A method of fabricating a condenser tube having a pre-determined tube length and multiple channels including the steps of forming an aperture in a flat strip of metal; moving the flat strip through a plurality of forming operations to fold into an enclosed tube containing channels, which channels include the aperture in their sides and bottoms; and severing the enclosed tube across the aperture to separate the enclosed tube into one condenser tube. The aperture eliminates the need for the channel sides to be severed, hence only the portion of the condenser tube enclosing the channels requires severing. Each pair of apertures is spaced from the next pair of apertures by the pre-determined tube length so that each sever produces one condensing tube of the pre-determined tube length with the apertures being divided into open notches. The invention also includes a heat exchanger utilizing the condenser tube with channel sides containing portions of the apertures.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a condenser tube for use in a heat exchanger.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heat exchangers normally include a pair of tanks or headers and a plurality of condenser tubes. The headers include header walls which are spaced from and face one another. The condenser tubes extend between the headers and convey cooling fluid through the header walls and into the closed headers. A plurality of fins extend between adjacent condenser tubes for transferring heat from the tubes to air passing through the heat exchanger to ultimately cool the fluid in the tubes. Such condenser tubes are frequently separated into a plurality of channels.
A method of forming a flat strip into such a condenser tube having two ends separated by a pre-determined tube length and two channels extending between the ends is disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 6,615,488 to Anders et al. The flat strip is progressively formed via a series of roller stations until the edges are folded into a pair of central abutting flanges engaging the inner surface of the strip along the center. The result is a continuous enclosed B-shaped tube with two channels extending the length of the tube and with the central abutting flanges forming channel sides which separate the channels from one another. The B-shaped tube is then severed to separate it into successive condenser tubes each of the pre-determined tube length.
It is also well known to produce such a condenser tube but having additional channels extending between the ends. The method includes moving the strip through a plurality of forming operations to form a continuous enclosed tube separated into channels by the longitudinally parallel channel sides and severing the enclosed tube to separate the enclosed tube into successive condenser tubes of the pre-determined tube length. Typical severing operations include sawing and die cutting.
In sawing, cutting residue contaminants, such as metal shavings or particles or cutting lubricants, penetrate the openings and either plug or otherwise contaminate the severed sides of the channels. Because of the small size of the individual channels, it is difficult to remove these contaminants.
In a die cutting operation, the blade of the die is moved across and through the entire enclosed tube to sever the exterior of the tube as well as the channel sides. Even with a new die and a sharp blade, some distortion of the channel sides occurs. As the blade dulls, the degree of the distortion increases and the severed edges of the individual condenser tubes become severely distorted.
Whichever severing technique is utilized, undesirable distortion and/or contamination occurs.

Method of making a folded condenser tube


An electrical assembly which includes a circuitized substrate including a first plurality of dielectric and electrically conductive circuit layers alternatively oriented in a stacked orientation, a thermal cooling structure bonded to one of the dielectric layers and at least one electrical component mounted on the circuitized substrate. The circuitized substrate includes a plurality of electrically conductive and thermally conductive thru-holes located therein, selected ones of the thermally conductive thru-holes thermally coupled to the electrical component(s) and extending through the first plurality of dielectric and electrically conductive circuit layers and being thermally coupled to the thermal cooling structure, each of these selected ones of thermally conductive thru-holes providing a thermal path from the electrical component to the thermal cooling structure during assembly operation. The thermal cooling structure is adapted for having cooling fluid pass there-through during operation of the assembly. A method of making the substrate is also provided.

