A strained semiconductor heterostructure (10) comprises an injection region comprising a first emitter layer (11) having p-type conductivity and a second emitter layer (12) having n-type conductivity, and a light generation layer (13) positioned between the first emitter layer (11) and the second emitter layer (12). An electron capture region (14) is positioned between the light generation layer (13) and the second emitter layer (12), said electron capture region comprising a capture layer (16) adjacent to the second emitter layer, and a confining layer (15) adjacent to said electron capture layer. According to the present invention, the widths and materials of the confining and capture layers (15, 16) are selected to provide energy difference between one of localized energy levels for electrons in the capture layer (16) and the conduction band bottom of the second emitter layer (12) equal to the energy of the optical phonon.

The external quantum efficiency of a light emitting diode, herein referred to as LED, can be defined as:ηext=γ·ηcap·ηint·ηout,where γ is the injection efficiency, ηcap is the efficiency of carrier capture into light generation region, ηint is the radiative efficiency provided by radiative recombination of carriers inside the light generation region, ηout is the light extraction efficiency. Maximum LED efficiency is obtained by maximizing all these parameters. The first three factors are overlapping and it is optimal to address them simultaneously during design of a LED structure.
The first factor to address is the efficiency of carrier capture into light generation region. In case of lattice mismatch between the device layers, thickness of the layer where electrons and holes recombine should be small enough to preserve material quality and avoid strain relaxation via nucleation of dislocations. However carrier capture into the light generation layer is significantly reduced when decreasing the layer thickness. The capture can be characterized by the relation
                    q        +            -              q        -              =                  -        n                                                    d        τ              ,where q+ and q− are the carrier fluxes, incident to the light generation layer and transmitted over it, n is the carrier concentration in an emitter, d is the width of the light generation narrow bandgap layer, and τ is the capture time, usually determined by electron-optical phonon interaction. The relation shows that captured part of the carrier flux is decreased with decreasing the width of the light generation layer and is reverse proportional to the capture time. For fixed width of the light generation layer, capture of carriers is less effective for electrons than for holes due to lower value of electron effective mass and, consequently, longer energy relaxation time τ. Another inherent mechanism, which reduces carrier capture into the narrow bandgap region, is partial reflection of the electron or hole wave from that region. Therefore, the probability for carrier to be inside the narrow bandgap region decreases, which results in less effective coupling with localized state inside narrow bandgap layer and in increasing of the capture time τ. In result, the capture efficiency of the device drops and maximum of the efficiency ηext vs. injection current is located far below the typical device operating current. A number of structures were proposed to solve this problem. One of the solutions is to use an additional wide bandgap layer on the hole injecting side of the light generation region to prevent electron overflow over this region. This solution was adapted to the case of nitride-based light emitting devices by Nagahama et al in U.S. Pat. No. 6,677,619 and references therein. However, presence of such barrier increases electron and hole reflection, making this solution not optimal. To prevent carriers escape from the light generation region, Nakamura et al in US patent application No 2004/0101012 suggested to insert two barriers from both sides of the light generation region. Due to in general this solution leads to high reflection of carriers from barriers, the authors suggested to make the barriers as thin as possible to increase probability of carrier tunneling through them. One disadvantage of this solution, however, is that the tunneling of carriers in this case is not resonant, and therefore for any reasonable barrier thickness the reflection of carriers from the barriers significantly decreases efficiency of carrier capture into the light generation region. Wang et al in GB patent No 2,352,326 disclose the CART structure, where electrons are collected in a preliminary reservoir in n-type part of structure, from which they resonantly tunnel to the light generation region. The reservoir should be thick enough to effectively collect carriers. In fact, it is hard to realize thick high quality layer on the basis of lattice mismatched semiconductor materials.
The second factor to address is the injection efficiency. Since light is generated inside a thin light generation layer, which is placed near the p-n interface, it is desirable to provide maximum injection efficiency at this interface. Ordinary solution is to dope emitters as large as possible without deterioration of material quality. However, for the materials where the concentration of active doping centers in one of the emitters is limited by fundamental material properties, excessive doping of the other emitter breaks the balance of electron and hole injection currents at the light generation layer resulting in reduced injection efficiency.
The third factor to address is the radiative efficiency. If a device is made from pyroelectric materials, spontaneous polarization and piezo polarization induced by strain exist in the structure, giving rise to built-in electric field, which spatially separates electrons and holes inside the light generation region. In result, non-direct optical transitions are required for radiative recombination. Such non-direct recombination leads to a decrease of device radiative quantum efficiency. The phenomenon is discussed in a number of publications, including Bernardini et al, "Spontaneous polarization and piezoelectric constants of III-V nitrides", American Physical Society Journal, Physics Review B, Vol. 56, No. 16, 1997, pages R10024-R10027; Takeuchi et al, "Quantum-Confined Stark Effect due to Piezoelectric Fields in GaInN Strained Quantum Wells", Japanese Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 36, Part 2, No. 4, 1997, pages L382-L385; and Ambacher et al, "Pyroelectric properties of Al(In)GaN/GaN hetero- and quantum well structures", Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter, Vol. 14, 2002, pages 3399-3434. To some extent the effect of built-in polarization can be minimized by use of very thin light generation layers. However, such small thickness, as we mentioned above, results in non-effective carrier capture. Besides, width of the light generation layers might become comparable with thickness fluctuations. These fluctuations can lead to formation of "holes" in the light generation layers, which act as non-radiative recombination centers, thus additionally reducing device efficiency. As a conclusion, the polarization induced built-in electric field limits both radiative efficiency and capture rate. Ibbetson et al in U.S. Pat. No. 6,515,313 disclose several techniques to diminish the effect of polarization induced charges: selective doping to provide an impurity charge, which might compensate polarization induced charge; cladding layers with graded composition; active region with graded or mixed composition; inverted polarization. Another solution is to use lattice matched semiconductor compounds as materials for the light generation region. However, in pyroelectric materials spontaneous polarization also exists, which is non-zero even in relaxed or lattice-matched layers. For example, the value of spontaneous polarization in nitrides of group III metals is similar to that arising from piezoelectric effect. Several other techniques to reduce piezoelectric polarization are disclosed by Takeuchi et al in U.S. Pat. No. 6,569,704 and by Goetz et al in U.S. Pat. No. 6,630,692.
As it is followed from the above discussion, development of a highly efficient light emitting structure will be more effective in case of consistent solutions of preferably all of the above-mentioned problems.


A data structure, termed a pyramid, representing levels of data is disclosed. A method to produce the data structure is also disclosed. The pyramid data structure includes a series of levels, termed floors. In turn, the each floor is comprised of numerous cells. The data structure may be cached or can be stored in a file or database for run-time access by distributed applications.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to data structures and processes for selecting and displaying information over a network between clients and servers. More particularly, but without limitation, the present invention relates to transferring data, as requested by a client from a server, efficiently through a communications link of given bandwidth.
2. Description of Related Art
Computer databases and the communications links between them have been compared to oceans connected by straws. That is, while computers (including clients and servers) can exchange much data through networks, the system designer should be cognizant that such links may be quickly overwhelmed. One approach to improve data exchange has been to increase the bandwidth available between clients and servers. Solutions include high-speed copper and fiber landlines, satellite transmission, and increasingly faster data switches.
However, no matter how wide the transmission band, the amount of data available to move is generally more massive than the capacity to move it. Moreover, blindly providing enough bandwidth to handle peak traffic is expensive and inefficient—at off-peak times the capability would be underutilized. A better solution is to balance bandwidth and data "resolution." That is, a system can be designed to reasonably increase the available transmission bandwidth while intelligently selecting data of high interest and importance to send.
The prior art describes methods for transferring data of varying degrees of resolution through a network on an as requested or as required basis. For example, in Molloy, U.S. Pat. No. 6,078,349, a system is disclosed in which video data on a display screen is sent in high resolution only to the portion of the screen at which a viewer is looking. As the viewer scans another section of the screen, the system detects the eye movement and requests high-resolution video data for that section. Molloy, however, may be inefficient for packet switched networks such as the Internet; by the time a server receives new instructions and transmits data, the viewer may have lost interest and may have moved on to another section of the screen or a new screen entirely.
Therefore, there is a need for an alternate means for providing high-resolution images by an efficient use of the available bandwidth of a transmission medium.

Process and data structure for providing required resolution of data transmitted through a communications link of given bandwidth


The inventive system and method address a long felt need for enhancing the efficiency of systems in the interactive conveyance industry for goods and services by providing for the filtering, selection and securing of conveyance services in accordance with one or more of client and representative preferences in substantially real time.

