to produce a device which automatically locates an area of interest within a body and alerts an operator that the area of interest has been detected so that an analysis, diagnosis, treatment, or repair decision can be made by the operator or by a diagnostic or therapeutic mechanism.
It is known to provide temperature-activated memory elements coupled to a distal end of a catheter to steer the catheter through cavities in a body. By selectively controlling the heating of the memory elements, an operator can deflect the distal end of the catheter to steer the catheter through cavities in the body. A controller for controlling electrical current to the memory elements is typically used to control the temperature of selected memory elements from a remote position outside the body to deflect the distal end of the catheter in a plurality of different directions corresponding to the preset shapes of the memory elements. This permits an operator to steer the catheter through body cavities. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,543,090; 4,601,705; 4,758,222; and 4,944,727.
In addition, various types of sensing devices and treating devices are known which can be positioned inside a catheter. These sensors can be used to detect arterial plaque, atherosclerotic, tumorous, or otherwise diseased or damaged tissues within a body. Various types of treatment devices can also be connected to a catheter to treat damaged or diseased tissue. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,641,650; 4,682,594; and 4,785,806.
One object of the present invention is to provide a device that will automatically seek out an area of interest within the body and provide an indication of the specific location of the area of interest inside the body.
Advantageously, the present invention provides a device capable of locating an area of interest within a harsh environment to minimize exposure of an operator to the harsh environment or within an area having limited access to permit analysis.
According to the present invention, an assembly for seeking an area of interest within a body includes an elongated directable member including a distal end for insertion into the body. The distal end includes a tip portion. The assembly also includes deflecting means coupled to the directable member for deflecting the distal end of the directable member to direct the directable member within the body. The assembly further includes sensing means located in close proximity to the tip portion of the directable member for sensing an area of interest within the body. The sensing means generates an indicator signal upon detection of the area of interest. The assembly still further includes controlling means coupled to the deflecting means for controlling deflection of the distal end of the directable member by the deflecting means. The controlling means generates a control signal to drive the deflecting means. The controlling means stops deflection of the distal end of the directable member by the deflecting means in response to the indicator signal generated by the sensing means upon detection of the area of interest. The controlling means holds the tip portion of the directable member in a stationary position directed toward the area of interest. Means for coupling the sensing means to the controlling means is also provided.
In an illustrated embodiment of the present invention, the deflecting means includes at least one temperature activated memory element coupled to the distal end of the directable member and means coupled to the at least one memory element for selectively heating the at least one memory element to deflect the distal end of the directable member. The heating means is coupled to the controlling means.
The deflecting means generates a control signal for deflecting the distal end of the directable member. The assembly further includes means for mapping the location of the area of interest inside the body. The deflecting means is coupled to the mapping means. The mapping means includes means for storing the output of the sensor and the control signal output of the deflecting means.
In another illustrated embodiment of the present invention, the assembly includes treating means located near the tip portion of the directable member for treating the area of interest. A treatment source is coupled to the treating means for delivering a treatment to the area of interest through the treating means after the tip portion of the directable member is directed toward the area of interest and held in position by the controlling means.
In yet another illustrated embodiment, the assembly includes imaging means located near the tip portion of the directable member for providing an image signal representing the area of interest. The assembly still further includes means for storing the image signal provided by the imaging means upon detection of the area of interest by the sensing means.
In a further illustrated embodiment of the present invention, the assembly includes calculating means coupled to the sensor for calculating the dimensions of the area of interest detected by the sensor. The calculating means includes means for measuring the deflection angle of the distal end relative to the elongated directable member and means for determining the distance between the area of interest and the distal end of the directable member. The calculating means calculates the change in the deflection angle of the distal end of the directable member to measure the dimensions of the area of interest only during the generation of the indicator signal by the sensor.
In a still further illustrated embodiment of the present invention, the assembly includes means for scanning the area of interest upon detection of the area interest by the sensor. The scanning means directs the distal end of the directable member at a portion of the area of interest which has the desired magnitude of a predetermined characteristic detected by the sensor. The scanning means includes means for sampling the magnitude of the predetermined characteristic at selected intervals along the area of interest as the distal end of the directable member scans the area of interest. The sampled magnitudes are stored in a memory of the scanning means. The scanning means also includes means for comparing the magnitudes of the stored samples to determine which sample or group of samples has the desired magnitude. The scanning means returns the distal end of the directable member to the portion of the area of interest having the desired magnitude of the predetermined characteristic after the entire area of interest has been scanned.
In this specification and in the claims, the word "body" is intended to refer to various types of bodies in which the device of the present invention can be used including a human body, mechanical devices, machines, or other environments in which the present invention would be beneficial.
Additional objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.

Device for seeking an area of interest within a body


An electrical insulation testing device has a voltage source 12 for applying a test voltage through terminals 14. Measuring devices 16 take measurements to enable the resistance of the insulation under test to be determined. Results are shown by a display 20. The controller 24 prevents the display of results until the voltage source 12 has been turned off and discharge circuit 22 has discharged the capacitance of the insulation under test. This prevents the insulation being left charged after the test. Measurement is commenced by operation of the switch 28. Only one measurement can be taken each time the switch 28 is closed.

It is regularly necessary to test the insulation properties of components used in hazardous environments such as underground in mines. For instance, the insulation properties of trailing cables which provide power to moving mnachinery must be checked, to ensure that they have not been damaged.
A device has been used for many years for testing insulation in mines. The device contains a voltage generator which generates 500 volts at two terminals which are connected by flying leads to the insulation to be tested. A push button is pressed by the operator to cause the voltage to be generated and a needle meter gives a reading which falls slowly until a pre-determined reading is reached or passed, if the insulation is adequate. If the needle fails to fall, or fails to fall sufficiently, a fault in the insulation is indicated. When the push button is released, the capacitance of the insulation being tested is automatically discharged.
In order to speed up the testing procedure when several items are to be tested, it is common to use this device in an extremely dangerous manner, which does not comply with the requirements of intrinsic safety. (Intrinsic safety is a set of techniques and design criteria which aim to minimize or eliminate the dangers of high voltages in hazardous enviroments.) The push button is held or jammed in its operative position to cause a test voltage to be permanently generated. The flying leads are then connected to each insulation in turn and left in place until a satisfactory reading has been obtained, before being moved to the next insulation. This gives rise to two sources of danger. Firstly, high voltage flying leads are being moved around giving the risks of electric shock, although the voltage source will normally be "intrinsically safe". Secondly, the components which have been tested are not discharged after testing and are therefore left charged to 500 volts. Their large capacitance and the high voltage mean that the charged components are not intrinsically safe, and indeed are extremely dangerous.
It is an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate these disadvantages of the prior art.


