A rotatable electrical connector for connection with first and second electrical power cord segments includes a male connector member and a female connector member. The male connector member comprises at least one conductor for connection with respective electric wires in the first power cord segment. The female connector member comprises at least one bearing assembly for connection with respective electric wires of the second power cord segment and sized for engagement with the respective at least one conductor. The bearing assembly is formed of an electrically conductive material to establish electrical communication between the first and second power cord segments.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electrical connectors for power cords and the like. More particularly, the present invention relates to rotatable connectors that freely rotate.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Electrical power cords are used in many different applications to conduct electricity from a power source to an electrically powered apparatus. Power cords are used in connection with all types of electronic equipment such as stereos and computers, portable electric appliances such as those typically found in a kitchen, hand-held power tools and the like. Power cords can be formed having virtually any length, from one foot or less to hundreds of feet. Those longer cords, often referred to as extension cords, allow an apparatus connected to the cord to be more portable, as the use of the device will not be restricted by or limited to the location of the power source. Thus, it will be appreciated that power cords serve a number of useful functions in connection with many different types of devices.
One significant drawback associated with power cords is that such cords often tend to twist or become knotted during use. This problem is especially prevalent in connection with equipment that is continuously moved around relative to the power source, such as typical hand-held power tools. A tangled or twisted cord results in a reduction of the effective length of the power cord, which limits the useful range of the tool coupled to the power cord. This requires that the user manually untangle the cord, which is inconvenient, annoying, and time-consuming.
In addition, continual twisting or knotting of a cord can cause stress or strain on the cord. The conductors housed inside the cord may become crimped or may even break, resulting in a shortened useful life of the power cord.
A number of swivel connector designs have been proposed by others in an attempt to overcome the above-described disadvantages. One of those prior art devices includes a plurality of bearings and interposed insulating washers in a housing. A form of that device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,649,276 to Adam. The bearings include inner and outer races connected to electric leads from a pair of severed power cord segments. The ends of the electric leads are sandwiched between the inner races and the adjacent insulating washers to effect an electrical connection with the inner races. It will be appreciated that any relative displacement of the bearings and washers will likely create a short circuit, as the electric leads are not securely connected to those races.
Another rotatable, multiple lead connector found in the prior art includes a receptacle with a conically shaped internal bore to receive a generally frusto-conically shaped plug. A form of this device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,193,636 to Daniels. The receptacle includes a plurality of radially inwardly projecting, V-shaped conductive contacts at axially and circumferentially spaced apart locations. Outwardly projecting, conductive contact rings with V-shaped grooves are formed on the periphery of the plug to engage the contacts and make electrical contact while allowing the plug to be rotated relative to the receptacle as the V-shaped tips ride in the V-shaped grooves. Such a device requires a rather elaborate and detailed construction. Furthermore, the device is designed such that the points of electrical contact are rotated relative to each other, which over time may cause a wearing down of one of the components such that electrical contact is lost.
Yet another prior art swivel device includes male and female connectors formed with complementary concave and convex circumferential regions to establish electrical contact and to provide for relative rotation. A form of this device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,409,403 to Falossi et al. The concave and convex sections are conductive and electrically connected to electric wires from a pair of power cord segments. Use of this device results in relative rotation between the electrical contacts which over time may cause a wearing down of the contact surfaces and thus an open circuit. In addition, if the concave and convex portions are constructed such that they make a strong engagement to resist disengagement, then relative rotation will likewise be resisted by those portions. If, on the other hand, the concave and convex portions are configured so that relative rotation is not resisted, then the connection between those portions will not be very secure and may result in unwanted separations causing an open circuit. Thus this type of device suffers from a number of design defects.
Accordingly, it will be understood that there continues to be a need for a rotatable electrical connector which is relatively simple to construct and which provides secure electrical connections while permitting free rotation. The present invention completely addresses these needs.


Stored pages in an electronic database are re-ordered such that the data that is being requested by multiple processes is re-ordered to be spread over several different pages such that a lock on a first page will no longer lock processes from data on the locked page.

Databases hold data in tables. The tables are made up of pages of data where a page of data is determined to be a useful size to be loaded into memory and operated upon without being so large that it slows down the system. The pages store keys of data and processes often operate on the keys data.
A common issue is that multiple processes attempt to access the same data at the very same time. To prevent corruption of data, a particular piece of data may be locked such that only one process may operate on the piece of data at a time. While this prevents data corruption, it slows processing as the second process has to wait for the first process to finish operating on the data.
In a large, high throughput database, the problem may be even more complicated. Under some circumstances like memory optimization or imperfect index matching, etc., the database may attempt to put a page lock along with a row lock or just put a page lock without putting on a row lock. As a result, the system may become so overwhelmed that entire pages of the table in the database may be locked. This means every piece of data on the locked page cannot be accessed until the page lock is released. Entire page locking can have negative performance effects.

Solving table locking problems associated with concurrent processing


A reinforced secondary backing and method of using the same, in which the reinforced secondary backing includes reinforcing yarns interconnect to the secondary backing fabric. The reinforcing yarns generally extend in the longitudinal or warp direction and provide additional surface area to which an adhesive may bind when combining the reinforced secondary backing to a primary backing in forming a laminate carpet. The reinforcing yarns may be spaced across at least a portion of the backing uniformly, concentrated in an area that typically displays weakness (such as adjacent the edges of the carpet), or a combination thereof. It is noted that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to ascertain quickly the subject matter of the technical disclosure and is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a reinforced secondary backing and, more particularly, to carpets that use the reinforced secondary backing and a method of forming a carpet with that reinforced secondary backing.
2. Background
Laminate carpets typically include a secondary backing forming their lower surface and a primary backing tufted with yarns forming their upper surface. Latex is often the adhesive used to bond the primary and secondary surfaces together. That latex, or binder, is usually applied between the primary and secondary backings and then immediately "sandwiched" between these two backings by compressing marriage rollers. The formed carpet next passes through an oven where water is removed from the latex to cure it. The cured latex binds the tufted primary backing to the secondary backing and the formed laminate carpet is then ready to be installed in a residential or commercial setting.
As one skilled in the art appreciates, the secondary backing is stretched apart by pulling its edges away from each other during the processing. In addition there may be some contraction when the secondary backing is exposed to heat in the curing oven during the manufacturing process; however, the opposed edges of the secondary backing are held stationary relative to each other when subject to this heating and associated shrinkage. Thus, although the secondary backing contracts from the heat during the manufacturing process, its width is maintained at a set distance so that the dimensions of the carpet remain substantially constant.
Another problem, however, arises from the secondary backing being stretched, namely, stresses develop in the secondary backing and weaken the final carpet structure. More specifically, the resulting tension from the stretching or pulling of the secondary backing can break mechanical bonds that its yarns initially form with the latex.
The normal method used to measure the adhesion or holding strength between the secondary backing and the primary backing is to determine "delamination strength." Delamination strength represents the "peel resistance" characteristics of secondary carpet backing or, stated differently, the force required to separate the secondary backing from the rest of the carpet.
Another issue related to carpet durability is the tendency of the yarns to separate from the primary backing, which is the "tuft bind." That is, tuft bind measures the force necessary to pull the tufted yarn from the laminate carpet. Among other factors, tuft bind is a function of delamination strength. Accordingly, it is desirable for delamination strength to be as high as possible to decrease the likelihood of separation of the secondary backing from the rest of the carpet, increase resistance to tufts being pulled out of the carpet, and enhance dimensional stability of the carpet.
To achieve suitable delamination strength, the secondary backing should be in intimate contact with the tufted primary backing and backstitch during the forming and curing process. In addition, the secondary backing must be firmly bonded with and into the adhesive; otherwise, it will be easier to pull the secondary backing away from the primary backing—and correspondingly easier to pluck yarn from the face of the laminate carpet.
As noted above, however, that secondary backing is pulled tautly during manufacturing and then tries to shrink or contract when it is exposed to heat while its edges are maintained at a constant separation distance from each other. Based on the dynamics of the shrinkage, the stresses are not evenly distributed across the width of the secondary backing; instead, those stresses are concentrated at the edges of the carpet. For example, in a twelve (12) foot wide carpet, approximately eighty percent (80%) of resulting weakness from this shrinkage and associated tension exists in the area from the edge extending inwardly approximately four to twelve (4–12) inches. Thus, as those skilled in the art appreciate, the resultant weakness in the formed carpet is most pronounced near its edges.
To address this problem of low delamination strength adjacent the carpet edges, one attempted solution has been for carpet manufacturers to increase the weight of adhesive applied to the secondary backing. The obvious drawback to this manufacturing modification is the corresponding cost increase of the carpet, as adhesive is an expensive component in laminate carpets. This attempted solution of uniformly increasing adhesive also does not address the differential in strength between the areas adjacent the edges of the carpet and the areas farther inward from the edges.
Another attempted solution to this problem has been for carpet manufacturers to increase the quantity or weight of adhesive applied near the edges of the secondary backing. For example, carpet manufacturers may apply adhesive at a rate of an extra two to four ounces per square yard in the area of the secondary backing spanning from its edges to six to eight inches inward. As noted above, the extra adhesive increases the cost of the laminate carpet. In addition, this additional adhesive applied to the edges may result in uneven curing, as the edges take longer to cure than the interior sections of the carpet.
Therefore, a need exists in the art to increase effectively the delamination strength of carpet, particularly near its edges. A need also exists to be able to increase the delamination strength of carpet at selected areas based on the intended use of the carpet. For example, it may be desired to raise the delamination strength in the center of the carpet if it is anticipated that the carpet will be longitudinally cut at that location before use or installation.