As in many new industries, there are inefficiencies in existing support systems and methods due to the lack of experience in optimizing these systems for the needs of the new industry. These inefficiencies are typically identified over time through trial and error, eventually leading to technological advancement in the field. This generalization holds true for the conveyance industry, which includes a large number of new industry segments such as ride-hail, rideshare, and on-demand delivery services.
The existing inefficient support systems and methods available to many conveyance industry segments impose disadvantages on nearly all involved: the clients, the service providers, and the representatives who perform the services on behalf of the service providers.
Many failings within the existing systems and methods are rooted in computer technology and tied to the fact that the modern conveyance industry segments operate and change quite rapidly: a conveyance service offering that is available one minute can be snapped up by another client in the next minute, or a service request can be answered by another representative before the service provider can respond and dispatch its representative. In the fast pace of the conveyance industry segment, neither representatives nor conveyance clients can procure the available information and evaluate it rapidly and accurately to make a well-informed decision on the fly. There is currently no system available to assist both representatives and conveyance clients with the rapid processing capability needed to keep up with the rate of change. This lack of a substantially real time capability leads to a representative obtaining a suboptimal, one-size-fits-all conveyance service request and a conveyance client obtaining a suboptimal, one-size-fits-all conveyance service offering due to the inability to easily apply their own preferences.
Currently, a conveyance client requesting a ride in the ride-hail industry segment is offered different ride options, prices, wait times, and times to destination depending on which service provider is offering a given conveyance service and when the conveyance service offering is secured. Often, a conveyance client is provided options of conveyance service offerings from only one service provider to accept or decline. A representative is limited even further as only one conveyance service request is shown when a representative wants to provide a conveyance service in any conveyance industry segment. The current approaches for matching up representatives with conveyance service requests, and conveyance service offerings to conveyance clients, is inefficient and wasteful.
The current systems and methods for a representative to analyze incoming conveyance service requests are very difficult and time consuming in the fast-paced, substantially real time environment of conveyance industry segments. The current technology does not permit a representative to analyze or evaluate and then accept conveyance service requests that the representative would prefer based on their individual preferences. Representatives are currently given a single conveyance service request and only have the option of accepting or declining that specific conveyance service request, without an alternative. Frequently, the details of a conveyance service request that a representative is responding to are not provided in advance but are only revealed after that conveyance service request has already been secured. Thus, a representative is forced to either blindly accept a conveyance service request or decline to work at all.
In addition, a representative will often be penalized for canceling a conveyance service request that they may not wish to fulfill, even when the representative would ordinarily not have accepted the request in the first place had they been given a choice. This disadvantage, among others, has led to the common practice of representatives working for more than one service provider at the same time to allow some semblance of choice. However, the effort required to evaluate incoming requests from multiple service providers injects its own delays and detracts from the ability to rapidly respond as needed in the substantially real time environment of conveyance industry segments. Specifically, to evaluate conveyance service requests, a representative would have to login to multiple applications from different service providers and navigate between these applications, viewing one individual conveyance service request per application. The serial approach to evaluating conveyance service requests can cause a representative to miss out on desirable conveyance service requests that a representative might have preferred. Currently there is no system that permits the simultaneously evaluation of multiple conveyance service requests from multiple service providers in substantially real time.
Without a way to evaluate conveyance service requests continuously in substantially real time, a representative currently cannot maximize their efforts as efficiently as they would like. To secure a preferred conveyance service request, a representative might be tempted to forego less desirable conveyance service requests in the hope that a more preferred request to become available, but this risks missing out on income if none comes along.
There is also currently no system or method to evaluate and secure conveyance service requests in substantially real time across more than one conveyance industry segment. The absence of this capability further limits a representative's exposure in the conveyance industry and their ability to operate more efficiently if the representative wants to provide conveyance services across conveyance industry segments. In addition, current limitations also reduce the amount of potential preferred conveyance service requests available to a representative. For example, if a representative wants to provide a ride in the ride-hail industry segment, then deliver food in the good delivery industry segment to take advantage of overlaps in locations or routes, the representative does not have the ability to evaluate and secure the requests in substantially real time. If there were a system and method to allow a representative to easily work across industry segments, the representative would have access to a greater number of diverse conveyance service requests allowing more efficient use of their time and vehicle resources.
Currently, some service providers dynamically increase prices in certain areas for various reasons. Representatives looking to work more efficiently or earn more money try to work in these areas as much as possible, however, by the time a representative gets to the area with elevated pricing, the increased pricing may have moved or been removed. Representatives experience the challenge of chasing the elevated pricing areas but often cannot capitalize on them. This problem could be addressed by providing a tool to allow representatives to predict where the areas of elevated pricing will be in order to maximize their earning potential.
Conveyance clients often experience the same or similar challenges as representatives experience. For example, when a conveyance client is looking to secure a conveyance service offering, the conveyance client is only shown the closest representatives from an individual service provider. The only way for conveyance clients to evaluate conveyance service offerings from a number of different service providers is a very tedious and time-consuming process similar to that for representatives. It also assumes that the conveyance client would be aware that there is a competitor available, access to which would require downloading the competitor's application, and inputting the same search criteria that was entered for the first service provider. This process would need to be repeated for each additional competitor the client might wish to evaluate—an arduous process that likely leads to frustration more often than success.
In fast-paced conveyance industry segments, where seconds matter in being able to secure a preferred conveyance service offering, existing approaches are not practical for quickly analyzing conveyance service offerings. In most cases, by the time a conveyance client goes through the steps of considering the services offered by two or three different service providers, the preferred offering may no longer available. As a result, a conveyance client often pays more or waits longer for a conveyance service than needed. Existing technology is also lacking in a way to dynamically and visually present updated offerings from multiple service providers in an interactive manner.
Further, when service providers increase their pricing in certain areas, conveyance clients currently do not have a means to determine if there is an area nearby that does not have elevated pricing. Currently, there is no way for a conveyance client to visually analyze or evaluate different areas on a geographical map to see pricing information for an individual service provider, much less for multiple service providers. This lack in transparency denies clients the opportunity to make an informed purchasing decisions. In view of the foregoing, it is clear that the conveyance industry has many unmet needs.

Interactive network and method for securing conveyance services


The present invention relates to cathartics comprising 15-keto-16-halogen-PGs as an essential ingredient without substantive side-effects; the catharic effect is thought mainly caused by an enteropooling effect.

The present invention relates to cathartics which contain derivatives of prostaglandins.
Prostaglandins (hereinafter referred to as PGs) is the name of the group of fatty acids which possess various physiological activities and contained in human and animal tissues and organs. PGs basically contain the prostanoic acid skeleton of the following formula: ##STR1## and some synthetic products may contain the above skeleton with some modification.
PGs are classified into several types according to the structure and substituents on the five-membered ring, for example, ##STR2## and the like. Further, they are classified into PG.sub.1 s containing a 5,6-single bond: ##STR3## PG.sub.2 s containing, a 5,6-double bond: ##STR4## and PG.sub.3 s containing 5,6- and 17,18-double bonds: ##STR5##
PGs are known to have various pharmacological and physiological activities, for example, vasodilation, inducing of inflammation, platelet aggregation, stimulating uterine muscle, stimulating intestinal muscle, anti-ulcer effect and the like.
On the other hand, PGs having a 13,14-single bond and a C-15 constituting carbonyl group, and those having a 13,14-double bond and a C-15 constituting carbonyl group are found to exist in human or animal metabolites. These 13,14-dihydro-15-keto-prostaglandins and 15-keto-prostaglandins (hereinafter referred to as 15-keto-PGs) are known to be naturally produced metabolites by enzymatic metabolism of the corresponding PGs in vivo. These 15-keto-PGs have been reported to hardly exhibit various physiological activities that PGs possess and be pharmacologically and physiologically inactive metabolites [see, Acta Physiologica Scandinavica, 66, p.509- (1966)].
While estimating the pharmacological activities of the derivatives of 15-keto-PGs, however, the present inventors have found the derivatives substituted by one or more halogen atoms at the C-16 position, especially, fluorine atoms cause strong cathartic effect according to enteropooling test and the like, and have attained the present invention.

Kabushiki Kaisha Ueno Seiyaku Oyo Kenkyujo


A mold frame contains a lamp shade and a light source, a light guide being erected at the open end and secured in place on one side of the lamp shade; streams of light from the light source entering into from one side of the light guide plate to project in the direction as expected; and a mask device being disposed on the mold frame at where close to the joint edge of the light guide plate so to weaken the reflection rate of the light that leaves the light guide plate, to reduce the interference of the light in the light guide plate, and to diminish the phenomenon of ripples.

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to an improved construction of a mold frame, and more particularly, to one used in a blue light unit (BLU) to weaken the reflection rate of the light emitted from the light guide plate, thus to reduce the interference to the streams of light in the light guide plate while diminishing the phenomenon of ripples.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
Whereas, either direct type or edge-lighting type back light unit may be selected for an LCD applied in information system depending on the requirements of the design. Referring to FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings for a schematic view of a basic construction of an edge-lighting back light unit, the BLU essentially has a light source 20 disposed in a lampshade 12, and has an end of a light guide plate 30 inserted to the open end of the lampshade 12. Multiple optical films 50 and an LCD panel 60 are provided in sequence on the top of the light guide plate. Streams of light emitted from the light source 20 enter from the end of the light guide plate into the light guide plate 30 and radiate towards the expected surface of the plate to achieve the display results by the LCD panel 60. Wherein, each optical film 50 is generally comprised of a lower diffusion film 51, a brightness enforcement film 52, and an upper diffusion film 51 disposed in sequence on the top of the light guide plate 30 for each optical film 50 to increase the diffusion results of the light source for delivering uniform light.
Furthermore, the entire BLU may be assembled in a mold frame 13 as illustrated in FIG. 2 for achieving the purpose of having the entire assembly secured in place. However, the mold frame is generally made of white material and could easily create interference by having the light reflected to overlap in the direction that streams of the light are advancing due to the way of reflecting the streams of light leaving the light guide plate. The main reason causing the interference is the variations of the level extent in the direction of Z axle of the white mold frame and of the polymerization of molding materials. Those variations cause the reflection ones of the streams of light leaving the light guide plate to become uneven and result in overlapped interference. The interference when displayed on the light emitting surface forms ripples.


