An apparatus and method for dynamically displaying data in a browser of a client computer. In one aspect, the invention is a method comprising: displaying a web page comprising a primary frame having dynamic fields in said browser, wherein said web page is created by programming language containing specialized tags containing instructional elements adapted to facilitate rendering of visual data in said dynamic fields; searching said programming language of said web page for said specialized tags and creating a companion file, said companion file comprising scripting information based upon said instructional elements and updated real world data stored in a memory source; downloading said companion file; and executing said scripting information contained within said companion file causing said rendering of visual data in said dynamic fields to correspond to said updated real world data.

Human-machine-interfaces ("HMI"), also known as operator interfaces, are used to present data that is collected by machines to a user via a computer screen or other display module. HMI packages also allow a user to control certain functions of machines from a remote location by entering data into the HMI. HMI packages are commonly used in industrial settings where certain real world conditions must be constantly monitored, maintained, and/or changed with industrial equipment and devices. HMI packages allow users to not only monitor a real world condition with the equipment from a remote location, but also allows the user to control the equipment from the remote location.
Conventional HMI packages consist of an acquisition component to acquire the data from a machine or machines and a visual component that is proprietary in nature for rendering the data into a fixed computer window for the user at the remote location. A programmable logic controller ("PLC") is a computer that is dedicated to performing control functions and is used extensively in industrial applications. In a typical HMI package, a PLC is electrically connected to external devices, such as switches, sensors, relay contacts, gauges, valves, or other types of industrial equipment. The external devices are designed to convert a real world condition into representative electrical data signals. The data signals represent real world condition, such as temperature or the status of a switch being off or on. The PLC is programmed to periodically retrieve this real world data from the external device and transmit it via a serial link to a computer located at a remote site. This real world data is then displayed on a computer screen in an HMI in a tangible form.
HMI packages can also be designed and programmed so that a user can control certain external devices from the remote computer by entering user commands into field of an HMI. In HMI packages with such control capabilities, the PLC or other similar type of computer is further programmed to receive the user inputted data from the remote computer and send control signals to the external device causing the external device to respond according to the user input command.
Despite the sophistication of HMI packages, HMI's contain many undesirable limitations. For example, in displaying the representative real world data in the user's computer screen, HMI packages display a single page that is fixed in size. This is a problem because only one window can be opened at time and in sophisticated industries, a single page is not sufficient to relay all the necessary real world condition. Several pages may be required to display all the relevant data. The user can not easily view all of the necessary real world conditions in a convenient manner. Another drawback is that HMI packages require a proprietary means for creating graphics on a page, for positioning objects on each page, and for rendering data on each page. The ability to share the HMI among multiple computers requires either an installation of the same proprietary software on each machine or some additional software that permits remote computing. Thus, there is a need for an HMI that is inherently web browser based and as such would provide the universal accessibility and the power of the modern day web browser to an HMI.
While browser based HMI's have been developed, existing browser based HMI's operate in an inefficient manner in dynamically rendering the real world data. In order to display the real world data dynamically (i.e., continuously update and change the data displayed in the computer screen to correspond to the real world condition in real time), existing browser based HMI's utilize a browser-based refresh function. Using this refresh function is undesirable because the entire visible screen must be downloaded and reproduced, even if only a small area of the visible page is actually changing. This unnecessary download and reproduction of the entire page is slow and causes the entire screen to flash. This is inefficient from both the client computer and server standpoint.
Thus, a need exists for improved methods and apparatus for dynamically displaying real world data in real time in a browser based HMI.

Method and apparatus for dynamically displaying real world data in a browser setting


A brazing agent comprises an aluminum alloy which contains a flux, the agent having an apparent density of 90% or more of a theoretical density, the aluminum alloy comprises in addition to the flux: aluminum element; and silicon element at about 3-15% by weight of all the elements other than the flux, so that the ratio in weight of all the elements to the flux is from 99.9:0.1 to 70:30. The aluminum alloy may further contain one or more elements selected from a group consisting of zinc, tin and indium, at about 0.1-5%, 0.01-0.5% and 0.01-0.5% by weight of all the elements, respectively. A brazing sheet may be of such a structure that a core sheet made of aluminum or its alloy has at least one surface clad with a skin layer which has a thickness of 10 .mu.m or more for each surface.

In the prior art "flux-brazing method" it is a common practice to braze articles of aluminum or its alloy one to another by applying a brazing agent together with a flux to the abutting portion of the articles which are to be heated, wherein the flux is usually suspended in an appropriate liquid. In order to facilitate the manufacture of aluminum products, an aluminum brazing sheet has been employed as one or both of the brazed articles. The aluminum brazing sheet comprises a core sheet having its either or both surfaces clad with a skin layer, and this layer is composed of a certain brazing agent. The flux suspension is applied also to the abutting portions even if such a brazing sheet is employed and heated in the "flux-brazing" method.
Thus, both the brazing agent and the flux must be applied separately or successively to the brazed portions, whether the aluminum brazing sheet is or is not used. This has rendered comparatively intricate the operation in the prior art method of manufacturing the aluminum products. It is another drawback that the applied amount of flux is likely to vary among batches or products. An insufficient amount of the flux will cause an imperfect brazing, while a superfluous amount brings about other problems such as the residual flux in the brazed portions and the drippings of flux within a brazing oven. The flux residue will impair the appearance and the surface processability of the products, while the flux drippings polluting the oven.
A proposal was made and has been employed to avoid those problems resulting from the separate or successive application of the flux and the brazing agent. According to this proposal, a paste or liquid which comprises a binder or vehicle such as an acrylic resin containing a flux powder and an Al -Si powder as the blazing agent will be coated on the brazed portions, whereby the operation is simplified to a significant degree.
The existence of the binder in the brazed portions will however impair the brazing quality.
The present invention was made to resolve the problems referred to above in the prior art methods for "flux-brazing" aluminum materials or aluminum alloy materials. Therefore, an object of the invention is to provide a brazing agent comprising an aluminum alloy which contains a flux (hereinafter referred to as "flux-containing aluminum alloy brazing agent"), and also to provide an aluminum brazing sheet made partially of the flux-containing aluminum alloy brazing agent. The brazing agent and the brazing sheet in the invention are designed such that the variation in the applied amount of flux is eliminated improving the brazeability, the appearance of the brazed articles as well as the surface process ability thereof, and such that the brazing process is remarkably simplified.

Brazing agent and a brazing sheet both comprising an aluminum alloy containing a flux


A breast and bottle feeding infant head support including a slip-on sleeve open at opposite ends and inclusive of inner and outer linings forming first and second outwardly opposing face surfaces of predetermined length and width, and a cushion insert between the inner and outer linings forming at least one of the outwardly opposing face surfaces wherein the sleeve, when worn on the arm, is of a length to extend past the crook of a wearer's elbow and towards the palm of the wearer's hand for the fingers to hold the sleeve in place.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the breast and bottle feeding of infants, in general, and to a support to make breast and bottle feeding comfortable for both a mother and her baby, in particular.
2. Description of the Related Art
As is well known and understood, in the breast and/or bottle feeding of infants, the baby's head is typically supported against the mother's inside forearm. Experience has shown that with the forearm being firmer than the baby's head, these breast and bottle feedings over time tend to somewhat flatten the head of the infant. Such head, besides being so malleable, also tends to absorb the perspiration built up on the forearm during hot humid weather, especially when the mother wears a short sleeve blouse. These deficiencies and detriments are addressed by the present invention.

Breast and bottle feeding infant head support


A device is disclosed having a low-voltage memory device. The device includes a first memory having a first memory topology and a second memory having a second memory topology, with both memories located in an integrated circuit. The first memory is a relatively high-density memory device, capable of storing large amounts of data relative to the second memory. The second memory is a low-voltage memory device capable of being accessed at low-voltages relative to the voltage at which the first memory can be accessed. Accordingly, the second memory is accessible when the integrated circuit is placed in a low-voltage mode of operation, which may represent a data retention state (sleep state) for the first memory or other portions of the integrated circuit. Thus, the device is able to store large amounts of data in the high density memory in a normal or active mode of operation, and also have access to the low-voltage memory during the low-voltage mode of operation.

Memory devices, such as random access memories (RAM), are used in a wide variety of devices to store data. A voltage is supplied to the memory device so that the memory can store data and respond to memory operations, such as read and write operations from a bus master that can include a processor, a direct memory access module, or other device. For many integrated circuits that use these memory devices, it is desirable that they operate in a low-voltage (e.g. sleep) mode, with a reduced voltage supplied to the memory and other device components. For example, portable devices such as cellular phones often employ a low-voltage mode to conserve battery power. However, in the low-voltage mode, the voltage supplied to a memory device can be reduced to a level that renders the memory device inaccessible to the bus master.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved memory device.

