The present invention is directed to improved tank or containment vessels and processes and apparatus for their construction. The tanks or containment vessels usually consist of circular walls resting on a base and a dome supported by the walls. The dome of the subject prestressed tank is formed by deploying or creating a membrane on the base, applying one or more layers of rigidifying material (and prestressing or reinforcing material if needed) on the membrane and then forming said membrane into a dome before the rigidifying material sets by the selective introduction of compressed air at appropriate locations between the base and the membrane. The hardening of the rigidifying material results in a composite preformed rigid roof or dome having a membrane liner and an overlay of composite construction. Once the walls are created, air pressure can be further utilized to raise this preformed composite dome upward to a predetermined height after which it is fastened to the walls. An appropriate air seal may be used to prevent excessive leakage of air between the walls and the dome and to assist in the raising of the dome. Utilizing this air cushion procedure to raise the dome to its proper location, eliminates the need of scaffolding and other costly support structures. Integral seismic anchors may be also used to complete the construction process to protect the structure against earthquakes and other tremors by anchoring the dome to the tank walls and the tank walls to the base in a manner whereby the seismic forces are translated parallel to the wall instead of radially to the wall.

This application represents a continuous evolution of the subject inventor's inventive technology relating to prestressed tanks or containment vessels. The field of the invention is containment structures and their construction which structures can be used to hold solid,liquids or gases. This invention is particularly useful in the construction of domed structures, utilizing a membrane and circumferential prestressing.
There has been a need for the improved construction of these types of structures as conventional construction has proven difficult and costly. Furthermore, these structures generally do not lend themselves to automation. For example, the current practice has been to construct roofs or domes of such tanks on scaffolding, shoring, framing or decking which is quite costly and time consuming, in contrast to the invention claimed herein where the roof is prefabricated and raised on a cushion of air.
Certain of these conventional structures have utilized prestressed concrete, reinforced concrete or steel tank construction, which are discussed below. Others have utilized Fiber Reinforced Plastic (FRP) and some have utilized inflated membranes.
Turning first to prestressed concrete tanks, their construction have typically utilized prestressing and shotcreting applied by methods set out in detail in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,572,596; 4,302,978; 3,869,088; 3,504,474; 3,666,189; 3,892,367 and 3,666,190 issued to the subject inventor which are incorporated herein by reference. As set forth in these references, a floor, wall and roof structure is typically constructed out of concrete using conventional construction techniques. The wall is then prestressed circumferentially with wire or strand which is subsequently coated with shotcrete. The machinery used for this purpose is preferably automated, such as that set forth in the above patents. Shotcrete is applied to encase the prestressing and to prevent potential corrosion. As set out in more detail in these patents, and particularly U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,044, which is incorporated herein by reference, prestressing is beneficial in that concrete is not very good in tension but is excellent in compression. Accordingly, prestressing places a certain amount of compression on the concrete so that the tensile forces caused by the fluid inside the tank are countered not by the concrete, but by the compressive forces exerted on the concrete by the prestressing materials. Thus, if design considerations are met, the concrete is not subjected to the substantial tension forces which can cause cracks and subsequent leakage.
Major drawbacks of the above prestressed concrete tank structure are the need for expensive forming of the wall and roof and for substantial wall thickness to support the circumferential prestressing force which places the wall in compression. Furthermore, cracking and imperfections in the concrete structure can cause leakage. Also, conventional concrete tanks are generally not suitable for storage of certain corrosive liquids and petroleum products.
We now turn to tanks constructed using regular reinforcing. This second major category of concrete tanks typically utilize regular reinforcing (in contrast to prestressing), and no membrane. These tanks are inferior to the tanks utilizing circumferential prestressing because, while regular reinforcing makes the concrete walls stronger, it does not prevent the concrete from going into tension, making cracking and leakage an even greater possibility. Typically, reinforcing does not come into play until a load is imposed on the concrete is structure. It is intended to pick up the tension forces because, as previously explained, the concrete cannot withstand very much tension before cracking. Yet reinforcing does not perform this task very well because, unlike circumferential prestressing which preloads the concrete, there are no prestressing forces exerting on the concrete to compensate for the tension asserted by the loading. Moreover, as compared to prestressed concrete tanks, these reinforced concrete tanks require even more costly forming of wall and roof, and even greater wall thicknesses to minimize tensile stresses in the concrete, problems greatly eliminated with the subject invention.