Systems and methods provide for route optimization using real time traffic feedback. A network management system can subscribe to receive streaming telemetry (e.g., at line rate) for traffic associated with one or more managed network entities (e.g., flows, sites, networks, network devices, endpoints, applications, etc.) selected for route optimization. The network management system can determine a set of possible routes for the traffic. The network management system can compute metrics (e.g., packet loss, bit rate, throughput, delay, availability, jitter, etc.) for a set of possible routes for the traffic based on the streaming telemetry. The network management system can determine an optimal route from the set of possible routes based on the metrics. The network management system can inject the optimal route into the one or more network devices receiving the traffic to override a native route (e.g., determined by a routing protocol executed by the network devices).

Networks allow people to communicate, collaborate, and interact in many ways. For example, networks can be used to access web pages, talk using Internet Protocol (IP) telephones, participate in video conferences, compete in interactive gaming, shop using the Internet, complete online coursework, and so forth. An important element of a network is a router. A router can connect one network to another network. The router can be responsible for the delivery of packets across different networks. The destination of a packet might be a web server in another country or an email server on the local area network (LAN). The router can use its routing table to determine a path to use to forward the packet. It can be the responsibility of a router to deliver that packet in a timely manner. The effectiveness of internetwork communications can therefore depend, to a large degree, on the ability of a router to forward packets in the most efficient way possible.

Route optimization using real time traffic feedback


A transformer includes a magnetic core assembly, a circuit board, a plurality of pins and at least an interface layer. The magnetic core assembly includes a first magnetic part and a second magnetic part. The circuit board is arranged between the first magnetic part and the second magnetic part, and has a winding coil patterns including a primary winding coil and at least a secondary winding coil. The pins have first ends mounted onto the circuit board. The interface layer is arranged between the first magnetic part and the circuit board and/or between the second magnetic part and the circuit board such that the circuit board lies flat on the interface layer and is secured to the first magnetic part or the second magnetic part via the interface layer.

Transformers have become essential electronic components for various electronic devices such as power supply apparatus or power adapters. Since the electronic devices are developed toward small size and high power, the size of the transformers contained in the electronic devices should be minimized. Referring to FIG. 1, a schematic exploded view of a conventional transformer is illustrated. The transformer 1 of FIG. 1 principally comprises a circuit board 11, a plurality of pins 12, a magnetic core assembly 13 and a fixture member 14. The circuit board 11 is for example multi-layered circuit board and has thereon winding coil patterns including a primary winding coil and at least a secondary winding coil (not shown). The circuit board 11 has a hollow portion 111 at the center thereof and a plurality of conductive holes 112. The conductive holes 112 are distributed at bilateral sides of the circuit board 11 and connected to the winding coil patterns. First ends of the pins 12 are inserted and fixed into respective conductive holes 112. Second ends of the pins 12 are connected to corresponding contact pads on a system circuit board (not shown) according to a surface mount technology (SMT), such that the transformer 1 is mounted onto the system circuit board.
Please refer to FIG. 1 again. The magnetic core assembly 13 includes of the transformer 1 includes a first magnetic part 131 and a second magnetic part 132. The first magnetic part 131 includes a first sidewall 1311 and a first middle post 1312. A first indentation 1313 is formed between the first sidewall 1311 and the middle post 1312. The second magnetic part 132 includes a second sidewall 1321 and a second middle post 1322. A second indentation 1323 is formed between the second sidewall 1321 and the second middle post 1322. The first middle post 1312 of the first magnetic part 131 and the second middle post 1322 of the second magnetic part 132 are partially inserted into the hollow portion 111 of the circuit board 11. The circuit board 11 is accommodated within the space between the first indentation 1313 of the first magnetic part 131 and the second indentation 1323 of the second magnetic part 132. When the first magnetic part 131, the second magnetic part 132 and the circuit board 11 are combined with each other, the circuit board 11 is received between the first magnetic part 131 and the second magnetic part 132 and the first middle post 1312 and the second middle post 1322 are partially received in the hollow portion 111 of the circuit board 11.
The fixture member 14 includes at least a resilient clip. The first magnetic part 131 and the second magnetic part 132 have recesses 1314 and 1324, respectively. After the first magnetic part 131, the second magnetic part 132 and the circuit board 11 are combined with each other, the fixture member 14 clamps the recesses 1314 and 1324. Under this circumstance, the first magnetic part 131, the second magnetic part 132 and the circuit board 11 are fixed by the fixture member 14. The resulting structure of the transformer 1 is shown in FIG. 2. Due to an electromagnetic coupling effect generated between the magnetic core assembly 13 and the circuit board 11, voltage conversion is rendered. Moreover, for facilitating fixing the circuit board 11, dispensing adhesive 15 is coated on a small portion of the surface of the second indentation 1323 of the second magnetic part 132, so that the circuit board 11 is attached onto the second magnetic part 132.
The structure of the above transformer 1 still has some drawbacks. For example, since the dispensing adhesive 15 is coated on a small surface of the second indentation 1323 of the second magnetic part 132, the surface of the second indentation 1323 is not smooth. In addition, since the area of the second indentation 1323 of the second magnetic part 132 is small, it is difficult to manipulate the dispensing procedure. As a result, the dispensing adhesive 15 fails to be uniformed spread over the area of the second indentation 1323 and thus the circuit board 11 is not firmly secured to the second magnetic part 132. Under this circumstance, the circuit board 11 fails to lie flat on the second indentation 1323 and the circuit board 11 is tilted with respect to the surface of the second indentation 1323. The tilted circuit board 11 results in unevenness of the pins 12. Therefore, the pins fail to be fixed onto the system circuit board due to the poor wetting property and the poor solderability. Furthermore, after the transformer 1 and the system circuit board pass through a reflow furnace (not shown), the dispensing adhesive 15 is readily subjected to brittleness such that the circuit board 11 of the transformer 1 is not firmly secured to the magnetic core assembly 13. Furthermore, a gap is existed between the circuit board 11 and the surface of the second indentation 1323 and/or between the circuit board 11 and the surface of the first indentation 1313. Since the air contained in the gap is not a good thermally-conductive medium, the heat-dissipating efficiency of the transformer 1 is unsatisfied to meet the increasing power requirement of the power supply apparatus or power adapters.
In views of the above-described disadvantages resulted from the conventional method, the applicant keeps on carving unflaggingly to develop an improved transformer according to the present invention through wholehearted experience and research.

Transformer and assembling process thereof


An apparatus for treating a substrate includes a heat treatment chamber having an interior space, a housing that is provided in the interior space and that has a treatment space therein, a gas supply line that supplies, into the treatment space, a hydrophobic gas for hydrophobicizing the substrate, and a decomposition unit that decomposes an alkaline gas leaking from the treatment space to the interior space.

Embodiments of the inventive concept described herein relate to an apparatus for treating a substrate, and more particularly, relate to a substrate treating apparatus for treating a substrate by supplying a gas to the substrate.
Among semiconductor manufacturing processes, a photo-lithography process is a process of forming a desired pattern on a wafer. The photo-lithography process is performed in spinner equipment to which exposing equipment is connected and that continuously performs a coating process, an exposing process, and a developing process. The spinner equipment sequentially performs a hexamethyldisilazane (hereinafter, referred to as HMDS) process, a coating process, a bake process, and a developing process. Here, the HMDS process is a process of dispensing HMDS onto the wafer before application of photo-resist (PR) so as to promote adhesion of the photo-resist to the wafer.
In general, in an HMDS process, a substrate is supported in a chamber in which the substrate is received, and a hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS) gas is supplied to the substrate. An alkaline gas such as ammonia is generated in a process in which the hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS) gas is supplied to the substrate to treat the substrate. The alkaline gas may be leaked to the outside when the substrate is loaded into or unloaded from the chamber. Therefore, an exhaust line is connected to the chamber, and the alkaline gas generated during the HMDS process is released through the exhaust line.
However, there is a limitation in exhaust pressure or exhaust volume provided by the exhaust line connected to the chamber. Therefore, the alkaline gas in the chamber may not be appropriately released. Furthermore, a gas flow in the chamber is changed when the exhaust pressure or the exhaust volume is adjusted to release the alkaline gas. Due to the gas flow change, a vortex may be generated in the chamber. Moreover, the alkaline gas is likely to collide with components in the chamber to generate particles. In addition, due to the gas flow change, treatment of the substrate by the HMDS gas may not be uniformly performed.


