A page buffer for a flash memory has a power supply, a latch circuit, and a plurality of switches. Initially the switches are controlled for resetting a first terminal and a second terminal of the latch circuit to a respective predetermined voltage. If a memory cell is not to be programmed, the voltage levels of the first terminal and the second terminal remain unchanged when the power supply outputs a programming voltage. If the memory cell is to be programmed, the voltage levels of the first terminal and the second terminal are changed when the power supply outputs the programming voltage. Each of the first terminal and the second terminal will regain the predetermined voltage after the memory cell is completely programmed to store a predetermined binary digit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a page buffer. In particular, the present invention discloses a page buffer with an improved programming efficiency for a non-volatile memory.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recently, flash memory technology is quickly developed owing to a great demand for portable electric products. The flash memory related market is also further advancing associated researches into flash memory devices. The portable electric products include digital cameras, cellular phones, video game apparatus, personal digital assistants, electric recorders, and programmable ICs. For example, digital cameras need the flash memory to replace the traditional film, and the cellular phones, video game apparatus, personal digital assistants, electric recorders, and programmable ICs require the flash memory to store data or programs.
The flash memory is a non-volatile memory. That is, the flash memory records data through changing a threshold voltage of a transistor or a memory cell to control a gate channel induced at the transistor or the memory cell. The data stored in the flash memory, therefore, will not be cleared or lost even thought a corresponding operating voltage of the flash memory is turned off. The flash memory is viewed as a special structure of an electrically erasable and programmable read only memory (EEPROM).
Please refer to FIG. 1, which is a structure diagram of a prior art EEPROM 10. EEPROM 10 has a substrate 12, a source 14, a drain 16, a floating gate 18, and a control gate 20. The floating gate 18 is separated from a channel 22 positioned in the substrate 12 by an oxide layer 24. The substrate 12 is electrically connected to a reference voltage Vbb. Generally speaking, a ground voltage is often used as the reference voltage. If the EEPROM 10 has an N-channel metal oxide semiconductor (NMOS) structure, the substrate 12 is a p-doped area, and the source 14 and the drain 16 are n-doped areas. On the contrary, if the EEPROM 10 has a P-channel metal oxide semiconductor (PMOS) structure, the substrate 12 is an n-doped area, and the source 14 and the drain 16 are p-doped areas.
Operation of the EEPROM 10 is briefly described as follows. A voltage Vcg inputted into the control gate 20 is capable of altering the total amount of electrons stored on the floating gate 18. A threshold voltage related to formation of the channel 22 is affected by the amount of electrons stored on the floating gate 18. Therefore, the EEPROM 10 senses two states (xe2x80x9c0xe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9c1xe2x80x9d) according to the amount of electrons stored on the floating gate 18 while performing a reading operation. The amount of electrons is adjusted by driving electrons from the channel 22 to the floating gate 18 or by expelling electrons from the floating gate 18. When the floating gate 18 stores more electrons, the threshold voltage related to formation of the channel 22 is increased. On the other hand, when the floating gate 18 stores fewer electrons, the threshold voltage related to formation of the channel 22 is decreased. In order to make the source 14 and the drain 16 of the EEPROM 10 electrically connected, the control voltage Vcg is inputted into the control gate 20 trying to overcome the existing threshold voltage affected by electrons on the floating gate 18.
Therefore, current passing through the source 14 and the drain 16 is sensed to determine whether a binary digit xe2x80x9c0xe2x80x9d or a binary digit xe2x80x9c1xe2x80x9d is stored by the EEPROM 10. If the control voltage Vcg is high enough to overcome the threshold voltage (fewer electrons stored on the floating gate 18), the detected current value is high. On the contrary, if the control voltage Vcg is not high enough to overcome the threshold voltage (more electrons stored on the floating gate 18), the detected current value is low. The data recorded on the EEPROM 10 is easily read owing to different threshold voltages.
For the sake of programming the EEPROM 10, the total amount of electrons stored on the floating gate 18 must be precisely controlled to obtain a required threshold voltage. A Fowler-Nordheim tunneling or a hot electron injection is normally adopted to control electrons on the floating gate 18. For example, the hot electron injection is performed by inputting the control voltage Vcg with 10 volts into the control gate 20, inputting a voltage Vd with 5 volts into the drain 16, and inputting a ground voltage Vs into the source 14. When electrons move from the source 14 to the drain 16 via the channel 22, an electric field built between the control gate 20 and the source 14 and an electric field built between source 14 and the drain 16 accelerate the electrons positioned around the drain 16 so that the electrons will achieve high kinetic energy. In the end, the positive voltage at the control gate 20 will attract electrons that have overcome a potential energy barrier existing in the oxide layer 24, and pulls electrons up to the floating gate 18.
The Fowler-Nordheim tunneling is performed by inputting the control voltage Vcg with 7 volts to the control gate 20, inputting a positive voltage Vs to the source 14, and floating the drain 16. An electric field is built between the source 14 and the control gate 20, and pierces the oxide layer 24. The electrons positioned on the floating gate 18 are affected by the electric field established between the control gate 20 and the source 14, and are energized to overcome the potential energy barrier existing in the oxide layer 24. In the end, the electrons will tunnel through the oxide layer 24 and reach the source 14. Compared with other memory devices such as a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), the flash memory requires a longer period of time to finish charging and discharging the floating gate 18 to record data. The data access speed of the flash memory, therefore, is limited by the above-mentioned drawback.
Please refer to FIG. 2, which is a block diagram of a prior art flash memory device 30. The flash memory device 30 has a controller 32, a sense amplifier 34, a status register 36, a charge pump circuit 38, an X decoder 40, a Y decoder 42, and a memory 44. The memory 44 has a plurality of memory cells 46 arranged in a matrix format for storing binary data. The controller 32 is used to control operation of the flash memory device 30 to access each memory cell 46 of the memory 44. The status register 36 records a current operating status (programming, reading, or erasing) related to the memory 44.
A computer system, therefore, reads the status register 36 through the controller 32 to decide a succeeding operation suitable to be applied upon the flash memory device 30. The sense amplifier 34 reads the memory cells 46, and amplifies a corresponding result detected from the memory cell 46. The charge pump circuit 38 is used to provide the memory cells 46 with appropriate voltages required for performing programming, reading, or erasing operations. The X decoder 40 and the Y decoder 42 are used to locate each memory cell 46 with an associated memory address such as a specific column and a specific row. Each memory cell 46 does not have exactly the same structure owing to many unexpected variations induced during the semiconductor process. Therefore, the quantity of electrons passing through the oxide layer 24 to the floating gate 18 is not easy to predict and control. In other words, an external voltage such as the control voltage Vcg does not precisely adjust a desired amount of the electrons stored on the floating gate 18. When the X decoder 40 receives data transmitted from the controller 32, and decodes the data to locate the memory cell 46 on row n, the Y decoder 42 also receives data transmitted from the controller 32, and decodes the data to program each memory cell 46 at the same row n according to an associated voltage generated by the charge pump circuit 38. Therefore, each memory cell 46 located at the row n will record a corresponding binary digit based on the data generated from the controller 32.
As mentioned above, each memory cell 46 has a specific characteristic. Some of the memory cells 46 will be successfully programmed after a predetermined time, but other memory cells 46 may not be correctly programmed owing to the individual characteristics. The flash memory 30, therefore, has to check whether each memory cell 46 at the n column is programmed successfully. That is, a verification operation is applied to check whether the floating gate 18 of each memory cell 46 has stored an appropriate amount of electrons according to the data transmitted by the controller 32.
However, it takes much time to check each memory cell 46 individually. In addition, when the flash memory 30 detects that one memory cell 46 is not programmed successfully, all the memory cells 46 located at the column n have to be programmed repeatedly until the data stored on the memory cells 46 are identical to the data transmitted from the controller 32. If there is one bit within one byte that does not record the right value, the byte will be programmed repeatedly to store the exact data. It is obvious that the repeated programming operation is time-consuming, and deteriorates access efficiency of the flash memory 30. In addition, excessive programming operations applied on the same memory cell 46 will damage the physical structure of the memory cell 46 so that the memory cell 46 may malfunction henceforth.
It is therefore a primary objective of this invention to provide a page buffer of a flash memory to improve programming efficiency.
Briefly summarized, the preferred embodiment of the claimed invention discloses a page buffer for updating data stored in a memory cell of a flash memory according to an input signal. The page buffer includes a power supply for outputting a first voltage and a second voltage, a latch circuit having a first terminal and a second terminal, and a plurality of switches. For the latch circuit, one of the first and second terminals approaches a high voltage level when another one approaches a low voltage level. The latch circuit is used to latch voltage levels of the first and second terminals according to the input signal inputted into either the first terminal or the second terminal.
The switches include a first switch electrically connected between the power supply and the first terminal of the latch circuit, a second switch electrically connected to the second terminal of the latch circuit, a third switch electrically connected to the first terminal of the latch circuit, a fourth switch whose one end is electrically connected to the power supply and another end is electrically connected to the second switch and the third switch, and a fifth switch electrically connected between the second terminal of the latch circuit and the memory cell.
The first switch is controlled to drive each of the first and the second terminals of the latch circuit to a predetermined voltage respectively during a first period. The second and the fourth switches are controlled to adjust voltage levels of the first and the second terminals of the latch circuit based on the input signal during a second period after the first period. The fifth and the fourth switches are controlled to refresh the memory cell based on the input signal during a third period after the second period. The third and the fourth switches are controlled to verify whether a data stored in the memory cell is identical to the input signal during a fourth period after the third period.
The memory cell is successfully updated according to the input signal if the data stored in the memory cell is identical to the input signal. However, if the data stored in the memory cell is not identical to the input signal, each operation performed during the third and fourth periods is started repeatedly until the data stored in the memory cell is identical to the input signal.
It is an advantage of the claimed invention to use switches to control operation of the page buffer. Therefore, each page buffer is independent, and is used to program a corresponding memory cell. The page buffer is started to program the corresponding memory cell repeated only until the memory cell has been programmed successfully. At the same time, other page buffers are disabled without programming corresponding memory cells again if the memory cells have been programmed successfully. The claimed page buffers can avoid programming all of the memory cells at the same word line repeatedly if there is one memory cell that cannot store the correct data by keeping an appropriate amount of electrons on the floating gate. In other words, the possibility of damaging the physic structure of the memory cell owing to excessive programming operation is reduced, and the normal functioning of the flash memory is maintained for a longer period.