Turning now to inflated membranes, such membranes, have been used for airport structures where the structure consists of the membrane itself. Inflated membranes have also been used to form concrete shells wherein a membrane is inflated and used as a support form. Shotcrete, with or without reinforcing, is sometimes placed over the membrane and the membrane is removed after the concrete is hardened. Another form of this construction is exemplified by conventional "Binishell" structures. Information regarding such structures is in the Disclosure Statement and in U.S. Pat. No. 3,462,521. These structures are constructed by placing metal springs, and regular reinforcing bars over an uninflated lower membrane. Concrete is then placed over the membrane and an upper membrane is placed over the concrete to prevent it from sliding to the bottom as the inflation progresses. The inner membrane is then inflated while the concrete is still soft. After the concrete has hardened, the membranes are typically removed. A major drawback of the afore-described conventional structures is the high cost connected with reinforcing and waterproofing them for liquid storage. Moreover, with regard to the "Binishell" structures, because of the almost unavoidable sliding of the concrete, it is difficult if not impossible to avoid honeycombing of the concrete and subsequent is leaks. Also Bini does not teach the utilization of membranes in conjunction with circumferential prestressing, in contrast to using mere reinforcing. As a result, these structures have not been very well received in the marketplace and have not, thus far, displaced the more popular and commercially successful steel, reinforced concrete and prestressed concrete tanks and containment vessels. Substantial improvements to these types of membrane structures are set out in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,879,959; 5,134,830; 4,776,145; 5,094,044 issued to the subject inventor which are incorporated by reference, but which do not accomplish the advantages of the subject invention.
Another general category of existing tanks are those made of fiberglass. These fiberglass tanks have generally been small in diameter, for example, in contrast to the prestressed or steel tanks that can contain as many as 30 million gallons of fluid. The cylindrical walls are often filament-wound with glass rovings. To avoid strain corrosion, (a not very well understood condition wherein the resins and/or laminates fracture, disintegrate or otherwise weaken) the tension in fiberglass laminates is typically limited to 0.001 in/in (or 0.1%) strain by applicable building codes or standards and by recommended prudent construction techniques. For example, the American Water Works Association (AWWA) Standard for Thermosetting Fiberglass, Reinforced Plastic Tanks, Section 184.108.40.206 requires that "the allowable hoop strain of the tank wall shall not exceed 0.0010 in/in." A copy of this standard is provided in the concurrently filed Disclosure Statement. Adhering to this standard means, for example, that if the modulus of elasticity of the laminate is 1,000,000 psi, then the maximum design stress in tension should not exceed 1,000 psi (0.001.times.1,000,000). Consequently, large diameter fiberglass tanks have required substantially thicker walls than steel tanks. Considering that the cost of fiberglass tanks has been close to those of stainless steel, another common type of tank, and considering the above strain limitation, there are not believed to have been any viable large diameter fiberglass tanks built world-wide since fiberglass became available and entered the market some 35 years ago. Another reason why large fiberglass tanks have not been viable, is the difficulty of operating and constructing the tanks under field conditions, water tanks, for example are often built in deserts, mountaintops and away from the pristine and controlled conditions of the laboratory. Resins are commonly delivered with promoters and catalysts for a certain fixed temperature, normally room temperature. However, in the field, temperatures will vary substantially. Certainly, variations from 32.degree. F. to 120.degree. F. may be expected. These conditions mean that the percent of additives for promoting the resin and the percent of catalyst for the chemical reaction, which will vary widely under those temperature variations, need to be adjusted constantly for the existing air temperatures. Considering that these percentages are small compared to the volume of resin, accurate metering and mixing is required which presents a major hurdle to on-site construction of fiberglass tanks, The above problems have been remedied to a great extent by the teachings of the undersigned inventor's U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,879,856; 5,134,830; 4,884,747; 5,076,495 and 5,092,522 which are hereby incorporated by reference, and regarding which the subject patent represents a further evolution and improvement. There have also been problems with seismic anchoring of the above tanks, some of which have been solved by the techniques and apparatus disclosed in Mr. Dykman's U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,105,590 and 5,177,919, which are also hereby incorporated by reference.

