A method for slicing a differential input signal formed of first and second analog signals, including: receiving the first and second analog signals; adjusting direct current (DC) levels of the first and second analog signals according to a first voltage; comparing voltage difference between the first and second analog signals to generate an output signal; generating an output voltage according to the output signal; and respectively providing first and second currents applied to the first and second analog signals according to the output voltage.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data slicer, and more particularly, to a differential input data slicer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An input data slicer is an important component for many data recovery devices and signal equalizers. The conventional data slicer is a single-ended circuit. The single-ended data slicer is used for comparing an analog input signal with a reference level (or referred to as a slicing level) to accordingly determine that the binary value of the input signal is either "0" or "1."
However, as is well known in the art, the conventional single-ended data slicer has poor noise immunity. If noise interferes with the data slicer, the correctness of the output signal is easily affected. As a result, the performances of the following stages and entire system are reduced.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,525,684, a differential input data slicer is disclosed. The disadvantage of the conventional data slicer is that the conventional data slicer can only support the DC couple architecture.


A phase interpolator receiving a first signal having an oscillation frequency Fin and providing a second signal having said oscillation frequency and having a phase shift Δφ with respect to the first signal which depends on a third signal. The interpolator includes a variable phase-shifter receiving the first signal and providing the second signal, the phase-shifter circuit includes an oscillator having a variable natural frequency Fo controlled by a fourth signal; a phase comparator capable of receiving the first and second signals and of providing a fifth signal representative of said phase shift; and a unit capable of providing the fourth signal which depends on the third and fifth signals.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates a phase interpolator, and especially a digitally-controlled phase interpolator.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Phase interpolators find applications, in particular, in the field of digital frequency synthesis.
There mainly exist two types of phase interpolators. A phase interpolator of the first type receives two phase-shifted initial signals having the same waveform and provides, by phase interpolation of the initial signals, a signal having a waveform similar to the initial signals and having a phase ranging between the phases of the two initial signals. A phase interpolator of the first type thus requires, for each signal to be provided, two initial signals such that the signal to be provided has a phase interposed between those of the initial signals, so that the interpolation operation can be performed. It is thus necessary to have many initial signals. Thereby, such a phase interpolator generally has a complex structure, takes up a significant surface area when made in integrated form, and has a high power consumption.
A phase interpolator of the second type implements delay elements. The delay elements may be so-called simple delay elements, for example, inverters. The operation of a simple delay element is based on the propagation time of a signal between the input and the output of the delay element. This time generally depends on parameters such as the capacitance or the supply current of the delay element. A phase interpolator with simple delay elements is generally highly sensitive to the initial noise and has operating characteristics which depend on the interpolator manufacturing process and on temperature. It is further difficult to form a phase interpolator with simple delay elements which is digitally-controlled. The delay elements may be formed from synchronized oscillators. An example of a phase interpolator comprising synchronized oscillators is described in French patent application 2841406 filed by STMicroelectronics. Such an interpolator advantageously enables avoiding adding noise to the phase of the supplied signal. However, currently-available synchronized oscillator phase interpolators generally have a complex structure, especially due to the use of a large number of synchronized oscillators.


Peptides that home, target, migrate to, are directed to, are retained by, or accumulate in and/or bind to the cartilage or kidney of a subject are disclosed. Pharmaceutical compositions and uses for peptides or peptide-active agent complexes comprising such peptides are also disclosed. Such compositions can be formulated for targeted delivery of an active agent to a target region, tissue, structure or cell in the cartilage. Targeted compositions of the disclosure can deliver peptide or peptide-active agent complexes to target regions, tissues, structures, or cells targeted by the peptide.

Cartilage comprises chondrocytes, a specialized cell-type which produces components of the extracellular matrix, mainly including collagen, proteoglycans (e.g., aggrecan), and elastic fibers. The extracellular matrix proteins provide support, cushion, and durability to cartilage-rich portions of the body such as joints, ears, nose, and windpipe. Cartilage is one of few tissues in the body which does not contain blood vessels and is considered an avascular tissue. Unlike many cells in the body which rely on a combination of blood flow and diffusion, chondrocytes rely on diffusion. Because it does not have a direct blood supply, compared to other connective tissues, cartilage grows and repairs much more slowly. As a result, cartilage disorders are particularly difficult to treat.
Furthermore, for many types of cancer, the precision of surgical resection directly influences patient prognosis. Unfortunately, intra-operative identification of tumor margins or small foci of cancer cells remains imprecise or depends on surgical judgment. Thus, the extent of surgical resection is constrained by the requirement to avoid harming vital structures.
Despite the advances in the development of probes for targeting and imaging tumors, there exists a need for a probe that allows for intra-operative visualization of cancerous tissues.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Tissue-homing peptide conjugates and methods of use thereof


The present invention relates to an e-commerce method capable of integrated ordering and integrated shipment to help a user residing abroad to use a domestic online shopping mall, the e-commerce method including displaying a plurality of online shopping malls on a user terminal, displaying an integrated order product list for a plurality of products selected by a user's input from at least one online shopping mall on the user terminal, receiving a purchase-on-behalf request event for a product of the integrated order product list from the user terminal, receiving first-shipment completion information from an administrator when the first shipment of the product purchased on behalf of the user to a predetermined shipment destination is completed, and displaying an integrated shipping method list including a plurality of shipping methods corresponding to the product for the second shipment of the product to a user shipment destination on the user terminal.

Various online transactions are being made through an Internet-based network in real time. An online marketplace (which is called an open market in Korea) is an online real-time transaction based on the Internet. Unlike individual online shopping malls operated by individual sellers, an online marketplace refers to an open market where anyone can buy goods and anyone can sell goods.
Online marketplace platform service providers attract sellers and buyers as members and provide a virtual space for transactions between them. In Korea, there are various online marketplace platform service providers such as Gmarket, 11st Street, and Coupang.
Due to the nature of online marketplaces, overseas buyers as well as domestic residents can access the online marketplaces to purchase products that they want. In this case, overseas buyers have no choice but to pay overseas shipping fees because domestic products must be shipped to foreign countries where the buyers reside. In this case, when purchasing multiple products in one shopping mall or purchasing different products in different shopping malls, it is necessary to pay a shipping fee for each product.
Now, some online shopping malls are making bundled shipment for products they sell, but if providers that sell products are different or when the bundled shipment conditions are not met, each product must be shipped separately, and accordingly, the shipping fee must be paid separately.
Also, integrated ordering may be possible through a single shopping cart in the same online shopping mall, but since integrated ordering cannot be executed between different online shopping malls, a purchaser must visit the shopping malls individually and place orders separately. That is, when using different types of online shopping malls, individual ordering and an individual payment are required for each individual shopping mall, and the complexity of shopping decreases the purchase intention of overseas buyers.
Accordingly, the inventor of the present invention has studied, for a long time, a method for facilitating the use of domestic online shopping malls by overseas buyers and by reducing the burden of shipping fees to promote purchases in the domestic online shopping malls by overseas buyers and, after trial and error, have come to complete the present invention.

Electronic commerce method capable of integrated ordering and integrated delivery, and server therefor


A device and a method for generating artificial driving noises for a motor vehicle, and to a computer program for carrying out the method is provided. Environmental conditions, objects and/or other road users are recorded via an environmental sensor unit. Depending thereupon and, as required, depending upon vehicle-internal information driving noises are generated with special properties. In this way other road users can be alerted to otherwise quietly driving vehicles.

The recently developed low-noise motor vehicles now available on the market such as hybrid vehicles and electrical vehicles, emit hardly any driving noise insofar as they are operated by an electric motor. Such vehicles are very hard to detect with the human ear during driving. In order to minimize the risk of accidents with other road users who are not at all or only very faintly aware of these low-noise vehicles, the DE 10 2010 006 633 A1 has disclosed a way of warning other approaching road users in good time by a special signal emitted by such an approaching vehicle. To this end the motor vehicle comprises a sensor system which is able to record weaker road users in the vicinity. Depending upon the traffic situation or type of road user different warning signals are emitted or the warning signals are emitted at different points in time. The warning signals can be adapted to suit the traffic situation. The warning signals emitted are acoustic signals or optical signals (horn or headlamp flasher) of varying intensity.
In addition, other objects, desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent summary and detailed description, and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background.

