Devices to perform femtolaser ablation and phacoemulsification are physically and/or operationally combined. In some embodiments the femtolaser ablation and phacoemulsification are housed together, and in other embodiments they are housed separately, but operated through a common display screen. At least some software can be shared by the femtolaser ablation and phacoemulsification functionalities. A non-transitory computer-readable memory can provide data that can be used to operate each of at least one femtolaser ablation functionality and at least one phacoemulsification functionality.

Modern cataract surgery is commonly performed using phacoemulsification, which is colloquially known as "phaco". In that process the internal lens of an eye is emulsified with an ultrasonic handpiece, and the detritus is aspirated from the eye. Aspirated fluids are replaced with irrigation of balanced salt solution. As with other cataract extraction procedures, an intraocular lens implant (IOL), is placed into the remaining lens capsule. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phacoemulsification.
The referenced Wikipedia article, as well as all other extrinsic materials discussed herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety. Where a definition or use of a term in an incorporated reference is inconsistent or contrary to the definition of that term provided herein, the definition of that term provided herein applies and the definition of that term in the reference does not apply.
The phaco probe is an ultrasonic handpiece with a titanium or steel needle. The tip of the needle vibrates at ultrasonic frequency to sculpt and emulsify the cataract, while the pump aspirates particles through the tip. In some techniques, a second fine steel instrument called a "chopper" is used from a side port to help with chopping the nucleus into smaller pieces. The cataract is usually broken into two or four pieces and each piece is emulsified and aspirated out with suction. The nucleus emulsification makes it easier to aspirate the particles. After removing all hard central lens nucleus with phacoemulsification, the softer outer lens cortex is removed with suction only.
Phacoemulsification surgery involves the use of a machine with microprocessor-controlled fluid dynamics. Emulsification power applied through the probe, vacuum strength of the aspirator, and other operating parameters of the phaco device are controlled through software. Examples of graphic user interfaces of popular phacoemulsification software are depicted in prior art FIGS. 1 and 2.
Before phacoemulsification can be performed, one or more incisions are typically made in the eye to allow the introduction of surgical instruments. The surgeon then removes the anterior face of the capsule that contains the lens inside the eye. During that part of the procedure, difficulties sometimes arise during the incision portion of the procedure, potentially causing damage to the eye.
It is known to use femtosecond laser pulses to make incisions into the eye, and recently devices are available for remediating cataracts using femtolaser ablation. One device currently in the marketplace for accomplishing that is Technolas Perfect Vision's™ VICTUS™ Femtosecond Laser Platform. See http://www.technolaspv.com/dasat/index.php?cid=100858. Femtolaser ablation of cataracts can remove even fairly large cataracts quite quickly, but (1) some portions of cataract can remain, requiring phacoemulsification, and (2) detritus must still be removed using irrigation and aspiration.
Currently, cataract remediation using femtolaser ablation followed by phacoemulsification is performed by two entirely separate machines, requiring translocation and re-setup of the patient. This increases the time required for the procedure, and can cause undue stress on the patient.
Thus, there is a need to combine femtolaser ablation and phacoemulsification either in the same device, or at least in separate devices that are operated using a combined software platform.

Systems and methods for combined femto-phaco cataract surgery


A video normalizer corrects for irregularities characteristic of video display monitor screens, so as to provide accurate and consistent light levels and color intensities. The normalizer is especially useful for computer controlled editing of video data for the graphics industry. The video normalizer includes a photo sensor for measuring the monitor light output at various locations on the monitor CRT screen, and digital circuitry for providing a correction value for each portion of the monitor screen, with the correction value being applied to the output of a conventional colorgraphics board (video display card) which drives the monitor.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to processing of video signals, and more specifically to correction of light intensities output by the screen of a computer display monitor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Display monitors (such as used in computer systems) tend to output varying amounts of light as a function of position on the monitor CRT (cathode ray tube) screen for a given pixel value (level of light intensity). Monitor screen light output also tends to vary in "color temperature" from unit to unit. Color temperature is a well known measure of intensity which typically is a function of the mix of colors which make up white light. These deficiencies cause inaccurate and inconsistent representations of graphics images on the monitor.
Some prior art CRT's used in monitors are manufactured to compensate for the undesirable tendency of CRT's to be bright in the center and less intense on the edges; the result typically is to provide somewhat lessened intensity variation; however, an undesirable "target" pattern in color intensity which is not 100% uniform is still present. Also, not all monitors have this built-in compensation.
This variation in color intensity is especially problematic when the monitor is used as part of a computer system for editing and processing of color images, such as in the printing industry. In this case, the variations in light intensity tend to cause undesirable color variations in the displayed image versus the intended image, which is typically a photographic image with true colors.


The present invention relates in part to isolated nucleic acid molecules (polynucleotides) which encode Dermacentor variabilis ligand gated ion channel proteins. The present invention also relates to recombinant vectors and recombinant hosts which contain a DNA fragment encoding D. variabilis LGIC/GluCl channels, substantially purified forms of associated D. variabilis channel proteins and recombinant membrane fractions comprising these proteins, associated mutant proteins, and methods associated with identifying compounds which modulate associated Dermacentor variabilis LGIC/GluCl, which will be useful as insecticides and acaracides.

Glutamate-gated chloride channels, or H-receptors, have been identified in arthropod nerve and muscle (Lingle et al, 1981, Brain Res. 212: 481-488; Horseman et al., 1988, Neurosci. Lett. 85: 65-70; Wafford and Sattelle, 1989, J. Exp. Bio. 144: 449-462; Lea and Usherwood, 1973, Comp. Gen. Pharmacol. 4: 333-350; and Cull-Candy, 1976, J. Physiol. 255: 449-464).
Invertebrate glutamate-gated chloride channels are important targets for the widely used avermectin class of anthelmintic and insecticidal compounds. The avermectins are a family of macrocyclic lactones originally isolated from the actinomycete Streptomyces avermitilis. The semisynthetic avermectin derivative, ivermectin (22,23-dihydro-avermectin B1a), is used throughout the world to treat parasitic helminths and insect pests of man and animals. The avermectins remain the most potent broad spectrum endectocides exhibiting low toxicity to the host. After many years of use in the field, there remains little resistance to avermectin in the insect population. The combination of good therapeutic index and low resistance strongly suggests that the ligand-gated ion channels, and especially glutamate-gated chloride (LGIC/GluCl) channels remain good targets for insecticide development.
Glutamate-gated chloride channels have been cloned from the soil nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (Cully et al., 1994, Nature 371: 707-711; see also U.S. Pat. No. 5,527,703 and Arena et al., 1992, Molecular Brain Research. 15: 339-348) and Ctenocephalides felis (flea; see WO 99/07828).
In addition, a gene encoding a glutamate-gated chloride channel from Drosophila melanogaster was previously identified (Cully et al., 1996, J. Biol. Chem. 271: 20187-20191; see also U.S. Pat. No. 5,693,492).
Dermacentor variabilis (American dog tick) is indigenous to the majority of the U.S. with known common hosts of livestock, deer, dogs, humans and small mammals. This tick is associated with various diseases, including Rocky Mountain spotted fever, babesiosis, tick paralysis, anaplasmosis, tularemia and cytauxzoonosis.
Despite the identification of the aforementioned cDNA clones encoding non-tick LGIC/GluCl channels, it would be advantageous to identify additional genes which encode D. variabilis LGIC/GluCl channels in order to allow for improved screening to identify novel LGIC/GluCl channel modulators that may have insecticidal, acaricidal, and/or nematocidal activity for animal health, especially as related to treatment of tick infestations in livestock and domesticated animals, such as dogs and cats. The present invention addresses and meets these needs by disclosing novel genes which encode D. variabilis LGIC/GluCl proteins and when expressed in Xenopus oocytes result in formation of functional LGIC/GluCl channels. Heterologous expression of a LGIC/GluCl channel of the present invention will allow the pharmacological analysis of compounds active against parasitic invertebrate species relevant to animal and human health, especially in the treatment of tick infestations directly related to Dermacentor variabilis. Heterologous cell lines expressing an active LGIC/GluCl channel can be used to establish functional or binding assays to identify novel LGIC/GluCl channel modulators that may be useful in control of the aforementioned species groups.

DNA molecules encoding ligand gated ion channels from


A locking assembly is provided for installation on a saddle-type vehicle such as an ATV. The locking assembly has a locked configuration and an unlocked configuration and comprises a removable portion and a receptacle. The receptacle is configured to engage the removable portion. The locking assembly is configured to unlock and allow powering of the vehicle when the removable portion is engaged in the receptacle and to lock and prevent powering the vehicle when the removable portion is not engaged in the receptacle. The removable portion includes an actuator configured to select from a first operable engine condition and a second inoperable engine condition.

ATVs typically include an engine stop switch which is attached to a left handlebar. The engine stop switch is typically configured such that an operator may use his or her left thumb to actuate the switch without removing his or her left hand from the handlebar. ATVs also typically include a security device, such as a keyed ignition switch, to prevent unauthorized use of the ATV. These two devices are typically provided in separate locations upon a conventional ATV, and can accordingly require excessive assembly time, complexity, space, weight, and/or cost.

