A compact speakerphone apparatus is provided with an angled housing for a speaker and a directional microphone. The speaker and microphone are mounted in the housing such that the directional characteristics of the microphone minimizes feedback from the speaker. Additionally, the speaker is mounted to direct sounds away from a horizontal surface upon which the speakerphone may be placed in a just configuration. In a second configuration, the speaker may be mounted upon an elevating bracket for suspending the speaker at a rotated position whereby the directional microphone remains oriented toward a user's mouth.

Desktop telecommunication systems are known wherein a computer workstation is provided with a communication interface for connecting with a telephone line so that a local user can converse and/or exchange data with a remote user at a similarly-equipped computer workstation. Typically, the communication interface includes a pair of jacks for connecting the speaker and the microphone of a telephone handset with a personal computer to allow "hands-free" voice communication. Additionally, such communication interfaces allow interactive voice control of the computer workstation, a remote computer or other voice-response systems; desktop video conferencing; screen sharing; audio graphics; and computer-controlled telephony. Examples of such communication interfaces include the PROSHARE audio card, manufactured by the Intel Corporation of Chandler, Ariz., and the VC8000 audio adapter manufactured by British Telecom.
Telephone headsets are preferable over handsets in desktop telecommunication systems because the users of such systems may be required to operate a keyboard or a mouse during a telephone discussion. Such headsets are disliked by many users for a number of reasons. In video conferencing systems, for example, some users are not pleased with their appearance when wearing a headset. Telephone headsets can be uncomfortable, particularly for extended periods of time. Telephone headsets also prevent multiple users at a single site from participating in a conversation, and the headset user is effectively tethered to the workstation. Additionally, the sequential use of a single headset by several users is unhygienic.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a speakerphone device adapted for connection with a desktop telecommunication system. The particular demands of desktop telecommunication systems have, heretofore, militated against the use of speakerphone devices. For example, it is important for such a device to be of a more compact size than a traditional speakerphone, so that the device does not significantly contribute to the clutter of various computer workstation equipment, such as a computer, keyboard, mouse, video camera, and the like. However, as the size of a speakerphone is reduced, various problems in speakerphone operation have been encountered. For example, there is the tendency toward acoustic coupling, or feedback, between the microphone and the speaker as they are moved closer together. Such acoustic coupling can result from airborne audio paths between the speaker and the microphone. Such airborne paths include acoustic paths that can be internal and external to the speakerphone.
Additional acoustic coupling problems can result from audio vibrations propagated within the structural components of the speakerphone from the speaker to the microphone. The effects of such coupling can be perceived by the user as howling, squealing, or echo, all of which can adversely affect the speakerphone in providing intelligible conversation. The degree of acoustic coupling within a speakerphone serves as a practical limit of the amount of gain, and hence the volume, that can be provided to the speaker.
One way to attempt to eliminate acoustic coupling in a speakerphone is to selectively activate the microphone and the speaker, depending upon the relative amplitudes of the locally-generated and remotely-generated audio signals. Voice switching circuits for performing such selective activation have not been entirely satisfactory, because they produce such effects as clipping softly-spoken syllables and have limited the participants to speak in sequences.
In order to provide for full-duplex conversation, high quality speakerphones employ adaptive echo cancellation circuitry which predicts and synthesizes an expected feedback signal, and then subtracts the expected feedback signal from the outbound microphone signal. Although echo cancellation provides significant advantages relative to voice switching, it is not entirely effective to reduce airborne and structural feedback within a speakerphone device of desired compact size for computer workstation-based telecommunications. Therefore, it would be desirable to minimize, via acoustical techniques, the degree of acoustical coupling within a speakerphone device, which facilitates intelligible conversation. It would further be desirable to combine such acoustical coupling reduction with echo cancellation in order to provide a compact speakerphone device. Such a compact speakerphone device would also be desirable for other applications requiring hands-free voice communication, in addition to having particular utility in workstation-based telephony.


An imaging apparatus includes:                an imaging device including first and second pixels;        imaging control means for carrying out a first imaging action and a second imaging action;        storage means for storing first image data acquired from the first pixels in the first imaging action and second image data acquired from the first pixels in the second imaging action;        noise data acquisition means for acquiring first noise data based on pixel signals produced in the second pixels in the first imaging action and acquiring second noise data based on pixel signals produced in the second pixels in the second imaging action;        noise estimation means for estimating a noise component in the first image data using the second image data and a noise ratio of the noise in an exposure period to the noise in a non-exposure period; and        noise correction means for removing the noise component from the first image data.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technology for processing an image acquired by an imaging apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, an imaging apparatus called a digital camera, which uses a CCD or any other imaging device to acquire an image of a subject (captured image), has been widely used. Since such an imaging device provided in a digital camera produces electric charge called dark current, a captured image acquired by the imaging device also contains noise due to the dark current (also referred to "dark current noise").
An example of a method for removing dark current noise from a captured image has been proposed (JP-A-2000-209506). In this technology, after the imaging device is exposed to light (final exposure), imaging operation is carried out with light impinging on the imaging device blocked (dark exposure), and the output from the imaging device in the dark exposure is subtracted from the output from the imaging device in the final exposure to remove dark current noise from a captured image.


An I/O-request processing system which is capable of reducing the maximum value of the time required until the I/O request of each external device is registered. An I/O-request receiving section (501) receives an I/O request issued from an external device (600). A process-information storage section (510) stores an I/O-request delay time (512) for each external device (600). A priority-process judgment section (520) registers the I/O request having a maximum I/O-request delay time (512) among the I/O requests which have been registered into an I/O-request cue (540).

An I/O-request processing system receives an I/O request issued from an external device, such as a process, delivers data from the external device to an input/output device based on the I/O request thus received, and delivers data read from the input/output device to the external device. The I/O-request processing system typically includes an I/O-request cue, consecutively registers into the cue the I/O requests issued to the same input/output device, reads out the registered I/O requests one by one, and performs I/O processing thereto.
A technique is described in Patent Publication JP-1988-180338A as a conventional technique used in a system which processes I/O requests. In this technique, tasks are managed in a priority order of start, wherein a task having a highest priority is started and the thus started task uses the I/O resource by priority. Another technique is described in Patent Publication JP-1988-39041A as a technique for performing a dispatch control onto the tasks including an I/O request. The dispatch priority of a process is controlled in this technique by using the CPU-time consumed by a process and/or the I/O processing time of the process as a parameter. For example, the dispatch priority is set at a, higher value for a process having a larger amount of I/O processing, and allows such a process to use the I/O resource by priority.
However, in each of the above conventional techniques, it is not taken into consideration which task has a higher urgency among a plurality of tasks requested to the same I/O (resource (I/O device). For this reason, a situation occurs wherein neither a task having a longer delay time of the I/O request nor the task which continues to fail in the I/O request can use the I/O resource. This may cause a problem in that a host device or higher rank process, which issues the I/O request, must have a larger number of buffers in order to prevent occurrence of a buffer overflow or underflow.

I/O-request processing system and method


Range finder for determining the distance between the user and an object of known height or width, such as a golf flagstick, structure, etc. The range finder is a flat card, having a series of graduated apertures, each aperture being dimensioned to correspond to a particular distance to the flagstick. Range information is provided for each aperture. The user holds the card 24 inches from the eye and sights the flagstick through the apertures. The range information for the aperture whose diameter most closely corresponds to the height of the sighted flagstick is the actual distance between the user and the flagstick. The apertures are graduated in size, to represent range information in specific increments. The size of the increments is selected to facilitate optimal performance and may vary within a series of apertures.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of range finding. More particularly, the invention is a range finder to determine a distance between the user and a single object. More particularly yet, the invention is a range finder for golfers, to determine the distance of a flagstick that marks a particular golf hole.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A golfer uses the same basic swing, typically, for hitting a golf ball any distance, other than putting. Many golfers use ¾, ½, ¼ swings at ranges that are under 75 yards for pitch or chip shots. The golf club size exerts a major influence on how far the golf ball will travel. It is crucial, therefore, that the golfer know the distance to the flagstick or pin, so that he or she may choose the proper combination of club and swing.
Golf range finders are known and are often used by golfers, to determine the distance to the flagstick, also referred to as a pin, that marks the particular golf hole. Some more recently developed golf range finders are digital optical devices with magnifying lenses. The user looks through the device, aligns the digital range marks with the flag pin, and the device indicates the distance to the flagstick. These devices have certain disadvantages. They are bulky and add weight to the already heavy golf equipment; they often require batteries, which run down and need replacing; and they can be quite expensive.
More typically, golf range finders have been provided in the past as look-through cards or plates, with some system of a linear scale or graduated line markings along an aperture, that allows the user to judge the distance of the flagstick or the cup. U.S. Pat. No. 3,409,987 is illustrative of this type of golf range finder. The card has an aperture formed by a base line at the bottom and a distance line at the top that curves upward at one end. Holding the card approximately 24 inches from the eye, the user sights the flagstick and moves the card until the upper and lower ends of the flagstick just fit inside the aperture. The base line has a scale on it, indicating a plurality of positions that represent 10 yard distances. Depending on where along the aperture the flagstick fits between the base line and the distance line, the user can see that the flagstick is 80, 90, 100, . . . 200 yards away and is then able to select the appropriate club.
These cards have a disadvantage in that they have a single aperture with a graduated scale and it is often difficult for the user to determine or to interpolate the distance of the flagstick, or to remember exactly where the flagstick was, once he pulls the card closer, to look at the range information provided on the card.
What is needed, therefore, is a device that is inexpensive to manufacture, small and easy to carry, and that provides a clear, quick, and easy method of determining the distance of a flagstick.


