A wait control device according to the present invention instructs a central processing unit (CPU) to wait for the start of its operation until the device receives a process completion signal from a memory unit or an I/O unit, and comprises setting means for setting the time of said CPU to wait for the start of its operation in the memory unit or the I/O unit accessed by the CPU, judgement means for judging system operation to be time out error when no process completion signal is presented during said time of the CPU, and selector means for selecting whether it passes a signal concerning the judgement of the time out error or successively waits for said processing completion signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wait control device for instructing a central processing unit (CPU) to wait for the start of its operation until the device receives a processing completion signal from an external peripheral device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a prior wait control device, a memory address space and an input/output (I/O) device space are divided, respectively, and to the divided subspaces wait number are assigned, and further a timing signal indicative of data having been prepared is sent to a bus master with use of a signal fed from a bus slave. The wait control device 1 is disposed in a one-chip microcomputer 2 and is connected to a central processing unit (CPU) 3 and a timer 4, universal asynchronous receiver transmitter (UART) 5, first and second interrupt controllers (IRC) 6a, 6b, refresh controller 7, arbiter 8, and direct memory access controller (DMAC) 9, through an internal bus 2a, as illustrated in FIG. 5.
Referring now to FIGS. 6 and 7, the prior wait control device will be described. Designated at 1 is a wait control resister as the wait control device. The wait control register 1 formed of a wired-logic comprises a space-assigned register 5 in which an address space and an I/O space have previously been assigned by hardware, and a wait number register 6 to set the wait numbers of the above spaces. The space-assigned register 5 has addresses "0000.sub.H " to "1FFF.sub.H " in the memory address space assigned to BLOCK 0 thereof, addresses "2000.sub.H " to "3FFF.sub.H " in the same assigned to BLOCK 1 thereof, addresses "4000.sub.H " to "FFFF.sub.H " in the same assigned to BLOCK 2 thereof, and addresses "00.sub.H " to "FF.sub.H " of the I/O space assigned to BLOCK 3 thereof. The wait number register 6 is formed of 8 bit registers, to which numerals are set to specify the wait numbers of the respective BLOCKs 0 to 3. A table X of FIG. 7 lists the assigned wait numbers for each of the BLOCKs, each number comprising 2 bits for example. For example, in order to assign the wait number of the BLOCK 0 to "2" the WRB0 and WRB1 in the wait number register 6 may be set to "0" and "1", respectively, and in order to assign the wait number of the BLOCK 1 to "1" the WRB2 and WRB3 in the wait number register 6 may be set to "1" and "0", respectively. The wait numbers should be set with enough time compared with processing speeds posssessed by individual external devices. When a CPU takes an access to a memory device such as a ROM, a SRAM, and a DRAM, etc., which have different access times, respectively, it is necessary to set a required number of the wait numbers corresponding to the response times of such memory devices.
In the prior wait control device described above, the address space and the I/O space were divided, and the wait numbers were assigned to respective divided subspaces, and further a timing signal indicative of data being ready was sent to the bus master using a signal fed from the bus slave. Therefore, the bus master and the CPU must keep their waiting states until the signal is fed from the bus slave. This is a very severe when use is made of a low speed I/O and in particular when the I/O has any failure.


Disclosed herein is a partial implantation method for manufacturing semiconductor devices. The method involves implantation of dopant ions at different densities into a plurality of wafer regions, including first and second regions, defined in a wafer by means of a boundary line. In the method, first, second and third implantation zones are defined. The first implantation zone is the remaining part of the first region except for a specific part of the first region close to the boundary line, the second implantation zone is the remaining part of the second region except for a specific part of the second region close to the boundary line, and the third implantation zone is the remaining part of the wafer except for the first and second implantation zones. Then, dopant ions are implanted into the first implantation zone at a first density, into the second implantation zone at a second density different from the first density, and into the third implantation zone at a third density that is a midway value between the first and second densities.

1. Technical Field
Methods for manufacturing semiconductor devices which include partial implantation techniques are disclosed.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, methods for manufacturing semiconductor memory devices, such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM), consist of several unit processes. The unit processes include deposition, etching, and implantation processes, etc., and are conventionally performed on a wafer-by-wafer basis. However, uniform process results are difficult to achieve. For example, uniform thicknesses of the stacked layers and etching ratios and uniform density of ions as throughout the area of the wafer are difficult to obtain because it is impossible to accurately control the large number of variables associated with the unit processes. Therefore, it can be said that process errors due to unpredictable or inaccurately controlled process variables are an inherent aspect of semiconductor device manufacturing.
As expected, process errors ultimately deteriorate the characteristics of semiconductor devices to be manufactured. As an example, transistors often fail to maintain a uniform threshold voltage throughout the wafer. Even if the threshold voltage is adjusted to be uniform throughout the wafer via the implementation of an ion implantation process prior to forming a gate stack, the threshold voltage can become non-uniform during subsequent processes, resulting in uneven distribution of the threshold voltage throughout the wafer.
In a subsequent formation of a gate insulation layer, an oxide layer as the gate insulation layer is formed in a non-uniform thickness throughout the wafer. This makes it impossible to achieve a uniform threshold voltage distribution throughout the wafer even if the ion implantation process is performed to impart the wafer with a uniform threshold voltage.
Further, when source/drain regions having lightly doped drain (LDD) structures are formed, low-density ions are first implanted after formation of the gate stack, forming source/drain extension regions. Subsequently, a gate spacer is formed at the side wall of the gate stack, and then, high-density ions are implanted to form deep source/drain regions. However, there are problems in that the oxide layer and nitride layer of the gate spacer are stacked at a non-uniform thickness throughout the wafer, and that it is impossible to achieve a uniform etching ratio even when using an etch-back process. Thus, the gate spacer exhibits an uneven thickness on the wafer. When the gate spacer is used as an ion implantation mask to form the deep source/drain regions, furthermore, it inevitably adversely affects the threshold voltage in parts of the wafer.
To solve the uneven distribution problem of the threshold voltage caused by non-uniform process results described above, a partial implantation method has been proposed. The partial implantation method is a method of implanting ions, that act as impurities, namely, dopant providing a threshold voltage adjustment, into respective regions of a wafer at varying densities in consideration of variations in the threshold voltage in subsequent processes.
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a conventional partial implantation method. A wafer 100 is divided into a plurality of regions according to the density of dopant ions to be implanted thereto. More specifically, based on a boundary line 110 crossing the center thereof, the wafer 100 is divided into an upper region 120 at the upper side of the boundary line 110 and a lower region 130 at the lower side of the boundary line 110. Here, it should be understood that the terms "upper" and "lower" are used for easy explanation of the wafer structure with reference to FIG. 1, and are not intended to limit the positional relationship therebetween.
It will be understood that the wafer may be divided into three or more regions as occasion demands. Ions having different densities, in consideration of the threshold voltage variation in subsequent processes, are implanted to the respective divided regions, namely, the upper and lower regions 120 and 130. For example, when it is expected that the threshold voltage of the upper region 120 will be lowered during subsequent processes, dopant ions are implanted at a relatively lower density than the normal density of ions that are implanted in a general implantation process by approximately 5%, thereby increasing the threshold voltage of the upper region 120. Conversely, when it is expected that the threshold voltage of the lower region 130 will be increased during subsequent processes, dopant ions are implanted at a relatively higher density than the normal density by approximately 5%, thereby lowering the threshold voltage of the lower region 130. This enables both the upper and lower regions 120 and 130 of the wafer 100 to achieve a uniform threshold voltage distribution in spite of such a threshold voltage variation in subsequent processes.
FIG. 2 is a graph illustrating the density distribution of dopant ions implanted by the conventional partial implantation method. The abscissa of the graph represents the length of the wafer 100 measured along the line II-II′ that intersects the boundary line 110 of the wafer 100. The origin of the abscissa indicates one point on the perimeter of the circular wafer 100, and the right end of the abscissa indicates the opposite point on the perimeter of the wafer 100 that is shown as a flat zone in FIG. 1. Further, a dashed line 110a indicates the boundary line 110 of FIG. 1. A region at the left side of the dashed line 110a indicates the upper region 120 of the wafer 100, and a region at the right side of the dashed line 100a indicates the lower region 130 of the wafer 100. The ordinate of the graph represents a therma-wave (TW) signal, which is proportional to the density of the dopant ions implanted in a wafer. Thus, the density distribution of the dopant ions implanted in the wafer 100 can be recognized by measuring the therma-wave signal. From the description as stated above with reference to FIG. 1, it can be clearly understood that the density of the dopant ions implanted in the upper region 120 of the wafer 100 is relatively low and the density of the dopant ions implanted in the lower region 130 of the wafer 100 is relatively high.
Although the conventional partial implantation method as stated above can eliminate the non-uniformity of the threshold voltage throughout the respective regions of the wafer to some extent, it has a limitation when adjusting the density of dopant ions at a boundary line between the respective regions. That is, it is difficult to adjust the density of dopant ions in the vicinity of the boundary line 110 of the wafer 100 shown in FIG. 1. As is clearly illustrated in the graph of FIG. 2, the density of the dopant ions is not constant in the vicinity of the boundary line 110, but increases gradually from the upper region 120 to the lower region 130. The slope of the density is represented as a dotted line 200 in the vicinity of the dashed line 110a of the graph of FIG. 2 corresponding to the boundary line 110 of the wafer 100. The dotted line 200 is determined based solely upon the density of dopant ions implanted in the wafer 100, and cannot be freely adjusted. As will be easily understood, the slope of the dotted line 200 should be high in the vicinity of the boundary line 110 in order to achieve a wide difference between the characteristics of transistors in the respective regions divided by the boundary line 110. Conversely, when it is desired to narrow the differences between the characteristics of the transistors, the slope of the dotted line 200 should be low in the vicinity of the boundary line 110. However, the conventional partial implantation method cannot provide free adjustment of the slope of the dotted line 200, namely, the density of the dopant ions.