An information processing apparatus of built-in printer type which is excellent in portability and operability, comprising a printer paper receptacle arranged on the lower side of a keyboard, and a printer unit constructed on the side of the keyboard normally facing the user. Further, a printed paper receptacle is arranged on the rear side of a display unit. The paper ejection slit of the printer unit and the paper insertion slit of the printed paper receptacle are formed so as to be united when the display unit is closed. When a print operation is performed with the display unit closed, a sheet of paper printed on by the printer unit is received into the printed paper receptacle through the ejection slit as well as the insertion slit, automatically in the closed state of the apparatus.

The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, for example, a word processor, which has a built-in printer and which fulfills the function of printing the edited results of a document, etc. on a medium such as paper.
In general, a prior-art information processing apparatus with a built-in printer has the printer arranged at an upper rear part within the body of the apparatus. The casing of the body is provided with an opening or inlet through which sheets of printer paper are supplied to the printer, and a plate-like paper guide on which the sheets of paper are caused to lean in order to lead them to the opening. Further, the casing is provided with a paper ejection guide by which the printer paper having been printed on is led out of the apparatus. Such an information processing apparatus is, for example, a document editing apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 197951/1990.
When executing a print operation in the information processing apparatus of the type specified above, the operator of the apparatus inserts the printer paper manually along the paper guide and thereafter starts the printing. After printing, the operator removes the printer paper coming out of the apparatus along the paper ejection guide, as a printed result.
With the prior-art technique, the operator must manually insert and remove the printer paper and the printed paper, and the troublesome operations are forced upon him/her. This poses the problem that the operability of the apparatus is inferior with regard to the printing operation.
There is also a system (for example, a technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 313897/1988) wherein, in order to solve the aforementioned problem, an automatic paper feeder is installed so as to automate the paper insertion and removal operations. Since, however, the automatic paper feeder needs to be mounted outside an information processing apparatus, the whole system becomes large in size and is problematic regarding the portability thereof. Another problem is that the attachment and detachment of the automatic paper feeder are not easy. As a further problem, sheets of printer paper are set on the paper feed tray of the automatic paper feeder, and sheets of printed paper as printed results are delivered to the paper ejection tray of the feeder and are piled up thereon, so that the contents of the printed results can be viewed by another person other than the user, and the sheets of printer paper and printed paper might scatter to cause an unsightly scene around the system. These are serious problems, especially for a small-sized information processing apparatus whose portability is regarded as important and which will possibly be used in various places.


This publication discloses a circuit-board construction and a method for manufacturing an electronic module, in which method at least one component (6) is embedded inside an insulating-material layer (1) and contacts (14) are made to connect the component (6) electrically to the conductor structures (14, 19) contained in the electronic module. According to the invention, at least one thermal via (22), which boosts the conducting of heat away from the component (6) is manufactured in the insulating-material layer (1) in the vicinity of the component (6).

The present invention relates to a method for the manufacture of an electronic component and a circuit-board construction.
The invention particularly relates to a manufacturing method, in which one or more components are embedded in an installation base. The electronic module being manufactured can be a module like a circuit board, which contains several components, which are connected to each other electrically through conductor structures manufactured in the electronic module. In particular, the invention relates to an electronic module, which contains microcircuits, to which several contact terminals are connected. Of course, in addition to, or instead of microcircuits, other components too, for example passive components, can be embedded in an installation base. The intention is thus to embed in the electronic module components that are typically attached uncased to a circuit board (to the surface of the circuit board). Another important component group consists of components that are typically encased for attachment to a circuit board. The electronic modules, to which the invention relates, can of course also include other kinds of components.
The installation base can be of a type that is generally used in the electronics industry as a base for installing electrical components. The tasks of the base are to provide a mechanical attachment base for the components as well as the necessary electrical connections, both to the other components on the base and to those outside the base. The installation base can be a circuit board, so that the structure and method to which the invention relates are closely associated with circuit-board manufacturing technology. The installation base can also be some other base, for example, a base used for packaging a component or components, or the base of a complete operational module.
Circuit-board manufacturing technology differs from the manufacture of microcircuits, for instance, in that, in the manufacturing techniques of microcircuits, the installation base, that is a substrate, is a semiconductor material, whereas the basic material of the installation base of circuit boards is some kind of insulation material. The techniques for manufacturing microcircuits are also typically considerably more expensive that those for manufacturing circuit boards.
The casings and packages of components and particularly semiconductor components differ from the construction and manufacture of circuit boards, in that the primary purpose of component packages is to form a casing around the component, which will protect the component mechanically and facilitate the handling of the component. On the surface of the component casing, there are connection parts, typically protrusions, with the aid of which the cased component can be easily correctly aligned on the circuit board and the desired connections created to it. In addition, there are conductors inside the component case, which connect the connection parts protruding outside the case to the connection areas on the surface of the actual component, through which the component can be connected as desired to its surroundings.
However, the cases of components manufactured using this traditional technology demand a considerable amount of space. As the size of electronic devices has diminished, attempts have been made to get rid of component cases, which not only demand much space, but are also unnecessary and lead to needless costs. To solve this problem, various constructions and methods have been developed, with the aid of which components can be located inside the circuit-board structure.
Known methods, in which components are embedded in an installation base during the creation of the base, are disclosed in patent application publication WO 03/065778 and WO 03/065779, as well as in patent publications U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,038,133 and 6,489,685. The methods disclosed in these publications can be used to manufacture, for example, multi-layer circuit boards, inside which integrated microcircuits, for example microprocessors and memory circuits, are embedded.
In the known methods, a problem can arise with the heating of the microcircuits inside the installation base. During operation, microcircuits and particularly certain microprocessors produce a significant thermal output, which must be conducted away from the circuit to prevent the circuit from overheating. This is because overheating in a circuit can endanger its reliable operation. When circuits are installed, according to the traditional technique, on the surface of a circuit board, it has been possible to conduct the thermal output to the surrounding air, or attach a suitable heat sink to the circuit. If a circuit is embedded inside a circuit board, the basic material of the circuit-board, which has relatively poor thermal conductivity, will surround the circuit. The thermal output cannot then be easily conducted to the surrounding air, nor is it easy to attach a heat sink to the circuit. The thermal output produced by the circuit will spread from the microcircuit to the surrounding circuit-board material through direct contact and through the buses connected to the circuit.

