A trench-gate semiconductor device (100) has a trench network (STR1, ITR1) surrounding a plurality of closed transistor cells (TCS). The trench network comprises segment trench regions (STR1) adjacent sides of the transistor cells (TCS) and intersection trench regions (ITR1) adjacent corners of the transistor cells. As shown in FIG. 16 which is a section view along the line II-II of FIG. 11, the intersection trench regions (ITR1) each include insulating material (21D) which extends from the bottom of the intersection trench region with a thickness which is greater than the thickness of the insulating material (21B1) at the bottom of the segment trench regions (STR1). The greater thickness of the insulating material (21D) extending from the bottom of the intersection trench regions (ITR1) is effective to increase the drain-source reverse breakdown voltage of the device (100). The insulating material (21D) which extends from the bottom of each intersection trench region (ITR1) may extend upwards to thicken the insulating material at the corners of the cells (TCS) over at least part of the vertical extent of the channel-accommodating body region (23) so as to increase the threshold voltage of the device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to insulated gate power transistor semiconductor devices, and to methods of making such devices.
2. Description of Related Art
Vertical insulated gate field effect power transistor semiconductor devices are known comprising a semiconductor body having an active area with a plurality of electrically parallel transistor cells, wherein each transistor cell has a source region and a drain region which are separated by a channel-accommodating body region adjacent a peripheral insulated gate structure.
Two types of such known vertical insulated gate power transistor devices are the double-diffused metal-oxide-semiconductor form of vertical MOSFET device (VDMOS), and the trench-gate form of vertical MOSFET device. In a VDMOS device the gate structure has a planar gate insulation layer on the top surface of the semiconductor body with the gate material thereon. In the on-state of this device current flows in each transistor cell from the source region laterally under the gate insulation layer in a conduction channel through the body regions into a peripheral drain drift region and then vertically through the drain drift region. In a trench-gate device the gate structure has a trench which extends vertically through the body region with a gate insulation layer at the vertical and bottom walls of the trench and gate material in the trench within the gate insulation. In the on-state of this device current flows in each transistor cell only vertically from the source region in a conduction channel next to the vertical gate insulation layer through the body region into a drain drift region.
A desirable property of power transistors is to have a low on-state resistance. Considering the two known power transistor devices just described, it is known that when both these device structures are used for low and medium voltage power transistors, that it is with a drain-source breakdown reverse voltage of up to respectively about 50 volts and about 200 volts, the on-state resistance of the device is to a large extent dependent on the sum total of the conducting channel peripheries. Thus for a given size of the device, that is a given active transistor cell area, a larger number of transistor cells in that active area leads to a lower on-state resistance. A limitation in this respect for the VDMOS device is that if the transistor cells are packed too close together by reducing the lateral extent of the peripheral drain drift region then the "Junction-FET" effect in this region will constrict the vertical current flow path down to the drain. The trench-gate device does not have this "Junction-FET" limitation, so that for a given size of device the trench-gate structure can have more transistor cells and a lower on-state resistance.
Another desirable property for power transistors is to have good switching performance, that is fast switching and low switching losses when the device is turned on and turned off. This is particularly important where the power transistor is to be used in the output stage of a power supply, for example a voltage regulation module (VRM), where it is continuously turned on and off at very high frequency. This good switching performance depends particularly on the device having a low gate-drain capacitance. A limitation in this respect for the trench-gate device is the contribution to gate-drain capacitance added by the gate insulation at the bottom of the trench. The VDMOS device does not have this added contribution to gate-drain capacitance.
Although both on-sate resistance and gate-drain capacitance are important as discussed above, the present invention is more particularly concerned with devices having the possibility of very low on-state resistance and so relates exclusively to trench-gate devices.
FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings shows a schematic cross-section view of a known trench-gate form of vertical MOSFET power transistor semiconductor device 1. The device 1 comprises a silicon semiconductor body 10 with top and bottom major surfaces 10a, 10b, first conductivity type drain region 11 and a first conductivity type drain drift region 12.
FIG. 1 shows the lateral extent (the cell pitch) of one complete transistor cell TC and part of an adjacent transistor cell at either side of the cell TC. Two sections are shown of a peripheral insulated gate structure G located in a trench 20 at the boundary between each two adjacent transistor cells. The trench-gate structure G extends vertically through a channel-accommodating second, opposite, conductivity, type body region 23 into the drain drift region 12, and has silicon dioxide insulating material 21 at the vertical and bottom walls of the trench 20 and gate material 22 in the trench 20 within the insulating material 21. A source region 24, of the first conductivity type, is present in each transistor cell under the top major surface 10a and adjacent the trench gate 21, 22. Thus the source region 24 and the drain drift region 12 are vertically separated by the channel-accommodating body region 23 adjacent the trench-gate 21, 22 provided by the peripheral insulated gate structure G. This enables a vertical conduction channel 23a to be formed in the body portion 23 when a suitable gate potential is applied to the gate material 22 in the on-state of the device 1, whereby current flows in a path in each transistor cell from the source region 24 vertically through the conduction channel 23a to the drain drift region 12.
An insulating region 25 is provided over the gate structure G. Source metallisation 18 contacting all of the source regions 24 is provided on the first major surface 10a over the insulating region 25 to provide a source electrode S. Although not shown, electrical connection to the insulated gate structure G is provided by extending the insulating material 21 from the trenches 20 on to the top surface 10a of the semiconductor body 10 in an inactive area outside the active transistor cell area and extending the gate material 22 on to this top surface insulating layer where it is contacted by metallisation to provide a gate electrode. A metallisation layer 19 forms an ohmic contact with the drain region 11 so as to provide a drain electrode D.
The cross-section view shown in FIG. 1 applies equally to each of two cell geometries which are known for trench-gate devices. FIG. 2 of the accompanying drawings shows a plan view of an open-cell geometry having a one-dimensionally repetitive pattern in which the trench-gates G1 are parallel stripes which each extend across the active area of the device at the peripheries of open stripe-shaped transistor cells TC1. In this case FIG. 1 shows a cross-section view along the line II-II of FIG. 2. FIG. 3 of the accompanying drawings shows a plan view of a closed-cell geometry having a two-dimensionally repetitive pattern in which a network of trench-gates G2 over the active area of the device surrounds closed polygonal transistor cells TC2. In this case FIG. 1 shows a cross-section view along the line III-III of FIG. 3 in which the closed cells are square shaped. Another commonly used closed polygonal transistor cell is hexagonal shaped, a cross-section view of which would again be as shown in FIG. 1. FIGS. 2 and 3 show the active cell area dimensions of the transistor cells for both the open-cell and closed-cell geometries which are the trench width T, the semiconductor mesa width M between trenches and the cell pitch P which is the sum of T and M.
FIG. 4 of the accompanying drawings shows measurements which we have made comparing the specific on-state resistance Rds,on (mOhm.mm2) of an open stripe cell trench-gate device (curve 4A) and a closed square cell trench-gate device (curve 4B) as described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 3 over a range of cell pitches from 2 micron to 7 micron. In both cases the trench width is 0.4 micron at 2 micron cell pitch and about 0.6 micron for pitches greater than 2 micron, and the semiconductor material is {100} crystal orientation silicon. In these devices the channel-accommodating body region 23 extends vertically to approximately 0.7 micron below the upper surface 10a of the semiconductor body, the drain drift region 12 extends vertically to approximately 0.6 micron below the body region 23 and the trenches 20 are approximately 1.1 micron deep. The combination of the trench depth and the drain drift region depth are chosen to give a specified drain-source reverse breakdown voltage BVds for the device, in this case approximately 20 volts. The combination of the body region depth and the drain drift depth are chosen to give a low specific on-state resistance for the specified drain-source breakdown voltage of the device. It is to be noted that the body region and drain drift region vertical profiles are shallower, and the corresponding values for Rds,on shown in FIG. 4 are lower, than for currently commercially available devices.
FIG. 4 shows that, for the same cell pitch, the closed square cell devices have a lower specific on-state resistance than the open stripe cell devices. This is true down to about 2 micron cell pitch where the specific resistance is approximately equal for the two types of device. However, a further advantage of closed-cell devices compared with open-cell devices is that, particularly for low voltage devices, for a given cell pitch the specific on-state resistance for a closed cell device may be reduced by reducing the trench width whereas this is not possible for an open cell device. The reason for this is that for a closed cell device having a given cell pitch, reducing the trench width increases the channel perimeter and hence reduces the channel resistance; whereas for an open cell device reducing the trench width does not increase the channel perimeter. This possibility for reducing the specific resistance of closed cell devices is disclosed in International Patent Application published as WO-A-02/15254 (our reference PHNL010059), the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, which also discloses a suitable method for producing narrow trenches in the range 0.4 micron to 0.1 micron; this method including forming a silicon nitride cup on the semiconductor body top surface, forming curved spacers of silicon dioxide within the nitride cup which are used to etch a window in the nitride cup and then etching a trench using the window in the nitride.
