A shallow trench isolation structure having a negative taper angle. A graded doped sacrificial layer is formed over a semiconductor substrate and etched to form a first trench therein having trench sidewalls that present a negative taper angle. The substrate is also etched to form a second trench therein overlying the first trench. Silicon dioxide fills both the first and the second trenches to form the shallow trench isolation structure, with the silicon dioxide in the first trench exhibiting a negative taper angle to avoid formation of polysilicon stringers during a gate polysilicon deposition.

Integrated circuits (or chips) typically comprise a silicon substrate and semiconductor devices, such as transistors, formed from doped regions within the substrate. Interconnect structures disposed in parallel-like layers overlying the semiconductor substrate provide electrical connection between doped regions to form electrical devices and circuits. A conventional interconnect system comprises a plurality of substantially vertical conductive vias or plugs interconnecting substantially horizontal conductive traces, with a dielectric layer disposed between two vertically adjacent horizontal conductive traces.
Within an integrated circuit substrate it may be necessary to isolate certain doped regions to avoid the effects of parasitic devices that are formed by interaction of doped regions. For example, in a CMOSFET device (complimentary metal-oxide semiconductor field effect device) comprising n-channel and p-channel metal-oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETS) formed in oppositely doped adjacent wells, a parasitic bipolar structure, i.e., a p-n-p-n thyristor, is inadvertently formed. Although the thyristor is off under normal operating conditions, if the isolation between doped regions is not sufficient, under certain bias conditions the p-n-p regions can supply base current to the n-p-n regions, causing a large current leakage between adjacent MOSFETS that can latch-up the CMOS device.
A thick oxide region, whether formed according to a local oxidation of silicon (LOCOS) process or an STI process as described below, electrically isolates adjacent transistors and other devices to minimize current therebetween and reduce these parasitic effects. The local oxidation of silicon process forms recessed LOCOS isolation regions in a non-active area (also referred to as a field region) of the semiconductor substrate. For example, LOCOS regions are formed in an area between the p-channel and n-channel devices of a CMOS device. According to a one LOCOS process, a layer of silicon nitride is deposited over the substrate and patterned according to conventional masking and etching steps to form openings that expose underlying substrate silicon. The isolating LOCOS regions are formed by oxidizing the exposed silicon through the openings. No oxidation occurs in the masked regions.
Shallow trench isolation enjoys certain advantages over the LOCOS method. An STI structure comprises a dielectric-filled substrate trench that electrically isolates doped regions of active devices, including CMOS devices, MOSFETS and bipolar transistors. STI is an important technology for device sizes below about 0.25 microns, as the trenches consume a smaller surface area and exhibit a flatter upper surface topology than the LOCOS structures. Since the shallow trench isolation structure consumes less substrate surface than the LOCOS structure, more transistors per unit area can be fabricated in an integrated circuit employing STI isolation techniques. STI structures also provide superior isolation because sharp corners at the bottom of the STI trench form voltage barriers that tend to block leakage currents between adjacent doped regions. LOCOS regions generally present rounded corners and thus may permit some leakage current. STI trenches are typically about 3000 Angstroms deep.
As is known, a plurality of integrated circuits are fabricated in a semiconductor wafer, each integrated circuit comprising doped regions formed in a wafer substrate, with dielectric layers and conductive interconnect layers formed over an upper surface of the substrate. FIGS. 1–6 are cross-sectional views, not drawn to scale, illustrating successive prior art processing steps across a common plane for forming a shallow trench isolation structure in a substrate of one integrated circuit of the plurality of integrated circuits.
A semiconductor substrate 30 in FIG. 1 comprises active devices formed within doped regions depicted generally by a reference character 32. It is desired to isolate these doped regions with a shallow trench isolation structure therebetween. A stress-reducing silicon dioxide layer 36 (also referred to as a pad oxide layer 36) is deposited or grown over an upper surface 37 of the substrate 30. Next, a silicon nitride layer 38 is deposited overlying the silicon dioxide layer 36. As is known, the silicon nitride layer 38 imposes stresses on the substrate 30, with the stresses increasing with increasing thickness of the silicon nitride layer. The pad oxide layer 36 isolates the substrate 30 from the silicon nitride layer 38 to reduce these stresses.
A photoresist layer 40 is deposited, exposed and developed according to known processes to form an opening 41 therein.
Using the photoresist layer 40 as an etch mask, an opening 46 (see FIG. 2) is etched in the silicon nitride layer 38, preferably using a plasma etching process. During the etching process, sidewalls 47 of the opening 46 are formed with a positive taper angle.
The photoresist layer 40 is removed and the wafer is cleaned. As shown in FIG. 3, a trench 48 is formed in the silicon dioxide layer 36 and the silicon substrate 30 during an etching step that uses the opening 46 as a mask. The positive taper angle in the sidewalls 47 of the opening 46 creates a positive taper angle in sidewalls 49 of the trench 48.
A trench silicon dioxide liner 50 is then formed or deposited in the trench 48. See FIG. 4.
As illustrated in FIG. 5, a shallow trench isolation (STI) structure 55 is formed within the trench 48 according to a silicon dioxide deposition step (e.g., a high density plasma oxide deposition), during which silicon dioxide is also deposited on an upper surface 59 of the silicon nitride layer 38. A chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) step removes the silicon dioxide from the upper surface 59, stopping on the silicon nitride layer 38. Since the CMP polishing rate for silicon dioxide is different than the CMP polishing rate for silicon nitride, an upper surface 60 of the STI structure 55 is recessed below the upper surface 59.
To complete formation of the STI structure 55, the wafer is cleaned, the silicon nitride layer 38 and the pad oxide layer 36 are removed and finally the wafer is cleaned again. FIG. 6 illustrates the structural elements following these processing steps.
As can be seen from FIG. 6, due to the positive taper angle of the sidewalls 47 and 49 (see FIG. 3) the STI structure exhibits a re-entrant profile such that a top left comer 64 and a top right corner 66 together with sidewalls 67 and 68 define an oxide-undercut shape above the surface 37. Further, it is known that conventional cleaning steps following formation of the STI structure 55 may cause additional undercutting in the sidewalls 67 and 68, especially within notch regions 69. The undercut profiles weaken the STI structure 55.
According to subsequent processing steps a gate polysilicon layer is deposited on the surface 37. During this polysilicon deposition, undesired polysilicon stringers can form around the sidewalls 68 and 69 and the left and right comers 64 and 66, creating short circuits that defeat the STI isolation function, thereby degrading performance of the integrated circuit. Thus, a process technology to avoid formation of the polysilicon stringers is highly desired.
According to one technique, to reduce the probability of polysilicon short circuits, it is known to minimize the oxide undercut by reducing a duration of the clean step (typically a hydrofluoric acid clean) that follows removal of the silicon nitride layer 38 and the pad oxide layer 36. However, it is also known that the shorter cleaning step causes material residues and contaminants to remain on the substrate, possibly causing undesirable short circuits or leakage current within the STI structure 55 and the substrate 30.

Shallow trench isolation structures comprising a graded doped sacrificial silicon dioxide material and a method for forming shallow trench isolation structures


In response to a write operation to a memory cell that causes a data line of the memory cell to have a first voltage direction, causing the data line to have a second voltage direction opposite the first voltage direction.

A two port register file or memory cell includes a write port and a read port. The read port includes a bit line or a data line that carries the data read from the memory cell. In various situations, the data line is kept at a logical high voltage level. In some approaches, a voltage keeper is designed to maintain the logical high voltage level for the data line. A voltage keeper of a local input-output (LIO) of a memory array is called a local voltage keeper to be distinguished from a global voltage keeper in other areas of the memory array. A local voltage keeper that is static has a relatively large channel length, and results in an increased layout area for the LIO having the voltage keeper. A memory design without a local voltage keeper or with a dynamic local voltage keeper, together with a dummy write operation on the write port to the memory cell, disturbs a read operation on the read port.
Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements.

TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.


Polarizing split layers 26 and reflection layers 27 are provided on bonding surfaces between prism rods 24a and 24b. Polarization conversion devices 25 are bonded to an emission surface from which linearly polarized light being reflected by the polarizing split layers 26 and reflected by the reflection layer 27 are emitted. The polarization conversion devices 25 are formed by bonding plural prism rods 30 with side surfaces being inclined by 45° with respect to an incidence surface. Retardation films formed of dielectric multilayers are provided between the bonding surfaces to give a phase difference of a ½wavelength to transmitted light. The retardation films and bonding borderlines 31 are inclined by 45° within a plane perpendicular to an optical axis of linearly polarized light so that an optical axis of the retardation film has an angle of 45° with respect to a polarization direction of the linearly polarized light.