Locking assembly and vehicle having same


This process includes the following steps:                (a) the feed natural gas (101) is introduced into a first distillation column (31) which produces, as top product, a pretreated natural gas (111), which pretreated natural gas (111) no longer contains practically any C6+ hydrocarbons;        (b) the pretreated natural gas (111) is introduced into an NGL recovery unit (19) comprising at least a second distillation column (49), so as to produce, on the one hand, as column top product, a purified natural gas (151) and, on the other hand, an NGL cut (15); and        (c) the said liquefiable natural gas (161) is formed from the purified natural gas (151) resulting from step (b).

The present invention relates to a process for the simultaneous production of a liquefiable natural gas and a natural gas liquids (NGL) cut from a feed natural gas containing nitrogen, methane, C2 to C5 hydrocarbons and C6+ heavy hydrocarbons, of the type comprising the following steps:                (a) the said feed natural gas is pretreated in order to obtain a pretreated natural gas;        (b) the pretreated natural gas resulting from step (a) is cooled down to a temperature close to its dew point;        (c) the cooled pretreated natural gas resulting from step (b) is expanded and the expanded natural gas is introduced into an NGL recovery unit comprising at least one main distillation column so as to produce, on the one hand, as column top product, a purified natural gas and, on the other hand, the said NGL cut; and        (d) the said liquefiable natural gas is formed from the purified natural gas resulting from step (c).
The process of the present invention applies to plants for producing, from a natural gas extracted from under the ground, liquid natural gas (termed an "LNG") as main product and a cut of natural gas liquids (that will be termed "NGL") as by-product.
In the present invention, NGL is understood to mean C2+ to C3+ hydrocarbons that can be extracted from natural gas. By way of example, these NGLs may comprise ethane, propane, butane and C5+ hydrocarbons.
The LNG produced after extraction of the NGLs possesses a lower calorific value than an LNG produced without extraction of the NGLs.
Known natural gas liquefaction plants comprise, in succession, a unit for producing a liquefiable gas, a unit for the actual liquefaction, and a unit for removing nitrogen from the LNG. The unit for producing a liquefiable gas necessarily comprises means for removing the C6+ heavy hydrocarbons that may crystallize during liquefaction.
To produce liquefiable natural gas and NGLs simultaneously, it is possible to use, for example, a process of the aforementioned type, such as that described in Application FR-A-2 817 766.
Such a process has a thermodynamic efficiency optimized for producing a natural gas at room temperature and for NGL extraction.
Consequently, this process is not entirely satisfactory if the natural gas obtained has to be liquefied. This is because the energy expenditure needed to liquefy the natural gas obtained is relatively high.

Process and plant for the simultaneous production of an liquefiable natural gas and a cut of natural gas liquids


This invention relates to a printing apparatus and control method thereof. The standard size of an envelope to be stored in each of a plurality of paper storage units configured to store an envelope to be used in printing is set. An offset amount to be used to print an image on an envelope of the set standard size is set. A paper storage unit which stores an envelope to be used in printing is selected from the plurality of paper storage units based on a standard size of an envelope that is designated by a user. The position of an image is shifted in accordance with the set offset amount, and the image is printed on an envelope fed from the selected paper storage unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing apparatus capable of printing an image on an envelope, a control method thereof, and a storage medium storing a program.
2. Description of the Related Art
A printing apparatus generally includes one or more paper storage units. The printing apparatus feeds sheets stored in the paper storage unit one by one, and forms an image on it. The size of paper stored in each paper storage unit can be set. For example, standard sizes such as A4 and B4, and an arbitrary size such as 210 mm×290 mm can be set. As a special standard size, an envelope size can also be set. Paper with a projection such as the margin (to be referred to as a flap hereinafter) of an envelope or the index portion of index paper is set so that the projection serves as the trailing end in the sub-scanning direction. With this setting, a paper area up to the projection (paper area excluding the projection) is handled as a standard size and printed. Also, there is known a technique of setting an envelope so that its flap serves as the leading end in the conveyance direction, recognizing a flap position by a sensor when the envelope is conveyed, and suppressing image misregistration (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-109492).
In general, an envelope is longer in the sub-scanning direction than in the main scanning direction. The printing time becomes long in a conventional method of setting the sub-scanning direction (long edge) of an envelope parallel to the conveyance direction, and conveying the envelope (this will be called short-edge feed).
The time taken to print can be shortened by setting an envelope so that its flap comes to the main scanning side, and conveying the envelope (this will be called long-edge feed). However, the width of the flap differs between envelope manufacturers. For this reason, the user needs to measure lengths of an envelope in the main scanning direction and sub-scanning direction, input the measured lengths, and register the envelope as paper of a user-defined size. When the envelope is registered as paper of a user-defined size, the user cannot use an auto paper selection function of automatically selecting paper for use based on the size of an original image, and printing.

Printing apparatus, control method thereof and storage medium storing program


A device for reducing the amount of a gas contained in a liquid includes a central core with an inlet channel, an outlet channel, and a transverse channel. A first chamber is formed on a first side of the core for receiving the liquid from the inlet channel, and a second chamber is formed on the opposite side of the core for receiving the liquid after it has passed through the first chamber. Each of the chambers includes a hydrophobic membrane for allowing gas that has separated from the liquid to pass to the atmosphere. The two chambers are arranged such that gas escaping from the liquid rises to the top of at least one of the chambers for any orientation of the device. The device, accordingly, is not dependent on orientation for effectiveness.

Physiological fluids that are infused into a patient can contain gasses, such as air or oxygen. The presence of these gasses can arise in various ways, a common one being outgassing resulting from the heating of the fluids.
A known device for elimination of gasses from a physiological fluid is shown in applicant's prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,900,308. This patent describes a gas elimination device, which provides a vertical column through which the fluid flows. The flow of the fluid through the column is such that the gas forms into bubbles, which rise to the top of the column. The gas then passes through a hydrophobic membrane at the top of the column and escapes to the environment.
The device shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,900,308 is dependent on the orientation of the device because the membrane is located at the end of the column that is intended to be above the opposite end. If the column is inverted, the gas bubbles will rise to the end of the column that does not have provision for allowing escape of the gasses.
Gas elimination devices that are not dependent on the orientation of the device are known. These devices, however, rely on hydrophilic membranes to remove the gas, and these membranes are not useful with the cellular fluids, such as blood, that concern applicant.

Orientation-independent device for removal of gas from a cellular fluid


A method for detecting an electrical defect of contact/via plugs is provided. In the method, the contact/via plugs are monitored by an electron-beam (E-Beam) inspection tool to capture an image with a VC (voltage contrast) difference, and then an image extraction is performed on the image with the VC difference, wherein the image extraction is based on Target gray level/back ground gray level. The extracted image is contrasted with a layout design base to obtain a blind contact or Quasi-blind issue of contact/via plugs. A grayscale value of the VC difference having the blind contact or Quasi-blind issue is compared with a determined range of grayscale value to determine whether the VC difference is abnormal.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an analytical technique of a chip, and more particularly, to a method for detecting an electrical defect of contact/via plugs.
2. Description of Related Art
Die to die inspection is widely used inspection methodology, this method is to capture the defective optical, SEM or patch image in inspecting die and then compare with the other die reference image at the exactly same location in real time. However, as the technology node shrinks to 40 nm and beyond, it is hard to use large inspection field to inspect the tiny defects in electron beam (E-beam) inspection.
The E-Beam inspection (EBI) tool is currently used to obtain the image of the surface structure of a chip. Voltage contrast (VC) inspection in EBI is widely utilized to capture electrical defects of contact/via plugs. The monitoring of VC variations in the via plugs are more complicated than that of contact plugs because the via plugs layout structure connecting with different pitches, length metal lines and metallic layers.
Therefore, it needs to develop method for the technology node shrinkage.

Method for detecting an electrical defect of contact/via plugs


An ink set including an inkjet ink, and a treatment liquid used in combination with the inkjet ink, wherein the inkjet ink includes a pigment, a water-soluble organic solvent, a surfactant and water, the treatment liquid includes a coagulant, an organic solvent and water, the coagulant includes calcium nitrate in an amount of 21.5 to 41.7% by mass relative to the total mass of the treatment liquid, an amount of organic solvent having a boiling point at one atmosphere of 240° C. or higher in the treatment liquid is not more than 8% by mass, a pH of the treatment liquid is within a range from 3.5 to 10.5, and a viscosity of the treatment liquid at 25° C. is within a range from 5.5 to 18.5 mPa·s.

