Structures for a nanosheet field-effect transistor and methods for forming a structure for a nanosheet field-effect transistor. A body feature is formed that includes a sacrificial layer arranged vertically between the first and second nanosheet channel layers. The sacrificial layer is laterally recessed at a sidewall of the body feature to expose respective portions of the first and second nanosheet channel layers. A sacrificial spacer is formed by oxidizing a portion of the sacrificial layer at the sidewall of the body feature. Sections of a semiconductor material are epitaxially grown on the exposed portions of the first and second nanosheet channel layers to narrow a gap vertically separating the first and second nanosheet channel layers. The sacrificial spacer is removed to form a cavity between the sections of the semiconductor material and the sacrificial layer. A dielectric spacer is conformally deposited in the cavity.

The present invention relates to semiconductor device fabrication and integrated circuits and, more specifically, to structures for a nanosheet field-effect transistor and methods of forming a nanosheet field-effect transistor.
Device structures for a field-effect transistor generally include a body region, a source and a drain defined in the body region, and a gate electrode configured to switch carrier flow in a channel formed in the body region. When a control voltage exceeding a designated threshold voltage is applied to the gate electrode, carrier flow occurs in an inversion or depletion layer in the channel between the source and drain to produce a device output current. The body region and channel of a planar field-effect transistor are located beneath the top surface of a substrate on which the gate electrode is supported.
A fin-type field-effect transistor (FinFET) is a non-planar device structure that may be more densely packed in an integrated circuit than planar field-effect transistors. A FinFET may include a fin consisting of a solid unitary body of semiconductor material, heavily-doped source/drain regions formed in sections of the body, and a gate electrode that wraps about a channel located in the fin body between the source/drain regions. The arrangement between the gate structure and fin body improves control over the channel and reduces the leakage current when the FinFET is in its 'Off' state in comparison with planar transistors. This, in turn, enables the use of lower threshold voltages than in planar transistors, and results in improved performance and lowered power consumption.
Nanosheet field-effect transistors have been developed as an advanced type of FinFET that may permit additional increases in packing density. The body of a nanosheet field-effect transistor includes multiple nanosheet channel layers stacked in a three-dimensional array. Sections of a gate stack may surround all sides of the individual nanosheet channel layers in a gate-all-around arrangement. The nanosheet channel layers are initially arranged in a layer stack with sacrificial layers composed of a material (e.g., silicon-germanium) that can be etched selectively to the material (e.g., silicon) constituting the nanosheet channel layers. The sacrificial layers are etched using, for example, hydrochloric acid vapor and removed in order to release the nanosheet channel layers, and to provide gate regions for the formation of the gate stack.
Before the nanosheet channel layers are released, source and drain regions are epitaxially grown from the side surfaces of the semiconductor nanosheet layers. Inner spacers are situated between the side surfaces of the sacrificial layers and the epitaxial semiconductor material constituting the source/drain regions. The inner spacers, which are formed of a dielectric material, are structurally intended to isolate the source/drain regions from the gate region during the etching process that releases the nanosheet layers. However, conventional inner spacers may have an associated curvature and may be thinner in regions adjacent to the nanosheet layers. The curvature may arise from diffusion of germanium from the sacrificial layers into the nanosheet channel layers and resulting local variations in the etching rate when etching the cavities in which the dielectric spacers are subsequently formed. The result is that conventional curved inner spacers are prone to breech and leakage that allows the etchant used during nanosheet release to reach and etch the source/drain regions.

Inner spacer formation in a nanosheet field-effect transistor


Blended missile autopilots for a missile employing direct lift and tail controlled autopilots coupled by way of a blending filter. The blended missile autopilots have movable tails aft of the center of gravity of the missile and side force thrusters or movable canards mounted forward of the center of gravity, and that are controlled using the direct lift and tail-controlled autopilots. Lift is generated from the tails and side force is generated by the thrusters or canards, such that the body of the missile maintains zero angle of attack and generates no lift. The present invention thus combines the fast response of a direct lift autopilot with the high acceleration capability of a body lift autopilot, and blends the two using the blending filter to achieve improved performance.

The present invention relates generally to missile autopilots, and more particularly, to blended missile autopilots comprising a direct lift missile autopilot employing canards or side thrusters and a tail-controlled autopilot.
A tactical missile accelerates normal to its velocity vector in order to maneuver and hit an intended target. Guidance algorithms are used to determine the desired acceleration. An autopilot is then commanded to deliver that acceleration. The term autopilot refers to software and hardware dedicated to delivering the missile acceleration commanded by the guidance algorithms.
The objective of autopilot design is to deliver commanded acceleration as accurately and quickly as possible. Acceleration can be generated aerodynamically via lift, or less commonly, via thrusters oriented normal to the missile longitudinal axis. Aerodynamic autopilots fall into four basic categories. These include tail controlled autopilots, autopilots having fixed tails with movable wing surfaces, canard controlled autopilots, and autopilots having a combination of movable tails and canards.
Tail controlled autopilots have movable control surfaces (tails) located at the aft end of the body of the missile, aft of the center of gravity. The tails are used to generate pitching moments. As the body is pitched, the resulting angle of attack generates body lift, providing the desired acceleration. Fixed wings may be used forward of the tails for improved lifting capabilities.
In an autopilot having fixed tails with movable wings, the wings are located near the missile center of gravity. The wings are pitched to directly generate lift, while the body remains at low angles of attack, generating little lift. The fixed tail surfaces provide pitching moments which tend to restore the body to zero angle-of-attack.
Canard controlled autopilots operate in a manner similar to tail controlled autopilots. The canards are mounted forward of the center of gravity, and are used to generate pitching moments, and angle-of-attack of the body of the missile. Fixed wings mounted aft of the canards are used to generate lift.
With direct lift autopilots employing both movable tails and canards, the pitching moments from forward mounted canards are balanced against the pitching moments of the aft mounted tails.
Each autopilot type has distinct advantages. Where high acceleration capability is needed, autopilots employing body lift (tail or canard control) are desirable since the body is capable of generating significantly more lift than relatively small, movable control surfaces, thrusters, or canards. Where very fast response time is required, direct lift autopilots are desirable, since the control surfaces or thrusters can generate lift much faster than the body of the missile, and thus generate lift more quickly.
With regard to other prior art, it is known that several Soviet missile designs employ movable tails and canards, but nothing is known about the autopilot designs used therein.
Accordingly, it is an objective of the present invention to provide for improved blended missile autopilots comprising a direct lift missile autopilot employing canards or side thrusters and a tail-controlled autopilot.


A nail gun having a contact arm normally biased in a direction away from a workpiece by compression springs. A free end of the contact arm is brought into abutment with a workpiece and a trigger is pulled for driving a nail thereinto. In the trigger pulling operation, an inner end of the contact arm is engaged with a trigger arm which is biased by a plunger spring through a plunger. Because the contact arm is held on the workpiece, the plunger is moved to provide ON state against biasing force of the plunger spring. Immediately after the nail driving, a nail gun body is moved in a direction away from the workpiece relative to the contact arm. This causes disengagement of the trigger arm from the inner end, to relatively move the nail gun body toward the workpiece by the biasing force of the compression springs. This means relative movement of the contact arm in the direction away from the workpiece. If the trigger is released, the trigger arm is again brought into engagement with the inner end, because the trigger arm is normally urged toward the inner end by a trigger arm spring.

