For contacting a non-linear switching element (10), for example for use in a display device (1), a metallic layer (14) is provided on a layer of non-linear resistive material by means of a low-energetic deposition technique. This layer may function as a contact but also as a protective layer when a contact metallization (15) is provided at a later stage.

The invention relates to a display device comprising an electro-optical medium between two supporting plates which are located opposite each other and whose facing sides are provided with a plurality of column electrodes and row electrodes, respectively, while at least one of the supporting plates is provided with a plurality of picture electrodes which are connected to the row or column electrodes via non-linear switching elements, each non-linear switching element comprising a non-linear resistive material between a first and a second electrically conducting layer.
Display devices of this type are used, for example as display panels in measuring equipment, personal computers and television receivers.
The invention also relates to a non-linear switching element and to a method of manufacturing a non-linear switching element.
These non-linear switching elements may not only be used in said display devices but also, for example in circuits for pressure sensors or photosensitive panels.
A display device of this type is known from European Patent Application EP-A-0 202 092. The display device shown in this Application comprises a non-linear resistive element with a layer of non-linear resistive material, for example silicon oxide or silicon nitride between a conducting layer and a metal electrode. The metal electrode forms part of the row or column electrodes.
It has been found that the switching elements may exhibit a given leakage current after a period of time at a voltage of 0 V (or a small voltage which is much smaller than the threshold voltage). The picture elements associated with the switching elements lose their charge due to such a leakage current and the written picture contents are not maintained. The effective lifetime of these types of switching elements may thus be limited to 100 hours.
It is an object of the invention to obviate the above-mentioned problem as much as possible.
To this end a display device according to the invention is characterized in that the electrically conducting layer located at the side of the electro-optical medium is metallic and is separated from the non-linear resistive layer by a metallic protective layer.
The invention is based on the recognition that, upon later deposition of a conducting layer by means of, for example sputtering, the presence of the protective layer prevents locations on the surface of the layer of non-linear resistive material from being damaged in such a way that leakage currents occur at a later stage. To this end the metallic protective layer should be free from pinholes and discontinuities. This can be achieved by means of low-energetic deposition techniques such as, for example sputtering.
An electrically conducting metallic layer can then be provided on the protective layer, which metallic layer may be thicker and may be made of a low-ohmic material so that a satisfactory contact can be realised. Due to the presence of the protective layer, a sputtering energy or a sputtering rate which are higher than those for the protective layer can be used when this metallic conducting layer is being provided.
By providing the electrically conducting layer at a higher sputtering rate (for example, a factor of 5-10 higher), the manufacture may proceed more rapidly. For protecting the underlying layer of non-linear resistive material it is, however, sufficient that this material is contacted by means of a metallic layer which is obtained by using low-energetic deposition techniques. A further display device according to the invention is therefore characterized in that the electrically conducting layer located at the side of the electro-optical medium is provided by means of a low-energetic deposition technique.
If the protective layer comprises a high melting point material such as, for example molybdenum or a molybdenum alloy (for example, Mo--Ta, Mo--Ti, Mo--Si, Mo--Cr, Mo--V, Mo--Nb, Mo--W, Mo--Ta--Ti, Mo--Ta--Si, Mo--Ta--V, etc.), material of this protective layer is prevented from diffusing into the layer of non-linear resistive material, for example during subsequent process steps. The thickness of the protective layer is preferably at least 10 nm so as to prevent the occurrence of discontinuities and pinholes in the protective layer. The thickness is further dependent on the sputtering energy which is used when the conducting layer is being provided and is preferably chosen to be smaller than 100 nm (and 80 nm at lower sputtering energies).
The protective layer and a layer of conducting material which is deposited thereon may consist of the same material.
If the protective layer consists of a high melting point material, low melting point materials such as, for example aluminium, copper, silver and nickel-chromium, may alternatively be used for the conducting layer. In particular, low melting point well-conducting metals can be used which would diffuse into the nonlinear resistive material at a higher temperature during later process steps if the protective layer of high melting point metal were not used.
A first method of manufacturing, on a substrate, a non-linear switching element provided with a layer of non-linear resistive material between a first and a second electrically conducting layer is characterized in that after the provision of the first electrically conducting layer on the substrate
1) a layer of the non-linear resistive material is deposited on the substrate and on the first conducting layer; PA1 2) a metallic protective layer is provided on the layer of non-linear resistive material; PA1 3) the assembly is provided with a first mask; PA1 4) the metallic protective layer and the layer of non-linear resistive material are patterned by means of the first mask; PA1 5) a second layer of electrically conducting material is deposited on the assembly thus obtained at a deposition energy which is equal to or larger than that which is used for depositing the metallic protective layer, whereafter a second mask is provided, and PA1 6) the second layer of electrically conducting material is patterned by means of the second mask.
In a second method the metallic protective layer and the layer of electrically conducting material are deposited directly after each other on a layer of patterned non-linear resistive material and subsequently jointly patterned.
In a further method only a metallic protective layer is provided by means of low-energetic deposition techniques.
These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter.

Non-linear switching element of an electro-optical display device with metallic protective layer


A saddle riding type vehicle having a front fork that supports a front wheel, a head pipe that rotationally movably supports the front fork, a down frame extending downward from the head pipe, a front wheel brake supported by the front fork, to brake the front wheel, a braking force adjustment device that controls braking force of the front wheel brake, and output piping that connects the braking force adjustment device and the front wheel brake, the output piping has metal piping extending forward from the braking force adjustment device disposed behind the down frame, flexible piping, and a connecting member that connects the metal piping and the flexible piping. The connecting member is disposed in front of the down frame, and the flexible piping extends forward from the connecting member, to be connected to the front wheel brake.

Heretofore, a saddle riding type vehicle has been known in which brake piping extends forward from a braking force adjustment device disposed behind a down frame, to be connected to a front wheel brake (e.g., see Patent Literature 1). In Patent Literature 1, the brake piping having flexibility extends forward from the braking force adjustment device, to be supported by a hose holding member provided in a bottom bridge of a front fork, or the like.


The present invention relates to disposable, personal cleansing articles useful for cleansing the skin or hair. These articles are used by the consumer by wetting the dry article with water and then rubbing the article against the skin or hair. The article comprises a water insoluble substrate having a cleansing surface that contains apertures of a certain size and frequency, and a lathering surfactant releasably associated with the substrate. Preferably, the articles of the present invention further comprise a conditioning component.

The present invention relates to disposable personal cleansing articles useful for cleansing, and optionally conditioning, the skin or hair, and more particularly to a disposable cleansing, article having a substrate, comprising either single or multiple layers, which contains a plurality of apertures along with a lathering surfactant component. These articles are used by the consumer by wetting the article, which may be dry, with water and by thereafter forming a lather by rubbing the article against itself and/or against skin or hair.
Personal cleansing products have traditionally been marketed in a variety of forms such as bar soaps, creams, lotions, and gels. These cleansing formulations have attempted to satisfy a number of criteria to be acceptable to consumers. These criteria include cleansing effectiveness, skin feel, mildness to skin, hair, and ocular mucosae, and lather volume. Ideal personal cleansers should gently cleanse the skin or hair, cause little or no irritation, and not leave the skin or hair overly dry after frequent use. Personal cleansing products are frequently used with, or marketed in the form of, articles that employ a substrate or other implement that carries a cleansing material or is used to deliver a cleansing material to the skin or hair.
Traditional forms of personal cleansing products and articles may be very useful for providing efficacious cleansing and lathering. Such conventional products and articles, however are less suitable for also simultaneously providing other desirable effects such as delivering a skin or hair conditioning benefit. One solution to this problem is to use separate cleansing and conditioning products or articles. However, this is not always convenient or practical, and many consumers would prefer to use a single article which can both cleanse and condition the skin or hair. In a typical cleansing composition or product, the conditioning ingredients are difficult to formulate because many conditioners are incompatible with the surfactants, resulting in an undesirable non-homogenous mixture. To obtain a homogeneous mixture with conditioning ingredients, and to prevent the loss of conditioning ingredients before deposition, additional ingredients, e.g. emulsifiers, thickeners, and gellants are often added to suspend the conditioning ingredients within a surfactant mixture. This results in an aesthetically pleasing homogenous mixture, but often results in poor deposition of conditioning ingredients onto skin or hair because the conditioners are emulsified and not efficiently released during cleansing. Also, many conditioning agents have the disadvantage of suppressing lather generation. Lather suppression is a problem because many consumers seek cleansing articles that provide a rich, creamy, and generous lather.
Therefore, it is seen that conventional cleansing products and articles which attempt to combine surfactants and other materials such as conditioning ingredients suffer from disadvantages inherently resulting from the incompatibilities of surfactants and conditioners. A need clearly exists to develop cleansing systems which provide effective cleansing, effective lathering and yet can also, if desired, consistently provide other benefits such as sufficient conditioning in a single article.
It is also highly desirable to deliver cleansing and preferably conditioning benefits from a disposable, single use article. Disposable articles are convenient because they obviate the need to carry cumbersome bottles, bars, jars, tubes, and other forms of both cleansing and conditioning articles. Disposable articles are also a more sanitary alternative to the use of a sponge, washcloth, or other cleansing implement intended for multiple reuse, because such implements develop bacterial growth, unpleasant odors, and other undesirable characteristics related to repeated use.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide washcloth-like articles for cleansing, and preferably also, conditioning the skin or hair when the articles are used wetted with water and rubbed against the skin or hair.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such cleansing articles which are disposable and intended for single use.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such cleansing articles which are mild to the skin or hair.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such cleansing articles which, upon wetting, are capable of generating especially desirable amounts of lather.
The present invention relates to disposable, single use personal cleansing articles especially useful for cleansing facial skin. Each such article comprises a) a water-insoluble, non-woven substrate having at least one cleansing surface; and b) from about 0.5% to 250% by weight of the substrate of a lathering surfactant which is releasably associated with the substrate. The cleansing surface of the substrate contains a plurality of apertures which range in size from about 0.5 mm to 5 mm in diameter. These apertures are located within said cleansing surface of the substrate at a frequency of from about 0.5-12 apertures per linear centimeter. Preferred multiple layer cleansing articles of this invention utilize a two-ply substrate wherein one or both plies are apertured. Also preferably at least one of the plies of the substrate is wet extensible and the second ply is less wet extensible than the first ply. Preferred articles are also substantially dry prior to use and contain one or more water-soluble or water-insoluble conditioning agents in addition to the lathering surfactant component.
The present invention also relates to methods for manufacturing cleansing articles of the configuration describe herein. Also, the present invention provides methods for cleansing, and optionally conditioning, the skin or hair using the articles described herein.