A cycle controlled sliding valve in a heating chamber combustion engine is provided. The valve includes a piston disposed for reciprocal movement within a cylinder, a piston-extension disposed for movement within the cylinder, a connecting rod connected to the piston, a pinion carried by the connecting rod, and a rack engaged by the pinion. The rack engages the piston-extension such that the latter is capable of movement in the axial direction of the cylinder away from or towards the piston. Such movement is caused by the swinging of the connecting rod due to crankshaft rotation. A path is provided within the cylinder walls which leads to the heating chamber. When an opening in the piston-extension is aligned therewith, communication is established between the cylinder and the heating chamber. In operation, the path leading to the heating chamber will open later during the up-stroke and will close later during the down-stroke.

A heating-chamber combustion engine is described in my U.S. Pat. No. 3,994,135, issued Nov. 30, 1976 and more so in my U.S. Pat. No. 4,096,689, issued June 27, 1978 and in a patent application Ser. No. 930,370 filed Aug. 2, 1978, in which a piston connected to a crankshaft moves up and down in a cylinder. In the lowest position of the piston the cylinder is flushed and filled with fresh air from a loading pump. This is the same as in all two-cycle combustion engines.
The air is then compressed by the up-going piston to 1/8 or 1/10 or even less of its original volume. As soon as the piston reaches the position at which the desired compression-ratio is achieved, a path opens, which connects the space above the piston with the interior of the heating-chamber, located adjacent to the cylinder. The piston does not stop its motion at this point. It continues further up and pushes the compressed air, which was trapped above the piston, thru the path into the adjacent heating-chamber, where it is heated by burning of fuel increasing the pressure in the chamber proportional to the absolute temperature.

Cycle-controlled sliding-valve in a heating-chamber combustion engine


A porous metal block for selectively removing solder or braze from a substrate is disclosed. The block comprises a plurality of protrusions which absorb solder or braze through capillary action. The number and dimensions of the protrusions vary depending on the application. Also disclosed is a process for making such a block involving a unique two steps sintering process.

A current scheme for making changes to electronic substrates, such as ceramic, glass or glass-ceramic substrates, uses redundant connection pads to add new connections or delete existing connections. The original connections from the integrated circuit chips, hereinafter referred to as IC's, to the electronic substrate are normally made using solder or braze connections between the IC's and the connection pads located beneath the IC's. Surplus connection pads, each of which is connected to an original connection pad, are located around the periphery of the IC's. New or additional connections may be made between redundant connection pads, for example, by wire bonding, staple bonding or by the use of decals. Connections may be deleted by severing the line connecting a redundant pad to an original pad. If, during electronic substrate rework, an IC must be removed and replaced, solder and braze removal is limited to the area that was directly below the IC, leaving the peripheral connections undisturbed.
However, because space on a substrate is both scarce and valuable, it is desirable to use the available space between the original connection pads beneath the chip itself, rather than, or in addition to, the peripheral area, to make such circuit changes. In such a scheme it becomes necessary to selectively remove solder or braze from the original connection pads without disturbing the immediately adjacent areas where fragile connections, such as wire bonds, staple bonds or decals, may be present. Additionally, if the redundant connection pads are deposited with a layer of gold, it may be desirable to prevent solder or braze from depositing over the gold or dissolving the gold during rework.
The ability to selectively remove solder or braze from a surface is similarly desirable for making changes to any electronic circuit substrate which uses surface-mounted IC's, components or wiring, for example, epoxy-based electronic cards.
A variety of devices for removal of solder or braze from electronic substrates have been previously disclosed. The disclosed devices can be classified by two approximate categories, the first being flat-surface blocks for the solder or braze removal, and the second being wicks for the removal of solder or braze from the surface of an electronic substrate.
Within the flat-surface block category, for example, is disclosed a tinned copper slug for module reworking, "Use of a Tinned Copper Slug for Module Reworking", IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Vol. 24, No. 7A, p. 3481 (December 1981). A tinned copper slug is applied to a substrate and the tinned copper slug absorbs melted solder by capillary action as the substrate is heated.
Also disclosed in the flat-surface block category is a porous copper block having solid plated studs, "Chip Rework on Multilayer Ceramic Recess", IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Vol. 27, No. 10B, p. 6344 (March 1985). A porous copper block having solid plated studs is placed on a substrate, such that the solid plated studs enter substrate recesses where excess solder is located. As the copper block is pushed down, the solid plated studs are forced into the recesses, the excess solder is then pushed outwardly and it is then absorbed by the base portion of the porous copper block.
Several variations of wicks capable of absorbing solder by capillary action have been disclosed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,164,606 discloses a wick formed by braiding strands of copper that have been individually coated with solder. U.S. Pat. No. 4,323,631 discloses a wick formed from strands of non-metallic material which are coated with metal and flux to render the fibers more capable of wetting. U.S. Pat. No. 4,416,408 discloses a wick comprised of an open mesh of strands.
Several methods for making porous metal devices have been previously described. Disclosed in IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Vol. 25, No. 5, p. 2285 (October 1982), is a method for making porous metal devices which employs a single sintering step. A mold is filled with copper powder, vibrated, covered and heated to a temperature of 890 degrees Celsius in an atmosphere of disassociated ammonia. After cooling, the copper devices, which have undergone approximately 10 percent shrinkage, are removed from the mold. U.K. Patent No. 661,780 discloses a strikingly similar process for making porous metal molds to be used to make pottery and wood fiber egg trays.
Australian Patent No. 162,811 also discloses a method for making porous metal devices. Spherical particles are used which have a metal coating that is softer than the core metal and preferably alloyable with the core metal. The particles are compressed into a briquette, such that the softer coating is distorted and holds adjacent particles together. The briquette is then sintered such that the softer coating alloys with the harder core.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,219,423 discloses a method for forming porous metal articles of a complex shape. Flat briquettes are placed over a mold having a complex shape. The mold cover which may have a shape that matches the mold is placed over the briquette before sintering. During sintering the weight of the mold cover presses the briquette until it conforms to the shape of the mold.

