Waveguides and scattering devices are made from a pair of slabs, at least one slab being either an “epsilon-negative (ENG)” layer in which the real part of permittivity is assumed to be negative while its permeability has positive real part, or a “mu-negative (MNG)” layer that has the real part of its permeability negative but its permittivity has positive real part. The juxtaposition and pairing of such ENG and MNG slabs under certain conditions lead to some unusual features, such as resonance, complete tunneling, zero reflection and transparency. Such materials also may be configured to provide guided modes in a waveguide having special features such as mono-modality in thick waveguides and the presence of TE modes with no cut-off thickness in thin parallel-plate waveguides. Using equivalent transmission-line models, the conditions for the resonance, complete tunneling and transparency are described as well as the field behavior in these resonant paired structures. A “matched” lossless ENG-MNG pair is configured to provide “ideal” image displacement and image reconstruction.

In 1967, Veselago postulated theoretically an electromagnetic complex material in which both permittivity and permeability were assumed to have negative real values, and he analyzed plane wave propagation in such a medium, which he called a "left-handed (LH)" medium [V. G. Veselago, "The electrodynamics of substances with simultaneously negative values of ε and μ," Soviet Physics Uspekhi, Vol. 10, No. 4, pp. 509–514, 1968 (in Russian Usp. Fiz. Nauk, Vol. 92, pp. 517–526, 1967]. According to Veselago's analysis, in such a "double-negative (DNG)" material [R. W. Ziolkowski, and E. Heyman, "Wave propagation in media having negative permittivity and permeability," Phys. Rev. E., Vol. 64, No. 5, 056625, 2001], the Poynting vector of a plane wave is antiparallel with its phase velocity. In recent years, Shelby et al. in an article entitled "Experimental verification of a negative index of refraction," Science, vol. 292, no. 5514, pp. 77–79, 2001, inspired by the work of Pendry et al. in articles entitled "Magnetism from conductors and enhanced nonlinear phenomena," IEEE Trans. Microwave Theory Tech, Vol. 47, No. 11, pp. 2075–2081, November 1999, and "Low-frequency plasmons in thin wire structures," J. of Physics: Condensed Matter, Vol. 10, pp. 4785–4809, 1998, reported the construction of a composite medium in the microwave regime by arranging arrays of small metallic wires and split ring resonators. The anomalous refraction for this medium was demonstrated in the afore-mentioned Shelby et al. article and in the following articles: D. R. Smith, et al., "Composite medium with simultaneously negative permeability and permittivity," Phys. Rev. Lett., Vol 84, No. 18, pp. 4184–4187, 2000; and R. A. Shelby, et al., "Microwave transmission through a two-dimensional, isotropic, left-handed metamaterial," Appl. Phys. Lett., Vol. 78, No. 4, pp. 489–491, 2001. Various aspects of this class of metamaterials are now being studied by several groups worldwide, and many ideas and suggestions for potential applications of these media have been mentioned.
For example, the present inventors have suggested the possibility of having thin, sub-wavelength cavity resonators in which a layer of the "double-negative" (DNG) medium is paired with a layer of conventional material (i.e., a "double-positive (DPS)" medium) in articles entitled: N. Engheta, "An idea for thin subwavelength cavity resonators using metamaterials with negative permittivity and permeability," IEEE Antennas and Wireless Propagation Lett., Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 10–13, 2002; N. Engheta, "Guided waves in paired dielectric-metamaterial with negative permittivity and permeability layers" URSI Digest, USNC-URSI National Radio Science Meeting, Boulder, Colo., Jan. 9–12, 2002, p. 66; and N. Engheta, "Ideas for potential applications of metamaterials with negative permittivity and permeability," Advances in Electromagnetics of Complex Media and Metamaterials, NATO Science Series, (editors S. Zouhdi, A. H. Sihvola, M. Arsalane), Kluwer Academic Publishers, pp. 19–37, 2002. As explained in these articles, theoretical results have revealed that a slab of DNG metamaterial can act as a phase compensator/conjugator. Thus, by combining such a slab with another slab made of a conventional dielectric material one can, in principle, have a 1-D cavity resonator whose dispersion relation does not depend on the sum of thicknesses of the interior materials filling this cavity, but instead it depends on the ratio of these thicknesses. The inventors later extended this work to the analyses of parallel-plate waveguides containing a pair of DPS and DNG layers, guided modes in open DNG slab waveguides, and mode coupling between open DNG and DPS slab waveguides. In each of these problems, the inventors found that when a DNG layer is combined with, or is in proximity of, a DPS layer interesting and unusual properties are observed for wave propagation within this structure. Indeed, the paired DNG-DPS bilayer structures were found to exhibit even more interesting properties than a single DNG or DPS slab—properties that are unique to the wave interaction between the DNG and DPS layers.
By exploiting the anti-parallel nature of the phase velocity and Poynting vectors in a DNG slab, the present inventors theoretically found the possibility of resonant modes in electrically thin parallel-plate structures containing such DNG-DPS bilayer structures. Following those works, a first set of preliminary results and ideas for the guided modes in a parallel-plate waveguide containing a pair of DNG and DPS slabs was presented by the present inventors. Later, in an article entitled "Anomalous mode coupling in guided-wave structures containing metamaterials with negative permittivity and permeability," Proc. 2002 IEEE-Nanotechnology, Washington D.C., Aug. 26–28, 2002, pp. 233–234., the present inventors showed the effects of the anomalous mode coupling between DNG and DPS open waveguides located parallel to, and in proximity of, each other. Some other research groups have also explored certain aspects of waveguides involving DNG media.
Most of the work in the area of metamaterials reported in the recent literature has so far been concerned with the wave interaction with DNG media, either by themselves or in juxtaposition with conventional (DPS) media. However, as will be explained in more detail below, the present inventors have now recognized that "single-negative (SNG)" materials in which only one of the material parameters, not both, has a negative real value may also possess interesting properties when they are paired in a conjugate manner. These media include the epsilon-negative (ENG) media, in which the real part of permittivity is negative but the real permeability is positive, and the mu-negative (MNG) media, in which the real part of permeability is negative but the real permittivity is positive. For instance, the idea of using such a combination to provide an effective group velocity that would be antiparallel with the effective phase velocity, and thus acting as an effective left-handed (LH) medium has been explored by Fredkin et al. in "Effective left-handed (negative index) composite material," Appl. Phys. Lett., Vol. 81, No. 10, pp. 1753–1755, 2 Sept. 2002.
The present application addresses the characteristics of ENG-MNG bilayer structures, such characteristics including resonance, complete tunneling, transparency, and guided modes. Such bilayer structures are the subject of the present invention.

Waveguides and scattering devices incorporating epsilon-negative and/or mu-negative slabs

