A semiconductor device includes a passivation film (19) having opening portions through which an electrode pads (18) formed on a semiconductor chip (21) are exposed, projecting electrode portions (20) whose one end faces are connected to the electrode pads (18) through the opening portions, post electrode portions (16A) through which the other end faces of the projecting electrode portions (20) and the metal bumps (26) are connected to each other, and an insulating resin layer (13) having elasticity which covers the post electrode portions (16A), the projecting electrode portions (20) and the passivation film (19) with the exception of the end faces of the post electrode portions (16A).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing the same, and particularly to a semiconductor device which has a structure to avoid damages or the like of metal bumps due to differential thermal expansion and a method of manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent semiconductor devices, high integration of semiconductor chips to be contained in these semiconductor devices have brought effects of miniaturizing and thinning the semiconductor devices themselves, and higher performance and higher operating speed of electronic equipment have been promoted. Further, in order to satisfy requirements of enhancing the performance, reducing the size and weight and increasing the operating speed in electronic equipment to be contained in semiconductor devices, new types of packages have been developed. For example, a package based on FCBGA (flip chip ball grid array) system in which highly densely packing can be performed has appeared in the market.
FIGS. 10A to 10D are side views showing a semiconductor device based on the FCBGA system. FIG. 10A shows a semiconductor chip, and FIG. 10B shows the mount state of the semiconductor chip. A semiconductor chip 40 has a plurality of electrode pads which are disposed in a predetermined arrangement on the peripheral portion thereof or on an active region, and metal bumps 41 are mounted on the respective electrode pads (FIG. 10A). At the final user side, the semiconductor chip 40 is mounted on a multi-layered wiring board (mount board) 42 having electrodes which are arranged in the same pattern as the bump arrangement pattern (FIG. 10B).
In general, when metal bumps 41 are formed of solder balls, the solder balls are reflowed under a predetermined temperature and fixed to the multi-layered board 42. At this time, stress and strain occurs due to differential thermal expansion (the difference of coefficients of thermal expansion) between the semiconductor chip 40 and the multi-layered wiring board 42, and thus the mount reliability is lost. In order to solve this problem, the following countermeasure is taken.
For example, aluminum nitride (AlN), mullite, ceramic materials such as glass ceramics, etc., which are expensive in price, may be used as materials of the multi-layered wiring board 42. With these materials, the coefficient of linear expansion of the multi-layered wiring board 42 is approached to that of silicon which mainly constitutes the semiconductor chip 40, whereby the mismatch of the coefficients of linear expansion is minimized to enhance the mounting reliability. This countermeasure is effective from the viewpoint of the enhancement of the mounting reliability. However, the materials of the multi-layered wiring board 42 are expensive in price, and thus the use thereof is limited to an expensive apparatus such as a super computer, a large-scale computer or the like.
In view of the foregoing situation, there has been developed such a technique that a multi-layered board using an organic material which is relatively low in price and has a large coefficient of linear expansion is used for device mounting, and an under fill resin is inserted between the multi-layered wiring board and a semiconductor chip to disperse shearing stress acting on bump connection portions, thereby reducing the stress and strain and enhancing the mounting reliability.
In the technique using the organic materials as described above, a cheap multi-layered wiring board can be used. However, when voids exist in the under fill resin or when the adhesion at the interface between the under fill resin and the semiconductor chip or the interface between the under fill resin and the multi-layered wiring board is degraded, an interface exfoliating phenomenon is induced in the reflow step, resulting in production of failed products.
The FCBGA type packages are generally used for large scale semiconductor integrated circuits (LSI) having high performance, however, the products are expensive. Therefore, when failed components other than semiconductor chips are detected in an electrically screening step after the semiconductor chips are mounted, the semiconductor chips are removed from the multi-layered wiring board and re-used. This semiconductor chip removing step needs a work of heating a good-quality semiconductor chip 40 which is sucked from the back side by a suction heating tool 43 as shown in FIG. 10C, pulling up the semiconductor chip 40 while melting the bump joint portions thereof and removing the semiconductor chip 40 from the multi-layered wiring board 42.
At the time when the semiconductor chip 40 is removed, a metal bump 41 is damaged as shown in FIG. 10D, however, the chip body itself is not damaged. In the case of a semiconductor device designed so that the under fill resin is interposed between the semiconductor chip 40 and the multi-layered wiring board 42, not only the metal bump 41 is damaged, but also the peripheral devices containing the multi-layered wiring board 42 and a passivation film for protecting the active region of the semiconductor chip are damaged. In this case, the recycling of the semiconductor chip 40 is substantially impossible. Therefore, even when a cheap multi-layered wiring board formed of organic material is used, the cost is not necessarily lowered.
The present invention has been implemented in view of the foregoing situation, and has an object to provide a semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing the same in which deforming stress acting on a metal bump is moderated with no under fill resin between a semiconductor chip and a multi-layered wiring board (mounting board) to thereby enhance the mounting reliability of the semiconductor chip, and also peripheral devices containing the mounting board, etc. are avoided from being damaged in a recycling step, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost.
In order to attain the above object, according to a first aspect of the present invention, a semiconductor device in which electrode pads formed on a semiconductor chip is connected to corresponding electrodes on a mounting board through metal bumps, is characterized by including: a passivation film which is formed in the semiconductor chip and has opening portions through which the electrode pads are exposed; first conductive members whose one end faces are connected to the electrode pads through the opening portions; second conductive members through which the other end faces of the first conductive members and the metal bumps are connected to one another; and an insulating resin layer having elasticity which covers the first conductive members, the second conductive members and the passivation film with the exception of the end faces of the second conductive members.
In the semiconductor device of the present invention, irrespective of no provision of under fill resin between the semiconductor chip and the mounting board, deforming stress acting on the metal bumps can be effectively absorbed/relaxed by the first conductive members and the second conductive members connected thereto both embedded in the elastic insulating resin layer, thereby enhancing the mounting reliability. Further, damages imposed on the peripheral devices containing the mounting board, etc. in the recycling step can be avoided, and semiconductor chips can be recycled when cheap mounting boards formed of organic materials are used, so that the manufacturing cost can be lowered.
Here, the metal bumps may be formed of solder added with metal materials containing Ag. With these materials, the coefficient of expansion of the metal bumps is adjusted to further improve the stress relaxation and thus further enhance the mounting reliability of the semiconductor device.
Further, it is preferable that each of the second conductive members is designed in a multi-stage structure having plural stages which are different in coefficient of thermal expansion from one another. In this case, the stress occurring between the semiconductor chip and the mounting board can be stepwise relaxed, and the mounting reliability is further enhanced.
Still further, it is preferable that each of the second conductive members is designed in a multi-stage structure having plural stages and the insulating resin layer is also designed in a multi-layer structure, the respective stages of each of the second conductive member being covered by the respective layers of the insulating resin layer. In this case, the multi-layered structure of protection film can be obtained by the plural insulating resin layers, so that the passivation film on the semiconductor chip and the active region surface below the passivation film can be protected from heat and mechanical stress occurring in the recycling step. Therefore, a semiconductor device which can be easily recycled can be achieved. Further, since each of the second conductive members is designed in the multi-stage arrangement, structures which are high in height can be obtained as external terminals. Therefore, when the semiconductor device of the present invention is mounted on the mounting board at the final user side, the standoff height between the mounting board and the semiconductor chip can be set to a high value, so that an excellent stress relaxation effect can be achieved.