Partial implantation method for semiconductor manufacturing


A method disclosed in this specification is an aberration measuring method in which a light flux converged by a condensing optical system is made incident on a optical system to be measured, the light flux that has passed through the optical system to be measured is reflected by a reflecting optical system having a center of curvature at a light convergence point on a light emergence side of the optical system to be measured is made incident on the optical system to be measure again, and wavefront aberration of the optical system to be measured is detected as interference fringes using the light flux that has passed through the optical system to be measured again. Measurement is carried out while changing the numerical aperture of the optical system to be measured to a numerical aperture larger than a numerical aperture in the actual use, thereby realizing highly precise measurement of the wavefront aberration all over the effective numerical aperture of the optical system to be measured.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for measuring aberration, and particularly to an aberration measuring method for measuring wavefront aberration of an optical system such as a projection optical system for transferring a pattern on a mask onto a photosensitive substrate. Such a projection optical system is used for example, in a lithography process for exposing an article to be processed such as a single crystal substrate like a semiconductor wafer or a glass substrate used for a liquid crystal display (LCD).
2. Related Background Art
In the process for manufacturing microscopic semiconductor devices such as semiconductor memories or logic devices utilizing a photolithography techonology, a projection exposure apparatus for projecting a circuit pattern formed on a reticle or a mask (these terms will be interchangeably used in this specification) onto a wafer or the like by a projection optical system so as to transfer the circuit pattern has been conventionally used.
The projection exposure apparatus is required to transfer a pattern on a reticle at a predetermined magnification (i.e. a reduction ratio) precisely. In order for this requirement to be met, it is important to use a projection optical system that has a superior imaging performance with extremely reduced aberrations. In recent years particularly, with rapid miniaturization of semiconductor devices, patterns beyond ordinary imaging performance are often required to be transferred, and the transferred patterns have become sensitive to aberrations of optical systems. On the other hand, increases in the exposure area and the numerical aperture (NA) of the projection-optical system have been required. This makes aberration correction all the more difficult. In order to attain effective aberration correction, it is necessary to measure wavefront aberration with high precision.
As an apparatus for measuring wavefront aberration of an optical system with high precision, an apparatus utilizing a Fizeau interferometer or a Twyman-Green interferometer has been conventionally used. In the following, the principle of measuring the wavefront aberration of a projection lens equipped in a projection exposure apparatus as a lens to be measured using a Fizeau interferometer will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 9. FIG. 7 is a diagram schematically showing a conventional aberration measuring apparatus 1000.
Light emitted from a light source 1100 is guided to an interferometer unit 1200, transmitted through a half mirror 1210, converted into parallel light by a collimator lens 1220, transmitted through a TS lens 1300 and a lens to be measured 1400, and reflected by an RS mirror 1500. The light reflected by the RS mirror 1500 is made to pass through the lens to be measured 1400 and the TS lens 1300 in the opposite direction, then reflected by the half mirror 1210 and made incident on a CCD camera 1240 as light to be measured (or measurement light) by means of an imaging lens 1230.
On the other hand, the light reflected by the last surface (i.e. the Fizeau surface) of the TS lens 1300 is also reflected by the half mirror 1210 and made incident on the CCD camera 1240 as reference light by means of the imaging lens 1230. These two light fluxes (i.e. the measurement light and the reference light) interfere with each other, so that interference fringes are detected on the CCD camera 1240. The wavefront aberration can be determined by calculation based on the interference fringes. The TS lens 1300 and the RS mirror 1500 are scanned along the optical axis direction, so that the wavefront aberration can be measured continuously by the so-called fringe scanning method. The parts in FIG. 7 that are not designated by reference signs will be described later in the description of the embodiments, and so the description is omitted here.
An aperture stop 1410, which determines the numerical aperture of the lens to be measured 1400, is disposed at a position optically conjugate with the CCD camera 1240. This arrangement will be specifically described in the following with reference to FIGS. 8A and 8B. FIGS. 8A and 8B are block diagrams schematically showing the positional relationship between the aperture stop 1410 and the CCD camera 1240 shown in FIG. 7.
The aperture stop 1410 of the lens to be measured 1400 is conjugate with the front focal plane FP (on the interferometer unit 1200 side) of the TS lens 1300 with respect to the downstream optical system (that is, the lens system on the image plane side of the aperture stop 1410) 1600 of the lens to be measured 1400 and the TS lens 1300. In addition, the front focal plane FP of the TS lens 1300 is conjugate with the detection surface 1240a of the CCD camera 1240 with respect to an interference optical system (that is, the collimator lens 1220 and the imaging lens 1230 that constitute the interferometer unit 1200) 1700. To be precise, the TS lens 1300 is disposed at a measurement position on the axis and the position of the detection surface 1240a is adjusted in such a way that the aperture stop 1410 and the detection surface 1240a become optically conjugate with each other in the assembling and adjusting process.
Consequently, although the diameter of the aperture stop 1410 of the lens to be measured 1400 is equal to the effective numerical aperture of the lens to be measured 1400, diffracted light from the edge of the aperture stop 1410 does not affect the wavefront aberration detected based on the interference fringes, since the diffracted light is imaged on the detection surface 1240a.
However, when the TS lens 1300 is displaced to an off-axis measurement position, as shown in FIG. 8B, the optically conjugate relationship between the aperture stop 1410 of the lens to be measured 1400 and the detection surface 1240a of the CCD camera 1240 is no longer kept. This is because the interference optical system 1700 is shifted relatively to the lens to be measured 1400 with the displacement of the TS lens 1300 and the distance between the TS lens 1300 and the interference optical system 1700 changes by ΔL (the shift amount of the TS lens 1300).
In the case that the aperture stop 1410 of the lens to be measured 1400 and the detection surface 1240a of the CCD camera 1240 are out of the optically conjugate relationship, the diffracted light will spread on the detection surface 1240a. In that case, a rapid change in the phase of the measured wavefront aberration will be caused in the periphery of the effective numerical aperture NA0 (i.e. the pupil) of the lens to be measured 1400 on account of an influence of the diffracted light from the aperture stop 1410. This will cause a considerable measurement error. Here, FIG. 9 is a diagram schematically showing the wavefront aberration in the periphery of the pupil of the lens to be measured 1400 in the conventional aberration measuring apparatus 1000.
Particularly, in the case that the measurement light is made incident from the object plane side as is the case with the aberration measuring apparatus 1000 shown in FIG. 7, the shift amount of the TS lens 1300 between the on-axis position and the off-axis position becomes larger as compared to the case in which the measurement light is made incident from the image side (for example, in the case of a projection lens of 5× magnification, the shift amount ΔL becomes 25 times larger). Consequently, an error of the wavefront aberration in the periphery of the pupil due to the spread of the diffracted light becomes larger.
On the other hand, it is possible to always keep the optically conjugate relationship between the aperture stop 1410 and the detection surface 1240a by shifting the CCD camera 1240 or the imaging lens 1230 along the optical axis in accordance with the measured image height. However, that method is not desirable, since the interference fringes will be shifted on the CCD camera 1240 on account of eccentricity generated upon shifting the CCD camera 1240 and correction needs to be carried out in the wavefront aberration calculation area for every image height of the central coordinate.

Aberration measuring method for projection optical system with a variable numerical aperture in an exposure apparatus


A downhole tool and system for actuation of the tool. The tool includes a sliding sleeve assembly that is urged toward an opening position due to an interior pressure in the tool. A shear pin assembly hold the tool in the closed position. As pressure is increased to above a predetermined locking set point, a locking mechanism on the sliding sleeve radial engages the housing of the tool to lock the sliding sleeve to the housing. As pressure is further increased to a predetermined an activation set point, the shear pin assembly shears, but the sliding sleeve is maintained in the closed position by the locking mechanism. Only after the interior pressure is subsequently lowered to below a predetermined opening set point will the sliding sleeve shift to an open position.