The present invention relates to a fastener driving tool such as a nail gun, and more particularly, to the nail gun electrically or pneumatically operated for providing a fine appearance on a workpiece after nail fastening.
Attachment members or finishing materials for use in a baseboard for trimming purposes or for a verandah running on more than two sides of a house or room are adhesively fixed to a wall, and then fixed by fasteners such as nails. A groove having a predetermined small width is formed in the attachment member, and the nails are driven into the groove. The nails have a head portion whose color is selected to be in conformance with the external color of the attachment member. Further, the head portion of the nail has a small diameter, so that the head portion can be positioned onto a bottom of the small width groove in an attempt to obtain good external appearance on the attachment member without any scratches as bruises after the nail driving.
A conventional pneumatically operated nail gun includes a main housing, a magazine, a drive bit, a bit guide and a contact arm. A plurality of nails are arrayed side by side in the magazine and a frontmost nail is introduced into the bit guide and is driven into a workpiece such as an attachment member by the drive bit. The contact arm has a free end portion adapted to be in pressure contact with the workpiece. The contact arm has another end portion adapted to push a trigger plate. A valve plunger can be pushed up upon manipulation of a trigger as far as the trigger plate is in the pushed up position. The contact arm is normally biased by a spring toward the attachment member, i.e., in a pushed out direction from the main housing. That is, the contact arm is movable relative to the main housing. When the contact arm is pushed or retracted into the main housing against the biasing force of the spring and the trigger are operated, a nail driving operation can only be started. Therefore, accidental nail shooting other than intended nail driving operation can be prevented.
According to such a conventional nail gun, the nail gun must be moved away from the attachment member so as to separate the free end of the contact arm from the attachment member after the nail driving operation, if the nail gun is to be moved to a next nail shooting position. Because the contact arm is urged toward the pushed out stroke end position by the biasing force of the spring, the nail gun must further be moved by a moving stroke of the contact arm in case of the movement of the nail gun to the next nail shooting position. Here, the moving stroke implies a distance between the most pushed out position (hereinafter simply referred to as a bottom dead center) and the most retracted position (hereinafter simply referred to as an top dead center) of the contact arm with respect to the main housing.
Laid open Japanese Paten Application Publication No. 2002-283253 discloses a nail gun provided with an urging member that normally urges a contact arm toward the top dead center. This can reduce pushing force of the free end of the contact arm against the attachment member for the nail driving operation. Thus, finishing appearance of the attachment member and operability to the nail gun can be improved.
In the nail gun disclosed in the JP publication, immediately after the nail driving operation upon pulling a trigger, a free end of a contact arm is maintained at its bottom dead center position. The contact arm is maintained at a pushed down position by a trigger arm because a plunger of a trigger valve maintains the posture of the trigger arm by way of a spring associated with the plunger as long as a pulling state of the trigger is maintained after the nail driving operation, even if the nail gun is moved to separate from the attachment member. The contact arm restores its top dead center position only when the trigger is released.
A great number of nails must be driven into the attachment member in the nail driving work within a limited period of time. Therefore, an operator must promptly shift the nail gun to a next nail shooting position immediately after the nail driving operation. Normally, the operator maintains pulling state of the trigger during shifting of the nail gun to the next shooting position, and then releases the trigger after the nail gun is placed on the next shooting position. Alternatively, the operator maintains pulling state of the trigger and then releases the trigger during shifting of the nail gun to the next shooting position. In other words, the contact arm maintained at its bottom dead center position during shifting of the nail gun to the next shooting position as long as pulling state of the trigger is maintained. Consequently, the free end of the contact arm may be tangled or abutted against walls of the grooves of the attachment member to damage to the contact arm and the attachment member. If the trigger is released after the nail gun is placed on the next shooting position, the contact arm promptly restores its top dead center position upon release of the trigger. Accordingly, the nail gun must be further moved toward the attachment member by the moving stroke of the contact arm, whereupon moving impact force is generated so that the free end of the contact arm may damage to the attachment member.

Fastener driving tool having contact arm in contact with workpiece


An overlay projection apparatus for aiding in the communication of graphic presentations to large audiences by enabling the on-screen writing of overlay icons, highlighting bars and alpha-numeric labels as selected by the presenter. Brightness and color control of overlay highlighting graphics provide audience visual comfort over a wide variation of projected underlay graphic and ambient light conditions. Digital formation of overlay graphics by presenter/lecturer touch control command from a remote video panel also enables total storage and recall of multiple frames of complex overlay graphics with matching underlay graphics for reemphasis or for question and answer sessions between the lecturer and audience.

(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a new apparatus for aiding in the communication of information to an audience when projected graphics are used by providing the lecturer with a simply controlled means for focusing attention to and enhancing the description of the significant portions of the projected graphics.
(2) Description of Prior Art
In the process of communicating information and concepts to an audience with the aid of projected graphics, a lecturer may wish to highlight certain portions of a projected image and will usually do so with the aid of a pointing stick or a projected arrow shaped cutout or, a ruby red laser beam. The use of the pointing stick is limited to relatively small and reachable screens and requires the lecturer to leave the lectern. Additionally, the pointing stick requires the lecturer to get close to the screen which usually results in obscuring the view of the projected image to some part of the audience. Another disadvantage of the pointing stick is that it forces the lecturer closer to the screen which can be visually uncomfortable for elderly speakers.
The second common method used by the lecturer to highlight the talk is the hand held arrow projector which is better than the pointing stick since it can be used from the lectern. However, it is very difficult to hold the arrow projector steady for extended periods of discussion, thus creating distractions to the audience from the subject matter of the lecture. All hand held, light projecting pointers suffer from hand tremor distraction problems including the ruby red laser pointer. Laser beam pointers also represent a serious health hazard if accidentally focused on the human eye. Manufacturers of these devices are careful to provide hazard warning labels to users but the potential for eye damage remains a serious limitation of its use.
None of the aforementioned devices include means for freeing the lecturer from support of the pointing or highlighting device, freezing the position of the pointing icon or, providing multiple pointing icons or multiple line highlighting overstrike as further aid to the lecturer in conveying ideas and concepts to the audience. It is readily understood that when a lecturer centers discussion around projected graphics of any complexity, an ability to utilize multiple pointing and highlighting techniques is a distinct advantage in conveying the full subject matter of the discussion. It should also be recognized that freeing the lecturer from support of the pointing or highlighting tool, as this invention does, enables better communication with the audience by allowing the lecturer to maintain audience eye contact otherwise lost by using the manually supported pointing means.
Patents have been issued for concepts of devices which generate a single highlighting point of light as controlled by the lecturer or synchronized with a recorded message such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,146,314 issued to S. Wilson in 1979 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,291,314 issued to S. Wilson in 1981. Although the Wilson patents overcome many of the sighted weaknesses of the hand held pointers, the art so described by these patents is not capable of full multigraphics overlay as is the apparatus of this invention. Also, the apparatus described by the Wilson patent is electromechanical wherein positional speed, repeatability and stability of the pointing spot are subject to the accuracy and repeatability limitations of motors, shaft encoders and servosystem errors, whereas none of these weaknesses and limitations apply to the apparatus of this invention since it does not requires servosystems to control the location of projected overlay graphic elements. Additionally, since the apparatus of the Wilson patent is electromechanical, it is subject to the generally poor reliability limits of complex mechanical mechanisms as compared to the significantly better reliability of properly designed solid state devices which are the major part of the apparatus of this invention.


A bit disposal apparatus includes a register (16) which is divided at a truncation point (14) into a left register segment (18) and a right register segment (28), wherein bits to be disposed of are contained in the right register segment. A decision mechanism initially examines the bits in the right register segment (28) and transmits a "1" signal (60) if and only if any of the bits in the right register segment is a "1". If any of the bits in the right register segment is a "1", a 1 is "jammed" into the least significant bit location (26a) of a result register (26a).. A method of bit disposal includes the steps of setting a truncation point (14) in a register (16), thereby defining left (16) and right (28) register segments (54), loading a binary number into the register (56), examining the bits in the right register segment (58) and transmitting a right register signal which has a "1" value (60) if any of the bits in the right register segment is a "1", and replacing the least significant bit in a result register with a "1" if the right register signal has a "1" value (64).

