A squib ignitor circuit (20,40) reduces the probability of an accidental airbag deployment to greatly increase the safety of an automobile. A squib (24,28,44) operates at a voltage significantly higher than the squib ignitor circuit (20,40) to produce heat sufficient to ignite pyrotechnic material. Thus, a short condition to the squib (24,28,44) does not produce an inadvertent airbag deployment. The squib ignitor circuit (20,40) forms a conductive path through an inductor (23,43) via a first transistor (21,41) and a second transistor (22,42). The inductor (23,43) stores energy. The inductor (23,43) produces a voltage substantially greater than the voltage powering the squib ignitor circuit (20,40) when the conductive path is broken. The inductor (23,43) releases the stored energy to the squib (24,28,44) generating heat. A sequence (more than one time) of storing energy and releasing energy by the inductor (23,43) is required to generate heat sufficient to ignite pyrotechnic material by the squib (24,28,44).

This invention relates, in general, to airbag systems, and more particularly, to squib ignitor circuits for airbag systems.
Besides the physical structure of an automobile, airbags and seat belts are the primary safety mechanisms in preventing injuries to an occupant in the event of an automobile accident. An airbag is a safety device that is deployed to cushion an occupant from an impact. Sensors in an automobile detect rapid deceleration or an impact via proximity sensors. Once an accident situation is detected, the airbags of a vehicle are deployed to prevent the occupants from hitting a hard surface within the automobile thereby preventing serious injury.
In general, airbags are placed in locations or surfaces of an automobile that previously caused occupant injuries. For example, head impact is prevented by placing airbags in the steering wheel or dash board of an automobile. Airbags are also placed in doors for occupant protection in side impacts and under the dash to prevent leg injuries.
The duration of a crash typically can be measured in milliseconds. The accident must be sensed and the airbag deployed within a few milliseconds after impact. Circuitry couples energy to a squib which is in contact with ignitor pyrotechnic material. The ignitor pyrotechnic material resides near the airbag inflator pyrotechnic material. Upon sensing an accident condition, energy is coupled to the squib which produces heat sufficient to ignite the ignitor pyrotechnic material. The hot gases produced by the ignition of ignitor pyrotechnic material ignites the airbag inflator pyrotechnic material. The burning inflator pyrotechnic material produces hot gases which expand into the airbag to inflate the airbag. The inflated bag cushions a person being propelled into the airbag during a collision.
A problem with airbags is the force at which an air bag is propelled from its enclosure when deployed. A person can be seriously injured by the impact of an inflating airbag. Airbag circuits have been designed to prevent inadvertent airbag deployment. Still, a wire of the airbag system shorted to a power source of an automobile can accidentally deploy an airbag. Rescue workers have needlessly been hurt trying to cut victims of an accident from an automobile when an airbag was deployed during the rescue attempt.
It would be of great benefit if a squib ignitor circuit could be provided that significantly reduces inadvertent deployment of an airbag.

Squib ignitor circuit and method thereof


An apparatus and method to manage data flow dependencies so that a processor can complete instructions and write associated data to architected logical registers out of the program order. This increases the commission bandwidth of the processor allowing greater processor throughput, by allowing instructions to pass the completion stage prior to having produced data.

It is a goal of microprocessor design to execute as many instructions per unit time as possible. This goal is furthered by processing multiple instructions from an instruction sequence in parallel and out of order when speed efficiency is gained thereby. Processors having this capability are known in the art as superscaler microprocessors.
Instruction sequences typically contain instructions, produced by a programmer, specifying operations to be performed on operands, and specifying an architected logical register into which to store a result. The operands themselves may be specified as being the contents of particular architected logical registers or constants. Inherent to the instruction sequence are data and control dependencies. For example, later instructions may depend on data produced by an earlier instruction. Therefore, to execute the instruction sequence out of order, the data and control dependencies must be managed. Otherwise, incorrect results will be produced.
In the case of branch instructions in the instruction sequence, or other instructions which cause exceptions or interrupts, the processor must be able to determine the correct "machine state" of the superscaler processor at a given place in the instruction sequence. The machine state is the state of all registers defined to software programmers, which includes the architected logical registers. Following is an example illustrating an exception in a program sequence. Assume that an instruction, situated later in the program sequence than the instruction producing the exception, executed first and wrote data to a register. The data written would not be valid, because the machine state of the processor must be determined based on instructions prior to the exception in the program sequence. Thus, the data produced by all instructions subsequent to the exception must be disregarded, and the state of all architected logical registers must be determined.
In prior art microprocessors, the integrity of data and control flow of an instruction sequence was maintained during out of order execution of instructions by completing the instructions in the program sequence. Results from instructions were temporarily stored in rename registers, and subsequently the results were written back into fixed architected logical registers in the program order. Thus, the fixed architected logical registers always contained the correct machine state of the processor.
A consequence of having to complete instructions in the program order is that instructions that take multiple cycles to execute will cause a bottleneck to occur at the instruction completion stage. Subsequent instructions will not be able to complete or write data until the multiple-cycle instruction completes. Depending on the number of cycles that it takes for the multiple-cycle instruction to execute, the bottleneck can prevent the processor from fetching and processing new instructions, thus reducing the processor throughput.
In order to avoid bottleneck problems associated with the completion of instructions in the program order, a distributed mechanism for handling control-flow dependencies has been disclosed in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/377,813, filed Jan. 25, 1995, now abandoned, and is hereby incorporated by reference. Data dependencies, which also have to be managed in order to allow instruction results to be written out of order, and to maintain the correct machine state of the processor, are revealed in this disclosure.

Apparatus and method for managing data flow dependencies arising from out-of-order execution, by an execution unit, of an instruction series input from an instruction source


An improved system for optimally matching an individual seeking something and one of a plurality of suppliers includes: (a) a plurality of personality traits that are predictive of how one that possesses a combination of these traits is likely to make a selection decision when selecting from among the suppliers, (b) a plurality of images for consideration by the individual, each of the images configured such that an individual who would chose to be associated with the image can from a psychological perspective be assessed to possess one or more of these traits, (c) a first algorithm for ascribing traits to each of the images according to whether one who possess a specific trait would be predicted to associate oneself with a considered image, and (d) a viewer for presenting to the individual each of the images and allowing the individual to identify with which of the images the individual elects to be associated.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the operation of matching individuals with services and/or products being sought. Specifically, the invention is an improved user interface that relates to a system and method for matching an individual seeking something and one of a plurality of suppliers who each can provide to differing degrees the something being sought. In a preferred embodiment, this matching system is used to advise an individual seeking academic and/or career counseling guidance.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various online consumer matching services often seek to match consumers or individuals with other individuals, desired products, service providers or various types of information, etc. The techniques utilized to create these matches often depend on the development of a database of service or product providers in which a key component of these databases is a ranking of the various service providers or products according to information accumulated by the matching service on the satisfaction levels of some of the prior users of the service providers or products.
Other than typical consumer or individual profile information (e.g., name, address, phone number) and general purchasing requirements (services sought, pricing sensitivities, geographic considerations, general preferences—e.g., "American style", "Italian," "Classical"), little further information is collected by the matching service from the consumer or individual. In addition, the matches typically are one-to-one and match a consumer or individual preference with a direct attribute of the service or product provider.
There is a significant level of consumer feedback on many of these matching services which suggests widespread dissatisfaction with many of their matches. This result is often attributed to the fact that the number of prior users contributing to a provider's ranking is too small and therefore not a representative sample of all of a provider's prior customers or users. Also, "user reviews" and "comments" often are biased, or the particular preference of the reviewer is not made apparent to the consumer or individual. Accordingly, there is a need for improved matching services of all kinds.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Matching system for career and academic counseling


A system and method for detecting and analyzing anomalies in a machine during operation. The system and method includes at least one sensor associated with a component on the machine, a transducer configured to be positioned about the component, and a test station for receiving signals from the at least one sensor and the transducer, and correlating the signals to determine a source of an anomaly.

Rotating machinery is used in many applications. For example, machines such as mobile machines, e.g., on and off road vehicles, construction machines, earthworking machines, and the like, employ principles of rotation to function. Engines, motors, drive trains, ground engaging components such as wheels or tracks, and the like rotate to enable the machines to perform work tasks.
The efficiency and life expectancy of rotating machinery may be analyzed and determined by resort to a study of vibrations present in the machine components. Friction forces between moving parts, compounded by irregularities in component tolerances, serve to cause vibrations in the machines. An analysis of the vibrations may aid in determining, in real time and non-intrusively, the health of the machines, even to the point of predicting component life and potential breakdowns.
Vibration analysis, including related concepts of sound and ultrasonic analysis, has long been of interest in monitoring and diagnosing machine health. However, vibration analysis techniques have typically proven to be lacking by either providing questionable results or providing data that cannot be readily interpreted and understood.
Efforts have been made to use artificial intelligence techniques to test and analyze vibration of machines. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,566,092, 5,566,273, 5,602,761, 5,854,993, 6,236,950 and 6,539,319, all assigned to the present assignee, disclose variations in techniques for using neural networks to perform testing and analysis of machines, particularly with respect to vibration characteristics of the machines. Although the techniques embodied in the above patents have resulted in some degree of success, it is desired that further techniques be developed which offer greater reliability, robustness and precision in testing and analysis.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems as set forth above.