Specifically, the insulating resin layer covering the second conductive members at the first stage which are brought into contact with the other end faces of the first conductive members may be formed of material mainly containing epoxy resin, silicone resin, polyimide resin, polyolefine resin, cyanate ester resin, phenol resin, naphthalene resin or fluorene resin. Further, the insulating resin layer covering the second conductive members at the second and higher stages subsequent to the first stage may be formed of an insulating stress-relaxing resin mainly containing epoxy resin, silicone resin, polyimide resin, polyolefine resin, cyanate ester resin, phenol resin, naphthalene resin or fluorene resin. With these materials, an insulating resin layer which can excellently absorb the deforming stress acting on the metal bumps.
A heat spreader may be fixed to the opposite surface to the electrode-pad forming surface of the semiconductor chip through heat dissipating adhesive agent. In this case, the thermal characteristic of the semiconductor device can be enhanced.
Specifically, the heat spreader may be formed of metal material containing Cu, Al, W, Mo, Fe, Ni or Cr as a main component, or ceramic material containing alumina, AlN, SiC, BN or mullite.
Further, the heat dissipating adhesive agent may be formed of material mainly containing epoxy resin, silicone resin, polyimide resin, polyolefine resin, cyanate ester resin, phenol resin, naphthalene resin or fluorene resin, or material containing Ag, Pd, Cu, Al, Au, Mo, W, diamond, alumina, AlN, mullite, BN or SiC.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device in which electrode pads exposed from a passivation film formed in a semiconductor chip are connected to corresponding electrodes of a mounting board through metal bumps, is characterized by comprising the steps of: forming on the surface of a metal plate a resist film which is subjected to a patterning treatment for preparing a pattern corresponding to the pattern of the electrode pads of the semiconductor chip; selectively etching the metal plate with the resist film used as a mask to achieve a temporary board having plural metal posts projecting from the bottom portion thereof; connecting first conductive members formed on the electrode pads to the metal posts of the temporary board; disposing an insulating resin layer having elasticity between the semiconductor chip and the temporary board; removing the bottom portion of the temporary board to convert the metal posts into second conductive members whose end faces are exposed from the insulating resin layer; and mounting the metal bumps on the exposed end faces of the second conductive members.
According to the semiconductor device manufacturing method of the present invention, there is provided a semiconductor device in which, irrespective of no provision of the under fill resin between the semiconductor chip and the mounting board, deforming stress acting on the metal bumps can be effectively absorbed/relaxed by the first conductive members and the second conductive members connected thereto both embedded in the elastic insulating resin layer, so that the mounting reliability can be enhanced.
Here, the metal plate may be formed of a clad metal plate in which a first metal layer and a second metal layer are joined to each other, and by the selective etching treatment, the first metal layer may be converted into the metal posts while the second metal layer is converted into the bottom portion of the temporary board. In this case, the plural metal posts can be easily obtained by preparing one clad metal plate.
It is preferable that the metal plate is formed of a clad metal plate in which first and second metal layers which are mutually different in coefficient of thermal expansion are joined to a base metal layer, and by the selective etching treatment, the first metal layer and the second metal layer are converted into the metal posts while the base metal layer is converted into the bottom portion. In this case, since the first and second metal layers to be converted into the metal posts are mutually different in coefficient of thermal expansion from each other, the stress occurring between the semiconductor chip and the mounting board can be stepwise relaxed, and the mounting reliability can be further enhanced.
Specifically, the first metal layer may be formed of Cu, Ni or the alloy material of Cu and Ni. In this case, solder wettability of the metal posts completed can be made excellent, so that the connection work of the metal posts with the first conductive members is easily performed.
It is preferable that the second conductive members are designed in a multi-stage structure having plural stages and the insulating resin layer is also designed in a multi-layer structure, the respective stages of the second conductive members being covered by the respective layers of the insulating resin layer. In this case, the multi-layered structure of the protection film can be obtained by the plural insulating resin layers, so that the passivation film on the semiconductor chip and the active region surface below the passivation film can be protected from heat and mechanical stress occurring in the recycling step. Therefore, a semiconductor device which can be easily recycled can be achieved. Further, the second conductive members are designed in the multi-stage arrangement, whereby structures which are high in height can be obtained as external terminals. Therefore, when the semiconductor device of the present invention is mounted on the mounting board at the final user side, the standoff height between the mounting board and the semiconductor chip can be set to a high value, so that an excellent stress relaxing effect can be achieved.
Further, it is preferable that after the first conductive members of plural semiconductor chips are connected to the metal posts in the step of connecting the first conductive members to the metal posts, the respective semiconductor chips covered by the insulating resin layer may be separated from one another before the step of mounting the metal bumps onto the exposed end faces of the second conductive members.
In this case, after plural semiconductor chips formed on a wafer-like semiconductor substrate are connected to corresponding metal posts at the same time, an insulating resin layer may be coated over the whole surface of the workpiece, and then the manufacturing process for each semiconductor chip is progressed. Therefore, individual semiconductor chips can be shipped under the state that any metal bumps are not mounted thereon. Accordingly, the number of steps can be more greatly reduced and the manufacturing cost can be further reduced as compared with the packaging method of manufacturing semiconductor chips while the respective semiconductor chips are separated from one another in advance. In addition, when a semiconductor device is mounted on a multi-layered board, the metal bumps serving as external terminal electrodes can be suitably mounted at the user side, so that semiconductor devices having higher degree of freedom for users can be achieved.
Further, prior to the step of mounting metal bumps onto the exposed end faces of the second conductive members, it is preferable to form metal thin-film electrodes on the exposed end faces by an electroless Ni/Au plating treatment or an electroless Au plating treatment. In this case, when the semiconductor device is mounted on the mounting board, the processing of forming the external terminal electrodes at the user side can be easily performed.
It is also preferable to use the metal plate comprising one plate member and to form the metal posts and the bottom portion on the one plate member by a half etching treatment or press work. In this case, the temporary board can be easily formed by using one metal plate member and thus the metal posts can be achieved in relatively low cost.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device in which electrode pads exposed from a passivation film formed in a semiconductor chip are connected to corresponding electrodes of a mounting board through metal bumps, is characterized by comprising the steps of: forming on the surface of a metal plate a resist film which is subjected to a patterning treatment for preparing a pattern corresponding to the pattern of the electrode pads of the semiconductor chip; conducting a plating treatment on the metal plate after the formation of the resist film to form plural metal posts on the metal plate, thereby forming a temporary board; connecting first conductive members formed on the electrode pads of the semiconductor chip to the metal posts of the temporary board; disposing an insulating resin having elasticity between the semiconductor chip and the temporary board; removing the metal plate of the temporary board to convert the metal posts into second conductive members whose end faces are exposed from the insulating resin; and mounting the metal bumps on the exposed end faces of the second conductive members.
In the semiconductor device manufacturing method of the present invention, the same effect as the method of the second aspect of the present invention can be achieved. In addition, since the metal posts are formed on the surface of the beforehand-prepared metal plate by plating, a relatively thin sheet-like metal member may be used as the metal plate, and thus the work of removing the metal plate can be extremely easily performed. Further, a well-known plating technique may be applied to the step of forming the metal posts, so that the cost can be further reduced.
It is preferable that the second conductive members are designed in a multi-stage structure and the respective stages are different in coefficient of thermal expansion. In this case, the stress occurring between the semiconductor chip and the mounting board can be stepwise relaxed, and the mounting reliability can be further enhanced.
It is also preferable that the metal plate comprises plural metal layers. In this case, the metal layer serving as a lower layer is formed of material which can be removed by etching, and an upper layer is formed of material which cannot be removed by the etching treatment for the metal layer serving as the lower layer. Accordingly, after the metal layer serving as the lower layer is removed by etching, the remaining metal layer of the upper layer is removed by a polishing work to obtain the metal posts. Therefore, this is effective to a case where the metal posts of the same material as the lower layer of the metal plate are formed on the metal plate by plating.

Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same


A complex machine tool has a single frame having a chip collecting space at a center portion thereof, first and second spindle stocks on the frame, relatively free to move and drive in a Z axis direction and holding the chip collecting space therebetween, workpiece spindles on the spindle stocks free to rotate and drive and facing each other, and tool rests. The tool rests have turrets and can assume various kinds of movement. Complicated and varied types of machining can be performed combining the rotation control of the workpiece spindles and the spindle stocks.

This invention relates to a complex machine tool having mutually facing workpiece spindles, provided with respective tool rests corresponding to the workpiece spindles.
In recent years, the machining operations of machine tools have been complicated and varied, and the efficiency demanded for machine tools in the future is going to be high.
In consideration of the above-described circumstances, the object of the present invention is to provide a complex machine tool which can execute complicated machining operations and machining methods using the machine tool.

Machine tool having dual spindles and tool rests


A plug and receptacle assembly comprises a plug connector and receptacle connector, for high-density interconnections of data cable. The two connectors are fully shielded and include a mating profile including a modified D-shaped configuration where one end of the shroud includes a concave radiused portion and two jackscrews or threaded inserts are located within the area formed by the concave radiused portion. In this manner, the entire width of the connector assembly is reduced for high-density interconnections.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an electrical connector system for high-density interconnection of data cables and the like, and in particular, to an improved mating connection for such high-density electrical connectors.
2. Summary of the Prior Art
It is common in building wiring closets where hubs and routers are located for distribution and/or storage of data, to have a plurality of racks and panels with multiple electrical interconnections formed by multiple cables. It is commonplace to have such electrical connections made by connection systems commonly known as modular plugs and jacks, the so-called RJ-45 connection system, or other systems such as the RJ-21. Separate connection systems have traditionally been used, due to the speed of the data, the need to minimize EMI radiation, as well as the need to minimize cross talk between adjacent lines in the same connector.
One electrical connection system useful with data interconnections as described above is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,066,236 to Broeksteeg. Such an electrical connector system is modular in nature incorporating a plurality of side-by-side printed circuit board mountable connector housings having a plurality of contact arrays insert molded in a web of insulating material to include contact portions which extend into the housings and are positionable adjacent to a mating face, and a printed circuit board contact portion for mounting to a printed circuit board. While the Broeksteeg design is an excellent concept, he was not concerned with a mating interface to hubs, routers and servers or the like. Rather, what is desired is to have a standard I/O configuration for such electrical connections, yet having increased electrical characteristics with a high-density packaging.
One interface known in the art is the D-shaped interface, for example, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,567,169. Such an interface includes a shielding shroud encircling the electrical connections thereby forming a continuous line ground between the cables of the connection. The configuration of the shielding shroud is defined by upper and lower elongate shielding walls extending forwardly from the connector, and two oppositely angled end walls which form a substantially trapezoidal shape. While the trapezoidal shape provides a polarizing feature, that is, prevents mismating about the axial line, it widens the profile in side-to-side spacing between adjacent connectors. That is, the jackscrews and corresponding openings must be wide enough to clear the end walls of the shroud.
The objects of the invention are to improve upon the shortcomings as mentioned above.
The objects of the invention have been accomplished by providing an electrical connector having a housing body and a plurality of electrical contacts. The connector further comprises a front shroud portion extending forwardly from a front face of said connector and has a general parallelogram configuration, the shroud including upper and lower substantially parallel walls extending transverse to the front face and opposite end walls completing the shroud. The connector also includes fastener members located adjacent to diametrically opposed obtuse corners of the shroud.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the electrical connector further comprises a plurality of rows of electrical contacts, the rows being generally staggered to conform within the front shroud portion. Preferably, there are four rows of contacts, with two rows being staggered relative to the other rows.
Preferably, one of the end walls extends diagonally between the upper and lower walls, and the opposite wall is discontinuous and has a concave radiused portion. The electrical connector includes a first fastener member positioned adjacent to the mating face and at least partially beneath the diagonal wall. The electrical connector also includes a second fastener member positioned adjacent to the concave radiused portion.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the shroud is a shielding member.
In another aspect of the invention, an electrical connector has a housing body and a plurality of electrical contacts, and further comprises a front shroud portion extending forwardly from a front face of the connector. The shroud has a generally parallelogram configuration, including upper and lower substantially parallel walls extending transverse to the front face and opposite end walls completing the shroud, and a plurality of rows of electrical contacts, the rows being generally staggered to conform within the front shroud portion.
In the preferred version of this connector, the electrical connector further comprises fastener members located adjacent to diametrically opposed obtuse corners of the shroud.
Preferably, the electrical connector comprises four rows of contacts, with two rows being staggered relative to the other rows.
Also preferably, one of the end walls of the shroud extends diagonally between the upper and lower walls, and the opposite wall is discontinuous and has a concave radiused portion. In this version of the electrical connector, a first fastener member is positioned adjacent to the mating face and at least partially beneath the diagonal wall. A second fastener member is positioned adjacent to the concave radiused portion.
The electrical connector shroud is preferably a shielding member.
In yet another embodiment of the invention, an electrical connector has a housing body and a plurality of electrical contacts, the connector further comprising a front shroud portion extending forwardly from a front face of the connector. The shroud includes an upper and lower elongate wall extending transverse to the front face and a diagonal wall extending between the upper and lower walls. A fastener member is positioned adjacent to the mating face and at least partially beneath the diagonal wall. A discontinuous wall opposite the diagonal wall has a concave radiused portion with a second fastener member positioned adjacent to the concave radiused portion.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the electrical connector further comprises a plurality of rows of electrical contacts, the rows being generally staggered to conform within the front shroud portion. The electrical connector comprises four rows of contacts, with two rows being staggered relative to the other rows.
Preferably, the shroud is a shielding member.
The electrical connector can be profiled as either a plug connector or a receptacle connector. When configured as a plug connector, the connector is profiled for interconnection to twisted pair conductors of a multi-conductor cable. When configured as a receptacle connector, it is complementary with the plug connector to form a mating connection assembly. The receptacle connector has a complementary shielding shroud to the plug connector, and complementary first and second fastener members.

Connector interface and retention system for high-density connector


Methods and systems for optimizing a build order of component source modules comprises creating a dependency graph based on dependency information. Historical build information associated with previous build failures is then used to calculate relative failure factors for paths of the dependency graph; and the relative failure factors are used to determine an order of traversal of the dependency graph during a build process in which component binary modules are built from the component source modules.

There are hosting systems in which developers may upload their source code modules for storage in a source code management (SCM) repository. Examples of such SCM repositories include CVS™ and Subversion™. The SCM repository, which contains source code modules, is used to build binary libraries and application modules. The binary libraries and application modules can be stored in a binary repository. Examples of such binary repositories include Redhat Network™, Yum™, Maven™ and CPAN™ for example.
The source code modules are compiled and linked into the binary modules during one or more build processes, and the source code modules have defined dependencies that may determine the possible orders in which the build processes can execute. There may be multiple independent build processes that need to run at any given time, and the build processes may need to decide among multiple possible paths of execution. The dependency information becomes particularly important as the number of libraries/applications that are being built is very large, e.g. over 100 libraries, and where the libraries are rapidly changing. In this case, a great deal of processing power is necessary to keep up with the changes and for efficiency, only the source code modules that are changed should be the rebuilt.
Depending on the nature of build components, such as the source code modules, and their usefulness as independent components, it might be more efficient to perform the build in such a way as to find failing source code modules first, which is referred to as "failure first", or to find failing source code modules last, which is referred to as "failure last". If the components only have usefulness as a whole, it is better to find failures as soon as possible so they can be fixed and the process can restart. If the components have usefulness independently, or the build process can start at a node in a dependency graph where the process failed last, then it is more efficient to find failure last, because more components will be published before a failure occurs. Unfortunately, it may not be apparent how to optimize the build order of the component source modules for failure first or failure last based on the dependency information alone.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Using build history information to optimize a software build process

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


The invention includes inserting an object to be processed into a processing vessel, which can be maintained vacuum, and making the processing vessel vacuum; performing a sequence of forming a ZrO2 film on a substrate by alternately supplying zirconium source and an oxidizer into the processing vessel for a plurality of times and a sequence of forming SiO2 film on the substrate by alternately supplying silicon source and an oxidizer into the processing vessel for one or more times, wherein the number of times of performing each of the sequences is adjusted such that Si concentration of the films is from about 1 atm % to about 4 atm %; and forming a zirconia-based film having a predetermined thickness by performing the film forming sequences for one or more cycles, wherein one cycle indicates that each of the ZrO2 film forming sequences and the SiO2 film forming sequences are repeated for the adjusted number of times of performances.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for forming a zirconia-based film on a substrate to be processed, such as a semiconductor wafer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, due to demands for higher integration and higher operating speed of a large scale integration (LSI), design rules of semiconductor devices that constitute a LSI are becoming finer. Along with the demands, there are also demands for increased capacity of capacitors that are used in dynamic random access memories (DRAMs) and demands for increased permittivity of dielectric films. It is necessary to crystallize such dielectric films to obtain higher permittivity, and thus a film with higher crystallinity is demanded. Furthermore, since some devices have limits in thermal budget, a film which may be formed or crystallized at a low temperature is demanded.
A zirconium oxide (ZrO2) film is considered as a film with high permittivity, which is applicable to the above purposes, (see Reference 1).
Known techniques for forming a zirconium oxide film at a low temperature include an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process, in which source gas (precursor), e.g. tetrakis(ethylmethylamino)zirconium (TEMAZ), and oxidizer, e.g. O3 gas, are supplied alternately (see Reference 2). Furthermore, zirconium oxide may be easily crystallized, and may be crystallized without inflicting negative effects on a device by forming a film at a low temperature by using the technique as described above or, additionally, annealing the film at a low temperature less than or equal to 450° C.
Such a dielectric film is required to exhibit not only high permittivity but also low leakage current. However, when a dielectric film is crystallized as described above, leakage current increases due to leakage from grain boundaries of crystals.
[Reference 1] Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2001-152339
[Reference 2] Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-310754

Film forming method and film forming apparatus


The invention provides a composition suitable for topical skin application comprising isolated queen bee venom. The queen bee venom has been found to be significantly superior for treating skin conditions relative to the normal bee venom. Therefore the invention also provides a method of treatment or prevention of a skin condition, comprising the topical application of the composition onto the skin of a subject afflicted with the skin condition, or at risk of being afflicted with the skin condition. The skin condition could be skin ageing, elastosis, laxity (sagging), rhytids (wrinkles), skin infection, skin damage, skin burn, pain, and muscle tightness, or combinations thereof.

Topical creams, ointments and pastes have been used for centuries to help alleviate skin conditions such as burns, infection and damage. Many products are also available to revitalize aging skin or reduce wrinkles.
Ageing skin can be particularly prone to damage and loss of elasticity. With aging, the outer skin layer (epidermis) thins, becomes more pale and translucent. Changes in the connective tissue reduce the skin's strength and elasticity. This is especially pronounced in sun-exposed areas (solar elastosis). Elastosis produces the leathery, weather-beaten appearance common to people who spend a large amount of time outdoors. With ageing, the blood vessels of the dermis become more fragile, leading to bruising, bleeding under the skin, cherry angiomas, and similar conditions. Sebaceous glands produce less oil with age, making it harder to keep the skin moist, resulting in dryness and itchiness. Aging skin also repairs itself more slowly than younger skin. Wound healing in aged skin is slower, which contributes to pressure ulcers and infections.
One recognised anti-ageing ingredient is honey bee venom, otherwise known as apitoxin. The honey bee venom is used in anti-wrinkle creams and masks, where it is considered to be a non-invasive face-lift and a more natural alternative to cosmetic procedures that involve injection of agents such as the Botulinum toxin. The active portion of the venom is a complex mixture of proteins, which causes local inflammation and acts as an anticoagulant. The venom is produced in the abdomen of worker bees from a mixture of acidic and basic secretions. The main component is melittin, which usually comprises about 52% of the venom peptides. Melittin is a strong anti-inflammatory agent and induces the production of cortisol in the body.
An aim of the invention is to provide an improved composition to alleviate the appearance of skin conditions such as skin ageing and skin damage. The composition may in particular be used for cosmetic application, to improve the appearance of the skin.