Reinforced secondary backing fabric and method of using the same


Humeral prosthetic implants, systems, kits and methods of forming and using the humeral prosthetic implants, systems and kits are disclosed. The humeral prosthetic implants include proximal cup portions and distal stem portions, wherein the proximal cup portion is joined to the distal stem portion at a desired offset and/or angle configured based on an analysis of the humeral diaphysis and/or metaphysis offset in a patient. The humeral prosthetic implants may also include an adapter configured to join the proximal cup component with the stem component, wherein the adapter is configured to join the stem component to the stemless cup at a desired offset and/or angle.

Shoulder replacement is a common surgical operation that has achieved positive results for many patients. Indeed, approximately 10% of joint replacement procedures globally are related to the shoulder. Many shoulder procedures are performed in a patient where substantial normal bone exists for orientation and fixation of a prosthetic replacement, or resurfacing. In these cases, the need for the shoulder replacement can often times be related mostly to the arthritic condition of the joint, and relative absence of healthy cartilage.
In some patients, however, one or more of the bones of the shoulder are not only arthritic, but have also had previous conditions that have caused bone to wear away. In such cases, there may not be sufficient bone to adequately affix a prosthetic implant to the bone, or the bones may have been worn such that the orientation of a joint replacement cannot not be satisfactorily determined to ensure a positive patient outcome.
Specifically, the glenoid bone is subject to increased wear due to bone arthritic conditions of the joint, and due to alteration of normal soft tissue envelope surrounding the joint. In this case, the orientation of the face of the glenoid portion of the scapula bone may be altered so that the humeral bone is no longer appropriately apposed to the glenoid surface. In the case where the glenoid is severely worn, there are two risks a surgeon must balance in an attempt to improve shoulder function and pain relief.
First, if the optimal orientation of the diseased but treated shoulder is not found and replicated with the prosthesis the patient may experience more operative complications related to subluxation or dislocation of the replaced shoulder joint. This can occur either due to passive inputs to the shoulder (e.g., leaning against it, or lying in bed), or due to active firing of surrounding soft tissue which is not able to be constrained by the replaced joint surfaces.
Additionally, the fixation of the replacement prosthesis to the native patient bone can be problematic. Frequently, in order to counteract the risks associated with joint subluxation and dislocation described above, it is necessary for a surgeon to orient or position the replacement prosthesis or implant in a position better suited to resist imbalanced muscle forces. In such cases, separation forces between the implant and the bone can increase, which in turn can increase the potential for loosening of the joint prosthesis in the bone. Implant loosening can be related to accelerated implant wear, bone erosion, increased tissue inflammation, joint synovitis, and pain.
In patients that have undergone shoulder replacement surgery, range of motion and strength are dependent on shoulder kinematics, which are in turn dependent on a host of factors. Such factors can include for example implant size, implant position, the design of implant shape, the joint line and soft tissue tension. In some cases it can be difficult to predict optimal implant size and position/orientation using currently available guides and implants. Often times a surgeon finds that there are too many variables to manage at one time. Moreover, the size choices of implants can be limited to the lowest number of practically functional groups to reduce economic burden to health care system.
In an attempt to overcome some of the above noted challenges, various implant designs and methodologies have been developed. However, such attempted solutions have been inferior because they are of significant cost, require time to develop, include increased risk of implant failure, and rely on human judgment of potential outcomes pre-operatively.
There are many factors that can affect the optimal positioning of the shoulder implants during replacement surgery. For example, such factors can include the patient size, relative bone wear, soft tissue strength and condition, six degrees-of-freedom positioning of the glenoid and/or the humeral prosthesis, selected implant size, preoperative patient activity and strength levels, post-operative treatment protocols, size and density of patient bone. Additional factors may include patient smoking status, concomitant handicaps or patient problems. It can be quite difficult for a surgeon to understand and balance these factors simultaneously. In addition, only a few of these factors are able to be controlled by the surgeon. Finally, each factor does not necessarily have an equally weighted impact on patient outcome. Nevertheless, it is considered that the implant size, position, orientation and bone preparation of the glenoid and the humerus have a significant impact on the surgical outcomes.
A factor that further complicates, or makes more difficult, the surgeons task of optimally placing a replacement component or implant to counteract these risks is the fact that the condition of the scapula is such that few landmarks exist for the surgeon to comprehend the implant position within the bone. Thus, frequently a surgeon might find that the implant position is not replicated the way it was envisioned during the surgical intervention.
Others have attempted to improve a surgeon's chance of providing successful patient outcomes by providing operative techniques and tools. What is missing, however, is the ability to fully understand and incorporate all necessary factors to optimize the implant selection and placement. Specifically, in some embodiments, the success of the surgery is highly dependent on both the selection of the matching humeral prosthesis, as well as positioning of this prosthesis, as well as the soft tissue status before the surgery. There are no previous attempts at including these factors in surgical planning and implant design.
A challenge commonly faced by surgeons attempting to optimally position the proximal articulating portion of the humeral implant is that the offset between the diaphyseal portion of the bone and the metaphyseal portion of the bone is not well accommodated for in the prosthesis design. Commonly, implants are provided such that for a given size implant, there is a limited offset available based on the diaphysis axis, even though it is widely known that the offset between the diaphysis and metaphysis varies from patient to patient. This causes a problem in that the interaction of the stem in the diaphysis can overcome the positioning of the implant such that the articular portion of the implant is not perfectly positioned. What is needed is a device that can be configured through the following method, which includes analysis of patient anatomy and condition; determination of best size and position of articular surface in the glenoid and the humerus; determination of the best fixation component to position articular surface where needed according to the determined best size and position; assessment of diaphyseal size and position in relationship to the metaphysis; selection of optimal size and position of stem component for optimal fixation, irrespective of articular surface component position; determination of positional relationship between two components; conception of patient specific adapter component that would affix the stem and articular surface components together in their desired positions; and manufacture of patient specific adapter component.

Pre-operatively planned humeral implant and planning method


A guarded sense impedance for use in a measurement instrument includes a sense impedance adapted to have a spatially distributed electrical potential and at least one guard structure adapted to have the spatially distributed electrical potential. The guard structure is arranged to provide a spatially distributed guard potential for the sense impedance.

The present invention relates to precision electrical measurements and, in particular, to guarded measurement circuits.
In precision electrical measurements, it is known to minimize effects such as leakage or other contributions of noise in the measurement circuitry using guarding. An important measurement node is "guarded" by driving nodes in the area surrounding the important node to the same potential as the node itself. With no potential difference between its surroundings, there is nothing to degrade the measurement. This is basically a DC technique, where it is often necessary to allow transients to subside between measurements.
Increasingly, there is a need to not only make faster measurements, but also, to make more precision measurements of pulsed and RF circuits.


A watercraft has starboard and port hydrofoils or hydroskis that are supported by individually powered fore and aft supports for adjustable retraction and extension below the hull under control of a computer using signals from water speed, turn angle, roll angle and pitch angle sensors to maintain stability of operation, especially on high speed turns where the hull may be banked into a turn by positioning the ski on the inside of the turn lower than the other ski.

High speed boats that rise up to plane with the hull at least partially out of the water are vulnerable to rolling over and capsizing, especially in a sharp turn. Boats with hydrofoils or pontoons beneath the hull are capable of very high speeds. However, because of their high center of gravity, they are even more vulnerable to rolling over at high speeds, and/or in rough seas. Some of these watercraft are limited to only 5 degree turns at speeds of 125 miles per hour. It would be desirable to have a mechanism associated with hydrofoil elevation and retraction that would further stabilize the vessel at high speeds.

Watercraft stabilized by controlled hydrofoil elevation


A method may include supplying electric power to a first light source and a second light source of at least two light sources by at least one ballast so that the first light source and the second light source emit a first source light and a second source light with a first and second spectral light distribution, respectively. The method further includes superimposing the first and second source light using an optical unit such that the lighting device outputs light with a spectral superposition light distribution. The method further includes detecting the light outputted from the lighting device using a light distribution sensor that provides a sensor signal corresponding to a spectral light distribution of the detected light. The method further includes comparing the sensor signal to a predefined spectral light distribution and adjusting the electric power supplied to the respective light source by the ballast based on the comparison.