Cross correlation diagnostics tool for vibration analysis


An apparatus and method of thermal inkjet printing is provided. The apparatus is adapted to be used with an inkjet ink including a pigment(s), an aqueous vehicle, and a sufficient amount of polymeric binder and/or humectant(s) to wet and directly adhere to non-porous, uncoated, untreated, hydrophobic media. The ink is adapted to be ejected through a thermal inkjet head with consistent image quality and no kogation. The concentration of binder and/or humectant(s) raises the viscosity of the ink at room temperature. As such, the apparatus is adapted to lower the viscosity of the ink prior to the ink being ejected through the thermal inkjet printhead. Additionally, the apparatus is adapted to prepare the media for receiving the ink, and dry the ink after the ink is deposited on the media. This can be accomplished by providing heat to the media and/or the ink during the printing process.

Traditionally, digitally controlled printing capability is accomplished by one of two technologies. The first technology, commonly referred to as continuous stream or continuous inkjet printing, uses a pressurized ink source which produces a continuous stream of ink drops. The ink drops are directed to an appropriate location using one of several methods (electrostatic deflection, heat deflection, gas deflection, etc.). When no print is desired, the ink drops are deflected into an ink capturing mechanism (catcher, interceptor, gutter, etc.) and either recycled or disposed of. When print is desired, the ink drops are not deflected and allowed to strike a print media. Alternatively, deflected ink drops can be allowed to strike the print media, while non-deflected ink drops are collected in the ink capturing mechanism.
The second technology, commonly referred to as drop on demand inkjet printing, provides ink drops for impact upon a recording surface using a pressurization actuator (thermal, piezoelectric, etc.). Selective activation of the actuator causes the formation and ejection of an ink drop through a nozzle bore that strikes the print media. The formation of printed images is achieved by controlling the individual formation of ink drops, as is required to create the desired image. Typically, a slight negative pressure within each channel keeps the ink from inadvertently escaping through the nozzle bore, and also forms a slightly concave meniscus at the nozzle, thus helping to keep the nozzle clean.
Conventional drop on demand inkjet printers utilize a pressurization actuator to produce the inkjet drop at orifices of a print head. Typically, one of two types of actuators are used including heat actuators and piezoelectric actuators. With piezoelectric actuators, an electric field is applied to a piezoelectric material possessing properties that create a mechanical stress in the material causing an ink drop to be expelled. The most commonly produced piezoelectric materials are ceramics, such as lead zirconate titanate, barium titanate, lead titanate, and lead metaniobate. With heat actuators, a heater, placed at a convenient location, heats the ink causing a quantity of ink to phase change into a gaseous steam bubble that raises the internal ink pressure sufficiently for an ink drop to be expelled.
It is known to print directly to hydrophobic media, such as vinyl, etc., using solvent-based dye inks ejected from piezoelectric inkjet printheads. However, due to the high cost of piezoelectric printer systems (ranging from $20,000 to $100,000) these printers are too costly for small volume printing jobs and some industry operating environments, such as small shop environments, etc. Piezoelectric printer systems typically require an ink (often solvent based) having a high viscosity which are not suitable for use with thermal inkjet printing systems. Additionally, the cost associated with piezoelectric printer systems can be contrasted with the cost associated with thermal inkjet printing systems which typically range from $10,000 to $15,000.
In order to solve this industry problem, an affordable inkjet printer that prints directly on untreated and uncoated hydrophobic media, such as vinyl, etc., and still offers a competitive cost per print, is desired in the industry. Additionally, pigmented inks, as compared to dye based inks, have enhanced properties such as colorfastness, lightfastness, image durability, etc., when exposed to extreme weather conditions, for example, those present in an outdoor environment. However, conventional aqueous (water) based pigmented inks having low viscosity, a characteristic that makes these inks suitable for ejection from thermal inkjet printheads, have difficulty wetting and adhering directly to non-porous, uncoated hydrophobic media. This is because an ink drop can be heated to a temperature approaching of 300° C. (for a brief time period) in a thermal inkjet printing system which typically leads to kogation of the ink and printhead nozzle malfunction. As such, the industry is challenged to produce inkjet ink compositions having improved image quality characteristics that can adhere to non-porous, untreated, uncoated hydrophobic media and thermal inkjet printing systems capable of delivering these inks to the media.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,734,392, issued to Cornell on Mar. 31, 1998, maintains operating temperatures by heating a thermal inkjet printhead. A silicon chip has embedded resistors (commonly referred to as substrate heaters) positioned at opposite ends of two rows of nozzle bores. Each nozzle bore has an associated drop forming resistor which vaporizes a portion of the liquid ink under the nozzle bore causing an ink drop to be ejected from the nozzle bore. Typically, conventional water based pigmented inks are heated by this printhead to a temperature not exceeding 50° C. in order to create a favorable operating environment without causing the inks to overheat. Overheating of the inks creates a larger than desired ejected ink drop size which, in turn, can create undesired image artifacts on a recording media reducing the quality of the printed image.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,382,759 B2, issued to Maeda et al. on May. 7, 2002, discloses an inkjet recording apparatus having a heater that heats a recording material to a predetermined temperature range at an ink recording position. The apparatus also includes a printhead that ejects ink to the recording material when the recording material is located at the recording position. The ink ejected by the printhead contains a substance that thickens when exposed to heat. The apparatus also includes a measuring means for monitoring the duration of time the printhead is located at the recording position. Additionally, a means for controlling the duration that the printhead remains at the recording position is included in the apparatus in order to prevent the nozzles and/or other portions of the printhead from being adversely affected by the heat. The ink used with this apparatus has a reversible temperature viscosity relationship. That is, the viscosity of the ink increases when the ink is exposed to heated conditions which causes the ink to gel and remain on the surface of the recording material. However, if the ink contained inside the printhead is allowed to increase in temperature, that ink will also gel and clog the nozzle of the printhead. Accordingly, the printhead must be repositioned away from the recording position periodically and allowed to cool to an acceptable temperature.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,970,528, issued to Beaufort et al. on Nov. 13, 1990, discloses a paper handling and ink drying apparatus which is part of a page width inkjet printer. An omnidirectional source of heat is positioned adjacent the paper exit path of an inkjet printer capable of radiating heat about an 180 degree contoured area relative to the location of the heat source. Paper from the inkjet printer is passed over this 180 degree contoured area as it exits the inkjet printer and moves toward a paper receiving and stacking area. The movement of the paper over the 180 degree contoured area is achieved by providing a semi-cylindrical contoured heat reflector which is an integral part of the printer apparatus.
Aqueous based ink compositions containing polymeric binders, for example those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,133,803, issued to Moffatt on Jul. 28, 1992, U.S. Pat. No. 5,364,462, issued to Crystal et al. on Nov. 15, 1994, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,239,193, issued to Cheng et al. on May. 29, 2001, are also known in the art. However, the binders added to these ink compositions are in very low concentration because adding a high concentration of binder increases the viscosity of the ink composition causing ink kogation and nozzle clogging which creates ink ejection problems when the inks are ejected through thermal inkjet heads.
As such, there is a need for a thermal inkjet printing apparatus using aqueous based pigmented inks capable of wetting and adhering directly to non-porous, uncoated, untreated hydrophobic media having improved image quality characteristics.

Apparatus and method of inkjet printing on untreated hydrophobic media


The lithium-ion secondary battery provided by the present invention comprises a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a non-aqueous liquid electrolyte. The positive electrode comprises as a primary component of its positive electrode active material, a lithium-containing olivine compound. The positive electrode further comprises 2 to 20 parts by mass of an activated carbon relative to 100 parts by mass of the positive electrode active material.

A lithium-ion secondary battery comprises positive and negative electrodes capable of reversely storing and releasing lithium ions, and an electrolyte placed between the two electrodes; and charging and discharging are mediated by lithium ions in the electrolyte moving back and forth between the two electrodes. Because it is light-weighed and has a high energy density, it has been widely used as an electrical power source for various portable devices. There is an expectation for use also in the fields of such as hybrid vehicles and electric automobiles, etc., which require an electrical power source of large capacity, whereby there is a desire for improved properties. Technical literatures relating to lithium-ion secondary batteries include Patent Documents 1 to 4.


A method of triggering an imaging process includes obtaining breathing signals, analyzing the breathing signals to identify a non-periodicity in a subject's breathing, and generating a signal to cause an imaging process to begin in response to the identified non-periodicity. A computer product having a set of instructions stored in a non-transitory medium, wherein an execution of the instructions causes a method to be performed, the method includes obtaining breathing signals, analyzing the breathing signals to identify a non-periodicity in a subject's breathing, and generating a signal to cause an imaging process to begin in response to the identified non-periodicity. A system for triggering an imaging process includes a processor that is configured for obtaining breathing signals, analyzing the breathing signals to identify a non-periodicity in a subject's breathing, and generating a signal to cause an imaging process to begin in response to the identified non-periodicity.

