A flip-flop circuit with scan circuitry for use with static logic gates includes a dynamic input stage and a static output stage. The dynamic input stage is coupled to receive a data signal, a scan input signal, a scan enable signal, a data enable signal and a single-phase clock signal. During the precharge phase, the dynamic input stage provides an output signal that is the complement of the data or the scan signal. The dynamic input stage output signal is precharged to a logic high level during the precharge phase. During the precharge phase, the static output stage maintains the flip-flop output signal logic at the logic level of the previous evaluation phase independently of the signal received from the dynamic input stage. During the evaluation phase in the normal mode, the dynamic input stage generates an output signal that either remains at a logic high level or else transitions from high-to-low, complementing the logic level of the data signal. During the evaluation phase in the scan mode, the dynamic input stage outputs the complement of the scan input signal that either remains at a logic high level or else transitions from high-to-low, complementing the logic level of the scan input signal. The static output stage receives the output signal from the dynamic input stage and the clock signal. During the evaluation phase, the static output stage outputs the complement of the output signal received from the dynamic input stage.

Many high performance circuits such as, for example, microprocessors, use static flip-flops. Generally, these static flip-flops are master-slave edge-triggered flip-flops. However, as the speeds of these high performance circuits increase, the use of conventional master-slave edge-triggered flip-flops becomes unattractive because these conventional flip-flops are relatively slow and require both the true and complement of the clock signal. Typically, these conventional static flip-flops require special clock buffers or "headers" to generate complementary clock signals.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a typical conventional master-slave rising edge-triggered static flip-flop 100. The flip-flop 100 includes a master stage 101 driving a slave stage 103. The master stage 101 has a conventional transmission gate 105 having an input lead 106 coupled to receive a data signal D. As is well known, the transmission gate 105 of the master stage is controlled to transmit the received data signal D by the true and complementary clock signals CK and CKB respectively received by the p-channel and n-channel devices implementing the transmission gate 105. Thus, the master stage's transmission gate 105 is controlled to pass the data signal D prior to a rising edge (i.e., while the clock signal CK is at a logic low level).
A conventional latch 107, implemented with the inverters INV1 and INV2, has an input lead connected to an output lead 108 of the transmission gate 105. Thus, while the clock signal CK is at a logic low level, the latch 107 inverts the data signal D and latches the inverted data signal on the output lead of the master stage 101. Then, at the rising edge of the clock signal CK, the transmission gate 105 is no longer conductive, while the latch 107 continues to output the complement of the data signal D at the time of the rising edge.
The slave stage 103 also includes a transmission gate and a latch. However, the transmission gate 109 of the slave stage 103 is configured to be conductive when the transmission gate 105 is non-conductive and vice versa. Typically, the transmission gate of the slave stage is connected to receive the clock signals CK and CKB respectively at the gates of the n-channel and p-channel devices implementing the transmission gate 109. Thus, before the rising edge of the clock signal CK, the transmission gate 109 is non-conductive. However, at the rising edge of the clock signal CK, the transmission gate 109 transmits the latched output signal of the master stage 101 (i.e., the complement of the data signal D at the time of the rising edge) to a conventional output latch 111, implemented with the inverters INV3 and INV4. Thus, the output latch 111 outputs a signal Q equivalent to the data signal D at the time of the rising edge for the rest of the cycle. Counting the delay of the transmission gates as 1/2 of a typical gate delay, the conventional flip-flop 100 has a latency of about three gate delays, measured from the set-up time of the data signal D (prior to the rising edge of the clock signal CK) to the transition of the flip-flop output signal Q after the rising edge of the clock signal CK. Of course, any improvement in speed of the flip-flop is desirable for most applications.
In addition, the conventional master-slave flip-flop 100 may be modified for testing purposes to include scan test capability, which is well known in the art of flip-flops. For example, in a typical scan design testing scheme, test (or scan) data is loaded into a set of scan flip-flops and then the logic circuitry receiving the scan data is clocked for one cycle. Another set of scan flip-flops stores the output (or capture) data from this logic circuitry, which are then compared to the expected result. If the capture data does not match the expected result, then a possible fault has been detected.
However, the scan functionality typically results in either increased complexity or a speed penalty. For example, as shown in FIG. 1A, in one conventional scan flip-flop design, a scan flip-flop 118 includes a two-input multiplexer formed from the master stage 101 of the flip-flop 100 (FIG. 1). In particular, the scan flip-flop 118 has a master stage 120 identical to the master stage 101 (FIG. 1) with a second transmission gate 122 connected in parallel to the transmission gate 105. The second transmission gate 122 is connected to receive a scan-input signal SI and is clocked by scan clock signals SCK and SCKB. The scan clock signals are provided to the flip-flop 118 only during the scan mode and, conversely, the clock signals CK and CKB are provided to the flip-flop 118 only during the "normal" operational mode.
However, transmission gates typically are relatively large in size, which increases the cost of the flip-flop and occupies area that could otherwise be used for other devices. In addition, transmission gates typically represent a large capacitive load to the signal driver, which therefore causes the driver to be relatively large in size and power dissipation. In this example, the scan flip-flop 118 includes three transmission gates (i.e., the transmission gates 105 and 122 in the master stage 120 and a transmission gate in the slave stage) and, thus, is relatively slow while having a relatively large size and power dissipation. Accordingly, there is a need for a scan flip-flop that is fast while minimizing the size and power dissipation.

Edge-triggered staticized dynamic flip-flop with scan circuitry


A brake fluid pressure control device for a vehicle that includes a wheel speed obtaining device to obtain wheel speed, and a vehicle body deceleration calculating means to calculate a vehicle body deceleration on the basis of the wheel speed. If a condition is satisfied in which the vehicle body deceleration continues to stay at a low rate of less than or equal to a predetermined threshold value for a predetermined period of time, the pressure increasing rate in pressure increasing control is altered to a higher value than before the condition is satisfied. The brake fluid pressure of a brake caliper can quickly be brought close to the fluid pressure of a master cylinder. Therefore, it is possible to improve the brake responsiveness when the brake is re-operated by the driver during the ABS control, thereby reducing the driver's feeling of wrongness and strangeness.

An antilock braking system (ABS) is a device to avoid locking of wheels. For example, a technique for avoiding deterioration of brake responsiveness of a motorcycle when a brake activating part (brake operation part) is once released by a driver during ABS control and re-operated is known in, for example, Patent Literature Document 1.
In the technique of Patent Literature Document 1, the ABS control is terminated under a certain condition to avoid the deterioration of brake responsiveness when the brake operation part is re-operated.
In the meantime, if a brake fluid pressure control device for a vehicle does not have a unit for detecting brake operation, such as a pressure sensor or a brake lamp switch, the ABS control may continue even if an input to the brake operation part is terminated. Thus, when a driver re-operates the brake operation part during the ABS control, the drive may have a feeling of wrongness and/or strangeness upon re-operating the brake operation part if there is a difference between an originally designed amount (rate) of pressure increase of a master cylinder and a rate of pressure increase of the ABS control.


Systems and methods for managing jobs to be scanned based on existence of processing nodes are described. One of the methods includes obtaining identification information regarding operation of a first set of the processing nodes from an inventory and creating a job for scanning the processing nodes of the first set for security vulnerability. The job includes the identification information. The method further includes verifying the inventory to determine the first identifying information of the first set of processing nodes for removal from the job and loading the job having second identifying information for a second set of processing nodes that remain after the verifying operation.

A 'cloud' is a common word used to define computing systems and storage that have been networked to provide computing and storage resources to devices connected to the Internet. The reliability and security of a cloud is usually performed in a world where computer networks are a key element in intra-entity and inter-entity communications and transactions. Various tools have been used by network administrators, government, security consultants, and hackers to test the vulnerabilities of the cloud, such as, for example, whether any virtual machines (VMs) in the cloud can be accessed and controlled remotely without authorization. Through this intensive testing, the cloud can be "hardened" against common vulnerabilities and esoteric attacks.
A tool such as a vulnerability scanner can be used to test an individual VM in the cloud to determine which VMs are "open", these "open" VMs may provide access for possible intrusion, and potentially represent a vulnerability that can be exploited by a malicious hacker. However, because of the vast number of hosts in a provider's multi-tenancy cloud, scanning takes a long time.
It is within this context that embodiments of the present invention arise.

Methods and systems for automated network scanning in dynamic virtualized environments


The present disclosure relates to a method for plasma ion deposition and coating formation. A vacuum chamber may be supplied, wherein the vacuum chamber is formed by a hollow substrate having a length, diameter and interior surface. A plasma may be formed within the chamber while applying a negative bias to the hollow substrate to draw ions from the plasma to the interior surface of the hollow substrate to deposit ions onto the interior surface and forming a coating. The coating may have a Vickers Hardness Number (Hv) of at least 500.