Heat conduction from an embedded component


An exposure apparatus comprises a projection optical system, which projects a pattern formed on a mask on a photosensitive substrate, a mounting object table, which holds the photosensitive substrate, a positioning stage, which positions the mounting object table along a 2-dimensional movement coordinate system, a stage coordinate measurement device, which detects the position of the mounting object table in the 2-dimensional movement coordinate system, a height measurement device, which detects the deviation in the optical axis direction of the projection optical system from the surface of the photosensitive substrate to a specified standard surface in a measurement point fixed with regard to the 2-dimensional movement coordinate system, a levelling device, which adjusts the inclination of the mounting object table with regard to the positioning stage, a computation device, which calculates the amount of levelling necessary to match the surface of the photosensitive substrate with the standard surface, a control device, which controls the levelling device based on the calculation results of the computation device, and a memory device, which stores the optical axis direction displacement amount of the mounting object table produced at a measurement point when the positioning stage is moved along the 2-dimensional movement coordinate system corresponding to the position of the mounting object table detected by the stage coordinate measurement device, wherein, the computation device calculates the amount of the levelling necessary based on a value obtained by subtracting the optical axis direction displacement amount of the mounting object table stored in the memory device from the deviation detected by the height measurement device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns an exposure apparatus used in photolithography processes in the manufacture of semiconductor devices, liquid crystal display devices, etc., and in particular concerns an exposure apparatus provided with a levelling device for matching the surface of the photosensitive substrate with the image formation plane of the projection optical system.
The present invention also concerns a stage apparatus, more specifically, a stage apparatus which is provided with a No. 1 stage which is able to move in a specified direction along a guidance plane over an antivibration stage which is held horizontally via antivibration pads, and a No. 2 stage which is mounted on this No. 1 stage and can be tilt-driven. The stage apparatus of the present invention can be used effectively as a stage for the positioning of photosensitive substrates in exposure devices, etc.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
In the past, in the manufacture of semiconductor devices, liquid crystal display elements, etc., using photolithographic techniques, an exposure apparatus has been used in which a pattern formed on a photomask (hereinafter referred to as mask) or reticle is projected and exposed on each shot area of a photosensitive substrate such as a semiconductor wafer or glass plate, etc., which has been coated with a photosensitive agent such as photoresist via a projection optical system. As an exposure apparatus, a so-called step-and-repeat type exposure apparatus, wherein the photosensitive substrate is mounted on a substrate stage which is moveable in two dimensions, and the operation of exposing the pattern image of the mask on each shot area of the photosensitive substrate is repeated by stepping the photosensitive substrate using this substrate stage, and, in particular, reductive projection type exposure apparatuses have often been used. Also, step-and-scan type exposure apparatuses have been used in which pattern exposure is performed on each shot area of the photosensitive substrate by reductive projection and, by means of a scanning exposure system, movement is performed between the shot areas in a stepping mode.
In general, since a projection optical system which has a large numerical aperture and a shallow focal depth is used in the exposure apparatus, in order to transcribe a fine pattern with high resolution, levelling control, whereby the angle of inclination of the photosensitive substrate surface is matched so as to be parallel with the angle of inclination of the image formation plane of the projection optical system, and autofocus control, whereby the height (focal point position) of the surface of the photosensitive substrate is matched with the position of the image formation plane of the projection optical system are necessary.
In order to perform levelling control, it is necessary to measure accurately the average inclination amount of local parts of or the entire photosensitive substrate surface. In the past, various such measurement methods have been proposed, for example, in Japanese Examined Patent No. [Kokoku] Hei 3-5652, Tokko Hei 4-42601, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,084,903, 4,383,757, etc. For example, the height position in the optical axis direction (Z direction) is measured on at least 3 points on the photosensitive substrate using a gap sensor such as an air micrometer, an approximate plane formula of the photosensitive substrate surface is specified based on the measurement values thereof, and a levelling mechanism provided on the substrate stage is driven so that the approximate plane matches the image formation plane of the projection optical system.
Also, in the past, in shot areas existing on the peripheral area of the photosensitive substrate, which are shot areas for which autofocus control is difficult due to the scattering of the focal point position detection light, etc., exposure is performed in the focal point position of the shot area which is adjacent to this shot.
The sensor which measures the height position of the photosensitive substrate in the Z direction is fixed on the apparatus main body and is unable to move. Accordingly, in order to measure the Z direction positions of several points on the photosensitive substrate surface, the photosensitive substrate is moved by means of the substrate stage, and the multiple points on the photosensitive substrate are taken to the measurement point of the sensor in sequence. For this reason, when the running of the substrate stage itself carries a displacement amount in the Z direction, the Z direction displacement of the photosensitive substrate surface caused by the running of the substrate stage and the Z direction displacement within the plane of the photosensitive substrate cannot be separated, so that even if the surface of the photosensitive substrate itself is perpendicular to the Z direction, it may be judged that the photosensitive substrate surface is inclined, creating the problem that the levelling operation will be performed in error.
Problems in conventional levelling control are explained referring to FIG. 13. Here, the action of performing levelling control based on sensor measurement values having measurement points in the positions indicated by the broken line are explained making the running direction of the substrate stage the X direction and the direction parallel to the optical axis the Z direction. FIGS. 13(a) through (c) consists of diagrams explaining the concept of levelling control in the case where there is no displacement of the substrate stage running in the Z direction and FIGS. 13(d) through (f) consists of diagrams explaining the concept of levelling control when the running of the substrate stage has displacement in the Z direction.
Assuming that the surface SF.sub.1 of the photosensitive substrate 80 is inclined as shown in FIG. 13(a). First, the photosensitive substrate is positioned in the position indicated by the solid line by means of the movement of the substrate stage (85) and the height position of point P.sub.1 of the photosensitive substrate surface SF.sub.1 is measured. The X coordinate of point P.sub.1 is X.sub.1, and the height measurement position at this time is made Z.sub.1. Next, the photosensitive substrate (80) is moved to a different position on an imaginary line as indicated by the arrow by the movement of the substrate stage and the height position of another point P.sub.2 on the photosensitive substrate surface SF.sub.1 is measured. The X coordinate of point P.sub.2 is made X.sub.2, and the height measurement value is made Z.sub.2.
From the coordinate values (X.sub.1, Z.sub.1) of point P.sub.1 and the coordinate values (X.sub.2, Z.sub.2) of point P.sub.2 at this time, the exposure apparatus recognizes that the surface SF.sub.1 of the photosensitive substrate is inclined as shown in FIG. 13(b). Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 13(c), levelling control is performed so that the mounting object table 81 upon which the photosensitive substrate 80 is mounted is inclined by operating the levelling mechanisms 82a, 82b of the substrate stage, and the surface SF.sub.1 of the photosensitive substrate 80 becomes horizontal. In this way, if the running of the substrate stage 85 becomes displaced in the Z direction, a conventional exposure apparatus can perform suitable levelling control based on the height measurement values.
On the other hand, when, as indicated by the wavy imaginary line in FIG. 13(d), the running of the substrate stage 85 has displacement in the Z direction, a conventional exposure apparatus cannot perform levelling control. It is assumed, as shown in FIG. 13(d), that the photosensitive substrate 87 has no inclination within the plane. Initially, the photosensitive substrate 87 will be positioned as indicated by the solid line by the movement of the substrate stage 85, and the height position of point P.sub.3 of the photosensitive substrate surface SF.sub.2 is measured. Here it is assumed that the X coordinate of point P.sub.3 is X.sub.3, and the height measurement value at this time is Z.sub.3. Next, the photosensitive substrate 87 is moved by the movement of the substrate stage up to a position indicated by the broken line as shown by the arrows, and the height of another point P.sub.4 on the photosensitive substrate surface SF.sub.2 is measured. At this time, since the running of the substrate stage 85 has displacement in the Z direction, the photosensitive substrate 87 is moved in the Z direction as well, and the measurement value of the height of point P.sub.4 is assumed to become Z.sub.4. The X coordinate of point P.sub.4 is X.sub.4.
At this time, from the coordinate values (X.sub.3, Z.sub.3) of point P.sub.3 and the coordinate values (X.sub.4, Z.sub.4) of point P.sub.4, the exposure apparatus recognizes that the surface SF.sub.2 of the photosensitive substrate is inclined as indicated in FIG. 13(e), despite the fact that it is actually horizontal. Accordingly, control is performed so that the levelling mechanism 82a, 82b of the substrate stage 85 are operated, the mounting object table 81 upon which the photosensitive substrate 87 is mounted is tilted, and the height position Z.sub.3 of point P.sub.3 and the height position Z.sub.4 of point P.sub.4 are made equal. As a result, as shown in FIG. 13d, faulty levelling control is performed, and the surface SF.sub.2 of the photosensitive substrate 87 ceases to be horizontal.
Also, in conventional exposure apparatuses, in shots in the peripheral area of the photosensitive substrate, when exposure is performed in the focal point position of the adjacent shot without detecting the focal point position in the exposure position, even if there is change in the Z direction due to the running of the substrate stage, there is a problem that error due to displacement of the focal point position will result because focal point position correction has not been performed.
In the past, in the manufacture of semiconductor elements or liquid crystal display elements, etc., by photolithographic processes, an exposure apparatus has been used wherein the image of a pattern formed on a mask or reticle is transferred via a projection optical system onto an exposure target substrate such as a wafer or glass plate. In this type of exposure apparatus, a stage apparatus is used wherein a sample stage in which movement of 3 axes, movement in the up-down direction (Z), rotation around the X axis, and rotation around the Y axis, or on 4 axes, adding rotation on a Z axis is mounted on an XY stage which is able to move within a 2-dimensional plane in perpendicular biaxial directions (normally the XY biaxial directions). In this case, the sample stand as a result can have positional and attitude control of 5 degrees of freedom or 6 degrees of freedom, and the position of the sample stand in the XY 2-dimensional direction is measured with high accuracy by means of a lightwave interferometer, generally a laser interferometer, via a reflecting mirror (moving mirror) fixed on the sample stand. Furthermore, a light source, reticle stage, projection optical system, reflecting mirror (fixed mirror) which forms the light generating part and standard of the laser interferometer, a focus detection system, which measures positional displacement of the focal planes of the exposure target substrate and projection optical system in the optical axis direction, and a leveling detection system, which measures the inclination of the exposure target substrate and focal plane (image formation plane), etc., are mounted on a stand to which the stage base is rigidly connected.
At the time of exposure, the XY stage is moved 2-dimensionally in the XY plane, the exposure position (shot region) of the exposure target substrate is positioned in the pattern projection position of the projection optical system, and next, or at the same time as the XY movement, the sample stand is Z-driven based upon the measurement results of the focus detection system so as to enter the region of the focal depth of the projection optical system, simultaneously the inclination of the sample stand is adjusted based upon the measurement to results of the leveling detection system so that the exposure target substrate and image formation plane will be parallel, and when all deviations have entered allowable levels, exposure is performed.
When the inclination of the exposure target substrate surface and image formation plane are matched, the sample stand is tilted, but since the moving mirror is also tilted together with the sample stand at this time, the angle formed by the laser beam optical axis from the interferometer and the moving mirror reflecting face changes. Specifically, the laser beam is no longer perpendicularly incident to the moving mirror reflecting face, and as a result error is produced in the XY coordinates of the sample stand as measured by the laser interferometer.
The principal error is generally referred to as Abbe error and cosine error, and when the difference in height between the interferometer beam and the exposure target substrate surface is "h" and the distance in a specified measurement direction, for example, the X direction, between the moving mirror reflecting face and the exposure position is "S," and the amount of change in the inclination in the Y axis of the sample stand with regard to the interferometer laser optical axis is ".alpha.," the X direction error Err can be represented as EQU Err=Abbe error+cosine error=h.times..alpha.+S.times.(1-cos.alpha.).
In the past, the error has been obtained by means of calculation assuming the inclination .theta. of the sample stand that has been detected by the measurement device mounted on the XY stage as being the same as the .alpha., and error has been eliminated by correcting the position of the XY stage or the position of the reticle.
Nevertheless, when the XY stage is moved in the X direction or Y direction, depending upon errors in flatness, etc., in the guidance plane, rotation around the X axis or the Y axis can occur in the XY stage, and since the inclinations .theta. and .alpha. cannot be said to match in a strict sense, as the positioning precision of the exposure target substrate becomes more and more strict, the position measurement error of the laser interferometer caused by this difference between .theta. and .alpha. has come to be a problem.
Moreover, in precision equipment such as normal exposure apparatuses, etc., because of the necessity for insulation of the effects of vibration from the setting floor on a microgram scale, the fixed base upon which the XY stage and its stage base are mounted is held horizontally by means of antivibration pads, so that there is some inclination of the fixed base with regard to an absolute standard due to the movement of the center of gravity accompanying movement of the XY stage, in such cases, the necessity arises to position the XY stage taking into consideration the effects of this inclination as well.