Method and a device for generating artificial driving noises of a vehicle


A molding device is provided with a holding portion for clamping the end of an extruded portion, and a cavity for forming a molded portion. The holding portion has holding cores to come in contact with the end of the extruded portion, and at least a part of the holding cores is formed by a material with a low thermal conductivity. Thus, the molding method of a weather strip includes, clamping the end of the extruded portion by the holding portions, then, ejecting or injecting a rubber material for molding the molded portion in the cavity, and then, molding the rubber by vulcanization.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a molding method of a weather strip in which a molded portion is molded at an end of an extruded portion of the weather strip, and the extruded portion is formed by extrusion, and a mold for molding the molded portion.
2. Related Art
A seal between a door of an automobile and a peripheral part of a body opening is accomplished by a door weather strip attached to an outer part of a door frame provided at an outer peripheral portion of the door, and/or an opening weather strip attached at a flange of the peripheral part of the body opening. Incidentally, a seal between a door glass and the door is accomplished by a glass run attached to a channel at an inner part of the door frame.
As shown in FIG. 15, a door weather strip 110 is formed along a door frame (not shown), and includes extruded portions 117, linearly formed by extrusion, which are portions to be attached to an upper portion, front and rear side portions, and a lower portion of the door frame, and a molded portion 116 molded by molding which is a portion to be attached along the corner portions of the door frame.
The extruded portions 117 include an attachment base 111 (hereinafter referred to the base) to be attached to the door frame, and a hollow seal portion 112 integrally formed from the base 111, and to come in contact with the peripheral part of the body opening for sealing.
The shapes of the cross sections of the end faces of the molded portion 116 are formed in the same manner as the shapes of the cross sections of the extruded portions 117 to which the end faces are respectively connected.
Molding of the molded portion 116 is carried out by injecting a molding material into a cavity 120c formed between an upper mold 121 and a lower mold 122 of a molding device 120 as shown in FIGS. 16 to 18. When the molded portion 116 is molded, the extruded portions 117 and the molded portion 116 are integrally adhered by vulcanization and deposited simultaneously with the molding. For this reason, the ends of the extruded portions 117 are clamped by a holding portion 120b of the molding device (e.g., see, JP-B2-4-9645 and JP-B2-7-49203). At this step, the extruded portions 117 are required to be strongly clamped so as to be prevented from coming out of the molding device 120 by the pressure of the molding material injected into the cavity 120c.
Clamping of the ends of the extruded portions 117 is accomplished by pressing outer surfaces of ends of the extruded portions 117 by an inner core 129 formed integrally with an insertion core portion 127 of the molding device 120, a first holding core 123, a second holding core 124, a third holding core 125, and a fourth holding core 126 as shown in FIGS. 16 to 19. FIG. 17 shows a cross section in a direction at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the extruded portion 117 at the rear side portion in the molding device 120.
FIG. 18 shows a cross section along the longitudinal direction of the extrusion portion 117 in the holding portion 120b of the molding device 120. The extruded portion 117 is clamped by the holding portion 120b of the molding device 120. Thus, into the cavity 120c, the molding material for the molded portion 116 is injected. In the inside of the hollow seal portion 112 of the extruded portion 117, the insertion core portion 127 is inserted, and it supports the extruded portion 117 from inside when the end thereof is pressed.
An enlarged cross section of the pressed portion is shown in FIG. 19. In the cavity 120c, an unvulcanized rubber material which is a molding material is injected. At this step, in order to prevent the end of the extruded portion 117 made of sponge rubber from coming out of the holding portion 120b, a convex portion 127b is formed at the outer periphery of the insertion core portion 127. With this configuration, the end of the extruded portion 117 is compressed.
When the molded portion 116 is molded, the molding device 120 has been heated for vulcanization because the molding material is rubber. The extruded portion 117 has been already vulcanized, and hence it will not be molten by the heat of the molding device 120. However, the clamped end of the extruded portion 117 is fixed in shape by heat while being compressed as shown in FIG. 20, so that a concave portion 117b is formed. In this case, not only the inner side of the extruded portion 117, but also the outer side is drawn to the inner side, so that a concave portion 117c is formed. This unfavorably causes a problem of degradation of appearance of the end of the extruded portion 117 of the door weather strip 110.
When the amount of the end of the extruded portion 117 to be compressed is reduced, the depths of the concave portions 117b and 117c are reduced. However, the clamping force on the end is reduced, so that the end becomes more likely to come out of the molding device 120 by the pressure of the molding material for the molded portion 116.

Molding device for molding a weather strip


A method includes forming a plurality of dielectric layers over a semiconductor substrate; and forming integrated passive devices in the plurality of dielectric layers. The semiconductor substrate is then removed from the plurality of dielectric layers. A dielectric substrate is bonded onto the plurality of dielectric layers.

Integrated passive devices are used in mixed-signal circuits, analog circuits, radio frequency (RF) circuits, dynamic random access memories (DRAMs), embedded DRAM circuits, logic operation circuits, and the like. Integrated passive devices include capacitors, inductors, transformers, resistors, and the like.
The formation of the integrated passive devices may be similar to the processes for forming active devices, wherein starting from a silicon substrate, dielectric layers are formed layer by layer, and metal lines and vias are formed in the dielectric layers. Passive devices are also formed in the dielectric layers.
The conventional integrated passive devices often suffer from low performance that cannot meet the requirement of RF circuits. For example, the Q-factors of the capacitors in the conventional integrated passive devices are low, and the bandwidths of the inductors are narrow. The low performance of the integrated passive devices may be caused by Eddy currents in the respective substrates.

Methods for fabricating integrated passive devices on glass substrates

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.


Systems and methods for determining a geocode for an image based on user-provided search queries and corresponding user selections are provided. One example method includes determining a selection value for each of a plurality of search strings associated with an image based at least in part on user selection data. The method includes generating a textual document for the image based at least in part on the selection values. The textual document includes one or more of the plurality of search strings. The method includes identifying a plurality of geographic entities by analyzing the textual document using a textual processor. The method includes selecting one of the plurality of geographic entities as a primary geographic entity and associating, by the one or more computing devices, a geocode associated with the primary geographic entity with the image.

A large number of images exist at various locations accessible on the Internet. Some of these images have an associated geocode that indicates a particular location at which the image was captured or a particular location that the image depicts. For example, such locations may be indicated by a tag generated based on GPS data or may be locations generated or assigned by a user. Therefore, such images having geocodes can quickly and easily be organized or searched based on location. Thus, such images are more easily accessible for a person attempting to explore or visually learn about a particular location.
However, a significant percentage of the existing images do not have an associated geocode that identifies a particular location associated with the image. The absence of such location information makes it difficult to accurately organize such images based on location.
Certain existing systems for determining geocodes have inherent limitations. For example, matching images to a location based on a computerized analysis of the image content can require significant computing resources and, therefore, may be impractical for application to the entirety of the world's images. In addition, many images may not provide explicit location-specific visual content that is identifiable using existing algorithms.
As another example, determining a location for an image based solely on the textual content included in a web document that includes such image can lead to a significant number of images being miscategorized or not categorized at all. For example, analysis of a travel blog that includes imagery and text associated with a trip across multiple European countries may lead to certain of the images being geocoded to an incorrect location based on the surrounding text discussing a different portion of the trip
Therefore, systems and methods that can accurately, quickly, and easily determine a geocode for an image are desirable.

Geocoding of images based on search queries


A portable electronic device such as a mobile station 22 has a broadcast radio receiver 60 and an internal storage 50 for storing media files 74, 76, 78, 80. When a received broadcast radio signal exceeds a quality parameter, that signal is sent to a speaker 56. Otherwise, the device 22 enters a virtual radio mode and plays the stored media files in an order that is not determined by the user of the device. The order is determined by an instruction stored in the internal storage 50, and switching to the virtual mode is based on a quality of the received broadcast radio signal. Media files may include entertainment music or video files, traffic and weather, DJ commentary, and advertisements. Various media files may be updated on different frequency intervals so that the content remains current, and to better commercialize the invention. Users may add personal media files and may select a genre or source for certain other media files.

Consumers in urban areas spend an appreciable amount of time commuting between home, school, place of employment, and various other locations for social engagements. Many choose to listen to broadcast radio, particularly AM and FM radio, both to pass the time with music and commentary from a disc-jockey, and to keep informed as to weather forecasts, news, and the like. Some models of mobile stations (MSs) currently include an FM radio receiver integrated with their mobile telephony circuitry so that users of the MS in generally need not carry multiple devices for mobile telephone service and FM radio reception.
Densely populated urban areas often include tunnels, underground trains (subways), and the like that causes reception on a commuter's broadcast radio receiver to be interrupted or at least severely degraded for appreciable periods of time. Consumers often switch their radio receiver off when the signal quality becomes too degraded to avoid hearing excessive static, and await turning it back on again until after they emerge from the tunnel or subway. When the commuter is driving through a tunnel, this translates into several distractions from driving duties during the critical times of entering and leaving the tunnel. When the commuter is riding a subway, this translates into a potentially large block of idle time that the consumer was neither informed with updates of news and weather, nor entertained with music and disc jockey commentary.
What is needed in the art is a way to get current information to persons while they are in locations that are unavailing to broadcast radio signals such as AM, FM and recently popularized digital (satellite) radio. Digital radio operates in the U.S. at approximately 2.3 GHz, and appears even more susceptible to signal interruption by physical obstacles. Despite using ground-based repeaters to overcome adverse effects of buildings and bridges, digital radio is subject to similar subway and tunnel limitations as noted above.


