A multi-channel circulation oxygen generator, comprising a body shell, a top cover set and a base set; the body shell is provided with at least two big tanks for loading molecular sieve substances at its internal, having a set of gas passage, a set of gas intake passage, a gas storage tank and a set of gas outtake passage at its surrounding, and providing with a plurality of orderly arranged heat dissipation ribs shaped at its outer surface; the top cover set caps the top side of the body shell, and its bottom side corresponding to the big tank is provided with filtration and one way barricading parts, connecting to the inside of the big tank; the base set joins the bottom of the body shell, having switching solenoid valves to control the big tanks for alternating between the intake and outtake of air.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to multi-channel circulation oxygen generators, and more particularly to one featuring multiple channels of an all-in-one body shell, in which peripheral accessories in coordination are included, where the dynamic filtration, intake, and outtake of air are all multiple channels in circulation; which is fully characterized as the oxygen generator of novel in combination, compact in assembly, handy in carrying, and reducible in cost and price.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As the advancement on civilization of human society, medical technology and many important respects is boosted, human beings have already tremendous improvements on the research and control of diseases, and the average life-span of human is also lengthened, which definitely males the arrival of the aging society an unavoidable trend; on the other hand, it has also brought about many adverse influences, wherein the severe damage of the global environment is most denounced; therefore, at times inexplicable diseases (for instance: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)) or extremely awful environment (for instance: rainstorm, bitter cold and torturing hot weather, or mudflows) indeed fight back to humans, and it deserves us to think over the whys. With a vast anxiety over the outside environment, and inevitable to deal with the possibilities of being invaded by the gradually awful environment and the inexplicable diseases, human beings should be ready for all kinds of prevention, and oxygen is all absolutely indispensable element for humans to survive, where the oxygen generator, capable of self-producing oxygen, by introducing high pressure air to react with the internally filled molecular sieve substances, is an important first-aid appliance; not only is the oxygen generator used in emergencies, it is also required by many symptoms of chronic diseases, for instance, it is essential to have the oxygen generator prepared anytime for the emergency use by the patients of asthma and dyspnoea; moreover, the more people breath in pure oxygen, the better circulation of blood they have, which also enables the mind to be sharply nimble, the body to get rid of fatigues and the work efficiency to be substantially boosted; therefore, during daily life or in the office, it is a great custom to equip with an oxygen generator ready anytime for the emergency.
Prior art oxygen generators are mostly made up of off-the-shelf parts and modules; therefore, the volume of the assembly is unbound and bulky, which no doubt deteriorates the carrying or transportation, and it could further boost the cost that fails to offer a competitive price, which is really bad. In light of the aforesaid drawbacks, the inventor conceived an idea of achieving the oxygen generator that features novel in combination, compact in assembly, handy in carrying and reducible in cost and price.

Multichannel circulation oxygen generator

Yuun Tong Electronic Enterprise Co., Ltd.


A sector scanning, intracavitary ultrasonic probe has an ultrasonic oscillator array (20) provided at the tip (12) of a cavity insertion portion (11) for scanning a sectorial area lateral to the tip (12). Individual ultrasonic oscillators (21) of the array (20) are inclined to be perpendicular to respective radial lines converging to a point located opposite from the sectorial area with respect to the ultrasonic oscillators, and are aligned straight in equidistant positions from the longitudinal axis of the tip (12) of the insertion portion (11).

The present invention relates to a sector scanning, intracavitary ultrasonic probe that is inserted into a body cavity for obtaining an ultrasonic cross-sectional image.
An intracavitary ultrasonic probe of an initial stage is designed such that ultrasonic oscillators are arranged on a line, and each of the ultrasonic oscillators transmits and receives ultrasonic waves in a direction perpendicular to that line.
A drawback encountered with this ultrasonic probe is that a range of ultrasonic wave scanning to obtain a sectional image is structurally restricted by the length of the ultrasonic oscillators arranged. Therefore, the increase of the ultrasonic wave scanning range to obtain a wider sectional image inevitably requires the ultrasonic oscillators to be arranged over the increased length, which makes it difficult to insert the probe into the body cavity.
To overcome this drawback associated with this ultrasonic probe, a sector scanning, intracavitary ultrasonic probe has been developed. The sector scanning, intracavitary ultrasonic probe has ultrasonic oscillators arrayed on an arcuate line so as to scan an area outside of and lateral to the tip of the insertion portion of the probe in a sector manner. Thus, the scanning range can be increased without the increase of the arrangement length of the ultrasonic oscillators.
In the sector scanning, intracavitary ultrasonic probe, the individual ultrasonic oscillators arrayed on the arcuate line and accommodated in the insertion portion of the probe, the insertion portion of the probe partially bulges out to present an arcuate, convex shape. Because of this shape, the probe is commonly called "a convex type".
A problem with the ultrasonic probe of the convex type is that the partial bulge of the tip of the insertion portion increases its outside dimensions, thereby increasing the pain the patient may feel while the probe is inserted for inspection purposes.
Another problem is that the probe cannot be used with a small-diameter endoscope since its treatment tool insertion channel is too small in diameter to permit the passage of the bulging part of the probe.

Sector scanning, intracavitary ultrasonic probe


Apparatus and a technique for generating a screened reproduction of an image including the steps of: providing a representation of an original having input density values of the original, storing information representing a plurality of desired dot configurations, corresponding to various possible density values; for each coordinate pair in a given region, containing a multiplicity of coordinate pairs, determining whether the given region includes a part of a dot corresponding to the input density of the original; in regions which are determined to include a part of a dot, determining whether a coordinate pair lies within the boundary coordinates of the dot; and operating the plotter to write only if the coordinate pair lies inside the boundary coordinates of the dot, thereby to produce the multiplicity of screen dots of configurations representing the input density values of the original.

Electronic screening for image reproduction is well established in the art. According to a well known technique described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,456,924 of the present assignee, for each screened dot, a multiplicity of coordinates of a laser plotter are translated into screen-cell coordinates. A corresponding cell memory is preloaded by threshold values, defining a cell memory matrix. Input digitized scanned density values of an image, such as a color separation, are compared with the threshold values, cell by cell. The results provide a on/off control input for a laser plotter.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,825,298 to Ikuta and Murai describes a technique for generating a screened reproduction of an image in which the density distribution of a given screen dot is expressed in three dimensions, wherein the area of the screen dot is expressed along X and Y axes and the density is expressed along a Z axis perpendicular thereto. A film coordinate generator generates film coordinates (u,v), corresponding to the position of an exposure beam on a recording film which is detected by encoders, which is in turn supplied to a screen coordinate generator to be converted into virtual screen coordinates (x,y). A beam control signal generator receives the coordinates (x,y) and an image signal corresponding to the position of the exposure beam to output a beam control signal indicting lighting of the exposure beam when one of the coordinates (x,y) is between upper and lower limit values, corresponding to the same, which are previously decided for each combination of the other of the coordinates (x,y) and the density value of the image signal.
The technique of U.S. Pat. No. 4,825,298 to Ikuta and Murai has the disadvantage that its memory requirements are high.
U. K. Published Patent Application 2,157,119A to Ikuta describes apparatus which operates similarly to the technique of U.S. Pat. No. 4,456,924 but does not employ a matrix memory. Instead, the threshold function is calculated on the fly in real time or near real time. This apparatus is limited to relatively simple dot configurations.
In an article entitled "The design of a graphic arts halftone screening computer" by Larry G. Wash & John F. Hamilton, Jr., SPIE, Vol. 1073 Electronic Imaging Applications in Graphic Arts (1989) pp. 26-50, there is described apparatus for digital screening in which a three-dimensional memory array is employed for screen dot generation.

Method and apparatus for image reproduction


A new method of forming source/drain buried contact junctions is described. The method of forming a buried contact to a source/drain junction or other active device region in a silicon substrate is described. A first polysilicon layer is deposited over the surface of a silicon substrate. A second layer of polysilicon is deposited over the first layer of polysilicon wherein the polysilicon grain boundaries of the first and second polysilicon layers will be mismatched. The second polysilicon layer is doped. The grain boundary mismatch will slow the diffusion of the dopant into the silicon substrate. The dopant is driven in to form the buried contact with a shallow junction.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the fabrication of integrated circuit devices, and more particularly, to a method of forming shallow buried contact junctions in the fabrication of integrated circuits.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A typical buried contact process flow is to deposit a doped layer of polysilicon over and on the planned buried contact regions, which may be source/drain regions. The structure is heated and the source/drain regions are doped by outdiffusion of dopants from the doped polysilicon layer into the silicon substrate. The doped polysilicon layer is allowed to remain on the source/drain regions as their contacts. This is called the buried contact process.
Because of the high diffusivity of the polysilicon dopant, it is difficult to control junction depth. A number of patents have addressed this and other problems involving forming source/drain regions. U.S. Pat. No. 5,049,514 to Mori shows a process of doping polysilicon, forming an opening to the substrate, forming a metal silicide layer within the opening, ion implanting, and annealing to form the source/drain region. U.S. Pat. No. 5,030,584 to H. Nakata describes a process involving outdiffusion to form source/drain regions and to leave the contact and source of dopants for the source/drain regions in place. While this patent's invention has the advantage of self alignment of the contact to the source/drain, it does not have the desired tailoring of the source/drain regions to the optimum conditions for the under one micron era. Patent disclosure Ser. No. 07/941229 to J. Y. Lee filed on Sept. 9, 1992 uses two layers of polysilicon to form a buried contact region in the substrate, However, only poly 2 actually touches the substrate.