Stage apparatus with improved positioning capability


A method is provided for treating cold sores in which a carbonate salt is orally ingested, thereby eliminating soreness caused by the cold sore and curing the cold sore. According to the invention, the preferred carbonate salt is sodium bicarbonate and it is preferably ingested in dosages of from about 200 milligrams to about 4 grams, the dosage being repeated about every four to twelve hours and continued for a period up to about four days. The carbonate salt may be ingested by any suitable manner such as tablet, capsule, powder or in an aqueous solution.

Fever blisters or cold sores are generally believed to be caused by a certain type of the herpes simplex virus. This type of virus usually affects the mouth, causing recurrent sores on the lips and areas around and in the mouth. On occasion, this virus gets into the blood stream and causes a serious infection in babies.
In addition to their unattractive appearance, recurrent fever blisters may burn and be quite sore. There is also some danger of secondary bacterial infection in the open ulcer.
It is possible to use local anesthetics to mitigate pain, antibiotics to control secondary bacterial infections when they occur and ointments to soften crusts. However, use of an antibotic frequently causes side reactions and tends to sensitize the patient to further effective or safe use of the drug. Hence it is important to avoid the secondary infection stage. Until the present invention, it is not believed that an effective cure has been available. Moreover, the present invention also works to alleviate discomfort from the pain associated with fever blisters.
A need has thus arisen for an effective method of treating fever blisters or cold sores.


A device comprising a fan controller, an encoder, a driver, a resistor/capacitor filter, and a baseboard management controller. The fan controller is configured to output a cooling fan status signal, and to output a cooling fan information data signal. The encoder is configured to encode the cooling fan status signal and the cooling fan information data signal together into a combined signal. The driver is configured to invert the combined signal and to output an inverted signal. The resistor/capacitor filter is configured to filter out the cooling fan information data signal from the inverted signal, and to output a filtered signal. The baseboard management controller is configured to determine a status of a cooling fan in response to the filtered signal, and to output a control signal to the fan controller module for the cooling fan based on the cooling fan information data signal within the inverted signal.

As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option is an information handling system. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements can vary between different applications, information handling systems can also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information can be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems can include a variety of hardware and software components that can be configured to process, store, and communicate information and can include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
Information handling systems often have fans to cool constituent components. Such cooling fans have different characteristics, some of which may be customizable, such as the speed at which they operate. These speeds can vary based an amount of heat produced by the information handling system components. For example, as temperatures in the information handling system increase, the speed of the cooling fan is typically increased to cool the components.
The use of the same reference symbols in different drawings indicates similar or identical items.

System and method for providing cooling fan characteristic feedback


One or more transparent transistor force sensitive structures can be included in an electronic device. The transistor force sensitive structures(s) is used to detect a force that is applied to the electronic device, to a component in the electronic device, and/or to an input region of the electronic device. As one example, the one or more transparent transistor force sensitive structures may be included in a display stack of a display in an electronic device.

Strain gauges are used to detect or measure strain on an object. Typically, the electrical resistance of a conventional strain gauge varies in proportion to the compression and tension forces it is experiencing. The gauge factor of the strain gauge represents the sensitivity of the material to strain. In other words, the gauge factor indicates how much the resistance of the strain gauge changes with strain. The higher the gauge factor, the larger the change in resistance. Higher gauge factors allow a greater range of strain to be detected and measured.
In some situations, it is desirable for a strain gauge to be made of a transparent material. For example, transparent strain gauges may be used when the strain gauges are located in an area where the strain gauges can be detected visually by a user (e.g., though a display). However, some of the materials that can be used to form a transparent strain gauge create a transparent strain gauge that has an undesirably low gauge factor.

Transparent force sensitive structures in an electronic device


Methods and apparatus are described for estimating shear wave slowness of formations traversed by a borehole from guided wave acoustic log data. Acoustic energy is generated at a point in the borehole and received at at least four receiver stations spaced one from the other and from the generating point. Full wave forms of the received signals are produced and windowed to identify guided wavelets. Fourier transforms of the guided wavelets are obtained and from these determined the phase velocity and frequency of the guided wavelet. Values of formation density, drilling fluid density, drilling fluid slowness and borehole diameter are measured and a value of Poissons ratio may be estimated. A multi-dimensional matrix is established comprised of predetermined ranges of assumed values of frequency, Poissons ratio, drilling fluid slowness, drilling fluid density, formation density, phase velocity and borehole diameter. The measured data is fitted to the multi-dimensional matrix to obtain an estimate of shear wave slowness at the point in the borehole, and the estimate is recorded as a function of depth.