Low voltage memory device and method thereof


A tool for use in conjunction with a center-post tire changing machine for mounting and demounting pneumatic tires from wheel rims includes an elongated shaft member having first and second ends wherein a portion of the elongated shaft member defines a main plane of the tool. A tire mounting portion at the first end includes a rounded first face forming a bead contact area, a flat second face forming a rim contact area, and a retaining knob protruding from the flat second face, the tire mounting portion being angularly offset from the main plane vertically by a first bend and horizontally by a second bend. A tire demounting portion at the second end includes a rounded first face forming a bead contact area, a flat second face forming a rim contact area, and a retaining knob protruding from the flat second face. The tire demounting portion is angularly offset both horizontally and vertically from the main plane by a third bend.

For as long as it has been known to use pneumatic tires on wheeled vehicles, it has been necessary to change and/or remove the tire from the rim for replacement or repair. In that time, a variety of tools have been developed and utilized to facilitate the mounting and demounting of tires. Such tools typically comprise an elongated bar having a handle end and a tool end adapted to be inserted between the tire bead and the wheel rim. The tool end frequently has a flattened or tapered portion which may be straight, curved, or bent at an angle. After the tool portion is inserted between the bead and the rim, the user applies pressure to the handle, making a lever of the tool by utilizing the wheel rim as a fulcrum. This procedure allows the tire bead to be stretched over the rim by moving the bar around the periphery of the tire. In more recent years, machines have been developed which rotate the tire in conjunction with the use of the tool to alleviate the need for moving the tool.
While the prior art is replete with variations of mounting/demounting tools, the basic design has not changed significantly over the years. However, the known designs do have disadvantages. For example, because these tools are designed to be used as a lever the user must apply a constant and even pressure to assure proper stretching of the tire without letting the tool slide out of the tire. Further, such tools having a tapered end tend to roll as the tire is rotated and/or as the tool is moved around the periphery of the tire causing the tool to become dislodged or at least requiring more control by the user.
Accordingly, there is a need for a combined tire mounting/demounting tool which can be interposed between a tire bead and wheel rim to operatively stretch the bead over the rim without the need for precise pressure and control from the user.


The antenna diversity system for mobile reception of VHF and UHF waves has a plurality of antennae; an antenna distributor connected to each of the antennae to receive antenna signals from the antennae and having a plurality of inputs and sets of outputs; a plurality of antenna switches, each of the antenna switches being connected to one of the sets of outputs of the antenna distributor; a plurality of tuners, each of the tuners connected to one of the antenna switches and producing one of an intermediate-frequency signal and demodulated signal; a plurality of diversity processors, each of the diversity processors being connected to a tuner to receive an intermediate-frequency or demodulated signal therefrom and also to the antenna switch of the tuner connected thereto via a control line and being structured to carry out a signal evaluation of the signal received in the diversity processor to control the antenna switch to switch through a more favorable input signal to the tuner connected to it.

The invention relates to an antenna diversity system having at least two antennae for the mobile reception of very-high and ultra-high frequencies [hereinafter: VHF and UHF].
An antenna diversity system with at least two antennae is known having an antenna switch and a tuner to which a selected RF signal is supplied by the antenna switch, the tuner having an output which guides the intermediate-frequency signal or the demodulated signal and is connected with a diversity processor in which a signal evaluation is carried out, the results of which determine whether or not the antenna switch is made to switch through a more favorable input signal to its output via a control line leading from the diversity processor to the antenna switch.
Multipath propagation in mobile radio and television reception causes considerable reception interference. In the case of radio reception this interference greatly impairs listening pleasure due to noise and pronounced distortions of the low-frequency signal and in the case of television reception causes visual disturbance in ghost images, fluttering of the picture, color fading, and loss of synchronization and picture. Such reception interference considerably impairs the reception quality and must therefore be prevented.
An antenna diversity system for eliminating reception interference in frequency-modulated ultrashort-wave radio is known from the German Patent Application P 35 17 247. In this case, at least two antenna signals are supplied to a diversity processor containing a frequency deviation threshold and an amplitude threshold with which the frequency disturbance deviation pulse currently caused by interference and the interference-induced amplitude break-ins in the intermediate frequency signal supplied to the diversity processor from the receiver are compared. If the disturbances exceed the thresholds, a switching process is initiated such that another antenna signal or another linear combination derived from the antenna signals is supplied to the tuner with intermediate-frequency component.
An antenna diversity system for preventing picture interference in the mobile reception of television signals in the VHF and UHF band is described in the German Patent Application P 39 26 336.3. This antenna diversity system has a diversity processor with N antenna signal inputs and a television receiver. The video signal and the horizontal and vertical synchronizing signals are supplied to the diversity processor. The diversity processor contains a time gate which is opened by the horizontal synchronizing pulses during the horizontal blanking time so that the video signal is switched through for evaluating the signal quality. An address signal is generated via a control circuit during incipient picture interference in such a way that a new antenna signal or another linear combination derived from the antenna signals is supplied to the television receiver via an antenna combiner.
Each of the diversity systems described in the patent application mentioned above solves the problem of reducing reception interference in a radio or television channel caused by multipath propagation. But to improve the television sound in a vehicle in addition to the television picture, separate antennae and accordingly also separate antenna diversity systems are required for television reception as well as sound reception in the prior art. The use of the solution indicated in P 39 26 336.3 prevents the picture interference in mobile reception, but not the sound interference of the respective television sound. On the one hand, this is because the television picture is amplitude-modulated in a special manner, while the television sound is frequency-modulated and the criteria for determining the picture quality are completely different in principle than the criteria for determining sound interference. On the other hand, the frequency separation of 5.5 MHz between the picture and sound carriers causes the reception ratios at the location of a reception antenna for picture and sound carriers to be completely different with such a large frequency separation. As a result, e.g., the picture interference can be at a maximum and the sound carrier interference at a minimum simultaneously.
This means that at least four antennae must be arranged on the vehicle when using the aforementioned solutions according to the prior art. But to obtain a distinct improvement in reception a quantity of four antennae per diversity arrangement is recommended in the literature on the subject. This already results in eight antennae which must be mounted on the vehicle according to the prior art to efficiently eliminate picture and sound interference while traveling. Consequently, at least 12 antenna would have to be arranged on the vehicle in order for the stereo television sound transmitted in two bands separated by a gap in frequency to be improved by antenna diversity. Further, considering the enormous frequency band width of approximately 40 to 860 MHz which must be covered, the difficulty of covering this large frequency band with a single antenna presents an additional problem so that the required number of antennae is further increased by the use of band antennae. But it is not possible to accommodate such a large number of antennae on modern motor vehicles.

Antenna diversity system with at least two antennae for the mobile reception of very-high and ultra-high frequency waves