Radiation therapy has been employed to treat tumorous tissue. In radiation therapy, a high energy beam is applied from an external source towards the patient. The external source, which may be rotating (as in the case for arc therapy), produces a collimated beam of radiation that is directed into the patient to the target site. The dose and placement of the dose must be accurately controlled to ensure that the tumor receives sufficient radiation, and that damage to the surrounding healthy tissue is minimized.
Sometimes during a radiation therapy, the patient may be undergoing breathing motion. In such cases, it may be desirable to compensate for breathing motion during the treatment delivery session such that radiation may be properly delivered, or ceased to be delivered, to the target region. For example, if the patient's breathing becomes non-periodic (e.g., due to sudden movement such as coughing), then it may be desirable to stop a delivery of radiation. Compensating for breathing motion has two components: 1) determining the location of radiotherapy target, and 2) controlling component(s) of a radiation system, e.g., by turning the therapy beam on-off as in gating, redirecting the beam as in multi-leaf collimator (MLC) tracking, moving the patient support as in couch tracking, or a combination of the above.
There is a latency associated with current techniques of localizing the target. This is because current localization methods have a latency resulting from data acquisition and another latency resulting from the processing delays. There is also latency in the controlling of the components of a radiation system, such as mechanical motion required to either redirect the treatment beam or to reposition the patient. Applicant determines that in order to make the compensation for breathing motion temporally and geometrically accurate the overall latency from both the target localization and the controlling of machine components need to be overcome. In order to compensate for breathing motion, Applicant determines that it would be desirable to provide new techniques for predicting breathing signal, so that the overall latency from target localization and controlling of machine components can be overcome.
Also, unconstrained and normal breathing motion of a lung target is only approximately periodic and subject to variation in time. These changes can be a combination of baseline drift and breath-to-breath changes in amplitude and period in the order of 10 percent or more. More sudden changes caused by coughing or swallowing will result in even larger deviations from the normal breathing pattern. Sometimes, audio or visual coaching techniques can reduce these variations, but a 10 percent change is normal even after implementing these techniques in the clinic. Applicant of the subject application determines that there is a need to quantify the degree of non periodicity of breathing resulting from above variations, since it is expected to affect the performance of any prediction algorithm, and therefore the accuracy of determining the target position for management of motion. Also Applicant determines that it would be desirable to have a fast responding and prospective measure of non periodicity that can be used to interrupt the treatment beam when a sudden deviation from normal breathing pattern occurs. In order to compensate for deviation from periodicity (e.g., due to coughing), Applicant determines that it would be desirable to provide new techniques for determining non-periodicity.
Also, in current radiation therapy techniques, the internal target region is periodically imaged (e.g., using x-ray) to verify the position of the internal target region during a treatment session. Applicant determines that periodically imaging of internal target region is not desirable because it increases radiation dose delivered to the patient. Thus, Applicant also determines that it would be desirable to provide a technique for triggering imaging process that is non-periodic.

System and method for triggering an imaging process based on non-periodicity in breathing


A continuously variable transmission device including a guiding cover rotating about a first axis, a guided cover rotating about a second axis, a planet gear including a first belt in contact with an inner surface of the guiding cover and a second belt in contact with an inner surface of the guided cover, contact areas between the belts and the inner surfaces of the covers being defined in a single first radial plane relative to the first axis, wherein the planet gear rotates about a third axis contained in the first radial plane, the angular orientation relative to the first axis defining the transmission ratio of the device, and wherein the planet gear pivots about a fourth axis perpendicular to the first radial plane and nonintersecting with the first axis, and pivots about a fifth axis parallel to the first radial plane and perpendicular to the third axis.

It is known to use the ratio of two diameters between an input and an output to produce a CVT-type transmission. The motion transmission between the input and the output occurs by friction.
Thus, DE-A-10 2006 016 955 and FR-A-2,173,528 disclose variable speed drives in which two bells cooperate with a planet gear that bears against the inner surfaces of those bells and whose angular position around an axis perpendicular to and not intersecting the axis of rotation of the bells makes it possible to adjust the transmission ratio of that variable speed transmission. The position of the planet gear relative to the inner surfaces of the bells is adjusted by sliding the planet gear relative to those surfaces, perpendicular to its direction of rotation. During that sliding, the means for controlling the position of the planet gear must overcome a frictional force between the planet gear and the inner surfaces of the bells. To avoid excessive stress on those control means, that frictional force should therefore be relatively low. Furthermore, for effective transmission of the movement within the variable speed transmission, it is important to limit the slipping between the input and output elements, i.e., to work with a relatively high friction coefficient between the planet gear and those surfaces.
There are therefore two opposite constraints relative to the friction coefficient between the planet gear and the inner surfaces of the bells, which requires compromises and is detrimental either to the lifetime of the variable speed transmission or to its efficiency. Furthermore, in these known variable speed transmissions, adjusting the angular position of the planet gear is relatively time-consuming, since it is necessary to account for the slipping to be done between the planet gear and the inner surface of the bells, that slipping not being able to be immediate in light of the friction between those parts. Furthermore, this slipping of the planet gear, perpendicular to its direction of rotation when its position is being adjusted, tends to wear the planet gear and/or the inner surface of the bells out.

Continuously variable transmission device


A differential microphone assembly with multiple membranes in a single package and oriented in mutually exclusive directions.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to microphones, and in particular, to close-talk differential microphone arrays.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the seemingly ever increasing popularity of cellular telephones, as well as personal digital assistances (PDAs) providing voice recording capability, it has become increasingly important to have noise canceling microphones capable of operating in noisy acoustic environments. Further, even in the absence of excessive background noise, noise canceling microphones are nonetheless highly desirable for certain applications, such as speech recognition devices and high fidelity microphones for studio and live performance uses.
Such microphones are often referred to as pressure gradient or first order differential (FOD) microphones, and have a diaphragm which vibrates in accordance with differences in sound pressure between its front and rear surfaces. This allows such a microphone to discriminate against airborne and solid-borne sounds based upon the direction from which such noise is received relative to a reference axis of the microphone. Additionally, such a microphone can distinguish between sound originating close to and more distant from the microphone.
For the aforementioned applications, so called close-talk microphones, i.e., microphones which are positioned as close to the mouth of the speaker as possible, are seeing increasing use. In particular, multiple microphones are increasingly configured in the form of a close-talking differential microphone array (CTDMA), which inherently provide low frequency far field noise attenuation. Accordingly, a CTDMA advantageously cancels far field noise, while effectively accentuating the voice of the close talker, thereby spatially enhancing speech quality while minimizing background noise. (Further discussion of these types of microphones can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,473,684, and 5,586,191, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.)
Difficulties with differential microphone arrays include mutual separations of two or more microphones at relatively large distances (e.g., 1.5 centimeters), thereby making it difficult to package multiple microphones together in a practical manner. Additionally, when the processing and noise suppression circuitry is added, generally in a separate package, the wiring between packages causes additional interference and mismatching. Moreover, differential microphone arrays typically have a high pass frequency characteristic for which compensation, equalization or pre-emphasis may be necessary.


A method of photoresist strip includes providing a semiconductor substrate and performing an immerse step and a strip step, wherein the semiconductor substrate comprises a base, a bonding pad, a protective layer, an under bump metallurgy layer, a patterned photoresist layer and a bump. The patterned photoresist layer covers the under bump metallurgy layer and a lateral surface of the bump, wherein a first connection interface is formed between the patterned photoresist layer and the lateral surface of the bump, and a second connection interface is formed between the patterned photoresist layer and the under bump metallurgy layer. In the immerse step, the patterned photoresist layer contacts with a chemical solution which degrades the bond strength of the first connection interface. Therefore, in the strip step, the semiconductor substrate is scoured by a flow with appropriate force of impact, which strips the patterned photoresist layer from the base.

Conventional bump process includes forming a photoresist layer on a substrate; performing exposure/develop process to pattern the photoresist layer; plating plural bumps on the patterned photoresist layer; eventually removing the patterned photoresist layer therefore completing the bump process. In the process of removing the photoresist layer, the substrate which covered by the photoresist layer is immersed into a photoresist stripping solution to make the photoresist layer generate imbibition and decomposition therefore stripping from the substrate. However, according to differed product demands, the types of photoresist materials and photoresist stripping solutions used in process are totally different. For the issue mentioned above, in the process of conventional photoresist strip, the time for immersing the substrate into the photoresist stripping solution is likely too long therefore causing dispersion of the bumps or damage of a protection layer of the substrate. Oppositely, once the time for immersing the substrate into the photoresist stripping solution is too short, the remaining of the photoresist layer is likely occurred therefore affecting the yield rate in the conventional bump process. In addition, the thicker bump in the bump process, the thicker photoresist layer is performing. The thicker photoresist layer need longer time for immersed into the photoresist stripping solution and more photoresist stripping solution for strip which increase the loading capacity of the environmental and producing cost.


A voltage pump comprising a charging transistor responsive to a first control signal, the charging transistor operable to connect a node to a first voltage, a pumping capacitor responsive to a second control signal, the pumping capacitor operable to pump additional charge the node, and a pumping transistor responsive to a third control signal, the pumping transistor operable to connect the node to an output, wherein the charging transistor, the pumping capacitor, and the pumping transistor are thin-gate transistors. A method comprising charging a node to a first voltage, boosting the node to a second voltage, and connecting the node to an output, wherein the absolute value of the gate-to-source, gate-to-drain, and drain-to-source voltages of the plurality of thin-gate transistors does not exceed the absolute value of a supply voltage. Because of the rules governing abstracts, this abstract should not be used to construe the claims.