FIG. 5 of the accompanying drawings shows measurements which we have made comparing the drain-source reverse breakdown voltage BVds of an open stripe cell trench-gate device (curve 5A) with the BVds of a closed square cell trench-gate device (curve 5B) and a closed hexagonal cell trench-gate device (curve 5C) over a range of cell pitches from 2 micron to 7 micron. In all three devices the combination of the trench depth and the drain drift region depth dimensions is chosen to be the same as described above for the devices as measured in FIG. 4 to give a specified breakdown voltage BVds of 20 volts. Curve 5A shows that for the open stripe cell devices BVds has the specified value of 20 volts over the range of cell pitches, curve 5B shows that for the closed square cell devices BVds is reduced to about 17 volts over the range of cell pitches, and curve 5C shows that for the closed hexagonal cell devices BVds is further reduced to about 15 volts over most of the range of cell pitches. Considering the results shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the breakdown voltage BVds could be increased for the closed cell devices by increasing the drain drift depth but this would also undesirably increase the specific resistance.
It is therefore desirable to increase the drain-source reverse breakdown voltage for closed cell trench-gate vertical power transistor semiconductor devices without increasing the specific on-state resistance as would occur in the manner mentioned just above. The invention seeks to address this issue using the inventors' appreciation of the properties of the corners of the transistor cells adjacent the intersection regions of the trench network for such closed cell devices, as will be discussed below.
FIGS. 6A and 7A of the accompanying drawings respectively show a plan view of part of a trench network of the closed square transistor cell device and of the closed hexagonal transistor cell device for which breakdown voltage BVds measurements have been shown in FIG. 5. As shown in FIG. 6A the trench network comprises a segment trench region STR1 adjacent each one of four sides of a transistor cell TCS and an intersection trench region ITR1 (shown shaded) adjacent each one of the four corners of the transistor cell TCS. As shown in FIG. 7A the trench network comprises a segment trench region STR2 adjacent each one of six sides of a transistor cell TCH and an intersection trench region ITR2 (shown shaded) adjacent each one of the six corners of the transistor cell TCH. The dotted square in FIG. 6A encloses the area around one of the intersection trench regions ITR1, this area is shown enlarged in FIG. 6B and a section view along the line I-I of FIG. 6B is shown in FIG. 6C. Likewise, the dotted triangle in FIG. 7A encloses the area around one of the intersection trench regions ITR2, this area is shown enlarged in FIG. 7B and a section view along the line I-I of FIG. 7B is shown in FIG. 7C. FIGS. 6C and 7C respectively show that the depth DI1, DI2 of the trench in the intersection regions is greater than the depth DS1, DS2 of the trench in the segment regions. An explanation for the trench depth effect as shown in FIGS. 6C and 7C is as follows. The trench networks shown in FIGS. 6A and 7A are each produced using a conventional process in which a mask pattern is provided for the whole trench network and there is one etching process for the whole network. In this case there is a loading effect which provides a more efficient supply and hence a greater concentration of the etch chemicals, with a resulting greater trench depth, at the intersection trench regions compared with the segment trench regions.
It will be noted that the intersection trench depth DI2 for the hexagonal closed cell device is shown in FIG. 7C to be greater than the intersection trench depth DI1 for the square closed cell device as shown in FIG. 6C. This will be the case if our following theory for the loading effect at the intersection trench regions is correct. This theory is that the loading effect is proportional to the number of segment trench regions at the periphery of an intersection trench region, four as shown in FIG. 6B and three as shown in FIG. 7B; and that the loading effect is inversely proportional to the area of an intersection trench region, T2 for the square region ITR1 shown in FIG. 6B where T is the trench width and 0.43T2 for the equilateral triangle region ITR2 shown in FIG. 7B where the trench width T is the same. We have made experimental observations using SEM photography which confirm qualitatively that the intersection trenches are deeper than the segment trenches for both the square cell network and the hexagonal cell network. However, the limitations of SEM photography have prevented us from measuring the areas of the intersection trench regions for both these networks and from quantitatively measuring the depths of the intersection trenches for both these networks, and so we have been unable to confirm whether our loading effect theory described above is correct.
FIG. 8A of the accompanying drawings shows a cross-section view along the line I-I of both FIGS. 6A and 7A, that is showing part of the closed transistor cell TCS/TCH and part of the segment trench region STR1/STR2 adjacent a side of the cell for both the square closed cell device and the hexagonal closed cell device. FIG. 8B of the accompanying drawings shows a cross-section view along the line II-II of both FIGS. 6A and 7A, that is showing part of the closed transistor cell TCS/TCH and part of the intersection trench region ITR1/ITR2 adjacent a corner of the cell. FIGS. 8A and 8B show the greater depth of the intersection trench regions ITR1/ITR2 compared with the depth of the segment trench regions STR1/STR2 as has been described above with regard to FIGS. 6B, 6C, 7B and 7C. The dashed lines in FIGS. 8A and 8B show the concentration of equi-potential lines, for the same applied voltages, respectively at the bottom corner BC1 of the segment trench region STR1/STR2 at a side of the cell TCS/TCH and at the bottom corner BC2 of the intersection trench region ITR1/ITR2 at the corner of the cell TCS/TCH. These equi-potential lines become closer at both bottom corners BC1 and BC2, but are closer at the bottom corner BC2 than at the bottom corner BC1 which implies a higher electric field at the corner BC2 than at the corner BC1. An open cell geometry device such as shown in FIG. 2 has trench bottom corners such as BC1 but does not have trench bottom corners such as BC2. The higher electric field at the cell corner bottom trench corner BC2 is a major factor contributing to the lower drain-source breakdown voltage BVds shown in FIG. 5 for the closed cell devices compared with the open cell device. Also, the greater depth of intersection trench regions ITR2 compared with the intersection trench regions ITR1 if it be the case, and the hexagonal cell having six corners compared with the square cell having four corners, are consistent with the breakdown voltage BVds being lower for the hexagonal cell device (curve 5C) than for the square cell device (curve 5B) as shown in FIG. 5.
Another factor, apart from the greater intersection trench depths, which contributes to lower drain-source reverse breakdown voltage BVds in closed cell geometry devices compared with open cell devices is that in operation, because the charge in the surrounding trench gate must be equal and opposite to the charge in the drain drift region for each transistor cell, there is a concentration of electric charge in the drain drift region at the corners of the closed cells compared with at the sides of the closed cells. This charge concentration leads to a higher electric field at the corners of the closed cells which is effective at the bottom corners of the intersection trench regions to lower the breakdown voltage BVds.
In FIGS. 8A and 8B the insulating material 21A2 at the vertical sides of the corners of the intersection trench regions ITR1/ITR2 is shown to have the same thickness as the insulating material 21A1 at the vertical sides of the segment trench regions STR1/STR2; the thickness of the insulating material 21B2 at the bottom of the intersection trench regions ITR1/ITR2 is shown to have the same thickness as the insulting material 21B1 at the bottom of the segment trench regions STR1/STR2; and the vertical side thicknesses 21A1/21A2 are the same as the bottom thicknesses 21B1/21B2. These equal insulating material thicknesses are according to conventional practice.
FIG. 8C of the accompanying drawings exemplifies and illustrates an embodiment of the present invention, having insulating material 21C at the bottom of the intersection trench regions ITR1/ITR2 with a thickness greater than that of the insulating material 21B1 at the bottom of the segment trench regions STR1/STR2. As shown in FIG. 8C, the spacing of the equi-potential lines near the bottom trench corner BC2 at the corner of the closed cell is increased as a result of the increased bottom insulation material thickness, thereby reducing the maximum electric field at this corner BC2 and thereby increasing the drain-source reverse breakdown voltage BVds of the device.
Some simulation results on a trench-gate MOSFET device are given below. We were not able to do real three-dimensional simulations, but only some two-dimensional (2D) simulations. These 2D simulations are valid for stripe open cell structures and also for ideal (no variation in trench depth at intersections) hexagon closed cell structures. However these simulations could only be qualitatively be interpreted for square cells in off-state (i.e. breakdown voltage) by examining several cross-sections in each location in the cell and examining the equi-potential lines at breakdown condition.
In the simulations we used the same vertical doping profiles as for the devices from which we obtained our experimental data as described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. Further, we assumed a pitch of 2.0 microns and a trench width of 0.4 μm. Also, we assumed a trench depth of 1.2 microns and basically imagined as if that is the actual depth of an intersection trench. The actual segment trench depth in the other part of the active area is 1.05 microns, measured by using SEM analysis. Also a gate-oxide thickness of 31 nm was used.
Some simulation results are shown in FIG. 9A of the accompanying drawings. This Figure shows the equi-potential lines in the device for a drain-source voltage of 17V. The breakdown voltage was here also 17V. We conveniently took half the pitch size since reflective boundary conditions (mirror) at the left and right edges are used in this device simulator. For the exactly the same device structure we increased the oxide thickness in the bottom of the device towards 0.35 micron, as shown in FIG. 9B of the accompanying drawings. The equi-potential lines are again taken for 17V drain-source voltage. The simulations predict that the breakdown voltage of this structure is 23V, which is higher than that of the structure shown in FIG. 9A. Consequently, when we have a locally deeper trench in the intersection areas than in the segment areas as shown in FIG. 9A, the breakdown voltage reduces from about 20V towards 17V. However, when we use a thick oxide in the bottom of the trench as shown in FIG. 9B the breakdown of the total device results in 20V again, because the breakdown voltage of the structure shown in FIG. 9B is 23V and is higher than that of the segment trench region. We did the same simulations for hexagonal structures and obtained the same results for breakdown voltages as discussed above. It will be noted that the simulation results patterns of equi-potential lines distribution shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B correspond well with the equi-potential line patterns shown respectively in FIGS. 8B and 8C.