Inkjet printing is a recording method in which liquid droplets of an inkjet ink that have been jetted from an inkjet head are jetted directly onto a recording medium to form text or images. Unlike conventional plate-based printing techniques such as offset printing and gravure printing, inkjet printing has characteristics that include not requiring platemaking and being compatible with variable printing, simple operation and adjustment of the printing apparatus, and little noise during printing. As a result, inkjet printing is not only used in offices and households, but has recently also been showing increased demand in industrial applications.
The inkjet inks used in inkjet printing are classified into solvent inks, aqueous inks and UV-curable inks and the like depending on the ink composition. On the other hand, in recent years, there has been a growing movement to restrict the use of organic solvents and photosensitive monomers that can be harmful to people and the environment. As a result, there is a growing demand for the replacement of solvent inks and UV-curable inks that use these types of restricted materials with aqueous inks.
Aqueous inkjet inks contain water as the main component, and in order to control the wetting of the recording medium and the drying properties, typically also contain an added water-soluble organic solvent such as glycerol or a glycol. When an inkjet ink containing these liquid components is used for printing (applying the ink to form) a pattern of text and/or images on a recording medium, the ink dries as a result of the liquid components penetrating into the recording medium and/or evaporating from the recording medium, thereby fixing the ink (solid components) to the recording medium.
On the other hand, recording media used in inkjet printing, broadly classified in terms of material, include paper substrates, fabric substrates, and plastic substrates and the like. Among these, the amount of paper substrates produced is large, and in the case of paper substrates, high-speed printing is required and high-image quality is also necessary. A large variety of paper substrates exist, from papers having high permeability such as high-quality papers and recycled papers, through to papers having low permeability (or no permeability) such as coated papers and art papers. In order to further expand the demand for inkjet printing, the development of aqueous inkjet inks that can be used on all manner of recording media is a considerable task for those skilled in the art.
However, with conventional aqueous inkjet inks, obtaining high image quality printed matter is difficult regardless of the recording medium. For example, when printing to a recording medium of high permeability, there is a possibility that the inkjet inks that have penetrated into the interior of the recording medium may mix together causing color mixing or a reduction in density. Moreover, even within a single recording medium, the surface state and state of penetration tends to vary, causing distortions in the image quality and leading to printed matter that lacks uniformity. In contrast, when printing to a recording medium of low permeability, the liquid droplets (dots) of the inkjet inks tends to mix, causing problems such as coalescence and color mixing. Moreover, because each of the liquid droplets tend to distort from a true circular shape, indistinct printed matter tends to be obtained.
One known countermeasure for the above problems is a method in which a treatment liquid is applied to the recording medium. Generally known treatment liquids for inkjet inks are of two types: treatment liquids that form a layer (an ink-receiving layer) that absorbs liquid components in the inkjet ink and improves the drying properties, and treatment that form a layer (an ink aggregation layer) that intentionally causes aggregation of solid components contained in the inkjet ink such as the colorant and resins, thereby preventing bleeding between liquid droplets and improving the image quality.
However, in the case of an ink-receiving layer, because the thickness of the layer must be considerably large, the texture of the recording medium tends to deteriorate. Further, other problems that may occur include reductions in the density and color gamut due to absorption of the ink by the ink-receiving layer, deterioration in the image uniformity caused by variations in the amount of absorption, and worsening of the image clarity due to a deterioration in the degree of circularity of the liquid droplets.
On the other hand, in the case of an ink aggregation layer, although the ability of the recording medium to receive the liquid components is inferior, the inkjet ink can be fixed on the surface of the ink aggregation layer without any significant impairment of the texture of the recording medium, and therefore printing at high density with a broad range of color rendering and good clarity is possible. Furthermore, by forming the ink aggregation layer uniformly, coalescence of the liquid droplets of the inkjet ink can be suppressed, and uniform printed matter can be obtained having dots with an ideal circular form across the entire surface of the recording medium.
However, when actual attempts are made to achieve improvements by applying the type of treatment liquids described above, other problems can sometimes arise. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a treatment liquid (reaction liquid) that includes a coagulant containing a polyvalent metal ion or salt thereof, and a nonionic water-soluble polymer compound. Further, in the examples, treatment liquids are produced which contain a maximum of 10% by mass of calcium nitrate or yttrium nitrate as a coagulant, and also contain a polyvinyl alcohol, trimethylolpropane and an acetylene glycol ethylene oxide adduct, and these treatment liquids are applied to paper substrates having high water absorbency such as copy paper and bond paper.
However, investigations by the inventors of the present invention revealed that when the treatment liquid described above was printed onto the above recording media at high speed, satisfactory suppression of color mixing and the formation of dots having good circularity (hereafter referred to as "dot circularity") could not be achieved, and inadequate coverage tended to occur. A more detailed description is provided below, but it is thought that these observations are because the treatment liquid described above has a low concentration of the coagulant, meaning a satisfactory coagulant effect cannot be realized during high-speed printing. On the other hand, even if the amount of the coagulant described in Patent Document 1 is increased to a maximum (20% by mass of the treatment liquid), the amount is inadequate to achieve satisfactory color mixing suppression and dot circularity. Further, increasing the amount applied of the treatment liquid is also a possibility, but in such cases, because the amount of the coagulant contained in the ink aggregation layer prior to drying on the recording medium is small, there is a possibility of another problem occurring due to coalescence of the liquid droplets, leading to a deterioration in the printed image quality. This problem tends to be particularly marked when, following application of the treatment liquid, the inkjet ink is then printed without adequate drying of the treatment liquid.
Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses an image formation method that includes a step of applying a treatment liquid which contains a coagulant and has a prescribed viscosity and surface tension. The examples describe treatment liquids containing a maximum of 25% by mass of the coagulant, and also containing diethylene glycol monobutyl ether or the like. However, the viscosity of the treatment liquid of Patent Document 2 is prescribed as an extremely low value of 2 to 5 mPa·s. Accordingly, depending on the recording medium used, coating irregularities may occur during high-speed printing, and there is also a possibility that during subsequent printing of the inkjet ink, irregularities in the dot shape and variations in the uniformity of the image may occur, resulting in printed matter of low image quality,
Patent Document 3 discloses a treatment liquid containing prescribed amounts of glycerol and a coagulant selected from the group consisting of calcium nitrate and magnesium nitrate. Further, an example in Patent Document 4 discloses a treatment liquid containing 34% by mass of calcium nitrate tetrahydrate, 10% by mass of diethylene glycol and 5% by mass of methanol. However, although details are not described until the examples below, investigations by the inventors of the present invention confirmed that these treatment liquids exhibited unsatisfactory image quality and drying properties during high-speed printing. Further, it was also discovered that when these treatment liquids were stored for long periods, the dot circularity tended to deteriorate compared with freshly produced treatment liquids.
As outlined above, conventionally, no ink sets containing a treatment liquid and an inkjet ink exist which, regardless of printing conditions such as printing speed, and on all manner of recording media, are able to produce high-quality printed matter with excellent dot circularity, image uniformity and image density, and free of image defects such as color mixing and inadequate coverage, and also exhibit superior coating film durability and drying properties.

Ink set and method for recording printed matter


Database indexes include multiple fields that are used to track how the components of the index are used. An index component monitoring mechanism tracks how the components of the index are used, and updates fields in the index accordingly. Such component-level statistics allow a query optimizer to make more intelligent decisions regarding when to build a new index and when to discard an index, and also provide information regarding which queries are using the index, the maintenance cost of the index, and the selectivity of the index when used to process a query.

1. Technical Field
This invention generally relates to computer systems, and more specifically relates to database apparatus and methods.
2. Background Art
Database systems have been developed that allow a computer to store a large amount of information in a way that allows a user to search for and retrieve specific information in the database. For example, an insurance company may have a database that includes all of its policy holders and their current account information, including payment history, premium amount, policy number, policy type, exclusions to coverage, etc. A database system allows the insurance company to retrieve the account information for a single policy holder among the thousands and perhaps millions of policy holders in its database.
Retrieval of information from a database is typically done using queries. A query usually specifies conditions that apply to one or more columns of the database, and may specify relatively complex logical operations on multiple columns. The database is searched for records that satisfy the query, and those records are returned as the query result.
One way to improve the performance of a query is to use an index. An index is a data structure that allows more efficiently locating data in a table. A query optimizer may evaluate a query and determine that building an index for a table will help the query run faster. One problem that exists is the proliferation of indexes over time. In large database systems, each table may have dozens of indexes associated with the table that have been generated over time by the query optimizer to run different queries on the table. In the prior art, there is a timestamp in the index that allows determining the last time an index was used. If the index has not been used for some predetermined time threshold, the index may be discarded. Note, however, that an index may provide statistics to the query optimizer that aid in processing a query, without the index being used to process the query. Because the last used timestamp of an index is not updated when an index is used to provide statistics, but is only updated when an index is used to run a query, the last used timestamp does not truly indicate the last time the query optimizer might have used the index to provide statistics. Deleting an index based on the last used timestamp thus may result in deleting an index that the query optimizer uses often to provide statistics in determining how to execute a query.
Another problem with the prior art is the selection of a time threshold for discarding indexes. Is an index too old if it has not been used for a month? Or is three months, or six months a better threshold? The selection of a last used threshold is somewhat arbitrary. In addition, the last used threshold does not indicate how the index was used. For example, an index that includes four columns may be used often in running a query against only one of the four columns. In this case, the index is used often, but is an inefficient index for executing the query. The query optimizer would do better to build a new index for the one column in the query, and discard the old index that includes four columns. However, there is no way to know which portions of an index are used. Without a way to track how components within an index are used, the database industry will continue to suffer from inefficient methods for determining when to build and index and when to discard an index.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Monitoring usage of components in a database index

International Business Machines Corporation


A suspension assembly for attaching wheel assemblies to a frame includes a pair of torsion spring subassemblies adjustably interconnected by a center axle tube to form a unitary axle-like assembly whose torsion spring subassemblies can be adjustably fixed in various desired spaced positions for connection to a selected frame having a particular width. Each torsion spring subassembly includes a torque limiter and further includes an outer tube with a bracket-like mounting member thereon for connecting the outer tube to the side beams on the frame, the bracket member being generally planar in shape and adapted to communicate forces from wheels directly through the torsion spring subassemblies to the frame in a manner that minimizes deformation when the torque limiter engages. A method comprises providing a pair of torsion spring subassemblies, releasably adjustably interconnecting the torsion spring subassemblies with a center axle member to form a unitary axle-like suspension assembly having a particular width, and connecting the suspension assembly to a frame having a particular width.