The present invention relates to queue-theoretic models for integration of automated call routing systems with human operators. Organizations are increasingly turning to spoken dialog systems for automated call routing to reduce call center costs. To maintain quality service even in cases of failure, these systems often resort to ad-hoc rules for dispatching calls to a human operator. The present invention provides queue-theoretic methods that provide a modeling and simulation capability in support of decisions about the staffing of call-handling centers based on the frequency of incoming calls and the competency of automated dialog systems. The methods include a procedure for identifying when callers should be transferred to operators. The procedure integrates models that predict when a call is likely to fail using spoken dialog features with queuing models of call center volume and service time.

Many users have had experiences with the use of automated speech-recognition based call routing systems for accessing data and services by telephone. Such systems have proliferated lately with the advent of more accurate spoken command-and-control and continuous speech recognition systems for limited domains. Even when the scope of an application is restricted, however, such systems can produce frustrating failures. To address user frustration, many designers put in place options for callers to be immediately routed to a live, human operator. Beyond speech recognition systems, other automated systems have been deployed such as the use of touch-tone driven menu systems. Such systems may frustrate users in providing a fixed set of options that either may not appear to offer the right options, offer options that have understandable relevance, and/or may appear to route the caller to a frustrating sequence of options rather than converging quickly to a desired setting.
Automated call handling systems have provided organizations with an opportunity to reduce the costs of handling incoming calls. As a consequence, many companies utilize touch-tone or dial-tone interactive voice-response systems. Unfortunately, callers frequently complain that touch-tone menus are difficult to use and frustrating. Callers in fact frequently seek assistance from a live operator at the first opportunity. To improve user experience with call handling systems, many companies have been turning to spoken dialog systems. These systems utilize automatic speech recognition (ASR) to facilitate requests in natural language. Although customers generally prefer natural language to touch-tone menus, enterprises are discovering that they still fall short of the quality of service that a human operator can provide.
In attempting to provide the best of both automation and live customer service, spoken dialog systems often resort to ad-hoc rules for dispatching calls. Even when these rules are tuned from data, the decision to transfer a call typically does not take into consideration the real-time stakes, such as the cost of customer time and the loss of return on investment.

Queue-theoretic models for ideal integration of automated call routing systems with human operators


Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for alerting one or more computer software application threads waiting to retrieve events from an event port. An alert event generated by a computer software application is received at the event port. A state of the event port is changed to an alert state, if the event port is not already in an alert state, in response to receiving the alert event. One or more of the computer software application threads is notified about the alert state of the event port.

Input and output (I/O) is an essential element of computer operating systems and refers to operations that occur between a computer and external devices, such as printers, storage devices, and other computers. I/O also refers to internal computer operations, such as communication between a processor in the computer and internal disks, memory, and so on.
There are two main categories of I/O: synchronous and asynchronous. In synchronous I/O, when an application calls an I/O operation, the application is suspended until the I/O operation is complete, which is typically signaled by an "interrupt" signal transmitted to the application that requested the I/O operation. In asynchronous I/O, on the other hand, when an application calls an I/O operation, the application is free to perform other tasks while the I/O is being completed. Asynchronous I/O is thus very useful in that it, for example, allows an application to read data being input from a keyboard, while writing data onto a computer screen, and maybe also reading data from a disk drive or memory.
Transactions typically refer to asynchronous read or write operations, as well as interactions between an application and a kernel that requires an asynchronous completion notification. The asynchronous completion notifications can generally be referred to as events.
In a computer operating system, whenever an event occurs, the event is placed in an event queue. Event queues can typically accommodate events generated from several disjoint sources, such as asynchronous I/O, timers, user-defined events, file descriptor events, and so on. Applications can access the event queues through event ports to retrieve events that are in the event queues. The event ports may be physical addresses on a computer or computer device, or mapped locations in the computer's memory. Event ports (and the corresponding event queues) are generally only created on demand.
Typically there is one event queue for every application thread. A thread generally refers to a part of an application program that can run independently and along with other threads to accomplish a task. A number of computer operating systems support multiple threads. Each thread shares the same address space, descriptors, and other resources within an application process, but has its own program counter for execution. A multi-threaded application process can be used for I/O operations that happen on the same descriptor or on different descriptors. Due to the high speed of processors, in a multi-threaded environment, several I/O operations often appear to occur simultaneously.
Occasionally situations occur where several threads or processes that are working on different tasks need to be triggered synchronously by another thread or process. A common way to achieve this is to use signals. However, signals come with a number of drawbacks, for example, signals carry little or no data from the sender of the signal to the receiver of the signal, a signal may interrupt the receiver of the signal in an undefined state, tasks that can be performed within a signal handler are limited, synchronization problems can arise because of user locks, and so on.
From time to time, there is also a need to synchronize several threads or processes, particularly when multiple processes compete for the same operating system resources. Conventionally, such synchronizations are performed using semaphore operations. A semaphore is a value in a designated place in an operating system (or kernel) storage that each process or thread can check and change. Depending on the value found when checking the semaphore, the process can either use the resource or will find that the resource is already in use and that the process must wait for some period before trying again. Semaphores can either be binary or have additional values. Typically, a process using a semaphore checks the value and then, if the process can use the resource, changes the value to reflect this so that subsequent threads or processes using the semaphore will know to wait. Waiting processes or threads cannot perform any tasks while they are waiting, so the use of semaphores may lead to noticeable performance degradation.


An improved process for cutting and simultaneously sealing the cut edges of holographic materials comprising cutting with a hot cutting tool. Suitable cutting tools include a steel rule die, a hot tipped cutter, and a laser. The resulting product can be attached easily to a substrate and will resist delamination even when attached to a substrate such as a textile material that will be subjected to ordinary washing and drying.