Methods, control devices, as well as lighting devices of the generic type are extensively known in the prior art such that a separate printed evidence is not required hereto. Lighting devices, the spectral distribution of the output light of which results as a superposition of source light with multiple different spectral light distributions of individually controllable light sources, get an increasingly more important significance in the area of the modern lighting technology. In order to be able to provide a desired predefined light distribution and spectral superposition light distribution, respectively, of the light output by the lighting device, the lighting device often includes at least two light sources, which emit source light with different spectral light distributions, which is superimposed by means of the optical unit, such that the lighting device outputs light with the superposition light distribution as superposition light. In that the individual light sources are controllable with respect to the intensity of the source light output by them, the spectral light distribution overall provided in the light by the lighting device as a spectral superposition light distribution can be adjusted at least in a predefined area. Among other things, this is used in lighting devices, the light sources of which are formed by light emitting diodes. However, the principle is not restricted to such light sources.
Problems can be seen in adjusting such lighting devices, in particular if they include multiple colored light sources of different color, for example red, green, blue, amber and optionally further, and optionally also comprise white light sources, for example warm white light sources (WW) and/or cold white light sources (CW), and dimming the control channels associated with the respective light sources such that the spectral superposition light distribution is output from the lighting device as a desired light distribution. Thus, spectral superposition light distributions are for example to be able to be generated such that a respective lighting device can output light at different color temperatures, can output light with a superposition light distribution, which can cause desired amplifying or compensating effects by means of the output light at lighted objects, and/or the like.
Moreover, it can be required that a lighting device satisfies predefined criteria, such as for example compliance with one or more industrial standards with respect to the spectral superposition light distribution, for example based on a Television Lighting Consistency Index (TLCI) standard, which for example serves as an evaluation standard for light and lighting in the field of the television and movie industry, or else standards for desired spectral light distributions for plant growth or optimum color reproduction in lighting of special objects. In particular, this can also be relevant to medical applications, because especially here color reproduction in particular in imaging methods is very important in diagnostics to improve the diagnosis, in particular to reduce a risk of false diagnoses. Moreover, this can also be relevant to industrial applications, in which both light amount and the spectral distribution of the light have to be qualitatively stable in a quality test, for example in a production. Errors in the produced goods can for example be recognized by color deviation. In order to avoid false messages, which can be erroneously triggered by varying light sources, a self-stabilizing light source can be extremely important to increase the productivity and/or to reduce a reject rate.
In practice, it has manifested that the light sources, which find use in lighting devices of the generic type, are subject to manufacturing variations, variations in the intended operation as well as also aging effects. For example, the spectral light distribution of a respective light source can be subject to scattering, from which particular requirements with respect to the control of this light source can result. Optionally, light sources are to be selected with respect to their spectral light distribution to be able to achieve a desired predefined superposition light distribution by the lighting device. Moreover, it can be provided that the powers supplied to the respective light sources have to be adapted to the source light output by the respective light sources with its spectral light distribution. This can vary from light source to light source such that practical threshold values for the supplied power can also deviate from values theoretically to be expected, for example according to a product specification or the like. Further, a light flux of the respective source light can change in different manner with increasing operating time and optionally depending on a preload of the respective light source. Thereby, the superposition light distribution of the light output by the lighting device can also correspondingly change in complex manner and in difficultly predictable manner. Accordingly, a once adjusted superposition light distribution will not remain constant with progressing operating time.

Controlling a lighting device having at least two electric light sources


A system including a data acquisition system and a processing system is provided. The data acquisition system is configured to capture a first reference frame that includes a first feature in a first imaging area on a substrate prior to a relative position between the data acquisition system and the substrate being adjusted by approximately a predetermined distance during a first time period, capture a first comparison frame that includes the first feature in a second imaging area on the substrate and a second reference frame that includes a second feature in the first imaging area on the substrate subsequent to the first time period, and capture a second comparison frame that includes the second feature in the second imaging area on the substrate subsequent to the relative position being adjusted by approximately the predetermined distance during a second time period that is subsequent to the first time period. The second imaging area is separated from the first imaging area by the predetermined distance. The processing system is configured to determine a displacement sum using a first displacement between the first feature in the first reference frame and the first feature in the first comparison frame and a second displacement between the second feature in the second reference frame and the second feature in the second comparison frame.

Displacement sensing over large distances may involve the summation of multiple measurements from multiple steps where each step represents a distance between two points. Since each measurement is typically a stochastic process, measurement errors tend to accumulate in a random walk fashion. Although the error from each step may be small, the individual errors may accumulate. As a result, the accumulated measurement errors may reach unacceptably high levels.
For example, assume that a displacement takes 10,000 measurements and that each measurement error accumulates. Assuming that the measurement error is random and the distribution of a large number of measurements will then follow a random walk distribution (i.e., a simple stochastic process where each measurement has an error with a random magnitude and direction), this displacement provides a final measurement error that is equal to the product of the individual measurement step error and the square root of the number of measurement steps, Nstep. Accordingly, the overall measurement error and the individual measurement errors, estep, may be expressed as standard deviations as shown in Equation I.σfinal=√{square root over (Nstep)}×estep=√{square root over (10,000)}×estep=100×estep  Equation I
It would be desirable to perform displacement sensing over large distances while minimizing the overall measurement error in a displacement.

Displacement determination system and method using separated imaging areas

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


In a watch having a timekeeping function and a function other than timekeeping, this having a radio-signal correction function which can only receive when in the usual timekeeping function, even if the power supply used is a secondary cell, with a limitation on receiving imposed by the mode, after the power supply voltage drops so that the watch stops, even if the power supply voltage is restored, so that receiving is performed automatically, there are modes in which receiving is not done, and the usefulness of the radio-signal correction function is lost.. An automatic receiving condition setting means is provided so that if the power supply voltage or generated amount drops so that the watch stops, after which the power supply or generated amount is restored, reception of a radio signal having a time code is automatically started by the above-noted means.