One major concern with respect to circuitized substrates adapted for working with electronic components (devices) such as semiconductor chips, modules, resistors etc. involves the effective dissipation of heat generated by such components. In many of today's substrate designs, such components are mounted on one or more external surfaces of the substrate and electrically coupled to selected internal circuitry, e.g., using plated through holes (PTHs). In some more recent products, components such as resistors, capacitors and even semiconductors, are incorporated within the substrate itself. Because today's technology often demands the use of many such components, including those required to operate at even greater capacities, increasing amounts of heat are being generated. To accommodate this, the use of dissipating heat sinks and the like structures have been used. These typically consist of projecting elements (e.g., fins) of a sound heat conductive material (e.g., aluminum or copper) which are thermally connected, either directly or indirectly, to the heat generating components or to a supporting member for same. These projections offer a relatively large surface area exposed to the product's ambient, across which cooling air may be directed to enhance heat removal. Examples of such heat sinks are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,875,097, 6,181,556 and 6,219,246, listed below. U.S. Pat. No. 6,181,556, in particular, discloses an apparatus for electronic device heat dissipation consisting of a combination of heat sinks provided with fins, arranged so as to encircle the component to be cooled and thermally connected together by means of thermal bridge elements, these heat sinks being submitted to an airflow generated by several fans.
Utilization of heat pipes is also known for maintaining electronic components at suitable working temperatures. A heat pipe typically comprises a span of pipe closed at its ends and partially filled with heat-carrying fluid, the pipe comprising at least one evaporation region located close to or in contact with the heat source and at least one condensation region, for example, exposed to air which circulates the product in question. U.S. Pat. No. 6,226,178 listed below describes one embodiment of such a heat pipe. One drawback of a heat pipe system such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,226,178 is that the evaporation region is in contact with the single component or with an auxiliary board on which the component is assembled, but it does not effectively cool the entire printed circuit board on which a plurality of heat generating components are assembled.
One technology which provides a relatively high degree of heat dissipation for components of a circuit is referred to as the printed circuit board with insulated metal substrate technology, such technology commonly referred to in the art simply as IMS. A typical printed circuit board with insulated metal substrate comprises at least one metal support substrate, generally of an aluminum alloy, on which the electro-conducting circuit tracks, generally copper, are adhered by means of a layer of electrically insulating material which is the best possible heat conductor. With this arrangement, part of the heat generated by the components is dissipated through the metal substrate, which acts like a heat sink. However, in some power applications such as a control and distribution box in an automobile, the heat dissipation provided by the insulated metal substrate technology may be insufficient to ensure that a deterioration or malfunction of the circuit does not occur due to thermal fatigue.
Other approaches have been utilized to provide heat transference from heat-generating components utilized on or within circuitized substrates such as printed circuit boards. The following patents describe various ways, including those mentioned above, in which heat is withdrawn from electronic components used in conjunction with a printed circuit board. The list is not meant to be an exhaustive one of all possible structures, nor is it acknowledged that any of the listed documents are prior art to the present invention.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,706,164, there is described a printed circuit card with a built-in heat exchanger. The card includes a mono- or multilayer circuit and heat drain integrated together, and having a system of channels for circulation of a heat-carrying fluid. The channels are formed on a plate and are enclosed by a closure plate.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,875,097, a heat sink is mounted on a back plane of an auxiliary circuit board and the auxiliary circuit board is mounted on a main circuit board. In one embodiment, the heat sink is planer and extends between parallel auxiliary and main circuit boards. A finned heat dissipating member is at one side of the planar portion. Mounting pins in channels mount the heat sink to the main circuit board. The second embodiment is unshaped and stands on edge to mount the auxiliary circuit board perpendicular to the main circuit boards. Mounting pins in channels of the second embodiment likewise mount the heat sink to the main circuit board.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,929,518, there is described a circuit board and method of transporting a conduction medium through the board for operating a semiconductor device supported on a surface of the board. A medium transport cavity is formed in the circuit board such that a portion runs parallel to the surface, and therefore has a length greater than the thickness of the board. The conduction medium can include air, a coolant fluid, or an optical fiber, which can transport energy such as pressure/vacuum, sound, heat or light from an external source to the semiconductor device.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,998,240, there is described the cooling of densely packaged semiconductor devices in which micro channels extract heat by forced convection and fluid coolant is used as close as possible to the heat source. The micro channels maximize heat sink surface area and provide heat transfer, thereby allegedly allowing a higher power density of semiconductor devices without increasing junction temperature or decreasing reliability. In one embodiment, a plurality of micro channels is formed directly in the substrate portion of a silicon or silicon carbide chip or die mounted on a ground plane element of a circuit board where a liquid coolant is fed to and from the micro channels through the ground plane. The micro channels comprise a plurality of closed-ended slots or grooves of generally rectangular cross section. Fabrication methods include deposition and etching, lift-off processing, micromachining and laser cutting techniques.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,032,355, there is described a method of manufacturing a thermal conductive structure on a printed circuit board which includes the steps of forming a thermal conductive layer having an embossed pattern on its surface, and then forming an adhesive glue layer over the thermal conductive layer. Next, a surface metallic layer is attached to the thermal conductive layer and the glue layer, wherein a portion of the surface metallic layer corresponding to the embossed portion of the heat spreader is in direct contact or almost direct contact with the thermal conductive layer. Furthermore, an additional external heat sink can be attached to thermal conductive structure for increasing the efficiency of heat dissipation.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,129,145, there is described a heat dissipater which includes a heat-conductive substrate, a lid and a heat-conductive cover layer, and a coolant groove for passing a coolant there through. The groove is formed on a surface of the substrate. The lid is positioned on the coolant groove to seal the same, and the cover layer covers the surface of the substrate and the lid. The lid may be received in a lid groove to be flush with the surface. The substrate, lid and cover layer are all made of diamond, and are joined together with substantially no other material there between. Thus, high heat conductivity is achieved. The heat dissipater can be a heat dissipating substrate for an electronic component, or an optical transmission window.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,181,556, there is described a thermally-coupled heat-dissipation apparatus which surrounds a solid state electronic device mounted on an adapter circuit board or a thermal transfer column extending upwardly from a main board socket device. The apparatus includes at least two heat sinks positioned in a spaced parallel relationship on front and back sides of the adapter circuit board or thermal transfer column. A bridge member thermally couples the two heat sinks. A plurality of fans is mounted along outer surfaces of the heat sinks. In one embodiment, the bridge member is an additional heat sink, but could be a metal plate.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,190,941, there is described an electronic component which is mounted on a substrate such as a circuit board by means of a soldering process such as reflow soldering. The circuit board has a thermal via hole there through to provide a heat dissipation path from the top surface to the bottom surface of the circuit board, for dissipating heat from the electronic component. To prevent molten solder from penetrating through the via hole during the soldering process, the via hole is sealed prior to the soldering process. The via hole is sealed from the bottom surface of the substrate by carrying out a screen printing process including at least two printing passes to print a sealing material into the open hole of the thermal via.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,201,300, there is described a printed circuit board thermal conductive structure which comprises a thermal spreader layer having an embossed pattern formed on its surface, an adhesive glue layer formed over the thermal spreader, and a surface metallic layer attached to the thermal spreader and the glue layer. A portion of the surface metallic layer is in direct contact or almost direct contact with the thermal spreader. Furthermore, an additional external heat sink can be attached to thermal conductive structure to increase the efficiency of heat dissipation.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,201,701, there is described a substrate having a heat sink base and a multilayer circuit board bonded thereto, the multilayer circuit board having the capability to interconnect both power and control semiconductor elements and efficiently dissipate heat there from. A thermally conductive and electrically insulating bonding material having excellent thermal properties bonds the multilayer circuit board to the base. One or more thick electrically conductive foil patterns are formed intermediate the top surface of the circuit board and the heat sink base, the thick foil pattern(s) adapted to interconnect high power semiconductor elements. Also included intermediate the top surface of the circuit board and the heat sink base are one or more interconnect patterns. The substrate allegedly provides a compact density of control and power elements in one small module, while exhibiting good thermal properties so that heat generated by power semiconductors connected to the substrate can be dissipated.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,212,071, there is described the use of several tracks of a heat conducting material embedded on a conventional printed circuit board and thermally connected on one end to those areas or components of the board where heat is generated and, on the other end, on the edge of the board to several external dissipaters, such as a metal casing encircling the board. These heat conducting tracks can be formed in a manner that is analogous to the electro-conducting tracks on a multi-layer board, in which case these would be of copper. These may also be formed by drilling several holes from the edge of the board and filling the holes with a melted metallic material, such as welding material. This patent also suggests that conventional heat pipes may be used.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,219,246, there is described a heat sink apparatus for drawing heat from one or more devices and a method of attaching such a heat sink to one or more devices. The heat sink includes a mounting surface, which draws heat into the heat sink where it is dissipated by fins. The heat sink can be mounted next to the device to be cooled with minimum insertion force since the weight of the heat sink is borne by the printed circuit board upon which the electronic device is installed. A rotatable cam is turned by the user, which engages a pivot arm. The pivot arm rotates a number of spring clips against the device thereby holding it in place. Once in a fully closed position, the cam locks into place to prevent the pivot arm and spring clips from rotating back to an open position. The spring clips affix the heat sink and maintains contact between the mounting surface and the device being cooled. The individually articulated spring clips allow the heat sink to be mounted over multiple devices of various dimensions and locations along the heat sink.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,226,178, there is described a computer including a microprocessor, an input coupled to provide input to the microprocessor, a mass storage coupled to the microprocessor and a memory coupled to the microprocessor to provide storage to facilitate execution of computer programs by the microprocessor. A heat pipe including spaced apart condenser regions and an evaporator region disposed between the condenser regions is provided. The evaporator region is positioned adjacent the microprocessor. A first heat dissipating device is attached to the heat pipe adjacent a first one of the condenser regions. A second heat dissipating device is attached to the heat pipe adjacent a second one of the condenser regions. The second heat dissipating device is of a different type than the first heat dissipating device.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,414,847, there is described a integral dielectric heat spreader for transferring heat from semiconductor devices. A semiconductor device is mounted to a thermally conductive electrically insulating substrate, which forms the integral dielectric heat spreader. The heat spreader is then mounted to a package or a lower cost substrate such as a printed circuit board. The integral dielectric heat spreader may also support integral transmission lines, resistors, capacitors, or other bulk components. Performance of the heat spreader is enhanced through the use of thermal vias on a printed circuit board.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,879,486, there is described a circuit board assembly which includes a cover or other member disposed adjacent the substrate and, for example, spaced there from so as to define a plenum. Self-aligning heat sinks (or other heat dissipative elements) are spring-mounted (or otherwise resiliently mounted) to the cover and, thereby, placed in thermal contact with one or more of the circuit components. Flow-diverting elements are provided, e.g., so that the overall impedance of the board substantially matches that of one or more of the other circuit boards in a common chassis. The circuit board cover can be adapted to provide thermal and/or electromagnetic emission control, as well as shock and vibration. A connector arrangement provides electrical, mechanical and/or other operational coupling between the circuit board and a chassis regardless of whether the board is disposed in a slot on a first (upper) side of a source of cooling air for the chassis or on a second (lower) side of this source. A circuit board can have one or two portions, each with an air flow inlet edge through which cooling air flow is received and an air flow outlet edge through which the air flow exists. A chassis for mounting of such circuit boards may have a center air inlet. It may also have a circuit-board insertion slot with a first air flow aperture disposed adjacent a first edge of an inserted circuit board and a second aperture disposed adjacent a second edge of the board. These apertures can be sized so that the impedance to air flow to a circuit board inserted in the slot substantially matches that to one or more other boards in the chassis. Such slots can form part of a card cage that is vacuum or dip brazed, or manufactured by an alternate process yielding a cage of desired structural stiffness and air-flow/interference sealing. The circuit boards and chassis can include an air and/or electromagnetic interference (EMI) seal which forms as the circuit board is inserted into the chassis slot.
In U.S. Pat. No. 7,119,284, there is described a printed circuit board having an insulated metal substrate with integrated cooling. The system includes a metal substrate, at least one electrically insulating layer adhered to the metal substrate and several electro-conducting tracks capable of interconnecting electronic power components, adhered to the electrically insulating layer. The metal substrate incorporates several heat transporting channels comprising several conduits for a heat-carrying fluid, conduits which extend to the outside of the metal substrate up to a heat transfer area to an outside medium.
In U.S. Pat. No. 7,176,382, there is described a multi-layer circuit board with heat pipes and a method for forming such a multi-layer circuit board. The method includes forming channels in a first and second pre-circuit assembly and attaching the first pre-circuit assembly to the second pre-circuit assembly such that the channels cooperatively form a heat pipe.
In U.S. Pat. No. 7,227,257, there is described an apparatus used for the cooling of active electronic devices utilizing micro channels or micro trenches, and a technique for fabricating the same. The micro channels run within a substrate and a stop layer, e.g., of diamond, is used in contact with (and even bound) the micro channels. Fluid passes through the micro channels and enters and exits the package.
As will be defined herein, the present invention represents a new and unique means for providing removal of heat from electronic components used in conjunction with a circuitized substrate. The thermal conductor used for this purpose may be formed as an integral part of the substrate and thermally coupled to one or more components. It may also be used as a common conductor if plating is used as part of the process of making the substrate. The process and resulting product as defined herein is of relatively low cost because it utilizes many processes known in the PCB art. It is even possible to use the invention in substrates having two opposing sides, each with one or more components mounted thereon.
It is believed that such a method and circuitized substrate would constitute significant advancements in the art.