An error correction decoder which includes a syndrome calculator, an error locator polynomial calculator, a standard error locator polynomial calculator, an error transform calculator and an inverse error transform calculator. These error correction decoder calculators provide a pipelined architecture for performing Reed-Solomon error correction calculations quickly. In the inverse error transform calculator, a method for calculating inverse error transforms is used. The method is adapted to receive error transforms in the same sequence as the error transforms are output by the error transform calculator without the need for buffering between the error transform calculator and the inverse error transform calculator and without the addition of substantial timing delays. In particular, the inverse error transform calculator is adapted to receive error transforms in the sequence E.sub.0, E.sub.1 . . . E.sub.N-1. The inverse error transform calculator is adapted to calculate inverse error transforms using the equation ##EQU1## In one embodiment, the inverse error transform calculator implements the method using a semiconductor device having adders, multipliers, memory elements and a recursive feedback loop to implement this equation. The inverse error transform calculator may use a plurality of cells to calculate a plurality of inverse error transforms.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention relates generally to error correction and more particularly to a pipeline decoder that can be used to decode Reed-Solomon codes, for example.
2. Background
Today's digital systems, such as data transmission and storage systems, typically need to be efficient and reliable. As large, high speed data networks become more widely used and integral with day to day activities, individuals likely will depend more upon the efficient and reliable reproduction of the data that these networks transmit. To achieve such an efficient and reliable operation, digital systems typically use techniques for controlling errors and to ensure reliable data reproduction. Reed Solomon ("RS") codes have been used in digital systems to provide error control, including both error detection and error correction. Such systems have included, for example, space telecommunication systems, compact disc systems and digital telecommunication systems.
A Reed Solomon code consists of a set of code words. Each code word contains data and error correcting information. A code word is characterized by a total number of symbols N which include data symbols and parity symbols. Each symbol is m bits of binary data where m might be 8, for example. In a Reed Solomon code that uses m bit symbols, N is often chosen such that N=2.sup.m-1. Of the total number of symbols N, K of the symbols are data symbols. Accordingly, N-K of the symbols are parity symbols. Reed Solomon codes are typically designed to detect or detect and correct a predetermined number of errors. A code designed to detect and correct up to t errors in each N symbol code word, for example, typically requires K=2t parity bits. Reed Solomon codes are commonly described as (N,K) Reed Solomon codes to communicate the values N and K of the particular code.
Reed Solomon codes work by encoding data according to certain predetermined rules to produce encoded data having a known format. The encoded data might then be transmitted to a receiver, for example. The data that is transmitted shall be referred to as the transmitted data. The receiver, knowing the predetermined rules and the known format, often can detect errors in the received data by comparing it to the known format. If any differences exist, an error has occurred. Using certain rules, the receiver often can correct errors detected in this manner. After such correction, the corrected data can then be converted back from its encoded format to obtain the original data. The process of detecting or detecting and correcting errors and converting the encoded data back to its original form is called decoding. See Lin, S. and Costello, D. Jr., Error Control Coding: Fundamentals and Applications, Prentice Hall (1983) for a discussion of Reed Solomon error correction and its related principles.
Numerous calculations can be required to perform the encoding and decoding processes associated with RS codes. In addition, these calculation often must be performed in real time. Accordingly, RS encoders and decoders often must meet certain minimum performance levels. With respect to RS decoders, efforts have been made to produce algorithms and/or techniques that enable the calculations to be performed quickly. Unfortunately, increasing the speed of RS decoders can also increase the cost.
For example, the speed of a decoder might be enhanced by using parallel architectures or large memory arrays. A parallel architecture may involve implementing the same functions in multiple areas of a chip. These multiple areas may be used, for example, when the same function, such as a calculation, needs to be performed repeatedly. Often, the repeated functions can be accomplished simultaneously in the multiple areas saving time. Unfortunately, implementing the same function in multiple areas typically requires more chip area than simply using a single chip area repeatedly to perform the single function. This latter approach, while possibly saving chip area, can result in delay because the one chip area typically will have to perform the function multiple times. A batch of data that is to be processed by the chip area may have to wait until the chip area is done performing the function on a previous batch of data. Additionally, such repeated use might require additional control circuitry to handle timing or feedback issues, for example, and as a result additional chip space. Such a design might also require additional clock cycles and possibly additional buffers to store interim calculations.
Memory arrays might be used by an RS decoder to store data or look up tables that might eliminate some of the needed calculations, for example. Memory arrays, however, can increase the amount of chip area used by a decoder, resulting in a more expensive decoder. The chip area required by an RS decoder might be reduced by avoiding such parallel architectures or memory arrays. Such a decoder might be less expensive, but it may not provide the desired speed.
Accordingly, there has been a need for a Reed-Solomon decoder that obtains the desired processing speed without unacceptably increasing the chip area used by or the cost of the decoder.

Methods and apparatus for error correction


A wavefront aberration compensation element includes a wavelength selection phase plate having a plurality of phase steps having various thicknesses at various areas, a liquid crystal layer for obtaining a prescribed wavefront aberration, and a pair of first and second electrode layers having the liquid crystal layer disposed therebetween, wherein either one of the wavelength selection phase plate and the pair of first and second electrode layers having the liquid crystal layer disposed therebetween is stacked on the other.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a wavefront aberration compensation element, an optical pickup, and an optical disk apparatus for accommodating light sources of various wavelengths.
2. Description of the Related Art
An optical disk apparatus records information on a recording surface of an optical disk with spiral or concentric tracks formed thereto, and performs operations of recording/reproduction/erasing information based on the light directed to and reflected from the recording surface of the optical disk.
Typically, an optical system of an optical pickup includes a light source 101 and an objective lens 102 as shown in a schematic diagram of FIG. 9. In order to control the fine spot on an information recording medium 103, the optical system of the optical pickup is provided with a lens actuator 104 for executing focus and track control of the objective lens 102. Numeral 105 is a detection/separation part (beam splitter) for separating reflected light of the information recording medium 103 from incident light, and guiding the reflected light to a light receiving element 106.
As for the kinds of optical disks provided in recent years, there are, for example, a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) having a considerably larger memory capacity than a CD (Compact Disc), and a recording/reproduction disk using blue laser. Two standards of the recording/reproduction disks using blue laser are proposed, one having a substrate thickness of 0.1 mm (Blu-ray) and the other having a substrate thickness of 0.6 mm (HD-DVD). In recording/reproducing information, a light source with a wavelength of 785 nm is used for the CD, a light source with a wavelength of 660 nm is used for the DVD, and a light source with a wavelength of 405 nm is used for the recording/reproduction disk using blue laser. Relationships between the thickness of a disk substrate, the wavelength of a light source, and the NA (Numerical Aperture) of an objective lens are shown in Table 1.
TABLE 1DVDCDHD-DVDdisk 0.6 mm 0.6 mm 1.2 mmthicknesslight source 405 nm 660 nm 785 nmwavelengthobjective0.6-0.70.6-0.650.3-0.55lens NABlu-raydisk 0.1 mm 0.6 mm 1.2 mmthicknesslight source 405 nm 660 nm 785 nmwavelengthobjective0.850.6-0.650.3-0.55lens NA
Meanwhile, a typical objective lens is designed to eliminate wavefront aberration created by the thickness of the disk substrate. Accordingly, wavefront aberration is caused by disk substrates having different thicknesses and/or optical pickups for different wavelengths. Therefore, recording/reproduction/erasing cannot be suitably performed.
For example, as shown in FIG. 10, a wavefront aberration is created in a case where a parallel light of a DVD is incident on an objective lens corresponding to the 0.1 mm disk thickness of the Blu-ray standard. Typically, in order to reduce the spot diameter of a light condensed with an objective lens, it is preferred to restrict the wavefront aberration to an rms of 0.07 λ or less (Marechal Criterion). However, the wavefront aberration shown in FIG. 10 is a large wavefront aberration of 0.7 λ. With such an optical pickup, the spot diameter cannot be reduced, and recording/reproduction/erasing cannot be suitably performed.
In order to solve this problem, the following conventional technologies, enabling recording/reproduction/erasing by selectively compensating for wavefronts with respect to disks having different thicknesses, are proposed.
As shown in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 10-334504, the first conventional example uses a wavelength selection phase plate. This example has one optical system for emitting and receiving a laser beam with a prescribed wavelength and another optical system for emitting and receiving a laser beam with another prescribed wavelength. Furthermore, this example is provided with a light combining/separating part (interference filter) for combining the laser beams emitted from the semiconductor lasers of each of the optical systems and thus separating the light reflected from an optical recording medium, to thereby allow light to be guided to either one of the optical detectors in the optical systems. Furthermore, this example is provided with a wavelength selection phase plate disposed between the interference filter and an objective lens for changing the phase distribution of the transmission wavefront with respect to either one of first and second semiconductor lasers. Accordingly, this example enables reproduction of disks having different thicknesses (substrate thicknesses). Furthermore, this example enables a satisfactory S/N and jitter result to be obtained during reproduction. Furthermore, this example enables an optical head apparatus to obtain a sufficient output and a peak strength during recording.
As shown in Japanese Registered Patent No. 02895150, the second example uses a liquid crystal element for compensating for wavefront aberration. This example is an image formation optical system having an aberration compensation mechanism which obtains compensation signals by detecting the amount of aberration, and controls the aberration compensation mechanism based on the detected amount of aberration. In this example, a liquid crystal element, being divided into panels, is used as the aberration compensation mechanism, in which liquid crystal panels are driven in accordance with detected aberration patterns. This allows wavefront aberration of the image formation optical system to be compensated for.
As shown in Japanese Registered Patent No. 03236203, the third example performs spherical aberration compensation by using divergent light. In this example employing an optical head with light sources of different wavelengths, the distance between a light source of a long wavelength and an objective lens is shortened, so that light is incident on an objective lens in a diverging manner, to thereby create a negative spherical aberration. Since the objective lens is designed to reduce the spherical aberration with respect to a light source of a short wavelength, a positive spherical aberration is created when a short wavelength light is incident to the objective lens. Accordingly, the spherical aberration of the optical head can be reduced by the positive spherical aberration and the negative spherical aberration offsetting each other, thereby obtaining an optical head having little spherical aberration with respect to both light sources of long and short wavelengths.
Next, problems of the above-described conventional examples are described in a case of compensating for wavefront aberration for a DVD by using an objective lens with a substrate thickness of 0.1 mm according to the Blu-ray standard.
First, the first example using the wavelength selection phase plate is described. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing four levels of spherical aberrations before and after compensation. As shown with the line indicating "before compensation", the levels of the phase distribution compensation amount of the transmission wavefront is to be minutely defined in order to compensate for large wavefront aberrations. However, since the pupil diameter is constant, minutely defining the levels narrows the width of each level and causes difficulty in manufacturing (processing). Furthermore, in the wavefront aberration after compensation, a serrated wavefront aberration remains and an rms value of 0.07 λ or less cannot be obtained.
In addition, with such an optical element being manufactured mainly with glass or molded plastic, the refractive index is drastically changed by wavelength changes due to fluctuations in wavelengths and changes in atmospheric temperature, and changes in wavefront aberrations (chromatic aberrations) are caused by phase difference. Furthermore, with such a phase conversion element, newly created wavefront aberrations due to axial deviation between the phase conversion element and the optical system cannot be compensated for.
Next, the second example using the phase conversion liquid crystal element is described. For example, in a case where the double refraction of a liquid crystal element is 0.2, the thickness of the liquid crystal layer is 5 μm, and the applied voltage is 4V, the obtained phase difference is 0.7 μm (=1 λ at 660 nm) (applied to a liquid crystal of an optical disk head in FIG. 12). Considering that the refractive index is 0.2 to 0.25, and that the power source of the optical pickup is mainly 5V, the wavefront aberration compensation of the liquid crystal element has a limit of 1 λ. That is, the compensation for the wavefront aberration using the liquid crystal element is unsuitable for large aberrations.
Next, the third example of compensating for spherical aberration using divergent rays is described. By setting the divergent point of the DVD for creating divergent rays with respect to the objective lens, the spherical aberration of the DVD can be reduced as shown in FIG. 13. However, since the divergent point of the DVD is fixed, the layout of the optical system is restricted. Furthermore, a residual aberration is caused from differences in magnification of the optical system, and the rms value of 0.07 λ or less cannot be obtained.