With advances in quartz watch technology, there has been great improvement in the timekeeping accuracy of watches. However, in striving to attain accurate timekeeping, it is necessary to impart external correction to a quartz watch at some interval.
A type of watch having a radio-signal correction function, a receiving function being added to the watch so as to use a radio or TV time broadcast as a means for correcting the time, has already been adopted for use as facilities watches and in VCRs. In addition, there are longwave standards signals which include time/calendar information in the form of a modulated time code, these being widely used in Europe.
By using this radio signal having a time code, it is not necessary, as it is with a radio-signal correction function watch which uses the information from a radio or TV broadcast, to set the time beforehand, so that even if the time on the watch is incorrect, after radio signal correction is completed, the correct time is accurately captured by the watch.
Thus, a watch having a receiving function which receives a radio signal having a time code not only keeps time accurately, but also does not require the setting of time, making it extremely easy to use.
As watches having a radio-signal correction function gained market acceptance, there has been a desire to have watches with such functions as a local time function, an alarm function, and a chronograph function, which previous multifunction watches had. Because of this desire, the applicant developed a watch with a radio-signal correction function such as set forth in the Japanese Patent Application No. 7-11650.
A previous watch with a radio-signal correction function is described below, with reference being made to relevant drawings.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a watch 200 with a radio-signal correction function having a local time function. In this block diagram, the reference numeral 1 denotes an oscillator circuit, which is an oscillation means, 2 is a frequency division circuit which divides the oscillation signal S1 that is output from the oscillator circuit 1, this frequency division circuit thereby generating the frequency-divided signal S2 which is required for the timekeeping of hour/minutes and seconds, and the frequency-divided signal S3 which is required for drive of the minute hand every minute and drive of the second hand every second.
The frequency division circuit 2 has a reset function, and when the reset signal S28 is high, it goes into the reset condition, the minute dividing operation being thereby stopped. The reference numeral 31 denotes a hour/minute drive pulse generating circuit which generates an hour/minute drive pulse S4 from the frequency-divided signal S3 and which, when a non-coincidence signal S5 from an hour/minute position determining circuit is at the high level, continuously outputs the hour/minute drive pulse S4. 32 is an hour/minute counter which performs timekeeping of hours and minutes by counting the frequency-divided signal S2, which can count up by one minute at the rising edge of an hour/minute correction signal S21 from a correction contents selecting means 11 to be described later, and which also corrects the time data in accordance with a time data signal S32 from a time code generating circuit 143.
The hour/minute counter 32 outputs an hour/minute count data signal S6 as time data, and when the time data reaches a priorly established time, this hour/minute counter 32 outputs a scheduled receiving operation signal S23 in high level.
After a certain amount of time has elapsed, or when the time data signal S23 is input, the receiving operation signal S23 is made low level. The reference numeral 33 denotes a time-difference counter, which generates time-difference data using as a reference the time data from the counting data signal S6 of the hour/minute counter 32 and outputs a local time counting data signal S7.
The time-difference data of the time-difference counter 33 is counted up by 1 hour in accordance with the rising edge of a time-difference correction establishing signal S22 from the correction content selecting means 11, which will be described later. The reference numeral 134 denotes an hour/minute hand position determining circuit, which has within it a hand position counter that is linked to the hour/minute hand 36.
When a home time display signal S15 from a switch means 7 to be described later is at the high level, this hour/minute hand position determining circuit 134 makes a coincidence comparison between the hour/minute count data S6 from the hour/minute counter 32 and an internal hand position counter, and if there is non-coincidence between the two, it outputs a non-coincidence signal S5 as a high level.
When the local time display signal S16 from the switch means 7 to be described later is at a high level, the hour/minute hand position determining circuit 134 performs a coincidence comparison between the time-difference count data signal S7 from the time-difference counter 33 and the internal hand position counter, and if there is non-coincidence, it outputs the non-coincidence signal S5 as a high level.
Additionally, when the reference hand position display signal S17 from the switch means 7 is at a high level, the hour/minute hand position determining circuit 134 performs a coincidence comparison between the reference hand position data signal (not shown in the drawing) and the internal hand position counter, and if there is non-coincidence, it outputs the non-coincidence signal S5 as a high level.
The hour/minute drive pulse generating circuit 31, the hour/minute counter 32, the time-difference counter 33, and the hour/minute hand position determining circuit 134 make up the timekeeping means 103. The reference numeral 35 denotes an hour/minute motor which is driven in accordance with the hour/minute drive pulse S4 from the hour/minute drive pulse generating circuit 31, this motor driving the hour/minute hand 36. The hour/minute motor 35 and hour/minute hand 36 make up the display means 4.
The reference numeral 51 is a second drive pulse generating circuit which generates a second pulse drive pulse S11 from the frequency-divided signal S3, and which, when the non-coincidence signal S13 from the second hand position determining circuit is at high level, continuously outputs the second pulse drive pulse S11.
52 is a second counter which performs timekeeping each second by counting the frequency-divided signal S2, and which also clears the time data to zero in accordance with the time data signal S32 from a time code generating circuit 143. The second counter 52 outputs time data as a second count data signal S12.
The reference numeral 153 is a second hand position determining circuit which has an internal second hand position counter (not shown in the drawing) that is linked to the second hand 55.
When the receiving enable signal S42 from the receiving enabling means 12 is at a low level, the second hand position determining circuit 153 performs a coincidence comparison between the second count data S12 from the second counter 52 and the hand position counter, and if there is non-coincidence, it outputs the non-coincidence signal S13 at a high level.
If the receiving enable signal S42 is at a high level, the second hand position determining circuit 153 performs a coincidence comparison between the receiving condition indication position data signal (not shown in the drawing) and the hand position counter, and if there is non-coincidence it outputs the non-coincidence signal S13 at a high level.
Additionally, when the reference hand position display signal S17 from the switch means 7 is at a high level, the second hand position determining circuit 153 performs a coincidence comparison between the second hand reference position data signal (not shown in the drawing) and the hand position counter, and if there is non-coincidence, it outputs the non-coincidence signal S13 at a high level.
The second drive pulse generating circuit 51, the second counter 52, and the second hand position determining circuit 153 make up the timekeeping means 105. The reference numeral 54 denotes a second motor which is driven by a second drive pulse S11 from the second drive pulse generating circuit 51, this motor driving the second hand 55.
The reference numeral 7 is a switch means which is made up of the switches 71a, 72a, and 73a, one of which when in the ON condition is connected to the VDD level (high level), the switches 74a and 75a which are connected to the VDD level (high level) when in the ON condition, and the pull-down resistors 71b, 72b, 73b, 74b, and 75b which are connected to the VSS level (low level).
71a is a home time display switch (hereinafter referred to as the HT switch) which in the ON condition make the home time display signal S15 a high level (VDD level), and which in the OFF condition makes the home time display signal S15 a low level (VSS level), via the pull-down resistor 71b.
72a is a local time display switch (hereinafter referred to as the LT switch) which in the ON condition makes the local time display signal S16 a high level (VDD level), and which in the OFF condition makes the local time display signal S16 at a low level (VSS level), via the pull-down resistor 72b.
73a is a reference hand position display switch (hereinafter referred to as the KT switch) which in the ON condition makes the reference hand position display signal S17 a high level (VDD level) and which in the OFF condition makes the reference hand position display signal S17 a low level (VSS level), via the pull-down resistor 73b.
71a, 72a, and 73a form the rotary switch 71. 74a is a correction status setting switch (hereinafter referred to as the SJ switch) which in the ON condition makes the correction selection signal S18 a high level (VDD level) and which in the OFF condition makes the correction selection signal S18 a low level (VSS level) via the pull-down resistor 74b.
75a is a correction switch which in the ON condition makes the correction signal S19 a high level (VDD level) and which in the OFF condition makes the correction signal a low level (VSS level), via the pull-down resistor 75b.
The reference numeral 11a denotes an AND gate which, when the correction selection signal S18 from the SJ switch 74a is a high level, outputs the correction signal S19 from the correction switch 75a as the correction signal S20. 11b is an AND gate which, when the home time display signal S15 from the HT switch 71a is a high level, outputs the correction signal S20 from the AND gate 11a as the hour/minute correction signal S21.
11c is an AND gate which, when the local time display signal S16 from the LT switch 72a is a high level, outputs the correction signal S20 at the time-difference correction signal S22. The AND gates 11a, 11b, and 11c form the correction contents selection means 11.
The reference numeral 12 is an AND gate which is a receiving enable means, and when the home time display signal S15 from the HT switch 71a is a high level, this AND gate outputs the scheduled receiving operation signal S23 from the hour/minute counter 32 as the receiving enable signal S42. 41 is an antenna which receives a radio signal having a time code, this generating a radio signal S30.
42 is a receiving circuit which demodulates the radio signal S30, thereby generating the demodulated signal S31. 143 is a time code generating circuit which generates a time code from the demodulated signal S31, and which supplies the time data signal S32 to the hour/minute counter 32 and second counter 52 at the timing of the beginning of a minute. The antenna 41, the receiving circuit 42, and the time code generating circuit 143 form the time code receiving means 113, this time code receiving means operating when the receiving enable signal S42 from the receiving enabling means 12 is a high level.
The operation of a watch 200 with a radio-signal correction function configured as described above will be described with reference to FIG. 4 and FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is an outer view of a watch of the past which had a radio-signal correction function. When the HT switch is in the ON condition, because the home time display signal S15 is at a high level, the hour/minute hand position determining circuit 134 performs a coincidence comparison between the hour/minute count data signal S6 from the hour/minute counter 32 and the internal hand position counter.
For example, if the frequency-divided signal S2, which is a pulse of every second, is counted for 20 seconds and the hour/minute counter 32 advances the hour/minute data by 1, because there is non-coincidence between the hour/minute count data S6 of the hour/minute counter 32 and the hand position counter, the hour/minute hand position determining circuit 134 outputs the non-coincidence signal S5 at a high level.
Therefore, the hour/minute drive pulse generating circuit 31 outputs the hour/minute drive pulse S4. The hour/minute drive pulse S4 drives the hour/minute motor 35 of the display means 4 by one pulse, and the hour/minute hand position determining circuit 134 increments the hand position counter by 1 count, thereby causing coincidence with the hour/minute count data S6, so that the non-coincidence signal S5 is changed to a low level, thereby prohibiting the next hour/minute drive pulse S4 from the hour/minute drive pulse generating circuit 31.
Therefor the hour/minute hand 36 is moved by one step, which is 1/3 of 1 minute, to display the home time. In the same manner, the second hand 55 is moved one step for each second by the second hand position determining circuit 153.
Next, if the user operates the rotary switch 71 which is shown FIG. 4 so that the LT switch 72a is placed in the ON condition, because the local time signal S16 changes to a high level, the hour/minute hand position determining circuit 134 performs a coincidence comparison between the time-difference count data S7 from the time-difference counter 33 and the hand position counter.
The time-difference counter 33 generates time-difference data based on the time data of the hour/minute count data S7 from the hour/minute counter 33 and outputs the local time count data signal S7, and the hour/minute hand position determining circuit 134 outputs the non-coincidence signal S5 as a high level until this local time count data signal S7 coincides with the internal hand position counter. Therefore, the hour/minute drive pulse generating circuit 31 outputs the hour/minute drive pulse S4, thus the motor 35 moves the hour/minute hand 36 to display the local time. When this is done, the second display means 6 operates in the same manner as in the case of home time.
If the user operates the rotary switch 71 so that the KT switch 73a is in the ON condition, because the reference hand position display signal S17 changes to the high level, the hour/minute hand position determining circuit 134 performs a coincidence comparison between the reference hand position data signal and the hand position counter, and outputs the non-coincidence signal S5 at a high level until these coincide.
Therefore, the hour/minute drive pulse generating circuit 31 outputs the hour/minute drive pulse S4, and the hour/minute motor 35 moves the hour/minute hand 36 so as to display the reference hand position. The second hand position determining circuit 153 operates in the same manner, resulting in the second hand 55 displaying the reference hand position.
The second position counter of the reference hand position is at zero, the hand being moved to the reference hand position. In the reference hand position display condition, in addition to verification of whether or not the hand position is correct, because there is no hand movement done, there is little battery consumption, this being effective when storing for long periods of time.
In a watch 200 of the past, when the time reaches a time to which the hour/minute counter is priorly set (for example, 3 AM), the scheduled receiving operation signal S23 is output at a high level. If the HT switch 71a is in the ON condition so that the home time display signal S15 is at a high level, the AND gate 12, which is the receiving enabling means, outputs the scheduled receiving operation signal S23 as the receiving enabling signal S42, thereby placing the time code receiving means 113 in the operating condition.
The time code generating circuit 143 generates a time code from the demodulated signal S31 output from the receiving circuit 42, and when this is completed outputs the time data signal S32 at the timing of the beginning of a minute.
The time data signal S32 corrects the time data of the hour/minute counter 32, and the hour/minute hand 36 of the display means 4 indicates the corrected time data, the second count data of the second hand 52 being cleared to zero, the second hand 55 of the display means 6 being returned to zero. In this manner the watch 200 receives a radio signal with a time code and performs radio signal correction of the time.
When the hour/minute counter 32 reaches 3 AM, the scheduled receiving operation signal S23 is output at high level, and even if in the home time display condition the receiving enabling signal S42 changes to the high level, so that the time code receiving means 113 is place in the operating condition, if the watch 200 with a radio-signal correction function is in a local in which reception of a radio signal having a time code is not possible, it is not possible for the time code generating circuit 43 to output the time-keeping data signal S32, so that when a pre-established amount of time has elapsed (for example 5 minutes), the hour/minute counter 32 returns the scheduled receiving operation signal S23 to the low level, thereby placing the time code receiving means 113 into the non-operating condition, so as to terminate reception.
If at this point rather than the HT switch 71a, either the LT switch 72a or the KT switch 73a is in the ON condition, if the home time display signal S15 is at the low level or the reference hand position display condition is in effect, the AND gate 12, which is the receiving enabling means, outputs the receiving enabling signal S42 at the low level, regardless of the scheduled receiving operation signal S23 from the hour/minute counter 32, thereby prohibiting the operation of the time code receiving means 113. That is, receiving operation is prohibited except when in the home time display condition.
A radio-signal corrected watch 200 of past is used in the home display condition, and when it is possible to receive a radio signal having a time code, keeps extremely accurate time, without the need to set the time. By using the local time display condition, it is possible to use such a watch in areas outside the local time area, such as in an overseas area.
When doing this, the local time is displayed by adding time-difference data to the local time in 1-hour units. With regard to this time-difference data, when the SJ switch 74a of the switch means 7 is in the ON condition so that the correction selection signal S18 is at the high level, if the correction switch 75a is place in the ON condition the correction signal S19 become high level, and the AND gate 11a outputs the correction signal S20 at a high level.
Because the home time display signal S15 is at a low level, the output of the AND gate 11b does not change. However, because the local time display signal S16 from the LT switch 72a of the AND gate 11c is at the high level, the AND gate 11c outputs the correction signal S20 as the time-difference correction signal S22. Therefore, each time the correction switch 75a is placed in the ON condition, the time-difference counter 33 counts up by 1 hour on the rising edge of the time-difference correction signal S22. Thus, in the local time display condition, the hour/minute hand 36 is displayed by adding the time difference to the home time.
A radio signal corrected watch 200 such as described above receives a radio signal having a time code and can not only keep time accurately but also does not require the setting of time, making it extremely easy to use.
This radio signal corrected watch 200 performs receiving operation only when the normally used home time display condition is in effect, and in areas in which a radio signal having a time code does not reach an in overseas areas or the area, even in the home time area, to which no radio signal can be reached, can be used in the local time display condition, with operation of the time code receiving means 113, which has a large operating power consumption, being prevented. Even during long periods of storage and when in the reference hand position display condition for verification of the reference hand position, receiving operation is prohibited, so as to conserve consumption current.
In recent years, environmental issues have been given great importance, and there have been advances made in the adoption of such clean energy policies such as eliminating the replacement and disposal of batteries which are used as electrical power generating means in watches as well, so that such clean energy measures are required in radio signal corrected watches as well.
Practical application of clean energy has been made in the form of mechanical electrical generation and solar cells as electrical generating circuits, these being uses as electrical generating means to charge a charged element such as a secondary cell. If it is not charged for a long period of time, a secondary cell exhibits a voltage drop, so that the watch's functions stop.
Therefore, after topping it is necessary to once again perform electrical generation to charge the cell to a voltage that enables operation of the watch's functions. When doing this, although the watch's functions start, the time information before the watch stopped is lost, so that by imparting an electrical power generating means, it is possible by performing receiving operation to correct the time data after the watch is returned to a voltage enabling operation after being stopped.
However, in radio signal corrected watches in the past, which were multifunctional and had a multiplicity of display conditions, the display condition which enables receiving was limited the home time display condition. The present invention has as an object the elimination of the need for the user to set the time after restoration to a voltage that enables operation after the watch was stopped, regardless of the display condition.