Hydrocarbon-producing wells often are stimulated by hydraulic fracturing operations, wherein a servicing fluid such as a fracturing fluid or a perforating fluid may be introduced into a portion of a subterranean formation penetrated by a wellbore at a hydraulic pressure sufficient to create or enhance at least one fracture therein. Such a subterranean formation stimulation treatment may increase hydrocarbon production from the well.
In some wellbores, it may be desirable to individually and selectively create multiple fractures along a wellbore at a distance apart from each other, creating multiple "pay zones." The multiple fractures should have adequate conductivity, so that the greatest possible quantity of hydrocarbons in an oil and gas reservoir can be produced from the wellbore. Some pay zones may extend a substantial distance along the length of a wellbore. In order to adequately induce the formation of fractures within such zones, it may be advantageous to introduce a stimulation fluid via multiple stimulation assemblies positioned within a wellbore adjacent to multiple zones. To accomplish this, it is necessary to configure multiple stimulation assemblies for the communication of fluid via those stimulation assemblies. Thus, there is an ongoing need to develop new methods and apparatuses to enhance hydrocarbon production.
A wellbore stimulation assembly allows a well producer to create an open well condition at an entry point in a zone by increasing pressure and opening ports in the tool to the formation. One such tool known in the art operates by a sliding sleeve that shears pins at an actuation pressure, thereby allowing the sliding sleeve to move to an open position. This single set point actuation methodology, however, prevents a casing pressure test at maximum operating pressure if the shear pin set value is less than the maximum operating pressure. Alternatively, if the shear pin set value is greater than the maximum operating pressure, than the operating pressure must exceed the maximum operating pressure in order to open the tool.
Moreover, shear pins do not always part at the exact set value, and sliding sleeve friction affects the overall activation pressure. Cemented applications pose a particular challenge, because cement causes additional friction for sliding sleeves, and any cavities or passages have a tendency to collect cement. When pins shear at a higher pressure than the designed pressure, maximum operating pressure may be exceeded and casing failure may result. When pins shear at a lower pressure than the design pressure, the tool opens prematurely before the well pressure testing and inspection is completed.

Tool with pressure-activated sliding sleeve


The present invention provides automatic gain control (AGC) for a wide variety of conditions encountered in DSL scenarios. In particular, the proposed AGC approach addresses the problem of analog front end saturation in which a plurality of gain stages (i.e., programmable gain amplifiers) and filter stages are interleaved with inaccessible intermediate points. The gain settings of each of the PGAs is increased (614) until the received signal exceeds a given threshold (620) or until the maximum setting for that PGA has been reached (624). If the current PGA setting has been maximized, the next PGA is considered (628) and the process is repeated until no additional gain is needed or until the available PGAs are exhausted. This process is iterated (630) with different maximum PGA settings for each iteration to enable a more uniform gain distribution. Additionally, the order in which the PGAs are considered can be selected, based on the type of communication loop determined (218) to be coupling the analog front end, to improve over performance.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of telecommunications and, more particularly, to signal processing in subscriber line modems.
2. Description of the Related Art
The rapid increase in use and popularity of the Internet has motivated research and development of systems directed to advanced communication of information between remotely located computers, particularly in effecting higher bit-rates using existing infrastructure. One type of technology arising from this development is referred to in the art as digital subscriber line (DSL). DSL refers generically to a public network technology that delivers relatively high bandwidth over conventional telephone copper wiring at limited distances. DSL has been further separated into several different categories of technologies according to particular expected data transfer rate, the type and length of medium over which data is communicated, and the schemes for encoding and decoding the communicated data. A DSL system can be considered as a pair of communicating modems, one of which is located at a client site, such as a home or office computer, and the other of which is located at a network control site, typically a telephone central office.
One type of DSL technology is referred to as Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) and corresponds to the ANSI standard T1.43. ADSL technology encompasses communication according to Discrete Multitone (DMT) modulation and also includes frequency domain multiplexing (FDM), other modulation techniques are also known in the art. ADSL systems can communicate data over a single copper twisted pair at downstream (central office to remote client) rates on the order of 100 times that conventional voice band modem rates. For example, ADSL can utilize a downstream signal bandwidth of 25 kHz to 1100 kHz and an upstream signal bandwidth of 25 kHz to 138 kHz. Signal echo problems in this type of communication system are especially noticeable at the remote client modems, since its transmission bandwidth is within the bandwidth of its received traffic. Even in a FDM system, leakage of the upstream energy into the downstream band causes signal echo problems.
Because of the nature of ADSL communications, mixed signal circuitry is required in the implementation of ADSL modems, both for the central office and also for the remote clients in which both analog and digital signals are handled. Conventional ADSL modem designs include functions referred to as analog front ends in which operations such as digital-to-analog and analog-to-digital conversion, amplification/attenuation and filtering is performed. Because of the frequencies involved in ADSL technology, which can range from tens of kHz to MHz frequencies, and because of the large dynamic range required in order to accommodate the wide variations in length and schemes for subscriber loops, the amplification and filtering can be vary complex, particularly in an integrated circuit.
Analog amplification or attenuation is typically needed in the received path of most digital modems to fully utilize the available digital dynamic range. Typically, the gain adjustment depends on the particular channel conditions, therefore, automatic gain control is preferable. In cases where all the analog filtering is performed before all programmable gain attenuation/amplification (PGA) stage(s), the task of an automatic gain controller is greatly simplified as saturation conditions at the output of the filtering stages are readily observable in the digital domain. On the other hand, when the PGA and filtering stages are interleaved (typical in integrated analog front ends) the automatic gain controller problem is a difficult one since, in most environments, the intermediate points in the receive path are inaccessible.
Therefore, there is a need for an automatic gain control approach for digital subscriber line modems targeted to analog front end (AFE) designs with interleaved gain and filtering stages in which the intermediate points in the receive path are inaccessible.

Automatic gain control method for digital subscriber line modems


The disclosed massive multi-player on-line gaming environment and method eliminate the coordination and synchronization problems between servers by assigning each game user to a specific client proxy server for game duration and utilizing a space information distribution center to indicate client specific changes in game space. Such configuration eliminates the need to use “grey” areas around partitioning boundaries and servers having to “own” client objects thereby improving massive multi-player on-line gaming scalability.

With the proliferation of the Internet and technology, massive multi-player on-line games have become increasingly popular. There are a number of common features shared by massive multi-player on-line games which distinguish them from other types of on-line computer games. First, most massive multi-player on-line games host a number of players in a single game world where all those players can interact at one time. For instance, a popular massive multi-player might host thousands of players online at any given time. Second, to support all those players, massive multi-player on-line games employ large-scale game worlds. As such, large areas of the game are interconnected within the game such that players may traverse great distances without having to switch servers manually. Further, multi-player on-line games require updated data for each user location and application that a user may call upon during game play. As the number of players increases, the complexity of calculations and server demand increases. Finally, the game state in massive multi-player on-line games rarely resets.
There are two conventional approaches taken to distribute the handling of players and objects in game space. One is to simply partition the game world using special tunnels, small single person passageways, or other contrivances at the boundaries between servers. This approach is limited in that the partitioning is static. Thus, if too many players converge on the same server's portion of the game world, that server will become overloaded and game performance will suffer.
The second approach is the setting of dynamic boundaries. Although the setting of dynamic boundaries limits server overload, with this approach, there are many places in the game space where players can simultaneously see into one or more other servers' area of control. Thus, the servers need to tightly synchronize information with their neighboring servers. Furthermore, in these configurations, a "grey" area is present around the partitioning boundaries where both servers partially "own" the objects, the data is mirrored between the servers, all in an attempt to reduce the work involved in handing off an object to the next server when the object leaves the "grey" area. This mirroring, though, further increases synchronization problems and greatly complicates the server code. These techniques are described in detail in "Massively Multi-player Game Development" edited by Thor Alexander in 2003 (ISBN 1-58450-243-6). As stated in "Massively Multi-player Game Development," although many limitations are associated with such techniques, implementation is necessary in order to achieve desired massive multi-player on-line game scalability.
Therefore, it would be desirable to develop a massive multi-player on-line game with technology designed to overcome the above mentioned difficult coordination and synchronization problems between multiple servers thereby improving on-line gaming.

Handling of players and objects in massive multi-player on-line games

International Business Machines Corporation


An image forming apparatus including a photoreceptor that rotates, a charging member provided in contact with or in close proximity of the photoreceptor to charge the photoreceptor, a charge amount detecting portion that accumulates current flowing across the photoreceptor to obtain a charge amount of the photoreceptor, while the current is being applied from the charging member until a voltage on a surface of the photoreceptor substantially corresponds to the voltage applied by the charging member, and a controller that calculates a film thickness of the photoreceptor based on the charge amount.

1. Technical Field
This invention relates to an image forming apparatus in which an AC bias and a DC bias are applied to charge a photoreceptor uniformly in a contact charging method or a close proximity charging method having the operation principle of discharging, and more particularly, to a measuring technique of film thickness of the photoreceptor.
2. Related Art
Various members such as a charging roller, developing brash, and transferring roller, cleaning brush, cleaning blade, and the like physically come into contact with a surface of a photoreceptor of the image forming apparatus. Such physical contact gradually abrades away a surface of a photoconductive layer along with the repeated image forming process. In particular, the magnitude of sliding frictional forces applied by the cleaning brush or cleaning blade is strong enough to cause the abrasion of the photoconductive layer.
With the afore-described abrasion, if the thickness of the photoconductive layer is reduced by a certain amount, the photosensitivity will significantly degrade or the charging characteristics will be deteriorated. This makes it impossible to charge the surface of the photoreceptor uniformly at a desired potential, and a clear image cannot be formed.
Therefore, the thickness of the photoconductive layer of the photoreceptor is measured as time goes on to estimate the operating life of the photoreceptor.

