The present photonic RF generation and distribution system provides a system and method for distributing an RF output signal. The photonic RF distribution system includes two optical sources for generating optical signals. A first optical source (42) is operable to generate a first optical signal having an operating frequency. A second optical source (44) is operable to generate a second optical signal having an operating frequency. A modulator (46) is operable to impress an RF modulation signal on a tapped portion of the first optical signal such that a modulated signal is generated. A first coupler (52) combines the modulated signal with a tapped portion of the second optical signal, thereby forming a combined signal having a difference frequency component. A control photodetector (50) is responsive to the combined signal to generate a tone signal. An offset locking circuit (56), responsive to the tone signal, controls the operating frequency of the optical sources (42 and 44) such that the first optical signal and the second optical signal are frequency locked.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to photonic links, and in particular to photonic RF links.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Photonic RF links have been demonstrated for antenna remoting, RF distribution and CATV broadcasting. An externally modulated photonic RF link, consisting of a high power laser source, a modulator and a photodetector, has superior performance over a directly modulated link. In an externally modulated photonic link, the link gain and spur free dynamic range (SFDR) have been largely limited by the modulators. Low modulation voltage, low optical insertion loss, high power handling capability, and linearized transfer function are all of critical importance to the link performance. The bandwidth of the modulator also has to match to the desired link bandwidth, leading to many difficult design trade-offs. Conventional modulator technology is not able to simultaneously meet all of the desired performance specifications.
For RF power distribution or remoting, a photonic RF source is a viable substitute for conventional externally modulated photonic RF links. In order to obtain high quality RF signals through photonic generation, a phase locked loop (PLL) is commonly introduced to control the random phase drift between the lasers. In these systems, the generated RF signal can be used to compare to a reference signal from a synthesizer, and the phase error voltage will be used to adjust the laser frequency, which functions as a photonic voltage controlled oscillator (VCO). For extended frequency tuning range, external RF mixers can be introduced to down convert the generated RF signal.
A photonic RF source can be tuned over a very broad bandwidth by virtue of the large frequency difference between the optical wave and the RF wave, subject to the availability of high speed photodetectors. The PLL, however, typically presents the limiting factor for broadband tunability, since external RF (microwave) mixers are limited at around 40 GHz. Commercial phase detectors are limited with a bandwidth lower than 1 GHz due to the response limit of current CMOS technology. Thus, there exists a need for a photonic RF generation system with improved bandwidth capabilities.


A method of compressing uplink control information in a wireless communication system where an MSS scans neighbor BSs upon request from a serving BS and transmits neighbor BS information to the serving BS. In the method, the serving BS broadcasts a neighbor advertisement message including the BS ID of at least one neighbor BS about which the serving BS wants to acquire information, and the BS ID of the at least one neighbor BS. The MSS then scans a channel from the at least one neighbor BS and transmits a scanning result along with a BS index of the at least one neighbor BS to the serving BS.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to resource management in a wireless communication system, and in particular, to a method of reducing the overhead of an uplink control message to increase resource efficiency in a wireless communication system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Typically in a cellular wireless communication system, information about neighbor base stations (BSs) is collected to facilitate initial network connection and handover for a mobile subscriber station (MSS). To serve this purpose, a serving BS periodically transmits a channel request message to collect the channel information of neighbor BSs over a wireless network. An MSS, upon receipt of the channel request message, scans channels from the neighbor BSs and transmits channel information messages regarding the neighbor BSs to the serving BS.
To exchange information about the neighbor BSs, the serving BS and the MSS identify the neighbor BSs by global identifiers (IDs) specific to them. Therefore, control messages such as the channel request message and the channel information message include global IDs that identify the neighbor BSs.
In an Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) 802.16a system, for instance, a serving BS broadcasts information about neighbor BSs by a neighbor advertisement message to help an MSS to select the best cell. The neighbor advertisement message includes global IDs that identify the neighbor BSs. The MSS scans the channels of the neighbor BSs based on the neighbor advertisement message and transmits the channel scanning results to the serving BS by an uplink report message. Also, the MSS uses a global ID to notify the serving BS of a new BS to which the MSS will move during handover.
However, since the global IDs are rather long, transmission of all the global IDs in the uplink report message causes considerable overhead.
Moreover, the neighbor BSs are already known between the serving BS and the MSS in most cases because handover occurs within a neighbor BS set and the neighbor BS set is periodically broadcasted by the neighbor advertisement message. Accordingly, there is a need for reducing the overhead caused by transmitting such global IDs.

Method of compressing control information in a wireless communication system

Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology


A carburetor of the "HOLLEY" 4150 or 4500 series is modified to double the fuel intake capacity thereof, to limit fuel sloshing in the float bowls thereof, to provide an upper fuel transfer passage between a pair of fuel inlet passages for each float bowl, to enable ready removable and replacement of the main jets independent of removable of the float bowls and to provide alternate main jet fuel pickup zones in different plan areas of the bottom of the float bowls.

Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a carburetor and more specifically to a carburetor such as the "HOLLEY", 4150 or 4500 series carburetor utilized for racing purposes. The carburetor has been modified to the extent that each primary fuel bowl is equipped with a pair of float controlled fuel inlet needle and seat assemblies to thereby enable fuel flow to the main jets approximately 2.3 times maximum fuel flow rate of an unmodified carburetor to which fuel is supplied at 8 psi. In addition, the carburetor is equipped with remote float bowl fuel pickup devices to ensure continuous maximum fuel pickup during periods of straight line and lateral acceleration. It further includes a fuel inlet transfer passage, float bowl baffle structure and readily changeable main jets.

Carburetor with doubled float valve fuel flow


The charging current value in the first trickle charge after the rapid charge is differentiated from the charging current value in the second and subsequent trickle charge. Thus, for example, in the first trickle charge, charging can be performed with the charging current value required to simultaneously activate and charge an inactive battery. In the second and subsequent trickle charge, charging can be performed with the charging current value required to compensate for self-discharge of a rechargeable battery. By charging the battery with the charging current value required to compensate for self-discharge of the battery in the second and subsequent trickle charge, power consumption required to charge the battery can be reduced, compared to the case where the trickle charge is continued with a constant charging current value required to simultaneously activate and charge the inactive battery, as the conventional device.

In recent years, with the development of portable rechargeable electrical devices such as an electrical shaver, a nickel metal hydride (Ni-MH) rechargeable battery is becoming to be widely used as a rechargeable battery. With the widespread use of the nickel metal hydride rechargeable battery, a charging function of a rechargeable electrical device is becoming more advanced. There has been a remarkable increase in the number of rechargeable electrical devices which charge their rechargeable batteries rapidly with a charging current larger than the conventional charging current so as to enable to finish charging their rechargeable batteries in a shorter charging time than the conventional rechargeable electrical device. Even after the rapid charge, the rechargeable electrical device using the nickel metal hydride rechargeable battery as a rechargeable battery continues charging with a minute electric current having a constant current value smaller than the charging current value in the rapid charge in order to either compensate for self-discharge of the rechargeable battery or activate the rechargeable battery in an inactive state. The above-described charging with a minute electric current having a constant current value is called a trickle charge.
By the way, in rechargeable electrical devices comprising a rechargeable battery, it is generally necessary to prevent overcharging of the rechargeable battery so as to prevent overheating and explosion of the rechargeable battery. Thus, conventionally, a microcomputer in many such rechargeable electrical devices is provided with a function to detect a residual capacity of the rechargeable battery (residual capacity detection function) so as to stop (end) charging the rechargeable battery when the microcomputer detects that the residual capacity has become 100% (full charge). However, in the full charge detection method using the residual capacity detection function, it is required to keep the microcomputer active to control at least the amount of charged current to the rechargeable battery and the amount of discharged current from the rechargeable battery to the load, resulting in the problem of power consumption in the microcomputer.
On the other hand, a nickel metal hydride rechargeable battery as a rechargeable battery has a characteristic that in being charged, it reaches a state of nearly full charge when the value of the battery voltage has become slightly lower than the peak value after the value of the battery voltage passes the peak value. Thus, there has been an increase in the number of rechargeable electrical devices, comprising a nickel metal hydride rechargeable battery, each of whose microcomputers determines that the battery has reached a state of full charge when the value of the battery voltage has become slightly lower than the peak value after passing the peak value, so as to stop the rapid charge (refer to Patent Document 1), using the above-described characteristic. Such rechargeable electrical devices need not keep the microcomputer activate to control the amount of charged current and the amount of discharged current, making it possible to reduce power consumption, in contrast to the above-described conventional rechargeable electrical device with the above-described residual capacity detection function.
However, the above-described rechargeable electrical devices, which stop the rapid charge when the value of the battery voltage has become slightly lower than the peak value after passing the peak value, cannot make an inactive nickel metal hydride rechargeable battery (hereafter referred to as an inactive battery) full charge only with the rapid charge.
Referring to FIG. 8, the above-described point will be described. As described above, when the rapid charge on an active battery, which is not in an inactive state, is continued, the active battery reaches a state of nearly full charge when the value of the battery voltage has become slightly lower than the peak value (for example, after 60 minutes from the start of the rapid charge shown in FIG. 8) after the value of the battery voltage passes the peak value. However, in general, when the rapid charge on the inactive battery has been done, the value of the battery voltage often reaches a peak value, which is different from the above-described peak value corresponding to the full charge, within a certain time period from starting the charge. For this reason, when the value of the battery voltage has passed the peak value different from the above-described primary peak value (for example, after 5 minutes from the start of the rapid charge shown in FIG. 8), such conventional rechargeable electrical devices often misdetermine that the rechargeable battery has reached a state of full charge, thereby stopping the rapid charge before full charge. As a countermeasure against this insufficient charge occurred in the inactive battery, such conventional rechargeable electrical devices continues the trickle charge after the stop of the rapid charge so as to simultaneously perform activating the inactive battery and charging the rechargeable battery to full charge by compensating for the capacity, shown by the two-headed arrow in FIG. 8, which could not be filled by the rapid charge.

PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.


A data communications cable is disclosed herein. The data communications cable includes a plurality of twisted pairs of conductive wires and a separator between the plurality of twisted pairs of conductive wires. The separator includes an inner member and an outer layer being supported and shaped by the inner member for completely encapsulating at least one gas pocket between the outer layer and the inner member. The outer layer prevents the plurality of twisted pairs of conductive wires from entering the at least one gas pocket.

Conventional data communications cables often include multiple twisted pairs within a protective outer jacket. Typical data cable constructions use pair separation fillers made from solid dielectric materials such as polyolefin and fluoropolymers to provide physical distance (i.e., separation) between the pairs within a cable, thereby reducing crosstalk. In the event a portion of the cable ignites, it is desirable to limit the amount of smoke produced as a result of the melting or burning of the non-conductive portions (e.g., separation filler) of the cable. It is also desirable to prevent or limit the spread of flames along the cable from one portion of the cable to another.
Turning to FIG. 1, a cross-sectional view of a conventional communications cable 100 showing a star-shaped separator 104 composed of solid filler material is shown. Cable 100 includes four twisted pairs of conductive wires 102. The twisted pairs 102 are separated by the conventional "star" shaped filler 104 which is formed of solid dielectric materials, such as polyolefin and fluoropolymers, to provide physical distance (i.e., separation) between the pairs 102 within the cable 100. An outer jacket 106 surrounds the twisted pairs 102 and filler 104.
One disadvantage to the use of separation fillers is that typical filler materials, such as fluoropolymers, have poor smoke- and flame-retardant properties. Therefore, the added material of the filler within the cable construction increases the amount of smoke that is emitted as well as the distance that flame travels along a burning cable. In order to mitigate those drawbacks, some manufacturers add flame retardants and smoke suppressants to the polyolefin and fluoropolymer materials used in the conventional fillers. However, smoke suppressants and flame retardants often increase the dielectric constant and dissipative factors of the filler, thereby adversely affecting the electrical properties of the cable construction by increasing the signal loss of the twisted pairs within close proximity to the filler.
As a result, some conventional manufacturers may "foam" the fillers in order to reduce the amount of material, where a foamed filler material is any material that is in a lightweight cellular form resulting from introduction of gas bubbles during manufacture. However, conventional foaming methods can only reduce the amount of material by no more than approximately thirty percent. Another drawback to foamed fillers is that during cable processing or manufacturing, crushing or deformation of the foamed fillers may occur resulting in compacted filler material and less separation between twisted pairs. As a result, foamed fillers often possess an undesirable imbalance between electrical and smoke/flame retardant properties.
Accordingly, in light of the above drawbacks associated with conventional fillers, separators, and cables, there is a need for a separator used in a data communications cable that reduces crosstalk between twisted pairs within the cable while simultaneously improving the flame spread and smoke emission properties of the cable.

Gas encapsulated dual layer separator for a data communications cable


An ultrasonic method for intermittently changing a condition of a workpiece is disclosed. The ultrasonic system includes an ultrasonic horn and a rotating anvil roll positioned to form a close relationship with each other comprising a nip. One of the ultrasonic horn and the rotating anvil roll includes an outer radial surface having a first length having a first amount of surface area per unit length of the respective outer radial surface, and a second length having a lesser amount of surface area per unit length of the respective outer radial surface. When ultrasonic energy is applied to the ultrasonic horn, the second length changes a condition of the workpiece when applied in the nip, but the first length does not change that condition. The change in condition occurs because the decrease in surface area along the second length increases the ultrasonic energy per unit area, as applied in the nip, to at least the threshold amount necessary to change the condition. Changes in condition of the workpiece include bonding together two or more layers of material, cutting one or more layers of material, or the like. Various patterns and designs can be provided at the working outer radial surface of the ultrasonic horn and/or the rotating anvil roll, for processing the workpiece.

The present invention relates to an ultrasonic system, the ultrasonic system preferably including a rotary ultrasonic horn, and a method of using the same.
It is known to apply ultrasonic energy to a rotary ultrasonic horn while rotating the horn against a continuously advancing workpiece. U.S. Pat. No. 5,110,403 to Ehlert teaches a rotary ultrasonic horn, ostensibly for applying ultrasonic energy to a workpiece along a continuous line of engagement between the workpiece and the radial, or working, surface of the horn.
Application Ser. No. 08/381,363, attorney docket No. 11,460, filed Jan. 31, 1995, in the names of Rajala et al. and of common assignment herewith, teaches a protuberance extending from the outer working surface of the ultrasonic horn, or the anvil, for applying ultrasonic energy to one or more workpieces at spaced locations.
The art is devoid of apparatus and methods for effecting intermittent or spaced application of ultrasonic energy to one or more workpieces without utilizing a protuberance on the ultrasonic horn or the anvil.
It is an object of the invention to provide a method for processing a workpiece using ultrasonic energy to provide an intermittent change of a condition of the workpiece while maintaining constant the radius of the outer radial surface, free from protuberances.
It is another object to provide an ultrasonic system, including a rotating anvil roll having a first length with a first amount of surface area per unit length at the working outer radial surface and a second length with a lesser amount of surface area per unit length at the working outer radial surface, such that a condition of a workpiece is changed as the workpiece passes through a nip between the rotating anvil roll and the ultrasonic horn.
It is yet another object to provide first and second lengths of an outer radial surface of one of the rotating anvil roll and ultrasonic horn, with lands forming a pattern at the respective outer radial surface, such that the lands have a reduced surface area per unit length whereby the ultrasonic energy generated by the ultrasonic horn changes a condition of a workpiece passing through the nip between the rotating anvil roll and ultrasonic horn.
It is still another object to provide the lands as an "X-Y" pattern at the outer radial surface, the lands preferably extending from an underlying base surface at an inwardly sloped angle of between about 5 degrees and about 25 degrees with respect to a perpendicular angle to the base surface.
It is a further object to provide an ultrasonic horn and rotating anvil roll which intermittently bond, cut, or otherwise change, with ultrasonic energy, a condition of a material passing therebetween, while maintaining the workpiece substantially free from changes in tension caused by surface characteristics of the rotating anvil roll or the ultrasonic horn.


In order to improve system throughput in a radio transmitting apparatus of a multicarrier system in which transmission is performed simultaneously to a plurality of receiving stations using subcarriers, subcarriers are divided into blocks, a receiving station is selected on a block unit basis, and the number of subcarriers per block is varied adaptively for each receiving station based on the propagation environment of that receiving station.

Heretofore, in multicarrier transmission systems, a radio communication system has been proposed whereby subcarriers are divided into blocks and adaptive modulation is performed for each grouped plurality of subcarriers. With this kind of system, by performing adaptive modulation for each block composed of a plurality of subcarriers rather than on a subcarrier-by-subcarrier basis, feedback information (SNR or similar channel quality information) from a receiving apparatus can be provided in block units, as compared with the case where adaptive modulation is performed on a subcarrier-by-subcarrier basis, and feedback information can be reduced proportionally.
Also, when adaptive modulation parameters (modulation scheme and coding scheme) are reported to a receiving apparatus, it is not necessary to report the modulation scheme and coding scheme of all subcarriers, but instead this information can be reported on a block-by-block basis, enabling the control channel transmission rate to be lowered.
With this kind of radio communication system, the size (frequency band) of a block is fixed so as to be a value at which channel fluctuations within each block can be regarded as constant, and system operation is carried out using this fixed block size (see, for example, the document "Frame Configuration and Control Scheme in MC-CDM Systems with Frequency Scheduling," Hara et al, Technical Report OF IEICE, RCS 2002-130, pp. 67–72, July 2002).
With the conventional radio communication system shown in the above documentation, it is assumed that channel fluctuation within a block (segment) is constant. However, in an actual radio communication system, as the delay time of a delayed waveform increases, so does the amount of intra-block channel fluctuation, and there are cases where the assumption of regarding intra-block channel fluctuation as constant does not hold. Also, even in cases where there is a delayed waveform with a long delay time, if an attempt is made to make intra-block channel fluctuation constant, the block size must be made smaller, and when this is done, there is a problem in that it becomes difficult to sufficiently reduce the amount of information necessary for a control channel even if subcarriers are blocked.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of conventional block assignment. When the block size (number of subcarriers in a block) is fixed as in the example of the conventional art shown in FIG. 1, due to the occurrence of a state in which a plurality of blocks are assigned successively on the frequency axis to the same user C, the number of blocks may become unnecessarily large for the actual propagation environment. In this case, there is a problem of the amount of control information becoming unnecessarily large due to the fact that control information (modulation scheme, coding scheme, and so forth) is transmitted to the receiving apparatus on a block-by-block basis.