Watch with radio-signal correction function


An improved method and system for providing context-sensitive help and interactive search capability in an insurance claims processing system. A help information database may include one or more index tables, one or more header tables and one or more text tables. In one embodiment, the context-sensitive help for a step in processing an insurance claim may be automatically invoked when entering the step. Alternatively, the user may interactively invoke context-sensitive help once the step is displayed. The insurance claims processing system may search one or more index tables for entries including a page ID and/or codes from one or more elements of the page. The insurance claims processing system may locate one or more entries in the one or more index tables and then locate entries in the one or more help tables using information from the entries located in the one or more index tables. The insurance claims processing system may then display information from the located help table entries in order of relevance. A search interface may also be provided by the insurance claims processing system. A user may enter one or more terms to be searched for in the help database. The insurance claims processing system may then search for and locate one or more entries in the one or more index tables that include at least one of the one or more terms. The located entries in the index table may then be used to locate help entries in the one or more help tables that include at least one of the one or more terms. The insurance claims processing system may then display information from the located help table entries in order of relevance.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to the field of insurance claims. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system and method for providing context-sensitive help and an interactive search mechanism at the various processing steps of an insurance claims processing system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Insurance companies have been processing and settling claims associated with bodily injury for a long time. The task of evaluating, analyzing or estimating the amount of damage associated with one or more types of bodily injuries, especially trauma-induced bodily injuries, can be very complex. Complexity in the evaluation process often arises out of the fact that concurrent expertise in legal, medical and insurance fields is often required to arrive at a particular decision involving a bodily injury claim.
Several factors can affect the estimated amount of the claim associated with a bodily injury. Every accident is different and every injury is unique. Arriving at a customized evaluation of a bodily injury claim, which is unique for a specific accident, injury, etc. is desirable. Applying across-the-board standards may tend to result in an inequitable solution for one or more parties involved. External environmental factors, such as the experience level of a claims adjuster, record of accomplishment of the legal professionals, post-injury quality of life for the injured party, etc., all can affect the valuation of a claim.
During the past several years, many insurance companies have been using computer-based and knowledge-based claim-processing systems to process, evaluate, analyze and estimate thousands of claims in a fair and consistent manner. A knowledge-based claim-processing system includes an expert system which utilizes and builds a knowledge base to assist the user in decision making. It may allow the insurance companies to define new rules and/or use previously defined rules, in real-time. The business rules are generally written by industry experts to evaluate legal, medical, insurance conditions before arriving at a valuation of a claim.
In knowledge-based systems, to estimate a claim for bodily injury, the user may enter inputs on a display screen and step through a series of displays or screens to complete the data input process. The knowledge-based claim processing system may then utilize the user-provided inputs to generate a claim report.
The complexity of analyzing or estimating the amount of damage associated with one or more types of bodily injuries may create difficulties to a user of the knowledge-based systems. Help information in the form of documents such as manuals and guidebooks may be provided by the knowledge-based systems to help the user in completing the data input process. The help information may be provided in printed form or, in some systems, in electronic form. The volume and complexity of the supplied help information may make it difficult for the user to locate a portion or portions of the information pertinent to a current step or screen that the user is working on in the data input process.
It may therefore be desirable to develop an electronic, on-line help system to provide context-sensitive help for the current step or screen that the user is working on in a knowledge-computer based system. It may also be desirable to provide a method for the user to interactively search the on-line help system for one or more terms relevant to the processing of a current claim. It may be desirable to display the context-sensitive help or occurrences of search terms to a portion of the display screen for the current step. It may also be desirable to provide an interface to the user to allow the user to interactively hide and/or show portions of the display screen containing context-sensitive help or search information.