Disclosed is biomanufacturing apparatus 1 comprising a housing 20 including top 22 and bottom 24 faces which allow stacking of plural housings, an access door 25 at a front side of the housing, a substantially enclosed bioreactor chamber 30 inside the housing accessible via the door, and a further substantially enclosed region 36 inside the housing containing electrical parts and/or electronic control components, the chamber 30 including: a tray 40 for supporting a bioreactor, a tray support 45 including a mechanism 44,47 for rocking the tray in use; at least a fluid handling portion 48,49 of at least one fluid pump device 54/58; and at least one connection 43 for connecting to a conduit and/or path for carrying fluids, gas and/or electricity.

Cell culture, for example the culture of mammalian, bacterial or fungal cells, may be carried out to harvest the living cells for therapeutic purposes and/or to harvest biomolecules, such as proteins or chemicals (e.g. pharmaceuticals) produced by the cells. As used herein, the term "biomolecule" can mean any molecule, such as a protein, peptide, nucleic acid, metabolite, antigen, chemical or biopharmaceutical that is produced by a cell or a virus. Herein, the term biomanufacturing is intended to encompass the culturing or multiplication of cells, and the production of biomolecules. The term bioreactor is intended to encompass a generally enclosed volume capable of being used for biomanufacturing.
The cells are generally grown in large scale (10,000 to 25,000 litre capacity) bioreactors which are sterilisable vessels designed to provide the necessary nutrients and environmental conditions required for cell growth and expansion. Conventional bioreactors have glass or metal growth chambers which can be sterilized and then inoculated with selected cells for subsequent culture and expansion. Media within the growth chambers are often agitated or stirred by the use of mechanical or magnetic impellers to improve aeration, nutrient dispersal and waste removal.
In recent years, there has been a move towards 'single use' bioreactors which offer smaller batch sizes, greater production flexibility, ease of use, reduced capital cost investment and reduced risk of cross-contamination. These systems can also improve the efficiency of aeration, feeding and waste removal to increase cell densities and product yields. Examples include WAVE™ bags (GE Healthcare) mounted on rocking platforms for mixing, to the introduction of stirred-tank single-use vessels such as those available from Xcellerex Inc (GE Healthcare). With the advent of 'personalised medicine', autologous cell therapies requiring many small batches of cells to treat patients with unique cell therapies has become important.
Manufacturing facilities, such as tissue culture laboratories, for the production of cells and biomolecules, have traditionally been custom designed and carried out in clean environments to reduce the risk of contamination. Such facilities are costly to run and maintain and also to modify if priorities or work demands change. Work stations for maintaining or harvesting the cells within the bioreactors require a specific 'footprint' which occupies a significant floor space in the culture laboratory. As the workstations spend much of their time unattended, while the cells are growing in the bioreactors, the laboratory space is not efficiently or effectively used.
An improvement is proposed in WO 2014122307, wherein the laboratory space required for cell culture is reduced by the provision of customised workstations and storage bays for bioreactors, on which, conventional WAVE type bioreactors and ancillary equipment can be supported. Large supporting frameworks are required for that equipment.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,475,776 is an example of an incubator for cell culture dishes, which has a single incubator housing and multiple shelves, however this type of equipment is not suitable for housing bioreactors.
What is needed is the ability to stack multiple bioreactors one on top of another, closely spaced side by side, in a system that is simple to load, operate and maintain. Ideally such bioreactors should be capable of tradition fed batch manufacturing where cells are cultured typically over 7 to 21 days, as well as perfusion type manufacturing where cells can be cultured for longer periods, but waste products are continually or regularly removed, and biomolecules may be harvested.


Upon processing a visible light image signal and infrared image signal respectively obtained by illuminating a transparent document with light beams coming from a visible light lamp for mainly emitting visible light and an infrared lamp for mainly emitting infrared light, and photoelectrically converting optical images of the transparent document, a histogram is generated on the basis of the infrared image signal, a threshold value is calculated based on the histogram, and infrared image signal components equal to or smaller than the threshold value are extracted by comparing the calculated threshold value and infrared image signal components. Visible light image signal components corresponding to the extracted infrared image signal components are interpolated using surrounding visible light image signal components.