Radio communication apparatus and radio transmission method

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


The memory system includes a semiconductor memory device including a CAM data block for storing CAM data, and a controller configured to control an operation of the semiconductor memory device in response to a CAM data program command received from a host, wherein the semiconductor memory device is configured to perform a pre-program operation and an erase operation of the CAM data block prior to the performance of a CAM data program operation associated with the CAM data block.

1. Technical Field
Embodiments relates to a semiconductor memory device, a memory system including the same, and an operating method thereof.
2. Related Art
A semiconductor memory device is a memory device typically implemented by using a semiconductor material, such as for example, silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), gallium arsenide (GaAs), and indium phosphide (InP). The semiconductor memory device is generally classified as a volatile memory device or a nonvolatile memory device.
A volatile memory device is a memory device where the stored data dissipates when a power supply to the volatile memory device is discontinued. Examples of volatile memory devices include, but are not limited to, a Static RAM (SRAM), a Dynamic RAM (DRAM), and a Synchronous DRAM (SDRAM). A nonvolatile memory device is a memory device where the stored data is maintained when a power supply to the nonvolatile memory device is discontinued. Examples of nonvolatile memory devices include, but are not limited to, a Read Only Memory (ROM), a Programmable ROM (PROM), an Electrically Programmable ROM (EPROM), an Electrically Erasable and Programmable ROM (EEPROM), a flash memory, a Phase-change RAM (PRAM), a Magnetic RAM (MRAM), a Resistive RAM (RRAM), and a Ferroelectric RAM (FRAM). Flash memories are generally classified as a NOR type flash memory device or a NAND type flash memory device.
The flash memory device may be a 2-dimensional semiconductor device where strings are formed in parallel on a semiconductor substrate or a 3-dimensional semiconductor device where strings are vertically formed on a semiconductor substrate.
The strings in a 3-dimensional semiconductor memory device include a drain select transistor, memory cells, and a source select transistor electrically coupled between a bit line and a source line.
The 3-dimensional semiconductor device may include charge trap memory cells. In such a 3-dimensional semiconductor device, a Contents Addressable Memory (CAM) cell for storing CAM data is a charge trap memory cell. In some cases, when a charge trap memory cell is utilized as a CAM cell, the CAM data is programmed in the CAM cell when the CAM cell is in an erase state prior to packaging a memory chip. Electrons may be trapped within the charge trap memory cell being used as a CAM cell. When a CAM cell programmed with CAM data is subjected to relatively high temperatures associated with the packaging process, the electrons may move within a charge storage layer of the CAM cell or may recombine with holes in the charge storage layer. A threshold voltage within the charge trap memory cell may be changed.

Semiconductor memory device, memory system including the same, and operating method thereof


The present invention provides a computer controlled apparatus and method for producing high quality fiber optic Bragg gratings. According to the invention, the apparatus (10) preferably includes a laser (12) for generating an ultraviolet beam (18), a rotatable scrapper mirror (32) disposed downstream of the laser (12) for receiving the beam (18) and an optical fiber (48) disposed adjacent an edge (84) of the mirror (32) for receiving a high fringe frequency interferrogram (86) formed by the mirror (32). The mirror (32) is coupled to a rotation stage (14) for rotating the mirror (32) about a pre-selected pivot point (36) relative to the angle of incidence of the beam (18) to vary the Bragg wavelength at the fiber core.

1. Technical Field
The present invention generally relates to Bragg gratings and, more particularly, to an apparatus and method for producing high quality fiber optic Bragg gratings with precise control of the Bragg center wavelength.
2. Discussion
Most fiber optic Bragg gratings are manufactured by exposing the core of a fiber to an intense, spatially modulated ultra violet (UV) beam of radiation. The UV light induces an increase in the index of refraction of the core material in the fiber optic. Thereafter, light launched down the core of the fiber is reflected only if the spatial modulation period (.LAMBDA.) and the wavelength of the light (.lambda.) satisfy the Bragg condition, .lambda..sub.B =2n.LAMBDA., where n is the mean index of refraction in the fiber core.
According to the prior art, precise positioning of the reflection wavelength center in fiber optic Bragg gratings requires tedious re-alignment of the optics. The production of holographic fringe patterns having appropriate fringe spacing requires precise positioning of the beam combining optics such as the prism and cylindrical lens in prism techniques and the beam splitter, combining mirrors and focusing lenses in open holographic techniques. This makes the production of fiber optic Bragg gratings time consuming and commercially impractical on a large scale basis. As such, there is a need in the art to provide an apparatus and method for routinely producing fiber optic Bragg gratings with precise control of the Bragg center wavelength.

Precision wavelength control for automated fiber optic Bragg grating writing


A portable mixer for use for use with an open top mixing container for mixing concrete or the like as having a pair of inboard rotary mixing blades and a pair of outboard mixing blade assemblies mounted on a generally horizontal rotary shaft. The outboard mixing blades are made up of a central hub removably affixed to the shaft. A peripheral ring extends about the hub and is connected to by a plurality of spokes. The peripheral ring has a diameter greater than that of the intermediate blades in order to prevent the intermediate blades from engaging the mixing container. A plurality of rotary disc blades are pivotally mounted on one of the plurality of spokes. The rotary disc blades have a diameter sufficiently large to cause a portion of the rotary disc blades to extend outwardly beyond the peripheral ring in order to engage the mixing container sidewalls.

A portable mixer of the general type disclosed herein is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,401,098, to Vadnais and the related PCT application Wo 96/30179, both entitled "Portable Hand-Held Concrete and Mortar Mixer", which are incorporated by reference herein.
The mixer disclosed in the '098 patent is manufactured by the applicant. A pre-existing garden cultivator was modified, by changing the mixing blades and a shallow plastic mixing tub provided for containing the material to be mixed.
After an extended period of use, the peripheral ring extending about the mixing blades disclosed in the '098 patent wears in the region where the peripheral ring engages the mixing tub floor and the tub side walls.
The mixer utilized in the device set forth in the '098 patent has a blade assembly made up of a hub, a stamped blade portion, a peripheral rim and a series of tines attaching the peripheral ring to the stamped blade portion. The resulting structure, particularly when mounted adjacent a like or generally similar blade assembly becomes particularly difficult to clean, especially when the mixer is equipped with an upper shroud.

Portable mixer and mixing blade assembly


A method of forming a semiconductor package includes providing a substrate, wherein the substrate has at least one chip attached on an upper surface of the substrate. An insulating barrier layer is deposited above the substrate, wherein the at least one chip is at least partially embedded within the insulating barrier layer. A thermally conductive layer is formed over the insulating barrier layer to at least partially encapsulate the at least one chip.

Poor heat dissipation is a common issue for microelectronics device packages. Semiconductor chips can have localized overheating that can be deleterious to product yield, performance and reliability of the resulting microelectronics device packages. A thermal management device such as a heat sink is typically placed on the backside of wafers for heat dissipation to be transported through a molding compound encapsulating a surface of the wafer to the ambient. However, the molding compound typically a mixture of an epoxy and a silica filler, has a low thermal conductivity that is generally in the range of 0.6 W/m-K to 0.8 W/m-K. This can make the molding compound a bather to heat dissipation.
For processes where the thermal management device is attached to the wafer, a back-side grinding process is needed to reduce the thickness of the molding compound. However, such grinding process may cause the molding compound to become undone or delaminated from the wafer to which it is attached to. Where this has occurred, the edges of chips of the wafer may be susceptible to cracking and chipping and/or exposed to corrosive environmental influences during a subsequent dicing process and associated handling.

Thermally conductive structure for heat dissipation in semiconductor packages

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.


An electrical contact material (10) having: a conductive substrate (1) formed from copper or a copper alloy; a first intermediate layer (2) provided on the conductive substrate (1); a second intermediate layer (3) provided on the first intermediate layer (2); and an outermost layer (4) formed from tin or a tin alloy and provided on the second intermediate layer (3), wherein the first intermediate layer (2) is constructed as one layer of grains extending from the conductive substrate (1) side to the second intermediate layer (3) side, and wherein, in the first intermediate layer (2), the density of grain boundaries (5b) extending in a direction in which the angle formed by the grain boundary in interest and the interface between the conductive substrate and the first intermediate layer is 45° or greater, is 4 μm/μm2 or less; a method of producing the same; and a terminal.