1. Technical Field
The invention relates to a polarization conversion device which rotates a polarization direction of linearly polarized light by 90°, a polarized illumination optical device which converts non-polarized illumination light into illumination light of linearly polarized light having a fixed polarization direction by the polarization conversion device, and a liquid crystal projector which uses the polarized illumination optical device in an illumination optical system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various kinds of liquid crystal projectors that illuminate an image, which is displayed on a liquid crystal display panel, with light from a light source lamp for projection onto a screen are commercially available. As is known well, a liquid crystal display panel includes a liquid crystal layer having a predetermined thickness, in which liquid crystal molecules are sealed, and a polarizer and an analyzer which are disposed on an incidence surface side and an emission surface side of the liquid crystal layer, respectively. The polarizer and the analyzer are disposed so that polarization directions of them are perpendicular or parallel to each other. The polarizer and the analyzer control passage of linearly polarized light, which is incident on the liquid crystal layer, according to an orientation state of liquid crystal molecules, and adjust a light amount of linearly polarized light which is emitted through the analyzer.
On the other hand, generally, a polarization conversion device which converts non-polarized light from a light source into linearly polarized light having the same polarization direction as the polarizer of the liquid crystal display panel is used in the illumination optical system of the liquid crystal projector. As described in JP 2008-129190 A, a prism array obtained by combining a polarized beam splitter and a ½ wavelength plate is often used as such a polarization conversion device. The polarized beam splitter has a polarization split surface which transmits one of two kinds of linearly polarized light beams whose polarization directions are perpendicular to each other, and reflects the other one. The polarized beam splitter rotates the polarization direction of either one of the two kinds of linearly polarized light, which are separated on the polarization split surface, by 90°using the ½ wavelength plate and combines it with the other linearly polarized light, thereby obtaining linearly polarized light whose polarization directions are aligned.
Most of known ½ wavelength plates are formed of a film sheet using an organic material. Accordingly, if the ½ wavelength plates are used near the light source for a long time, discoloration easily occurs and the polarization conversion efficiency is deteriorated. In order to improve the thermal resistance, it has been proposed to use a birefringent crystalline substance, such as crystal, as the ½ wavelength plate. However, not only the crystal itself is expensive, but also the manufacturing cost is high because the crystal should be processed while controlling the optical axis of the crystal precisely. From this point of view, in the polarization conversion devices described in JP 2008-129190 A and JP 2006-64871 A, a ½ wavelength plate formed of a dielectric multilayer is used. In this case, there are advantages in that not only the thermal resistance is greatly improved but also the manufacturing cost is suppressed to be low.
The ½ wavelength plate used in the polarization conversion devices described in JP 2008-129190 A and JP 2006-64871 A is formed of the dielectric multilayer which is manufactured by the oblique deposition. A retardation film formed of a dielectric multilayer which is manufactured by the oblique deposition may be put into practical use up to a ¼ wavelength plate. However, if the film thickness is increased up to a level at which the retardation film can be used as a ½ wavelength plate, the retardation film becomes clouded. As a result, the transmittance would be reduced. Particularly, a reduction in transmittance at the short wavelength side is noticeable, which would adversely affect the color balance. Also, the dielectric multilayer which is manufactured by the oblique deposition tends to absorb the moisture. As a result, the optical property of the dielectric multilayer would largely change as the dielectric multilayer absorbs the moisture.

Polarization conversion device, polarized illumination optical device, and liquid crystal projector


A clamp assembly for adjustably attaching a pole to a frame or a support member, the clamp assembly includes an elongated housing having a passageway, a slit in open communication with the passageway for adjusting a diameter of the passageway, a first connector plate extending outwardly from the elongated housing and disposed along a first side of the slit and the second connector plate extending outwardly from the elongated housing disposed along an other side of the slit, and a mounting plate or c- shaped clamp for attaching to the frame or support member respectively, and a locking member for adjustably attaching the elongated housing, the first connector plate and the second connector plate to the mounting plate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to clamp assemblies and more particularly but not by way of limitation, to clamp assemblies for mounting umbrellas and similar objects having a pole to a frame of an object. In one aspect, the present invention relates to improved clamp assemblies for mounting umbrellas to chairs, golf carts, canoes and the like.
2. Brief Description of Prior Art
Numerous types of clamp assemblies have here before been proposed for clamping one object to another such as c-clamps, substantially u-shaped brackets which function as clamps, straps, pocket-type structures and the like. While such clamp assemblies have been accepted, a need exists for improved clamp assemblies which permit one to readily alter the disposition of the object supported by the clamp assembly relative to the frame or structure of the object to which the clamp assembly is connected. It is to such clamp assemblies that the present invention is directed.


Binoculars have a digital camera function. The binoculars comprise observation optical-systems, an imaging-block, an indicating-device, and an imaging-block direction changing device. The objective optical-systems have objective optical-systems having first- and second-light axes, at the front-face, and have ocular optical-systems at the rear-face. The imaging-block has an imaging-lens, and an imaging-device. The imaging-lens forms an image on an imaging-surface of the imaging-device, and has a third-light axis. The imaging-device captures the image formed on the imaging surface. The indicating-device has an indicating-surface on which images are indicated, and is located on one of the top- and bottom-face. The imaging-block direction changing device changes the direction of the imaging-block between a first position, where the third light-axis is parallel to the first- and second-light axes, and where the imaging-surface faces the front-face, and a second position, where the third light-axis is at a non-zero degree angle to the plane which includes the first- and second-axes.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to binoculars with a digital camera function, and in particular to stabilizing the binoculars, when the binoculars are being held and used as a digital camera.
2. Description of the Related Art
The binoculars with a digital camera function, are known as an optical apparatus which has a digital camera function. The binoculars with a digital camera function, indicate an image which is almost identical to the image which is observed by the operator's eyes through the ocular lenses, and store the image as a digital image.
Japanese unexamined patent publication (KOKAI) No. 2001-281555 discloses such binoculars.


The present invention provides semiconductor-on-diamond devices, and methods for the formation thereof. In one aspect, a mold is provided which has an interface surface configured to inversely match a configuration intended for the device surface of a diamond layer. An adynamic diamond layer is then deposited upon the diamond interface surface of the mold, and a substrate is joined to the growth surface of the adynamic diamond layer. At least a portion of the mold can then be removed to expose the device surface of the diamond which has received a shape which inversely corresponds to the configuration of the mold's diamond interface surface. The mold can be formed of a suitable semiconductor material which is thinned to produce a final device. Optionally, a semiconductor material can be coupled to the diamond layer subsequent to removal of the mold.

Diamond and diamond-like substances have many properties, such as wear resistance, thermal conductivity, electrical resistivity, acoustic transmission, and corrosion inertness, which make them desirable for a variety of industrial applications. To this end, diamond and diamond-like substances have been incorporated into tools for various purposes such as saw blades, drill bits, and electronic components such as surface acoustic wave filters. Methods for incorporating diamond or diamond-like materials into a tool can include known processes such as chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and physical vapor deposition (PVD).
Various CVD techniques have been used in connection with depositing diamond or diamond-like materials onto a substrate. Typical CVD techniques use gas reactants to deposit the diamond or diamond-like material in a layer, or film. These gases generally include a small amount (i.e. less than about 5%) of a carbonaceous material, such as methane, diluted in hydrogen. A variety of specific CVD processes, including equipment and conditions, are well known to those skilled in the art.
In forming a layer of diamond, or diamond-like material on a substrate using CVD techniques, a plurality of diamond grains, or "seeds," may be first placed upon the substrate surface. The placement of such seeds may be accomplished using CVD itself such as by applying a voltage bias, by polishing with micron-sized diamond, or by other methods known in the art. These seeds act as diamond nuclei and facilitate the growth of a diamond layer outwardly from the substrate as carbon vapor is deposited thereon. As a result, the growing side of the diamond layer becomes increasingly coarse in grain size, and must ultimately be ground and polished to a smooth finish such as by a mechanical means, in order to be suitable for many industrial applications. However, as diamond and diamond-like substances are among the hardest known materials, such mechanical grinding and polishing is difficult and tedious. Moreover, the cost of polishing often exceeds the cost for making the diamond film itself. In addition, mechanical polishing inevitably introduces micro-cracks or variations on the diamond surface. Such cracks and variations are detrimental to certain applications.
The semiconductor industry has recently expanded efforts in producing semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) devices. These devices allow for electrical insulation between an underlying substrate and any number of useful semiconductor devices. Typically, these SOI devices can include insulating layers with poor thermal conductivity, high degree of thermal expansion mismatch, and/or difficulties in epitaxial growth of silicon or other semiconductor materials. In light of some of these difficulties, various efforts have explored using diamond as the insulating layer with some success. However, such devices continue to benefit from further improvement such as decreasing manufacturing costs, improving performance, and the like.
As such, SOI devices and methods for making diamond containing SOI devices which have improved performance and reduced production costs continues to be sought.

Semiconductor-on-diamond devices and methods of forming


Improved methods and apparatus for providing a fluid flow and mounting system comprised a mounting nipple, a coupling for threaded engagement with a valve assembly, and a rigid flow line having preselected dimensions. The system of the present invention is particularly adapted for supporting a sampling pump from a pipe line, with the sampling pump including a manifold block having a pair of fluid ports for passing fluid in a hot-loop between the flow line and a sampling pump, and with the valve assembly being mounted to the flow line and including a pair of through passageways. The mounting nipple has a stop surface at each end thereof for engaging the manifold block and valve assembly, respectively, to fix the axial position of the manifold block with respect to the valve assembly. The coupling is rotatable about the mounting nipple for threaded engagement with mating threads on the valve body. With the mounting nipple fixed to the manifold, the sampling pump and mounting nipple may be rotated as an assembly with respect to the valve assembly until the outlet port in the manifold block achieves a preselected position with respect to the inlet port of the return fluid passageway in the valve assembly, and a rigid flow line having preselected dimensions is then used to interconnect these ports.