Circuitized substrate with internal cooling structure and electrical assembly utilizing same

Endicott Interconnect Technologies, Inc.


Systems and methods for determining the accuracy of a foam addition system on a firefighting vehicle are disclosed. The methods may include measuring the amount of a test water stream flowing through a foam metering device.

Certain firefighting vehicles can be equipped with a foam addition system that can add a foam concentrate to a water stream and thereby discharge a foam/water mixture in order to suppress or prevent a fire. Generally, it is desirable to test the accuracy of a firefighting vehicle's foam addition system to ensure that the correct amount of foam is being added to the water stream so that the foam/water mixture being discharged has the proper amount of foam. Certain current methods used to test the accuracy of a foam addition system can involve the actual discharge of a foam/water mixture into the environment. However, the discharge of certain fire retardant foam compositions into the environment may have negative environmental effects. Therefore, there is a need for systems and methods that can test the accuracy of a foam addition system without actually discharging any foam into the environment during the testing procedure.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Foam test system for firefighting vehicle


An interface circuit for converting a differential input voltage, having a common-mode level within a first range, into a differential output voltage having a different, common-mode level. The circuit feeds current between a pair of variable current sources and a pair of input terminals adapted to receive the differential input voltage through a pair of resistors. The amount of current passing through the pair of resistors is related to the common-mode level of the input signal. The resistors produce the differential output voltage at the pair of output terminals with a common-mode level related to the common-mode level of the input voltage translated an amount related to the amount of current passing through them.

This invention relates generally to interface circuits, and more particularly to circuits used to interface between an output signal produced by one type of integrated circuit technology, such as emitter coupled logic (ECL) technology, and an input signal used by another type of integrated circuit technology, such as complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology.
As is known in the art, it is sometimes desirable to provide an interface circuit adapted to operate with a variety of integrated circuit technologies, each of which has been optimally designed to operate with a different power supply. The integrated circuit technologies typically perform a myriad of analog and digital functions. These integrated circuit technologies may consist of devices and circuit structures bases on bipolar, GaAs, or MOS technologies, to name but a few. Quite often, it is required to design a digital processor based on one of these technologies, yet which may accept inputs from another one of the technologies.
One notable interface problem that is very common in current state-of-the-art digital system design is interfacing between the outputs produced by ECL technology and a digital processor made up of CMOS technology. Traditional ECL integrated circuit designs utilize a negative power supply and generate differential output voltages ranging around several hundred millivolts (i.e. the difference in voltage levels between a logic 0 signal and a logic 1 signal is about 400 millivolts). These differential output voltages have an average voltage level, generally referred to as a common-mode level. The common-mode level for ECL technology can range from a negative potential to a positive potential, and can have a magnitude ranging from several volts to ground. CMOS digital integrated circuit technology, on the other hand, is typically designed to operate with a positive power supply (typically V.sup.+ about 5 volts, V.sup.- about ground potential). The input and output logic voltage levels typically have a nominal level (i.e. common-mode level) of 2.5 volts with one logic state represented by 3.5 volts and the other logic state represented by 1.5 volts.
One technique used to interface between these two types of integrated circuit technologies is to shift the power supply reference for either the ECL circuit or the CMOS circuit so that the total system operates around one power supply (either (+) or (-)). However, this is sometimes not possible in some applications. Further, the technique may not be applicable in interfacing between other types of technology.

Interface circuit having differential signal common mode shifting means


A substrate unit is constituted by a printed substrate on which electronic parts such as a relay block is mounted, and at least printed circuit conductors and terminals in the printed substrate and relay block are buried in a sealing resin material hardened in a bag-like body of a thin resin film set in an injection mold, and the hardened sealing resin material is then released from the injection mold together with the bag-like body.

The present invention relates to a resin-coated mount substrate constituting, for example, an electronic circuit of an electronic controller mounted on a car, and relates to a method of producing such a resin-coated mount substrate.
A resin-coated mount substrate is configured such that a substrate unit in which various electronic parts are mounted on a printed substrate is resin-coated with a sealing resin material for the purpose of performing waterproof, moisture-proof, corrosion-proof, and/or heat release, etc.
Conventionally, such a resin-coated mount substrate is produced by the following method.
A resin-coated mount substrate 100 shown in FIG. 4 is disclosed in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. Sho. 60-54457. The substrate 100 is formed in such a manner that electronic parts such as a resistance 102, a transistor 103, and a microcomputer 104 are mounted on a printed substrate 101 to constitute a substrate unit A, the substrate unit A is attached in a casing 110, and then a sealing resin material 111 is injected into the casing 110 and hardened so that the substrate unit A is buried in the sealing resin material 111. The resin-coated mount substrate 100 is used as it is in the state where the hardened sealing resin material 111 and the casing 110 are integrally formed with each other, and the casing 110 is used as an exterior casing as it is.
Alternatively, the resin-coated mount substrate 100 may be formed by using a tray-like casing for injecting sealing resin in place of the casing 110 used as an exterior casing. In this case, a tray-like casing and a sealing resin material are integrated with each other and the thus obtained integrated member is accommodated in a further separately prepared exterior casing for practical use.
Various techniques similar to the resin-coated mount substrate 100 are disclosed in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publications No. Sho. 59-112700 and No. Sho. 60-17990; Japanese Utility Model Unexamined Publications No. Sho. 60-11475, No. Sho. 60-94882, and No. Sho. 61-134082; etc.
Further, a resin-coated mount substrate 200 shown in FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b) is formed in such a manner that a substrate unit B in which various electronic parts (not shown) are mounted on a printed substrate is set into an injection mold 201, and thereafter a sealing resin material 202 is injected into the injection mold 201 and hardened so that the substrate unit B is buried in the sealing resin material 202 (see FIG. 5(a)), and then the hardened sealing resin material 202 is released from the mold 201 (see FIG. 5(b)). The resin-coated mount substrate 200 is accommodated in a further separately prepared exterior casing for practical use.
One problem with the resin-coated mount substrate 100, however, is that when the casing 110 is used as an exterior casing, a large the quantity of the sealing resin material 111 must be injected into the casing 110 increasing the weight. Additionally, in the case of performing molding by using a tray-like casing for injecting sealing resin, the exterior casing is increased in size to secure a space for accommodating the tray-like casing.
The resin-coated mount substrate 200 can solve the foregoing problem with the resin-coated mount substrate 100. The substrate 200, however, has a problem with adhesion between the sealing resin material 202 and the injection mold 201, even in the case where a mold releasing agent is applied. This adhesion makes mold releasing troublesome and there are concerns that stress applied to the substrate at the time of mold releasing will generate a crack in the substrate or damage the conductor portions. As a result, the workability and reliability is poor.

Resin-coated mount substrate and method of producing the same


An organic light emitting display according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a transistor arranged on an insulating substrate, a pixel electrode connected to the transistor and including a reflective film, an optical path controller arranged on the pixel electrode, an auxiliary electrode arranged on the pixel electrode and the optical path controller, an organic light emitting member arranged on the organic light emitting member, and a common electrode arranged on the organic light emitting member, wherein the optical path controller has a lower light absorption coefficient than the auxiliary electrode.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an organic light emitting display and a fabricating method thereof.
2. Discussion of the Background
An organic light emitting display ("OLED") includes a plurality of pixels. Each pixel includes an organic light emitting element and a thin film transistor ("TFT") to drive it.
The organic light emitting element includes an anode, a cathode, and an organic light emitting member therebetween.
The organic light emitting member represents at least one color of white, red, green, or blue. Light emits outwardly from the organic light emitting member through a transparent electrode. However, total reflection or light interference is generated between thin films of the OLED, thereby deteriorating optical characteristics such as luminance and color reproducibility.

Organic light emitting display including an optical path controller


A retractable step system for providing access to and from an elevated platform of a vehicle. The retractable step system is configured to move between a use position and a stowed position. The retractable step system comprises a pair of longitudinal rails which are extended when the system is in the use position and collapsed when the system is in the stowed position. The system further comprises an auxiliary platform assembly rotatably coupled near the platform, and a step structure coupled to the longitudinal rails for providing a user with an intermediate surface upon which to step.