Hitherto, in electrical contact materials, copper or a copper alloy having excellent electrical conductivity has been utilized; however, in recent years, enhancement of contact characteristics have progressed, and the number of cases in which copper or a copper alloy is directly used is decreasing. Instead of such a conventional material, materials obtained by subjecting copper or a copper alloy to any of various surface treatments are produced and utilized. Particularly, a member obtained by plating an electric contact portion with Sn or a Sn alloy on the copper or copper alloy, is generally used as an electrical contact material.
This plated material is known as a high-performance conductor having: excellent electrical conductivity and physical strength of the conductive substrate; and excellent electrical connectivity, corrosion resistance and solderability of the plating layer. Thus, the plated material is widely used in various terminals, connectors and the like, which are used in electric or electronic equipment. This plated material usually has a first plated (under coated) with nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co) or the like having a barrier function on the substrate, in order to prevent diffusion of the alloy components in the conductive substrate of copper (Cu) or the like into the aforementioned plating layer.
In a case where this plated material is used as a terminal, for example, in a high-temperature environment, such as inside an automotive engine room, since Sn in the Sn-plating layer on the terminal surface is readily oxidizable, an oxide film is formed on the surface of the Sn-plating layer. Since this oxide film is brittle, the oxide film is broken at the time of terminal connection, and the unoxidized Sn-plating layer underneath the oxide film is exposed, so that satisfactory electrical connectivity is obtained.
However, regarding the use environment for electrical contact materials in recent years, the electrical contact materials are more often used in high-temperature environments. For example, for a contact material for a sensor used in an automotive engine room or the like, there is an increasing possibility that the contact material may be used in a high-temperature environment at 100° C. to 200° C. or the like. Thus, such an electrical contact material is required to have reliability in the contact characteristics at a temperature higher than the temperature for use that is assumed to be conventional consumer products. Particularly, regarding the cause that controls the reliability of contact characteristics, there is a problem that under high-temperature conditions, the contact resistance at the outermost layer is increased as a result of diffusion of conductive substrate components and surface oxidation. Thus, various investigations have been made on the suppression of diffusion of these conductive substrate components and the prevention of oxidation.
Patent Literature 1 proposes a conductive material for a Sn-plated connection component having excellent heat resistance, the conductive material having a Cu—Sn alloy layer and a Ni layer formed between the outermost layer Sn plating and the conductive substrate surface, in this order from the outermost layer. Patent Literature 2 proposes a configuration having a Sn layer, a Cu—Sn alloy layer, and a Ni or Cu layer formed on a conductive substrate in this order from the outermost surface, in which the average grain size in the Cu—Sn layer is made large, and thus abrasion resistance of tin plating is improved. Further, Patent Literature 3 proposes a configuration having a Cu—Sn alloy layer and a Ni layer formed on a conductive substrate in this order from the outermost surface, in which the Cu concentration in the Cu—Sn layer is gradually decreased from the base side toward the surface side, and thereby a fretting phenomenon in the outermost layer is suppressed.

Electrical contact material, method of producing an electrical contact material, and terminal


Buckle folding machine including folding pockets, which have a paper stop each. One folding pocket being for collection and subsequent joint folding of a plurality of sheets. From the folding pocket the collected sheets of paper pass together through a folding mechanism, having a draw-in point formed by upper and lower draw-in rollers and having at least one pair of folding rollers forming a folding point. A sheet feeder with a conveyor track directed toward the draw-in point, in which a stacking ramp is located, is arranged in front of the draw-in point. To guarantee trouble-free operation even when the intake depth is smaller than the greatest sheet size, an additional sheet drive, which partially conveys the newly arriving sheet through the draw-in point into a collecting folding pocket arranged behind it in a position in which it is lifted off from the conveyor track or from the sheets deposited in the conveyor track behind the stacking ramp, is arranged between the draw-in point, which is provided with an open passage gap, and the stacking ramp at a vertically spaced location above the conveyor track.

A device for collecting and jointly folding a plurality of sheets of paper of unequal length by means of a collection station has been known (DE Utility Model No. G 94 04 431.7), in which the sheets of paper collected in the collecting station pass together through a buckle folding mechanism, which has at least one folding pocket with a paper stop equipped for performing lifting movements and is provided with at least one paper deflector arranged in front of another folding pocket.
The collecting station is provided with an electromagnetically controllable sheet-stopping means, which is arranged in a sheet conveyor track directed toward the draw-in point of the buckle folding mechanism. Between a plurality of conveying strands of endlessly running conveyor belts located above and under the sheet conveying track, the sheet conveyor track has a stacking ramp, by which the arriving sheets are placed one on top of another in front of the sheet-stopping means. Only one folding pocket is open and active in the buckle folding mechanism; the paper stop of this folding pocket is set to an intake depth corresponding to half the size length of the long sheet of paper, and is mounted elastically movably between two fixed end positions in the draw-in direction.
Long and short sheets of paper can be transported together through a buckle folding mechanism with this prior-art device, and they can be folded in the process such that one or more short sheets of paper are folded together into the long sheet of paper without being folded itself or themselves, in order to be subsequently stuffed into an envelope in an envelope-stuffing device, or to be sealed. The long sheets of paper may be introduced into the collecting station optionally before or after the short sheets of paper. The folding of these sheets of paper around the short sheet of paper running together with it may be optionally performed in the first or second folding pocket or folding point. This requires only a different programming of the electronic control device, which is commonly used in such plants anyway.
This device is unsuitable for collecting and folding in packets of a plurality of sheets of paper of equal length because the folding pocket located behind the draw-in point must be set to an intake depth that corresponds to the size length of the short sheets of paper, and a folding takes place each time a long sheet of paper is drawn in. The collection of the sheets of paper is also not performed with this device in a folding pocket, but in a collecting station, which is arranged upstream of the folding mechanism or its draw-in point, and which must have a sheet-stopping device of its own and requires a corresponding space.
A buckle folding machine with a plurality of pairs of folding rollers forming a folding point each has also been known (DE-A-41 14 105), which has a plurality of folding pockets associated with the individual folding points, and which folding pockets are provided with a paper stop each, which can be adjusted with its stop surface to stop planes which determine different lead lengths for the arriving material to be folded. To make it possible to use this buckle folding machine both as a conventional folding machine for folding individual sheets of paper running through and for collecting and jointly folding a plurality of sheets of paper, a folding pocket designed for simultaneously receiving a plurality of sheets of paper is arranged and designed such that the individual sheets of paper can run automatically up to the paper stop over their entire length and remain there. In addition, this folding pocket has a pushing means, which performs pulsed lifting movements by means of a special drive controlled by a presettable sheet-counting means or code-reading means, and the sheets of paper collected in that folding pocket are conveyed together into the next folding point by the pulsed lifting movements.
Since the collection of a plurality of sheets of paper takes place here in a folding pocket that is sloped downward in the intake direction for this purpose and is equipped with an ejector, satisfactory operation requires that all the collected sheets of paper have at least approximately the same length and that the intake depth be set to that length, so that a slight push is sufficient to push the sheets of paper collected in that folding pocket with their front edges facing the next folding point into that folding point, so that they will be grasped and further conveyed there. However, folding of the paper does not take place in this folding point. The folding can then be performed only by means of a subsequent folding pocket and subsequent additional folding points.
This device is unsuitable for jointly folding sheets of paper of unequal length. In addition, the first folding pocket, i.e., the folding pocket arranged directly behind the draw-in point, cannot be used as a collecting folding pocket in prior-art buckle folding machines, because this folding pocket rises in the intake direction, and the arriving sheets of paper would fall out immediately.
In another prior-art buckle folding machine (DE 3 830 754), the conveyor belts of a conveying means, which is arranged in front of the draw-in point formed by two draw-in rollers and is provided with a stacking ramp, are driven at a higher conveying speed than the two draw-in rollers in order to obtain the highest possible degree of overlap of the sheets of paper reaching the stacking ramp one after another. The sheets of paper arriving in the folding pocket, which is arranged directly behind the draw-in point with a residual offset, are thus not folded simultaneously, but staggered in time and offset in space in relation to one another in a folding point through which they pass vertically downwardly directed in order to be subsequently pushed automatically into one another in an approximately vertical position.
Aside from the fact that multiple folds cannot be made according to this method, the phenomenon of electrostatic charging, which highly compromises function, proved to be very disturbing in practice. The conveying and consequently the degree of overlap of the individual sheets of paper become uncontrollable due to the electrostatic charge of the individual sheets of paper, which is caused essentially by the sheets of paper sliding one on top of another with a friction. The sheets of paper stick together in the case of different overlaps, so that not all of them reach the stop in the folding pocket, and a completely uncontrollable folding is obtained. Consequently, this device is not reliable in operation.

Buckle folding machine with a collecting folding pocket


In accordance with an embodiment, a diode comprises a substrate, a dielectric material including an opening that exposes a portion of the substrate, the opening having an aspect ratio of at least 1, a bottom diode material including a lower region disposed at least partly in the opening and an upper region extending above the opening, the bottom diode material comprising a semiconductor material that is lattice mismatched to the substrate, a top diode material proximate the upper region of the bottom diode material, and an active diode region between the top and bottom diode materials, the active diode region including a surface extending away from the top surface of the substrate.