The present invention relates to torsion spring suspensions, and particularly to axle suspensions for wheeled frames such as are used on trailers and other vehicles, and the like, and to a torsion spring suspension assembly having features facilitating shipment, storage, installation, and improved operation.
Solid axle suspensions incorporating leaf springs and the like are often used on trailers and other such vehicles since they are relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and relatively easy to install. Further, the way in which a trailer frame is supported on such an axle suspension tends to distribute stress to the trailer frame in a balanced and desirable manner. However, solid axle suspensions are expensive to ship since they cannot be collapsed in size for shipment. Further, a different size of solid axle must be stocked for each different trailer width, and thus large inventories and correspondingly large storage areas must be maintained.
Torsion spring suspensions offer an attractive alternative to leaf spring suspensions and solid axles since torsion spring suspensions typically offer improved handling, a smoother ride, and a lower center of gravity. Also, torsion spring assemblies do not include a long solid axle and thus less inventory is required to cover various different frame widths. However, torsion spring assemblies tend to be more costly due to the specialized parts and equipment required to manufacture them. Further, the specialized parts and equipment can lead to product inconsistency and warranty problems.
Some torsion spring assemblies utilize rubber as the torsional stress absorber. However, rubber is sensitive to temperature changes, and hence, the torsion spring assembly load ratings and spring rates of such torsion spring assemblies may vary significantly with temperature. Further, such rubber suspension can be difficult to assemble consistently since the rubber components must typically be frozen first to reduce their size by contraction. Still further, once the rubber is assembled into the torsion spring assembly, clips and brackets cannot be welded to the outer cartridge or axle tube of the assembly and the latter cannot be mounted by welding since high weld temperatures will damage the rubber. Also, such axle assemblies tend to be very heavy due to the extensive amount of high-durometer rubber they use, and thus can be expensive to ship.
Still other torsion spring assemblies utilize metal or other torsion bars instead of rubber. These assemblies typically require use of a motion limiter to control over-rotation or over-torquing of the torsion springs. However, present motion limiters transmit the over-stress condition to the torsion spring axle tube in a way that causes the axle tube to prematurely fail. For example, the motion limiter is often a polygonally shaped plate that rotates in the axle tube, pressing outwardly on the flat sides of the axle tube during over-torquing of the torsion spring assembly and potentially causing the cross-sectional profile of the axle tube to plastically deform. When this happens, the limiter may well fail, typically with disastrous consequences, and a completely new axle, or at least axle tube, is required to repair the suspension. Usually, when the axle tube is seriously damaged, substantially all of the major parts must be discarded and an entire new torsion spring assembly installed.
Thus, there is a need for a suspension assembly having the advantages of solid axles and also of torsion spring assemblies, but which is more easily shipped, stored, and installed. Further, there is a need for a suspension assembly which is adaptable to fit differently sized frames. Also, there is a need for a torsion spring subassembly that requires less specialized parts and less specialized machinery to assemble same, and which distributes stress in a manner reducing the tendency to plastically deform parts during overload and over-rotation conditions. Furthermore, there is a pronounced need for a torsion spring subassembly having a safe and completely reliable motion limiter which will operate repeatedly without damaging the assembly or impairing its ability to function properly.


A method of determining depth values for the bottom profile of a body of water from pulse transit times and sounding directions by means of a fan beam echo sounder that measures transversely to the longitudinal axis of the ship, whose transducer array is installed at an angle obliquely to the vertical elevation axis of the ship and wherein the pulse transit times are measured and stored in association with the sounding directions, with the sounding directions .alpha..sub.oi being calculated from data furnished by the transducer array and by the transducer signals as well as by means of a predeterminable sound velocity c.sub.o at the surface of the transducer array. For each transducer array, selected depth values are determined in the vertical sounding direction .alpha..sub.ov and in a sounding direction .alpha..sub.On that is normal to the plane of the transducer array. Estimated depth values for an estimated profile are determined for all remaining sounding directions .alpha..sub.Oi by means of the selected depth values of the profile of the bottom of the body of water. For at least one of the remaining sounding directions, the estimated depth value is compared with the depth value determined as the depth measurement value from the measured pulse transit time and a correction factor k is determined for the sound velocity c.sub.O. The depth values for the bottom profile of the body of water are determined from the stored pulse transit times and from the sounding directions calculated for the corrected sound velocity c.sub.1.

The present invention relates to a method of determining depth values for the bottom profile of a body of water from pulse transit times and sounding directions by means of a fan beam echo sounder that measures transversely to the longitudinal axis of the ship, whose transducer array is installed in each case at an angle obliquely to the vertical elevation axis of the ship and wherein the pulse transit times are measured and stored in association with the sounding directions, with the sounding directions .alpha..sub.oi being calculated from data furnished by the transducer array and by the transducer signals as well as by means of a predeterminable sound velocity c.sub.o at the surface of the transducer array.
To ensure the safety of shipping lanes, it is necessary to precisely monitor and record the depth of bodies of water that are dependent on flow. For this purposes, maps of the bottom profile of the body of water are generally produced by means of echo soundings. In the past, it has been the custom to employ individual beam echo sounders with which the bottom profile of the body of water was covered dot by dot by means of vertical soundings, with several transducers attached to lateral outrigger arms recording and processing echo signals in parallel operation. More recently, there has been an increased use of fan beam echo sounders in which a transducer array simultaneously processes a plurality of sounding directions. Due to the absence of outrigger arms, vessels equipped with fan beam echo sounders are able to travel very quickly on their measuring trips in which case. However, the sounding directions are no longer vertical but extend obliquely to the sides transversely to the longitudinal axis of the ship. Since high demands are placed on accuracy if more than eighty sounding directions are involved and water depths to more than 10,000 m, the sounding directions must be set very precisely.
European Patent 0,140,258, which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 4,611,313, discloses the use of a fan beam echo sounder for the determination of bottom profiles. For a determination of depth values, the transmitted sound beams in that arrangement are directed out to the sides transversely to the longitudinal direction of the ship at a large beam angle and in the direction of travel at a very narrow beam angle so that a narrow strip of the bottom profile is covered with sound. By electronic processing in a receiving device, a fan of narrow received beams is then oriented onto the bottom profile strip being surveyed so as to pick up the reflected and back-scattered pulse signals. From the set sounding direction of the received beams and the pulse transit time, the depth value of a quasi dot-shaped element in the strip of the water bottom profile can then be determined. The precise position of this element and thus the precise determination and association of the depth value is decisively dependent on the predetermined sounding direction.
Although European Patent 0,140,258 (U.S. Pat. No. 4,611,313) discloses the surveying of the bottom profile of a body of water by means of a fan beam echo sounder and to determine depth values from the transit times of the received echoes on the basis of the oblique sounding directions, the curved path of the sound beam caused by changes in the sound velocity as a result of the depth of the water and its salt content lead to considerable measuring inaccuracies in the determination of the depth values. These measuring inaccuracies are compensated by pivoting the sounding fan and making a calibration measurement to compensate for the distortions in the measuring results due to the curvatures in the sound beam. However, the prior art method does not consider a measuring error caused by the direction formation of the transducer array.
For a determination of the sounding directions of the transducer array from the individual fan sectors, an assumed sound velocity directly at the surface of the transducers is considered. If it is in error, the sounding directions and the depth values determined therefrom will be faulty. According to the prior art the sound velocity is measured, for example, by bathythermography. Such a method is complicated and presumes that the vessel is not traveling. Sound velocity measuring probes attached underneath the vessel are also unsuitable since they furnish inconsistent and often falsified measuring results due to the flow conditions at the hull of the vessel.