Many vehicles have elevated surfaces or platforms that must be made accessible to a user. For example, emergency response type vehicles, such as firefighting vehicles, typically have an elevated platform for supporting firefighting equipment. As can be appreciated, the firefighters must be able to quickly and efficiently access the elevated platform. Similarly, cargo trucks, such as box trucks and semi-trucks pulling a trailer, have an elevated platform for supporting cargo. A user of such a truck must have access to and from the elevated platform in order to load and unload the truck.
The use of step assemblies to provide access to an elevated surface of a vehicle is generally known. It is further known to provide a step assembly that is mounted to the tailgate of generally light-weight trucks to provide access to the bed of the truck. A problem encountered with larger vehicles having tailgates, or other auxiliary platforms, is that the tailgates are often heavy and difficult for a single user to move. If a step assembly were to be coupled to such a tailgate, the increased weight of the step assembly may make the tailgate even more difficult to move. In addition, auxiliary platforms of larger vehicles are often higher than those of smaller vehicles. As such, it may be more difficult to lift or otherwise move a step assembly on a larger vehicle than on a smaller vehicle.
It is also known to provide a step assembly that is supported by the ground when the step assembly is in a use position. In several vehicular applications, users are commonly confronted with having to access an elevated platform of the vehicle when the vehicle is positioned on an uneven surface or softened ground. Deployment or use of a step assembly supported by the ground may be complicated because of such conditions.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a step assembly that is suitable for use with larger vehicles, such as emergency response vehicles. It would further be desirable to provide a step assembly that can be moved between a stowed position and a use position by a single user. It would also be desirable to provide a step assembly that reduces the weight that a user must support when moving the step assembly between a stowed and use position. It would further be desirable to provide a step assembly that reduces the height that a user must lift the step assembly when moving the step assembly from a use position to a stowed position. It would further be desirable to provide a step assembly that can be used effectively regardless of any irregularities in the surfaces upon which a vehicle is positioned. It would also be desirable to provide a step assembly that is not supported by the ground when in a use position.
It would be advantageous to a system or the like of a type disclosed in the present application that provides any one or more of these or other advantageous features. The present invention further relates to various features and combinations of features shown and described in the disclosed embodiments. Other ways in which the objects and features of the disclosed embodiments are accomplished will be described in the following specification or will become apparent to those skilled in that art after they have read this specification. Such other ways are deemed to fall within the scope of the disclosed embodiments if they fall within the scope of the claims which follow.


A haymaking device for displacing mown crop includes a frame having a main beam which extends in a longitudinal direction and defines a longitudinal center line, and at least a first side arm located on one side of the main beam, wherein the side arm carries at least one crop processing tool, preferably rotatably driven about a rotor center line. The crop processing tool can be a crop displacing tool, such as a rake. The crop processing tool is mounted on a first pivot arm which, in the region of a first pivot arm connection, is pivotably connected, about a substantially horizontal center line, to the first side arm for movement between an operative position and a transport position. In the operative position, the first pivot arm connection is located at a larger distance from the main beam than the rotor center line of the first crop processing tool.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a haymaking device provided with at least one crop processing tool, such as a mower, a tedder or a rake. In particular, the invention relates to a device for displacing mown crop, in particular mown grass. The invention relates in particular to a crop displacing device provided with pins, in particular a rake device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Haymaking devices can be designed so as to have a central frame and side arms projecting on both sides thereof, on which side arms one or more crop processing tools are mounted.
In a commonly used rake device the side arms extend transversely to a main beam. Adjustment of the working width can take place by retracting/extending a part of the side arm that carries the circular rake, see for example EP 1.095.555. When bringing the rake device into the transport position, the outer part of the side arm is pivoted upwardly, whereafter the circular rake is substantially vertical and is narrow in horizontal transverse direction. In this case, the rake pins are usually oriented outwardly. In an alternative embodiment, see EP 2.022.316, the upwardly pivotable outer part is mounted on a bendable arm which can be bent outwardly/inwardly.
In another type of an embodiment of a rake device, the side arms diverge forwardly from a hinge mounting to a main beam, see EP 1.077.595, EP 1.488.685 and EP 2.022.317, which are all hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties. By pivoting the side arms in a horizontal plane, the working width can be set. By means of their own pivot arms, the circular rakes are connected to the side arms so as to be upwardly pivotable. In the upwardly pivoted transport position, in which both side arms are oriented parallel to the main beam, they extend transversely outwardly together with the rake pins.
As a result of the fact that the rake tines and the pivot parts extending between the rake wheels extend outwardly, the width of the rake device in transport position is fairly large. The width of the rake device in transport position, in particular in the rear part of the rake device, affects the maneuverability of the drawn rake device, in particular when making turns around buildings, in gates. In the case of a larger width, the risk of the rake pins coming into contact with stationary objects, such as a wall or column, increases. Said contact can result in that the rake pins or rake arms may become damaged and need to be replaced. Moreover, the rake pins projecting during transport constitute a danger to humans and animals.
The pivoting movement of circular rakes to a transport position in which rake pins are oriented inwardly is known per se.
For example, EP 0.548.720 discloses a double rake device mounted on the front end of a tractor, of which the two rake arms extending forwardly from a cross beam are upwardly pivotable and are also rotatable about their centre lines.
DE 10 2004 035 082, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, discloses a drawn, double rake device, the circular rakes being located on both sides of a main beam and can each be mounted on a rod extending in longitudinal direction, which rod is at one end rotatably mounted itself to a transverse arm which is connected to the main beam so as to be pivotable upwardly. In a not further described manner, when the transverse arm is pivoted upwardly, the circular rake can be rotated about the centre line of the longitudinal rod in such a manner that the rake pins extend inwardly in the transport position.
EP 1.839.480 which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, discloses a rake device provided with six circular rakes, having two main arms each carrying three circular rakes. Each circular rake is connected to the respective main arm by means of an upwardly pivotable and rearwardly extending rake arm. The main arms are pivotably connected in the horizontal plane to a short transverse frame which is mounted to a tractor. In the transport position, the main arms extend rearwardly from the short transverse frame and the pivot arms are pivoted upwardly, in which case the rake pins of all circular rakes are oriented inwardly.


A recovery method that uses log takes a long time to recover, and another recovery method that uses backup has the difficulties that if a computer abnormally stops its conversion process due to a failure, the result of the conversion performed up to the time of that abnormal stop couldn't be reflected on the later process for recovery. In a computer system, a system recovery management unit produces backup as the initial status of volume and snapshot taken when the system is operating, by use of a backup restore processing unit of a storage apparatus, and manages the situations of the process by use of a recovery point list/table. When a trouble occurs, it determines a point of recovery from the recovery point list/table, and makes the volume be recovered from the produced backup and the overwriting of meta data in order to keep the data consistency.

The present invention generally relates to a storage apparatus for storing database and a computer system for managing the storage apparatus, and particularly to a recovery method for the operation of recovering the tables used in the database.
A large-scale information processing system employs database in order to effectively manage the data used in the information processing system. In general, the database has a plurality of tables, and the information processing system converts these tables into tables with aimed data (this process is hereinafter called "table conversion") by executing a program (hereinafter, referred to as "data conversion batches" or "data conversion jobs"), and uses the tables obtained after the conversion.
At this time, a computer for executing the data conversion batches in the information processing system acquires data that constitutes a table from a storage apparatus in which the data is stored. Then, the computer makes the table conversion and writes the converted table into the storage apparatus. In this case, the converted table is stored in a particular storage region (hereinafter, referred to as "volume") of the storage apparatus for each application of that table.
If the computer, which is executing the data conversion batches for the data conversion, abnormally ends, stops or intermits this process, the data of the table on which the computer is making the conversion process causes a mismatch or inconsistency, which leads to the inconsistency of data of the whole information processing system. In this case, the information processing system is required to restore the data of this inconsistent table to its original data, or the state in which the table is not converted yet, and again to execute the table conversion.
In order to make the above data-restoring process, the system administrator has so far ordered the computer, for managing tables, to execute a program (hereinafter, also called "database management system (DBMS)" to produce converted tables, at which time the execution history (hereinafter, referred as "log") can also be acquired in advance. In the event that a trouble occurred, the computer utilized this log to restore the table (for example, see "Database Processing", written by D. M. Kroenke, 1996, p. 524).
In another method, the system administrator previously produces in the storage apparatus the copy (hereinafter, called "backup") of the volume in which the table not converted yet is stored, and uses the backup of the volume, when a trouble occurs, to restore the original table, so that the failed or inconsistent table can be swiftly restored to the initial state.
The conventional methods have the following drawbacks.
The recovery method using only the log, because it causes the computer to produce the log while making the table conversion, is obliged to apply the additional load for taking the log on the computer, with the result that the table conversion process couldn't be speeded up. In addition, when the failed table is restored to the original state, the computer processes the data of the table one after another on the basis of the log data from the start to recover, and thus it takes a long time to restore so that it is difficult to recover fast.
In the recovery method using the backup, because it acquires the backup before the table conversion is performed, it is difficult for the system administrator to restore the data of the failed table to the most recent state, or the state in which the recovered data can reflect the process executed just before the abnormal stop due to a failure in the computer.