The present invention relates generally to a voltage charge pump and more particularly to a voltage charge pump for use in integrated circuits, among others.
Integrated circuits, such as a dynamic random access memory device (DRAM), typically employ one or more voltage pumps which are used to create voltages that are more positive or more negative than the available supply voltages. A DRAM may use two types of voltage pumps. The first type is a Vccp pump which generates a positive voltage that is used by the DRAM, for example, as a boosted wordline voltage. The second type is a Vbb pump (or back-bias voltage pump) which generates a negative voltage that is used, for example, to negatively bias the DRAM's substrate.
Charge pumps typically use voltages that exceed |Vcc| and thus require specialized transistors. For example, Vbb pumps typically use high voltages (e.g., greater than |Vcc|) to pump the substrate to a negative voltage. Thus, Vbb pumps require the use of specialized transistors having a thick-gate oxide (e.g., approximately 50-60 Å) and/or a unique doping profile. The thick-gate oxide and unique doping profile help to prevent breakdown and punch-through (among others) when the transistors are subjected to the high voltages. These specialized transistors may be referred to as "thick-gate oxide transistors" and/or "thick-gate transistors". FIG. 16 illustrates a prior art Vbb pump utilizing thick-gate transistors. The thick-gate transistors are required because, in certain instances, the absolute value of the drain-to-source voltage (|VDS|) may exceed VCC (i.e., which causes the breakdown and punch-through as discussed above).
Thick-gate transistors, however, have certain performance shortcomings as compared to thin-gate transistors (the use herein of the terms "thin-gate oxide transistor" and/or "thin-gate transistors" refers to common transistors, for example, transistors having an gate oxide thickness of approximately 25-30 Å and/or having a common doping profile). For example, thick-gate transistors typically pass less current than a thin-gate transistor having a similarly-sized channel width. Thus to charge a capacitor in an equivalent amount of time as the thin-gate transistor, the channel width of the thick-gate transistor must be increased to allow more current to flow. Additionally, the threshold voltage (i.e., Vt) of a thick-gate transistor is higher than that of the thin-gate transistor. Thus, thick-gate transistors require more die space and consume more power during normal operation than an equivalent performing thin-gate transistor.
Several attempts have been made to use thin-gate transistors for pump circuits. FIGS. 17 and 18 illustrate a single stage prior art Vccp pump and a single stage prior art Vbb pump, respectively. Referring to the VCCP pump in FIG. 17, signals PH1 and PH2 are non-overlapping active-low clock signals which are operated such that the gate-to-source voltage (VGS), the gate-to-drain (VGD), and the drain-to-source voltage (VDS) of transistors M2 and M4 do not exceed VCC. Additionally, signals PH1 and PH2 also prevent the absolute value of the gate-to-source voltage (|VGS|) and the absolute value of the gate-to-drain (|VGD|) of transistors M1, M3, M5, and M6 from exceeding VCC, and further prevent the absolute value of the drain-to-source voltage (|VDS|) of transistors M1 and M3 from exceeding VCC. Thus, thin-gate transistors may be used in the single stage Vccp pump illustrated in FIG. 17. However, when PH1 (PH2) goes low, PMPN (PMPN2) may briefly transition below VCC thereby causing charge injection within transistors M2 and M4.
Referring to the single stage Vbb pump in FIG. 18, signals PH1 and PH2 are non-overlapping active-high clock signals which are operated such that the gate-to-source voltage (VGS), the gate-to-drain (VGD), and the drain-to-source voltage (VDS) of transistors M2 and M4 do not exceed VCC. Additionally, signals PH1 and PH2 also prevent the absolute value of the gate-to-source voltage (|VGS|) and the absolute value of the gate-to-drain (|VGD|) of transistors M1, M3, M5, and M6 from exceeding VCC, and further prevent the absolute value of the drain-to-source voltage (|VDS|) of transistors M1 and M3 from exceeding VCC. Thus, thin-gate transistors may be used in the single stage Vbb pump illustrated in FIG. 18. However, when PH1 (PH2) goes high, PMPN (PMPN2) may briefly transition above VSS thereby causing charge injection within transistors M1, M3, M5, and M6.
Accordingly, a need exists for a voltage pump that utilizes thin-gate transistors, increases the pumping capacity/efficiency of the voltage pump, and overcomes the limitations inherent in prior art.

Voltage charge pump and method of operating the same


An attachment system for connecting a hollow rail to a support post includes an attachment bracket with a face plate for attachment to the support post, and a distally extending internal support member for nesting within the end of the rail. To enable disposition of the rail in an orientation other than orthogonal to the face plate, a portion of the internal support member is rounded to tapered, to provide the rail with up to forty-five degree movement from the orthogonal position. The attachment system also includes a snap-on cover which connects to the attachment bracket to cover the attachment bracket and provide a more aesthetically pleasing appearance to the attachment point between the support post and the rail.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rail attachment bracket which is used to secure a rail to a support post. More particularly, the present invention relates to a rail attachment bracket and snap-on cover which provides improved support for hollow rails when they are attached to support posts, and which enables the screws and other portions of the attachment bracket to be hidden from view.
2. State of the art
There are numerous types of fences and railings which are used to designate boundaries. Fences may be used on property lines, or to protect individuals from dangerous locations. Additionally, railings on stair cases and decks help to steady people and prevent accidental injury. For centuries, the primary building materials for such fences and railings were primarily metal and wood.
Recently, there has been a tremendous increase in the use of vinyl and similar products for such purposes. The vinyl products have numerous advantages over the prior materials. Namely, the vinyl is flexible and less prone to damage than wood and other prior materials. The vinyl is also mark resistant and does not require frequent repainting or staining to protect the fence or railing from the elements. Additionally, the vinyl products are usually cost competitive with the other materials. Because of these advantages, vinyl has become a material of choice for making fences, columns, and railings for decks and staircases.
While the vinyl products are highly desirable for such uses, the fact that the vinyl is typically formed into hollow rails or posts raises certain difficulties. Primarily, the lack of any center support makes vinyl rails and posts more difficult to attach to support structures, especially to other pieces of vinyl.
To accomplish attachment of a vinyl rail to a support member, the prior art has typically relied on indirect attachment. Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a cross-sectional view of the attachment mechanism which is typically used for the rails of vinyl fences and vinyl railings on decks and the like. The support post 10 as a piece of molding 14 which is attached thereto by a pair of screws 18. The rail 22 is nested into an opening 26 in the molding 14 so that the molding forms a bracket to hold the rail in place. If desired, additional screws 28 can be used to physically attach the molding 14 to the end 22a of the rail 22.
Unfortunately, such a configuration has several disadvantages. First, there is no support within the rail 22 to provide the end 22a thereof with support. If the end 22a of the rail 22 is impacted, it may brake due to the lack of flexibility caused by the molding. If the rail 22 is bent sufficiently at a point inwardly from the end 22a, the end can be pulled out of the opening 26. To reattached the rail 22, the rail must either be rebent and slid into the opening (often a difficult task), or the molding must be unscrewed from the support post 10, slid over the end of the rail 22, and then reattached to the support post.
Another disadvantage of the prior art configuration shown in FIG. 1 is that the screws 18 which hold the molding 14 to the support post 10, and any screws 28 holding the molding to the rail 22 are plainly visible. The visible screws are generally less aesthetically pleasing than a finished product where no screws or nails are visible. Due to the number of screws 18 which may be visible, the screws can make the vinyl appear to be of lower craftsmanship than comparable wood products where the screw heads are covered.
Still another disadvantage of the prior art configuration shown in FIG. 1 is that the molding 14 provides inferior support for situations wherein the rail 22 is not disposed in a perpendicular arrangement with the support post 10. When the rail 22 is disposed at an angle such as 35 or 45 degrees, the rail no longer nests conveniently within the opening 26 of the molding 14. While the molding 14 may be cut away to enable insertion of the rail 22, the molding then provides very little vertical support for the rail, as shown in FIG. 1A. Thus, the risk that the rail 22 will become detached from the support post is significant. Additionally, a large, unsightly gap 26a can be left between the molding 14 and the rail 22.
Thus, there is a need for an improved rail attachment bracket wherein the bracket provides improved support to better hold the rail to the support post. Such an improved rail attachment bracket should be designed to work well in situations in which the rails attached to the support posts are disposed transverse to a plane perpendicular to the support post, i.e. in a position not orthogonal to the support post. The attachment bracket should also be inexpensive and easy to use. Additionally, the bracket should be coverable to provide a finished look to the final vinyl or composite railing, etc.

Rail attachment bracket with snap-on cover


In providing a music program, a personal music player displays personal activity choices. A user selects a personal activity and provides a time duration for the activity. The player sends a request to a music program server for a music program. The request includes the personal activity and the time duration. The music program server selects a music program record from a plurality of music program records that has an activity attribute which matches the personal activity and a program duration which matches or is less than the time duration. The server extracts location information for the music program from the program entry in the music program record, and sends this to the player. The player uses the location information to obtain the music program. In this manner, a music program is provided to a user based on the personal activity of the user.