A method of facilitating dormant small cell discovery in a wireless communications network including at least a small cell and a second cell includes changing, at the small cell, an operating state of the small cell from an active state to a dormant state, the dormant state being a state in which the small cell transmits discovery signals and does not transmit DL broadcast or DL control channels, the discovery signals being signals through which user equipments (UE)s discover the dormant small cell; sending, from the dormant small cell, a notification, the notification identifying, for at least the second cell, a duty cycle with which the first small cell will periodically transmit the discovery signals; and transmitting, from the dormant small, the discovery signals using a periodic transmission pattern that includes active portions and non-active portions defined by the duty cycle.

1. Field
The present invention relates generally to the signal design for user equipment (UE) discovery of dormant cells in wireless communications networks.
2. Related Art
Heterogeneous wireless networks include macro cell base stations (BSs) and small cell base stations BSs. Macro cell base stations provide wireless coverage for user equipment (UEs) within macro cells which cover large geographical areas, while small cell BSs may be underlaid with respect to the macro cell BSs in order to provide wireless coverage for UEs located in small cells which cover smaller geographical areas within the coverage area of a macro cell.
Small cell BSs may affect the quality of service experienced by users of a heterogeneous wireless network by providing supplemental support for UEs within portions of the geographical area covered by the macro cell BS where small cell BSs are placed. In some wireless network implementations, a small cell is capable of switching between active state and dormant state. In an active state, the small cell is activated, thereby providing wireless coverage for UEs in range of the small cell, and in a dormant state, the small cell does not provide wireless coverage for UEs.

Methods and apparatuses for facilitating dormant cell discovery


An image reading device includes a plural-line sensor containing plural line sensor arrays formed on a substrate, a telecentric imaging optical system for forming the image of an object on the sensor, and a blazed diffraction grating positioned in the optical path between the imaging optical system and the sensor and adapted to separate the light from the object into plural color components and to guide the color-separated light to respectively corresponding sensor arrays.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for reading a color image utilizing a solid-state image sensor device or the like, and in particular to a color image reading device in which the light from an object is guided to a sensor such as a solid-state image sensor through an imaging optical system and color separation means.
2. Related Background Art
Conventionally a device as shown in FIG. 1 is already known for line scanning an object such as an original document and reading the color image thereof with a solid-state image sensor array, such as a CCD sensor.
The information on a part of an original surface 1 is illuminated by the light from an illuminating light source (not shown), and is read by the reflected light which is guided through an imaging optical system, then is separated into three colors through a three-piece (3P) prism 20 and are focused on three line CCD sensors 21, 22, 23.
However, such conventional structure is inevitably expensive since it requires three independent sensors and the 3P prism requiring high precision in the manufacture thereof. It is also associated with difficulty in manufacture, since the light beams have to be aligned with the sensors 21, 22, 23 independently.
It is therefore conceivable to prepare three line sensors on a same substrate with a certain distance therebetween, thus obtaining a monolithic 3-line sensor 24 shown in FIG. 2. In such a monolithic sensor, the distances s.sub.1, s.sub.2 between three lines 25, 26 and 27 are on the order of 0.1 to 0.2 mm depending on various manufacturing conditions, and the dimensions w.sub.1 .times.w.sub.2 of each single photosensor 28 are on the order of 7.times.7 .mu.m to 10.times.10 .mu.m. FIG. 3 shows a known structure of a color image reading device, utilizing such a monolithic 3-line sensor as the image sensor, wherein, in scanning the information on an original surface 1 in the sub-scanning direction, the light from said surface 1 is guided through an imaging optical system 29, then separated into three light beams of three colors by color-separating beam splitters 30, 31 with a dichroic selective transmission film, and said three light beams are focused on respectively corresponding line sensors of the monolithic 3-line sensor 32.
However, as shown in FIG. 3, a plate thickness t of the beam splitters 30, 31 provides a line distance 2.sqroot.2t on the sensor 32. If said distance is selected on the order of 0.1 to 0.2 mm as explained above, the plate thickness t is about 35 to 70 .mu.m, which is difficult to achieve in manufacture, in consideration of the surface flatness required.
There is also known a color image reading device employing a blazed diffraction grating instead of the dichroic mirror, as disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,277,138 corresponding to DE 2645075. Said device employs an optical system involving a blazed diffraction grating for color separation.
However such structure only considers the light coming from a point in the object field, but does not pay any attention to so-called image angle characteristics resulting from the presence of a certain image width in the main scanning direction in the object field.

Image reading device having a telecentric optical system and a blazed diffraction grating


A master node is configured to receive, from a slave node, a request to perform a modified two-step synchronization (sync) operation in a manner that precludes transmitting a follow-up packet; generate a sync packet in a manner that includes information associated with a previous time that a prior sync packet was transmitted to the slave node; transmit the sync packet to the slave node; receive, from the slave node, a delay request packet; transmit, to the slave node, a delay response packet, where the delay response packet stores information associated with another time at which the delay request packet was received, and where transmitting the delay response packet enables the slave node to calibrate a clock, hosted by the slave node, to a master clock, hosted by the master node, based on the previous time and the other time.

Computing and communication networks typically include nodes, such as routers, firewalls, switches or gateways, which transfer or switch data, such as packets, from one or more sources to one or more destinations. The nodes may operate on the packets as the packets traverse the network, such as by forwarding or filtering the packet-based network traffic.
A master node may provide timing and control services to other nodes (referred to as slave nodes) by transmitting and/or receiving timing packets that permit the slave nodes to synchronize clocks, hosted by the slave nodes, to a master clock that is hosted by the master node. The slave nodes may use the timing packets to identify a period of delay and/or error associated with the clocks relative to the master clock. The slave nodes may use the period of delay and/or error to calibrate the clocks to the master clock.
A master node may transmit a particular timing packet, such as a synchronization packet, to a slave node that includes a particular time, calibrated to the master clock, at which the synchronization packet was transmitted. The slave node may receive the synchronization packet and may use the particular time to synchronize with the master clock. The master node may be a one-step master when the particular time is stored in the synchronization packet. The master node may be a two-step master when the particular time is transmitted, to the slave node via a follow-up packet, after the synchronization packet is sent.

Precision timing using a modified synchronization operation


An image forming apparatus includes a CPU configured to change a parameter value used to control a developer bearing amount and form a plurality of patches for different parameter values changed, and a color sensor configured to measure the plurality of patches thereby acquiring color information thereof. The CPU detects, from values of color information of the plurality of patches, a value of the color information at which a change greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold value occurs, and the CPU sets a parameter used in forming an image based on the detected value of color information.

Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure generally relates to image forming and, more particularly, to an image forming apparatus using an electrophotographic method such as a printer, a copying machine, or the like.
Description of the Related Art
To obtain a color image with high image quality, it is generally important to output color components including yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (Bk) such that the density of each color component is properly controlled in forming the color image. In view of the above, in color image forming apparatuses using the electrophotographic method, it is known to use an image density control technique to obtain an output image with color components with stably controlled density. In the image density control technique, a toner image called a patch is experimentally formed on an image bearing member, and the density of the toner image (the toner bearing amount) is detected using a density sensor and fed back to an image formation condition such as a peripheral speed of a development roller, or the like (see, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 08-146749).
The density sensor is generally realized using a combination of a light emitting device such as an LED and a photodetector such as a photodiode or a cadmium sulfide cell (CdS). A surface of an intermediate transfer belt or the like to be measured is illuminated with light from the light emitting device, and specular reflection light from the surface of the intermediate transfer belt is detected by there by the photodetector. When toner is put on the intermediate transfer belt, a reduction in intensity of specular reflection light occurs depending on an amount of toner put thereon (hereinafter, referred to as a toner bearing amount), and this change in light intensity is detected by the density sensor and output from the density sensor. FIG. 7A is a graph in which a vertical axis represents the output of the density sensor and a horizontal axis represents the toner bearing amount. As shown in FIG. 7A, the output from the density sensor tends to decrease as the toner bearing amount (the toner density) increases. Therefore, when an image used as the patch in the image density control is an image of a type that consumes a large toner bearing amount (hereinafter such an image will be referred to as a solid image), the output has a small change in response to a change in the toner bearing amount, which makes it difficult to accurately detect the toner bearing amount. To avoid the above situation, instead of a solid image, an image that is small in toner bearing amount and great in change in output compared to the solid image is used. In the conventional image density control, a change in density of a solid image is estimated from a change in output for an image that consumes smaller in toner bearing amount than is consumed by the solid image, and the density of the solid image is controlled based on the estimation. However, depending on the condition of using toner, the density obtained after the control is not necessarily what is expected. In particular, when the toner bearing amount is greater than is necessary, the following problems may occur.
FIG. 7B illustrates an example of a change in chromaticity that may occur when the bearing amount of cyan toner is increased. In this figure, chromaticity is plotted in an a*-b* plane. The toner bearing amount increases in a direction denoted by a thick solid arrow in FIG. 7B. In FIG. 7B, an optimum toner bearing amount is obtained near a point denoted by α, and this toner bearing amount usually provides a maximum density. As may be seen from FIG. 7B, when a greater amount of toner than is necessary is borne beyond the point α, a great change occurs in hue angle θ. In other words, in FIG. 7B, plotted points are on a solid line of a hue angle θ1 as far as the bearing amount of tone is within a proper range, but once the bearing amount of tone increases beyond the point α, plotted points are on a dot line of a hue angle θ2 different from θ1. The occurrence of the large change in hue angle θ indicates an occurrence of an abrupt change in tint near the maximum density. A possible reason for such a change in tint is a nonuniform distribution of a colorant within toner, and thus a resultant nonuniform distribution of the colorant on a fixed image. When the toner bearing amount is small, the nonuniform distribution of the colorant does not have a significant influence. However, when the toner bearing amount is excessive the nonuniform distribution of the colorant may cause a change in a tint. In image processing performed by a color image forming apparatus, it is generally assumed that a change in tint occurs gradually and monotonically. Therefore, a large change in tint may result in a deviation of a color balance in an output image, which may cause not only a reduction in image quality but also an increase in consumption of toner.