System recovery method and computer system using the same


Disclosed is a semiconductor package comprising a substrate, a semiconductor chip on the substrate, a molding layer on the substrate covering the semiconductor chip, and a shield layer on the molding layer. The shield layer includes a polymer in which a plurality of conductive structures and a plurality of nano-structures are distributed wherein at least some of the conductive structures are connected to one another.

The present inventive concepts relate to a semiconductor package, and more particularly, to a semiconductor package including a shield layer.
A semiconductor package is provided to implement an integrated circuit chip to qualify for use in electronic products. The semiconductor package is typically configured such that a semiconductor chip is mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB) and bonding wires or bumps are used to electrically connect the semiconductor chip to the PCB. In inspecting the semiconductor package including the semiconductor chip, electromagnetic interference may occur between the semiconductor package and other electronic devices.


An optical network device receives an optical signal, to which polarization information is added, from a transmitter via a transmission line. The receiver generates electric-field-information signal of the optical signal. The processor acquires, for respective polarization rotation amounts, the electric-field-information signal during a period specified by the polarization information. The processor calculates, for respective polarization rotation amounts and based on the electric-field-information signal, evaluation values corresponding to powers of the optical signal at a plurality of positions on the transmission line. The processor calculates, for respective positions, variations in the evaluation values corresponding to the polarization rotation amounts. The processor output information that indicates a first position when the variation in the evaluation values for the first position is larger than that for a second position where the second position is adjacent to the first position on a transmitter side.

There is a need for optical fiber communications for long-distance transmissions and large-capacity transmissions due to an increase in communication traffic amounts. In the meantime, communications are performed with performance close to the limit of transmission devices, and thus a change in the state of a transmission line may constitute a factor that degrades transmission characteristics. One cause of such degradation of transmission characteristics is a polarization dependent loss (PDL). A PDL is a phenomenon in which an insertion loss differs in accordance with polarizations, and occurs not only in fabricating a device or the like but also occurs during an operation due to a route change in an optical node, reconnection of an optical fiber, a bend in an optical fiber, or the like.
Presence of a PDL results in, for example, a decrease in reception power for any of the polarizations, thereby reducing transmission qualities. Hence, it will be important to detect the state of a PDL during an operation in order to shorten a period in which the performance of a transmission system is decreased.
For example, in measurement of a PDL, test light with a single polarization may be input from a transmitter node to an object to be measured (i.e., an optical fiber transmission line), while changing the angle of the polarization of the test light little by little. Then, a receiver node measures, for each polarization, the power of light output from the object to be measured and calculates the PDL according to the largest value and the smallest value of the measured values.
A proposed device and method are ones wherein the states of sections on a transmission line are monitored (e.g., Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2018-133725). Other proposed device and method are ones wherein the physical states of points on a transmission line are estimated (e.g., Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2019-009647).
It is difficult to detect which position on a transmission line a PDL has occurred at using the above-described method (i.e., a method wherein while the angle of the polarization is being changed, the receiver node calculates the PDL from the largest value and the smallest value of optical power). In addition, in this method, dedicated test light for measuring the PDL is inserted into the transmission line, and hence communication services need to be stopped when measuring the PDL.
Tapping optical signals at a plurality of positions on a transmission line so as to monitor optical power may allow for detection of a position at which a PDL has occurred. However, this method will need much effort and time to detect the position at which a PDL has occurred. In particular, considerable effort and time will be needed to search a transmission line having a length of several hundreds of kilometers.

Optical network device and method for monitoring transmission line


A refrigeration system includes a main refrigeration circuit for holding refrigerant fluid, the main refrigeration circuit including: a compression device 12, a heat rejecting heat exchanger 14, an expansion device 18 and a heat absorbing heat exchanger 16. In addition, the refrigeration system includes a buffer tank 20 attached to the main refrigeration circuit, with valves 22, 24 for controlling flow of refrigerant fluid between the main refrigeration circuit and the buffer tank 20. The refrigeration system is arranged such that the valves 22, 24 are controlled to transfer refrigerant fluid between the main refrigeration circuit and the buffer tank 20 based on a measure of sub-cooling in the main refrigeration circuit.

As is well known, refrigeration or heating can be provided by a refrigeration system making use of the refrigeration cycle, in which a refrigerant fluid is compressed, cooled, expanded and then heated. In one common usage, where such a refrigeration system is used for satisfying a cooling load, the cooling of the refrigerant fluid is done via a heat rejection heat exchanger rejecting heat to the atmosphere and the heating of the refrigerant fluid is done via a heat absorbing heat exchanger that absorbs heat from an object to be cooled, such as a refrigerated space for low temperature storage, or an interior of a building to be occupied by people. In this way the refrigeration system can transfer heat from within the building to outside of the building even when the interior is cooler than the atmosphere. Alternatively, a refrigeration system can be used as a heat pump to satisfy a heat demand. In that case by the heat absorbing heat exchanger is used to absorb heat from a low temperature source, with the refrigeration circuit then rejecting heat to a higher temperature object that is to be heated. Once again this may be the interior of a building. In both cases a full or partial phase change of the refrigerant fluid can be used to increase the possible temperature differential between the heat rejection and heat absorption stages.
It will be appreciated that the ability of the refrigeration system to correctly handle the refrigerant fluid is important in terms of achieving the most effective operation of the refrigeration cycle. In particular, it is important to optimise the handling of refrigerant fluid within a main refrigeration circuit for the compression, cooling, expansion and heating of the refrigerant fluid. In this context it is known to determine optimal refrigerant type and refrigerant charge levels to increase efficiency of the refrigerant system. It always remains the case that increases in efficiency and utility are desirable.


Systems and method for near-field millimeter wave imaging are provided, in particular, near-field millimeter wave imaging systems and methods that enable sub-wavelength resolution imaging by scanning objects with sub-wavelength probe elements and capturing and measuring phase and intensity of reflected energy to generate images.

In general, conventional far-field millimeter wave imaging systems have been widely used in various applications such as security screening (e.g., concealed weapon detection), collision avoidance radars, and for safe landing in poor-visibility conditions. These conventional systems are usually very expensive, complex, and bulky. For example, one known conventional imaging system is based on a complex passive millimeter wave video camera having 1024 receiver modules operating at 89 GHz. In this system, an 18-inch diameter plastic lens is used to collect and focus radiation yielding a diffraction-limited 0.5° angular resolution.
Although the image quality of these systems is impressive, due to the complexity of these far-field imagers and their cost, they have not been used in many high-volume applications such as medical imaging. In addition to their high cost, the resolution achieved by these imagers is not high enough to be used in medical applications, where a resolution of 1 mm or less is required. These systems perform far-field imaging where the highest image resolution that can be achieved is set by the diffraction limit. For example, a commercially available 18-inch 89 GHz camera has an angular resolution of 0.5° which is equivalent to 8.7 mm spatial resolution for an antenna-object distance of 1 m. Thus, two main drawbacks of current far-field imagers that prevent them from being used in medical applications are their high cost and low resolution set by the diffraction limit.

International Business Machines Corporation


A method and a portable device controls output of a display unit to display information accurately and clearly regardless of a background image. Disclosed is an arrangement for calculating a difference between an arbitrary expression value of an arbitrary screen configuration element to be displayed on a given area of the background image and an actual expression value of the given area of the background image. Each expression value includes at least one of a color and lightness. The arrangement automatically selects the expression value of the screen configuration element based on the calculation result. The screen configuration element is displayed at the given area of the background image based on the selected arbitrary expression value.

A portable device is a terminal that supports various functions based on mobility. Portable devices have been used widely to their convenience of a use and portability. The portable device provides various input schemes for providing user functions. For example, a conventional portable device supports input of given characters or numerals through a key pad mechanically disposed at one side thereof. Further, a size of the portable device can be reduced to improve portability. To secure the suitable size of a display unit in a small portable device, a key pad is removed and a touch screen that includes a touch panel is provided on the display unit.
A portable device outputs various screen configuration elements supporting various user functions recognized by a user on the display unit. Such a screen configuration element can be output in a specific form, such as a text, icon, or image form based on a background image. The screen configuration element is output to have a constant expression value. However, there is a high possibility that a screen configuration element may be obscured by the background image, such that the screen configuration element cannot effectively display information.