An apparatus, computing device, and a computer readable medium are described herein. The apparatus includes logic to process pixels using content adaptive LCD backlight control. The apparatus also includes logic to perform analog current level control dimming when processing the pixels, and logic to linearly compensate for the analog current level control dimming when processing the pixels.

A display that includes an LCD panel with an LED backlight can illuminate the LCD panel by placing a combination of white or Red, Green, and Blue (RGB) LED arrays behind the LCD panel. The LED backlight equipped LCD panel enables the images with a high luminance to be rendered while also displaying deep, dark colors. Luminance is a measure of brightness from a particular surface, with units measured in candela per square meter (cd/m2). The LED backlight can be dimmed by using pulse width modulation (PWM) to control the power input to the LED arrays. The application of PWM causes the backlight to rapidly turn on and off. The value of the PWM frequency is selected at value that eliminates flicker perception by human eyes while enabling a brightness change related to a PWM duty ratio to be perceived. By varying the PWM duty ratio of the LED backlight, the power consumption of the LED backlight may also be varied.
The same numbers are used throughout the disclosure and the figures to reference like components and features. Numbers in the 101 series refer to features originally found in FIG. 1; numbers in the 200 series refer to features originally found in FIG. 2; and so on.


Polyimide layers having special properties are formed on the bottom surface of a metallic body for a metal-based semiconductor circuit substrate with a polyimide layer as an insulator. There are four lamination methods: (a) a method in which a layer of thermoplastic polyimide resin (1) and a layer of non-thermoplastic polyimide resin are laminated on the bottom surface of the metallic body one over another in this order, (b) a method in which a layer of thermoplastic polyimide resin (1), a layer of non-thermoplastic polyimide resin and a layer of thermoplastic polyimide resin (2) are laminated on the bottom surface of a metallic body one over another in this order, (c) a method in which a layer of non-thermoplastic polyimide resin is laminated on the bottom surface of a metallic body and (d) a method in which a layer of thermoplastic polyimide resin (2) is laminated on the bottom surface of a metallic body. The resulting semiconductor circuit substrate has improved properties: flat joins to connect external terminals, small variations in shape due to temperature changes, the mounting properties to a mother board, the absorption efficiency of infrared rays during solder reflowing, plating resistance and the bonding reliability to other objects.