Method of making buried contact module with multiple poly si layers

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company


The invention relates to an interactive backpack comprising a backpack body, wherein the backpack body comprises the form of a character, as well as comprising: lighting means linked to the form of the character, sound means, control means linked to the lighting means and sound means, wherein the control means are configured for the synchronized and coordinated activation of the lighting and sound means; wherein the backpack further comprises an actuator for the control means, with the actuator being disposed in an attachment which is joined to the backpack body.

The use of children's backpacks to enable child users to carry their objects, for example to school, sports centers, recreational spaces, etc., is known in the state of the art.
These known backpacks usually have a sack or bag configuration with a belt or handle for carrying the same. Furthermore, there may also be images on any of the backpack surfaces.
An interactive backpack having a form that looks like a character which is generally known among children is known from patent document ES1135108. Furthermore, it also comprises sound recording, and reproduction means, such that the user can record his or her voice messages and hear them being played back by a loudspeaker located in the backpack. This backpack further comprises a mechanism located in the mouth of the form to simulate the movement of opening and closing the mouth while playing back the recording.
Patent document ES1081206 discloses a backpack comprising loudspeakers for playing music and light emitting means to notify of the presence of the user on a road. The backpack is made with small dimensions, "similar to a fanny pack", and can be secured to the body of the user or can be hooked to the belts or straps of a "conventional" backpack. However, the backpack of this document "similar to a fanny pack" is not conceived for carrying relatively bulky items such as children's books or notebooks or sports gear; in any case, it can be joined to another conventional backpack which is in fact provided for carrying relatively bulky items. Furthermore, the actuation of the lights and the music is performed independently, without there being any relation between them.
Nevertheless, backpacks for children that are capable of attracting the user so that they can be used for recreational purposes and at the same time have a didactic function, i.e., children can learn, are not known in the examples of the state of the art.


A process for preparing cycloaliphatic amines by hydrogenating the corresponding aromatic compounds with hydrogen-comprising gas at a temperature of from 30 to 280° C. and a pressure of 50-350 bar, in the presence of ruthenium catalysts. The hydrogenation is performed in the presence of from 1% by weight to 500% by weight, based on the catalyst calculated as elemental ruthenium (Ru), of suspended inorganic additives, and to the use of the cycloaliphatic amines as a synthesis unit.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,606,925 describes the hydrogenation of aromatic compounds which are substituted directly on the aromatic ring via nitrogen atoms (for example aromatic amines or nitro compounds) to the corresponding cycloaliphatic compounds. The catalysts used are elemental ruthenium metal, ruthenium oxides, ruthenium salts, ruthenium sulfides and ruthenium sulfates. Optimal results can be achieved according to this document when the ruthenium is present in finely distributed form. However, no method of preparing these catalysts is described.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,494,563, finely divided Ru catalysts are used for the hydrogenation of aromatic diamines to the corresponding aliphatic diamines.
A method for preparing very small ruthenium dioxide particles by reacting RuCl3 solution with NaOH in the aqueous phase, washing and drying is described in CA-A-860855. This affords crystal sizes less than 50 nm. A preferred use specified for the powder obtained was the production of electrical resistors.
DE-A-2132547 discloses a process for hydrogenating aromatic compounds to the corresponding cycloaliphatic. For the hydrogenation, a catalyst based on oxide hydrates of Ru is used. The catalyst is prepared by precipitation from an aqueous solution of a ruthenium salt by addition of alkali metal hydroxide solution. The ruthenium oxide hydrate thus obtained can be used directly in the process or be subjected to drying before use. After the drying, the catalyst, according to the disclosure, is present in the form of powder with particle sizes in the range from 4 to 6 nm, the Ru being present in the resulting dry powder as Ru(IV) oxide hydrate with approx. 50% by weight of Ru.
DE 101 19 135 A1 describes the continuous preparation of bis(4-aminocyclohexyl)methane by hydrogenation of bis(4-aminophenyl)methane with the aid of a pulverulent ruthenium catalyst. The ruthenium was used applied to an inert support material, e.g. Al2O3, and with a particle size of 5-150 μm.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,214,212 teaches the addition of metal salts as promoters in a process for hydrogenating aromatic amines. According to the disclosure, the addition of promoters leads to an improvement in the reaction rate and to a reduction in by-product formation. The metal salts were used in concentrations of from 0.3% to 10% based on the aromatic amine.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,864,361 describes the preparation of 2,5-dimethylpyrrolidone by reduction of 2,5-dimethylpyrrole in the presence of finely divided, unsupported RuO2. After the hydrogenation has ended, the catalyst is removed by filtration. According to the disclosure, the removal of the Ru catalyst can be improved by the addition of Al2O3 as a filtering aid.
The prior art teaches the use of heterogeneous Ru catalysts with small particle sizes, which should be present in very fine distribution in the reaction mixture. When such catalysts are used in an industrial scale process, however, it is found that the small catalyst particles form relatively large agglomerates during the hydrogenation, which can then settle out in the reactor. This firstly removes a portion of the amount of catalyst from the process; secondly, the resulting deposits can cause blockages which lead to disruption in the course of operation.
In the aromatic starting materials which are used in the process for preparing cycloaliphatic amines, there are typically small amounts of by-products which generally cannot be removed quantitatively during the purification of the starting materials. These by-products can poison the ruthenium catalyst and hence reduce the space-time yield of the process.
In the case of the hydrogenation of bis(4-aminophenyl)methane or bis(4-amino-3-methylphenyl)methane to the particular cyclohexyl derivatives, these by-products are principally the hydrochlorides of the aromatic starting amines and higher-boiling aromatic products.
Even when the chlorine content of the particular starting materials is higher than 1 ppm or the concentration of higher-boiling products exceeds the value of 2% by weight, considerable losses in the space-time yield can arise.

Process for preparing cycloaliphatic amines


A powder coating assembly comprising a compartment (1) in which workpieces (3) are coated with powder and which includes a discharge belt (15) for conveying excess powder to a recovery unit (5) or a filter unit (4) is characterized in that both a recovery unit (5) and a filter unit (4) are provided, each connected by a separate conduit (16; 18) to an exhaust opening (17; 19) of the compartment (1), and in that a shutoff member (42) is provided in the separate conduits (16; 18) for selectively blocking conveyance of powder to the filter unit (4) or the recovery unit (5).

The invention relates to a powder coating assembly as defined in the preamble of claim 1.
For workpiece powder coating, the workpiece is guided through a powder coating compartment and coated with powder inside that compartment. Not all of the powder fed into the compartment through the applicator devices does deposit on the workpiece. A large part of the excess powder settles on the floor of the compartment.
In the case of conventional compartments this excess powder is sucked out of the compartment by means of a fan. However, when it is attempted to remove the excess powder from the compartment simply by subjecting the exhaust opening to the low pressure generated by the fan, the suction effect remains restricted to a relatively small area around the exhaust opening. On the other hand, the powder continues to accumulate on the remainder of the floor areas.
This disadvantage can be mitigated by provision of a baffle means such as specified in EP 0 384 236 B1. Such a baffle means reduces the settling of powder on the floor of the compartment.
Another way of reducing accumulations is disclosed in EP 0 200 681 B1. In that case the floor of the compartment has the configuration of a V-shaped trough the sidewalls of which are inclined in opposite directions, an exhaust port being disposed at the lowest location. Excess powder now may slide along the inclined sidewalls of the trough down into the exhaust port. With this structure, however, the floor of the compartment is not walkable as would be desirable for purposes of inspection and maintenance work.
With another known compartment (EP 0 727 258 B1) the floor of the compartment is formed by a walkable discharge belt. Any powder accumulated on the floor is conveyed by the discharge belt through the compartment and to an exhaust opening at the front end. In this manner powder can be removed also from those areas which are not located in the direct vicinity of the exhaust opening.
All the compartments described above provide for conveyance of the excess powder through an exhaust opening either to a powder recovering installation or directly to a filter unit if recovery is dispensed with.
A powder coating assembly 1 is known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,107,756. The flow of excess powder in that case can be directed either directly to the filter unit or to a recovery unit, by means of a switchover flap. In addition, a shutoff member is provided which selectively may block a supply channel to the recovery unit or simultaneously block this supply channel and a return channel of the recovery unit. This structure is complicated and expensive. The switchover and shutoff elements are located at positions which tend to get very contaminated in operation. Cleaning when colors are changed, therefore, is very time consuming and does not produce satisfactory results.
It is the object of the invention to provide a powder coating assembly of the kind defined initially which permits quick and simple switchover from operation with filters to operation with recovery of excess powder, and vice versa, widely avoiding any contamination while allowing rapid, easy and efficient cleaning.
The powder coating assembly according to the invention, provides separation of the mode which includes powder recovery and the mode which includes direct filtering of the excess powder through the filter. In this way contamination is widely avoided and cleaning expenditure minimized.


For the redistribution of a coolant flow from a first region into a second region, in particular in boiling-water-reactor fuel elements having an eccentrically disposed water passage, a fuel-rod bundle is constructed in a mirror symmetry manner relative to a diagonal. A distance between adjacent fuel rods increases monotonically in particular along a diagonal. In addition, a fuel-rod bundle as an entity may be offset eccentrically along the diagonal. To compensate for asymmetry in the reactor core, a redistribution of coolant is provided which is advantageous in pressurized-water-reactor fuel elements.