This section provides background information and introduces information related to various aspects of the disclosures that are described and/or claimed below. These background statements are not admissions of prior art.
The majority of chip manufacturing takes advantage of silicon processing on high-quality, large-area, low-cost silicon wafers. Commercial manufacturers of devices made from compound semiconductors such as gallium arsenide and indium phosphide generally have been unable to take advantage of silicon wafers. They typically build light emitting diodes (LEDs), multi junction solar cells, and other compound semiconductor devices on small, expensive wafers made of materials such as sapphire, germanium, gallium arsenide, or silicon carbide.
The challenge of making compound semiconductor devices on inexpensive substrates has widespread economic implications. Compound semiconductors are an important component of our communications infrastructure because they can emit and detect light. They are the materials in the lasers that transmit signals through optical fibers, the sensors that receive those signals, the amplifiers in cellular telephones, the amplifiers in cell phone base stations, and the circuits that transmit and receive microwave signals.
Light emitting diodes typically consist of gallium nitride films deposited onto sapphire or silicon carbide wafers. These exotic substrates contribute to the high cost of LEDs. A sapphire wafer 4 inches in diameter typically costs around $130, and a 2-inch silicon carbide wafer can cost about $2000. By contrast, an 8-inch silicon wafer, which provides four times as much surface area as a 4-inch wafer and 16 times as much surface area as a 2-inch wafer, typically costs less than $100.
High-efficiency multi junction solar cells typically contain layers of germanium, gallium arsenide, and indium gallium phosphide deposited onto germanium wafers. As is the case with wafers for LEDs, germanium wafers similarly are smaller and significantly more expensive than silicon wafers.
The ability to create compound semiconductor devices on silicon wafers facilitates market growth in several key industries.
Two key technical barriers have prevented the fabrication of compound semiconductor devices on silicon wafers: the mismatch of lattice constants and the mismatch of thermal expansion coefficients.
Lattice Mismatch: In a crystal, the atoms sit in a regular periodic array known as a lattice. The distance between the atoms, known as the "lattice constant," is typically a few ångstroms (1 ångstrom=10−10 meter). Silicon has a smaller lattice constant than many compound semiconductors. When compound semiconductors grow on silicon, crystalline imperfections known as misfit dislocations appear at the interface. The misfit dislocations create other crystalline defects known as threading dislocations, which propagate upward from the interface. Threading dislocations diminish the performance and the reliability of compound semiconductor devices such as lasers, solar cells, light-emitting diodes, etc.
Thermal Contraction Mismatch: Compound semiconductors typically grow at high temperatures, which can exceed 1000° C. When the wafer cools, the compound semiconductor film may contract more than the silicon wafer. As a result, the wafer may bow in a concave manner, stressing and ultimately cracking the film.
Until recently, the most promising previous efforts to grow high-quality compound semiconductors onto silicon substrates have relied on three approaches: graded buffer layers, wafer bonding, or selective growth on mesas. None of these approaches has achieved commercial success.
In graded buffer layers, the composition of the material changes gradually from substantially pure silicon to a pure compound semiconductor. Since the lattice constant also changes gradually, crystalline defects are less likely to form at the interface. Unfortunately, the graded buffer layers have to be relatively thick (about ten microns for a 4% lattice mismatch). The thick buffer layer increases both the costs and the likelihood of cracking.
Wafer bonding involves growing devices on expensive substrates, then lifting off the devices and bonding them to a silicon wafer. This approach rules out modem silicon processing as a route to cost reduction. Furthermore, bonding typically requires temperatures above 300° C. When the materials cool, the compound semiconductors may crack because they contract more than the silicon wafer.
Selective growth on a mesa exploits the mobility of some dislocations. The strategy is to deposit compound semiconductors in small regions (10 to 100 microns in length), thereby providing a short path where mobile dislocations can glide to the edge of the region and remove themselves from the device. However, structures created by this technique typically have a high density of threading dislocations (more than 100 million per square centimeter). This technique cannot remove immobile dislocations, which predominate when the lattice mismatch exceeds 2%.
Aspect Ratio Trapping (J. S. Park et al., APL 90, 052113 (2007), hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety) is a recently developed technology that makes it possible to deposit high quality compound semiconductors, germanium or other lattice mismatched materials on silicon wafers. FIG. 1 illustrates the principle of Aspect Ratio Trapping (ART). A thin film of dielectric material 20 such as silicon dioxide (SiO2) or silicon nitride (SiNx) is deposited onto a silicon wafer 10. Those of skill in the art can select a variety of dielectric materials such as SiOxNy, and silicates or oxides of material such as Hf and Zr, such as HfO.
A trench is etched in the dielectric material, and then deposit a non-lattice-matched semiconductor 30 such as germanium or a compound semiconductor in the trench. The threading dislocations 40, shown as dotted lines, propagate upward, typically at approximately a 45 degree angle from the interface, then intersect the sidewalls of the trench, where they terminate. Threading dislocations 40 cannot propagate down the length of the trench because crystal facets guide them to the sidewalls. Reference is made to the region in the trench where the sidewalls trap threading dislocations as the "trapping region" 50. The upper region of the non-lattice-matched semiconductor 30, above the trapping region 50, is a relatively defect-free region 60.
ART addresses the issue of cracking caused from mismatch of thermal expansion coefficients for these reasons: (1) the stresses are small because the epitaxial layers are thin; (2) the material can elastically accommodate the stresses arising from thermal expansion mismatch because dimensions of the ART openings are small; and (3) the SiO2 pedestals, which are more compliant than the semiconductor materials, may deform to accommodate the stress.

Diode-based devices and methods for making the same

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.


A method of controlling the operation of a steam generator in a fabric treatment appliance may include controlling the operation of the steam generator in response to a rate of temperature change of the steam generator and/or controlling the operation of the steam generator in response to a rate of temperature change of a receptacle for receiving fabric items to be treated.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to detecting abnormality in a fabric treatment appliance having a steam generator.
2. Description of the Related Art
Some fabric treatment appliances, such as a washing machine, a clothes dryer, and a fabric refreshing or revitalizing machine, use steam generators for various reasons. The steam from the steam generator can be used to, for example, heat water, heat a load of fabric items and any water absorbed by the fabric items, dewrinkle fabric items, remove odors from fabric items, sanitize the fabric items, and sanitize components of the fabric treatment appliance.
A common problem associated with steam generators involves the formation of deposits, such as scale and sludge, within the steam generation chamber. Water supplies for many households may contain dissolved substances, such as calcium and magnesium, which can lead to the formation of deposits in the steam generation chamber when the water is heated. Scale and sludge are, respectively, hard and soft deposits; in some conditions, the hard scale tends to deposit on the inner walls of the structure forming the steam generation chamber, and the soft sludge can settle to the bottom of the steam generator. In addition to calcification of the steam generator, other problems associated with steam generators can include blockage or leaking of hoses coupling a water supply to the steam generator and coupling the steam generator to a fabric treatment receptacle, such as a tub of a washing machine, a closed or blocked water tap or water supply, and undervoltage of the steam generator heater, which can lead to low steam generating efficiency. If undetected, such problems can irritate users of the fabric treatment appliance and/or reduce operational life of the steam generator.

Method for detecting abnormality in a fabric treatment appliance having a steam generator


A cathode ray tube having a tensioned shadow mask with elongated holes, i.e. holes with a length longer than 5 mm. The pattern of holes repeats itself after 5 or more rows and the relation between the number of rows after which the pattern repeats itself, the vertical pitch av and the horizontal pitch dh is given by av/dhxe2x89xa6n2xe2x89xa68av/dh, most preferably n2≈2av/dh.