Insulated gate power semiconductor devices


A poker-style casino card game wherein jokers are never wild. The game uses a 52 card standard playing deck plus an additional five Jokers for a total of 57 playing cards. A sixth "imaginary" or side Joker is deemed to be within a player's hand if he places one of the side bets. The other side bet provides for greater payout based on standard poker hand rankings. The player antes a first bet and any desired side bets. After seeing the first card of the dealer's hand, the player decides whether or not to proceed with the hand. If the player proceeds, he wagers a second bet.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a game of chance that can be played in a casino, and more particularly, to a modified version of a five-card stud poker game.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As a leisure time activity, poker and other card games have fascinated the public for years. A deck of cards, a playing surface, and a few participants are all that is needed to provide a recreational few hours away from the stress and strain of daily life. Five-card poker is a game that almost everyone knows how to play, and many games have developed using the same basic priority or rank order of winning poker hands: royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind, full house, flush, straight, three of a kind, two pairs, one pair, and high card(s) in hand.
For one reason or another, it has been difficult to adapt the rules of poker to a casino table game in which each player plays against the house. In a conventional poker game, a plurality of players are each dealt a poker hand by one player who acts as the dealer. The player with the highest hand based on the established priority of poker hands, wins. Each player in turn deals a hand as the game continues. It is not unknown to introduce wagering into the game, generally through the use of tokens or poker chips, which may or may not have a monetary value.
Many places, both within the United States and abroad, have legalized gaming and poker is one of the games of chance that is offered in both casinos and card rooms. In a conventional card room poker game, the house provides a dealer, the playing cards, the table and chairs, but does not play a hand. The house collects a nominal percentage of each player's bet (the "rake") that compensates the house for providing the facilities to the players. Alternatively, the house may charge each player a set amount per hand or for a specified length of time, e.g., one-half hour. Each player is competing not against the house, but against all the other players, with the highest hand winning the total of all the wagers made on that hand.
Many people do not like to play card room poker because each player is competing against his fellow players, not against the house. Many people would rather attempt to win money from an impersonal source, the house or the casino, rather than from their fellow players with whom they may be acquainted.
Card room poker also does not offer any bonus payments for particularly good hands. While a royal flush is a rare occurrence and generates a thrill for any poker player, the player collects the same total wager than he would have collected if all he needed to beat the other players was three of a kind.


Novel fluorosilicone hydrides are provided which are useful as intermediates in the preparation of epoxy-functional fluorosilicones having improved cure efficiency at low temperatures and improved resistance to solvents and fuels than analogous non-fluoro-functional epoxy-functional silicones prepared from non-fluoro-functional silicone hydrides.

The present invention relates to fluorosilicone hydrides. More particularly, the present invention relates to linear and branched fluorosilicone hydrides useful in the formation of epoxy-functional fluorosilicones which are combinable with onium salt photoinitiators to form improved UV-curable epoxy-functional silicone compositions.
Fluorosilicone hydrides are known in the art. Reference is made, for example, to U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,719,275 (Benditt et al.); 4,898,903 (Rasch et al.); 4,585,848 (Evans et al.); and 4,599,374 (Bluestein).
The preparation of epoxy-functional silicones from silicone hydrides is also known in the art. Reference is made, for example, to U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,279,717 (Eckberg et al.); 4,576,999 (Eckberg); and 4,640,967 (Eckberg).
Ultraviolet radiation-curable compositions containing epoxy-functional silicones and onium salt photoinitiators are also known in the art. Reference is again made to U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,279,717 (Eckberg et al.); 4,576,999 (Eckberg); and 4,640,967 (Eckberg).
The present invention is based on the discovery that the fluorosilicone hydrides of the present invention will form epoxy-functional fluorosilicones having improved cure efficiency at low temperatures and improved resistance to solvents and fuels than analogous non-fluoro-functional epoxy-functional silicones prepared from non-fluoro-functional silicone hydrides.


A non-retriggerable one-shot circuit for extracting information representative of a clock having a period T from a sequence of input pulses such that the interval between two consecutive input pulses is either T or T/2 comprises a frequency detector for developing a reference voltage dependent on T, an interval measurement circuit connected to receive the input pulses and developing a voltage dependent on the time that has elapsed since receiving an input pulse, a comparator for comparing the voltage developed by the interval measurement circuit with the reference voltage and providing an output pulse when a predetermined relationship exists therebetween, and an enabling device connected between the input terminal and the interval measurement circuit and responsive to an output pulse for allowing a pulse received at the input terminal to be communicated to the interval measurement circuit.

This invention relates to a non-retriggerable one-shot circuit.
One form of non-return-to-zero (NRZ) data coding is known as biphase coding. In biphase coding, a signal epoch is divided into time slots by a clock, and one source data bit occupies a single time slot. Each source data bit may be represented by a two-cell doublet. Each coding doublet begins, and therefore also ends, with a transition. A source data bit one generates a transition between the two cells of the doublet, whereas a source data bit zero does not. Thus, a source data bit zero is represented either as the doublet zero zero or the doublet one one, while a source data bit one is represented either by the doublet one zero or the doublet zero one.
In order to recover data from a biphase coded signal, it is necessary first to extract clock information from the signal. A conventional circuit for extracting clock information from a biphase coded signal is shown in FIG. 1. The biphase signal (FIG. 1, waveform A) is first differentiated and rectified, by applying the biphase signal and a delayed version thereof to respective inputs of an exclusive OR gate 2, so as to produce a signal (waveform B) that has one pulse for each transition of the biphase coded signal. The resulting pulse train is applied to a non-retriggerable one-shot 4 having a period equal to approximately 75% of the clock period. On the second transition of the first source data bit zero, the one-shot is set and its output (waveform C) remains high for 75% of the next clock period. If the next source data bit is also zero, the one-shot is set by the pulse that corresponds to the transition at the end of that bit, and if the next source data bit is one, the one-shot filters out the pulse that occurs between the two cells of the doublet and is set by the pulse corresponding to the transition at the end of that source data bit. The output of the one-shot is therefore a pulse train at the clock frequency and having a 75% duty cycle.
The output of the clock extraction circuit may be applied to the phase detector of a phase locked loop, to control operation of a voltage-controlled oscillator whose output constitutes the extracted clock signal and is applied to a data recovery circuit, such as a flip-flop.
The Audio Engineering Society/European Broadcasting Union datastream for digital audio data consists of a biphase coded signal in which each audio sample is represented by a subframe containing 32 time slots. The first four time slots of the subframe constitute a preamble containing at least one occurrence of the three cell sequence zero zero zero or one one one. However, so long as the time constant of the loop filter of the phase locked loop exceeds the duration of the preamble, this brief departure from the biphase coding rules does not disturb operation of the phase locked loop to such an extent as to prevent accurate recovery of data.
The Audio Engineering Society and European Broadcasting Union standards do not prescribe the clock frequency of the biphase coded signal used for the digital audio datastream. In different applications, clock frequencies ranging from 28 kHz to 54 kHz are employed, and this wide range in frequency can cause problems in clock extraction and data recovery. For example, a switch may be connected to select from multiple AES/EBU signal sources having different clock frequencies, but the clock extraction technique described with reference to FIG. 1 cannot be used to extract clock information reliably from the selected signal because a conventional non-retriggerable one-shot, having a fixed period, cannot be used to extract clock information in the manner described with reference to FIG. 1 unless the clock frequency of the biphase coded signal lies within a fairly narrow range.