Fluid sampling pumps have long been used to take repeated samples from a pipe line or other vessel, and incrementally input sample "bites" into a storage cylinder or similar container, so that the fluid in the cylinder represents a test fluid for determining the characteristics of the fluid stored in the vessel or flowing through the pipe line. The pipe line conventionally includes a threaded side port for sealingly mounting a valve assembly thereto, with a probe extending from the valve assembly into the pipe line for transmitting a sample to the pump. The sampling pump, a pump actuator, a regulator, and an electronic sampling controller are typically housed within a protective housing. Customers of sampling systems prefer a mounting technique whereby the sampling pump and related components within the housing may be mounted directly to the pipe line, thereby reducing installation costs. Various types of liquid or gas sampling pumps, and further background information regarding systems for obtaining fluid samples, are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,172,670, 4,403,518, 4,470,773, 4,525,127, 4,531,895, 4,557,151, 4,628,750 and 5,074,154.
Some prior art sampling pump systems have been connected by flexible tubing or similar flexible conduits to the pipe line, and the sampling pump and enclosure are then not physically supported by the pipe line. Those skilled in the art appreciate that fluid being transmitted in a hot loop from a pipe line to a sampling pump may be under an extremely high pressure, e.g., in excess of 1,500 PSI. Flexible lines which interconnect components and reliably transmit such high pressure fluids are expensive, and are thus generally avoided. When using either flexible tubing or rigid pipe to form the flow lines between the pipe line and the sampling pump, the sampling pump, its enclosure and the related components may be supported by a pedestal or other structure separate from the pipe line, or alternatively may be supported by arms or mounting brackets to the pipe line. The sampling pump system user generally desires to support the sampling pump and enclosure from components which both structurally interconnect the sampling pump to the pipe line and which serve to transmit the fluid from the pipe line to the sampling pump, thereby reducing installation costs. Such users also prefer that the flow line and mounting system have the capability to allow the user to remount an existing conventional pump and enclosure at a new installation site according to the preferred supporting techniques, and without disconnecting the pump or the related equipment within the enclosure in order to remount the pump and enclosure according to this preferred technique to the same or a new pipe line.
Operators of sampling pumps generally prefer to maintain a "hot loop" between the pipe line and the sampling pump. This hot loop allows a slight amount of fluid to flow substantially continuously from the pipe line to a location adjacent the inlet port of the pump, so that the pump is sampling fluid highly representative of fluid flowing through the pipe line at the moment the sample is taken. In a hot loop system, fluid which is not incrementally sampled by the pump is returned to the pipe line. This hot loop system typically employs a manifold block at the base of the pump, with the manifold block being housed within the enclosure and including a pair of ports for fluid communication with the hot loop flow lines. The methods and apparatus of this invention are of the type which desirably provide this hot loop system between the sampling pump and the pipe line to maintain high accuracy for the sampling technique. The present invention is concerned with improved techniques for mounting the sampling pump and relating components to the pipe line, and with techniques which provide both the hot loop flow lines and the structural connection between the pipe line and the sampling pump, while accomplishing these goals in a cost effective manner.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,928,536 discloses a sampling system with a lower body 13 for structurally interconnecting a pump with a pipe line. The mounting system is not adapted for engagement with a conventional sampling pump manifold, is expensive to manufacture, and when installed required modifications to a conventional sampling pump enclosure and/or adaption to the components within the enclosure. U.S. Pat. No. 4,391,152 discloses a complex sampling system which includes a plurality of ball valves, and also is not readily adaptable to standard sampling pump systems with conventional enclosures. The system disclosed in this patent does not provide the desired hot loop path as discussed above, and is apparently supported from a structure independent of the pipe line. U.S. Pat. No. 3,625,065 discloses a sampling system which utilizes flow lines between the sensor and the pipe line, with the flow lines being of a type which cannot reasonably support sampling pumps and related components within the enclosure, as discussed above. U.S. Pat. No. 3,534,613 discloses an early version of sampling system which does not form a reliable seal with the pipe line. Flow passes through flexible tubular member 67, and the system is not the hot-loop type. U.S. Pat. No. 3,007,340 discloses an electrical measurements system with valves 23 and 28 being in fluid communication by the conduit 24. U.S. Pat. No. 2,351,764 discloses a gas sampling system with external pipes and valves for interconnecting ports.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,109,709 discloses a system for mounting a sampling pump and related components within an enclosure to a pipe line while transmitting fluid in a hot loop between the pipe line and the sampling pump. The technique of this patent permits the mounting of the sampling pump and enclosure at one of a plurality of rotational positions, so that the installer may selectively rotate the pump and enclosure with respect to the pipe line when making the interconnection. The plurality of fittings, nipples, and an interface plate connect the valve body fixed to the pipe line and the pump manifold, while transmitting fluid to the pump in the desired hot loop. The technique disclosed in this patent, while highly reliable, is cost prohibitive for many applications due to the machining expense of the fittings, nipples, and interface plate. Moreover, the system disclosed in this patent includes numerous components to provide the desired structural and fluid connection between the pump and the pipe line, and is considered too complex by some sampling pump system users.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,920,626 discloses a device for structurally interconnecting a instrument manifold within an orifice plate assembly. U.S. Pat. No. 4,942,772 discloses a stack sampling system utilizing sampling lines between sampling equipment and a fitting threaded to the stack. U.S. Pat. No. 4,858,477 discloses a flow system for a dry material sample collector. The techniques disclosed in these patents illustrate efforts of companies involved in sampling technology, but do not teach the improved sampling pump mounting technique of the present invention.
The disadvantages of the prior art are overcome by the present invention, and improved methods and apparatus are hereafter disclosed for mounting a sampling pump and related components to the fluid source, such as a pipe line. The mounting technique of the present invention maintains high reliability for the sampling procedure by utilizing a hot-loop flow technique, allows the sampling system user to the reliably install the sampling pump at a desired location without utilizing special tools or specially adapted mounting components, minimizes installation costs, and may be used to re-mount existing sampling pump systems at the same or new installation sites.

Fluid flow and mounting system for a sampling pump


A display includes a plurality of data lines, a plurality of scan lines, a plurality of pixel circuits, a source driver, a gate driver, a timing controller and a gray scale circuit. The source driver includes a data line driving circuit for generating driving current corresponding to an image to be displayed by a pixel circuit, a current source for pre-charging the pixel circuit and a switch for electrically connecting the current source to the pixel circuit or electrically isolating the current source from the pixel circuit. The timing controller controls the source driver and the gate driver. The gray scale circuit controls the switch of the source driver based on gray scales of images to be displayed by the pixel circuits of a scan line.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an active matrix organic light emitting display and driving method thereof, and more particularly, to an active matrix organic light emitting display having a pre-charge current source and driving method thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Flat panel displays have advantages such as low power consumption, no radiation and thin appearance, and have therefore gradually replaced traditional cathode ray tube (CRT) displays. Various kinds of flat panel displays have been developed to offer consumers better products. Among them, organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays have gained more and more attention due to their characteristics such as self-emitting light source, high brightness, high contrast, high emission rate, fast reaction, wide viewing angle, and low power consumption.
An OLED is a current-driven device whose luminance is determined by the driving current passing through the OLED. By controlling the value of the driving current, images having different brightness (or different gray scales) can be displayed. OLED displays can be categorized into passive matrix organic light emitting diode (PMOLED) displays and active matrix organic light emitting diode (AMOLED) displays according to the driving methods. In a PMOLED display, pixels on different rows/columns (scan lines/data lines) are driven sequentially. The luminance of each pixel is thus limited by the scan frequency and the number of the scan lines. Therefore, the PMOLED displays are mainly used in small-sized and low-resolution displays. In an AMOLED display, each pixel has a separate pixel circuit comprising a storage capacitor, an OLED and two thin-film transistors (TFTs). The pixel circuits can control the amount of current supplied to corresponding OLEDs. Therefore, the AMOLED displays can achieve uniform display characteristics by supplying a stable driving current to each pixel, and are particularly suitable for applications in large-sized and high-resolution displays.
FIG. 1 shows a diagram of a prior art AMOLED panel 10. The AMOLED panel 10 includes a data line DL, a scan line GL, and a pixel circuit 100. The pixel circuit 100 includes an OLED 110, a storage capacitor 120, TFTs 130 and 140, and voltage sources Vcc and Vss. The TFT 130 includes a gate coupled to the scan line GL and a drain coupled to the date line DL. The TFT 140 includes a gate coupled to a source of the TFT 130 and a drain coupled to the voltage source Vcc. The storage capacitor 120 is coupled between the source of the TFT 130 and ground, and the OLED 110 is coupled between the source of the TFT 140 and the voltage source Vss. When displaying an image, a scan signal is sent to the TFT 130 via the scan line GL for turning on the TFT 130, thereby coupling the storage capacitor 120 to the data line via the TFT 130. Also, current from the data line charges the storage capacitor 120 and a gate voltage required for turning on the TFT 140 is stored in the storage capacitor 120. Once the TFT 140 is turned on, a current IOLED flows through the OLED 110, whose luminance is determined by the value of the current IOLED. The current IOLED can be represented by the following formula:IOLED=½μ·COX·W/L·(VGS−VTH)2; where
μ is the electron mobility;
COX is the gate oxide capacitance per unit area of the TFT 140;
W is the channel width of the TFT 140;
L is the channel length of the TFT 140;
VTH is the threshold voltage of the TFT 140; and
VGS is the voltage difference between the gate and the source of the TFT 140.
The gray scales of images displayed by the pixel circuit 110 is determined by the value of IOLED, which is controlled by the voltage VGS based on charges stored in the storage capacitor 120. When displaying an image of a low gray scale, the pixel circuit 100 requires a small current IOLED. To generate a corresponding small voltage VGS, the current sent from the data line for charging the storage capacitor 120 is also small. Under this circumstance, the small current cannot efficiently charge the storage capacitor 120 for providing a sufficient voltage VGS, and the pixel circuit 110 might not be able to completely display the image having the required low gray scale. Therefore, the prior art AMOLED displays have poor display quality when displaying images of low gray scales.