Wavefront aberration compensation element, optical pickup, and optical disk apparatus


A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor die encapsulated in a package casing and having four main side walls each oriented generally parallel with one of first or second orthogonal directions. Signal leads are electrically coupled to the die and each has an exposed portion that extends from one of the main side walls parallel with one of the first or second directions. One or more power bars are electrically coupled to the die and each has at least one power bar lead extending at a non-zero angle with respect to the first and second directions. The power bars and associated power bar leads are electrically isolated from the signal leads. One or more tie bars extends at a generally non-zero angle with respect to the first and second directions and is electrically isolated from the signal leads and the power bars and associated power bar leads.

The present invention is directed to a semiconductor device and method of assembling semiconductor devices from a lead frame and power bar that are adaptable to different package designs.
Lead frames utilizing power bars are typically designed to meet specific integrated circuit (IC) configurations. Thus, such lead frames are specific in application and not generally adaptable to different device specifications. For example, devices with different power pad locations require new lead frame designs. Design and tooling costs, and ultimately unit costs, become higher as a result of the need for specific lead frame configurations. Individualized power bar designs also limit the ability to reuse technology, handicap corporate complexity reduction, and prohibit economy of scale in purchasing. This leads to lost opportunities to save costs.
The current lead frame and power bar designs also pose an issue with the advancement of integrated circuit packaging. For example, quad-flat packaging (QFP) has the lowest cost per input/output (I/O) pin in package platforms, and is therefore used in as many new devices as possible. However, the number of signal, power, and ground I/O pins continues to rise with each generation of IC. Unfortunately, the QFP lead frame designs have not advanced at the same rate with I/O pin demand. If this trend continues, newer generation ICs will be forced into higher cost platforms. One issue with conventional lead frame/power bar designs is that the power bar relies on the sacrifice of usable inner leads for structural support and electrical connectivity.
It is therefore desirable to provide a lead frame design utilizing power bars that is adaptable for use with numerous types of IC configurations and pins and also does not sacrifice inner signal leads.

Power bar design for lead frame-based packages


A balloon dilatation catheter is provided with a pleated balloon defining at least three pleats and alternating wings. When the balloon collapses, it tends to assume a pleated configuration which defines a lower profile and is better adapted to pass through narrow channels, such as a guide catheter. The balloon is formed from a polymeric material in a method that involves the steps of extruding a tube having at least three circumferentially spaced, longitudinally extending segments of less wall thickness than the remainder of the tube, and biaxially stretching the tube to a predefined shape while maintaining the longitudinal segments of reduced wall thickness.

Balloon dilatation catheters are used for a variety of medical procedures, including dilation of obstructed body lumens, such as blood vessels, coronary arteries and the esophageal tract. In particular, such catheters are used in angioplasty procedures to enlarge the lumen of a blood vessel which is constricted or stenosed by arteriosclerosis.
In a type of angioplasty known as percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), dilatation catheters are used in conjunction with a guide catheter through which the dilatation catheter is inserted and guided to the desired location in the body lumen. In a typical PTCA procedure, the guide catheter is percutaneously introduced into the patient's arterial system and is fluoroscopically guided to the entrance to the coronary artery. A dilatation catheter, having a balloon at its distal end, then is passed through the guide catheter, so that the balloon extends beyond the distal end of the guide catheter into the coronary artery. The catheter then is manipulated to place the balloon (deflated) into the obstruction. Once the balloon is placed within the obstruction, it is inflated to dilate the obstructed lumen.
The balloon of the dilatation catheter must be deflated to a low profile in order for it to be passed through the guide catheter and, more particularly, through the stenosis. The balloon is deflated by applying negative pressure to the balloon through an inflation/deflation lumen that extends from the proximal end of the catheter to the interior of the balloon. The configuration assumed by the balloon upon deflation presents a problem in catheter utilization. Typically, the balloon forms a pair of opposed, radially-extending, flat wings, when collapsed under the influence of negative pressure, as shown in FIG. 2. To insert the balloon into the lumen of a guide catheter, the physician must manually wrap the wings about the catheter shaft prior to insertion into the guide catheter. The reduced profile of the balloon, caused by the wrapping, facilitates insertion of the balloon into the guide catheter and the obstruction. However, after the balloon has been inflated in the patient and it is desired to recollapse the balloon, the balloon will again tend to assume the two wing configuration. The radial extent of the opposed wings may make it difficult for the balloon to refold as it is withdrawn into the guide catheter or if it is desired to recollapse the balloon and advance it to another stenosed location. In the latter case, the radial extending wings may make it more difficult for the balloon to be inserted into the stenosis.
A desirable feature of a balloon dilatation catheter, therefore, is a balloon which has a reduced profile to facilitate insertion into a guide catheter and a vascular stenosis, without the need to manually wrap the balloon about the catheter shaft.
The foregoing problem has not gone unrecognized as evidenced by proposed devices to provide a means for causing a dilatation balloon to be wrapped closely about a catheter shaft to form a reduced profile. For example, see U.S. Pat. No. 4,292,974, issued to Fogerty. Notwithstanding such proposals, there remains a need for a simple effective means to facilitate collapse of a dilatation balloon to a low profile.
A further problem encountered in using dilatation balloon catheters is the failure of the balloon to deflate, following dilatation of the obstruction. Because of a malfunction in the catheter itself, the dilatation balloon may fail to deflate when aspirated. In these instances, the balloon must be intentionally destroyed before withdrawal through the guide catheter. The balloon is destroyed by inflating the balloon to a pressure at which the balloon wall ruptures or bursts. Unfortunately, many current dilatation balloons have burst pressures which exceed the delivery capabilities of most clinical inflation devices, often requiring burst pressures in excess of 20 Bars. Such pressure may rupture the body lumen as well as the dilatation balloon, thereby creating an undesirable hazard to the patient. A further desirable feature of a dilatation catheter, therefore, is to provide a balloon having an artificially lower burst pressure to facilitate easy destruction of the balloon, if necessary.