Process of making a porous metal block for removing solder or braze

International Business Machines Corporation


A method is achieved for fabricating a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) storage capacitors having increased capacitance and reduced processing complexity. The capacitor bottom electrodes are made from a multilayer composed of alternately doped and undoped polysilicon layers formed by in-situ doping in a single LPCVD deposition step. The substrate is processed sequentially in the same etching chamber to pattern the multilayer in the RIE mode and then isotropically plasma etch to recess the doped polysilicon layer in the sidewalls of the multilayer. The recessing increases the surface area of the capacitor bottom electrode. The stacked storage capacitors are completed by forming a thin high dielectric constant insulator on the bottom electrode and a top polysilicon electrode. The method reduces processing complexity and manufacturing cost while providing capacitors with increased capacitance.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the fabrication of a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) device, and more particularly to a method for fabricating polysilicon multilayer stacked capacitors for DRAM cells using a cost-effective dry etching process.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Dynamic random access memory (DRAM) devices are used for storing digital information. The DRAM consists of an array of memory cells which are accessed by peripheral circuits on the chip for randomly reading and writing information to and from the individual memory cells. The most common memory cell consists of a single current pass transistor, typically a field effect transistor (FET), and a single storage capacitor. With increased circuit density and reduced cell size the capacitor area decreases, and it is important in the DRAM technology to maintain or increase the capacitor area to provide sufficient signal-to-noise margins and reasonable refresh cycle times.
Recently, stacked storage capacitors have drawn considerable attention because they can be built over the FET in a variety of ways to substantially increase the surface area of the capacitors. However, these stacked capacitors generally require additional processing steps and are more costly to manufacture, compared to the more conventional process for making flat stacked capacitors. A schematic cross-sectional view of a simple DRAM cell having a flat stacked capacitor by the prior art is shown in FIG. 1. The DRAM cell consists of a field effect transistor formed from a gate oxide 14, a polysilicon gate electrode 20, lightly doped source/drains 16 and source/drain contact areas 17. Formed concurrently from the same polysilicon layer 20 are the word lines 20' on the field oxide (FOX) 12. A first insulating layer 22 and sidewall spacers 24 insulate the gate electrodes 20 (and word lines 20'). Self-aligned contact openings 3 are etched in a second insulating layer 26 to form the capacitor node contact. A second polysilicon layer is deposited and patterned to form the bottom electrode 30 for the flat stacked capacitor. A thin insulating layer 32 having a high dielectric constant is formed on the bottom electrode 30 and a polysilicon top electrode 34 is deposited and patterned to complete the flat capacitor on the DRAM cell.
Several methods of making more complex stacked capacitors with still more capacitance are reported in the literature. For example, Sato et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,416,037, teaches a method for making a multilayer stacked capacitor using a multilayer of undoped polysilicon and oxygen-rich polysilicon in which the oxygen-rich polysilicon is selectively and isotropically etched to form a fin-like capacitor. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,441,909, Kim describes another method for making a fin-shaped capacitor by depositing and patterning a polysilicon layer over a sacrificial oxide layer composed of phosphosilicate glass (PSG). The oxide is then removed to form a fin-like bottom electrode capacitor structure. Kim further deposits a second polysilicon layer and etches back to form a double-fin structure. Still another method of making stacked capacitors is taught by Chou in U.S. Pat. No. 5,286,668, in which a second embodiment is described using a multilayer comprised of an undoped polysilicon, a doped polysilicon and another undoped polysilicon. The polysilicon layers are deposited sequentially and the second layer is in-situ doped during the deposition. The multilayer is then patterned to form the bottom electrode of the capacitor, and the doped polysilicon is then etched in a hot phosphoric acid solution to selectively remove portions of the doped polysilicon to form a double-fin-shaped structure. However, this wet-etch process requires moving the wafers from one dry processing system to a wet station, which increases the probability of contamination and increases process time and manufacturing cost.
Therefore, there is a strong need in the industry to reduce the manufacturing cost by eliminating the wet-etch processes in favor of dry-etch processes and for automating the process in multichamber processing. The use of dry etching eliminates large volumes of waste chemicals and costly reclamation systems, and further reduces manufacturing costs.

Method of increasing the capacitance area in DRAM stacked capacitors using a simplified process

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd.


A device for carrying elongated ski equipment in which two ends of an elongated flexible strap are attached to form a closed loop having an outer pocket at a bottom end thereof. The outer pocket is adapted to receive one end of the elongated ski equipment. A stabilizing tie strap attached adjacent a top end of the closed loop is adapted to secure the elongated ski equipment to the closed loop. The outer pocket and the tie strap are attached to the elongated ski equipment on opposite sides of a center of gravity of the elongate ski equipment so that the center of gravity of the elongated ski equipment remains substantially below the level of a person's shoulder when the closed loop is suspended from the person's shoulder.

Skiers are frequently required to carry their skis and poles over great distances in order to reach a desired ski area. For example, it is not uncommon for skiers to walk hundreds of yards from a parking lot or a bus stop to a base lift at a ski resort. Even after reaching the ski slopes, some skiers may wish to ski areas not serviced by ski lifts. In that case, the skiers must hike to the desired location while carrying their skis and poles. However, carrying a pair of skis is often cumbersome and tiring due to the great weight and long length of a typical pair of skis. This difficulty is only compounded when a skier must carry both a pair of skis and a set of ski poles or more than one pair of skis (e.g., a child's pair of skis in addition to their own).
Skiers typically carry a pair of skis by holding one end of the ski pair with one hand while balancing the bulk of the skis on one shoulder. The other hand is typically used to hold the ski poles and possibly a pair of ski boots or other equipment. A skier may quickly become fatigued when carrying skis in this manner, particularly when walking long distances. Additionally, carrying skis on a shoulder can be hazardous in crowded or confined areas due to the possibility of accidentally striking the head of another. Furthermore, when carrying a pair of skis and poles in this manner, a skier does not have a free hand with which to carry other items or to grasp a railing while traversing stairs. Having both hands occupied, while maintaining the center of gravity of the heavy skis at shoulder level, increases the chances for a serious slip and fall accident, particularly when walking through snow or on wet or icy surfaces.
These problems have been addressed, to a limited extent, by prior art ski bags which are large enough to hold both a pair of skis and a pair of ski poles. However, a bag of this size is too large to be stored on a skier's person, and thus must be temporarily stored while skiing. If a skier is unable or unwilling to store the ski bag, the bag cannot be used to carry the skis and poles to the ski lifts. Furthermore, since it cannot be stored on a skier's person, a ski bag of this size cannot be used on the slopes to carry skis and poles between ski runs.
A number of known ski-carrying devices have attempted to alleviate the problems inherent with carrying skis and poles. However, these devices suffer from one or more disadvantages which currently preclude their acceptance by skiers. For example, some ski carriers do not allow for the simultaneous carriage of both skis and ski poles, thereby requiring the skier to carry the ski poles in a free hand. Alternatively, some ski carriers require the poles to be used as an integral part of the ski-carrying device, thereby requiring the skier to carry the poles even if the skier does not want to use the poles while skiing.
Some known ski carriers utilize a single adjustable strap attached to a pair of skis forward and rearward of the ski bindings. Once secured to the skis, the strap may be suspended from a skier's shoulder while the skis rest against the skier's back. However, suspended in this manner, the ski bindings tend to press against the skier's back causing great discomfort while carrying the skis. Some known devices have attempted to alleviate this problem by holding the skis so that the edges rather than the bindings of the skis are maintained against the skier's back. However, by supporting the skis only along their narrow edges, the skis are more easily de-stabilized during transport and are more likely to slip off a skier's shoulder. Furthermore, the sharp edges of the skis may injure a skier or damage a skier's outer garment.
It is typical for current ski-carrying straps that fits all sizes of skis to include complex and bulky adjustment and fastening means to adjust the length of the strap and attach the strap to the skis. These features are expensive to manufacture and frequently make the current ski-carrying straps difficult to use, particularly in cold weather or when wearing ski gloves. Furthermore, while some known ski-carrying devices purport to be compactable so that they may be carried on a skier's person, they are typically too bulky to be comfortably carried while skiing. Additionally, the inclusion of features such as metal or plastic fasteners and adjustment means can make carrying these devices hazardous since falling on top of such hardware while skiing may injure the skier.
Thus, due to their various disadvantages, known ski-carrying devices are seldom used. Rather than pay the high price associated with these complex and uncomfortable ski carriers, skiers typically choose to carry their skis and poles by hand substantially as described above.
The difficulties associated with carrying skis over long distances are equally applicable to snowboarders who must similarly carry their snowboards either to the lifts or up the slopes when snowboarding in areas not serviced by lifts. Although snowboarders do not use ski poles, snowboards are typically more burdensome to carry than a pair of skis due to the greater bulk of a snowboard. Presently, there are no known snowboard carriers other than large bags within which an entire snowboard may be stored.
It is with regard to this background information that the improvements available from the present invention have evolved.