Image forming apparatus with measuring technique


The invention is related to an implant, in particular a bone replacement implant for insertion into a bone cavity, or an intervertebral implant for insertion between two adjacent vertebral bodies of a human or animal spine. The implant can be brought from a normal position, in which the implant encompasses a maximum total volume, into an insertion position, in which the implant encompasses an insertion volume, which is smaller than the maximum total volume. Moreover, the implant has a plurality of cavities in fluidic connection with one another, and a net volume encompassed in the normal position by the plurality of cavities in fluidic connection with one another is smaller than the maximum total volume, which allows insertion of the implant through as small as possible an opening in a human or animal body while maintaining a high inherent stability.

The present invention relates to an implant, in particular a bone replacement implant for insertion into a bone cavity formed by resection, for example, or an intervertebral implant for insertion between two adjacent vertebral bodies of a human or animal spine, which can be brought from a normal position, in which the implant encompasses a maximum total volume, into an insertion position, in which the implant encompasses an insertion volume, which is smaller than the maximum total volume.
For treatment of a disc prolapse, the affected intervertebral disc is usually partially or completely removed and the section of the spine formed by the two vertebrae adjacent to the damaged disc reinforced. To achieve such a reinforcement, the two vertebral bodies of the adjacent vertebrae are usually fused by means of a spacer, also referred to as a "cage". The spacer is inserted between the two vertebral bodies, wherein a spacer is usually selected that has a height corresponding to the original height of the intervertebral disc. The spacer is preferably not solid, so that bone substance can grow into the spacer.
The disadvantage with such implants has proved to be their size, i.e. they cannot typically be inserted in a minimally invasive manner.
In addition, inserted balloons are known in particular in vertebroplasty, which are inserted into a bone cavity and can be filled with bone cement. The disadvantage with such implants is that they are not at all suitable as intervertebral implants, since such a balloon implant always expands in the direction of least resistance, particularly upon filling with a fluid.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to improve an implant of the above-described type such that the implant can be inserted through as small as possible an opening in a human or animal body and nevertheless have a high inherent stability.

Implant for insertion into a bone cavity or between vertebral bodies


A new and distinct Solenostemon plant cultivar is disclosed, characterized by deeply lobed, unjulating leaves; a sun tolerant Solenostemon that exhibits four colors; a more uniform growth habit; and short internodes.

The new cultivar 'TRI RES 08' is a product of a natural mutation. The new cultivar was discovered and selected by Leroy and Jackie Griffard in April 2004 in Ste. Genevieve, Mo. The new cultivar was discovered in a greenhouse in a group of other Solenostemon plants but exhibited different leaf coloring and growing characteristics. The exact parent plant is unknown.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar 'TRI RES 08' by terminal cuttings was performed in Ste. Genevieve, Mo. and Oxnard, Calif., and has shown that the unique features of this new cultivar are stable and reproduced true to type on successive generations.


A web release agent delivery system for a heat and pressure fuser. The system includes an oil impregnated web which is transported between supply and take-up rolls while contacting the fuser roll. The web is formed of a material having sub-denier fibers. It is preferred that the web is formed of a polyaramid fiber material with a polyester binder wherein some of the polyaramid fibers are of a sub-denier thickness. The preferred composition of the material is approximately 70% polyester and 30% polyaramid with approximately 50% of the polyaramid fibers having a denier ranging between approximately 0.8 and 0.25 denier. The disclosed material having an improved oil retaining capacity and donor capacity as used in a web release agent delivery system for a heat and pressure fuser.

In imaging systems commonly used today, a charge retentive surface is typically charged to a uniform potential and thereafter exposed to a light source to thereby selectively discharge the charge retentive surface to form a latent electrostatic image thereon. The image may comprise either the discharged portions or the charged portions of the charge retentive surface. The light source may comprise any well known device such as a light lens scanning system or a laser beam. Subsequently, the electrostatic latent image on the charge retentive surface is rendered visible by developing the image with developer powder referred to in the art as toner. The most common development systems employ developer which comprises both charged carrier particles and charged toner particles which triboelectrically adhere to the carrier particles. During development, the toner particles are attracted from the carrier particles by the charged pattern of the image areas of the charge retentive surface to form a powder image thereon. This toner image may be subsequently transferred to a support surface such as plain paper to which it may be permanently affixed by heating or by the application of pressure or a combination of both.
In order to fix or fuse the toner material onto a support member or substrate permanently by heat, it is necessary to elevate the temperature of the toner material to a point at which constituents of the toner material coalesce and become tacky. This action causes the toner to flow to some extent onto the fibers or pores of the substrate or otherwise upon the surfaces thereof. Thereafter, as the toner material cools, solidification of the toner material occurs causing the toner material to be bonded firmly to the substrate.
One approach to thermal fusing of toner material images onto the supporting substrate has been to pass the substrate with the unfused toner images thereon between a pair of opposed roller members at least one of which is internally heated. During operation of a fusing system of this type, the substrate to which the toner images are electrostatically adhered is moved through the nip formed between the rolls with the toner image contacting the heated fuser roll to thereby effect heating of the toner images within the nip. Typical of such fusing devices are two roll systems wherein the fusing roll is coated with a compliant material, such as a silicone rubber or other low surface energy elastomer or, for example, tetrafluoroethylene resin sold by E. I. DuPont De Nemours under the trademark Teflon. In these fusing systems, however, since the toner image is tackified by heat it frequently happens that a part of the image carried on the supporting substrate will be retrained by the heated fuser roller and not penetrate into the substrate surface. The tackified toner may stick to the surface of the fuser roll and offset to a subsequent sheet of support substrate or offset to the pressure roll when there is no sheet passing through a fuser nip resulting in contamination of the pressure roll with subsequent offset of toner from the pressure roll to the image substrate.
To obviate the foregoing toner offset problem it has been common practice to utilize toner release agents such as silicone oil, in particular, polydimethyl silicone oil, which is applied to the fuser roll surface to a thickness of the order of about 1 micron to act as a toner release material. These materials posses a relatively low surface energy and have been found to be materials that are suitable for use in the heated fuser roll environment. In practice, a thin layer of silicone oil is applied to the surface of the heated roll to form an interface between the roll surface and the toner image carried on the support material. Thus, a low surface energy, easily parted layer is presented to the toners that pass through the fuser nip and thereby prevents toner from adhering to the fuser roll surface.
Various systems have been used to deliver release agent fluid to the fuser roll including the use of oil soaked rolls and wicks with and without supply sumps as well as oil impregnated webs. The oil soaked rolls and wicks generally suffer from the difficulty in that they require a sump of oil to replenish the roll and the wick as its supply of release agent is depleted by transfer to the fuser roll. Furthermore, a wick suffers from the difficulty of a relatively short life of the order of around 10,000 prints. Moreover, these systems suffer from the further difficulty in that their surfaces in contact with the fuser roll are constant whereby contamination particularly by toner and paper can readily occur further reducing valuable life.
In a web release agent delivery system, one end of the web is attached to a take-up member while the rest of the web is supported on a supply member. A portion of the web intermediate the supply and take-up members is held in pressure engagement with the heated fuser roll structure to both apply release agent material to the fuser roll surface and clean debris therefrom. These delivery systems have suffered from various material related problems. That is, the delivery of oil, i.e., quantity released, is not of a high percentage of oil held, the delivery is not substantially uniform, and the like.
The following references may be of relevance to the present invention:
U.S. Pat. No. 3,941,558, Patentee: Takiguchi, Issued: Mar. 2, 1976.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,393,804, Patentee: Nygard et al, Issued: Jul. 19, 1983.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,557,588, Patentee: Tomosada, Issued: Dec. 10, 1985.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,939,552, Patentee: Nakanishi, Issued: Jul. 3, 1990.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,045,890, Patentee: DeBolt et al., Issued: Sep. 3, 1991.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,049,944, Patentee: DeBolt et al., Issued: Sep. 17, 1991.
JPPN-58-184173 (A), Patentee: Katou, Published: Oct. 27, 1983.
JPPN-61-251881 (A), Patentee: Takizawa Published: Nov. 8, 1986.
The foregoing references may be summarized as follows:
U.S. Pat. No. 3,941,558 discloses a rolled web impregnated with silicone oil for preventing offset. The web has a thickness of two mm, a total length of 50 cm, and travels one cm per thousand copies between the supply and take-up rollers. This system transfers about 0.003 cc of oil to the fuser per copy.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,393,804 discloses a rolled web system that moves between a supply core and take-up roller. A felt applicator supplies oil from a supply reservoir to the web. The take-up core is driven by a slip clutch at a speed greater than the speed of the pressure roller, thus exerting tension on the web. The web is between one and two mm in thickness and moves at a constant speed of 5 cm per 200 to 1,000 copies.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,557,588 discloses an image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic copier, microfilm equipment, recording equipment, facsimile or printer. A movable cleaning member is maintained in contact with a member to clean its surface and the movement of the cleaning member is variably controlled according to the state of the image formation.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,939,552 discloses a cleaning device for cleaning the surface of an element of a copying apparatus to be cleaned by contacting a cleaning web therewith is connected to a driving mechanism of a scanning member of the coping apparatus and is driven in correlative movement with the scanning member. It is driven only when the scanning member returns to its original position by a one way clutch and by a constant amount of movement irrespective of the amount of movement of the scanning member.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,045,890 discloses a fuser apparatus for applying offset preventing liquid to a fuser roll including: a supply core; a rotatable take-up core; an oil impregnated web member adapted to be moved from the supply core to the take up core; a motor mechanically coupled to the take up roll for driving the web member from the the supply core to the take up core; a pressure roll in engagement with the web member and positioned to provide a contact nip for the web member with the fuser roll opposite the pressure roll wherein the contact of the web member with the fuser roll transfers oil from the web member to the fuser roll, and control means to vary the duty cycle operation of the motor to drive the web member at a relatively constant linear speed at the contact nip, the control means including a timer to monitor the cumulative time of operation of the motor and means to progressively decrease the duty cycle of the motor in response to the cumulative time of operation wherein the progressively decreased duty cycle of operation compensates for the increasing radius of the web member on the take up roll to maintain said relatively constant linear speed at the contact nip.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,049,944 discloses apparatus for applying offset preventing liquid to a fuser roll including an oil impregnated web to be moved relative to a fuser roll. A timer is employed to monitor the cumulative time of operation of a motor used to drive the web relative to the fuser roll and to progressively decrease the cycle of the motor so that essentially a uniform amount of the web is moved at each cycle.
JPPN-58-184173 (A) discloses a fuser apparatus in which one of the rolls is crowned in the center and the other is flared toward one end. The flared roller is also mounted at an angle to the center line of the crowned roller.
JPPN-61-251881 (A) discloses a fixed roller having an inverted crow shape along its length, which engages a belt entrained about two crown shaped rollers to act a part of a fixing device.
Additionally, there are several automatic printing machines commercially available, such as the Xerox 5028 model copier, which employ webs for providing release agents to fuser rolls. Other examples of such commercial devices, presently or currently available, include the Canon model 3225, 3725, 3000 series, 4000 series and 5000 series products. These products also all have liquid release agent impregnated webs supported between a supply roll and a take-up roll and urged into contact with the fuser roll by an open celled foam pinch roll.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention there is provided apparatus for applying offset preventing liquid to a fuser roll comprising an oil impregnated web material including sub-denier fibers and means for urging the web material into contact with the fuser roll to apply release material to the fuser roll. This aspect can further include the sub-denier fibers being of a size ranging from about 5% and 50% of said web material by weight. Further, the web material can comprise a non-woven material, which can be formed of polyaramid fibers and a polyester fiber binder. In addition the polyester fiber binder can comprise approximately 70% of the web material by weight with the fibers thereof being approximately 1.5 denier. The invention can also include a take up roll adapted to receive the web material and a supply roll for storing a supply of the web material, as well as, comprising means for advancing portions of the web member from the supply roll and into contact with the fuser roll and, subsequently, to the takeup roll so as to position unused portions of the web material in contact with the fuser roll. The subdenier fibers can comprise approximately 15% of the web material by weight and can be polyaramid fibers ranging from about 0.25 to about 0.80 denier, and preferably 0.5 denier.