The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania


In a plasma CVD apparatus, unnecessary discharge such as arc discharge is prevented, the amount of particles due to peeling of films attached to a reaction chamber is reduced, and the percentage of a time contributing to production in hours of operation of the apparatus is increased while enlargement of the apparatus and easy workability are maintained. The plasma CVD apparatus is configured such that in a conductive reaction chamber 104 with a power source 113, a vacuum exhausting means 118, and a reaction gas introduction pipe 114, plasma 115 is generated in a space surrounded by an electrode 111, a substrate holder 112, and an insulator 120.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a plasma CVD apparatus for forming a thin film in the semiconductor, liquid crystal, optical disc or like technological fields, and particularly relates to a plasma CVD apparatus using a reaction chamber constituted by a conductor such as metal.
2. Description of the Related Art
As methods of forming a thin film on a substrate, there are known a sputtering method using a sputtering phenomenon in a decompressed state, a vacuum evaporation method using an evaporation phenomenon, a CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) method such as a plasma CVD method using low temperature gas decomposition by plasma, a thermal CVD method using heat decomposition of a gas, and a photo CVD method for decomposing a gas by energy of shortwave light or ultraviolet rays, and the like. In addition, research and development has been undertaken with respect to combined techniques and applied techniques of the aforementioned methods, and such techniques have been implemented in actual manufacturing methods.
Among the foregoing thin film forming techniques, the plasma CVD method is characterized in that direct current or high frequency voltage is applied to a reaction gas in a decompressed state, and the reaction gas is decomposed by glow discharge to deposit a film on a substrate. In the thin film formation by this method, gas can be decomposed at a relatively low temperature (500° C. or less) by plasma energy such as high electron temperature of several eV in the plasma, and films of various compositions with high purity can be formed by using vacuum and by changing the kind of gas. Thus, the plasma CVD method is used in various fields such as the semiconductor field, the liquid crystal field, the optical disk field, and the magnetic disk field. magnetic disk field.
It is well known that to use a batch type plasma CVD apparatus in which a plurality of substrates are processed at the same time to form a thin film on a substrate.
However, in the case of the batch process, even if substrates are processed at the same time, characteristics of thin films slightly fluctuate in the respective substrates. Thus, repeated or consistent precision is poor and unevenness among substrates is large, so that the batch process has not been able to fulfill the desire for high precision in a thin film.
In addition, since a plurality of (about four to eight pieces) substrates are processed at the same time, it has been necessary to provide a substrate holder on which the substrates are mounted and are moved together with the substrates. This substrate holder is removed to the outside of the plasma CVD apparatus when film growth on the substrates is completed, the next batch of substrates is mounted on the substrate holder, and then the substrate holder is again processed in the apparatus.
Thus, since the process of heating in vacuum and placing in atmospheric pressure at room temperature is repeated, a so-called peeling phenomenon occurs in which a film attached to the substrate holder is peeled off.
Because of the foregoing reason, the batch process has not been used recently in not only the plasma CVD apparatus but also in almost entire fields including, for example, thin film etching. Instead, single wafer processing type apparatus has been used.
The single wafer processing type is a system characterized in that a substrate holder moving together with substrates is not used, but, rather, substrates are processed one by one, and only the substrate is moved. A conventional plasma CVD apparatus using this system will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.
FIG. 2 is a top view showing a single wafer processing type plasma CVD apparatus, and a chamber 201 is a load chamber in and out of which a substrate is carried. Chambers 202 to 206 become reaction chambers.
A plurality of substrates to be processed are set in the load chamber 201 by a cassette or the like. After the substrates are set in the load chamber 201, the chamber is decompressed. When the chamber is decompressed to a sufficient pressure, a gate valve 210 between the load chamber 201 and a common chamber 207 is opened. A substrate carrying means 208 disposed in the common chamber 207 carries one substrate among a plurality of substrates set in the cassette in the load chamber 201 from the load chamber 201 into the common chamber 207. FIG. 2 shows the state where the substrate has been carried, and a substrate 209 is carried into the reaction chamber in which a thin film is formed. The substrate 209 is carried by the substrate carrying means 208 into the reaction chamber.
The common chamber 207 is connected to the respective reaction chambers 202 to 206 and the load chamber 201 through the respective gate valves 210. When the substrate 209 is carried in and out of the respective chambers, the gate valve of that chamber is opened. The load chamber 201, the respective reaction chambers 202 to 206, and the common chamber 207 are evacuated by vacuum exhausting means, respectively.
As to thin film formation, there are various types such as a lamination type (P-layer, I-layer, and N-layer, etc.)for use, for example, in an amorphous solar cell, and a single layer type for use, for example, in a protective film for a semiconductor. Thus, the processes in the respective chambers are different according to the kinds of films to be formed, the type of lamination, and the like.
FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 2 and showing the common chamber 207 and the reaction chamber 204.
An electrode 211 and a substrate holder 212 are disposed in the reaction chamber 204. The electrode 211 is connected to a power source 213, and the substrate holder 212 and the reaction chamber 204 are grounded. The substrate holder 212 is equipped with a heater (not shown) for heating a substrate.
This substrate holder 212 is disposed inside the reaction chamber 204 contrary to the foregoing batch type, and is not moved together with the substrate 209.
The substrate 209 is placed on the substrate holder 212 from the common chamber 207, and a reaction gas is introduced through an introduction pipe 214. Then voltage is applied to the electrode 211 to generate plasma in a space 215 so that a thin film is formed on the substrate.
The substrate 210 on which a thin film has been formed, is again carried by the carrying means 208 in the common chamber 207 from the reaction chamber 204 into the common chamber 207, and is subjected to a next process. Another substrate is carried in the reaction chamber 204 and thin film formation is performed in the same manner. In these sequential processes, only the substrate is moved.
Incidentally, reference numerals 217 and 218 denote vacuum exhausting means, which maintain the inside of the common chamber and the reaction chamber in a decompressed state. The exhausting means is generally independently provided in the respective chambers.
The reaction cambers 203 to 206 also have the same structure as the reaction chamber 202, and the reaction chambers are selectively used according to the kind and thickness of a film to be formed. For example, a silicon film is formed in the reaction chamber 202, a silicon oxide film is formed in the reaction chamber 203, and a silicon nitride film is formed in the reaction chamber 204.
Alternatively, the same process of laminating a silicon nitride film, a silicon film, and a silicon nitride film is performed in the respective reaction chambers, so that the total throughput, that is, the so-called producibility is improved.
Of course, if the kind of film to be formed in each chamber is determined so as to suppress impurities to the highest degree, each film can be sequentially formed without mixture of impurities, so that it is also possible to increase the efficiency of production.
In the structure of the above-mentioned plasma CVD apparatus, the respective chambers are mainly composed of a conductor such as metal, for example, aluminum or stainless steel. With respect to materials for a chamber of the plasma CVD apparatus, although it is known that quartz or alumina as an insulator may be used other than metal, such a material is not used for a single wafer processing type apparatus. The reason is as follows.
In the case of the single wafer processing type plasma CVD apparatus, since substrates are processed one at a time, it is necessary to provide a plurality of reaction chambers to increase the producibility. If a plurality of reaction chambers are provided, a plasma CVD apparatus inevitably becomes large. Thus, it is necessary to use a material having strength. In the case of a material such as quartz or aluminum, although it has strength, it is apt to be damaged. A material of a vacuum chamber is so subtle that even if a flaw such as a hairline crack is present, vacuum can not be maintained. In addition, since the apparatus becomes large and complicated, it is necessary to use a material which is easily workable and has high working precision. Moreover, it is preferable that the material be as inexpensive as possible.
To satisfy the above described conditions reaction chamber, presently are often made of a metal material such as aluminum, aluminum alloy, or stainless steel.
In the case where a thin film is formed by the foregoing single wafer processing type plasma CVD apparatus, a reaction gas to be decomposed extends not only to a substrate but also to the entirety of a reaction chamber. In a thermal CVD and the like, since the entirety of a reaction chamber is heated, films are formed over the entirety of the reaction chamber, as well as on the substrate. In the case of the plasma CVD method, although it is ideal that a film is formed only on the substrate where plasma is generated, films are also formed at places other than the substrate. That is, since the plasma 215 extends also in the space other than the vicinity of the substrate 209, films are formed also on the exposed portions such as the surface of the electrode 211 and the inner wall of the reaction chamber.
The aforementioned occurs because, since the reaction chamber is made of a metal material, that is, a conductor, plasma is not generated only in a space between the electrode and the substrate holder, but extends beyond this space. Contrary to the substrate holder of a batch type plasma CVD apparatus, the films formed on portions other than the substrate are not exposed to the atmosphere, or are not subjected to the repetition of a cycle of room temperature and high temperature, so that the films do not immediately peel off.
However, when film formation is continued, the films start to peel off as well. Then these films become particles, flakes or the like and fall onto the substrate or the bottom of the reaction chamber.
Thus, it is necessary to periodically remove the films formed and deposited on places other than the substrate after several sequences of film formation are carried out and before the films start to peel off. The removal of the films is carried out by introducing an etching gas into the reaction chamber to form plasma so that the films are etched.
At the film formation, there is also a terrible case such that unnecessary discharge such as arc discharge occurs also in a space near the electrode 211 and between the electrode 211 and the inner wall of the reaction chamber, for example, in the space designated by 216 in FIG. 3, and the thickness of a film formed on the inner wall becomes thick, so that the film becomes easy to peel off.
The inner wall of the reaction chamber is made relatively smooth in its surface. The objects thereof are to suppress the degassing of the wall so that impurities are decreased, as well as to prevent arc discharge, and the like. Actually, the wall surface is made to be close to a mirror surface by buff polishing with #400 or more, electrolytic polishing, combined electrolytic polishing, or the like. A film attached to the smooth surface has poor adhesion and easily peels off. The peeled film becomes particles or flakes, falls onto the reaction chamber, and is deposited. These deposits, which once peeled off and became particles or flakes, are hard to remove by plasma etching than a film-like substance attached to the inner wall at the film formation.
Actually, the deposits can not be completely removed. The reason why they can not be completely removed, is not clarified theoretically. However, as an empirical law, although a film-like substance may be etched, a solid substance such as particles or flakes can not be completely etched.
Thus, it is necessary to carry out cleaning of the reaction chamber considerably before a film that is attached to a place other than a substrate peels off. Thus, with respect to the ratio of film forming hours contributing to production to etching hours not contributing to production in hours of operation of an apparatus, the ratio of the hours contributing to production is decreased.
If unevenness is provided on the surface of the reaction chamber, it is possible to prevent the film from easily peeling off. However, with a surface area that becomes large, it takes a more time to achieve evacuation, and the amount of gas released from the uneven surface having the increased surface area is increased. Thus, the method of providing the unevenness is contrary to the original object to form a thin film having high purity by using a vacuum apparatus.

Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.


A console for vehicle capable of stably carrying goods during the travel of the vehicle, with improved convenience in accordance with sorts of goods to be carried. A console for vehicle 30 is detachably attached to a folding seat 10 in a manner covering a rear surface of a seat back 14 with a front surface of the seat back 14 being folded to face a seat portion 12. The console for vehicle 30 includes a first recess 36 for storage of goods with an opening on a top side; and a lid body 36 for opening and closing the first recess 36. The lid body 36 includes an upper lid portion and a lower lid portion, with the former being slidable relative to the latter.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a console for vehicle which is installed inside a vehicle for the purpose of storing or placing goods therein.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Patent Registered Publication No. 3252191 discloses a conventional table assembly for use with a seat back, comprising a tray detachably attached to a rear surface of the seat back of which the lower portion being connected via a hinge fitting to a back end of a seat portion so that the seat back is capable of being folded forward, wherein the tray whose surface is to be arranged approximately horizontal in use, is formed integrally with a circumferential frame provided therearound so as to form a substantially container-shaped tray unit, such that the container-shaped tray unit covers the rear surface and circumference of the seat back from the rear side thereof, while a side wall of the circumferential frame is formed to have an approximately triangular shape with an increasing width toward a back, said container-shaped tray unit including a bracket on a rear part thereof so that the bracket projects downward and is hooked on a lug protruding sidewise from the hinge fitting.
According to the conventional table assembly for use with a seat back, as the tray formed integrally with the circumferential frame makes up the substantially container-shaped tray unit, the whole circumference of the seat back can be fitted into the circumferential frame when the seat back is covered with the tray unit from the rear side thereof. At this moment, since the side wall of the circumferential frame has an approximately triangular shape, the side surface of the tray unit can be overlapped with that of the seat back with the top surface of the tray being kept horizontal. Accordingly, even if it is used for a seat back of a type that remains inclined when folded forward, the top surface of the tray is kept horizontal, and thus it can be used in a comfortable manner. Further, the table assembly can be attached to the seat back in a detachable manner, by overlapping the tray unit with the rear surface of the seat back while hooking the bracket projecting downward at the lower portion of the tray on the lug protruding sidewise from the hinge fitting, thus simplifying the operations for attachment and detachment of the assembly.
According to the conventional table assembly (i.e., the conventional console for vehicle) of a type that is attached to a seat back, however, the tray unit is detachably attached to the rear surface of the seat back, with the lower portion of the seat back being forward-foldably connected via the hinge fitting to the back end of the seat, and thus goods stored in or placed on the table assembly are subjected to the vibration of the seat back occurring during the travel of the vehicle. As a result, there has been a problem that goods are liable to get unstable during the travel.


A method and system automatically converts a Wireless Internet Protocol (WAP) Client Provisioning (CP) objects to Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) Device Management (DM) objects. WAP CP is enabled according to XML (eXtensible Markup Language) and defines a standard way to bootstrap mobile device's connectivity settings and application protocol access parameters using XML. OMA DM is also enabled according to XML and provides similar functionality, but is organized according to a mandated tree structure. The present invention automatically converts vendor specific parameters from WAP CP to OMA DM such that the vendor specific parameters are more easily managed by an OMA DM server and client.

Device management is a technology that provides customization, servicing, and personalization of mobile devices such as pen and keyboard-based handheld computers, wireless phones, pen tablets, notebooks, laptops, sensory devices, intelligent devices, embedded devices, and vehicle systems, not excluding any other mobile device. Device management also involves provisioning a mobile device, or providing the parameters to the mobile device to allow the functions of the mobile device to operate. Provisioning mobile devices can be difficult and time consuming. As the capability of mobile devices continues to increase, the number of parameters needed to be provisioned also increases.
Previously, the provisioning of a mobile device was standardized according to the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) developed by the WAP Forum as the de facto standard protocol. WAP may be described as a visual interactive computer telephone voice response system. More recently, the standardization for provisioning has been transitioned to the Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) and their Device Management (DM) protocol. However, the structure and operation of OMA DM is different than the structure and operation of WAP.

System and method for automatic conversion from WAP client provisioning XML represented objects to OMA DM tree structure represented objects


An adjustable, open end wrench is described which has a wrench head for turning a variety of different size fasteners. The wrench head comprises two jaws each having an engaging surface for engaging with the fasteners. One jaw is generally fixed and connected to a gripping portion formed as a wrench lever and the other jaw is movable relative to the fixed jaw. The wrench head comprises an adjustable mechanism by which the jaws may be spaced apart including a maximum spacing dimension between the jaws. The wrench head further comprises an imaginary centerline intersecting both of the jaws substantially perpendicular to the engaging surfaces of the jaws as viewed from a side view thereof. And further wherein, each jaw has a width dimension measured at the centerline, and the width dimension of both jaws combined is relative to the maximum spacing dimension between the jaws. The width dimension of both jaws combined is substantially equal to or less than 85% of the maximum spacing dimension between the jaws, and, the width dimension of both jaws combined is substantially equal to or greater than 50% of the maximum spacing dimension between the jaws, so as to enhance the interaction and accessibility of the wrench to the fasteners.

The present invention relates to hand tools, particularly wrenches and most particularly adjustable, open end type wrenches.
Adjustable, open end type wrenches have existed for many years. The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) has even developed standards for this common wrench. The advantages of an adjustable wrench are obvious. An adjustable wrench can vary the spacing between the jaws so that the one tool may interact with and turn a variety of different size fasteners. The disadvantages of an adjustable wrench are not immediately obvious. A major disadvantage of the typical, prior art adjustable wrench is its relatively wide structured head and jaws. The wide wrench head and wide jaws prohibit engagement and access with fasteners in limited access environments. Accordingly, there is a need to develop a better adjustable, open end wrench, structured differently than the prior art adjustable wrenches, to improve engagement and access with fasteners located in limited access environments.
An adjustable, open end wrench is described which has a wrench head for turning a variety of different size fasteners. The wrench head comprises two jaws each having an engaging surface for engaging with the fasteners. One jaw is generally fixed and connected to a gripping portion formed as a wrench lever and the other jaw is movable relative to the fixed jaw. The wrench head comprises an adjustable means by which the jaws may be spaced apart including a maximum spacing dimension between the jaws. The wrench head further comprises an imaginary centerline intersecting both of the jaws substantially perpendicular to the engaging surfaces of the jaws, as viewed from a side view thereof. And further wherein, each jaw has a width dimension measured at the centerline, and the width dimension of both jaws combined is relative to the maximum spacing dimension between the jaws. The width dimension of both jaws combined is generally equal to or less than 85% of the maximum spacing dimension between the jaws, and, the width dimension of both jaws combined is generally equal to or greater than 50% of the maximum spacing dimension between the jaws, so as to enhance the engagement and accessibility of the wrench to the fasteners.
As defined earlier herein, a major disadvantage of the prior art adjustable wrench is its relatively wide structured head and jaws. The wide wrench head and wide jaws prohibit engagement and access with fasteners located in limited access environments. Accordingly, there is a need to develop a better adjustable wrench which is structured differently than the prior art adjustable wrenches, to improve engagement and access with fasteners located in limited access environments.
Accordingly, it is an important objective of the present invention described above to achieve an improved adjustable wrench which can engage with and access fasteners located in limited access environments.
It is another objective of the present invention that it be durable and strong enough to exceed the standards developed by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).
It is another objective of the present invention that it be commercially viable, simple in design, and cost efficient to manufacture.


A method and apparatus for a cable connection system is provided. The connection system includes a cable termination coupled to the end of a cable. The cable termination includes a body and two substantially circular pivots, and a cable input in the body of the cable termination for receiving the cable. The cable termination is designed to fit rotatable into a device having a mating housing. The device includes a groove on both sides of the mating housing, for fitting the cable in either direction, such that the cable termination may be rotated into the mating housing in either direction.

Cables are often used to couple together elements of a system. For example, cables are used to couple together computer components, form electrical connections between components, connect telephones to walls, etc. All of these connections use wiring encased in a non-conductive shell, for example plastic. Cable connectors are generally attached to the end of cables in order to permit the cable to be connected to another component.
An example of a prior art cable connection is shown in FIG. 1. A cable 110 terminates in a connector 120. The connector 120 is designed to interface with a socket 130. The socket 130 is part of a second device 140. The socket 130 receives the connector 120. Generally, the connector 120 can only be inserted into the socket 130 in one direction. That is, for example, if the second device 140 is to be turned around, the cable has to be looped around the second device 140. Furthermore, generally part of the connector 120 extends beyond the socket 130, requiring extra space.
One prior art method of solving this problem is including a second socket on the other side of the second device. However, including a second socket is redundant, and may be expensive to implement.
Another prior art method of solving this problem is to use thin cable, which may be bent underneath the device in a groove. However, this limits number of wires which may be included in the cable. Additionally, it places stress on the cable. Furthermore, repeated bending of the cable, from one direction to the other, may lead to wire breakage.