Bit disposal is the process of eliminating undesired bits in a binary number in a way that has some desirable numerical property. Truncation is the most common way of disposing of bits, which are typically located to the right of a binary point in a binary number. Pure truncation, the simple removal of bits beyond a certain point in a binary number, always results in an error, in that part of the number is lost. In addition to the error, pure truncation is biased, in that the resulting number is always smaller or equal to the original number, resulting in a negative bias. Numbers are truncated to remove unwanted bits, such as are present after multiplication or division operation.
For instance, and noe using decimal numbers as an example to facilitate the discussion, if a number such as 6.75 is truncated to an integer value, the value is 6. After several such numbers have been truncated and arithmetically combined, the resulting number may be significantly smaller than the number which would have been derived had truncation not occurred. With pure truncation, it does not matter whether the original number is 6.005 or 6.995, the truncated value is 6. The following table depicts the results of bit disposal using pure truncation, wherein it is assumed that truncation takes place at the binary point:
TABLE 1 ______________________________________ Original Number Truncated Number Error ______________________________________ 111 11 -.1 110 11 .0. 101 10 -.1 100 10 .0. 011 01 -.1 010 01 .0. 001 00 -.1 000 00 .0. .uparw. binary point ______________________________________
In the context of computer manipulation, pure truncation is a very efficient technique in that it requires no additional hardware. The resulting error, however, is quite large, and the bias is that the truncated number is always equal to or smaller than the actual number. Additionally, the bias is always negative. As used herein, +ve indicates a positive bias, while -ve indicates a negative bias.
Another technique for truncating a number is called rounding. In the case of rounding, the value of the number portion being retained is examined and either retained or increased to the next incremental retained value, depending on whether or not the portion being discarded is equal to or greater than, typically, one-half the incremental value. The results of rounding are less error prone than in pure truncation, however, over a long series of operations, rounding becomes biased because the break point between selecting the next higher or retaining the lower value is always rounded in favor of either higher or lower. In the usual case of rounding up those values which are precisely one-half of the value between the increments, the bias becomes positive over time. The following table illustrates the error and bias associated with traditional rounding techniques:
TABLE 2 ______________________________________ Original Number Rounded Number Error Bias ______________________________________ 3.758 3.76 +.02 +ve 4.234 2.23 -.04 -ve 5.355 5.36 +.05 +ve 1.333 1.33 -.03 -ve 7.897 7.90 +.03 +ve 8.335 8.34 +.05 +ve ______________________________________
Of the six numbers shown, two are rounded up less than 0.05, two are rounded down less than 0.05, and two are rounded up by exactly 0.05, resulting in four of the six roundings having a positive bias.
The bias in rounding may be eliminated by the symmetric pairing of positive and negative biases for any collection of numbers. However, hardware is required to analyze the incremental steps in a number series. Such a variation of rounding is called round to even or R*. In R* rounding, the one-half values are, as much as possible, symmetrically evenly rounded up and down. Assuming that each rounding, up or down, is equally likely, and that positive and negative errors offset one another, bias is virtually eliminated, assuming all cases are equally likely, and a small error variance results. However, the provision of the required hardware, which at a minimum is a separate adder, is expensive in terms of overall architecture design.
Another form of truncation is called jamming, or von Neumann rounding. In the case of binary numbers, whenever a bit is discarded, a "one" is "jammed" into the least significant bit (LSB) of the remaining number. This technique requires very little hardware, but induces the same total bias as does rounding, although it requires no more time than pure truncation. The error variance induced by jamming is larger than that with truncation because a "one" is always placed in the least significant bit, regardless of the value of the truncated bit. Examples of "jammed" numbers are given in Table 3:
TABLE 3 ______________________________________ Original Number Truncated Number Error ______________________________________ 111 11 -.1 110 11 .0. 101 11 +.1 100 11 +.1 011 01 .0. 010 01 .0. 001 01 +.1 000 01 +.1 .uparw. binary point ______________________________________
Digital computers are equally sensitive to bias as they are to absolute error variance values. Neural network computers, however, are much more sensitive to bias than they are to absolute error values. It is desirable, therefore, to provide a bit disposal apparatus and technique which is as bias free as possible. Because neural network computers are small in terms of total circuitry, such a disposal technique must also be small, i.e., require little hardware.

Unbiased bit disposal apparatus and method


Examples provide inkjet ink sets and related methods. An ink set may include a pre-treatment fixing fluid, an ink, and a post-treatment fluid including a binder and a surfactant having a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) value of greater than about 12.

Inkjet printing is a popular way of recording images on various media surfaces, particularly paper and photo media substrates. Inkjet printers typically use an ink formula including a colorant and some combination of ingredients to achieve the desired print quality and/or printer performance. These printers commonly operate by dispensing the ink formula from a cartridge onto a surface of a print medium as the print medium is conveyed past a print head of an inkjet printer.
Certain examples are shown in the above-identified figures and described in detail below. The figures are not necessarily to scale, and various features and views of the figures may be shown exaggerated in scale or in schematic for clarity and/or conciseness.

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


An adjustable batting tee includes a first elongated member attached to a plate member. Slidably positioned on the first elongated member is a second elongated member. The second elongated member is positioned cross-wise with respect to the first elongated member and is rotatable with respect to the first elongated member. The second elongated member is rotatable between at least first and second positions, and an upright member for supporting a baseball is slidably positioned on the second elongated member. The relatively movable members in combination with the rotational second elongated member permits the positioning of a ball provided on the upright member in a variety of locations within a strike zone so as to provide a training apparatus for properly teaching hitting techniques to right-handed and left-handed batters.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an adjustable baseball batting tee having a slidable upright member for supporting a baseball and first and second elongated members in which one of the elongated members is slidable and rotatable with respect to the other one of the elongated members so as to position the upright member and the baseball supported thereon at a plurality of locations within a strike zone.
2. Description of the Related Art
Batting tees are known for improving the hitting of baseball players and particularly young players who are learning to play the game of baseball. A conventional batting tee utilizes an adjustable upright member which extends directly upward from the center of a home plate shaped support member. This type of batting tee has a drawback in that since the ball is supported in the center of home plate, the batting tee is not capable of properly simulating the various possible locations of a baseball within a strike zone. Therefore, this type of baseball batting tee cannot properly teach a young player to hit a ball when it is in front of the plate since the ball is directly over the plate.
Other known adjustable batting tees have drawbacks in that the amount of positional adjustments of the ball-supporting upright member with respect to home plate is limited. That is, conventional batting tees cannot properly simulate outside pitches and inside pitches with respect to home plate and with respect to left-handed and right-handed batters. Additionally, conventional adjustable batting tees cannot properly simulate outside pitches, inside pitches and pitches at the middle of home plate, based on the position of the ball with respect to the ball's distance from home plate.


A clutch diaphragm, especially for a motor vehicle clutch, comprises a peripheral portion defining a Belleville ring, and a central portion which is divided into radial fingers by radial slots, each terminating in an aperture in the vicinity of the root zone of the radial fingers. Local dimples are formed in the Belleville ring portion of the diaphragm, each in register with a corresponding one of the apertures so as to reduce the peaking effect of the characteristic curve of the diaphragm.

Such a diaphragm, annular in shape, is described for example in the specification of published French Patent Application FR2244101A and the corresponding United Kingdom Patent Specification No. 1438310. It comprises a peripheral portion which defines a Belleville ring, and a central portion which is divided into radial fingers by slots. In its relaxed state the general shape of the whole is frustoconical. The peripheral portion of the diaphragm constitutes an axially acting resilient means which, when installed in a clutch, is engaged on a cover plate of the clutch and bears on a pressure plate of the clutch, in such a way that the latter is continuously biased into engagement such that at least one friction wheel or clutch plate of the clutch is gripped. The radial fingers of the central portion of the diaphragm act as declutching levers which, under the action of a clutch release bearing, are adapted to cause the pressure plate to be released by the Belleville ring portion of the diaphragm, so that the pressure plate is then itself released.
In the vicinity of the root of the radial fingers, and alternating with the latter, the diaphragm is formed with apertures, each of which is open radially into a respective one of the slots by which the radial fingers are separated from each other. In the context of clutches of the kind known as push-off clutches, some of these apertures are used as passages through which lugs, spacer bars or the like pass. These lugs, spacer bars or the like form at least part of a pivoting connection between the diaphragm and the cover plate of the clutch.
One difficulty encountered in the design of the diaphragm results from the fact that in service, during a declutching operation, the radial fingers of its central portion are not bent through an inclination the same as that found in its peripheral portion. In practice, the bending inclination of the radial fingers is greater than that in the peripheral portion. As a result, for a given displacement of the clutch release bearing, the clutch is released by an amount which is less than the amount by which the pressure plate is released. In addition, there is a possibility of undesirable wrinkling occurring in the diaphragm, and more precisely in its Belleville ring portion, such as to cause fracture of the diaphragm.
In addition, as is described in the specification of French published Patent Application FR2563877A, a diaphragm has a characteristic curve having a peaked shape, in which the diaphragm force increases firstly as the deformation of the diaphragm increases, and then passes through a maximum before decreasing again. The elastic characteristic of the diaphragm is determined by the ratio h/s (where h is the height of the frustum of a cone defined by the Belleville ring, measured parallel to the axis, and s is the thickness of the diaphragm).
For this reason, in the last mentioned document, an arrangement is provided in which the Belleville ring is formed with an inward curvature so as to reduce the peaking effect of the characteristic curve of the diaphragm. However, such an arrangement is not entirely satisfactory, because firstly, it does not lead to good control of the force exerted by the diaphragm, and secondly, it stiffens the peripheral portion of the diaphragm in such a way that the bending of the fingers is even more pronounced.