The present invention relates to metal-based semiconductor circuit substrates and a process for producing the same. Particularly, the present invention relates to metal-based semiconductor circuit substrates which are light and easy to process and whose bonding reliability to an external circuit substrate is excellent, and a process for producing the same.
These days metal-based semiconductor circuit substrates have been used extensively in industry to produce semiconductor packages of microcomputers, microprocessors and other devices.
Typical examples of metal-based semiconductor circuit packages include a metal-based ball grid array (BGA) package disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,420,460 and a metal-based metal quad package (MQP) disclosed in JP-A-6-53621 (Tokkaihei) (U.S. Pat. No. 5,639,990). The latter discloses that a metal-based wiring substrate is drawn to be box-shaped and that leads are formed in the periphery of its opening to obtain an MQP.
It is said that metal-based semiconductor substrates have characteristics such as heat radiation and electromagnetic shielding properties. A metallic body, which is used for a metal-based semiconductor circuit substrate, plays a part in reinforcing its circuit, in releasing heat generated in a semiconductor or in passing electricity to the ground. In a metallic body, a circuit is formed on its top surface and its bottom surface is opposite to the top surface. The bottom surface plays a part in releasing heat generated in a metal-based semiconductor circuit substrate and in absorbing infrared rays (IR) in mounting the metal-based semiconductor circuit substrate to a mother board by IR reflowing. In some cases the bottom surface plays a part in insulating.
JP-A-07-321250 (Tokkaihei) (U.S. Pat. No. 5,583,378) discloses that a protective layer, made of epoxy resin or suitable material other than epoxy resin, can be formed on the bottom surface of a conventional metal-based semiconductor circuit. The bottom surface plays a part just in protecting the conventional metal-based semiconductor circuit substrate. The bottom surface is usually the surface of a stainless steel plate or copper plate treated with zinc chromate, or is covered with a protecting layer of nickel (Ni) plating, a protecting layer consisting of nickel and gold (Au) plating layers or an epoxy resin layer.
When the bottom surface of a metallic body is not covered with an epoxy resin layer, the bottom surface has a small coefficient of radiation heat transfer, a small amount of radiation in heat release and a small amount of IR absorbed in a reflowing furnace, especially, an IR reflowing furnace. The temperature of a package is lower than that of a QFP or other parts mounted on a mother board in a reflowing furnace. Therefore, there is a narrow margin for the conditions of a reflowing furnace in which various parts are mounted at the same time; thus, the solder bonding becomes unstable.
Especially when a metal-based circuit substrate is produced to form a circuit, wire bond pads are nickel- and gold-plated at the same time as its bottom surface. The bottom surface is gold-plated although gold plating is unnecessary; therefore, gold plating increases the production costs of the metal-based semiconductor circuit substrate. Copper (Cu) is often used for a metallic body because of thermal and electric properties. In these cases, a type of a bimetal is formed because a nickel plating layer has a smaller coefficient of thermal expansion than a copper body; thus, changes in temperature bring about the deformation of a package.
A metal-based semiconductor circuit substrate having a metallic body of 0.1 to 0.4 mm in thickness is defined as a thin metal-based semiconductor circuit substrate. A stainless steel or copper plate is often used for a metallic body of a thin metal-based semiconductor circuit substrate. Especially a plate of copper or copper alloy, which has excellent heat transfer and electric properties, is often used. However the resulting circuit substrate has less flexural rigidity and is easy to deform due to temperature changes.
A warp appears when materials with different coefficients of thermal expansion are used for a metal-based semiconductor circuit substrate. Typical examples of coefficients of thermal expansion at 25.degree. C. are almost as follows:
(1) a layer consisting of Ni- and Au-plating layers: 13.times.10.sup.-6 /deg. PA1 (2) a metallic body made of stainless steel, copper or a copper alloy: 17.times.10.sup.-6 /deg. PA1 (3) a polyimide resin layer for insulating a circuit: 20-55.times.10.sup.-6 /deg. PA1 (4) a copper foil for a circuit: 17.times.10.sup.-6 /deg. PA1 (5) a layer of resist ink: 60-80.times.10.sup.-6 /deg. PA1 (a) a polyimide laminate which has a two-layer structure and consists of a layer of thermoplastic polyimide resin (1) and a layer of non-thermoplastic polyimide resin: PA1 (b) a polyimide layer which has an one-layer structure and consist s of a layer of thermoplastic polyimide resin (2) or the above-mentioned layer of non-thermoplastic polyimide resin as shown in (a): PA1 (c) a polyimide laminate which has a three-layer structure and consists of a layer of thermoplastic polyimide resin (1) as shown in (a), a layer of non-thermoplastic polyimide resin as shown in (a) and a layer of thermoplastic polyimide resin (2) as shown in (b):
When a laminate is observed from the viewpoint of coefficients of thermal expansion as shown above, the coefficients of thermal expansion ascend in the z-axis direction. When the temperature of a circuit substrate is increased, a warp appears so that its bottom surface becomes concave.
When a metallic body is at most 0.4 mm thick, especially at most 0.2 mm thick, it has less flexural rigidity. An example is disclosed in a display of High Performance Cavity-Down Metal-Based BGA (MeBGA) Package (TECHNICAL DIGEST, page 153), published in the Third VLSI PACKAGING WORKSHOP of Japan, December, 1996. When a semiconductor substrate has holes for detecting terminals in its metallic body, the metallic body, on which balls are mounted, decreases in area and the semiconductor substrate further decreases in flexural rigidity. When the temperature of the semiconductor substrate is increased, a warp becomes large. When a semiconductor substrate is mounted on a mother board with solder balls, for example, the semiconductor substrate is excellent in flatness at 25.degree. C. and can be mounted easily. However, a warp appears in the substrate at a melting temperature of solder balls of 185.degree. C.; thus, the solder balls in the corners are raised and suitable solder ball bonding is prevented. A warp appears in a semiconductor substrate when the temperature of the semiconductor substrate changes. When the semiconductor substrate is mounted on a mother board, such a warp is a large influence on the bonding reliability of solder balls.
The equation of Coffin-Manson was used to simulate the bonding reliability of solder balls, based on a stress analysis method. It is shown that the life of solder ball bonding varies in the range of many times or over according to the size of a warp.
The following method are considered to solve these problems.
The first method is to form an epoxy resin layer with a large coefficient of thermal expansion on the bottom surface of a metallic body. The second is to increase a metallic body in thickness and flexural rigidity in order to counter a stress resulting from the difference between coefficients of thermal expansion. The third is to use as a metallic body a metal with an extraordinarily large amount of flexural rigidity in order to increase the metallic body in flexural rigidity and to counter a stress resulting from the difference between coefficients of thermal expansion. The fourth is to use a polyimide resin having a smaller coefficient of thermal expansion in order to insulate a circuit. The fifth is to use a solder resist layer thinner than conventional solder resist layers. The sixth is to use a solder resist having a smaller coefficient of thermal expansion.
When an epoxy resin layer is formed on the bottom surface to improve IR absorption and counter a warp, the epoxy resin layer, however, accompanies various problems. The first problem appears when an epoxy resin layer is formed on the bottom surface of a metallic body in advance and the metallic body is used. When a cavity structure is formed by drawing, cracks appear in the epoxy resin layer and the resulting metal-based semiconductor circuit substrate deteriorates in durability and reliability as well as in appearance. The second appears when a resin layer is formed on a part of the bottom surface other than a drawing part using an epoxy-type resist ink in order to avoid cracks. When the resulting substrate is drawn, the substrate's drawing shape deteriorates in precision due to the difference in level between a place where a resin layer is formed and a place where no resin layer is formed. Such a substrate is unsuitable for mounting a semiconductor. The substrate also needs a mask so that the metallic body in the drawing part, exposed during forming a circuit on the top surface, is prevented from being exposed to an etching solution.
The third appears when detecting terminals are formed on the bottom surface due to a fine pattern. It is difficult to form an epoxy resin layer only on a part of the bottom surface where there are no detecting terminals. It is also possible that a cavity is formed and then an epoxy resin layer is formed by electrodeposition. This case, however, accompanies high production costs. Due to adhesive property, used in an epoxy resin which has a lower glass transition temperature and is softer. When such an epoxy resin is used in wire bonding, it is tacked to a jig for heating a substrate. In some electronic circuits, unnecessary parts are coated by electrodeposition using an epoxy resin.
When a thick metallic body is used, the resulting metal-based semiconductor circuit substrate becomes heavy and causes a circuit and a dielectric layer under the circuit to stretch to a considerable degree in drawing and bending. Therefore, when such a circuit substrate is drawn or bent, it is limited in curvature radius due to the stretch of the dielectric layer.
When a metallic body is increased in flexural elastic modulus, there is a limit in that the metallic body deteriorates in bending and drawing.
It is effective to use a polyimide resin having a lower coefficient of thermal expansion in order to insulate a circuit. However, even the polyimide resin cannot counter a solder resist layer having a large coefficient of thermal expansion. A polyimide resin having a lower coefficient of thermal expansion deteriorates in lamination and adhesive properties. The rate of etching with a liquid or a plasma gas is slow. The polyimide resin hinders the formation of via holes. The resulting substrate has a large amount of flexural rigidity and a small elongation percentage. When such a substrate is drawn, the size of its curvature radius is limited and the processing accuracy decreases.
When a solder resist layer is thinner than ordinary resist layers, the solder resist layer deteriorates in reliability.
It is preferred to use a solder resist having a coefficient of thermal expansion smaller than 30.times.10.sup.-6 /deg. It has been impossible to obtain a solder resist, which is photosensitive, can enable to form a fine pattern and has a coefficient of thermal expansion of at most 30.times.10.sup.-6 /deg.
It has been difficult to improve a thin metal-based semiconductor circuit substrate in IR absorption in a reflowing furnace and give plating resistance during keeping its drawing property. Especially, due to various reasons, it has been difficult to reduce the variations in shape of a thin metal-based semiconductor circuit substrate when the temperature of the substrate changes.
FIG. 1 illustrates one of conventional metal-based semiconductor circuit substrates. Metallic body 001 of at least 0.1 mm to at most 5 mm in thickness, dielectric layer 010 of at least 5 .mu.m to at most 200 .mu.m in thickness and electric conductor circuit layer 100 of at least 0.5 .mu.m to at most 100 .mu.m in thickness are laminated one over another in this order. Protective layer 300 such as nickel plating layer and other layers is on the bottom surface of the metallic body. In some cases, metallic body 001 and electric conductor circuit layer 100 are partly connected to each other with blind via hole (hereinafter referred to as BVH) 200.
FIG. 2 illustrates one of conventional metal-based semiconductor circuit substrates. Dielectric layers 010 and 011 and electric conductor circuit layers 100 and 101 are laminated on a metal-based semiconductor circuit substrate. The substrate has a multi-layered structure. Multi-layered electric conductor circuit layers 100 and 101 are optionally interlayer connected with BVH, interstitial via hole 201 (hereinafter referred to as IVH), through hole (hereinafter referred to as TH) and other connectors.
FIG. 3 also illustrates one of conventional metal-based semiconductor circuit substrates. A part of electric conductor circuit layer 100 is connected to metallic body 001 with BVH 200. A part of the metallic body just under the BVH is processed to form detecting terminal 400 being independent of the metallic body.
Preparation methods of these conventional semiconductor circuit substrates are exemplified as follows.
1) A dielectric sheet and an electric conductor foil are laminated on a metallic body with an adhesive or by use of the adhesive property of the dielectric sheet itself. A circuit is formed in the electric conductor foil according to well-known method. A resist layer is formed on the laminate according to a well-known method. The thus-obtained laminate is Ni-plated or Ni- and Au-plated according to a well-known method.
2) A laminate, formed with a dielectric sheet and an electric conductor foil, is used to form a circuit in the electric conductor foil according to a well-known method. A resist layer is formed on the laminate according to a well-known method. The thus-obtained laminate is Ni- and Au-plated to form a sheet with a circuit according to a well-known method. The laminate is adhered to a metallic body with an adhesive or by use of the adhesive property of the dielectric sheet itself.
3) A dielectric sheet is laminated on a metallic body. An electric conductor circuit is formed on the laminate according to the so-called additive process. A resist layer is formed on the laminate according to a well-known method. The thus-obtained laminate is Ni- and Au-plated according to a well-known method.
4) Epoxy resin is electrodeposited on the bottom surface of the metal-based semiconductor circuit substrate formed according to the above-mentioned Exemplified Methods 1) to 3); thus, an insulating material layer is formed on the bottom surface to give an insulated bottom surface.
5) Bottom surfaces of metallic bodies used in the above-mentioned Exemplified Method 1) to 3) are coated with an epoxy resin in advance.
In the above-mentioned Exemplified Method 1) to 3), the bottom surface of a metal-based semiconductor is also plated as well as wire bond pads (WB pads) on the top surface of it are Ni- and Au-plated. In the above-mentioned Exemplified Method 2), a rustproof layer such as nickel plating layer and other protective layers is often formed on a metallic body and then a sheet with a circuit is laminated on the metallic body. In the above-mentioned Exemplified Method 4), an epoxy resin layer is formed on the bottom surface. The bottom surface is often covered with a protective layer consisting of a metal or an epoxy resin having a property of rust proofing in any case. Therefore, the above-mentioned various problems happen.

