A method for determining the rotation speed of the drill bit arranged at one end of a rotating drill string. According to the method, the axial acceleration at one point on the drill string is measured, this measurement is processed with a multiplying coefficient which depends upon the point on the drill string where the measurement is taken to determine the rotational speed of the drill bit.

The present invention relates to a method for determining the rotation speed of a drill bit, and, more particularly, to such a method intended to determine this speed in real time from data captured at one point of the string.
During the drilling of an oil well, the motor unit for the string of pipe, which motor unit is mounted on the surface, rotates at a constant speed of between 50 and 150 revolutions per minute. However, the friction produced between the drill bit and the bottom of the well, or between the pipes and the wall of the well, may cause the bit to slow down or indeed to stop periodically. As during this time, the motor unit continues to rotate at one end of the string of pipe, the latter tends to twist about its longitudinal axis until the force exerted is greater than the friction effect braking the bit. At that moment, the string of pipe relaxes and the bit starts to rotate again and can reach point rotation speeds of the order of 150 to 400 revolutions per minute. As wells often follow deviated trajectories, contact between the string and the wall of the well occurs quite frequently.
It is obvious that the behaviour of the bit has a significant effect on the progress of the drilling. Thus, it is desirable for the head driller to be alerted to periodic rotation-speed instabilities of the bit in order that he can modify the parameters of the drillingrotation speed of the motor unit, mud flow rate or weight applied to the tool--and thus to ensure optimal drilling.

Method for determining the rotation speed of a drill bit

Societe Nationale Elf Aquitaine (Production)


A battery powered tool includes a housing containing a motor assembly. A fan positioned in the housing is rotated by the motor assembly. The fan has a circular ring/body and further has multiple fan blades directly connected to the circular ring body. The circular ring/body defines a concave shaped surface having the fan blades directly connected to the concave shaped surface. A housing cover includes: first and second extending walls; a slot created between the first and second extending walls; and multiple air intake vents all positioned in a lower housing zone separated from an upper housing zone by the slot. An electronics module is positioned in the housing proximate to the housing cover lower housing zone such that air entering the intake vents passes only through the lower housing zone and past the electronics module to cool the electronics module before entering the fan.

This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
A fan is commonly provided for drawing air into the housing of hand held cordless (battery powered) power tools that is used to produce an air flow for cooling the electric motor and/or an electronics module having electronic controls for operation of the tool. The cooling capability of known fan and cooling systems is limited by the amount of air the fan can pull through the motor.

Motor and electronics cooling system for a high power cordless nailer


An apparatus and method is disclosed which has application for use in computer controlled display systems, and in particular, display systems having object oriented graphic interfaces. A central processing unit (CPU) is provided and is coupled to a display for displaying graphic and other data. The CPU is further coupled to a pointer control device which permits a user to selectively position a pointer at a desired location on the display, and signal the CPU of selections in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. Buttons are generated by the CPU and displayed which correspond to a single function to be executed by the CPU, a window button which displays a pop-up window, an abbreviated menu button or a menu button which has associated therewith a plurality of functions disposed on a menu. The menu includes a plurality of menu items. A menu button must be provided with a menu item which is a default function which is automatically executed by the CPU when a predetermined signal is provided by the user through the pointer control device. To select and execute a menu button default, a user places the pointer over the desired menu button and momentarily depresses a switch on the pointer control device, the default function is then executed without the need to choose the menu item function from the menu button menu. Placement of the pointer over the menu button and depressing another pointer control switch results in the display of the full button menu.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus and methods for displaying and manipulating graphic information, and more particularly, the present invention relates to a computer controlled display system for selecting control functions, and retaining desired data disposed in a menu on a display regardless of other display operations in process.
2. Art Background
It is common for computer display systems to represent and convey information to a user through various graphic representations of data. Representations of data may take a variety of forms, such as for example, alphanumeric characters, Cartesian graphs, as well as shapes of well known physical objects. Today, many computer systems utilize one of a variety of object oriented user interfaces in which many previously coded programming commands are replaced with two or three dimensional graphic images on a computer display. The object oriented system utilizes various icons which symbolically indicate the type of operation the computer system will execute if the icon function is chosen. In addition, many object oriented interfaces utilize multiple "windows" displayed on the cathode ray tube (CRT) display in which combinations of text and graphics are used to convey information to a user. Each window may take the form of a variety of objects such as a file folder, loose-leaf binder, or simple rectangle, and the windows may overlap one another with the "top" window fully visible and constituting the current work file. The user may delete information from a window, move data from one window to another, and generally operate on the window as if an actual file in an office is being used. Thus the user is permitted to operate on and manipulate the window contents, and the window itself, as if the image constituted an actual object. Numerous object oriented systems exist today and are displayed on computers manufactured by the assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc., as well as other manufacturers, including: International Business Machines , Apple Computer, Inc., and others. [See, D. Robson, "Object Oriented Software Systems", BYTE, August 1981, pg. 74, Vol. 6, No. 8; and L. Tesler, "The Small Talk Environment", BYTE, August 1981, pg. 90, Vol. 6, No. 8. See also, U.S. Pat. No. Re.32,632, reissued Mar. 29, 1988.]
Although a variety of object oriented interfaces have been developed by various computer manufacturers, the various methods by which a user interfaces with the computer display system varies significantly between machines. In addition, the functionality of the graphic interface of a computer system significantly impacts the efficiency and ease of use of the particular computer. It has been found that certain features are desirable to be incorporated into the graphic interface of object oriented computer display systems, and the present invention discloses one such significant improvement to permit a user to select button control functions, and retain certain data on the display regardless of other display operations being performed by the computer system. As will be described, the present invention provides apparatus and methods which permit a user to choose a particular object oriented function which results in the generation and display of a "menu" on the display. The present invention further permits the user to retain the contents of the selected menu on the display while the display system is performing other unrelated operations.

Method and apparatus for selecting and executing defaults in a window based display system


The present invention relates to a novel process for the preparation of substantially pure Crisaborole (I).

Crisaborole is chemically 4-[(1-hydroxy-1,3-dihydro-2,1-benzoxaborol-5-yl) oxy] benzonitrile with a trade name of Eucrisa. It is a novel, non-steroidal topical anti-inflammatory phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE-4) inhibitor used for the treatment of mild-to-moderate atopic dermatitis. It was approved by USFDA on Dec. 14, 2016 for treatment of eczema.
Literature survey revealed very few synthetic routes for the preparation of Crisaborole, the contents of which are hereby incorporated as reference in their entirety. However, these processes either suffered from lack of reproducibility or low yields unsuitable to meet industry needs.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,582,621 describes the synthesis of Crisaborole by reacting 2 bromo-4-(4-cyanophenoxy)-1-(meth-oxymethoxymethyl) benzene (compound 4) with n-butyllithium, trimethyl borate and purified by flash chromatography.
WO2009111676 describes the synthesis of intermediate 2-bromo-5-(4-cyanophenoxy) benzyl acetate and intermediate 5-(4-cyanophenoxy)-2-(4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-1,3,2-dioxaborolan-2-yl) benzyl acetate using sodium acetate, followed by Palladium(II) chloride and potassium acetate.
Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters (2009), 19(8), 2129-2132 describes the complete process for the synthesis of Crisaborole by treating 4-(4-bromo-3-methyl phenoxy) benzonitrile with N-bromosuccinimide in carbon tetrachloride with refluxing and further treating the reaction mass with sodium acetate, sodium hydroxide and methanol to obtain 4-(4-bromo-3-(hydroxymethyl)phenoxy)benzonitrile intermediate, which reacted with 4-dihydro-2H-pyran, camphor sulfonic acid and Tri-isopropyl borate(i-PrO)3B, n-butyllithium in tetrahydrofuran (THF) and treating with hydrochloric acid to obtain 4-(1-hydroxy-1,3-dihydrobenzo[c][1,2]oxaborol-5-yloxy)benzonitrile (22-57%).
The present inventors hereby report a novel process for the synthesis and purification of Crisaborole (I) with high yield and purity by using safe, environmental friendly and commercially viable reagents.

Process for the preparation of 4-[(1-hydroxy-1,3-dihydro-2,1-benzoxaborol-5-yl) oxy] benzonitrile (Crisaborole)

BIOPHORE INDIA PHARMACEUTICALS PVT. LTD.


The present invention relates to a novel benzopyran derivative having goodantagonistic activity on TGF-β receptor which can be effectively used as a prophylactic and therapeutic agent for liver disease as well as several fibroplasiadiseases such as hepatic fibrosis, liver cirrhosis, pulmonary fibrosis, dermatosclerosis, glomerular fibrosis and the like; and a pharmaceutical use thereof.