List searching method and portable device using the same


A system and method of detecting and authenticating a watermark on a document such as a check which is supposed to include a watermark having known characteristics to verify the authenticity of the document. A digitized image of the document is stored and processed through transformation which generates a frequency distribution. That frequency distribution is processed to determine one or more harmonic compared to a stored value associated with the document to determine that a watermark exists and it is the correct watermark.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is an improved system and method for processing a watermark on a document. More particularly, the present invention includes a system for verifying that a watermark is present on an image of the document and that the watermark is the correct watermark for the document.
2. Background Art
Checks are prepared in large quantities and represent "cash" to many in society today. Those checks are distributed for a variety of purposes—payroll, paying bills, purchasing goods and services, paying debts and dividends and interest. The volume of checks has been growing each year despite the rise of substitutes for cash, such as debit and credit cards, automatic teller machines, electronic funds transfers, automatic deposit of payments, automatic debits for bills and recurring transfers, electronic bill payment systems and other similar methods of conveying cash from one account to another.
As the number of checks increase, there is an increasing desire to process those checks quickly and efficiently, with a minimum of manual handling and a maximum application of automated processing techniques. Most checks are processed through a banking system (which includes both governmental central banking systems and commercial bank-like institutions such as commercial banks, savings and loan organizations, credit unions and other bank-like or bank-servicing operations), where checks are processed in an automated fashion to extract the information, then forwarding document (or the information contained thereon) to other institutions as necessary for the collection of the check. Some check processing facilities receive in excess of one million items per day for processing. High speed check processing equipment (such as the IBM 3890 Document Processing System) have become common place for processing the checks in such facilities where large numbers of checks are received each business day. Many of the check processing systems include an image capture device such as the ImagePlus High Performance Transaction System which IBM introduced in recent years to capture an image of the front and back of the check while it is being read and processed in the document processing system, between the time that the check is removed from a hopper at one end of the machine until it reaches a selected pocket at the other end of the machine. Such a system is described in the Check Image Patent referenced above.
As the number of checks increases, each check receives less and less manual attention and processing, relying on the automated equipment to do more of the processing. A check may have the account number and amount fee encoded on the check before the check is received and it may be provided with a tape listing of the amounts so that very little (if any) manual processing happens for each check in the banking system.
The increasing amount of automation and the decrease in manual processing along with an increase in sophisticated equipment for imitating a check opens the possibility for fraudulent activity in preparing and presenting checks. A criminal could take a genuine check and duplicate it (using techniques such as a photocopier), creating multiple similar checks or check blanks for fraudulent use or use a digital scanner to create a similar looking but totally bogus duplicate or blank check and use the bogus check improperly. Further, software for the creation of authentic-looking checks on a low-cost personal computer printer is widely available, complete with the appropriate magnetic ink character recognition symbols, checks which at one time were only available from large check printing companies using high-cost equipment. These examples illustrate that the spread of technology into low cost and widely-available hardware and software has made the production of fraudulent checks available at a nominal cost to those who need only a small investment and little, if any, technical expertise.
Since it is quick, easy and inexpensive to create fraudulent checks, it is not surprising that the number of such checks is increasing and has reached substantial proportions. It is accordingly a limitation of the prior art systems for processing checks that a simple, yet effective, way of detecting possibly fraudulent checks is not a part of the check processing systems.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to have a system which automatically detects whether a check is authentic. Such a system should be rather easy to use and allow for different watermarks to be on checks from different accounts. Such a system should also be difficult to fool with a photocopied check or a check which is printed using software and a laser printer.
But checks are frequently "busy", both initially when printed (with logos and scenic backgrounds) and, as the checks are sent through the acceptance process, it may acquire additional information (identification of the receiving clerk, approvals, identification of the person presenting the check, account number, etc.) which may appear in various locations on each check in a random location. As the check goes through a collection process, additional information may be placed on the check either manually or through the use of automated equipment—such as endorsements, where the check was processed, an item number, a paid stamp and other useful information in handling the check if it returned unpaid. Accordingly, each check becomes unique in bearing a variable amount of information located in diverse locations on the two sides of the check.
Any information placed on the check as a result of its original creation may be overwritten through the additional information which is placed on the check during preparation or during its processing. Such overwriting of random information in random locations makes it difficult to locate information which may have been printed on the check in a certain place to detect fraud.
Various security measures are already in use in check processing. One of these is the use of microprinting of the signature line, which has the advantage that the printing becomes blurred when the microprinting is photocopied. The signature line printed using microprint technology creates a signature line which is discontinuous (having gaps smaller than the resolution of a photocopier or digital scanner) but which appears to the eye and to mechanical devices as a solid line. When a check with a microprint line is duplicated through a photocopied or a digital scanner, the line becomes solid, allowing differentiation of the original check (with a discontinuous microprint line) from the duplicated check (with a solid line).
Another technique for deterring the use of a photocopier to make a duplicate of a genuine check is the so-called "void pantograph", a recurring printed pattern which, when produces a distinctive pattern of "VOID" legends across the check when photocopied but which is not apparent on the original check.
Various systems have been proposed for authenticating documents and images. One such system involves visually detecting a watermark which appears on an image and comparing the watermark to the watermark which is supposed to appear on the document. If the watermark is appropriate, then the document is presumed to be authentic and if the watermark is not present or has an incorrect appearance, then the document is suspect and presumed to be improper, perhaps because the document was prepared from a different paper stock than was authorized or perhaps because the document was altered at some point. In any case, to avoid a fraudulent transaction, the document would require careful attention—e.g., handling by hand rather than through an automated processing.
Many checks are processed at high speed through automatic processing systems known as document processors such as the IBM 3890 Document Processor. Such machines remove a single check from a stack of checks at an input hopper, move it along a pathway inside the processor past a read head which determines the particulars of the check (including the account and the amount) and then sorts the check into an appropriate pocket based on the information contained on the check. During the processing, the check may have information added to the check (such as an item number and/or an endorsement) and an image of the check may be captured, either through microfilming the check or through an image capture system using a digital camera.
Prior art watermark detecting systems have other limitations and disadvantages which will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the following description of the present invention.

Method and system for watermark detection


A processor-based hardware functional verification system with time shift registers is described. The system includes a processor cluster with a plurality of processors that each have a data inputs and select inputs. Furthermore, a plurality of electronic memories each having a plurality of read ports is associated with the processors, respectively. The time shift registers each have an input in communication with the read ports of the electronic memories and an output in communication with the select inputs of the processors. The system further includes an instruction memory that provides a control signal to each of the time shift registers to store data output from read ports of the electronic memories that can be provided to the processor for evaluation during a subsequent emulation step.

Integrated circuit designs, such as those for modern system-on-a-chip ("SOC") devices, continue to grow is size and complexity. Shrinking transistor sizes mean that more and more transistors can be included in a circuit design once fabricated as an integrated circuit chip ("chip"), while a greater number of features or components can be packed on the chip. The chip may be any type of fabricated integrated circuit, whether on a single substrate or multiple interconnected substrates. Functional verification of such devices is usually included as part of the circuit design flow to help ensure that the fabricated device functions as intended.
The increasing size and complexity of the circuit designs to be verified (devices under test, "DUT," also known as designs under verification, "DUV") mean that the functional verification portion of the design cycle is increasing in length. The verification stage may in some case be the longest stage of the design cycle. For example, running a simulation on a host computer to verify a SOC, or even a sub-portion of the SOC, written in the register transfer language ("RTL") design abstraction may take anywhere from hours to days. Certain hardware functional verification systems may leverage high-performance hardware to increase the speed of the verification stage, including a plurality of interconnected processor chips. Such systems are also referred to as "hardware emulators" herein.
Hardware emulators are programmable devices used in the verification of hardware designs. A common method of hardware design verification uses processor-based hardware emulators to emulate the DUT. These processor-based emulators sequentially evaluate combinatorial logic levels, starting at the inputs and proceeding to the outputs. Each pass through the entire set of logic levels is known as a cycle; the evaluation of each individual logic level is known as an emulation step.
A hardware emulator generally utilizes a computer workstation for providing emulation support facilities, i.e., emulation software, a compiler, and a graphical user interface to allow a person to program the emulator, and an emulation engine for performing the emulation. The emulation engine is comprised of at least one emulation board, and each emulation board contains individual emulation circuits. Each individual emulation circuit for a processor-based emulator contains multiple emulation processors, and each emulation processor is capable of mimicking a logic gate in each emulation step.
Emulation processor can be connected to data arrays, which are a special memory that has multiple read ports and supplies input data to the emulation processors. The emulation processors evaluate the data in accordance with an instruction word supplied from an instruction memory. One current design limitation of hardware emulators is that the input data provided on the read ports of the data array are not always used by the processor during an emulation step. A related limitation of hardware emulators is that there are other times when the processor has additional availability for a data input during an emulation step, but there are too few data array output ports to provide data to the available processor. Both limitations unnecessarily use up processor bandwidth during an emulation cycle. Furthermore, it is well known that processor bandwidth is a significant limiting factor of hardware emulator performance.