1. Field
This invention relates generally to audio media, particularly to method and system for selecting a music program for a personal activity.
2. Related Arts
Personal music listening experience is fundamentally enhanced with the introduction of MP3 players. The large storage capacity, the ease of song downloading from a network, and the sophisticated capabilities of an MP3 player provide unprecedented choices in music selection. Additionally, the prolonged play time enabled by better power utilization of a MP3 player liberates a user to undertake a wide range of personal activities while listening to music, from taking a walk in the neighborhood, cooking a meal, working out in a gym, taking a 4-hour nature hike, taking a bath, to spending a long lazy afternoon lying on a campus lawn.
Nevertheless, a user oftentimes finds the new listening experience less than satisfying.
In one example, Melinda goes to a gym for her 45-minute workout session in mid afternoon. She likes to listen to fast tempo and spirited music numbers that goes with her favorite high workout intensity. Using her MP3 player, Melinda tries to find a XM satellite channel that provides the same. Unfortunately, all she can find is a slow pace religious music program.
In another example, Andy enjoys music while engaging in a variety of personal activities. In order to play the kind of music that complements the activity, Andy has to spend time to put together several playlists from the vast music collection in his MP3 player. In one instant, after a long and stressful day at work, Andy wants to unwind in his sauna and listen to some ambient soulful music. However, after shuffling through the directory of his music collection for 5 minutes, Andy is able to find only half a dozen songs, not quite enough to last for an hour of relaxing moment that he has in mind.
In one more example, John is taking a commuter train to work in downtown New York. From his music collection in his MP3 player, he plays Simon and Garfunkel's 1981 "The Concert in Central Park" to start his day. Unfortunately, when he arrives at his office building, the concert is barely half way through. John reluctantly stops the music and greets his co-workers, feeling unsatisfied for the rest of the morning.
The above discussion demonstrates the need for a solution to provide a music program based on the personal activity of a user.

Method and system for music program selection


A oil pump includes a pump housing in which a first partitioning section is formed between a trailing end section of the intake port and a leading end section of the discharge port, and a second partitioning section is formed between a trailing end section of a discharge port and a leading end section of an intake port. A width dimension of the second partitioning section is the same as or larger than the formation range of a space between teeth which is constituted by an inner rotor and an outer rotor passing the second partitioning section during low-speed rotation. A protruding surface section is formed in the same plane as and continuously with the second partitioning section from the vicinity of an inner diameter side of the trailing end section of the discharge port.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an oil pump in which the discharge volume is varied between low-speed rotation and high-speed rotation of rotors due to rotation of a reference line linking a center of an inner rotor and a center of an outer rotor, and in which the pump efficiency can be improved.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there is an internal gear type of oil pump in which the pump discharge volume can be varied by rotational movement of a reference line which is a line linking the center of the inner rotor and the center of the outer rotor. Examples of this type of pump are disclosed in Domestic re-publication of PCT international application WO 2010/013625 and Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-96011. Below, the oil pump disclosed in Domestic re-publication of PCT international application WO 2010/013625 and Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-96011 will be described in general terms. In the description, the reference symbols employed in Domestic re-publication of PCT international application WO 2010/013625 and Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-96011 are used as is without alteration.
The eccentric variable-capacity pump which is disclosed in Domestic re-publication of PCT international application WO 2010/013625 is provided with guide means G for setting an attitude of an adjusting ring 14 fitted externally onto an outer rotor 13, by causing rubbing contact of a contact section C of the adjusting ring 14 against a guide surface S of a casing 1 (see FIG. 2 in Domestic re-publication of PCT international application WO 2010/013625).
The guide means G includes a first guide pin 21 and a second guide pin 22 which pass through a first arm section C1 and a second arm section C2 formed on the adjusting ring 14, in a parallel attitude with respect to a driving rotation axis center X, and includes a circular arc-shaped first guide groove T1 and a circular arc-shaped second guide groove T2 formed in a wall section 1A of the casing 1, in accordance with the first guide pin 21 and the second guide pin 22.
The first guide groove T1 and the second guide groove T2 are formed into a shape whereby when the adjusting ring 14 moves, a driven axis Y performs an orbiting motion about the drive rotation axis center X, while at the same time the adjusting ring 14 performs a rotating motion about the idle axis center Y.
Furthermore, conventionally, there is an internal gear type oil pump in which a shallow groove is formed on a seal land which is formed between a trailing end section of a discharge port and a leading end section of an intake port. In the oil pump disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-96011, a groove 11a is provided in a small seal land so as to extend in the forward direction of rotation of the rotor from the outer diameter side of the rotor of the trailing end of the discharge port 7 (see FIG. 1 and FIG. 3 in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-96011).
Due to a liquid pressure being introduced from the groove 11a into a space g at a position where the volume of the pump chamber 10 is smallest, thereby pressing together the teeth of the outer rotor 3 and the inner rotor 2 on opposite sides half a cycle apart, the tip clearance between the rotors is compressed and the amount of liquid leakage via the tip clearance is reduced (see FIG. 4A in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-96011).
Connection between the pump chamber 10 and both the intake port 6 and the discharge port 7 needs to be shut off between the discharge finish point and the intake start point, and in order to ensure this function even when the groove 11a is provided, an escape section 12 is formed, which causes one portion of the outer circumferential side of the rotor at the leading end of the intake port 6 to be displaced in the forward direction of rotation of the rotor (see FIG. 3 in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-96011).

Variable oil pump with improved partitioning section


Methods and systems are provided for adjusting parameters using a vehicle touch screen. In one embodiment, a method includes determining an initial touch position of an external touch operation when the external touch operation is detected. A movement trajectory and final disengagement position of the external touch operation may then be detected. The movement trajectory need not be limited to an area covered by a parameter adjustment control. The parameter adjustment control may then be adjusted to a final parameter value according to the initial touch position, the final disengagement position, and the movement trajectory.

When a driver is operating a vehicle, it may be necessary for the driver to control various parameters within the vehicle. In the past, motor vehicle cockpits provided physical controls, such as knobs for the driver to use when adjusting such parameters. When using physical controls, a driver can find and manipulate the control without having to look at the control for too long. For example, the driver can rely on their sense of touch to find and operate the control, determine the result of their operation, and confirm that a target parameter adjustment has been achieved. However, such physical controls have disadvantages. For example, once installed in the cockpit, the shape and function of physical controls cannot be easily changed. Physical controls also always occupy the same amount of space in the cockpit regardless of whether the driver is using the controls. Therefore, modern vehicle cockpits have replaced many of these physical controls with multi-touch LCD screens (hereinafter referred to as touch screens). The advantage of touch screens as a control is that the content displayed and manipulated can be flexibly changed as needed in a given context.
Although touch screen controls can be flexibly changed as needed, their primary disadvantage is that the surface of the touch screen is flat and smooth, so it is impossible to provide tactile feedback during like a physical control. The driver typically cannot clearly determine the result of a parameter adjustment action without visually observing the controls. Therefore, the driver must look at the LCD screen when operating the parameters on the touch screen to adjust the parameters, which increases risks while driving.

Parameter adjustment using vehicle touch screen

THOUGHTWORKS SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGY (BEIJING) LIMITED CO.


An L-methionine γ-lyase having modified function which is obtained by structurally stabilizing natural L-methionine γ-lyase by analyzing the structure of crystals thereof by using X-ray, estimating an amino acid sequence concerning its substrate specificity and varying amino acid residue thereof; enzymes comprising a protein constituting the L-methionine γ-lyase having modified function or its multimer (preferably its tetramer); DNA sequences encoding these enzymes; a process for producing these enzymes; and medicinal preparations (preferably anticancer agent) containing these enzymes.