Method of determining depth values for the surface profile of the bottom of a body of water


The invention relates to an analysis device and a method of determining and displaying powers of code channels of a CDMA signal, the powers of the individual code channels being determined and shown on an output device. The powers of the individual code channels are determined respectively for an in-phase arm (I) and a quadrature phase arm (Q) and the powers of the code channels of the in-phase arm (I) and/or the powers of the code channels of the quadrature phase arm (Q) are shown. In the representation of the powers of the code channels of the in-phase arm (I), those code channels, which are inactive in the in-phase arm (I) but active in the quadrature phase arm (Q), are shown distinguishably from the remaining code channels. In the representation of the powers of the code channels of the quadrature phase arm (Q), those code channels, which are inactive in the quadrature phase arm (Q) but active in the in-phase arm (I), are shown distinguishably from the remaining code channels.

A method of displaying powers of code channels is known for example from U.S. Pat. No. 6,219,340 B1. The powers of the individual code channels are determined after the demodulation of an incoming CDMA signal and are shown on a display device in the form of a bar diagram. In addition to the power, which corresponds to the height of an individual bar, also the association with a specific code class is shown as additional information. For this purpose, in the representation the width of the bar is reduced with a respectively higher code class. In addition, preferably the powers of active code channels are shown as filled-in bars, whereas the powers of the inactive code channels are displayed merely as a dash.
It is disadvantageous in the method proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,219,340 B1 that only the total power is shown for each code channel. A distribution with respect to an in-phase arm and a quadrature phase arm is not shown. A judgement can therefore also not be made about whether possibly one of the arms is inactive or not, as can be the case however for example with a signal of a CDMA2000 mobile radio system.

Method of determining and displaying powers of code channels and analysis device


Disclosed is a composition for forming a coating layer, and a flat monitor panel for a display device comprising the coating layer. The composition for forming the coating layer comprises a metallic oxide particulate, a coloring agent, and a silane coupling agent. The metallic oxide particulate is at least one metallic oxide selected from the group consisting of indium tin oxide (ITO), antimony tin oxide (ATO), aluminum zinc oxide (AZO), SnO2, In2O3, and Sb2O3. The coloring agent includes an organic or an inorganic pigment, or a metal complex.

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a composition for forming a coating layer and a display device having a coating layer prepared from the same, and particularly, to a composition for forming a coating layer capable of controlling light transmittance and body color, improving mechanical strength and contrast, and providing good antistatic and electromagnetic shielding properties, and a display device having a coating layer prepared from the same.
(b) Description of the Related Art
A display device such as a Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) has a curved panel having a predetermined curvature, which causes the display device to sparkle and be image-distorted on the periphery thereof. Therefore, development of a high quality screen on a curved panel field is limited. In order to alleviate these problems, a flat panel display has been proposed and developed.
The cathode ray tube is a device for displaying images on a screen by emitting electron beams from an electron gun assembly and landing them on red (R), blue (B), or green (G) phosphors coated on the screen through a black matrix with a dot or a stripe shape. FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of the cathode ray tube. The panel 10 of the cathode ray tube is composed of a face panel 12 and a curved lateral wall 14 that extends from the periphery of the face panel 12 toward a funnel 20, and is joined to the funnel 20. The funnel 20 includes a neck 24 which is formed on an end of the funnel 20 opposite the end joined to the panel 12, and an electron gun 22 is disposed in the neck 24 of the funnel 20.
The outer surface of the cathode ray tube 10 is coated with a layer 16 having various functions depending upon the type of panel. Examples of the layer include, but are not limited to, a high contrast layer for decreasing light transmittance, an anti-reflection layer for reducing reflectivity, and an antistatic layer for preventing electrostatics and preventing dust from being attracted to the panel. Recently, as concerns that electromagnetic waves exert a harmful influence upon the human body have increased, electromagnetic waves have been strictly restricted by regulations. Therefore, development of a coating layer for shielding electromagnetic waves and the magnetic field that occurs from the display device have been actively pursued. The material and structure of the layer can be determined by considering conductivity, light transmittance, reflectivity, and so on.
In order to provide a display device with antistatic, anti-reflective, and electromagnetic wave shielding properties, a transparent conductive layer is generally applied on the surface of a panel by coating the surface with a coating liquid containing conductive particulates. The transparent conductive layer is a thin coating layer formed on a glass or a plastic substrate having a high light transmittance.
Generally, it is prepared by wet-coating the substrate surface with a composition comprising transparent conductive particles such as a metallic oxide, for example, a tin oxide doped with antimony (Sb) or an indium oxide doped with tin (Sn), and then calcinating it at a low temperature. The wet-coating process includes spin coating, spray coating, or dip coating techniques.
The transparent conductive layer prepared with the above method has a surface resistance of about 107 Ω/□, which is in excess of the surface resistance range of between 102 Ω/□ and 104 Ω/□, and which is required for shielding the electromagnetic waves. In order to decrease the surface resistance to the desired range, the thickness of the conductive layer needs to be increased, a thicker conductive layer degenerates the reflection-reducing effects of the layer. Therefore, it is difficult to provide a transparent conductive layer having low surface resistance as well as good electromagnetic wave shielding and anti-reflection properties by just coating the panel with the tin oxide doped with antimony (Sb) or the indium oxide doped with tin (Sn). Specifically, since a flat monitor is applied with a high level of voltage and has a transparent panel, it is further necessary to provide a transparent conductive layer having a high conductivity and a low light transmittance to meet the regulations on electromagnetic waves set by TCO standard. The TCO standard is a standard conforming to measurement standard MPR-II for a VDU (Visual Display Unit) which is set by SWEDAC (Swedish board for technical accreditation).
One approach to satisfy these requirements is Korean Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2000-50674, which discloses a method for forming a conductive thin layer comprising the step of coating a substrate with a metal colloid dispersed with a single type of metal particle such as Au, Ag, Pd, Ru, Rh, and Pt, or an alloy thereof, in a solvent. Korean Patent Laid-open Publication No. 1999-11487 discloses an antistatic mono-layer prepared by using a composition comprising a metal particulate, a binder, and a solvent. In this method, the surface of the metal particulate is treated with a binder such as polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, or an oligomer of silicon alkoxide to improve the dispersing state of metal particulates.
It is, however, difficult to save manufacturing costs due to the expense of the metal used for the conductive oxide particulate. Further, since the colloid has a poor coating property and low stability, the coating layer prepared from the colloid tends to be stained and be susceptible to problems in the process so that productivity is decreased compared to the conventional oxide particulate. In spite of the above-mentioned problems, metal colloids are applied as a coating layer to the outer surface of monitors to satisfy the regulations on the electromagnetic waves set by the TCO standard, and accordingly, a need exists for a composition for forming a coating layer suitable for applying to a flat monitor panel.

Composition for forming coating layer and flat monitor panel for display device having coating layer prepared from the same


A lock rod support member can be stowed within a support tube housed in the body of the pick-up truck on which a supplemental tailgate assembly to be deployable from the tailgate structure of the pick-up truck. The support tube for the lock rod can be mounted internally of the D-pillar of the pick-up truck body with the lock rod extendible therefrom, or mounted beneath the top rail of the pick-up truck bed from which the lock rod can be extended, for engagement with the deployed supplemental tailgate assembly. A stop bracket positioned at the end of the lock rod support tube engages and positions the formed distal end of the lock rod for appropriate positioning for engagement with the supplemental tailgate assembly. A spring latch mechanism is mounted on the opposing ends of the supplemental tailgate structure for clasping the insertion end of the lock rod members.

Conventionally, pickup trucks include a tailgate at the back of a bed that closes off a cargo box. Often times, the truck bed is not long enough to hold the cargo, so truck bed extenders have been developed. The truck bed extenders work in conjunction with the open tailgate in order to provide additional length to the bed. Some of the bed extenders mount to the outside of the tailgate or to the box itself, which may be convenient for deployment, but they tend to interfere with cargo space in the box since the bed extender, when not in use, protrudes into the box. Moreover, it is typical for the vehicle operator to employ the extender only occasionally, so it is generally undesirable to have the extender exposed at all times, which detracts from the attractiveness of the vehicle.
Additionally, it is sometimes desirable to have an extender that can provide other functions in addition to a bed extender, such as a box extender function—an upwardly extending structure from the rearmost edge of an open tailgate that mimics the function of a closed tailgate. Such arrangements are particularly useful for carrying a load that is longer than the bed, but needs rearward support like a closed tailgate provides in order to prevent the load from falling backwards off the truck. Again, though, typical box extenders that provide adequate functionality are externally mounted and not only detract from the vehicle appearance when not in use but also require changes to the box for mounting such extenders. Also, most of these types of extenders are very cumbersome to deploy and later stow away, thus being undesirable for the operator to use. Such functions may be provided with simple ergonomic operation of the assembly, while still allowing for an attractive appearance for the vehicle when the extender is stowed during periods of non-use. Thus, while the exterior mounted extenders may be able to perform multiple functions, they still suffer from the drawbacks of an unattractive appearance and taking up room in the bed even when not in use.
Another drawback with common bed extenders is that a desirable feature of conventional tailgates may be lost. That is, a conventional tailgate has an ornamental plastic tailgate molding mounted along its top surface. It is meant to provide a surface along which cargo can be slid into the bed without the concern of rusting due to paint being scraped off. Some bed extender designs interfere with or cause the elimination of this molding, further detracting from the appearance of the vehicle.
Positioning the extended supplemental tailgate structure generally perpendicularly to the plane of the mail tailgate structure, while the main tailgate structure is moved to an open position such that the plane of the tailgate structure is substantially parallel to the bed of the pickup truck, places the extended supplemental tailgate structure in an orientation that is substantially parallel to the main tailgate structure when the main tailgate structure is in a normal closed position. In such an extended position, the supplemental tailgate can provide a restriction to the rearward movement of objects located on the bed of the pickup truck. Furthermore, such an extended position of the supplemental tailgate can provide support for objects placed on top of the supplemental tailgate. The extended supplemental tailgate, however, has a limited support structure on the main tailgate and would have enhanced stability if support members were provided to extend between the extended supplemental tailgate and the body of the pickup truck.
Thus, it is desirable to have a vehicle tailgate with a bed extender that overcomes the drawbacks of the prior art, and particularly is provided with support members interconnecting the bed extender structure and the body of the pickup truck.
Storage of the support members when not in use interconnecting the body of the pick-up truck and the bed extender structure should position the support members at a location that can be accessed conveniently for deployment, but stowed out of the way of the otherwise normal operative function of the bed of the pick-up truck to haul cargo. The support members can be housed in the bed extender structure, but such storage of the support members requires storage space within the bed extender structure, which is an apparatus that has limited spatial availability as the bed extender structure itself should be stored in an inoperative position within the confines of the interior of the tailgate of the pick-up truck.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide for the storage of the support members on the body of the pick-up truck, instead of within the bed extender structure.