Pleated balloon dilatation catheter and method of use


A method and apparatus for detecting minority gaseous species in a mixture by light-emission spectroscopy by means of an optical spectrometer (8), in which the radiation emitted by a plasma (4) present in the gas mixture for analysis is used and, in the spectrum of the radiation, lines are identified of a majority gaseous species that present amplitudes that are sensitive to the presence of a minority species, and information about the concentration of a minority gaseous species is deduced from the amplitude(s) of the sensitive line(s). This makes it possible to monitor minority gaseous species in real time.

The present invention relates to detecting gaseous species in a mixture by light-emission spectroscopy.
In order to detect gaseous species, recourse has already been made to light-emission spectroscopy, in which use is made of the light radiation emitted by a plasma present in the gas mixture for analysis, the optical spectrum of said radiation emitted by the plasma is measured, and the optical spectrum is analyzed in order to deduce therefrom the presence of gaseous species in the mixture.
The conventional method used for the step of analyzing the optical spectrum consists in viewing the optical spectrum in real time and in comparing it with spectra published in scientific libraries and established for each gaseous species. The method relies on the fact that each gaseous species generates light radiation of spectrum that is characteristic when it reaches a level of excitation causing it to emit light. Scientific libraries thus contain the light-emission spectra for each gaseous species. Each spectrum is constituted by a curve plotting light intensity values as a function of wavelength over the wavelength range constituting light radiation, i.e. in the ultraviolet, in the visible spectrum, and in the infrared. Generally, the light-emission spectrum of a gaseous species is a jagged curve presenting a large number of peaks or "lines". Each line is characterized by the wavelength and by the intensity of the light radiation and/or wavelength.
In known apparatuses, the light-emission spectrum is generally viewed by means of a computer which scans through the data issued by an optical spectrometer. Software associated with the spectrometer usually makes it possible to act on the integration time of the signal coming from the spectrometer, and thus on the intensity of the spectrum. The software may also act on the number of spectra to be averaged prior to display, thus making it possible to reduce noise. The software then allows the instantaneous light-emission spectrum to be viewed, and allows the variation in the amplitude of certain lines to be tracked, in order to deduce changes in the presence of a gas. The amplitude of a line at a defined wavelength generally makes it possible, when the gas is on its own, to track variation in the quantity of said gas that is present. The software also makes it possible to perform a certain number of mathematical operations such as subtracting spectra.
The light spectra of a gas mixture is generally constituted by the combination of the lines in the spectra that are specific to the various gaseous species present in the mixture.
It is sometimes possible, from the amplitudes of the lines of each specific spectrum, to deduce a measurement for the concentration of the corresponding gaseous species present in the mixture.
Measuring the concentrations of gaseous species in a mixture is quite easy and reliable when the gaseous species being sought out are easy to excite in the plasma. Such gaseous species that are easily excitable produce a light-emission spectrum having lines that can easily be seen and measured.
However, such a measurement of concentration becomes much more difficult for gaseous species that are more difficult to excite, particularly when those species are minority gaseous species, i.e. present in the mixture at a minority proportion only. Measuring the concentration of such poorly excitable or minority gaseous species in a mixture is possible at present only with measurement devices that are expensive, bulky, and difficult to operate, such as a mass spectrometer or a Fourrier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR). For example, it is necessary to use such devices in order to measure traces of moisture in a vacuum in gas mixtures leaving a vacuum chamber in the semiconductor industry. Moisture is then present at a concentration of only a few thousands of parts per million (ppm). The cost of such measurements makes them economically unsuitable for use, particularly in methods of fabricating semiconductors.
The use of simpler spectroscopic measurement devices has not been envisaged for tracking traces of moisture. The difficulty comes in particular from the fact that the excitation of a gas in a plasma can vary strongly depending on the nature of the gas, and depending on whether the gas is alone or present in a gas mixture with other species.
For example, when considering moisture, the lines characteristic of the moisture to be observed (which moisture is present in only small quantity in the mixture) are poorly detectable or undetectable in the spectrum of the species that is present in a majority quantity, if it happens that that species is more easily excitable, as is the case for nitrogen. Tracking the lines characteristic of moisture, e.g. the hydrogen lines Hα, Hβ, and Hγ, the oxygen line at about 777.3 nanometers (nm), and the OH line at about 306.8 nm, for example, is practically impossible in a gas mixture where other gases, such as nitrogen, are more easily excitable and take all of the available energy.
That is why gaseous species that are in a minority and/or that are difficult to excite, such as moisture, and that are present in the gas mixtures of flows extracted from vacuum chambers in the semiconductor industry have not, as a general rule, been detected in the past by conventional methods of light-emission spectroscopy.

Detecting minority gaseous species by light-emission spectroscopy


A ski pole grip having an elastomeric shock absorber. The rate of shock absorption is modified by stretching the elastomer at angles to the direction of movement of the ski pole shaft. Damping is provided by the use of an elastomer with a high degree of natural internal damping.

There have been numerous attempts in the prior art to provide the skier with a shock absorbing ski pole or ski pole handle because the planting of the pole into hard snow transmits a substantial shock to the skier's wrists and elbows. The addition of a shock absorbing device to a ski pole greatly reduces the chance of injury to the skier's wrists and elbows.
Some shock absorbing ski poles of the prior art have a metal coil spring inside the ski pole handle to absorb the energy of a pole plant. This spring stores the energy and rebounds with a nearly equal amount of energy that must be dissipated by a damping device. The damping devices of these poles of the prior art use close fitting parts that are costly and require frequent replacement due to wear. Moreover, the metal spring in the handle of these poles must be fabricated from an alloy that will not rust in wet environments which increases the cost of these poles still further, placing them out of reach of the average skier. Other shock absorbing ski poles of the prior art use a rubber elastomer shock absorber to cushion the shock of a pole plant. The type of pole that uses an elastomeric shock absorber in compression has been largely unsuccessful in providing a useful amount of shock reduction because of the limited travel inherent in a compression type elastomeric shock absorber. The type of pole that uses an elastomer in stretch has been largely unsuccessful because elastomers in general have a non-linear rate of stretch that is ill-suited to the absorption of shock in a ski pole.


An affordable flow cytometry system with a significantly increased analytical rate, volumetric sample delivery and usable particle size including a light beam that interrogates multiple flow streams so as to provide excitation across all of the streams, and an optical objective configured to collect light from the sample streams and image the light onto an array detector.

The analytical power of flow cytometry makes it invaluable for numerous biomedical applications that require the enumeration of cell populations and the analysis of multicellular model systems or organisms. However, typical flow cytometers limit sample analysis flow to less than 250 μL/min, analytical rates to 70,000 cells/s, and particle diameters to less than 70 μm. These limitations are driven by a number of factors that include pressure induced by high linear velocity fluid flows, turbulence in wide channels, and the single point analysis of stochastically arriving particles. Therefore, flow cytometry requires significant additional sample preparation steps to be effective in the analysis of very rare cell populations, uses offline particle concentration to analyze particles in large volume samples, and requires special purpose large flow channel cytometers using low linear velocity hydrodynamic focusing in wide channels to analyze particles that are >70 μm in diameter at low analysis rates (200 particle/s). Such limitations severely reduce the effectiveness of flow cytometry in many critical applications including the detection of rare blood cell populations, the detection of pathogens in liquid samples, and large particle high throughput analysis model systems (e.g. multicellular model organisms, cellular spheroids, and one-bead-one-compound chemical libraries).
Therefore there is a great need for affordable flow cytometry systems that have an increased analytical rate, volumetric sample delivery and usable particle size while retaining the analytical properties of flow cytometry (sensitivity, resolution of free vs. bound probes, correlated multiparameter analysis) that make it the technology of choice for cell and particle analysis.

Spatially correlated light collection from multiple sample streams excited with a line focused light source


A combination of a ski binding (10), particularly cross-country, touring or telemark binding, and of a boot (11) adapted thereto are shown, the front end of which is held by a resiliently biased clamp member (12; 48) in the binding (10) in such a way that the heel (13) of the boot (11) can be freely raised during ski touring or cross-country skiing. The clamp member (12; 48) engages on the forward sole (15) of the boot (11) particularly between the ball area and the rear end of the same, and preferably on the underside of the boot forward sole (15).