The invention relates to a fuel element having fuel rods disposed substantially parallel to a fuel-element axis and substantially perpendicularly to a polygonal internal cross section perpendicular to the fuel-element axis. In this case, in a first region, a ratio of the free area of the internal cross section to the area through which the fuel rods pass is smaller than in a second region.
To improve the thermohydraulics and a neutron economy in a fuel element, it is known that a distance between the fuel rodsxe2x80x94in particular in relation to a radius of the encasing tubexe2x80x94can be set variable, but so as to be constant for a fuel element (see European Patent EP 0 373 418 B1). This serves in particular to reduce the pressure loss, improve the moderation ratio and reduce the neutron absorption by the structure material. In this case, it is advantageous if a situation which is as homogeneous as possible with regard to the thermohydraulics and the neutron economy can be achieved over the cross section of the reactor core and in particular over the cross section of one fuel element.
However, this is not the case as a rule, but rather the thermohydraulic and neutron-economy properties of the reactor core have considerable inhomogeneity and asymmetry.
Such inhomogeneity or asymmetry may occur, for example, in a pressurized-water fuel element due to the configuration of control rods, instrumentation tubes or other tubes without fuel. In a boiling-water-reactor fuel element, the configuration of the control rods between adjacent fuel elements may, for example, be the cause of an anisotropic neutron flow. Inhomgeneity and asymmetry may also occur in light-water reactors and/or light-water-reactor fuel elements, for example, due to a distribution of differently enriched fuel rods, and/or fuel rods provide neutron absorption, over the cross section of the fuel element.
To remove this or similar inhomogeneity, various measures which take into account the cause of inhomogeneity are known. For example, it is known according to U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,805, in a pressurized-water-reactor fuel element, to make the distance between a control rod and a fuel rod adjacent to the control rod smaller than a distance between two adjacent fuel rods.
Such a measure normally results in an essentially centrosymmetrical distribution of the fuel rods, which brings about the removal of inhomogeneity caused by a centrosymmetrical distribution of the control rods.
A similar approach is specified in Published, European Patent Application EP 0 196 655 A1 for a pressurized-water-reactor fuel element, in which the cross section of the fuel rod adjacent a control rod is reduced and thus the fuel quantity in the vicinity of a control rod is reduced. The distance of the fuel rod from an adjacent control rod increases as a result. Here, too, there is an essentially centrosymmetrical size and/or distance distribution of the fuel rods for removing essentially centrosymmetrical inhomogeneity (e.g. see FIG. 6 in EP 0 196 655).
An essentially centrosymmetrical fuel and/or encasing-tube size distribution is also provided for a boiling-water-reactor fuel element (see FIG. 5 in EP 0 196 655). In this case, there is a slight deviation merely at a marginal edge of such a boiling-water-reactor fuel element in order to compensate for the inhomogeneity which is caused by an adjacent control rod in the center of a group of four of such boiling-water-reactor fuel elements.
The hitherto known measures for removing inhomogeneities in the thermohydraulics and/or the neutron economy therefore relate essentially to centrosymmetrical distributions of fuel-rod distances and/or sizes, at most with locally limited deviations from the centrosymmetry which serve to remove highly localized effectsxe2x80x94for example at the margin of a boiling-water-reactor fuel element due to a control rod.
However, inhomogeneity of the thermohydraulics and neutron economy of a ligh-water-reactor fuel element cannot always be removed in a satisfactory manner with an essentially centrosymmetrical or highly localized variation in a fuel-rod cross section or a distance between adjacent fuel rods. This is because the spatial range of a measure usually cannot be locally restricted in its effects and is in addition possibly different for the thermohydraulics and neutron economy.
The reason for this is that, if such a measure is taken, because, for example, the neutron flow is to be influenced in a certain sense via the volumetric ratio of moderator to fuel, the flow resistance and the flow distribution, via the cross sections of flow available for the coolant, will at the same time also be influenced to an extent which is possibly not optimal. Increased moderation in a region of the fuel element can lead there to a higher output and to greater formation of steam, for the rapid removal of which a higher flow velocity than can be achieved by an increase in the fuel-rod distance would be desirable.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a fuel element with fuel rods for a boiling water reactor that overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art devices of this general type.
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a fuel element including a fuel element body having a fuel element axis, a polygonal internal cross section perpendicular to the fuel-element axis, a first region, and a second region; and fuel rods having outer surfaces disposed substantially parallel to the fuel-element axis and substantially perpendicularly to the polygonal internal cross section in the fuel element body. In the first region, a ratio of a free area of the polygonal internal cross section to an area through which the fuel rods pass in the first region is smaller than in the second region. The first region forms a first corner of the polygonal internal cross section and the second region forms second corners of the polygonal internal cross section. And a distance between the outer surfaces of in each case two adjacent ones of the fuel rods increases monotonically in one direction starting from the first corner of the fuel element body.
The object of the invention is to specify a light-water-reactor fuel element that has both improved thermohydraulics and an improved neutron economy.
The object is achieved according to the invention by a fuel element of the type mentioned at the beginning in that the first region forms a first corner of the internal cross section, and other corners of the internal cross section are formed by the second region. In addition, the distance between the outer surfaces of in each case two adjacent fuel rods increases montonicallyxe2x80x94in one direction starting from the first corner of the fuel element. This is the case in particular along a diagonal and/or a side of the internal cross section.
In this case, a fuel rod is disposed virtually perpendicularly to the polygonal internal cross section and passes through the latter with the fuel-rod cross-sectional area. There is thus a free area, accessible to the cooling water, of the internal cross section and an area of the internal cross section through which fuel rods pass.
The invention is based on the knowledge that, to achieve the object, it is favorable to effect a redistribution of the coolant flow and moderator flow in a light-water-reactor fuel element of the type mentioned at the beginning from the first region toward the second region. The object is achieved by a reduction in the free area in the first region and by the configuration of the first region in the first corner of the internal cross section in the fuel element mentioned at the beginning. This is favorable in the case of a coolant flow that is virtually a two-phase flow, that is a flow having a high steam portion (e.g. up to about 40% to 50%). In the case of such a two-phase flow, as occurs in particular in a boiling-water-reactor fuel element, the steam in particular will escape into the second region, since the steam has a smaller mass moment of inertia than the liquid portion of the coolant flow. This effect is to be assisted and intensified by the fuel element of the above-mentioned type according to the invention.
Even in the case of a coolant flow having a comparatively small steam portion (e.g. up to 5%), which forms virtually a single-phase flow, as occurs, for example, in a pressurized-water-reactor fuel element, the above-described fuel element according to the invention is favorable, since the liquid coolant is also displaced from the first region into the second region. In particular, therefore, asymmetrical inhomogeneity in the fuel element and/or a reactor core can be compensated for by the asymmetrical configuration of the first and second regions in a fuel element of the above-mentioned type according to the invention.
It proves to be especially advantageous for the distance between the outer surfaces of in each case two adjacent fuel rods to be made smaller on average in the first region than in the second region. In particular, the distance between the fuel rods in the first region will therefore be smaller on average than in the second region. In this way, the coolant (to be precise mainly the steam portion in the coolant) is displaced from the first region into the second region.
With regard to the monotonically increasing distance between the outer surfaces of in each case two adjacent fuel rods, it is favorable that the fuel rods of the fuel element have an identical diameter, the distance between the outer surfaces of in each case two adjacent fuel rods being variable in the above-mentioned manner. It is likewise advantageous that the fuel rods have an identical distance between centers and the diameter of the fuel rods is variable. In this case, for example, the fuel rods in the first region may have a larger fuel-rod diameter than in the second region.
In a development of the invention, for example, a first fuel rod which sits nearest to the first corner on the diagonal may have a relatively small distance between its outer surface and the outer surface of a second adjacent fuel rod on the diagonal. The distance of the outer surface of the second fuel rod on the diagonal from the outer surface of a third adjacent fuel rod on the diagonal may then be just as large as or larger than the distance between the outer surfaces of the first and the second fuel rod. It is especially advantageous if the distance between in each case two adjacent fuel rods, starting from the first corner of the fuel element, increases in one direction in accordance with a linear, convex or concave function of the path covered in said direction. In this way, the distance between the outer surfaces of the penultimate fuel rod and the last fuel rod on the diagonal in the vicinity of the corner opposite the first corner is greater than the distance between the outer surfaces of the first and the second fuel rod on the diagonal.
In a favorable manner, the configuration of the fuel rods over the internal cross section in this case is substantially in mirror symmetry relative to a diagonal, starting from the first corner, of the internal cross section. In particular, a substantially square internal cross section proves to be advantageous. However, it is also possible, for example, for there to be a hexagonal internal cross section.
In a development of the invention, the fuel rod adjacent to the first side, starting from the first corner, is at a distance from the first side of the internal cross section which is smaller than a distance of a fuel rod adjacent to a second side from the second side of the internal cross section. With this possibility, a center axis of the fuel-rod bundle composed of fuel rods may thus favorably be offset laterally from the center of the internal cross section and its boundary may be at a larger distance from a first side starting from the first corner than from a second side which does not start from the first corner. In the manner just referred to, a fuel-rod bundle may thus be disposed in such a way that it passes eccentrically through the internal cross section of a fuel element.
However, in a further possibility, it is also favorable if a distance between the outer surfaces of in each case two adjacent fuel rods is on average smaller in the first region than in the second region, in particular in one of the above-mentioned developments of the invention, and if in this case the fuel-rod bundle as an entity passes centrally through the internal cross section of the fuel element.
Both above-mentioned possibilities are advantageously combined with one another, so that a ratio of a free area of the internal cross section to the area through which fuel rods pass is smaller in a first region than in a second region, and the first region forms a first corner of the internal cross section and other corners are formed by the second region.
In particular, a fuel element in a development of the invention has a water-tube configuration that is virtually parallel to the fuel rods. For example, this may be a fuel element in accordance with French Patent FR 1.276.233, or in accordance with Published, Non-Prosecuted German Patent Application DE 21 29 809 A1. In particular, it may also be a fuel element in accordance with U.S. Pat. No. 5,289,514 or also a fuel element in accordance with European Patent EP 0 224 728 B1. In particular in the case of the two last-mentioned embodiments of the fuel element, this is a fuel element having a water tube, which passes centrally through the internal cross section. The water-tube configuration need not always consist of a single round or rectangular water tube; on the contrary, other cross sections (e.g. cross-shaped) or configurations having a plurality of tubes are also possible (see, for example, EP 0 458 086 B1). A fuel element of the above-mentioned type having a water-tube configuration which is substantially parallel to the fuel rods and is laterally offset from the fuel-element axis, as described, for example, in European Patent EP 0 713 600 B1 or International Patent Disclosure WO95/04992, also proves to be particularly favorable.
In this case, in particular the first region is polygonal and borders a water-tube configuration with a corner lying opposite the first corner. The first region is advantageously square. In addition, the second region is advantageously polygonal and has a section that forms a corner opposite the first corner. In this section, the ratio of the free area of the internal cross section to the area through which the fuel rods pass is advantageously greater than in another section having a similar area of the internal cross section.
In the developments of the invention which have just been referred to, in particular in a fuel element having the water-tube configuration laterally offset from the fuel-element axis, the first region is therefore disposed essentially on the diagonal on that side of the water-tube configuration on which the center axis of the water-tube configuration is at a smaller distance from the margin of the internal cross section. The second region contains virtually the remaining internal cross section of the fuel element, in which case the section, in which the ratio of the free area of the internal cross section to the area through which fuel rods pass is greatest, is disposed essentially on the diagonal and on that side of the water-tube configuration on which the center axis of the water-tube configuration is at the greater distance from the margin of the internal cross section.
In a further refinement of the fuel element according to the invention, the fuel rods are disposed in lines substantially parallel to one another and in columns substantially perpendicular to the lines. In this case, a fuel rod is held in a substantially rectangular mesh of a spacer grid. A fuel rod in this case is held in the center of the mesh.
Furthermore, it proves to be favorable that the area of an opening of a mesh in the first region is on average smaller than in the second region. In this case, the average opening of the mesh is obtained essentially from the total area of the mesh openings divided by the number of meshes in the respective region. In particular, the smaller meshes are located in the first region and the larger meshes in the second region.
The mesh size (i.e. the opening of a mesh) is therefore in each case favorably adapted to the configuration of the fuel rods in the first region and/or the second region. Such an adaptation is advantageously supplemented by appropriate spacer elementsxe2x80x94for example knobs or springs.
Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a fuel element with fuel rods for a boiling water reactor, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.