Device for carrying elongated ski equipment


A control apparatus for a power transmission includes three linear actuator apparatuses, which are operable to supply fluid pressure to each of five torque-transmitting mechanisms in a power transmission. The linear actuator apparatuses are operable to control the ratio interchange within the power transmission during both upshifting and downshifting operations.

Automatic shifting power transmissions generally include a hydraulic control system, which establishes the drive ratios within the power transmission. The drive ratios are controlled by fluid-operated friction torque-transmitting mechanisms, such as clutches and brakes. These clutches and brakes are controlled in specific sequences to establish the plurality of drive ratios required by an automatic shifting power transmission.
The drive ratios are interchanged by engaging one or more torque-transmitting mechanism while disengaging one or more others. These ratio interchanges are controlled by shift valves, and therefore a transmission generally will require a minimum number of shift valves equal to the "log base two of the total number of forward speeds" with fractional values rounded up to the next whole integer (i.e., an eight-speed transmission would need a minimum of three shift valves).
With the increase in the number of ratios made available in a power transmission, the complexity and size of the housing or the valve body in which the hydraulic control structure is arranged is becoming increasingly large and requiring more real estate within the transmission, thereby increasing the overall size of the transmission.
Typical automatic transmissions use a single pump to provide both hydraulic pressure for the clutches and lubrication. This pump is forced to run at elevated pressures at all times, which creates losses. This invention uses a sealed "hydrostatic" system with three separate drivers to provide pressure to five different clutches. The advantage of this type of system is the ability to trap the clutch pressure by closing a valve and then shutting off the power (electrical or mechanical) to the pressure source. This eliminates the pump losses and improves total system efficiency.

Torque ratio control apparatus for a multi-speed transmission


An electronic device for impressioning a lock comprises a housing having a key decoder secured to the housing and a connector for connection to electronic circuitry. A key decoder portion extends from the housing for insertion into a keyway. A groove extends along a surface of the key decoder. An insulated conductor is positioned in the groove. An exposed portion serves as a reader of wafers positions in the keyway as the key decoder slides through the keyway. An electrical measuring device is secured to the housing and includes a slidable member including the reader, both of which are connected through a sensor interface included in the housing. When the reader engages and disengages with a wafer, the measuring device transmits electrical signals to the electronic circuitry which mathematically calculates a cut in a key blank for each wafer using stored programs for fitting a key to the lock.

Locksmiths use a procedure known as impressioning to determine what is known as the bitting or key code of an automobile lock. Impressioning is usually preformed on the door lock of a vehicle and is essentially a trial and error procedure using marks made on a key blank by the wafers inside of the lock. Using a file a locksmith will remove material wherever a visible mark appears on the key until the key can open the lock. This process is often used when the original key has been completely lost and no key is available for duplication. Once completed the locksmith can determine the code of the cuts made on the impressioned key. With this code the locksmith can use a key cutting machine that is capable of cutting a key by code to create a new key or he can simply duplicate the key that has been impressioned. However, this process is labor intensive and time consuming and most automobile door locks do not contain all the codes necessary to turn the ignition or trunk. In many cases one or two additional cuts are required to turn the ignition. To complete the key a locksmith will either continue to file down the cut, repeatedly testing the key in the ignition or trunk until the lock opens. Or he will use a software package that will provide the remaining possible code combinations using the code that has been determined from the door lock.
To advance the practice of lock impressioning, what is needed is an Electronic Key Impressioner or (EKI) to reduce the amount of labor and time required to replace a lost or missing key by mathematically calculating cuts for a replacing key using stored programs executed by electronic circuitry based on measurements by an impressioner.