Metal-based semiconductor circuit substrates


This invention relates to methods and apparatus for predicting probability of cancer recurrence following radical prostatectomy using predetermined clinical and pathological factors. The invention includes nomograms which can be used preoperatively and postoperatively in patients diagnosed with prostatic adenocarcinoma to aid in selection of an appropriate course of therapy.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to methods and apparatuses for predicting probability of disease recurrence following radical prostatectomy using predetermined clinical and pathological factors. The invention includes nomograms that can be used preoperatively and postoperatively to aid in selection of an appropriate course of therapy.
2. Description of Background
Prostate adenocarcinoma is the most common malignancy in males over the age of 50. Clinically localized prostate cancer is most often treated with conservative management (G. W. Chodak et al., N Engl J Med 330:242-248, 1994; P. C. Albertson et al., JAMA 274:626-63, 1995), external beam irradiation (G. E. Hanks et al., J Urol 154:456-9, 1995; M. A. Bagshaw et al., J Urol 152:1781-5, 1994), or radical prostatectomy (M. Ohori et al., J Urol 154:1818-24, 1995; G. S. Gerber et al., JAMA 276:615-9, 1996; C. R. Pound et al., Urol Clin North Am 24:395-406, 1997; J. G. Trapasso et al., J Urol 152:1821-5, 1996), and occasionally with therapeutic interventions such as interstitial radioactive seed implantation or cryotherapy. Making a decision among the different management choices for clinically localized prostate cancer would be greatly facilitated if reliable predictors of the probability that the selected treatment would control the cancer long term were available. Currently, there are no satisfactory randomized prospective trials comparing cancer control among alternative treatments. Although clinical trials are underway, even when these trials are completed, all patients with a clinically localized cancer will not have an equal probability of a successful outcome.
a. Preoperative Assessment
Prior to undergoing radical prostatectomy, it is of great interest to the patient to know whether the procedure is likely to be curative. Because the pathologic stage of cancer correlates with the probability of recurrence after surgery, a number of investigators have made efforts based on cohort studies to predict the final pathologic stage of prostate cancer using various parameters. A number of nomograms and algorithms have been formulated in an effort to identify the pathological stage of an individual's prostatic cancer. For instance, Partin, et al., has developed a nomogram based on pretreatment prostate specific antigen level (PSA), tumor grade, and clinical stage, to aid physicians in making treatment recommendations by predicting the probability of the final pathological stage of clinically localized prostate carcinoma. (A. W. Partin et al., J Urol 115:110-4, 1993). This nomogram was based on data for one patient population. However, although this nomogram does discriminate between organ-confined and non-confined cancer, it has difficulty predicting high probabilities of seminal vesicle invasion and lymph node metastasis, which are the pathologic features with the most profound impact on prognosis. (M. Kattan et al., Cancer 79:528-537, 1997). In addition, this type of nomogram, including the updated version (Partin et al., JAMA 277:1445-1451, 1997), does not provide the physician with a simple means of advising a patient of the likelihood of recurrence if a radical prostatectomy is performed.
Another algorithm developed pursuant to a study by Badalament et al., purports to predict non-organ confined prostate cancer. This study found that nuclear grade, preoperative PSA, total percent tumor involvement, number of positive sextant cores, preoperative Gleason score, and involvement of more than five percent of a base and/or apex biopsy were significant for prediction of disease organ confinement status. (R. Badalament et al., J Urol 156:1375-1380, 1996).
Another predictor by Narayan et al., uses preoperative serum PSA, biopsy Gleason score, and biopsy-based stage to predict final pathological stage, by constructing probability plots. (P. Narayan et al., Urology 46:205-212, 1995). Yet another predictor by Bostwick et al., uses PSA concentrations, optimized microvessel density of needle biopsy samples and Gleason score to predict extra-prostatic extension. (David Bostwick et al., Urology 48:47-57, 1996).
Existing preoperative predictors typically use final pathologic stage as their end point. (A. W. Partin et al., JAMA 277:1445-1451, 1997). This point is problematic in that some patients with apparently organ confined disease will later develop disease recurrence, whereas many patients with non-organ confined disease will remain disease free. (M. W. Kattan et al., Cancer 793:528-537, 1997). Extracapsular tumor extension, positive surgical margins, seminal vesicle involvement and positive pelvic lymph nodes are adverse pathological features. (A. W. Partin et al., Urol Clin North Am 204:713-725, 1993; J. I. Epstein et al., Cancer 71:3582-3593, 1993; A. Stein et al., J Urol 147:942, 1992). Yet not all patients with one or more of these findings are destined to have disease recurrence after radical prostatectomy. Of the 462 men evaluated by Partin et al. with either focal or established extracapsular penetration (A. W. Partin et al., Urol Clin North Am 20(4):713-725, 1993), only 80 (17%) had evidence of disease recurrence with a mean follow-up of 53 months (range 12 to 120 months). Similarly, Ohori and colleagues report a five-year PSA progression rate of 25% for patients with extracapsular extension in the radical prostatectomy specimen. (M. Ohori et al., Cancer 74:104-14, 1994). In a study of the association between positive surgical margins and disease progression, Epstein et al. found that only half of their patients with positive margins developed disease recurrence. (J. I. Epstein et al., Cancer 71:3582-3593, 1993). Thus, using final pathologic stage as an end point limits the utility of a nomogram to accurately predict disease recurrence following radical prostatectomy. In addition, although final pathology has been associated with eventual treatment failure, none of the existing predictors allow the physician to accurately predict preoperatively the likelihood of recurrence of cancer in a patient if a radical prostatectomy is performed. This is typically the information of greatest interest to the patient before electing to undergo surgery.
There are several established prognostic factors relating to the risk of recurrence after surgery or radiotherapy or the risk of metastasis or death from cancer after conservative management, including clinical stage (M. Ohori et al., Cancer 74:104-14, 1994), Gleason grade (P. C. Albertson et al., JAMA 274:626-631, 1995; G. E. Hanks et al., J Urol 154:456-9, 1995; G. S. Gerber et al., JAMA 276:615-9, 1996) and serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels. (G. K. Zagars, Cancer 73:1904-12; 1994). Prior to the present invention, these three routinely available prognostic factors had not been successfully combined into a risk profile that could be used to predict, prior to surgery, the probability of recurrence or metastatic progression after surgical management.
b. Post-Operative Assessment
The most common aggressive therapy for the treatment of clinically localized prostate cancer is radical prostatectomy. Unfortunately, approximately one third of men treated with radical prostatectomy later experience progression of their disease. Typically, the first indication that the disease has progressed occurs as a detectable level of serum PSA months or years following surgery. Early identification, prior to detectable PSA, of men likely to ultimately experience progression would be useful in considering adjuvant therapy or, before documented progression, when adjuvant therapy may be most effective. Accurate identification of the probability of recurrence would also be particularly useful in clinical trials to assure comparability of treatment and control groups or to identify appropriate candidates for investigational treatment such as gene therapy.
Traditionally, the judgment of which patients are at high risk for failure following radical prostatectomy has been based largely on final pathologic stage. As noted, final pathologic stage alone (A. W. Partin et al., JAMA 277:1445-1451, 1997) is a problematic variable for judging high-risk disease since some patients with apparently organ-confined cancer will later develop disease recurrence, and many patients with non-organ-confined cancer will remain disease-free (C. R. Pound et al., Urol Clin North Am 24:395-406, 1997). Not all patients with extracapsular extension or seminal vesicle involvement are destined to have disease recurrence after radical prostatectomy (M. Ohori et al., Cancer 74:104-14, 1994; M. Ohori et al., J Urol 154:1818-1824, 1995; C. R. Pound et al., Urol Clin North Am 24:395-406, 1997; J. G. Trapasso et al., J Urol 152:1821-1825, 1994; A. W. Partin et al., Urol Clin North Am 20:713-725, 1993; J. I. Epstein et al., Cancer 71:3582-3593, 1993). Thus, the use of individual pathologic features appears insufficient to estimate probability for recurrence; a method of combining them is needed.
In 1995, Partin and colleagues (A. W. Partin et al., Urology 45:831-838, 1995) published a model for predicting relative risk that was derived using 216 men with clinical stage T2b and T2c prostate cancer treated by a single urologist. The model utilized pretreatment serum PSA with a sigmoidal transformation, radical prostatectomy Gleason score (Gleason sum), and pathologic stage as specimen confined or nonspecimen confined to identify patients with a high relative risk of recurrence following surgery. Their model computed log relative risk and categorized patients into low, intermediate, and high. In a validation cohort of 214 patients treated by one of three different urologists at two institutions, Partin was able to illustrate that the model was apparently able to stratify those patients as well, based on their Kaplan-Meier PSA recurrence-free survival rates although no statistical testing of strata differences was performed. Bauer et al. (J. J. Bauer et al., J Urol 159:929-933, 1998) recently emulated Partin's approach with 378 patients but added race as a predictor variable and widened the cohort to include all clinical stages up to T1a through T2c. Another difference with the Bauer model was the cutoffs used to distinguish the risk groups (relative risks of 4.0 and 5.75 for Partin versus 10 and 30 for Bauer). Bauer's validation cohort of 99 men indicated a difference in survival rates between the low- and high-risk groups but no difference between intermediate risk and either low or high risk. In another recent study, Bauer (J. J. Bauer et al., Cancer 79(5):952-962, 1997) added biomarkers p53, Ki-67, and bcl-2 to the relative risk calculation. Finally, Harrell et al., discloses a nomogram which evaluates estrogen as a treatment for prostate cancer. This nomogram uses numerous variables, such as age, weight index, blood pressure data, history of cardiovascular disease, tumor size, tumor grade and serum prostatic acid phosphatase to predict survival. (F. Harrell et al., Statistics in Medicine 15:361-387, 1996).
However, none of the postoperative models currently available predict probability of recurrence. Moreover, prior to the present invention, there has been no method or means to predict the probability of treatment failure following surgery, defined as a rising PSA level, following radical prostatectomy for clinically localized prostate cancer. Such risk profiles would be very useful in providing meaningful information to a patient making a decision among courses of therapy. Such a tool would provide the patient with his probability of recurrence instead of a relative risk which is more easily comprehended. While the relative risk informs the patient of his risk of recurring relative to another patient with certain characteristics, the actual probability should more greatly facilitate decision making for the patient.
Therefore, a need has arisen for a method and apparatus to accurately predict prior to surgery the likelihood of recurrence in an individual diagnosed with prostate cancer following radical prostatectomy, using routinely available clinical variables. In addition, a need has arisen for a method and apparatus for accurately predicting probability of recurrence post-prostatectomy, using data routinely collected and available immediately postoperatively, to evaluate whether adjuvant therapy may be warranted before PSA begins to rise.