The invention relates to a CRT (cathode ray tube) with a colour selection electrode having rows of elongated openings. The colour selection electrode is also called a xe2x80x98maskxe2x80x99. More in particular it relates to a CRT with a tensioned colour selection electrode in which electrode tension is applied in one direction and the colour selection electrode comprises elongated openings in said direction, the openings being separated from each other in said direction by bridges, the dimension of said openings in said direction being more than 5 mm. Basically such a design is half-way in between two conventional designs, the conventional slotted shadow mask, in which many small (typically smaller than 1.5 mm) elongated or round holes are made, and the so/called tension or xe2x80x98slitxe2x80x99 mask, in which a large number of strips are put under tension. The strips are throughout their length (typically 20 or more centimeter) separated by slits. Both of the conventional designs have shortcomings, the conventional shadow mask absorbs much of the electrons, reducing the intensity of the image, whereas the xe2x80x98slit maskxe2x80x99 is very sensitive for microphony and difficult to handle.
A CRT of the in the opening paragraph described type is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,942,332.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,942,332 a slit-type flat foil tension mask is described having slits with large (in comparison to conventional masks) longitudinal dimensions. Typically the length of the slits is of the order of 1 inch.
The bridges in between the slits provide mechanical strength to the tensioned colour selection electrode, without substantially reducing the image brightness or deforming the mask when the mask is put under tension. However, they also pose a problem in that the bridges may be visible as two straight horizontal lines, reducing the image quality.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,942,332 two possible solutions for this problem are described, one being constituted by randomising the length (pitch) of the slits and another being constituted by introducing false bridges in the colour selection electrode.
The latter solution (false bridges) has the serious draw-back that these false bridges intercept the electrons, thus reducing the image intensity. Instead of a small number clearly visible lines a large number of lines are introduced. They are not individually visible but reduce the intensity of the image substantially.
The first solution (randomising) has been found by the inventors to result in negative effects on the image. The bridges are in many instances visible despite the randomisation and the image obtains a xe2x80x98patchyxe2x80x99 appearance.
It is an object of the invention to provide a cathode ray tube of the in the first paragraph described type in which the visibility of the bridges is reduced without reducing substantially the image intensity, and without getting a patchy appearance or at least reducing the chance for such an appearance.
To this end the cathode ray tube in accordance with the invention is characterised in that the bridges are formed in a regular repetitive pattern, wherein the pattern seen in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction substantially repeats itself after n rows of slotted openings, the shift in a direction along the openings between adjacent rows being a multiple of approximately a distance av/n, and wherein n is greater than 4 and wherein av/dhxe2x89xa6n2xe2x89xa68av/dh where av is the vertical pitch of the openings and dh is the horizontal pitch between rows and wherein rows in which the respective patterns of openings are shifted in the direction along the elongated openings by av/n or xe2x88x92av/n are more than n/4 rows apart.
Instead of randomising the pattern of bridges is made repetitive with a high number order of repetition (n). The length of the openings is considerably larger then for standard shadow masks (avxe2x89xa75 mm).
The inventors have realised that randomisation of the position of the bridges as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,942,332 leads to unexpected problems. At some parts of the image the bridges become visible, namely there where a number of bridges happen to be at the same horizontal position, or where adjacent bridge happen to be spaced at such distances that Moirxc3xa9 effects occur, where at other parts they are not. The randomisation in fact does not change the distance between the bridges seen in a horizontal dimension by a large amount. The randomisation as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,942,332 is for example 0.02xe2x80x3, which means that on average the distance between adjacent bridges is 0.01xe2x80x3 or 0.25 mm, and because of the randomisation the distance is sometimes much less. This still leads to lines being visible in the image, to which lines the human eye is very sensitive. Randomising invariantly also leads to clustering, resulting being visible in parts of the image. The human eye is very sensitive to such irregularities in the image. The image is perceived as xe2x80x98patchyxe2x80x99 because of this effect. In some sense this problem is a greater problem than a straight line being visible. The straight line is always there and it is a problem that the viewer understands and will most likely be at least to some degree be visible when the device is bought and will effect all modes of image reproduction in more or less the same degree. The xe2x80x98patchyxe2x80x99 image due to randomisation is something that is dependent of the image that is displayed, and also on the particular mode (VGA, UGA, XVGA etc) with which the image is displayed. These problems become usually visible at higher resolution of the image, i.e. the higher the image quality. Such problems manifest themselves more often than not after sale and effect in particular the high quality image modes, leading to the clearly unwanted effect that the xe2x80x98lower image qualityxe2x80x99 in fact gives a higher quality image than the xe2x80x98high quality imagexe2x80x99.
Repetitive patterns, if of high enough symmetry (n greater than 4) are much less visible then the two lines of the prior art. In fact the xe2x80x98intensityxe2x80x99 of the straight lines are reduced by at least a factor 2.5, which is sufficient for most purposes. Furthermore, because the pattern is regular the effect of the bridges on the image is evenly distributed, and there will be no xe2x80x98patchesxe2x80x99 in the image. There may still, however, occur visible lines in the image. The openings are shifted in respect of other rows by an amount of approximately av/n or a multiple thereof (2av/n, 3av/n, 4av/n, . . . (nxe2x88x921)av/n). It is remarked that a shift of (nxe2x88x921)av/n is the same as a shift of xe2x88x92av/n, a shift of (nxe2x88x922)av/n is the same as xe2x88x922av/n etc. The condition av/dhxe2x89xa6n2xe2x89xa68av/dh and the condition that the rows in which the respective patterns of openings are shifted in the direction along the elongated openings by approximately av/n or xe2x88x92av/n are spaced apart further than n/4 rows in a direction perpendicular to elongated openings, reduce the occurrence and visibility of such lines to such a large degree that they are not or hardly visible.
Preferably
av/dhxe2x89xa6n2xe2x89xa64av/dh, even more preferably
2av/dhxe2x89xa6n2xe2x89xa64av/dh, most preferably
n2≈2av/dh. (i.e. differing less than 25% from each other)
These ranges gives the best results.
Preferably the rows in which the respective patterns of openings are shifted in the direction along the elongated openings by av/n or xe2x88x92av/n are spaced apart n/3 to n/2 (rounded off to the nearest whole number) rows in a direction perpendicular to elongated openings.
It is remarked that within the concept of the invention a small tilt of a few degrees of the pattern as a whole is possible. Strictly speaking, when a pattern repeats itself after n rows, for instance after 10 rows with a value of av of 10 mm, and a value of dh of 0.22 mm, and in addition a small tilt of for instance 5 degrees is added, the pattern as seen along the line of tilt repeats itself after 10 rows, but strictly speaking seen along a horizontal line, the pattern, because of the small tilt, repeats itself after a much larger number of rows (or not at all). For instance a tilt of 5 degrees will make the pattern repeat itself after some 50 mm in the horizontal direction i.e. after some 225 rows. Patterns with, a small tilt, leading to patterns which, but for the tilt, repeat themselves after n rows fall within the scope of the invention. Likewise patterns which include a gradual change in the value of av, which would introduce effects similar to a small tilt, fall within the scope of the invention. In general if the effects of such higher order additions are, within the basic repetitive pattern of n rows, less than approximately 0.25av/n (in horizontal direction) and preferably less than 0.10av/n the resulting patterns are within the scope of the invention.