The present invention provides a combination drape and carrying bag unit including a singular sheet or plurality of joined sheet of pliable materials, both permeable and impermeable, of size to define a mat to accommodate a working medical procedural area thereon, upon which may be placed in single or combination, medical equipment and patient. The sheet has a drawstring casing extending about its periphery. The casing has openings therein on opposite sides of the mat and a drawstring is received in the drawstring casing and is of size to extend continuously about the periphery of the sheet when it defines a mat. The drawstring is slidably received in the drawstring casing so that when portions of the drawstring are pulled out of the drawstring casing through the openings, the periphery of the sheet forms gathers adjacent the casing to permit the periphery to reduce in size whereby the unit forms a carrying bag. Those portions of the drawstring which are pulled out of the casing may be secured together adjacent the openings to form a handle for the carrying bag.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to the use of a disposable absorbent article in covering medical carts for medical applications used in medical procedure rooms, and in particular to a drape for use in conjunction with endoscopic procedures for containment of waste product and equipment protection.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional disposable absorbent drapes or pads used in endoscopic procedures may be comprised of a plurality of absorbent and impermeable material layers joined mechanically to produce a sterile mat of given geometry. Said mats are placed upon medical carts for establishment of a sterile work platform to place endoscopic and other medical instruments upon, beneath the patient procedure zone to contain wastes emanating from the procedure due to gravitational flow from the patients body, and such other areas in the procedural region to allow for capture of waste or the establishment of a sterile work surface.
In a conventional absorbent drape, once the procedure is complete, the equipment involved in the procedure, which is now contaminated, is removed from the area by medical personnel. The equipment may be placed in a separate container for transport, or left exposed to the environment and carried to a decontamination/sterilization area for preparation for the next procedural use. The absorbent disposable drapes used in the procedure are gathered by medical personnel and may also be placed in containers or receptacles for proper disposal of biohazard materials.
During removal of the equipment and drapes, medical personnel may be exposed to biohazard materials deposited on the equipment and drapes. Procedures are commonly employed to reduce the level of exposure, but movement or disposal of the equipment and drapes still involves the placement of the affected articles into separate containers, transport or disposal units, and still involves exposure of medical personnel to biohazard materials deposited thereon.


A method of triangulating aircraft transponder signals using a number of receivers connected to a central station over communication links includes applying at least one logic rule at each receiver to incoming transponder signals to filter redundant transponder signals, time-stamping filtered transponder signals, and transmitting time-stamped transponder signals to the central station. Logic rules include at least one of altitude filtering, Mode S, Mode A/C code filtering, and change filtering. Replies are accepted when a change in state is indicated, such that the only those replies indicating a change in state are time-stamped and sent to the central server.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires all passenger carrying aircraft over 30 seats be equipped with so-called "Mode S" transponders. Mode S transponders are capable of transmitting a number (e.g., 25) of formats of coded data. This coded data includes such information as a unique 24-bit binary address for each aircraft.
The aircraft registration number may be derived from this 24-bit binary address. The coded Mode-S data also includes such information as aircraft altitude and may be transmitted continuously throughout a flight at a minimum rate of 1 Hz (i.e., once per second). Coded Mode-S data may be collected passively without any connection to air traffic control equipment.
The FAA has endorsed the Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS) system, which uses various data link technologies including the VHF communication band, HF and SATCOM along with a ground station network to allow aircraft to transmit and receive messages of coded data. Many domestic and international carriers have equipped their aircraft with ACARS equipment.
ACARS equipment is capable of transmitting a number of types of coded data. ACARS currently uses frequency shift keying (FSK) as a modulation scheme, however, other modulation schemes including minimum shift keying (MSK) and time division multiple access (TDMA) are being evaluated for future improvement of ACARS. ACARS data includes such information as the aircraft registration number and airline flight identification number (flight number).
ACARS transmissions from a single aircraft may be sent at varying intervals from as little as no transmissions in a single flight to several transmissions per minute. ACARS transmissions may be collected passively without any connection to air traffic control equipment.
None of the currently used or planned Mode S downlink formats provides for the transmission of flight identification data. There are a number of methods including Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) and multilateration which allow for the precise determination of aircraft location through the Mode S downlink formats on a frequent basis. ACARS transmissions, while capable of encoding aircraft position and altitude, are not typically used for position determination as the frequency of ACARS transmissions may be too infrequent to allow one to accurately and timely determine the exact position of an aircraft.
Reducing noise from aircraft landing and taking off is a problem in the art. Determining which aircraft are violating noise restrictions is an essential part of the noise reduction problem. In the Prior Art, airports relied on post-processed flight track data (typically from airport radar systems) which would then be correlated with acoustical noise information and presented to management for analysis the next day or several days later. The acoustical data was usually collected by microphones or noise monitoring terminals located (NMTs) around the airport.
These NMTs would generally store a day's worth of noise information and then download that information each night for correlation with the post-processed flight tracks. However, since noise and flight track data may be not correlated until many hours after a noise event, it may be difficult if not impossible to respond to specific noise complaints or noise incidents, or to accurately determine post hoc which airplane caused which noise event. What is needed in the art is a system which allows for almost instantaneous correlation between noise data and flight tracks.
Triangulating on an aircraft's transponder signal may require decoding real-time transponder replies at several locations, time-stamping them and sending them to a central location for matching. Matching would attempt to pair up the transponder signals that had emanated from the same target.
An example of a Prior Art method for triangulating on an aircraft's transponder is disclosed in Wood, M., L., and Bush, R., W., Multilateration on Mode S and ATCRBS Signals at Atlanta's Hartsfield Airport, Lincoln Laboratory Project Report ATC-260, 8 Jan. 1998, incorporated herein by reference. In that method, triangulation on an aircraft's transponder relied on each remote sensor time-stamping all or most received transponder signals and passing them along to the central location for matching.
It was deemed necessary to do this since the remote sensor could not know which particular reply would be used by the central server for the matching process. This meant that a relatively high bandwidth communications medium was required between each remote sensor and the central server.
Such Prior Art methods used active interrogations to elicit the transponder replies, which allowed for some form of expectancy time for the replies. By scheduling interrogations the system estimated when replies might be received at each of the receivers and the system could then use windows in which to "listen" for replies. All replies received within these windows would then be time-stamped and then sent to the central server for matching.
This approach helped in some form to manage the required bandwidth on the link between the receiver and the central server. However, a relatively high bandwidth link is still required using this approach. Because of the practical bandwidth challenges in managing the link between the receivers and the central server it was generally thought in the Prior Art that using a completely passive approach for triangulation and multilateration would be impossible.
Multilateration and ASDI may be augmented with airline flight information available from an airlines flight reservation system. Dunsky et al, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/136,865, filed May 1, 2002 (Publication No. 2003/0009261 A1, published Jan. 9, 2003) entitled "Apparatus and method for providing live display of aircraft flight information", incorporated herein by reference, describes the integration of Megadata's PAssive Secondary SUrveillance Radar (PASSUR) and airline flight information.

Correlation of flight track data with other data sources


A sliding door assist device includes a guided cart attachment structure, a retracting structure and a door support structure. The retracting structure is pivotally coupled to the guided cart attachment structure to move between an extended position and a stowed position with respect to the guided cart attachment structure. The door support structure is coupled to the retracting structure such that the door support structure moves with the retracting structure with respect to the guided cart attachment structure between the extended position and the stowed position. The door support structure is configured to support a sliding door in a prescribed open position with the retracting structure in the extended position.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a sliding door assist device. More specifically, the present invention relates to a sliding door assist device that can support a vehicle sliding door during installation of the sliding door.
2. Background Information
Large vans, such as family vehicle vans and commercial vans, typically include a sliding door on at least one side thereof. The sliding door is designed to slide along a plurality of tracks defined on or attached to a vehicle body structure. Most vehicle body structures that receive a sliding door include three separate tracks to support the sliding door. The sliding door is initially usually attached to two tracks, and after various installation tasks are completed, the sliding door is then attached to the third track. Prior to attachment to the third track, the sliding door must be supported. Since the sliding door is large and difficult to maneuver during installation, and since the sliding door can be damaged if not handled carefully, care must be taken when supporting the sliding door in a partially installed state.