Crude oil is a naturally occurring substance including a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various lengths. Crude oil may be found in porous rock formations or mixed in sand in the upper strata of the earth's crust. The crude oil may pool into reservoirs into which from which the oil may be extracted. Once extracted, the crude oil may be transported to various destinations by pipelines. The pipelines, however, may be subject to material build-up and wear. For example, waxes contained in the crude oil and hydrates formed at a water/oil interface may build-up in the pipelines resulting in occlusions which may necessitate cleaning and may possibly even halt production. In addition, wear may occur due to, for example, friction generated by the flow of the crude oil in the pipeline or particulate matter that may be present in the crude oil.
The same may be true for other transportation pipelines as well. For example, relatively large scale pipelines may carry water, brine or sewage over relatively long distances. Smaller scale pipelines may carry materials throughout a plant, such as polymer pellets, grains or chemical compounds, etc. Depending on the materials carried, many of these pipelines may experience similar problems with respect to wear and material build-up.

Plasma immersion ion processing for coating of hollow substrates


Disclosed is an apparatus for analyzing a plurality of image portions of at least a region of a sample. The apparatus includes a plurality of processors arranged to receive and analyze at least one of the image portions, and the processors being arranged to operate in parallel. The apparatus also includes a data distribution system arranged to receive image data, select at least a first processor for receiving a first image from the image data, select at least a second processor for receiving a second image from the image data, and output the first and second image portions to their selected processors.

The present invention relates generally to apparatus and techniques for inspecting a sample, such as a reticle, photomask, or other semiconductor materials or surfaces, and more specifically to apparatus and methods for determining whether a sample is defective.
A reticle or photomask is an optical element containing transparent and opaque, semi-transparent, and phase shifting regions which together define the pattern of coplanar features in an electronic device such as an integrated circuit. Reticles are used during photolithography to define specified regions of a semiconductor wafer for etching, ion implantation, or other fabrication process. For many modern integrated circuit designs, an optical reticle's features are between about 1 and about 5 times larger than the corresponding features on the wafer. For other exposure systems (e.g., x-ray, e-beam, and extreme ultraviolet) a similar range of reduction ratios also apply.
Optical reticles are typically made from a transparent medium such as a borosilicate glass or quartz plate on which is deposited on an opaque and/or semi-opaque layer of chromium or other suitable material. However, other mask technologies are employed for direct e-beam exposure (e.g., stencil masks), x-ray exposure (e.g., absorber masks), etc. The reticle pattern may be created by a laser or an e-beam direct write technique, for example, both of which are widely used in the art.
After fabrication of each reticle or group of reticles, each reticle is typically inspected by illuminating it with light emanating from a controlled illuminator. Optical images of one or more portions of the reticle are constructed based on the fraction of the light reflected, transmitted, or otherwise directed to a light sensor. Such inspection techniques and apparatus are well known in the art and are embodied in various commercial products such as many of those available from KLA-Tencor Corporation of San Jose, Calif.
During a conventional inspection process, the optical image of the reticle portion being inspected is typically compared to a corresponding reference image. Conventionally, the reference image is either generated from a circuit pattern data that was used to fabricate the reticle or from an optical image of a nearby area of the reticle itself. Either way, the optical image features are analyzed and compared with corresponding features of the reference image. Each feature difference is then typically compared against a threshold value. If the optical image feature varies from the test feature by more than the predetermined threshold, a defect is defined.
Mechanisms for a typical inspection process may include a number of serially coupled processors. The image data is fed into and processed by a first processor. After the first processor performs one step of the analysis, the resultant data is then fed into a second processor for the next step in the analysis. The image data may be fed serially into any number of processors. Typically, the different processors will each perform some small portion of the total analysis algorithm(s). The algorithms are usually hard-coded into the individual processors.
Although serially processing portions of the image data is adequate for some applications, it is too slow and/or inflexible under certain conditions. For example, as circuit patterns and corresponding reticle patterns grow more complex, the image data of such reticles grows to contain a relatively large amount of data that must be accurately analyzed. A typical reticle may be converted into 1 million by 1 million pixels of image data. Thus, it may become quite burdensome to process such large amounts of image data.
Additionally, conventional image processing is often dependent on the proper functioning of all of the processors. That is, if a single processor fails within the serial chain of processors, the image data may not be properly analyzed. The inability to properly analyze is especially likely if there are no other processors within the serial chain of processors that perform the failed processor's functions.
Finally, inspection systems that include processors with fixed or hard-coded algorithms often cannot handle the full range of possible algorithms that may be useful for image processing, and they are not easily upgraded or changed if a new set of algorithms is desired. For example, if new algorithms are desired, the processors may have to be replaced with new processors that have a new set of hard-coded algorithms. This procedure may be relatively time-consuming and/or costly.
Thus, improved inspection apparatus and techniques are needed. More specifically, mechanisms for more efficiently and accurately processing image data are desired. Additionally, flexible mechanisms for changing the processor algorithms are also desirable.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method and apparatus for inspecting reticles implementing parallel processing


A method of using a vector network analyzer (VNA) for coordinated Voltage Standing-Wave Ratio (VSWR) and Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) measurement includes configuring the VNA for identifying discontinuities correlated to a VSWR lobe. In some embodiments, the method includes identifying a largest VSWR lobe in a frequency band of interest, using phase data associated with an S11 scattering parameter to find the correct electrical delay required to align Low Pass Step Transform data, and configuring the Low Pass Step Transform span and center time to align coherent inductive and capacitive discontinuities relative to grid lines of a TDR display. In some embodiments, the method is automated.

Improving Voltage Standing-Wave Ratio (VSWR) is typically an iterative trial-and-error exercise when utilizing either frequency or time-domain information. For example, while circuit modifications which decrease Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) "bumps" (discontinuities) are generally advantageous, decreasing a specific TDR bump does not necessarily improve VSWR within a frequency band of interest, but can actually degrade it.

Using vector network analyzer for aligning of time domain data


The invention relates to methods, systems and computer program products for monitoring the biosignals of a test subject, in particular electrocardiograms, wherein a plurality of reference biosignals are recorded along with a respective assigned reference parameter value, a control biosignal is measured, a reference parameter value to be assigned to the control biosignal is determined and, on the basis of the reference parameter value assigned to the control biosignal and on the basis of the plurality of reference parameter values assigned to the plurality of reference biosignals, at least one comparative biosignal is selected from the plurality of stored reference biosignals for comparison, and wherein values of the reference parameter at least partially describe a physiological state of the test subject and/or general conditions of an environment.

Biosignals, such as electrocardiograms, allow inferences to be drawn about the physiological activities of an organ or an organism. The evaluation of monitored biosignals is carried out not only by physicians to be used as a diagnostic basis, but is also increasingly being carried out in the area of so-called home monitoring or personal tracking.
Here, users monitor their physical activities or physiological measures without the constant support of a physician. Monitoring can form the basis for a recommendation of an action to be taken for the users, for example, an instruction to consult a physician for an in-depth diagnosis. Furthermore, monitoring may be used to evaluate or control a sports training plan, e.g. to increase stamina in marathon training.
The conspicuousness or inconspicuousness of monitored biosignals can be determined by comparison with a reference. In this case, the reference may be predetermined by a measurement of another test subject, by forming an average value over a group of test subjects or by computer-aided modeling of underlying physiological and/or pathological processes.
In this case, the reliability of the comparison (determined by the proportions of the false-positive and/or false-negative comparison results) depends, inter alia, on the quality of the reference. Furthermore, the reliability of the comparison can be increased if reference and control measurements relate to comparable conditions. These conditions include the physical conditions of the test subject and environmental influences.
From International Publication WO 96/25096, it is known to store pattern electrocardiograms for certain cardiac events of known diagnosis, e.g. tachycardia or atrial fibrillation, and compare the same with a measured electrocardiogram for a more accurate localization of disorders.

Monitoring of biosignals, in particular electrocardiograms


An extendable cargo deck for pickup trucks having a rearwardly opening cargo bed bounded by side walls having inwardly projecting rails spaced above the floor of the cargo bed. The cargo deck includes a base and a carriage mounted to the base for movement between a retracted position and an extended position with respect to the base. The cargo deck is equipped with one or more upwardly extending holding devices connected to the base for engaging the side wall rails.