Clutch diaphragm, in particular for a motor vehicle


An embodiment of the present invention is a method for logic synthesis that reduces use of computer memory and reduces computer runtime. In particular, an embodiment of the present invention is a method for logic synthesis which includes the steps of: (a) analyzing an HDL model to develop a parse tree and (b) elaborating the parse tree to create a word-oriented netlist.

The present invention pertains to the field of logic synthesis and, in particular, to method and apparatus for converting a hardware description language (xe2x80x9cHDLxe2x80x9d) model of an electronic logic system to a netlist (wherein a netlist is a data structure representation of the electronic logic system that comprises a set of modules, each of which modules comprises a data structure that specifies sub-components and their interconnection).
Automated design of application specific integrated circuits (xe2x80x9cASICxe2x80x9d) as well as programming of either programmable. logic devices or programmable gate arrays requires specification of a logic circuit by a designer. A hardware description language (xe2x80x9cHDLxe2x80x9d) provides the designer with a mechanism for describing the operation of the desired logic circuit in a technology independent manner.
FIG. 1 shows a flow chart of a prior art method of logic synthesis that starts with a designer-specified HDL model of an electronic logic system and generates a Gate-Level netlist. As shown in FIG. 1, in step 100, a designer inputs a model of an electronic logic system having a desired logic functionality in the form of a set of files (HDL 10) that describe the model in a prior art HDL. As further shown in FIG. 1, in step 110, HDL 10 is parsed by a lexical analyzer and parser (lex,yacc parser 120). During parsing step 110, lex,yacc parser 120 calls routines to populate parse tree 130 (a database that is commonly referred to in the art as a parse tree). As still further shown in FIG. 1, in step 140, parse tree 130 is traversed to generate control-flow-graph 150 (CFG 150), also known in the art as a control-data-flow-graph. As yet still further shown in FIG. 1, elaboration step 160 is performed to traverse CFG 150 and populate Gate-Level Netlist 170. Gate-Level Netlist 170 is an independent and complete representation of HDL 10. It is well known to those of ordinary skill in the art how to traverse Gate-Level Netlist 170 to create a logic netlist as output.
As is well known to those of ordinary skill in the art, CFG 150 is an independent representation of the logic system (using edge and control) that is not dependent on parse tree 130 or Gate-Level Netlist 170.
In accordance with prior art logic synthesis systems, the result of elaboration step 160 is a data base, i.e., Gate-Level Netlist 170, in which each bit of a bussed net and each elaborated gate is represented by a separate data base object. Such a database is called xe2x80x9cbit-oriented.xe2x80x9d Optionally, additional objects in Gate-Level Netlist 170 track groups of bits to indicate their association as a bus object (as indicated in the HDL model). These objects are optional because the bit-oriented representation of the HDL model, while not concise, is complete. This is illustrated in FIG. 2 which shows, in schematic form, a bussed net represented in a prior art logic netlist. As shown in FIG. 2, bussed net 300 is represented by a multiplicity of individual net objects 3201, . . . , 320n and a separate bus net object 310 that associates these individual net objects into a bus.
Using such prior art netlists, it is easy to represent configurations in which bits of a bussed net behave differently because each net bit is broken into a separate object in the data base. However, due to the large number of such objects, such data bases require a large amount of computer memory. Additionally, it takes large computer runtimes to perform the prior art logic synthesis.
As one can readily appreciate from the above, a need exists in the art for a method and apparatus for logic synthesis that reduces use of computer memory and reduces computer runtime.
Embodiments of the present invention advantageously satisfy the above-identified need in the art and provide a method and apparatus for logic synthesis that reduces use of computer memory and reduces computer runtime.
In particular, an embodiment of the present invention is a method for logic synthesis which comprises the steps of: (a) analyzing an HDL model to develop a parse tree and (b) elaborating the parse tree to create a word-oriented netlist.
Aspects of the present invention include, without limitation: (a) an inventive Gate-Level netlist comprising word-oriented data objects (i.e., vector gate objects); (b) an inventive Gate Level netlist comprising novel connection objects; (c) a novel word-oriented (i.e., vector) elaboration method to create the inventive Gate-Level netlist; and (d) a novel method to infer complex components (for example, latches, flip-flops, multiplexors, and tristates) from a Gate-Level netlist (including the inventive Gate-Level netlist), without direction from the designer other than that contained within the designer-created HDL model.
In one embodiment of the present invention, novel connection objects xe2x80x9csit betweenxe2x80x9d pin and net objects to create efficiency in connections represented in xe2x80x9cGxe2x80x9d data base. Examples of such novel connection objects include: (a) full conn; (b) bit-select conn; (c) part-select conn; (d) concat conn; (e) const conn; and (f) float conn. In particular, the novel const conn object enables efficient representation of constant logic values, for example, logic0 and logic1; the novel float conn object enables efficient representation of an undriven or floating output. Further, in accordance with the present invention, a single const conn object or a single float conn object can represent an arbitrary bit-width const or float connection and, a const conn object and a float conn object can be included in a concat conn object.
In further aspects of the present invention, the inventive elaboration method utilizes the following inventive data base constructs: (a) a chunk; (b) a cache; (c) a cache item; and (d) an update item. In addition, the inventive elaboration method comprises a novel method for dealing with exceptions.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the inventive elaboration method comprises the steps of: (a) preprocessing a parse tree; (b) recursively traversing top-level statement objects in parse tree process objects; and (c) connecting net objects in the inventive word-oriented xe2x80x9cGxe2x80x9d data base. In a further embodiment of the inventive elaboration method, step (b) of recursively traversing the top-level statement objects comprises the steps of: (i) setting xe2x80x9cparentxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cpreviousxe2x80x9d pointers of a statement object; (ii) creating a net object and a driver object for assignment statement objects; (iii) recursing into each sub-statement object of a statement object; and (iv) propagating cache items upwards to the statement object""s xe2x80x9cparentxe2x80x9d. In a still further embodiment of the inventive elaboration method, step of (ii) of creating a net object and a driver object for assignment statement objects comprises, for an assignment statement object, the steps of (1) creating a net object in the xe2x80x9cGxe2x80x9d data base which has a bit-width equal to the width of the left-hand-side of the assignment statement object; (2) creating an update object in the xe2x80x9cVxe2x80x9d data base (the parse tree); (3) updating the cache item of the assignment statement object with the contents of the update object to provide an updated chunk list; (4) creating a xe2x80x9cfull-connxe2x80x9d object in the xe2x80x9cGxe2x80x9d data base to the net object created in the xe2x80x9cGxe2x80x9d data base in the first step; (5) carrying out a xe2x80x9cmakeConnxe2x80x9d method for the right-hand side of the assignment statement object to create conn objects; and (6) creating a buffer gate object in xe2x80x9cGxe2x80x9d data base with an output of the buffer object being set to a full-conn object created in the fourth step and an input of the buffer gate object being set to a conn object created in the fifth step. In a yet still further embodiment of the inventive elaboration method, step (iii) of connecting net objects in the inventive word-oriented xe2x80x9cGxe2x80x9d data base comprises the steps of: (1) finding a net object corresponding to the cache item""s HDL identifier; (2) creating a conn object to drive the net object; (3) carrying out a xe2x80x9cmakeConnxe2x80x9d method; and (4) creating a buffer gate object.
A further aspect of the present invention relates to a novel method for inferring complex components from a xe2x80x9cGxe2x80x9d data base. One embodiment of the present invention for inferring complex components is an inventive method for inferring latches that comprises the steps of: (a) traversing a gate netlist; (b) for a net, identifying (1) a net driver, (2) feedback connections and (3) associated enable signals that cause the feedback connections; and (c) substituting a latch gate as the driver of the net, the latch gate having (1) a data-input connected to the net driver, (2) an enable-input connected to the associated enable, and (3) a data-output to drive the net. Further steps include inserting don""t-care conditions to replace feedback connections. Another embodiment of the present invention for inferring complex components is an inventive method for inferring tristates that comprises the steps of: (a) traversing a gate netlist; (b) for a net, identifying (1) a net driver, (2) high-impedance constant connections, and (3) associated enable signals that cause the high-impedance constant connections; and (c) substituting a tristate gate as the driver of the net, the tristate gate having (1) a data-input connected to the net driver and (2) an enable-input connected. to the associated enable, and (3) a data-output to drive the net. Further steps include inserting don""t-care conditions to replace high-impedance constant connections.