Electronic key impressioning (EKI) device, method and program product


Disclosed are polymer compositions comprising from about 75 to about 99% by weight of the reaction product of. (a) from about 50 to about 90% by weight, based on the weight of the reaction product, of an ethylenically unsaturated polyester derived from an .alpha.,.beta.-ethylenically unsaturated dicarboxylic acid with a saturated aliphatic polyol, and PA1 (b) from about 50 to about 10% by weight, based on the weight of the reaction product, of a modified polyolefin derived from an .alpha.,.beta.-ethylenically unsaturated dicarboxylic acid anhydride and a polyolefin.. The compositions preferably include from about 25 to about 1% by weight of a polymer or copolymer of an olefin in the reaction product, the polymer or copolymer having a molecular weight of from about 500 to about 50,000.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to modified unsaturated polyester compositions which have improved physical properties when used as molding compositions. In particular, the modified unsaturated polyester compositions exhibit highly advantageous hydrolytic stability and resistance to chemical degradation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Unsaturated polyesters are industrially important materials which have broad application in the manufacture of products such as automotive parts, boats, appliance parts, and furniture. Unsaturated polyester compositions have also been applied to the fabricating of pipes, tanks and fume ducts used for handling materials in waste water treatment, selected chemicals, and gas and oil.
One problem which has been encountered in the past with such compositions is that of high polymerization shrinkage of the polyester resin. Shrinkage results in poor surface smoothness and low gloss of molded parts. Polymerization shrinkage also results in poor dimensional agreement between the mold surface and the fabricated part. Another problem encountered is that crosslinked unsaturated polyester matrix is a brittle glassy phase that has low chip and crack resistance at high stress areas such as corners and molded edges. In addition, conventionally formulated unsaturated polyester compositions generally exhibit poor resistance to strong aqueous caustic and acid solutions and can readily degrade in polar organic media.
A method that has been applied for reducing the polymerization shrinkage, and for modifying the final physical properties of the crosslinked compositions, involves the addition of various high molecular weight thermoplastics such as homopolymers of various acrylates, methacrylates, styrene, and vinyl acetate; copolymers of styrene; copolymers of vinyl chloride and vinyl acetate; cellulose esters; saturated polyesters and polycaprolactone. These materials, however, increase the viscosity of the unsaturated polyester resin to such an extent that formulation of other components such as fillers and fiberglass with the resin becomes difficult or impossible. The high viscosity results in poor wet-out of fiber reinforcement and filler, and can impart undesirable physical properties to the final molded product.
Micropulverized polyethylene powder has also been reported as a shrink-control agent in unsaturated polyester molding compounds. The conventional procedure involves mechanically blending polyethylene powder with the polyestermonomer resin syrup along with fillers and fiberglass. A major problem associated with combining polyethylene powder with the resin in this fashion is the extreme difficulty in properly dispersing the powder in the resin phase. Poor dispersion causes porosity and craters which subsequently cause problems of poor physical properties and problems on painting.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,207,816 discloses that modification of reactive, essentially linear ethylenically unsaturated polyester resins, prior to cross-linking, by the addition thereto of an interpolymer of an .alpha.,.beta.-ethylenically unsaturated dicarboxylic acid or anhydride with a monoolefin having a terminal methylene group, results in linear alkyd resins having higher molecular weights than are readily obtainable by conventional procedures. The resulting linear alkyd, due to its improved viscosity, is said to impart many outstanding advantages to polyester resinous compositions prepared therefrom. This patent further discloses, however, that the amount of interpolymer or mixture of interpolymers employed may be from about 0.05% to about 10%, preferably about 0.2% to about 3%, by weight based on the total weight of resin forming components.


In processing a plurality of original images from different viewpoints through a lenticular sheet having a plurality of lenticular lenses to form a plurality of corresponding linear picture elements that are to be projected on a picture element recording or display medium, the following steps are taken: launching the beams of light from the respective original images into one or a corresponding number of projection lenses; separating the transmitted beams for the respective original images by means of a mirror optical assembly consisting of mirror units each composed of at least two mirrors for each original image; adjusting the optical pathlengths of the beams to the picture element recording or display medium by means of the mirror assembly; adjusting the key subject matter in the mirror assembly so that it will register among the projected views of all original images; allowing the beams to be incident on lenticular lenses at predetermined projecting angles; and imaging those beams as linear picture elements on the picture element recording or display medium so that the plurality of original images from different viewpoints are simultaneously projected on the picture element recording or display medium, either simultaneously or in at least two steps, to produce sharp images with high efficiency.