The present invention relates to a cargo deck for a pickup truck, and more particularly to a cargo deck for a pickup bed that slides out of the pickup truck bed.
Pickup trucks generally are designed to carry large loads in the cargo box or bed of the truck. The cargo box is oftentimes equipped with a truck bed liner to protect painted metal surfaces of the truck bed from the weather and/or damage during loading, unloading and/or transport of cargo, and/or to cover surfaces that already have been damaged.
Access to the truck bed is somewhat obstructed by the side walls of the truck bed, bumpers, tailgates and trailer hitches. These obstructions often require a person to bend over, reach and/or climb into the truck bed for loading or unloading purposes. This can reduce a worker""s performance due to fatigue and ergonomically stressful motions and positions performed in unloading and loading the truck. The obstructions around the sides of the truck bed also present problems in providing access for forklift trucks to load and unload cargo in and from the truck bed.
The aforesaid obstructions also make it difficult to access equipment carried in the truck bed. Consequently, the equipment may have to be removed from the truck bed for use. Heretofore, U.S. Pat. No. 5,820,190 proposed using a track bed extending system including a worktable that can be slid out from the bed of a pickup truck to allow access to tools and supplies carried on the table. This system, however, appears to require the use of invasive fasteners that require holes to be drilled in the floor of the cargo bed at the time of installation and which may be difficult to install. Holes presumably would also have to be drilled in any truck bed liner installed in the truck bed. The holes in the truck bed and/or liner may adversely affect the utility and/or resale value of the truck. Moreover, no apparent provision is made for accommodating different widths of truck beds associated with the variety of pickup trucks being manufactured today.
The present invention provides an extendable cargo deck for pickup trucks or other vehicles having a rearwardly opening cargo bed which is bounded by side walls having inwardly projecting rails spaced above the floor of the cargo bed (which would be the floor of a bed liner if a bed liner is used in the cargo bed). The cargo deck includes a base and a carriage mounted to the base for movement between a retracted (or stowed) position and an extended position with respect to the base. The base is equipped with one or more upwardly extending holding devices for engaging the side wall rails. This arrangement eliminates or minimizes the need to drill holes in the truck bed and/or truck bed liner, and otherwise enables easy and simple installation and use. In most situations where a bed liner is used, the cargo deck is installed noninvasively, eliminating the need to drill holes in the bed liner in order to install the cargo deck. Consequently, the cargo deck can be easily moved from one truck bed to another. The installation and use of the cargo deck also may preserve any warranties that may be in effect for the bed liner and/or the truck bed.
According to a preferred embodiment, each holding device includes an upwardly extending arm for engaging the side wall rail. The height of the arm preferably is adjustable for tightly engaging the side wall rail and reactively urging the cargo deck base against the floor of the cargo bed. Preferably the base and/or holding devices thereof include telescoping members which allow the spacing between the upright arms on opposite sides of the base to be adjustably varied for different sizes of cargo beds. That is, the upright arms on opposite sides of the base can be adjustably moved towards and away from one another to position the upright arms beneath the side rails of the cargo bed into which the cargo deck is being installed. Once in the proper position, the upright arms can be vertically extended and engaged against the side rails, thereby holding the cargo deck in the cargo bed.
The carriage generally has a platform surface provided therewith or is equipped with means by which a platform, such as a sheet of plywood, can be mounted thereto. The carriage can be extended out of the truck bed to provide easy access to the cargo carried thereon. Preferably, the carriage, base and holding devices each are substantially planar, providing a further advantage in that they can be laid flat for compact storage and/or shipping. Additional productivity-enhancing accessories may be used with the carriage and/or platform, including racks, ramps, sliding work tables, tool box holders, ladder racks, lumber holders, bike racks, grocery bag holders, sport equipment holders, clothes hangers, hold-down brackets, etc.
As will be appreciated, various other advantages are provided by various embodiments of the present invention. The aforesaid construction of a cargo deck provides for the installation of the cargo deck without interference with rail-mounted work boxes and/or truck caps, as may be desired. Heavy equipment, such as welders, saws and compressors can be accessed and stowed with significantly less effort, and loading and unloading of the truck bed can be accomplished much more easily. Furthermore, the cargo deck can increase worker productivity by allowing access to the truck bed cargo volume quickly and conveniently, thereby reducing the human performance barrier caused by fatigue and ergonomically stressful motions/positions. The cargo deck may have a wide variety of applications, including use in delivery trucks, as tool supports for the construction trades, general use by a handyman, etc. The cargo deck also may be outfitted with collapsible support legs to form a temporary work table.
In addition, a cargo deck can be installed in a relatively short time, on the order of minutes, without special tools or prior knowledge of trucks. The components of the cargo deck may also be lightweight, and can be installed and used by both men and women. Despite its light weight, the cargo deck may be very strong and generally may be capable of handling loads near the duty-rating of the truck.
The foregoing and other features of the invention are hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description and annexed drawings setting forth in detail a certain illustrative embodiment of the invention, this embodiment being indicative, however, of but one of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed.


A stackable semiconductor package includes a board having first electrical connections, an integrated circuit chip fixed on a front face of the board, second electrical connections which connect the chip to the first electrical connections of the board and front electrical contact terminals arranged beyond at least one edge of the chip on the front face of this board. An encapsulation block of a coating material is formed on the front face of the board and encapsulates the chip, its electrical connections and the front terminals. The block has at least one opening which at least partially uncovers the front terminals with a view to receiving electrical connection beads of a stacked second package. This one opening is preferably in the form of a groove.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of semiconductor packages and, more particularly, to that of stackable semiconductor packages.
2. Description of Related Art
A stackable package is known in the art which comprises a board carrying on its front face an integrated circuit chip fixed by means of electrical connection beads embedded in a coating material between the board and the chip. On its front face, the board carries front electrical contact terminals around and at a distance from the periphery of the chip.
A stackable package is also known in the art which comprises a board carrying on its front face an integrated circuit chip fixed by adhesive bonding, wires for electrically connecting the chip to the board and an encapsulation block coating the chip and these wires. The board carries front electrical contact terminals on its front face, which are arranged beyond the periphery of this encapsulation block of the chip.
It is known to stack a second semiconductor package on each of the aforementioned semiconductor packages, the electrical connection between this second package and the first semiconductor package being produced by electrical connection beads interposed between the terminals of the rear face of the second package and the front terminals of the first package.
There is a need in the art to provide a semiconductor package which has a different design and can advantageously be stacked.

Stackable semiconductor package and method for its fabrication


A waveguide type semiconductor photodetector comprises a n-InP substrate, and a laminate including a first and second optical confinement layers and an undoped optical absorption layer interposed therebetween. The optical absorption layer has a thickness between 0.2 and 0.5 .mu.m, and a bandgap wavelength smaller than the bandgap wavelength of the first and second optical confinement layers. The photodetector has a large mode field diameter and a small coupling loss between the same and a glass fiber.

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a waveguide type semiconductor photodetector and, more particular, to a wide-band semiconductor photodetector having a waveguide and exhibiting a high optical sensitivity and a low output distortion.
(b) Description of the Related Art
A conventional semiconductor photodetector incorporating therein a waveguide for guiding incident light to an optical absorption layer (hereinafter called waveguide type semiconductor photodetector or simply photodetector) has a layer structure wherein p- and n-type semiconductor layers sandwich therebetween a lightly-doped optical absorption layer or core layer to form a p-n junction. This type of semiconductor photodetector is generally applied with a reverse bias voltage between the p- and n-type semiconductor layers to deplete the optical absorption layer of carriers, and takes advantage of the high electric field generated in the depleted layer in the optical absorption layer to effect a photo-electric conversion of a signal light received through the incidence facet of the waveguide. In this process, the semiconductor photodetector receives the signal light through the incidence facet to guide the same to the optical absorption layer, and detects excited carriers generated by the incident light in the depletion layer as a photo-current. The excited carriers generated and drifting in the depletion layer are separated by the high electric field in the depletion layer as separate holes and electrons. The separated electrons reach p-type cladding layer and the separated holes reach n-type cladding layer, thereby contributing the generation of the photo-current.
The waveguide type semiconductor photodetector has several advantages including selection ability by the wavelength of the signal light, a high operational speed, and a wide-band characteristic. It also has the advantage of having a profile and a structure similar to those of a semiconductor laser etc. to facilitate integration therewith.
However, it is difficult to adapt the mode field diameter of the conventional photodetector to the core diameter (or mode field diameter) of an optical fiber to be coupled with the photodetector for optical transmission, thereby raising a problem of coupling loss therebetween.
The optical adaptation in the mode field diameter between two systems, such as between the optical fiber and photodetector is discussed herein in view of the importance in reduction of the optical loss. Assuming that axial deviation between the two systems is in one direction, i.e., either horizontal or vertical direction, the coupling factor .eta. between the two systems can be represented by the following equation: EQU .eta.=2.multidot.W.sub.1 .multidot.W.sub.2 /{(W.sub.1.sup.2 +W.sub.2.sup.2).multidot.exp [-2.delta..sup.2 /(W.sub.1.sup.2 +W.sub.2.sup.2)]} (1)
wherein W1 and W2 represent mode field diameters of both the systems, and .delta. represents the deviation or offset amount between the optical axes of both the system. The equation (1) is obtained from overlapping integral of electric field in the one direction.
The coupling loss between the two systems can be calculated by the above equation (1) from a specified mode field diameter ratio (or relative mode field diameter) between the two systems: if the ratio is 2, then the calculated coupling loss is 1 dB; and if the ratio is 3, then the calculated coupling loss is 2.5 dB.
In the case where the internal quantum effect is assumed 100% and if the mode filed diameter ratio between the two systems is 2, the optical sensitivity of the photodetector for a signal light having a 1.3 .mu.m wavelength is approximately 0.85 A/W, and if the ratio is 3 in a similar condition, the optical sensitivity is approximately 0.6 A/W.
It is to be noted the mode field diameter of the photodetector should be equal to that of the optical fiber or quartz waveguide to be coupled therewith in order to obtain a satisfactory coupling efficiency or to reduce the coupling loss. For this purpose, the optical absorption layer of the photodetector should be grown to have a sufficient thickness, for example, 4 .mu.m or above to be adapted with the diameter of the light emitted from the optical fiber or quartz waveguide.
However, it is difficult to obtain a thickness of 4 .mu.m or above for an optical absorption layer in a photodetector wherein the layer structures including the optical absorption layer is epitaxially grown on a substrate. Namely, the adaptation of the mode field diameter by increasing the thickness of the epitaxial optical absorption layer is not practical in the photodetector.
JP-A-4(1992)-241272 proposes a photodetector wherein the optical absorption be 0.15 .mu.m thick to reduce the confinement efficiency thereof, thereby increasing the effective mode field diameter of the optical absorption layer. This proposal, however, has a problem in which a high electric field generated within the optical absorption layer causes a zener break-down due to a tunnel current.