Liver plays an important role of metabolizing exogenous and endogenous substances in human body. When liver tissues are continuously exposed to frequent alcoholic drinking or crapulence, viral infection or drug misuse and abuse, the liver tissues are easily damaged and subsequently develop into chronic liver diseases such as hepatic fibrosis and liver cirrhosis. Since hepatic fibrosis does not show any pain or a particular symptom until it is discovered at a terminal stage, its death rate is relatively high and thus its development often becomes a social problem.
In particular, liver disease can be divided into several procedural symptoms. The damaged tissues are first converted into fatty liver in its early stage and then developed into hepatitis, and finally into hepatic fibrosis and liver cirrhosis. Generally, it has been reported that the progress up to hepatic fibrosis is reversible, but once it is developed into liver cirrhosis, its subsequent process becomes irreversible. Accordingly, liver disease can be cured by administering a drug at a stage prior to the development of hepatic fibrosis or an early fibrosis stage.
Liver cirrhosis is caused by fibrosis of liver tissues. Liver fibrosis is a condition that the balance between the synthesis and degradation procedures of a connective tissue is lost, caused by excessive accumulation of connective tissues within liver tissues, and accompanied by necrosis or inflammation. In particular, hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) that store vitamin A in normal liver are converted into myofibroblasts by acute and chronic liver damage, rapidly proliferate and synthesize an excessive amount of connective tissues through the increase in the synthesis and translocation of an extracellular matrix such as collagen, proteoglycan or hyaluronan, which results in stimulating the progression of liver fibrosis [Friedman et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA., 82: 8681 (1985) Gressner et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun., 151: 222 (1988) Gressner et al., J. Hepatol., 22: 28 (1995)]. In such procedure, TGF-β is synthesized, secreted and activated by several kinds of cells in the liver tissues, in particular, Kupffer cells or hepatic stellate cells activated by TGF-β, induce the proliferation and development of hepatic stellate cells, and thereby, play an important role in inducing the over-production and accumulation of an extracellular matrix such as collagen. It has been reported that in chronic liver disease such as hepatic fibrosis or liver cirrhosis, TGF-β is only expressed in the liver tissues undergoing fibrosis, increases the amount of an extracellular matrix, and finally, stimulates the progression of hepatic fibrosis [Bauer and Schuppan, FEBS Lett. 502:1-3 (2001); Bedossa and Paradis, J Hepatol., 22 (Suppl. 2):37-4 (1995)].
Until now, the development of an inhibitor for hepatic fibrosis or a therapeutic agent for liver cirrhosis has been focused on the development of a drug which inhibits the over-production of a connective tissue (representatively, collagen) of hepatic stellate cells or inhibits the growth thereof, but it has not yet been developed as an effective therapeutic agent. Recently, studies have been actively conducted on the inhibition of TGF-β function or TGF-β receptor activation as a target for developing a new therapeutic agent for liver cirrhosis, based on the fact that TGF-β is the strongest inducible factor for fibrosis of hepatic stellate cells among cytokines involved in fibrosis.
The present inventors have therefore synthesized numerous compounds having antagonistic activity on TGF-β receptor, endeavored to screen a new compound capable of inhibiting or preventing hepatic fibrosis among them by employing hepatic stellate cells that play an important role in the progression of hepatic fibrosis, and finally, found that a benzopyran derivative having a novel structure shows significant prophylactic and therapeutic effect.

Benzopyran derivatives having inhibitory activities against liver fibrosis and cirrhosis and their pharmaceutical uses

Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology


A computer executable digital video rendering restoration method is disclosed. Through setting a saving interval, data of states during the rendering process of digital videos are recorded periodically. When the rendering process is abnormally interrupted, the state data in the record file can be immediately used to restore the digital video before the last recording so that the user can continue the digital video rendering.

1. Field of Invention
The invention pertains to a computer-based digital video rendering method and, in particular, to a method that records state data periodically during the rendering process of a digital video so that the video can be immediately restored once the process is abnormally interrupted.
2. Related Art
Making digital video using computers is always a time-consuming job. Althrough with the help of computers the editing task is much easier and faster than traditional manual processing, it still takes hours or even days to render videos because of the varieties of materials used during filming and in order to produce special effects.
During the long video rendering process, the users often worry that it may be interrupted because of abnormal conditions happened to the computer. Such abnormal conditions may be caused by irregular power supply, system breakdown, etc. These problems usually result in re-doing the video rendering because the work is not saved. This would be a disaster for those who spend a lot of time rendering digital videos.
Therefore, for film companies that are devoted to developing computer-based digital video rendering software, it is among the top priorities to be able to restoring digital videos back to their original states within the shortest possible time if an abnormal interruption happens to the rendering process.

Computer executable digital video rendering restoration method


The invention relates to a centrifugal separating device and method for clarifying must during wine production, especially with a separator (7). Gas and/or gelatine and/or other additives are added to the must that is clarified in the separating device after the must has passed through the separating device and before it passes through the constant pressure valve (13) of the separating device, as the must is discharged (9), in order to obtain flotation.

The invention relates to a centrifugal separating device for clarifying must in the production of wine, and to a method of clarifying must when producing wine.
The use of separators and decanters in the production of wine is described on Page 6 of the company publication with the title "Separators and Decanters Used by Wine Producers" of Westfalia Separator AG, Oelde, Germany, 1992. First, the grape mash is guided into a prejuicer. The prejuiced mash is then fed to a press. The starting product obtained in this manner will then—optionally after a sieving in a rotary brush sieve—be guided into a must tank. After the pressing, the must in the tank may also be fined, for example, by means of gelatin. After a dwell time in the tank, the must will then be guided into a clarifying separator and the clarified must is guided from the separator directly into the fermentation tank.
An analogous process is known from the additional company publication by J. Hamatschek et al. with the title "Separators and Decanters for the Quality-Aware Preparation of Wine" of Westfalia Separator AG, Oelde, Germany, 1992.
Although the above-described method of operation has been successful per se, there is demand for a further simplification and improvement of the clarification of must while the achieved quality of the wine is as good as possible. This invention addresses these problems.
The present invention is directed at a centrifugal separating device for the clarification of must in the production of wine, comprising: a discharge; a constant pressure valve; a flotation device; and wherein the constant pressure valve is connected to the discharge and the flotation device is connected to the discharge in front of the constant pressure valve. A method of clarifying must when producing wine by means of a centrifugal separating device, which device includes a discharge, a constant pressure valve, and a flotation device and wherein the constant pressure valve is connected to the discharge, and the flotation device is connected to the discharge in front of the constant pressure valve, the steps comprising: collecting must in a tank; feeding the must through a pump into a separator; clarifying the must in the separator; discharging the clarified must through a discharge line; flotating the clarified must via a flotation device by mixing the clarified must with one or more of gelatin and air; passing the flotated must through a constant pressure valve into a relaxation device.
In the present invention, when parameters are selected appropriately, on the one hand, cloudiness, which remains suspended behind the separator, is removed in a considerable quantity by flotation and, on the other hand, even solids which may be thrown off and which the separator has not separated, are floated.
Although the flotation of wine per se is naturally known, according to the prior art, flotation is used by itself for the clarification of must. In this conventional method of clarifying must, the must is pumped continuously by means of two equipment-pertaining pressure pumps by way of an input valve into a pressurized (up to 6 bar) impregnation vessel. In the forward current, gelatin and air are then continuously metered in by means of a metering pump. In the process, the must is enriched with gas. The must will then leave the pressure tank also continuously by way of the output valve. The must is guided into an intermediate vessel in which the flotation takes place so that the cloudiness rises to the liquid level. A compact amount of cloudiness is created with a large fraction of foam.
Within the scope of the present invention, it was surprisingly found to be particularly advantageous to connect a flotation device directly behind a separator or to combine the flotation device directly with a separating clarification in the centrifugal field of the separator. Directly in front of a constant pressure valve, for example, sterile air and gelatin are metered into a static mixer or are guided by way of corresponding feeding pipes directly into the discharge. In this case, a high discharge pressure of from approximately 5 to 6 bar, which is necessary for being able to dissolve oxygen in a sufficient quantity and in small bubbles in the product, can be utilized in the discharge from the separator.
The present invention therefore combines a flotation method for the clarification of must with a clarification of must in the separator.
In the present invention, the consumption of gelatin and air is approximately five times lower than in the case of conventional flotation methods because the majority of the solids were removed by the separator. Furthermore, approximately ten times less foam is formed than in the case of a flotation without a separator on the input side. A slightly fermented and cold must (approximately 10° C.), which is difficult to clarify by means of a conventional sole flotation, without any problems in the separator, can be clarified well by means of the flotation device of the present invention, preferably connected on the output side in the discharge.
Additionally, the separator can be operated at higher throughput capacities with a resulting less favorable degree of clarification because, when the flotation device is connected on the output side of the separator, the remaining cloudiness is clearly reduced again. This results in a considerable saving of time.
As a result of the fact that the high discharge pressure existing in the discharge of the separator is utilized for the flotation, there is also an advantage that no expensive pressure pumps and pressurized containers are required. The investment costs are therefore reduced.
The installation of the separator also provides the possibility of a use in the clarification of new wine, for clarification racking, for the processing of cloudiness and for the separation of tartar.
In a preferred embodiment, the flotation device is connected into the discharge of the separating device or in front of the constant pressure valve and/or comprises a proportioning device for the feeding of air and/or gelatin and/or other additives into the clarified must drained off the separating device.
Other aspects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detail description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Centrifugal separating device and method of clarifying must during the production of wine


The present invention provides a device for mounting a pair of casters to a tubular segment of a structure of a stroller. The mounting device consists of a first sleeve, a second sleeve and a cushion. Generally, the first sleeve is securely attached to a tubular segment of a structure of a stroller by means of a rivet or the like. The second sleeve pivotally receives the first sleeve, thereby permitting them to rotate relative to each other. The cushion consists of a cap-like element, a spring and a plug. The cap-like element has two slots longitudinally extending therein. The plug has a hole transversely extending therethrough. The cap-like element is securely connected with the second sleeve. The spring is received in the cap-like element. The plug is also received in the cap-like element. A shaft on which a pair of casters rotate is inserted through the slots in the cap-like element and the hole of the plug, whereby the spring is sandwiched-between the top in the cap-like element and the plug.