Hardware emulation method and system using a port time shift register


A polyaxial orthopedic device for use with rod implant apparatus includes a screw having a curvate ball top, a polyaxial head member having a socket into which the head of the screw is initially polyaxially nested, a vertical slot which renders the socket compressible, and a horizontal through hole having a tapered portion on one side of the vertical slot. A rod gripping cross-bar member, which is mounted through the through hole includes an axial split which permits the first end thereof to grip a rod, and then to be clamped onto the rod when the axial slot is narrowed. A nut is provided on the end of the cross-bar member which extend out from the through hole on the opposite end from the rod gripping mechanism. The advancement of the nut causes the cross-bar member to be compressed by the taper of the front portion of the through hole, thereby locking the rod in the gripping end thereof, and further provides the compression force necessary to compression lock the interior socket of the head against the ball top of the screw.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a polyaxial pedicle screw and, more particularly, to a screw for insertion into spinal bone having a polyaxial coupling and locking mechanism for mounting a stabilizing rod to a sequence of vertebrae.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The bones and connective tissue of an adult human spinal column consist of more than 20 discrete bones coupled sequentially to one another by a tri-joint complex which consist of an anterior disc and the two posterior facet joints, the anterior discs of adjacent bones being cushioned by cartilage spacers referred to as intervertebral discs. These more than 20 bones are anatomically categorized as being members of one of four classifications: cervical, thoracic, lumbar, or sacral. The cervical portion of the spine, which comprises the top of the spine, up to the base of the skull, includes the first 7 vertebrae. The intermediate 12 bones are the thoracic vertebrae, and connect to the lower spine comprising the 5 lumbar vertebrae. The base of the spine is the sacral bones (including the coccyx). The component bones of the cervical spine are generally smaller than those of the thoracic and lumbar spine. For the purposes of this disclosure, however, the word spine shall refer only to the cervical region.
Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, top, side, and posterior views of a vertebral body, a pair of adjacent vertebral bodies, and a sequence of vertebral bodies are shown, respectively. The spinal cord is housed in the central canal 10, protected from the posterior side by a shell of bone called the lamina 12. The lamina 12 includes a rearwardly and downwardly extending portion called the spinous process 16, and laterally extending structures which are referred to as the transverse processes 14. The anterior portion of the spine comprises a set of generally cylindrically shaped bones which are stacked one on top of the other. These portions of the vertebrae are referred to as the vertebral bodies 20, and are each separated from the other by the intervertebral discs 22. The pedicles 24 comprise bone bridges which couple the anterior vertebral body 20 to the corresponding lamina 12.
The spinal column of bones is highly complex in that it includes over twenty bones coupled to one another, housing and protecting critical elements of the nervous system having innumerable peripheral nerves and circulatory bodies in close proximity. In spite of these complexities, the spine is a highly flexible structure, capable of a high degree of curvature and twist in nearly every direction. Genetic or developmental irregularities, trauma, chronic stress, tumors, and disease, however, can result in spinal pathologies which either limit this range of motion, or which threaten the critical elements of the nervous system housed within the spinal column. A variety of systems have been disclosed in the art which achieve this immobilization by implanting artificial assemblies in or on the spinal column. These assemblies may be classified as anterior, posterior, or lateral implants. As the classifications suggest, lateral and anterior assemblies are coupled to the anterior portion of the spine, which is the sequence of vertebral bodies. Posterior implants generally comprise pairs of rods, which are aligned along the axis along which the bones are to be disposed, and which are then attached to the spinal column by either hooks which couple to the lamina or attach to the transverse processes, or by screws which are inserted through the pedicles.
"Rod assemblies" generally comprise a plurality of such screws which are implanted through the posterior lateral surfaces of the laminae, through the pedicles, and into their respective vertebral bodies. The screws are provided with upper portions which comprise, or have mounted thereto, coupling elements for receiving and securing an elongate rod therethrough. The rod extends along the axis of the spine, coupling to the plurality of screws via their coupling elements. The rigidity of the rod may be utilized to align the spine in conformance with a more desired shape.
It has been identified, however, that a considerable difficulty is associated with inserting screws along a misaligned curvature and simultaneously exactly positioning the coupling elements such that the rod receiving portions thereof are aligned so that the rod can be passed therethrough without distorting the screws. Attempts at achieving proper alignment with fixed screws are understood to require increased operating time, which is known to enhance many complications associated with surgery. Often surgical efforts with such fixed-axes devices cannot be achieved, thereby rendering such instrumentation attempts entirely unsucessful.
The art contains a variety of attempts at providing instrumentation which permit a limited freedom with respect to angulation of the screw and the coupling element. These teachings, however, are generally complex, inadequately reliable, and lack long-term durability. These considerable drawbacks associated with prior art systems also include difficulty properly positioning the rod and coupling elements, and the tedious manipulation of the many small parts in the operative environment.
It is, therefore, the principal object of the present invention to provide a pedicle screw and coupling element assembly which provides a polyaxial freedom of implantation angulation with respect to rod reception.
In addition, it is an object of the present invention to provide such an assembly which comprises a reduced number of elements, and which correspondingly provides for expeditious implantation.
Accordingly it is also an object of the present invention to provide an assembly which is reliable, durable, and provides long term fixation support.
Other objects of the present invention not explicitly stated will be set forth and will be more clearly understood in conjunction with the descriptions of the preferred embodiments disclosed hereafter.

Polyaxial pedicle screw having a compression locking rod gripping mechanism


An enclosure for a fuel cell stack for insulating the hot zone of the fuel cell stack and for exchanging heat from the fuel cell stack to a reactant that passes through the enclosure to be used by the fuel cell stack. The enclosure comprises at least one chamber having an intake means for the reactant and an exhaust means for passing the reactant to the fuel cell stack. In one embodiment there are three layered chambers.

The present invention relates to a fuel cell apparatus which combines an insulating and a heat exchanging function.
Solid oxide fuel cells operate at high temperature and typically have a "hot box" or "hot zone" which houses the fuel cell stacks, reforming apparatus, heat exchangers and other equipment that need to be at the operating temperature of the fuel cells. This hot box is insulated to reduce energy losses and to prevent thermal shocks to the fuel cell stacks. Usually, this insulation consists of thick blankets of alumina fibers, or asbestos. This is undesirable from a health perspective, as the blankets must be handled carefully to prevent the release of fibers of the insulating material, as these fibers can be hazardous or carcinogenic. In addition, the protective equipment required to be worn by workers handling this material is expensive and cumbersome.
Thick insulating blankets are undesirable for a potential consumer product, as they occupy a large amount of space, and the product packaging should be as small as possible, especially for transportation applications. Further, incorporating heat exchangers and other devices inside the hot box area necessitates a larger hot box. This has a larger surface area and therefore more thermal loss than a smaller hot box, which impairs efficiency.
Additionally, the use of insulating blankets does not permit convenient control of the stack or hot zone temperature as the insulation is constant and not variable. It may be desirable to increase or decrease the insulation around the hot zone to regulate the stack temperature in a stack control system. It may be further desirable to include a method of cooling the stack as part of the stack control system.
Therefore there is a need in the art to overcome the difficulties of the prior art, and provide a system that may allow the hot box to be made smaller and which may permit cooling of the stack and/or a variable insulating effect.


In a method for manufacturing a micromechanical semiconductor component, e.g., a pressure sensor, a locally limited, buried, and at least partially oxidized porous layer is produced in a semiconductor substrate. A cavity is subsequently produced in the semiconductor substrate from the back, directly underneath the porous first layer, using a trench etch process. The porous first layer is used as a stop layer for the trench. Thin diaphragms having a low thickness tolerance may thus be produced for differential pressure measurement.