Active matrix organic light emitting diode display capable of driving and pre-charging pixels using a current source and driving method thereof


A conveyor system for conveying materials includes an upper conveyor and a lower conveyor. The upper conveyor includes a first pulley, a second pulley spaced from the first pulley and first endless belt extending about the first and second pulleys. The lower conveyor includes a third pulley, a fourth pulley, a fifth pulley and a second endless belt supported about the third, fourth and fifth pulleys. The third, fourth and fifth pulleys support the second endless belt such that the second endless belt at least partially wraps about the second pulley of the upper conveyor against the first endless belt to sandwich materials therebetween and to elevate the materials from the lower conveyor to the upper conveyor.

Closed circuit portable crushing and screening plants are utilized in quarries or at mining sites to process gravel or stone for commercial use and for crushing and screening other materials such as mineral ore including iron ore and the like. Conventional closed circuit portable crushing and screening plants include an upper conveyor which conveys material to a screening device which screens the material based upon size. The material which has been sufficiently crushed or which has attained the required size passes through the screening device and is discharged from the plant for commercial use or for further processing by another plant. The material which is too large passes from the screening device to a crusher. After being crushed, the material is discharged onto an underlying lower conveyor which conveys the material to an elevating wheel which elevates the material back up onto the upper conveyor for recirculation. The elevating wheel generally consists of a rotating drum with baffles mounted inside the drum. As the drum is turned slowly, the material is lifted and dropped onto the upper conveyor. Although frequently used in portable closed circuit crushing plants to elevate material from the lower conveyor to the upper conveyor, such elevating wheels are extremely expensive to manufacture due to their shape, are expensive to maintain and add energy costs to the system.
Due to the above disadvantages associated with the use of elevating wheels in portable closed circuit crushing plants, other elevating devices have been developed to lift the material from the lower conveyor to the upper conveyor. Couperus, U.S. Pat. No. 4,383,651 and Bronson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,598,875 disclose portable closed circuit crushing and screening plants which utilize an additional intermediate conveyor belt extending between the lower conveyor and the intermediate conveyor belt system having adjacent to elevate crushed materials from the lower conveyor to the upper conveyor. Each of the portable crushing and screening plants disclosed by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,383,651 and 4,598,875 requires multiple pulleys or rollers to maintain the adjacent belts in sufficient contact with one another to sandwich and lift material between the belts. This intermediate conveyor system also requires an additional motor or other device for driving the adjacent belts. As a result, the intermediate conveyor belt system utilized by the portable crushing and screening plant is space consuming, complex and expensive.
Thus, there is a continuing need for a simple, easily manufactured, compact, lightweight, low-energy consuming, easily maintained and inexpensive elevating device for elevating at least partially crushed gravel, rock or minerals from a lower conveyor to an upper conveyor in a portable closed circuit crushing plant.


Systems, methods, and software for operating a wireless communication device are provided herein. In a first example, a method of operating a wireless communication device is provided. The method includes receiving user content and advertising content over a wireless link from a wireless communication network, and responsive to user input on the wireless communication device, altering a first resource portion associated with the wireless communication device for handling of the advertising content and altering a second resource portion associated with the wireless communication device for handling of the user content.

Wireless communication systems typically include wireless access systems, with equipment such as base stations, which provide wireless access to communication services for user devices over wireless links. A typical wireless communication system includes systems to provide wireless access across a geographic region, with wireless coverage areas associated with individual base stations. The wireless access systems exchange user communications and supplemental communications between wireless communication devices and service providers for the communication services.
Communication services typically include voice calls, data exchange, web pages, streaming media, or text messages, among other communication services. As a part of these communication services, content from advertising service providers can be handled through the wireless communication system for receipt by users of wireless communication devices. Many times, primary content, such as the data requested by a user, is accompanied by supplemental content, such as advertising content.

Resource allocation for advertising content on wireless communication devices


A process for increasing the line width window in a semiconductor process, which is suitable to be used to increase the line width widow at the time of the exposure of an iso-line pattern under 0.13 xcexcm. This process includes: first forming a positive photoresist layer on the base, then using the first photomask to conduct the first exposure step on the positive photoresist layer. The first photomask is designed to have at least one main line that is opaque. On each of the two sides of the main line, there is a scattering bar. The width of the two scattering bars is greater than ⅓ of the wavelength of the light source that is used, and less than the width of the main line. The second photomask is used to conduct the second exposure step on the positive photoresist layer. The second photomask is designed to have at least two iso-lines that are pervious to light, and each of the two iso-lines is located at one of the two positions corresponding to the two scattering bars of the first photomask design. The width of each iso-line is greater than that of the corresponding scattering bar and the distance from each edge of the iso-line to each edge of the corresponding scattering bar is greater than about 60 nm.

This application claims the priority benefit of Taiwan application Ser. No. 89118303, filed Sep. 18, 2000.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a photolithography process in a semiconductor process. More particularly, the present invention relates to a process for increasing a line width widow in a semiconductor process.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the increasingly higher demand for the level of circuit integration, circuit design is compelled to move forward in the direction of continuous reduction in the size of the components of an entire circuit. In the whole semiconductor process, the most decisive step is photolithography. Anything is related to metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) component structure, for example, the design of each layer of film and the areas with dopants, is decided by the photolithography step.
In addition, whether the component integration of the whole semiconductor industry can continue to advance to a line width less than 0.13 xcexcm will also be decided by the technological development of the photolithography process. In order to meet this demand, processes for increasing photomask resolution, such as the process of optical proximity correction (OPC), are put forward constantly.
The object of OPC is to eliminate the phenomenon of critical dimension (CD) bias caused by proximity effect. The proximity effect occurs when a light beam projects on the wafer through the photomask pattern. On the one hand, because the light beam produces a scattering phenomenon, the light beam is enlarged; on the other hand, the light beam passes through the photoresist layer on the surface of the wafer and reflects from the semiconductor base of the wafer, and thus a phenomenon of interference is produced. Therefore, there are repeated exposures that change the actual amount of exposure on the photoresist layer. The smaller the critical dimension of the process is, the more obvious this phenomenon becomes, especially when the critical dimension is close to the wavelength of the light source.
When the pattern that is needed is an iso-line, the required exposure condition is different from the exposure condition for a dense-line pattern because there is no other pattern near the iso-line. Even for a dense-line pattern, if the line width duty ratio is different, the exposure condition required is different accordingly. Therefore, in processes under 0.13 xcexcm, it is very difficult to compensate for the proximity bias produced by different patterns in order to achieve satisfactory development results.
Scattering bar is a process used for correcting and reducing proximity effect in the photolithography process. Bar-like patterns are formed along the periphery of the pattern on the photomask. When exposure is conducted, the light wave passes the scattering bar and scatters so that the proximity effect on the original design is eliminated.
Scattering bars are often used to correct the proximity effect on iso-line pattern. Usually, scattering bars are added on both sides of the iso-line pattern so as to make the exposure condition closer to that of the dense line. In this way, the process window for exposure conditions is enlarged. However, if the scattering bars are too wide, they cause positive photoresist to remain in the corresponding positions on the base. On the other hand, if the scattering bars are not wide enough, they do not sufficiently eliminate the proximity effect. Therefore, iso-line patterns often cause much limitation to the scope of exposure conditions.
One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a process for increasing a line width window in semiconductor process in order to solve the problem that occurs when an iso-line pattern and a dense line pattern undergo exposure at the same time.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a process for increasing a line width window, wherein scattering bars of sufficient size are added on both sides of the iso-line pattern to undergo the first exposure. Then, the corresponding parts of the scattering bars undergo a second exposure with a second photomask in order to eliminate the remaining photoresist at the positions corresponding to the scattering bars.
Based on the above described objects of the invention, a process for increasing the line width window of semiconductor process is provided, which process is suitable for increasing the photolithography line width widow at the time of the exposure of an iso-line pattern under 0.13 xcexcm. This process includes: first forming a positive photoresist layer on the base and then using the first photomask to conduct the first exposure step on the positive photoresist layer. The first photomask is designed to have at least one opaque main line. On each of the two sides of the main line, there is an opaque scattering bar. The width of the two scattering bars is greater than one third of the wavelength of the light source being used, and less than the width of the main line. The second photomask is used to conduct the second exposure step on the positive photoresist layer. The second photomask is designed to have at least two iso-lines that are pervious to light, and each of the two iso-lines is located in one of the two positions corresponding to the two scattering bars of the first photomask design. The width of each iso-line is greater than that of the corresponding scattering bar and the distance from each edge of the iso-line to each edge of the corresponding scattering bar is greater than about 60 nm.
As is described above, the present invention uses scattering bars of sufficient size to eliminate the proximity effect during the main line exposure. It uses another exposure to solve the problem of photoresist remaining caused by the scattering bars. Therefore, the present invention can increase the line width widow and enables the process of fabrication to enter more easily into process under 0.13 xcexcm.