Lock rod supports stowed in D-pillar of vehicle


A liquid crystal display and a liquid crystal display panel thereof. Gates on thin film transistors serving as switches in the same row of pixels are coupled with a gate line. A scan signal is substantially inputted to a middle of the gate line and transmitted to two extremities of the gate line, so that the two thin film transistors, which are coupled with the two extremities of the gate line have substantially the same time for turning on/off. Namely, the pulse waveforms of scan signals received by the two pixels, which are spaced apart by a longest distance, are substantially the same.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates in general to a liquid crystal display, and more particularly to a disposed structure of a scan line.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration showing a pixel circuit. Referring to FIG. 1, a pixel 100 includes a thin film transistor TFT, a liquid crystal capacitor CL and a storage capacitor CS. The thin film transistor TFT has a gate G coupled with a scan line SL, a source S coupled with a data line DL, and a drain D coupled with the liquid crystal capacitor CL and the storage capacitor CS. The liquid crystal capacitor CL and the storage capacitor CS store charges for driving liquid crystal molecules.
FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration showing the structure of a conventional liquid crystal display. Referring to FIG. 2, a liquid crystal display 102 includes a scan driver circuit 104, a data driver circuit 106 and a pixel array 108 composed of a plurality of pixels 100. When the liquid crystal display 102 displays frames, the scan driver circuit 104 sequentially outputs N scan signals SS to the corresponding scan line SL so as to turn on the transistors TFT in each row of pixels of the pixel array 108, and the data driver circuit 106 sequentially inputs corresponding pixel voltages VP from the corresponding data lines DL(1) to DL(M) to each row of pixels 100, wherein N and M are positive integers. The pulse waveform of the scan signal SS approximates a square wave and has a voltage level for turning on the transistor TFT.
Because each pixel 100 has the capacitors CL and CS and a capacitor effect exists between the scan line SL and other plates, each scan line SL may be regarded as having the resistor-capacitor (RC) effect. Thus, after the scan signal SS passes through a row of pixels, the square wave of the scan signal SS may have distortion, which is the so-called gate-delay, due to the RC effect in the circuit.
Taking the first row R(1) of pixels as an example, the scan signal SS is inputted to the first row R(1) of pixels through the scan line SL(1), i.e., inputted to the first pixel 100 from the node L of FIG. 2. The scan signal SS is gradually distorted with the increase of the transmission distance on the scan line SL(1). When the signal reaches the rightmost end (i.e., node R of FIG. 2) of the first row R(1) of pixels, the generated distortion is most serious. Because the distorted scan signal SS shortens the time period during which the TFT of the pixel 100 turns on, the time periods during which the pixels at the rightmost and leftmost pixels 100 are different, and the corresponding liquid crystal capacitor CL and the storage capacitor CS have insufficient time periods to store the predetermined charges, such that the predetermined luminance cannot be generated.
Thus, when the same pixel data is to be displayed on the whole frame, the pixels receive the same pixel voltage VP but the luminance at the right-hand side and the luminance at the left-hand side of the frame are not the same. For example, the pixel closest to the node to which the scan signal SS is inputted is the brightest, and the pixel farthest from the node to which the scan signal SS is inputted is the darkest. Thus, the luminance of the overall frame looks very nonuniform, and the image quality is influenced.


A positive photoresist composition including an alkali-soluble resin and a photosensitive agent including 1,2-naphthoquinone-diazide group. A first composition wherein the photosensitive agent is an ester of 1,2-naphthoquinone-(2)-diazide-6-sulfonic acid and alcohols or phenols, or a sulfonamide of 1,2-naphthoquinone-(2)-diazide-6-sulfonic acid and organic amines.. A second composition wherein the photosensitive agent comprises (a) an ester compound of 1,2-naphthoquinone-(2)-diazide-6-sulfonic acid and phenols and (b) an ester of 1,2-naphthoquinone-(2)-diazide-5-sulfonic acid and phenols and/or an ester of 1,2-naphthoquinone-(2)-diazide-4-sulfonic acid and phenols.. A third composition wherein the photosensitive agent is a product obtained by condensation of phenols with (a) 1,2-naphthoquinone-(2)-diazide-6-sulfonylhalide and (b) 1,2-naphthoquinone-(2)-diazide-5-sulfonylhalide and/or 1,2-naphthoquinone-(2)-diazide-4-sulfonylhalide.. A pattern formation method using the above positive photoresist compositions including:. (1) forming a positive photoresist layer on a substrate,. (2) exposing the positive photoresist layer to a predetermined pattern, and PA1 (3) developing the positive photoresist layer with an alkaline developing solution.. This invention allows flexible setting of parameters A and B of the photoresist over a fairly wide range and is particularly suitable for use in the formation of fine patterns for various semiconductor ICs and magnetic valves.

A positive photoresist generally uses an alkali-soluble resin, mixed with a naphthoquinonediazide compound as a dissolution inhibitor. The alkali-soluble resin is generally novolac resin. A positive photoresist using the novolac resin is useful because it can be developed with an alkaline aqueous solution without swelling, which provides very good resolution, and especially because it has a high resistance to plasma etching when the resulting image is used as an etching mask. With increasing integration and fine patterns due to recent advance in semiconductor technology, photoresists are required to have resolutions of one-half micron or better.
Currently, in the formation of fine patterns used in various semiconductor integrated circuits and magnetic valves, the photoresist is exposed mainly by reduced projection exposure. The resolution R in reduced projection exposure follows Rayleigh's Equation (1): ##EQU1## There are three methods to improve this resolution: (1) numerical aperture NA of the lens is increased, (2) wavelength (.lambda.) of exposure light is decreased, and (3) constant k, which is determined by the resist process, is reduced.
Heretofore, improvement of resolution has been predominantly achieved by increasing the NA of the stepper and improving the resist process. However, increasing NA of the lens also decreases the depth of focus (DOF), in accordance with Equation (2): ##EQU2##
On the other hand, since decreasing the wavelength .lambda. has much smaller influence on DOF than increasing NA, reduced projection exposure devices which use the shorter wavelength i-line (365 nm wavelength) of a mercury lamp, rather than the g-line (436 nm wavelength) of a mercury lamp in the prior art systems, along with photoresists for use with these devices have recently been developed. Currently, commercial i-line photoresists use predominantly phenol esters of 1,2-naphthoquinonediazide-4-sulfonic acid or 1,2-naphthoquinonediazide-5-sulfonic acid as dissolution inhibitors, which are the same as those used for g-line photoresists. However, the above i-line photoresists provide insufficient resolution, and the resulting resist patterns are not satisfactory.
This is because, when used for i-line radiation (compared with the use for g-line radiation), the dissolution inhibitor, the above-mentioned phenol esters are low in transmissivity, so that it is difficult for light to reach the bottom of the photoresist, resulting in large differences in the amounts of exposure between the top and bottom of the photoresist.
Therefore, if the content of the dissolution inhibitor is reduced to increase the transmissivity of the photoresist to i-line radiation, the difference in solubility of the developing solution between the exposed portion and unexposed portion of the photoresist tends to become small, resulting in film loss.
Another problem of prior art positive photoresists is a low sensitivity to long-wavelength light such as that generated by an argon laser or the like. For example, in the fabrication of an optical disk base plate, in which a positive photoresist coated on a glass disk is exposed to an argon ion laser to form bits, the exposure requires a long time because the prior art photoresist has almost no absorption at the 488 nm wavelength generated by the argon ion laser.
Recently, the details of the photoreaction mechanism of naphthoquinonediazide-based photosensitive agents have been well elucidated, and the correlation between the photosensitivity characteristics of photoresist and its performance has been clarified (e.g. "Ultra-Fine Processing and Resist Materials" 1985, published by CMC K. K.). Parameters indicative of the photosensitivity characteristics include photoreaction parameters A and B, which are values related to the ratio of T (transmissivity), proposed by Dill et al. (Dill et al., IEEE, Trans. B. D., Vol.22, No.7, p.445).
As shown in the following Equations (3) and (4), A represents the ratio of transmissivities before and after exposure, and B represents the transmissivity after exposure EQU A=(1/d)l.sub.n [T(.infin.)] (3) EQU B=-(1/d)l.sub.n T(.infin.) (4)
wherein d is the film thickness of the photoresist, T(o) is the transmissivity of the photoresist before exposure, and T(.infin.) is the transmissivity of the photoresist after exposure.
It has been known that the resist performance is varied by varying parameters A and B which are indicative of the photosensitivity characteristics of photoresist. Therefore, to design a high-resolution photoresist, it is necessary to optimize parameters A and B according to the intended application.
However, for 1,2-naphthoquinone-(2)-diazide-5-sulfonic acid or 1,2-naphthoquinone-(2)-diazide-4-sulfonic acid and phenols alone, which are photosensitive agents used for prior art photoresists, the only way to vary the parameters A and B of the photoresist, especially the value of the former, at g-line (436 nm) or i-line (365 nm) is to vary the ratio of the amounts of photosensitive agents, that is, the ratio of the photosensitive agent to the alkali-soluble resin. However, increasing the amount of the photosensitive agent increases the value of parameter A, but decreases the sensitivity, and decreasing the amount of the photosensitive agent decreases the value of parameter A, but tends to cause a film loss.