Acoustic well logging techniques and tools are extensively described in the art. Acoustic well logging is used to provide surveys of formations traversed by earth boreholes. In particular, measurements are made of the velocities of acoustic waves to reveal valuable information concerning the type of rocks and the porosity of the rocks in the formations surrounding the borehole. A commonly measured acoustic parameter is the slowness of compressional waves measured in micro-seconds per foot. However, it is desirable that other acoustic wave parameters such as the slowness of shear waves be determined.
Identifying the compressional wave and measuring its slowness is generally not difficult. It is the fastest propagating wave in the formation, is non-dispersive, and is the first to reach an array of borehole receivers, when a short burst of energy from a nearby transmitter propagates through the formation.
Measuring shear slowness is considerable more difficult. Because it propagates more slowly, the shear wave arrives after the compressional wave. Therefore, its arrival is typically obscured by compressional energy and slowness determination directly from arrival time is at best difficult and at times impossible.
The areas where shear wave slowness data theoretically or emperically can be applied are diverse. Some of the application areas are seismic amplitude calibration and interpretation, sand control, formation fracturing, reservoir material balance and subsidence studies, lithology, porosity and geopressure prediction.
While rich in possible application areas, shear slowness is difficult to measure automatically with conventional acoustical devices and detection procedures. Except in limited lithology-logging conditions, manual examination of wave forms commonly is required to extract shear slowness. Even then, there has been considerable uncertainty in shear arrivals on short-space tools, due to compressional wave interferrence. In softer rocks, conventional tools simply do not transmit distinct shear arrivals.
Current axially arranged transmitter-receiver tools are designed primarily for detection of compressional waves. Down hole amplifiers adjusted to accentuate the first compressional wave arrival normally saturate through the shear and the late compressional regions of the wave form. When down hole gain is reduced to eliminate amplifier saturation, one observes that initial shear arrivals generally are super-imposed on the later portions of the compressional arrivals with contributions from normal modes arrivals also known as reflected modes other than Stoneley. These contributions make the signal analysis for the direct determination of shear and normal modes slowness impractical at the present state of the art. The problem is compounded in that the initial shear energy commonly is on the same order of magnitude as the normal modes wave energy. Additionally the normal modes wave onset, is almost always obscured by shear wave interference. In some lithologies, such as slow shale when the shear velocity is on the same order of magnitude, or less, than the sound velocity in the fluid then a direct shear arrival is no longer observed by the conventional sonic logging tools. In the zero frequency limit the shear modulus may be determined from the phase velocity of the Stoneley wave if the borehole fluid velocity and fluid density are known. In the higher frequency domains the shear modulus can be determined from the phase velocity of either the Stoneley or the normal modes arrivals when additional parameters are available.
Techniques have been developed for determining normal mode arrivals slowness where the normal modes arrivals are at least partially obscured by the presence of the shear wave. One such technique is described in Co-pending Application filed by Co-employees, Thomas W. Parks and Charles F. Morris entitled "Method and Apparatus for Determining Accoustic Wave Parameters from Acoustic Well Logging Wave Forms" as described in application Ser. No. 372,271, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,562,557, filed Apr. 27, 1982, and assigned to the same assignee as the present application.
In the Parks, et al application, a method is described for estimating or determining the slowness of various wave components of signals received from a linear array of sonic well logging receivers. One of the wave components is the first reflected mode component. The method of determining or estimating parameters of these composite acoustic waves arriving sequentially to the plurality of points spaced vertically along the length of a borehole generally comprises the steps of generating acoustic energy in the borehole and receiving that energy at each of the points after refraction, reflection and direct transmission through and along the formation adjacent to the borehole. A window is established, having a predetermined length and moveout. This window is positioned along the composite wave and the energy received is multiplied at each point by the window, which is delayed by an amount proportional to the transmitter-spacing, thereby attenuating interferring waves. A Fourier transform is generated of that portion of the received energy multiplied by the window to produce a plurality of complex signals in the frequencey domain, which are simultaneously analyzed to obtain an estimate of the parameters. A different moveout is then established for the window and for each different moveout position, the Fourier transform is produced and analyzed. The window is then incremented along the composite waves and the above steps of multiplying, transformation and analysis are performed to obtain the best estimate of the parameters.
The foregoing technique operates well where the composite waves indeed include the shear wave. There are, however, formation conditions that severely attenuate the propogation of the shear wave or instances where the shear wave will not be detected. A need therefore, has remained for an accurate, versatile and reliable method and apparatus for estimating shear wave velocities under all logging conditions, including those where the shear wave is highly attenuated or not detectable.
The phenomenon of normal modes propagating in a fluid-filled borehole has received considerable attention in literature. At long distances from the transmitter, most of the energy in the sonic wave form is contained in the modes. This factor alone would justify studies of their properties. In addition, it has been proposed to use estimates of modal amplitude, phase slowness and attenuation to infer, indirectly, formation parameters of interest, including shear slowness and attenuation. One such proposal study is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,131,875 issued on Dec. 26, 1978 entitled "Method and Apparatus for Acoustic Logging of a Borehole" and assigned to the assignee of the present application by J. D. Ingram. The patent discloses a method and apparatus where under conditions of soft formations, the amplitude of the Stoneley waves are used to determine both the formation shear velocity and attenuation.
The Stoneley mode is routinely observed in field data, but there has yet to be a convincing demonstration in the literature of it being used to make a log. For example, Cheng and Toksoz in their paper entitled "Elastic Wave Propogation in a Fluid-Filled Borehole and Synthetic Acoustic Logs" appearing in Geophysics, Volume 46, No. 7, pages 1042-1053 of July 19, 1981, claimed to identify trapped modes in field data recorded by a commercial tool. Their evidence consists only of visual comparisons between field wave forms and synthetic wave forms. This is an inclusive procedure, first because of the complicated dependence of the modes on the physical parameters of the borehole, and second, because the trapped modes are highly dispersive, so they have no simple time-space dependence.
Methods and apparatus have been proposed for the indirect determination of the shear modulus by measuring the phase velocity of a guided wave of accoustic energy, for example, the Stoneley wave, and utilizing it to estimate the shear modulus and the shear slowness. This technique is described in Co-pending application Ser. No. 434,658, filed Oct. 15, 1982 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,575,830, by Josephine Murray and John Ingram, for "Indirect Shear Wave Determination." This applicaton is assigned to the same assignee as the present application. The method of the Co-pending application utilizes at least four full waveform receiver signals and a "window," which is placed over the Stoneley arrival of each waveform. The Fourier transform of each windowed portion of the waveform is produced and from the Fourier transform, the phase velocity of the Stoneley wave is determined and the shear modulus estimated. From the relative shear modulus, the density of the mud, the density of the formation and an estimated value of compressional velocity of acoustic energy through the borehole mud is determined the shear velocity or slowness of the formation. More particularly, that method involves the detection of acoustic waves arriving sequentially at a plurality of points spaced vertically along the length of the borehole from a transmitter and windowing the acoustic waves with a window of predetermined length and moveout which is positioned along the received waves relative to the estimated arrival of the Stoneley wave. The signal is multiplied by the window and a Fourier transform of the multiplied signal is taken to produce a plurality of complex signals in the frequency domain. The cross-spectral magnitude and phase is determined for each of the adjacent pairs of receiver signals and the phase velocity is computed from the phase at each frequency. The cross-spectral magnitudes are scanned for a peak in the selected frequency range to identify the frequency at which the peak occurs. From the phase velocity versus frequency relationship, a value of guided wave phase velocity is selected at the identified frequency and an estimate is made of the ratio of the Lame constants. The Lame constants, an estimate of formation density and mud density, together with an estimate of the velocity of acoustic energy in the mud, are utilized to estimate the value of shear wave velocity or slowness.

Method and apparatus for indirect determination of shear velocity from guided modes


By injecting a host animal with a member of a particular group of antigens [a theophylline-(7)-alkanecarboxylic acid covalently bonded to an immunogenic carrier (IGC) via the carboxyl group], antibodies, advantageously employed in determining small amounts of theophylline in biological liquids by immunoassay methods, are obtained.

Theophylline (1,3-dimethylxanthine) is a medicament which is used widely, particularly for the treatment of the bronchitic syndrome and also for the treatment of high blood pressure and of renal edema. It is also used for treating temporary asphyxia in premature babies.
A process for obtaining a theophylline antiserum is described in Research Communications in Chemical Pathology and Pharmacology, 13, 497 (1976), the antiserum being obtained by immunizing rabbits by a conjugate of theophylline-(8)-butyric acid and bovine serum albumin (BSA). A process for obtaining antibodies specific for caffeine is known from J. Pharmacol, Exp. Ther., 199, 579 (1976), the process being based on immunization of rabbits by theophylline-(7)-caproic acid coupled to BSA.

Antigen, antiserum and immunoassay for theophylline

Byk Gulden Lomberg Chemische Fabrik GmbH


A drag rescue device for rescuing incapacitated firefighters, emergency workers and others provides for easier and more dependable deployment as well as improved serviceability and ease of use. A method of reinforcing openings in garments is provided that can result in improved reinforced openings in garments where stress and strain may otherwise result in undue wear on the opening.

1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to a drag rescue system and, in particular, to a drag rescue device for use by emergency responders.
2. Discussion of Related Art
High risk personnel such as firefighters, defense workers and emergency responders may be exposed to hazardous conditions that can render the worker unconscious or otherwise incapacitated. In these situations it is often high priority to remove the worker from the situation before further injury occurs. In many cases this process is performed by other personnel on site. To facilitate safe removal of an injured or incapacitated person, the worker's clothing may include a drag rescue device that is accessible to another party. The drag rescue device may be a strap that secures the worker under the arms and allows an able party to grab the strap and extract the injured worker from the hazardous condition. The strap may be contained in a coat such as is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,205,584 to Yocco titled "Coat Incorporating a Drag Hamess." As described in Yocco, the strap may extend outside of the worker's coat through an opening in the back. This can shorten the amount of time that it may take a rescuer to find and secure the drag rescue device.


The invention provides a human ankyrin family protein (ANFP) and polynucleotides which identify and encode ANFP. The invention also provides expression vectors, host cells, antibodies, agonists, and antagonists. The invention also provides methods for diagnosing, treating, or preventing disorders associated with expression of ANFP.