Method and apparatus for logic synthesis (word oriented netlist)


A measurement method and apparatus for determining the duration of a current signaling pulse in a telephone circuit, without breaking or interrupting the circuit, through observing a voltage waveform across the circuit, even though the voltage waveform is distorted by characteristics of the circuit and components attached to it. According to one embodiment, the derivative of the voltage pulse is electronically taken to identify the leading and trailing edges of the current pulse, a pedestal voltage added to it and then its transitions sensed. According to another embodiment, a high impedance technique is utilized which does not impair service along the communication circuit being measured, this technique sensing transitions of the voltage waveform and processing the signal to avoid the effects of any zero crossings that occur during the pulse as a result of high amplitude ringing or relay contact bounce.

This invention relates generally to techniques for making measurements along telephone circuits and, more specifically to techniques for making such measurements in order to determine the effects of a telephone circuit on dial pulse signals.
In communication networks, it is necessary to establish connection between two different points and this is usually done through an addressing system. In the typical telephone system, dial pulses or dial tones are used to signal to the nearest telephone office a request for connection of the initiating telephone to the address indicated by the number and configuration of pulses or tones. This address information must be passed on (repeated) to the next involved central office until the connection to the addressed telephone is established.
Monitoring and measuring the performance of this addressing portion of the telephone system is important. Many instruments exist for making measurements on telephone lines that utilize the dial-pulse method of signaling. To obtain accurate measurements, most of the available instruments require breaking the circuit and terminating it with the measuring instrument. One of the parameters these instruments generally attempt to measure is the percent break of the pulsing device. However, many of these instruments cannot accurately measure percent break when the pulse waveform is distorted by the characteristics of the measured circuit. A number of features not found in these instruments would be very desirable to improve the usefulness of the measuring equipment. One feature is to be able to make measurements of the dial characteristics without having to break the circuit. Another feature enables the instrument to perform a measurement on the circuit itself without modifying dial pulse characteristics of the circuit. Another very desirable characteristic is to be able to bridge across the circuit and obtain measurements not only at specific points, but virtually at any point along the circuit wherever access could be obtained. Yet another desireable characteristic is the ability to accurately measure the percent break of the pulsing device despite the presence of substantial amounts of inductance and capacitance in the measured circuit. It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for making dial pulse signaling circuit measurements with these features and characteristics.
One commercially available technique that has some of these desirable characteristics provides a circuit that processes the voltage pulse by compression and delay in a complex circuit. It is another object of the present invention to provide a circuit with all of the above desirable characteristics that is simple, inexpensive and easy to use.

Technique for measuring a duration of signaling pulses in a telephone circuit


An electromagnetic compressor capable of reciprocating a piston to suck in and compress a gas by the force of an electromagnet and the resilient force of a return spring and a manufacturing method therefor are provided. The compressor includes a cylinder assembly including a front cylinder portion, a rear cylinder portion, and a center hole capable of storing the piston for reciprocation and having a working chamber defined by means of the piston, and an electromagnet located between the front cylinder portion and the rear cylinder portion and capable of actuating the piston. The cylinder assembly and the electromagnet have an integral structure molded from a resin in a manner such that the internal passage is hermetically sealed with respect to the electromagnet and the electrically conductive member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electromagnetic compressor and a manufacturing method therefor, and more particularly, to an electromagnetic compressor suitably used to suck in and compress a combustible gas, such as town gas, or some other gas and a manufacturing method therefor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, electromagnetic compressors that compress and discharge fluids such as air have widely been used, and various inventions related to the electromagnetic compressors have been made. A typical example of an electromagnetic compressor of this type is described in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKOKU Publication No. 57-30984, which will be described in brief with reference to FIG. 13.
An electromagnetic compressor 200 has a structure such that a front frame 202 and a front cover 203 are arranged successively in front (see the left-hand side of the drawing) of a stationary electromagnetic circuit 201, while a rear frame 204 and a rear cover 205 are arranged successively in the rear (see the right-hand side of the drawing). These elements are coupled together to form the body shell of the electromagnetic compressor 200.
The front frame 202 has a front collar 206 and a rear collar 207. The front collar 206 is formed integrally having a front fitting cylinder portion 208 and a rear fitting cylinder portion 209 that are aligned with each other. A front cylinder 210 is fitted in the front fitting cylinder portion 208, a rear cylinder 211 is fitted in the rear fitting cylinder portion 209, and the front frame 202 and the rear cylinder 211 are fixed together by means of a plurality of screws 212.
The rear frame 204 has a front collar 213 and an outer collar 214. The rear collar 207 of the front frame 202 and the front collar 213 of the rear frame 204 are screwed together to the stationary electromagnetic circuit 201. Thus, the respective opposite faces of the rear collar 207 and the front collar 213 abut against the front and rear faces, respectively, of the stationary electromagnetic circuit 201.
The stationary electromagnetic circuit 201 is wound with a coil 215. North or south magnetic poles that are formed as the coil 215 is energized are located in longitudinal notches of the rear fitting cylinder portion 209. A magnetic armature 220 that is electromagnetically attracted to the magnetic poles is held between a front piston 222, which has a piston head 221 slidable in the front cylinder 210, and a rear piston 223 slidable in the rear cylinder 211. These three elements are fixed together by means of a screw 224. A return spring 226 is interposed between the rear piston 223 and a cap 225 of the rear cylinder 211.
If the stationary electromagnetic circuit 201 is excited in the compressor constructed in this manner, the magnetic armature 220, which is integral with the front and rear pistons 222 and 223 (hereinafter referred to simply as the piston 222), is advanced by electromagnetic attraction as illustrated, resisting the resilient force of the return spring 226. If the excitation is cancelled, on the other hand, the piston 222 returns pressed by the return spring 226. As the piston 222 reciprocates in this manner, air in a working chamber 227 that is fixed in the front cylinder 210 is repeatedly brought to rare and dense states.
Thus, when the piston 222 is retreated by means of the force of electromagnetic attraction, an inlet valve 228 attached to the piston head 221 opens to the working chamber 227. Thereupon, air introduced into the compressor body through inlet ports 230 of the rear cover 205 flows into the working chamber 227 through a filter 231, supply holes 232, 232, and inlet ports 233. When the piston 222 advances pressed by the return spring 226, on the other hand, the air in the working chamber 227 becomes dense. Consequently, a discharge valve that is attached to a part of the wall portion of the working chamber 227 opens, whereupon the compressed air is supplied through discharge ports 234, a tank 235, and a discharge port 236 to an external apparatus that is connected to a hose as required.
If the compressor constructed in this manner is applied to the suction and compression of a combustible gas such as town gas, however, the combustible gas sucked into the working chamber 227 is inevitably guided to the supply holes 232 and the inlet ports 233 via the periphery of electrical parts, e.g., the coil 215 and the like. Since the front and rear faces of the stationary electromagnetic circuit 201, the rear collar 207, and the front collar 213 abut against one another, moreover, there is a possibility of the combustible gas leaking out through the abutting portions.
According to the present invention, there is provided an electromagnetic compressor capable of reciprocating a piston to suck in and compress a gas by means of the force of attraction of an electromagnet and the resilient force of a return spring. The compressor comprises a cylinder assembly including a front cylinder portion, a rear cylinder portion, and a center hole capable of storing the piston for reciprocation and having a working chamber defined by the piston; an electromagnet located between the front cylinder portion and the rear cylinder portion and capable of actuating the piston; an electrically conductive member for supplying electricity to the electromagnet; and an internal passage connecting the working chamber to the outside of the compressor. The cylinder assembly and the electromagnet have an integral structure molded from a resin in a manner such that the internal passage is hermetically sealed with respect to the electromagnet and the electrically conductive member.
According to the present invention, there is further provided an electromagnetic compressor capable of reciprocating a piston to suck in and compress a gas by means of the force of attraction of an electromagnet and the resilient force of a return spring. The compressor comprises a housing assembly having a center hole in which the piston is located and a resin layer molded around an electromagnet forming a pair of magnetic poles on the diametrically opposite sides of the piston; and a cylinder portion stored in the center hole, storing the piston for reciprocation, and having a working chamber defined by means of the piston. The inside diameter of the cylinder portion and the outside diameter of the piston sliding in the cylinder are selectable.
According to the present invention, there is still further provided a manufacturing method for an electromagnetic compressor capable of reciprocating a piston to suck in and compress a gas by means of the force of attraction of an electromagnet and the resilient force of a return spring. The method comprises providing a cavity-side mold having a cavity and a columnar protrusion for centering in the cavity and a movable mold having a gate hole; inserting an iron core wound with coils along the columnar protrusion into the cavity-side mold and positioning the iron core so that magnetic poles formed on the iron core are located in given positions; locating the movable mold on the cavity-side mold; and injecting a thermosetting resin into the molds through the gate hole of the movable mold, thereby molding a housing assembly.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter.