Positive photoresist composition containing phenol ester of 1,2-napthoquinone-(2)-diazide-6-sulfonic acid and pattern formation method using the composition


In a self-propelled vacuum cleaner (1), a housing operation management section (51) and an image transmission control section (53) receive a stop instruction for stopping a transmission operation of an image from a user. In a case where the stop instruction is received, the image transmission control section (53) stops the transmission operation of the image and sets a command non-reception mode. Upon receipt of the stop instruction for stopping the transmission operation of the image, the command control section (56) notifies, to a login terminal device which has transmitted a command of the transmission operation of the image, that the command non-reception mode in which reception of the operation command from the login terminal device is refused has been set in the self-propelled vacuum cleaner 1.

Self-propelled vacuum cleaners which perform cleaning while travelling have become popular as electronic devices for ordinary households. Some of those self-propelled vacuum cleaners include cameras. By mounting a camera on a self-propelled vacuum cleaner, a user can cause the self-propelled vacuum cleaner to capture an image of an interior of a room while the user is absent and transmit an image thus captured to a designated terminal device via a communication network.
Regarding such a self-propelled vacuum cleaner on which a camera is mounted, Patent Literature 1 discloses that a camera is provided to be storable in a body of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner. This can ease a user's anxiety that, due to an operating error or malfunction, an image of an interior of a room is captured and is transmitted to an outside before the user is aware of that.
Patent Literature 2 discloses a configuration in which an operation instruction is given to a self-propelled vacuum cleaner by a remote control via a communication network.
As self-propelled electronic devices for ordinary households other than a vacuum cleaner, a self-propelled air cleaner (self-propelled air cleaning robot) for cleaning air in a room or other devices are proposed in Patent Literature 3.


A device can include multiple light loads, where each light load includes at least one light source. The device can also include multiple switches coupled to the light loads. The device can further include a controller coupled to the switches, where the controller actively operates the switches multiple times within each cycle to control delivery of power to the light loads. Active operation of the switches by the controller is performed on a dynamic schedule, where the dynamic schedule is based on multiple environmental conditions, and where the controller bypasses a forward voltage of the light loads when actively operating the switches.

The use of lighting fixtures with LEDs is becoming more common. However, the technology with respect to LEDs is evolving. While LED lighting fixtures are generally more energy efficient than lighting fixtures using other types of light sources (e.g., incandescent or fluorescent), there are a number of improvements that can be made to make LED lighting fixtures a more appealing alternative.


A dental diagnostic system for analyzing tooth structure, restorative materials within a tooth structure, and disease states of a tooth includes an analyzer which may be attached to a variety of dental probes, dental drills, and instruments to afford adaptability to a variety of clinical situations in providing diagnostic information on the naturally occurring tooth structure, man-made materials placed or found within the tooth structure, diseased or otherwise affected, infected or effected tooth structure, as well as tooth structure that has been eroded, worn by attrition, abraded, abfracted, fractured, crazed, broken or otherwise compromised through patient use, misuse, fatigue or longevity of use; and a method of diagnosing using the system.

The invention relates to a dental diagnostic system and method for analyzing tooth structure, restorative materials within a tooth structure, and disease states of a tooth.
In some regards, modern dentistry has become quite complex. Some aspects of dental technology have changed with improvements and greater acceptance of orthodontics, endodontics, advanced oral surgery techniques, and geriatric patients. These improvements, coupled with greater public awareness and public demand to keep their teeth, requires that the skills of dental practitioners continue to be enhanced.
Diagnostics is one such area in dentistry in which enhanced skills continue to be needed. However, the prior art has not been forthcoming in making diagnostic advances.
Take, for example, the main dental diagnostic tool, the common dental explorer or probe. This mainstay in dental technology for diagnosing caries, has not changed for 150 years. It is of the same design now as it was in the last century.
The prior art has recognized that teeth have a characteristic electrical conductance. P. Pincus described such findings in a publication of the xe2x80x9cProceedings of the Physiological Society,xe2x80x9d in the Dec. 15-16, 1951 issue. His paper and findings are entitled, xe2x80x9cA New Method of Examination of Molar Tooth Grooves for the Presence of Dental Caries.xe2x80x9d He indicated that human tooth enamel consisted of 95% lime salt and is an extremely poor conductor of electricity, and that breaks in continuity might result from cracks, hairline fractures, developmental faults and non-calcified organic material.
Efforts have been made to exploit this electrical conductance characteristic. U.S. Pat. No. 4,537,573 to Sunada, entitled xe2x80x9cDetector For Diagnosing Dental Caries,xe2x80x9d discloses that through the use of a hand held apparatus applying a 400 Hz signal, a dentist can jointly contact a tooth with a probe and watch the detector indicator lights, to find an indication of the quality of tooth structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,955,810 to Levy, entitled xe2x80x9cDentin Thickness Monitorxe2x80x9d is similar to Sunada, but has a more complex electric circuitry that includes operational amplifiers, logic circuitry, and a host of discriminating LEDs.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,753,434 to Pike, entitled xe2x80x9cElectronic Device for Measuring Penetration Of Tooth Root Canal And Endodontic Therapy Method,xe2x80x9d is for the use of an electronic device for accurately determining the point of penetration of root canal and contacting periodontal tissue with a oscillating measuring signal. Such systems are limited in that they are based primarily on detection of the precise end of a root, and as such as calibrated to determine when the dental instrument is within 3 mm from the end of the tooth.
Similar to Pike is U.S. Pat. No. 4,353,693 to Dery, entitled xe2x80x9cApparatus for the Determination and Digital Display of the Position of Root Treating Means in a Tooth,xe2x80x9d which device measures AC conductivity.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,049,069 to Salesky, entitled xe2x80x9cDigital Apical Foramen Locating Apparatus with Linear Graphing,xe2x80x9d pertains to the endodontic specialty. Salesky teaches to recognize that the conductance from the apical foramen to a patient""s lip is equal to the conductance from the sulcus to the lip and is further constant from patient to patient.
Root canal length measuring devices have also been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,916,529 to Mousseau, xe2x80x9cMethod of and Instrument for Determining Length of Root Canal . . . . xe2x80x9d
Transillumination, or the use of reflecting light through a tooth to determine decay, is disclosed by Hibst, U.S. Pat. No. 5,306,144.
The prior art has provided devices with visual and audible interpretation of treatment through which the operator may monitor the progress of the clinical case. However, the prior art have not gained wide acceptance and suffer from various problems, e.g., they show indicator lights attached directly to the head of the dental handpiece. This position for the lights turns out to be impractical. For example, repeated sterilization of the dental handpiece adversely affects indicator lights and renders the indicator panel non-functional in a rather short period of time.
In the prior art, when determining inter-proximal decay the dental practitioner has had to rely on x-rays or clinical examination to detect caries in these locations. Current methods of clinical examination includes visualization and touch with the explorer. Both, however, can give false information. X-rays have been considered state of the art, but do not allow for early detection of incipient lesions. For example, leakage around the periphery of a filling can not always be checked adequately with these methods. Further, these methods have not always proved satisfactory as to ascertaining the quality of tooth structure in all types of cavities, including Class I, II, III, IV, V, VI, and some types not classified in these groups such as crown margin caries, and intracanal caries.
Although the current method of choice in dentistry to diagnose inter-proximal decay is with x-rays or radiographic interpretation, even given ideal circumstances, it has been shown that x-ray diagnosis is correct only about 30% of the time. Indeed, these methods are difficult for the inexperienced practitioner to achieve success as it generally requires years of clinical experience to master x-ray interpretation.
An overall objective of the invention is to provide a system and method which improves the diagnostic capability of the dental practitioner utilizing a single-multi-functional device.
Another object of the invention is to provide a system and method to supply adjunctive information by which the dental practitioner may make a better decision regarding treatment alternatives.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a method of determining if teeth or tooth structure is cracked, from disease or overloading; locating perforations through a tooth during root canal therapy, or during restorative procedures; determining key locations to place pins so as to select areas that will minimize the chance of cracking the tooth, or to minimize the possibility of causing nerve damage; determining, once a pilot hole has been made, whether a frank opening into the nerve has inadvertently been made; testing sealants for leakage or decay; and identifying hidden pit caries.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a diagnostic analyzer device having a lead which can be attached to an instrument being used to treat the patent, without distraction to the treatment, and having a audible results output monitor through which the dental practitioner can hear decay being removed by providing a compactly sized device which has easy portability and direct attachment to an appropriate dental handpiece, a dental explorer, or other suitable intraoral dental instrument/probe.
In another respect, the invention has as an object to provide a system for establishing objective readings or findings which can be used as a baseline recorded in a patient""s chart for future comparisons.
For a further object of the invention, there is the object of addressing a pulp exposure situation by providing a system and method of finding the approximate outline of nerve so that adequate nerve coverage is provided to prevent post-operative sensitivity.
The invention has as an additional object providing a device which can be used to help differentiate between enamel, dentin, sclerotic dentin, reparative dentin, thin or weak dentin, carious pulp exposures, iatrogenic pulp exposures, perforations, major canals, accessory canals, cracks, fissures, craze lines (and their length, direction and potential for problematic cause).
Another further object of the invention is providing a device and method of monitoring an isolated area, e.g., one that has been covered by a dental rubber dam.
A more further object of the invention is to provide a method to determine if a filling material, base or cement had been adequately cured or sealed, prior to conclusion of a treatment.
One more object of the invention is to obviate the need for x-rays and the such to diagnose interproximal decay.
Further objects and benefits of the invention will become clear from the following disclosure.