The invention relates to a combination of a ski binding, particularly a cross-country, touring or telemark binding and of a boot adapted thereto, the forward end of which is held in the binding by a resiliently biased clamping element in such a way that the heel of the shoe can be freely raised when used in touring, cross-country skiing or the like use.
Such combinations of a ski binding and of a boot adapted thereto are generally known; in the known solutions a clamp cable is passed around the boot heel as a retaining member. Such a construction is for example described in FR-A 756 374 or CH-A-194 783. For a corresponding construction of a touring ski binding, reference is made to DE-C 35 39 315. All these known combinations are relatively bulky in construction. A disadvantage is also that lifting of the boot heel during touring, cross-country skiing or downhill skiing in the telemark style is in fact prevented by the clamp cable passed around the boot heel. In addition, when the clamp cable is arranged around the boot heel the said heel can be moved laterally, so that exact lateral guidance of the ski is not possible. The transfer of power to the ski is likewise impaired. Finally, a considerable disadvantage is that the position of the bending lIne of the sole extending transversely to the longitudinal direction of the boot or sole is not defined. It migrates within a relatively large area, i.e. is displaced upon each lift of the boot heel. Consequently, the solE and boot deformation forces alter in a corresponding way. The cross-country skier is subjected to varying degrees of stress upon each lift of the boot heel.
There is known from DE-OS 41 03 068 a ski cross-country binding in which a clamp cable which can be passed around the boot heel fixes the ski boot to the cover surface of a ski-mounted toe iron by means of a clamp cable coupled to a tightening mechanism. In this case the clamp cable has a device for altering its effective length, and a part of the clamp cable is replaced by a traction spring. At the portion of the clamp cable which can be passed around the boot heel, a clamp lever which can be supported on the boot sole is mounted to pivot about a pivotal axis located parallel to the clamp cable. In this binding also, the above mentioned problems arise, due to the varying sole and boot deformation forces.
There is known from DE-GM 16 96 548 a ski binding with a tightening strap engaging on the forward end of a ski boot, the tightener mounted in front of the ski boot on the ski cover surface being engaged in a metal tab secured to the forward sole of the ski boot and drawing it between retaining jaws. This engagement binding is intended to ensure that it releases automatically during disconnections, as soon as the rear portion of the ski boot is raised to an unusual height from the ski cover surface. Such a ski binding enables only imprecise guidance of the ski and power transmission to the ski and is unsuitable both for cross-country skiing or for downhill skiing in the telemark style.

Combination of a ski binding and of a boot adapted thereto


A battery pack for use in an electric machine, includes a first receiving antenna including a first inductor for receiving electric power from a power supply source located outside the electric machine by coupling with a first resonant magnetic field generated by the power supply source; and a transferring antenna including a second inductor for generating a second resonant magnetic field by the radio-frequency power. A primary surface of the first inductor is located within the battery pack and is parallel to a first plane of the battery pack. A primary surface of the second inductor is located within the battery pack and is parallel to a second plane of the battery pack. The second plane facing the second inductor intersects with the first plane facing the first inductor at an angle of a range of between 45° and 90° including 45° and 90°.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electric machine and a power supply system having a battery pack for wirelessly transferring electric power through a coupling by a resonant magnetic field.
2. Description of the Related Art
An electric machine such as an electric vehicle is driven by an electric motor. For example, an electric vehicle runs by using an electric motor as the power source, as opposed to a car whose power source is an internal-combustion engine. An electric vehicle has a power battery installed therein, and gains driving force by transferring energy stored in a power battery to the electric motor. The power battery may be, for example, a secondary battery such as a lithium-ion battery, a nickel hydrogen battery or a lead battery. In many cases, a power battery is installed in a vehicle body in the form of a battery pack in which a plurality of "modules" are packaged together with a charge-discharge control circuit, etc., wherein each module includes a plurality of "cells" (the minimal form of a battery including an electrode and an electrolyte) connected together in series. When the remaining amount of electricity of the power battery becomes low, the battery pack is charged by being connected to an external power supply so that the electric vehicle can run again. The external power supply may be the commercial power supply (100 V/200 V), charging equipment installed in charging stations, etc., capable of high-power charging, etc.
The power battery of a conventional electric vehicle is charged at home or at a charging station (see, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 11-146504) each time the remaining amount of electricity of the power battery becomes low. FIG. 14 shows a power supply system for a conventional electric vehicle described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 11-146504. A power battery 72, which is a rechargeable secondary battery, is packaged together with a charge-discharge control circuit 61 into a battery pack 62. The battery pack 62 is secured inside the body of an electric vehicle 70 so that the battery pack 62 cannot be removed during normal use. The body of the electric vehicle 70 is provided with a vehicle-side connector 64 for receiving the electric power supplied from an external power supply 63. The battery pack 62 is provided with a battery pack-side charging connector 65, and a charging-side connector 65 and the vehicle-side connector 64 are connected together by a cable. The battery pack 62 is provided with a battery pack-side power output connector 66, and the battery pack-side power output connector 66 is connected to a power source 67 in the electric vehicle 70 by a cable. When charging, the user connects a power supply connector 69 that is provided at the end of a cable 68 of the external power supply 63 to the vehicle-side connector 64. The power battery 72 is charged by receiving the electric power from the external power supply 63 through the vehicle-side connector 64, the charging-side connector 65 and the charge-discharge control circuit 61.
Charging the power battery 72 takes some hours by normal charging, and some tens of minutes even by fast charging at higher voltages and currents. In addition to the large amount of time required for charging, there is another problem that the power battery 72 deteriorates when fast-charged repeatedly. In order to solve this problem, proposals have been made in which the power battery 72 whose battery level has become low is replaced with a fully-charged power battery (see, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 9-98518 and "2002 Report of research and study on car sharing systems using cars with replaceable battery" (March 2003, Mechanical Social Systems Foundation)).
In some fields other than electric machine such as electric vehicle, it has also been proposed to wirelessly charge a battery pack (see, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 10-248171). Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 10-248171 relates to a power supply device for use in a portable terminal device, in which electric power is transferred by an electromagnetic induction method. With this method, however, it is not possible to realize efficient transfer when there is a long distance between the power-transmitting antenna and the power-receiving antenna, or when the antennas are not well aligned with each other.
On the other hand, United States Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0278264 (FIGS. 12 and 14) discloses a new type of wireless energy transfer system for transferring energy from one of two resonators to the other, and vice versa, through the space between them. That wireless energy transfer system couples those two resonators with each other via the evanescent tail of the oscillation energy of the resonant frequency that is produced in the space surrounding those two resonators, thereby transferring the oscillation energy wirelessly (i.e., by a non-contact method).
With a conventional power supply system for an electric machine such as an electric vehicle, when an old battery pack is removed from the vehicle body to be replaced with another battery pack, it is necessary to unplug cables from the battery pack-side charging connector and the battery pack-side power output connector. When installing the new battery pack, it is necessary to plug the cables to these connecters. Moreover, it is necessary to establish an electric path by fitting together connecter terminals, and the connecter fitting operation requires a relatively large force. Moreover, as described in "2002 Report of research and study on car sharing systems using cars with replaceable battery" (March 2003, Mechanical Social Systems Foundation), it is necessary to provide measures to prevent electric shock during the operation or electric leak due to droplets such as rainwater.
On the other hand, with a technique for transmitting power to a household electric appliance by an electromagnetic induction method, it is not possible to realize efficient transfer when there is a long distance between the power-transmitting antenna and the power-receiving antenna, or when the antennas are not well aligned with each other.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Electric machine and power supply system having battery pack

Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.


A method for manufacturing a cover assembly including a transparent window portion and a frame of gas-impervious material that can be hermetically attached to a micro-device package base to form a hermetically sealed micro-device package. First, a frame of gas-impervious material is provided, the frame having a continuous sidewall defining a frame aperture there through. The sidewall includes a frame seal-ring area circumscribing the frame aperture. A sheet of a transparent material is also provided, the sheet having a window portion defined thereupon. The window portion has finished top and bottom surfaces. A sheet seal-ring area is prepared on the sheet, the sheet seal-ring area circumscribing the window portion. The frame is positioned against the sheet such that at least a portion of the frame seal-ring area and at least a portion of the sheet seal-ring area contact one another along a continuous junction region that circumscribes the window portion. The frame is pressed against the sheet with sufficient force to produce a predetermined contact pressure between the frame seal-ring area and the sheet seal-ring area along the junction region. The junction region is heated to produce a predetermined temperature along the junction region. The predetermined contact pressure and the predetermined temperature are maintained until a diffusion bond is formed between the frame and sheet all along the junction region.