A process for preparing lithium nickeloxide (LiNiO.sub.2) for use as a positive electrode active material for a nonaqueous secondary battery, which comprises the steps of: (a) using as the raw materials a lithium compound and a nickel compound at least one of which has a melting point not higher than 300.degree. C.; i) in case where both of the lithium compound and the nickel compound have a melting point not higher than 300.degree. C., mixing the above two compounds after their melting, or mixing the above compounds, melting the mixture and mixing the melted mixture; ii) in case where either one of the lithium compound and the nickel compound has a melting point higher than 300.degree. C., mixing said one having a melting point higher than 300.degree. C. with the remaining one before or after its melting; (b)calcining the resulting mixture at a temperature of 700.degree. C. to 950.degree. C. in air or in an atmosphere containing oxygen in a higher concentration than an atmospheric oxygen concentration.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for preparing a positive electrode active material and to a nonaqueous secondary battery utilizing the same. More specifically, the invention relates to a process for preparing a positive electrode active material of lithium nickel oxide (LiNiO.sub.2), and to a nonaqueous secondary battery comprising a positive electrode containing the positive electrode active material, a negative electrode containing a lithium-containing substance or a lithium insertable and releasable substance such as carbon or graphite, and a nonaqueous ion conductor.
2. Related Art
With the size reduction and power saving of electronic devices, research and development have been made on lightweight secondary batteries which utilize an alkali metal such as lithium and are capable of discharging at a high voltage.
Where an alkali metal such as lithium is used alone for the negative electrode of a secondary battery, a dendrite (branching tree-like crystal) appears and grows on the metal surface during repeated charge and discharge cycles, i.e., during a metal dissolution and deposition process. The dendrite may penetrate through the separator of the secondary battery to come in contact with the positive electrode. This will result in a short circuit within the secondary battery. Where an alkali metal alloy is used for the negative electrode of a secondary battery instead of the alkali metal, the generation of the dendrite can be suppressed and, hence, the charge and discharge cycle characteristics are improved in comparison with the case where the alkali metal is used alone. However, the generation of the dendrite cannot be completely prevented, and there still exists the problem of the short circuit within the secondary battery.
In recent years, it has been reported that carbon materials and organic materials such as conductive polymers are useful for the negative electrode. These materials utilize a process of absorption and desorption of alkali metal ions instead of the dissolution-deposition process or the dissolution-deposition-diffusion process of a metal such as an alkali metal or its alloy. The use of these materials, in principle, prevents the generation of the dendrite which may occur where the alkali metal or its alloy is used. This remarkably reduces the risk of the short circuit within the battery. For this reason, a lithium ion battery utilizing a carbon or graphite material for its negative electrode and lithium cobaltate for its positive electrode has been put in practical use.
The use of lithium cobaltate for the positive electrode, however, entails an increase in the material cost because of the scarcity of the cobalt resource.
The use of lithium nickel oxide (LiNiO.sub.2) prepared from a nickel material which is a less expensive and more abundant resource was proposed by John Banister Goodenough et.al. (Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. 63-59507 (1988)). Lithium nickeloxide has since then been receiving attention.
Exemplary processes for preparing lithium nickel oxide (LiNiO.sub.2) are as follows:
(1) Calcining a mixture of anhydrous lithium hydroxide and art metal nickel in an atmosphere of oxygen (J. Am. Chem. Soc., 76, 1499 (1954)); PA0 (2) Mixing LiOH.H.sub.2 O and NiO, and calcining the mixture at 600.degree. C. in air, pulverizing the material mixture and then calcining again at a temperature of 600.degree. C. to 800.degree. C. for preparation of Li.sub.y Ni.sub.2-y O.sub.2 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2-40861 (1990)); PA0 (3) Calcining a material mixture at a temperature of 600.degree. C. to 800.degree. C. (preferably calcining the material mixture at 800.degree. C. for 6 hours twice) for preparation of LiMO.sub.2 wherein M is one or more elements selected from Co, Ni, Fe and Mn (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 4-181660 (1992)); PA0 (4) Mixing lithium peroxide (Li.sub.2 O.sub.2) and nickel oxide (NiO), then reacting the mixture at a temperature lower than 750.degree. C., and thereafter rapidly cooling the resulting product (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 5-205741 (1993)); and PA0 (5) Mixing lithium nitrate with nickel hydroxide and/or nickel oxyhydroxide, and calcining the mixture at a temperature of 500.degree. C. to 1,000.degree. C. (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 5-251079 (1993)). PA0 (1) Mixing a 4.5 mol/l lithium hydroxide aqueous solution and a 1.0 mol/l nickel nitrate aqueous solution in an equimolar mixing ratio at 60.degree. C., stirring the mixture, drying the solution under reduced pressure, pulverizing the resulting solid substance, calcining the resulting powdery substance at 300.degree. C. (preliminary calcination) and then at 800.degree. C. (main calcination) (Chemistry Express, 6, 161 (1991)); PA0 (2) Separately dissolving a nickel salt, a lithium salt and, as required, a cobalt salt in solvents, mixing the resulting solutions, and heating and calcining the mixture for preparation of LiCo.sub.x Ni.sub.1-x O.sub.2 (0.ltoreq.x.ltoreq.0.5) (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 5-325966 (1993)); and PA0 (3) Mixing an aqueous solution of a water-soluble nickel salt and an aqueous solution of a water-soluble lithium salt, drying the solution mixture, calcining the resulting cake at a temperature of 600.degree. C. to 800.degree. C. (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 6-44970 (1994)).
In these processes, a lithium compound and a nickel compound are mixed in a solid phase before the calcination and, therefore, the mixture of the nickel compound and the lithium compound is not homogeneous.
Another exemplary process (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 6-203834 (1994)) includes the steps of dissolving nickel acetate and lithium acetate in ethylene glycol under heating, further heating the solution to dryness, thermally treating the resulting solid substance at 400.degree. C. in air, pulverizing the resulting substance, and calcining the resulting powdery substance at 700.degree. C. and then at 800.degree. C. in a stream of oxygen. This process requires a prolonged reaction time and complicated preparation steps.
In view of the foregoing, processes for easy preparation of lithium nickel oxide have been proposed as follows, which are adapted to increase the homogeneity of the mixture of starting materials.
In these processes, aqueous solutions of starting materials are mixed and dried, and the resulting solid substance is calcined.
There are also known a process including the steps of mixing a powdery nickel compound slightly soluble or insoluble in water with an aqueous solution of a water-soluble lithium salt, kneading the mixture, drying the mixture, and calcining the resulting cake at a temperature of 600.degree. C. to 800.degree. C. (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 6-44971 (1994)), and a process including the steps of weighing a lithium material and a nickel material in an Li:Ni molar ratio of 1:1, mixing the lithium material and the nickel material in a small amount of water as a dispersant, drying the mixture, and calcining the resulting solid substance at 650.degree. C. in air (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 6-96769 (1994)). These processes ensure macroscopically homogenous mixing of the starting materials.
In the processes in which a lithium material and a nickel material are mixed in a solid phase and the mixture is calcined for preparation of a positive electrode active material LiNiO.sub.2 for a nonaqueous secondary battery, the nickel material and the lithium material cannot be homogeneously mixed before the calcination.
In the processes in which aqueous solutions of a lithium material and a nickel material are mixed and the mixture is dried and calcined, the homogeneity of the mixture of the nickel material and the lithium material is increased in comparison with the processes involving the solid phase mixing, because the lithium material and the nickel material are mixed in a liquid phase. However, the homogeneity of the mixture is still unsatisfactory.
The process which includes the steps of mixing nickel acetate and lithium acetate in ethylene glycol under heating, further heating the solution to dryness, thermally treating the resulting solid substance in air, pulverizing the resulting substance, and calcining twice the resulting powdery substance in a stream of oxygen presents problems of a prolonged reaction time and complicated preparation steps.
The process in which a mixture of a powdery nickel compound slightly soluble or insoluble in water and an aqueous solution of a water-soluble lithium salt is kneaded and dried, and the process in which water is used as a dispersant attempt to obtain a more homogeneous mixture. However, the resulting mixture does not have a satisfactory homogeneity after water as the solvent or dispersant is removed.

Process for preparing positive electrode active material, and nonaqueous secondary battery utilizing the same


A cartridge tape drive assembly for use with a cartridge tape, includes a housing having an opening to receive the cartridge tape, and a slidable tape drive and mounting assembly for adjusting the position of the cartridge tape inwardly while in the tape drive and outwardly for removal of the cartridge tape. The housing includes a support tray having elongated apertures for joining the tape drive to the support tray and allowing the tape drive to move inwardly and outwardly relative to the support tray. The slidable tape drive and mounting assembly includes a connector for joining the tape drive along the elongated apertures, and a latch device for adjusting the position of the tape drive along the elongated apertures. The cartridge is in operative engagement in the tape drive, i.e., in operative engagement with a magnetic head in the tape drive, during the inward and outward movement.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to cartridge tape drives, and more particularly to a cartridge tape drive having a slidable assembly for maintaining a tape cartridge positioned completely within an enclosure during operation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Magnetic tape storage devices are commonly used for the storage of large amounts of digital data because they provide an economical and reliable means for temporary and permanent storage. Because magnetic tape systems inherently rely on serial recording, access times are substantially longer than other modern storage devices, but at the same time the danger of catastrophic failure is virtually absent. Thus it has become common practice to utilize tape systems as data backup for floppy disk and hard disk files, typically by reading out the entire contents of a random access memory system at the end of the day or other operating period, and retaining this data in storage until the next backup date or time.
In conventional tape drive systems, a tape cartridge is inserted and retained in the tape drive for record and/or playback functions. The tape cartridge used for these applications is typically 3.25 inches by 2.5 inches by 0.5 inches. During operation, the tape is positioned partly within the tape drive assembly and partly outside the tape drive assembly. In particular, the tape cartridge typically protrudes from the face of the tape drive assembly one-half inch or more. Since the tape cartridge protrudes from the face of the tape drive assembly, the tape cartridge is subject to interference from others who may accidently bump into the tape while it is recording. Since such tapes are typically used for backing up a system overnight or for long periods of time, the chance for disruption can be high.
Moreover, although the conventional configuration allows a user the ability to access the tape cartridge via the protruding portion of the tape cartridge, this configuration nonetheless is undesirable in view of the design of today's computers. In particular, it is desirable to have peripheral components, such as floppy discs, tape cartridge and so forth be flush with the instrument face of the computer or even somewhat behind that position. In addition to the aesthetic advantage of the tape cartridge being more hidden from view during operation, or even behind a hinged front door for the computer, such a configuration minimizes the chances of the tape cartridge being disturbed during operation since it is no longer protruding.
What is needed therefore is a tape cartridge drive which includes a mechanism for maintaining a tape cartridge positioned in non-protruding fashion during operation.


A zoom lens includes, in order from an object side, a first lens unit of positive refractive power, a second lens unit of negative refractive power, and a subsequent lens unit of positive refractive power as a whole, wherein during zooming from a wide-angle end to a telephoto end, at least the first lens unit is moved along an optical axis such that a separation between the first lens unit and the second lens unit increases, and wherein at least one diffractive optical element is provided in the first lens unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a zoom lens having a diffractive optical element and, more particularly, to a zoom lens of high range, while still assuring maintenance of high image quality, suited to photographic cameras, video cameras, or digital still cameras.
2. Description of Related Art
As the photographic film or CCD is ever more improved by decreasing the size of silver-halide grains or by increasing the number of pixels, there is a growing demand that the zoom lens for silver-halide film camera, video camera or digital still camera have, despite the high range, to provide pictures of ever higher quality. Recently, the production techniques of aspherical lenses and the design efforts have advanced so greatly that all the aberrations that determine the lens performance become easier to correct even in a lesser number of constituent lenses.
Concerning chromatic aberrations, however, their correction depends on the dispersion differences among colors for the glass materials of the constituent lenses and the combination of positive and negative lenses in the achromatic condition. Therefore, any improvements of the achromatism cannot be expected from the use of the aspherical lens.
Meanwhile, there has been known another method of suppressing the produced amount of chromatic aberrations to a minimum for good stability of image aberrations. So, in recent years, proposals for applying diffractive optical elements to the photographic optical system are made in, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Applications No. Hei 4-213421 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,044,706) and No. Hei 6-324262. These conventional examples are concerned with mono-focal lenses to which the diffractive optical element is applied. Although chromatic aberrations have been mentioned there, what is peculiar to the zoom lens, that is, the variation with zooming of aberrations is not considered or described. Hence, the application of the diffractive optical element to the zoom lens is not suggested there.
Concerning the zoom lens, there is a description about adapting the application of the diffractive optical element to the zoom lens in U.S. Pat. No. 5,268,790. In this example, what has been proposed is to arrange the diffractive optical element in the second lens unit as the main variator or in the third lens unit as the compensator. As for the first lens unit, the design is made as usual. In this form, the chromatic aberrations the first lens unit produces are left as they were. In some cases, therefore, the chromatic aberrations of the entire lens system unduly worsen at certain zooming positions.