In embodiment, the present invention relates to a cap and container assembly comprising at least one selective gas permeable membrane, wherein the assembly is manufactured so that the membrane is an integral part of the assembly and wherein the membrane is composed of a material for controlling conditions of gas concentration in an internal portion of the assembly when the cap is closed. In another embodiment, the present invention relates to a method of forming a cap and container assembly comprising at least one selective gas permeable membrane that is integral with the assembly comprising: cutting the membrane to a pre-selected form, wherein the membrane is composed of a material for controlling conditions of gas concentration in an internal portion of the assembly when the cap is closed; placing the membrane into a mold by robotic means; and overmolding the assembly about the membrane to form an assembly wherein the membrane is an integral part of the assembly.

Many products such as fruits, vegetables and fermented tobacco products have biological activity after harvesting and preparation for market. This activity can be described as a respiration process where there is a biological process consuming oxygen from the ambient environment and energy sources inherent in the product and producing carbon dioxide and water as a by product. By packaging these products in an impermeable package, the oxygen will be consumed and moisture produced. As the oxygen is consumed, the process may transition to an anaerobic process and continue, by producing by-products that further degrade the product. Combined with an affinity of some products to be in a narrow humidity range for optimum storage conditions, it is apparent that prolonged storage is a delicate balance of conditions. This is further complicated by variation in optimum conditions for different product types.
Conventionally, membranes can be adhered to the package (e.g. with adhesives or other sealing means) in an attempt to solve the above-discussed problem. However, the sealing of the membrane is a secondary process that is done to the packaging material for the final package, and thus, there is a potential pathway through the seal, which is not controlled. This could result in something other than the designed conditions being present, which may not be known to the user.

Product container with integral selective membrane


A semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the semiconductor device are provided. The semiconductor device may include a semiconductor substrate, a gate insulation layer and a gate electrode, a first spacer, a second spacer, an epitaxial pattern, and/or source/drain regions. The gate insulation layer and the gate electrode may be formed on the semiconductor substrate. The first spacer may be formed on sidewalls of the gate electrode. The second spacer may be formed on sidewalls of the first spacer. The epitaxial pattern may be formed between the second spacer and the semiconductor substrate such that an outside profile of the epitaxial pattern is aligned with an outside profile of the second spacer. The source/drain regions may include primary source/drain regions that are aligned with the first spacer. The primary source/drain regions may be formed in the epitaxial pattern and the semiconductor substrate. The source/drain regions may also include secondary source/drain regions that are aligned with the second spacer and formed in the semiconductor substrate.

1. Field of the Invention
Example embodiments of the present invention relate to a semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same. Other example embodiments relate to a semiconductor device having a structure capable of mitigating a short channel effect and a resistance characteristic that attributes to primary source/drain regions and simultaneously allows strain to be more effectively applied to a channel region, increasing characteristics of the semiconductor device. Other example embodiments relate to a method of manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
The trend in semiconductor manufacturing has been to manufacture compact, light and thin electrical devices. As such, semiconductor devices have become more highly integrated such than an effective channel length of a gate thereof decreases. As the effective channel length of the gate decreases, a short channel effect occurs. As the short channel effect may deteriorate a punch-through characteristic between a source electrode and a drain electrode.
In order to increase the punch-through characteristic, a shallow junction source/drain structure wherein source and drain regions may be formed as an extending structure may be produced. By forming the source and drain regions as the extending structure, the short channel effect may be controlled (or mitigated).
It is well-known in the conventional art that the short channel effect may be mitigated (or controlled) by forming the extending structure including shallow source/drain regions. However, as the source/drain regions become shallower, resistance of the source/drain regions may increase.


The present invention provides a method of making a molded interconnect device. The method includes the steps of: injection molding a plastic body having thereon at least one patterned circuit trench structure; and filling a conductive material into the patterned circuit trench structure thereby forming a circuit trace on the plastic body.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a method of fabricating circuit traces on a plastic substrate. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method of making a molded interconnect device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As known in the art, molded interconnect devices (MIDs) have been used in many applications such as automotive and telecommunication industries. MIDs essentially integrate mechanical and electrical functions into one piece and make an important contribution to design in terms of manufacturability and assembly. Unlike printed circuit boards, which are typically limited to two-dimensional planes, MIDs can implement three-dimensional circuitry. Among other things, a circuit pattern with multiple planes allows better spacing of circuitry, as well as the connected switches and buttons.
Many approaches have been developed for making an MID up to the present. The methods for fabricating an MID and their respective shortcomings can be summarized as follows.
(1) Laser direct structuring (LDS) technique. This method involves the use of a plastic material impregnated with metal catalyst. The plastic material is activated by laser method. After this, the plastic material is metallized using chemical copper process. U.S. publication No. 2007/0247822 discloses such method. The shortcomings of this method include high production cost due to expensive metal catalyst impregnated plastics and laser tools, and environmental pollution issues due to wet chemical process.
(2) Microscopic integrated processing technology (MIPTEC). This prior art method uses chemical vapor deposition (CVD) or sputtering to coat plastic material with conductive material, then uses laser to pattern the conductive material and remove the conductive material from the non-metallized area, followed by chemical copper metallization. The shortcomings of this method include high production cost due to expensive CVD or sputtering tool as well as environmental pollution issues due to wet chemical process.
(3) Hot embossing method. This prior art method is a technique of imprinting microstructures on a substrate (polymer) using a master mold. One of the drawbacks is that the cost of developing molds is high. Besides, there are difficulties of three-dimensional processing.
(4) Two-shot molding method. This method involves two different plastic materials formed by respective injection mold steps. The two different plastic materials include activable and non-activable plastics. The activable plastic is then metallized by wet chemical processes. The drawbacks include bottleneck of mold development, low design flexibility and high cost of development.
In light of the above, there is a need in this industry to provide an improved method of fabricating MIDs, which is cost-effective (no laser tool, CVD tool or sputtering tool is required), flexible and has no environmental pollution issues, thereby overcoming the prior art problems and shortcomings.

Method of making a molded interconnect device


A battery includes a wireless unit, a battery unit, a charging unit, and a control unit. The wireless unit is configured to capture electromagnetic wave in the air. The charging unit is configured to convert the electromagnetic wave captured by the wireless unit to the charging current, and provide the charging current to the battery unit to charge the battery unit. The control unit is configured to detect a parameter value of the battery unit, control the wireless unit to capture the electromagnetic wave according to the parameter value of the battery unit, and further control the charging unit to convert the electromagnetic wave captured by the wireless unit to the charging current to charge the battery unit.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to batteries, and particularly to a battery capable of being charged through electromagnetic wave and a charging system using the battery.
2. Description of Related Art
A known method to charge a battery is to connect the battery to a mains supply through a mains supply interface. If the mains supply is not available, a battery may not be charged. Therefore, it is desired to provide a battery to resolve the above problem.

Battery and charging system using the same