The present invention relates to a device for mounting a pair of casters to a segment of a structure of a stroller and, more particularly, to a mounting device which cushions the stroller and enables the direction of the stroller's motion to be changed.
Generally, a structure of a stroller has four vertical or declined segments 2 each having a tubular configuration as shown in FIG. 1. Four shafts 3 are each mounted to each tubular segment 2. Four pairs of casters 4 are each mounted rotatably on each shaft 3. For easily changing the direction of the stroller's motion, it is preferable to mount each shaft 3 to each tubular segment 2 by means of a mounting device instead of directly mounting each shaft 3 to the tubular segments 2. A conventional mounting device 6 is shown in a partially cross-sectional view in FIG. 1. Each tubular segment 2 has two aligned holes near a lower end thereof. The mounting device 6 has a first sleeve 8 defining two aligned holes near an upper end thereof. A rivet or the like is inserted through the holes of the first sleeve 8 and of the tubular segment 2, thereby securely attaching the first sleeve 8 to the tubular segment 2. Below the holes, an annular flange 10 extends on the first sleeve 8. Below the flange 10, two flexible strips 12 longitudinally extend upwards from the first sleeve 8. Each flexible strip 12 has a free end transversely extending therefrom. The mounting device 6 further has a second sleeve 14. Near an upper end, the second sleeve 14 defines two slots 16 corresponding to the flexible strips 12. To assemble the mounting device 6, the first sleeve 8 is inserted into the second sleeve 14 until the free ends of the flexible strips 12 contact an upper rim of the second sleeve 14. The free ends of the flexible strips 12 are urged towards an axis of the first sleeve 8. Thus, the first sleeve 8 is permitted to be further inserted into the second sleeve 14 until the annular flange 10 contacts the upper rim of the second sleeve 14 and the free ends of the flexible strips 12 are received in the slots 16. As a result, the first sleeve 8 is restrained from moving upwards or downwards relative to the second sleeve 14. However, the second sleeve 14 can be rotated relative to the first sleeve 8, i.e., relative to the tubular segment 2. Then, the shaft 3 is mounted to the second sleeve 14 below the slots 16. As indicated by two arrows in FIG. 1, the flexible strips 12 can be urged towards the axis of the first sleeve 8 to thereby permit the first sleeve 8 to be disengaged from the second sleeve 14. A major problem of such a conventional mounting device 6 is the difficulty in biasing the flexible strips 12 in order to disengage the first sleeve 8 from the second sleeve 14 because the slots 16 are too small for human fingers to enter. Therefore, the present invention is intended to solve the above-mentioned problem. Moreover, the present invention is adapted for cushioning the stroller.

Device for mounting a pair of casters to a segment of a structure of a stroller

No. 9, Alley 2, Lane 606, Sec. 2, Po Ai Rd.


A semiconductor device (100A) has an oxide semiconductor layer (11). The oxide semiconductor layer (11) has a channel region (11c), and a source region (11s) and drain region (11d) positioned on respective sides of the channel region (11c). The source region (11s) has a low-resistance source region (11sx) that has a lower resistance than the channel region (11c), and the drain region (11d) has a low-resistance drain region (11dx) that has a lower resistance than the channel region (11c). The carrier concentrations of the low-resistance source region (11sx) and the low-resistance drain region (11dx) become progressively lower from a connecting portion between a source electrode (17) and the low-resistance source region (11sx) and a connecting portion between a drain electrode (18) and the low-resistance drain region (11dx) towards the channel region (11c).

An active matrix substrate used in liquid crystal display devices and the like has a switching element such as a thin-film transistor (hereinafter, "TFT") in each pixel. Conventionally, a TFT with an amorphous silicon film as an active layer (hereinafter, "amorphous silicon TFT") or a TFT with a polycrystalline silicon film as an active layer (hereinafter, "polycrystalline silicon TFT") has been widely used as such a switching element.
The use of an oxide semiconductor as the material of the TFT active layer, instead of amorphous silicon or polycrystalline silicon, has been recently proposed. Such a TFT is referred to as an "oxide semiconductor TFT." Oxide semiconductors have a higher mobility than amorphous silicon. Therefore, the oxide semiconductor TFT can operate at a faster speed than the amorphous silicon TFT. Furthermore, the oxide semiconductor film is formed with a process that is simpler than for the polycrystalline silicon film, and thus, the oxide semiconductor film can be applied to devices requiring a large area.
An oxide semiconductor TFT with a top-gate structure is disclosed in Patent Document 1. The oxide semiconductor TFT disclosed in Patent Document 1 undergoes plasma treatment to form a source/drain region on the oxide semiconductor layer thereof.

Semiconductor device and method for manufacturing same


The present invention is directed to an improved process for preparing modafinil wherein benzhydrylthioacetamide is prepared in high yield and purity by the reaction of a haloacetamide with the reaction product of thiourea and benzhydrol in aqueous solution. The reaction employing the haloacetamide is conducted in a solvent comprising water and an organic solvent such as dimethylformamide having dissolved therein a basic salt such as potassium carbonate. The resulting benzhydrylthioacetamide can be oxidized to provide the pharmaceutical modafinil.

Lafon disclosed modafinil and other similar compounds in U.S. Pat. No. 4,177,290 as having pharmaceutical activity on the central nervous system. In a typical prior art process, benhydrylthioacetic acid is halogenated with thionyl chloride. The chloride is then converted to the amide in methylene chloride with ammonia. The amide is then oxidized with hydrogen peroxide to provide benzhydrylsulphinylacetamide. Other derivatives of modafinil as well as methods of preparation and purification are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,127,722. However, the amide appears to be the compound of choice among the many derivatives now known.
Interest in the Lafon compounds has increased in recent years because these compounds have been discovered to have beneficial effects in the treatment of a wide variety of diseases in mammals including humans. Although first noted as a treatment for narcolepsy, more recent patents and technical publications have listed such compounds as beneficial in the treatment of Parkinson's disease, urinary incontinence, Alzheimer's disorder, ischemia and stroke. As the use of these compounds increased so has the demand for greater volumes while maintaining the highest state of purity and also avoiding process chemicals of high environmental risk.
Numerous substituted thioacetamides are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,492,396 to Bacon et al. In one syntheses scheme benzhydrol is converted to a benzhydrylthiol by reaction with thiourea that is then converted by hydrolysis to a thiouronium moiety. Subsequently, the thiouronium is converted to an acid with chloroacetic acid. The benzhydrylthioacetic acid is treated in various ways depending upon the desired derivative. To prepare the amide the acid is reacted with ammonia or an appropriate amine in an organic solvent such as tetrahydrofuran or methylene chloride. Other thioacetamide derivatives are obtained by employing N-methylmorpholine and a thioacetic acid in dimethylformamide (DMF).
A procedure for the preparation of an acetamide intermediate for the production of modafinil is disclosed in published U.S. application Ser. No. 2002/0183552. According to this application a three-step procedure for preparing modafinil is disclosed starting with benzhydrol (diphenylmethanol) that is employed to prepare the benzhydrylthiocarboxamidine salt by reaction with thiourea in hydrogen bromide. The bromide salt is then reacted with chloroacetamide in aqueous sodium hydroxide to produce diphenylmethylthioacetamide. The acetamide may then be oxidized by conventional means to produce modafinil. Typically, the oxidation is provided by a reaction with hydrogen peroxide in glacial acetic acid.
Because of the growing demand for large quantities of modafinil in a highly pure state there is needed a process for preparing the product efficiently without need for undesirable starting materials or by-products. In particular the production of the acetamide intermediate is particularly in need of improvement although given some degree of attention in the art as indicated above.

Process for preparing benzhydrylthioacetamide


A storage medium stores image data, audio data and processing programs having different reproduction modes, such as recording systems or data format are stored as stream data. When a specific data is to be read out from the stream data, a mode discrimination data is separated from the data to generate mode information indicative of the recording system of the data and the algorithm for reproduction of the data on the basis of the separated mode discrimination data. Based on the mode information, switching of mode is performed to reproduce image data or audio data of one of the reproduction modes among the data recorded with a plurality of mutually distinct reproduction modes, by the processing program. If the processing program is common for reproduction of other data recorded on the storage medium, such processing program is previously stored for use in common for accelerating taking up of the reproduction processing apparatus.