Method and apparatus for constructing prestressed structures utilizing a membrane and floating dome assembly


A latency counter of a semiconductor device comprises a single cyclic signal generator and a command delay circuit. The single cyclic signal generator cyclically produces 0-th to n-th base signals based on an internal clock signal. The command delay circuit comprises 0-th to n-th latch elements and latches an internal command by means of a p-th latch element (p is an integer; 0≦p≦n) in response to a q-th base signal (q is an integer; 0≦q≦n) and to output the latched internal command corresponding to the latency timeout signal therefrom in response to a r-th base signal (r is an integer; 0≦r≦n), where r=q+s if q+s≦n, while r=q+s−(n+1) if q+s>n, s being a natural number equal to or less than n.

This invention relates to a semiconductor device such as a semiconductor memory device, e.g. a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) device or a device including such semiconductor memory device. In particular, the present invention relates to a latency counter included in the semiconductor device.
A latency counter included in a DRAM device is proposed in an article entitled "A1.2 Gb/s/pin Double Data Rate SDRAM with On-Die-Termination" by Ho Young Song, et. al, ISSCC 2003/SESSION 17/SRAM AND DRAM/PAPER 17.8. The proposed latency counter is suitably operative at a higher frequency than another conventional latency counter mainly comprising a shift register.
However, the proposed latency control scheme requires two ring counters which dissipate large power.

Semiconductor device with latency counter


A nursing enclosure which protects the modesty of a nursing mother and provides a nursing child with a defined enclosure separating it from the immediate environment.

The present invention relates generally to devices useful to protect the modesty of a nursing mother and to provide a nursing child with a defined enclosure separating it from the immediate environment.
Prior art devices for such use by nursing mothers are almost all of the bib type wherein a panel of material is secured around the mother's neck and draped over the nursing child. The present invention, which is secured around the neck of the nursing mother, not only drapes over the nursing child, but provides means for enclosing the mother's arms and, in so doing, more fully encapsulates the child, separating it from the immediate environment.


A high-resolution light-beam scanning apparatus including a rotatable hologram and a fixed plate which are diffraction gratings for minimizing either a sum total of values obtained by weighting (1): a square of an optical path length difference between a) an optical path of a light flux measured along a principal axis of a light beam incident on and diffracted by a first diffraction grating of the rotatable hologram, and incident on and diffracted by a second diffraction grating of the fixed plate so as to conduct a scanning and converging on an image formation surface scanning point, and b) an optical path of a light flux measured along a marginal ray distanced from the principal axis, or an absolute value of the optical path difference thereof; or (2) a square of a sum obtained by adding an amount of displacement of a light beam convergent on the scanning point, which displacement is measured along the marginal ray distanced from the principal axis of an incident reconstructing light flux with respect to the principal axis of a phase of the first diffraction grating, to an amount of displacement of the same light, which displacement is measured with respect to the principal axis of a phase recorded on the second diffraction grating, when the light flux is incident on the fixed plate, or by weighting an absolute value of the sum, each weighting being conducted at every scanning position covering an entire range of the image formation surface.