Process for increasing a line width window in a semiconductor process


Embodiments for an engine exhaust are provided. In one example, a method comprises adjusting a fuel injection amount based on a fractional oxidation state of a catalyst, the fractional oxidation state based on reaction rates of a plurality of exhaust gas species throughout a catalyst longitudinal axis and a set of axially-averaged mass balance and energy balance equations for a fluid phase and a washcoat of the catalyst, and further based on feedback from a downstream air-fuel ratio sensor. In this way, a simplified catalyst model may be used to control air-fuel ratio.

Efficient conversion of exhaust gas emissions in a gasoline engine includes maintaining the catalyst feedgas air-fuel ratio at a narrow window around stoichiometry. However, during actual engine operation, slight excursions away from stoichiometry may occur. To increase the operating window and thus improve emissions performance, catalysts often include ceria to provide a buffer for oxygen storage. To maintain optimal catalyst performance, stored oxygen may be maintained at a desired set point, calibrated based on engine load and temperature, via feedback control of engine air-fuel ratio.
However, the inventors herein have recognized an issue with the above approach. Determining the level of stored oxygen in a catalyst typically involves utilization of a physics-based catalyst model that includes a plurality of partial differential equations in one or more dimensions. Such a model may be difficult to implement and may require more processing power than typically available in an engine controller.
Thus in one example, the above issue may be at least partly addressed by a method for an engine exhaust system. In one embodiment, the method comprises adjusting a fuel injection amount based on a fractional oxidation state of a catalyst, the fractional oxidation state based on reaction rates of a plurality of exhaust gas species throughout a catalyst longitudinal axis and a set of axially-averaged mass balance and energy balance equations for a fluid phase and a washcoat of the catalyst, and based on feedback from a downstream air-fuel ratio sensor.
In another example, an engine exhaust method, comprises adjusting a fuel injection amount based on: a fractional oxidation state (FOS) of a catalyst relative to an FOS set-point, the FOS based on reaction rates of a plurality of exhaust gas species throughout a catalyst longitudinal axis and a set of axially-averaged mass balance and energy balance equations, and separate feedback from a downstream HEGO sensor relative to a HEGO set-point, the FOS and HEGO set-points tied together.
The present disclosure may offer several advantages. For example, processing resources devoted to the catalyst model may be reduced. Further, emissions control may be improved by maintaining the catalyst at a desired fractional oxidation state. In addition, the evolution of exhaust species, such as HC, NOx and CO, or aggregate oxidants and reductants, may be monitored, and if breakthrough is predicted, an operator of the vehicle may be notified and/or additional engine control operations may be undertaken to control the production of the exhaust species. Another advantage of the present approach is that it offers a non-intrusive catalyst monitor for control and diagnostics, which is less dependent on sensor location and hence will be equally applicable to both partial and full volume catalyst systems. Finally, by tying together the two set-points in this way, controller robustness can be improved while limiting complexity and calibration efforts.
The above advantages and other advantages, and features of the present description will be readily apparent from the following Detailed Description when taken alone or in connection with the accompanying drawings.
It should be understood that the summary above is provided to introduce in simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description. It is not meant to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defined uniquely by the claims that follow the detailed description. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any part of this disclosure.

Approach for engine control and diagnostics


Method and apparatus for making thermoplastic web from polyester or polyester blends for subsequent aqueous coating without requirement of an undercoat or primer coat for adhesion of subsequent coatings. Feedstock pellets of polymer, such as polyethylene terephthalate or polyethylene naphthalate, are melted in a screw extruder. Molten polymer is extruded from an extrusion die as a thick, high-viscosity ribbon, which is tempered and stretched in both the machine direction and the transverse direction to form a web of biaxially-oriented polymer of the desired width and thickness. The web is heated to a temperature above T.sub.g to set the biaxial orientation and then is glow discharge treated by passing it through an in-line glow discharge apparatus at atmospheric pressure wherein a stable glow discharge is produced in a gas mixture containing helium between two electrodes connected by an alternating power source operating at a voltage between 0.5 kV and 20 kV at a frequency between 60 Hz and 40 MHz. The web is coated with an aqueous gelatin subbing layer. The coated web then is maintained at elevated temperature. The combination of glow discharge treatment before sub coating and heat treatment after sub coating greatly enhances the adhesion of subsequently-coated aqueous gelatin layers such as photographic emulsions to the web, sufficiently that adhesion-promoting U-coat or primer coat as required in prior base-making methods can be omitted.

Many types of photographic films, for example, x-ray films, graphic arts films, and data recording films, employ a web comprising one or more polyester polymers as the film support. Typical polyesters are polyethylene terephthalate ("PET") and polyethylene naphthalate ("PEN"). Various copolymers and blends of polyesters, or of a polyester polymer with one or more non-polyester polymers, are also known in the art.
In manufacturing biaxially-oriented film base, thermoplastic resin typically is extruded as a relatively thick, high-viscosity, molten ribbon onto a moving receiver surface, typically a polished casting wheel. The temperature of the ribbon may be adjusted, and then the ribbon is stretched in the machine direction (MD orientation), or "drafted", and stretched in the transverse direction (TD orientation), or "tentered" in known fashion to biaxially orient the molecules of the polymer and to achieve the desired final width and thickness of the ribbon as a web or sheet. The longitudinal stretching step can be performed before or after the transverse stretch step. As used hereinbelow, "sheet" can mean either continuous planar polymeric material, commonly referred to as "web," or discrete sections thereof. To enhance the crystallinity and to increase the dimensional stability of the web, the biaxially-oriented polymeric web is "heat-set" by heating it above its glass transition temperature (T.sub.g) to near its crystallization point, while maintaining the web under constant tension. The heating and tensioning also ensure that the heat-set film remains transparent upon cooling. To reduce residual stresses and improve planarity after being heat-set, the web may be subjected to a period, typically several minutes, of temperature above T.sub.g but below the heat-set temperature, a process known as "heat relaxation". Typically, the web is rapidly cooled following each of the heat set and heat relax steps to lock in the desired properties. Following heat relaxation, the web is wound into a stock roll of desired length in preparation for subsequent coating of photographic layers. Details of the manufacture of polyester webs are disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,779,684, and 4,141,735.
For some applications, the wound roll of web must also be "annealed" by incubation at elevated temperature for a period, typically, of days to minimize an inherent tendency to adopt an undesirable level of curl when wound in a cassette or camera (so-called "core-set curl"), as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,141,735. Annealing is particularly effective in preparing polyethylene terephthalate and polyethylene naphthalate for use as a photographic support.
A serious problem in the use of polyester webs for photographic film support is the generally repellent nature of the web surface to the coating and adherence of aqueous subbing layers or emulsions. This problem is overcome typically by the coating of a special chlorine-containing latex undercoat ("U-coat" or "primer") on the polyester surface prior to the coating of a subbing layer or photographic emulsions. Typically, adhesion-promoting layers are applied at an in-line coating station in the base making machine before cutting of the web and winding of the original stock rolls.
A limitation of this known technology is the requirement of coating the U-coat layer. This step introduces opportunities for coating defects and requires a corresponding drying section in the manufacturing line. For PEN film base manufacturing there is the additional limitation that the U-coat must be stable to annealing conditions.
Thus a need exists for an improved method for manufacturing polyester film base, wherein the web does not need to be coated with a U-coat. This is particularly needed for PEN film base that is subjected to annealing conditions.
It is a principal object of the invention to provide an improved method for making film base comprising polyester polymer, and particularly polyethylene naphthalate film base having acceptable planarity, core-set curl, and photographic layer adhesion.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved method for making polyester film base, and particularly polyethylene naphthalate film base, having acceptable photographic layer adhesion without resort to an undercoat.