Holography has been used widely in a variety of applications to reproduce three-dimensional images. U.S. Pat. No. 4,589,686 describes usage for anti-counterfeiting purposes such as on credit cards, probably the most widely recognized use at the present time. The same patent also discloses many other patents relating to diffraction grating patterns and three-dimensional images of objects and scenes. The cover of the National Geographic issue of March, 1984, is another example of use to increase the attractiveness of the magazine to the naked eye. The same issue of the National Geographic contains a good description of holography.
The first successful use of holographic materials on fabrics was originally disclosed in my parent application Ser. No. 147,492 filed Jan. 25, 1988, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,838,965. Since that time two other applications have been filed on behalf of another inventor claiming a different method of attaching holograms to textile wearing apparel. These applications have issued as U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,956,040 and 5,073,222. These methods achieve resistance to repeated washings by enveloping a precut hologram between a clear polyester coating and an adhesive scrim backing and then adhering the resulting laminate to wearing apparel with the adhesive in the scrim. The addition of a separate polyester layer on top of the hologram and scrim underneath adds two layers which reduce flexibility and increase stiffness in a product where a "soft hand" is highly preferable. In addition the separate polyester layer of this pouch or envelope that is not embossed interferes with the clarity of the holographic image.
The holograms and diffraction gratings disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No. 4,838,965 as well as those manufactured and sold today for application to various substrates are multi-layered products. Although other layers may be present depending on the manufacturer, all of these products contain an embossed plastic carrier, a reflective intermediate surface or later, and an adhesive backing. For present purposes the adhesive material is generally activated by heat and pressure to attach the holographic materials to appropriate substrates and is generally referred to as an iron-on adhesive. The embossed surface of a metallized plastic carrier actually reproduces the three-dimensional image or pattern when light is reflected through the transparent plastic by the metallic layer. This means of reproduction is most commonly referred to as embossed holography. A more complete description can be found in Chapter 9 of Holography Marketplace, Ross Books, March, 1991. These holograms and diffraction gratings are generally available in sheets of film or foil bearing images or patterns on a repetitive or continuous basis throughout their length and breadth. The sheets are at least six inches wide and are usually sold in rolls up to two hundred feet long. The purchaser can cut the images or patterns out of the sheets to suit his needs. For example, the hologram of the Golden Gate bridge depicted in my U.S. Pat. No. 4,838,965 would be repeated throughout a commercially available sheet bearing many reproductions of that holographic image. The purchaser can cut each image of the bridge out of the sheet and attach it to whatever substrate he deems appropriate for his purposes. For example, such holograms can be affixed by the mechanized hot stamping process to the paper cover of a magazine such as the above National Geographic issue while the manual pressure sensitive process would be suitable for small quantities.
Strictly speaking, a diffraction grating or the related micro-etching or color explosion are not holograms but the commercially available versions employ the same multi-layered structure as an embossed hologram. The purpose of such products is to create the illusion of depth and motion as light is diffracted from the surface of the material without the prohibitive expense of originating holographic master plates. Diffraction grating requires a master grating to make a die which produces a replica of the grating in the metalized film. Micro-etching transfers line art or a continuous tone photograph to a master die for creating an image by using graphic screens. The color explosion employs what is known in the graphic arts industry as stepping to include drop down, side step, dimensional side step, rotation in varying degrees and back up. These techniques enable the customer to choose from a wide variety of options to achieve different visual effects. The multi-layered structure in all products requires a layer of adhesive on the back for protecting the reflective layer as well as the adhesion characteristic necessary for bonding to various substrates with heat and pressure. Since the problems associated with the structure all these holographic materials are essentially the same with or without attachment to a substrate, they are considered to be equivalents of the hologram for purposes of the present invention. The word "holographic" when used in this specification in combination with words such as "products", "materials" or "films" can be taken to include holograms, diffraction gratings, micro-etchings, color explosions or any other light reflecting product having the same multi-layered structure.
Another more recent development in the holography industry involves a demetalized holographic foil suitable for application to various substrates requiring limited laundry or dry cleaning. This structure eliminates approximately 78 to 80% of the reflective metal layer. The resulting product reflects subtle pastels creating a fashionable yet less metallic look with a glamorous appearance. When paired with a appropriate double-sided adhesive coated heat sealable film, it becomes a heat transfer foil. Presently Sealtran Corporation, Chicago, Ill., 60614 manufactures this double-sided adhesive coated film known as AS as an attractive laminated pouch for drivers licenses, bus posses and other letter size envelopes or pouches. For the purpose of this invention this same material can add a decorative accent to textiles and other substrates by using it as a cold peel heat transfer foil or integrating it into a heat transfer design. The concept of transfers is not new but using demetalized or other holographic materials with sealed edges alone or as a component of the design is new. This material can be used as the sole decoration on fabric by placing the desired shape of the demetalized holographic material in registration with the same shape of the double-sided adhesive coated film on the fabric with the textile adhesive side in contact with the fabric and the AD adhesive side in contact with the holographic material. This completed assembly is covered with silicone paper and sealed in place by a heat press with medium pressure and a temperature of about 300 degrees Fahrenheit for about 8 seconds. After cooling the paper is peeled away exposing the metalized holographic imagery. Although fragile to various environmental conditions, it can withstand limited washings if hung to air dry. The finished product offers the customer an enhanced focal point with drawing power.
Security devices such as the Visa and Mastercard credit cards displaying reflective holograms have been used for approximately nine years and although they still have security value provided by the integrated hologram, the current trend is toward the use of clear holography on credit cards offering transparency with greater reflectivity. These holograms are comprised of a multi-layered material to include a synthetic carrier, a sandwiched reflective layer and an adhesive back. However the interposed reflective material is not metalized but a complex, silicone-based chemical compound with provides an optical coating. Although presently expensive as a security measure, a clear hologram permits the viewer to see imagery, numbers, letters or symbols on the substrate to which it is attached thereby providing another security capability for the security industry. The reflective sandwiched layer, regardless of its composition, requires protection from damaging environmental forces. This can be accomplished by sealing the edges. The equipment making clear holography possible is manufactured by Datacard in Havant, UK and Holland and marketed as recently as October, 1992.
While the prior art provides holographic materials for attachment to substrates, it does not provide such materials that can be readily and inexpensively attached to substrates that will be exposed to the strenuous conditions of ordinary use. Even ordinary environmental insults such as rain, humidity, heat, cold, and wind will after a period of time affect the quality of the embossed surface if not protected by sealing the edges. Holographic products are especially unsatisfactory for attachment to clothing which will be repeatedly subjected to washing, drying and even dry cleaning. Even my earliest processes for dealing with this problem, although advancements over the prior art of their day, were more cumbersome and expensive and the edges of the resulting products were not sealed as consistently as would be desirable.

Holographic products with improved seals


The invention provides a data transfer device for multidimensional memory capable of performing an efficient SIMD operation and suitable for transferring data between a multidimensional memory and a one-dimensional memory. A DMAC reads data of a rectangular area in a logical two-dimensional space of a two-dimensional data access memory, and writes the read data on a one-dimensional data access memory. Further, it reads data from the one-dimensional data access memory, and writes the read data on the two-dimensional data access memory, such that the data are arranged in the rectangular area in the logical two-dimensional space of the two-dimensional data access memory.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a device, a program, and a method for transferring data between a two-dimensional memory capable of realizing an efficient SIMD (Single Instruction stream Multiple Data stream) operation and a one-dimensional memory such as SRAM. More specifically, the invention relates to a data transfer device for multidimensional memory, a data transfer program for multidimensional memory, and a data transfer method for multidimensional memory capable of performing an efficient SIMD operation and suitable for transferring data between a multidimensional memory and a one-dimensional memory.
2. Description of Related Art
An SIMD operation is a technique for processing a plurality of data by using the same instruction with a plurality of processors. For this reason, in general, when a continuous part of data stream is taken out from a one-dimensional data stream stored in a memory and parallel operation is performed in respect thereto, the SIMD operation is considerably efficient.
However, when the data that is a target of the operation is not stored continuously in the memory or the operation result thereof is intended to be dispersively arranged at a predetermined position in the memory, a processing for preparing the data that is a target of parallel operation or a processing for arranging the result of parallel operation at a predetermined position in the memory is required. As a result, there is a disadvantage in that the intended effects of the original parallel processing are hindered.
On the other hand, there is a known technique capable of performing a two-dimensional discrete cosine transform at high speed by using the SIMD processing, as disclosed by Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication No. 2000-69478. This invention teaches a process of rearranging image data arranged in a scanning order, in an order suitable for performing a butterfly operation in the transform encoding operation by using the SIMD processing, to store the rearranged result in the memory and to perform the two-dimensional discrete cosine transform of the image data stored in the memory.
However, in the invention, there is a problem in that the additional operations for rearranging the image data are required, and when they are to be realized by means of hardware, many circuits corresponding to the number of rearranging operations are required, thus increasing the size of the circuits. Further, there is an additional problem of increased power consumption caused by frequent memory accesses by the rearranging operations.
As one technique for solving these problems, a two-dimensional memory can be adopted in which memory space is constituted by a two-dimensional space as seen from accessing side. The two-dimensional memory can include, for example, n memories in which a two-dimensional memory space is constructed by arranging predetermined minimum two-dimensional virtual memory spaces in horizontal and vertical directions and in which each address of said minimum two-dimensional virtual memory spaces is previously assigned to each memory in a predetermined rule, a read data control unit for specifying an access position in the minimum two-dimensional virtual memory spaces when reading data, rearranging each read the data from the n memories in accordance with a read access mode for designating a direction or a pattern for reading data from the specified access position, and outputting each rearranged read data in a lump, and a read address control unit for correcting a designated read address to a predetermined address in accordance with the designated read access mode and the specified access position when designating read addresses, to output the corrected address to the n memories.
By this configuration, since continuous data or discontinuous data arranged in the horizontal direction or the vertical direction from the designated position in the two-dimensional memory spaces can be simultaneously read from the respective physical memories, it is possible to realize an efficient SIMD operation. Further, this two-dimensional memory is described in detail in Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-355945.
However, when the SIMD operation is executed, since the data of a targeted operation stored in SRAM, etc. (hereinafter, in light of two-dimensional memory, a normal memory such as SRAM is referred to as a one-dimensional memory) are read and stored into the two-dimensional memory to perform the operation on the data, a scheme for efficiently transferring data from the one-dimensional memory to the two-dimensional memory can be required. Similarly, after the operation is executed, since the operation data stored in the two-dimensional data is written on the one-dimensional memory, a scheme for efficiently transferring data from the two-dimensional memory to the one-dimensional memory can also be required. In this case, it is preferable that the data transfer should be more suitable for the operation, in contrast to the transferring process itself. That is, in SIMD operation, since there is a case that the operation is executed on the data of a predetermined area in the two-dimensional space, it is required that such data can be read from the one-dimensional memory in a lump.
This applies to a case where, not limited to the two-dimensional memory, data is transferred between a multidimensional memory in which the memory space is constituted by a multidimensional space as seen from accessing side and a one-dimensional memory as seen from accessing side.

Data transfer device and method for multidimensional memory


The present invention discloses a microseismic monitoring system, which includes at least a microseismic sensor, a push rod set at both ends of the microseismic sensor through the first connecting mechanism for sending the microseismic sensor into a monitoring hole, a guide mechanism installed on the push rod for guiding the microseismic sensor into the monitoring hole, and a microseismic monitoring computer connecting with the microseismic sensor signal. The microseismic sensor is reusable. The first connecting mechanism can make the push rod swing relative to the microseismic sensor. The guide mechanism is a three-roller guide mechanism. The present invention can satisfy the need of monitoring different locations in monitoring holes with large depths for multiple microseismic sensors, and solve problems of effective contact coupling between the microseismic sensors and monitoring holes, which improves the accuracy of microseismic monitoring and reduces the cost of a microseismic monitoring system.