The present invention relates to a multi-media reproduction processing apparatus for reproducing data on a recording medium. The reproduced data is stream data including image information, such as a motion picture, still image, audio information, other processing programs and so forth. Particularly, the invention relates to a multi-media reproduction processing apparatus suitable for high speed reproduction of data on a plurality of recording mediums having different recording systems or data formats.
Conventionally, a system for reproducing image and audio data recorded on a CD-ROM (compact disc-Read Only Memory) has been disclosed in "Nikkei New Medium, Forefront Technology Report (1)", Nikkei McGraw-Hill, May 18, 1987, pages 50-57.
The construction of the conventional multi-media reproduction processing apparatus will be discussed in reference to FIG. 2.
In FIG. 2, the reference numeral 1 denotes data input unit, such as a disc drive or so forth. The reference numeral 2 denotes input data, 3 denotes data separation device for separating image information, audio information and processing program. The reference numeral 4 denotes image data, 5 denotes audio data, 6 denotes a processing program, 7 denotes an image data processing section, 8 denotes an audio data processing section, 9 denotes a processor section, and 10 denotes an input device which transmits commands for initiation of operation. The reference numeral 11 denotes a control signal from the input device 10, 12 denotes an image control signal output from the processor section 9, 13 denotes an audio control signal output from the processor section 9, 14 denotes an image frame data, 15 denotes an image output control section, 16 denotes a display signal output from the image output control section 15, 17 denotes a display monitor, 18 denotes audio data output from the audio data processing section 8, 19 denotes audio output section, 20 denotes an analog audio signal output from the audio output section 19, and 21 denotes a speaker.
Next, operation of the conventional multi-media reproduction processing apparatus will be discussed in reference to FIG. 2.
Data recording on the CD-ROM is read out by the disc drive 1 and input to the data separation device 3 as the input data 2. The data separation device 3 separates and outputs the image data 4, the audio data 5 and the processing program 6. The image data 4 is digital data, in which still image data or motion picture data is compressed using certain algorithms. The image data processing section 7 performs data expansion to generate frame data 14 for a complete one frame image. In the image output control section 15, the frame data 14 is converted into a display signal for displaying the frame data on the display screen of the display monitor 17. By this, the image data 4 recorded on the CD-ROM can be displayed on the display monitor 17 as the still image or the motion picture.
On the other hand, the audio data 5 is also digital data derived by data compression using a certain algorithm. The audio data 5 is expanded by the audio data processing section 8 and then output as the complete audio data 18. The audio output section 19 converts the digital signal into an analog signal and outputs the converted signal to the speaker 21. Through the process set forth above, the audio data 5 recorded on the CD-ROM can be reproduced as an acoustic output through the speaker 21.
The processing program is adapted to manage and control the image data 4 and the audio data 5 recorded on the CD-ROM. In response to operation of the input device 10 by the user, the control signal 11 is supplied to the processor section 9. The processor 9 controls the image data processing section 7 and the audio data processing section 8 by control signals 12 and 13 for controlling image and audio processing, on the basis of the input processing program. By this, an operation according to the processing program recorded on the CD-ROM can be performed.
In the multi-media reproduction processing apparatus as set forth above, only CD-ROMs recorded in a specific recording system or data format can be reproduced.
Namely, since the still image or motion picture data and the audio data are recorded as digital data through data compression employing a specific algorithm, on the CD-ROM, a dedicated reproduction system is required for expansion of the compressed digital data. Therefore, the digital data compressed employing a different algorithm cannot possible be reproduced because of differences in the reproduction modes. Also, the CD-ROM recorded in the different reproduction mode generally has different data format.
On the other hand, in the disclosure of Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. JP-A-2-220584, the CD-ROM as a recording medium records, as stream data, encoded image information in which data is compressed and encoded, the audio data, a control program defining an algorithm for expansion and decoding of the compressed and encoded data, and an application program to be used by a microprocessor incorporated in the apparatus. In FIG. 2, before the processor 9 reads out the image and the audio data from the CD-ROM and outputs the data to the display monitor 17 and the speaker 21, the application program to be used by the processor 9 is read out from the CD-ROM.
In one CD-ROM, a plurality of the stream data of the image and audio, the control programs and application programs are recorded. The control program and the application program are differentiated with respect to each of the stream data.
In the above-mentioned description, the reproducing processing apparatus does not determine whether the control program and the application program are the same kind of program or different kinds of programs in relation to those processed immediately before. Therefore, with respect to every stream data of the image and audio, the processing programs on the CD-ROM have to be read out. In such case, due to a seek time of CD-ROM and a restriction of a reading out speed (150 Kbit/sec.), it takes a relatively long period of time for initiation of operation of the reproduction processing apparatus upon starting process.

Multi-media reproduction processing apparatus


A wireless communication device may take the form of a cellular telephone, of a portable personal communication device, or even of a desk top personal computer which is equipped to communicate over the wireless cellular communication system in effect in a particular area. The wireless communication device is configured to self-adapt to various operating frequencies and communication protocols which may be present in the cellular communication environment so that the device is able to provide communications in several service areas even though the frequencies of operation and the communication protocols in use in the service areas may be incompatible with one another. The wireless communication device may also include facilities for transmitting and receiving video, graphics, and data files over an RF bandwidth. The various communication standards and protocols which may be used for these communications are recognized by the communication device, and it self-adapts to provide communications in the formats, standards, and operating frequencies which are available in particular cellular communication environments.

The present invention relates to wireless voice, data, and image communication. More particularly, the present invention relates to radio frequency (RF) communication (both reception and transmission) of selected audio, data, or graphics file information signals, for example, in an appropriate one or both of analog and digital form, and according to selected communication frequency standards and protocols applying in particular geographic areas. A device embodying the present invention may also include wireless communication of data, video, and other forms of information, while recognizing and adapting automatically to the frequency band and protocol in which the information is or may be communicated in a particular cellular system environment.

Multi-frequency multi-protocol wireless communication device


A power battery, the power battery includes an inner case (4), an outer case (1), a battery body (2) and electrodes (3), the battery body (2) includes electrode plates, the external surface of the outer case is provided with an external heat abstractor and the internal surface of the inner case is provided with an internal heat abstractor, a cylindrical holding cavity (5) with an annular cross section is formed between the outer case (1) and the inner case (4) and the electrode plates are rolled in the holding cavity (5), the electrodes (3) are arranged in an inner cavity of the inner case (4) and the inner case also has at least an airway going through the inner cavity.

With the development of the world economy, the price of the international oil fluctuates violently in recent years, and the oil resource is anticipated to decrease in the future, so oil has already become a bottle neck of the development of the world economy, and making use of new energy sources has become a new trend in the development of economy. With the growing shortage of the global fossil energy and the increasing pollution of the environment, the demand for clean and renewable energy sources is growing more and more imperative.
As carriers of high efficient renewable energy sources, lithium ion batteries are widely used in electron and communication industry, especially in personal communication tools such as mobile phones, PDA and so on. Color screen technology, multimedia message technology, Bluetooth technology and photographing technique have been introduced one after another in recent two years with the rapid development of communication technology, which puts forward higher standard for the capacity, volume, weight, electrochemical performance and safety performance of lithium ion battery. The working voltage of a single lithium ion battery is usually ranged from 2.4 v to 4.5 v. What's more, the capacity of a single battery is limited.
The safety performance of the lithium ion battery is more important for the electric vehicles, UPS, communication equipments and so on in the application fields, of which large capacity and large power are needed. At present, the power battery with large capacity and large power is assembled by connecting single cells in series and/or in parallel. The key factor which affects the safety performance of the lithium ion battery is that the heat of the battery produced in the working process can't be released in time. Instead, the heat is accumulated gradually and becomes out of control to cause an explosion at last, which will bring harm and damages to the users. Now the lithium ion battery is solid, which is not good for eliminating heat. So for the people in this field, it has become one of the highlights of research whether the structure of a single lithium ion battery is beneficial to heat radiation and meets the requirements of unconformity of the battery or not.
The most common power batteries in the prior art are solid and in shape of circle or square. These two kinds of batteries have the same defects of low safety performance, less charge/discharge cycles and bad operational performances as follows:
The interior of the square battery is assembled by a number of electrode plates. In working process, the inner ions of the battery move at high speed and the temperature inside the battery rises. Due to the whole structure defects of the square battery, the square battery stops the internal heat from being released, so that the outer case of the power battery and the inner electrode plates distort, and the spaces between the inner electrode plates of the battery become unequal, which will affect the charging characteristics and discharging characteristics. What's more, that the internal heat can't be released will result in the instable performance, explosion and short service life of the battery.
The interior of the circular battery is assembled by rolling a number of electrode plates. In working process, the inner ions of the battery move at high speed and the temperature inside the battery rises. Due to the whole structure defects of the circular battery, the circular battery stops the internal heat from being released, so that the spaces between the inner electrode plates of the battery become unequal, which will affect the charging characteristics and discharging characteristics. What's more, that the internal heat can't be released will result in the instable performance, explosion and short service life of the battery.
Now it has become a common sense of governments of all countries and groups of enterprises to develop power batteries with large capacity, long service life and good safety performance. It is anticipated that this kind of power battery will be one of the most important power energy resources of electric vehicles in the 21st century and will be widely used in man-made satellites, aeronautics and space industry, and energy storage.


An EEPROM includes a substrate, a first semiconductor layer and a second semiconductor layer formed on the substrate. The first semiconductor layer is isolated from the second semiconductor layer by a trench. A first source and a first drain are located at two opposing sides of the first semiconductor layer. A first dielectric layer is formed on the first semiconductor layer, and a first floating gate is formed on the first dielectric layer. A second source and a second drain are located at two opposing sides of the second semiconductor layer. A second dielectric layer is formed on the second semiconductor layer, and a second floating gate is formed on the second dielectric layer. The first floating gate and the second floating gate are electrically connected.