L-methionine γ-lyase (EC 188.8.131.52) is an enzyme which requires pyridoxal 5′-phosphate (PLP) as a coenzyme and catalyzes α, γ-dissociation and γ-substitution of L-methionine or its derivatives and also α, β-dissociation and β-substitution of S-substituted L-Cysteine or its derivatives [Tanaka, H. et al., Biochemistry, 16, 100–106 (1977)]. This enzyme has been isolated and purified mainly from Pseudomonas putida and its physicochemical and enzymological properties have already been investigated [Nakayama, T. et al., Anal. Biochem., 138, 421–424 (1984)]. Some researches have reported the mechanism of enzymatic reaction catalyzed by L-methionine γ-lyase [Esaki, N. et al., FEBS Lett. 84, 309–312 (1977); Nakayama, T. et al., Biochemistry, 27, 1587–1591 (1988)]. L-Methionine γ-lyase comprises a tetramer of homogeneous subunit (monomer) and one molecular of coenzyme PLP binds to a subunit [Nakayama, T. et al., Biochemistry, 27, 1587–1591 (1988)]. These references are related to enzymes derived from natural source. Further, reported is the preparation of a recombinant enzyme by means of genetic engineering [Inoue, H. et al., J. Biochem., 117, 1120–1125 (1995) and the like, sequence No. 1]. However, the reference does not describe or suggest a functionally modified L-methionine γ-lyase, which is improved in the stability.
It has been reported that the wild type L-methionine γ-lyase purified from a culture of P. putida has an anti-tumor activity [WO94/11535, Publication date, May 26, 1994]. Furthermore, It has been suggested that L-methionine γ-lyase may be therapeutic agents for obesity [Orentreich, N et al.; J. Nutr., 123, 265–274 (1993)], Parkinson's disease [Crowell, Jr., et al.; Behav. Neur. Biol., 59, 186–193 (1993)], cardiovascular diseases [Lockwood, B. C. et al.; Biochem. J., Z279, 675–682 (1991)] or aging [Orentreich, N., et al.; J. Nutr., 123, 269–274 (1993)]; [Hoffman, R. N.; Heaman Cell, 10, 69–80 (1997)]. The amino acid sequence and the encoding DNA of L-methionine γ-lyase have been also disclosed [Inoue, et al.; J. Biochem., 117, 1120–1125 (1995)]. The half life of L-methionine γ-lyase in blood of an animal e.g. rat is short, 80 min and extends to only about double even by using a polyethylene glycol modification [Tan, et al.; Protein Expression Purif., 12, 45–52 (1998)]. In this case, the stability of the enzyme may be improved by chemical modification with polyethylene glycol at the Lys residues exposed on the surface of the enzyme. However, the chemical modification at an amino acid residue is completely different from an introduction of mutation. Therefore, the success about the increase of the structural stability of L-methionine γ-lyase with polyethylene glycol does not suggest a success in the increase of the structural stability of L-methionine γ-lyase by substitution, insertion or deletion of the amino acid residues. Furthermore, the chemical modification by means of a stabilizer of protein such as polyethylene glycol and the like did not suggest the further increase of the structural stability of functionally modified L-methionine γ-lyase.
In general, the does of a drug useful for medicines should be small. Accordingly, the supply of a functionally modified L-methionine γ-lyase with an enhanced activity and a long half-time, by means of introduction of a mutation such as substitution of amino acid residue, contributes to the development of a useful anti-tumor agent and the like. The increase in half-life of functionally modified L-methionine γ-lyase is expected by chemical modification with polyethylene glycol and the like. Enhancement of an anti-tumor activity and a reduction of side effects are expected by combining the functionally modified L-methionine γ-lyase and other anti-tumor agents.

L-methionine $g(g)-lyase with modified function


A drive system for the container holder and the travelling beam of a metal extruder press in which a return stroke is accelerated by connecting the annular chambers of the travelling beam and container holder cylinders to a pressurization force and with the full piston area chambers of the container holder connected to a tank, connecting the full piston area chambers of the travelling beam to the pressure source as well.

The present invention relates to a drive system for a metal extrusion press and, more particularly, for the return movement of the container holder and the travelling beam of a metal extrusion press.
A metal extrusion press can have a travelling beam provided with a ram which is juxtaposed with a counter beam which can support an extrusion die through which the metal of a billet held in a container on a container holder between the travelling beam and the counter beam is extended.
A cylinder beam can be provided with a main cylinder unit acting upon the travelling beam for driving the ram into the billet and the metal through the die and with auxiliary cylinder units for the travelling beam and the container holder.
The annular compartments of the auxiliary cylinders for the container holder can be pressurized for the return movement and the full-piston-area cylinder compartments can be connected with a tank. The auxiliary cylinder units for the container holder are thus able, in a first control phase to maintain a mechanical contact of the container holder against the travelling beam and then to shift the travelling beam via the container holder into a billet loading position.
For hydraulic extrusion presses it is important to minimize the time required to relieve the press, remove the billet residue from the container holder, load a new billet into the container holder and commence the pressing operation once again. The minimization of this time period results in an increase in productivity.
To achieve such a minimization in the return and refilling time, the velocity of the container holder and the travelling beam during their return or inactive strokes must be increased.
The pump capacity of the high pressure pump used for extrusion usually does not suffice for such high speed return strokes. It is possible to obtain the rapid movement by the use of additional high pressure pumps, auxiliary pumps or special means like additional accumulators or similar systems for augmenting the volume rate of flow of the hydraulic fluid.
It is, however, a drawback of such systems that they involve high investment or capital costs and additional electronic power and often require the installation of special units for effecting the inactive return displacement of the parts.
After extrusion, the extrusion press must have its elements moved away from one another to provide sufficient place for removing the container residue and introducing the new billet. In a first phase, the conductor or conductor holder and then travelling beam must be moved rearwardly parallel to one another. This is usually achieved with the cylinder units in a manner such that the container and the travelling beam is separately displaced or the container holder is brought into engagement with the travelling beam and then entrains the travelling beam with it. The moving parts are thus simultaneously or sequentially brought into the billet loading position. With the prior art cylinder arrangement of the extrusion press, differential switching is required to reduce the hydraulic volumetric displacement. This differential switching is also referred to as regenerative switching or as hydraulic pressure takeover.
In conventional practice this is used to accelerate the press closing or forward operation stage but not for a rapid return or separation operation.
It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide an improved metal extrusion press with a drive system which enables accelerated return movement of the container holder and the travelling beam entrained thereby significantly reducing the setup time for the next extrusion operation.
Another object of the invention is to provide a system for effecting such acceleration which does not require additional apparatus like further pumps or accumulators.
These objects and others which will become apparent hereinafter are attained, in accordance with the invention, in a metal extrusion press which comprises:
a traveling beam provided with a ram;
a counter beam supporting an extrusion die juxtaposed with the ram;
a container holder between the press beam and the counter beam and provided with a container receiver a billet of a metal to be extruded between the ram and the die;
a cylinder beam provided with a main cylinder unit comprised of at least one piston-and-cylinder assembly acting upon the traveling beam for driving the ram into the billet and the metal through the die, and with traveling-beam and container-holder auxiliary cylinder units each consisting of at least two piston-and-cylinder assemblies and respectively braced between the cylinder beam and, respectively, the traveling beam and the cylinder holder; and
a hydraulic system connected to at least some of the piston-and-cylinder assemblies for a return stroke of the container holder and traveling beam, the piston-and-cylinder assemblies of the auxiliary cylinder units each having an annular cylinder chamber traversed by piston rods on one side of the respective assembly and a full-piston-area cylinder chamber on an opposite side of the respective assembly, the system pressurizing the annular cylinder chambers and connecting the full-piston-area cylinder chambers of the piston-and-cylinder assemblies of the auxiliary cylinder unit of the container holder to a tank. The auxiliary cylinder unit of the container holder maintains the container holder in mechanical entrainment with the traveling beam in a first phase and the traveling beam is thereafter pushed into an end position by the container holder, the system including means for connecting the annular cylinder chambers of the auxiliary cylinder units of the container holder and the traveling beam and the full-piston-area of the travelling beam to a hydraulic pressurization source simultaneously during the return stroke.
More particularly, during the back movement of the container holder, the ring chambers of the container auxiliary cylinders are connected to the hydraulic pressure source and the cylinder chambers on the opposite sides of the respective pistons, here referred to as the full piston area chambers, are connected to the tank via the valve unit. After the container holder comes into contact with the travelling beam, and after a short acceleration phase via the valve unit, the ring chambers auxiliary cylinder units of the travelling beam are connected with the full piston area cylinder units of the travelling beam auxiliary cylinder units in a hydraulic short circuit and simultaneously the valve unit returns the surplus hydraulic fluid generated by the mechanical entrainment of the travelling beam to the ring chambers of the auxiliary cylinder units of the container holder. The cylinder areas of the auxiliary units are so selected that the requisite force is maintained for the return movement of the container holder and the travelling beam.
The differential hydraulic switching which results from the foregoing insures that in the return stroke, the auxiliary cylinders for the container holder and the travelling beam will work together in the return movement and that the hydraulic fluid quantity which, in earlier systems, was simply discharged into the tank from the full piston area side of the auxiliary units of the travelling beam, can be fed to the ring chambers of the travelling beam and the container holder auxiliary cylinders to accelerate the return movement. As a consequence, for a given installed pump capacity as required for the press operation, the return speed can be increased and the recycling time shortened. The hydraulic fluid discharged from the full piston area cylinder chambers of the auxiliary cylinder units of the travelling beam, limited only by the hydraulic fluid requirements of the ring chambers of the auxiliary units, is returned by the pressurization unit to both the auxiliary cylinder units of the container holder and the travelling beam.