Nomograms to aid in the treatment of prostatic cancer


The present disclosure provides a method for determining a recommended video, a data processing computer server and a system. The computer server determines candidate virtual scenes, users currently participating in the candidate virtual scenes, and a user corresponding to a virtual role in the candidate virtual scenes. After selecting a target virtual scene from the candidate virtual scenes, the computer server determines representation data of virtual roles of the target virtual scene, selects a target virtual role from the virtual roles of the target virtual scene according to the representation data of the virtual roles of the target virtual scene, and generates a recommended video at a viewing angle of the target virtual role in the target virtual scene.

With rise of network applications of types such as a game and simulation, a user may obtain, by using a created virtual role, a plurality of experiences in a virtual scene provided by a network application. A virtual scene provided by some network applications (for example, an arena game of an MOBA type) may support participation of a plurality of users, and virtual roles of the plurality of users may enter the virtual scene in a manner such as matching or team forming, and carry out an activity in the virtual scene, for example, experience an arena.
Currently, by using a video technology in a virtual scene, a video for recording an activity of a virtual role in the virtual scene (which is briefly referred to as a virtual scene video, where the virtual scene video is, for example, in a form of an arena battle video of a game) may be formed. For purpose of being skilled in a use manner of a network application objective, a user usually has a requirement for watching a current virtual scene video of another user. However, currently, the user may participate in a plurality of virtual scenes (for example, currently a plurality of game arena battles may exist simultaneously), and therefore how to determine a virtual scene video recommended to a user becomes a problem that needs to be considered.

Video recommendation determination, information display, data processing method based on frame synchronization

TENCENT TECHNOLOGY (SHENZHEN) COMPANY LIMITED


Systems and methods are disclosed for sharing a network with two switching devices forming a single pole double throw (SPDT) switch. Two SPDT switches can also be used in a double pole double throw (DPDT) configuration that shares a network, thus reducing component count and die size.

Radio frequency (RF) signals often must be switched between two destinations, such as when switching an RF signal between a first antenna and a second antenna. Switches that support this configuration are classified as single pole, double throw (SPDT) switches.
SPDT switches known in the art are either solid-state devices or mechanical relays. Mechanical switches are generally quite large, compared to other RF components, and consume significant amounts of power. In communications applications, switches are often designed with semiconductor elements such as transistors or pin diodes. However, for high frequency RF signals in the gigahertz range and above, these devices could suffer from several shortcomings. For example, the device has high insertion loss, which is the loss across the switch when the switch is closed. On the other hand, the device has low isolation, which means signal 'leakage' across the switch when the switch is open. In addition, the insertion losses and isolation values for these switches varies depending on the frequency of the signal passing through the switches, which cause unevenness in frequency response and is unsuitable for broadband wireless communications. Isolation between the two output ports of the SPDT switch is of another concern, since coupling of the signal from one output port to the other output port limits the effectiveness of the switch as a dual output port device. Without proper circuitry to overcome the above-mentioned characteristics, semiconductor transistors and pin diodes would not function properly as switches in microwave applications.
FIG. 1A shows a basic prior art SPDT circuit, while FIG. 2A shows an improved prior art SPDT circuit with a parallel inductor. In FIG. 1A, a first switching device T101 such as a FET or PHEMT (Pseudomorphic High Electron Mobility Transistor) is positioned between the first port P1 and the second port P2. Correspondingly, a second switching device T102 is positioned between the second port P2 and the third port P3.
A simplified equivalent circuit with transistor off can be represented by a parasitic capacitor between the drain terminal and the source terminal. The insertion loss of the SPDT switch is determined by the resistance value between drain and source of each transistor. As shown in FIG. 1B, when a semiconductor switching device is turned on, the device can be modeled with a resistor R. When a switching device is turned off, the device can be modeled with a capacitor C. Thus, when the first switching device is turned on and the second switching device is turned off, an equivalent circuit between P2 port and P3 port can be modeled as a resistance in series with a capacitance, with P1 port at the junction between the resistance and capacitance. The resistance results in loss of signal strength, which is commonly known as insertion loss. In addition, the signal can leak through the capacitance of the "off state" switching device, especially at high frequency. For instance, as shown in FIGS. 1C and 1D, using R=4 ohms and C=0.4 pF, there is a −1.7 dB insertion loss in transmission at 5 GHz between P1 and P2 and −6.5 dB of isolation at 5 GHz between P1 and P3.
To reduce the insertion loss, inductors can be added in parallel to the switching devices. The inductance and the capacitance of the switching device becomes a LC resonator with high impedance at the resonating frequency. For example, two inductors L are added in parallel to the source and the drain ends or terminals of the switching device T201 and T202 of FIG. 2A. When the first switching device T201 is turned on and the second switching device T202 is turned off, the circuit of FIG. 2A can be modeled by an equivalent circuit as a resistor R in a parallel with the inductor L and a capacitor C in parallel with inductor L, as shown in FIG. 2B. Assuming that L=2.5 nH, the insertion loss in transmission between P1 and P2 has been improved to −0.5 dB at 5 GHz, as shown in FIG. 2C. Moreover, the isolation between P1 and P3 has been improved to −27 dB at 5 GHz as shown in FIG. 2D.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,774,792 uses such an approach where an SPDT switch includes a plurality of FETs, the FET on the receiver side through which a received signal passes and the shunt FET on the transmitter side are each formed of series-connected FETs, and a capacitor is connected between the first gate and the source and between the second gate and the drain. An inductance is connected in parallel with a series connection of FETs. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,693,498 uses a plurality of FETs in the SPDT switch and a first inductor connected in parallel to the first FET, and a second inductor connected in parallel to the second FET. The SPDT switch may further include a first inductor connected in series to the first FET, a first capacitor connected in parallel to the series connection of the first FET and the first inductor, a second inductor connected in series to the second FET, and a second capacitor connected in parallel to the series connection of the second FET and the second inductor.
In integrated circuits, size and space constraints are of primary importance. One problem with adding multiple inductors or other passive RF components to microcircuits is that the increase of the die size and thus increasing the cost of a switch.


Provided is a thin film transistor capable of improving reliability in the thin film transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer. A thin film transistor including: a gate electrode; a gate insulating film formed on the gate electrode; an oxide semiconductor layer forming a channel region corresponding to the gate electrode on the gate insulating film; a channel protective film formed at least in a region corresponding to the channel region on the oxide semiconductor layer; and a source/drain electrode. A top face and a side face of the oxide semiconductor layer are covered with the source/drain electrode and the channel protective layer on the gate insulating film.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a thin film transistor (TFT) using an oxide semiconductor layer, and a display device including the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
An oxide semiconductor composed of zinc oxide, indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO), or the like exhibits excellent characteristics as an active layer of a semiconductor device, and development of the oxide semiconductor has been in progress toward application to a TFT, a light emitting device, a transparent conductive film, and the like in recent years.
For example, the TFT using the oxide semiconductor has high electron mobility, and excellent electric characteristics in comparison with the TFT using amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) as a channel, which has been used in the existing liquid crystal display device. Moreover, the TFT using the oxide semiconductor has an advantage that high mobility may be expected even at a low temperature around a room temperature.
Meanwhile, it is known that the heat resistance of the oxide semiconductor is not sufficient, and oxygen, zinc, or the like is detached in heating treatment during manufacture process of the TFT and the lattice defect is formed. The lattice defect results in formation of an electrically-shallow impurity level, and causes low resistance of the oxide semiconductor layer. Thus, the operation of the oxide semiconductor becomes normally-on type, that is, depression type in which a drain current flows without applying a gate voltage. The defect level is increased, the threshold voltage is reduced, and the leakage current is increased.
By such lattice defect, induction of a carrier in zinc oxide to become the active layer is inhibited, and the carrier concentration is reduced. The reduction of the carrier concentration causes a reduction of electric conductivity of the active layer, and has an influence on electron mobility and current transfer characteristics (for example, subthreshold characteristics and the threshold voltage) of the thin film transistor.
Thus, in the past, for example, it has been proposed that a gate insulating layer in contact with a channel layer of oxide semiconductor is composed of amorphous aluminum oxide (Al2O3), and the defect level of an interface is reduced (for example, Japanese Publication Patent No. 3913756).