A regeneration control device which regenerates a filter (13) by increasing an exhaust gas temperature to burn exhaust gas particulates trapped in the filter, is disclosed. The filter (13) traps particulate matter in exhaust gas from an engine (1). The regeneration control device suppresses fuel cost-performance impairment due to filter regeneration. The regeneration control device has a load detection sensor (31) which detects an engine load and a microcomputer-based controller (22). The controller is programmed to perform engine control to adjust the exhaust gas temperature for regeneration of the filter (13), when a computed trapped amount is equal to or more than the first reference value (A) and less than the second reference value (B), and the detected load (Vsp) is equal to or more than a reference load (Vo); and perform engine control to adjust the exhaust gas temperature for regeneration of the filter (13) regardless of the detected load (Vsp), when the computed trapped amount is equal to or more than the second reference value (B).

An engine exhaust gas purification device disclosed in WO97/16632 comprises a filter in an engine exhaust gas system for trapping particulate matter (hereafter, "exhaust gas particulates") discharged from a diesel engine or the like, wherein the filter is regenerated by oxidizing or burning the trapped particulates at a predetermined interval. To regenerate the filter, this device raises the exhaust gas temperature by engine control by retarding the fuel injection timing or performing a second injection in addition to a main injection.

Filter regeneration in engine exhaust gas purification device


A key establishment protocol includes the generation of a value of cryptographic function, typically a hash, of a session key and public information. This value is transferred between correspondents together with the information necessary to generate the session key. Provided the session key has not been compromised, the value of the cryptographic function will be the same at each of the correspondents. The value of the cryptographic function cannot be compromised or modified without access to the session key.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to key agreement protocols for transfer and authentication of encryption key.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
To retain privacy during the exchange of information it is well known to encrypt data using a key. The key must be chosen so that the correspondents are able to encrypt and decrypt messages but such that an interceptor cannot determine the contents of the message.
In a secret key cryptographic protocol, the correspondents share a common key that in secret to them. This requires the key to be agreed upon between the correspondents and for provision to be made to maintain the secrecy of the key and provide for change of the key should the underlying security be compromised.
Public key cryptographic protocols were first proposed in 1976 by Diffie-Hellman and utilized a public key made available to all potential correspondents and a private key known only to the intended recipients. The public and private keys are related such that a message encrypted with the public key of a recipient can be readily decrypted with the private key but the private key cannot be derived from the knowledge of the plaintext, ciphertext and public key.
Key establishment is the process by which two (or more) parties establish a shared secret key, called the session key. The session key is subsequently used to achieve some cryptographic goal, such an privacy. There are two kinds of key agreement protocol; key transport, protocols in which a key is created by one party and securely transmitted to the second party; and key agreement protocols, in which both parties contribute information which jointly establish the shared secret key. The number of message exchanges required between the parties is called the number of passes. A key establishment protocol is said to provide implicit key authentication (or simply key authentication) if one party is assured that no other party aside from a specially identified second party may learn the value of the session key. The property of implicit key authentication does not necessarily mean that the second party actually possesses the session key. A key establishment protocol is said to provide key confirmation if one party is assured that a specially identified second party actually has possession of a particular session key. If the authentication is provided to both parties involved in the protocol, then the key authentication is said to be mutual if provided to only one party, the authentication is said to be unilateral.
There are various prior proposals which claim to provide implicit key authentication.
Examples include the Nyberg-Rueppel one-pass protocol and the Matsumoto-Takashima-Imai (MTI) and the Goss and Yacobi two-pass protocols for key agreement.
The prior proposals ensure that transmissions between correspondents to establish a common key are secure and that an interloper cannot retrieve the session key and decrypt the ciphertext. In this way security for sensitive transactions such as transfer of funds is provided.
For example, the MTI/A0 key agreement protocol establishes a shared secret K, known to the two correspondents, in the following manner:
1. During initial, one-time setup, key generation and publication is undertaken by selecting and publishing an appropriate system prime p and generator xcex1eZp* in a manner guaranteeing authenticity. Correspondent A selects as a long-term private key a random integer xe2x80x9caxe2x80x9d,1xe2x89xa6axe2x89xa6pxe2x88x922, and computes a long-term public key pA=xcex1x mod p. Correspondent B generates analogous keys b, pb. Correspondent A and B have access to authenticated copies of each other""s long-term public key.
2. The protocol requires the exchange of the following messages.
Axe2x86x92B: xcex1x mod pxe2x80x83xe2x80x83(1)
A←B: xcex1y mod pxe2x80x83xe2x80x83(2)
The values of x and y which are random integers selected by correspondent A and correspondent B respectively remain secure during such transmissions as it is impractical to determine the exponent even when the value of the generator xcex1 and the exponentiation is known provided of course that the system prime p is chosen sufficiently large.
3. To implement the protocol the following steps are performed each time a shared key is required between correspondents A and B.
(a) A chooses a random integer x,1xe2x89xa6xxe2x89xa6pxe2x88x922, and sends B message (1) i.e. xcex1x mod p.
(b) B chooses a random integer y,1xe2x89xa6yxe2x89xa6pxe2x88x922, and sends A message (2) i.e. xcex1y mod p.
(c) A computes the key K=(xcex1y)azBx mod p.
(d) B computes the key K=(xcex1x)bzAy mod p.
(e) Both share the key K=xcex1bx+ay.
In order to compute the key K, A must use his secret key a and the random integer x, both of which are known only to him. Similarly B must use her secret key b and random integer y to compute the session key K. Provided the secret keys a,b remain uncompromised, an interloper cannot generate a session key identical to the other correspondent. Accordingly, any ciphertext will not be decipherable by both correspondents.
As such this and related protocols have been considered satisfactory for key establishment and resistant to conventional eavesdropping or man-in-the-middle attacks.
In some circumstances it may be advantageous for an adversary to mislead one correspondent as to the true identity of the other correspondent.
In such an attack an active adversary or interloper E modifies messages exchanged between correspondents A and B, with the result that B believes that he shares a key K with E while A believes that she shares the same key K with B. Even though E does not learn the value of K the misinformation as to the identity of the correspondents may be useful.
A practical scenario where such an attack may be launched successfully is the following. Suppose that B in a bank branch and A is an account holder. Certificates are issued by the bank headquarters and within the certificate is the account information of the holder. Suppose that the protocol for electronic deposit of funds is to exchange a key with a bank branch via a mutually authenticated key agreement. Once B has authenticated the transmitting entity, encrypted funds are deposited to the account number in the certificate. If no further authentication is done in the encrypted deposit message (which might be the case to save bandwidth) then the deposit will be made to E""s account.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a protocol in which the above disadvantages are obviated or mitigated.
According therefore to the present invention there is provided a method of authenticating a pair of correspondents A,B to permit exchange of information therebetween, each of said correspondents having a respective private key a,b and a public key pA,pB derived from a generator xcex1 and respective ones of said private keys a,b, said method including the steps of
i) a first of said correspondents A selecting a first random integer x and exponentiating a function f(xcex1) including said generator to a power g00 to provide a first exponentiated function f(xcex1)g00;
ii) said first correspondent A forwarding to a second correspondent B a message including said first exponentiated function f(xcex1)g00;
iii) said correspondent B selecting a second random integer y and exponentiating a function fxe2x80x2(xcex1) including said generator to a power g00 to provide a second exponentiated function fxe2x80x2(xcex1)g00;
iv) said second correspondent B constructing a session key K from information made public by said first correspondent A and information that is private to said second correspondent B, said session key also being constructible by said first correspondent A for information made public by B and information that is private to said first correspondent A;
v) said second correspondent B generating a value h of a function F[xcfx80,K] where F[xcfx80,K] denotes a cryptographic function applied conjointly to xcfx80 and K and where xcfx80 is a subset of the public information provided by B thereby to bind the values of xcfx80 and K;
vi) said second of said correspondents B forwarding a message to said first correspondent A including said second exponential function fxe2x80x2(xcex1)g00 and said value h of said cryptographic function F[xcfx80,K];
vii) said first correspondent receiving said message and computing a session key Kxe2x80x2 from information made public by said second correspondent B and private to said first correspondent A;
viii) said first correspondent A computing a value hxe2x80x2 of a cryptographic function h,hxe2x80x2 F[xcfx80,Kxe2x80x2]; and
ix) comparing said values obtained from said cryptographic functions F to confirm their correspondence.
As the session key K can only be generated using information that is private to either A or B, the binding of K with xcfx80 with the cryptographic function h prevents E from extracting K or interjecting a new value function that will correspond to that obtained by A.


A storage and retrieval machine comprising a mast having a generally vertical outer surface, a carriage movable vertically along the mast, a bearing assembly including a wheel which is rotatably supported by the carriage, which rolls along the mast surface, and which is movable relative to the carriage in the direction perpendicular to the mast surface, a pad of low-friction material mounted on the carriage, and a spring biasing the wheel toward the mast surface such that the pad is normally spaced from the mast surface and such that the wheel moves relative to the carriage so that the pad engages the mast surface when the force exerted on the wheel by the mast surface exceeds a predetermined amount, and a shuttle supported by the carriage for horizontal movement relative thereto.