In a fuel filter module for introducing fuel from a fuel inlet into a casing and for removing foreign matter from the fuel by passing the fuel through a fuel member and for discharging the fuel through a fuel outlet to the outside of the casing, and the casing is formed to have a D-shaped cross section. With this construction, the outer diameter of the casing is not increased even when an accessory is assembled on the outside plane wall of the D-shaped casing. The casing accommodates a filter member of C-shaped cross section. The center of a C-shaped sealing member provided for sealing the upper edge of the filter member is offset from the center of the casing. By thus offsetting, sufficient areas for fuel inlet and outlet can be ensured without increasing the size of the casing.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a fuel filter which introduces fuel from a fuel inlet into a casing, which filters foreign matter from the fuel by passing the fuel through a filter member, and which discharges the filtered fuel from a fuel outlet to the outside of the casing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Such a conventional fuel filter is disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Utility-Model Publication No. 4-109465. The fuel filter of this type includes a substantially cylindrical casing which accommodates a substantially cylindrical filter member. In the fuel filter disclosed in Laid-Open Utility Model 4-109465, a fuel inlet communicates with the interior of the cylindrical filter member and a fuel outlet communicates with the outside of the filter member. The fuel introduced from the fuel inlet into the interior of the cylindrical filter member moves to the outside of the filter member after foreign matter is filtered therefrom. Then, the fuel free from the foreign matter is fed from the fuel outlet to the outside of the casing.
FIG. 13 is a view of a module in which a conventional fuel filter is used. Numeral 90 designates a cylindrical housing for accommodating a substantially cylindrical fuel filter. The housing 90 should be formed to have a circular cross section in order to accommodate the fuel filter having a circular cross section.
Specifically, the housing 90 which accommodates the fuel filter of the circular cross section is also required to have the circular cross section, thus increasing the outer diameter of the module in which an attachment such as a sensor is assembled to the housing 90.
FIG. 13 shows the module wherein the fuel filter of the circular cross section is accommodated in the housing 90 of the circular cross section and wherein an attachment such as a sensor 93 is mounted on a peripheral wall of the housing 90. This module includes a set plate 91 attached to the housing 90 and a mounting portion 92 for mounting the attachment thereon. The attachment 93 such as a sensor is mounted on the mounting portion 92 with mounting members 94 or bolts.
When the module is constructed by mounting the attachment 93 to the housing 90 having the circular cross section, the outer diameter of the module will be considerably larger than that of the housing 90. A large outer diameter of the module requires a large bore to be provided to a fuel tank for inserting the module into the fuel tank.

Fuel filter module with C-shaped cross-section filter


A data storage device includes a nonvolatile memory device, a storage controller and a mapping controller. The nonvolatile memory device stores an execution code that controls operations of the data storage device. The storage controller uploads and stores the execution code from the nonvolatile memory device to a host memory buffer included in an external host device, and downloads the execution code in realtime from the host memory buffer to execute the execution code that is downloaded from the host memory buffer. The mapping controller manages a mapping table including mapping relations between the execution code and host addresses of the host memory buffer at which the execution code is stored. A speed of accessing the execution code is increased and performance of the data storage device is enhanced by using the host memory buffer as storage of the execution code to control the operation of the data storage device.

The present inventive concepts herein relate to semiconductor integrated circuits, and more particularly to data storage devices using a host memory buffer and methods of operating data storage devices.
Semiconductor memory devices for storing data may be classified into volatile memory devices such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM) for example that may be used as main memory to run software, and nonvolatile memory devices such as NAND flash memory for example that may be used to store user data. Volatile memory provides comparably fast read and write speeds and enables byte-access, but has disadvantages of nonvolatility and high cost. Although the cost of data storage devices may be reduced by decreasing capacity of random accessible memory included therein, performance of such data storage devices having decreased random accessible memory capacity is however degraded.

Data storage device using host memory buffer and method of operating the same


A motor-driven compressor includes an electric motor, a compression unit, a lead wire, a connection terminal, a cluster block, a housing, a motor drive circuit, a conductive terminal, and a coupling member. The lead wire is extended from a coil end of the stator. The connection terminal is electrically connected to the lead wire. The cluster block accommodates the connection terminal. The conductive terminal electrically connects the connection terminal and the motor drive circuit. The coupling member is arranged between the stator and the cluster block. The cluster block is coupled to the stator by the coupling member. The coupling member is configured to change an coupling position of the cluster block relative to the stator so that the connection terminal faces the conductive terminal.

The present invention relates to a motor-driven compressor.
A motor-driven compressor includes a compression unit, which compresses and discharges a refrigerant, an electric motor, which serves as a drive source for the compression unit, and a motor drive circuit, which drives the electric motor. A conductive terminal electrically connects the motor drive circuit and the electric motor, and a lead wire extends from the electric motor. A connection terminal arranged in a cluster block, which is accommodated in a housing, electrically connects the conductive terminal and the lead wire. Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-42409 describes an example in which the cluster block is coupled to a stator core of the electric motor.
In a motor-integrated compressor (motor-driven compressor) of the above-described publication, a cluster (cluster block) includes a dovetail projection, and a stator core has an outer surface including a dovetail groove extending along the axial direction of the stator core. The dovetail projection is engaged with the dovetail groove by sliding the dovetail projection into the dovetail groove. This couples the cluster to the outer surface of the stator core.
Shrink-fitting is performed to couple the stator core, which is coupled with the cluster, to the interior of the motor housing. After the stator core is shrink-fitted to the interior of the motor housing, the conductive terminal and the connection terminal are connected in the cluster. When the cluster is coupled to the outer surface of the stator core by engaging the dovetail projection and the dovetail groove like in the publication described above, a clearance is formed between the dovetail projection and the dovetail groove. The clearance allows for adjustment of the position of the cluster to a certain extent. Thus, when the stator core is shrink-fitted to the interior of the motor housing, the conductive terminal and the connection terminal may easily be connected in the cluster even when the conductive terminal and the connection terminal are not located at the proper connection positions.
In the publication described above, however, the dovetail groove formed in the outer surface of the stator core to couple the cluster to the stator core inhibits the flow of magnetic flux through the stator. This lowers the torque of the electric motor.


A method of producing more than two different electric time sound signals (C(t), GF(t), DF(t), GA(t), DA(t)) from two initial electric time signals (GI(t), DI(t)). The method includes in the frequency domain, producing a central electric frequency sound signal (C(ν)) from the in-phase frequency components of the initial signals; and producing two front signals (GF(t), DF(t)) by subtracting the central signal (C(t)) from the initial signals (GI(t), DI(t)) In addition, two rear signals (GA(t), DA(t)) can be produced from the out-of-phase frequency components of the initial signals. In this way, the method can be used to transform a stereophonic signal into a type 5.1 signal having five different sound signals.