This invention relates to a lenticular stereographic projecting and recording method and an apparatus for implementing that method. More particularly, this invention relates to a stereographic projecting and recording method by which a plurality of images of different viewpoints are projected and recorded as linear picture elements, either simultaneously or sequentially in steps, on various light-sensitive materials, electronic photoreceptors or projection media such as screens through lenticular lenses. More specifically, the invention relates to a stereographic printing method for printing the linear picture elements on lenticular light-sensitive materials. Further, this invention relates to a lenticular stereographic projecting and recording apparatus, particularly to a stereographic printing apparatus for use in lenticular stereographic image projecting and recording, wherein a plurality of images of different viewpoints are projected either simultaneously or sequentially in steps and printed on lenticular light-sensitive materials as a number of broad linear picture elements. This invention also relates to a stereographic image projecting and recording method that is capable of achieving key subject matter matching in lenticular stereophotography, as well as a stereographic image projecting and recording apparatus. In particular the invention permits correct key subject matter matching by a simple procedure, is capable of forming an appropriate stereoscopic image (picture) and is simple in construction.
Methods are known that produce a stereoscopic view using a lenticular light-sensitive material formed of a lenticular sheet having a plurality of lenticular lenses and a light-sensitive layer. An example of the methods for producing such a stereoscopic view is shown in FIG. 31 (two-eye Process ). A lenticular sheet C composed of a number of lenticular lenses is provided on the back side with a light-sensitive layer D to form a lenticular light-sensitive material F. Image information from different viewpoints, namely, the left and right images A.sub.1 and A.sub.2, are projected onto the lenticular light-sensitive material F through projection lenses B.sub.1 and B.sub.2 so that they are separated into an array of linear picture elements for recording. When the recorded images are viewed with the left and right eyes L and R of an observer through the lenticular sheet C of the lenticular light-sensitive material F as shown in FIG. 32, they can be seen in relief (as a stereoscopic view). However, this method has the disadvantage that the positions of the observers eyes that insure the production of a stereoscopic view are very limited and if those positions are not attained, the optical density (hereunder referred to simply as "density") is reduced abruptly to impair the three-dimensional effect.
It is known that the above-described defects can be lessened by increasing in appropriate amounts the line width of linear picture elements formed in the lenticular sheet. Systems that have so far been proposed to meet this condition include: (1) an apparatus of the type described in Examined Japanese Patent Publication (kokoku) No. 607/1974, which makes a relative movement of the light-sensitive material by moving it and the projection lenses in the same direction at a predetermined speed ratio so as to increase the line width of linear picture elements; (2) an apparatus of the type described in Examined Japanese Patent Publication (kokoku) No. 33847/1978, which allows a lenticular light-sensitive material to rock about the longitudinal axis of the central lenticular lens through a predetermined range of angles; and (3) an apparatus of the type described in Examined Japanese Patent Publication (kokoku) No. 25902/1974, which adopts an additional lenticular sheet (lens) method in which recording is performed with the line width of linear picture elements being increased by means of a cover that is placed on top of the entire surface of the lenticular light-sensitive material in such a way as to modify the refractive power of the lenticular lens.
As described in Examined Japanese Patent Publication (kokoku) No. 33847/1978, the two-eye (two-frame or two-image) system which has two original images projected through a lens system to be printed on a lenticular light-sensitive material has the advantage that it permits two original images to be exposed simultaneously with a simple mechanism. However, the number of original images that can be printed is limited to two, so the distance between the two mirror images produced by an enlarging lens or lenses (projection lens or lenses) must be adjusted to be adjusted to be equal to the distance between the two eyes of the observer and so that the distance from the enlarging lens or lenses to the lenticular sheet is substantially equal to the viewing distance. Further, in the case of observing an exposed stereoscopic image, the distance that insures stereoscopic viewing is limited and even if the width of two linear picture elements included within the pitch of one lenticular lens in the lenticular sheet is increased, a gap tends to occur between images and a satisfactory three-dimensional (3D) effect cannot be achieved In addition, depending on the manner in which the viewpoints are shifted, an inverted stereoscopic image is likely to form. Another problem with the two-image system is that if one attempts to increase the line width of linear picture elements by the rocking method, the angle through which the lenticular light-sensitive material is increased so as to deteriorate the quality of the periphery of the stereoscopic image.
With a view to solving these problems, a multi-eye (multi-image or multi-frame) approach has been proposed but approach suffers from the disadvantage that the printing method is complicated and inefficient or that the printing apparatus is bulky and expensive. An example of the apparatuses that operate on multi-eye system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,953,869. The specification and the drawings (e.g., FIG. 4) of this patent illustrate an apparatus in which N spaced two-dimensional views are projected onto the light-sensitive layer of a lenticular light-sensitive material, of lenticule pitch W, through N spaced projecting lenses that are capable of changing the angle of projection, whereby N condensed images that are uniform and in focus are formed within the lenticular pitch of the lenticular light-sensitive material.
However, even this apparatus operating on the multi-eye system suffers from the above-mentioned disadvantage that the printing method is complicated and inefficient or that the printing apparatus is bulky and expensive. Stated more specifically, this apparatus completes the printing of original images at high speed since a multiple of original images are printed in one step by means of a multiple of projecting lenses. However, the multiple original images which are to be disposed in positions that insure predetermined angles of projection must be spaced apart by predetermined distances, so the individual films are separated from one another. Further, in order to insure that the projected views from the individual original images will be focused at desired angles of projection, it is necessary to provide a lens moving mechanism for adjusting the individual lenses and such a mechanism is complex. Another requirement is to increase the line width of linear picture elements, which adds to the complexity of the overall mechanism. In addition, printing original images as they are in a continuous form requires that those original images be prepared by means of a special camera in which the distance between lens is variable.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,101,210 discloses a stereoscopic image forming apparatus in which a plurality of original images spaced on a film carrier are illuminated with projecting light from a light source to form focused images through a lens system comprising a plurality of enlarging lenses on a lens carrier, thereby exposing the plurality of original images in a single step. However, even in this apparatus, there is a need for not only separating original stereographic images and arranging them in discrete rows on the film carrier but also arranging a plurality of lens systems in rows in correspondence with those original images. This involves cumbersome operations in preparing original images while, at the same time, the overall size of the apparatus is increased.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,650,282 describes a method of exposing a multiple of original images by which the central image within one pitch of small lenses in a lenticular light-sensitive material is made broader than the image on either end. However, this patent does not disclose any specific apparatus or means for implementing that method.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,814,826 discloses a method and an apparatus for effecting a three-dimensional print by a non-scanned exposure of a three-dimensional lenticular light-sensitive material without requiring lens movement. In the device disclosed therein a fixed periscopic lens and a periscopic optical unit including parallel mirrors that are rotatable about a first axis normal to the optical axis of the lens and a second axis intersecting said first axis, are positioned between the lenticular light-sensitive material and a film having a plurality of continuous frames thereon. The frames of the film are moved by a certain distance from the optical axis of the lens so as to create angular exposure zones, and the frames of the film corresponding to those angular exposure zones are illuminated with projecting light for delivering an image exposure of those frames of the film towards the periscopic optical unit along the center of each angular exposure zone. This apparatus, which allows the projecting lens to be fixed, obviates the need for performing the scanning process as in the prior art which involves changing the lens angle in response to the film movement and any translation offset of image from the optical axis of the lens that would otherwise develop on account of image exposure is eliminated by rotating the parallel mirrors about the two axes. However, the apparatus suffers from the disadvantage that if there are four frames to be exposed, four separate steps are necessary because the film must be moved for each frame, and the subsequent adjustment of mirrors followed by exposure must be repeated four times and the mirror unit is rotated in the same lens and mirror position in order to provide a predetermined printing angle for the image of each frame.
With reference to the images of frames obtained from different viewpoints, the images of objects at different depths are recorded in positions offset from the optical axis of each camera lens and the amount of offset is related to the change in the distance to each object. For a geometric presentation of this phenomenon, see FIG. 33. The amount of this offset is also related to the distance between taking lens and can be expressed by the following equations as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,953,869 and 4,120,562, supra: EQU e=kf/(k-f.sub.t) (1) EQU k'=se/k=sf.sub.t /(k-f.sub.t) (2) EQU a'=se/a=(k/a)k' (3) EQU b'=se/b=(k/b)k' (4)
where:
e is the distance from the center line 102 of the taking (lens the objective plane) 100 to the film plane 104; PA1 f.sub.t is the focal length of the taking lens 100; PA1 a, b and k are the distances from the center line 102 of the taking lens 100 to the objects A, B and K, respectively;
a',b' and k' are the distances along the film plane 104 from the longitudinal axis 106 to the images A',B' and K', respectively.
Thus, in order to produce an appropriate stereoscopic image by a method in which a plurality of original images as obtained from different viewpoints are projected and recorded on a lenticular light-sensitive material, it is necessary that the images of the key subject matter that are recorded in the respective frames, which are slightly offset from one another, be brought into registry on the plane of image projection so that an offset-free sharp image will be formed with respect to the key subject matter. However, this matching of the key subject matter cannot be accomplished in an easy and advantageous manner with the conventional apparatus using lenticular light-sensitive materials.
See, for example, Examined Japanese Patent Publication (kokoku) Nos. 607/1974, 33847/1978 and 25902/1974, supra. These patents do not disclose a specific method of accomplishing the matching of the key subject matter and the methods and apparatuses that are described in the patent references rely upon the operator's skill for bringing the projected images of the key subject matter into registry. In other words, no satisfactory stereoscopic image can be formed unless the operator is a skilled engineer.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,953,869, supra, discloses an apparatus for forming a stereoscopic image from three or more original images. In this type of apparatus, the matching of the key subject matter bears particular importance and the patent makes a reference to the offset of the object in the individual original images. However, the application of three or more original images increases the complexity of the apparatus and makes it more difficult to accomplish the correct matching of the key subject matter. Further, the apparatus disclosed in the patent under consideration does not have any advantageous means for solving these problems.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,903,069 discloses a stereographic printing apparatus that computes the distance of the key subject matter between adjacent original images on the basis of the object distance at the time of taking original images, the distance between taking lenses and the focal length of each taking lens, sets the travel distance (feed pitch) of original images in accordance with the thus calculated distance of the key subject matter, and moves the original images frame by frame so that the projected views of a plurality of original images are recorded on a lenticular light-sensitive material. However, this apparatus requires that the data of each frame of original images be recorded when shooting the object and that printing is performed with the feed pitch being varied for each frame of original images. Accordingly, the multi-lens camera is very expensive and complicated. In addition, the process of controlling the printing operation is also complex. Further, the efficiency of printing with this apparatus is low.