Fuel element with fuel rods for a boiling water reactor


This disclosure describes methods and systems for building a spatial model to predict performance of processing chamber, and using the spatial model to converge faster to a desired process during the process development phase. Specifically, the method obtains virtual metrology (VM) data from sensors of the chamber and on-board metrology (OBM) data from devices on the wafers; obtains in-line metrology data from precision scanning electron microscope (SEM); and also obtains an empirical process model for a given process. The empirical process model is calibrated by using the in-line metrology data as reference. A predictive model is built by refining the empirical process model by a machine-learning engine that receives customized metrology data and outputs one or more spatial maps of the wafer for one or more dimensions of interest across the wafer without physically processing any further wafers, i.e. by performing spatial digital design of experiment (Spatial DoE).

Semiconductor wafer processing complexity has been increasing as the device size has been shrinking. A typical process has multiple different steps, with some advanced processes, such as plasma etching, may have twenty or even more steps. Each step has a multitude of knobs associated to optimize performance. Therefore, the space available to tune and optimize a given process is theoretically extremely large.
Process engineers use their experience and expertise to select a preliminary baseline process and fine tune the process based on a limited number of wafers (or portions of wafers, referred to as coupons) dedicated for design of experiment (DoE). The goal of DoE is to tailor the process to achieve desired specification on a wafer. However, dedicating full wafers or portions of wafers for DoE data collection consume valuable resources. Therefore, often the adopted process may be a viable one, but not necessarily the optimum solution.
Another bottleneck is introduced by insufficient in-line precision metrology data. For precision metrology, usually destructive techniques, such as transmission electron microscopy (TEM), are used. However, since TEM is very time consuming, it usually does not generate enough statistical data and adequate coverage across the wafer. Also, TEM cannot be integrated into the production line because it is a destructive technique.

Predictive spatial digital design of experiment for advanced semiconductor process optimization and control


A safe room assembly includes a solid concrete wall forming an enclosed area, a conduit disposed within the concrete wall and extending from one end that is exposed at an outside surface of the concrete wall to an inside surface of the concrete wall, and an utility system in communication with the conduit. The enclosed area is configured to provide safe harbor to an occupant during extreme weather conditions and the utility system is configured to provide utilities to the occupant while harbored within the enclosed area.

1. Field of the Invention
The present application relates generally to safe rooms, and more specifically, to a safe room configured to protect persons and property against dangerous weather conditions.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventional safe rooms and/or shelters are well known in the art for effectively protecting persons and property from dangerous storm conditions such as hurricanes and tornadoes, which can reach wind speeds over 250 mph and are capable of staying on the ground for over one hour. The dangerous weather conditions can easily cause mass destruction with flying debris, resulting in significant damage to property, and in some cases, physical injury. Thus, homeowners who choose not or cannot evacuate their homes during the extreme weather conditions are forced to take cover in a protected area of the home. It should be understood that the homes provide relatively little protection, which are typically not constructed to withstand tornado or hurricane weather conditions. As such, there is a need for each home to have a safe room that can withstand the extreme weather conditions.
Safe rooms are typically buried underground to further increase safety. These types of shelters have limitations, including the manufacturing cost and risk of being trapped underground with overhead debris blocking access. Further, the underground structures are typically not accessible to the handicapped and elderly. Also, some properties are not well suited for underground construction. As a result, the safe rooms are configured for aboveground placement. However, the underground safe rooms are cost prohibitive to most families, thereby making these types of shelters ineffective.
Although the foregoing developments in shelters represent great strides, many shortcomings remain.
While the safe room assembly and method of manufacturing and use is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the description herein of specific embodiments is not intended to limit the invention to the particular embodiment disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the process of the present application as defined by the appended claims.


In a camera control system capable of, in a video conference, remote surveillance or the like, issuing an instruction for a camera posture or the like, the user desires, on the moment in a simple way, an image with a small angle of view and a panoramic image are transmitted to a personal computer to be individually displayed. This arrangement constructs a system whereby the user can see not only a detailed image the user desires now but also an image surrounding the detailed image in substantially real time. Further, another arrangement for sensing an image reflected by a convex mirror which is constructed such that a central portion thereof is formed as a low-curvature surface and a peripheral portion thereof is formed as a high-curvature surface enables a panoramic image having a high resolution in a desired portion thereof to be obtained by using only one image sensor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a camera control system, and more particularly to a system suitably applicable to video data communication processing systems, such as video conference systems and video surveillance systems, which remotely use moving image data inputted from a camera and processed in a digital processing unit.
2. Description of Related Art
So far, in the fields including video conference systems and surveillance camera systems, their systems are made up of a camera and a user terminal in which parameters or the like of the camera are controllable through a network from a distance, and are composed such that the user remotely controls the camera for receiving and displaying images picked up thereby. Further, as the camera, there has been employed a camera with a panhead which allows variation of the image pickup direction.
This panhead-mounted camera has employed a method of using a dedicated controller and of controlling the horizontal (rightward and leftward) panning and the vertical (upward and downward) tilting of the camera with a button or a joy stick of the controller. Further, in recent years, a dedicated controller has been displayed on a displaying unit of a computer in a pseudo manner through the use of a GUI or the like and controlled through a mouse or the like.
In addition, many surveillance cameras, being equipped with a panhead, are composed such that the panhead is controlled to take predetermined movements to monitor images of some places predetermined.
However, in the case of these conventional systems, video images transmitted are only video images of a subject actually picked up by a panhead-mounted camera at some points of time, with the result that it is impossible to view the situations around the subject and further to beforehand know, by intuition, video images to be picked up after movements of the panhead. For this reason, in order to pick up an image at a desired position, there is a need to correct frequently the position of the panhead while viewing the video images transmitted.
Meanwhile, when a cameraman takes a photograph with a camera in a photographing site, the cameraman looks through a viewfinder of the camera with his one eye, while observing the periphery with the other eye, so that the camera can be set at an angle for the next photographing on the moment. This is due to the fact that the cameraman sees some periphery to be further photographed concurrently with seeing an image within the viewfinder for the actual photographing.
Thus, in the video conference systems or the remote surveillance systems, in the case of interactively implementing the posture control for a remote camera with a panhead while viewing a video image, if the panhead is controlled while the images of all the areas to be sensed by movements of the camera are seen, the user feels as if the cameraman controls the image-pickup range with a camera in that site, which facilitates its manipulations.
In a method taken so far therefor, first of all, a camera is moved to pick up all the image-pickup areas, and, further, all the obtained images are processed into one image. Then, the user controls the image pickup direction and the zoom of the camera while seeing a still image which is the thus-obtained one image.
However, the image of the entire area produced by such image processing is a still image but not a video image to be obtained in real time. Therefore, a problem arises in that difficulty is encountered to deal sufficiently with the cases that there is an extreme need to set the camera at a desired angle momentarily, such as the case that a camera is to be pointed at a participant asking to speak in a video conference and the case that the camera is to be pointed at a trespasser appearing suddenly in remote surveillance.