1) Field
The invention essentially relates to a method of producing more than two different electric time signals from one first and one second electric time signal. The invention has a particularly advantageous application in the field of sound processing, to transform a stereophonic sound signal and a multi-band sound signal such as, for example, the system referred to as 5.1 which is broadcast using at least five speakers. In an audio phonic system which is broadcasting a 5.1 signal, each speaker is designed to broadcast a sound signal which is different from the other signals being broadcast.
2) Description of Related Developments
In practice, 5.1 signals are generally broadcast by audio phonic systems that are inside a cinema, an apartment or a car. Such systems provide for a listener, situated in the centre of the space which is delimited by the 5 loud-speakers, the sensation of being surrounded by a rich sound which is coming from five different sources. The simultaneous broadcasting of five or six different sound signals, by the same number of independent speakers, conveys a certain surrounding quality to the sound signal.
Alternatively, with a classic stereophonic system, the listener does not have this sensation of being surrounded and of depth of sound. In reality, the listener only has the impression that the sound coming from the loud speakers is being disseminated, since the number of signals and sound sources is generally limited to two in a stereophonic system.
One of the goals for some of the existing methods is therefore to transform stereophonic sound signals into 5.1 sound signals in order to achieve the best possible listening comfort. A 5.1 signal is broadcast by a system comprising at least five speakers: a central speaker, two (left and right) speakers and two rear (left and right) speakers. A sixth speaker can be added to this system in order to handle low frequencies.
In a first approach, to obtain a 5.1 signal from a stereophonic signal, it would be possible to duplicate the two stereophonic signals on the five speakers. However, duplication such as this would not provide the sensation of being surrounded which is sought by a listener. In reality, even if the number of sound sources are multiplied, the number of different signals being broadcast are not, therefore, this richness of sound is not achieved.
In other known methods, the monophonic components of the stereophonic components contained inside the sound signals of a stereophonic system are separated and broadcast using five speakers.
More exactly, in these methods, the monophonic components of the original stereophonic sound signals are detected and the corresponding signal is broadcast using the central speaker. In addition, to produce front sound signals, the monophonic component of the original sound signals is subtracted and the obtained sound signals are broadcast using front speakers. To produce rear sound signals, the components in phase opposition of the original sound signals are detected and the obtained sound signals are broadcast using rear speakers. The phase opposition sound signals give the impression that the sound being broadcast is coming from behind, or that it is further away from the listening point than the other sounds. One of the aims of these methods is therefore to establish good sound discrimination between different sound signals in order that each speaker broadcasts its own particular sound.
To produce these five sound signals, a method is known in which a filter is applied on the stereophonic and electric time sound signals. However, this time processing involves the use of compressors which possess relatively long response times. These long response times cause pumping, that is to say a sharp variation in intensity, in particular on the left and right channels when the central monophonic signal goes from a high level of sound to a low one. The left and right front sound signals include the monophonic component which is greatly reduced when it is loud in the centre and which becomes foremost when reduced in the centre. However, there is a certain inertia between reduction and increase of the monophonic component. This inertia gives the impression of soundlessness at certain times.
Moreover, this process does not make it possible to obtain good rear stereophony. To obtain rear signals, a same electrical sound signal is broadcast on both the rear speakers. The rear signals thus include stereophonic signal components in phase opposition, but which are mutually monophonic.
A method is also known in which one sound signal is more clearly disassociated from another. To this effect, one of the steps of this method is to remove some of the obtained signal components which are below a threshold. This step permits the reduction of a measured discordance between two adjacent speakers. This discordance characterises the separation between two adjacent speakers. However, the pumping effect is still present.
Another method is known for processing sound in which a filter envelope is capable of changing over a period of time. However, this method has a degree of instability. Over a period of time, the sound sources situated around the listener appear to move. With such a method, it is not possible to obtain the same sound effect throughout the duration of the broadcast. This method does not therefore provide a very enjoyable sensation of sound variation for the listener and does not respect the sound effect desired by the creator of the original sound track.
A method is also known in which a strong reverberation is applied to the stereophonic sound signals. This reverberation corresponds with echoes which increase in density. The method therefore provides a sort of virtual surround effect but cannot give the same richness supplied when broadcasting five different sound signals around the listener. All the sound signals have a commonly held modification information. In this method, there is no real discrimination between the information of five sound signals, rather the tonality of musical pieces is adjusted. As a result, the nature of the originally broadcast work is again being altered.
The invention is proposing, in particular, to provide an improvement in the discrimination between different sound signals, at the same time as resolving these problems relating to pumping and to respect for the original work.

Method for producing more than two electric time signals from one first and one second electric time signal


A method is disclosed for allowing a customer to create a digital shopping cart on a mobile electronic device while shopping at a brick and mortar store. The customer may scan barcodes, e.g. UPC variants, from a product with the camera of the mobile electronic device and record these product barcodes into the mobile electronic device. The shopping cart contents may be transferred to a checkout register without a data connection between the register and the device. The mobile electronic device may create one or more 2D barcodes with the item information embedded into the 2D barcode and may display the barcode on the device screen. Multiple 2D barcodes may be displayed in sequence. The 2D barcode may be scanned at the checkout register to read the barcode and thereby transmit the shopping cart information to the checkout register.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to shopping at a retail location and more particularly to an approach for allowing a customer to transfer a list of items for purchase from a mobile electronic device to a register to complete their purchase.
2. Background of the Invention
Many point-of-sale (POS) systems currently in use today do not support important emerging technologies. For example, current POS systems are limited in their ability to handle electronic shopping carts within a local retail store and the associated self-checkout functionality. Accordingly, what is needed is a system and method for facilitating use of electronic devices while shopping at a brick and mortar retail location. As will be seen, the invention provides such an approach in an elegant manner.

Method for transferring shopping cart contents to a register from a mobile electronic device


A visual display system comprising: a base; a first vertical front surface connected to the base; an angled back surface connected to the first vertical front surface having an angle of incidence from the first vertical front surface of between 10 and 40 degrees; a vertical back surface connected to the angled back surface having a top edge; a second vertical front surface secured to the top edge forming a first slot between the second vertical front surface and vertical back panel for holding product information; and an angled front panel connected to the second vertical front surface forming a second slot between the angled back surface and the angled front panel for holding product information.

The present invention relates to a four panel product display system which includes a basic unit with four panels for viewing product information.
Various display systems exist in the market and in the patent literature. U.S. Pat. No. 5,855,281 is directed to a product display system having a track, with projections and hooks. U.S. Pat. No. 6,070,741 is directed to a merchandise display unit that uses two vertical, parallel, spaced wing walls and a vertical back wall attached to a rear end of the wind wall for multi-planar display of various merchandise. U.S. Pat. No. 5,924,367 is directed to a shelf sign system with various pivotable brackets and panels for displaying product information. U.S. Pat. No. 5,983,545 is directed to a lightweight assembly for displaying a poster, which has crossbars and H-shape and legs. Various other panel display systems are taught in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,029,831, 3,945,467, 5,887,369, and 6,009,651. Most of these systems have components that are expensive to make, such as metal hardware, and elements, which can rip and tear fabric should they become connected to such material.
The present invention is directed at a low cost multi-panel signage system which can be used particularly on mattresses. None of the patents noted above teach the unique features of the present invention.
The invention is directed towards a visual display system comprising a base; a first vertical front surface connected to the base; an angled back surface connected to the first vertical front surface having an angle of incidence from the first vertical front surface of between 25 and 65 degrees; a vertical back surface connected to the angled back surface having a top edge; a second vertical front surface secured to the top edge forming a first slot between the second vertical front surface and vertical back panel for holding product information; and an angled front panel connected to the second vertical front surface forming a second slot between the angled back surface and the angled front panel for holding product information.
The invention further includes a vertical display panel molded to the base of clear plastic. It is an object of the present invention to provide a non-tipping display sign, particularly usable for the retail sales of mattresses.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a light, plastic sign, which can display at least 4 product signs, wherein each product sign is a standard 8xc2xdxc3x9711-inch sheet of paper, or a larger size of paper, such as 8xc2xdxc3x9714 or 11xc3x9717.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an inexpensive new retail sign.
Further and more specific objects and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof taken in conjunction with the drawings.


Provided is a nitride semiconductor light emitting element that has improved light extraction efficiency and a wide irradiation angle of outgoing light irrespective of the reflectance of a metal used for an electrode. An n side anti-reflection layer 2 and a p side Bragg reflection layer 4 are formed so as to sandwich an MQW active layer 3 that serves as a light emitting region, and the nitride semiconductor light emitting element has a double hetero structure. On top of the n side anti-reflection layer 2, an n electrode 1 is formed. Meanwhile, at the lower side of the p side Bragg reflection layer 4, a p electrode 5, a reflection film 7, and a pad electrode 8 are formed, and the pad electrode is bonded to a support substrate 10 with a conductive bonding layer 9 interposed in between. Both the n side anti-reflection layer 2 and the p side Bragg reflection layer 4 also serve as contact layers. The n side anti-reflection layer 2 is disposed on the light-extracting-direction side while the p side Bragg reflection layer 4 is disposed on the opposite side to the light-extracting-direction side. Consequently, the light extraction efficiency is improved.

Nitride semiconductors are used for: for example, blue LEDs, which are used as light sources of illumination, backlights, or the like; multi-color LEDs; LDs; and the like. Bulk single crystals for the nitride semiconductors, however, are difficult to be manufactured. Instead, GaN is grown on a substrate for growth, such as a sapphire substrate and a SiC substrate, by the MOCVD (metal organic chemical vapor deposition) method.
Above all, sapphire substrates, which exhibit an excellent stability in the high-temperature ammonia atmosphere of the epitaxial growth process, are particularly used as substrates for growth. The sapphire substrates, however, are insulating substrates, and are not electrically conductive. Accordingly, forming two electrodes to sandwich a sapphire substrate is impossible. For this reason, to form a nitride semiconductor on a sapphire substrate, the epitaxial growth is followed, in general, by the etching of the substrate so as to expose the n type gallium nitride layer and by the formation of an n type contact on the etched surface. Thus formed is a structure in which two electrodes p type and of n type are on the same side of a surface.
However, in the configuration described above, that is, the configuration in which two electrodes of p type and n type are formed on the same surface, electric currents tend to concentrate on a mesa portion that is close to the n electrode. The concentration prevents the nitride semiconductor formed on a sapphire substrate from having a higher ESD (electrostatic discharge) voltage. In addition, uniform current injection into the active layer is difficult. This difficulty in turn brings about another difficulty in making the active layer emit light evenly. Moreover, the nitride semiconductor formed on a sapphire substrate needs wire-bonding electrodes, on the same surface, both for the p electrode and for the n electrode. On the other hand, in a nitride semiconductor formed on a conductive substrate, only a wire-bonding electrode for either one of the p electrode and the n electrode has to be formed on a single surface. Accordingly, the nitride semiconductor formed on a sapphire substrate has a narrower effective light-emitting area than the nitride semiconductor formed on a conductive substrate does.
A method used to solve the above-described problem involves removing the sapphire substrate so as to expose the n type gallium nitride layer, and forming an n electrode thereon. For example, there is a method known as the laser lift off (Laser Lift Off: hereafter, abbreviated as LLO) method. In this method, firstly, a compound crystal layer as a nitride semiconductor is formed on a GaN buffer layer that is formed on a sapphire substrate. Then, an excimer laser of, in general, not longer than 300 nm in wavelength, approximately, is irradiated at several hundreds mJ/cm2 from the sapphire-substrate side. The GaN buffer layer is thus decomposed, and then the sapphire substrate is removed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The chip formed in this method is identical to the chip formed using a GaN substrate. Accordingly, the electrodes can be formed on the opposite sides of the substrate.    Patent Document 1: JP-A-2003-168820    Patent Document 2: JP-A-2004-153271