A method for regenerating a used wafer or substrate by removing a functional coating film formed on the used wafer or substrate, comprising the steps of:. (a) a step for sorting the used wafer or substrate according to the quality, structure or thickness of the functional coating film; PA1 (b) a step for removing the functional coating film, while in a state of holding the used wafer or substrate, (i) by lapping the objective face of the used wafer or substrate with a hard metal-bonded whetstone while applying an electrochemical in-process dressing, (ii) by polishing the objective face while dropping a fine-particle polishing slurry between a polishing plate provided with a pad and the functional coating film, or (iii) by electrolyzing the functional coating film on the objective face placed opposite to an electrode face in an electrolyte solution at a predetermined voltage; PA1 (c) a step for mechanically removing the functional coating film adhered to the end face at an adequate stage; and PA1 (d) a step for washing and drying the used wafer or substrate after removal of the functional coating film.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods for regenerating wafers and substrates which were used in electric and electronic products such as semiconductor devices, magnetic recording media and optical recording devices, and apparatuses for performing the regeneration methods. In particular, the present invention relates to a method for effectively regenerating process wafers, test wafers and dummy wafers which are produced in semiconductor device production processes and an apparatus useful for performing the regeneration method. Although the present invention is also applicable to substrates other than the wafers set forth above, the present invention will be illustrated with reference to a test wafer as a typical example hereinafter.
2. Description of the Related Art
In semiconductor production lines, many test wafers are used for monitoring film thicknesses at various steps, particle inspections, and as dummy wafers in heating units. These wafers after use are repeatedly regenerated and used by removing functional coating films adhered to the surfaces and end faces, followed by washing.
In a typical conventional regeneration method, the regeneration is performed by the following steps (1) to (8):
(1) A removal step of a functional coating film by etching or double-face lapping; PA1 (2) A removal step of a layer deformed by working by etching if necessary; PA1 (3) A washing step of the wafer after the removal step of the functional coating film; PA1 (4) A bonding step of a plurality of wafers on a high stiffness ceramic plate with wax; PA1 (5) A polishing step of a wafer surface in which a plurality of ceramic polishing plates are loaded into a single-face polishing machine with a large turn table and the wafer surface is polished while a polishing slurry is added to a pad provided with the polishing plate; PA1 (6) A peel off step of the wafer from the ceramic polishing plates; PA1 (7) A washing step of wax (bonding agent) on the back face of the wafer; and PA1 (8) A finishing washing step. PA1 (1) The surface after etching is extremely nonuniform because various films having different etching rates are complicatedly wired and laminated; PA1 (2) Satisfactory regeneration cannot be achieved due to the residual films which cannot be removed by etching; and PA1 (3) Removal of hard films by double-face lapping causes the deformed layer formed during working to embed into the deep inside of the substrate. PA1 (a) a step for sorting the used wafer or substrate according to the quality, structure or thickness of the functional coating film; PA1 (b) a step for removing the functional coating film, while in a state of holding the used wafer or substrate, (i) by lapping the objective face of the used wafer or substrate with a hard metal-bonded whetstone while applying an electrochemical in-process dressing, (ii) by polishing the objective face while dropping a fine-particle polishing slurry between a polishing plate provided with a pad and the functional coating film, or (iii) by electrolyzing the functional coating film on the objective face placed opposite to an electrode face in an electrolyte solution at a predetermined voltage; PA1 (c) a step for mechanically removing the functional coating film adhered to the end face at an adequate stage; and PA1 (d) a step for washing and drying the used wafer or substrate after removal of the functional coating film. PA1 (1) a functional coating film removal unit for removing the functional coating film formed on the used wafer or substrate; PA1 (2) an end coating film removal unit for removing the functional coating film adhered to the end face of the used wafer or substrate; and PA1 (3) a surface washing unit for washing the treated face of the used wafer or substrate after removal of the functional coating film.
The double-face lapping of the step (1) is applied to remove hard films or complicated or multilayer films which cannot be removed by etching. FIG. 1 is a flow chart which illustrates the regeneration process set forth above.
Conventional test wafers were prepared for production of semiconductor devices having low levels of integration and relatively simple coating film structures. These films mainly consist of oxide films, polysilicon films, and aluminum films, and have simple structures consisting of at most 2 or 3 layers. Thus, the conventional regeneration process set forth above can satisfactorily respond to these wafers.
In recent years, levels of integration of semiconductor devices are significantly increasing due to extremely fine production processes. At the same time, various kinds of coating films with complicated structures have been formed on test wafers. For example, various hard coating films composed of W, WSi, TiSi, Si.sub.3 N.sub.4, TiN or the like have been increasingly used with conventional oxide films, polysilicon films and aluminum films, and the coating films consist of two to five layers for memory functions, or four to ten layers for logic bias functions.
Such circumstances set forth above have revealed that conventional regeneration methods have the following drawbacks (1) through (3):
Thus, a large working allowance is required to achieve a reusable level of surface smoothness in conventional regeneration processes. In detail, a working allowance of 40 to 60 .mu.m is required every regeneration process by conventional etching or double-face lapping, thus the number of regeneration cycles is limited to at most two or three. Further, the regeneration processes are inefficient, that is, the extremely smooth surfaces of silicon test wafers, on which functional coating films with thicknesses of at most 0.5 .mu.m are formed, are roughened by film removal processes and finely smoothed again with a large working allowance.
In conventional finish polishing after the coating film removal, a 6- to 8-inch wafer is bonded with wax to a ceramic plate with an outer diameter of 400 to 500 mm, and four to five ceramic plates are loaded on a large single-face polishing machine to perform a batch polishing process. Such a batch polishing process generally comprises two steps of rough polishing and finish polishing as set forth in FIG. 1, or three steps of rough polishing, preliminary finish polishing and finish polishing.
In these polishing steps, the wafer is uniformly bonded to a ceramic plate then peeled off from the plate. Thus, a large amount of equipment such as a wax mounter and a wax demounter must be provided, and a large amount of facility investment is required, even for the step of bonding the wafer to the ceramic plate.
Another regeneration method is also known, in which a wafer fitted on a glass-fiber reinforced template is polished. Since the template and wafer are fixed to each other in this method, a fraction of slurry may reach the back face of the wafer resulting in contamination, or the pad may crash due to separation of the wafer from the template during polishing.

Regeneration method and apparatus of wafer and substrate


In alternative embodiments, the invention provides polypeptides having a lignocellulolytic (lignocellulosic) activity, e.g., a ligninolytic and cellulolytic activity, including, e.g., a glycosyl hydrolase, a cellulase, an endoglucanase, a cellobiohydrolase (cbhl) (e.g., an exo-cellobiohydrolase, e.g., having an “exo” activity that can processively release cellobiose units β-1,4 glucose-glucose disaccharide), a beta-glucosidase, a xylanase, a mannanse, a xylosidase (e.g., a (β-xylosidase) and/or an arabinofuranosidase activity, polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides, and methods of making and using these polynucleotides and polypeptides. In one embodiment, the invention provides thermostable and thermotolerant forms of polypeptides of the invention. The polypeptides and nucleic acids of the invention are used in a variety of pharmaceutical, agricultural and industrial contexts; for example, as enzymes for the bioconversion of a biomass, e.g., lignocellulosic residues, into fermentable sugars, where in one aspect these sugars are used as a chemical feedstock for the production of ethanol and fuels, e.g., biofuels, e.g., synthetic liquid or gas fuels, including ethanol, methanol and the like.

There is a great interest in the bioconversion of biomass, such as material comprising lignocellulosic residues, into fermentable sugars. These sugars can be used in turn as chemical feedstock for the production of a biofuel, which is a clean-burning renewable energy source. Accordingly, there is a need in the industry for non-chemical means for processing biomass to make clean-burning renewable fuels.


A micromechanical device comprising one or more electronically movable structure sets comprising for each set a first electrode supported on a substrate and a second electrode supported substantially parallel from said first electrode. Said second electrode is movable with respect to said first electrode whereby an electric potential applied between said first and second electrodes causing said second electrode to move relative to said first electrode a distance X, (X), where X is a nonlinear function of said potential, (V). Means are provided for linearizing the relationship between V and X.

Among the applications for micromechanical devices are planar actuators comprising one or typically an array of actuators in a two-dimensional matrix in which individual elements of the array need to be individually and rapidly displaced.
In one application of such actuators to the deflection of radiation, an array of actuators includes mirrors activated by micromechanical electrostatic motivators to provide rapid displacement of the mirror positions in the array in order to alter the phase delay of incoming radiation wavefronts and thereby adjust the phase of the reflected light or the angle of reflection.
In modern high-speed systems such as scanners and pattern recognition systems, the demands for rapid adjustment of the phase of reflected light or beam angle continue to increase, placing severe demands upon control circuitry for an array of large dimensions to precisely and individually control each of hundreds or thousands of mirror elements in the array.
An additional problem encountered in controlling such actuators is the nonlinearity between displacement and applied control voltage due to the mathematical relationship between displacement and applied potential in what is essentially a parallel-plate capacitor geometry. To deal with the nonlinearity in order to provide accurate beam reflection, a heavy demand is placed upon processing electronics to accomplish any adjustment to the hundreds or thousands of individual actuators for controlling the position on an ongoing, rapid sequence basis.

Method for linearizing deflection of a MEMS device using binary electrodes and voltage modulation


An RF-SQUID magnetometer whose RF-SQUID has an operating frequency, is formed by a superconductive ring having a Josephson element. An electric resonant circuit in the form of a closed superconductive conductor is coupled with the ring and forms a superconductive microwave resonator at that frequency.

A SQUID is a sensor for measurement of magnetic flux. A SQUID is coupled with a flux transformer in the performance of measurement of a magnetic field, the flux transformer converting the magnetic field into a flux. A conventional flux transformer is comprised of a so-called pick-up coil for field-flux conversion and a coupling coil for further conduction of the flux to the SQUID. Such a construction is referred to as a SQUID magnetometer. A measure of the functional capability of a SQUID magnetometer is the field sensitivity. To operate a rf-SQUID-magnetometer, the latter is generally coupled to an electric resonant circuit, also called a tank circuit, into which a high-frequency current is fed at the resonance frequency of the tank circuit. The SQUID damps the tank circuit with a degree of damping dependent upon the magnetic flux through the superconductive ring. As a result there is a change in the voltage drop across the tank circuit which is used as a read-out for the SQUID.
From EP 04 18 848 A2, a LT.sub.c -RF-SQUID with an integrated microwave resonator is known. In this case the superconductive ring as well as the tank circuit are formed in one component. The tank circuit is comprised of a strip conductor. The electrical length of the strip conductor corresponds to a half microwave .lambda. of the operating frequency and thus forms a .lambda./2 microwave resonator. The strip resonator is capacitatively connected to the evaluation electronics.
To reliably set the resonator characteristics, the SQUID is arranged symmetrically relative to the strip conductor. This symmetry further allows the SQUID to be at a location of maximum current flux which ensures a sufficiently good coupling between resonator and SQUID. One such construction is fabricated from high temperature superconductive materials in accordance with Appl. Phys. Lett. 60(18), p. 2303, 1992.