A high-precision and high-resolution laser-scanning optical system is used in office automation equipment including a laser printer and a laser facsimile, and in such apparatuses as a laser drawing apparatus and a laser inspection apparatus. Conventionally, this optical system is embodied by a rotating polygonal mirror and a combination of a plurality of f-.theta. lenses.
In the above method employing a polygonal mirror, efforts to lower cost have met with difficulty because of the high precision required to fabricate a rotating polygonal mirror and because of a large number of lens groups required, including f-.theta. lenses that serve, at the same time, as inclination correction optical system.
On the other hand, a hologram scanning apparatus employing a hologram can be mass produced. As an example of such a hologram scanning apparatus, the present applicant has filed an application for a hologram scanning apparatus for performing a scanning with a straight beam having a high resolution and having sufficiently corrected aberration (the Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application 63-072633 and the Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application 61-060846). This light beam scanning apparatus achieves, as a scanning optical system for a laser printer, excellent specifications characterized by a high precision, ensuring a stable print quality. However, there is now a demand for a laser-scanning optical system having even higher resolution, on the order of 400-600 dpi or even 1000 dpi. Also, further cost reduction is desired.
In order to embody a hologram scanner having such an extremely high resolution at a low price, the following objectives need be resolved;
1 a scanning beam radius should be as thin as 60 m (equivalent to 400 dpi), for example, and as uniform as possible; PA1 2 a scanning should be carried out at the same velocity as that of the rotation of a rotatable hologram, which rotation is at constant angular acceleration. PA1 3 displacement in a scanning direction of a scanning beam should be compensated for; PA1 4 displacement in a cross scanning direction of a scanning beam should be compensated for. PA1 diffraction gratings are provided in the rotatable hologram and the fixed plate for minimizing a sum total of values obtained by weighting: PA1 diffraction gratings are included in the rotatable hologram and the fixed plate for minimizing a sum total of values obtained by weighting:
Since a wavelength of a semiconductor laser used therein as a scanning light source can vary according to ambient temperature and since several longitudinal modes can be produced,
Since a scanning beam displacement is attributable to a warping of a base used in a rotatable hologram and the warping takes place as a result of using a floating glass, which is of low cost and needs no polishing, or a plastic base (PMMA, for example) enabling injection molding,
a scanning beam displacement due to the plastic bases being moved from its ideal position should be compensated for.
The present applicant had proposed a method of achieving the above tasks in the Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application 58-119098. The method comprises, as shown in FIG. 14, a rotatable hologram 10 and a fixed hologram plate 20 disposed between the rotatable hologram 10 and an image formation surface 4. In the same figure, 10 represents a rapidly rotating rotatable hologram in which a plurality of hologram plates are disposed, 20 a fixed hologram plate, 4 an image formation surface, 5 a reconstructing beam, 6 a diffracted wave outgoing from the hologram plate 10, and 7 a diffracted wave outgoing from the fixed hologram plate 20. The reconstructing beam from a semiconductor not shown in the figure is diagonally incident on the rotating rotatable hologram 10, whose rotation enables the scanning by the diffracted wave 6. The diffracted wave 6 is incident on the fixed hologram plate 20, and the diffracted wave 7, which is a wave diffracted therefrom, scans the image formation surface 4.
In the above configuration, displacement of a scanning beam position due to a wavelength variation of the semiconductor laser is compensated for, and a velocity of the scanning beam is maintained constant by a rotation of constant angular acceleration of the rotatable hologram 10, so that a straight-line scanning by a scanning beam is achieved. Further, displacement of a scanning beam position both in the scanning direction and the cross scanning direction, which displacement is due to a wavelength variation of the semiconductor laser, is corrected by having the fixed hologram plate 20 bend the scanning beam in a direction counter to a scanning direction of the rotatable hologram 10.
As a method of compensating, in a better way, for displacement of the scanning beam position in the cross direction due to a wavelength variation of the semiconductor laser, the present applicant filed an application for the Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application 60-168830, in which it is proposed that a fixed hologram plate be spatially placed before the rotatable hologram.
The present applicant also made a proposition in the Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application 2-179437 (the domestic declaration of priority on the Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application 1-240720), in which is proposed a construction capable, by employing at least two holograms, of maintaining uniform optical path lengths from an incident wave to an image formation surface, and of preventing degradation of wavefront characteristics on the image formation surface, which degradation is caused by a wavelength variation of the reconstructing light source. Since the Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application 2-179437 relates to an optical system where at least two holograms, as mentioned above, are fixed, and therefore only one image formation point is provided, an application of the same devise to the scanning optical system now being discussed entails some difficulty in that moment-by-moment optical path length changes, which take place as the beam scanning proceeds, inevitably cause the optical path length to be longer at the scanning end than at the scanning center. Accordingly, the aforementioned conventional technology has not resolved all of the objectives from 1 through 5 described earlier.
It is an object of the present inventions to provide, as a solution to the objectives 1 through 5 above: a method of manufacturing a high-resolution light-beam scanning apparatus employing only mass-producible holograms without using any auxiliary optical system consisting of optical lenses or mirrors having curvature; and a method of manufacturing a fixed hologram plate.
Another object of the present inventions is to provide: a method of manufacturing a light beam scanning apparatus employing at least two holograms, wherein a quality of a scanning beam or a scanning performance does not show deterioration even when a wavelength displacement owing to a wavelength variation or a wavelength dispersion of the light source takes place; and a method of manufacturing a hologram plate.
A further object of the present inventions is to provide a light-beam scanning apparatus employing at least two holograms, wherein color aberration due to a wavelength displacement caused by a wavelength variation or wavelength dispersion of the light source is corrected.
A still further object of the present inventions is to obtain a hologram construction and configuration and a configuration of the front of a reconstructing wave by which construction and configurations a light beam scanning apparatus can be obtained wherein displacement of a scanning beam position, and a blooming on the scanning surface can be minimized even when the wavelength displacement caused by a wavelength variation or wavelength dispersion of the light source arises.