Web release agent system for a heat and pressure fuser


A portable communication device capable of operating in a telephony mode and in a dispatch mode is disclosed. The device includes a proximity sensor and a first speaker mounted on a front panel and a second speaker mounted on a rear panel. The operation of the speakers is controlled in accordance with the operational state of the device as well as the output of the proximity sensor.

The present invention relates to radio communications. More specifically, it relates to a portable radio communication device that provides communications in a telephony mode and in a radio dispatch mode.
Recently, telephony communications and radio dispatch communications have been provided in a single portable communications device. For example, communications in the frequency bands that the Specialized Mobile Radio (SMR) industry utilizes now provide a user with the ability to communicate with a dispatcher in a radio dispatch mode as well as the ability to communicate over a PSTN link in a telephony mode.
Normally, a user of a portable communication device will communicate in a telephony mode by using the communication device just as a telephone would be used. That is, the microphone in the communication device is placed next to the user's mouth and the receiver or speaker in the communication device is placed next to the user's ear. The speaker need only be capable of broadcasting a low power audio signal, since the user's ear is next to the speaker. Conversely, when a portable communication device is used in a radio dispatch mode, the device is usually either held in a user's belt or is held in front of the user's face so that the speaker is not next to the user's ear. As a result, a dispatch speaker must be capable of providing a higher power audio signal.
Portable communication devices using a single speaker have been suggested to provide communications in a radio dispatch mode and in a telephony mode. See, for example, the portable radio, model number Viking CX, manufactured by E. F. Johnson. See, also, U.S. Pat. No. 5,276,916, issued to Pawlish. These devices, however, do not allow a user to communicate in the dispatch mode in the normal way. All of these devices also suffer from the drawback of attempting to provide diverse operational capabilities--one requiring a low audio signal and the other requiring a high audio signal--using a single speaker. Other approaches have been suggested. For example, a communication device having two speakers on the same side of the portable communication device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,448,620, issued to Gershkovich.
Accordingly, new communication devices for providing improved telephony and radio dispatch communications are needed.


A graphene-polymer layered composite and a method of manufacturing the same is provided. A graphene-polymer layered composite includes polymer layers surrounding a graphene sheet, and may include numerous polymer layers and graphene sheets in an alternating stacked configuration. The graphene-polymer layered composite has the characteristics of a polymer in that it provides flexibility, ease of manufacturing, low manufacturing costs, and low thermal conductivity. The graphene-polymer layered composite also has the characteristics of graphene in that it has a high electrical conductivity. Due to the low thermal conductivity and high electrical conductivity, the graphene-polymer layered composite may be useful for electrodes, electric devices, and thermoelectric materials.

1. Field
Apparatuses and methods consistent with embodiments relate generally to graphene-polymer layered composites and methods of preparing the same, and more particularly, to graphene-polymer layered composites having low thermal conductivity and high electrical conductivity and methods of preparing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
In solid materials, heat energy is often transferred by lattice vibration, that is, phonons. The transferring capability of heat energy is represented by thermal conductivity. Thermal conductivity is dependent on either a mean free path of a phonon, which is affected by a thermal capacity characteristic, interior defects, and interface characteristics of a material, or a phonon group velocity. A thermal conductivity characteristic is a unique characteristic of a material, and in the case of a metal having many free electrons, heat is transferred by charges and thus, thermal conductivity is as high as hundreds of watts per Kelvin-meter (W/mK). In the case of a soft material that has no crystallinity in a wide temperature range, such as an organic material, or an amorphous material, phonon transfer is not easy and thus, thermal conductivity is as low as from about 0.1 to about 0.3 W/mK.
To solve the energy-related problems that future generations are to face, solar cells, hydrogen cells, and thermoelectric energy are getting much attention and are being extensively researched. Among them, the reuse of heat energy, which is wasted by 60% or more, and an energy conversion technique using solar heat are considered to be an important technique to be obtained. Since heat energy is used by converting heat into electrical energy, a material used in this heat conversion system needs to have low thermal conductivity and high electrical conductivity.
Polymers, such as thermoplastics or thermosetting polymers, are an attractive material in terms of flexibility, costs, and processability. However, as a thermoelectric material, polymer is not attractive due to its very low electrical conductivity despite its low thermal conductivity. Recently, however, the possibility of a polymer as a thermoelectric material has been demonstrated after a composite including the polymer and a nano material, such as a carbon nanotube (CNT) having high electrical conductivity, was developed. In this case, however, charge hopping may occur among CNTs in a CNT network and thus, there is a limit in improving electrical conductivity of the polymer.

Graphene-polymer layered composite and process for preparing the same


A power semiconductor device with an electrostatic discharge (ESD) structure includes an N-type semiconductor substrate, at least one ESD device, and at least one trench type transistor device. The N-type semiconductor has at least two trenches, and the ESD device is disposed in the N-type semiconductor substrate between the trenches. The ESD device includes a P-type first doped region, and an N-type second doped region and an N-type third doped region disposed in the P-type first doped region. The N-type second doped region is electrically connected to a gate of the trench type transistor device, and the N-type third doped region is electrically connected to a drain of the trench type transistor device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a power semiconductor device and a manufacturing method thereof, and more particularly, to a power semiconductor device with an electrostatic discharge structure and a manufacturing method thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Power metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) transistor devices have conductive properties of high voltage and high current, and thus are easily damaged due to electrostatic discharge (ESD) pulses. To obtain a lower threshold voltage in more current integrated circuit manufacturing processes, thickness of a gate oxide layer of the power MOS transistor device is reduced. Therefore, the power MOS transistor device is easily damaged by ESD pulses caused by static electricity or other uncontrollable factors. To solve this problem, ESD devices are combined with the power MOS transistor device to protect the power MOS transistor device from being damaged. In existing techniques for fabricating the power MOS transistor device, a process used to fabricate the ESD devices is performed after the power MOS transistor device is fabricated. Accordingly, extra processes are required, which raise the fabricating cost.
Please refer to FIG. 1, which illustrates a cross-sectional view of a power semiconductor device according to the prior art. As shown in FIG. 1, the power semiconductor device 10 according to the prior art includes a plurality of trench type transistor devices 14 and a plurality of ESD devices 16 formed on a semiconductor substrate 12. The ESD devices 16 are formed by the following steps. A polycrystalline silicon layer 18 is formed, and then a P-ion implantation process and an N-ion implantation process are performed on the polycrystalline silicon layer 18 in sequence to form a plurality of P-doped regions 20 and a plurality of N-doped regions 22. The P-doped regions 20 and the N-doped regions 22 are alternately connected to each other in sequence. Any P-doped region 20 and the N-doped region 22 adjacent thereto form an ESD device 16 with a P-N junction, and the ESD devices 16 are connected between a gate electrode and a drain electrode of the trench type transistor device in series.
As mentioned above, conventional ESD devices are formed by doping the polycrystalline silicon layer. Since the lattice structure of the polycrystalline silicon layer limits current transmitted therein, the ESD devices have limited ability to discharge electrostatic charges due to the lattice structure of the polycrystalline silicon layer. Thus, raising the ability of the ESD devices to discharge the electrostatic charges in the power semiconductor devices is an objective in this field.