Image forming apparatus capable of setting a parameter used in forming an image based on a detected change in a value of tint


The seal arrangement (1) for piston compressors comprises a deformable ring support (2) and a first and a second endless sealing ring (3a, 3b), wherein the ring support (2) has a longitudinal axis (L) which extends perpendicularly with respect to its circumferential direction, and wherein the ring support (2) has a gap (2i) with play in its circumferential direction, and wherein each sealing ring (3a, 3b) has a longitudinal axis (3c, 3d) which extends perpendicularly with respect to its circumferential direction, and wherein the sealing rings (3a, 3b) are arranged in such a way that the ring support (2) encloses them from the outside, and wherein the two sealing rings (3a, 3b) are arranged next to one another in the direction of extent of the longitudinal axis (L), and wherein the ring support (2) and the sealing rings (3a, 3b) are designed to be adapted to one another in such a way that the first sealing ring (3a) bears on one side against a first side wall (2d) of the ring support (2) and forms a first gap (S1) to the ring support (2) on the opposite side with regard to the longitudinal axis (3c) of the first sealing ring (3a), and wherein the second sealing ring (3b) bears in a diametrically opposed manner on one side against a second side wall (2l) of the ring support (2) and forms a second gap (S2) to the ring support (2) on the opposite side with regard to the longitudinal axis (3d) of the second sealing ring (3b), wherein the first and second side walls (2d, 2l) are arranged so as to lie opposite one another with regard to the longitudinal axis (L), with the result that the ring support (2) can in each case bring about a prestressing force (5a, 5b) on the first and second sealing rings (3a, 3b) respectively via the first and second side walls (2d, 2l) respectively, wherein the prestressing forces (5a, 5b) extend in an opposed manner.

It is known to seal the piston rod of crosshead piston compressors movably supported in an oscillating manner with the aid of dry-running or lubricated friction sealing elements. The seal along the piston rod takes place via so-called packings which are usually structured in the form of a serial connection of single-part or multipart sealing elements.
The different variants of packings with seal arrangements can roughly be divided into seal arrangements with single-part sealing rings and with multipart sealing rings.
Document WO 97/00397 discloses a multipart sealing ring which comprises three segments. These segments are subject to wear during operation, with the segmentation of the sealing ring having the consequence that the contact pressure of the segments on the piston rod, and thus the sealing effect, is maintained up to a predefined wear limit despite the wear thanks to a self-adjustment of the segments. Such a multipart sealing ring thus has a wear compensation in that the segments are automatically displaced in dependence on the wear.
Document WO 97/00396 discloses a single-part sealing ring which is suitable as a piston rod seal arrangement. This sealing ring includes an individual single-part ring having a ring gap. With this sealing ring, the wear compensation takes place by an elastic and/or plastic deformation of the sealing ring.
The sealing rings of a piston rod packing are pressed toward the piston rod by a coil spring, for example, in the unloaded state. An additional pressing of the sealing ring toward the piston rod takes place by the differential pressure applied to the sealing ring during the operation of the compressor. In particular with segmented sealing rings, but also with single-part sealing rings with a ring gap, the changing pressure engaging at the sealing ring effects an elastic and/or plastic deformation of the sealing ring or of the individual segments, which has the consequence, among other things, of an unequal material removal along the periphery of the sealing ring. These effects in particular occur with seal arrangements arranged directly toward the sealing space since these seal arrangements are usually loaded with a pressure difference fluctuating over time. The load has the consequence that this seal arrangement has a rapidly decreasing sealing effect and that a flow or a break failure of the seal arrangement respectively occurs in dependence on the material used for the sealing rings.
Known seal arrangements thus have the disadvantage that they may have a rapidly decreasing sealing effect or a relatively high wear under certain circumstances.


Techniques for communicating via a control channel, determining a particular data channel based on the communicating, and transferring data via the particular data channel are described. One or more messages are communicated via the control channel between first and second nodes. The one or more messages may indicate a particular data channel from multiple data channels that may be utilized to transfer data between the first and second nodes. The one or more messages may also indicate a modulation technique and/or data rate that may be implemented on the particular data channel. The one or more messages may be utilized to determine the particular data channel that will be utilized to transfer the data. The first and second nodes may switch to the particular data channel based on the determination and transfer the data via the particular data channel.

Wireless networks are configured for many purposes. They may be configured in small areas, such as a residence, or larger areas such as an enterprise-wide network. In some cases, wireless networks extend over entire cities, states, continents, and the globe.
Generally, wireless networks include a plurality of nodes which communicate with each other on a same wireless channel (e.g., a predefined frequency range). The communication often includes transferring (e.g., transmitting) large amounts of data between two or more nodes. In some instances, two or more of the plurality of nodes wish to communicate on the channel at a same time.
In these networks, one or more of the plurality of nodes are often forced to wait to communicate on the network. For example, due to a limited channel number, a node may be forced to transfer data after another node finishes communicating on the channel. This waiting period may be lengthened when the other node is transferring a large amount of data which requires more communication time.
There is an increasing opportunity to transfer data in a wireless network in an efficient manner.

Multi-channel, multi-modulation, multi-rate communication with a radio transceiver


Salts of N-hydroxy-3-[4-[[[2-(2-methyl-1H-indol-3-yl)ethyl]amino]methyl]phenyl]-2E-2-propenamide are prepared by various methods.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to processes for making salts of N-hydroxy-3-[4-[[[2-(2-methyl-1H-indol-3-yl)ethyl]amino]methyl]phenyl]-2E-2-propenamide.
2. Related Background Art
The compound N-hydroxy-3-[4-[[[2-(2-methyl-1H-indol-3-yl)ethyl]amino]methyl]phenyl]-2E-2-propenamide (alternatively, N-hydroxy-3-(4-{[2-(2-methyl-1H-indol-3-yl)-ethylamino]-methyl}-phenyl)-acrylamide) has the formula

as described in WO 02/22577. Valuable pharmacological properties are attributed to this compound; thus, it can be used, for example, as a histone deacetylase inhibitor useful in therapy for diseases which respond to inhibition of histone deacetylase activity. WO 02/22577 does not disclose any specific salts or salt hydrates or solvates of N-hydroxy-3-[4-[[[2-(2-methyl-1H-indol-3-yl)ethyl]amino]methyl]phenyl]-2E-2-propenamide.

Process for making salts of N-hydroxy-3-[4-[[[2-(2-methyl-1H-indol-3-yl)ethyl]amino]methyl]phenyl]-2E-2-propenamide


A chelation complex including 8-hydroxyquinoline and zinc mixed with a carrier demonstrates therapeutic efficacy in treating lesions including cancerous lesions, precancerous lesions, cysts and warts.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the field of oxinates and, particularly, to the therapeutic use of metal chelated 8-hydroxyquinolinates in the treatment of cancers, precancerous lesions, and other abnormal tissues.
2. Statement of the Problem
A preferred treatment modality for many cancers is surgical excision of the cancerous lesion. Surgical excision is not always desirable when surgery could sever nerves or produce scars that interfere with normal movements in tissues proximate the site of surgery.
Chemicals have been developed to treat cancers. Rate-sensitive cytotoxic drugs have cytotoxic effects on all tissue types, but are particularly effective against certain cancers that function at a metabolic rate greater than the metabolic rate of normal cells. The increased metabolic rate of these cancers makes them more susceptible to the cytotoxicity of the drugs. In this manner it is possible to provide a dosage that is fatal to cancer cells, while that same dosage is not fatal to normal cells. By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,684,169 teaches the formation of cyclodextrin complexes of taxol to improve the solubility of taxol in water. Taxol is a cytotoxic drug that is believed to attack and kill cancer cells with a rate-sensitive effect.
Other chemicals are specifically designed for the treatment of skin cancers and cancers that reside close to the skin. U.S. Pat. No. 5,605,700 describes a transdermal preparation containing toremifene for use in treating cancers of the skin or cancers that reside a short distance from the skin, such as metastic lesions of breast cancer. The transdermal preparations are said to be of particular interest in the treatment of melanoma, lymphoma, Kaposi's sarcoma, and fungoides mycosis. Escharotics or caustic chemicals, such as Podophylin or tricholoroacetic acid which are used in the treatment of skin cancer, venereal warts and human papilloma virus, are designed to produce a chemical burn that destroys substantially all of the tissues in contact with the chemical. None of these chemicals is selective in destroying only the lesion while leaving behind healthy tissues that exist close to the site of the lesion, i.e., the chemicals lack selectivity and specificity.
The chemical 8-hydroxyquinoline is not used for the treatment of epithelial lesions, such as epitheliomas and venereal warts. 8-hydroxyquinoline is known by various other names including oxyquinoline, oxine, 8-hydroxy-chinolin, hydroxybenzopyridine, and 8-oxyquiniline. The federal government has approved 8-hydroxyquinoline for cosmetic use in low concentrations of less than five percent. At these concentrations, 8-hydroxyquinoline functions as a cosmetic biocide, as reported in JACT 11(4), 1992. U.S. Pat. No. 4,302,467 reports the use of 8-hydroxyquinoline or its chelates in combination with dehydroacetic acid or sorbic acid. The combination is reported to work synergistically against bacteria and fungus. According to the Merck Index 11th Edition, Merck & Co. publ., p. 4779. (1989), 8-hydroxyquinoline is used as a fungistat, a chelating agent in the determination of trace metals, and a disinfectant.
Chapter ten of the book Albert, Selective Toxicity 3rd Ed., New York, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (1965) states on page 370-378 that the antibacterial action of oxine is due to chelation. Iron-chelated forms of oxine are toxic to gram-positive bacteria when mixed with Fe3+ at a 1:1 molar ratio and a 1:2 molar ratio of oxine to iron, but toxicity diminishes at a 1:3 ratio. Despite its strong antibacteriological effects, oxine and its derivatives are not normally injected into the bloodstream because they are inactivated by red blood cells, which secrete a substance that binds oxine.
There remains a need for a topically applied therapeutic composition with selective toxicity in the treatment of epithelial lesions.