Waveguide type semiconductor photodetector


To reduce the total amount of reply messages in broadcasting and to make effective use of the bandwidth of a communication route without assuming an error rate in advance.

In data broadcasting using TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) or UDP/IP (User Datagram Protocol/Internet Protocol), such as the Internet, a technique is used in which a sender sends a receipt acknowledgement request to receivers, and each receiver returns a receipt acknowledgement (if the receiver has received all the packets) or retransmission requests (if the receiver failed to receive all the packets) so that loss of transmitted packets (data blocks) can be addressed. Then, the sender, which received the reply message(s), retransmits specified data blocks to the receivers that have sent the retransmission requests, and sends a receipt acknowledgement request as before. Repeating data transmission and a retransmission request in this manner ensures that all the data is eventually received by every receiver, and high reliability of data communication can be maintained.
However, in broadcasting, there are a plurality of receivers for one sender. This may cause congestion of reply messages from the receivers after the sender sends a receipt acknowledgement request. The congestion of reply messages may block execution of other applications or may cause overflow of the communication route with possible loss of reply data.
To avoid such congestion of reply messages, a technique involving setting of a backoff time is employed. That is, the timing with which a reply message is sent from each receiver is made to be a random timing within the backoff time, so that the timings of the receivers are shifted from each other. The timings with which the sender receives the reply messages become random within the backoff time, and this disperses the traffic and reduces the load on the communication route, thereby avoiding the above-mentioned problem.
However, in large-scale broadcasting involving a large amount of reply messages in total, the above-mentioned technique of reply timing dispersion is not sufficient to solve the problem. That is, the above technique has a problem of the increased total amount of reply messages proportional to the number of receivers, and a problem of poor utilization of the bandwidth of return lines.
The loss rate of transmitted blocks (the error rate) depends on a communication system or an actual environment but not on the number of receivers. Accordingly, given a certain error rate, the total number of lost blocks increases in proportion to increase in the number of receivers. Because retransmission requests for lost blocks are included in a reply message and sent to the sender, the total amount of reply messages increases as the total number of lost blocks increases. The conventional technique of reply timing dispersion only shifts the timings but cannot reduce the total amount of reply messages.
Further, the conventional backoff time is obtained by the total amount of reply messages divided by the bandwidth. Because the total amount of reply messages is the product of the average reply message length and the number of receivers (senders of the reply messages), calculation of the backoff time requires the average reply message length to be assumed. Because a reply message includes retransmission requests and the retransmission requests include numbers of blocks requested to be retransmitted, the reply message length will be long if many blocks are requested to be retransmitted (i.e., if the error rate is high). In contrast, the reply message length will be short if the error rate is low. In other words, the reply message length depends on the error rate. If the actual error rate is higher than the assumed error rate, the average reply message length will be longer than the assumed length, which may cause traffic congestion and possibly leads to overflow. In contrast, if the actual error rate is lower than the assumed error rate, the average reply message length will be shorter than the assumed length, which prevents effective use of the bandwidth of the communication route. That is, communication is completed with delay due to the backoff time that is set unnecessarily longer, although otherwise the processing could be completed earlier. In addition, the error rate may vary, for example in the range from 10% to 0.01% depending on the whether in the case of satellite broadcasting. Therefore, assumption of an optimal error rate in advance is difficult in reality.
An object of the invention is to provide a technique to reduce the total amount of reply messages in broadcasting. Another object of the invention is to provide a technique to make effective use of the bandwidth of a communication route without assuming the error rate in advance. Still another object of the invention is to provide a technique to enhance reliability and efficiency of broadcasting.
In this connection, there is a technique to disperse congesting reply messages, in which retransmission requests are collected once for every fewer blocks transmitted. However, this technique has a problem that the total amount of retransmission requests including their headers increases in contrast. Further, there is a technique to reduce the total amount of reply messages, in which receivers broadcast reply messages and they reduce elements included in their own reply message in response to receipt of the reply messages. However, this technique requires that every receiver has a system capable of broadcasting, and it also involves a problem of increased data distribution time in the cases of systems such as a satellite system. Other techniques to reduce the total amount of reply messages includes a technique using a network topology having a tree-structure in which receivers located at intermediate nodes collect reply messages to reduce redundant elements. However, this technique has a problem that it is limited by a topology. This invention achieves the above-mentioned objects without these limitations.

Data communication method, data communication system and program

Abstract: Data is broadcasted to a plurality of receivers (step 11), then a maximum message length of reply messages from the receivers is calculated (step 13), and a backoff time of the reply messages is calculated (step 14). The maximum message length and the backoff time is sent to the receivers (step 15), then the reply messages having lengths of up to the specified maximum message length are generated by the receivers (step 17), and the reply messages are sent from the receivers at any time within the specified backoff time (step 19).

International Business Machines Corporation


One example method is provided for detecting end-to-end packet loss and retransmission occurring in a connection of a network environment. The method can include monitoring packets transmitted from a sender to a receiver and acknowledgement packets from the receiver to the sender using a probe located in a path between the sender and the receiver in the network environment; identifying, by the probe, a first packet as a possibly-retransmitted packet if the first packet has a fall back sequence number; classifying, by the probe, the first packet as a retransmitted packet using one or more conditions based, at least in part, on one or more of the following: characteristic(s) of the possibly-retransmitted packet, characteristic(s) of sequence numbers observed by the probe, and characteristic(s) of acknowledgements observed by the probe.

In a modern network environment, communications are typically enabled by packets of data being transported from one device to another device over many communication links, and in some cases, traversing many networks. These communication links connects devices and/or networks together and allows these packets to be routed properly from the one device to the other device (e.g., a sender to a receiver, a receiver to a sender, etc.). For instance, a client and a server may communicate with each other through a connection traversing a path in the network environment comprising or more communication links.
One pervasive protocol for transporting packets is the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), which is one of the core protocols of the Internet protocol suite. TCP provides reliable, ordered, error checked delivery of a stream of octets between devices connected to, e.g., a local area network, intranet, public Internet, etc. Moreover, TCP allows a connection to be established between a sender and a receiver over communication links in the network environment. Over the connection, packets are transmitted from the sender to the receiver according to various features of TCP.
Because one or more of these communication links are not guaranteed to transmit these data packets successfully all the time, TCP provides a mechanism for retransmitting a packet (i.e., a TCP packet) from a sender if a receiver failed to receive a data packet due to a failure in one of the communication links. The mechanism requires all the packets being transmitted from a sender to a receiver to carry monotonically increasing sequence numbers to keep track of which packets have been received and acknowledged in a particular connection. Packet retransmission rates, which are evidence of packet loss and failures in the communication links, are important metrics for network monitoring and service assurance. The information associated with packet retransmission rates allows network managers to audit whether guaranteed levels of service are met, troubleshoot problems in the network, or to determine whether network improvements/maintenance is required for the communication links.

Detecting packet loss and retransmission in a network environment


An electronic imaging apparatus having a section for generating imaging data which indicates an imaging condition; an optical finder mechanism for introducing light from a subject to a finder; a data display device for displaying at least one of the subject's image and the imaging condition in the finder; and a switching device for switching between light incident/non-incident states for the optical finder mechanism. When imaging is not performed, the switching device makes the light incident on the optical finder mechanism. When imaging is performed and the image signal is not recorded, the switching device makes the light incident on the optical finder mechanism, and the subject's image and the image formed by the data display device are superimposed and displayed in the finder. When imaging is performed and the image signal is recorded, at least the image formed by the data display device is displayed by the switching device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic imaging apparatus for imaging a subject and generating an image signal, and in particular, relates to an electronic imaging apparatus having a finder in which an image produced using both or a selected one of optical and electronic finder mechanisms is displayed on the same screen.
Priority is claimed on Japanese Patent Application No. 2005-210005, filed Jul. 20, 2005, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
An electronic imaging apparatus such an electronic still camera or video camera performs photoelectric conversion of an image of a subject by using an imaging device, so as to generate an image signal. Generally, the electronic imaging apparatus has an optical finder mechanism for optically observing an image of the subject, which is generated through an imaging lens. An electronic finder mechanism may also be used for showing the image of the subject in a finder, where this image is displayed in an electronic display device based on the image signal obtained by the photoelectric conversion of the image of the subject (which is generated through the imaging lens).
The optical finder mechanism can display the image of the subject even when the imaging device is not operated, and thus is power-saving. In the optical finder mechanism, the subject's image is optically shown; thus, in comparison with the electronic finder mechanism, the color of the subject can be precisely displayed in the finder, the image can be shown with high resolution, and the focus can be adjusted more accurately.
On the other hand, the electronic finder mechanism generates a displayed image based on the signal output from the imaging device; thus, the image obtained by the imaging device can be checked during an imaging operation, and it is possible to check the image to be obtained and to display various imaging data or conditions.
Reference Document 1 (see Japanese Examined Patent Application, Second Publication No. H2-55991) discloses an electronic camera having both the optical and the electronic finder mechanisms, wherein images are shown in the finder while one of the two finder mechanisms is switchably activated.