The deformation and destruction of rock(mass) in engineering construction, especially the dynamic disaster of rockburst, will directly endanger the construction safety of the project, and even cause catastrophic impact. Therefore, the effective monitoring and prediction of rock(mass) stability and dynamic disasters of rockburst is one of the important contents of engineering construction safety. As an important means of nondestructive monitoring, microseism is used in monitoring and prediction of rock(mass) stability and rockburst dynamic disasters in engineering construction.
In order to accurately predict the potential deformation and dynamic disasters of wall rock in the process of wall rock excavation in underground construction, the microseismic monitoring sensor needs to be fixed in advance by surrounding the wall rock area to be monitored, prior to the excavation. Using microseismic techniques to accurately determine the position where the deformation and dynamic disaster of the wall rock may occur, the microseismic sensor needs to be arranged around the rock mass to be monitored in three-dimensional space distribution. The more the sensors that are arranged, the more correct distribution of the sensors is, the more accurate the monitoring result is. In order to fulfill the real-time monitoring of the rock excavation process, the monitoring hole is drilled in the rock(mass) by the drilling machine before the rock(mass) is excavated, and the microseismic sensor is installed in the monitoring hole.
The depth of the monitoring hole depends on the depth of the excavation and the monitoring range. As the depth of the project and the the monitoring range increase, the depth of the monitoring hole also increases. Some of the monitoring holes are very deep, with measurements of over tens of meters deep or even hundreds of meters deep. For the monitoring holes even deeper than those depths, it is usually necessary to use several microseismic sensors to monitor the different parts of the monitoring holes. The deeper the monitoring hole is, the more microseismic sensors need to be installed. It is difficult to keep concentric for the monitoring hole, and it is difficult for the inner walls of the hole to maintain a smooth surface. The monitoring hole without a smooth surface makes the installation of microseismic sensors in the monitoring holes with increased depths even more difficult.
The microseismic sensor is expensive. In order to reduce the projected cost and retrieve the sensor(s) upon completion of monitoring, in the field installation of microseismic monitoring sensors used in the project, the microseismic sensors are usually put directly in the monitoring hole, which depends on the residual water in the monitoring hole as the medium for the signal transmission between the rock mass and the sensor. However, the above mentioned method has the following disadvantages:
First, the direction of the monitoring hole must be downward vertically. For the upward monitoring holes with a certain angle or full horizontal monitoring holes, this method is not applicable.
Second, for sloped or downward monitoring holes, the rock mass needs to be relatively intact. The water injected in the monitoring holes can be maintained instead of losing water along the cracks in the monitoring holes, or the water can not seep out of the monitoring holes. The sensor must always be submersed in water in order to function properly. It is difficult to submerse the sensor in water while operating in the field.
Third, although water can be used as the coupling medium for signal transmission, due to the low density of water, the transmission efficiency of water is not as effective as microseismic sensor contacted with the rock wall directly.
Fourth, because the liquid can only transmit the longitudinal waves and not transverse waves, and the confirmation of the position of the rock rupture signal usually must depend on the transverse wave signal, therefore, the aforementioned method leads to the loss of a lot of monitoring signals and the decrease in reliability of the monitoring results.
In order to ensure the effective coupling between the microseismic sensor and the wall of the monitoring hole, sometimes the concrete is poured into the monitoring hole to integrate the sensor and the rock wall. This method has the following disadvantages: first, the sensor after pouring is not recoverable, resulting in high economic cost.
Second, if the sensor is found to have no signal or bad signal after pouring, it cannot be checked or repaired. Therefore, in order to ensure the proper monitoring, it is necessary to drill a new hole and install a new microseismic sensor again, which not only is time-consuming and laborious, but also leads to high economic cost.
Third, when the cement slurry is poured into the monitoring hole, it is difficult to ensure that the sensor will be grouted in the correct position during this type of sensor installation. If the sensor is not effectively grouted in the correct position during installation, then no monitoring signal will be obtained due to the incorrect coupling of the sensor to the rock wall. Furthermore, the deeper the monitoring hole is, the greater the total shrinkage deformation of the cement after solidification is. Thus, the signal transmission cable bonded with the cement will be subjected to tension due to the shrinkage and deformation of the cement, resulting in the failure to transmit the signal effectively.
Fourthly, the monitoring holes are usually damp. After grouting, it takes a longer period to solidify the cement slurry, which will lead to a longer construction period.
Fifthly, during the excavation process, the blasting of explosives may result in the loosening between the grouting surface and the rock surface, which will lead to the reduction of the efficiency of the monitored signal transmission.
Sixthly, the sensor installation process is time-consuming and laborious, requiring a series of professional grouting equipment and grouting technical personnel and a large number of labors.
In the engineering application, the microseismic sensor is fixed in a specific device by means of a simple fixing device. Then the microseismic sensor is sent to fix in the installation position by a rigid unmovable metal rod. However, installation of the microseismic sensor has the following disadvantages: first, the method is generally applicable only to the monitoring holes with a shallow depth. The monitoring holes need to be completely concentric and the walls of the hole must be smooth. It's difficult to ensure those requirements are met in the actual construction. Second, the installation device is large in size. It is only applicable to the monitoring holes with large diameter, which leads to the high cost of the monitoring holes. Third, the whole transmission rod and the installation structure are inserted into the monitoring hole by means of exerting a force, which not only procures the high friction and wears away the cable(s) or microseismic sensor(s) easily, but also the whole transmission rod and the installation structure are easy to be stuck in the monitoring hole, resulting in the failure of sending the microseismic sensor to a specific location. Fourth, the installation process is time-consuming and laborious, requiring several hours of labor. These described difficulties lead to the limit of the application of microseismic sensors in the monitoring holes with larger depth.
Therefore, how to install the microseismic sensor in the monitoring holes conveniently and effectively and how to effectively couple the microseismic sensor with the wall of the hole after installation are still difficult problems in the field monitoring and research at present. In particular, multiple microseismic sensors are needed for microseismic monitoring holes with high depth in different locations.


A display device capable of driving at low speed is disclosed. Pixels connected to a first data line on odd-numbered display lines of a display panel are positioned on one side of the left and right sides of the first data line, and pixels connected to the first data line on even-numbered display lines of the display panel are positioned on the other side of the first data line based on a Z-inversion scheme. When a mode conversion control signal for switching to an interlaced low speed driving mode is input during a normal drive, in which a length of one frame is set to P, a timing controller expands a length of one frame for a low speed drive to (n×P), where n is a positive integer equal to or greater than 2 and assigns a length P to each of n sub-frames of the one frame.