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A lock system for the inactive door of a two door swinging combination is provided which prevents the active door from being latched or completely closed without locking the inactive door in place against the door frame and/or floor. Further, with the active door closed, the latch of the active door prevents movement of the slider of the inactive door lock mechanism and thereby prevents any unlocking of the inactive door until the latch of the active door has been removed and the active door opened.

The present invention relates generally to door locks and more specifically to door locks for the inactive door of a two door set of swinging doors. More specifically, the present invention relates to a lock for preventing movement of the inactive door of a two door swinging door combination prior to the opening of the active door.
Many entryways or doorways include two adjacent swinging doors that meet in the middle of the doorway as opposed to a single door. The two doors are constructed different from one another and are commonly referred to as the inactive door and the active door. The inactive door remains closed or locked for most applications. A bolt or latch is commonly used to lock the inactive door to the floor and/or to the ceiling. The locks of the inactive door may be operated manually. For example, handles for the locks may be provided in recess areas along the inside edge of the inactive door.
The active door is typically locked by securing it to the inactive door. Specifically, a latch is provided in the active door which extends outward from an inside edge of the active door and is received in a recess in the inside edge of the inactive door. The latch may be locked into place to secure the active door against the inactive door. In addition, a deadbolt may be provided to secure the active door against the inactive door.
It is important to insure that the inactive door is locked and immobilized when the active and inactive doors are in a closed position. If the inactive door is not locked or secured into place, the user may accidentally lock the active door against the inactive door and, subsequently, someone else may attempt to enter the two doors by applying pressure against either the active or the inactive doors. Because each door is attached to the door frame by hinges disposed on the outside edge surfaces of the doors, any pressure applied near the inside edge surfaces of the doors when the active door is locked to the inactive door but when the inactive door is not locked to the floor or to the door frame will result in a leveraged force imposed upon the active door lock which can result in breakage of the active door lock and damage the recess disposed in the inside edge of the inactive door.
It has been found that the error in not securing the inactive door to the door frame or to the floor is a common occurrence. Further, if the inactive door is closed, and not locked, and the active door is subsequently closed and locked to the inactive door, there is no clear visual indication that the inactive door is unlocked. Still further, when the inactive door is unlocked and the active door is locked to the inactive door, pressure applied to the inside edge of the inactive or active doors will result in some movement of the doors. A user can mistakenly interpret this limited movement as an indication that the doors are simply sticking or that there is a minor obstruction on the opposite side of the doors. Hence, the user will frequently apply additional pressure to the doors forcing the doors open and breaking the lock of the active door and causing damage to both the active and inactive doors.
Active and inactive door combinations are currently available which include matching handles. The inactive door handle is capable of activating shoot bolt locks to lock the inactive door in place. The shoot bolts may be extended or locked by pivoting the handle in the appropriate fashion. However, as discussed above, these types of inactive doors may be accidentally closed and left unlocked. The active door may then be closed and locked to the inactive door thereby creating the situation where pressure inadvertently applied to either the active or inactive door can cause the active and inactive doors to be forcibly separated causing damage to the active door lock and to the inactive door. Still further, the inactive door shoot bolts may be inadvertently retracted while the doors are closed by failing to operate the inactive door handle properly. Because there is no clear visual indication as to when the inactive door is locked, a consumer who mistakenly unlocks the inactive door may not realize the mistake.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved inactive door lock system which prevents the inactive door from being unlocked after the active door is locked or latched to the inactive door. Further, there is a need for an improved lock system for an inactive door which blocks or prevents the active door from being locked or latched to the inactive door when the inactive door is unlocked. In other words, it would be highly beneficial to have an inactive door lock system which would prevent the active door from being locked or latched to the inactive door unless the inactive door is first properly locked or secured to the door frame and/or the floor.


An in-body information acquiring apparatus includes a function executing unit that realizes a predetermined function inside a body of a patient. A power-supply circuit includes a power unit that includes a cell and that outputs a first current and a first voltage; and a converter that converts the first current to a second current, which is a current required to operate the function executing unit for a predetermined time, and converts the first voltage to a second voltage, which is a voltage required to operate the function executing unit.

1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus, such as a capsule endoscope, that acquires information about internal structure of a patient (hereinafter, "in-body information acquiring apparatus") and a power-supply circuit.
2) Description of the Related Art
A swallowable capsule endoscope for medical treatment that can be introduced into the abdominal cavity of a patient and that collects information about internal structure of the abdominal cavity by taking pictures has been known. Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. 2002-508201 discloses a capsule endoscope in which are inbuilt an illuminating unit, which includes a light emitting diode (LED) etc.; a solid-state image sensor, which includes a charged coupled device (CCD) or a CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor); and a power-supply unit, which includes a battery cell (hereinafter, "cell") that supplies power to the illuminating unit or the solid-state image sensor.
The capsule endoscope has to be small so that a patient can swallow it. Thus, there is a great limitation on the size of the capsule endoscope and there is much greater limitation on the size of the cell of the capsule endoscope.
Moreover, since the capsule endoscope is required to operate stably, the cell has to be capable of supplying a stable predetermined voltage.
Since it is almost impossible to reuse the capsule, it is desirable that the capsule endoscope is cheap. To suppress the cost, one approach is to use the cells that are available in the market and not go for custom-made cells. Button cells that are used in wrist watches, portable games, thermometers etc. may be used in the capsule endoscopes; however, only limited types of such cells are available in the market and to choose a cell that satisfies the requirements of size, shape, life, output level etc. for use in the capsule endoscope is a difficult task.

In-body information acquiring apparatus and power-supply circuit


The most thermodynamically stable crystalline form of the benzoic acid salt of 4xe2x80x3-deoxy-4xe2x80x3-epi-methylamino avermectin B1a/B1b as the hemihydrate is obtained by crystallization from organic solvents containing a controlled amount of water.

The benzoic acid salt of 4xe2x80x3-deoxy-4xe2x80x3-epi-methylamino avermectin B1a/B1b is known and known to be a stable salt as described in European Patent Publication EP 0465121-A1. The added stability relative to the stability of the previously described hydrochloride salt provided much greater shelf life for this important agricultural insecticide.
This invention is concerned with the most stable of four crystalline forms of the benzoic acid salt of 4xe2x80x3-deoxy-4xe2x80x3-epi-methylamino avermectin B1a/B1b a known agricultural insecticide, and processes for preparing it.
The four crystalline forms that have been identified are designated as forms A, B, C and D, three of which are hydrated (B, C and D). The most thermodynamically stable crystalline form is the hemi-hydrate B. Knowing the most stable crystalline form and devising processes for producing the product in that form is extremely important in that it provides bulk material with crystal homogeneity that is not going to transform to another crystal habit on storage.
The novel crystal form B has been found to be significantly less hygroscopic than the other crystal forms and in addition it retains much less solvent. These attributes provide for a much more stable and uniform form of the final product which is used to prepare agricultural products and pharmaceutical dosage forms.
The novel processes for producing crystal form B comprises crystallization of the compound from an organic solvent containing a controlled amount of water.
The novel compound of this invention is crystalline 4xe2x80x3-deoxy-4xe2x80x3-epi-methylamino avermectin B1a/B1b, benzoic acid salt, hemihydrate in substantially pure form.
It has structural formula:
wherein R is xe2x80x94CH3 (B1a) or xe2x80x94H (B1b) and is referred to as Crystal form B, Type B or similar designation.
The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) curve determined at a heating rate of 20xc2x0 C./min. under nitrogen flow in an open cup is characterized by a relatively broad water loss endotherm with a peak temperature of 74xc2x0 C. and a major melting/decomposition endotherm with peak temperature of 155xc2x0 C., extrapolated onset temperature of 150xc2x0 C. with an associated heat of 56 Joules/gm. The x-ray powder diffraction pattern for Type B is characterized by d-spacings of 18.13, 9.08, 8.68, 5.03, 4.61, 4.53, 3.97 and 3.82 xc3x85. The aqueous solubility is pH dependent. At pH 5, acetate buffer, it has a solubility of 0.32 mg/ml.
The novel process of this invention comprises recrystallizing the compound in any energetic state from an aqueous organic solvent. Preferably form B is prepared from Form A.
The aqueous organic solvent useful in the novel process is preferably acetonitrile with 2-4% w/w of water; methyl t-butyl ether (MTBE) with 0.5 to 0.8% w/w of water; or isopropanol (IPA) with 0.1-0.3% w/w of water.
Compound of crystal form A, C or D is dissolved in the organic solvent at about 50-60xc2x0 C. treated with the requisite amount of water, seeded with Type B crystals, cooled to and aged at about 15-30xc2x0 C. for about 2-4 hours and further cooled to about 5xc2x0 C. over a period of about 1-2 hours.
The crystalline product is collected on a filter and dried in vacuo.
The utility and methods of use of the benzoic acid salt described herein and the free base thereof are well known by those skilled in the art and fully described in the scientific and patent literature.
It has significant parasiticidal activity as an anthelmintic, ectoparasiticide, insecticide and acaricide, in human and animal health and in agriculture. As an agricultural pesticide it has activity against insect pests of stored grains such as Tribolium sp., Tenebrio sp., and of agricultural plants such as spider mites, (Tetranychus sp.), aphids, (Acyrthiosiphon sp.); against migratory orthopterans such as locusts and immature stages of insects living on plant tissue. The compound is useful as a nematocide for the control of soil nematodes and plant parasites such as Meloidogyne sp. which is of importance in agriculture. The compound is active against other plant pests such as the southern army worm and Mexican bean beetle larvae.
The compounds are applied using known techniques as sprays, dusts, emulsions and the like, to the growing or stored crops to effect protection from such agricultural pests. For the treatment of growing crops, the compound is administered at a rate of about 5-50 gms per hectare. For the protection of stored crops it is normally administered by spraying with a solution containing from 0.1-10 ppm. of the compound.