Drive system for a metal extrusion press


A barrier chemical mechanical planarization polishing composition is provided that includes suitable chemical additives. The suitable chemical additives are organic polymer molecules containing ethylene oxide repeating units having the general molecular structure of

The present invention relates to barrier chemical mechanical planarization ("CMP") polishing compositions (or slurries) used in the production of a semiconductor device, and polishing methods for carrying out chemical mechanical planarization. In particular, it relates to barrier polishing compositions that are suitably used for polishing patterned semiconductor wafers that are composed of multi-type films, such as barrier, Low k or ultra Low k, dielectric, and metal lines, vias or trenches.
Usually, a barrier layer covers the patterned dielectric layer and a metal layer covers the barrier layer. The metal layer has at least sufficient thickness to fill the patterned trenches with metal to form circuit interconnects.
A barrier typically is a metal, metal alloy or intermetallic compound, such as tantalum or tantalum nitride. The barrier forms a layer that prevents migration or diffusion between layers within a wafer. For example, barriers prevent the diffusion of interconnect metal such as copper or silver into an adjacent dielectric. Barrier materials must be resistant to corrosion by most acids, and thereby, resist dissolution in a fluid polishing composition for CMP. Furthermore, these barrier materials may exhibit a toughness that resists removal by abrasion abrasive particles in a CMP slurry and from fixed abrasive pads.
In relation to CMP, the current state of this technology involves the use of a multi-step, such as, a two-step process to achieve local and global planarization.
During step 1 of a CMP process, metal layer such as the overburden copper is removed, while leaving a smooth planar surface on the wafer with metal-filled lines, vias and trenches that provide circuit interconnects planar to the polished surface. First step polishing steps tend to remove excess interconnect metals, such as copper. Then step 2 of the CMP process, frequently referred to as a barrier CMP process, follows to remove the barrier layer and excess metal layers and other films on the surface of the patterned wafers to achieve both local and global planarization surface on the dielectric layer.
US patent application publication, US2007/0082456A provides a polishing composition which allows high-speed polishing while etching and erosion are prevented and the flatness of metal film is maintained. The polishing composition comprises (A) a compound having three or more azole moieties, (B) an oxidizing agent, and (C) one or more species selected from among an amino acid, an organic acid, and an inorganic acid.
US patent application publication, US2007/0181534 teaches a barrier polishing liquid which includes (a) a nonionic surfactant represented by formula below, (b) at least one type of organic acid selected from the group consisting of an aromatic sulfonic acid, an aromatic carboxylic acid, and a derivative thereof, (c) colloidal silica, and (d) benzotriazole or a derivative thereof.
In the formula, R1 to R6 independently denote a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbons, X and Y independently denote an ethyleneoxy group or a propyleneoxy group, and m and n independently denote an integer of 0 to 20. There is also provided a chemical mechanical polishing method that includes supplying the barrier polishing liquid to a polishing pad on a polishing platen at a rate per unit area of a semiconductor substrate per unit time of 0.035 to 0.25 mL/(mincm2), and polishing by making the polishing pad and a surface to be polished move relative to each other while they are in a contacted state.
US patent application publication, US2008/0149884 A1 describes a composition and associated method for the chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) of metal substrates on semiconductor wafers. The composition contains a nonionic fluorocarbon surfactant and a per-type oxidizer (e.g., hydrogen peroxide). The composition and associated method are effective in controlling removal rates of low-k films during copper CMP and provide for tuneability in removal rates of low-k films in relation to removal rates of copper, tantalum, and oxide films.
US patent application publication, US 2013/0168348 A1 has found an aqueous polishing composition, the said aqueous polishing composition comprising (A) at least one type of abrasive particles which are positively charged when dispersed in an aqueous medium free from component (B) and having a pH in the range of from 3 to 9 as evidenced by the electrophoretic mobility; (B) at least one water-soluble polymer selected from the group consisting of linear and branched alkylene oxide homopolymers and copolymers; and (C) at least one anionic phosphate dispersing agent; and a process for polishing substrate materials for electrical, mechanical and optical devices making use of the aqueous polishing composition.
US patent application publication, US 2009/0004863 A1 provides a polishing liquid for polishing a ruthenium-containing barrier layer, the polishing liquid being used in chemical mechanical polishing for a semi-conductor device having a ruthenium-containing barrier layer and conductive metal wiring lines on a surface thereof, the polishing liquid comprising an oxidizing agent; and a polishing particulate having hardness of 5 or higher on the Mohs scale and having a composition in which a main component is other than silicon dioxide (SiO2). The present invention also provides a polishing method for chemical mechanical polishing of a semi-conductor device, the method contacting the polishing liquid with the surface of a substrate to be polished, and polishing the surface to be polished such that contacting pressure from a polishing pad to the surface to be polished is from 0.69 kPa to 20.68 kPa.
US 2013/0171824 A1 discloses a CMP process for substrates containing silicon oxide dielectric films and polysilicon and/or silicon nitride films comprising the steps of (1) contacting the substrate with an aqueous composition containing (A) abrasive particles which are positively charged when dispersed in an aqueous medium having a pH in the range of from 3 to 9; (B) a water-soluble or water-dispersible linear or branched alkylene oxide homopolymer or copolymer; and (C) a water-soluble or water-dispersible polymer selected from (c1) aliphatic and cycloaliphatic poly(N-vinylamide) homopolymers and copolymers, (c2) homopolymers and copolymers of acrylamide monomers of the general formulas I and II: H2C═C(—R)—C(=0)-N(—R1)(—R2) (I), H2C═C(—R)—C(=0)-R3 (II), wherein the variables have the following meaning R hydrogen atom, fluorine atom, chlorine atom, nitrile group, or organic residue; R′ and R2 hydrogen atom or organic residue; R3 saturated N-heterocyclic ring; (c3) cationic polymeric flocculants; and (c4) mixtures thereof; (2) polishing the substrate until the silicon oxide dielectric film is removed and the polysilicon and/or silicon nitride film is or are exposed.
Typically, abrasives are used in most barrier CMP compositions (or slurries). The abrasives with variable particle size and shapes provide mechanical friction forces between polishing pad and wafer surface under applied pressure. When abrasives are used, especially with high concentration, abrasive damage (scratching) can occur.
Barrier slurry compositions need to meet several stringent requirements including high barrier removal rates, very low post-polish topography, no corrosion defects and very low scratches or residue defects. Therefore, there are significant needs for barrier CMP compositions, CMP process(es) or methods when these requirements become more and more stringent as the semiconductor industry continues to move towards smaller and smaller feature sizes.

Barrier chemical mechanical planarization composition and method thereof

Abstract: where n refers to the total numbers of the repeating unit giving the molecular weights of polyethylene oxide ranging from 100,000 to 8,000,000. There is also provided a chemical mechanical polishing method using the barrier chemical mechanical planarization polishing composition.


In a computing system, memory may be managed by using a distributed array, which is a global set of local memory regions. A segment in the distributed array is allocated and is bound to a physical memory region. The segment is used by a workgroup in a dispatched data parallel kernel, wherein a workgroup includes one or more work items. When the distributed array is declared, parameters of the distributed array may be defined. The parameters may include an indication whether the distributed array is persistent (data written to the distributed array during one parallel dispatch is accessible by work items in a subsequent dispatch) or an indication whether the distributed array is shared (nested kernels may access the distributed array). The segment may be deallocated after it has been used.

Many programming models (for example, in graphics processing units (GPUs), heterogeneous computing systems, or embedded architectures) have to control access to multiple levels of a memory hierarchy. In a memory hierarchy, certain memories are close to where the operations happen (e.g., an arithmetic logic unit), while other memories are located farther away. These different memories have different properties, including latency and coherency. With latency, the farther away the memory is located from where the operation happens, the longer the latency. With coherency, when a memory is located closer to the chip, it may not be able to see some reads and writes in other parts of the chip. This has lead to complicated programming situations dealing with addresses in multiple memory spaces.
Container partitions in models like STAPL (Standard Template Adaptive Parallel Library for C++) or split methods in memory hierarchy languages such as Sequoia provide data splitting that allow data movement, but do not abstract temporary data in the same way. Memory spaces in programming models like OpenCL provide access to these hardware structures, but in a free-form way with no clear method for passing substructures in to and out of executing computational kernels or to provide flows of dependent blocks from one kernel instantiation to another.
A distributed array is an opaque memory type that defines a global object containing a set of local arrays, where one local array is mapped to each executing group of work instances (programmatic units of execution such as OpenCL work items, CUDA™ threads, or the instances of the body of a parallelFor execution). Each group of work instances has a higher ability for intra-group communication than inter-group communication, and hence all work instances in the group may share access to the local part of the distributed array.

Allocating memory and using the allocated memory in a workgroup in a dispatched data parallel kernel


A hand-held drive-in tool for driving fastening elements (60) in a workpiece (U) includes a drive-in ram (13) for driving the fastening elements (60) in the workpiece (U), at least one drive spring member (31) for driving the drive-in ram (13), a preloading device (70) for the drive-in ram (13) and the drive spring member (31), a locking device (50) which retains the drive-in ram (13) and the drive spring member (31) in a preloaded position (33) when the locking device is located in its locking position (54), an actuation switch (19), for initiating the drive-in process for displacing the locking device (50), and into a release position (55) thereof, and at least one further switch for displacing the locking device (50) in the release position thereof (55) independent from actuation of the actuation switch (19).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hand-held drive-in tool for driving fastening elements in a workpiece and including a guide, a displaceable drive-in ram for driving the fastening elements in the workpiece, at least one drive spring member for driving the drive-in ram, a preloading device for the drive-in ram and the drive spring member, a locking device having a locking position in which the locking device retains the drive-in ram and the drive spring member in a preloaded position, and an actuation switch imitating a drive-in process and for displacing the locking device in a release position thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The drive-in tool of the type described above can be, e.g., electrically driven, with the drive spring member, which can be preloaded by an electrically driven, preloading device, serving as an energy accumulator. The advantage of such drive-in tools consists in their simple and easily produced construction.
A drive-in tool of the type described above, which is formed as an electric tacker, is disclosed in German Publication DE 32 37 087 A1. In this drive-in tool, a drive-in ram, which is formed as a firing pin, is displaced by a rotatable electric motor in a preloaded position against a biasing force of a drive spring member. The driving connection between the drive-in ram and the electric motor is so formed that he drive-in ram is decoupled from the motor in its preloaded position in which the drive-in ram is held by a locking member. To initiate a drive-in process, an actuation switch, such as an actuation lever or a pressure button should be actuated. Upon actuation of the actuation switch, the locking member is displaced from its locking position in which it retains the drive-in ram in its preloaded position, to a release position. The fastening elements, which are driven in by the electric tacker are stored in a magazine.
The drawback of the known drive-in tool consists in that when no drive-in process is actuated, e.g., when the drive-in tool after being pressed against a workpiece, is lifted off again, without the actuation of the actuation switch, the drive spring member remains preloaded, that can lead to spring fatigue.
Drive-in tools such as described above, electric tacker, have, as a rule, a very small drive-in energy of about from 5 to 10J. Should there be provided such drive-in tool with a greater drive-in energy of up to 80J, a corresponding adaptation or scaling of the drive spring member becomes necessary, which significantly increases the danger of fatigue if the drive spring member remains in preloaded condition for a long period of time.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a drive-in tool of the type described above in which the above-discussed drawback of a known tool is eliminated.