Technical Field
Embodiments of the disclosure relate to a display device capable of driving at low speed.
Discussion of the Related Art
Display devices have been used in various display units, such as portable information devices, office devices, computers, and televisions.
Methods for reducing power consumption of the display device include low speed driving technology. The low speed driving technology is to change a frame frequency (e.g., a driving frequency) based on a change in the amount of data. In a stop image, in which there is no change of data, the low speed driving technology refreshes the screen of the display device using a frame frequency less than an input frame frequency (for example, a normal frame frequency of 60 Hz). In a moving image in which there is a change in data, the screen of the display device is refreshed using a normal driving method based on the input frame frequency. The display device may change the frame frequency in response to a panel self refresh (PSR) control signal received from a system. For example, when the PSR control signal is input at an on-level in conformity with the stop image, the display device may reduce the frame frequency to a frequency less than 60 Hz. Further, when the PSR control signal is input at an off-level in conformity with the moving image, the display device may keep the frame frequency at 60 Hz.
The low speed driving technology may be implemented through an interlaced driving scheme. In the interlaced low speed driving scheme, one frame is time-divided into a plurality of sub-frames, and gate lines are interlace-driven in each sub-frame. In the interlaced driving scheme, as the number of sub-frames increases, a length of one frame increases. Hence, the frame frequency is reduced. As the frame frequency gradually decreases from 60 Hz for the low speed drive, a data transition frequency (used in the supply of a data voltage) of a source driver decreases. Hence, power consumption is reduced.
As shown in FIG. 2, the display device adopting the interlaced low speed driving scheme may design a connection structure of pixels in a Z-inversion scheme and may control polarities of data voltages output from a source driver in a column inversion scheme, as a method for reducing power consumption. In FIG. 2, reference numerals D1 to D5 denote data lines to which the data voltage is supplied, and reference numerals G1 to G4 denote gate lines to which a scan pulse is supplied. In the pixel connection structure of the Z-inversion scheme, each of the pixels on odd-numbered display lines may be connected to the data line through a thin film transistor (TFT) and may be disposed on the right side of the data line, and each of the pixels on even-numbered display lines may be connected to the data line through the TFT and may be disposed on the left side of the data line. The source driver increases a polarity inversion period of the data voltage output through one output channel to one frame using the column inversion scheme, as illustrated by polarity reversals D1(−), D2(+), D3(−), and so on. Thus, the pixels, which are disposed in a zigzag shape based on the same data line (for example, D2) in a vertical direction, receive the data voltage of the same polarity. The display device may reduce the power consumption while controlling a display polarity in a dot inversion scheme based on the pixel connection structure and a polarity control method of the data voltage.
The related art display device has the following problems.
First, in the related art display device, when a normal driving mode is converted into an interlaced low speed driving mode and vice versa while displaying the same pattern of a single color, the data transition changes due to a difference between the driving modes. Hence, a luminance deviation is perceived. For example, as shown in FIG. 3A, when a green pattern is displayed in 60 Hz normal driving mode (as indicated by the non-hashed portions of the subframes corresponding to the G subpixel), the data voltage supplied through the data lines D2 and D5 alternately has a white gray level and a black gray level in a cycle of one horizontal period. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3B, when a green pattern is displayed in 30 Hz interlaced low speed driving mode (as indicated by the non-hashed portions of the subframes corresponding to the G subpixel), the data voltage supplied through the data lines D2 and D5 is kept at the white gray level (+) during a first sub-frame period and then is kept at the black gray level (Vcom) during a second sub-frame period. In FIGS. 3A and 3B, the white gray level is represented by a white pattern, and the black gray level is represented by an oblique line pattern. Because the transition number of data in FIG. 3B is less than the transition number of data in FIG. 3A, a charge amount of data in FIG. 3B is more than a charge amount of data in FIG. 3A. Thus, although the data voltage of the same gray level is applied in FIGS. 3A and 3B, a display luminance in FIG. 3B is greater than a display luminance in FIG. 3A.
Second, as shown in FIG. 2, in the related art display device, a parasitic capacitance Cgs varies depending on an overlap degree between source electrodes and gate electrodes of the TFTs on odd-numbered display lines and even-numbered display lines. A kickback voltage ΔVp applied to a pixel voltage of the odd-numbered display lines is different from a kickback voltage ΔVp applied to a pixel voltage of the even-numbered display lines due to a deviation of the parasitic capacitance Cgs. As a result, the same pixel voltage is applied to the odd-numbered display line and the even-numbered display line, a hold voltage level of the odd-numbered display line is different from a hold voltage level of the even-numbered display line. This is perceived as 30 Hz flicker as shown in FIG. 4. This problem is applied to the interlaced low speed driving mode of the frame frequency less than 30 Hz as well as the frame frequency of 30 Hz. As the frame frequency is lowered, visibility of the flicker increases.

Display device capable of driving at low speed


Two new passive atomic filters that operate at 422.67 nm and 460.73 nm respectively are disclosed. The filter wavelengths overlap Fraunhofer lines, thereby providing outstanding sunlight rejection. The new calcium filter utilizes collisional energy transfer with Xenon to wavelength shift the violet light to 657.28 nm. An internal photon conversion efficiency of 25% was recorded. The new strontium filter utilizes collisions with noble gases to produce emission at 689.26 nm. An internal photon conversion efficiency of 45% was recorded.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to atomic filters in general and to passive atomic filters in particular.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Atomic resonance filters are optical bandpass filters that employ sharp atomic transitions to perform ultranarrowband (.about.0.001 nm) filtering of light. Further, the bandwidth is independent of aperture size and field of view. The properties of atomic filters make them ideally suited for the detection of weak laser signals against continuum backgrounds.
Atomic filters can be divided into two classes: active and passive. Promising active filters include sodium, thallium, rubidium, magnesium, and calcium. Active devices require power sources, usually in the form of optical radiation, to sustain filter operation. These sources add complexity and cost, and may reduce reliability. In several instances, the absorbed optical power has been shown to contribute filter noise.
On contrast to the large number of active filters, only two passive filter schemes have been developed. These filters employ rubidium and cesium atoms and they operate near 420 and 456 nm, respectively. Passive filters are advantageous for applications that stress low level light detection, high reliability, low cost, and design simplicity. There are several important shortcomings with these passive atomic filters. First, these filters emit at wavelengths greater than 700 nm. Few photomultiplier tubes are available to receive these emissions. Second, there is no inherent sunlight rejection. Third, the optical bandwidths cannot be pressure broadened to accommodate Doppler shifted signals.
Therefore, a principal object of the present invention is to provide a passive filter which maximizes solar background rejection. It is also an object to provide a filter that emits int he red spectral region (below 700 nm) and has a variable optical bandwidth.

Method for suppressing solar background in a receiver of laser light


Systems and methods for reducing alteration of a specimen during by charged particle based and other measurements systems are provided. One system configured to reduce alteration of a specimen during analysis includes a vacuum chamber in which the specimen is disposed during the analysis and an element disposed within the vacuum chamber. A surface of the element is cooled such that molecules in the vacuum chamber are adsorbed onto the surface and cannot cause alteration of a characteristic of the specimen during the analysis. One system configured to analyze a specimen includes an analysis subsystem configured to analyze the specimen while the specimen is disposed in a vacuum chamber and an element disposed within the vacuum chamber. A surface of the element is cooled such that molecules in the vacuum chamber are adsorbed onto the surface and cannot cause alteration of a characteristic of the specimen during the analysis.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to systems and methods for reducing alteration of a specimen during analysis for charged particle based and other measurement systems that involve direct or incidental impingement or ejection of electrons or ions, which might catalyze a surface contamination reaction or deposition or removal of a measured species. Certain embodiments relate to a system that includes an element, which is disposed within a vacuum chamber, and which has a surface that is cooled such that molecules in the vacuum chamber are adsorbed onto the surface.
2. Description of the Related Art
The following description and examples are not admitted to be prior art by virtue of their inclusion in this section.
Fabricating semiconductor devices such as logic and memory devices typically includes processing a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer using a number of semiconductor fabrication processes to form various features and multiple levels of the semiconductor devices. For example, lithography is a semiconductor fabrication process that involves transferring a pattern from a reticle to a resist arranged on a semiconductor wafer. Additional examples of semiconductor fabrication processes include, but are not limited to, chemical-mechanical polish, etch, deposition, and ion implantation. Multiple semiconductor devices may be fabricated in an arrangement on a semiconductor wafer and then separated into individual semiconductor devices.
As the dimensions of semiconductor devices shrink, metrology and analysis processes used to measure characteristics of the semiconductor devices become increasingly important. For instance, the acceptable variation in the characteristics of the features of the semiconductor devices (e.g., critical dimension, "CD") also decreases. Therefore, accuracy requirements of metrology and analysis processes and tools have become more stringent. In addition, as the dimensions of semiconductor devices shrink, the capability of metrology tools (e.g., resolution) have been increased. In many instances, previously sufficient technologies (e.g., optical microscopy) have been replaced with more advanced and complex technologies including charged particle beam systems (e.g., scanning electron microscopy, "SEM").
There are, however, some disadvantages to using charged particle beam based inspection, metrology, and/or analysis tools for semiconductor applications. For instance, in the presence of an electron beam, molecules present in the vacuum chamber of the tool or on the surface of the specimen may react with the specimen itself. Such reactions may result in the formation of a foreign material on the specimen such as a carbon containing material. Other reactions may result in the reduction or removal of one or more elements or molecules from the specimen.
Results of analysis of a specimen performed by charged particle beam based tools may be affected by such reactions. For instance, in the case of a reaction which produces a material on the surface of the specimen, a metrology tool may produce a measurement that reflects the dimensions of the specimen after the formation of the material, not the dimensions of the specimen as produced by the semiconductor manufacturing process. In the case of a reaction that removes material from the specimen, an analysis tool may produce a measurement that reflects the composition of the specimen after the removal of the material, not the composition of the specimen as produced by the semiconductor manufacturing process, or not the composition of a foreign particle being analyzed in a SEM based review system.
The reactions described above, therefore, reduce the accuracy of the charged particle beam based tools. In addition, the reactions described above may reduce the precision of the charged particle beam based tools. As a result, any process monitoring and control carried out based on the results of these tools may not be effective at maintaining or increasing the yield of the semiconductor manufacturing process. In some instances, in fact, process monitoring and control performed using results produced by these tools may actually be counterproductive resulting in decreased yield.
Possibly more important, however, are the changes to the specimen caused by the reactions that take place in charged particle beam based tools. In particular, it is often advantageous to perform inspection, metrology, and analysis of product wafers. Product wafers can be generally defined as wafers on which devices are actually formed, as opposed to monitor wafers, which may only be processed through a limited number of manufacturing processes to monitor a subset of semiconductor manufacturing processes. In this manner, devices are not actually formed on monitor wafers, and instead monitor wafers are usually reworked or scrapped after inspection, measurement, or analysis. Inspection, measurement, or analysis of product wafers is, therefore, generally preferred since the results may more accurately reflect the actual characteristics of other product wafers.
However, any change to the product wafer caused by reactions that take place in charged particle beam based tools may alter the characteristics of the product wafer to such a degree that device performance, speed, and/or device longevity may be adversely affected. In a worst case scenario, the devices can no longer be successfully formed on the product wafer. Obviously, such effects on product wafers are highly undesirable due to the cost involved in producing product wafers. In addition, even if devices can be successfully manufactured on the altered product wafer, the alterations may adversely affect the bin yield, and therefore the profitability, of the semiconductor manufacturing process.
Attempts have been made to reduce the effects of processes performed by charged particle beam based tools on specimens such as wafers. One such approach involves increasing the turbo pumping performed on the analysis chamber in which inspection, metrology, or analysis of the specimen is carried out and/or the load lock chamber in which the specimen is located before introduction to the analysis chamber. However, such an approach may have limitations in that performance will be determined by the size and type of pump, conductance of the pump to the chamber, and the time that the wafer can remain in the load lock chamber. In addition, the source of reactant molecules may be in the analysis chamber itself, in which case additional pumping in the load lock will have no effect on reducing undesirable reactions on the surface of the specimen.
Another approach that may be used alone or in combination with increased turbo pumping is to heat the specimen either before or during the process performed by the charged particle beam based tool. Such an approach may be disadvantageous for a number of reasons. For instance, it may be disadvantageous to heat some types of specimens on which materials are present (such as resist or low K dielectrics) that may be altered by such heating. In addition, such heating of the specimen may reduce throughput of the tool since time is required for the temperature of the specimen to stabilize before any measurements are performed.
Accordingly, it may be advantageous to develop systems and methods for reducing alteration of a specimen during analysis by substantially preventing any reactions from taking place in charged particle beam based tools thereby substantially preventing contamination of the specimen, substantially increasing the accuracy and/or precision of the tools, substantially increasing the effectiveness of process control and monitoring performed using results of the analysis, or some combination thereof without substantially changing the temperature of the specimen.