Photonic, optical and micro-mechanical devices are typically packaged such that the active elements (i.e., the emitters, receivers, micro-mirrors, etc.) are disposed within a sealed chamber to protect them from handling and other environmental hazards. In many cases, it is preferred that the chamber be hermetically sealed to prevent the influx, egress or exchange of gasses between the chamber and the environment. Of course, a window must be provided to allow light or other electromagnetic energy of the desired wavelength to enter and/or leave the package. In some cases, the window will be visibly transparent, e.g. if visible light is involved, but in other cases the window may be visibly opaque while still being "optically" transparent to electromagnetic energy of the desired wavelengths. In many cases, the window is given certain optical properties to enhance the performance of the device. For example, a glass window may be ground and polished to achieve certain flatness specifications in order to avoid distorting the light passing therethrough. In other cases, anti-reflective or anti-refractive coatings may be applied to the window to improve light transmission therethrough.
Hermetically sealed micro-device packages with windows have heretofore been produced using cover assemblies with metal frames and glass window panes. To achieve the required hermetic seal, the glass window pane has heretofore been fused to its metallic frame by heating it in a furnace at a temperature exceeding the glass transition temperature, TG (typically at or above 900° C.). However, because the fusing temperature is above TG, the original surface finish of the glass pane is typically ruined, making it necessary to finish or re-finish (e.g., grinding and polishing) both surfaces of the window pane after fusing in order to obtain the necessary optical characteristics. This polishing of the window panes requires additional process steps during manufacture of the cover assemblies, which steps tend to be relatively time and labor intensive, thus adding significantly to the cost of the cover assembly, and hence to the cost of the overall package. In addition, the need to polish both sides of the glass after fusing requires the glass to project both above and below the attached frame. This restricts the design options for the cover assembly with respect to glass thickness, dimensions, etc., which can also result in increased material costs.
Once a cover assembly with a hermetically sealed window is prepared, it is typically seam welded to the device base (i.e., substrate) in order to produce the finished hermetically sealed package. Seam welding uses a precisely applied AC current to produce localized temperatures of about 1,100° C. at the frame/base junction, thereby welding the metallic cover assembly to the package base and forming a hermetic seal. To prevent distortion of the glass windowpane or package, the metal frame of the cover assembly should be fabricated from Kovar alloy or another alloy having a CTE (i.e., coefficient of thermal expansion) which is similar to that of the transparent window material and to the CTE of the package base.
While the methods described above have heretofore produced useable window assemblies for hermetically sealed micro-device packages, the relatively high cost of these window assemblies is a significant obstacle to their widespread application. A need therefore exists, for package and component designs and assembly methods which reduce the labor costs associated with producing each package.
A need still further exists for package and component designs and assembly methods which will minimize the manufacturing cycle time required to produce a completed package.
A need still further exists for package and component designs and assembly methods which reduce the number of process steps required for the production of each package. It will be appreciated that reducing the number of process steps will reduce the overhead/floor space required in the production facility, the amount of capital equipment necessary for manufacturing, and handling costs associated with transferring the work pieces between various steps in the process. A reduction in the cost of labor may also result. Such reductions would, of course, further reduce the cost of producing these hermetic packages.
A need still further exists for package and component designs and assembly methods which will reduce the overall materials costs associated with each package, either by reducing the initial material cost, by reducing the amount of wastage or loss during production, or both.

Hermetically sealed micro-device package with window


In a printing apparatus which prints using a printhead, a printing controller for feedback-controlling driving of the printing apparatus includes a control information generation unit which generates control information for controlling driving of a motor on the basis of the first driving pattern, a comparison unit which compares the control information and a threshold for determining an overload on driving of the motor, and a setting unit which sets the second driving pattern for changing a load on driving of the motor by the control information, instead of the first driving pattern, on the basis of the comparison result of the comparison unit. Control of the motor is switched in accordance with the load state.

With recent higher-image-quality, higher-speed ink-jet printing apparatuses, many printing apparatuses employ a DC motor as a driving source, and adopt servo control capable of feeding back position detection information of an encoder to perform high-precision position control and high-speed driving.
Control using a DC motor can realize driving by high-speed rotation without any step-out, unlike control using a pulse motor.
Position information of the motor can be detected at high precision by using an encoder signal. The detected information is fed back to a motor control rule to control the velocity, and thus positioning to a target position can be performed at high precision.
The printing velocity of a printing apparatus has conventionally been controlled on the basis of several settings determined in advance. For example, as for the printing velocity, printing modes such as a high-quality mode which realizes a normal printing quality, a high-speed mode which realizes high-speed printing, and a super-high-quality mode which realizes the highest quality are provided. Settings with different carriage driving velocities and different convey velocities for conveying a printing medium are determined in advance for the respective printing modes.
The driving velocity of the motor in each mode is determined from many factors such as the relationship between the motor torque and the load of the mechanical system, noise generated upon driving, sheet feed performance, and ink discharge frequency. Particularly in a mode which realizes high-speed printing, the driving velocity is determined on the basis of the relationship (torque margin) between the motor torque and the load of the mechanical system. Control for driving the motor is executed with a predetermined margin so as to prevent driving of the motor from becoming an overload to the rated torque.
In order to ensure a torque margin, a motor operation profile (control command) is so determined as to assure operation under the worst imaginable load condition (maximum load). The DC motor is servo-controlled on the basis of the determined operation velocity and acceleration/deceleration pattern.
A conventional printing apparatus assumes a use form in the worst environment or state, and sets the operation profile of each mode with a margin for the performance of the DC motor so as to keep a predetermined printing quality and printing velocity in order to assure predetermined operation even in the worst state. Printing apparatuses are spread worldwide, and various temperature environments and use frequencies are assumed. Depending on the operation pattern, an unnecessarily large margin may be ensured (over-specification).

Printing apparatus and printing apparatus control method


A computer system (1) for analyzing nucleic acid sequences is provided. The computer system is used to perform multiple methods for determining unknown bases by analyzing the fluorescence intensities of hybridized nucleic acid probes. The results of individual experiments may be improved by processing nucleic acid sequences together. Comparative analysis of multiple experiments is also provided by displaying reference sequences in one area (814) and sample sequences in another area (816) on a display device (3).

The present invention relates to the field of computer systems. More specifically, the present invention relates to computer systems for visualizing biological sequences, as well as for evaluating and comparing biological sequences.
Devices and computer systems for forming and using arrays of materials on a substrate are known. For example, PCT applications W092/10588 and 95/11995, incorporated herein by reference for all purposes, describe techniques for sequencing or sequence checking nucleic acids and other materials. Arrays for performing these operations may be formed in arrays according to the methods of, for example, the pioneering techniques disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,445,934 and 5,384,261, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/249,188, each incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.
According to one aspect of the techniques described therein, an array of nucleic acid probes is fabricated at known locations on a chip or substrate. A labeled nucleic acid is then brought into contact with the chip and a scanner generates an image file (also called a cell file) indicating the locations where the labeled nucleic acids bound to the chip. Based upon the image file and identities of the probes at specific locations, it becomes possible to extract information such as the monomer sequence of DNA or RNA. Such systems have been used to form, for example, arrays of DNA that may be used to study and detect mutations relevant to cystic fibrosis, the P53 gene (relevant to certain cancers), HIV, and other genetic characteristics.
Improved computer systems and methods are needed to evaluate, analyze, and process the vast amount of information now used and made available by these pioneering technologies.

Computer-aided visualization and analysis system for sequence evaluation


A pressurized fluid line servicing tool assembly consists of a tool insertion adaptor, a cap removal tool and a plug setting tool. The tool insertion adaptor connects to a pipe of a pressurized fluid line and enables tools to be inserted and removed without releasing pressurized fluids, such as natural gas, to atmosphere. It has a tool insertion chamber which is divided into an upstream portion and a downstream portion by a valve. The cap removal tool connects to the tool insertion adaptor to enable service personnel to pass a cap removal wrench through the valve to remove a cap from an end of the pipe of the pressurized fluid line. The plug setting tool connects to the tool insertion adaptor to enable service personnel to pass a torque settable plug through the valve to set a plug into the end of the pipe.

Gas company personnel servicing natural gas service tee connections have, in the past, been exposed to natural gas, because there was not a suitable tool available. Other than main line stopping equipment, natural gas service tee connections of the open gut type are viewed as obsolete due to servicing requirements and connected compression style fittings use at the service tee location, and are removed during servicing by service personnel.


A milling rotor includes a drum having a cylindrical wall disposed about a central axis of the drum. The milling rotor also includes a series of milling bit assemblies arranged in a spiral pattern on an outer surface of the cylindrical wall. The series of milling bit assemblies is configured to commence from a lateral plane that is transverse to the central axis of the drum and located partway along a length of the cylindrical wall. The series of milling bit assemblies is also configured to terminate proximate an end of the cylindrical wall. Each milling bit assembly is positioned such that an angle subtended by the series of milling bit assemblies with the lateral plane increases with increasing distance from the end of the cylindrical wall.