Graphical user interface with a hide/show feature for a reference system in an insurance claims processing system


A manufacturing method of an oscillator is a manufacturing method of an oscillator which includes a vibrator and a semiconductor circuit device including an oscillation part connected to the vibrator and a control part to switch an operation mode between a normal mode in which the oscillation part performs an oscillation operation and an inspection mode in which characteristics of the vibrator are inspected, and the manufacturing method includes preparing the semiconductor circuit device in which the operation mode is set to the inspection mode, connecting the semiconductor circuit device and the vibrator electrically, and inspecting the characteristics of the vibrator which is in a state electrically connected to the semiconductor circuit device.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a manufacturing method of an oscillator, a manufacturing method of a circuit device and the circuit device.
2. Related Art
An oscillator using a vibrator (piezoelectric vibrator), such as a crystal vibrator or a MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) vibrator, is developed. Since there are manufacture variations in characteristics of the vibrator, the characteristics of the vibrator are required to be inspected by performing overdrive inspection, drive level characteristic inspection or the like.
JP-A-2001-7648 (Patent Literature 1) discloses a piezoelectric oscillator in which after a crystal vibrator and an oscillation circuit are mounted in the same container, the level characteristic inspection of the crystal vibrator can be performed.
In the piezoelectric oscillator disclosed in Patent Literature 1, the characteristics of the vibrator are required to be inspected after the oscillator is assembled and after the oscillation circuit is changed into an inspection mode. Thus, there is a problem that the time and the number of steps required for the inspection are increased. Besides, there is a problem that an equipment for changing the oscillation circuit into the inspection mode is also required.

Manufacturing method of oscillator, manufacturing method of circuit device and the circuit device


A tool for drilling and/or chiselling has an axially extending guide tube (9) with at least one radially extending air passage (10) and a control body for selectively closing the air passage. The control body has the stop (30) interacting with a first stop shoulder (18) on a driving anvil (17). The control body can be displaced relative to the guide tube (9) opposite to the working direction of the tool against the biasing action of a spring (12) supported on a connecting sleeve (13) of the control body. The driving anvil (17) has a second stop shoulder (19) facing opposite to the working direction and interacting with a stop surface (20) facing in the working direction. The stop surface (20) is secured axially with the guide tube (9).

The present invention is directed to a drilling and/or chiseling tool including a housing with an axially extending guide tube projecting out of the housing in a working direction of the tool. A striking mechanism is mounted in the guide tube and includes a first piston reciprocating in the guide tube with a free second piston located ahead of the first piston toward a leading end of the guide tube with the two pistons arranged to form an air cushion between them. A driving anvil is located within the guide tube ahead of the second piston and arranged to be driven by the second piston as the first piston is reciprocated and the second piston is correspondingly reciprocated via the air cushion. The guide tube has at least one air passage extending radially therethrough located in the range between the first and second pistons. A control body displaceable in the working direction is arranged to selectively close the air passage. The control body includes a first stop for contacting a first stop shoulder on the driving anvil and the first stop is displaceable opposite to the working direction against the biasing action of a spring.
German patent 26 41 070 discloses a drilling and/or chiseling tool with a guide tube, a piston in a striking mechanism and a second piston arranged axially movable in the guide tube. Between the two pistons, the guide tube has a radially extending air passage which can be closed by a control body and the control body can be displaced axially relative to the guide tube.
When the air passage is open, the interior of the guide tube is ventilated whereby pressure cannot be developed by the piston of the striking mechanism which is necessary for the axial displacement of the other piston in the working direction. When the air passage is closed by the control body, a pressure can be developed within the guide tube between the two pistons. A stop on the control body, formed as a base, interacts with a first stop shoulder of a driving anvil arranged co-axially in the guide tube so that it can be driven axially.
Before a receiving material is worked by the tool and before the tool is started, a drilling or chiseling bit inserted in the tool chuck is pressed against the receiving material with great force. At the same time, the drilling or chiseling tool, as well as the driving anvil, is guided and the control body interacting with the driving anvil is shifted relative to the tool housing opposite to the working direction so that the control body, after closing the air passages, is located against a stop edge of the tool housing facing in the working direction.
When the tool is lifted from the receiving material after a working operation has been completed, the air passage should be released or opened as quickly as possible so that the striking mechanism piston no longer develops a pressure and cannot reciprocate the other piston, the driving anvil, and the drilling or chiseling bit in the working direction. A rapid release of the air passage is obtained due to the fact that the control body is displaced as rapidly as possible in the working direction into its starting position.
Since the total contacting force is transferred by the control body to the housing, the control body must be constructed very solidly and have a very high strength and, accordingly, a high weight. Rapid shifting of such a solidly formed control body in the working direction is effected by a strong spring, also of a heavy construction, supported at the housing of the tool counter to the working direction and interacting with the control body. The high weight of the spring and control body have a negative effect on the total weight of the tool. Due to its high total weight, the tool is difficult to anvil and the operator tires rapidly.


The invention includes deposition methods and apparatuses which can be utilized during atomic layer deposition or chemical vapor deposition. A heated surface is provided between a stack of semiconductor substrates and a precursor inlet, and configured so that problematic side reactions occur proximate the heated surface rather than proximate the semiconductor substrates. The precursor inlet can be one of a plurality of precursor inlets, and the heated surface can be one of a plurality of heated surfaces.