A magnetic switching device utilizing a reed switch avoids multiple switching and provides greater movement between a magnet and a reed switch. The device has a reed switch switchable by a magnetic field with contact reeds extending longitudinally in a switching line, at one permanent bar magnet, and a path of movement for the magnet to move relative to the reed switch, the path of movement being parallel to the switching line of the reed switch and spaced apart a predetermined distance therefrom, the magnet being tilted at a predetermined angle to the switching line of the reed switch, the angle being sufficient to cause only a single switching action when movement occurs between the magnet and the reed switch in the path of movement, the switching action occurring when the approximate centre of the magnet substantially overlaps the contact reeds of the reed switch.

Magnetic reed switches comprise two reeds made of magnetic material so that when magnetic field is applied the two reeds either contact each other or separate from each other to make or break a contact. Thus, when a permanent bar magnet passes a reed switch the contact between the reeds is either made or broken.
Reed switches are used in level measuring devices wherein a float with a magnet therein moves up and down adjacent a reed switch in a fixed position.
One example of utilizing a reed switch in a level measuring device is shown in my U.S. Pat. No. 5,299,456 entitled "Electronic Dipstick for Indicating the Oil Level of an Engine". Another use of reed switches is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,627,283 to Nishida et al. The latter patent illustrates multiple reed switches mounted at an angle in a vertical plane parallel to the movement of a float containing a permanent magnet. The reason for the angle mounting is to position the reed switches as close together as possible so that two switches are actuated simultaneously.
One problem that has always existed with reed switches is what is referred to as "multiple switching". This occurs when the permanent magnet moves in a path which is substantially parallel to a switching line of a reed switch. It does not occur if the magnet moves laterally away or towards the reed switch. In this latter situation there is only a single switching point, but the on/off distance is larger than that with a substantially parallel movement, providing a less accurate device which is seldom used in level sensing or position sensing applications.
The magnetic field from a permanent magnet moving in a path substantially parallel to the switching line of a reed switch causes three possible switching positions when the magnet is mounted with the magnetic poles substantially parallel to the reed switch. In order to avoid this, most reed switches in level sensing or position sensing applications have only a small movement between magnet and switch so that only one of the switching positions is activated.
In order to overcome the multiple switching without having to limit the movement of the permanent magnet, shielding is used. However, magnetic shielding is a costly and complicated method.

Single switching of magnetic reed switch


The invention discloses an artificial epistropheus support body comprising a support. The support comprises a crown part and a body part, a top surface of the crown part forms a top profiling surface, and a bottom surface of the body part forms a bottom profiling surface; the support has a cavity inside thereof, and a micro-hole grid stent is arranged in the cavity; the cavity forms a plurality of windows on the surface of the support. The bottom end of the body part is provided with a lower fixing lug, while the upper end of the crown part is provided with an upper fixing lug; both the lower fixing lug and the upper fixing lug are provided with fixing holes. The artificial epistropheus support body possesses good stability for supporting and reconstructing, it also can prevent a prosthesis from loosening and failing after surgery.

Nodules and tumors involving the upper cervical spine usually severely damage the vital structures of the atlantoaxial spine and compress the spinal cord, causing severe consequences of paralysis. It is necessary to perform a surgical resection for such patients, and complete the reconstruction and fixation of damaged structures so as to maintain the integrity and stability of the structure of the craniocervical junction region and preserve normal physiological functions.
The atlantoaxial spine is located at the craniocervical junction region, with a special anatomical structure and a deep position, where important nerve center and blood vessels exist nearby, hence it is difficult to perform a resection and reconstructive surgery in a spine surgery. Such difficulties mainly include: (a) The surgical exposure is more difficult; if the atlantoaxial lesion is to be removed, the transoral approach will be necessary, but if the lesion is larger, or the range of the reconstruction and fixation is relatively wide, you may need to implement an invasive surgical approach, such as a lower jawbone sacrotomy with larger wounds; however, this surgical exposure often requires the cooperation of a dentist. (b) The risk of the surgical operation is high; as we know, the spinal canal of the atlantoaxial spine contains the cervical spinal cord and the medulla oblongata at high level, so the excision of lesions requires superb surgical techniques, any slight carelessness would cause damage to the medulla oblongata, leading to a risk of paralysis and even death; there are important blood vessels such as the vertebral artery around the atlantoaxial spine, once damaged, it can cause consequences of cerebellar infarction or death. (c) After lesion removal, the reconstruction of the spine is particularly difficult; at present, clinically used spinal fixation devices include posterior pedicle screw rods, cervical vertebra anterior plates and so on; however, these fixation devices are mainly designed for the lower cervical spine, and ordinary cervical vertebra titanium plates are not suitable for the fixation of the atlantoaxial spine; and the common titanium mesh is a cylindrical column with the same diameter, thus it cannot meet the reconstruction needs of the complicated anatomical shape of the atlantoaxial spine. Although domestic and overseas scholars have improved implants such as titanium meshes and have applied them to the reconstruction after atlantoaxial resection, deficiencies of application of the improved implants still exist, thus the improved implants can hardly meet the requirements of complicated surgeries; wherein the deficiencies could be fixation difficulties, poor shape matching, high failure rate of internal fixation after surgery, and low fusion rate after surgery.

GUANGZHOU GENERAL HOSPITAL OF GUANGZHOU MILITARY COMMAND


Disclosed is a method for producing an aqueous nail enamel composition comprising the following procedure: an aqueous mixture which comprises, as essential components, water and a pigment of 3 .mu.m or less in average particle size at a concentration of the pigment of 60% or less and is previously subjected to contact treatment with a substance having an ion exchangeability is kneaded under heating with a polyester polymer having a chemical structure containing a phenyl group and having a weight-average molecular weight of 2000-20000 and a softening point of 120.degree. C. or lower in the state of the polymer being molten and simultaneously the volatile matter contained is removed under reduced pressure; the resulting mixture (A) comprising the polyester polymer and the pigment dispersed in the polyester polymer, said pigment finally having the inherent average particle size, is dissolved in an organic solvent at a concentration of the mixture (A) of 50% by weight or less; then the solution is mixed with an organic solvent solution (B) containing 80% or less of a resin containing 1-5 meq/g of a functional group capable of being dissociated to a cation or an anion; then the resulting mixture is neutralized and allowed to contact with a substance having ion exchangeability before and/or after carrying out phase inversion by dilution with addition of water to remove ionic impurities; the organic solvent is distilled off; and the residue is again allowed to contact with a substance having ion exchangeability to obtain an aqueous nail enamel composition comprising a color polymer composition dissolved in water alone as an essential component and containing less ionic impurities and substantially no organic solvent and film-forming aid. Thus, there is provided an aqueous nail enamel compositions which contains no organic solvent, is excellent in safety for human body and long-term storage stability, and has beautiful color and gloss, and high-coating film strength and adhesion.

The present invention belongs to the field of aqueous nail enamel composition which contains no organic solvent, is excellent in safety for human body and long-term storage stability, and has beautiful color and gloss, and high strength and adhesion of coating film.
Conventional nail enamel compositions have the composition similar to that of organic solvent type paints. For example, they are usually composed of a resin such as a nitrocellulose and an alkyd resin, a pigment, a plasticizer and an organic solvent.
That is, the conventional nail enamel compositions are such that a pigment as a colorant is enclosed in a resin and suspended in an organic solvent, and the suspension is coated by some means and the organic solvent is volatilized to form a film. In this case, hardness of the film formed is adjusted by the remaining plasticizer. The film after use is removed by an organic solvent capable of dissolving the film.
However, since the nail enamel of the above composition contain organic solvents and plasticizers, they are used taking into consideration the restriction in use due to noxiousness to human body of the chemical substances used, the flammability of compounds in view of environmental safety, and the odor of organic solvents.
Under the circumstances, development of aqueous nail enamel compositions containing no organic solvent is demanded, and intensive effort for the development is exerted.
The present technical standard of means for making aqueous nail enamel compositions can be summarized as follows:
(1) To use water-soluble or water-dispersible resins as the constituting resins.
(2) To use organic solvents which are miscible with water as the solvents.
(3) To use hydrophilic compounds as the plasticizers.
(4) To use compounds like the above (3) as film-forming aids employed in using emulsion resins.
These efforts of development of aqueous nail enamel compositions are disclosed in Japanese Patent Nos.2686880 and 2115767 and JP-A Hei 8(1996)-225434.
However, even if the above means are employed, the conversion of the organic solvent type nail enamel compositions to aqueous nail enamel compositions still has the following technical problems to be solved.
(1) In the case of using a water-soluble resin as the resin to enclose pigment, it is difficult to design the resin to have a high refractive index because of the conditions for rendering the resin water soluble, and consequently high gloss and clear color are difficult to obtain.
(2) It is difficult to enclose separately and completely a plurality of pigments with a water-soluble resin with no bare pigment to be present.
(3) A smooth surface cannot be obtained without using a water-soluble organic solvent or a film-forming aid, and it is difficult to obtain a nail enamel composition comprising solely water.
(4) It is difficult to obtain a long-term storage stability for aqueous pigment dispersion.
(5) It is difficult to give a goodly endurable adhesive force to a nail having an oily surface using a hydrophilic resin.