FIG. 28 shows a schematic arrangement in a conventional transparent document image reading apparatus. Referring to FIG. 28, a transparent document 142 such as a positive film, negative film, or the like placed on a platen glass 141 is illuminated with light emitted by a transparent document illumination lamp 144 via a diffusion plate 143 set above the document, and light transmitted through the transparent document 142 is guided to a CCD 150 via a mirror 147, inverted-V mirrors 148, and imaging lens 149. The light is converted by the CCD 150 on which a large number of solid-state image sensing elements line up into an electrical signal, thus obtaining an image signal in the main scan direction.
In this case, image reading in the sub-scan direction is done by mechanically moving the transparent document illumination lamp 144 and mirror 147 in the sub-scan direction with respect to the transparent document 142 while maintaining an identical velocity and phase, and making the inverted-V mirrors 148 track at the half scan velocity in the sub-scan direction so as to maintain a constant optical path length (conjugate relationship) from the transparent document 142 to the CCD 150. In this way, a two-dimensional image is read in combination with the process in the main scan direction.
The aforementioned transparent document image reading apparatus can read a so-called reflecting document which is described on an opaque material and is illuminated with light so as to process the light reflected by the material. In this case, a reflecting document is placed in place of the transparent document 142, and is illuminated with a direct light beam emitted by a reflecting document illumination lamp 145, which is turned on in place of the transparent document illumination lamp 144, and with a light beam reflected by a reflector 146. The light reflected by the reflecting document is read by the CCD 150, thus forming an image in the main scan direction as in the transparent document.
Especially, as a color reading method, a 3-line color image reading method is prevalent. That is, the reflecting document illumination lamp 145 uses a lamp having white spectral characteristics, and the CCD 150 uses a 3-line type CCD having R, G, and B color filters. Three colors (R, G, and B) of image information are simultaneously read by a single scan, and R, G, and B color signals on an identical line are superposed by an image processing circuit, thus forming a color image.
In order to correct any defects on an image due to dust, scratches, and the like on a transparent document in the aforementioned transparent document image reading apparatus, the only effective method is to retouch them using image edit software after the image is read. For this reason, a very long time is required to correct such defects.
In recent years, as such transparent document image reading apparatus, an image reading apparatus having a so-called dust/scratch removal function of detecting dust present on a transparent document and scratches on a film surface (such detection will be referred to as "dust/scratch detection" hereinafter), and removing the influences of such dust and scratches by an image process has been developed.
FIG. 29 shows a conventional image reading apparatus 1 having a dust/scratch detection function. The same reference numerals in FIG. 29 denote the same parts as in FIG. 28, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.
Referring to FIG. 29, reference numeral 151 denotes an infrared lamp which comprises an LED having an emission intensity peak at a wavelength of about 880 nm.
FIG. 30 is a block diagram showing the functional arrangement of a dust/scratch remover 2 for implementing dust/scratch removal using image data obtained by the image reading apparatus 1. Referring to FIG. 30, reference numeral 21 denotes an interface (I/F) for inputting image data read by the image reading apparatus 1; 22, an image memory for storing an image read using the transparent document illumination lamp 144 or reflecting document illumination lamp 145 (to be referred to as a "normal image" hereinafter); 23, an infrared image memory for storing an image read using the infrared lamp 151 (to be referred to as an "infrared image" hereinafter); 24, a threshold value holding unit for holding a predetermined threshold value; 25, a dust/scratch detection unit; and 26, a dust/scratch correction unit.
FIG. 31 shows the spectral intensity distributions of the transparent document illumination lamp 144 and infrared lamp 151, and the characteristics of these lamps are represented by the solid and dot-dash-curves, respectively. FIG. 32 shows the spectral transmittance characteristics of cyan, yellow, and magenta dyes of a general negative/positive film, and the peak wavelength (about 880 nm) of the spectral intensity distribution of the infrared lamp 151. As is apparent from FIG. 32, most light components emitted by the infrared lamp are transmitted through a general color film irrespective of an image on the film since all dyes have very high transmittance at about 880 nm.
The transparent document reading operation including dust/scratch removal will be explained in detail below with reference to the flow chart shown in FIG. 33.
In step S10, the reflecting document illumination lamp 145 and infrared lamp 151 in FIG. 29 are turned off, and the transparent document illumination lamp 144 is turned on. At this time, an illumination light beam emitted by the transparent document illumination lamp 144 is uniformly diffused by the diffusion plate 143, and that diffused light beam is transmitted through the transparent document 142. The transmitted light beam passes through the mirror 147, inverted-V mirrors 148, and imaging lens 149, and is projected onto the CCD 150. An image projected onto the CCD 150 is converted into an electrical signal, which is temporarily stored in the image memory 22 via the I/F 21 in FIG. 30.
In step S20, the reflecting document illumination lamp 145 and transparent document illumination lamp 144 in FIG. 29 are turned off, and the infrared lamp 151 is turned on. An illumination light beam emitted by the infrared lamp 151 with the characteristics shown in FIG. 31 is uniformly diffused by the diffusion plate 143. The diffused light beam is transmitted through the transparent document 142, and passes through the mirror 147, inverted-V mirrors 148, and imaging lens 149. The light is then projected onto the CCD 150. Hence, the illumination light beam emitted by the infrared lamp 151 is transmitted through the transparent document 142 irrespective of an image (exposure) of the transparent document 142 such as a negative film, positive film, or the like, as shown in FIG. 32, and an image of dust, scratch, or like, which physically intercepts the optical path, is projected onto the CCD 150 as a shadow. The infrared image projected onto the CCD 150 is converted into the electrical signal, which is temporarily stored in the infrared image memory 23 via the I/F 21 in FIG. 30.
In step S30 and subsequent steps, dust/scratch detection and correction are executed. The principle of dust/scratch detection will be described in detail below.
FIGS. 34A to 34C illustrate the relationship between dust or the like, and the gray levels of images read using the transparent document illumination lamp 144 and infrared lamp 151, which are plotted in the main scan direction. In FIG. 34A, reference numeral 181 denotes a positive film; and 182, dust on the positive film 181. FIG. 34B shows the gray level obtained when a corresponding portion in FIG. 34A is read using the transparent document illumination lamp 144. The gray level assumes a lower value as an image becomes darker. The gray level of the dust portion 182 is low irrespective of an image on the positive film. FIG. 34C shows the gray level obtained when the portion in FIG. 34A is read using the infrared lamp 151. The dust portion 182 has low gray level since no infrared light is transmitted through there, and a portion other than the dust 182 has a nearly constant level 183 since infrared light is transmitted through there. Hence, a threshold value 184 is set at a gray level lower than the level 183, and a defect region 185 formed by dust can be detected by extracting a portion having a gray level equal to or lower than the threshold value 184.
The threshold value 184 is held in advance in the threshold value holding unit 24. Therefore, the dust/scratch detection unit 25 reads out this threshold value 184 from the threshold value holding unit 24, and compares it with infrared image data in turn in step S30, thus detecting the defect region 185.
If the infrared image data is smaller than the threshold value 184 (NO in step S30), the influence of dust 182 is eliminated by executing, e.g., an interpolation process of the defect region 185 based on a normal region around it in step S40. The comparison process is executed for all infrared image data, and when any defect region is detected, the corresponding normal image data undergoes interpolation (step S50).
However, the aforementioned prior art cannot normally detect a defect portion or erroneously detect even a normal portion as a defect portion due to insufficient detection precision. That is, the nearly constant level 183 of infrared rays that have been transmitted through the transparent document largely varies due to light amount errors of the infrared lamp 151, transmission errors depending on the type of color film at the emission wavelength of 880 nm of the infrared lamp 151, and sensitivity errors of the CCD 150 at the emission wavelength of 880 nm. For this reason, if the threshold value 184 is set as a fixed value, the level 183 assumes a value higher than the threshold value 184, and even a normal image portion is detected as a defect portion, or the threshold value 184 defines a gray level much lower than the level 183, and a defect region cannot be accurately detected.

Signal processing method, signal processing apparatus, and image reading apparatus


A system and method for forming a wafer level package. In one example, a substrate used in the wafer level package includes a surface defined by a wafer level package (WLP) region and an external region, and a layer of getter material is disposed on at least a portion of the external region. According to one embodiment, the external region comprises a saw-to-reveal (STR) region of the wafer.

A conventional wafer level package (WLP) includes a device wafer having one or more devices disposed on a substrate that is bonded to a cap or lid wafer using bonding structures. The finished WLP forms a hermetically sealed interior to protect the devices and extend their useful life. Getters have historically been used to reduce the pressure within the sealed vacuum cavity of WLP, and to maintain the vacuum over the life of the device. A getter is typically a material that, when activated, captures gas molecules in a vacuum or low pressure environment. The getter absorbs, adsorbs, and/or physically entraps oxygen and other molecules and impurities that are outgassed from the components packaged within the WLP, and in certain instances, may also trap impurities that leak through the WLP from the external environment. The getter is typically made from materials that react with the impurities to form stable compounds, such as oxides, carbides, hydrides, and nitrides.
As die sizes shrink, the amount of space that can be allocated to the getter within the WLP is also reduced. During the wafer bonding process, there is thus an increased potential to contaminate these small getters. There is therefore a need for a method or system that can compensate for this loss in getter size and subsequent increase in the risk of contamination.

Use of an external getter to reduce package pressure


It is intended to provide a drug which is efficacious against pathological conditions relating to arginine-vasopressin V1b receptor. More particularly speaking, it is intended to provide a drug which has a therapeutic or preventive effect on depression, anxiety, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's chorea, eating disorders, hypertension, digestive diseases, drug addiction, epilepsy, brain infarction, brain ischemia, brain edema, head injury, inflammation, immune diseases, alopecia and so on. As the results of intensive studies, a novel 1,3-dihydro-2H-indol-2-one compound and a pyrrolidin-2-one compound fused with a heteroaromatic ring, which are highly selective antagonists of arginine-vasopressin V1b receptor, have high metabolic stabilities and show favorable brain penetration and high plasma concentrations, are found, thereby achieving the above objective.

Arginine-vasopressin (AVP) is a peptide consisting of 9 amino acids which is synthesized predominantly in the hypothalamus, and is deeply involved as a posterior pituitary hormone in the regulation of blood plasma osmotic pressure, blood pressure and amount of body fluid.
To date, three subtypes of AVP receptor have been cloned, V1a, V1b and V2 receptors, and all are known to be seven times membrane receptors. The V2 receptor is coupled to Gs to increase the amount of cAMP. The V1a receptor is coupled to Gq/11 to enhance PI response and increase intracellular Ca. The V1a receptor is expressed in brain, liver, adrenal gland, vascular smooth muscle and the like, and is involved in vasoconstriction action. On the other hand, like V1a receptor, the V1b receptor is also coupled to the Gq/11 to enhance PI response (Non-patent Reference 1/Non-patent Reference 2). The V1b receptor is present mostly in the pituitary gland (expressed in 90% or more of ACTH secreting cells of the anterior lobe), and is postulated to participate in the ACTH secretion from the anterior pituitary gland by AVP. The V1b receptor is also present in a broad region of the brain other than the pituitary gland, and is present in large amounts in limbic systems such as hippocampus, amygdala and entorhinal cortex, and the cerebral cortices, olfactory bulb, raphe nuclei which are origion of serotonin nervous (Non-patent Reference 3/Non-patent Reference 4).
Recently, a relationship between the V1b receptor and depression and anxiety disorders has been suggested, and on the usefulness of a V1b receptor antagonist have been investigated. In V1b receptor KO mouse, aggressive behavior was shown to decrease (Non-patent Reference 5). In addition, an increase in time spent in the open arm (anxiolytic-like effect) by injection of a V1b receptor antagonist in the septal region was reported in an elevated plus-maze test (Non-patent Reference 6). Recently, a V1b receptor specific antagonist was discovered, which is a 1,3-dihydro-2H-indol-2-one compound that can be administered peripherally (Patent References 1 to 7). In addition, antidepressant and anxiolytic effects of 1,3-dihydro-2H-indol-2-one compound, have been reported in a variety of animal models (Non-patent Reference 7/Non-patent Reference 8). The compound disclosed in Patent Reference 1 is a compound that has a high affinity (1×10−9 mol/L to 4×10−9 mol/L) for and acts selectively on the V1b receptor, and this compound antagonizes AVP, AVP+CRF or restraint stress-induced ACTH increase.
In addition, compound with a fluorine atom-substituted alkoxy group introduced on the benzene sulfonyl moiety linked at position 1 of 1,3-dihydro-2H-indol-2-one, compound with three substituents introduced on the benzene sulfonyl moiety, and pyrrolidin-2-one compound fused with a heteroaromatic ring an the like are not disclosed in Patent References 1 to 7.