RF-squid with an integrated lambda-microwave resonator useful as highly sensitive magnetometer


A method for determining lattice points to be referenced to prepare the correspondence defining data, said method including steps of prescribing a smoothness evaluation function which evaluates smoothness of arrangement of lattice points in the device-independent color space and contains a constraint condition that the arrangement of lattice points becomes nonuniform at a certain position in the device-independent color space and which has as a variable the lattice point position information in the low-dimensional color space which is prescribed by less color components than the number of inks used by the printing apparatus, optimizing the arrangement of lattice points in the device-independent color space by improving the rating of the smoothness evaluation function, with the lattice point position information in the low-dimensional color space varied, and determining lattice points to be referenced to prepare the correspondence defining data in the optimized state.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technique for improving the accuracy of color conversion profile used for printing.
2. Description of the Related Art
The image output devices such as displays and printers usually employ the color image data which expresses in tone the color of each pixel in term of specific color components. The image data specify colors by means of any of color spaces, such as RGB color space that uses three colors of R (red), G (green), and B (blue), and CMY color space that uses C (cyan), M (magenta), and Y (yellow), including lc (light cyan), lm (light magenta), DY (dark yellow), and K (black). These colors are usually device-dependent colors inherent in individual image output devices. One way to permit various image output devices to produce identical colors is by using a color-correcting LUT (look-up table) that specifies correspondence between colors for one device and colors for another device.
The color-correcting LUT should specify the correspondence for all the colors that can be produced by any image output device; however, this is impractical from the stand-point of memory capacity and work require to prepare each color-correcting LUT. It is common practice to specify the correspondence for typical colors in a specific number and calculate the correspondence for any other arbitrary colors by interpolation. In other words, common practice is not to perform colorimetry on a very large number of colors but to cause the image output device to produce colors (to an extent for practical colorimetry) and perform colorimetry on these colors, thereby specifying the color-correcting LUT for typical colors in a specific number.
Before preparing the color-correcting LUT, it is necessary to determine the colors in a specific number on which colorimetry is performed or to determine a plurality of lattice points in the color space. One conventional way to determine lattice points is by color separation. The procedure for color separation consists of prescribing cubic lattice points in the CMY space and transforming three colors of CMY at each lattice point into six colors of CMYKlclm according to a special transforming rule, thereby determining lattice points with components of ink colors.
The above-mentioned conventional method for determining lattice points is unable to sufficiently improve the accuracy of color conversion in the color-correcting LUT to be prepared eventually. In other words, the correspondence between CMY and ink color components, which is determined by color separation as mentioned above, conforms to the rule of transformation; however, the arrangement of lattice points may be distorted after color separation because no consideration is given to the smoothness of the arrangement of lattice points in the color space. If color transformation is carried out by referencing the distorted arrangement of lattice points, there occur some portions with locally poor accuracy at the time of interpolation. Particularly, this is an instance where sufficient smoothing is not achieved when R ink or V (violet) ink is used. Consequently, there has been a demand for a technique to select as many lattice points as possible and optimize them to minimize distortion in the arrangement of lattice points while satisfying the rule of color separation. In addition, there is an instance where the density of lattice points in the color space should desirably be higher in one region than another (for high color conversion accuracy) or varies from one region to another according to ink characteristics. In this case, however, it was impossible to consider the local arrangement of lattice points if the arrangement of lattice points is smoothed throughout the entire color space.


A first computer identifies electronic commerce activity related to a first user. The first computer retrieves a first data, wherein the first data is coupled to the electronic commerce activity. The first computer analyzes the first data and generates a second data. The first computer generates an electronic commerce display for a social network platform using the second data, wherein the electronic commerce display includes at least one timeline of the electronic commerce activity of the first user.

With the wide-spread use of the Internet, electronic commerce (e-commerce) has become embedded in cultures throughout the world. Buying consumer products and services in a marketplace full of choices can often be a tedious task and the shopping process for on-line users can be even more difficult.
The experience that Internet search engines and ecommerce platforms provide can be very different from the experience a consumer would have in a physical store, where the salesman is available for questioning and recommendations. At the same time, social networks such as Facebook™ and MySpace™ and business orientated networking platforms such as LinkedIn™ continue to grow in popularity. Blogging platforms such as Twitter™ provide additional ways for users to keep in touch with friends and family and to make new social contacts worldwide.
Both vendors and advertising companies have begun to leverage social media sites in an effort to increase the sales and revenue related to e-commerce activities. As such, it has become more important for social networking sites to provide interfaces that facilitate e-commerce activity.

Customization of an e-commerce display for a social network platform

International Business Machines Corporation


A system and method are provided for testing a vehicle entertainment (IFE) system, comprising: functionally replicating each of a plurality of IFE components selected from the group consisting of an aircraft interface unit, a content server unit, a network distribution unit, and a seat unit with a corresponding simulator unit model that simulates functions of the respective IFE component; providing each simulator unit model on a simulator server having a processor, the simulator server connecting to an IFE network that also connects at least one of actual or simulated seat units to at least one of actual or simulated content servers; providing a test controller that controls each simulator unit model; transmitting scenario information containing operation instructions to the simulator unit model; and executing the scenario information by the simulator unit model to perform operations corresponding to the operation instructions that cause the simulator unit model to communicate over the IFE network.

The invention relates to a new device and method of validating and testing In-Flight Entertainment (IFE) systems using only a small percentage of the IFE seat end units for the testing.
FIG. 1 illustrates a known architecture for a modern IFE system that is generally composed of three different types of units: 1) head end units 10 encompassing content server units 50 (which hold media data, such as movie files, song files, and entertainment data, such as games, maps, etc., collectively referred to herein as "media content") and aircraft interface units 40 that receives information from the aircraft, such as position during a flight and deals with passenger announcements that typically interrupt the IFE during flight, as well as a stewardess call button or request to turn on a reading light; 2) distribution units 20, mainly composed of network distribution units 60, that are used to build the IFE network 35 topology and segregate the network traffic between the head end units 10 and seat end units 30; and 3) seat end units 30 that are generally composed of a passenger display unit 70 and a passenger control unit 70 per seat. Some of these units are comprised by "line replaceable units" (LRUs) which means that they are packaged in a housing in a predefined configuration that enables them to be rapidly installed and replaced in an aircraft.
The total number of units comprising an IFE System can reach several thousands for some wide body airplanes, where the head end units 10 represent approximately 1% of the total number of units, the distribution units 20 represent approximately 1% of the total number of units and the seat end units 30 represent approximately 98% of the total number of units.
The current testing methodology widely used in the IFE industry requires building labs that are representative of the final configuration in the airplane. As a consequence, all of the airplane units are usually assembled in a lab for testing purposes before the final installation in the airplane.
There are two primary disadvantages with the current IFE testing methodology: costs related to the airplane unit's mobilization in the labs during the testing phase, and the late (in the delivery cycle) availability of IFE units for testing purposes.
Costs related to the airplane unit's mobilization in the labs during the testing phase can be divided into three different categories: cash advance, unit rework costs, and facility resource usage. In order to set up a lab representative of the final airplane configuration, the IFE company usually has to build all of the IFE units of a ship set, often several months before the final delivery to the airline. This represents a substantial cash advance and labor intensive activity that can impact the IFE company's financial results.
During the testing phase in the lab, some of the units are inevitably damaged and then have to be reworked before installation in the airplane. This rework includes new parts and additional labor that can have an impact on the IFE company's financial results. Furthermore, during this phase, substantial facility resources like space, power, and cooling are required to operate the lab. In some circumstances, the delivery to an additional customer may require a building extension that can impact the IFE company's financial results.
Late availability of the IFE units is another disadvantage of the current IFE testing methodology. The system-level testing (or full scale testing) of the IFE components can only be performed when the lab is assembled and fully functional. This occurs usually at a late stage during the overall development process and often delays the discovery of major issues not identified during IFE component unit tests.
Although the cost of the present method of testing could be reduced by postponing the assembly of the lab, this is counterbalanced by the fact that the risk of late discovery of major issues could be reduced by an earlier assembly of the lab. Thus, the current methodology represent an antinomy, since minimizing the effect of one disadvantage will increase the effect of the other disadvantage. The costs related to the airplane unit's mobilization in the labs could be reduced by postponing the assembly of the lab, but having the IFE units available later in the testing phase would introduce additional risk at the final stage of the program. Having the IFE units available earlier during the testing phase would help reduce the risk of discovering major issues close to the customer delivery, but would introduce additional costs due to the unit's mobilization for an extended period of time.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

In-flight entertainment seat end simulator


A delivery system is provided to reduce methane production in animals or to improve the weight gain of an animal. Embodiments include a delivery system comprising a volatile and/or water soluble antimethanogenic agent with cyclodextrin or a cyclodextrin-like compound.