Systems and methods for reducing alteration of a specimen during analysis for charged particle based and other measurement systems


A system and computerized method is provided that controls a reading slot to provide aid to a user in reading a passage. The computerized method includes generating a mask having an opaque portion and a reading slot. The opaque portion covers a plurality of lines having characters that are visible through the slot. The plurality of lines includes at least a first line and a second line. The method includes advancing the slot at a midline velocity in relation to the first line of the passage, and increasing the velocity of the slot in accordance with a digital transition velocity profile when the slot enters a transition zone of the passage.

1. Field
The present application relates generally to computerized reading aids. More specifically, the present application is directed to controlling a reading slot of the reading aid at variable velocities.
2. Brief Discussion of Related Art
Reading aids have been available to help readers, from new readers to experienced readers, increase fluency and speed. One type of reading aid is a mask having a reading slot. The mask obscures a portion of a reading passage that a reader intends to read, while a portion of text of the reading passage is exposed through the slot as the slot is advanced in relation to the reading passage. In a mechanical system, the text of the reading passage is provided on a physical page, and the reading slot is mechanically advanced over the text to expose the words to a reader viewing the page. In a projection system, the text of a reading passage is projected onto a screen by a projector. The projector further projects the mask over the text so that it is superimposed on the text. Here too, the slot is mechanically advanced to expose words to a reader that are projected on the screen.
In both the mechanical and projection systems, the reading slot has a fixed length dimension as it is advanced during a reading session in which a reader reads a reading passage. Additionally, the mask has a fixed opacity. More recently, computerized reading aids have become available that display text of a reading passage and a mask that overlays a portion of the text. Similar to the mechanical and projection systems, a reading slot is advanced in relation to the reading passage to help improve the reader's fluency and speed. Here too, the reading slot is advanced at a single velocity during a reading session, the length dimension of reading slot is fixed, and the mask has a fixed opacity.
Readers having varying abilities read at different speeds. Some readers can read faster than others, and some readers can beneficially use their peripheral vision to preview text of the reading passage that is ahead of their current reading position. However, for some readers, an exposure of too many words ahead of the current reading position will encourage a saccade too far to the right. In response, the reader may skip words and/or go back to a reading position to try and read missed words, losing speed and fluency. Thus, some readers may benefit by having less text exposed to their peripheral vision than more experienced readers.
Additionally, a reader of any skill level may read the middle of a line at a different velocity than when transitioning from one line of text to the next. A slot that is advanced at a single velocity throughout a reading passage can thwart a reader's ability to read faster or improve the reader's reading speed. Additionally, in a single reading passage, some types of text (e.g., dense, complicated reading material) may warrant a slower reading velocity than other text. Encouraging the reader to read at a single velocity can interfere with comprehension of text that warrants a slower reading velocity.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a configurable reading aid to train a reader to read at a velocity that it is appropriate for the particular reader, e.g., based on the reader's experience and ability. Further, it is desirable to provide a reading aid that also allows the reader to read at different velocities within the same or different reading passages. Additionally, it is desirable to control the exposure of text of a reading passage that can be visible to the reader, such as by the reader's peripheral vision.

System and method for controlling an advancing reading slot of a reading aid at variable velocities


Disclosed is a method of regionalizing a product for specific markets for the purposes of language localization, insuring compliance with local laws and standards, or theft prevention. The method is applicable to goods comprising an initially-sold machine or device and consumable items required by the machine or device. The method comprises regionalizing the consumable items; the first-installed consumable used in the machine or device then causes the machine or device to be regionalized, such that the machine or device subsequently only accepts consumables with the same regionalization. Also disclosed are apparatus to implement the method.

A variety of situations exist in which it is desirable to "regionalize" a product, distinguishing that product from otherwise identical products elsewhere. Regionalization can allow a product to automatically configure related software, such as drivers and user manuals, to be displayed in a local language. Regionalization can help discourage the use of consumable items related to the product that are not intended for use in that region (due to non-compliance with local standards, or local intellectual property rights issues). "Regionalization" may also be used on a local scale to discourage theft of devices, such as within an organization or company, by configuring the devices to only accept consumables that are available from that organization or company.
Printers are an example of a product where regionalization is attractive. Printers are shipped worldwide, to many countries, to users of different nationalities. Many users in certain countries and regions have region-specific needs, such the need to have manuals and driver software programs that communicate in the local language. Failure to provide a local language interface can make it difficult for these users to properly operate the printer and to understand driver-generate messages.
One way to resolve this issue is to customize the printing systems—that is customize the printer hardware, driver software, and manuals to each country. This can add significant undesirable overhead costs for supporting the manufacture of printing systems unique to each country. Further, for manufacturing planning purposes, the demand of each individual country must be accurately predicted; otherwise, certain countries will experience either surpluses or shortages of printing systems resulting in either lost sales or excess inventory. There is thus a need for a regionalization system that allows products such as printers to be automatically configured to a particular region without unduly increasing production and distribution costs.
Another use for regionalization is the situation where consumable items, such as ink cartridges for printers, are not intended for distribution within certain regions. A particular ink cartridge design, for example, may contain an ink formulation for which the manufacturer does not own the local intellectual property rights, or which in some other way does not conform to local laws or standards (or there may be trademark issues related to the cartridge packaging). To help preclude the importation of the consumables into the region, it would be useful if the printers in the region in some manner declined to accept the cartridges.
A third use of regionalization is in a local setting, where an organization or company may own a large number of devices, such as printers, and wants to insure that the devices don't become targets for theft. It would be useful if the devices were "regionalized" to only accept consumables, such as ink cartridges, provided by the company or organization. If the devices were not usable with consumables from an outside source, the likelihood of theft would be reduced.
There is thus a need for methods and apparatus which allow manufacturers and distributors the ability to simply regionalize devices and consumable items utilized by the devices in a simple manner that does not incur undue manufacturing and distribution costs.

Method and apparatus for product regionalization

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A dye-incorporated composition which comprises a cyanine type dye and an azo metal chelate compound comprising an azo type compound of the following formula (I): ##STR1## (wherein A is a residue forming a hetero ring together with the carbon atom and the nitrogen atom to which it is bonded, B is a residue forming an aromatic ring or a hetero ring together with the two carbon atoms to which it is bonded, and X is a group having an active hydrogen), and a metal, and an optical recording medium comprising a recording layer which contains the dye-incorporated composition.