1,3-dihydro-2H-indole-2-one compound and pyrrolidine-2-one compound fused with aromatic heterocycle


A distribution system for distributing an application from a distribution server to a user terminal through a communication network, in which the distribution server optimizes a program code of the application in question based on execution data indicative of execution conditions of the application in question at the user terminal in question to distribute the obtained application to the user terminal and the user terminal includes a unit for obtaining a program code and execution data of an application from the distribution server to execute the obtained program code based on execution conditions of the application in question indicated in the execution data, and a unit for obtaining execution data of an application being executed to transmit the execution data to the distribution server.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to distribution through a communication network and, more particularly, to a distribution system for distributing an application to a user terminal in response to a request from a user, a distribution server and a distribution method thereof, and a distribution program.
2. Description of the Related Art
One example of a conventional application distribution system is recited in "Java(™) Networking Launching Protocol & API Specification (JSR-56)" published in December 2000 by Sun Microsystems. An application distribution system of this kind is a system for conducting centralized management of a plurality of applications by a server and distributing an application to a user terminal in response to a request from a user.
FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an example of a structure of a conventional application distribution system. The entire structure is made up of a distribution server 40 having a function of distributing an application, user terminals 50-1 to 50-n and an information transfer device 60 such as a Web server for connecting the distribution server 40 and each of the user terminals 50-1 to 50-n through a network.
The distribution server 40 includes a user authentication unit 41 for authenticating a user, a program code management unit 42 for managing a program code (yet to be optimized) of an application to be distributed and a user data management unit 43 for managing a setting file and a data file of an application so as to be correlated with each user.
Each of the user terminals 50-1 to 50-n has the same structure and includes an application management unit 51 having a function of obtaining an application from the distribution server 40 and executing the same.
Thus structured conventional application distribution system operates in a following manner. FIG. 12 is a flow chart showing processing of the distribution server 40. With reference to FIG. 12, processing will be described which is conducted when accepting an application acquisition request form the user terminal 50-1.
First, the user authentication unit 41 of the distribution server 40 receives a message indicative of an application acquisition request from the application management unit 51 included in the user terminal 50-1 (Step 1201). The message is composed of, for example, a name of a requested application, a name of a user which certifies character of a user as a requesting source and authentication information such as a password.
The user authentication unit 41 authenticates the user using the authentication information included in the above-described message (Step 1202). When the authentication fails (NO at Step 1202), the unit 41 returns an error (Step 1206). When the authentication succeeds (YES at Step 1202), the user authentication unit 41 obtains a program code of an application specified by the above message from the program code management unit 42 (Step 1203).
Next, the user authentication unit 41 obtains, from the user data management unit 43, the user data such as a setting file and a data file which is owned by the authenticated user and corresponding to the application included in the above message (Step 1204).
Lastly, the user authentication unit 41 distributes the program code and the user data obtained at Steps 1203 and 1204 as one application to the user terminal 50-1.
The conventional technique employs a system of transferring program codes forming an application to a user terminal without modification, which results in transfer of codes that are included in the program code and will not be used on the user terminal as well to accordingly cause wasteful use of communication traffic.

Application distribution system, and distribution server and distribution method thereof


Provided are a pH dependent ion exchange material having a carboxyl group, an amino group, and a polyethylene oxide moiety, which is used for isolating a nucleic acid, a solid substrate having the material immobilized on its surface, and a method of isolating a nucleic acid using the material or the solid substrate. The pH dependent ion exchange material has at least two monomers selected from the group consisting of M0, M1, M2, M3 and M4 represented by the following formulae, provided that the pH dependent ion exchange material has at least one monomer selected from the group consisting of M1 and M2 and at least one monomer selected from the group consisting of M3 and M4:

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pH dependent ion exchange material having a carboxyl group, an amino group, and a polyethylene oxide moiety, a solid substrate having the material immobilized on its surface, and a method of isolating a nucleic acid using the material or the solid substrate.
2. Description of the Related Art
pH dependent ion exchange matrices and methods of isolating nucleic acids using them are known. For example, U.S. published patent application No. 2001/0018513 describes a method of isolating a nucleic acid using a material containing an ionisable group which is positively charged at a first pH such that it can be bound to the nucleic acid and releasing the nucleic acid at a second pH which is higher than the first pH. Examples of the material containing an ionisable group include N-2-acetamido-2-aminoethanesulfonic acid (ACES), N-2-acetamido-2-imidodiacetic acid (ADA), N-trihydroxymethyl-methyl-2-aminoethanesulfonic acid (TES) and trihydroxymethylaminoethane (Tris), etc. U.S. Pat. No. 6,310,199 describes a method of isolating a nucleic acid using a pH dependent ion exchange matrix, the matrix comprising a silica magnetic particle and a plurality of first ion exchange ligands, each first ion exchange ligand comprising an aromatic hydrocarbon ring, a spacer covalently attached to the aromatic hydrocarbon ring, and a linker comprising a linker alkyl chain attached to the silica magnetic particle at its first end and attached to the spacer at its second end.
However, since the conventional pH dependent ion exchange materials have a high binding ability to proteins as well as to nucleic acids in a sample, the efficiency of selectively isolating the nucleic acids from the sample is low.
Thus, the inventors of the present invention searched for pH dependent ion exchange materials which can bind strongly to the nucleic acids at a first pH and release the nucleic acids at a second pH in a high ratio, but bind weakly to the proteins, and thus can be used for selectively isolating the nucleic acids from the sample, and discovered a pH dependent ion exchange material according the present invention.

pH dependent ion exchange material, solid substrate having the material immobilized on its surface, and method of isolating a nucleic acid using the material or the solid substrate

Abstract: wherein        A is a base selected from the group consisting of —NH(CH2)nNH2 and —NH(CH2)nY, wherein n is an integer from 1 to 10 and Y is an aromatic base in which at least one of ring atoms is nitrogen,        B is —(CH2CHO)nOR2, wherein n is 1-20 and R2 is a C1-10 alkyl group or a protecting group, and        the pH dependent ion exchange material having a degree of polymerization of 2-30,000.


Smooth, effective dumping is achieved by automating. A switching point, at which a carrying mode is switched to a dumping mode during automatic driving in a dozing operation, is set beforehand. A dumping attitude of the blade is also preset for a desired traveling distance of the bulldozer from the switching point to a dumping point. The actual traveling distance of the bulldozer from the switching point is detected, based on which the blade is controlled so as to take the preset attitude.

Generally, dozing operation with a bulldozer is carried out under manual control by the operator. A typical manual operation by the operator involves, blade raising, blade lowering, tilting and pitching. In such operation, the operator controls the load on the blade caused by digging and carrying to be constant while avoiding a running slip (shoe slip) of the vehicle body. Load dumping is carried out such that the operator raises the blade with the captured soil therein and allows the blade to pitch so that the blade is emptied to mound the soil (mounding). In the case of dumping soil, for instance, from a cliff (dropping), the operator operates the blade so as to be pushed horizontally, with the cutting edge of the blade kept in a certain position relative to the ground.
Such manual operation not only requires operator's skill and experience but also involves frequent manipulation of the blade and other members, so that the operator gets tremendous fatigue, no matter how skillful he is. To automate dozing operation to solve this problem, several automatic blade control techniques for bulldozers have been, up to now, proposed and put to practical use.
One such automatic control technique for load dumping is proposed by the applicant of the present invention and disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication (KOKAI) Gazette No. 7-26586 (1995). The automatic dozing control system for a bulldozer disclosed in this publication comprises a laser beam receiving sensor mounted on the bulldozer and a laser beam projector located at a digging completion point (dumping point) on the ground. Upon detection of the arrival of the bulldozer at the dumping point by means of the laser beam receiving sensor and the laser beam projector, the transmission is automatically shifted from forward gear into reverse gear.
As mentioned earlier, load dumping dependent on manual operation causes tremendous fatigue to the operator and cannot provide smooth load dumping. The publication No. 7-26586 only teaches shifting of the transmission between forward gear and reverse gear upon the arrival of the bulldozer at the dumping point, but does not disclose the control of the blade to dump soil.
The present invention is directed to overcoming the above problems and the prime object of the invention is therefore to provide a dozing system for a bulldozer, which is capable of automating a dumping process to smoothly and effectively dump the contents of the blade.