Method for producing aqueous nail enamel composition


In an apparatus and a method for indicating initial distance to empty (DTE) at completion of fueling, the initial DTE is calculated based on a fluctuating fuel consumption rate and is compensated by a compensation value so that DTE can be determined with more accuracy compared with an initial DTE calculated based on the fixed fuel consumption rate. The DTE to be confirmed can be thereby prevented from abruptly changing.

Generally, vehicle speed and distance traveled is displayed on a gauge cluster of a vehicle. Systems for calculating and displaying the distance to empty (DTE) with respect to the amount of fuel in the vehicle have recently been disclosed. In the case of a conventional system, the amount of remaining fuel is detected, and the DTE is derived from calculation of a fixed fuel consumption rate multiplied by the amount of fuel.
However, when calculating the DTE based on the fixed fuel consumption rate, variables in driving conditions such as driving style and road state are not reflected in the DTE such that there is often a substantial difference between the indicated DTE and the actual DTE, which causes confusion and/or inconvenience.
Accordingly, in order to prevent such confusion, a method of calculating the DTE based on a fluctuating fuel consumption rate, which reflects changes in driving conditions, is currently used. However, in the case of calculating the DTE based on fluctuating fuel consumption rate, there is a problem in that indicated DTE can be unexpectedly decreased or increased such that the driver is confused and confidence with respect to the indicated DTE is deteriorated.

Apparatus for indicating distance to empty of a vehicle, and a method thereof


An example method of generating one or more scripts specific to an application programming interface (API) type and language and in accordance with user-selected events includes receiving an API type and a language in which to implement a script. Events selected by a user via a graphical user interface in response to receiving a request to record the events may be recorded. Additionally, the user-selected events may be mapped to a set of commands specific to the API type and the language. Additionally, a script including a first command to import a set of modules specific to the API type and language, a second command to create a computing session, and the set of commands is generated.

A test management tool that manages the test process can save software testers the hassle of installing separate applications that are necessary for the testing process. They can be implemented with minimal programming ability, allowing for easy installation and monitoring of the test process across multiple project groups. Once installed, teams have instant access to a user interface and can immediately start running and recording test cases. These types of applications are designed to simplify the test management process with high levels of automation and tracking built in, yet don't require advanced programming skills or knowledge to implement. They are useful for teams who manage a variety of test cases and for larger teams who need an all-inclusive application for project management. A software developer may desire to automate specific scenarios for particular reasons. For example, the software developer may want to reproduce a bug or add a use case to a regression test suite.

Recordation of user interface events for script generation


The apparatus for driving a divider element which is slidable linearly and/or in curves, comprising a drive assembly guided by two running wheels on a running surface of a rail, the drive assembly having a drive shaft driven by an electric motor and a gearing, the drive shaft being coupled by a toothed gear to a toothed belt connected to the rail, and the drive assembly being connectable by a load shaft to the divider element. The drive assembly having a traveling assembly unit with a traveling assembly body having a head piece detachably connected to a drive unit, wherein the electric motor, and the gearing are arranged such that the drive shaft emerges vertically upward from the drive assembly so as to enable the toothed gear mounted on the drive shaft to engage the toothed belt retained above the running surface of the rail.

The invention relates to an apparatus for driving slidable, specifically, rotatable divider elements, as well as to a drive assembly for the drive apparatus, and a divider element driven by the drive apparatus.
Glass or wooden walls, sliding panels, doors, or shutters—hereafter called divider elements—which are immovably mounted or attached so as to move on drive assemblies slidable along a rail, and are optionally rotatably mounted and/or stackable or parkable—are often employed to separate or configure rooms, or to close off room or window openings.
Reference [1], WO 2004/005656, discloses the drive apparatus, illustrated below in FIG. 1 which serves to drive an optionally rotatable or parkable divider element 3 which is slidable linearly and/or in curves, and which is attached to at least two drive assemblies 2000, 2001 moving on a rail 100 and provided with running wheels 211, the first of these drive assemblies 2000 being provided with an electric motor 43 located between the running wheels. The vertical drive shaft of electric motor 43 is connected to a gearing 44 which is connected by flanges 61, 62 to a connector shaft 63 which in turn drives a toothed gear 91 engaging a toothed belt 51. Connector shaft 63 is rotatably supported at its upper end by a first flange 62 in the housing of drive assembly 2000 and at its lower end by a second flange 64 within a coupling piece 33. The solution disclosed in [1] provides a very compact design for the drive assembly provided with the drive motor and gearing.
The disadvantage of this solution, on the other hand, is the fact that a high degree of interdependence between individual elements of the apparatus results from the compact design, this interdependence having the effect that modifications and further developments of the drive assembly entail considerable expense.
Another drive for a sliding door wing guided along a rail and having a compactly designed drive assembly provided with a drive motor is described in [2], EP 1 319 789 A1. The drive motor, which is located on the side facing away from the door wing, that is, above a toothed gear engaging a toothed belt, and the single running wheel are accommodated in the drive assembly that is fixed to the door wing. The drive shaft of the drive motor is provided with a pinion which effectively engages a gear ring which is connected to a center element of the toothed gear, which gear is supported in a rotationally movable manner about its vertical axis of rotation by two bearing rings on a load shaft. The load shaft is supported in a rotationally movable manner about the under-load rotational axis by two spaced bearing rings located above the toothed gear on a drive assembly body of the drive assembly. The under-load rotational axis of the load shaft and the rotational axis of the toothed gear are thus arranged coaxially relative to each other—however, offset relative to the drive shaft of the drive motor. With this drive assembly as well, the arrangement of the load shaft and toothed gear also results in a compact design which, however, means that the toothed gear and the load shaft passing through this gear must be decoupled from each other by bearing rings—again resulting in undesirable interdependencies which figure prominently when examining the arrangement of the drive motor which must be installed very precisely in order to bring about the optimum effective connection between the pinion and the gear ring mounted on the toothed gear. Any changes in the dimensions of the drive assembly body or of the drive motor would most likely result in a relatively high modification expense. In light of the fact that the drive motor already has the design of a gear motor which is normally supplied by a specialized manufacturer, additional gearing elements to be installed in the apparatus by the user of the gear motor should be avoided. This is true especially in light of the fact that additional gearing elements result in relatively high fabrication, assembly and maintenance costs. This last fact is especially relevant since the pinion and gear ring are not integrated in a gearing unit so as to be protected, and the quality standard for the gearing manufacturer is essentially unattainable.

Drive apparatus for a slidable divider element, drive assembly and divider element


In a leadframe supporting a semiconductor device, the tiebar adjacent the mold gate is kinked, or cut and bent, to form a baffle shielding bond wires connecting the semiconductor device to the leadframe from damage by a jet of incoming molding compound. Whether kinked or cut/bent, the baffle extends out of the plane of the leadframe so as to be disposed more-or-less directly in front of the gate.