Method and apparatus for making polyester web having high adhesion to coated layers


A mesh assembly having a flexible mesh sheet, said sheet defining two opposite main faces, at least one elongated sock extending along said mesh and each sock defining a tubular hollow, each of said at least one sock is loosely connected to said mesh sheet at selected intervals by attachment means; a number of light emitting means are mounted into each sock hollow at selected intervals along the length thereof, and light reflecting means being provided on at least one of said two main faces of said mesh sheet, wherein said mesh assembly generate decorative visual effects upon said light emitting means being activated.

There is always a demand for products associated with festivities, parties, and other non-work activities for relaxing and enjoying after a week or other period of hard work or studies. Historically, at least some of these festivities included a religious faith component or justification or were charged with some other spiritual values. However, with globalization of commerce and free circulation and immigration of populations with intermixing of different religious faiths such as for example Christian, Jewish and Muslim faiths, not to mention employees who are agnostic, it has become increasingly awkward to accommodate everyone. This has led to increased secularism in services provided by government and private employers alike. Accordingly, there is a need to provide festivity paraphernalia that are secular i.e. neutral from the religious or spiritual point of view.
Chinese utility model publication No. CN2413152Y published 3 Jan. 2001 in the name of Zhong Xiyao, discloses a lamp decoration main body and a net body. A string of light emitting diodes (LEDs) are arranged to display the state of patterns, and are fixed on the net body. An electric wire interconnects the LEDs to a power source, and to an electric control box. These illuminated patterns display dynamic effects through a circuit. The net body is formed by braiding a plurality of flexible wire bodies. The net body can be folded or rolled up to a minimal volume to save space for storage.
Chinese utility model publication No. CN201364713Y published 16 Dec. 2009 to Shide Peng, discloses a silk net decorative display screen, having a multiple LEDs display module strips which are in parallel with each other and arrayed in a same space. The display screen also includes at least two braided wires for assembling the multiple LEDs display module strips to a hanging curtain. Punch holes are set on the braided wires, wherein the multiple LEDs display modules are set in the punch holes on the screen with a same space. The display screen can curve flexibly, be tucked and move freely like curtains. Wires reflect light source to keep the display screen reflective under the reflection of light, thus providing decoration.
Weaving is a method of fabric or synthetic fiber production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric, cloth, or fiber mesh. Alternate known methods of fabric manufacture include knitting, lace making, felting and braiding or plaiting. The longitudinal threads or yarns are called the warp and the lateral threads are the weft (''that which is woven) or filling. Therefore, the weft is the term for the yarn which is drawn through the warp yarns to create cloth or other fiber sheet. Warp is the lengthwise or longitudinal thread in a roll, while weft is the transverse thread.
Clearly, the method in which these threads are inter woven affects the characteristics of the cloth or mesh sheet. Cloth is usually woven on a loom, a device that holds the warp threads in place while filling threads are woven through them. A fabric band or synthetic fiber mesh which meets this definition of cloth (warp threads with a weft thread winding between) can also be made using other methods, including tablet weaving, back-strap, or using a shuttle, air jets or rapier grippers, or other techniques without looms. The way the warp and filling threads interlace with each other is called the weave. The majority of woven products are created with one of three basic weaves: plain weave, sating weave or twill. Woven cloth or fiber mesh can be plain (in one colour or a simple pattern), or can be woven in decorative or artistic designs.

LED illuminated decorative mesh assembly


An information management, retrieval and display system searches through an informational resource, such as a document (e.g., a treaty), a number of individual documents (e.g., Web pages resident on the Internet), or a stream of information (e.g., DNA code, source code, satellite data transmissions, etc.) and displays the results of the search in an collapsible/expandable format based upon a user-selected display criteria or hierarchy. Such a display hierarchy will allow the end-user to effectively and quickly obtain items of interest from the search results. Generally, the system performs a method for retrieving information from an informational resource that includes the steps of: (a) dividing the informational resource into a plurality of finite elements; (b) assigning a categorical tag to each of the plurality of finite elements, where the categorical tag includes data pertaining to a content of the finite element; (c) generating a searchable database record for each of the plurality of finite elements, where each searchable database record includes at least one string contained within the finite element, where the string can be a word, a phrase, a symbol, a group of symbols, a data segment or the like; (d) supplying a search string; (e) searching the searchable database for searchable database records containing the search string; (f) arranging the results of the searching step in a hierarchal structure according, at least in part, to the data in the categorical tags assigned to the finite elements found in the searching step; and (g) displaying the results of the searching step in the hierarchal structure.