The invention relates to storage and retrieval machines, and more particularly to carriage side guide roller arrangements for storage and retrieval machines.
A conventional storage and retrieval machine includes a base movable horizontally along the floor. A mast extends upwardly from the base, and the upper end of the mast runs along a rail supported above the floor. A carriage moves vertically along the mast, and a shuttle moves horizontally relative to the carriage for depositing loads on and picking up loads from a storage rack adjacent the storage and retrieval machine.
The carriage is typically supported for movement along the mast by a plurality of rollers engaging generally vertical surfaces on the mast. Among these rollers are the carriage side guide rollers, which engage mast surfaces extending perpendicular to the direction of carriage and base movement. During the normal vertical cycle of the carriage the carriage side guide rollers are under very little load. However, high forces are realized in the carriage side guide rollers when the shuttle extends to pick up or deposit loads. These forces increase significantly with long reach shuttle cycles and/or with heavier loads.
The high forces on the carriage side guide rollers cause high roller contact pressure on the mast. This can cause excessive wear and deflection in the parent metal, ultimately resulting in mast and/or roller failure. Rollers have been made larger or duplexed in order to handle these high loads. This results in cost increases and mounting problems.

Automatic storage and retrieval machine with improved carriage side guide roller arrangement


A method, system and computer program product for detecting false purchases is disclosed. The method includes detecting a motion across a product identifier in a self-service terminal and monitoring for a product identifier. In response to failing to detect the product identifier, an alert signal is transmitted.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to the field of computers, and in particular to personal shopping devices. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a method and system for preventing theft by signaling the status of a transaction on a personal shopping device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Shoplifting, while a perennial issue that currently costs American retailers $26 billion a year, is an area where retailers fear that the acquisition and deployment of personal shopping devices will lead to further complications and loopholes in security. Simply stated, many retailers fear that the adoption of personal shopping devices will lead to additional opportunity for theft and fraud, because fewer employees will be in contact with a purchase transaction and employee contact will be reduced to a smaller portion of the time during the transaction.
Prior art solutions to combat fraud become less appropriate in a personal shopping device-enabled environment. For high-cost items, the solution of having the store clerk remove a transmitter tag after purchase, makes little sense in an environment where machines are designed to remove a clerk from the purchase transaction. Similarly, the traditional solution of visually monitoring for theft by checking the contents of a shopping cart against a receipt is manpower intensive. Additionally, it interferes with the intended purpose of personal shopping devices: allowing the consumer a friendly and quick shopping experience; ideally one in which they never need to have their purchases checked by store personnel. Further assignment of personnel to monitor purchases on the personal shopping device as a solution to shoplifting suffers from the poor visibility (at a distance) of transaction status in prior-art personal shopping devices.
Prior art solutions do not include adequate measures for deterring attempts at false purchases, fraud, and theft in the use of personal shopping devices. As the number of persons interacting with the transaction is reduced in the prior art, prior art solutions increase the opportunity for theft, fraud, and false purchase attempts. What is needed is a method to detect false purchases by both honest and dishonest consumers using a personal shopping device.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

System to detect false purchases with a consumer service device

International Business Machines Corporation


The present invention relates to a method, system, and non-transitory computer-readable recording medium for supporting learning. According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for supporting learning, the method comprising the steps of: acquiring a learner's score for at least one assessment item included in a scoring table, wherein the learner has solved a question for learning and the scoring table is applied to a descriptive answer of the learner; determining a weak learning element of the learner with reference to the acquired score and at least one learning element associated with the at least one assessment item; and determining a supplementary learning path to be provided to the learner with reference to the determined weak learning element.

With the development of the Internet and multimedia technology, learners can not only be provided with lectures for learning anytime and anywhere, but also get various assessments of the learning and receive feedback on the assessments of the learning.
As an example of related conventional techniques, a method for online provision of learning has been introduced in which a learner is provided with questions for diagnosing learning ability on a web site for learning and enters answers to the questions, so that the answers are automatically scored to calculate an assessment score, and the learner moves onto the next course when the assessment score is not lower than a predetermined score, while the learner repeats questions of the previous course when the assessment score is lower than the predetermined score.
However, according to the techniques introduced so far as well as the above-described conventional technique, the types of questions that can be provided to the learner online are limited to multiple-choice or short-answer question types due to issues such as automatic scoring, and even after the assessment has been carried out, only questions of the same course as the questions that the learner has gotten incorrect are provided to the learner for supplementary learning of the learner. Particularly, unlike other types of questions, an answer to a descriptive question can only be assessed through a scorer's subjective judgment and manual work, and thus it is difficult to find out weak points of the learner for the descriptive question.
In this connection, the inventor(s) present a technique for determining a weak learning element of a learner who has solved a question for learning, on the basis of the learner's score for at least one assessment item included in a scoring table applied to a descriptive answer of the learner, and determining a supplementary learning path to be provided to the learner, with reference to the determined weak learning element.

Method and system for supporting learning, and non-transitory computer-readable recording medium


A manufacturing method of a semiconductor device disclosed herein, comprises: forming a first member to be patterned on a semiconductor substrate; patterning the first member to be patterned to form a plurality of parallel linear patterns and a connecting portion which connects the linear patterns on at least one end side of the linear patterns; and etching a region between the linear patterns and the connecting portion to separate the linear patterns and the connecting portion.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a manufacturing method of a semiconductor device and the semiconductor device, and more particularly relates to a manufacturing method of a high-yield semiconductor device and the semiconductor device.
2. Related Background Art
With the recent advance of microfabrication technology, the minimum feature size of a semiconductor device becomes less than 100 nm, and the difficulty level of fabrication increases. A memory cell array of a NAND-type nonvolatile semiconductor memory device out of semiconductor devices has a structure in which the number of contacts per cell is reduced, and hence the layout of a wiring layer for word lines, bit lines, and so on becomes a layout such as line and space with minimum feature size which needs the most advanced microfabrication technology (For example, see Japanese patent Application Laid-open No. 2002-313970).
In the case of the aforementioned layout of the NAND-type nonvolatile semiconductor memory device, in a word line end portion on the side where potential is not lead to the wiring layer above the word line, there is a possibility that resist pattern collapse occurs with the progress of scale-down. It is known that this is caused by pattern thinning of a photoresist due to proximity effect, a problem in terms of shape, or ununiformity of drops of water remaining during rinse drying after development. It is also known that depending on fabrication conditions and processing contents, resist collapse occurs also during etching of a lower film beneath the photoresist with the photoresist as a mask.
This phenomenon has been hitherto handled by thinning the film thickness of the photoresist and so on, but to improve resolution, the film thickness of the photoresist has already been thinned to the limit of film thickness necessary for the fabrication of the lower film beneath the photoresist. Hence, the thickness of the photoresist cannot be easily thinned any more.
Therefore, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2004-15056, the occurrence of resist pattern collapse can be prevented by extending an end portion of a word line in area, but an increase in layout pattern is inevitable.
Moreover, the aforementioned problem is not limited to the nonvolatile semiconductor memory device, and also may be a problem for other semiconductor devices.

Manufacturing method of semiconductor device and semiconductor device


A tray for use on the passenger seat of a motor vehicle. The tray has a tray base which rests on the passenger seat and has one or more compartments for holding articles in a manner which is accessible to the motor vehicle driver. At least one sponge-like member is held to the edge of the tray which is next to the passenger door. The tray is secured to the passenger seat by opening the passenger door, allowing the resilient member to rest against the side of the passenger seat and then slamming the passenger seat door to compress the resilient member and hold the tray on the seat.

The field of the invention is automobile accessories and the invention relates more particularly to trays of the type for storing articles for use by the driver of the motor vehicle.
Numerous articles have been devised which assist in holding a coffee cup or other object on the console located between the driver seat and the passenger seat. There is, however, a much larger area for storage of articles which is not commonly used, i.e., the passenger seat. In spite of all efforts to encourage ride sharing and carpooling, the vast majority of automobiles on the highway today contain only a driver and no passenger. This is especially true for the commuting driver or traveling salesman. Many times, the driver will place an object on the passenger seat only to find it sliding off the seat when going around the curve or stopping suddenly. The prior art does not provide a solution to this problem. A padded panel is securely held to the rear seat of an automobile in U.S. Pat. No. 3,600,725. There is an inflated portion which is inflated to hold the object in place. This is evident by comparing FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawings. A contoured lap tray is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,052,944. Neither of these patents suggest any method for securing a tray or other object on the passenger seat of a motor vehicle.