Electronic imaging apparatus having optical/electronic finder mechanisms switchable in accordance with imaging condition


A tire monitor device for a vehicle has a first antenna and a second antenna, a sensor unit attached to each of a front left tire, a front right tire, a back left tire, and a back right tire, and a determining unit. The tire monitor device is operable to transmit a response request signal from the first and second antennas with respect to at least one of the sensor units, and to monitor information of at least one of the tires based on a response signal returned from the at least one sensor unit in response to the response request signal. The first antenna is arranged at a position shifted by a predetermined amount in a left or right direction from an intermediate position between the front left and the front right tires. The second antenna is arranged at a position shifted by a predetermined amount in a left or right direction from an intermediate position between the back left and the back right tires. The sensor unit measures a reception level of the response request signal, and returns a measurement result in the response signal. The determining unit is operable to determine a position of each sensor unit based on information of the reception level of the response request signal contained in the response signal returned from each of the sensor units.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a tire monitor device for monitoring information such as an air pressure and the like of a tire using wireless radio wave.
2. Related Art
Generally, a tire (also referred to as wheel) of a vehicle such as an automobile, a trailer, or an airplane is filled with gas such as air and nitrogen at a defined pressure, but the filled gas changes volume due to travel heat and the like of the tire or gradually decreases due to air leakage and the like. Therefore, in order to satisfactorily maintain traveling stability or to avoid worst cases such as an explosion (burst), a daily checkup such as a checkup using pneumatic gauge and the like is vital.
However, daily checkup can only be carried out while the vehicle is stopped, and furthermore, the daily checkup itself is not performed in many cases, and thus a technique of constantly monitoring the information (air pressure etc.) of the tire even while traveling is desired.
For such a technique, a "tire pressure monitoring system and puncture automatic repair device" disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-281977 is known. This technique is hereinafter referred to as a "related art".
FIG. 10 shows a conceptual view of the related art. In the figure, a vehicle such as an automobile (hereinafter simply referred to as vehicle) 1 is drawn looked down from above, where front, back, left and right are as shown in the figure. The top of the figure is "front", the bottom is "back", the left is "left", and the right is "right".
The vehicle 1 is a four-wheeled automobile with four tires 2 to 5. That is, the vehicle 1 includes a front left tire 2, a front right tire 3, a back left tire 4, and a back right tire 5. When a "position" of such tires is important, the tires are called the "front left", "front right", "back left", and "back right" tires, but in other cases, the tires are simply referred to as the "tire".
The tire monitor device of the related art includes four LF antennas 6 to 9 installed near (e.g., in tire house) the corresponding tires 2 to 5 of the vehicle 1, one UHF antenna 10 common to each tire 2 to 5, a control unit 11, and a display unit 12, and also includes a sensor unit (for sensing information such as air pressure and the like of tire, also referred to as transponder), which is not shown, attached to each tire 2 to 5.
Here, "LF" of the LF antennas 6 to 9 is an abbreviation for a wireless signal of low frequency band (e.g., several hundred KHz band), and similarly, "UHF" of the UHF antenna 10 is an abbreviation for wireless signal of high frequency band (e.g., several hundred MHz band).
Similar to each tire 2 to 5, when the "position" of the four LF antennas 6 to 9 is important, the antennas are called a "front left", "front right", "back left", and "back right" antennas, but in other cases, the LF antennas are simply referred to as the "LF antenna".
The tire monitor device of the related art configured as above operates in the following manner. The sensor unit (not shown) attached to each tire 2 to 5 is normally in a standby state (standby state of response request signal from LF antenna), where when receiving the response request signal from a nearby LF antenna, the sensor unit returns information of the attached tire (generally, information of air pressure, ID number unique to each sensor unit, and the like) with a UHF signal in response to the response request signal.
The control unit 11 performs a control of transmitting the response request signal in time division from each LF antenna 6 to 9 while itinerating through the four LF antennas 6 to 9 in order, and also performs a control of retrieving the response signal from each sensor unit with respect to the response request signal received at the UHF antenna 10 and reproducing information of each tire 2 to 5, and for example, determines whether or not the air pressure is at the defined air pressure, and outputs the determination result to the display unit 12 to notify a passenger of the vehicle 1.
Therefore, according to the related art, if the air pressure of a specific tire such as the front left tire 2 is lower than the defined air pressure, the lack of air pressure of the tire (front left tire 2) is determined in the control unit 11 from the information contained in the response signal transmitted from the sensor unit of the front left tire 2 with respect to the response request signal from the front left LF antenna 6, and the result is notified to the passenger through the display unit 12, so that necessary countermeasures can be immediately taken even during traveling to achieve traveling stability and safety. Other than the above-described related art, for example, the air pressure of the front left tire 2 may be stored in the control unit with respect to the response request signal from the front left LF antenna 6 with the ID number of the sensor unit contained in the response signal transmitted from the sensor unit of the front left tire 2 corresponded with the tire positional information of "front left tire". That is, the sensor unit ID is stored in a vehicle body side control device. If the ID number and the tire position are corresponded, which sensor unit of the tire position the response signal is from can be identified by identifying the ID number contained in the response signal intermittently transmitted by the sensor unit without transmitting the response request signal from the LF antenna.
The operation of the related art is satisfied based on an assumption that four tires 2 to 5 and four LF antennas 6 to 9 are paired one to one to carry out "response request" and "response". That is, in order to obtain the operation of the related art, only the sensor unit of the front left tire 2 responds with respect to the response request of the front left LF antenna 6, only the sensor unit of the front right tire 3 responds to the response request of the front right LF antenna 7, only the sensor unit of the back left tire 4 responds to the response request of the back left LF antenna 8, and only the sensor unit of the back right tire 5 responds to the response request of the back right antenna 9.
To this end, the LF antenna and the tire that form a pair need to be brought as close as possible, but an attachment position of the sensor unit to the tire is a predetermined position on an outer periphery of the wheel, or a predetermined position on an inner wall of the tire, where either position is biased in a radial direction of the tire, and thus a distance with the LF antenna becomes closer or distant with the rotation of the tire, whereby a gain and a radiation pattern, transmission power, and the like of the LF antenna need to be suitably adjusted in view of a maximum distant distance with the LF antenna.
However, the vehicle 1 incorporating the tire monitor device is not only one type (one vehicle model), and the shape of the body is different, the size of the tire as well as the shape of the tire house are different, and furthermore, the distance between the tires (distance of front, back, left, and right) is also different, and thus the gain and the radiation pattern, the transmission power and the like of the LF antenna need to be adjusted each time in correspondence to such difference, which obviously takes time and effort.
For instance, assume making an adjustment so that only the sensor unit of the front right tire 3 responds to the response request of the front right LF antenna 7. Specifically, in FIG. 10, a case of adjusting such that only the sensor unit of the front right tire 3 returns a response signal 14 with respect to a response request signal 13 of the front right LF antenna 7 is considered. The purpose of adjustment in this case is to have only the sensor unit of the front right tire 3 to return the response signal 14, in other words, to have other tires not to respond. A characteristic that a magnetic force exponentially attenuates as the distance becomes further apart in a free space is provided. If metal such as a vehicle exists, the magnetic force is transmitted along a metal surface, and thus reception is facilitated at the sensor unit attached to the front left tire 2, which is not desired (see reference numeral 13a). A so-called crosstalk then easily occurs.
In this case, the gain or the radiation pattern, the transmission power, and the like of the front right LF antenna 7 are adjusted such that only the sensor unit of the front right tire 3 returns the response signal 14, that is, the sensor unit of the front left tire 2 does not return a response signal 15. In performing such adjustment, the sensor unit of which tire is responding cannot be determined and thus adjustment is difficult in the related art.
For example, whether the sensor unit of the front right tire 3 is returning the response signal 14, or whether the sensor unit of the front left tire 2 is returning the response signal 15 with respect to the response request signal 13 of the right left LF antenna 7 cannot be determined. Thus, in the related art, the adjustment of the LF antenna can only be carried out through a trial and error method, whereby extra trouble and time are required by such amount.


A method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device of the present invention includes a color defect compensation process for compensating for a color defect if it is present in a color filter that includes color portions in a plurality of colors. The color defect compensation process includes specifying a compensation area in at least one of glass substrate among a pair of glass substrates, the compensation area that overlaps a shadow of a color defect occurrence area, which is a possible cause of the color defect, and the shadow projected on a glass substrate, doping metal ions that correspond to a color of the color portion that includes the color defect occurrence area in the compensation area of the glass substrate, which is specified, and forming a colored portion having the same color as the color portion that includes the color defect occurrence area in the compensation area.

A liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal panel having a liquid crystal layer between a pair of glass substrates and a lighting device arranged behind the liquid crystal panel. In such a liquid crystal display device, a color filter in which colored portions of R (red), G (green), B (blue) and the like are arranged is generally provided in one of the pair of glass substrates so that white light provided by the lighting device are present in various colors after passing through the color filter.
The color filter in such a liquid crystal display device is formed by a photolithographic method, for example. In the photolithographic method, resin materials colored with pigment or dyes are applied to a surface of glass substrate and the resin materials are etched using photoresist. With this method, portions in preferable colors can be precisely arranged in the glass substrate.
A method disclosed in Patent Document 1 is known as means for coloring a colorless member capable of light transmission, other than the above described method. Patent Document 1 discloses a method of coloring a region in which metal micro particles are selectively deposited, the region being formed by applying pulse laser beams to a glass material that contains metal ions such that a focus of the laser beams is set inside the glass material.    Patent Document 1: JP-A-11-60271

Method of manufacturing liquid crystal display device


The present invention relates to the unexpected discovery of novel multi-aromatic, multi-substituted compounds. In certain embodiments, the compounds of the invention are generated by condensing at least two phenolic- and/or aniline-containing monomers and an aromatic, aliphatic or heteroaromatic aldehyde- and/or ketone-containing monomer. In other embodiments, at least one monomer is isolated from a bio-based resource. In yet other embodiments, the compounds of the invention are bis- or poly-phenolic compounds.

Intermolecular condensation is a chemical reaction whereby two or more distinct molecules react to form a larger molecule, along with loss of one or more small molecules. Common examples of such small molecules are water, acetic acid, hydrogen chloride, methanol, or ethanol. The reaction of two amino acids to form a dipeptide is a common example of an intermolecular condensation, which involves loss of water. Sequential intermolecular condensations involving polyfunctional monomers can give rise to overall polymerization of those monomers. Reactions useful for promoting intermolecular condensation include nucleophilic acyl substitution, aldol or Claisen-Schmidt condensation, Claisen condensation, Darzens reaction or glycidic ester condensation, Dieckmann condensation, Knoevenagel condensation, Pechmann condensation, Rap-Stoermer condensation, Thorpe reaction, and acyloin condensation.
Bisphenol A [4,4′-(propane-2,2-diyl)diphenol; also known as BPA] is an industrially useful chemical that can be generated through intermolecular condensation of phenol and acetone. BPA is often used as starting material to prepare plastics and epoxy resins. BPA-based plastic is clear and tough, and is made into a variety of consumer goods, such as water bottles, sports equipment, CDs and DVDs. Epoxy resins containing BPA are used to line water pipes, and as internal coatings for food and beverage cans. BPA is one of the most widely chemicals produced worldwide, with about 4 million tons of BPA being used yearly to manufacture polycarbonate plastic.
Unfortunately, BPA has estrogen mimicking, hormone-like properties, which can cause hormone disruption in those consumers exposed to this chemical. As a result, some countries have banned or limited the use of BPA-based products. For example, the European Union and Canada have banned the use of BPA in baby bottles, and public pressure in the U.S. has led to virtual termination of use of BPA in baby bottles and infant Formula packaging. Studies have suggested that BPA can accumulate in humans and can be associated with reproductive, neurological and developmental problems, as well as thyroid hormone disruption, obesity and metabolic disease.
In view of the increasing awareness of BPA liabilities, the chemical industry eagerly waits for an adequate and safe replacement for BPA in consumer products. In particular, there is great interest in developing novel materials using starting materials that are available in nature and or are byproducts of natural product processing. Such materials would address important aims of modern materials science: utilize natural resources that would otherwise be discarded, minimize use of petroleum-based starting materials, and develop products with novel and useful properties.
There is thus a need in the art for novel processes that allow for the generation of useful compounds from naturally available starting materials. Such compounds could find use in the chemical industry, for example as polymerization building blocks, coatings, dyes, and surfactants. The present invention fulfills these needs.

Bio-based, multi-aromatic compounds, and methods of making and using same

The United States of America as Represented by the Secretary of the Army


A computer-implemented method includes receiving, from a remote communication device and at a server system, information that indicates a unique identifier for a physical item that corresponds to media content, the identifier differing from identifiers for other physical items that correspond to the same content; associating the received information with an account of a first user of a hosted internet service; and subsequently providing, by the hosted internet service, content that matches the content that corresponds to the physical item, based on a determination that the received information authorizes the first user to obtain the content provided by the hosted internet service.

The mechanisms by which people consume content have changed a great deal in recent years. Until recently, books were purchased and read in paper form (typically from a local bookstore); music was listened to via vinyl LP, plastic 8-track or cassette tape, or later digital compact disc (CD); and audio-video was generated via film projector, videocassette, or later digital versatile disc (DVD). Each of these types of content is now frequently obtained in a virtual, electronic format rather than a physical format—books as PDF's or other forms of e-books, music as MP3 files, and audio-visual programs as various forms of digital files. Such content can, in certain circumstances, be fully downloaded from a server system to a client, and then viewed on the client. In other situations, only a portion of the content may be downloaded to the client device—just ahead of the portion that is being presented—in a streaming media format.
Such content delivery systems often fail to provide a satisfying experience for user and for content providers. Content providers may impose digital rights management (DRM) limits on the use of their content to prevent improper use. That may result in a user having to buy a standard-definition copy of a movie and a high-definition copy, in addition to buying a downloaded copy, e.g., if the user wants to watch the movie on his home theatre system (high-definition), portable video players (regular-definition), or smartphone (downloaded copy). Sometimes a user can buy content and be provided with multiple forms of the content, so that the user can enjoy it in different contexts. For example, certain movies are packaged to include a high-definition disk, a regular definition disk, and an electronic file of the movie. Also, some distribution systems, such as individual song downloads are not acceptable to certain artists because they want fans to be presented with an entire contiguous album of music, and with lyric sheets or other items that are important for understanding the artistry of the music.

Physical confirmation for network-provided content


An electrical connector includes a dielectric housing which holds a plurality of terminals and a conductive shell which is mounted on the housing. The housing has a wall and a pocket is formed in the wall. The shell has a locking tab which is interference fitted in the pocket, thereby anchoring the shell to the housing. The shell also has a floating tab which is freely received in the pocket and is resiliently engaged with the locking tab.

An electrical connector such as a modular jack may have a ground shield which blocks the passage of electromagnetic interference (EMI) both to and from the connector. The ground shield generally comprises an electrically conductive shell which covers an exterior of the connector and is electrically grounded to a frame or chassis of an electrical assembly with which the connector will be used. The shell may be made in one or more pieces which are stamped and formed to closely surround the connector when the shell is applied to the connector. Both a one-piece shell and a multi-piece shell must be securely attached to the connector in order to form an integral unit therewith. A one-piece shell has the advantage that it is seamless, thereby reducing leakage paths for EMI. However, a one-piece shell generally requires complex bending and forming operations during assembly of the shell to the connector. A multi-piece shell requires that the pieces be electrically joined together so that they share a common ground, and good mechanical contact between the pieces is necessary. Heretofore, multi-piece shells have included latch tabs on one shell piece which engage in apertures of another shell piece, thereby locking the shell pieces together. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,281,169. However, electrical contact between the interengaging shell pieces may be deficient, and there is still a need for firmly securing the shell pieces to the connector housing. There is a need for improving the attachment of both single piece and multi-piece ground shields to a connector.

Electrical connector having crimped ground shield


A projectile weapon, preferably adapted to fire non- and less-lethal munitions. An elongate tubular body includes a barrel portion and a receiver portion, with a breech assembly disposed in the receiver portion adjacent the barrel portion. A handle is affixed to and extends outward from the receiver portion. A firing mechanism is disposed within the receiver portion adjacent the breech assembly. A trigger is adapted to slide in a longitudinal direction along the elongate tubular body. The trigger extends outward from the receiver portion in a direction generally parallel to the handle. The trigger is slidable between at least a deployed position and a retracted position. In the deployed position, the trigger assembly is adapted to actuate the firing mechanism. In the retracted position, the trigger face is recessed into the handle.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of the present invention is projectile weapons, and in particular dual-use projectile weapons which fire non-lethal and less-lethal munitions.
2. Background
In certain situations, law enforcement officers or military personnel are required to use force to control crowds or certain individuals. Preferably, the control devices employed are designed to minimize bodily injury caused to the individuals against whom they are used.
Traditionally, the only options available have been firearms, chemical agents, and batons or clubs. The use of firearms, however, always raises the possibility of an unintended fatality. As to chemical agents, they may also cause unintended results if the person or persons they are directed towards have high or unusual sensitivities to the chemicals used. The disadvantage presented by the use of batons or clubs is that close physical engagement is required, and generally, close physical engagement is undesirable.
Currently, shoulder weapons, such as shotguns or rifles, are typically used to deploy kinetic non- and less-lethal munitions. However, during routine patrols, law enforcement and military personnel generally do not carry such weapons. Therefore, when the use of non-lethal force becomes tactically desirable, close physical engagement is the only option unless the weapon having the non- or less-lethal munitions is at hand. Unfortunately, most law enforcement and military personnel do not typically carry such weapons on their person.
As a solution to this problem, dual-use equipment for law enforcement and military personnel has been introduced. The baton is one of the more common pieces of equipment to be converted for dual-use. One of the most basic forms of the baton has an elongate cylindrical main body and a rigidly attached transverse handle positioned approximately one-fourth (¼) of the overall longitudinal length from one end. This basic design may be modified to include additional features, imparting greater functionality as compared to a conventional baton.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,529,300 discloses one example of a dual-use baton by incorporating a self-powered extensible projectile launching police baton. A hollow telescopic ram that is shorter than the barrel portion of the baton is positioned within the barrel of the baton. The ram may be driven out of the barrel of the baton by pressurized gas from an explosive cartridge mounted within the barrel. Thus, the ram member is extendible and fully retractable within the barrel of the baton. The front tip of the extensible ram is blunt or is deformable to reduce the impact when the ram hits an object or a person, thereby reducing the possibility of serious injury.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,364,097 discloses another example of a dual-use baton. The elongate body of the '097 patent includes a launching barrel and a breech end which houses a firing mechanism and a recessed trigger for launching a projectile positioned within the launching barrel. This baton is capable of firing non- and less-lethal projectiles or tear gas to subdue persons or crowds at a reasonably safe distance.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,400,688, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses yet another example of a dual-use baton. This baton includes a barrel body which is pivotally connected to a breech body, with a handle secured to the breech body. The trigger for the firing mechanism is located between the handle and the end of the breech body. The trigger must be pushed towards the handle to actuate the firing mechanism. The trigger may also be pivoted and locked into a longitudinal position along the breech body. Stowing the trigger in such a position allows for normal use of the baton without interference from the trigger or accidental firing.