Semiconductor components, in particular diaphragm sensors and methods for manufacturing diaphragm sensors on the basis of semiconductor substrates, silicon wafers, for example, are known. A flat porous diaphragm area, for example, is placed on a semiconductor substrate as a substrate layer for sensor structures, and subsequently a clearance for insulating, e.g., thermally, the diaphragm is produced by removing the porous layer (sacrificial layer) underneath the diaphragm.
The conventional diaphragm sensors are mostly implemented as thin-layer diaphragm sensors. Initially layer systems having a thickness between tens of nanometers and a few μm are deposited onto a substrate, whereupon the substrate is removed in predefined areas to obtain unsupported diaphragm areas. Sensor structure elements may then be placed in the diaphragm center.
Another possibility for exposing the diaphragm is surface micromechanics, in which a sacrificial layer is normally used, which is applied to the front of a substrate prior to depositing the diaphragm. The sacrificial layer is then removed from the front of the sensor through openings in the diaphragm, whereby an unsupported structure is obtained. These surface micromechanical methods are relatively complex due to the need for separate sacrificial layers.
Published German Patent Application No. 100 32 579 describes a method for manufacturing a semiconductor component and a semiconductor component manufactured according to this method, in which a layer made of porous semiconductor substrate material is placed over a cavity. Two layers of different porosities are produced using appropriate etching parameters for producing the cavity. The first layer has a lower porosity, during a subsequent first heating step the porosity of the second layer increases during the heating step in such a way that a cavity is formed. A relatively thick epitaxial layer is grown as a second diaphragm layer at a higher heating temperature in a second process step on the first diaphragm layer thus formed from the first porous layer.
As an extension of the method described in German Patent Application No. 100 32 579, a thin epitaxial layer may also be grown during the first heating step to ensure that the porous first layer, which is used as the start layer for the epitaxial growth of the thick epitaxial layer, is completely closed. A lower growth rate at a lower temperature is preferably selected here compared to the subsequent deposition of the thick epitaxial layer.
The above-mentioned measures are used to simplify the structure of a surface micromechanical semiconductor component, because no additionally applied sacrificial layer is needed, and the diaphragm itself or a substantial portion of the diaphragm is produced from semiconductor material.
To prevent damage to the diaphragm during the manufacturing process or during regular use, published German Patent Application No. 101 38 759 provides a method for manufacturing a semiconductor component having a semiconductor substrate, in which the semiconductor substrate receives a type of doping in the area of the porous diaphragm layer that is different from that in the area of the future cavity. After doping, the semiconductor material of the diaphragm layer is made porous and the semiconductor material underneath the porous semiconductor material is at least partially removed or displaced to provide a cavity.
German Patent Application No. 103 58 859 describes a method which is an extension of the method described in published German Patent Application No. 101 38 759. As described in German Patent Application No. 103 58 859, a porous layer is produced underneath areas of non-porous semiconductor material. An epitaxial step is subsequently carried out, in which an epitaxial layer, which forms the future diaphragm, closes the surface starting at the non-porous areas. Finally, a cavity is produced from the porous layer using a thermal treatment.

Method of making a differential pressure sensor


A movable display device includes a carrying module, a lifting module, a frame module and a display module. The carrying module includes a carrier unit, a base unit disposed on the carrier unit, and a plurality of positioning units disposed on the carrier unit. The lifting module is disposed on the base unit. The frame module includes a primary frame unit movably connected to the positioning units and a plurality of secondary frame units movably connected to the primary frame unit. The primary frame unit has a connecting portion connected to the lifting module. The secondary frame units are respectively located at two sides of the primary frame unit. The display module includes a primary display unit disposed on the primary frame unit and a plurality of secondary display units respectively disposed on the secondary frame units.

LED display screens have the advantages of high brightness, low operating voltage, low power consumption, large display area, long service life, high impact resistance and stable performance. Therefore, the LED display screens are widely used in indoor or outdoor locations such as stadiums, exhibition venues, shopping malls and stations for propaganda or decorative purposes.
It is well known that a large LED display screen is formed by being spliced with a plurality of smaller display screens having the same length and width. Such a large LED display screen is difficult to be assembled and disassembled. In addition, the large LED display screen cannot be folded and thus occupies a very large space when not in use, and cannot be raised and lowered to fit different needs.
In order to overcome the above-mentioned inadequacies, how the structure of the large LED display screen can be improved to be more convenient in use is one of the important issues to be solved in this field.


A hearing aid includes a first half shell and a second shell attached to the first shell. A microphone, battery, electronics, a receiver and a flexible tip are mounted within a housing formed by the first half shell and the second half shell. A mechanical securing mechanism, located on the first half shell and the second half shell, attaches the first half shell to the second half shell. A flexible tip for a hearing aid includes a tip portion, a sound port attached to the tip portion and a vent formed in the flexible tip. The vent provides static pressure equilibrium between an ear canal and an ambient pressure.

Hearing aids are delicate electro-acoustical devices that are intended to perform flawlessly in the harsh environment of the human ear. Hearing aid manufacturers use hard durable earmold materials to protect the delicate electronics and transducers from adverse conditions in and out of the ear. Such durable materials are intended to survive a greater than four year usage life. The earmold can be used not only to protect the internal components of the hearing aid, but also to form an interface between the electronics and the ear canal. This interface must be created to prevent acoustical feedback, to retain the electronics in the ear and prevent irritation or fatigue of the ear canal. A design conflict for the earmold can then exist between the need to have a soft, pliant, nonirritating and comfortable material, and the need to have a durable material to protect the internal electronic components which can last more than four years.
A disposable hearing aid is one designed to have a useful life of much less than the traditional four years. The useful life of a disposable hearing aid can also be governed by the life of the battery. If the battery can be replaced, the hearing aid is no longer disposable and the advantages of the disposable aid are lost. However, a number of other variants on the disposable aid are possible. These variants look to maintain the advantages of disposability while making the system more convenient, comfortable, longer lasting or providing better performance.
"One-size-fits-all" type hearing aids generally lack a flexibility of their tips. Such a lack of flexibility prevents deep penetration into the bony region of an ear canal by the hearing aid. Such hearing aids are also unable to create an acoustic seal in the ear canal. Without such penetration or such a seal in the bony region, the hearing aid can create an occlusion effect in the wearer. Also, hearing aids lacking a proper acoustic seal are prone to feedback.
Feedback is a nagging, unsolved problem for hearing aid manufacturers and dispensers. Feedback in a hearing is present in several forms: electrical, acoustical and mechanical. While electrical feedback is more easily controllable with additional circuitry, the latter two forms of feedback in hearing aids remain significant problems that often reduce the effectiveness of hearing aid fittings. Acoustical or mechanical feedback signals from the hearing aid receiver may be transduced by the hearing aid microphone, amplified in the circuitry and output from the receiver again but with higher gain, creating a feedback loop, and potentially oscillation. A criteria by Nyquist states that a system will oscillate if the gain of the open loop transfer function at a particular frequency is greater than unity and its phase shift of the open loop transfer function is a multiple of 360 degrees. Acoustical feedback occurs through the air inside of the hearing aid housing as well as on the outside of the hearing aid while it is being worn. Mechanical feedback occurs because of the receiver vibrating the hearing aid housing. Hearing aid designers have used many techniques to prevent the creation of such feedback loops. Included are rubber isolation mounts for the microphone and receiver, stiff tubes on the receiver output port and electronically filtering the hearing aid output to suppress energy at the most likely to be troublesome feedback frequencies. Unfortunately, hearing aids frequently have feedback oscillation frequencies in the very range at which the wearer requires amplification most, such as in the frequency range between 1500 and 5000 Hz.
Most in-the-ear (ITE) family of hearing aids, including in-the-canal (ITC) and completely-in-the-canal (CIC) hearing aids, are formed of a custom made shell conforming to the shape of the wearer's ear canal and a faceplate that is cemented to the shell. Components are attached to the faceplate using manual assembly techniques. At the final assembly, the populated faceplate is attached to the shell. Assemblers typically use a solvent to secure the faceplate to the shell. While the solvent joins and secures the two halves together, the assembler must hold the halves together to ensure a tight joint between the two portions which results in a strong seal. This process does not lend itself to high volume production.
When a hearing aid is removed from an ear canal, a differential pressure can be created between the ear canal and the external ambient pressure. To equalize this pressure differential, a port is typically located in the hearing aid. The use of the port, however, can increase the acoustical feedback between the receiver and the microphone. The feedback can lead to oscillations within the hearing aid at relatively low gain levels, compared to hearing aids without a pressure equalization port.