Tray for use on the passenger seat of a motor vehicle and process of securing it in place


The height adjustable standpipe includes multiple, cylindrical, coaxial drain sections of gradually diminishing cross section. The sections preferably alternate between brass and PVC plastic, and have grooves adjacent the ends of the PVC sections for retaining O-rings that serve as gaskets between the two adjacent sections. Thus, for example, a PVC section would preferably have one or two peripheral grooves on the outer surface near the end that passes inside of the next adjacent brass section, and the same PVC section would have one or two peripheral grooves on the inner surface near the opposite end, through which passes another brass section. Each of these peripheral grooves includes a rubber O-ring seated therein and projecting therefrom to form a water-tight seal with the adjacent surface of the brass section engaged by that end of the PVC section. A travel stop mechanism is employed to limit the travel of the sections of the adjustable standpipe with respect to one another.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to a standpipe attachable to the drain of a sink that permits adjustment of the height of the sink itself. In particular, the standpipe may be lengthened or shortened to accommodate different sink positions.
2. Background Information
The need for an adjustable standpipe attachable to the drain of a sink has long been recognized. However, the challenge of an adequate solution has always been difficult to find. For primarily sanitary reasons, it has been difficult to find a solution that is reliable, clean and safe.
The uses for such a device are many. For example, a height adjustable standpipe may be quite valuable in conjunction with sinks or basins used by people of varying heights or limited physical abilities. Obviously, the scene of a child standing on his or her tiptoes trying to reach the water faucet is a familiar one to those with families having small children. Perhaps less familiar but even more problematic are those situations where the sink or basin is used both by able-bodied people and also those with certain physical challenges. In particular, senior citizens who are restricted to a wheelchair may find it extremely inconvenient, if not impossible, to reach the faucet of a sink or basin that is intended to accommodate an able-bodied person of average adult height.
Another particular problem faced by some physically challenged people is how to shampoo the hair of a person who is restricted to a wheelchair. Shampoo bowls, which are designed with a large opening in the front to accommodate the head and neck of a person leaning backwards in a reclining position, are usually positioned at a fixed height. Such shampoo bowls are intended to be used with chairs that may be moved up and down. However, if a person is restricted to a wheelchair, they may not have the ability to adjust their position relative to the shampoo bowl. It is desirable to allow the shampoo bowl to be adjusted to accommodate that person whose range of motion is severely limited.
The height adjustable standpipe of the present invention overcomes difficulties described above and affords other features and advantages heretofore not available.


An apparatus and method for high-temperature precision sintering applications are disclosed wherein a flowable bed of a refractory particulate material is used to support an article during sintering to minimize distortions caused by shrinkage.

High-temperature materials processing has become increasingly important as a technique for manufacturing many types of special performance industrial components. Precision shapes comprising a large variety of metallic and non-metallic materials selected for certain desirable performance characteristics are commonly manufactured using a high-temperature environment. For example, powder metallurgy is a familiar process for making a wide range of components and shapes from a variety of metals and alloys initially in powder form. The process utilizes pressure and heat to form the powders into precision shapes that require minimal secondary finishing.
In another familiar industrial application, one or a mixture of ceramic oxides and other ceramic-like compositions can be sintered to form a composite product of desired shape.. Although sintering occurs in loose powders, it is commonly enhanced by compacting the powder. In some applications, compacting is performed at room temperature, and the resulting compact is then sintered at elevated temperature without application of pressure. In other applications, a hot pressing process is used in which compacting is carried out at elevated temperature.
Typically, these and other types of high-temperature thermal processing operations are conducted in batch-style furnaces. More recently, there has been interest in continuous processing operations as a way to overcome some of the drawbacks of the batch furnace. Thus, U.S. Pat. No. 3,762,014 (Klein) describes a process for fabricating anode preforms by continuously sintering deposits of tantalum to a very thin tantalum foil strip utilizing a drive apparatus which is adjacent to but completely external of the furnace. The Klein apparatus comprises a continuous belt driven by rotating drums to carry the foil strip and deposits into a furnace maintained at a temperature of 1800.degree. C.-2500.degree. C. The belt speed is adjusted so that a given section of the foil strip remains inside the furnace sufficiently long (e.g. 1-60 minutes) for the sintering to be completed. While inside the furnace, the foil strip is supported on a stationary, horizontally-disposed, refractory support member (reference numeral 40 in FIG. 4 of the Klein patent). The continuous belt (reference numeral 31 in FIG. 4 of the Klein patent) never enters the sintering furnace (reference numeral 37).
A different approach to continuous sintering utilizes a belt furnace design in which articles to be heated, such as discrete shaped containers holding metal or ceramic powder, are placed on a continuous conveyer belt to be carried into, through and out of a furnace preheated to appropriate temperature. In general, such a belt furnace design for sintering silicon nitride is described in an article by Dale E. Wittmer et al. entitled "Continuous and Batch Sintering of Silicon Nitride" appearing in the American Ceramic Society Bulletin, vol. 72, no. 6 (June 1993) at pages 129-137, and in a second article by Dale E. Wittmer et al. entitled "Comparison of Continuous Sintering to Batch Sintering of Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 " appearing in Ceramic Bulletin, vol. 70, no. 9 (1991), both of which are incorporated herein by reference. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/541,711, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,648,042, of which this application is a continuation-in-part, is directed to an improved, multi-zone continuous belt-type furnace apparatus utilizing interlocking links of sintered silicon carbide especially designed for such high-temperature processing applications, and that disclosure is incorporated herein by reference.
In sintering, powder metallurgy and similar materials processing, articles and components of various shapes are produced by agglomeration of fine powders, typically under heat and pressure. These techniques are commonly employed where other methods of forming or shaping such articles, for example casting, forging and machining, are impractical or where special material properties are required. Sintering temperature is typically somewhat below the melting point of the powder. Depending on the material and required processing conditions, various techniques can be utilized to hold the particulates together in a desired shape while heat and/or pressure are applied.
Thus, for some applications, metallic powders or mixtures of metallic and nonmetallic powders are shaped by cold pressing at room temperature between steel dies or mold sections, which produces initial adhesion and shaping of the particles. In one common form of cold pressing, the shaping/compaction step is followed by heating the compacted particles to a suitable temperature in a nonoxidizing atmosphere, while retaining the article in the dies, to obtain final cohesion through sintering. The utility of this procedure is limited, however, to processing particulates which can be sintered at temperature below those at which the steel or other die material begins to soften and melt. Thus, this procedure cannot be used to sinter particulates such as various ceramic oxides, silicon nitride, and the like which require sintering temperatures well above the melting point of steel.
Regardless of the shape forming methods employed (i.e., cold pressed, extruded, injection molded, slip cast, thixotropic cast, gel cast, tape cast, or pressure cast), the potential for warpage of the part being formed during the sintering process exists if the part is not supported in some manner during the sintering operation. For simple geometries (e.g., rods, cylinders, tubes), the parts are conventionally held in v-grooves or semi-circular cradles during the sintering process. Parts with more complex geometries, however, cannot be sintered in a horizontal position with such fixtures. Attempts to use fixtures similar to those used for simple geometries for supporting shapes with complex geometries will result in undesirable shape distortion during sintering due to shrinkage and gravity effects. Typically parts with regular cross-sections but more complex geometries (e.g., flaired tubes, closed-end tubes and valves) are supported vertically on center rods or suspended from a collar or keeper. In this manner gravity aids in keeping the part straight during the densification which accompanies sintering. Even with this type of supporting system, however, warpage and part distortion can occur due to uneven heating of the parts. For parts with irregular cross-sections, these vertical support techniques are even less satisfactory.
These and other problems with and limitations of the prior art are overcome with the high-temperature flowable sintering bath of this invention.

High-temperature flowable sintering bath and method of using same


A sheet conveying device includes a conveying roller, a drive motor, a second detection portion, and a control portion. The control portion includes a first drive control portion, a rotation amount calculation portion, and a second drive control portion. When a front end of a sheet member is detected by the second detection portion, the first drive control portion sets driving of the drive motor in a stopped state before the sheet makes contact with the conveying roller. Rotation amount calculation portion performs a process of calculating a rotation amount of the conveying roller after the sheet member conveyed from upstream in the conveying direction of the sheet member makes contact with the conveying roller. Second drive control portion starts driving of the drive motor at a timing in accordance with the rotation amount of the conveying roller calculated by the rotation amount calculation portion.

The present disclosure relates to a sheet conveying device capable of conveying a sheet member, and an image forming apparatus including the sheet conveying device.
An image forming apparatus such as a multifunctional peripheral has a registration roller for performing a registration operation with respect to a sheet member, and an upstream-side conveying roller disposed upstream of the registration roller. The registration operation performed by the upstream-side conveying roller is an operation of applying a conveying force on a sheet member in a conveying direction in a state where a front end of the sheet member is abutted against a nip portion of the registration roller that is being stopped. When the registration operation is performed, skew of the sheet member that is being conveyed is corrected while the sheet member is flexed just in front of the near side of the registration roller. Then, at a timing when a suitable level of flexure is formed, the registration roller is rotationally driven, and the sheet member is conveyed downstream in the conveying direction. In addition, positioning of an image forming position on the sheet member and a transfer position where an image is to be transferred on the sheet member, becomes possible.
A stepping motor is sometimes used as a drive motor (hereinafter, referred to as registration motor) for driving the registration roller. However, the stepping motor needs to be driven with a sufficiently large torque so as to prevent loss of synchronism even when a large load is applied. Since a large torque needs to be generated, the registration motor has a problem regarding having a large power consumption. Thus, as the registration motor, for example, using a servomotor such as a DC brushless motor is conceivable. A technology of using a DC brushless motor as a drive source of a conveying roller for conveying a sheet from a sheet-feed cassette is known.
When the servomotor is to be used as the registration motor, ordinarily, a detector such as a rotary encoder for detecting a rotating state of the registration roller is disposed, and the registration motor is feedback-controlled based on an output signal of the detector.