The present invention provides systems and methods that provide knowledge about a reaction (e.g. interest) of a group (normally of people) with respect to a set of elements, wherein each group member can react in a different manner. Assuming that the group is accessible by electronic means (e.g. Internet) this system may be based on a group response algorithm to estimate group reaction minimizing workload of group members and minimizing the time needed.

Today life standards cannot be imagined without communication systems for individuals and groups, e.g., Internet, TV. Those communication systems have been evolving from old standards and currently, there is a full array of interactive tools allowing people to communicate in different ways. With current standards, one person can broadcast a message to a practically unlimited number of persons.
However, there is no way such unlimited number of persons can send a message to the person who has broadcasted the message to them. Such techniques for communication do not exist using a back channel. Social networks, email, sms, video, and any other current communication tools, are powerful tools for communications one to one and one to many but, when a big group of people looks for a way to express its will, there is no tool that can help this group.
FIG. 31 shows a picture of a large group of people. This large group is expressing something as a group. A need exists to determine what the group is expressing.
A need exists for user interfaces that assist with determining what the group is expressing. A Global Social Communication system may provide such user interfaces.

User interfaces for determining the reaction of a group with respect to a set of elements

Abstract: To minimize or reduce group members' workload and time, the algorithm uses statistic tools. The group response system estimates group reaction with previously set statistic reliability.

Abstract: The present invention can use too in some cases, secondary algorithms for specific cases.


A heat treatment apparatus includes a treatment container having a reaction chamber, and a gas chamber a mount table provided in the treatment container for mounting thereon a wafer such that an upper surface of the wafer is exposed to the reaction chamber, and an annular clamp member provided in the reaction chamber, movable between a clamp position in which it contacts the peripheral edge of the wafer in circular line contact and a waiting position in which it is separated from the wafer. The line contact prevents leakage of the process gas from the reaction chamber through a clearance between the clamp member and the wafer.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a heat treatment apparatus for forming a film on a treatment object such as a semiconductor wafer.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, in a process for manufacturing a semiconductor integrated circuit, a metal, such as W (tungsten), WSi (tungsten silicide), Ti (titanium), TiN (titanium nitride), TiSi (titanium silicide), an alloy thereof, or a compound thereof is deposited on a wafer, thereby forming a thin film thereon.
As an apparatus for forming such a thin film, a heat treatment apparatus 2 with heating lamps, as shown in FIG. 11, is used. The heat treatment apparatus 2 has a cylindrical treatment container 4 made of aluminum, etc., and a thin mount table 8 contained in the container 4 and made of e.g. carbon material or an aluminum compound. The mount table 8 is supported, separated from the bottom wall of the container 4, by a support member 7 which has a cylindrical base and three support arms upwardly extending at regular intervals from the upper surface of the base. A transparent window 10 made of quartz is provided below the table 8 such that it closes an opening formed in the bottom wall of the container 4. A sub-box is attached to the bottom wall of the container 4 around the opening, in which heating means 12 or lamps are provided to be rotatable in a direction indicated by the arrow.
At the time of forming a film, the interior of the treatment container 4 is kept airtight, and the heating means 12 is lighted. Heat rays from the heating means 12 are transmitted to the mount table 8 through the transparent window 10, whereby a semiconductor wafer W mounted on the mount table 8 is indirectly heated to and kept at a predetermined temperature. During heating, a process gas, e.g. WF.sub.6, and a reduction gas, e.g. H.sub.2, are uniformly applied above the surface of the wafer from a shower head 14 provided above the mount table 8, thereby forming on the wafer a metallic thin film of tungsten, etc. To prevent the process gas from flowing into the space defined below the mount table 8, i.e. within the support member 7, and forming an opaque film on the under side of the table 8 and on the transparent window 10, there is provided a gas introducing pipe 11 for introducing, into the space, a backside gas consisting of an inactive gas such as Ar gas or N.sub.2 gas. Thus, undesirable flowing of the process gas to an outer peripheral portion or an under surface portion of the wafer is avoided. (See Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publications Nos. 4-124820 and 6-120145)
When in a semiconductor integrated circuit having, for example, an MOSFET structure, an electrode or a wire made of aluminum or tungsten is formed directly on an electrode-forming portion of an Si substrate by CVD, it is possible that the material of the electrode or wire will absorb Si from the substrate to make Si deposit on the electrode, or that tungsten atoms will enter the Si wafer, thereby increasing the contact resistance of the electrode-forming portion. To restrain the absorption of Si or the entrance of tungsten, a barrier metal film, which shows high stability to heat, etc., is interposed between the electrode and the electrode-forming portion of the substrate. Depending upon the kinds of the materials of the electrode and the electrode-forming portion, the material of the barrier metal film is selected from high-fusion metals such as Ti, W and Mo, silicide of the metals, and TiN. Further, the barrier metal film is formed by sputtering.
In the case shown in FIG. 12, a TiN barrier metal film 16 is formed on the silicon wafer W, and a tungsten film 18 serving as a wire or electrode is formed on the barrier metal film 16. The barrier metal film 16 prevents separation of Si into the electrode.
As aforementioned, the barrier metal film or TiN film 16 is generally formed by sputtering, while the tungsten film 18 is generally formed by CVD using the heat treatment apparatus described referring to FIG. 11.
Since in the sputtering method, the direction in which a film is formed is highly controlled, the edge of the TiN thin film 16 formed by sputtering can be accurately aligned with the edge of the wafer W. On the other hand, in the CVD method, any step will inevitably be covered. Therefore, the process gas will reach even an under surface portion of the wafer W, thereby forming the tungsten film 18 which extends even to the under surface portion of the wafer W. Thus, an unnecessary film portion or portions 20 are formed as shown in FIG. 12.
The unnecessary film portion 20 is directly attached to the Si wafer W, with no barrier metal film interposed therebetween. Further, the thickness of the film portion 20 is ununiform and thin. Accordingly, it may easily peel off the wafer. Peeled metal may well raise particles.
Since the wafer W is mounted tightly on the mount table 8, it does not seem that the process gas will undesirably reach the under surface of the wafer. Actually, however, a slight clearance is defined therebetween. In the case of the tungsten film formed by CVD, it can sufficiently cover even a fine hole with a diameter of about 0.5 micrometer. This being so, the process gas can easily reach the under surface of the wafer through the slight clearance. If, to prevent it, the flow of the backside gas supplied into the space below the mount table 8 is increased, the backside gas may well enter the reaction chamber above the table 8 to thereby reduce the concentration of the process gas. As a result, the film formed on the wafer will be partially thin, i.e. the inplane uniformity of the resultant film thickness will be degraded. In light of this, the flow of the backside gas cannot be increased.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,304,248 discloses another type film-forming apparatus. In this apparatus, a vertically movable shield ring is provided on the outer periphery of a wafer mount table. When a susceptor is moved to a position in which film-forming is performed, the overall upper surface of a peripheral portion of a wafer placed on the susceptor is clamped by the inner lip of the shield ring. Also in this apparatus, a sufficient sealing effect cannot be obtained, and it is highly possible that the process gas will leak to the under surface of the wafer, thereby forming a film thereon. After careful examination of the cause of the leakage, the following was found: Since a peripheral portion of the wafer is brought into surface contact with the inner lip of the shield ring, the airtightness at the contacting interface between the wafer and the shield ring is microscopically too low to sufficiently prevent leakage of the process gas through the interface. As a result, an unnecessary film will inevitably be formed.