Machines such as cold planers typically employ a milling rotor for operatively milling a desired depth of material from a work site. U.S. Pat. No. 7,066,555 (hereinafter referred to as "the '555 patent") discloses a milling mandrel that has a cylindrical barrel and a plurality of cutting bits that are removably attached to the barrel. In accordance with the '555 patent, the cutting bits are arranged in a pre-determined pattern on the cylindrical barrel via a bit location system.
Although the pre-determined pattern of arranging the cutting bits on the barrel of the milling mandrel is disclosed, the pre-determined pattern of the '555 patent, and that of other conventional milling rotors, is less than optimal in that at least some of the milled material may not be actively rendered in a flowable state to be transported from the work site to another location, for example, a dump truck. That is, once milled, a sub-optimized flow of the milled material may occur owing to inherent inadequacies of system design associated with conventionally designed milling rotors. This may cause at least some of the milled material to spill onto the work site creating undesired debris on the work site.
Hence, there is a need for a milling rotor that overcomes the aforementioned drawback by improving material flowability for transport from the work site to another location thereby improving an efficiency in operation of the milling rotor besides improving cleanliness of the work site.


This invention relates to double glazing having two glass sheets with numerous spacers arranged therebetween, a void therebetween being sealed in a decompressed condition. Conventionally, the glass sheets have edges thereof spaced from each other by a seal. Under the influence of the binding force of the seal atmospheric pressure tends to act less on outermost spacers than on the other spacers. Consequently, the outermost spacers tend to move between the glass sheets. According to this invention, an outer interval (L1) between each outermost row of spacers (2) and a seal (4) is set at least equal to a basic interval (L0) between the outermost row and a second row adjacent thereto. Consequently, the spacers in the outermost rows bear a larger share of atmospheric pressure acting on the sheet surfaces than the spacers in the other rows. A sufficient force is secured to hold the spacers in the outermost rows in place, thereby preventing the spacers in the outermost rows from moving between the two glass sheets.

Generally, heat insulation may be provided for partitions (walls and roofs) of structures by using an insulating material. However, partitions with openings such as doors and windows must be opened and closed with facility and have transparency. It is therefore difficult to apply an insulating material to such partitions over entire areas thereof. The openings having no insulating material applied thereto tend to be defective in terms of heat insulation. Double glazing has been conceived for use in these openings, which includes two sheets of glass joined together with a layer of air formed therebetween to act as an insulating layer.
Such double glazing has a disadvantage that the glass sheets per se are thick and, in combination with the sash, tend to present an unsightly appearance. Thus, a thin and highly insulating double glazing has been conceived, in which two sheets of glass have numerous spacers (corresponding to the above-mentioned first void sustaining elements and in the form of small columns not to be obstructive to transparency) distributed therebetween, and the second void sustaining element disposed between entire edges of the two lass sheets, to provide a decompressed void between the glass sheets.
With the spacers and the second void sustaining element provided, a predetermined void is secured between the glass sheets even if the void is decompressed. This type of double glazing will be described with reference to FIG. 4. Spacers 10 are arranged at basic spacer intervals (hereinafter called basic intervals) 11 which are set based on the strength of glass sheets 1. The intervals between outermost spacers 10a and second void sustaining element 12 (hereinafter called outer intervals) are often determined by calculating down to a fraction, to be within a range not exceeding the basic intervals 11, and by taking the width (or length) of the glass sheets into account. This is because the size of glass sheets usually is not an integral multiple of the above basic interval.
The edges of the two glass sheets are bound by the second void sustaining element. However, where, in the above double grazing, the outer intervals 13 are smaller than the basic intervals 11, atmospheric pressure tends to act less on the outermost spacers 10a than on the other spacers under the influence of the binding force of the second void sustaning element 12. Consequently, the glass sheets impart an insufficient holding force to the spacers, whereby the spacers could easily move between the glass sheets. If the spacers move between the glass sheets, the spacer arrangement becomes unbalanced to impair appearance. In addition, increased variations occur in the stress condition of the glass sheets to reduce their strength.
The object of this invention, therefore, is to provide a double glazing which overcomes the above disadvantage and restrains movement of the first void sustaining elements.


A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes: forming a first pad including a first metal and an inter-connection line including the first metal in a scribe lane region; forming a second pad including the first metal in a chip region; sequentially forming an etch-stop layer and a first insulation layer on the first pad, the inter-connection line, and the second pad; exposing the first and second pads by patterning the etch-stop layer and the first insulation layer; forming third and fourth pads including a second metal on the first and second pads; sequentially forming second and third insulation layers on the third pad, the fourth pad, and the patterned first insulation layer; and etching the first, second, and third insulation layers using the patterned photosensitive layer on the third insulation layer to expose the third and fourth pads.

(a) Technical Field
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing the same, wherein an exposure of a copper line in a scribe lane region can be prevented in a case of forming a plurality of chips in a single wafer.
(b) Description of the Related Art
As semiconductor devices become more highly integrated, a size of a semiconductor chip is reduced. After simultaneously forming a plurality of semiconductor chips on a single wafer, a packaging process is performed to saw each die or chip from the single wafer. To prevent damage to dies or chips during the packaging process, the chips or dies must be separated by a predetermined gap referred to as a scribe lane.
A scribe lane includes align keys for a lithographic process, overlay keys, and monitoring patterns for various processes. A scribe lane also includes electrical test patterns for process monitoring and feedback which are performed after a process. Therefore, a scribe lane includes a plurality of pads for electrical probing of electrical test patterns, and it also includes a plurality of inter-connection lines for connecting between pads or between a pad and a test pattern.
FIG. 1A to FIG. 1E are cross-sectional views showing a conventional method of manufacturing a semiconductor device.
As shown in FIG. 1A, a wafer 100 includes a scribe lane region where a scribe lane is formed and a chip region where a semiconductor chip is formed. A pad 110 and an inter-connection line 111, both of which include a metal, are formed in the scribe lane region of the wafer 100, and a pad 112 including a metal is formed in the chip region. The pad 110, inter-connection line 111, and pad 112 are formed by a metal line process using copper (Cu).
As shown in FIG. 1B, a first insulation layer 120 is deposited on pad 110, inter-connection line 111, and pad 112, and then etched using a mask to expose the pad 110 in the scribe lane region and the pad 112 in the chip region.
Referring to FIG. 1C, a metal pad comprising aluminum (Al) is formed on the pads 110 and 112. A second insulation layer 140 and a third insulation layer 150 are sequentially deposited on first insulation layer 120 and metal pad 130. Second insulation layer 140 and third insulation layer 150 are used as a passivation layer.
As shown in FIG. 1D, a photosensitive layer pattern 160 for exposing metal pad 130 is formed by using a mask. When passivation layers, such as second insulation layer 140 and third insulation layer 150, remain during the sawing process, the sawing process may severely damage the chip region through the passivation layers. Thus, the passivation layers in the scribe region, such as second insulation layer 140 and third insulation layer 150, are generally removed when metal pad 130 is exposed through an etching process. Accordingly, the photosensitive layer pattern 160 is patterned as shown in FIG. 1D to expose second and third insulation layers 140 and 150 on metal pad 130 in the scribe region.
As shown in FIG. 1E, using photosensitive layer pattern 160 as a mask, first insulation layer 120, second insulation layer 140, and third insulation layer 150 are etched so as to expose metal pad 130. In addition, region 'A' as shown in FIG. 1E, inter-connection line 111 is also exposed.
If inter-connection line 111 is exposed at room temperature for a long time, copper (Cu) in inter-connection line 111 may be rapidly corroded because through reaction with oxygen in the air, as a result of which inter-connection line 111 may fail or particles may be created in peripheral circuits and chips. Consequently, the yield and reliability of a semiconductor device may be deteriorated.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.

Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same


A display device includes at least one cell containing a fluid having colored particles dispersed in the fluid and at least one dot field applicator associated with the cell. The dot field applicator may be a dot electrode.

This disclosure relates generally to display devices, for example electrophoretic displays. In particular, this disclosure is directed to display devices including cells having dot field applicators associated therewith. Image formation and display can be achieved using the cells having dot field applicators associated therewith.
The display devices herein possess many advantages, including for example reduction of electrode light losses and better image quality over time. The displays herein may be used for any display application, including, for example, reimageable paper, electronic books, electronic signage, watch, monitor and/or cell phone displays and the like.

Multi-layer display device using dot field applicators