Stereographic projecting and recording method and apparatus therefor


The tamper evident cover assembly is used with a sprayer nozzle of a trigger sprayer of the type including a body, a trigger movably mounted to the body for operating a pumping mechanism upon actuation thereof and a sprayer nozzle at the front end of the body. The tamper evident cover assembly comprises a cover for the nozzle, at least one flange extending rearwardly from the cover and having first coupling structure thereon for coupling to the trigger, a frangible connection between the flange and the cover, and, second coupling structure on the trigger for coupling with the first coupling structure upon the flange, whereby actuation of the trigger will cause the cover to be pulled against the nozzle to cause tensioning and breaking of the frangible connection between the flange and the cover and separation of the cover from the sprayer nozzle, such resulting separation being evidence of tampering with the trigger sprayer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates a tamper evident cover for a sprayer nozzle of the type that is at the front end of a trigger sprayer. More specifically, the present invention relates to a cover which is received over a nozzle cap of a sprayer nozzle and has at least one rearwardly extending flange for coupling to a trigger. The flange has a frangible connection to the cover such that when the trigger is actuated the flange is broken away from the cover and the cover pops off of the nozzle cap.
2. Description of the Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR .sctn.1.97-1.99
Heretofore, various types of tamper evident trigger sprayers have been proposed. Two examples of previously proposed trigger sprayers having tamper proof or tamper evident structure thereon are disclosed in the following two patents:
______________________________________ U.S. Pat. No. Patentee ______________________________________ 4,946,074 Grogan 4,971,227 Knickerbocker et al. ______________________________________
In the Grogan U.S. Pat. No. 4,946,074 a tamper evident manually actuated pump sprayer is disclosed, which includes a locking device extending between the trigger and a confronting portion of the pump body and abuts against a trigger flange. When pushing the trigger, the locking device breaks and falls apart so that it is impossible to replace the locking device after having squeezed the trigger. In another embodiment, the device engages the underside of the trigger and snap fits into a sprayer nozzle cap located adjacent the trigger. After pulling off this locking device, some projections will remain within the nozzle without interfering with intended use.
In the Knickerbocker et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,971,227 a manually actuated sprayer is disclosed, having a nozzle rotatable from OFF to ON positions. A removable tear strip or a removable cap is provided for preventing rotation from the OFF position. Upon removal of the tear strip or cap, the nozzle is free to be rotated to its ON position. By removing the tear strip, it is destroyed and therefore, it cannot be replaced, which provides evidence to the user that the nozzle has been tampered with. The tear strip is almost an extension of the body of the dispensing device and molded thereto. The tear strip covers partially the nozzle cap and since the tear strip is fixed on the body of the dispensing device, the nozzle cap cannot be rotated without removing the tear strip beforehand.
The dispensing device of the present invention differs from these previously proposed structures by providing a tamper evident/tamper proof nozzle cover assembly that includes a different type of tamper evident/tamper proof structure and is thereby distinguished over the teachings of the Grogan and Knickerbocker et al. patents.


A transconductance amplifier has sensfets connected to an H bridge configuration to drive a load with current which is linearly proportional to the input signal. A inverting or a non-inverting side is active depending upon whether the signal is above or below a reference. Three stages include power amplifiers, switches and comparators for turning the two sides on and off. A mirror current source for each sensfet provides feedback to maintain the linearity of the load current as a function of input signal, thus eliminating the need for a resistor in the current path for sensing the feedback.

Amplifiers for supplying current at power levels to a load are extensively used. For example, in magnetic disk drives, the magnetic read/write head is positioned by an actuator driven by a voice coil motor. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,439,800-Powell and 4,620,252 - Bauck, et al show an actuator for a magnetic disk drive. Such actuators must be driven with power current proportional to an input signal. This is difficult because the voice coil has a high inductance and it is difficult to drive the coil with a high current having a fast rise time. Bipolar power operational amplifiers are typically used to drive these actuators but improvement in input signal tracking is desirable.
Newly developed field effect transistors called sensfets have been used to drive motors and the like. Such devices are described in MACHINE DESIGN, Jun. 23, 1988, pp. 100-105. In addition to the normal source, drain and gate elements of a field effect transistor, the sensfets also have a mirror pin for load current sensing and a Kelvin pin for temperature compensation. The mirror pin current is a small linearly proportional fraction of the track load current between the source and the drain. This provides sensing output which is used to obtain essentially lossless load current sensing. These devices have been extensively used in circuits which turn the current on or off. For example, in pulse width modulation circuits sensfets turn the load current on or off.

Transconductance amplifier having sensfets which drive a load with linearly proportional current


A silicon carbide film has first and second main surfaces. The second main surface has an element formation surface and a termination surface. The silicon carbide film has a first range that constitutes a first main surface and an intermediate surface opposite to the first main surface, and a second range that is provided on the intermediate surface and constitutes the element formation surface. The first range includes: a first breakdown voltage holding layer, and a guard ring region partially provided at the intermediate surface in the termination portion. The second range has a second breakdown voltage holding layer. The second range has one of a structure only having the second breakdown voltage holding layer in the termination portion and a structure disposed only in the element portion of the element portion and the termination portion.