Microorganisms capable of generating methane are commonly found in the gut flora of animals including ruminants. The microorganisms which produce methane in ruminants result in the loss of energy available to the animal and are also believed to contribute significantly to greenhouse gases.
Specifically, it has been known for many years that suppression of methane production in ruminants can theoretically lead to increased production and much work has been undertaken to reduce methane biosynthesis and achieve production gains in domestic animals. This has been most successfully achieved by modifications to the diet of animals. Diet manipulation is only possible in a limited number of animal production systems and is generally only able to reduce and not completely suppress methane production. A number of approaches to methane suppression in animals are being explored, not only to increase animal production but also to reduce the level of methane in the environment because of its contribution to the "greenhouse" effect.
Bromochloromethane (BMC) and some other related substances are known to show antimethanogenic activity when administered into the rumen of cattle and sheep but they have physical properties which makes impractical their use as antimethanogens in livestock production systems, BCM for example is a volatile liquid, boiling point 69 C., which readily evaporates. Bromoethane sulphonate, another antimethanogen, is difficult to administer because it is water soluble.
While the antimethanogenic properties of BCM and other antimethanogens have been known for more than 25 years no one has identified a practical means of using them to suppress methane production in livestock and obtain production increases.
Thus there has been a long felt need in the animal production field to find a practical means of inhibiting methanogenesis in animals, in particular ruminants.
It may also be desirable to reduce methane production in other animals. Inhibition of methane production would reduce the environmental impact of animals. In the case of domestic animals that inhabit households, it may be desirable to reduce methane production to achieve more pleasant conditions.
Cyclodextrins are cyclic oligosaccharides which have been used in the pharmaceutical and food industries in the preparation of various formulations incorporating active ingredients.

Delivery system for antimethanogenic agents

Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation


A surface-coated cutting tool includes a base material and a coating formed on the base material. The base material is a cemented carbide or a cermet. A surface of the base material includes a rake face, a flank face, and a cutting edge face connecting the rake face to the flank face. The base material has an oxygen concentration of less than or equal to 1 at. % at a depth position of 0.4 μm from the cutting edge face. The coating includes a hard layer. A topmost layer in the hard layer has a compressive stress of more than or equal to 1.5 GPa in absolute value.

It has been studied to extend the life of the cutting tool by improving tool characteristics such as wear resistance and fracture resistance. For example, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2013-244549 (PTL 1) discloses a surface-coated cutting tool having a coating formed on a surface of a base material. The coating can be formed on the base material to further improve the characteristics of the cutting tool.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 6-079502 (PTL 2) discloses an approach to impart a compressive stress to the coating by performing a post treatment on the coating on the base material. It is considered that the compressive stress can be imparted to improve the toughness of the coating and accordingly improve the fracture resistance of the cutting tool.

Surface-coated cutting tool and method for manufacturing the same


A laser locus ball apparatus for a wireless keyboard includes a base, a laser source generator, a locus ball, a light sensing element and a key cover. The base provides a lateral plate with a locating hole to locate the laser source generator and has another two opposite lateral plates with an engaging wedge at the bottom edge thereof to engage with the key cover. The top plate of the base has a supporting bore to receive the locus ball. A containing space is formed in the base to accommodate the optical sensing element. The laser source generator emits laser to the lower surface of the locus ball. The locus ball is movably received in and supported with the supporting bore such that the lower surface thereof extending downward from the supporting bore to reflect interference stripe figure during the lower surface of the locus ball receiving the laser. The light sensing element senses the laser interference stripe figure within every preset unit time. The key cover provides a circular hole at the top thereof for an upper surface of the locus ball extending outward the circular hole. Once the laser locus ball apparatus is in operation and the locus ball is moved, the moving direction and distance of the locus ball is figured out by the optical sensing element and position of the cursor of a screen is under control.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to a laser locus ball apparatus and particularly to a laser locus ball apparatus with laser optical module for reducing size thereof and enhancing resolution of sensed signal.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
The conventional desktop and laptop computers usually provide a mouse or locus ball device to control the cursor on the screen thereof. The conventional mechanical mouse has two light gate wheels in the casing thereof and a locus ball movably connecting with the light wheels. A decoding circuit is provided to figure out signal change of light shooting to a light sensor for detecting moving orientation of the locus ball and controlling the cursor on the screen synchronously. However, the mechanical type mouse is designed complicatedly and controlled inaccurately. Moreover, the size of the mechanical type mouse is extremely large without meeting trend for smallness and lightness.
As for the conventional optical mouse, a light source is employed to shine the desktop and a light sensor captures and identifies signal changes of reflections from the desktop for figuring out and generating signals related to cursor movement. Although it is not necessary for the conventional optical mouse to have the locus ball rolling on the desktop, dusts and foreign substances can enter the mouse via the opening at the bottom of the casing to result in poor sensitivities or damages of the emitting light source and the receiving light source.

Laser locus ball apparatus for a wireless keyboard


A snap clamp includes a planar part which has a slit area and a resilient flap formed in the slit area. The resilient flap has a fixed end integrally connected to the planar part, a free end opposite to the fixed end, and a resilient protrusion formed on the free end to project normally outward from one side of the planar part. A clamp has two clamping plates to sandwich the planar part therebetween. The clamping plates have opposing inner faces in sliding contact with the planar part. One clamping plate has an engaging slot for engaging the resilient protrusion. As such, the resilient flap is bendable inward to retract inward the resilient protrusion upon insertion in the clamping plates, and is engageable with one of the clamping plate via interengagement of the resilient protrusion and the engaging slot. The resilient flap has a thickness which decreases from the fixed end to the free end so as to prevent the free end from protruding from the planar part in a direction opposite to the resilient protrusion upon retraction of the resilient protrusion.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a snap clamp, more particularly to a snap clamp that includes a pair of clamp plates to sandwich a planar part and to engage therewith via snap-type engagement means.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a sunglasses assembly has a pair of transparent colored plastic lenses. However, there are sunglasses in which a one-piece transparent lens is screwed and connected pivotally to a pair of bows. Such a connection is somewhat disadvantaged in that the lens easily became loose and moved undesirably relative to the lens frame. Similar problems are encountered in a working headgear which has safety lens for protecting the eyes. Since such safety lens is connected to the headgear by means of screws, the connection therebetween is not firm and stable.


When different types of shared resources need mutex protection, the shared resources can be organized into classes. Each class of shared resources can have multiple types of resources. A mutex pool can store multiple mutex objects, each mutex object corresponding to a class of resources. The mutex object can be used to protect each shared resource in the corresponding class.

A computer can have a shared resource (e.g., a data structure or a portion of computer memory) and a policy specifying that, at any given time, the shared resource can be accessed by only one thread or process. Mutual exclusion (mutex) techniques can be used to implement the policy. Some mutex techniques include busy waiting. When a first thread or process is accessing the shared resource, if a second thread or process attempts to access the shared resource, a mutex object can cause the second thread or process to wait. The mutex object can then repeatedly examine status of the shared resource to determine if the first thread or process stopped accessing the shared resource. If the first thread or process stopped accessing the shared resource, the mutex object can allow the second thread or process to access the shared resource.


Methods and systems for automatically generating printer profiles for color printers to evenly distribute translation errors between device color spaces are described. Since the color spaces of source devices, e.g., monitors and scanners, differs from that of destination devices, e.g., printers, translation is necessary. As some colors may be available to source devices which are not available to destination devices, this translation is inherently imperfect. Moreover, conventional techniques apply imperfect models of the color space which further skew the results. According to the novel methods and systems described herein, a nonlinear regression technique is applied in an automated system which reduces perceptual changes.

The present invention relates in general to computer systems, and in particular to peripheral devices used in computer systems. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a method and system for automatically generating printer profiles.
As computing moves into the multimedia era, the days in which color was an unneeded luxury and monochrome monitors were commonplace, have given way to color image processing being an integral feature used by most applications. As the commercial demand for color grew, so too did the complexity of the hardware and software which was designed in response to that demand. Many color image processing techniques have been developed to deal with the issues raised by the integration of color into the computing paradigm.
Color matching is one such technique, which is used when transferring color images and documents between color devices, such as monitors, scanners and printers. Color matching is a useful interface technique because color devices have different color capabilities, describe color in different terms and operate in different color spaces. For example, a color display monitor in a computer system may create and describe colors in terms of red, green and blue ("rgb") values, and is then said to work in the RGB color space. The rgb values for this display monitor are device dependent, meaning the rgb values are particular for that monitor or brand of monitor. Because the rgb values are device dependent, colors displayed on different monitors will probably not be visually identical even for the same rgb values.
Most printers create and describe colors in device dependent terms differing from monitors. Printers use, for example, cyan, magenta, yellow and black ("cmyk") values to describe colors, and are said to work in the CMYK color space. Again, because the cmyk values are device dependent, colors printed on any given printer will probably not match colors printed on a different printer for the same cmyk values.
Further complicating color matching between color devices is that different color devices have different color capabilities. Every color device, such as a scanner, printer, or monitor, has a range of colors that it can produce. This range of producible colors is known as a gamut. To exemplify the difficulties caused by differing device gamuts, consider monitors and printers. Those skilled in the art will recognize that color display monitors can produce and display hundreds to thousands of colors. Color printers, however, typically have a smaller number of printable colors. Consequently, in most situations the gamut for a color display monitor exceeds the gamut for a color printer. As a result some colors displayed on display monitors cannot be produced by color printers.
Color matching models translate colors between devices while trying to maintain the perceived color appearance. For example, suppose that a user creates an image on a monitor. If she or he prints this image without any color matching, the color appearance of the printed image will differ significantly from that of the original. Using a color matching model, this change can be reduced to a perceptionally acceptable level.
In addition to color matching models, device profiles are needed for each color device to be matched. These profiles describe the basic color characteristics of the device and include a minimum required set of parameters for the color matching model to use. By searching through the source and destination device profiles, a color matching model can translate the source colors into a device independent color space and from this space into the destination device color space. Therefore, every color device is provided with a device profile with the required information for at least a default color matching model, if a custom-designed color matching model is not being used. In order to provide the best results, this profile information needs to be optimized for the particular color matching model in use.
It has been found, however, that certain color matching models, such as the default color matching model shipped provided color devices produced by Apple Computer, Incorporated, located in Cupertino, Calif., are not well suited to converting from one color space to another, particularly with respect to printers, due to certain assumptions about the linearity of color transformations which are implicit in these models. These assumptions, and an exemplary default color matching model, are described in more detail in the detailed description that follows.
Printer profiles have been conventionally created by the manual measurement of printed test patches to produce colorant values and tone reproduction tables. Due to the weakness of some conventional models, these printer profiles have been manually adjusted to obtain the proper colorant matrices so that the color conversions are perceptionally acceptable. Since this manual adjustment is very time consuming (on the order of a week to set up a profile for a printer) and costly, it would be desirable to overcome the problems caused by these default models. Although one solution would be to create a better color matching model, many color devices have already been produced which operate using models which are integral with color conversion systems that would be commercially inviable to replace.