Present plastic packaging techniques involve molding a plastic package "body" around a semiconductor die. Prior to molding, the die is attached to a lead frame, or the like, having a plurality of leads. The leads have inner portions within the package body, and outer portions exiting the package body for connecting to external circuits, such as by conductors on a printed circuit board. Various forms of plastic packaged ICs are known, including DIP (Dual In-line Package), PQFP (Plastic Quad Flat Pack) and PLCC (Plastic Leaded Chip Carrier).
Microelectronics Packaging Handbook, edited by Tummala and Rymaszewski, published 1988 by Van Nostrand Reinhold, discloses transfer molding at pages 578-591. Generally, as described therein, transfer molding has been and still is the standard workhorse of the electronic packaging industry. It is an automated version of compression molding in which a preform of plastic compound is forced from a pot into a hot mold cavity. The molds are steel, and have top and bottom "halves". Each mold half has a cavity defining the size, shape and surface finish of a plastic IC package. "Gates" are small openings into the cavities where the molding compound is injected. "Vents" are other small openings allowing air to escape the cavity when molding compound is injected.
The molding compound is typically a polymer that is a solid at room temperature. It is melted prior to transfer to the cavity. The viscosity of the melted compound is generally relatively high, and the transfer occurs at elevated temperatures and pressures--typically at 900 psi (pounds per square inch) and 175 degrees centigrade.
One problem in the molding process is minimizing "wire sweep". Wire sweep refers to the displacement and/or distortion of wires attaching the semiconductor die to the lead frame (or the like) as the molding compound is injected into the cavity. As noted in Microelectronics Packaging Handbook, gates are usually placed in the bottom mold half, so that the "jet" of molding compound is directed away from the bond wires.
Another approach to minimizing wire sweep is to provide gates in both the top and bottom mold halves, as disclosed for example in copending, commonly-owned U.S. Patent Application No. 619,107, filed 11/27/90 by Schneider and Fehr.
FIGS. 1A and 1B show a typical plastic-packaged semiconductor device 100 of the prior art. A semiconductor die 102 is connected, such as by a number of bond wires 104, to inner ends of a corresponding number of leads 106. Other techniques for connecting the die to the inner ends of the leads are known. A plastic body 108 is formed about the die 102 and the inner ends of the leads, by any of a number of known molding processes. The exposed outer portions of the leads 106, exterior the body 108, are bent downwardly (indicated by the dashed line "C") and outwardly (indicated by the dashed line "D") to form what is commonly termed a "gull wing" configuration. Each lead 106 has a width (w) on the order of eight thousandths of an inch (0.2 mm), and the spacing (s) between adjacent leads 106 is typically on the order of twenty thousandths of an inch (0.5 mm).
The wires used to interconnect the die to the leadframe are typically made of pure gold having a diameter on the order of 0.0013 inch. The length of the bond wires can extend in length up to about 0.160 inch. In each device, these bond wires may be spaced apart at separations of only 0.005 inch.
FIG. 1B shows a lead form (or frame) 120 having a plurality of leads 106. The lead frame is formed from a conductive foil having a thickness (t) on the order of a few thousandths of an inch (e.g. 0.004-0.006 inch). The material for the leads 106 is typically copper, or "Alloy 42". As shown, the leads 106 terminate in an outer square ring portion 122 of the lead frame 120, from which the completed (packaged) device is ultimately excised, as indicated by the dashed line "A". Of particular note in FIG. 1B are "dambars" 124 bridging adjacent leads 106 at a position indicated by the dashed line "B" (closely adjacent or immediately exterior to the body 108. The dambars 124 are formed from the conductive material forming the leads 106, and hence are of the same thickness as the leads 106. These dambars 124 aid in maintaining alignment between the inner ends of the leads, although a die attach pad (not shown) formed from the foil is typically employed and will serve the same purpose. More importantly, however, the dambars 124 are critical in the molding process, discussed hereinbelow. (Since the leads 106 create a gap between the clamshell halves of the mold, the dambars 124 prevent plastic from "flashing" between the leads 106 exterior the body 108. After the die is packaged in the plastic body, the dambars 124 are excised, and any residual plastic flash between the outer portions of leads 106 is cleaned out in a "dejunking" step. )
FIG. 1C shows, generally, a tape-mounted semiconductor device assembly 10, as described in copending, commonly-owned U.S. Patent Application No. 454,752, entitled HEAT SINK FOR SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE ASSEMBLY, filed Dec. 19, 1989 by Long, Schneider and Patil. The semiconductor device assembly 10 includes an upper, segmented plastic film layer 14, formed of segments 14A, 14B, 14C and 14D), a lower plastic film layer 16, metallic leads 18 sandwiched between the two plastic layers 14 and 16, a metallic (preferably copper) die attach pad 20 supported between the two plastic layers 14 and 16, a semiconductor device 22 mounted on the die attach pad 20 and bond leads 24 connecting the semiconductor device 22 to the leads 18. In lieu of employing bond wires 24, conductive bumps may be employed to provide a conductive path from the device 22 to the leads 18 in a tape automated bonding (TAB) process.
The upper plastic layer 14 does not form a continuous surface, but rather is segmented to include an inner ring portion 14A, one or more intermediate ring portions 14B and 14C disposed outside of the inner ring portion, and an exterior ring portion 14D disposed outside of the intermediate ring portions. The upper plastic layer 14 is formed of a plastic tape, such as KAPTON, and forms a thin, insulating supportive structure for the leads 18. The inside periphery of the inner ring portion 14A supports the outside periphery of the die attach pad 20, and the outside periphery of the inner ring portion 14A supports the innermost ends of the leads 18, in essence forming a "bridge" between the die attach pad and the leads. A layer-like quantity of silicone gel 28, such as Dow Corning Q1-4939, having a 1 to 10 mixing ratio of curing agent to base, encapsulates the leads 24. A body 30, formed of molding compound (described hereinafter), is formed around the device 22, leaving outer portions of the leads 18 exposed, exterior the body. The silicone gel 28 acts as a moisture barrier and a stress relief for the leads 24 during body molding, as well as prevents molding compound from contacting the semiconductor die. Surface tension between the silicone gel and the leads 24 keeps the silicone gel in place around the leads during assembly of the semiconductor device assembly. The lower plastic layer 16 covers the bottom of the die attach pad 20, and extends generally over the entire area described by the intermediate ring portion 14C, on the opposite side of the leads 18 and die attach pad 20. The lower plastic layer 16 is formed of a plastic tape material, such as KAPTON.
A "surrogate" lead frame (edge ring) 12 is provided for handling the semiconductor device assembly during manufacture thereof, and shorts the outer ends of the leads 18 to facilitate electroplating. After molding the body about the device, the semiconductor device assembly is excised from the lead frame 12 and exterior ring portion 14D, neither of which properly form any part of the ultimate semiconductor device assembly 10.
FIGS. 2A, 2B and 2C show transfer molding apparatus of the prior art. Transfer molding is an automated version of compression molding in which hot, liquid molding compound is forced from a reservoir, or pot, into mold cavities.
Molding compounds are typically resins, such as advanced B-stage compounds. In general purpose applications, wood-flour-filled phenolics, for instance, are fairly popular due to their excellent moldability and low cost. As powders and granules, they are also easily shaped into pellets by automatic preformers. The main drawback with phenolics is their limited colorability. When coloring is a major design factor, melamine, polyester, or urea are usually selected because there is a wider selection of shades and colors. For electronic packaging, the preferred resin is epoxy.
The mold set 200 has two halves, a top half 202 and a bottom half 204, each of which is provided with a recess 206 and 208, respectively. The recesses face each other when the mold is closed, forming a cavity 210 defining the size, shape and surface finish of a molded body (e.g., 108 of FIG. 1A). As shown in FIG. 2C, the mold halves close around the lead frame (e.g., 122 of FIG. 1B; or surrogate lead frame 12 of FIG. 1C), that close about open to receive lead frames and are closed (as shown), so that the semiconductor device (e.g., 102 of FIG. 1B) is contained within the cavity 210.
The bottom half 204 of the mold set is typically provided with a primary "runner" 212 receiving molten molding compound from a pot 214. One or more secondary runners 214 extend from the primary runner 212 to the cavity 210, in the bottom half 204 of the mold set. At the interface between the secondary runner 214 and the cavity 208 is a "gate" 216. "Gates" are small openings into the cavity 210 where the liquid molding compound is injected, and are normally found only in the bottom mold half ("chase") under the plane of the chip and the wires to minimize wire sweep. Typical gate dimensions are 60-100 mils wide (at the cavity interface) by 20-30 mils deep (from the secondary runner to the cavity). Air vent slots (not shown) are located opposite each gate to prevent partial fill and voids in the finished part.
In the case of a molding press provided with multiple mold sets (hence, multiple cavities), the layout of the runner system is balanced to provide for an even distribution of molding compound to each cavity. The object is to fill each cavity with compound of uniform density so that parts located next to a pressurized input (not shown) will have identical properties to those located at the other locations along the primary runner.
It has been noted that the flow of molten compound (plastic) into the bottom mold half causes not only wire sweep, but also can cause distortion of the die attach pad (e.g., 20, FIG. IC). Large die attach pads are forced upward in the process, destroying wire bonds or disorienting the die. The result is often reject parts, which represent waste and decreased throughput. Further, as lead count increases (lead pitch gets finer) each lead becomes increasingly more delicate, exacerbating the aforementioned problems.
These problems are particularly evident when the semiconductor device (die) is mounted to a tape, in what is termed a "tape automated bonding" (TAB) process (See e.g., FIG. 1C). Because the supporting TAB structure (e.g., 14, 16, 18, FIG. 1C) is flimsier than lead frame counterparts (e.g., 122, FIG. 1B), extra care in handling during the molding process is required. Proposed solutions include positioning delicate metal inserts (not shown) within the mold to aid in supporting the tape, or modifying the mold (not shown) to clamp down on only a predetermined portion of the tape. In the former, an additional time lag is introduced into the molding cycle. In the latter, accurate tape indexing and operator monitoring would be required. Another option is to use a stronger tape, such as TapePac (trademark of National Semiconductor). However, the TapePac tape has a relatively low number of leads, and presents a restrictive sourcing requirement.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,987,473 discloses a leadframe (50) wherein one series of lead tips (50a, 50c, 50e..) are bent upwards, and another series of lead tips (50b, 50d, 50f..) are bent downwards to form a leadframe with multi-tier leads, for the purpose of allowing denser packaging. This patent is cited as an example of lead frames.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,994,895 discloses a hybrid integrated circuit package. By way of example, a circuit substrate (2) is mounted to a lead frame (9) having upwardly deformed inner leads (31) and lowered stages (100), and is directed to relieving stress on the substrate.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,556,896 discloses a lead frame structure. IN FIG. 12, for example, we see two mold halves (60 and 70), and an opening (50) formed in a portion (30) of the lead frame straddling the lateral edge of the cavity (61). In other words, part of the lead frame structure is modified to act as a gate.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,788,583 discloses a semiconductor element (1) mounted on a stage (2; also known as "die attach pad"), and stage bars (3 and 4; also known as "tie bars") extending from both sides of the stage for supporting the stage during the production process. In FIG. 2A therein, the stage bars (15 and 16) are shortened, and end inside the resin package (17). A two step molding process is disclosed. As shown in FIG. 5 therein, after a first, inner package molding process, portions of the stage bars (26 and 27) in the vicinity of the frames (28 and 29) are cut off. Thereafter, an outer resin package portion (19) is formed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,018,003 discloses a lead frame (8), wherein an outer frame portion (2) is disposed in a gate portion of mold halves for the purpose of splitting the mold compound flow evenly into the top and bottom portions of the mold. Evidently mold design would be affected by whether or not the disclosed lead frame were to be used.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,043,027 discloses a process for encapsulating electronic components, showing bottom gating.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,894,704 discloses a lead frame for resin molding. A projection or extended portion (16) is formed at the edge of the inner lead part (15) nearest to a gate part (13). A resin flow passes through the mold and collides with the projection near an inlet of the cavity. The air at corners near the cavity inlet is purged away and, consequently, pressure transfer efficiency at the corners is enhanced. Notably, the projections (16) are coplanar with the lead frame.
While the patents cited above show various modifications to a lead frame, they neither disclose nor suggest the lead frame structure of the present invention.