An optical recording medium employing laser makes storage and reproduction of high density information records possible, and its development have been remarkable recent years.
As an example of the optical recording medium, an optical disc may be mentioned. In general, an optical disc is usually designed to irradiate a focused laser beam of about 1 .mu.m, to a thin recording layer formed on a substrate of disc shape to conduct high density information recording. The recording is carried out in such a manner that upon absorption of the layer beam energy, the irradiated portion of the recording layer will undergo a thermal deformation such as decomposition, evaporation or melting. Reproduction of the recorded information is carried out by reading the difference in the reflectance between the portion having a deformation formed by the laser beam and the portion having no such deformation.
Accordingly, an optical recording medium is required to efficiently absorb the energy of the laser beam, and also required to have a predetermined amount of absorbed light to a laser beam having a specific wavelength employed for recording and to be high in the reflectance to a laser beam having a specific wavelength employed for reproduction for accurately conducting the reproduction of information.
As the optical recording medium of this kind, there have been proposed ones comprising an organic dye thin film formed on a substrate. Since it is possible to form the organic dye thin film by coating, its mass productivity is high and the cost is expected to be low.
It has been known that a thin film containing the cyanine type dye is employed as the organic dye thin film (reference can be made with Japanese Unexamined Patent Publications No. 112790/1983, No. 114989/1983, No. 85791/1984 and No. 83236/1985). However, the optical recording medium comprising such a cyanine type dye is poor in the light stability, and has a problem in the storage stability and a drawback such that it is prone to light deteriorating upon reproduction. Thus, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publications No. 55795/1984, NO. 40389/1989, No. 55189/1990, No. 68742/1990, etc. propose to add various metal chelate compounds represented by the following structural formula (1), (2), (3) or (4), to the cyanine type dye to improve the light stability. However, the improvement is still on an insufficient level. ##STR2##


An optical switch 1 of the present invention comprises an optical fiber arraying member 21 for keeping a plurality of first optical fibers 20 juxtaposed with tip portions thereof being aligned, a movable arm 31, opposed to the optical fiber arraying member, for holding a tip portion of at least one second optical fiber 30, a driving mechanism 40 for driving this movable arm 31 to selectively optically coupling the second optical fiber 30 with an arbitrary first optical fiber 20, a supplying mechanism 60 for, when a first optical fiber 20 is optically coupled with the second optical fiber, dropping and charging an index matching agent to a gap between these optical fibers 20, 30, and drop controllers 67, 68 for controlling the supplying mechanism 60, wherein the index matching agent is dropped and charged into only the gap between the optical fibers, so that foreign matter produced in the driving mechanism 40 or the like is prevented from intruding into the coupling part between the optical fibers 20, 30, thus assuring stable optical characteristics.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical switch and a switching method thereof for switching of optical transmission lines consisting of optical fibers, for example, in the field of optical communication.
2. Related Background Art
An example of such optical switch known heretofore is the apparatus of the type disclosed in the bulletin of Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. Hei 6-67101. This optical switch has a first optical fiber group composed of a number of first optical fibers, an optical fiber arraying member for arraying the first optical fiber group horizontally, a second optical fiber, an optical fiber driving mechanism for holding this second optical fiber and mechanically moving the second optical fiber to optically couple the second optical fiber with an arbitrary first optical fiber, and a sealing case for housing the first optical fiber group, second optical fiber, optical fiber arraying member, and optical fiber driving mechanism. The sealing case is filled with an index matching agent having an index of refraction nearly equal to that of the first optical fibers and second optical fiber, such as silicone oil. Therefore, the index matching agent is interposed in a gap between connected end faces of the first optical fiber and second optical fiber, which decreases optical losses due to scattering or the like in this gap, which prevents optical loss build up due to switching of the first optical fiber and second optical fiber, and which stabilizes optical characteristics.
This conventional, optical switch, however, had the following problems because of the above-stated structure.
Specifically, since the optical switch was constructed in the structure wherein the optical fiber driving mechanism was immersed in the index matching agent, foreign matter such as wear powder produced by mechanical contact or abrasion of the optical fiber driving mechanism flowed into the index matching agent filling the case and moved therein to intrude into the coupling part between the optical fibers, which resulted in degrading the optical characteristics of optical switch. Since the silicone oil used as an index matching agent is likely to leak even through a fine hole, the oil seal structure was complex in the sealing case (taking countermeasures against leakage, countermeasures during the assembling step, etc.).
An object of the present invention is to provide an optical switch that is unlikely to experience the deterioration of optical characteristics due to intrusion of foreign matter into the coupling part between optical fibers and that requires no complex seal structure, solving the above problems.

Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation


In a system having a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus and MRI-monitored medical equipment, the MRI-monitored medical equipment has an inductive coil built into the equipment that receives magnetic resonance signals from a subject and generates inductive electromagnetic signals according to the received magnetic resonance signals. The magnetic resonance imaging system has at least one reception coil that is positioned externally of the MRI-monitored medical equipment and that is connected to the magnetic resonance imaging system via a cable. The reception coil receives the electromagnetic signals that are generated by the inductive coil that is built into the medical equipment.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of magnetic resonance, particularly to the field of magnetic resonance imaging, and specifically, to an apparatus for transmitting magnetic resonance signals in MRI-monitored medical equipment.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various forms of therapeutic treatments can be applied to the body of a human or other mammalian subject by applying energy from outside the body. For example, when treatments are performed by using hyperthermia techniques, ultrasonic or radio frequency energy is applied externally to a subject's body to heat different tissues. This is known as the high intensity focused ultrasonic knife (HIFU) technique. The working principle of the technique is that high-energy ultrasonic waves are emitted without contact and enter a human body via a water medium coupling. The applied energy can be focused to a very small spot within the human body so as to heat the tissues at that spot to a temperature sufficient to create a desired therapeutic effect, and to necrotize tissue at the focal spot within a very short period of time. This technique can be selectively used to destroy unwanted tissues within a body. For example, tumors or other unwanted tissues can be destroyed by applying heat, and the applied heat can heat the abnormal tissues to a temperature sufficient to kill them without damaging normal tissues nearby, with the temperature usually between 60° C. to 80° C. Such a process is commonly referred to as "thermal ablation". Other hyperthermia treatments include selectively heating tissues so as to selectively activate a drug, or to promote some other physiological changes in a selected part of the body of a subject under the treatment. In other therapeutic methods, the applied energy can be used to destroy abnormal objects or deposits within a body such as, for example, in ultrasonic lithotripsy.
Magnetic resonance can be used in medical imaging for diagnostic purposes. In magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) procedures, a body region of the subject to be imaged is subjected to a strong magnetic field. Radio frequency (RF) signals are applied to the tissues of the subject within the imaging volume, and under these conditions, atomic nuclei are excited by the applied radio frequency signals and emit faint radio frequency signals, which are referred to as magnetic resonance signals. By superimposing appropriate gradients on the magnetic field during the procedure, the magnetic resonance signals can be obtained selectively from a limited region, such as a two-dimensional slice of the subject's tissue. The frequency and phase of the signals from different parts of the slice can be made to vary with their positions in the slice. By using this known technique, it is possible to demodulate the signals arising from different parts of the slice, and to deduce from these signals the properties of the tissues at each point of the slice.
Various proposals have been made to use magnetic resonance to monitor and guide medical equipment, particularly during a procedure of applying energy into a body. Certain magnetic resonance procedures are temperature sensitive, so that magnetic resonance data acquired by using these procedures will generate an image in a MRI system, and indicate temperature changes in tissues, so as to accomplish a therapeutic procedure. However, there are always some problems when such medical equipment is used in conjunction with an MRI system. Taking a HIFU treatment device as an example, during the MRI imaging procedure, RF signals are usually transmitted into a human body by a large body coil and this large body coil receives magnetic resonance signals emitted from the human body, and the MRI system makes use of these magnetic resonance signals to generate an image. When using medical equipment such as HIFU which requires very high precision imaging, the signal-to-noise ratio during the imaging by such a large body coil does not meet the requirements (the imaging quality of the body coil is not very high due to the fact that the coil is too large, and the bigger the coil is, the less ideal is the imaging quality). Therefore the local imaging quality is not high. An alternative is to acquire the magnetic resonance signals using a fixed receiving coil (local coil), but there are many restrictions in practical application. Since a fixed coil needs to be placed in HIFU solution in order to receive the magnetic resonance signals emitted from the body, and the fixed coil also needs to be connected to a cable and to transmit the magnetic resonance signals to the MRI processor for imaging, there is the problem of sealing the coil and the cable. Moreover, the need to seal the cable and the fixed coil in turn creates the problem of inconveniency in moving the fixed coil, which further results in a restriction to imaging range. All these problems are difficulties encountered when using the fixed coil.

MRI-monitored equipment with built-in MR signal reception coil and signal emitter