Nitride semiconductor light emitting element with bragg reflection layers and anti-reflection layers to improve light extraction efficiency


An exemplary backlight module includes a light guide plate, and a light source positioned for illuminating the light guide plate. The light source includes a plurality of LED units, and each LED unit includes a red LED, two green LEDs, and a blue LED. Each red, green, and blue LED has a center. In each LED unit, the centers of the red LED and the blue LED are at two opposite sides respectively of an imaginary line defined between the centers of the green LEDs.

Liquid crystal displays are commonly used as display devices for compact electronic apparatuses, not only because they provide good quality images but also because they are very thin. Liquid crystal in a liquid crystal display does not emit any light itself. The liquid crystal requires a light source so as to be able to clearly and sharply display text and images. Therefore, a typical liquid crystal display requires an accompanying backlight module.
Referring to FIG. 7, a typical backlight module 100 includes a light guide plate 120, a light source 110, and a reflector 130, arranged in that order from right to left as shown. The backlight module 100 further includes a plastic frame 140 for accommodating the light guide plate 120, the light source 110, and the reflector 130.
Referring also to FIG. 8, the light source 110 is interposed between the light guide plate 120 and the reflector 130, and includes a plurality of linearly arranged LED units 111. Each LED unit 111 includes a red LED 112, two green LEDs 113, and a blue LED 114, arranged in that order from top to bottom as shown. Each LED 112, 113, 114 can emit light beams of the one respective kind of primary color.
In operation of the backlight module 100, because each LED 112, 113, 114 emits one respective kind of colored light beams, a mixing process of the light beams of different colors occurs. The mixing process generally occurs in a space ranging from where the light beams emit from the LEDs 112, 113, 114 to where the light beams reach the light guide plate 120. Thereby, white light beams enter the light guide plate 120.
An optical performance of the mixed light beams reaching the light guide plate 120 is generally affected by an arrangement of the LEDs 112, 113, 114. The LEDs 112, 113, 114 are arranged along a straight line. Each pair of a red LED 112 and an adjacent blue LED 114 are located adjacent to and between two corresponding pairs of green LEDs 113. That is, in each LED unit 111, a center (not labeled) of the red LED 112 is distanced differently from the two green LEDs 113, and a center of the blue LED 114 is distanced differently from the two green LEDs 113. As a result, the light beams emitted from the LEDs 112, 113, 114 may be non-uniformly mixed, and the mixed light beams reaching the light guide plate 120 are therefore liable to be a little yellow or blue instead of being pure white. This may result in an uneven color balance of light output by the backlight module 100.
What is needed, therefore, is a backlight module that can circumvent, overcome or at least mitigate the above-described difficulties. What is also needed is a liquid crystal display including the backlight module.

Backlight module with nonlinearly arranged light emitting diodes and liquid crystal display with same


An apparatus and method for synchronously selecting icons in a flywheel controlled color computer monitor is disclosed, in which the icons representing the monitor display parameters to be adjusted and the function to be executed are arranged into a close circle which defines a circular path to be followed by the screen cursor so that the movement of the screen cursor is substantially in synchronization with the rotational motion of the flywheel control. Thus a more user friendly environment is provided in adjusting the monitor.

Using a flywheel control to replace all the monitor adjusting knobs of a computer monitor is known in the art. An on-screen display integrated circuit (OSD IC) is used to display icons of the monitor display parameters that are user adjustable in controlling the monitor. A bit generator is provided as an interface between the user and the monitor to move the screen cursor to a desired icon for performing the desired adjustment. This simplifies the adjustment of the monitor and also provides better aesthetics of the monitor for less knobs are used.
A disadvantage of such a flywheel controlled monitor is that the icons are arranged into a straight row so that the user has to move the cursor in a rectilinear fashion in order to position the cursor at the desired icon. However, the flywheel is moved in rotational fashion so that they are not matched with each other. This causes certain trouble in adjusting the monitor.
Thus, it is desirable to provide an apparatus and method to overcome the non-matching problem between the rotation of the flywheel control and the rectilinear movement of the screen cursor.

Apparatus and method for synchronously selecting icons in flywheel controlled color computer monitor


Disclosed herein are maskless imaging tools and display systems that include piezoelectrically actuated mirrors and methods of forming such devices. The maskless imaging tool may include a light source. Additionally, the tool may include one or more piezoelectrically actuated mirrors for receiving light from the light source. The piezoelectrically actuated mirrors are actuatable about one or more axes to reflect the light from the light source to a workpiece positioned to receive light from the piezoelectrically actuated mirror. Disclosed herein is a maskless imaging tool that is a laser direct imaging lithography (LDIL) tool. The maskless imaging tool may also be a via-drill tool. Disclosed herein is also a piezoelectrically actuated mirror used in a projection system. For example, the projection system may be integrated into a pair of glasses.

Maskless lithography has distinct advantages over standard lithography that uses masks and projection optics, especially in the arena of packaging and board manufacturing where the exposure wavelength is still small compared to the critical dimensions (i.e., a wavelength of 355 nm at critical dimensions of 2 μm). Maskless lithography is advantageous because changes to the design can be applied on the fly, allowing for better line density and accommodating misaligned features or components from previous operations.
Laser direct imaging lithography (LDIL) is one group of technologies that may be used in maskless lithography. While LDIL eliminates the need for a mask, one main drawback of LDIL is that the ratio of throughput and resolution or accuracy has not been able to match the same ratio for tools using projection optics and masks. In order to overcome the limited throughput and resolution or accuracy, some systems have employed a rotating multi-faceted mirror coupled to an optics column. The rotating multi-faceted mirror causes the incoming laser to be scanned across the substrate in order to provide a larger patterning surface with each pass. Additionally, in some LDIL systems the rotating mirror may be replaced with an array of acousto-optic deflectors (AODs). However, since AODs are relatively large in size and must include a separate optic column for each beam line, such devices typically do not use more than eight or ten beam lines. A third option for LDIL is to use a digital mirror device (DMD). DMD systems enable high resolution and accurate alignment, but throughput is relatively slow since only the area of the DMD device can be imaged (without any reduction or magnification optics). In order to manufacture a DMD system for LDIL that has adequate throughput, a large array of DMD chips (e.g., greater than 1000 DMDs) is needed.
An additional maskless lithography tool is a laser-drill (or via-drill) tool. Current laser-drill tools use a laser that is guided by two mirrors that are rotated via galvos (i.e., electro-motors). Using galvos is not an ideal solution either. For example, in the pareto of processing time in a typical laser-drill tool, the motion of the galvo actuated mirrors is the most time consuming item. As such, efforts have been made to replace this beam steering method by other methods, such as AODs. However, in addition to the limitations listed above, AOD technology is limited to deflections of less than 5° off center axis. Accordingly, a long working distance/optical column is needed. The long working distance increases the overall size and complexity of the device in addition to reducing the precision and resolution.
Some technologies utilized in maskless lithography may also be used in other projection applications, such as visual displays. One emerging area of projection displays is wearable devices or heads up displays. In some of these projection systems, an array of DMDs may be used to scan a light source between an on state and an off state. Since DMDs are limited to a digital response, an array of DMDs may be needed to produce each desired pixel that will be displayed.

Piezo actuators for optical beam steering applications


Aspects described herein relate to receiving, from a base station, a downlink communication indicating resources scheduled for one or more repetitions of a downlink control channel, receiving, from the base station, the one or more repetitions of the downlink control channel, and combining the one or more repetitions of the downlink control channel to decode the downlink control channel. In another aspect, the network can transmit, to a user equipment (UE), a downlink communication indicating resources scheduled for one or more repetitions of a downlink control channel, and transmitting, to the UE, the one or more repetitions of the downlink control channel over the resources.