A non-contact electric power transmission apparatus including a primary unit and a secondary unit. The primary unit includes a primary core and a power primary winding. A signal secondary winding is wound around the primary core and provided to be apart from the power primary winding to form a primary gap between the power primary winding and the signal secondary winding. The secondary unit includes a secondary core and a power secondary winding. A signal primary winding is wound around the secondary core and provided to be apart from the power secondary winding to form a secondary gap between the power secondary winding and the signal primary winding.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a non-contact electric power transmission apparatus and an electric appliance which includes the non-contact electric power transmission apparatus.
2. Description of the Background
Referring to FIG. 12, a non-contact electric power transmission apparatus (T) has a primary unit (T1) and a secondary unit (T2). A battery charger has the primary unit (T1). An electric appliance has the secondary unit (T2). When the electric appliance is placed on the battery charger, the primary unit (T1) and the secondary unit (T2) face each other. The primary unit (T1) of FIG. 12 has a primary core (C1), a power primary winding (L1), and a signal secondary winding (L3). The primary core (C1) has a U-shape. The signal secondary winding (L3) is wound around the power primary winding (L1) coiled around the primary core (C1). The secondary unit (T2) of FIG. 12 has a secondary core (C2), a power secondary winding (L2), and a signal primary winding (L4). The secondary core (C2) has a U-shape. The signal primary winding (L4) is wound around the power secondary winding (L2) coiled around the secondary core (C2). When the electric appliance is placed on the battery charger, the facing surface of the primary core (C1) and the facing surface of the secondary core (C2) face each other. Electric power and signal are transferred between the primary unit (T1) and the secondary unit (T2) through electromagnetic induction. The electric power has a frequency of 50 kHz and the control signal has a frequency of 1 MHz.
In the conventional non-contact electric power transmission apparatus (T), the leakage flux from the power primary winding (L1) affects the signal induced in the signal secondary winding (L3). Likewise, the leakage flux from the power secondary winding (L2) affects the signal supplied to the signal primary winding (L4).
According to one aspect of the present invention, a non-contact electric power transmission apparatus includes a primary unit and a secondary unit. The primary unit includes a primary core, at least one power primary winding and at least one signal secondary winding. The primary core has a first facing surface and a first winding axis substantially parallel to the first facing surface. The at least one power primary winding is wound around the first winding axis of the primary core. At least one signal secondary winding is wound around the first winding axis of the primary core and provided to be apart from the at least one power primary winding to form a primary gap between the at least one power primary winding and the at least one signal secondary winding. The secondary unit includes a secondary core, at least one power secondary winding and at least one signal primary winding. The secondary core has a second facing surface and a second winding axis substantially parallel to the second facing surface. The at least one power secondary winding is wound around the second winding axis of the secondary core. The at least one signal primary winding is wound around the second winding axis of the secondary core and provided to be apart from the at least one power secondary winding to form a secondary gap between the at least one power secondary winding and the at least one signal primary winding. The secondary unit is configured to be placed with respect to the primary unit such that the second facing surface faces the first facing surface and such that the at least one power secondary winding and the at least one signal primary winding are electromagnetically connected to the at least one power primary winding and the at least one signal secondary winding, respectively.
According to another aspect of the present invention, an electric appliance includes a primary unit and a secondary unit. The primary unit includes a primary core, at least one power primary winding and at least one signal secondary winding. The primary core has a first facing surface and a first winding axis substantially parallel to the first facing surface. The at least one power primary winding is wound around the first winding axis of the primary core. At least one signal secondary winding is wound around the first winding axis of the primary core and provided to be apart from the at least one power primary winding to form a primary gap between the at least one power primary winding and the at least one signal secondary winding. The secondary unit includes a secondary core, at least one power secondary winding and at least one signal primary winding. The secondary core has a second facing surface and a second winding axis substantially parallel to the second facing surface. The at least one power secondary winding is wound around the second winding axis of the secondary core. The at least one signal primary winding is wound around the second winding axis of the secondary core and provided to be apart from the at least one power secondary winding to form a secondary gap between the at least one power secondary winding and the at least one signal primary winding. The secondary unit is configured to be placed with respect to the primary unit such that the second facing surface faces the first facing surface and such that the at least one power secondary winding and the at least one signal primary winding are electromagnetically connected to the at least one power primary winding and the at least one signal secondary winding, respectively.

Non-contact electric power transmission apparatus


According to an embodiment of the present invention, a computer-implemented method for inserting diagnostic circuit elements in a scan chain of a chip may include creating, via a processor, a segment for each latch of a plurality of latches in the scan chain to create a plurality of adjacent and connected segments, merging, via the processor, the two adjacent and connected segments to form a super-segment comprising all latches contained in the two adjacent and connected segments based on the objective function, and inserting, via the processor, a logic circuit element between the super-segment and a segment that is adjacent and connected to the super-segment in the scan chain, where the logic circuit element allows diagnostic isolation of the scan chain super-segment.

The present disclosure relates to diagnostic circuit elements, and more specifically, to physically aware insertion of diagnostic circuit elements.
In prior generation microprocessors, circuit elements for the purposes of diagnosing chip failures (such as XOR's in scan chains) were inserted with no consideration of physical layout properties. The result was poor spatial resolution for failure analysis, which made root cause defect identification difficult and time consuming due to large inspection areas. For example, as seen in FIG. 1, a graph of area insertion mean segment length and area is shown, according to conventional methods. The area insertion mean is depicted as a function of XOR frequency. Generally speaking, the size of the circle depicted in FIG. 1 represents how compact the circuits are in the layout. The large circle 1102 in the plot represents actual insertion properties for a 22 nm microprocessor product. The small circle 11 identifies an average logical resolution (y-axis) of ˜20 circuits while the diameter of large circle 1102 is proportional to the average spatial resolution of chip circuit elements. The logical resolution is the average number of devices that a diagnostic element can identify. For example, as shown in the graph of FIG. 1, for every one element inserted, about twenty normal circuits are identified. While a logical resolution of 20 circuit elements may be acceptable, the spatial resolution can make circuit analysis labor intense, time consuming, and costly.
The placement of diagnostic elements into scan chains can affect a great number of things, including chip failure analysis, circuit power analysis and management, and extrapolation of relevant scan chain diagnosis information from a limited circuit sample. Current diagnostic methods may include blind placement or singular-ruled placement of diagnostic circuit elements, and may not provide a clear metric having a broad set of rules that may be applicable when determining where diagnostic circuit elements should be placed.

Physically aware insertion of diagnostic circuit elements

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


A memory device having a thyristor-based storage element and an access device coupled to the thyristor-based storage element at a common storage node is described. The thyristor-based storage element has a first gate stack, where the first gate stack has a first workfunction configured to a base region of the thyristor-based storage element. The access device has a second gate stack, where the second gate stack has a second workfunction. The first gate stack includes a first conductive layer formed over a gate dielectric and a second conductive layer formed over the first conductive layer. The second gate stack includes the second conductive layer formed over the gate dielectric. The first workfunction is operationally distinct from the second workfunction.

Conventionally, semiconductor memories such as static random access memory ("SRAM") and dynamic random access memory ("DRAM") are in widespread use. DRAM is very common due to its high density with a cell size typically between 6F2 and 8F2, where F is a minimum feature size, namely one half of the smallest pitch in an existing technology. However, DRAM is relatively slow having an access time commonly near 50 nanoseconds ("ns"). SRAM access time is typically an order of magnitude faster than DRAM. However, an SRAM cell is commonly made of four transistors and two resistors or of six transistors, thus leading to a cell size of approximately 60F2 to 100F2.
SRAM memory designs based on a negative differential resistance cell, such as a thyristor-based memory cell, have been introduced to minimize the size of a conventional SRAM memory. A thyristor-based memory may be effective in memory applications. A capacitively coupled thyristor of a thyristor-based memory operates in a range from a lower to an upper operating voltage. A workfunction of a gate, such as a control gate of the thyristor of a thyristor-based memory, may be modified by ion implantation. A material or materials, such as Germanium, Boron, or Phosphorous, or a combination thereof, may be implanted into the thyristor control gate to adjust its workfunction.
Heretofore, a thyristor-based memory had a standby voltage or a read voltage between about −3V and −1V, as mentioned in U.S. Pat. No. 6,690,039 B1. However, as is well known, a charge pump used to pump voltage down to a negative voltage consumes more power than using positive voltages, such as "off-chip" provided positive voltages, for operation of a thyristor-based memory. Thus, power consumption may be reduced if a standby voltage for a thyristor-based memory were less negative or more positive than approximately −1 V. This is because it takes more energy to pump voltage to a level outside the range of voltages provided by the "off-chip" voltage supplies (e.g., a negative voltage level) than to supply a voltage level which falls within the range of voltages provided by the "off-chip" voltage supplies.
To appreciate why power consumption may be reduced if standby voltage were increased in a positive direction, operation of a thyristor-based memory cell should be understood with respect to writing a logic zero ("write-zero operation"). For a write-zero operation, a positive voltage at a write voltage level is applied to a control gate of such thyristor-based memory device. The control gate is coupled to a wordline ("WL2") of the thyristor-based memory. After which, a standby voltage ("VStandby_WL2") is applied to WL2 to effect the storing of a logic zero in the thyristor-based memory cell. The falling edge transition to VStandby_WL2 causes minority carriers to be driven out of a base region of the thyristor-based memory device. Heretofore, this meant providing a swing from about +1V to about −2V to drive out enough minority carriers to sufficiently clear minority carriers from the base region to help maintain a reverse biased or current blocking state. Thus, the amount of voltage swing or operating voltage range on a falling edge transition for the control gate over a p-type body from a positive voltage for the write-zero operation followed by application of a negative standby voltage VStandby_WL2 is directly proportional to the amount of power consumed. More particularly, by reducing the amount of negative voltage swing within the falling edge transition, the amount of power consumed may be reduced where the capacitor coupling ratio is unchanged. In other words, charge pump efficiency may be effectively enhanced by moving VStandby_WL2 closer to the lowest external power level supplied, such as 0 volts.
Accordingly, in instances it would be desirable to modify the thyristor-based memory cell to drive out a sufficient number of minority carriers from a base for a standby state that reduces the amount of negative voltage swing between a WL2 write voltage and a WL2 standby voltage. Moreover, the closer VStandby_WL2 is to zero volts, the less power consumed in the generation of VStandby_WL2.
However, in other instances, negative voltage swing may not be reduced. In those instances, materials other than those previously used may be integrated into a control gate to achieve a useful workfunction with or without having to implant into the control gate.