Zoom lens with diffractive optical elements


The present invention provides a fused heterocyclic derivative having a potent kinase inhibitory activity and use thereof.

For a solid tumor to grow to a certain size or above, angiogenesis is essential for ensuring sufficient supply of nutrition and oxygen to cancer cell (see, for example, New England Journal of Medicine, 1971, vol. 285, No. 21, pp. 1182-1186). One of the important factors causing angiogenesis toward tumor, a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is known. VEGF is bound to a vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) expressed on vascular endothelial cells and transmits signal for cell growth (see, for example, Endocrine Reviews, 1997, vol. 18, No. 1, pp. 4-25). Accordingly, inhibition of the VEGF-VEGFR signal transduction system is considered to enable suppression of angiogenesis and tumor growth (see, for example, Drug Discovery Today, 2001, vol. 6, No. 19, pp. 1005-1024). Moreover, since tumor blood vessels are involved in cancer hematogenous metastasis, inhibition of angiogenesis is considered to be effective for suppression of cancer metastasis.
As compounds inhibiting receptor-type tyrosine kinase including VEGFR, phthalazine derivatives (see, for example, WO 98/35958), pyrrole-substituted 2-indolinone derivatives (see, for example, WO 01/60814), quinazoline derivatives (see, for example, WO 01/32651), ω-carboxyaryl-substituted diphenylurea derivatives (see, for example, WO 00/42012), quinoline derivatives and quinazoline derivatives (see, for example, WO 00/43366), nitrogen-containing aromatic ring derivatives (see, for example, WO 02/32872) and the like are known.

Fused heterocyclic derivative and use thereof

Abstract: A compound represented by the formula (I):

Abstract: wherein each symbol is as defined in the specification, except a particular compound, or a salt thereof, and a pharmaceutical agent containing the compound or a prodrug thereof, which is a kinase (VEGFR, VEGFR2, PDGFR, Raf) inhibitor, an angiogenesis inhibitor, an agent for the prophylaxis or treatment of cancer, a cancer growth inhibitor or a cancer metastasis suppressor.


A method, performed by a server, for supporting equipment service at a site includes receiving, from Head Mounted Equipment (HME) associated with an installer at a site, data relating to an inventory and location of equipment at the site, wherein the data is collected by the HME during equipment service, wherein the equipment includes one or more of a circuit pack, a line module, a cable and power equipment; and checking the equipment service based on the received data and at least one of plans associated with the site and configuration rules of the equipment.

Equipment installation, configuration, maintenance and personnel training are complicated tasks. This is especially true in the high-tech fields (telecommunications, networking, high-performance computing, etc.) where multi-slot shelves or chassis can accept a wide variety of plug-in cards, modules, etc., where slots are difficult to differentiate visually, and where technology development cycles are so rapid that the personnel training is frequently unable to keep up. Communication equipment requirements further complicate the situation by demanding manual front-panel interconnection of plug-in cards, modules, with optical and/or electrical cabling. Conventional equipment installation procedures are focused on installer training, written manuals, and some built-in diagnostics in the equipment to identify circuit pack compatibility and provide some information on cable interconnections. Conventional equipment manual installation and training processes are cumbersome, expensive, error prone, unsecure, and not traceable.

Systems and methods for equipment installation, configuration, maintenance, and personnel training


A phased array antenna system is provided, which includes one or more switchable sub-groups. Each switchable sub-group can be switchably configured to associate one or more waveform signals with one or more of a plurality of controller circuits using a first switching network, and to associate one or more of the plurality of controller circuits with one or more of a plurality of antenna elements using a second switching network. The switching networks permit a phased array antenna system to switchably control one or more beams, with different scanning ranges and coverage areas depending upon mission requirements.

Phased array antenna systems are used to provide control over one or more beams transmitted or received thereby. The amount of electronics with which a phased array antenna system must be populated to provide beam forming and beam steering functions adds to the cost, power consumption, and mass of the system.
One approach to reducing the amount of electronics with which a phased array antenna system must be provided has been to reduce the number of individual antenna elements in the system. If this approach is implemented while maintaining a fixed antenna area, it irrevocably reduces the scanning range and coverage area of the system.
Accordingly, there is a need to reduce the number of electronics with which a phased array antenna system must be populated while preserving the scanning range of the system. The present invention satisfies this need and provides other advantages as well.

Multiple-beam phased array with switchable element areas


An apparatus for providing electromagnetic shielding. A wire for carrying an electrical signal is shielded with a first cylindrical ferrite shield by passing the wire through its central passage. The first ferrite shield has magnetic characteristics which provide attenuation of electrical noise over a first particular frequency band. A second cylindrical ferrite shield is situated adjacent the first shield with the wire passing through its central passage. The second ferrite shield has magnetic characteristics which provide attenuation of electrical noise over a second particular frequency band. A plastic package surrounds the first and second ferrite shields, and holds the first and second shields end to end in fixed proximity to one another. The plastic package includes a pair of half-cylindrical package sections having a joined edge and two open edges with a hinge portion joining the pair of package sections at the joined edge. A pair of latches, each including a hole, are situated at one of the open edges. A pair of recessed portions with hooks are aligned with the latches and engage the latches when the half-cylindrical sections are rotated to a closed position to form the cylindrical shape. A plurality of projections are situated at the open ends of the package sections and adjacent an end of each of the first and second ferrite shields. These projections project toward a central area of the package when in the closed position to retain the first and second half-cylindrical portions of the first and second ferrite shields within the plastic package.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electric parts for shielding noise generated on a signal line in various electronic equipment such as a computer.
2. Background of the Invention
Electromagnetic noise escaping from the cabinet and signal lines of electronic equipment causes a problem. Since these noises can be close to the control signal level, they can cause electromagnetic interference (EMI). This can lead to malfunctions or partial deletion of magnetic information recordings. A shielding structure to absorb noises is known in which a tubular ferrite core is mounted around a signal line. FIG. 5 is an example of such a conventional shielding structure.
In FIG. 5, the shielding parts 62 include a single magnetic element 63 such as a ferrite core and a plastic package 64 mounted surrounding the outer surface of the magnetic element 63. Because this shielding structure includes the single magnetic element 63 inside the package 64, the frequency band of noise to be absorbed is limited to a relatively narrow frequency band that can be absorbed by the single magnetic element 63. Therefore, other methods have been utilized to expand the frequency band of noise to be absorbed so that the required attenuation can be obtained. For example, a plurality of shielding parts 62 can be mounted on the signal line 61. Identical shielding parts 62 may be used or parts having different magnetic characteristics of magnetic substance 63 can be used to make up this plurality of shielding parts 62.
FIG. 6 shows the relationship between the frequency and noise attenuation when a plurality of the identical shielding parts 62 are mounted on the signal line 61. FIG. 7 shows the same relationship when a plurality of the shielding parts are used, in which different characteristics of magnetic element 63 are used. FIG. 6 was prepared based upon measured values. The curve represented by (c) shows the characteristics when only one shielding part 62 is utilized. The curve (d) shows the result of using two shielding parts 62 with the same magnetic element 63. On the other hand, the curve (e) in FIG. 7, which was also based upon measured values, shows the relationship between the frequency and noise attenuation when two shielding parts 62 are used. In this curve, each part 62 has a single magnetic element 63 inside the package 64, but with differing magnetic characteristics. As shown in FIG. 6, the effect of noise absorption has been dramatically improved but only in a certain narrow frequency band. Frequencies outside of this certain band are not effectively attenuated. Therefore, the enhanced attenuation is not obtained over a broader frequency band.
On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 7, enhanced attenuation can be obtained over a relatively wide frequency band when the two shielding parts 62 with a different characteristic of a magnetic element 63 are used. However, the above conventional noise shielding structure requires a plurality of shielding parts be independently mounted to make the frequency band for noise absorption wider. Due to the increase of assembling steps, manufacturing cost becomes higher resulting in an increased product price (particularly if the parts are installed manually). Further, as a plurality of the noise shielding parts 62 are independently assembled, precise positioning during an assembly cannot be assured. This invites inconsistency in the quality of the product.

Electric parts for shielding electromagnetic noise


This disclosure describes systems, methods, and devices related to robotic point capture and motion control. A robotic device may synchronize one or more robotic device axes with one or more axes of a handheld control device. The robotic device may establish a connection between a robotic device and the handheld control device, wherein the robotic device is capable of moving along the one or more robotic device axes. The robotic device may receive a control signal comprising an indication to transition to a point in space along travel path, wherein the travel path is based on information relating to one or more locations and one or more orientations of the handheld control device. The robotic device may cause to transition an end effector of the robotic device to the point in space based on the indication in the control signal.

In general, robotic devices consist of multiple axes of motion, allowing robotic control of position and orientation in space. Multi-axis robotic devices are capable of moving within a given number of dimensions in space, allowing points in space to be captured and programmed, which allows a robotic device to move and behave in a certain way. For example, a robotic device having six degrees of freedom (DOF) is capable of a full range of orientations and positions within a given space.

Robotic point capture and motion control