Thermodynamically stable crystal form of 4xe2x80x3-deoxy-4xe2x80x3-epi-methylamino avermectin B1a/B1b benzoic acid salt and processes for its preparation


A vision testing system includes polarization spectacles having different polarization axes with or without .lambda./4 filters for the two polarization lenses forward of the eye of the patient to be tested. This system also includes a vision testing apparatus for generating light having a specific polarization direction. The vision testing apparatus includes essentially two polarization filters and two LCD-displays which are mounted alternately one behind the other. This arrangement can so influence the light coming from the light source that test figures or portions of the test figures can be seen by one eye or by both eyes. If a test figure is to be changed, then a corresponding command is issued via a key pad to a switching unit which drives two drive circuits of the two LCD-displays in a desired manner. By making appropriate modifications of the vision testing apparatus, a patient can be tested as to color-vision acuity.

Optical test charts and vision testing devices are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,415,243 with which a patient is tested for the monocular and binocular vision functions. This check is performed in that the patient looks through a polarization filter in front of each eye at illuminated plates with the polarization filters having mutually crossed directions of oscillation. These plates have regions with different polarization actions so that the patient can recognize different regions with both eyes. The optical test charts have the disadvantage that the intensity of the luminosity is dependent upon the ambient luminosity and that, for each test, a plate must be moved manually. Vision testing devices avoid this disadvantage since the plates therein are illuminated from behind and a switchover to another test takes place by remote control with a plate exchange taking place mechanically in the apparatus. The known optical test charts and vision testing apparatus have the common disadvantage that the plates cannot be changed by the person conducting the test without considerable difficulty since the production of the plates is very time intensive.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,870,486 discloses a virtual stereographic image display system wherein a polarizer and a liquid-crystal cell are mounted forward of an image-display surface of a TV-monitor. The light emanating from this image-display system is viewed by a viewer through polarization spectacles with the individual lenses of the spectacles having different polarization axes. This image-display system requires a large space because of the monitor and simply serves to generate virtual stereoscopic images.
A color liquid-crystal image-generating arrangement is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,877,309 which operates with two liquid-crystal image-generating cells. Two color polarizers are disposed in front of these two image-generating cells and, in addition, a neutral polarizer is disposed at the light-incident side of the first image-generating cell.
This color liquid-crystal image-generating arrangement generates only color images and, taken by itself, is unsuitable for a vision testing system for testing the binocular vision functions.
Published German patent application 3,043,511 discloses an arrangement for testing the function of the eye and of the vision system. The visual display takes place by means of monitors and is for the binocular testing with two monitors having polarizers or with one monitor (red-green stereopsis). This arrangement requires a large space and is usable only in a limited manner for vision testing when using only one monitor.

Vision testing system for testing the sight function of a patient


The disclosed invention provides a method for the fabrication of a bipolar transistor having a collector region comprised within a semiconductor body separated from an overlying base region by one or more isolation cavities (e.g., air gaps) filled with low permittivity gas. In particular, a multilayer base-collector dielectric film is deposited over the collector region. A base region is formed onto the multilayer dielectric film and is patterned to form one or more base connection regions. The multilayer dielectric film is selectively etched during a plurality of isotropic etch processes to allow for the formation of one or more isolation region between the base connection regions and the collector region, wherein the one or more isolation regions comprise cavities filled with a gas having a low dielectric constant (e.g., air). The resultant bipolar transistor has a reduced base-collector capacitance, thereby allowing for improved frequency properties (e.g., higher maximum frequency operation).

Bipolar transistors are generally constructed from two pn junctions lying close together in a semiconductor crystal. In different configurations, either two n-doped regions are separated from one another by a p-doped region (npn transistors) or two p-doped regions by an n-doped region (pnp transistors). The three differently doped regions are referred to as the emitter, the base, and the collector. Therefore, a bipolar transistor is essentially a three terminal device having three doped regions of alternating conductivity type.
Bipolar transistors exhibit desirable features such as high current gain and an extremely high cut-off frequency for switching applications, and high power gain and power density for microwave amplifier applications. These features make bipolar transistors important components in logic circuits, communications systems, and microwave devices.
As with other types of semiconductor devices, there is a demand for bipolar transistors having increasingly higher operating frequencies and/or switching speeds. Since their invention in 1947, many attempts have been made to meet these demands and improve the performance of such transistors with respect to their speed, power, and frequency characteristics. These attempts have focused on making devices better suited for high speed applications such as microwave and logic devices. One particular way to meet, these demands for higher frequency operation is to provide a device with a lower base resistance and base-collector junction capacitance.
In the case of bipolar transistors, the base-collector capacitance is one of the decisive transistor parameters which determine important characteristic quantities of the bipolar transistor such as the maximum oscillation frequency. The extrinsic base resistance corresponds to the resistance between the base, or the actual base area, and an external contact, which is connected to the base via a connecting line.
Accordingly, for example, the upper limit for application frequency of a bipolar transistor (e.g., heterojunction bipolar transistor) can be approximated as:
      F    max    =                    f        T                    8                          π          ·                      R                          B              ·                              C                BC
where fmax designates the maximum oscillation frequency, fT designates the transition frequency, RB designates the base resistance, and CBC designates the base-collector capacitance. The transition frequency, fT, is essentially determined by the dopant profile in the active transistor region while the product of RB. CBC can be influenced by the transistor layout (i.e., the geometrical construction).
Depending on the transistor configuration and materials used (e.g., silicon oxide, silicon nitride, carbon layers, metal oxides), the base-collector capacitance can have different structures and spread. The most significant contribution to the capacitance is due to the dielectrics used. In general the total base-collector capacitance has three components. More particularly, the total base-collector capacitance of the bipolar transistor is the sum of the capacitance in the active base silicon region and the parasitic capacitances occurring between the base connection areas and collector due to the dielectric between them.
This total base-collector capacitance can be written:CBC,total=CBC,active+CBC,dielectric,1+CBC,dielectric,2
Therefore, the total base-collector capacitance (CCB,total) comprises an active capacitive component (CBC,active) due to the doping profile in the active device (between the emitter and the active collector region), a first dielectric component (CBC,dielectric,1) due to the capacitance of the dielectric layer comprised between the base connection region and the collector region, and a second dielectric component (CBC,dielectric,2) also due to the capacitance of the dielectric layer comprised between the base connection region and the collector region.

Bipolar transistor with base-collector-isolation without dielectric


An image forming apparatus includes a memory which stores test pattern data. The test pattern data are configured for detecting a density of image data formed on a photo conductor. The image forming apparatus includes a laser unit which forms a plurality of test patterns on the photo conductor by utilizing A plurality of first laser powers based on test pattern data stored in the memory. The image forming apparatus includes a detector which illuminates each test pattern formed on the photo conductor by the plurality of the first laser powers, receives each light intensity reflected by the test patterns and provides output values corresponding to each received light intensity. The output values define a range of output values. The image forming apparatus includes a controller which compares each output value with a first predetermined value. The controller determines a laser power to be used based on the first value, when the first predetermined value falls within the range of the output values.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an image density control apparatus that controls density of a toner image obtained from developing a latent image by toner, the latent image being formed on a photoconductor by an exposure unit. The invention also relates to an image formation apparatus having such an image density control apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
As a solution to changes in density of toner images due to a deterioration of the photoconductor and/or varying environment conditions, image formation apparatuses using electrophotography technology (printer, facsimile apparatus, copier, etc.) often employ an image density controller that stabilizes the density at an appropriate level and controls image formation conditions such as intensity of laser beam. As an example of the image density control, a plurality of types of test patterns are used to control image formation conditions (Prior Art 1). Also, another invention proposes a control that especially focuses on line widths within an image (Prior Art 2).                Prior Art 1: Japanese Patent Laid Open H03-279971 (FIGS. 3 and 4)        Prior Art 2: Japanese Patent Laid Open 2001-80113 (FIGS. 3, 4, and 5)
The above described image density controls using such test patterns is able to largely control the image density so that the density is stabilized at an appropriate level despite a deterioration of the photoconductor and/or varying environment conditions. However, the above controls do not satisfy the need of securing a clear and high quality image for various types of images provided.
For example, the above image density controls cannot offer a flexible control where sufficiently thick toner (high density) is required for an all black central region of the image area configured with black pixels, in order to avoid partially missed or low toner areas, while relatively low density is required for thin lines and small characters, in order to avoid over-expanded lines and distorting characters.
Further, such an image density control employing test patterns is required to calculate an appropriate light intensity when a sensor detects the density of toner image from a test pattern. Therefore, highly accurate sensor detection is needed for a successful control that utilizes the test patterns. In addition, a more accurate control is needed since the conventional method cannot provide accurate density detection, when a sensor output reaches a saturation point depending on the types of test patterns.