Workfunction-adjusted thyristor-based memory device


Disclosed is a method of assaying free L-carnitine and total short-chain acylcarnitine in blood. The method uses essentially protein-free samples of plasma or serum and comprises (a) obtaining a sample of ultrafiltrated plasma or serum, (b) converting essentially all carnitine to acetylcarnitine using an enzymatic reaction, (c) converting essentially all free coenzyme A liberated in the enzymatic reaction of (b) to thiophenylate, (d) evaluating the sample spectrophotometrically to determine the amount of thiophenylate present, (e) obtaining a fresh sample of ultrafiltrated plasma or serum and hydrolyzing the sample to convert essentially all short-chain acylcarnitine to carnitine, and (f) repeating steps (b) through (d). All steps following the ultrafiltration of the sample are carried out within a pre-programmed, automated centrifugal analyzer. The use of this method to measure only free L-carnitine or only total short-chain acylcarnitine in plasma or serum samples is also disclosed, as is a kit for carrying out the automated analysis of free L-carnitine and total short-chain acylcarnitine.

During the past ten years there has been an increasing awareness of the biochemical functions of L-carnitine, and of the clinical consequences of carnitine deficiency. See, e.g., Bieber et al., Fed. Proc. 41, 2858 (1982); Stanley, Adv. Pediatr. 34, 59 (1987). Carnitine is produced in the body in the form of L-carnitine. Both free L-carnitine and acylcarnitine are required for proper fatty acid oxidation within cells. A convenient, automated assay for free L-carnitine and total short chain acylcarnitine is needed for both research and clinical purposes. Certain inborn errors of metabolism result in the accumulation of toxic acetyl-coA; carnitine may be given to detoxify the acetyl-CoA. Patients receiving total parenteral nutrition and those on renal dialysis may have L-carnitine deficiencies. In each situation an assay for free L-carnitine and total short-chain acylcarnitine concentrations would be useful.
Several methods for assaying free L-carnitine and total short chain acylcarnitine are known in the art. See. e.g., Marzo et al., J. Chromatogr. 527, 247 (1990); Hoppel, In: Hommes (ed.), Techniques in Diagnostic Human Biochemical Genetics, New York, Wiley-Liss, 309-326 (1991). The most widely used methods are dependent on the enzyme carnitine acetyltransferase (CAT; EC 188.8.131.52), which catalyzes the reaction: EQU acetyl-coA+L-carnitine.fwdarw.acetylcarnitine+coASH
where coASH represents free coenzyme A liberated.
One widely used spectrophotometric assay for carnitine is based on the reaction of the liberated coASH with 5,5'-dithiobis-2-nitrobenzoic acid (DTNB). This reaction produces the thiophenylate ion, which absorbs light at 412 nm. Spectrophotometric evaluation of a sample after reacting with DTNB provides an indirect measurement of free L-carnitine. See. e.g., Marquis and Fritz, J. Lipid Res. 5, 184 (1964). To assay acylcarnitine, alkaline hydrolysis of a sample can be used to convert acylcarnitine to free carnitine, and the steps above can then be used to measure total short-chain acylcarnitine.
Most methods currently in use are based on a partially automated version of these procedures, but require that several essential steps be performed manually by a technician. See, e.g., Seccombe et al., Clin. Chem. 22, 1589 (1976); Rodriguez-Segade et al., Clin. Chem. 31, 754 (1985); Cederblad et al., Clin. Chem. 32, 342 (1986). The manual steps required increase the potential for error and limit the convenience of these methods. Additionally the samples must be diluted, treated with thiol oxidizing reagent, or otherwise treated prior to analysis to remove biological interferences that affect the chemical reactions utilized in the assay.
The most widely used alternative to the spectrophotometric assay is a radioisotopic exchange assay (REA) that uses 1-.sup.14 C-acetyl-coA as substrate for the enzyme and measures the 1-.sup.14 C-acetylcarnitine produced. See Cederblad and Lindstedt, Clin. Chim. Acta. 37, 235 (1972). This method is generally accepted in the art as one of the most accurate, and several modifications have been described. See, e.g., Hoppel, In: Hommes (ed.), Techniques in Diagnostic Human Biochemical Genetics, New York: Wiley-Liss, 309 (1991); McGarry and Foster, J. Lipid Res. 22, 1589 (1976). However, this assay method is labor intensive and not suited to automation, and is therefore not routinely employed in clinical laboratories.
Mass spectrometry can also be used to measure total carnitine. While this method is currently used clinically, it is expensive and the number of hospitals equipped to perform it is limited.
In view of the foregoing, there is a continued need for new automated methods of assaying carnitine.

Automated analysis of free l-carnitine and total short-chain acylcarnitine


Strengthened glass-based substrates having a first outer region compressive stress and a first side having first coating thereon are disclosed. The first coating comprising a material selected to have a first coating Young's modulus value, a first coating thickness, and a first coating stress that is either neutral or compressive, such that the absolute value of first outer region compressive stress is greater than the absolute value of the first coating stress. Methods of making glass-based articles are provided, and glass-based articles having coatings that provide different strength values and/or reliability on different sides of the glass-based articles are also disclosed.

Strengthened glass-based articles are widely used in electronic devices as cover plates or windows for portable or mobile electronic communication and entertainment devices, such as mobile phones, smart phones, tablets, video players, information terminal (IT) devices, laptop computers, navigation systems and the like, as well as in other applications such as architecture (e.g., windows, shower panels, countertops etc.), transportation (e.g., automotive, trains, aircraft, sea craft, etc.), appliance, or any application that requires superior fracture resistance but thin and light-weight articles.
In strengthened glass-based articles, such as chemically strengthened glass articles, compressive stress is highest or at a peak at the glass surface and reduces from a peak value moving away from the surface, and there is zero stress at some interior location of the glass article before the stress in the glass article becomes tensile. For glass articles having such a stress profile, a Weibull plot can be obtained for a certain Weibull modulus that indicates the spread of load to failure in biaxial testing. A higher Weibull modulus is in general attractive as the spread of loads to failure for different samples of glass articles will be tighter, thereby increasing product reliability. In other words, the product will be less sensitive to initial flaw size distributions, including those from handling.
Modifications to ion exchange processes can be used to modify the stress profile of the glass-based article to decrease sensitivity to initial flaw populations. While modifications to ion exchange processes can be used for this purpose, as strengthened glasses are increasingly being utilized, it has become more important to develop other methods to provide strengthened glass materials having improved reliability, while not significantly impacting mean strength of the strengthened glass.