This invention relates to nucleic acid and amino acid sequences of a human ankyrin family protein and to the use of these sequences in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of autoimmune/inflammatory, cell proliferative, and vesicle trafficking disorders.
Cells contain a cytoskeleton that links intracellular compartments with each other and the plasma membrane. Associations between the cytoskeleton and the lipid membranes bounding these compartments involve spectrin, ankyrin, and integral membrane proteins. Spectrin is a major component of the cytoskeleton and acts as a scaffolding protein. Similarly, ankyrin acts to tether the actin-spectrin moiety to membranes and to regulate the interaction between the cytoskeleton and membranous compartments. Different ankyrin isoforms are specific to different organelles and provide specificity for this interaction. Ankyrin also contains a regulatory domain that can respond to cellular signals, allowing remodeling of the cytoskeleton during the cell cycle and differentiation (Lambert, S. and Bennett, V. (1993) Eur. J. Biochem. 211:1-6).
Ankyrins have three basic structural components. The N-terminal portion of ankyrin consists of a repeated 33-amino acid motif, the ankyrin repeat, which is involved in specific protein-protein interactions. Variable regions within the motif are responsible for specific protein binding, such that different ankyrin repeats are involved in binding to tubulin, anion exchange protein, voltage-gated sodium channel, Na+/K+-ATPase, and neurofascin. The ankyrin motif is also found in transcription factors, such as NF-xcexa-B, and in the yeast cell cycle proteins CDC10, SW14, and SW16. Proteins involved in tissue differentiation, such as Drosophila Notch and C. elegans LIN-12 and GLP-1, also contain ankyrin-like repeats. Lux et al. (1990; Nature 344:36-42) suggest that ankyrin-like repeats function as xe2x80x98built-inxe2x80x99 ankyrins and form binding sites for integral membrane proteins, tubulin, and other proteins.
The central domain of ankyrin is required for binding spectrin. This domain consists of an acidic region, primarily responsible for binding spectrin, and a basic region. Phosphorylation within the central domain may regulate spectrin binding. The C-terminal domain regulates ankyrin function. The C-terminally-deleted ankyrin, protein 2.2, behaves as a constitutively active ankyrin, displaying increased membrane and spectrin binding. The C-terminal domain is divergent among ankyrin family members, and tissue-specific alternative splicing generates modified C-termini with acidic or basic characteristics (Lambert, supra).
Three ankyrin proteins, ANK1, ANK2, and ANK3, have been described which differ in their tissue-specific and subcellular localization patterns. ANK1, erythrocyte protein 2.1, is involved in protecting red cells from circulatory shear stresses and helping maintain the erythrocyte""s unique biconcave shape. An ANK1 deficiency has been linked to hereditary hemolytic anemias, such as hereditary spherocytosis (HS), and a neurodegenerative disorder involving loss of Perkinje cells (Lambert, supra). ANK2 is the major nervous tissue ankyrin. Two alternative splice variants are generated from the ANK2 gene. Brain ankyrin 1 (brank1), which is expressed in adults, is similar to ANK1 in the N-terminal and central domains, but has an entirely dissimilar regulatory domain. An early neuronal form, brank2, includes an additional motif between the spectrin-binding and regulatory domain. An ankyrin homolog in C. elegans, unc-44, produces alternative splice variants similar to ANK2. Mutations in the unc-44 gene affect the direction of axonal outgrowth (Otsuka, A. J. et al. (1995) J. Cell Biol. 129:1081-1092).
ANK3 consists of four ankyrin isoforms (G100, G119, G120, and G195), which localize to intracellular compartments and are implicated in vesicular transport. AnkG119 is associated with the Golgi, has a truncated N-terminal domain, and lacks a C-terminal regulatory domain. AnkG120 and AnkG100 associate with the late endolysosomes in macrophage, lack N-terminal ankyrin repeats, but contain both spectrin-binding and regulatory domains characteristic of ANK1 and ANK2. AnkG195 is associated with the trans-Golgi network (TGN). These ankyrin isoforms are part of a spectrin complex which may mediate transport of proteins through the Golgi complex. A spectrin-ankyrin-adapter protein trafficking system (SAATS) has been proposed for the selective sequestration of membrane proteins into vesicles destined for transport from the ER to the Golgi and beyond. In this model, intra-Golgi, TGN, and plasma membrane transport would involve exchange of SAATS protein components, including ankyrin isoforms, to specify and distinguish the final destination for vesicular cargo (DeMatteis, M. A. and Morrow, J. S. (1998) Curr. Opin. Cell Biol. 10:542-549).
The discovery of a new human ankyrin family protein and the polynucleotides encoding it satisfies a need in the art by providing new compositions which are useful in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of autoimmune/inflammatory, cell proliferative, and vesicle trafficking disorders.
The invention is based on the discovery of a new human ankyrin family protein (ANFP), the polynucleotides encoding ANFP, and the use of these compositions for the diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of autoimmune/inflammatory, cell proliferative, and vesicle trafficking disorders.
The invention features a substantially purified polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:1 or a fragment of SEQ ID NO:1.
The invention further provides a substantially purified variant having at least 90% amino acid sequence identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:1 or a fragment of SEQ ID NO:1. The invention also provides an isolated and purified polynucleotide encoding the polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:1 or a fragment of SEQ ID NO:1. The invention also includes an isolated and purified polynucleotide variant having at least 70% polynucleotide sequence identity to the polynucleotide encoding the polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:1 or a fragment of SEQ ID NO:1.
The invention further provides an isolated and purified polynucleotide which hybridizes under stringent conditions to the polynucleotide encoding the polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:1 or a fragment of SEQ ID NO:1, as well as an isolated and purified polynucleotide having a sequence which is complementary to the polynucleotide encoding the polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:1 or a fragment of SEQ ID NO:1.
The invention also provides an isolated and purified polynucleotide comprising the polynucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:2 or a fragment of SEQ ID NO:2, and an isolated and purified polynucleotide variant having at least 70% polynucleotide sequence identity to the polynucleotide comprising the polynucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:2 or a fragment of SEQ ID NO:2. The invention also provides an isolated and purified polynucleotide having a sequence complementary to the polynucleotide comprising the polynucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:2 or a fragment of SEQ ID NO:2.
The invention also provides a method for detecting a polynucleotide in a sample containing nucleic acids, the method comprising the steps of (a) hybridizing the complement of the polynucleotide sequence to at least one of the polynucleotides of the sample, thereby forming a hybridization complex; and (b) detecting the hybridization complex, wherein the presence of the hybridization complex correlates with the presence of a polynucleotide in the sample. In one aspect, the method further comprises amplifying the polynucleotide prior to hybridization.
The invention further provides an expression vector containing at least a fragment of the polynucleotide encoding the polypeptide comprising the sequence of SEQ ID NO:1 or a fragment of SEQ ID NO:1. In another aspect, the expression vector is contained within a host cell.
The invention also provides a method for producing a polypeptide, the method comprising the steps of: (a) culturing the host cell containing an expression vector containing at least a fragment of a polynucleotide under conditions suitable for the expression of the polypeptide; and (b) recovering the polypeptide from the host cell culture.
The invention also provides a pharmaceutical composition comprising a substantially purified polypeptide having the sequence of SEQ ID NO:1 or a fragment of SEQ ID NO:1 in conjunction with a suitable pharmaceutical carrier.
The invention further includes a purified antibody which binds to a polypeptide comprising the sequence of SEQ ID NO:1 or a fragment of SEQ ID NO:1, as well as a purified agonist and a purified antagonist of the polypeptide.
The invention also provides a method for treating or preventing a disorder associated with decreased expression or activity of ANFP, the method comprising administering to a subject in need of such treatment an effective amount of a pharmaceutical composition comprising a substantially purified polypeptide having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:1 or a fragment of SEQ ID NO:1, in conjunction with a suitable pharmaceutical carrier.
The invention also provides a method for treating or preventing a disorder associated with increased expression or activity of ANFP, the method comprising administering to a subject in need of such treatment an effective amount of an antagonist of the polypeptide having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:1 or a fragment of SEQ ID NO:1.


An arrangement, a system and a method provide communication between clients and managed systems via managing systems. The clients communicate with the managing system over a first network using an IP-protocol, and a managing system(s) communicate with a number of managed systems over a second network. Each managing system includes a service management node with an information handling device for separating addressing information from other information of an incoming message and for adapting the information to the communication protocol used for communication with the addressed managed system.