Power semiconductor device with electrostatic discharge structure


An improved process for making a mild, detergent-soap, toilet bar containing a C6-C18 acyl isethionate as the principal surfactant in combination with minor proportions of C12-C20 fatty acids, a water soluble soap and water which comprises the step of forming a liquid mixture of said acyl isethionate, fatty acids and soap at a temperature of about 85.degree. C. to 105.degree. C. in the presence of about 0.5% to 2.5% by weight, based upon the bar, of vegetable oil prior to processing said liquid mixture on a chill roll to form particles which are further processed to yield said bar, said liquid mixture having reduced viscosity and being readily pumpable as compared to a liquid mixture prepared in the absence of said vegetable oil. The bar produced by the foregoing process also is part of the invention.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an improved process for making a mild, detergent-soap, toilet bar containing, by weight, about 45% to 70% of sodium or potassium C6-C18 acyl isethionate, about 10% to 40% of C12-C20 fatty acids as a plasticizer and superfatting agent, about 3% to 25% of a water-soluble sodium or potassium soap and 2% to 10% of water which comprises the step of forming a liquid mixture of said isethionate, said fatty acids and said soap in the presence of from 0.5% to 2.5% by weight based upon the toilet bar of a vegetable oil at a temperature of from about 85.degree. C. to 105.degree. C. The liquid mixture formed in the presence of the vegetable oil has a reduced viscosity as compared with an identical mixture made without said vegetable oil and yields bars with improved slip, low isethionate degradation and low grit.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Mild, detergent-soap, toilet bars containing C6-C18 acyl isethionate as the principal detergent and minor amounts of fatty acids and soap are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,894,912 (Geitz) and U.S. Pat. No. 3,376,229 (Haass et al.). In Geitz, the chips processed into bars were produced from either a 40-50% aqueous slurry of the ingredients mixed at a temperature of from 38.degree. C. to 93.degree. C. or a mixture of the dry ingredients mixed at 100.degree. C. for a long period of time. In Haass et al., the bars were prepared from a liquid mixture of acyl isethionate, fatty acids, anionic syudet and soap mixed at a temperature of about 110.degree. C. to 113.degree. C. for about fifteen minutes. The latter bars contained at least about 4% by weight of sodium isethionate as a processing aid.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,707,288, mixtures of acyl isethionate, fatty acids, soap and more than 2% by weight of sodium isethionate were mixed in particulate form at temperatures in the range of 60.degree. C. to 86.degree. C. using a special cavity transfer mixer under conditions of high shear to yield toilet bars which exhibit reduced grit.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,696,767 discloses a process for making mild toilet bars wherein a slurry of acyl isethionate, water and a polyol such as sorbitol is formed into a stable solution by heating at a temperature of from 100.degree. C. to 120.degree. C. at 4-10 p.s.i.g. and said slurry is mixed with neat soap and this mixture is heated to about 150.degree. C. under a pressure of 4 atmospheres before being spread on a chill roll to provide flakes which yield a toilet bar without grit. However, the presence of the polyol leads to increased water penetration in the soap dish as well as a bar of increased cost. This patent further teaches that use of acyl isethionate in particulate form causes problems--fine particles function as a lacrimatory agent and larger particles yield bars with grit.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,663,070 a toilet bar composition in which soap is the principal surfactant is described. Liquid mixtures containing a major proportion of soap plus acyl isethionate, fatty acids, water and sodium isethionate were formed at temperatures of 96.degree. C. to 103.degree. C. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,030,376 a similar mixture containing a major proportion of soap is processed under conditions of high shear in a special cavity transfer mixer at temperatures maintained below 40.degree. C. to form a mixture with some of the soap in the delta phase. U.S. Pat. No. 5,041,233 also relates to a similar mixture wherein a mixture of acyl isethionate, fatty acids and soap is prepared at a temperature of 82.degree. C. to 94.degree. C., with the soap being formed in situ. This patent indicates that high viscosity mixtures and hydrolysis of acyl isethionate can be problems in such mixtures.
The foregoing description of the prior art indicates that a variety of processes have been employed to produce mild, detergent-soap, toilet bars which have satisfactory hardness, water permeability, slip and low grit. Additionally, the resultant bars should exhibit low hydrolysis of the sodium isethionate. Also, desirably, the process should utilize standard equipment and should not require process temperatures higher than about 110.degree. C. to avoid degradation of acyl isethionate and to conserve energy.

Process for making mild, detergent-soap, toilet bars and the bar resulting therefrom


The present disclosure relates to a non-volatile memory cell structure, and an associated method. A non-volatile memory cell includes two transistors spaced apart from one another with floating gates connected together by a floating gate bridge. During the operation, the non-volatile memory cell is programmed and erased from one first transistor and read from the other second transistor. Since the floating gates of the two transistors are connected together and insulated from other ambient layers, stored charges can be controlled from the first transistor and affect a threshold of the second transistor.

Flash memory is an electronic non-volatile computer storage medium that can be electrically erased and reprogrammed. To store information, flash memory includes an addressable array of memory cells; each of which includes a transistor with a floating gate disposed over a substrate separated therefrom by an insulating dielectric layer. When written to and erased during the normal course of use, defects disposed in the insulating dielectric layer may trap charges and unavoidably degrade the insulating effect. Other types of damage may also reduce the effectiveness of the insulating dielectric layer, reducing ability of the floating gate to hold a charge for an extended period of time. Each flash memory can sustain a finite amount of degradation before it becomes unreliable, meaning it may still function but not consistently. The number of writes operations performed (e.g., program and erase cycles) a flash memory can sustain while still maintaining a consistent, predictable output, defines its endurance.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.