Regarding a Si (silicon) MOSFET (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor), which is a power semiconductor device used widely, a main determination factor for breakdown voltage is the upper limit of an electric field strength with which a drift layer serving as a breakdown voltage holding region can withstand. A drift layer made of Si can be broken at a portion fed with an electric field of about 0.3 MV/cm or more. Accordingly, it is required to suppress the electric field strength to be less than a predetermined value in the entire drift layer of the MOSFET. The simplest method is to provide the drift layer with a low impurity concentration. However, this method provides a large on-resistance of the MOSFET, disadvantageously. In other words, there is a trade-off relation between the on-resistance and the breakdown voltage.
Regarding a typical Si MOSFET, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 9-191109 illustrates a trade-off relation between the on-resistance and the breakdown voltage in consideration of a theoretical limit resulting from a property value of Si. In order to cancel this trade off, it is disclosed to add a lower p type embedded layer and an upper p type embedded layer in an n type base layer provided on an n type substrate provided on a drain electrode. By the lower p type embedded layer and the upper embedded layer, the n type base layer is divided into a lower stage, a middle stage, and an upper stage, each of which has an equal thickness. According to this publication, voltage is equally held by each of the three stages, whereby the maximum electric field of each stage is maintained to be equal to or less than the critical electric field strength.
Moreover, the publication described above discloses to provide a termination structure having a guard ring (also referred to as "Field Limiting Ring"). Specifically, in the termination structure, guard rings are provided at depth positions respectively corresponding to the three stages described above. More specifically, in the termination portion, embedded guard rings are respectively provided in the n type base layer at two depth positions different from each other, and a guard ring is provided also at a surface of the n type base layer. With these three types of guard rings, the maximum electric field of each stage is also maintained to be equal to or less than the critical strength in the termination structure.
In addition, more generally, a termination structure having a guard ring only at a surface of an n type base layer without having the embedded guard rings described above has been used more widely.

Silicon carbide semiconductor device and method for manufacturing same


In one aspect, provided herein is a method comprising: (a) (i) determining cytolytic activity in a tumor from the subject; and/or (ii) determining genetic alterations associated with cytolytic activity in the tumor; and (b) administering an immunotherapeutic agent to the subject if (i) cytolytic activity is detected in the tumor and/or (ii) a genetic alteration associated with induction of cytolytic activity, tumor resistance to cytolytic activity and/or suppression of cytolytic activity is detected in the tumor.

A liquid crystal display device has advantages of low power, no radiation and so on, which occupies a dominant position in flat panel display field.
A liquid crystal display panel of a current liquid crystal display device mainly comprises an array substrate and a color filter substrate that are disposed opposite to each other, and a liquid crystal layer filled between the array substrate and the color film substrate. Both sides of the liquid crystal layer are provided with alignment film, and the function of the alignment film is to make a liquid crystal molecule in the liquid crystal layer oriented, in order to realize display function.
In an existing manufacturing process of an alignment film, a rubbing alignment technique is most widely used. The rubbing alignment technique is capable of producing a better orientation effect, but there is also unavoidable defect, such as easy to produce uneven rubbing (rubbing mura) and other undesirable problems. Optical alignment (OA) technique is emerged currently, and it is capable of producing uniform alignment in a liquid crystal layer. However, anchoring energy of the optical alignment is weak, and it is easy to produce poor alignment.

Alignment agent, manufacturing method of alignment film, display panel and display device


An image sensor includes a substrate including unit pixels. Each of the unit pixels includes photoelectric conversion elements and storage diodes.

Apparatuses consistent with exemplary embodiments relate to image sensors. More particularly, apparatuses consistent with exemplary embodiments relate to image sensors including storage gates.
An image sensor is a semiconductor device that converts an optical image into electrical signals. Image sensors may be categorized as one of charge coupled device (CCD)-type image sensors and complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS)-type image sensors. The CMOS-type images sensors (CIS) may include a plurality of pixels that are two-dimensionally arranged, and each of the pixels may include a photodiode (PD). The photodiode may convert incident light into an electrical signal.
In order to perform applications that need higher dynamic ranges, additional gates are used to increase functional operations (e.g., an electronic shuttering operation) of the pixel.


Semiconductor devices and methods for manufacturing a semiconductor device include a first semiconductor substrate in which a first scribe line region and a first chip region are defined, a first alignment mark inside the first semiconductor substrate and in the first scribe line region so as to be spaced apart from an upper side of the first semiconductor substrate, a second semiconductor substrate on the first semiconductor substrate and in which a second scribe line region and a second chip region are defined, and a second alignment mark inside the second semiconductor substrate and in the second scribe line region so as to be spaced apart from an upper side of the second semiconductor substrate, wherein the second semiconductor substrate is on the first semiconductor substrate so that positions of the first alignment mark and the second alignment mark correspond to each other.

1. Field
Example embodiments of the present inventive concepts relate to semiconductor devices and methods for manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a packaging technology of a semiconductor integrated circuit, a three-dimensional (3D) multilayer technology can heighten packaging density while reducing the size of an electronic element and can improve the performance of the semiconductor integrated circuit. A package using such a 3D multilayer technology is a package in which a plurality of chips having the same storage capacity are stacked, and is generally called a stack package. In the stack package, the data storage capacity can be easily increased, but the stack package has insufficient wiring space for electrical connections in the package as the number of stacked chips and the size thereof are increased.
Due to the insufficient wiring space in the stack package, a structure using a through silicon via (TSV) has been proposed, and recently, a method has been used to form a through electrode that is made of a conductive material in a semiconductor chip and to electrically connect semiconductor chips through the through electrode.
If the through electrode is used, it is possible to bond fine pitch I/O pads to cause the number of I/O pads to be increased, to improve the signal transfer speed between the chips through forming of the plurality of I/O pads, and to perform 3D design of the semiconductor chip to cause the performance of the semiconductor chip itself to be further improved.
On the other hand, the through silicon via (TSV) is formed through via first, via middle, and via last processes, which are classified depending on when the via is formed. Here, the "via last process" is general terminology for methods for forming via in a wafer state where the wafer fabrication has been completed, and the via last process is further divided into two processes: via last from frontside and via last from backside.
The via last from backside has mainly been used because it can reduce a via pitch, and has a simple process at low cost and high degrees of freedom.
However, a mask pattern for forming the via is formed on the back side of the wafer during the via last from backside, and in this case, misalignment may occur between a wafer backside portion that is exposed by the mask pattern and a pad that is formed on the frontside portion of the wafer. If such misalignment occurs, the via that is formed from the backside of the wafer is unable to be formed to expose the pad that is formed on the frontside of the waver, and as a result, the through electrode that is formed in the via is unable to be electrically connected to the semiconductor chip.