An integrated circuit includes a filter circuit that has at least one active device, wherein the active device has adjustable transconductance.

In electronic devices such as semiconductor devices, in particular in corresponding analog and/or digital integrated circuits, memory devices, signal-processing systems etc., filter circuit arrangements, such as high and/or low pass filter circuit arrangements are frequently used.
A high pass is a filter circuit arrangement that transmits signals with relatively high frequencies substantially without modification. Further, with signals with relatively low frequencies in general attenuation and, as a rule, a phase lead is effected.
As compared to this, a low pass is a filter circuit arrangement in which signals with relatively low frequencies are transmitted substantially without modification; with signals with relatively high frequencies, attenuation and, as a rule, a phase lag is effected.
Passive high and/or low pass filter circuit arrangements may include one or several resistors and, as energy storage device, one or more capacitive devices and/or one or more inductive devices.
As compared to this, active filter circuit arrangements generally include, in addition to passive devices such as resistors and capacitors, one or more active devices, such as operational amplifiers.
For configuring the properties of a filter circuit arrangement such as the respective cutoff frequency, etc. switchable capacitors may be used. Alternatively or additionally, for configuring the properties of a filter circuit arrangement, the transconductance of active devices, e.g., transistors in respective operational amplifiers, etc. may be suitably adjusted, etc. However, changing a respective filter configuration due to relatively long transient times of control loops included in the respective filter circuit arrangement may last relatively long. For these or other reasons, there is a need for the present invention.

Integrated circuit including filter circuit arrangement


A new and distinct Asiatic Lily Hybrid having upright facing, double flowers of red and light orange to cream, on vigorous, strong stems suitable for the garden or for greenhouse forcing for small bouquets.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Lily hybrid referred to commercially as an upright Asiatic hybrid lily and given the cultivar name `Ceb Latte`. This invention was discovered in a plot of seedlings that were of mixed parentage that were bred for pollen free stock.
This invention has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity and day length, without, however, any variation in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the basic characteristics of this invention which in combination distiguish this lily as new and distinct cultivar: 1) double flowers of medium size; 2) flowers of red and light orange to cream; 3) strong stems suitable for the garden or for forcing for small bouquets; 4) blooms mid-season; and 5) good vigor. Bulbs of this plant may be precooled and forced out of season for uniform cut flower production. In addition, this new lily shows good disease resistance.
Of the many cultivars known to the inventor, the inventor is not aware of any other double Asiatic lily commercially available with the unique color and striking pattern of this invention.
Asexual reproduction of this new variety has been accomplished at Cebeco Lilies, Inc., Aurora, Oreg., by scaling and tissue culture. The resulting plants have shown that the above-mentioned unique features are stable and reproduce true to type in each successive propagation.

Asiatic hybrid lily plant named `Ceb Latte`


The present invention relates to a novel alkylation catalyst complex and to alkylation processes employing such a catalyst complex. More specifically, the invention relates to a novel catalyst complex comprising a BF.sub.3 :H.sub.3 PO.sub.4 adduct, and at least one polar hydrocarbon formed in situ. The catalyst complex may optionally include water as well as an added solubilizing agent. The invention further includes a pretreatment method for enhancing the isoparaffin selectivity of a catalyst complex containing a BF.sub.3 :H.sub.3 PO.sub.4 adduct.

Alkylation is a reaction in which an alkyl group is added to an organic molecule. Thus an isoparaffin can be reacted with an olefin to provide an isoparaffin of higher molecular weight. Industrially, the concept depends on the reaction of a C.sub.2 to C.sub.5 olefin with isobutane in the presence of an acidic catalyst producing a so-called alkylate. This alkylate is a valuable blending component in the manufacture of gasolines due not only to its high octane rating but also to its sensitivity to octane-enhancing additives.
Industrial alkylation processes have historically used hydrofluoric or sulfuric acid catalysts under relatively low temperature conditions. The sulfuric acid alkylation reaction is particularly sensitive to temperature, with low temperatures being favored to minimize the side reaction of olefin polymerization. Acid strength in these liquid acid catalyzed alkylation processes is preferably maintained at 88 to 94 weight percent by the continuous addition of fresh acid and the continuous withdrawal of spent acid. The hydrofluoric acid process is less temperature sensitive and the acid is easily recovered and purified.
Both sulfuric acid and hydrofluoric acid alkylation share inherent drawbacks including environmental and safety concerns, acid consumption, and sludge disposal. Research efforts have been directed to developing alkylation catalysts which are equally as effective as sulfuric or hydrofluoric acids but which avoid many of the problems associated with these two acids.
For a general discussion of sulfuric acid alkylation, see the series of three articles by L. F. Albright et al., "Alkylation of Isobutane with C.sub.4 Olefins", 27 Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 381-397, (1988). The second in this series of articles discusses the byproduct conjunct polymers which appear to promote sulfuric acid alkylation at concentrations up to about 4 to 5 percent, but impede alkylation at higher concentrations. The conjunct polymers are believed to contain C.sub.5 and C.sub.6 ring groups, and are highly unsaturated. See Albright et al. at 386, column 1.
Catalysts comprising BF.sub.3 as well as BF.sub.3 :H.sub.3 PO.sub.4 adducts have been proposed, and are discussed in greater detail below. While these catalysts effectively overcome the safety and environmental drawbacks of sulfuric and hydrofluoric acid alkylation systems, the volume and quality of BF.sub.3 alkylates have not, in the past, proven comparable to that of sulfuric or hydrofluoric acid alkylates.
U.K. Patent 545,441, assigned to Standard Oil Development Company, teaches a BF.sub.3 :H.sub.3 PO.sub.4 catalyzed isoparaffin-olefin alkylation process.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,345,095 to Bruner teaches a paraffin-olefin alkylation process catalyzed by a boron trifluoride-water complex, represented by the formula BF.sub.3 :nH.sub.2 O, where n is preferably from 1 to 1.5.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,296,370 and 2,296,371 to Slotterbeck disclose a BF.sub.3 :H.sub.2 O:HF catalyst system and an isoparaffin-olefin alkylation process employing the same. The catalyst system is said to avoid yield loss due to oxidation of the resulting alkylate product.
U.K. Patent 550,711 teaches a process for increasing the activity of at least partially spent BF.sub.3 :H.sub.2 O catalyst systems for reuse in an organic condensation reaction. Briefly, the process volatilizes BF.sub.3 from the liquid catalyst mass to the extent required to promote separation of a distinct hydrocarbon phase from the catalyst mass. This hydrocarbon phase is then decanted off and fresh BF.sub.3 is added to restore catalytic activity.
Canadian Patent 424,000 teaches a process for producing gasoline boiling range hydrocarbons from isobutane and a normally gaseous olefin by absorbing the olefin in phosphoric acid of at least 75 weight percent concentration with an amount of isobutane equal to at least three moles of isobutane per mole of alkyl phosphate in the presence of a catalytic mixture of phosphoric acid and boron halide at temperature between 20.degree. C. and 60.degree. C.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,873,634 to Hoffman teaches a method of increasing the rate of ethylene alkylation by isobutane by carrying out the reaction simultaneously with the alkylation of a small amount of a higher weight olefin is isobutane in the presence of a BF.sub.3 :H.sub.3 PO.sub.4 catalyst complex at low temperature and pressure.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,925,500 to Wentzheimer discloses a combined acid alkylation and thermal cracking process employing a BF.sub.3 :H.sub.3 PO.sub.4 acid catalyst in which unconverted propane and ethane from the alkylation process are converted, for example, to propylene and ethylene which are subsequently alkylated with isobutane to evolve a valuable liquid fuel.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,795,728 to Kocal teaches a hydrofluoric acid catalyzed alkylation process for producing motor fuel. The hydrofluoric acid catalyst complex includes from 0.5 to 5 weight percent of a cationic or anionic surfactant component enabling the process to be operated at an olefin:acid volumetric feed ratio of greater than 1.0 while maintaining acceptable alkylate quality.