Some background on ALD and CVD may assist the reader in understanding the present disclosure. ALD is generally considered to include processes in which precursors alternately react at an exposed surface in a self-limiting manner with no direct interaction except for the exposed surface. CVD is generally considered to include processes in which one or more precursors react above a surface to form a material that ultimately deposits over the surface in a continuous deposition or not self-limiting manner. However, the distinction between ALD and CVD processes often blurs in actual applications so that processes that primarily proceed by ALD may still have some CVD-type contribution.
Typically, ALD includes exposing an initial substrate to a first chemical species to accomplish chemisorption of the species onto the substrate. Theoretically, the chemisorption forms a monolayer that is uniformly one atom or molecule thick on the entire exposed initial substrate. In other words, a saturated monolayer. Practically, as further described below, chemisorption might not occur on all portions of the substrate. Nevertheless, such an imperfect monolayer is still a monolayer in the context of this document. In many applications, merely a substantially saturated monolayer may be suitable. A substantially saturated monolayer is one that will still yield a deposited layer exhibiting the quality and/or properties desired for such layer.
The first species is purged from over the substrate and a second chemical species is provided to chemisorb onto the first monolayer of the first species. The second species is then purged and the steps are repeated with exposure of the second species monolayer to the first species. In some cases, the two monolayers may be of the same species. Also, a third species or more may be successively chemisorbed and purged just as described for the first and second species. It is noted that one or more of the first, second and third species can be mixed with inert gas to speed up pressure saturation within a reaction chamber.
Purging may involve a variety of techniques including, but not limited to, contacting the substrate and/or monolayer with a carrier gas and/or lowering pressure to below the deposition pressure to reduce the concentration of a species contacting the substrate and/or chemisorbed species. Examples of carrier gases include N2, Ar, He, Ne, Kr, Xe, etc. Purging may instead include contacting the substrate and/or monolayer with any substance that allows chemisorption byproducts to desorb and reduces the concentration of a species preparatory to introducing another species. A suitable amount of purging can be determined experimentally as known to those skilled in the art. Purging time may be successively reduced to a purge time that yields an increase in film growth rate. The increase in film growth rate might be an indication of a change to a non-ALD process regime and may be used to establish a purge time limit.
ALD is often described as a self-limiting process, in that a finite number of sites exist on a substrate to which the first species may form chemical bonds. The second species might only bond to the first species and thus may also be self-limiting. Once all of the finite number of sites on a substrate are bonded with a first species, the first species will often not bond to other of the first species already bonded with the substrate. However, process conditions can be varied in ALD to promote such bonding and render ALD not self-limiting. Accordingly, ALD may also encompass a species forming other than one monolayer at a time by stacking of a species, forming a layer more than one atom or molecule thick. The various aspects of the present invention described herein are applicable to any circumstance where ALD may be desired. It is further noted that local chemical reactions can occur during ALD (for instance, an incoming reactant molecule can displace a molecule from an existing surface rather than forming a monolayer over the surface). To the extent that such chemical reactions occur, they are generally confined within the uppermost monolayer of a surface.
Traditional ALD can occur within frequently-used ranges of temperature and pressure and according to established purging criteria to achieve the desired formation of an overall ALD layer one monolayer at a time. Even so, ALD conditions can vary greatly depending on the particular precursors, layer composition, deposition equipment, and other factors according to criteria known by those skilled in the art. Maintaining the traditional conditions of temperature, pressure, and purging minimizes unwanted reactions that may impact monolayer formation and quality of the resulting overall ALD layer. Accordingly, operating outside the traditional temperature and pressure ranges may risk formation of defective monolayers.
The general technology of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) includes a variety of more specific processes, including, but not limited to, plasma enhanced CVD and others. CVD is commonly used to form non-selectively a complete, deposited material on a substrate. One characteristic of CVD is the simultaneous presence of multiple species in the deposition chamber that react to form the deposited material. Such condition is contrasted with the purging criteria for traditional ALD wherein a substrate is contacted with a single deposition species that chemisorbs to a substrate or previously deposited species. An ALD process regime may provide a simultaneously contacted plurality of species of a type or under conditions such that ALD chemisorption, rather than CVD reaction occurs. Instead of reacting together, the species may chemisorb to a substrate or previously deposited species, providing a surface onto which subsequent species may next chemisorb to form a complete layer of desired material.
Deposition methods, such as atomic layer deposition (ALD) and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) methods, are commonly utilized to form material during semiconductor device fabrication. The deposition methods can be conducted to process a single semiconductor wafer at a time, or to process multiple semiconductor wafer at one time. It can be desired to process batch of multiple semiconductor wafer in order to increase throughput of a fabrication process, however, such can also lead to difficulties in forming uniform thicknesses of material across the semiconductor wafer.
FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate an exemplary deposition apparatus 10 which can be utilized for either an ALD process or a CVD process. Although FIGS. 1 and 2 are illustrating the same apparatus, the method of illustration is different so that the apparatus is shown in a more generalized manner in FIG. 2 than in FIG. 1. For instance, FIG. 1 shows that the apparatus comprises a cylindrical shape with a liner 17 contained within an outer wall 15; whereas FIG. 2 does not provide specific detail about the shape of the apparatus or the presence of the liner. Although FIG. 1 has more detail than FIG. 2, it is to be understood that FIG. 1 is still a generalized diagram and that other features can be included in addition to those shown in FIG. 1. For instance, heating coils can be included in the apparatus.
The apparatus 10 comprises a reaction chamber 12 having a plurality of semiconductor wafer substrates 14, 16, 18, 20 and 22 retained therein. Such substrates would be retained within a substrate support structure which is not shown in the diagrammatic views of FIGS. 1 and 2.
An inlet 24 and outlet 28 extend into the chamber 12. In operation, precursor is flowed into the reaction chamber through the inlet, and substances (for instance, reaction by-products, unreacted precursor, etc.) are exhausted out of the reaction chamber through the outlet. The precursor can be considered to flow in a stream 30 (such stream can also be referred to as a bulk flow of the precursor). Valves (not shown) can be provided to control flow of matter into and out of the reaction chamber. Also, there can be various pumps and other fluid-flow control devices (not shown) associated with apparatus 10 for assisting in flowing matter into and out of the reaction chamber.
In the exemplary apparatus of FIGS. 1 and 2, precursor flow into the chamber is directed upwardly through the chamber along lateral edges of the substrates 14, 16, 18, 20 and 22. The precursor then diffuses between the substrates (with such diffusion being diagrammatically illustrated as flow of stream 30 over and between the substrates in FIG. 2) and forms material (not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) ultimately deposited over surfaces of the substrates 14, 16, 18, 20 and 22.
In CVD processes, it can be desired that a rate of reaction of precursor to form deposited material be relatively slow so that the material is relatively evenly distributed across surfaces of substrates 14, 16, 18, 20 and 22 as the precursor mixture diffuses over and between the substrates. In other words, it can be desired that a rate of reaction of precursor to form deposited material be optimal for the diffusion rate of the precursor over and between the semiconductor wafer substrates. If the rate of reaction is too fast, deposited material will build up much faster at the edges of the substrates than at central locations of the substrates.
Due to the desire to have relatively slow formation of deposited material, relatively slow reacting precursors will typically be utilized in batch CVD processes. As an example, a silicon nitride deposit can be formed utilizing dichlorosilane and ammonia as precursors, or can be formed utilizing silane and ammonia as precursors. If a single wafer is treated by a CVD process, it will frequently be silane and ammonia utilized as precursors, in that such are the fast-reacting precursors and accordingly utilization of such precursors can increase throughput. Alternatively, if a batch CVD process is utilized it will typically be dichlorosilane and ammonia utilized as precursors in order to enable a more uniform coating to be deposited across the multiple substrates of the batch than could be achieved with the faster reacting precursors.
Even if relatively slow reacting precursors are utilized, there can be problems with the uniformity of deposition achieved across a semiconductor wafer substrate surface during a batch CVD process. For instance, FIG. 3 shows the semiconductor wafer substrate 20 after a coating (in other words, deposited material) 50 has been formed across an upper surface of the substrate. The substrate 20 can be considered to comprise a central region 21, and an edge region 23 surrounding the central region. Dashed lines 25 are illustrated in FIG. 3 to diagrammatically represent boundaries between the central region 21 and the edge region 23. The coating 50 is shown to be formed significantly thicker in the edge region than in the central region. Such non-uniformity of deposition of coating 50 can significantly complicate further processing.
FIGS. 4-7 describe a prior art method which has been developed to address the problem illustrated in FIG. 3. Referring initially to FIG. 4, such shows an assembly 63 comprising a semiconductor wafer substrate 60 at a preliminary processing stage. As will be known to persons of ordinary skill in the art, a semiconductor wafer substrate can comprise any of numerous semiconductor materials, and frequently will comprise, consist essentially of, or consist of silicon. To aid in interpretation of the claims that follow, the terms "semiconductive substrate" and "semiconductor substrate" are defined to mean any construction comprising semiconductive material, including, but not limited to, bulk semiconductive materials such as a semiconductive wafer (either alone or in assemblies comprising other materials thereon), and semiconductive material layers (either alone or in assemblies comprising other materials). The term "substrate" refers to any supporting structure, including, but not limited to, the semiconductive substrates described above.
The substrate 60 of assembly 63 is retained by support pins 61 joined to rails 59. The assembly 63 also includes a boat 62 (which can also be referred to as a ringboat) forming a physical extension proximate the substrate, and supported by the pins 61. The boat 62 will commonly comprise, consist essentially of, or consist of quartz. The boat 62 and substrate 60 can be considered to form a sub-assembly 58, which is shown in top view in FIG. 5.
A gap 65 is shown between the substrate 60 and boat 62 in the views of FIGS. 4 and 5 to assist the reader in distinguishing the boat from the substrate. In practice the boat can be provided very close to the substrate, or even in contact with an edge of substrate.
The top view of FIG. 5 shows that the semiconductor wafer substrate 60 can comprise a circular configuration, and that the boat 62 can be an annular ring provided around the substrate.
FIG. 6 shows the construction 58 after it has been subjected to a batch CVD process of the type described with reference to FIG. 3. Such has formed the deposit 50 across an upper surface of substrate 60, and across an upper surface of boat 62.
Referring next to FIG. 7, the boat 62 (FIG. 6) can be removed to leave the substrate having a relatively uniform layer of the deposit 50 thereon.
A problem with the processing of FIGS. 4-7 is that the boat is an added expense and has a limited lifetime.
Problems similar to those discussed above with reference to FIG. 3 occur in ALD processes. In theory, if processes were truly entirely ALD such problems should not occur in that deposition occurring during ALD should be self-limiting. Accordingly, deposits should form as a single monolayer across a substrate surface, and there should not be problems with build-up of deposit at edges of the substrate. However, ALD processes frequently have a CVD-type component, and such component can lead to the problematic edge build-up comparable to the build-up discussed above with reference to FIG. 3 for a CVD process.
Although the problems of FIG. 3 are discussed relative to batch processes, it is to be understood that similar problems can also occur in single wafer processes.
The problem of FIG. 3 is but one of several problems that can occur during utilization of a deposition apparatus, such as the exemplary apparatus of FIGS. 1 and 2. Another problem that can occur is that precursor can become depleted within the flow 30 as the flow migrates through the reaction chamber of the apparatus.
It would be desirable to develop methods and apparatuses which can alleviate, and preferably prevent, the edge build-up problems discussed above with reference to FIG. 3 for CVD and ALD processes. It would be further desirable to develop methods and apparatuses which can address some of the other problems associated with deposition processes, such as, for example, the problem of precursor depletion that can occur in batch processes.


A lounge chair cover which can be rolled up and fastened so as to be carried like a duffel bag, the cover including a panel to cover the top of the chair back, seat, and leg rest portions, having a hood pocket into which the top of the back portion of the chair fits, a pocket member hanging from the top which can serve as an attached pillow cover; a lateral back strap to stretch the cover taut across the back portion, and spaced strap members on the lower leg portion releasably connected together, preferably by hook and loop fasteners, longitudinal strap members along the lateral edges of the lower part of the main panel to fasten the panel smoothly and tautly to the leg rest portion of the chair; a pair of side pockets hanging downwardly from opposite sides of the seat portion of the cover, a pair of strap handles and cross reinforcing straps, and a strap closure member to hold the cover in a rolled form of a duffel bag with all pockets and their contents inside the roll.