Sheet conveying device, and image forming apparatus including the sheet conveying device


A stabilized solution of hydrogen silsesquioxane resin is disclosed. The solution comprises 100 parts by weight solvent, 0.1 to 100 parts by weight hydrogen silsesquioxane resin, and 0.002 to 4 parts by weight acid. These solutions are useful for forming coatings on substrates.

The present invention relates to solutions of hydrogen silsesquioxane resin which are stable when stored for extended periods of time. These stable solutions are obtained by incorporating small amounts of acids in the solution.
Hydrogen silsesquioxane resin is known in the art to be useful as a precursor to silica-containing ceramic coatings. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 4,756,977 granted to Haluska et al. describes a process for forming such a coating in which hydrogen silsesquioxane is diluted in a solvent, applied to a substrate and ceramified by heating.
Various methods for producing hydrogen silsesquioxane resin are also known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,615,272 describes a process for preparing this material which comprises adding trichlorosilane to a reaction medium comprising sulfuric acid and an aromatic hydrocarbon, washing the reaction mixture until neutral and recovering the condensed resin. Despite the fact that the reference teaches hydrolysis and condensation in an acid, the resultant product is neutralized to prevent gelation.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,010,159 teaches a similar process in which a hydridosilane is reacted in an arylsulfonic acid hydrolysis medium followed by separating the resultant resin and then contacting it with a neutralizing agent. Again, however, the resultant resin is neutralized to prevent gelation.
The shelf life of the above hydrogen silsesquioxane resin diluted in a solvent may, however, be variable due to the resin crosslinking and, thus, increasing in molecular weight. The present inventors have now discovered that the incorporation of an acid in the hydrogen silsesquioxane resin solution limits the changes in the molecular weight of the resin.

Stabilization of hydrogen silsequioxane resin solutions


A method an system is disclosed for characterizing DNA and/or RNA duplexes. The biosensing device comprises a heating element using a power and being suitable for providing thermal denaturation of target DNA and/or RNA bioparticles, a sample holder adapted for receiving a biocompatible substrate having a functionalized surface which is coated with probe DNA and/or RNA whereto target DNA and/or RNA duplexes can be attached, the sample holder further being adapted for exposing the biocompatible substrate at one side to the heating element, a first temperature sensing element for sensing a temperature at the side where the biocompatible substrate can be exposed to the heating element and a second temperature sensing element for sensing a temperature at the side opposite thereto with respect to the biocompatible substrate. The device also comprises a processing means programmed for calculating at least one heat transfer resistivity value based on temperature values obtained with the first temperature sensing element and the second temperature sensing element and the power for the heating element, for deriving a characteristic of the target DNA and/or RNA bioparticles from said heat transfer resistivity value.

The detection and identification of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in DNA is of central importance in genomic research for two different reasons. First, SNPs are responsible for, or at least involved in, several hundreds of inherited diseases such as Alzheimer, mucoviscidosis, phenylketonuria, and several types of breast- and colon cancer. Second, SNPs involved in the regulation of the liver function have an impact on the metabolism of drugs, which is related to the rapidly emerging field of theranostics or 'personalized medicine'. SNPs can be characterized by hybridization-based assays such as microarrays: the massive parallelized readout is an advantage, but the method requires fluorescent labelling, optical readout, elevated reaction temperatures (˜80° C.) and elongated hybridization times of ˜16 hours. Even under these circumstances, thermal equilibrium between probe- and target DNA is not always guaranteed and the method has an 'end-point' character rather than providing dynamic information on molecular recognition between complementary or mismatched fragments. Finally, only defects can be detected for which a correspondingly defective probe-DNA strand was included in the microarray in order to establish nevertheless stable duplexes. Due to these drawbacks, unknown mutations are frequently identified by denaturation based approaches. Widespread methods are real-time PCR (polymerase chain reaction) with associated melting-curve analysis and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis DGGE. DGGE operates either with a pH-gradient or a temperature gradient along the electrophoretic path/lanes and is based on the fact that DNA duplexes with SNP defects have a lowered stability with respect to chemical or thermal denaturation. As drawbacks, real-time PCR requires fluorescent labelling and expensive instrumentation while DGGE is time consuming, severely limited towards parallelized analyses, and is an endpoint analysis without information on the kinetics of the denaturation process. To overcome these current limitations, several label-free electronic, 'real-time' techniques have been proposed in literature. For its analogy with chemical DGGE, we mention the impedimetric denaturation monitoring upon exposure to NaOH reported by van Grinsven et al. in the international patent application entitled "A biosensor using impedimetric real-time monitoring" and co-pending herewith. This gave clear evidence that the presence or absence of SNPs can be derived from the denaturation-time constant within a time scale of 1 to 2 minutes.
Despite of all recent progress, there still is room for an accurate denaturation based detection technique for characterising or analysing DNA/RNA based bioparticles.

Heat-transfer resistance based analysis bioparticles


This invention is directed to a novel silane acrylate and to a single phase solid solvent-containing electrolyte having recurring units derived from the silane acrylate incorporated within the solid polymeric matrix of such solid electrolyte. A novel electrolytic cell that incorporates the subject electrolyte also is provided. The specific molecular structure exhibited by such solid polymeric matrix is believed to advantageously facilitate the positioning of an inorganic ion salt and solvent between adjacent polymeric molecules during service within the solid electrolyte.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to a novel silane acrylate as well as to solid electrolytes derived by the polymerization of such silane acrylate.
This invention is further directed a solid electrolytic cell (battery) containing an anode, a cathode and a single phase solid electrolyte comprising a solid polymeric matrix containing recurring units derived from the silane acrylate, an inorganic ion salt, and a solvent.
2. State of the Art
Electrolytic cells containing an anode, a cathode and a solid, solvent-containing electrolyte are known in the art and are usually referred to as "solid batteries". These cells offer a number of advantages over electrolytic cells containing a liquid electrolyte (i.e., "liquid batteries") including improved safety features.
The solid, solvent-containing electrolyte employed in such solid batteries has heretofore contained either an inorganic matrix or an organic polymeric matrix as well as a suitable inorganic ion salt. Because of their expense and difficulty in forming into a variety of shapes, inorganic non-polymeric matrices are, however, not preferred and the art typically has employed a solid electrolyte containing an organic or inorganic polymeric matrix.
Suitable organic polymeric matrices are well known in the art and are typically organic homopolymers obtained by the polymerization of a suitable organic monomer as described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,908,283 or copolymers obtained by polymerization of a mixture of organic monomers. Suitable organic monomers include, by way of example, polyethylene oxide, polypropylene oxide, polyethyleneimine, polyepichlorohydrin, polyethylene succinate, and an acryloyl-derivatized polyalkylene oxide containing an acryloyl group of the formula CH.sub.2 .dbd.CR'C(O)O-- where R' is hydrogen or lower alkyl having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms.
Additionally, suitable organic monomers preferably contain at least one heteroatom capable of forming donor acceptor bonds with inorganic cations (e.g., alkali ions). When polymerized, these compounds form a polymer suitable for use as an ionically conductive matrix in a solid electrolyte.
The solid electrolytes also contain a solvent (plasticizer) which is added to the matrix primarily in order to enhance the solubility of the inorganic ion salt in the solid electrolyte and thereby to increase the conductivity of the electrolytic cell. In this regard, the solvent requirements of the solvent used in the solid electrolyte have been art recognized to be different from the solvent requirements in liquid electrolytes. For example, solid electrolytes require a lower solvent volatility as compared to the solvent volatilities permitted in liquid electrolytes.
Suitable solvents well known in the art for use in such solid electrolytes include, by way of example, propylene carbonate, ethylene carbonate, .gamma.-butyrolactone, tetrahydrofuran, glyme (dimethoxyethane), diglyme, tetraglyme, dimethylsulfoxide, dioxolane, sulfolane, and the like.
Heretofore, the solid, solvent-containing electrolyte has typically been formed by one of two methods. In one method, the solid matrix is first formed and then a requisite amount of this material is dissolved in a volatile solvent. Requisite amounts of the inorganic ion salt and the electrolyte solvent (a glyme and the organic carbonate) are then added to the solution. This solution is then placed on the surface of a suitable substrate (e.g., the surface of a cathode) and the volatile solvent is removed to provide for the solid electrolyte.
In the other method, a monomer or partial polymer of the polymeric matrix to be formed is combined with appropriate amounts of the inorganic ion salt and the solvent. This mixture is then placed on the surface of a suitable substrate (e.g., the surface of the cathode) and the monomer is polymerized or cured (or the partial polymer is then further polymerized or cured) by conventional techniques (e.g., heat, ultraviolet radiation, electron beams, etc.) so as to form the solid, solvent-containing electrolyte.
While the electrolytes described above perform adequately in their intended role, there is need for improvement in several areas. First, the conductivity of the electrolyte could advantageously be increased. Cumulative capacity of a solid battery is the summation of the capacity of the battery over each cycle (charge and discharge) in a specific cycle life.
Second, the electrolyte must be compatible with the typically used inorganic ion salt incorporated into the polymer matrix to aid in conductivity. The inorganic ion salt, which usually contains Li ion but which can contain other metal ions as discussed hereinafter, must be soluble in the electrolyte to form a one-phase system. Hence the amount of salt which can be incorporated in the electrolyte is limited by the salt's saturation concentration. By providing an electrolytic environment in which the salt is more soluble, more of the salt can be incorporated and hence conductivity can be increased.
Third, the solid polymeric matrix must have a certain degree of flexibility and swellability in order to function properly in the cell. If the cross-linking density is too high, the resulting polymer network is very tight, resulting in minimal flexibility and swellability, and possibly a very brittle material.