Aspects of the present disclosure relate generally to wireless communication systems, and more particularly, to control channel communications.
Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide various types of communication content such as voice, video, packet data, messaging, broadcast, and so on. These systems may be multiple-access systems capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing the available system resources (e.g., time, frequency, and power). Examples of such multiple-access systems include code-division multiple access (CDMA) systems, time-division multiple access (TDMA) systems, frequency-division multiple access (FDMA) systems, and orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (OFDMA) systems, and single-carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) systems.
These multiple access technologies have been adopted in various telecommunication standards to provide a common protocol that enables different wireless devices to communicate on a municipal, national, regional, and even global level. For example, a fifth generation (5G) wireless communications technology (which can be referred to as 5G new radio (5G NR)) is envisaged to expand and support diverse usage scenarios and applications with respect to current mobile network generations. In an aspect, 5G communications technology can include: enhanced mobile broadband addressing human-centric use cases for access to multimedia content, services and data; ultra-reliable-low latency communications (URLLC) with certain specifications for latency and reliability; and massive machine type communications, which can allow a very large number of connected devices and transmission of a relatively low volume of non-delay-sensitive information.
In some wireless communication technologies, a user equipment (UE) can receive downlink control channel communications from a base station, which can include information for communicating with the base station for wireless network access. In 5G NR, the base station can configure a control resource set (CORESET) using higher layer signaling (e.g., radio resource control (RRC) signaling) to define resources over which the base station transmits the downlink control channel communications. UEs can determine the CORESET based on the signaling and can accordingly monitor the resources defined by the CORESET for downlink control channel communications from the base station. More specifically, within a CORESET, one or more search spaces indicating resources over which the downlink control channel may be transmitted can be defined. The UE can determine the one or more search spaces of the CORESET and can accordingly monitor the associated resources for downlink control channel communications from the base station.

Techniques for communicating repetitions of control channels in wireless communications


An interconnect assembly is provided for electrically connecting first and second circuit members. Each of the circuit members comprises an array of electrical contacts. The interconnect assembly includes a plurality of compressible electrical conductors having opposite ends respectively configured for contacting the electrical contacts of the first and second circuit members. The interconnect assembly also includes a carrier defining a plurality of apertures for receiving the conductors and at least one retainer contacting each conductor. Each of the retainers has a maximum diameter that is greater than a minimum diameter of the apertures such that a portion of each conductor is retained within one of the apertures.

Certain integrated circuit (IC) packages or modules include semiconductor devices, such as chips or dies, contained in an encapsulating material or housing. The IC package or module includes an exterior array of contacts, or input/output pads, for electrically connecting the package or module to another electronic component, such as a load board adapted for use with a package testing system. The contacts of an IC package typically are not connected directly to the load board. Typically, an interconnect assembly (e.g., a test socket) is interposed between the IC package and the load board to provide electrical connection between the contact array of the IC package and a contact array of the load board.
Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a prior interconnect assembly 100 located between an IC package 102 and a load board 104 adapted for use with a package testing system. The IC package 102 includes an array of electrical contacts 108 located on an exterior surface of the package. The exemplary array of contacts 108 is of a type known as a "land grid array" in which the contacts 108 have substantially planar contact surfaces. The load board 104 also includes an array of electrical contacts 110.
The interconnect assembly 100 includes a plurality of conductors 112 received in openings 116 defined by a support frame or carrier 114. As shown, the openings 116 of the carrier 114 are spaced to provide for substantial alignment between the conductors 112 and the contacts 108, 110 of the package 102 and the load board 104, respectively. Each of the conductors 112 is compressible to provide a variable length for the conductor 112. Such adjustable conductor length allows the interconnect assembly 100 to accommodate dimensional variations, amongst the contacts 108, 110 for example. Such dimensional variation results in variation in the separating distance between pairs of contacts 108, 110 when the package 102 and the load board 104 are brought into contact with the interconnect assembly 100 as shown in FIG. 1. The adjustable length for the conductors 112 ensures that each of the conductors 112 of the interconnect assembly 100 will contact the package 102 and the load board 104.
Each conductor 112 of the interconnect assembly 100 includes plunger members 118, 120 defining opposite ends of the conductor and a cylindrical barrel 122 located between the plunger members 118, 120. A coil spring or other resilient member (not shown) is coupled between the plunger members 118, 120 and contained within the barrel 122. Compression of the coil spring under loading placed on the plunger members 118, 120 results in the desired shortening of the distance between opposite ends of the conductor 112. This type of conductor having elongated plungers, a barrel and a coil spring is sometimes referred to as a "spring pin" or "pogo pin."
The carrier 114 of the prior interconnect assembly 100 includes a socket portion 124 and a retainer portion 126 secured together by fasteners at locations 128. The carrier 114 of prior interconnect assembly 100 can be secured to the load board 104 by fasteners at locations 130. Each of the carrier portions 124, 126 defines an annular shoulder 132 adjacent the openings 116 for retaining the barrels 122 of the conductors 112 within the openings 116. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the barrel 122 of each conductor 112 is dimensioned to define a gap between the conductor 112 and the annular shoulders 132. This gap provides vertical play between the carrier 114 and the barrels 122 of conductors 112.
Referring to FIG. 2, the interconnect assembly 100 of FIG. 1 is located between a load board 104 and an IC package 134. Instead of including a land grid array of contacts like package 102, package 134 includes an array of contacts 138 having a rounded configuration. This type of contact array is sometimes referred to as a "ball grid array."

Interconnect assembly for testing integrated circuit packages

Antares Advanced Test Technologies, Inc.


The present disclosure provides compounds of Formula (II)

The immune system plays a critical role in the identification and elimination of neoplastic cells. Tumor cells use various mechanisms for evading the immune-mediated destruction of tumor cells. Among those pathways, adenosine has been identified as a highly effective inhibitor of effector T cell function, and the enzyme CD73 (ecto-5′-nucleotidase, NT5E) has been identified as the enzyme responsible for generating adenosine.
As tumor cells undergo cell death as a result of metabolic or hypoxic stress, they release intracellular stores of ATP into the extracellular space. CD39 and CD73 are two ecto-enzymes that work together in a two-step reaction to convert pro-inflammatory ATP into immunosuppressive adenosine. CD39 hydrolyzes ATP into AMP, which is further hydrolyzed by CD73 into adenosine. Adenosine binds A2A receptors on T cells and activates an intracellular signaling cascade leading to the suppression of T cell activation and function. Activation of A2A receptors inhibits IFNg production, as well as cytotoxic killing by CD8+ cells, and also promotes the differentiation of CD4+ cells into T-regulatory cells (Jin, et al. (2010) Cancer Res. 70:2245-55). Adenosine can also inhibit differentiation and function of dendritic cells, as well as proliferation and cytolytic function of NK cells (Hoskin, et. al. (2008) Int J Oncol 32:527-35). Activation of A2A receptors on tumor cells has also been suggested to promote tumor cell metastasis (Beavis et al. (2013) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 110:14711-14716).
CD73 is expressed primarily in endothelial cells and a subset of hematopoietic cells. CD73 expression has been observed in tumor cells in leukemia, bladder cancer, glioma, glioblastoma, lung cancer, ovarian cancer, melanoma, prostate cancer, thyroid cancer, esophageal cancer and breast cancer. CD73 expression in non-small-cell lung cancer and triple-negative breast cancer is a prognostic marker for lower survival rate (Inoue, et al. (2017) Oncotarget 5:8738-8751; and Loi, et al. (2013) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 110:11091-11096). In the mouse, knock-down using siRNA or overexpression of CD73 on mouse tumor cells can modulate tumor growth and metastasis (Beavis et al. (2013) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 110:14711-14716; Stagg et al. (2010) Cancer Res. 71:2892-2900; and Jin et al. (2010) Cancer Res. 70: 2245-55). CD73 plays a key role in promoting tumor growth in the tumor microenvironment, as CD73−/− mice are protected from transplanted and spontaneous tumors (Stagg et al. (2010) Cancer Res. 71:2892-2900). Inhibition of CD73 has been proposed as a therapeutic approach for the treatment of cancer, and antibodies to CD73 have been reported to inhibit tumor growth by restoring immune response to the tumors (Hay, et al. (2016) Oncoimmunology; 5 (8):e1208875).

Abstract: wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, W1, W2, W3, X, Y, and A are as described herein. The disclosed compounds modulate CD73 activity. The present disclosure also provides, pharmaceutical compositions containing these compounds, and methods of using these compounds for treating diseases associated with CD73 activity.