Beach chairs or lounge chairs are favorite pieces of furniture which are used by those resting on the beach or around a pool, or any other place where one can acquire a sun tan during leisure time. Usually the person reclining on the lounge chair wants a towel to cover the chair in order to provide a more comfortable environment in which to relax, avoiding the tacky feeling of plastic and the more harsh feeling of wood, and to absorb any perspiration or dripping water. Loose towels, however, become easily disarranged in use and by gravity or by the wind, or can become dirty by falling off the chair. Accordingly, dedicated sun tan enthusiasts have demanded some way to attach the towel to the chair. Clips have been used and more recently there have been offered fitted covers which can be attached to or removed from the lounge chair easily and quickly, and therefore can be carried with the person and taken home for washing. Such covers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,536,028; 4,553,785; 4,671,568; and 4,725,094; and Des. 271,266 and Des. 286,486. While each of these patents show useful and pleasing chair covers, they do not meet all the requirements of a discerning user. The chair cover of the present invention is believed to be such an article of manufacture.
It is an object of this invention to provide an improved lounge chair cover. It is another object of this invention to provide an improved lounge chair cover that can be folded and rolled into a convenient shape for carrying as a duffel bag with associated articles inside the bag. Still other objects will become apparent from the more detailed description which follows.


Disclosed are a method for manufacturing a photo mask and a photo mask manufactured with the method. The method includes (1) providing a partially finished photo mask, which has effective open areas and ineffective areas located around the effective open areas and (2) applying a half-etching process to form recesses in the ineffective areas. With the recesses formed through a half-etching process in the ineffective areas located around the effective open areas, a mass difference between the effective open areas and the ineffective areas is reduced so that in the process of attracting the photo mask, inconsistent sequence of attraction caused by a great mass difference between the effective open areas and the ineffective areas can be eliminated to thereby ensure that the effective open areas of the photo mask can be laid completely flat on a substrate at predetermined locations and thus ensure the preciseness of a deposited pattern.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of liquid crystal display, and in particular to a method for manufacturing a photo mask for vapor deposition of organic light-emitting display panel and a photo mask manufactured with the method.
2. The Related Arts
Flat panel display devices have a variety of advantages, such as thin device body, low power consumption, and being free of radiation, and are thus widely used. The flat panel display devices that are currently available include liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and organic light-emitting displays (OLEDs).
Referring to FIG. 1, a currently available organic light-emitting display generally comprises: a glass substrate 900, a transparent conductive layer 902 formed on the glass substrate 900, a hole transporting layer (HTL) 904 formed on the transparent conductive layer 902, an organic emitting material layer (EML) 906 formed on the hole transporting layer 904, and an electron transporting layer (ETL) 908 formed on the organic emitting material layer 906, and a cathode 909 formed on the electron transporting layer 908, in which the transparent conductive layer 902 serves as an anode of the organic light-emitting display and is generally made of indium tin oxide (ITO). When the organic light-emitting display is subjected to a forward bias caused by a direct current, the energy of the externally applied voltage drives electrons and holes to inject into the organic light-emitting display from the cathode 909 and the anode 902 respectively. When the electrons and the holes meet and re-combine with each other during transportation, the so-called "electron-hole capture" occurs. When the chemical molecules of the organic emitting material layer 906 are excited by the external energy, if the electron spin thereof is paired with the ground state electron, then it is referred to as "singlet" and light released therefrom is fluorescence; and if the excited electron and the ground state electron are of electron spins that are not paired and are parallel to each other, then it is referred to as "triplet" and the light released therefrom is phosphorescence. When the state of an electron goes from an excited, high energy state back to a stable, low energy state, energy will be released in the form of light emission or heat dissipation, of which some of the photons are used for the function of displaying.
In a manufacturing process of an organic light-emitting display, vapor deposition is commonly adopted, wherein vapor-deposited area is defined by arranging vapor deposition apertures in photo masks that correspond to predetermined patterns to be formed in the layers, whereby desired patterns can be formed on the substrate.
Vapor deposition is often carried out in a vacuum chamber with a bottom surface of a substrate serving as a deposition surface. A photo mask is placed between the deposition surface and a vapor source. To carry out vapor deposition, the vapor source is heated to evaporate a deposition material to allow the material to pass through the vapor deposition apertures of the photo mask and attach to the deposition surface thereby forming a desired pattern on the deposition surface.
Referring to FIG. 2, a schematic view of the structure of a conventional photo mask is shown, which is generally made of a material, such as glass, quartz, magnesium fluoride, and calcium fluoride, of which the thermal expansion coefficient is identical or less than that of a processed substrate and comprises a plurality of working units 11 arranged in an array. In a working unit 11, a shielding layer 12 of which the thickness is around 50-500 μm is formed through inwards recessing and the shielding layer 12 is provided with through apertures that are formed to correspond to a predetermined pattern to serve as vapor deposition apertures 13. To prevent the working unit 11 from deformation that leads to deviation of preciseness of deposition, the working unit 11 is provided, along a perimeter thereof, with a rib 14 that has a greater thickness of approximately 50 μm to several centimeters. To use, the photo mask is retained under the deposition surface of the processed substrate by a support mechanism (not shown). However, since it is thin, it is difficult to position and fix, the installation being more time-consuming and the manufacture cost being relatively high.
To overcome the above-discussed problem, a photo mask that is made of a magnetic material and can be attracted and fixed by magnetism. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the photo mask is provided with a plurality of effective open areas 100 and ineffective areas 300 between the effective open areas 100. The effective open areas 100 are provided with vapor deposition apertures (not shown) formed thereon to correspond to a predetermined pattern. Before the conduction of vapor deposition, the effective open areas 100 of the photo mask are attracted by magnetic plates (not shown) so that the effective open areas 100 are laid flat on a substrate to eliminate shadow effect. The sizes of the effective open areas 100 are arranged according to an effective area of the substrate (not shown). However, since the effective open areas 100 are provided with a plurality of vapor deposition apertures, the mass of an effective open area 100 and the mass of an ineffective area between two effective open areas 100 are different, whereby during the magnetic attraction of the photo mask, the sequences that the areas of different masses are attracted are different and this leads to that the effective open areas 100 may not be effectively laid flat on predetermined positions, resulting in positional shifts of pixels.

Method for manufacturing photo mask and photo mask manufactured with same

Shenzhen China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd


An example system includes an advancement mechanism to drive print media into a stacking region, a movable media guide arrangement and a controller. The movable media guide arrangement includes a pair of opposing media guides to receive opposing edges of a print medium therein and a translation mechanism to move the opposing media guides between at least two positions, the at least two positions including a deployed position and a retracted position. The controller is to actuate the translation mechanism to move the opposing media guides into the deployed position when the advancement mechanism transports a print medium into the stacking region and to actuate the translation mechanism to move the opposing media guides to the retracted position to release the print medium.

Imaging systems, such as printers, generally include a stacking region for the collection of print media. The stacking region may be an output region where a user may receive the print media. In some examples, imaging systems may be provided with a finishing mechanism where the print media may be collected for post processing, such as stapling, three-hole punching, etc. In this regard, the stacking region may be within the imaging system where the print media are collected for post processing.


A semiconductor device includes a front surface electrode, a back surface electrode and a semiconductor substrate in which an IGBT and a diode are formed. An outer peripheral back surface p-type region, an outer peripheral back surface n-type region, and an outer peripheral low concentration n-type region are formed in an outer peripheral region. The outer peripheral back surface n-type region is formed on an end surface side of the semiconductor substrate with respect to the outer peripheral back surface p-type region. The outer peripheral low concentration n-type region separates the outer peripheral back surface p-type region and the outer peripheral back surface n-type region from a contact outer peripheral edge p-type region. A p-type impurity concentration in the outer peripheral back surface p-type region decreases toward the end surface. An n-type impurity concentration in the outer peripheral back surface n-type region increases toward the end surface.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device.
2. Description of Related Art
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 09-232597 (JP 09-232597 A) discloses a semiconductor device that includes an Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) and a diode. In the semiconductor device, the IGBT and the diode are formed in a main region of a semiconductor substrate. Further, a withstand voltage structure is formed in an outer peripheral region between the main region and an end surface of the semiconductor substrate.
In the semiconductor device of JP 09-232597 A, an n-type region (hereinafter, referred to as an outer peripheral back surface n-type region) is formed in a range exposed on a back surface of the semiconductor substrate in the outer peripheral region. The outer peripheral back surface n-type region is electrically conductive with a back surface electrode. Therefore, when the diode is turned on, holes flow from a p-type region in the main region (an anode region of the diode or a body region of the IGBT) toward the outer peripheral back surface n-type region. When the diode performs a reverse recovery operation, the holes present in the outer peripheral region flow toward the p-type region in the main region. Therefore, a current is concentrated in the p-type region in the vicinity of the outer peripheral region of the p-type region in the main region.
Further, in a range exposed on the back surface of the semiconductor substrate in the outer peripheral region, the p-type region (hereinafter, referred to as an outer peripheral back surface p-type region) can be formed in place of the n-type region described above. In the case in which the outer peripheral back surface p-type region is formed in this way, when the IGBT is turned on, the holes are supplied from the outer peripheral back surface p-type region toward a drift region in the outer peripheral region. When the IGBT is turned off, the holes present in the outer peripheral region flow to the p-type region in the main region. Therefore, the current is concentrated in the p-type region in the vicinity of the outer peripheral region of the p-type region in the main region.