Chelated 8-hydroxyquinoline and use thereof in a method of treating epithelial lesions


An image processing method for thinning lines converts pixels having a density of a configuration to a background density. Pixels are converted according to conditions which include densities of pixels in a neighborhood around a pixel to be processed. Pixels to be converted to the background density are first converted to an index value. Subsequent pixels are evaluated using the index values of adjacent, previously evaluated pixels. Index values are then converted to the background density.

The present invention relates to a method for thinning lines in an image.
In microscopic images of metal crystals, crystal interfaces appear as lines with widths of more than one pixel. Interface lines should be thinned to aid in analysis of images for properties such as particle size. A thinning process should maintain line continuity, because broken interfaces indicate locations where adjacent particles join. Goals of thinning are:
(1) lines after thinning should have a width of one pixel;
(2) lines after thinning should be positioned substantially in the middle of the original line;
(3) the continuity of an original line should be maintained;
(4) the length of an original line should be substantially maintained;
(5) convex and/or concave portions of lines should not result in spikes after thinning;
(6) the thinned lines should not be deformed at crossing locations.
A thinning method, referred to as the Hilditch method, is known but has disadvantages. The method evaluates connectivity of a center pixel as well as connectivity of neighborhood pixels adjacent to the center pixel. The process result has high quality; however, the process speed is low. It is desirable to use faster processing methods.

Image processing method for thinning lines using index values


A multi-vehicle transport system for the transportation of bulk material such as trash and the like is disclosed. The multi-vehicle transport system includes a primary load vehicle operable to go to remote areas and discharge the contents of a standard bin into a hopper, and a secondary load vehicle operable using a hydraulically actuated fork lift system to lift and discharge the contents of the hopper from the primary load vehicle into the secondary load vehicle. A method of multi-vehicle transport of bulk materials is also described.

The present invention relates to a multi-vehicle transport system for the movement of bulk materials where the materials are stored or maintained in confined areas; and more particularly to a multi-vehicle transport system for waste disposal.
In the trash pick up industry, it is common to encounter areas, either residential or industrial, which have restricted access. In these restricted access areas, the large trash receiving collecting and/or compacting vehicle cannot go to the site where the trash bins are located in order to lift them and then deposit the trash into a trash collecting vehicle.
As a result, it has been the practice to have work crews who go to the remote site and then by hand, roll the trash bin to an area where the trash collection vehicle can receive it and where it is then emptied. The empty bin is then returned to its original spot in a second labor-intensive trip.
Alternately, some companies have utilized a pickup truck with pickup prongs thereon which can then go into the limited access area, pick up the remote bin, carry the bin outwardly to the area of the trash pickup truck, empty the trash bin, and then again return the now empty bin back to its original spot. Obviously, either method requires two return trips to each site where the bin is stored.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,113,120 to John W. Pickrell, issued Sep. 12, 1978, discloses a trash container with a bustle and bustle actuator which is removably carried on a vehicle with a tiltable chassis. A container is moved on and off the chassis through the tilting of the chassis and a crusher is pivotally mounted on the trash container to force trash downwardly into the container providing both movement of the trash and compaction. Independent racks are provided to support the containers when they are not on the vehicle and a hauling truck having a tiltable container support is adapted to carry a plurality of these containers.
The device as disclosed by Pickrell in U.S. Pat. No. 4,113,120, further discloses a small transport dump truck having a trash container mounted upon it that is operable to haul and compact the refuse. Further, a larger pickup vehicle is also described which is operable to pick up the compacted trash from the smaller compacting vehicle. In the Pickrell system, the trash container while it is operable to be off-loaded from the transporting vehicle, it is not physically transported to the larger trash-containing vessel. Extensive man power would be expended, and time consumed in the processing of trash using the Pickrell system because the Pickrell system does not allow the larger trash collecting vehicle to directly remove the trash bin from the smaller collecting vehicle, empty it and then return the trash bin to the collection vehicle.
It is in the interests of economy to drive onto properties having limited access where larger transport vehicles cannot go. In the waste management business locations requiring small truck service include; narrow driveways, congested areas, cul de sacs, steep driveways and buildings having waste collection being located in covered parking facilities.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,067,464 to Melvin H. Parks et al. issued Jan. 10, 1978, discloses a refuse compaction and ejection system for a location having restricted vertical angular movement due to a lack of free space between the vehicle and the bin. In the Parks et al. device, a body slide-lift mechanism for shifting the refuse storage compartment rearward in combination with vertical movement to adjust the level of refuse ejection to desired height is disclosed. The Parks et al. device is directed to a rearward displacement movement of the waste compaction compartment away from the body obstructing access to the bin. Further, this system requires the main collection vehicle to back up to the compaction vehicle in order to transfer the remotely collected waste.

Multi-vehicle transport system for bulk materials in confined areas


A new and distinct poinsettia plant named xe2x80x98Kamp Burgundyxe2x80x99 characterized by uniform, red-purple bract color; relatively compact, star-shaped, flat inflorescence; intense dark-green foliage with weak lobes; moderately compact, rounded plant habit; and medium to moderately late flowering response.

Latin name of the genus and species of the plant claimed: Euphorbia pulcherrima.
Variety denomination: xe2x80x98Kamp Burgundyxe2x80x99.
The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of poinsettia plant known by the cultivar name xe2x80x98Kamp Burgundyxe2x80x99, and botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima.
xe2x80x98Kamp Burgundyxe2x80x99 derived from a naturally occurring mutation of the variety xe2x80x98Fiscorxe2x80x99 (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,364). xe2x80x98Fiscorxe2x80x99 is characterized by red colored bracts, dark-green foliage, and moderately compact, and rounded plant habit.
The mutation was discovered by Katharina Zerr, the inventor, in a greenhouse in Hillscheid, Germany, in December 1998. Among a group of flowering plants a darker flowered one with purple colored bracts was found, which appeared to be completely mutated. The plant was left to develop vegetative shoots, which were cut by the inventor and used for propagation (first asexual reproduction) in the spring of 1999. The resulting plants appeared uniform, and the purple bract color was stable. This result was confirmed when the propagation and examination was repeated on a larger scale in the fall of 2000.
Horticultural examination of the plant starting in 2000 and continuing thereafter has demonstrated that the combination of characteristics as herein disclosed for xe2x80x98Kamp Burgundyxe2x80x99 are firmly fixed and retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be basic characteristics of xe2x80x98Kamp Burgundyxe2x80x99, which in combination distinguish this Poinsettia as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. uniform, red-purple bract color;
2. relatively compact, star-shaped, flat inflorescence;
3. intense dark-green foliage with weak lobes;
4. moderately compact, rounded plant habit; and
5. medium to moderately late flowering response.
xe2x80x98Kamp Burgundyxe2x80x99 has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity, and day-length. The following observations, measurements and comparisons describe plants grown in Hillscheid, Germany, under greenhouse conditions which approximate those generally used in commercial practice.
Of the may commercial cultivars known to the inventor, the most similar in comparison to xe2x80x98Kamp Burgundyxe2x80x99 are the parent cultivar xe2x80x98Fiscorxe2x80x99, the related cultivar xe2x80x98Fiscor Dark-Redxe2x80x99 (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,723), and the commercial cultivar xe2x80x98Purple Reignxe2x80x99 (unpatented).
In contrast to the red flowering cultivar xe2x80x98Fiscorxe2x80x99, xe2x80x98Kamp Burgundyxe2x80x99 has darker, purple colored bracts, somewhat smaller bracts and a slightly smaller plant habit. Due to its smaller bracts, xe2x80x98Kamp Burgundyxe2x80x99 is marketable about 7 days later than xe2x80x98Fiscorxe2x80x99.
In comparison to xe2x80x98Fiscor Dark Redxe2x80x99, xe2x80x98Kamp Burgundyxe2x80x99 has a distinctly darker tone of bract color, somewhat smaller bracts, but plant habit is of approximately equal size.
In comparison to xe2x80x98Purple Reignxe2x80x99, xe2x80x98Kamp Burgundyxe2x80x99 has a more reddish and more intense, hue of bract color, while xe2x80x98Purple Reignxe2x80x99 has a more bluish hue and a stronger tendency to fading. Furthermore, xe2x80x98Kamp Burgundyxe2x80x99 has darker green foliage, and its plant habit is distinctly more compact than that of xe2x80x98Purple Reignxe2x80x99.