A bidirectional catheter with a deflectable tip at a distal end includes a handle at a proximal end and a tubular member extending between the tip and the handle. The handle includes a first piston member slidably mounted in a handle base with proximal ends of steering wires secured in the handle. The steering wires extend through the tubular member with respective distal ends thereof secured to circumferentially spaced portions of the distal end tip. Axial displacement of the piston member in a second direction conversely urges deflection of the distal end tip in a second direction by tensioning the other wire relative to the first wire. The piston member can include another piston member slidable in the first piston member with the proximal ends of the steering wires secured in the first mentioned piston member and the handle member, respectively, and with the other piston member supporting a proximal end of the tubular member.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to catheters generally and more particularly to steering mechanisms that promote the transit of such catheters through the blood vessels of a patient.
2. Description of Related Art
Steerable mechanisms have been developed to facilitate the transit of catheters through a patient's blood vessels. In practice, a surgeon typically observes the catheter fluoroscopically and maneuvers the catheter by selective rotation and deflection of a steering mechanism of the proximal end of the catheter. The rotation and deflection at the proximal end bends or deflects the tip of the catheter and enables the surgeon to steer the catheter as it advances through the tortious path often found during the transit through a patient's blood vessels.
In many applications the ability to steer the catheter is crucial to the success of the therapeutic protocol and can be a factor in reducing risk to and trauma of the patient. Moreover, the ability to steer the catheter impacts the speed and ease by which the surgeon can properly position the distal end, particularly during heart mapping protocols.
The distal ends of some steerable catheters are formed of a shape memory material or structure, such as a coil spring, so that the application of a force to a steering mechanism in the form of a steering cable deflects the distal tip from its normal position. Then as the tension in the cable is released, the distal end tends to return to its normal position. Other prior art steering mechanisms are often carried within the catheter or as part of the wall structure of the catheter to improve the response of the distal end tip to a steering force applied at the proximal end. Such steering mechanisms are designed to simplify the surgeon's task of orienting the distal end tip for deflection in a proper direction, and following United States Letters Patents and United States Patent Application describe various steering mechanisms for use with catheters:
______________________________________ 4,798,598 (1989) Bonello et al. 5,037,391 (1991) Hammerslag et al. 5,108,368 (1992) Hammerslag et al. 5,190,050 (1993) Nitzsche 5,228,411 (1993) Lundquist 5,242,441 (1993) Avitall 5,322,064 (1994) Lundquist Serial No. 08/138,863 (1993) Mirarchi et al. ______________________________________
Bonello et al. disclose a catheter having a distal end with an overcoated coil spring formed with closely spaced coils at distal and proximal end portions thereof and with relatively widely spaced coils at a central portion. A traction member connects to one side of the coils in the distal end portion and extends distally through the catheter and a proximal handle. Retraction of the traction member by a control device in the handle urges the coil spring to bend about its central portion. Upon releasing the traction member from its retracted condition, the coil spring tends to urge the distal end of the catheter to resume its normal condition.
Each of the Hammerslag et al. patents disclose a steering mechanism for use in a steerable guidewire or catheter. The steering apparatus includes a flexible post disposed in the guidewire or catheter near a flexible distal end thereof. A plurality of circumferentially spaced steering wires connects to the flexible post intermediate its distal end and its fixed proximal base and extends through the guidewire or catheter to a handle. Retracting certain steering wires relative to the others deflects the steering post and consequently urges a similar deflection of the flexible distal end of the catheter or guidewire. Another embodiment discloses a flexible steering ribbon having an intermediate hinged portion positioned in a flexible distal end of a guidewire or catheter. Two steering wires extend from a handle of the guidewire or catheter along opposed sides of the ribbon and secure to a distal end of the ribbon. Retraction of one wire relative to the other causes the ribbon to bend at the hinge and deflects the distal end of the guidewire or catheter.
Nitzsche discloses a steering mechanism comprising three elongated, thin flat shims sandwiched together at a distal end of the shims and disposed at the distal tip of the catheter. A structure within the catheter tube supports and fixes the proximal position of the center shim. A first cable connects the proximal end of one of the other two shims with a handle; a second cable elastically connects the third shim to the handle. Proximal displacement of a slide portion stretches the elastic cable while sliding the shim connected to the other cable proximally to deflect thereby the distal end of the sandwich. When the slide is released, the elastic anchor contracts and returns the sandwich to its original orientation.
Each Lundquist reference discloses a catheter that includes an elongated tube and proximal handle. Steering wires and a torque tube extend from the handle distally through the tube with distal ends of the steering wires secured to spring elements extending from the distal end of the torque tube. A proximal end of each of the steering wires secures to opposed portions of a rotatable eccentric secured in the handle. The torque tube rotates the distal end responsive to rotation of the handle, while rotation of the eccentric urges deflection of the distal end. Specifically, rotation of the eccentric in a first direction tensions one of the steering wires and reduces the tension of the other steering wire. The resulting differential tensioning of the steering wires deflects the end selectively toward the steering wire under the greater tension. Another embodiment disclosed by Lundquist in U.S. Pat. No. 5,322,064 includes first and second rotatable collars on a handle that attach to the first and second steering wires, respectively, so that selective rotation of the collars varies the relative tension of the associated steering wire to enable radial deflection an X-Y plane and, by rotation of the handle, in a transverse Z plane.
In Avitall a steering wire extends through a catheter between a sliding portion of a handle at the proximal end of the catheter and a flexible portion at a rotatable distal tip. Retracting the slide handle deflects the distal tip from its normal linearly extending axial orientation.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/138,863 to Mirarchi et al. discloses a steerable catheter including a steering wire that extends between and connects a distal end tip with a handle at the proximal end. A proximal portion of the handle attaches to the catheter tube. Sliding a base portion of the handle relative to the proximal portion in first and second directions respectively increases and decreases the tension on the cable to enable deflection and return to an undeflected condition. In an alternative embodiment, an intermediate portion of the cable extends along a looped path defined in the base of the handle so that the handle functions as a movable pulley. Consequently a given axial displacement of the handle produces twice that displacement of the cable at the distal end.
Although the foregoing prior art references describe catheters with steering mechanisms for deflecting the distal tip, they all are characterized by restrictions that limit their convenient use. For example, the steering mechanisms disclosed by Mirarchi et al., Nitzsche and Bonello can only be deflected in a single direction and require the surgeon to rotate the handle up to 180.degree. to orient the distal end properly for deflection in a desired direction. Since repeated reorientations of the catheter tip frequently are required, the therapeutic protocol of these devices necessitates extra work, skill and effort on the part of a surgeon and prolongs the procedure. Each of the Lundquist references provides for bidirectional bending of the distal end thereby limiting the angular displacement to 90.degree.. However, the rotary displacement of the eccentrics or separate collars can be inconvenient to surgeons accustomed to linear actuators and may even require the surgeon to use both hands. Additionally, at least one embodiment disclosed by Lundquist requires separate controls that may lead to mistakes in steering.
The pulley arrangement disclosed by Mirarchi et al. provides the user with a slide apparatus that has a greater than unity mechanical advantage over the devices disclose by others of the references. That is, for a relatively short displacement of the slide handle relative to the catheter, the steering wire is displaced at a multiplied rate. This provides for greater ease of use of the device. Nevertheless, the apparatus disclosed by Mirarchi et al. has the previously discussed limitation of single direction deflection.
Thus, steering mechanisms of the prior art fail to provide a handle with a slide mechanism for selectively deflecting the distal end of the catheter tube in two directions relative to an axial orientation. These steering mechanisms also fail to disclose a bidirectional steerable deflectable catheter in which the steering mechanism also provides a greater than unity displacement of the distal end tip for a given displacement of a slide mechanism in at least one of the two deflectable directions.

Bidirectional steerable catheter with deflectable distal tip


A support system having a support member, a bracket and a work surface is disclosed. The support member has a slotted face and a support wall adjacent the slotted face. The bracket has a plurality of teeth adapted to engage the slotted face of the support member. The plurality of teeth include upper teeth and lower teeth. At least one of the lower teeth is sized to pass through the slotted face of the support member and engage the support wall. A work surface is supported by the bracket.

The present invention relates to the field of support systems. In particular, the present invention relates to an improved bracket for supporting cantilevered components such as a shelf, work surface or cabinet.
In recent years, the concept of open office planning which utilizes free standing partition systems for defining various office and workstation areas has become increasingly popular. Many of the manufacturers of these types of systems provide for the direct mounting of office accessories such as cabinets, shelves, work surfaces and the like to the free standing wall panel or partition. These systems can employ what is known as a slotted standard as a part of the wall panel or partition to serve as a mounting vehicle on that wall panel or partition. The slotted standard is generally a vertical steel channel which extends over at least a portion of a vertical dimension of a wall panel or partition and has therein a plurality of spaced or vertically aligned slots. The slots are adapted to receive a plurality of hook shaped connector elements which extend from the back surface of the accessory to the slotted standard. An example of a known hook shaped connector may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,877,191 entitled xe2x80x9cCONNECTOR ASSEMBLY AND SUPPORT POSTxe2x80x9d issued to Robert J. Munzie.
Many users often place a heavy load on such work surfaces, shelves or cabinets. In particular, users can place items such as books and work accessories such as computers, monitors or printers thereon. However, when a heavy load is applied to many work surfaces or cabinets, it is possible for the hook shaped members to either deform the slotted standard or pull completely away therefrom.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved support system for a work surface, shelf or cabinet that can more readily accommodate a heavy load.
The present invention is directed to a support system for a worksurface, shelf or cabinet that can accommodate a heavy load. According to a first aspect of the invention, a support system having a support member, a bracket and a work surface are disclosed. The support member has a slotted face and a support wall adjacent the slotted face. The bracket has a plurality of teeth adapted to engage the slotted face of the support member. The plurality of teeth include upper teeth and lower teeth. At least one of the lower teeth is sized to pass through the slotted face of the support member and engage the support wall. A work surface is supported by the bracket.
According to another aspect of the invention, a support system having a support member and at least one bracket and a work surface are provided. The support member has an integrally formed first slotted face and a first support wall adjacent the slotted face. The bracket has a plurality of teeth adapted to engage the slotted face of the support member. The plurality of teeth include upper teeth and lower teeth. At least one of the lower teeth is sized substantially larger than the remaining lower teeth so as to pass through the slotted face of the support member and engage the support wall. The work surface is supported by the bracket with the substantially larger tooth providing additional support for the shelf by pressing against the support wall.
As used herein, the term xe2x80x9cwork elementxe2x80x9d is intended to included surfaces such as those found in shelves, cabinets and work surfaces, i.e., desk tops.
The present invention is directed to a support system that may more readily accommodate a heavy load. These and other advantages of the invention will be best understood in view of the attached drawings and the following detailed description.


An image processing portion for conducting the specified processing of an image to be reproduced by an image forming portion based on the processed image data is constructed as a single control portion. Consequently, the development of a variety of digital copying machines requires preparation of specially designated control boards according to levels of the products. This makes machines expensive and requires users to pay a considerable initial cost. An image processing device of the present invention is provided with an image information inputting means for inputting image information as a first level image, a main image-processing board for conducting the specified processing of the input image information of the first revel image, a sub image-processing board for conducting the specified processing of the image information processed by the main image processing board and outputting the information as a second level image, and a means for reproducing an image according to the image information processed by the main image-processing board or the sub image-processing board. These boards are independent from each other in the circuit configuration.