(1) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM) and a method for producing the EEPROM, and more particularly to the EEPROM that is formed on a substrate.
(2) Description of the Related Art
An electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), widely seen in various electronic products, is characterized in capability of storing data under a no-source environment, fast accessing, larger capacity, and a small size.
Referring to FIG. 1, an EEPROM structure disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,998,830 is schematically shown. The EEPROM 1 as shown is a single-poly silicon formed on insulator (SOI) structure.
The single-poly silicon EEPROM 1 mainly uses two neighboring metal oxide semiconductors (MOS), the first MOS 11 and the second MOS 12, as the memory cells. To avoid possible "latch up" between the first MOS 11 and the second MOS 12, the MOSes 11 and 12 are then form on a SOI 13. As shown, the SOI 13, formed on a silicon substrate 14, includes an insulator layer 131, generally a silicon oxide, and a silicon layer 132. The silicon layer 132 is isolated from the silicon substrate 141 by the insulator layer 131.
As shown in FIG. 1, each of the MOSes 11 and 12 has a gate 110 or 120, a drain 111 or 121, a source 112 or 122, respectively. The drain 111 of the first MOS 11 is electrically connected with a bit line VD, the source 112 is connected to grounded Vs, and the gate 110 as a floating gate of the EEPROM 1 is electrically connected to the gate 120 of the second MOS 12. The drain 121 and the source 122 of the second MOS 12 are coupled to a control gate of the EEPROM 1 for receiving a control voltage Vg.
In operating the EEPROM 1, different control voltages Vg are utilized to determine the "tunneling" of thermal electrons to the floating gate. In the case that electrons enter the floating gate, the memory cell of the EEPROM 1 will be set at a value "1". On the other hand, in the case that the electrons escape from the floating gate, the memory cell of the EEPROM 1 will be set at a value "0". Without altering the control voltage Vg, the information or data stored into the memory cell will be maintained even that no power is present.
Though the EEPROM 1 has many advantages as described above and is also widely accepted in various electronic products, yet current application that the electric connection between the glass substrate 2 and the EEPROM 1 via the flexible printed circuit board 22 requires the EEPROM 1 to be mounted on a printed circuit board 21 in advance, as shown in FIG. 2. For the EEPROM 1 is formed exterior to the glass substrate 2, packing cost to include the EEPROM 1 and the flexible printed circuit board 21 would be increased and also the whole package including the glass substrate 2 would be big and thick.
It is noted that the improvement to form the EEPROM directly onto the glass substrate can reduce the packing cost of the EEPROM, waive the flexible printed circuit board, thus increase the speed of data accessing, and reduce the reaction time of image processing.

EEPROM and method of manufacturing the same


There is disclosed a magnetic recording medium which are not only excellent in chemical and magnetic stability, durability and traveling reliability but also has a good time index function. The magnetic recording medium according to the present invention includes a non-magnetic substrate and a magnetic layer formed on the non-substrate, the magnetic layer being composed mainly of .gamma.--Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3 and having a coercive force of 25 to 33 KA/m, a residual magnetic flux density of not less than 130 mT and a thickness of 1.5 to 2.0 .mu.m, wherein the magnetic recording medium has a total thickness of not more than 6 .mu.m, and is capable of recording thereon and/or reproducing therefrom a low frequency signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a coating-type magnetic recording medium in which .gamma.--Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3 is used as a magnetic material, and more particularly to a micro-cassette tape for used in telephone-answering machine, tape recorders for conference system, or the like.
2. Prior Art
Conventionally, there have been extensively utilized coating-type magnetic recording media which are produced by applying a magnetic coating material onto a non-magnetic substrate and then drying the magnetic coating material. The magnetic coating material is prepared by dispersing a magnetic powder material such as an oxide-based magnetic powder or an alloy-based magnetic powder in an organic binder such as vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate-based copolymer, a polyester resin, an urethane resin, a polyurethane resin or the like.
Incidentally, as magnetic materials for micro-cassette tapes capable of long-term recording, such as 90 minute-recording micro-cassette tapes, the alloy-based magnetic powder have been generally used. The alloy-based magnetic powder has an extremely large coercive force and saturation magnetization as compared to the oxide-based magnetic powder. For this reason, the magnetic tape in which such an alloy-based magnetic powder is used as a magnetic material can exhibit a high coercive force and a high residual magnetic flux density.
However, since the alloy-based magnetic powder is a ferromagnetic metal alloy (Fe, Co, Ni) composed mainly of Fe, the magnetic powder exhibits a low stability against oxidation thereof, so that there arises a risk that the magnetic powder is burned or ignited upon handling. In addition, the alloy-based magnetic powder is apt to be coagulated during the production of the magnetic coating material. For this reason, when the alloy-based magnetic powder is used, the magnetic coating material suffers from the increase in viscosity thereof, thereby limiting the conditions for the production of magnetic tapes. Further, when the resultant magnetic tape is loaded in a tape recorder or the like and traveled therein, there also occurs a risk that a traveling reliability and durability of the magnetic tape are deteriorated due to the increase in frictional coefficient thereof.
In view of the afore-mentioned problems encountered in the prior art, the present inventors have paid their attention to .gamma.--Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3 because the material is excellent in chemical stability and magnetic stability and can produced with a low cost. However, .gamma.--Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3 is deteriorated in electromagnetic conversion characteristic as compared to the alloy-based magnetic powder. Further, in the case of the micro-cassette tape serving for a long-term recording, such as a 90 minute-recording micro-cassette tape, it is required that the magnetic layer thereof has a small thickness because the diameter of the wound tape must be limited to a small value. For this reason, especially, an operation of a time index function (i.e., the function capable of recording an information concerning recording date and time in an empty channel on a magnetic tape, or reproducing the information therefrom) which is generally provided in a micro-cassette tape recorder, is rendered unstable. This is because the time index function is provided by recording the information in the form of a low frequency signal in the order of 30 Hz/-30 dB and therefore highly influenced by a low-frequency sensitivity characteristic of the magnetic tape used.


A football blocking and tackling dummy for the practice of football skills has an illustration of a football player on the front thereof. A force sensitive switch is located within the dummy vertically between the knees and waist of the illustrated player. A mercury switch is located above the waist of the dummy at an angle. A block or tackle of the dummy in the preferred zone will actuate the force sensitive switch and a sound output will be produced. Hitting the dummy too high will open the mercury switch and prevent the sound output from being produced.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a blocking and tackling dummy used for teaching desirable football skills to athletes during practice. More specifically, this invention relates to a practice dummy which is rugged and lightweight, and which contains electronic circuitry providing immediate positive feedback to a player who blocks or tackles the dummy in a preferred zone between the knees and waist, but will not respond when hit above the waist.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Over the years coaches have struggled with the problem of getting inexperienced or young athletes to block and tackle in a good, low football position. The natural tendency of a young player is to stand up when coming out of a three point stance, or to hit high when tackling. The present invention uses positive reinforcement in the form of a buzzer or a simulated human voice which sounds when the dummy is hit properly in order to assist young players to eliminate bad habits and develop consistency in repeating proper techniques of blocking and tackling. The players will be more likely to repeat in a game situation the techniques performed repeatedly in practice.

Electronic football blocking and tackling dummy


An electric power steering apparatus comprising dead zone detecting device for detecting whether a detected value of a steering torque is no more than a predetermined value, that is, in a dead zone or not, steering angular velocity detecting device for detecting the rotation speed of a steering wheel, and motor braking device for braking a motor by short-circuiting the terminals of the motor by the PWM control corresponding to the rotation speed of the steering wheel detected by the steering angular velocity detecting device when the detected value of the steering torque is detected to lie in the dead zone.

The present invention relates to improvement of an electric power steering apparatus for assisting steering force by rotationally driving a motor for assisting steering force. Pulse with modulation (PWM) control of the motor is used with a target value of the motor current determined on the basis of the detected amount of the steering torque used as a target amount for automatic control.
In an electric power steering apparatus for rotationally driving a motor for assisting steering force by PWM control based on the current target value of the motor determined on the basis of the detected amount of steering torque and the detected amount of the driving current for the motor, steering wheel return current is fed to the motor to carry out steering wheel return control. When the steering wheel returns near its neutral position (steering angle) at which the vehicle is advanced straight ahead, the steering wheel return current is set to zero.
However, even when the steering wheel returns to its neutral position, owing to the inertia force of the motor, the steering wheel does not instantly stop rotating but goes beyond the neutral position (0 deg) and then turns back like a pendulum, until it converges on the neutral position. Because of this, it takes time before the steering wheel converges on the neutral position and stops, during which time the vehicle running condition is not stabilized. The effect of this phenomenon is especially large at high speeds.
In order to solve such problem, various proposals have been made such as one described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,754,829 which is designed to brake the motor for steering assistance when certain conditions of steering torque and steering rotation speed are satisfied, either one or both of which are changed by the vehicle speed. A steering system described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,802,544 is designed to effect braking by short-circuiting the two terminals of the motor for assisting steering force when the vehicle speed exceeds a predetermined value and steering is stopped. The steering system described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,735,271 is designed to brake the motor for assisting steering force when the steering torque does not exceed a predetermined value, steering rotation speed is more than a predetermined value, and the steering system is at the neutral position.
Also, there has been proposed a steering system as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,735,271 which is designed to brake the motor for assisting steering force when the steering torque does not exceed a predetermined value and the rotation speed of the motor for assisting steering force is higher than a predetermined value. In all those disclosures, however, due to the abrupt exertion of the braking force, the shock of braking is conveyed to the steering wheel to give unsatisfactory braking feeling.