A drowsiness detecting apparatus has a pulse wave sensor and a determination circuit. The sensor is provided to a steering wheel to detect a pulse wave of a vehicle driver gripping the steering wheel. The determination circuit generates a thorax pressure signal indicative of the depth of breathing by envelope-detecting a pulse wave signal of the sensor and determines whether the driver is drowsy by comparing a pattern of the thorax pressure signal with a reference pattern. The display and the buzzer notify the driver and any other passengers in the vehicle of the drowsiness of the driver by a visual indication and buzzing sound, respectively. A body surface motion may be used as a signal that indicates the depth of breathing.

Various drowsy driving preventing apparatuses are proposed. In one apparatus proposed in JP 7-232571A, for instance, the apparatus detects drowsiness or sleepiness of a vehicle driver based on behavior of the driver while driving a vehicle, and cautions the driver for a safety driving.
Specifically, a wheel gripping pressure applied to a steering wheel of a vehicle by a vehicle driver and a position of application of such a wheel gripping pressure are detected. A seating pressure applied to a driver seat of the vehicle by the driver and a position of exertion of such a seating pressure are detected. Some flavor is provided to stimulate the driver, when the position of application of the wheel gripping pressure changes to or more times per hour. Air pressure of the driver seat is varied to stimulate the driver, when the seating pressure changes 50% or more and the position of application of the seating pressure changes two or more times per hour. A buzzing sound is provided to stimulate the driver, when the wheel gripping pressure changes 50% or more from a normal condition.
In the above apparatus, the wheel gripping pressure cannot be detected, if the driver fails to grip the steering wheel for some reason. Further, the seating pressure largely varies from person to person. It is therefore difficult to accurately detect the drowsiness of sleepiness of a driver.
As an alternative method for detecting drowsiness of a driver, it is proposed to use biometric information such as a heart rate or a pulse rate to detect the drowsiness. It is however become necessary to have a comparison reference data about degree of drowsiness. This reference data must be pre-stored as a heart rate or a pulse rate in the awakened condition of a driver. Alternatively the reference data must be set by sampling the heart rate or the pulse rate immediately after the driver gets in the vehicle.
Pre-storing of the reference data requires the identification of each driver so that the reference data may be set for the specific driver. Sampling of the heart rate or the pulse rate for setting the reference data requires some time. Further the sampling should be started only after the heart rate and the pulse rate become stable, because the heart rate and the pulse rate varies with the behavior of the driver before getting in the vehicle.