The present disclosure is related to a mold device for molding a waffle slab, wherein a plurality of connecting structures made of steel bars protrude from the sides of the waffle slab, the mold device comprising: a plurality of steel molds provided at both sides of each of the plurality of connecting structures and surrounding the waffle slab, each of the plurality of steel molds having a top surface, which has a hole therein; a plurality of auxiliary devices respectively disposed at the sides of the waffle slab and having through holes corresponding to holes in the plurality of steel molds; and a plurality of fasteners; wherein the plurality of fasteners respectively pass through the through holes of the plurality of auxiliary devices and are fixed into the holes of the plurality of steel molds so that each of the plurality of auxiliary device transversely connects the top surfaces of the plurality of steel molds.

High-tech products, such as chips, wafers or computer components, are becoming ever more sophisticated and require increasingly precise work. Therefore, clean rooms are used for keeping the production line free of contaminants that might otherwise interfere with the precision work undertaken. Waffle slabs are typically used as the floor of a clean room of a high-tech factory, such as a foundry plant. A clean room is designed to maintain positive pressure such that air with contaminants is exhausted via the holes provided in the waffle slabs. The contaminated air is then filtered and returned into the clean room.
Forming a waffle slab typically includes steps such as (a) providing steel molds; (b) cleaning the steel molds; (c) disposing a plurality of inner molds in the space formed by the steel molds; (d) disposing steel bar cages between the plurality of inner molds, and between the plurality of inner molds and the steel molds; (e) pouring concrete into the space; (f) waiting for initial condensation of the concrete; (g) polishing the concrete surface; and (h) releasing the steel molds from the concrete surfaces after the final condensation of the concrete. During the steps of pouring and condensation of concrete, the steel molds tend to be outwardly deformed due to the lateral pressures applied to the molds, which are generated by the weight and the collapse characteristic of the concrete in a liquid state or a quasi-liquid state. Thus, the waffle slab molded by the steel molds will have deformed concrete surfaces. In particular, the middle steel molds need to resist the largest lateral pressures generated from the concrete in a liquid state or a quasi-liquid state and thus deform the most. Accordingly, the formed waffle slab tends to have slightly curved and uneven sides, which will narrow the space between adjacent waffle slabs and affect the installation of the beams to be disposed therebetween. In addition, the edges of the thus-formed conventional waffle slab have sharp right-angled edges which may result in undesired cracks of the waffle slab caused by collisions during the subsequent transportation of the waffle slab. The undesired cracks may extend to the inside of the waffle slab and expose the internal structure of the waffle slab and reduce its strength.
In view of the above-mentioned problems of the conventional techniques, there is an urgent need for a mold device capable of forming a waffle slab having flat sides and a method of forming suitable chamfers on the edge of the waffle slab by using the mold device.

Mold device for molding a waffle slab and method of manufacturing a waffle slab having chamfers

RUENTEX ENGINEERING & CONSTRUCTION CO., LTD.


A binding for snowboards has a back plate 2 at the rear of a base plate 1, and the back plate 2 is moved back and forth to vertically move side plates 3 which are provided with an ankle strap 32 and a toe strap 33.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a binding to be fixed to a snowboard, and more particularly to a binding (fitting equipment) which can be applied to boots other than dedicated boots and allows to clamp or release a boot with ease.
2. Description of the Related Art
Snowboard boots are roughly classified into two types; one is a hard boot which is similar to ski boots and formed of a reinforced resin or the like, and the other is a soft boot which is made of leather and textile material. The hard boots are mainly used for Alpine skiing at a high speed and provide stable skiing. And, the soft boots are mainly used for free-style skiing to freely ski to jump, spin and the like, allowing skiers to ski quite freely.
Among snowboarders today, most of them enjoys free-style snowboarding, and their equipment often include a free-style board and soft boots.
To clamp a soft boot, a binding designed for the soft boot is generally used. The binding for the soft boot is generally formed of a base plate 1 directly fixed to a snowboard (not shown), a back plate 2 for supporting the rear of the boot, a connector 31 for supporting the back plate 2, an ankle strap 32 for fixing the heel of the boot, and a toe strap 33 for fixing the toe of the boot as shown in FIG. 3. The back plate 2 includes two types, one is high (so-called high back) and the other is low (so-called low back), and the one shown in FIG. 3 is a high back plate. The low back plate is designed mainly for half-pipe to provide freer movement of the ankle at a price for sliding performance. The ankle strap 32 and the toe strap 33 are generally provided with a buckle (a combination of a turn buckle and a ratchet buckle). FIG. 3 shows the binding with two straps fitted, but there is a three-strap type which additionally has a strap for fixing the ankle.
Differing from skiing, you cannot walk flat ground with both feet fixed to the snowboard, and it is necessary to release one or both feet from the board after every sliding. And, since the snowboard can be carried easier than skis, both feet are often released from the board to carry it. Thus, as compared with skis, boots are frequently clamped to and released from the snowboard, so that such operation is desired to be made with ease.
But, the conventional binding for snowboards shown in FIG. 3 requires tightening or releasing of the buckle type straps 32, 33 every time the boot is clamped or released. And, snowboarders have demanded for a binding that the boot can be clamped and released with ease.


A sampler is invented for collecting human or animal gastrointestinal fluid samples. The sampler is about the size of a medicine pill for oral administration. It has a hollow body 10, an opening 20, a seal 30, and a vacuum interior 40. When the sampler enters the gastrointestinal tract of a patient, the seal is dissolved or disabled and the surrounding fluid is sucked into the sampler by the vacuum inside. The sampler is then recovered from the patient's stool and the gastrointestinal fluid and substances within the sampler can be collected and analyzed.

(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the techniques and equipment to sample fluids and substances from gastrointestinal (GI) tract for medical diagnosis and research.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
The composition of the GI fluids provides very useful information for doctors to diagnose patients for GI tract diseases. It indicates the physiological or pathological conditions of a patient, such as nutrient absorption, drug metabolism, microorganism distribution, and so on. Currently, samples of GI tract fluids are taken using mechanical devices, such as endoscopes. This type of devices are very expensive and inconvenient to use. They also cause pain and anxiety to patients, which may induce a significant change in the samples to be collected. Thus, GI tract fluids are not routinely sampled which has significantly limited doctors' accessibility to important information.
Simpler, more convenient and less expensive devices for GI tract fluid sampling are long awaited. The current invention meets this demand. It is totally different from the prior art in design and method.


Techniques are provided that control the generation of test routes to improve the ability of a test system to isolate defects on programmable circuits. A test generator creates test routes that test the horizontal resources. In these test routes, the inputs of each circuit element are only connected to other circuit elements in the same row. Test routes are also generated to test the vertical resources. Each of theses test routes is allowed to make only one transition from between two different rows of circuit elements. The configuration generator includes a post processor that ensures all source drivers in the test routes connect to at least two sinks.