The present invention is a computerized system and method for searching through and retrieving information from an informational resource; and more particularly, the present invention is an information management, retrieval and display system for searching through an informational resource and for displaying the results of the search in an collapsible/expandable format based upon a user-selected display criteria or hierarchy.
An inherent drawback in many conventional search engines or search tools, such as Infoseek(trademark), AltaVista(trademark), Hotbot(trademark), is that the results of the search are typically organized according to the number of hits that the search word or phrase made in each document (Web page) being searched. This type of search result display requires the end user to go through the hits one by one in order to finally access the document he/she was looking for. Another drawback with such conventional search engines is that the results of the search do not take into account that a word may have several different meanings, and may be used in many different contexts. For example, if an end user were looking for information on a cartoon mouse, because the search query would contain the word xe2x80x9cmouse,xe2x80x9d the list of hits will include documents for the electronic cursor-control devices, documents providing biological information on mice, documents providing pet information on mice, etc. Therefore, the end user may have to go through an enormous number of these hits before finally (if ever) reaching a hit related to the cartoon mouse.
Thus, there is a need for a search engine or search tool that allows the end user to that arranges the search results in a manner that allows the end user to effectively and quickly obtain items of interest.
The present invention is an information management, retrieval and display system for searching through an informational resource, such as a document (e.g., a treaty), a number of individual documents (e.g., Web pages resident on the Internet), or a stream of information (e.g., DNA code, source code, satellite data transmissions, etc.) and for displaying the results of the search in an collapsible/expandable format based upon a user-selected display criteria or hierarchy. Such a display hierarchy will allow the end-user to effectively and quickly obtain items of interest from the search results. The type or format of the informational resource is not critical.
The invention includes four primary modules, a break module, an indexing module, a search module and an un-break module. The break module is an expert system operating upon a set of expert rules that define its operation. The break module parses through the informational resource to break up the informational resource into finite elements (such as paragraphs, sections, sub-sections, segments etc.). The break module also creates categorical tags for each of these finite elements, where the categorical tags assigned to each of the finite elements are based upon and analysis (defined by the set of expert system rules) of the contents of each of the finite elements. The categorical tag can include a standard classification such as, for example, xe2x80x9cDewey Decimal-typexe2x80x9d number. The categorical tag can also include an organizational attribute (such as pertaining to the type or location of the finite element with respect to the rest of the rest of the informational resource), a date-stamp, a categorical word, etc. Preferably, the categorical tags are inserted into the finite element.
The index module parses through the finite elements identified/created/processed by the break module and creates a searchable database having a database record for each of the finite elements identified by the break module. The searchable database is a type of reverse index, where each record includes an address or location of the corresponding finite element (and, in turn, the categorical tag included therewith), and strings (such as words, phrases, etc.) contained in the finite element and their frequency (i.e., their weight) within the finite element.
In applications where the users of the invention do not have control of the information being searched (i.e., Web pages on the Internet), each database record may also include the categorical tag, since the categorical tag will not be able to be inserted by the break module into the finite elements themselves. Furthermore, with the Web search application, it may not be necessary to utilize the break and un-break modules at all since each Web-page or link might be considered a finite-element for the purposes of the present invention.
Once the reverse index is created, a search of the reverse index may be performed. Key strings (such as key words, phrases or symbol segments) may be supplied by an end user as a search query, and a display hierarchy or criteria may also be selected or defined by the user. The selected display criteria will instruct the search module how to manipulate the data of the search results. Specifically, the selected display criteria will define if the search results are to be displayed in an order or structure based entirely upon the information contained within the categorical tags (research-centric), if the search results are to be displayed in an order depending entirely upon the frequency of the key strings present in the finite elements (conventional), or if the search results are to be displayed in an order or structure based upon a combination of the two (document-centric).
The search module accesses the search query and searches through the reverse index for database records matching the specific search term or query. The search results are then displayed in an collapsible/expandable (tree) structure by applying the information in the categorical tags for each of the finite elements satisfying the search criteria to the selected display hierarchy. For example, if the selected hierarchy is a document-centric hierarchy, a first level of the display hierarchy may be, for example, the year in which the finite element was created; a second level of the display hierarchy may be, for example, the order in which the finite elements appear in the document; and a third level of the display hierarchy may be, for example, based upon the frequency in which the search words appear in each of the finite elements. The operation of the search module, as with the break and index modules, is based upon a set of expert rules. Therefore, if the search results are not satisfactory, the expert rules in the break, index and/or search modules are modified and the procedure is performed again.
Once one of the finite elements in the search result display are selected by the end-user, the un-break module allows the end user to view a contiguous portion of the informational resource that the selected finite element belongs to. The un-break module will assemble selected finite element with other related finite element to reconstruct the contiguous portion of the informational resource. The un-break module refers to the categorical tag of the selected finite element for information related to the location of the finite element with respect to the entire informational resource, and will then build a portion of the informational resource from all of the finite elements belong to that portion. For example, if the selected finite element is a paragraph of a document, the un-break module may be configured to rebuild the chapter of the document to which the paragraph belongs. As with the other modules of the present invention, the operation of the un-break module is controlled by a set of expert rules that may be modified if the results are unsatisfactory.
It is envisioned that the rule sets will be created and refined by an expert on the document or information being searched. For example, if the system of the present invention is to be associated with Volume 37 of the Code of Federal Regulations, an individual (or group of individuals) with intimate knowledge of the Volume would be best suited to generate and fine-tune the rule sets. The fine-tuning of the rule sets would involve the individual continuously performing example searches on the Volume using the rule sets, and continuously modifying the rule sets to obtain the search results with the desired content and format. Once the rule sets have been fine-tuned, the search module of the present invention can be packaged along with the Volume and sold or distributed as a searchable Volume. Likewise, the search module could operate on a Web-site so that users can access the Web-site and perform searches on the Volume. Since the rule sets have already been defined and fine-tuned by the xe2x80x9cexperts,xe2x80x9d the users would have a fully operable search engine that performs searches and displays results in accordance with an expert""s intimate knowledge with the Volume.
As mentioned above, it is also envisioned that an embodiment of the invention is designed to search through a number of individual Web pages resident on the Internet and to display the results of the search in an collapsible/expandable format based upon a user-selected display criteria or hierarchy. In such an embodiment, a break module in the form described above may not be necessary because each Web page may already be considered to be a xe2x80x9cfinite elementxe2x80x9d and the search engine will not be able to modify the Web pages. Accordingly, in such an application, the index module will parse through each of the Web pages (finite elements) to create a searchable database having a record for each of the Web pages. Each record in the searchable database will include the Web address of the Web page, non-common words contained in the Web page along with their frequency (weight), and a categorical tag, as described above, which includes data based upon an analysis of the contents of the Web page. The index module will also review each of the Web pages to determine if the creator of the Web page had embedded a categorical tag into the Web page itself; and if such an embedded categorical tag is found, the index module may simply insert this pre-defined categorical tag into the database record rather than creating one itself. Therefore, as the present invention becomes more prevalently used on the Internet, Web page creators may desire to create their own categorical tags for their Web pages rather than having the search engine create one for them. With this feature, the Web page designer may be able to influence the search results, perhaps to achieve a more accurate depiction of the Web site. Of course, such a feature may also be used by the Web designers in a deceptive manner, where the categorical tag will cause the Web page to be listed in search results when the searcher is looking for an entirely different type of information. Recognizing this potential problem, the index module will include an option where it will compare the actual contents of the Web page against the embedded categorical tags, and will create a new categorical tag to be inserted into the database record if there is a significant difference. Likewise, the index module can be configured to filter out Web sites having undesirable or unsavory content as indicated by the embedded categorical tags or as determined by a review of the content of the Web page itself.
In another embodiment of the invention, the dynamic expert rule sets may be configured to accept and index all manner of static and dynamic information (such as news-feeds, data transmissions, etc.) on a global scale where an end-user will be able to efficiently and quickly obtain any sort of information he/she wishes from a hierarchal search result display based upon a categorical organization scheme such as the Dewey-Decimal system.
Thus, in one aspect of the present invention, a method for retrieving information from an informational resource comprises the steps of: (a) dividing the informational resource into a plurality of finite elements; (b) assigning a categorical tag to each of the plurality of finite elements, where the categorical tag includes data pertaining to a content of the finite element; (c) generating a searchable database record for each of the plurality of finite elements, where each searchable database record includes at least one string contained within the finite element, where the string can be a word, a phrase, a symbol, a group of symbols, a data segment or the like; (d) supplying a search string; (e) searching the searchable database for searchable database records containing the search string; (f) arranging the results of the searching step in a hierarchal structure according, at least in part, to the data in the categorical tags assigned to the finite elements found in the searching step; and (g) displaying the results of the searching step in the hierarchal structure.
The informational resource may be a single document, a plurality of documents or a stream of data, and the step of identifying the finite elements may include the steps of identifying sections or sub-sections within the document(s) or data stream or by simply identifying the documents themselves. The step of dividing the informational resource into a plurality of finite elements is preferably performed by an expert system according to a rule set; and the step of assigning a categorical tag to each of the plurality of finite elements is also preferably performed by an expert system according to another rule set. If unsatisfactory results are obtained in step (g) above, one or both of the rule sets may be modified by the end user and the steps (a) through (g) may be performed again.
Each database record preferably includes an address or pointer to the corresponding finite element and further preferably includes all of the non-common strings (e.g., words or phrases) contained within the corresponding finite element along with the frequency that such strings appear.
In another aspect of the present invention, a method for retrieving information from an informational resource includes the steps of: defining a first rule set for dividing the informational resource into a plurality of finite elements; utilizing the first rule set, dividing the informational resource into a plurality of finite elements; defining a second rule set for creating a categorical tag for one of the plurality of finite elements; utilizing the second rule set to create a categorical tag for each of the plurality of finite elements; generating a searchable database including a searchable database record for each of the finite elements; searching the searchable database for relevant database records; associating the relevant database records found in the search with corresponding relevant finite elements; selecting a hierarchy for displaying identifying phrases pertaining to the relevant finite elements; ordering the relevant finite elements in the hierarchy according, at least in part, to the categorical tag for each of the finite elements; and displaying the identifying phrases pertaining to the relevant finite elements according to the results of the ordering step.
In another aspect of the present invention, a data storage device (such as a CD ROM) is provided, which comprises: an informational resource divided into a plurality of finite elements, where each of the finite elements includes a categorical tag and a database record assigned thereto, where the categorical tag includes data pertaining to a content of the finite element and the database record includes at least one string contained within the finite element; and also comprises software instructions programmed to retrieve and display at least a portion of the informational resource. The software instructions are configured to perform the steps of supplying a search string, searching through the database records for relevant database records containing the search string, arranging the results of the searching step in a hierarchal structure according to the information in the categorical tags assigned to the finite elements corresponding to the relevant database records, and displaying identifying phrases for the finite elements corresponding to the relevant database records in the hierarchal structure.

Information management, retrieval and display system and associated method


Apparatus (100) for pulling a projecting tube (14) from a tube sheet (12), along the tube axis (18), comprising a base (200) for engaging the tube sheet and a jacking assembly (300) mounted on the base and actuable by a first fluid pressure variation between extended and retracted positions (302) away from and toward the base respectively. A substantially annular gripper assembly (400) is connected to the jacking assembly for extended and retracted movement therewith and adapted to coaxially receive the tube. The gripper assembly includes a housing (404) having a gripper piston chamber (410) in which a second fluid pressure variation can be introduced into the gripper piston chamber. A gripper piston 420 is situated for movement in the gripper piston chamber in response to the second fluid pressure in the chamber. The gripper piston includes a substantially annular body portion (422) having a bearing surface (436) facing the axis, a gripper (402) supported in contact (434) with the body portion bearing surface, for movement toward the axis to engage and grip the tube in response to the movement of the gripper piston when the second fluid pressure increases in the gripper piston chamber, and first and second fluid pressure ports (226, 418) associated respectively with the jacking assembly and the gripper assembly, whereby the gripper piston can be actuated and the jacking assembly extended to grip and pull the tube.

The present invention relates to remotely operated tooling, and more particularly, to apparatus for remotely gripping and pulling a tube through the tube sheet of a nuclear steam generator.
Nuclear steam generators are massive heat exchangers in which thousands of tubes are supported within a large pressure vessel such that primary water at high temperature and pressure, passes through the tubes and thereby transfers heat to the secondary water outside the tubes, which is transformed into steam. The tubes are supported at their open ends in a thick plate, or tube sheet, at the lower head or bowl of the steam generator vessel.
For reasons that are well known in the field of nuclear steam generator servicing, the need sometimes arises to remove certain defective tubes from the steam generator. Because primary side water contains radioactive material which, over time, deposits in the tubes and in the lower head, direct human presence in the head to accomplish the tube removal should be minimised.


According to one embodiment, an electronic apparatus includes: an outer case formed of a thin metal plate and having a front plate and side plates surrounding the front plate, the side plate having a protrusion formed by bending an edge of the side plates inward of the outer case to prevent exposing the edge to exterior of the electronic apparatus; a middle member formed of a resin material and formed correspondingly to an inner surface of the outer case, the middle member having a side member that confronts the side plate, the side member having a retaining portion to engage with the protrusion; and a casing having a support portion and configured to confront an inside of the side member to keep the protrusion engaged with the retaining portion by preventing the side member from deflection.