Poinsettia plant named xe2x80x98Kamp Burgundyxe2x80x99


A semiconductor wafer cassette storage cabinet or stocker having a retrieval and transfer system constructed in the form of a kiosk encircling a pick-up and transfer apparatus. The structure is formed of a plurality of identical sections having wall panels and roof panels joined together to form a nearly semi-circular enclosure around the pick-up and transfer apparatus. Each section has multiple level input/output ports adjacent to each other with a shelf for supporting a semiconductor wafer cassette. Shelves at the input/output ports are constructed of rails supporting drive rollers and a photodetector to activate the drive rollers to fill an output port whenever a cassette has been retrieved and transferred. One embodiment with five identical sections can store and retrieving up to twenty semiconductor wafer cassettes while an optional embodiment with seven identical sections can store twenty-eight semiconductor wafer cassettes.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to semiconductor storage cabinets known as xe2x80x9cstockersxe2x80x9d and more particularly relates to a semi-open architecture xe2x80x9ckioskxe2x80x9d storage cabinet or stocker.
2. Background Information
Semiconductor wafer fabrication involves hundreds of processes for producing electronic chips or integrated circuits such as microprocessors, computer memory and other microcircuits. Throughout the fabrication process, the semiconductor wafers are transported from one processing station or area in sealed containers or cassettes. The semiconductor wafers must be kept in a class 1 substantially contaminant-free environment throughout the fabrication processing.
Between processing steps the sealed containers for the semiconductor wafers are stored in enclosures known as stockers. Each container may have up to seventy-five 300 mm (12 inch) semiconductor wafers. The containers are manually or by an automatic transfer and transport system moved out of the stockers through a port or window to a processing station. After each process is complete, the semiconductor wafers are returned to the container and then usually delivered back to the stocker to await further processing or to another stocker at the next processing step. There may be many stockers strategically placed at intervals along the production line for easy access by personnel performing the processing.
The stockers have a plurality of open frame slots or shelves inside a substantially rectangular enclosure. Semiconductor wafer containers are returned or retrieved through a port or window in the stocker. After a particular process is complete, the semiconductor wafer container is either manually or by an automatic transport system returned to a shelf at the in/out window or port. An automatic pick up and transfer apparatus picks up the semiconductor wafer container and places it in an empty slot or shelf in the stocker to await the next processing step.
The pick up and transfer apparatus is a three-axis robot comprised of a linear arm that moves vertically, rotationally, and horizontally inside the stocker. The robot has a paddle for picking up a container and is driven by several programmed servo motors. Vertical and rotational movement of the linear arm is performed by the programmed servo motors. Another servo motor moves the paddle horizontally in and out into position beneath a container. The system always knows where there is an empty slot or shelf in the stocker. Once a semiconductor wafer container is placed in the input port or window, the pick up and transfer apparatus is triggered automatically or by an operator to move into position vertically and rotationally and moves the paddle horizontally to pickup the container. The paddle with the container is then retracted and the pick up and transfer apparatus quickly moves inside the stocker to a position adjacent an empty slot or shelf. The robot then deposits the container on the shelf and is retracted and the linear arm returned to a standby position to await the next semiconductor wafer container being retrieved or stored. The retrieval of a semiconductor wafer container from the stocker is just a reversal of the process of storing a container described above.
A disadvantage of this type of stocker is the time to retrieve and store semiconductor wafer containers. Since there is usually only one input port or window, the system or operator must wait until pickup and transfer apparatus retrieves and stores a container placed at the input port and then return to retrieve another container. This makes the process of retrieving, storing, and transferring semiconductor wafer containers into or out of the stocker slow and tedious. Since retrieval and transfer of semiconductor wafer containers for delivery to a processing station is an important step in the process, it would be advantageous if the retrieval and transfer can be accelerated and made more efficient.
One object of the present invention is to provide a semi-open architecture for a semiconductor wafer container storage cabinet or stocker.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor wafer storage container in which each input port or window is buffered.
It is therefore another object of the present invention to provide a semi-open architecture or kiosk stocker with each interior space buffered with an adjacent exterior space or slot.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor wafer container kiosk construction that includes automatic detection of the position of each semiconductor wafer container.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor wafer container kiosk that automatically advances and fills an open slot when a pick-up and transfer device retrieves a semiconductor wafer container.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved stocker that permits rapid replacement of multiple containers removed and transferred out of the stocker.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a drive and detection system to detect when a semiconductor wafer has been removed and automatically start a drive system to move a back up container into the empty space where the semiconductor wafer has been removed.
The purpose of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor storage cabinet known as a stocker having a semi-open architecture kiosk construction in which each internal storage position in the stocker has an external space acting as a buffer to fill an empty space when a semiconductor wafer is removed from an internal space or slot. The system facilitates the storage and retrieval of semiconductor wafer containers to improve the production of integrated circuit chips from semiconductor wafers.
The stocker of the present invention provides a semiconductor wafer container kiosk that is constructed of multiple identical sections forming approximately a semi-circular cabinet around a pick-up and transfer device. Five to seven sections, each identical form a structure around the pick-up or transfer device. The number of sections depends upon the size of the semiconductor wafer containers being stored for processing. Larger, 300 mm (12xe2x80x3 wafers) containers limit the number of sections to five while the smaller, 180 mm (8xe2x80x3 wafers) containers allow up to identical seven sections forming the semi-circular kiosk.
Each section of the five section storage kiosk has a vertical panel with two input ports or windows one above the other allowing storage of up to ten semiconductor wafer containers in the kiosk. The shelves for supporting the semiconductor wafer containers extend outside the kiosk so that each storage slot inside the kiosk is xe2x80x9cbufferedxe2x80x9d by a second semiconductor wafer container accessible from outside the kiosk resulting in a doubling the capacity to ten buffered storage spaces or slots for a total storage space of up to twenty containers of the larger wafers or up to twenty-eight containers of the smaller wafers.
Each shelf both inside and outside the kiosk has a drive and detection system for advancing and replacing a semiconductor wafer container automatically upon a removal of a cassette or container by the pick-up and transfer system. The shelves have a pair of side rails joined by cross bars to provide support. Mounted on and between the side rails are a plurality of rollers for supporting a semiconductor wafer container that is positioned in the storage space. A separate shelf having a detector and drive system is provided at each storage space or slot both inside and outside the stocker. A shelf on an exterior position is adjacent to and in alignment with an identically constructed shelf on the interior of the kiosk. The rollers on one side of the shelf are attached to the adjacent side rail and connect to a drive motor inside the side rail. Idler rollers are mounted on the opposite side rail.
A photo-detector responds to indicate a semiconductor wafer container has been picked up and removed. This activates a drive system to move a back-up cassette into the space or slot where the cassette was removed. A photo-detector is provided at a front end of one of the side rails for detecting when a shelf or position is empty or filled with a semiconductor wafer container. Each detector is connected with the system electronics and provides a signal when there is a change at any one of the interior or exterior positions of the stocker. The detectors indicate when there is a change at any one of the positions in the stocker. Thus whenever a semiconductor wafer cassette is picked up and removed by pick-up and transfer device, the detectors in the interior shelf and adjacent exterior shelf tell the system to move the cassette in the buffer position forward filling the empty interior space or slot. The system permits a semiconductor wafer cassette stocker to be re-filled in minutes rather than the much longer times with present stockers.
An advantage of this device and construction is the kiosk stocker can be re-filled quickly as each internal shelf or slot is backed-up or buffered with an external shelf allowing rapid refilling of empty slots. In present stockers replacement of removed containers is agonizingly slow as there is usually only one port to input new containers. As each container is placed on a shelf, adjacent input port the pick-up and transfer system must pick the container up, move to an open space or shelf inside the stocker then return to the input port from another container. In contrast the kiosk stocker allows replacement of ten to fourteen containers in minutes or in almost the same time it takes to replace a single container in the present stockers.
The semiconductor wafer cassette storage system is comprised of a plurality of identical sections forming a semi-open architecture around a pick-up and transfer system for retrieving semiconductor storage containers on shelves in the interior of the stocker. Each identical section of the stocker has a vertical panel with a port or window for mounting two interior shelves and two exterior shelves one above the other. Each exterior shelf backs up an interior shelf. The back up shelves act as a buffer or temporary storage ready to immediately and automatically fill a space and replace a semiconductor wafer container removed from the stocker by pick-up and transfer device.
The above and other objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings, in which:


A method of determining when a subject is experiencing anaerobic exercise during an exercise session, for determining effectiveness of a training period, and/or for determining a level of lactic acid produced by a subject during an exercise session may involve the administration of a bicarbonate comprising a carbon-13 isotope. Expired air may be monitored, and a ratio of carbon dioxide comprised of the carbon-13 isotope and carbon dioxide comprised of a carbon-12 isotope may be determined at one or more points in time. Charts of the ratios may be used to indicate onset of anaerobic exercise or effectiveness of a training period, and/or the determined ratio(s) may be used to indicate lactic acid production.