Silane acrylate monomer and solid electrolyte derived by the polymerization thereof


An enclosure and method for housing electrical components. The enclosure includes walls provided about the electrical components, the walls having poor thermal conductivity. At least one thermal transport device extends through at least one respective wall. The at least one thermal transport device has a first portion which is positioned within the enclosure, a second portion which is positioned outside of the enclosure and a transition portion which connects the first portion to the second portion. The at least one thermal transport device has a high effective thermal conductivity and provides a high thermal conductivity path for heat energy to pass from within the enclosure to outside the enclosure.

In electronic as well as non-electronic devices, enclosures are commonly used to house device components. These enclosures perform several functions including providing structural support to the device components and vibration dampening. The enclosures are also referred to as housings. One example of an enclosure for an electronic device is a computer chassis. Typically, a computer includes a chassis that is generally a metallic frame. The chassis typically houses circuit boards, power supplies and wiring. The chassis typically includes four sidewalls and top and bottom elements. Generally, at least one of the chassis includes a removable cover such that the chassis components are easily accessible for replacement and repair purposes. The walls are typically thick and rugged such that they provide a robust structural support for the enclosed components.
The walls often enclose device components that can malfunction and cause device failure when they overheat. Some device components dissipate heat during their operation. They are referred to as heat sources. An example of the heat source includes the integrated chips that comprise the circuit boards installed in the computer chassis. The heat generated by the heat sources can damage not only the heat sources themselves but also the other components enclosed by the walls. To avoid device failure, therefore, the heat in the interior of the enclosure must be effectively managed. A common heat management technique includes designing a well-ventilated enclosure such that the heat can dissipate to the exterior of the enclosure. Another technique includes fabricating the enclosure from materials with high thermal conductivity. Still another technique includes installing a cooling fan inside the enclosure. Yet another effective heat management technique includes using a thermal transport device to absorb the heat from the interior of the enclosure and transfer it to a heat sink. The heat sink can include a cooler portion of the chassis away from the heat source. A well-known thermo-siphon device is the heat pipe, the configuration of which can be custom designed for the space and application.
While many of the structures and chassis provide proper structural support, there is a need to have lighter structures. Composite structures, such as electronics enclosures, have the potential to provide significant weight savings for a variety of systems. For vehicles, weight savings are directly tied to power consumption. Reducing vehicle power consumption provides advantages such as increasing range, improving fuel efficiency, and allowing for the use of more complex and power hungry systems. While composite structures can provide these savings, they exhibit poor thermal conductivity. This has limited their application to components with little to no heat flux or power.
Carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite material is a highly attractive structural material in applications where mass is critical. The carbon fiber matrix provides strength comparable to steel in a material with only about 25% of the density. In many instances, the carbon fiber reinforced polymer sheet can also be made thinner than a metal sheet would have to be made, further increasing the mass savings. Almost any portable equipment can benefit from less mass, which translates into less energy required to move the object. Thus, many automobiles and other transportation equipment employ carbon fiber reinforced polymer laminates for some components. In airplanes, weight becomes even more critical, since every ounce must be countered by lift forces in order to stay aloft, thus carbon composite materials are common on many state-of-the-art aircraft.
Thermal challenges have arisen with the increased use of composite structures in applications where excess heat is being generated within the structure. Where traditional metal structures can be designed to conduct and spread heat out over large external surfaces, composites have poor thermal conductivity and cannot be used in this manner. In effect, a composite enclosure acts to insulate the internal components. As a result, heat generated by components is trapped and the inside becomes hotter and hotter, which is detrimental to the performance and reliability of the electronics housed by the enclosure. For comparison, carbon fiber reinforced polymer materials typically have thermal conductivities on the order of 5 W/m-K, while carbon steel is near 50 W/m-K and aluminum is near 200 W/m-K. Therefore, the use of carbon fiber reinforced polymer composites for electronic enclosures is currently limited to applications where the heat dissipation requirement is low.
It would, therefore, be beneficial to provide a light weight structure which provides an alternate thermal path through the material to reduce the thermal penalty associated with the use of these materials without negating the benefits provided by their low mass. It would also be beneficial to provide an effective closure design which properly dissipates heat without the need to customize the structure and the heat paths for each application.

Heat management for electronic enclosures


Systems, methods and apparatus for monitoring yield while harvesting. In one embodiment a mass flow rate sensor measures the mass flow rate of the harvested grain. A weight sensor measures the weight of the harvested grain. The measured mass flow rate is correlated with the weight of the harvested grain. Processing circuitry calculates any error in the measured mass flow rate using the measured weight. The calculated error is used to correct any inaccuracy in the measured mass flow rate.

FIG. 1A illustrates a conventional harvester or combine 10. As the operator in cab 12 drives the combine 10 through the field, the crop being harvested is drawn through the header 15 which gathers the plant material and feeds it into the feederhouse 16. The feederhouse 16 carries the plant material into the combine where the grain is separated from the other plant material. The separated grain is then carried upward by the grain elevator 120 (FIG. 1B) to the fountain auger 150 which carries the grain into the grain tank 20. The other plant material is discharged out the back of the combine.
When the grain tank 20 becomes full, a transport vehicle such as grain cart, wagon or truck is driven up next to the combine or the combine drives to the awaiting transport vehicle. The unloading auger 30 is swung outwardly until the end is positioned over the awaiting transport vehicle. A cross-auger 35 positioned in the bottom of the grain tank 20 feeds the grain to the extended unloading auger 30 which in turn deposits the grain into the awaiting transport vehicle below.
Live or real-time yield monitoring during crop harvesting is known in the art. One type of commercially available yield monitor uses a mass flow sensor such as mass flow sensor 130 illustrated in FIG. 1B and as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,343,761, which is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. Referring to FIG. 1B, as the grain 110 is discharged from the elevator 120 it strikes an impact plate 140. Sensors associated with the mass flow sensor 130 produce a voltage related to the force imposed on the impact plate 140. The volumetric flow of grain can then be calculated based on the voltage such that the mass flow sensor 130 determines a grain flow rate associated with grain within the combine 10. Such systems also employ various methods of recording the speed of the combine in operation. Using the speed and the width of the pass being harvested (usually the width of the header), it is possible to obtain a yield rate in bushels per acre by dividing the mass of grain harvested over a particular time period by the area harvested. In addition to reporting the current yield rate, such systems often incorporate GPS or other positioning systems in order to associate each reported yield rate with a discrete location in the field. Thus a yield map may be generated for reference in subsequent seasons.
Most commercially available systems also utilize a sensor to determine the moisture of the grain as it is being harvested. Sensing the grain moisture permits the operator to determine the likely time or expense required to dry the harvested crop and it also allows the yield monitor to report more useful yield data by correcting for water content. Because grain is dried before long-term storage and sale (e.g., to an industry-standard 15.5% moisture), the as-harvested moisture level can be used to calculate the weight of saleable grain per acre.
While harvesting, various factors affect the reliability of the mass flow sensor. Changes in crop yield, grain type, seed variety and genetics, grain moisture, and ambient temperature are known to change the flow characteristics of the grain and thus change the signal produced by the sensor for the same mass flow rate. Due to these changing conditions during operation, it is well known that mass flow sensors may be inaccurate without proper calibration.
For this reason, manuals provided with commercially available yield monitors generally instruct the operator to occasionally carry out a calibration routine. Most commonly, when a load of grain is unloaded into a weigh wagon or scale, the operator enters the measured weight of grain, and the yield monitor system applies a correction factor to its signal by comparing the measured weight with its calculated accumulation of mass.
One of several disadvantages of this load-by-load calibration method is that it is time-consuming and is often simply not performed on a regular basis by the operator. Recognizing that many producers do not perform regular calibrations and in an attempt to automate the calibration process, some grain carts have been adapted to wirelessly transmit the load weight to the yield monitor system, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,073,314 to Beck et al. However, where multiple grain carts are used, this method requires instrumentation of additional machines in order to obtain a load-by-load calibration, and no calibration is likely feasible when the operator offloads grain directly into a grain truck. Additionally, load-by-load calibration may not be possible when, for example, the grain tank can only be partially unloaded. Moreover, this method does not eliminate the inherent defects of load-by-load calibration discussed below.
Even if the operator or yield monitor system regularly performed a calibration routine, many of the conditions that affect the mass flow sensor change numerous times throughout accumulation of each load such that the calibration routine is unable to correct for such changes. Put another way, the various changes in conditions that require mass flow sensor correction will rarely coincide with a load-by-load calibration schedule. For example, a load of high-moisture grain may be harvested and used to recalibrate the mass flow sensor just before entering a drier area of the field, causing the mass flow sensors to be more inaccurate than if no calibration had been performed.
As such, there is a need for a system and method of accurately calibrating the mass flow rate sensor of a yield monitor while harvesting.

Methods, systems, and apparatus for monitoring yield and vehicle weight