1. Field
One embodiment of the invention relates to an electronic apparatus in which an outer case formed of a thin metal plate is mounted in an apparatus case, with a middle member formed of a resin material interposed therebetween.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, some electronic apparatuses, particularly, some portable electronic apparatuses have an apparatus case formed of a metal plate in order to realize the slimness and improve the strength (for example, see JP-A-2004-335644).
Moreover, there is provided a cellular phone which is an example of the electronic apparatus, in which an outer case formed of a metal plate is mounted outside the apparatus case in order to improve the strength, a sense of beauty, and a sense of touch.
As shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, a known cellular phone A includes a lower case B with several operational keys and the like, an upper case C with a liquid crystal display unit and the like, and a hinge H interposed therebetween so as to be opened and closed.
The upper case C of the cellular phone A is configured in a manner in which an outer case O formed of a thin metal plate by a press molding process is attached outside an upper inner case I made of a magnesium alloy, for example, with a middle case (middle member) M formed of a resin material interposed therebetween.
The outer case O includes a front plate of and side plates Os bent from the borders of the front plate Of. The middle case M also includes a top plate Mt and circumferential plates Ms bent from the borders of the top plate Mt. The middle case M is fixed to the inner surface of the outer case O using a strong adhesive or a double-sided adhesive tape.
Attachment bosses Mb are formed on the top plate Mt of the middle case M. In addition, the outer case O is fixed to the upper inner case I, with the middle case M interposed therebetween by screw-fixing the upper inner case I to the attachment bosses Mb.
Various circuit boards E are mounted in the upper inner case I, and a liquid crystal display unit L and a cover glass G are attached to the front surface of the upper inner case I (lower side of FIG. 16).
In the outer circumferential border of the upper inner case I, a rib Ir is formed for covering an edge Oe of the outer case O formed of a thin metal plate in order to prevent the edge Oe of the outer case O from being exposed to the outside and from being damaged by user's fingers beforehand.
However, in the known cellular phone A described above, the edge Oe of each side plate Os of the outer case O is covered with the rib Ir formed in the outer circumferential border of the upper inner case I. For that reason, the rib Ir is exposed to the outside across the entire circumference of the side plates Os of the outer case O. Accordingly, even though the outer case O is made of metal, there occurs a problem in that design of the cellular phone becomes deteriorated.
Moreover, in the known cellular phone A, the middle case M and the outer case O are fixed with each other by the strong adhesive or the like, as described above. For that reason, when a large external force is applied to the outer case O against the adhesive force in a case where the middle case M and the outer case O are detached from each other in order to make repair, the outer case O formed of the thin metal plate becomes distorted. Accordingly, there occurs a problem in that the repair job is difficult.

Fujitsu Toshiba Mobile Communications Limited


A memory device is disclosed that includes multiple bit cells, whereby each bit cell is capable of being programmed to more than two states. A value stored at the memory device is determined by comparing the information stored at three or more of the bit cells. In an embodiment, the bit cell includes a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (FET) device, and the information stored at the bit cell can be represented by a corresponding level of charge stored in the body of the device.

1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates generally to electronic devices, and more particularly to memory devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many integrated circuit devices employ memory devices to store data. The memory devices are typically composed of bit cells, with each bit cell storing a bit of data. In order to read the value of data stored at a bit cell, a signal generated by the bit cell in response to application of a read voltage is compared at a sense amplifier to a reference signal provided by a reference device. However, binary bit cells can require an undesirable amount of integrated circuit substrate area to store a large amount of data. Thus, providing greater memory capacity for a specific size of substrate can be advantageous.
The use of the same reference symbols in different drawings indicates similar or identical items.


An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier; a charger that electrically charges the image carrier; an image forming section that forms an electrostatic latent image on the image carrier and develops the electrostatic latent image; a transferring-fixing section that transfers the image from the image carrier and fix the image onto a recording medium; a cleaning member; and a cleaning member moving section. The cleaning member cleans an unnecessary substance adhering onto a surface of the image carrier by abutting against the surface of the image carrier, and is capable of moving between an abutment position and a separation position where the cleaning member is separated from the image carrier. The cleaning member moving section moves the cleaning member from the separation position to the abutment position in accordance with a surface resistance of the surface of the image carrier.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus where a developed image is formed on an image carrier, transferred from the image carrier, and fixed onto a recording medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
Image forming apparatuses such as predominantly a printer and a copying machine are widely prevailed in recent years, and therefore, there become widely available techniques relating to various elements constituting such an image forming apparatus. In a type adopting an electrophotographic system among various types of image forming apparatuses, an image carrier is electrically charged by the use of a charger, and then, a printing pattern is usually formed by forming an electrostatic latent image different in potential from the surroundings on the charged image carrier. The electrostatic latent image such formed as described above is developed with a developer agent containing a toner therein, and transferred onto a recording medium.
Since a high voltage is applied to the charger which conducts the electric charging, substance such as ozone or nitrogen oxide is secondarily produced from air around the charger with the application of the high voltage in many cases. If an unnecessary substance such as a discharged product adheres onto the image carrier, the charging performance of the image carrier is liable to be degraded. A marked degradation of the charging performance blurs an image formed on the recording medium, thereby causing the deterioration of a quality of an image (so-called image blurring).

Image forming apparatus forming a developed image using an image carrier


A drain valve providing a drain sleeve having a first end, a second end and a flow-chamber therebetween. The first end includes a first diameter being smaller than a second diameter of the second end. The first diameter and the second diameter cooperate to define an annular shoulder therebetween. The first end is threadingly received by an air conditioner outlet and the drain sleeve has at least one drain hole therethrough near the shoulder for draining condensation from the air conditioner outlet. An outer cap is provided having an outer wall and an annular side wall projecting perpendicularly from an outer periphery of the end wall. The side wall is the outer cap is threadingly engageable with the drain sleeve second end. A sealing assembly is fixedly connected at a first end thereof to the end cap end wall and includes a second end thereof projecting inwardly from the end cap end wall towards the shoulder. The sealing assembly is moveable in response to changes in ambient temperature between a first position, wherein the sealing assembly second end is disposed in abutting relation to the shoulder, and a second position, wherein the sealing assembly second end is disposed outwardly of the shoulder. The sealing assembly includes a metal spring being substantially S-shaped.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to drain valves. More particularly, the present invention relates to a drain valve for use on a pressure trap outlet port of an air conditioner unit, wherein condensation is prevented from freezing therein.
2. Description of the Related Art
One function performed by air conditioning units used in many homes and businesses is to reduce the specific humidity of air located within the home or business. This process is typically accomplished by drawing the humid air into the air conditioning unit, removing moisture therefrom and blowing the less-humid air back into the home or business. The extracted moisture typically condenses within portions of the air conditioning unit, such as, for example, the pressure-trap outlet port, where it may freeze if subjected to a below-freezing surrounding temperature.
In the case of an air conditioner pressure-trap, the outlet port must be sealed during operation of the air conditioning unit to provide sufficient internal pressure drop to pump the air through the air conditioning unit. Whatever condensation which accumulates within the pressure-trap is not permitted to automatically drain therefrom. In the event the temperature of the air surrounding the pressure-trap drops below freezing, the condensation accumulated therein may freeze, thereby causing rupture or other damage thereto. Thus, it is desirable to provide a drain valve for use on an outlet end of an air conditioner pressure-trap, wherein the drain valve permits condensation to drain therefrom when the surrounding air temperature reaches a predetermined threshold value.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,809,727 to Chamberlin teaches a thermally-activated drip valve for use on a standard outdoor faucet to prevent freezing of water therein, wherein a flow of water draining therethrough regulates opening and closing of the drip valve. However, it is further desirable to provide a drain valve wherein opening and closing thereof is activated in response to the temperature of the surrounding air and independently from the rate of flow of water or condensation therethrough.


An adhesive dispensing arrangement (10) comprises an adhesive patch (12), a sachet (14), a sachet sealing strip (16), a pair of parallel gauze flaps (18A and 18B), and a peelable backing strip (20). The sachet houses a medicament such as an antiseptic or anti-microbial ointment (30), and the exposable surface (32) of the sachet is formed with a series of regularly spaced apertures (34) through which the ointment (30) may be dispensed. The peeling backing strip (20) and sachet sealing strip (16) are simultaneously peeled away, thereby exposing the apertures (34), with a central portion of the sealing strip being pulled through the gap between the gauze flaps (18A and 18B). The adhesive patch (12) is then applied around the affected area, with the ointment (30) and the sachet being dispensed via the apertures onto the gauze flaps and into treating contact with the wound.

This invention relates to an adhesive dispensing arrangement for dispensing a substance over a particular area for treatment thereof.
Minor wounds and the like are advantageously treated with some form of antiseptic or anti-microbial ointment prior to being covered with a sticking plaster. The ointment is applied from a separate tube or dispenser either directly onto the affected skin area or onto the gauze of the plaster. This process is relatively time consuming, involving removal of the backing strip to reveal the gauze, removal of the cap on the tube of ointment, the application of ointment to the gauze and the subsequent application of the plaster to the skin surrounding the affected area. The treatment is also costly, in that an entire tube of ointment is purchased, only to be used once or twice before the remaining contents of the tube are typically discarded or reach an expiry date.
In addition, often the optimum dosage of ointment is not applied. Over-application generally results in the plaster not sticking properly, and under-application results in the wound not being treated adequately.