A constraint-based speech recognition system for use with a form-filling application employed over a telephone system is disclosed. The system comprises an input signal, wherein the input signal includes both speech input and non-speech input of a type generated by a user via a manually operated device. The system further comprises a constraint module operable to access an information database containing information suitable for use with speech recognition, and to generate candidate information based on the non-speech input and the information database, wherein the candidate information corresponds to a portion of the information. The system further comprises a speech recognition module operable to recognize speech based on the speech input and the candidate information. In an exemplary embodiment, the manually operated device is a touch-tone telephone keypad, and the information database is a lexicon encoded according to classes defined by the keys of the keypad.

There is considerable interest today in facilitating speech recognition with form-filling applications employed over a telephone system, and various systems and methods have been developed to facilitate the task of accomplishing speech recognition over the telephone. For example, to solve the problem of entering names, methods have been developed wherein the system asks the user to say both the name and the spelling of the name. Further in accord with these methods, two recognition experiments are conducted and the most coherent result is output. Similarly, constraint-based systems combine the spoken input of the name with a first spoken input, such as the initials, the identification of the user, or the user location. The first recognition result, after confirmation by the user, is used to constrain the second recognition process.
Unfortunately, the problems associated with speech recognition over the telephone affect all spoken input over the phone, and thus become compounded where a constraint-based speech recognition system uses recognized spoken input to constrain the second recognition process. Thus, fulfilling the need for a more reliable system and method of constraint for use with a speech recognition system over the telephone remains the task of the present invention.

Constraint-based speech recognition system and method

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


An iris drive mechanism has two slidable diaphragms which are operatively connected with a motor through a lever arrangement which, for a given motor output shaft rotational speed moves the diaphragms slowly at their extreme positions wherein the aperture is small and large respectively, and more quickly at an intermediate stage. The slower movement when the aperture is small improves the F number resolution.

1. Field of the Invention:
The present invention relates to an iris drive mechanism which is suitable for incorporation into a lens block.
2. Description of the Prior Art:
In an iris which enables exposure to be adjusted, two diaphragms are operated by a motor or so called ideal gyrator (IG) meter and the displacement of these diaphragms is substantially proportional to the rotational angle of a motor rotation.
Accordingly, even though the aperture is small and the rotational angle of the motor or IG meter (viz, the motor) is small, the diaphragms are displaced through the same distances as those when the aperture is large. This of course induces a considerable change in the F-number.
As a consequence, resolution of the F-number when the aperture is small is reduced and an automatic exposure (AE) control performance is accordingly deteriorated.


A CGC includes an enable module and a latch module. The enable module has an enable module input and an enable module output. The latch module has latch module inputs and a latch module output. The latch module inputs include a latch module clock input for receiving a clock and a latch module enable input for receiving the enable module output. The latch module enable input is coupled to the enable module output. The latch module is configured to enable and to disable the clock via the latch module output based on the enable module input. The latch module includes an internal enable node that is the latch module output. The latch module is configured to cause the internal enable node to transition from low to high as a function of the enable module output and ĒC, where E is the internal enable node and C is the clock.

Field
The present disclosure relates generally to clock-gating cells, and more particularly, to clock-gating cells with low area, low power, and low setup time.
Background
A clock-gating cell is a cell that gates a clock in order to reduce dynamic power dissipation in components that receive the clock. By gating the clock, the clock may be turned on/off. For components that receive the clock, but are being unutilized in an integrated circuit (IC), one or more clock-gating cells may be used to switch off the clock so as to avoid switching states and consuming power within the unutilized components that receive the clock in the IC. Many clock-gating cells may be used within an IC. Clock-gating cells with low area, low power, and/or low setup time are needed.

Clock-gating cell with low area, low power, and low setup time


A television receiver is connected to a multi-directional antenna having multiple receiving directions for receiving a television signal by making one receiving direction active, and comprises a clock, a tuner, a memory for storing a receiving direction table having content containing channel numbers and a best receiving direction, and a microprocessor for controlling the receiver.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a television broadcast receiver for receiving television broadcast signals transmitted from multiple directions.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the North American Continent where ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committee) digital television is broadcast, big cities spread across the plains. Accordingly, digital television broadcast signals, which are broadcast in big cities or their suburbs, can be received in other cities or intermediate areas between the cities. In addition, NTSC (National Television System Committee) analog television continues to be broadcast. From the viewpoint of each television user or viewer, television broadcast signals come from various directions. Thus, it is necessary for the television user to adjust the direction of an antenna in the direction of a broadcast tower transmitting a television broadcast signal of a television program which the user wishes to watch.
For this reason, multi-directional antennas such as a so-called smart antenna are put to practical use. The EIA (Electronic Industries Association)-909 standard provides a smart antenna having sixteen equiangular receiving directions in 360 degrees. Multi-directional antennas which are actually commercialized have various types such as one that changes the receiving direction by rotating the antenna using a motor, and one that has multiple antennas and selects an active antenna direction by turning on and off electronic switches (the antenna themselves do not rotate).
Some of television broadcast receivers each connected to such multi-directional antenna are each set to be able to adjust the receiving direction of the multi-directional antenna, and have an omni-directional scan function to automatically select the receiving direction of the multi-directional antenna in which a television broadcast signal of a channel selected by a television user can be best received (such receiving direction being hereafter referred to simply as "best receiving direction"). Receiving conditions of each of the above television broadcast receivers to receive television broadcast signals (terrestrial broadcasts) are considered to vary with time zone due to causes or influences of, for example, traffic amount, usage state of amateur radio, broadcast of another channel in an adjacent frequency band, and so on. However, conventional television broadcast receivers cannot properly adapt to the variations in time of the receiving conditions of the terrestrial broadcasts due to the above causes.

Abstract: Based on the time measured by the clock, the microprocessor renews the content of the table at a preset time, and outputs, to the antenna, a control signal to command a receiving direction for receiving one channel based on the renewed content of the table.

Abstract: The receiver can properly adapt to the variations in time of the receiving conditions of terrestrial broadcasts based on the renewed content of the table, and can automatically renew the content of the table in a time zone when a user does not view a television program.


A multi-chip unit suitable for chip-level packaging may include multiple IC chips that are interconnected through a metal redistribution structure, and that are directly bonded to an integrated heat spreader. Bonding of the integrated heat spreader to the multiple IC chips may be direct so that no thermal interface material (TIM) is needed, resulting in a reduced bond line thickness (BLT) and lower thermal resistance. The integrated heat spreader may further serve as a structural member of the multi-chip unit, allowing a second side of the redistribution structure to be further interconnected to a host by solder interconnects. The redistribution structure may be fabricated on a sacrificial interposer that may facilitate planarizing IC chips of differing thickness prior to bonding the heat spreader. The sacrificial interposer may be removed to expose the RDL for further interconnection to a substrate without the use of through-substrate vias.

In electronics manufacturing, integrated circuit (IC) packaging is a stage of semiconductor device fabrication in which an IC that has been fabricated on a chip (or die) comprising a semiconducting material is encapsulated in a "package" that can protect the IC from physical damage and support electrical contacts that connect the IC to a host component, such as a printed circuit board.
Multiple chips can be assembled into a single IC package. In some multi-chip packages the IC chips may be interconnected through a package substrate that is further interconnected to a host substrate. Integration of multiple IC chips is another technology for cost-effectively assembling complex and high performance microelectronic systems. In chip-level integration, multiple IC chips are electrically interconnected by some means that is scaled down from the package substrate to form a multi-chip unit. The multi-chip unit may then be packaged essentially as a single IC chip, for example being assembled onto a package substrate in the same manner as a conventional monolithic IC chip.
Such multi-chip units may advantageously combine IC chips from heterogeneous silicon processes and/or combine small dis-aggregated chips from the same silicon process. However, there are many challenges with integrating multiple IC chips into such a chip-scale unit. One issue is structural/mechanical strength of the multi-chip unit because chip-electrical interconnection may comprise only thin metallization layers embedded within structurally weak thin film dielectric layers (silicon dioxide, low-K dielectrics, silicon nitride, polymer, etc.) that span an aggregate footprint of the IC chips. Such thin film materials are prone to cracking. Additionally, compound chip units often suffer high warpage, which makes their further interconnection to a host, such as a package substrate, difficult. Another issue is thermal performance because, compared to a monolithic IC chip (e.g., one having approximately the same footprint of a multi-chip unit), the various small IC chips assembled together are less capable of spreading heat across the assembly due, at least in part, to relatively poor thermal conductivity in regions between the individual IC chips. For example, a dielectric mold material that might backfill between the IC chips may have a thermal conductivity of only around 2.5 W/mK, or less. Multi-die integration therefore tends to suffer from more hot spots than comparably sized single-chip packages. Thermal performance may also be poor where the IC chips of a multi-chip unit have differing thicknesses so that more material of relatively poor thermal conductivity (e.g., mold material or thermal interface material) may be needed between the individual IC chips and any overlying package-level thermal solution. Thermal conduction within both an x-y plane and a z-height of the multi-chip assemblies may therefore be poor.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

IC package including multi-chip unit with bonded integrated heat spreader


A turbine section includes a pair of adjacent turbine airfoils and an endwall extending between the airfoils. The endwall includes a first feature spanning approximately thirty percent pitch and having a first depression with a maximum depression located between twenty percent and eighty percent of the axial chord length of the first airfoil, a second feature spanning approximately thirty percent pitch and having a first peak with a maximum height located between sixty percent and ninety percent of the axial chord length of the first airfoil, and a third feature spanning approximately thirty percent pitch and having a second depression with a maximum depression located between twenty percent and fifty percent of the axial chord length of the second airfoil.