Method and system for automatically generating printer profiles


An industrial oven for heat treating a series of articles by transporting the articles through a heated tunnel in an enclosure, the enclosure having air barrier closures at the entrance and exit of the tunnel, the air barrier closure at the entrance of the tunnel having a blower with an inlet for receiving a gaseous medium and a nozzle for expelling the gaseous medium in a flow and directing the medium flow across the tunnel, the blower having a heater adapted to raise the temperature of the gaseous medium expelled through the nozzle above the temperature within the tunnel, the enclosure also having an exhaust port between the air barrier closures and an exhaust blower for removing a portion of the gaseous medium from within the tunnel and reducing the pressure of the gaseous medium within the tunnel to a pressure below that of the ambient atmosphere. Also the method of heat treating process articles in such an oven in which the gaseous medium of the air barrier closure at the entrance of the oven is heated to a temperature above that of the oven. Also the method of heat treating process articles in such an oven in which the gaseous medium of the air barrier closure at the entrance of the oven is provided with moisture, and further the method of curing process articles coated with powdered paint in an oven provided with an air barrier closure at the entrance to the oven in which the gasses in the closure are heated to a temperature above that of the oven and provided with moisture.

Widely used industrial painting processes mount the articles to be painted on hangers carried on a conveyor and apply a coating of liquid paint onto the cleaned and prepared surfaces of the articles, generally by spraying or immersing the articles in a body of liquid paint. Thereafter the articles are transported by the conveyor through an entrance opening into an oven operated at an internal temperature sufficient to cure the paint on the articles, generally of the order of 350 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Each article is maintained within the oven for a sufficient period of time to complete the curing process. The painted articles are then removed from the oven, generally through an exit opening.
Within the oven, the atmosphere is contaminated by vapor liberated from the paint in the curing process, and it is desirable to provide air barriers at the entrance and exit openings of the oven in order to reduce the heat and contamination escaping from the oven into the surrounding atmosphere, and to reduce the energy consumed by the oven. A highly effective air barrier for such industrial ovens is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,298,341 of the present inventor entitled INDUSTRIAL OVEN HAVING AIR RECIRCULATING MEANS FOR MINIMIZING HEAT LOSS.
The vapor produced by curing of liquid paint constitutes an environment hazard. Within the oven, paint vapor must be restricted to a relatively low level to reduce the risk that the volatile vapor will ignite, and this is accomplished by providing an exhaust from the oven and a fresh air flow into the oven. The exhaust of solvent vapor from the liquid paint curing process is a cost of operation, since it entails loss of heat and disposal of the exhausted vapor, generally to the ambient atmosphere.
The use of powdered paint, rather than liquid paint, to paint manufactured articles reduces the amount of solvent required and also paint required to paint an article. Paint overspray, which is the portion of the paint spray which fails to become attached to an articles in the spraying process, is greatly reduced by the use of powdered paint. Further, the quantity of solvent present in powdered paint is significantly less than that in a comparable body of liquid paint, thus reducing the vapor liberated in curing each processed article.
The painting processes which industry had developed using powdered paint applies a layer of paint in powdered state onto the articles to be painted, and then in the usual manufacturing process, transports the articles on a conveyor line to and through an industrial oven provided with entrance and exit openings with air barrier closures. The conveyor line transports the powder laden articles directly across the air flow of the entrance air barrier. To be efficient, the air barrier requires a relatively high flow rate, and suitable air flow rates for the air barrier are often sufficient to move paint powder about on the surface of the articles and to blow paint powder off of the articles passing through the entrance opening of the oven on the conveyor line, thus producing bare or thin areas of paint or paint buildup on the finished articles. Under some conditions, it has been necessary to reduce the air flow in the entrance air barrier of the oven in order to ameliorate this condition, thus reducing the effectiveness of the air barrier.
The industrial ovens known to the art require a large space, are costly to construct, and have relatively high operating costs, particularly in high production applications. If the oven must heat treat items being produced at a high rate, the oven must be long enough to provide the required residence time for articles moving within the oven at the production rate. Heat is transferred from the environment within the oven, which is an air and vapor mixture, to the process articles largely by contact of the oven environment with the articles. Since the gaseous oven environment of conventional ovens is largely dry air, the oven environment has a low thermal capacity. Heat transfer from the oven environment to the articles in process largely occurs through a film of air on the surface of the article, the film being periodically replaced by circulation of the environment within the oven. This process results in a relatively low rate of heat transfer from the environment of the oven to the precess articles, thus requiring a long path within the oven to provide the desired heat treatment to the articles.
Further, the use of air barriers for closures at the entrance and exit openings of an oven results in a gradual temperature increase from the opening to the interior of oven, thus providing regions within the oven adjacent to the entrance and exit opening of reduced heat transfer. Accordingly, industrial ovens for high production applications are long, resulting in relatively high heat loss and relatively high equipment and building costs.

Method of heat treating articles and oven therefor


Disclosed is a high-output lithium secondary battery including: a cathode including a cathode active material having an average particle diameter (with respect to capacity) of 0.03 to 0.1 μm/mAh and a layered structure; an anode including crystalline graphite and amorphous carbon as anode active materials, wherein the amount of the amorphous carbon is between 40 and 100 wt % based on the total weight of the anode active materials; and a separator.

As mobile device technology continues to develop and demand therefor continues to increase, demand for secondary batteries as energy sources is rapidly increasing. In addition, secondary batteries have recently been used as power sources for electric vehicles (EVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), and the like. Accordingly, research into secondary batteries that can meet a variety of demands is underway and, in particular, demand for lithium secondary batteries having high energy density, high discharge voltage and high output stability is increasing.
In particular, lithium secondary batteries used as power sources of EVs and HEVs require high-output characteristics that exhibit high output within a short period of time.
Conventionally, graphite is mainly used as an anode active material, which has a very low discharge potential of about −3 V with respect to a standard hydrogen electrode potential, and exhibits very reversible charge/discharge behavior due to uniaxial orientation of a graphene layer and thus has excellent cycle lifespan.
However, such graphite has poor output properties and thus a secondary battery including such anode active material is not suitable for use as an energy source for HEVs requiring high output. Thus, research into amorphous carbon used as an anode active material is underway, but conventional amorphous carbon has an energy density of less than 300 mAh/g.

Lithium secondary battery of high power property with improved high power density