Glass-based articles with engineered stress profiles and methods of manufacture


An optical disk apparatus includes a movable part having an objective lens for focusing a laser beam onto an optical disk. A lens-holding member holds the objective lens. A protecting member prevents contact of the objective lens with the optical disk. The protecting member is spaced apart from the optical disk. An elastic supporting member supports the movable part, and an actuator drives the movable part toward or away from the optical disk. The apparatus is constructed so as to maintain the protecting member spaced apart from the optical disk, even when the elastic supporting member is bent by gravity toward the optical disk.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable optical disk apparatus for recording or reproducing information signals on an optical disk, which employs an objective lens having an NA (numerical aperture) of 0.8 or higher.
2. Related Background Art
Optical disk apparatuses have been commercialized, which record information signals by focusing a laser beam in a fine spot by an objective lens onto an information signal recording layer of an optical disk or reproducing the recorded information signals by the reflected light. Lately, it has become possible to increase the NA of the objective lens of the optical disk apparatus to be 0.08 or higher, as the results of improvement in the design and production technique of the objective lens. Such a high-NA objective lens enables the formation of a finer light spot, to improve the resolution in information recording and reproduction, and to increase the capacity of the optical disk.
Conventionally, a typical optical disk has an information signal recording layer formed on a substrate plate having a thickness of 0.6-1.2 mm, and which is composed of a transparent resin material. The optical disk apparatus projects a laser beam through the substrate plate onto the information signal recording layer. However, an objective lens of a higher NA has a shorter focus length, requiring a shorter distance between the objective lens and the information signal recording layer. This makes it difficult to focus a laser beam through the substrate plate having a thickness of 0.6-1.2 mm on the information signal recording layer. To solve this problem, certain methods have been disclosed. In one method, to meet the increase of the NA of the objective lens, the information signal recording layer is covered on the face reverse to the substrate plate side with a transparent cover layer thinner than the substrate plate, and the laser beam is projected through the cover layer, and not through the substrate plate, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 2003-91833, 2004-30835, and so forth.
FIG. 4 illustrates schematically a constitution of such an optical disk apparatus of the prior art. In FIG. 4, reference numeral 1 denotes an optical disk, reference numeral 2 denotes an optical head, and reference numeral 3 denotes a spindle motor to rotate the optical disk. Optical head 2 is constituted of laser light source 6, collimator lens 7, beam splitter 8, condenser lens 9, photodetector 10, objective lens 20, and actuator 11 for controlling the focusing and tracking with the objective lens 20.
Optical disk 1 is constituted of substrate plate 12, information signal recording layer 13, formed on substrate plate 12 from a phase changeable material capable of changing the reversible phase state, and cover layer 14 having a thickness of about 0.1 mm, which is composed of a transparent resin material. On information signal recording layer 13, recording tracks are formed in spiral or concentric circles. The information signal recording layer 13 may be formed from a magnetooptical material, or a metallic reflecting film having pits (concave areas) formed thereon. Optical head 2 is placed to face cover layer 14 of optical disk 1.
FIG. 5 shows a constitution of actuator 11. Actuator 11 comprises immovable part 15 and movable part 16. Immovable part 15 is constituted of permanent magnets 17a, 17b, yoke 18, and supporting stage 19. Movable part 16 is constituted of objective lens 20, focusing coil 21, tracking coil 22, and lens-holding member 23 for holding the above articles. Elastic supporting members 24a, 24b, 24c, 24d are in a linear shape, and are elastic and highly electroconductive. The supporting members are fixed at the respective ends to supporting stage 19, and hold, at other ends, movable part 16 to be movable freely in vertical and radial directions relative to optical disk 1. Elastic supporting members 24a, 24b, 24c, 24d are also connected electrically to focusing coil 21 and tracking coil 22 on lens-holding member 23.
The optical disk apparatus, as shown in FIG. 4, has an error signal generating circuit 4 and a control circuit 5 for control of focusing and tracking by actuator 11. Control circuit 5 applies electrical control current through elastic supporting members 24a, 24b, 24c, 24d to focusing coil 21 and tracking coil 22.
In recording the information signals, first, optical disk 1 is rotated by spindle motor 3. With the optical disk kept rotated, a laser beam pulse-modulated in accordance with information signals and emitted from laser light source 6 is made parallel by collimator lens 7, allowed to pass beam splitter 8, and focused in a fine spot by objective lens 20 through cover layer 14 of optical disk 1 on information signal recording layer 13.
The information signal recording layer of optical disk 1 is heated and cooled repeatedly by projection of a pulse-modulated laser beam to form recording marks by a phase change to an amorphous phase or a crystal phase by the heating-cooling process.
In reproduction of the recorded information signals, optical disk 1 is rotated similarly by spindle motor 3. With the optical disk being kept rotated, a constant intensity of a laser beam emitted from laser light source 6 is focused in a fine spot through cover layer 14 on information signal recording layer 13. The intensity of the light reflected from information signal recording layer 13 varies in accordance with the recorded marks, whereby the information signal is reproduced.
During the operation of recording and reproducing of the information signals, the light beam reflected by optical disk 1 is further reflected by beam splitter 8, condensed by condenser lens 9, and detected by photodetector 10. Photodetector 10 has a light-receiving face divided into plural sections. Error signal generating circuit 4 generates focus error signals and tracking error signals according to the detected signals at the respective sections of the light-receiving face.
Control circuit 5 applies a control current, based on the focus error signal and the tracking error signal, through elastic supporting members 24a, 24b, 24c, 24d to focusing coil 21 and tracking coil 22. Actuator 11 drives movable part 16 to move perpendicularly toward or away from optical disk 1, or in the radial directions crossing the recording track, by an electromagnetic force generated by an interaction of the control current and the magnetic fluxes of permanent magnets 17a, 17b.
In such a manner, the focusing is controlled to focus precisely the light spot on the recording track to offset perpendicular displacement by axial deflection of a surface of optical disk 1, or a like cause, and the tracking is controlled to scan the recording track by offsetting radial run-out of the track center in the radial direction.
In the above optical disk apparatus, since the gap (working distance) between objective lens 20 and the surface of cover layer 14 is as small as 0.2-0.6 mm, a stopper, or a like mechanism, cannot be provided at a position in the gap, to limit the displacement of movable part 16, to prevent undesired contact of objective lens 20 with optical disk 1. Naturally, the actuator normally working for the control will keep constant the gap between objective lens 20 and the surface of cover layer 14. However, the actuator may fail in the control, owing to an abrupt impact, vibration, or a like cause, or an adverse effect of dirt or a scratch on optical disk 1 so that a normal error signal will not be generated.
In such an abnormal working state, movable part 16 is excessively displaced, inevitably to come into contact with optical disk 1. Even when the contact occurs, at least objective lens 20 can be protected by providing a protrusion higher than objective lens 20 at a portion of lens-holding member 23 facing optical disk 1 and allowing the protrusion to touch optical disk 1.
However, even in a non-working state, especially, with the power source turned off, when the optical disk apparatus is placed with optical disk 1 held horizontally, and with optical head 2 held above the disk, elastic supporting members 24a, 24b, 24c, 24d may be bent by gravity acting on movable part 16, to cause movable part 16 to contact with optical disk 1. This contact state can sometimes be kept for a long time if the optical disk apparatus is left standing.
Usually, lens-holding member 23 and cover layer 14 of optical disk 1 are made from different kinds of resins. The different kinds of resins, which are kept in contact with each other under pressure, are liable to undergo not only usual environmental deterioration, but also, a physical change, such as local deformation and a chemical change, such as chemical deterioration. In particular, the protecting member should have essential properties for productivity (formability) and mechanical properties, such as rigidity, and the cover layer should have optical properties and physical properties, such as hardness. Therefore, physical and chemical durability cannot readily be given additional to the protecting member or the cover layer. The deterioration of optical properties of cover layer 14 caused by deformation or deterioration of the contact portion can presumably prevent normal recording and reproduction of the information signals disadvantageously.
In recent years, optical disk apparatuses are coming to be used as portable apparatuses for recording and reproducing voices, still-pictures, animated pictures, and so forth. The portable apparatuses are stored arbitrarily in various manners by users, and stored in many cases with the optical disk being kept inserted in the apparatus. Accordingly, the optical disk apparatus having the objective lens of a high NA will inevitably encounter the above-mentioned problems.

Optical disk apparatus employing an objective lens having a high numerical aperture


A lifting apparatus having a bar with a shoulder bar supportable on a lifter's shoulders and a weight sleeve configured to receive at least one weight. The lifting apparatus includes an adapter that allows adjustment of the distal member to one of a plurality of different positions relative to a longitudinal axis of the shoulder bar.

The subject matter of this application relates to exercise equipment and more particularly to a weight-lifting apparatus.
Athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and others continuously seek new techniques to increase strength and performance. Many such persons engage in weight training to increase strength or otherwise improve muscular function, which may include the use of either free weights and/or weight machines. One problem experienced by those engaged in weight training is that a person can potentially strain their spine, leading to pain and discomfort. Although some degree of weight-bearing is essential for spinal health, too much weight on the spine during weight training can cause spinal discs to move or bulge, and furthermore, exercises that increase the axial load on the spine are especially prone to increase spine strain and back pain.
One type of lifting exercise prone to spinal strain or injury is a "squat" in which a lifter balances a weighted bar on the shoulders (either in back of or in front of the neck), bends the knees to a squatting position, and lifts the weighted bar back to a standing position. This particular exercise requires careful technique to avoid injuries since the forward-position of the weighted bar relative to the lifter's center of gravity as the person squats, creates stress, particularly on the shoulders and back.
What is desired, therefore, is an improved exercise apparatus for performing squats.