The present disclosure relates to turbine airfoils in a gas turbine engine and, more particularly, to airfoils with non-axisymmetric endwall contouring with an aft mid-passage peak.
Gas turbine engines typically include a compressor section, a combustor section, and a turbine section, with an annular flow path extending axially through each. Initially, air flows through the compressor section where it is compressed or pressurized. The combustors in the combustor section then mix and ignite the compressed air with fuel, generating hot combustion gas. These hot combustion gases are then directed by the combustors to the turbine section where power is extracted from the hot gases by causing turbine blades to rotate.
Some sections of the engine include airfoil assemblies comprising airfoils (typically blades/rotors or vanes/stators) mounted at one or both ends to an endwall. Air within the gas turbine engine moves through fluid flow passages in the airfoil assemblies. The fluid flow passages are defined by adjacent airfoils extending between concentric endwalls. Near the endwalls, the fluid flow is adversely impacted by a flow phenomenon known as a vortex, which forms as a result of the boundary layer separating from the endwall as the gas passes the airfoils. The separated gas reorganizes into the vortex, and this loss is referred to as secondary or endwall loss. Accordingly, there exists a need for a way to mitigate or reduce these endwall losses.

Non-axisymmetric end wall contouring with aft mid-passage peak


One embodiment of the invention comprises a moisture vapor probe comprising a hollow sleeve and a removable electronics module. The probe has a generally cylindrical hollow sleeve having a sidewall with an inner surface and an outer surface. The sleeve comprises a sensor plate having a moisture vapor sensor and forming a water impermeable barrier with the sidewall. The sleeve has an opening such that a volume is defined by the opening, the sidewall and the sensor plate. The probe further comprises an electronics module removably disposable within the sleeve. The electronics module includes an information transfer unit. The information transfer unit in communication with the moisture vapor sensor and adapted to receive relative humidity information from the moisture vapor sensor.

Commercially available moisture probes typically are one-use devices that result in significant waste and expense or are reusable but must be re-calibrated or checked for accuracy before new use. Re-calibrating a reusable probe before use requires significant time. In addition, reusable probes may become inaccurate due to aging, but typically users do not have the equipment and capability to check the accuracy of their probes. Therefore, reusable probes are often used for many months or even years without being tested for accuracy. Use of inaccurate probes can lead the user to make inappropriate decisions and significant problems based on incorrect data: for example, if a moisture probe indicates that a concrete floor is dry enough to receive a floor covering or coating, but the floor is in reality too wet, then a floor covering or coating will be installed which later will fail due to the unrecognized high moisture condition. Use of inaccurate probes can, thus, have a significant economic impact on a commercial facility when floor coverings or coatings must be repaired or replaced after the facility has been put into operation.
In addition, commercially available relative humidity probes are expensive because they comprise a sensing element and electronics package all in the probe head that is inserted into the concrete. In addition, cost is a very relevant factor in the adoption of moisture probe technology. Typical prices of moisture probes commercially available in the United States range from $50 to over $250, and the cost of associated handheld meters ranges from several hundred dollars to nearly $700. Compared to anhydrous calcium chloride test kits (ASTM F1869) which cost approximately $8.00 per test, the high price of moisture probes has been a barrier to wide-spread acceptance in the floor coverings and coatings industry for preinstallation testing.
Further, commercially available probe systems often employ an outer housing and an inner housing, the outer housing used to line the drilled hole in concrete to isolate the sidewall of the hole from the sensor which is positioned inside the inner housing. Prior art systems utilize fins along the sidewall of the outer housing to define a volume. This volume represents a "dead volume" that serves as the volume the sensor tests. In prior art systems the volume is defined by a portion of the sidewall of the hole, the space between the outer housing and the inner housing and the space between the inner housing and the sensor plus any additional volume within the sensor housing. Thus, because the probe itself takes up a significant volume within the sleeve, a typical commercially available probe has a large volume (for example some systems have a volume around 2650 mm3) which must equilibrate with the concrete.
Probes using existing technology require longer than desirable times to equilibrate, an issue which is magnified for reusable probes that require calibration checking before use. For example, users currently place probes in concrete and have to return to the jobsite three days later to obtain readings, in accordance with ASTM F2170-02, "Standard Test Method for Determining Relative Humidity in Concrete Floor Slabs Using in situ Probes."

Construction Technology Laboratories, Inc.


A programmable logic device (“PLD”) includes circuitry for optionally and variably modifying characteristics of an input signal in any of several respects. Examples of such modifications include AC coupling the signal into the PLD, low pass filtering the signal (with selectable low-pass filter corner frequency), shifting the common voltage of the input signal, and/or subjecting the input signal to a selectable amount of attenuation.

This invention relates to programmable logic device integrated circuits ("PLDs"), and more particularly to circuitry on PLDs that is variable to facilitate connecting the PLD to various external signal sources.
PLDs are typically intended to be relatively general-purpose devices. The market for a PLD product tends to be larger if the number of different applications in which that product can be successfully employed is greater. A PLD typically interacts with other devices in a system. The wider the range of different signals the PLD can successfully accept from such other system components, the greater the range of possible uses of the PLD, and therefore the greater the potential market for the PLD. By "different signals" in the preceding sentence, it is meant that these different signals have different characteristics or specifications. Examples of such different characteristics are (1) a difference in ground voltage level between the signal source and the PLD, or (2) a difference in common mode voltage level between the signal source and the PLD. Such signals may be data signals (e.g., high-speed serial data signals) or clock signals. High-performance analog receiver or clock buffers on a PLD tend to be optimized to work for a small range of common mode voltages. This range may be limited due to concerns about oxide overstress or keeping transistors in the proper operating range. Again, because a PLD should preferably meet the needs of a wide-range customer base, it would be desirable to be able to either move the commode mode of the incoming signal at a point prior to the PLD's analog receiver or clock buffer, or to limit that incoming signal's output swing to not overstress the receiver or buffer. Among other possible features, the present invention may allow the PLD to change the corner frequency of input signal interface circuitry, for example, in a programmable manner (e.g., using programmable configuration random access memory ("CRAM") bits on the PLD), or in a dynamic manner. This can help the PLD support different applications where the frequency of interest (i.e., of a received signal) is different.

Variable external interface circuitry on programmable logic device integrated circuits


This invention consists of a process for utilizing the atmospheric temperature variation with height to produce useful energy. It is accomplished by the use of a lighter than air condensable fluid or mixture of fluids circulating between heat exchangers at different altitudes, with a two phase flow return.

The need for renewable energy sources is obvious and much effort has been directed to development of solar and wind technologies. One area of renewable energy conversion that has been relatively neglected is the use of the natural temperature variation with altitude or "lapse rate" as an energy source. The use of other naturally occurring temperature gradients such as ocean thermal energy conversion (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,582,691) have been proposed but the hostile, corrosive environment of the ocean, combined with the inherent low efficiency of small temperature differences, and the fact that the ocean thermal gradients are negative (temperature decreases with depth requiring pumps to move the water) have thus far made them impractical.
The use of the atmosphere as a thermal heat sink or source combined with external heat sources or sinks has also been considered and is practical when such external sources or (less commonly) sinks are available (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,488,828) and often require man made towers to access gravitational potential as a mechanical force agent in energy conversion.
Unlike these systems the present invention needs no external sources or sinks other than the atmosphere, and uses natural elevation changes available in mountains to both access the needed temperature difference and gravitational force to produce pressures that can be used to operate conversion machinery
Such a method of using mountain access to the atmospheric gradient and a process for extracting its energy was invented and investigated by this author at Sandia National Laboratories, operating under government contract in 1973. An analysis of that system is contained in an internal Sandia report SAND 74-0259. The results of that analysis indicated that such a system was feasible to build and, for elevation changes greater than 5000 feet, could be competitive with power plant costs at that time, with most of the cost for large systems expended on heat exchangers. The invention of that system was not patented and the analysis results were not published outside the Laboratories. Since that time the Department of Energy has waived its rights to that invention to this author, but several others have already patented similar ideas. (U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,953,971 and 4,318,275). A schematic of that original process is shown in FIG. 1. A condensable lighter-than-air vapor is vaporized in the lower heat exchanger, 1, and flows up a pipe, 2, to a condenser, 3.
Although the gas cools as it rises, it does not cool as much as the atmospheric lapse rate so that a condenser in the higher cool air region will cause the vapor to condense. The denser condensed liquid then flow down another pipe, 4, and the increased pressure is used to operate some form of machinery, 5 (hydraulic pistons or turbines for example) which may be coupled to an electric generator.
Although the system shown in FIG. 1 should work (it has been modeled but not built) it presents several practical difficulties which can be overcome. First the liquid head at the bottom of the down flow pipe would be very high for the large mountains for which this system is applicable. Hydro-turbines for those high pressures do not exist and some kind of hydraulic engine would have to be developed. Second, such high pressures in a toxic liquid present additional safety concerns, and there are very few choices of lighter than air gases that are condensable at atmospheric temperatures, with ammonia being the best candidate. Third, except for the small amount of condensate carried up by the expanding vapor, all the condensate must be produced by transfer of the whole vaporization energy to the outside air through a small temperature difference, which means the heat exchangers must be very large. These problems can be overcome or mitigated by the configuration shown in FIG. 2, which is the preferred embodiment of this invention.