A food processing utensil for straining the liquid from food packed in a liquid and for storage of the food product once the liquid is drained therefrom and the method for using the utensil are disclosed. The plastic utensil includes a cylindrical container open at the top and bottom; a set of lids comprising a top lid and a bottom lid which can be press fit onto the container to seal the container; a strainer releasably engageable with either the top or bottom opening of the container wherein the strainer has an end wall further having perforations for the passage of liquid, and a sleeve for releasably engaging an open can, such as a can of tuna fish, for collecting the drained liquid; and, a plunger slidably receivable into the container for contacting the food in the container. A lid is snapped onto an open end of the container and a food product with associated liquid is introduced therein. The strainer is then snapped onto the open end whereupon the utensil is inverted and set atop the open, empty food container. The first lid is removed and a plunger is used to compress the food product while the liquid portion drains through the strainer and into the empty food can. The plunger is removed and the lid is reattached, whereupon the utensil is removed from the can, the strainer removed from the utensil, and the remaining lid snapped onto the container.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to food processing and, in particular, to a food processing utensil and the method for using it for draining the liquid from a solid food product packed in a liquid medium and for storing the drained food in the utensil.
2. Statement of the Related Art
Certain canned food products, for example, tuna fish, consist of a solid food product packed in a liquid medium. Such liquid mediums are typically water or oil. The preparation of such products preferably entails the draining or straining of the liquid from the solid portion so that the liquid can be discarded and the solid portion prepared to one's taste. As is frequently done upon opening of the canned food product, the user then typically applies force to the lid while holding the can upside down to drain the liquid from the can. This often results in the liquid squirting from the can or dripping into areas not intended for such liquid, and exposes the user to the sharp lid edge.
Accordingly, there is a need for a functional, simple, and inexpensive device which facilitates the removal of the liquid from a canned food product packed in such liquid.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,995,544 describes a tuna squeezer and strainer utensil that is useful for the separation of liquid from subdivided solid comestibles, such as canned tuna and the like. The device comprises a generally cupped shaped member having a cylindrical wall conforming to the internal diameter of a standard can size and an end, circular wall which is perforated to provide permeability to liquid while blocking passage of subdivided solid comestibles. The side walls of the cupped shaped member distally support tabs which project radially outward from the side walls so that the user may grasp the press after it has been inserted into a can, and upon inverting the can and press, proceed to drain the liquid therefrom.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,355,574 discloses a tong or scissors like device having a disk depending transversely from one of the scissors ends which allows for the holding and draining of a standard size tuna fish type can container.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,860,647 to Kerslake discloses a can draining implement which consists of two handles pivotably attached together. One handle has a can supporting plate which faces a plunger on the other handle. The plunger has an angled face designed to cause liquid being drained from the can to flow to one side. Furthermore, the plunger has embedded therein a magnet designed to hold the lid of the can after draining has been accomplished.
Each of these devices requires that the opened can remain filled with the food product as the liquid is drained therefrom. In addition, the method of using each of the devices described above requires a disposal for the drained liquid that is separate from the food product container itself.


Systems and methods for preparing and delivering a data package detailing work performed at a telecommunications site includes, subsequent to the work, performing data capture at the telecommunications site utilizing a plurality of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), a satellite, a multiple camera apparatus, and a telescoping apparatus; processing the data capture to provide a close out audit package for the telecommunications site describing the work; uploading the close out audit package through a User Interface to a server; providing the close out audit package to one or more users via the server; and performing verification of the work via the uploaded close out audit package.

Due to the geographic coverage nature of wireless service, there are hundreds of thousands of cell towers in the United States. For example, in 2014, it was estimated that there were more than 310,000 cell towers in the United States. Cell towers can have heights up to 1,500 feet or more. There are various requirements for cell site workers (also referred to as tower climbers or transmission tower workers) to climb cell towers to perform maintenance, audit, and repair work for cellular phone and other wireless communications companies. This is both a dangerous and costly endeavor. For example, between 2003 and 2011, 50 tower climbers died working on cell sites (see, e.g., www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/social-issues/cell-tower-deaths/in-race-for-better-cell-service-men-who-climb-towers-pay-with-their-lives). Also, OSHA estimates that working on cell sites is 10 times more dangerous than construction work, generally (see, e.g., www.propublica.org/article/cell-tower-work-fatalities-methodoloy). Furthermore, the tower climbs also can lead to service disruptions caused by accidents. Thus, there is a strong desire, from both a cost and safety perspective, to reduce the number of tower climbs.
Concurrently, the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), referred to as drones, is evolving. There are limitations associated with UAVs, including emerging FAA rules and guidelines associated with their commercial use. It would be advantageous to leverage the use of UAVs to reduce tower climbs of cell towers. US 20140298181 to Rezvan describes methods and systems for performing a cell site audit remotely. However, Rezvan does not contemplate performing any activity locally at the cell site, nor various aspects of UAV use. US20120250010 to Hannay describes aerial inspections of transmission lines using drones. However, Hannay does not contemplate performing any activity locally at the cell site, nor various aspects of constraining the UAV use. Specifically, Hannay contemplates a flight path in three dimensions along a transmission line.
Of course, it would be advantageous to further utilize UAVs to actually perform operations on a cell tower. However, adding one or more robotic arms, carrying extra equipment, etc. presents a significantly complex problem in terms of UAV stabilization while in flight, i.e., counterbalancing the UAV to account for the weight and movement of the robotic arms. Research and development continues in this area, but current solutions are complex and costly, eliminating the drivers for using UAVs for performing cell tower work.
3D modeling is important for cell site operators, cell tower owners, engineers, etc. There exist current techniques to make 3D models of physical sites such as cell sites. One approach is to take hundreds or thousands of pictures and to use software techniques to combine these pictures to form a 3D model. Generally, conventional approaches for obtaining the pictures include fixed cameras at the ground with zoom capabilities or pictures via tower climbers. It would be advantageous to utilize a UAV to obtain the pictures, providing 360-degree photos from an aerial perspective. Use of aerial pictures is suggested in US 20100231687 to Armory. However, this approach generally assumes pictures taken from a fixed perspective relative to the cell site, such as via a fixed, mounted camera and a mounted camera in an aircraft. It has been determined that such an approach is moderately inaccurate during 3D modeling and combination with software due to slight variations in location tracking capabilities of systems such as Global Positioning Satellite (GPS). It would be advantageous to utilize a UAV to take pictures and provide systems and methods for accurate 3D modeling based thereon to again leverage the advantages of UAVs over tower climbers, i.e., safety, climbing speed and overall speed, cost, etc.
In the process of planning, installing, maintaining, and operating cell sites and cell towers, site surveys are performed for testing, auditing, planning, diagnosing, inventorying, etc. Conventional site surveys involve physical site access including access to the top of the cell tower, the interior of any buildings, cabinets, shelters, huts, hardened structures, etc. at the cell site, and the like. With over 200,000 cell sites in the U.S., geographically distributed everywhere, site surveys can be expensive, time-consuming, and complex. The various parent applications associated herewith describe techniques to utilize UAVs to optimize and provide safer site surveys. It would also be advantageous to further optimize site surveys by minimizing travel through virtualization of the entire process.
As the number of cell sites increases, there are various concerns relative to site planning, engineering, and installation. New site construction requires approval from various stakeholders, i.e., local communities, governmental agencies, landowners, tower operators, etc. The trend in new site construction is toward aesthetically pleasing designs which attempt to conceal cell site components, e.g., disguising towers as trees, placing components on roofs in a concealed manner, etc. There is a need to accurately and effectively represent planned sites for the purposes of planning, approval, engineering, and installation.

Systems and methods for delivering a close out package for work done at a telecommunications site


A wireless, dynamically and autonomously reconfigurable link layered communication network and method. The network self-optimizes communication paths within the network. A plurality of communication nodes form the network with each node having a transceiver for receiving and transmitting messages. Prioritized routing lists to all other nodes are stored at each node and updated. Each communication node can be an origination node and a destination node as well as serving as message repeater nodes.

Wireless communication networks, as well as security and emergency communication networks are well known in the prior art, however, the communication links within the system have a fixed configuration determined during the system's installation. Such systems are described for instance by Burns (U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,096). A system that remedies this lack of flexibility and the lack of autonomous system reconfiguration in response to changes in the environment or to the number of operational communication nodes in a given network was disclosed in the above cited application.
In practical situations, additional network versatility has been found to be highly desirable. For instance, in current link layered wireless networks, messages between subscriber units that are not within a predetermined link hierarchy, namely, the then preferred routing path between any one of the two subscribers units and the central monitoring station does not contain the other subscriber unit, need to be routed through the central monitoring station and thus, a less than optimized routing is utilized. In the present invention apparatus and methods as well as routing algorithms are provided that optimize and update such routing between any two subscribers units in the network.
Under special circumstances, it is also desirable to shift the network's central station functions within a subset of the subscribers units. In the prior art, this required recommissioning of the network to rededicate a new central or command station. This process is time consuming and thus creates excessive network down time, a highly detrimental feature in wireless communication networks. The present invention allows for the autonomous shifting of the network's command functions between a predetermined subset of the network's communication nodes.
Furthermore, prior art security networks can be easily disabled or compromised by determined foes, via intentional jamming and injection into the network of false messages. The present invention increases the wireless communication network's ability to withstand such intentional interferences.
The use of encryption algorithms to increase network security and prevent unauthorized access to messages transmitted in a wireless communication network are well known. However, with the advent of powerful computing platforms, deciphering of encryption algorithms has become more feasible, particularly when sufficient traffic can be analyzed. One way to defeat such deciphering attempts is by changing the encryption algorithms often and in a random manner. However, one must assure that the network in its entirety switches to a new encryption algorithm simultaneously. This is difficult to achieve in a traditional wireless communication network due to the time it takes for messages to be transmitted through the network, and particularly, the time it takes for messages to positively reach remote communication nodes. The instant invention provides a method and apparatus to assure that the shift between encryption algorithms occurs simultaneously in the wireless communication network.
Similarly, the instant invention provides for hybrid communication networks in which localized sub networks, often operating at different transmission frequencies than the master network, but not necessarily so, can be incorporated into a single network. One such embodiment involves a master network of fixed communication nodes that is used by a sub network of mobile communication nodes to establish a self reconfiguring unified network. Another embodiment allows the incorporation of established networks, let say with older technology, such as nodes having slower modems than currently available, into a master network of state of the art communication nodes, where the modern communication nodes can communicate between themselves at one frequency and act as a central destination to localized older networks operating at other frequencies, thereby creating a single network which is self reconfiguring.

Dynamically reconfigurable communications network and method