The intense interest in sports, exercise and fitness training has produced a vast literature that describes all the events that occur during an individual's period of exercise. Not all the studies are in agreement, but basic changes that occur in all individuals have been established by a variety of techniques including the direct biopsy of muscle tissue and blood sample analysis. Oxygen consumption and CO2 production are fundamental quantities both at rest and during exercise. However, these parameters are difficult and inconvenient to ascertain during exercise. Therefore, reliable, easy to measure surrogate parameters are needed.
If energy production by muscles during exercise kept pace with energy demand, then the complete oxidation of glucose and fatty acids as the major sources for energy would continue. However, it was found in early studies that during intense exercise there is a progressive increase in lactic acid in muscles, some of which is transported into plasma. This build-up in lactic acid, often referred to as anaerobic metabolism or glycolysis, represents an imbalance between energy demand and energy supply that may be restored by completing its oxidation at a later time.
A comprehensive review discusses whether lactic acid production during exercise should be viewed as a continuous function or a threshold, based on the interpretation of mathematical models (Myers and Ashley, Chest 111:787-95 (1997)). Nevertheless, it is clear from plasma lactate analysis that sharp inflection points do occur in the later phases of maximum exercise.
Radioactive and/or stable isotopes of sodium bicarbonate have been used previously for evaluating exercise performance (Speakman and Thomson, Zeitschrift fur Ernahrungswissenschaft 36:273-7 (1997)); however, the use of the isotopes of sodium bicarbonate did not permit a clear distinction between CO2 production attributable to buffering and CO2 produced that related only to energy production. Therefore, it was not possible to distinguish between aerobic and anaerobic metabolism during exercise and during the post-exercise period. As such, methods are needed to distinguish between the CO2 produced because of lactate production from that generated by complete oxidation, which, in turn, would allow monitoring of the proportion of aerobic and anaerobic metabolism during exercise.

Noninvasive method for measuring lactic acid and detection of anaerobic exercise for evaluating fitness


Methods, systems and structures for monitoring, managing electrolyte concentrations in redox flow batteries are provided by introducing a first quantity of a liquid electrolyte into a first chamber of a test cell and introducing a second quantity of the liquid electrolyte into a second chamber of the test cell. The method further provides for measuring a voltage of the test cell, measuring an elapsed time from the test cell reaching a first voltage until the test cell reaches a second voltage; and determining a degree of imbalance of the liquid electrolyte based on the elapsed time.

Flow batteries are electrochemical energy storage systems in which electrochemical reactants are dissolved in liquid electrolytes (sometimes referred to generically as "reactants"), which are pumped through reaction cells where electrical energy is either converted to or extracted from chemical potential energy in the reactants by way of reduction and oxidation reactions. In applications where megawatts of electrical energy must be stored and discharged, a redox flow battery system may be expanded to the required energy storage capacity by increasing tank sizes and expanded to produce the required output power by increasing the number or size of electrochemical cells or cell blocks. A variety of flow battery chemistries and arrangements are known in the art.
In some redox flow battery systems based on the Fe/Cr redox couple, the catholyte (in the positive half-cell) contains FeCl3, FeCl2 and HCl. The anolyte (in the negative half-cell) contains CrCl3, CrCl2 and HCl. Such a system is known as an "unmixed reactant" system. In a "mixed reactant" system, the anolyte also contains FeCl2 and the catholyte also contains CrCl3. In an initial state of either case, the catholyte and anolyte typically have equimolar reactant concentrations.
After a number of charge/discharge cycles, the catholyte and anolyte may become imbalanced because of side reactions during a charge and/or discharge operations. For example, in the case of an Fe/Cr redox flow battery, a hydrogen generation side-reaction occurs at the anode during the charge cycle. Such side reactions cause an imbalance in electrolyte concentrations by converting more reactant in one half-cell to a higher SOC state than occurs in the second electrolyte. In this unbalanced state, for example, the concentration of Fe3+ may be higher than that of Cr2+. The imbalance decreases capacity of the battery and is undesirable. The proportion of hydrogen gas generated, and thus the degree of reactant imbalance, also increases as the state-of-charge (SOC) of the flow battery increases.
The imbalanced state may be corrected by processing the catholyte in a rebalancing cell. One example is an Iron/Hydrogen fuel cell as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,159,366, which describes an electrolytic rebalance cell configured to oxidize waste hydrogen at a rebalance cell anode and reduce excess Fe3+ ions to Fe2+ ions at a rebalance cell cathode. H2 may be recycled from the Cr species electrolyte and directed into the rebalance cell along with a portion of the Fe electrolyte. A catalyst may be used to promote the reaction with or without application of an applied voltage. Another example of a similar cell is provided in "Advancements in the Direct Hydrogen Redox Fuel Cell" by Khalid Fatih, David P. Wilkinson, Franz Moraw, Alan Ilicic and Francois Girard, published electronically by the Electrochemical Society Nov. 26, 2007.
Monitoring or measuring the state of charge and the imbalance of electrolytes presents additional challenges. Such concentrations may be measured spectroscopically, as described for example in U.S. Pat. No. 7,855,005 to Sahu, or by any number of other methods.

Monitoring electrolyte concentrations in redox flow battery systems


A solid state image sensing device has a photoelectric transfer section for transducing incident light into signal charges, at least firs% and second charge transfer paths, a charge transferring section for transferring the signal charges from the photoelectric transfer section to the first path at a first timing and for transferring the signal charges transferred to the first path to the second path at a second timing and a charge supply section for applying bias charges to the signal charges to be transferred from the first to the second path. In the device, bias charges supplied to the first path is transferred to the second path. Signal charges are transferred to the first path and then to the second path. The signal and the bias charges both transferred to the second path are outputted.

The present invention relates to a solid state image sensing device, and more specifically to a solid state image sensing device of multiline CCD (charge coupled device) register structure.
Recently, with the advance of higher resolution and higher speed of image reading devices, a multiline CCD image sensor has been known as an image sensor suitable for the image reading devices. An example of this image sensor is composed of a photoelectric transfer elements arranged in a straight line (each element of which corresponds to one pixel), a shift register, two-stage charge transfer sections (registers) composed of a plurality of CCDs, and an output section (buffer).
The signal charges generated by the photoelectric transfer elements are transferred to the charge transfer section via a shift gate at a predetermined timing and further transferred to the output section at another predetermined timing for conversion into voltage signals.
In this multiline CCD register structure, however, in case there exists defects in the charge transfer paths between the initial stage register and the succeeding stage register, charges tend to remain when being transferred between these registers. These remaining charges cause a factor of image defects. In addition, there exists such a tendency that a constant magnitude of charge remains only when the signal charge exceeds a predetermined level.
FIG. 1 shows the relationship between the signal charge generated by the photoelectric transfer section and output charge outputted after transferred between the two registers, in which 1 denotes the normal charge; 2 denotes the abnormal charge excluding the remaining charge, and 3 denotes the abnormal charge including the remaining charge. As shown in FIG. 1, when the magnitude of the signal charge is small, the relationship between both becomes non-linear characteristics, so that it has become difficult to correct the signal charges through signal processing.

Solid state image sensing device having facilitated output signal correction


A vehicle allows a power storage device mounted therein to be externally charged using electric power from an external power supply. The vehicle includes an engine, a motor generator and a vehicle ECU. The vehicle allows a motor generator to generate electric power by driving the engine. Then, when charging of the power storage device is not completed within a target charging time period set by the user only using the electric power from the external power supply in the case where external charging is performed, the vehicle ECU charges the power storage device with the electric power from the external power supply additionally using the electric power generated by driving the engine.

In recent years, much attention has been given to a vehicle, as an environmentally-friendly vehicle, equipped with a power storage device (for example, a secondary battery, a capacitor and the like) and running with the driving force generated from the electric power stored in the power storage device. Such a vehicle includes, for example, an electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, a fuel cell vehicle, and the like. There is a proposed technique for charging the power storage device mounted in the above-described vehicle by a commercial power supply having high power generation efficiency.
As a hybrid vehicle, there is also a known vehicle equipped with a power storage device that can be charged by a power supply external to the vehicle (hereinafter simply referred to as an "external power supply") (which will be hereinafter simply referred to as "external charging") as in the case of the electric vehicle. For example, the so-called "plug-in hybrid vehicle" is known which is provided with a power storage device that can be charged by a household power supply through the charging cable connecting between the power receptacle provided in the house and the charging port provided in the vehicle. Accordingly, an improvement in the fuel consumption efficiency of the hybrid vehicle can be expected.
In such vehicles, it is desirable that, during external charging, the power storage device is fully charged as far as possible at the next scheduled running time.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 11-146505 (PTL 1) discloses a configuration providing charging control for a battery for an electrically powered vehicle, in which the charge current value is increased within the range of the maximum allowable current value when the maximum controllable time period determined based on the current time and the next scheduled running time is shorter than the required charging time period determined based on the reference charge current value and the remaining capacity of the battery.
In Japanese Patent Laying-Open No, 11-146505 (PTL 1), the configuration described above allows the battery to be nearly fully charged as much as possible even in the case where the time period from the time at which an instruction is given to start charging to the scheduled running time is relatively short.

Vehicle and method of controlling vehicle