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. xc2xa7xc2xa7119 and/or 365 to 9801602-5 filed in Sweden on May 8, 1998; the entire content of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
The present invention relates to provision of communication between clients and managed systems via managing systems wherein the managed systems particularly are network elements, even more particularly in the form of telephone exchanges. Particularly the invention relates to an arrangement for providing communication between clients and managed systems via a managing system, and a method and a system in which communication is provided between clients and managed systems.
Many telecommunication systems have an architecture that was developed in the seventies. At that time the constraints and design considerations were different from today, CPU (Central Processor Unit) cycles were expensive and communication between computers was almost non existent. Due to large investments in time as well as money it is infeasible to replace these systems or even to replace the architecture. One example on a structure is the AXE structure developed by Ericsson. This architecture has proved to be very scaleable. Applications in this structure are written as function blocks. The AXE defines a structure for communication between function blocks and the management of the function blocks has been standardized. The management is handled by a command language called Man Machine Language (MML) that is communicated over an X.25 connection. MML Man-Machine Language is a language for telecommunications applications. It has a complex natural-language syntax. It is further described in ITU-T, formally CCITT Recommendations Z.311-Z.318, Z-341, November 1984.
The communication to an AXE is handled with the Message Transfer Protocol (MTP) over X.25. This combination is responsible for transferring a command string to the AXE exchange and returning a direct print-out string or transferring a file.
A management program requires a programmatic interface to the AXE. Many different interfaces have been devised but unfortunately all of these interfaces are dedicated to the AXE (similar for other exchanges) which makes the use of standard applications very difficult since they are not aware of these highly specialized interfaces. Until recently this was not felt as a problem since the management of the AXEs was handled by highly skilled people in dedicated control centers. However, this has now changed, mainly because of two factors. Firstly, the enormous growth of telecommunications in quantity and quality have multiplied the need of management. The huge amount of services available to subscribers today also have be maintained. Secondly, the operators of telecommunications have become more aware of what actually is possible today and do not accept solutions which are not as good as that what is offered on the market. The operators want well designed graphic user interfaces and (possibility of) integration with tools from other vendors. Systems are known which use so called CGI scripts. Through such systems a broad range of possibilities for accessing of resources are offered and they are based on a standard conversion of a HTTP format. However, a sufficiently high performance is not achieved and furthermore the features depend on the platforms. Furthermore such solutions are not satisfactory and they do not provide a total system solution as far as managing a network using several independent management functions is concerned.
In known systems, generally, the specific software has to be built for each database, each table, user information, intelligent software etc. that is operated towards. Thus a specific interface has to be provided for each application which to high extent limits the flexibility.
What is needed is therefore an arrangement for providing communication between clients and managed systems via a managing system which is flexible and through which a uniform way of communication with the different managed systems is enabled. Furthermore, an arrangement is needed which enables managing of a network using several independent management functions in a uniform way. Further yet an arrangement is needed through which the high performance needs can be satisfied to a higher extent than hitherto and through which a platform independence is provided. Still further an arrangement is needed which does not require specific interfaces for communication with particular managed systems, such as network elements, particularly telephone exchanges such as AXE, PBX etc. Still further an arrangement is needed through which the use of standard applications is facilitated.
A system including a number of clients in which applications are executed and a number of management nodes and a number of managed systems wherein the clients communicate with the management nodes using a first network and the management nodes communicate with the managed systems using a second network is also needed through which the above mentioned objects can be achieved.
Still further a method of providing communication between clients in which applications are executed, and managed systems is needed through which the above mentioned objects are achieved.
Therefore an arrangement for providing communication between clients and managed systems via a managing system is provided wherein the clients communicate with the managing system over a first network using an IP (Internet Protocol). The managing system in turn communicates with a number of managed systems over a second network and the managing system comprises a service management node including information separating and distributing means for separating addressing information from other information of an incoming message from a client and for adapting the information to the communication protocol that is used for communication with the addressed managed system. Particularly an application which contains the major part of the logic is executed on the client and the information used by said application is provided in a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) which is provided to the managing system. Further still, each managed system acts and is experienced as a web server. The managed systems are advantageously network elements which particularly may consist of telecommunication exchanges such as for example AXEs or similar. Alternatively the exchanges may be PBXs (PABXs) (Private Automatic Branch Exchange).
In a particular embodiment the adapting means includes a number of converters for converting an incoming URL to the protocol used for communication with the addressed managed system. Particularly there is one converter for each type of managed system, particularly network element or even more particularly telephone exchange, with which communication is provided via the managing systems.
The management node may in addition thereto contain a number of gateways for communication with the managed systems such as network elements, telephone exchanges, wherein the respective converting means communicate with said gateways over a third protocol such as for example Telnet. According to different embodiments converting means and gateways may be provided in one common entity but they may also be provided separately as referred to above in which case they communicate over a protocol. Particularly the communication with each managed system, for example NE or even more particularly telephone exchange, is provided uniformly irrespectively of which is the type of the managed system (network element, telephone exchange). The clients may be operator controlled but they may also function without an operator and for example be programmed to fetch information at a given frequency, to store said information and to reproduce or represent the information in an appropriate manner to a managed system. Advantageously each client comprises logic or intelligent processing means for deciding to which managed system, e.g. network element, or type of network element, information is to be sent. The managed systems, or particularly the network elements (telephone exchanges), are configured by the use of an MML-language. Particularly the executing functionality in a client contains data which is structured for each type of managed system (c.f. network element, telephone exchange) and the client further contains means for selecting syntax and information intended for the concerned managed system. In the converting means information in URL-format is converted or mapped to MML-format and a gateway may be used for communication with the relevant managed system or network element.
A management node communicating with a number of clients via a first network and managing a number of managed systems over a second network is also provided. The first network is an IP-network using an IP-protocol and URLs are used for communication with the node. The node comprises information separating and distributing means for separating addressing information addressing a managed system from other information and for adapting information to the protocol used for communication with the addressed managed system.
Particularly the management node contains a number of protocol converting means, one for each type of managed system, particularly network element. As referred to above the managed systems advantageously are network elements, particularly telephone exchanges such as AXEs (Ericsson); S12 (Alcatel); EWSD (Siemens) or similar, PBXs etc.
A system is therefore also provided which includes a number of clients in which applications are executed, a number of management nodes and a number of managed systems. The clients communicate with the management nodes using a first network and the management nodes communicate with the respective managed systems using at least one second network. The first network is according to the invention an IP-network using an IP-protocol and the information of the executed application is provided in URLs containing information about the relevant management node and the management nodes include information separation and distributing means for separating addressing information of an addressed managed system and converting means are provided for conversion from the protocol of incoming information, URLs, to the protocol used for communication with the addressed managed system. In each management node there is advantageously one converting means for each type of managed system with which the particular management node communicates. From the URLs can be deduced which specific managed system (type of managed system) that is addressed.
Particularly the managed systems are network elements which may consist of telephone exchanges such as AXE or similar, PBXs etc. whereas the management node is comprised in a managing system, for example in the form of an operation system (OS), cf. TMN, Telecommunications Management Network, ITU-T M.3010, or OSSs (Operation and Support Systems).
A method is therefore also provided for providing communication between clients and managed systems wherein applications are executed in the clients which address particular managed systems (or types thereof). The method comprises the steps of, providing if information of the executing application in an URL, using a first IP-network for providing information of the URL to the relevant managing system managing the addressed managed system, establishing in the managing system which is the addressed managed system, converting information in the form of an URL to the protocol used for communication with the particularly addressed managed system and providing converted information using a second network to the addressed managed system. As referred to above the managed systems may particularly be telephone exchanges. Particularly, in the managing system separate converting means are provided for each type of managed system and on receiving the URL in the managing system, which comprises a management node, the URL is forwarded to the appropriate converting means using the addressing information. Particularly MML is used for communication between the managing system and the managed systems and the converting means convert URL-format to MML-format.

Arrangement, system and method relating to communication


This is a method and apparatus for accurately determining a NOx concentration of a measurement gas that contains H.sub.2 O and/or CO.sub.2, without being affected by a dissociation of H.sub.2 O and/or CO.sub.2.. In this method and apparatus,. (1) the NOx-measurement gas containing H.sub.2 O and/or CO.sub.2 is introduced to travel through a heated flow channel formed by an oxygen ion conductive solid ceramic electrolyte body that electrically control amount of O.sub.2 from the flow channel, PA1 (2) while said measurement gas travels, a residual gas including NO and H.sub.2 O and/or CO.sub.2 is formed from the measurement gas, PA1 (3) said residual gas is flowed to contact a catalytic electrode to which a negative polarity of a low voltage that does not dissociate H.sub.2 O and/or CO.sub.2 but dissociates NO is applied, so that said electrode dissociates a NO gas of the residual gas into N ions and O ions and flows an electric current through the electrolyte body in proportion to an amount of the O ions dissociated from said residual gas at the electrode, and PA1 (4) the NOx concentration in the measurement gas is determined based on the current.. The low voltage preferably applied in the above (3) is about 350-450 mV.