The present invention relates to an image processing device such as a digital copying machine that conducts specified processing of image information read from an original by a scanning portion or image information transmitted over a communication channel from the outside and outputs a processed image by a printer portion.
Recently, the spread of digital data processing apparatuses such as personal computers, digital camera and portable information terminals using the digital technology has been accelerating globally. In the market for copying machines, many manufacturers are offering digital copying machines that can digitally process original images and output digital image information to meet an increasing demand of users for devices realizing easy reproduction and high-quality printing of photographs and originals without deterioration of the initial image quality.
The market circumstance stimulates manufactures to put on the market multifunctional digital copying machines that have facsimile and printer functions allowing multiple access.
However, the digital copying machines are expensive as compared with conventional analog copying machines because the digital machines must electrically read an original image and process the read image in the form of electronic data.
Namely, the digital copying machine is a combination of expensive components such as a reading device for electrically reading an original image, an image processing device for processing the electrically read image as electronic data and an optical scanning type recording device (e.g., a laser scanner) and so on. Therefore the further spread of the digital copying machines (e.g., a replace from the conventional analog machines or a increase of the digital machines) now slows down.
The image-processing portion in particular is very expensive and increases a total cost of the digital copying machine.
Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 62-82768 discloses an image processing device which is capable of high-speed processing of high-resolution image data by using a printer control section composed of a print head control portion having a first CPU for modulating beams in accordance with image data, an electrophotographic control portion having a second CPU for controlling an electrophotographic process to reproduce an image on paper, an interface control portion having a third CPU for syncronizing the operation of the printer-head control portion with the operation of the electrophotographic control portion.
The publication describes a method whereby an image forming device has a plurality of control units used for control of respective working portions of the device and is provided with a specific timing control portion for assuring synchronous operations of the control units.
The technical content of the above Publication consists in that image-processing portion for conducting processing of an image according to image data from an image forming portion is constructed as a single control unit.
To supply a variety of the digital copying machines, it is therefore necessary to prepare specific control boards depending upon the specifications of the goods. This may burden users with an increased initial cost of the goods and manufactures with time and cost of development. The need for additional control for synchronizing the respective processing portions is also a problem in costs.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a variety of digital copying machines from an inexpensive standard type copying machine capable of producing high-quality copies to a high-grade digital copying machine provided with a variety of functions, which are developed on a basis of a digital copying machine having minimum necessary functions, which can be modified with separate options of components for specific digital image processing functions to satisfy all the market demands and users"" needs.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a digital copying machines that can be modified by adding options whenever user requests.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an image processing device which comprises an image information inputting means for inputting image information as a first level image, a first image-processing means for conducting specified processing of he image information inputted as the first level image, a second image-processing means for receiving the image information processed by the first image-processing means and conducting specified processing of the image information as a different second level image and an image-information reproducing means for reproducing an image from the image information processed by the first image-processing means or the second image-processing means and is featured in that the first image-processing means and the second image-processing means are formed separately from each other in the circuit configuration.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an image processing device in which the first image-processing portion is provided with an image-writing control portion for control of image information writing by the image-reproducing means.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an image processing device in which the first image-processing portion is provided with a central processing unit for control of the first image-processing portion and the second image-processing portion.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an image processing device in which the image information inputted from the image-information inputting means and processed by the first image-processing means is multivalued-image information and the image information processed by the second image-processing means is binary image information.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an image processing device in which the second image-processing means is further provided with an input portion for receiving an image transmitted from a facsimile and/or a printer and the facsimile image or the printed image inputted through the input portion is processed as a binary image.


In order to provide a cell connector for the electrically conductive connection of a first cell terminal of a first electrochemical cell and a second cell terminal of a second electrochemical cell of an electrochemical device comprising a base body and a contact body, which is connected to the base body and is connected to one of the cell terminals in the assembled state of the cell connector, at which an electric potential is detectable in a particularly simple manner, it is proposed that the contact body comprises a voltage tap.

Such electrochemical devices can be configured in particular as electrical accumulators, e.g. as lithium-ion accumulators.
In the case of a lithium-ion accumulator the voltage difference between the two cell terminals (poles) of an individual accumulator cell amounts to approximately 3.6 V. To obtain a higher voltage level of approximately 360 V, for example, needed for many applications, e.g. in automotive drive technology, a plurality of such accumulator cells (e.g. approximately 100) must be electrically connected in series.
In this case, the accumulator cells or electrochemical cells in general can be combined into modules, which respectively contain a multiplicity of such electrochemical cells, wherein the installation direction of adjacently arranged cells alternates so that positive and negative cell terminals alternately lie adjacent to one another.
These adjacent cell terminals of opposite polarity are directly connected to one another by means of a respective cell connector for the series connection of the cells.
The contact body connected to the base body serves to achieve a connection of the cell connector to the respective cell terminal having a reliable, fail-safe and low contact resistance.
To effect monitoring of individual cells, differences in electric potential between different cell connectors are measured. In known potential monitoring operations the measuring points are soldered into a circuit board by means of cable, wire or conductive material.


A compressing and binding device for a spring mattress includes a compression chamber in which a spring mattress is housed, a compression board member compressing the spring mattress in a parallel direction with a bed surface thereof to form a compressed article, and a binding device for binding the compressed article with string.

A used spring mattress has been disassembled into combustible materials, such as an outer covering body or the like, and a spring unit, and the combustible materials are incinerate, and the springs are recycled as steels. For example, by used of a device that is disclosed in JP2001-96265A, the mattress has been disassembled by the device for separating and removing the outer covering body from the spring unit of a mattress. Specifically, such device includes transportation rollers for transporting the mattress in a predetermined direction, a couple of peeling plates for each peeling one side of an outer covering body, which covers one side of the spring unit, and also peeling another side of the outer covering body, which covers another side of the spring unit, from the corresponding spring unit of the mattress that is transported by the transportation rollers, and a couple of separating means which are each arranged at the opposite side with a predetermined space in the direction perpendicular to the transporting direction of the mattress in order to separate the outer covering body from the spring unit by sending out the outer covering body peeled by the plates while each holding one part and another part of the outer covering body.
Thus, even when the outer covering body is firmly bound together with the spring unit, the outer covering body can be separated from the spring unit by means of the device. Further, the spring unit and the outer covering body, which is separated from the spring unit, are transported respectively in the predetermined directions, and thus the separated spring unit and the outer covering body are further easily processed. Further, such separating operation can be continually conducted, as a result an efficiency on the separating operation can be enhanced.
However, because such used mattress, that will be put into the device so as to be disassembled, needs to be transported from a home or a hotel by a truck, and a space of a rear deck of the truck in which the used mattress is loaded is limited, and thus, transportation becomes inefficient.
A need exists for provide a device by which a spring mattress can be compressed into a small piece and bound so as to be easily disassembled.

Compressing and binding device for elastic member


An intercooler pipe for a vehicle may include an inlet which is positioned at an upper portion of the intercooler pipe; an upper bellows portion which forms an upper bellows body that protrudes in a rib shape from a surface of a pipe body extended in a direction toward the inlet; an outlet which is positioned at a lower portion of the intercooler pipe; a lower bellows portion which forms a lower bellows body that protrudes in a rib shape from a surface of the pipe body extended in a direction toward the outlet; and an intermediate portion which has the pipe body bent downward from the upper bellows portion and connected to the lower bellows portion, wherein a thickness of the pipe body of the intermediate portion is greater than a thickness of the upper bellows body and a thickness of the lower bellows body.

Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to an intercooler pipe for a vehicle, and more particularly, to an intercooler pipe for a vehicle with a configuration of different thickness and materials of the intercooler pipe used for each section to prevent vibration of a throttle body from transmitting to an intercooler and a side member of a vehicle body through the intercooler pipe.
Description of Related Art
In general, an intercooler pipe for a vehicle refers to a pipe that connects an intercooler and a throttle body, and serves as a flow path where air cooled by the intercooler flows through to the throttle body.
FIG. 1 illustrates a structure of an intercooler pipe for a vehicle in the related art.
The intercooler pipe for a vehicle in the related art has a configuration in which an inlet side rubber pipe 2 is installed to an inlet of a pipe body 1 made of an aluminum material, and an outlet side rubber pipe 3 is also installed to an outlet of the pipe body 1, and the rubber pipes 2 and 3 are fixed by clamps 4.
However, because the aforementioned intercooler pipe for a vehicle in the related art uses the pipe body made of an aluminum material and the rubber pipes, there are drawbacks of costs increasing and weight of the intercooler pip also rising.
Therefore, in order to reduce cost and the weight of the intercooler pipe, an intercooler pipe entirely made out of a plastic material using a thermoplastic ether ester elastic (TEEE) polymer has been introduced in the related art.
However, the difficulty of applying the intercooler pipe made out of the plastic material to the vehicle remains due to deterioration in vibration and noises, in comparison with the intercooler pipe of the related art, which is illustrated in FIG. 1.
The reason why the intercooler pipe made out of the plastic material is vulnerable to vibration and noises is because the vibration transmitted from an engine is transmitted to the intercooler through the intercooler pipe, and the vibration transmitted to the intercooler causes a side member of the vehicle body to vibrate, which consequently causes vibration and noises in an interior of the vehicle.
The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.

Vehicle plastic intercooler pipe with low vibration characteristics