The present invention relates to automatic test configuration generation techniques for facilitating the repair of programmable circuits, and more particularly, to techniques for constraining the generation of test routes on a programmable circuit according to rules designed to facilitate the isolation and repair of defects.
Integrated circuits sometimes fail to operate properly as a result of defects. For example, the die of an integrated circuit may become scratched. The integrated circuit may fail to operate properly as a result of the scratch. As another example, circuit failures may be caused by a short that develops in the integrated circuit.
A programmable integrated circuit, such as a programmable logic device (PLD), is thoroughly tested after manufacturing to screen for any defects. When a defect is detected on a programmable circuit, a failed row of programmable circuit elements can be replaced with an extra redundant row of programmable circuit elements.
Programmable logic devices such as Altera's Stratix family of PLDs include rows and columns of programmable logic elements. Each logic element includes a register and a look-up table (LUT). During the production test phase of a PLD, the registers in each logic element are configured as scan chain registers. The scan registers are coupled together in test routes. Each test route connects a control point register and to an observation point register.
The logic elements are tested by applying test vectors at the control points. The test vectors are shifted into the control point registers. Output values for each test route are shifted out of the observation point registers. The output values are compared to expected values to determine if any programmable connections in the test route between the control point and the observation point have defects.
If the output values indicate a failure, the row at the observation point is replaced with a redundant row. This only eliminates a failure if the defect causing the failure exists in the row at the observation point.
Many types of PLDs use vertical drivers that drive signals from one row of logic elements to the next. In Stratix PLDs, there is no way to drive a signal into the same row the signal originated from using a single vertical driver. In Stratix, a vertical driver drives a signal between at least two different rows. When a vertical driver is coupled in a test route, an error observed at an observation point in one row may be caused by a defect that exists in a different row. Current test systems do not have a fast and effective way of determining which of two or more rows contains a defect.
One technique for identifying a row that contains a defect is now discussed. Each LUT in the route between the control point and the observation point is configured as an XOR gate. Then, every possible combination of input signals to each of the XOR gates are tested to determine which input is the source of the defect. For example, if a configured XOR gate has two inputs, then four combinations of logic signals (1 and 0) are applied to the two inputs to determine which input is defective. This test procedure is very difficult and time consuming to apply during production testing, because it requires tracking failures across multiple LUTs by applying numerous test vectors.
It would therefore be desirable to provide a more efficient mechanism for isolating defects on programmable circuits during production testing. It would also be desirable to provide techniques for isolating a localized failure on a programmable circuit that has vertical drivers.

Automatic test configuration generation facilitating repair of programmable circuits


Methods of fabricating powders of metal particles containing grain growth control additives are described. A powder, metal particles, e.g., copper particles, are mixed with a powder of additive particles, e.g., alumina particles. The mixture is milled in a high energy ball mill to provide metal particles having substantially uniformly distributed therein of additive particles. The ball milled powder contains elongated high aspect ratio particles. The high aspect ratio particles are reduced in size by jet impact milling. The jet impact milled powder can be used to form a conductor forming paste in the fabrication of a metallized ceramic substrate for semiconductor chip packaging application. The jet impact milled powder has particles of sufficiently small in size to fill vias between metallization layers in the green ceramic precursor to the ceramic substrate. During sintering of the combination of ceramic precursor and conductor forming paste, the grain growth control additive results in a substantially void free via filled with metal having a fine grain morphology.

Advanced high speed semiconductor chips are packaged in modules wherein the chips are physically and electrically mounted on ceramic substrates. The modules can be used as components in an electronic computer. The ceramic substrates contain a plurality of layers, each of which contains a plurality of electrical conductors. Within some of the ceramic layers there are electrically conductive vias electrically interconnecting conductors in adjacent conductive layers. The ceramic layers between the electrical conductors act as electrical insulators. These ceramic substrates are formed by laminating together thin green sheets of glass particles or an admixture of glass and crystalline particles mixed with binders and patterns of paste containing metal particles mixed with binders for forming conductors between the ceramic green sheets and for filling through holes in the green ceramic sheets to form conductive vias between adjacent metallization layers. The green laminate is fired to burn off the binder material, fired to densify the glass particles and metal particles to a dense state, further fired, if necessary, to crystallize the densified glass particles or to further crystallize the admixture of glass and crystalline particles to form an insulator and to coalesce the metal particles to form conductive metal lines and vias.
Ceramic module technology for high end computer packaging uses copper conductors and requires that the sintering and densification of the copper and the ceramic occur at comparable rates over a common co-sintering cycle. Since copper densification rates are usually faster than that of ceramics, a coating of fine alumina particles can be applied to the surface of the copper powder particles by a chemical reduction technique, to retard the kinetics of the copper particle densification to make it comparable to that of the ceramic material. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,595,181, U.S. Pat. No. 4,600,604 and EPO Patent application 0,272,129 filed Dec. 12, 1987. Due to the small volume fraction of the alumina required, the process involves making a coated powder with large volume and area fraction coverage and mixing this powder with an uncoated powder to achieve the desired average levels of alumina coating. This leads to a problem, in that the coating can be nonuniform and hence result in severe retardation of sintering and densification in some areas and almost no retardation in others. This results in localized shrinkage mismatch between the copper and ceramic material resulting in copper via cracking. An electrical open associated with this cracking can occur in the worse case after complete sintering. A more insidious problem is one where the cracking is only partial after sintering and becomes complete leading to a full electrical open after the module has gone through further processing and chip attachment. Since such modules are generally not reparable they may have to be scrapped. Scrapping a fully fabricated part adds substantially to overall fabrication cost. In addition, a conductive via having a partial fracture could become an open during the operation of the electronic computer containing the module due to crack propagation and hence result in field failures.
The finely deposited alumina particles at the exterior of the copper particles serve to retard shrinkage of the copper during the sintering process of the ceramic. The alumina coating at concentrations typically achievable do not prevent grain growth of the copper during the crystallization temperatures of the ceramic materials typically used to fabricate a semiconductor chip packaging substrate. The result is copper grains which are of the order of 50-100 microns which is of the order of the cross sectional size of vias between the conductive layers in the multi layer ceramic substrate. On cooling, vias which fracture or have the potential for fracture do so by the well known mechanism of intergranular creep fracture. Microvoids, which are the result of vacancy precipitation by low tensile strain rate, accumulate at grain boundaries and may extend across the via. FIG. 1 shows ceramic material 2 having a via 4 therein wherein the via is filled with a copper containing material 6 which is composed of substantially a single grain wherein the grain has a fracture 8 therein and microvoids 10 between the material 6 and the ceramic material 2. The low imposed strain rate is caused by thermal expansion mismatch between the copper and ceramic which results in a relatively large differential size change during cool down from the relatively high sintering temperatures. In some cases large voids formed during sintering may also be found at grain boundaries.
It is an object of the present invention to provide conductive material within a via in a ceramic material wherein the conductive material is formed from grains of electrically conductive material wherein the grain size is substantially uniform and substantially smaller than the size of the via.
Quite surprisingly, applicants have achieved electrically conductive vias having substantially small grain size by providing in metal particles grain growth controlling additives which are substantially uniformly distributed throughout metal particles forming the precursor to the electrically conducting via material. Applicants have achieved this result by a combination of high energy mechanical alloying of the additive with the conducting material and impact jet milling of the mechanically alloyed particles.
These and other object, features and advantage will become more apparent from the following, more detailed description and the drawings and claims appended thereto.

Method for producing metal powder with a uniform distribution of dispersants, method of uses thereof and structures fabricated therewith

International Business Machines Corporation


A facsimile terminal capable of automatically dialing a telephone number of location where a remote operator can make a response to a voice request. In case of the remote operator being away from a remote station, a telephone communication becomes possible to send a voice message in addition to facsimile transmission.

The present invention relates to a facsimile terminal capable of making telephone communication during facsimile transmission or after completing facsimile transmission accurately and effectively, and more particularly to a facsimile terminal capable of automatically dialing a telephone number of at a location where a remote operator can make a response to a voice request.
There are some cases in facsimile communications, where it necessary to call operator of a remote station to give liaison information such as a comment concerning image information transmitted after or during facsimile transmission. A voice request function is available in such cases, where a message or a warning sound indicating the presence of the voice request can be output visually on the display or audibly from the sound generating part of the terminal at the remote station after or during facsimile transmission.
When the remote operator who has recognized the message or warning sound, lifts the telephone receiver (handset), telephone communication becomes possible.
However, there is a problem that, in the case where the remote operator works at a place away from the location where a facsimile terminal is installed, the operator is unable to respond to the voice request. Further, the operator has no chance to know even that the voice request has been made.
Furthermore, in order to carry out the telephone communication, it is inconvenient that the operator at a transmitting station has to be kept near to the facsimile terminal until the facsimile transmission has been completed.
To solve such problem, a facsimile terminal has been proposed which is adapted so that an operator who has been away from the facsimile terminal, is, upon return able to know that a voice request has been received by observing a display that indicates that there has been a telephone message since operator could not respond to the voice request because the operator had been away from the facsimile terminal. (Published Unexamined Japanese Utility Model Application No. 42659/89).
Alternatively, a facsimile terminal has been proposed which is adapted to record a message in a voice recorder in advance if the operator at the transmitting station needs to be away from the facsimile terminal and to dial the telephone number of the remote station registered in advance to send the message (Published Unexamined Japanese Patent Application No. 81876/87 or 1362/89).
The conventional facsimile terminal as described above is disadvantageous in that the operator at the transmitting station is unable to contact the operator of the receiving station until the latter operator comes back near the facsimile terminal and therefore a required action cannot be taken at the time of emergency
It is also disadvantageous in that any due information will be delayed if there is no person to respond to the voice request.
When there is no person beside the facsimile terminal and the telephone set at a destination to be contacted, telephone communication can be made conveniently, to an alternate telephone number at the location where a person to be contacted stays, but the alternate telephone number cannot be determined at the transmitting station.

Facsimile apparatus providing facsimile transmission with forwardable voice communication