Recently, researches into directly measuring the concentration of the NOx gas for controlling the infernal combustion engine or catalysts are proceeding in meeting with intensification of regulations on vehicle exhaust gases.
In particular, researches are going on extensively for a NOx gas concentration sensor of the type in which the oxygen is pumped out by a first oxygen ion pump cell using a solid electrolyte (oxygen conductor) such as zirconia, so as not to cause decomposition of the NOx gas (2NO.fwdarw.N.sub.2 +O.sub.2) by the first oxygen ion pump cell and in which oxygen is further pumped out from the NOx-gas-containing residual gas by the second oxygen ion pump cell for decomposing NOx and measuring the current generated by dissociated oxygen ions for detecting the NOx gas concentration because measurement of the NOx gas concentration is thought to be easily made without being affected by interfering gases contained in the exhaust gases, such as HC or CO.

Method and apparatus for measuring NOx gas concentration


In a process for the fabrication of a semiconductor integrated circuit using a double-side mirror-polished wafer or the like, at the portion of a notch 10 of a notched wafer 1, a chamfered angle .theta..sub.11 of the first chamfered portion 11 formed at the inner periphery of the first primary surface 3 is set smaller than the chamfered angle .theta..sub.12 of the second notch chamfered portion 12 of the second primary surface 4 and the chamfered width L.sub.11 is set larger than the chamfered width L.sub.12, whereby the obverse and reverse of the wafer are discriminated by optically discriminating the first notch chamfered portion and the second notch chamfered portion using reflected light, thereby making it certain to fabricate IC on the surface of the wafer and to use the reverse for its handling. The plane view of the notch in the circumferential direction can be maintained symmetrical so that the lowering in the symmetry of the wafer and the number of the IC available from the wafer can be prevented and the standards of the notch can be maintained.

The present invention relates to a fabrication technique of a semiconductor device, particularly to a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter called "wafer") for use in a so-called pre-step among fabrication steps of the semiconductor device. More specifically, the present invention relates to a technique useful for the fabrication of a semiconductor integrated circuit device (hereinafter abbreviated as "IC").
In general, IC is obtained by forming an integrated circuit including a semiconductor device (said integrated circuit including a semiconductor device will hereinafter be called "integrated circuit") for each of a number of pellet divisions on the side of a primary surface of a wafer, separating the wafer into each pellet and then fabricating. In such a fabrication process of IC, it is necessary to finish the primary surface, on which an integrated circuit is to be made, as a mirror surface. In the case when only one of a pair of the primary surfaces is mirror-finished, it is easy to make discrimination between the obverse and reverse of the wafer. When the both sides of the wafer are mirror-finished, however, it becomes difficult to make discrimination between the observe and reverse of the wafer. Techniques have therefore been proposed in which an orientation flat (hereinafter abbreviated as "orifla") for indication of the direction of a crystal axis is formed asymmetrically in a circumferential direction or in which a second orifla is formed for the discrimination between the obverse and reverse of a wafer.
An example describing a wafer whose observe and reverse can be discriminated without changing its circular shape is disclosed in Japanese Patent Utility Model No. 106821/1990. Described specifically, disclosed in it is a technique in which the obverse and reverse of the wafer are discriminated by the difference between the sizes of two chamfered corners defined by the obverse and the side surface of the wafer and the reverse and the side surface of the wafer.
As a wafer which can suppress the lowering of the rotation symmetry and in addition, increase the number of the semiconductor pellets (hereinafter called "pellets"), a wafer having a notch formed at the circumferential portion thereof (said wafer will hereinafter be called "notched wafer") is known.
A notched wafer is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 48020/1989. In it, a wafer in which the upper and lower edges of its ridgeline defining a notch have chamfered is disclosed. This notched wafer has a chamfered part formed at the notch so that the notch can be prevented from the damage upon application of a locating pin thereto in the IC fabrication step. As a result, the fabrication yield can be heightened.
In Japanese Patent Laid Open No. 240912/1990, disclosed is a notched wafer in which a notch formed at the circumferential portion thereof takes a form changing unsuccessively with the positional change toward the central direction and its plane shape is formed bilaterally asymmetrical in the circumferential direction. According to this notched wafer, the notch is formed bilaterally asymmetrical in the circumferential direction so that it is possible to discriminate the primary surface of the obverse from the primary surface of the reverse.

Process for fabrication of semiconductor device, semiconductor wafer for use in the process and process for the preparation of the wafer


A system and method includes reception of an indication of a region of interest of a plurality of image frames, determination of a first set of pixel locations of the region of interest which depict blood vessels, determination of a second set of pixel locations of the region of interest which depict non-vessel tissue, determination, for each of the plurality of the image frames, of a first contrast medium concentration corresponding to the first set of pixel locations, determination, for each of the plurality of the image frames, of a second contrast medium concentration corresponding to the second set of pixel locations, and display of a visualization depicting a first contrast medium concentration and a second medium concentration with respect to the respective time of each of the plurality of the image frames.

Contrast media are used to enhance the contrast of patient vasculature within x-ray images. For example, a contrast medium is introduced into a patient volume (e.g., via intravenous injection) and an x-ray image of the volume is acquired while the medium is located within the volume. In the x-ray image, structures which contain the medium (e.g., veins and arteries) appear darker than they would otherwise appear.
X-ray images may be successively acquired as a contrast medium passes through patient vasculature. These images portray the flow of contrast medium over time and may be displayed in rapid succession to animate the flow of contrast medium.
A transit curve may be generated based on such successively-acquired images. A transit curve depicts a normalized percentage of contrast medium concentration within a region of interest over time. However, a conventional transit curve does not differentiate between the respective contributions of contrast flow through vessels and contrast flow through other tissue within the region of interest.

Determination and presentation of flow transit curves


A three-dimensional position and orientation tracking system uses accelerometers to measure acceleration of a moveable object (e.g., a head-mounted display unit or a data glove). A tracking processor generates both position and orientation information on the object relative to a simulation environment as a function of the acceleration data. In one embodiment, a simplified radar-based tracking system is disposed relative to the object and periodically provides additional tracking data on the object to the tracking processor. The tracking processor uses the additional data to correct the position and orientation information using a feedback filter process. The position and orientation information signals generated can be used, for example, in a simulation or virtual reality application. Position and orientation information is received by a simulation processor relative to the object. The simulation processor modifies a simulation environment as a function of the position and orientation information received. Modified simulation environment information (e.g., video and/or audio information) is then presented to a user.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to tracking systems, particularly to such systems that determine position and orientation of an object in a limited volume using accelerometers.
2. Description of the Background Art
In specialized computer applications involving virtual reality or "immersive simulations" a computer or processing facility providing the simulation must continuously determine with a high degree of accuracy the position and orientation of a user (or part of the user e.g., head or hand) relative to a "virtual world" or simulated environment in which the user operates. The position and orientation data must be updated regularly to provide a realistic simulation. In addition, the data must be collected in a manner that does not interfere significantly with the user's natural movement. Thus, physical connection to a stationary object or heavy and/or bulky tracking instruments attached to the user are unsuitable. In order to be integrated easily with a head-mounted display (HMD), data glove or other peripheral device for use in a virtual reality application, a tracking system must be small and light weight.
A mechanical gantry containing sensors is used to track movement by physically connecting the user to a fixed object. However, this system is cumbersome, provides an unrealistic simulation due to interferences from the gantry, and requires significant installation effort.
A simplified radar or sonar system having a transmitter and a receiver mounted on the user is used to determine position of an object. However, this type of system is sensitive to noise in the environment, tends to have high frequency jitter between position measurements, is subject to interference from other objects in the simulation (e.g., a hand or other users), is generally bulky, requires multiple transmitters and receivers, and may be quite complex and expensive. Such systems are embodied in products available commercially from Polhemus, Logitech, and Ascension Technology.
Additionally, conventional navigation systems for navigating over large areas of land or airspace such as those for planes, cars, missiles, use devices such as gyroscopes that are not suitable for attachment to a human user because of their size and weight. In addition, these devices are typically designed to track over several hundred kilometers and several days, and are accurate only to several meters.
Two-dimensional navigation systems using angular accelerometers (a type of gyroscope), such as that used in Barber U.S. Pat. No. 5,245,537, are not suitable for virtual reality applications requiring three position and three orientation measurements for realistic simulation. The system described in Barber does not provide a highly accurate measurement (as required by virtual reality applications) because it contains no mechanism for correcting errors that are inherent in the system (e.g., bias, calibration errors, floating, and positional errors). Left uncorrected, these errors typically increase in size as a function of time of use and/or volume traversed, thereby resulting in a significant degradation in system performance. Moreover, angular accelerometers are not easily integrated into electronic componentry, thus the resulting system is generally greater in size and weight and is not suitable for attachment to a human user. In addition, a much higher update rate (e.g., 50-300 Hz) than that used in Barber is required for realistic virtual reality simulations.
Thus, there is a need for a small, lightweight, highly integratable, navigational system that can be easily attached to a human user without significant interference to natural body movement. Furthermore, there is a need for a navigational system that is highly accurate over a long period of time and operates at a high update rate in order to provide a realistic virtual reality simulation. The prior art has failed to address these needs adequately.

Method and apparatus for determining position and orientation of a moveable object using accelerometers