Image density control apparatus and image formation apparatus

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A multi-band antenna system for MIMO applications is adapted to provide high isolation between antennas across a wide range of frequencies. Multiple Isolated Magnetic Dipole (IMD) antennas are co-located and connected with a feed network that can include switches that adjust phase length for transmission lines connecting the antennas. Filtering is integrated into the feed network to improve rejection of unwanted frequencies. Filtering can also be implemented on the antenna structure. Either one or multi-port antennas can be used.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of wireless communications and devices, and more particularly to the design of antennas configured for robust multiple band multi-input multi-output (MIMO) implementations for use in wireless communications.
2. Description of the Related Art
Commonly owned U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,339,531; 6,943,730; 6,919,857; 6,900,773; 6,859,175; 6,744,410; 6,323,810; and 6,515,634; describe an IMD antenna formed by coupling one element to another in a manner that forms a capacitively loaded inductive loop, setting up a magnetic dipole mode; the entire disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference. The magnetic dipole mode can also be generated by inducing a current mode onto a conductive element with specific slot geometry. This magnetic dipole mode provides a single or dual resonance and forms an antenna that is efficient and well isolated from the surrounding structure. This is, in effect, a self resonant structure that is de-coupled from the local environment. This antenna typically has a single feed for connection of the antenna to the transceiver. The IMD antenna is well isolated from the surrounding environment and two or more IMD antennas can be closely spaced and maintain high levels of isolation. This high isolation is a desired attribute for antennas directed toward multi-input multi-output (MIMO) implementations.
Current and future communication systems will require MIMO antenna systems capable of operation over multiple frequency bands. Isolation between adjacent elements as well as de-correlated radiation patterns will need to be maintained across multiple frequency bands, with antenna efficiency needing to be optimized for the antenna system.


A method of estimating image displacement by block matching for a pointing device used in a computer system. The method provided in the present invention comprises capturing digital images sequentially using a photo capture device, obtaining a template frame and a current frame, estimating a predicted velocity vector, and computing the displacement of the image. The efficiency and reliability of block match searching are improved by reducing the search range according to the calculated displacement. The template block can be defined anywhere on the template frame according to the predicted velocity to extend the lifetime of the template frame, and the displacement vector between the template block and the center of the template frame is proportional to the predicted velocity.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to displacement estimation, and more specifically, to displacement estimation for an optical mouse using a predicted velocity.
2. Description of the Related Art
A pointing device such as mouse is a standard peripheral for a computer system. A mechanical mouse typically has rollers, wheels, or the like, that contact a rubber-surfaced steel ball at the equator thereof and convert the rotation of the ball into electrical signals. The mechanical mouse has a number of shortcomings such as deterioration or damage to the surface of the mouse ball and mouse pad, resulting from the mechanical construction and operation thereof that rely to a significant degree on a fairly delicate compromise among the mechanical forces involved. An optical mouse utilizes optical and electronic method to compute the movement of the mouse, and is a popular replacement for the mechanical mouse. Compared with the conventional mechanical mouse, an optical mouse offers better reliability and performance. Thus optical pointing devices have captured a significant share of the mouse market.
An optical mouse typically has a logical operation circuit and a Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) photosensing array comprising photo detectors. The CMOS photosensing array sequentially captures images of the area in which the optical mouse moves and generates digital signals representing the captured image. The digital image varies with the movement of the optical mouse. The logical operation circuit computes the displacement of the optical mouse according to the dynamic change in the digital image, and directs the computer to control the pointer (cursor) on the screen in accordance with movement of the mouse.
The displacement of the optical mouse is commonly tracked and estimated by block matching. Block matching is accomplished by comparing a newly captured sample frame (current frame) with a previously captured reference frame (template frame) to ascertain the direction and amount of movement. Conventional block matching performs a fully search pf block with a predetermined size. As shown in FIG. 1, the template frame 100 and current frame 104 are digital images of a 6*6 pixel area. If these two digital images are fully searched using a 2*2 pixel block, the computer must perform 25*25 (625) correlation computations. If two digital images of 16*16 pixels are fully searched with an 8*8 pixel block, the computer must perform 81*81 (6561) correlation computations.
The number of correlation computations can be greatly reduced if a template block in the template frame is used for block matching instead of the full searching process. As shown in FIG. 1, a 2*2 template block 102 is located in the center of the template frame 100. Accordingly, the computer only needs to perform 5*5 (25) correlation computations for the current frame 104 when using the 2*2 block as a search unit. Block matching determines a block with the least difference (greatest correlation) after comparing all the 2*2 blocks (from block 106 to block 108) in the current frame 104 with the template block 102. Note that the searching order is not limited to the described order. If two digital images with 16*16 pixels are searched with an 8*8 pixel block, a total of 9*9 (81) correlation computations must be performed. Although the use of template block significantly reduces the number of searching and computation cycles, a large size image still requires long computation time to compare each block with the template block. Furthermore, performing a fully search using a template block also requires a large amount of memory and processor capacity for large digital images.

Pointing device and displacement estimation method


A reverse osmosis system is subject to long periods of non-use in which water stands inside. A hollow-cylindrical spiral-wound type reverse osmosis membrane is disposed inside a cylindrical pressure vessel. An electrostatic-field generator is disposed inside the pressure vessel. A high voltage direct current source powers the electrostatic-field generator and a voltage gradient is constantly produced inside the volume of the pressure vessel. Such gradients cut through the fabric of the reverse osmosis membrane layers. The voltage to the electrostatic-field generator is kept on at all times, and prevents biofouling, even during lay-up periods. Current flow through the electrostatic-field generator is insignificant because it acts as a high-Z capacitor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to watermakers that produce fresh water from sea water, and in particular to reverse osmosis types of water desalination systems that use electrostatic water treatment to control membrane fouling.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Water filtration devices and the benefits of filtered water are widely known to the public. Filtration can span very coarse devices that merely strain out solids, to finer filters that can remove fine colloids and particulates. At the extreme end of the filtration spectrum is reverse osmosis (RO). Salt, or otherwise contaminated, water forced through an RO membrane will produce clear, fresh water permeate. Such highly purified water finds uses in semiconductor fabrication, microelectronics manufacturing, pure water beverages, pharmaceuticals, drugs, and other health products. In particular, RO can be used to desalinate seawater.
Boats can only carry limited amounts of fresh water in their holding tanks, so long voyages can be constrained by how much fresh water can be carried before having to replenish. Reverse osmosis (RO) water filtration systems have become commercially available that can convert sea water into fresh water. For example, on the Internet see, www.spectrawatermakers.com/
Prior art watermakers for boats have required special chemicals to clean and store membranes during periods of lay-up and hibernation. Such maintenance is expensive, inconvenient, and time consuming. A long period of non-use may not be planned, and the lack of preparation can precipitate problems later with fouling.
Advanced RO systems now primarily use spiral wound polyamide membranes. In a typical two-layer design, a polysulfone membrane supports a very thin skin-layer that is polymerized in-situ. These, however, are especially sensitive to fouling. Some RO systems use water softeners or chemical injection to pre-treat the incoming water and prevent scale that would otherwise foul the RO membranes.
Rodrigo F. V. Romo and M. Michael Pitts describe an electrostatic method to prevent RO membrane fouling in "Application of Electrotechnology for Removal and Prevention of Reverse Osmosis Biofouling," published in AIChE Environmental Progress, Vol. 18, No.2, Summer 1999, pp. 107–112. Other, earlier work on electrophoresis or Zeta Potential was mentioned as being done by T. M. Riddick in the 1960's. Romo, et al., describe three kinds of RO membrane fouling, e.g., crystalline, particle and colloid, and microbiological. In order for biofouling to occur, the micro-organisms must attach themselves to a surface. Their paper describes using electrostatic charging of the colloids and particles in suspension to prevent aggregation and attachment that would otherwise lead to biofouling.
M. Michael Pitts describes in U.S. Pat. No. 5,591,317, issued Jan. 7, 1997, (Pitts '317), an electrostatic-field generator for water treatment. A high voltage direct current source is capacitively coupled to a volume of water. The majority of the voltage gradients are said to be generated in the water, and charge particles and colloids in the water so they repel one another.
The ZETA-ROD marketed by Zeta Corporation (Tucson, Ariz.) is a commercial implementation of the electrostatic-field generator described by Pitts '317. The prior art places such electrostatic-field generators in pipes with constant or frequent flows of water. So the treated water is constantly immersing the filters downstream.
A problem developed when such electrostatic-field generators were used in RO systems that were shut down or not operated for long periods. The treated water does not reach the RO membranes when the water is stagnant. The RO membranes foul as a result of being left stagnant too long. What is needed is an RO system that uses electrostatic-field generators in such a way that the RO membranes are constantly bathed in treated water.