Electromagnetic compressor having an integral cylinder assembly and electromagnet molded from a resin


The invention includes a process for performing high performance liquid chromatography in the reverse phase. The present process for high performance separations by liquid chromatography uses a separations media, including separations packing materials for packed column separations, of polybutadiene coated and crosslinked on a surface of generally spherical metal oxide/hydroxide support particles comprising crystals of metal oxide/hydroxide with the crystals extending radially outward from a central core region and having a shape selected from principally acicular to principally lamellar. It has been found that liquid chromatography using the process of the present invention works particularly well in separating basic, nitrogen-containing compounds.

This invention relates to high performance chromatography to provide high performance chemical separations and purifications by reverse phase chromatography.
High performance liquid chromatography today means separations processes for performing liquid chromatography at higher speeds and separation powers not available in classical liquid chromatography. Separation processes are performed in minutes instead of hours or days, and some new column packings provide separations that were previously impossible.
Reverse phase chromatography processes involve adsorption on an adsorbent less polar than the eluting solvent. Contrastingly, normal phase chromatography processes involve an adsorbent more polar than the eluting solvent. In reverse phase chromatography separation processes, the more non-polar sample components interact more with the relatively non-polar column packing and thus elute later than polar sample components.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,045,353 discloses prior art processes for high speed liquid chromatography using an organic compound or organic polymer gel on an inorganic substrate. Suitable polymerizable monomers include the ethylenically unsaturated monomers, e.g., such as styrene monomer, fluorine monomer, silicon-containing monomer, acrylates, methacrylates, vinyl monomer, olefin monomers, diene monomers, e.g., such as butadiene, isoprene, 1,3-pentadiene, cyclopentadiene, chloroprene, or other monomers capable of being radiation polymerized such as the aldehydes, ketones, cyclic ethers, or the like. Such a polymer can be grafted (the patent discloses) on a substrate of "silica, silica gel, alumina, diatomaceous earth, zeolite, porous glass, carbon black, active carbon, clay, etc."
Many processes for high performance liquid chromatography use silica-based reverse phase packings but these materials have problems associated with a relatively narrow operating pH range, e.g., such as about 2-8, and a high pressure drop requirement. The narrow operating pH range of silica materials usually results in a shorter column life, a loss of separations versatility, and difficulty in the cleanup with strong alkali and acid for cost effective, high speed analytical, semi-preparative and preparative purification of samples. The high pressure drop of the silica-based materials also limits the ultimate speed and separation capabilities of the chromatography column.
Aluminas have been used frequently in classical adsorption chromatography, but the use of aluminas as media for modern high performance liquid chromatography in the reverse phase has been less than silica because alumina is not easily converted to a hydrophobic phase for selective chromatographic separation via chemical bonding the surface by various hydrocarbon groups, e.g., alkyl or phenyl. The prior art has found that most silanization reagents used successfully with silica show no reactivity toward aluminas. Although chlorosilanes react with alumina, the formed Al--O--Si--C bond is known to be highly unstable under reverse phase chromatographic conditions.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a process for performing reverse phase chromatography.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a process for performing reverse phase chromatography at a lower pressure drop through the separations column.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a process for performing reverse phase chromatography at a wid range of pH.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a process for performing reverse phase chromatography to separate and purify basic, nitrogen-containing compounds.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description which follows.


A gas powered heating tool comprises a handle and a head which comprises a soldering tool element. Gas from a reservoir in the handle is delivered through a gas supply pipe to a combustion chamber where it is converted to heat by a catalytic heating element for heating the tool element. A nozzle orifice in a nozzle delivers a jet of gas through the gas supply pipe. The gas supply pipe conducts heat from the combustion chamber to a heat transfer member which in turn conducts heat to the nozzle to prevent freezing of gas in the nozzle orifice. Heat is also conducted to gas supply control means in the handle to prevent gas freezing.

Gas powered heating tools, for example, soldering irons, may comprise a handle within which a refillable reservoir for fuel gas is located. A tool head, which comprises a tool element, for example, a soldering tool bit, a desoldering tool bit, a knife or the like is heated by a catalytic heating element which is mounted in a combustion chamber adjacent the tool element. A gas supply pipe supplies gas to the combustion chamber. The gas supply pipe is connected to the handle, and a valve or other gas regulator is provided in the handle for delivering gas from the fuel reservoir to the gas supply pipe. In general, gas is delivered to the combustion chamber from a nozzle with a relatively small orifice. Where a relatively high demand for heat exists, the flow rate of gas through the nozzle orifice is high. Accordingly, in such cases, it is necessary for the gas to pass through the nozzle orifice at a relatively high velocity. Where such high velocities are maintained over an extended period, it has been found that freezing of the gas in the nozzle occurs. This thus limits the maximum rate at which heat can be provided to the tool element. Where gas supply means are provided for controlling the supply of gas to the nozzle, freezing of gas may also occur in the gas supply control means.
There is therefore a need for a gas powered heating tool which overcomes these problems. There is also a need for a head for such a gas powered heating tool.

Oglesby & Butler Research & Development Ltd.


An image processing method and an image processing apparatus for color correction are provided. The image processing method for color correction comprises the steps of: (a) determining an angle on a color space according to an image data of a basic color, (b) determining a first straight line on the color space according to the angle, (c) determining a second straight line on the color space according to an image data of a pixel, wherein the second straight line is parallel to the first straight line, (d) calculating a distance between the second straight line and the first straight line in order to obtain a color intensity difference value, (e) correcting the image data of the pixel according to the color intensity difference.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing method and apparatus utilizing a design of a hardware circuit or a program to execute color enhancement and correction, and more particularly to an image processing method and apparatus utilizing a chromaticity diagram in different color space to process digital color image data for color enhancement and correction.
2. Description of Related Arts
There are a variety of conventional image processing techniques for processing color enhancement and correction of digital color image data. In conventional image processing, many color scales, so called "color spaces," are used in various conventional image processing techniques to process color enhancement and correction of digital color image data. However, a variety of conventional image processing techniques usually utilize an independent color space to convey color values in numerical terms. In other words, an independent color space is used as an intermediate representation of the image. For example, this color scale or "color space" is known as RGB (Red, Green, and Blue) color space. Other color spaces are known, such as CMY (cyan, magenta, yellow) color space, CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) color space, YIN (luminance and chrominance) color space, . . . etc. Conventional image processing techniques usually utilize the color look up table (CLUT) method and the piecewise linear approximation method to implement color enhancement and correction of digital color image data.
In the color look up table (CLUT) method, a threshold value of the pixel of interest corresponding to a point of skin of a person's image in most cases is predetermined. Similarly, as to such object images as blue sky and green leaves of trees, a threshold value of the pixel of interest corresponding to a point of such object images is predefined. An object applicable to image processing and conditions thereof are specified and then image processing is carried out for object pixels. If the value of the object pixel is within a range of the threshold value, the value of the object pixel could be adjusted as desired by means of the CLUT. FIG. 1 is a graph showing a conversion relationship of a color look up table (CLUT). It may be necessary to load specific color look-up table entries from external memory to on-chip memory before a color look-up table (CLUT) is utilized. Hence the difficulty and problem associated with conventional image processing techniques utilizing the color look up table (CLUT) method is that sufficient memory is necessary for storing the color look-up table (CLUT). It will waste a lot of memories.
As shown in FIG. 2, in the piecewise linear approximation method, each of digital image data can be divided into several line segments of object pixels with slope discontinuities. Color enhancement and correction of each line segment of object pixels could be adjusted by means of the different slope of the line segment in the piecewise linear approximation method. Although the color enhancement and correction of a digital image data in the piecewise linear approximation method provides a desired effect on the digital image data, it may cause an undesired side effect thereon. The main difference between the color look up table (CLUT) method and the piecewise linear approximation method is that the color enhancement and correction of a digital image data in the piecewise linear approximation method causes an inharmonic side effect thereon.

Image processing method and apparatus for color enhancement and correction


An integrated circuit that includes an array of memory cells. The integrated circuit also includes a write address row decoder having a plurality of write row outputs and a write address column decoder having a plurality of write column outputs. A write logic array is electrically connected to the write row outputs and the write column outputs and has a separate write word line (WWL) output electrically connected to each cell in the array of memory cells.

The semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) industry has produced a wide variety of digital devices to address issues in a number of different areas. Some of these digital devices, such as a system on a chip (SoC) device having a microprocessor, are electrically coupled to static random access memory (SRAM) devices for the storage of digital data, including SRAM register files having more than one port for reading and/or writing data. In a conventional six-transistor (6T) SRAM cell, an issue called half select disturb can affect both read and write operations. Half select disturb affects unselected column memory cells in the same row as a selected column memory cell which degrades SRAM static noise margin and data stability. One approach to addressing half select disturb in a read operation is to use an 8T-SRAM cell which isolates the read port from the bit-line (BL). However, the 8T-SRAM cell still suffers from the half select disturb issue when there is an unselected column cell in the same row as a selected column cell during a write operation. Furthermore, if a simultaneous read operation were to occur to a row being written, a leakage current in the read bit line (BL) can also occur, potentially causing the stored data to be misread. It would be beneficial to mitigate or resolve problems associated with half select disturb.

Three-dimensional two port register file

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.


In a telecommunications network, outgoing calls from a particular subscriber location for each of a plurality of telecommunications applications are delivered via a single access link to a single point of distribution through which the subscriber location is caused to be connected, as a function of the telecommunications application type, to an appropriate intelligent network element (INE) server. Additionally, incoming calls of the various application types and directed to a particular directory number are delivered to a single point of collection associated with its NPA-NNX and connections for those calls are caused to be made from the point of collection to an appropriate INE server, as a function of the telecommunications application type and the directory number in question. Communications within the network are by way of asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) cells.

The present invention relates to telecommunications.
For most of its history, telecommunications was limited to the provision of a single telecommunications "application"--so-called plain old telephone service, or POTS. Within the last thirty years or so, however, a wide array of new telecommunications applications have been introduced with yet others being planned for implementation within this decade and beyond. Thus the range of current and future telecommunications applications includes not only POTS, but facsimile, cash machine and lottery telecommunications applications, access to computers, video to the home, and telephone-network-based games, as well as a variety of features that can be implemented for various of the telecommunications applications, such as call waiting, calling number ID, and speed calling. The aforementioned and other telecommunications applications are realized by such telecommunications "services" as basic voiceband switching, packet switching, message switching, frame relay, SMDS and call switching (such as the so-called asynchronous transfer mode, or ATM).


A finite state automaton (FSA) may be used to search a stream of input digital code data representing patterns such as text characters, for example, to identify a plurality of designated query words. When a particular one of the sought values of a character or other code element is identified in the input stream, the proper next state for the FSA is typically selected with the aid of a control table memory with multiple entries for each state. According to the invention, the portion of that memory associated with each multiple exit decision state typically consists of only a single word which contains a base state number and a group of indexing bits, one bit for each possible input code element configuration, with set bits corresponding to the multiple values being sought when the FSA is in that particular state. In response to an input code element value that represents a success, an index number is generated from that value and the set indexing bits. That index number is then combined with the base state number to produce the identity of the next success state. The number of indexing bits is reduced for certain codes, such as those representing text characters, by separating the normal elements of the input code into smaller elements, called "nibbles," thereby limiting the number of different input code configurations that must be processed by the FSA in any one state.

This invention is concerned with Finite State Automata (FSA's) that are responsive to a stream of input code data. An FSA is a device which is said to exist in a single state at any given instant, and makes transition, or "steps," from state to state under control of tables stored within the FSA as the input codes are received.
In many applications of FSA's, such as in text searching, when the FSA is in a given state, there may or may not be a multiplicity of possible success states to which transitions are possible in response to respective sought values of the input code, as well as default states, to which transition is made in response to other input code values. In general, the data stored within the control table associated with the given state have been required to identify all such possible transition states, and the input code values which would cause a transition to each such state.
As a result of these requirements, the amount of memory hardware for control table storage is of concern in any FSA implementation. The exact method of implementation can affect the amount of memory required.
One possible scheme is described in the article by R. H. Bullen, Jr. and J. K. Millen entitled "Microtext--The design of a microprogrammed finite state search machine for full-text retrieval," AFIPS Conference Proceeding, Fall Joint Computer Conference, 1972, pp. 479-488. Basically that scheme involves a table of decision data stored for each state. Each table entry includes a particular code element value against which an incoming code element is compared, plus search displacement increments, and a next state address. As an input code element is compared against the stored request or query code value, depending upon whether they are equal, or which is greater, the FSA can take one of three actions: go to the next state, or continue to search the present state table in either the plus or minus direction until a stored query code value does match the incoming code value, using the displacement increments to simplify the search.
That prior art system illustrates the ability of the finite state approach to provide flexible sequential action of the search mechanism in searching a character string, for example. If the search request includes many query words which are to be sought simultaneously, a specific initial task of the FSA is clearly to search the input string for every character that is an initial character of one of the query words. Hence, an initial state of the FSA is typically one in which the associated section of the control table contains a distinct entry for each such initial character. Each entry identifies the particular initial character, and also identifies the next state to which the FSA is to make transition if and when that initial character is found in the input data stream.
When under control of the table section for such a multiple exit state, the FSA described in the Bullen et al article effectively compares the current input character of the data stream sequentially with each of the "significant," or query, characters stored in the respective table entries associated with the current state. If one of those entries yields a match, the FSA makes transition to the success state designated in that table entry. The FSA thus comes under control of the table section associated with that next state. That table section will identify the respective second characters of all query words whose initial character has just been found. If there is only one such query word, the table section typically has only a single significant entry.
Thus, a simple change of state can radically alter the function of the basic search mechanism. In one state that mechanism searches the input data stream for a set of many designated characters that are initial characters of different query words. In the next state, depending upon the result of the first search, it may search for a single designated character that is the second character of a selected one of those query words.
However, the approach described in the cited article is time consuming due to the multiple tries against each state table, and is expensive of memory due to the multiple entry table associated with each state.
The subject of this disclosure provides a more practical solution to the multiple exit state requirement, making the FSA concept much more usable to a wider range of applications.

Apparatus and method for selecting finite success states by indexing


An input/output interface for a junction box (10) having an array of connectors (80) exposed for mating to corresponding connectors (150) terminated to cables (152). The cable connectors (150) are affixed to a rugged panel member (110) which is mounted to a rack (100) into which the junction box (10) is placed, in a manner permitting float during mating with the array of junction box connectors (80). Backshells (166) are secured to the cable connectors (150) which assures no EMI/RFI leakage within the shells (164) of the connectors when mated.

Enclosures are known, termed black boxes, which contain circuit cards and electronic components and circuitry therefor, which are interconnected to input/output conductors at an interface. Such black boxes are commonly utilized in electronics bays of aircraft and ships for example and are mounted on racks or shelves to be easily removed for repair, servicing and testing. The input/output interface commonly contains mounted thereon a first electrical connector to which is matable a second electrical connector terminated to a cable containing a plurality of electrical conductors, and commonly the connectors are manually mated and then secured in the mated condition to the black box structure.
Examples of connectors commonly used in such mated arrangements are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,491,330; 3,562,696; 4,509,258 and 4,874,337. in which dielectric inserts containing arrays of terminals terminated to respective conductors of a cable, are affixed within a protective shell member adapted to be secured by fasteners to a panel.
It is desired to provide an interface for automatically mating one or more cable connectors to corresponding connectors along a rear wall of an enclosure, upon moving the enclosure into position in a shelf or rack, and permitting the removal of the enclosure if desired, without connector manipulation, tools or fastening or unfastening the connectors into or from the mated condition.
It is further desired to provide such an interface which provides inherent protection of the electronics within the enclosure from electromagnetic and radiofrequency interference.

EMI/RFI protective cable interface for high density junction box


Manufacturing a semiconductor device includes defining bulb-type trenches having spherical portions in a silicon substrate. Oxide layers are formed in surfaces of spherical portions of the bulb-type trenches by conducting an oxidation process for the silicon substrate having the bulb-type trenches defined therein. An insulation layer is formed on the entire surface of the silicon substrate including the surfaces of the bulb-type trenches, which have the oxide layers formed in the surfaces of the spherical portions thereof. Isolation trenches are defined by etching the insulation layer, whereby SOI structures having the oxide layers interposed between portions of the silicon substrate are formed.