Atmospheric temperature difference power generator


A connecting box for forming branch circuit comprises two rectangular casing members in the same configuration and a plurality of conductive members. Each casing member comprises a partitioning, a plurality of connector-connecting openings disposed on one side thereof with respect to the partitioning wall, a conductive member-accommodating portion disposed on the other side and a plurality of connection portion-inserting openings formed on the partitioning wall. The two casing members are connected with each other with one of the casing members to constitute a case having the conductive member-accommodating portion in the center portion thereof and the connector-connecting openings on the front and back sides. The conductive members are disposed in the conductive member-accommodating portion so as to project a connecting portion of each conductive member into each of the connector-connecting openings formed on the front and back sides of the case through each connection portion-inserting opening.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connecting box for connecting connectors disposed at the end of a wire harness so as to branch the circuit.
2. Description of the Related Arts
The connecting box, for forming branch circuit, is used to connect the end of the wire harness with various electric devices by branching the circuit thereof so as to locate branching positions at one position to accomplish a reasonable and economical branch connection of the wiring. With very dense wiring in the wire harness, various types of connecting boxes have been developed. Normally, a plurality of connecting circuits are provided inside the casing of the connecting box and connecting openings for connecting connectors disposed at the ends of the wire harness are formed on an end face of the casing.
Various types of connecting circuits including the bus bar method have been proposed to form a highly dense circuit. According to a first example, a connecting circuit includes a plurality of bus bars formed in a maze configuration and pins disposed at the ends of the bus bars standing erect from the surface of the connecting circuit so as to connect connectors with the pins. According to a second example, a plurality of bus bars are provided in parallel with each other in a casing so as to be connected with each other at appropriate intervals by connecting terminals connected with connectors.
In the first example, however, the configurations of the connectors are varied because pins are placed at various positions. If the pins are so placed that the connectors in the same configuration can be used, there is a possibility that the connectors will be inserted into connecting openings erroneously. Thus, it is inevitable to use connectors in various configurations.
In the second example, the connectors and the bus bars are connected with each other in a complicated manner. Thus, it is impossible to connect a connector with a plurality of the same circuits and hence a highly dense and compact connecting circuit cannot be constructed.
Further, in the second example, in order to constitute the casing of a connecting box for, an upper casing and a lower casing are connected with each other by engagement between locking portions of the upper and lower casings, with bus bars interposed between the upper and lower casings.
However, the configuration of the upper casing and that of the lower casing are different from each other. Thus, it is necessary to prepare a mold for the upper casing and a mold for the lower casing, which leads to a high manufacturing cost. In addition, it is necessary to check whether the connecting box is an upward or downward facing connecting box.

Connecting box for forming branch circuit


A method, an electronic device, and a storage medium are provided for processing an image. The method includes: at least one first image frame is acquired based on a first pixel arrangement pattern when receiving a photographing instruction, where a pixel in the first pixel arrangement pattern includes sub-pixels of the same color component distributed in a square array in a photosensitive element; at least one second image frame is acquired based on a second pixel arrangement pattern, where the second pixel arrangement pattern is a standard Bayer arrangement pattern; and the at least one first image frame and the at least one second image frame are fused to obtain the image to be displayed.

In the related art, the resolution of an image captured by an electronic device such as a mobile phone through a front camera differs depending on ambient lighting. By adjusting the resolution, high resolution in high light environment and high image quality in low light environment can be achieved. However, in the high light environment, to ensure the high resolution of the image, the image quality may be lost. In the low light environment, to ensure the image quality, the image resolution may be lost. Therefore, such photographing method cannot take into account both of the image quality and the image resolution.

Method and apparatus for processing image, electronic device and storage medium

Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co., Ltd.


A magnetoresistive (MR) sensor comprising a sputtered layer of ferromagnetic material and a sputtered layer of antiferromagnetic nickel-manganese (Ni-Mn) to provide an exchange coupled longitudinal bias field in the MR element is described. The antiferromagnetic layer overlays the MR layer and may be patterned to provide the longitudinal bias field only in the end regions of the MR layer. Alternatively, the antiferromagnetic layer can underlay the MR layer with a Zr underlayer to enhance the exchange-coupled field. As initially deposited, the Ni-Mn layer is face-centered-cubic and exhibits little or no exchange-coupled field. After one annealing cycle at a relatively low temperature, the Ni-Mn layer is face-centered-tetragonal and exhibits increased crystallographic ordering and provides sufficient exchange coupling for the MR element to operate. Addition of chromium to the Ni-Mn alloy provides increased corrosion resistance.

The present invention relates generally to magnetoresistive (MR) read sensors and, more particularly, to an MR read sensor in which an improved antiferromagnetic film provides an exchange-coupled longitudinal bias field in the ferromagnetic MR film of the sensor.
A general description of the principle of operation of MR sensors in magnetic recording systems is provided by Tsang in "Magnetics of Small Magnetoresistive Sensors", Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 55(6), Mar. 15, 1984, pp. 2226-2231. Essentially, an MR sensor detects magnetic field signals through the resistance changes of the magnetoresistive read element as a function of the amount and direction of magnetic flux being sensed by the element. MR sensors are of interest for three primary reasons: the voltage output when detecting recorded flux transitions in a magnetic medium is large and proportional to an applied sense current; good linear density resolution can be obtained; and the MR sensor output is independent of the relative velocity between sensor and medium.
It is well known in the prior art that in order for an MR sensor to operate optimally, two bias fields are required. To bias the MR material so that its response to a magnetic flux field is linear, a transverse bias field is generally provided. This bias field is normal to the plane of the magnetic media and parallel to the surface of the planar MR element. Typically, the transverse bias field is provided by a current flow through a layer of soft magnetic material deposited adjacent to the MR element and separated by a thin electrically insulting layer.
The second bias field which is typically utilized with MR elements is referred to as the longitudinal bias field and extends parallel to the surface of the magnetic media and parallel to the lengthwise direction of the MR element. The primary purpose of the longitudinal bias is to suppress Barkhausen noise which is generated by multi-domain activities within the MR element. A secondary purpose of the longitudinal bias field is to improve the magnetic stability in the presence of high magnetic field excitation. The longitudinal bias field typically is provided by either hard-magnet or exchange-coupling biasing.
The phenomenon of exchange anisotropy is well-known in the art. It occurs as a result of the interaction of a ferromagnetic material in contact with an antiferromagnetic material, and can be described in terms of an exchange interaction between magnetic moments on each side of the interface between the two materials. For example, exchange coupling between thin layers of nickel-iron (Ni.sub.81 Fe.sub.19) and iron-manganese (Fe.sub.50 Mn.sub.50) produces a unidirectional anisotropy resulting in a shift of the BH loop in the MR element.
Commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,103,315 to Hempstead et al discloses an MR sensor which utilizes antiferromagnetic-ferromagnetic exchange coupling to provide a uniform longitudinal bias field in the MR element of the sensor. The exchange coupling between the antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic layers creates a single domain state in the ferromagnetic layer (the MR element) and thereby suppresses the Barkhausen noise associated with domain activity. Hempstead et al teaches an MR sensor in which Ni-Fe serves as the ferromagnetic MR layer and a gamma phase manganese (Mn) alloy with iron (Fe-Mn) having a face-centered-cubic (fcc) structure as the antiferromagnetic layer. Hempstead et al also suggests that alloys of Mn with cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), germanium (Ge), nickel (Ni) and rhodium (Rh) may produce a stable gamma phase Mn alloy when deposited on Ni-Fe.
Commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,663,685 describes an MR sensor having an Fe-Mn alloy antiferromagnetic layer divided into separate end portions for providing an exchange bias primarily in corresponding end portions of the MR layer.
Two problems encountered with the use of Fe-Mn as the antiferromagnetic layer in MR sensors are its susceptibility to corrosion and the temperature sensitivity of the unidirectional anisotropy field (H.sub.UA). The material is exposed to corrosive environments both during the thin film fabrication processes and during operation of the MR sensor in a magnetic recording system.
In order to decrease the temperature sensitivity of the H.sub.UA, the deposited Ni-Fe/Fe-Mn layers have been annealed for 20-50 hours at a temperature ranging from 260 to 350 degrees C. With such an extended annealing process, significant interdiffusion occurs at the interface between the layers causing the formation of a ternary Ni-Fe-Mn film which provides a much greater H.sub.UA (up to 48 Oe) at the MR sensor operating temperature of 80 degrees C. and exhibits a blocking temperature, at which the H.sub.UA goes to zero, beyond the Neel temperature for bulk Fe-Mn (about 220 degrees C.). The interdiffusion, however, substantially decreases the magnetic moment of the MR sensor. On the other hand, other elements, such as Cr, Ir, Pt, Rh and Ru, for example, have been added to the Fe-Mn alloy layer in order to improve its corrosion resistance. Commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,755,897 to Howard discloses an improved MR sensor having an antiferromagnetic layer comprising an alloy of Fe, Mn and Cr. In particular, by adding 4.5 at % Cr to a 30 nanometer (nm) thick Fe-Mn film, the corrosion current density (i.sub.c) in an aerated 0.1N sodium sulfate electrolyte decreases from 8 to 2 uA/cm.sup.2, and further decreases to 0.5 uA/cm.sup.2 after annealing the uncoated film in air for one hour at 150 degrees C. However, the addition of the Cr decreases the strength of the H.sub.UA to only 16 Oe at room temperature, and further to about zero at 80 degrees C.

Magnetoresistive sensor having antiferromagnetic layer for exchange bias

International Business Machines Corporation