Modified lead frame for reducing wire wash in transfer molding of IC packages


A pharmaceutical composition for the treatment of rheumatism and a method of preparing it are provided. The composition consists of an alcoholic extract of 1-4 parts by weight Tripterygium hypoglaucum (Levl.) Hutch.; 1-4 parts by weight Epimedium brevicornum Maxim.; 1-4 parts by weight Lycium barbarum L.; and 1-4 parts by weight Cuscuta chinensis Lam., or Cuscuta australis R. Br. The composition has substantial therapeutic efficacy, with mild side effects, and is easy to administer.

Rheumatism and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are generally considered to be difficult-to-treat diseases. Approximately 18 million RA patients are disabled by the disease. Research into new medications to treat RA has already been underway for almost a century. Aspirin was the earliest medication widely used for RA. Medications to treat RA may be generally divided into two types: non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and immunosuppressants. NSAIDs include diclofenac and other anti-inflammatories and adrenal cortical hormones. Clinical studies demonstrate that NSAIDs are effective. Immunosuppressants and cytotoxic medications include methotrexate, cyclophosphamide, and penicillamine, among others. In recent years, immunomodulation has been used as a method for treating rheumatic diseases. All anti-rheumatism drugs have been shown to have serious side effects and to date, a high-efficacy, low-toxicity medication has not yet been developed.
There are three main areas of emphasis in the research and development of anti-rheumatism drugs. The first includes NSAIDs and cytokine antagonists, such as recombinant soluble tumor necrosis factor antagonists, interleukin-1 receptor antagonists and platelet activation factor inhibitors. The second area is new immunosuppressants or immunomodulators, such as cyclosporin A. The third area is compound medications.
Early treatment of bi syndrome (obstruction of qi and blood, RA) in the field of traditional Chinese medicine can be dated to the ancient Chinese physician Zhang Zhongjing, "decoction of herba ephedrae, semen armeniacae amarum, gypsum fibrosum and radix glycyrrhizae," "decoction of radix stephaniae tetrandrae and radix astragali" and "decoction of radix aconite." Kniphofia uvaria is a plant that grows wild in Sichuan Province, and in local area clinical trials (in Sichuan) it has been proven to have definite therapeutic efficacy for patients with rheumatism. Unfortunately, at the same time many uncontrollable problems and serious side effects on the human reproduction system have been observed.
In traditional Chinese medicine, there is a long history of treating bi syndrome, and in past eras, physicians have developed traditional Chinese medications to treat it. There are a number of medications with high therapeutic efficacy. In the 1995 and 2000 editions of the Chinese Pharmacopeia are collected no fewer than 80 single medications and 29 proprietary medications to treat bi syndrome. But there are problems, chiefly {circle around (1)} therapeutic efficacy against severe bi syndrome such as rheumatoid arthritis is still less than ideal, {circle around (2)} the preparation's dosage form cannot meet the needs of today's lifestyle, {circle around (3)} a small number of medications possess therapeutic efficacy that could be termed good yet with major toxic side effects, such as the Radix tripterygii wilfordii preparation. This necessitates research and development of an anti-rheumatism medication with high efficacy and low toxicity, in a dosage form suited to today's lifestyle and medication-use habits, in particular a medication with treatment efficacy that can approach the efficacy of synthetic anti-rheumatism medications and has relatively mild side effects.

Pharmaceutical composition for treating rheumatism, and method of making same

Sichuan Institute of Chinese Materia Medica

Guangzhou Chen Li Ji Pharmaceutical Factory


A method and an arrangement for quality estimation when detecting an information frame, for instance a speech frame transmitted in a radio communication system in accordance with time division multiple access (TDMA), although the method can also be applied with frequency divided radio systems. There is used the soft information available in the radio receiver which is intended to detect the speech frame and process this signal information in accordance with those principles applicable to known neural nets. Prior to use, the neural net is aligned to the radio communication system concerned. The invention enables better information relating to possible error in the speech frame to be delivered to error correcting units in the radio receiver.

The present invention relates to a method of achieving improved quality estimation when detecting information frames, and particularly when detecting erroneous speech frames in conjunction with channel decoding and subsequent speech decoding in the receiver of a radio communication system which operates, for instance, with time division multiple access (so-called TDMA). The inventive method, however, can also be used with frequency division radio systems (FDMA). The invention also relates to an arrangement in a radio station using the method.
In a radio system which operates with time division multiple access (e.g. TDMA), data messages and control messages are transmitted in bursts over certain time slots between a primary station (base station) and one or more secondary stations (mobiles).
The primary and the secondary stations both have a transmitter and a receiver side. The transmitter side includes a speech coder, channel coder and a modulator. The receiver side includes corresponding units, namely a demodulator, channel decoder and speech decoder.
Speech to be transmitted from, for instance, a secondary station (mobile) to a base station is speech-coded in the transmission side of the secondary station and is divided into speech frames prior to channel coding and transmission in the form of bursts in accordance with the access method (TDMA) concerned.
For instance, the speech coded signals may be divided in speech frames (which are not the same as the TDMA-frames) with coded speech samples and transmitted in accordance with a given access method (TDMA). For instance, the speech can be divided in speech frames each of 20 ms. This gives 160 samples at a sampling rate of 8 kHz, which in turn gives 260 bits/speech frames at a speech coding rate of 13 kbit/s.
The speech frames are coded in the channel coder in accordance with a given code, which may be a block code or a convolution code. Some of the bits in a speech frame are more sensitive, i.e. carry more important information and it is thus more important that these bits can be received correctly.
These more sensitive bits can be protected, by adding redundant parity bits in the channel coder. These redundant bits can be used for error detection and/or error correction of bit errors later-on in the receiver. The so-called bit error rate (i.e. quality) of a received message, e.g. a speech frame, may also be estimated in the receiver. When a bit-containing frame is received, the channel decoder uses the redundant bits to correct the most sensitive bits. If it is not possible to correct bit errors, it is necessary to indicate that the whole bit contents of the speech frame (or a part of a speech frame) is bad, i.e. erroneous.
When decoding speech in the receiver (speech synthesis), a bad frame can result in greatly impaired speech. The most sensitive, or susceptible, bits belong to such frame parameters as amplification and spectral distribution. When errors occur in bits which represent these parameters, the decoded and outgoing speech will be heavily distorted by slamming sound and disturbing noise.
One method of improving the subjective quality in a digital cellular system in which, for instance, fading distorts a complete speech frame, is to take action so as to reduce the speech distortion. One example of such action is to repeat the previously received error-free speech frame parameters and/or introduce limitations of the speech frame parameters.
To the same end, it is also known to introduce a so-called BFI (Bad Frame Indicator) into the channel decoder of the cellular radio system GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication). This gives an indication in the form of a binary signal to the speech decoder on the receiver side, which denotes whether a frame error has occurred or not.
In order to achieve good properties regarding the aforesaid known measures of improving the subjective speech quality, it is necessary to achieve good and accurate estimation of the quality of the speech frame data received. For instance, the error indication given by the bad frame indicator, BFI, used in the GSM-system is too coarse, since the BFI only gives a logic "1" for an error-free frame and a logic "0" for a bad or erroneous frame. Frame detection which is more bit selective, i.e. detection which indicates more precisely those parts of a frame which contain erroneous bits, would greatly improve the speech quality. Furthermore, the BFI itself may be erroneous. Error-free frames which are detected as being erroneous, and similarly non-detected erroneous frames, will impair the possibilities of taking error-correcting measures in the subsequent speech decoding process (the speech synthesis).
The aforesaid earlier known error detecting block code necessitates the addition of redundant bits to the speech data bits, which means that the bit rate must be increased. When the number of redundant bits is reduced, the block code becomes too weak to provide satisfactory error detection.
Another known method, on which the present method is based, involves the use of so-called soft information in frame error indicating processes. These values are already available to the detection process, and hence no additional parameters or bits which are able to influence the bit rate, such as when using block codes are inserted. However, the sole use of soft information in the error-indicating process, as is earlier known, does not provide the improvement that is provided with the use of block codes. The correlation between soft information and bit errors is often not sufficiently high for the frames received. Furthermore, the correlation varies with different types of channels. The metrics from a so-called Viterbi decoder in the receiver constitute an example of soft information.

Method and an arrangement for frame detection quality estimation in the receiver of a radio communication system