The present invention relates generally to a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, and more particularly, to a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device capable of forming an silicon-on-insulator (SOI) structure only in a desired region.
In the semiconductor industry, trends in the development of semiconductor devices are leading to devices having high integration, high speed operation and low power consumption Realizing a desired operation within a decreased area is necessary to achieve these semiconductor devices. A capacitorless memory device has recently been mentioned as having promise in the semiconductor industry. A capacitorless memory device can store and read out data by charging up a plurality of carriers in a floating body and changing the threshold voltage of a cell.
A typical capacitorless memory device is realized using an SOI substrate, which has a stack structure of a silicon substrate, a buried oxide layer and a silicon layer. Advantages of capacitorless memory devices include: the ability to accomplish high speed operation by a small junction capacitance that is less than that of a typical dynamic random access memory (DRAM), voltage reduction as a result of a low threshold voltage, and prevention of a latch-up phenomenon as a result of complete isolation.
However, although the capacitorless memory device realized on the SOI substrate has the above-described advantages, side effects, such as a floating body effect, are likely to be caused.
In detail, in a capacitorless memory device realized on an SOI substrate, electron holes continuously accumulate in the low potential area of the body of a floating transistor, that is, the lower portion of the boundary area between a source region and a channel region. When the electron holes accumulate in this manner, the potential of the channel increases, the threshold voltage decreases, and the drain voltage-current characteristics of the transistor change as observed in a kink effect.
Additionally, depending upon the use of the semiconductor device, there may be one case in which it is advantageous to realize the semiconductor device on an SOI device even though a floating body effect is caused, and then another case in which the floating body effect causes problems.

Method for manufacturing SOI structure in desired region of a semiconductor device


A weather-resistant strip roofing material having improved corrosion-resistant properties includes a strip of stainless steel which is pre-treated by an aggressive pickling process and/or a chemical activating process prior to applying a hot-dip tin coating, The pre-treatment of the stainless steel strip produces superior alloying between the stainless steel and the tin coating which reduces flaking of the tin coating.

For many years, roofing systems made of metal in various sheet gauge thicknesses have been used. Metals such as carbon steel, stainless steel, copper and aluminum are the most popular types of metal roofing systems. Carbon steel metal roofing systems are commonly treated with a corrosion-resistant coating to prevent rapid oxidation of the iron. One type of corrosion-resistant coating for carbon steel is a tin metal coating. Tin coating of carbon steel is a well-known process and has been used in various industries, especially in the food industry. Tin coating of carbon steel is normally carried out by a continuous, high-speed electrolysis process. In an electrolysis process, an electrical current is used to reduce alkaline or acidic electrolytes of tin to plate the tin on the carbon steel. The thickness of the tin coating ranges between 3.8.times.10.sup.-4 to 20.7.times.10.sup.-4 mm (1.5.times.10.sup.-5 -8.15.times.10.sup.-5 in.). The equipment and materials used to electroplate carbon steel are very expensive and relatively complex to use; however, only a thin layer of tin is used so the cost of the expensive tin is maintained quite low. A less used process of coating carbon steel is by a hot dipping process. This process is normally not used because of the resulting minute areas of discontinuity in the tin coating. Consequently, the material is less satisfactory for food containers. In addition, hot dipped tin forms a thicker coating which is prone to flaking.
Tin is an important material in that it is relatively inexpensive and highly resistant to corrosion. Corrosive materials such as carbon steel can be coated with tin to produce highly corrosive-resistant and relatively inexpensive products such as tin cans and tin roofing materials. Many metallic alloys have been developed which resist corrosion, such as stainless steel. Stainless steel is an alloy of iron and chromium and sometimes includes nickel and molybdenum. The chromium within the stainless steel alloy is the primary alloy component which inhibits corrosion. The chromium forms chromium oxide and tightly bonds to the surface of the stainless steel thus preventing oxygen from penetrating into the stainless steel to form corrosive ferrous oxides. Carbon steel has little if any chromium content, thus the iron readily oxidizes with the surrounding oxygen to form ferrous oxides commonly known as corrosion.
Although stainless steel corrodes at a significantly slower rate than standard carbon steel, the stainless steel will eventually corrode and will corrode at a significantly faster rate than carbon steel coated with tin plate. Previously, the concept of coating stainless steel with a corrosive-resistant material was unheard of since stainless steel in and of itself is a corrosive-resistant material. Furthermore, attempts to coat stainless steel have proven of limited success. Specifically, coating stainless steel with tin by a hot-dip process has repeatedly been unsuccessful using conventional hot-dip processes. The tin coating repeatedly flakes off the stainless steel soon after being coated and/or during pre-forming and installation. Until now, industrial manufacturing of hot-dipped tin coated stainless steel has been unsuccessful. Presently, the only process which semi-successfully coats stainless steel with tin is the electroplating process. The electroplating of stainless steel involves the use of very expensive and relatively complex machinery. The electroplating of tin onto stainless steel results from running a stainless steel strip through a stanneous solution. An electrical current is introduced to the stanneous solution and the tin is reduced and plated onto the stainless steel strip. The thickness of the tin plate is limited to a thickness not more than 20.7.times.10.sup.-4 mm (8.15.times.10.sup.-5 in.). The limited tin coating thickness resulting from electroplating limits the uses and life of the tin plated materials. Although tin is a highly corrosion-resistant material, tin will slowly corrode in harsh environments such as salt water or acid environments. Thicker tin coatings in such environments would vastly increase the useable life of the tin coated materials.
Coating stainless steel with tin alloys by a hot-dipped process have been more successful. One of the most popular tin alloy coatings for carbon steel and stainless steel is a tin-lead alloy commonly known as terne. The composition of the terne alloy is generally about 80 weight percent lead and about 20 weight percent tin. The lead in the terne alloy readily bonds to both carbon steel and stainless steel to form a strong and durable tin alloy coating. Although terne coated sheet metals have excellent corrosive-resistant properties and have been used in a wide variety of building applications such as roofing, terne coated materials have recently raised environmental concerns due to the lead content of the terne alloy. Although the lead in the terne alloy is stabilized, there is some concern, albeit unfounded, about leaching of the lead from the terne alloy. As a result, terne coated materials have been limited from use in various applications, such as aquifer roofing systems. Terne alloys are also a softer material than tin, thus, wear faster than tin coatings and are not as strong as tin coatings. Due to the expensive nature of electroplating stainless steel materials and the limitations as to the thickness of the stainless steel materials, there has been a demand for a process for successfully hot dipping stainless steel materials with tin.


A seat swivel apparatus which comprises an upper plate supporting a seat and a lower plate fixed to a support structure, a first generally annular bearing affixed to the upper plate and a second generally annular bearing affixed to the lower plate and being juxtaposed such that the upper plate swivels relative to the lower plate on opposing first and second bearings, and an actuator arm rotatably mounted with one of the plates to allow 180.degree. rotation of the upper plate relative to the lower plate. The swivel apparatus can be easily interchangeable between the right and left sides of a vehicle.

The present invention relates to adjustable seats and, more specifically, to a swivel apparatus employed in vehicle seats.
Vehicle seats which are adjustable and which swivel are common and in wide use today. Most swivel seats are mounted on an apparatus which utilizes ball bearings. Such systems provide a simple swivel seat but have a number of general drawbacks. First, such swivel systems can be relatively difficult to manufacture with the many small ball bearings which must be fitted into a rotational groove and held in place under specific tolerances. Second, because a swivel seat must be able to withstand significant moment arms about the axis of rotation, swivel systems utilizing ball bearings must be manufactured and assembled with sufficient rigidity to avoid separation due to the moment arm felt on the bearing. If a ball bearing swivel seat assembly is not sufficiently rigidly manufactured, the casings holding the ball bearings in place can separate, dislodging the ball bearings and causing the swivel assembly to fail.
There also exists a need in the heavy truck seating industry to provide a swivel seat which allows a vehicle seat to rotate inwardly (away from the vehicle door) a full 180 degrees to allow the seat occupant to easily access the sleeper compartment of the vehicle. Many vehicle seats in existence today do not allow 180 degree rotation. Due to the tight space limitations of vehicle cabs, and the length requirements of vehicle seats, a difficulty exists in allowing a vehicle seat to rotate 180 degrees. The present invention provides such a swivel apparatus.
Furthermore, many swivel seat apparatuses are designed specifically for either the left-hand or right-hand side of a vehicle. Few are interchangeable from the right to left and vice versa. No such vehicle seat is known to these inventors which allows full 180 degree rotation or which avoids the use of a ball bearing swivel means.