Drowsiness detecting apparatus and method


A photothermographic material is disclosed, comprising a support having on at least one surface thereof a light-sensitive silver halide grain, an organic salt, a reducing agent for silver ion and a binder, wherein the heat-developable light-sensitive material contains a methine dye represented by formula (I).

In the medical field, reduction in the amount of processing solution discharged is keenly demanded in recent years from the viewpoint of environmental conservation and space savings. To cope with the demand, technology relating to the light-sensitive heat-developable photographic material (photothermographic material) for use in medical diagnosis or photographic use, which can be effectively exposed by a laser image setter or a laser imager and can form a sharp black image having high resolution and sharpness, is required. Such a light-sensitive heat-developable photographic material can dispense with solution-based processing chemicals and afford users a more simple heat-developing system freed from impairment of the environment.
As the heat-developable light-sensitive material which seems to satisfy the above-described requirement, those where light-insensitive organic silver salt (particularly a silver salt of a long chain alkane carboxylic acid, such as silver behenate) and a reducing agent for silver ion are made present together with light-sensitive silver halide in a relatively hydrophobic binder, are known.
By adsorbing a spectral sensitizing dye to the silver halide used here, the light-sensitive material can be spectrally sensitized to light of various wavelengths.
In the silver halide photographic emulsion used in normal silver halide photographic light-sensitive materials, silver halide fine crystals are dispersed in a hydrophilic colloid represented by an aqueous gelatin solution, however, the light-sensitive silver halide in the above-described heat-developable light-sensitive material using a hydrophobic organic silver salt is present in a hydrophobic organic solvent almost free of binder and water. The spectral sensitizing dye used in spectral sensitization of normal silver halide emulsion is generally adsorbed with difficultly to silver halide fine crystal in an organic solvent, accordingly, when it is used for the spectral sensitization of silver halide of the light-sensitive material using an organic silver salt, there arise problems such that the sensitivity is not sufficiently high and the capability changes during storage, such as extreme reduction in the sensitivity or increase of fogging.
The reduction in sensitivity is a serious obstacle particularly in achieving high sensitivity necessary for increasing the scanning speed upon scan exposure with a semiconducting laser light which has been rapidly advanced in recent years. Further, desorption and decomposition from the silver halide fine crystal is outstanding in the case of a spectral sensitizing dye for the infrared region, and improvement in this respect is demanded.
On the other hand, the semiconducting laser technology marking a rapid progress in recent years has succeeded in miniaturizing the output device of an image for medical treatment. Naturally, technology of infrared ray-sensitive light-heat silver halide photographic materials has been developed. The technology of spectral sensitization is disclosed in JP-B-3-10391 (the term "JP-B" as used herein means an "examined Japanese patent publication"), JP-B-6-52387, JP-B-5-341432, JP-A-6-194781 (the term "JP-A" as used herein means an "unexamined published Japanese patent application") and JP-A-6-301141, and the antihalation technology is disclosed in JP-A-7-13295 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,380,635. According to these techniques, the sensitizing dye or the antihalation dye in the light-sensitive materials postulating exposure to infrared ray can be greatly reduced in the absorption of visible light, and a substantially colorless light-sensitive material can be easily produced.
The dye which absorbs infrared ray and effects spectral sensitization is generally high in the HOMO and has strong reducing ability, accordingly, it reduces silver ion in the light-sensitive material and the light-sensitive material is liable to be badly fogged. In particular, when the light-sensitive material is stored under high-temperature and high-humidity conditions or over a long period of time, problems accompanying the outstanding change in capability are caused. If a dye having low HOMO is used for preventing the deterioration of storability, the LUMO becomes relatively low, as a result, the spectral sensitization efficiency is reduced and the sensitivity is lowered. These problems of sensitivity and storability are not limited to wet photographic materials but more notable in the heat-developable photographic material to which the present invention relates.
The reducing ability of dye is naturally greater as the amount of dye is larger. However, if the amount of dye is reduced, light entering the light-sensitive material cannot be satisfactorily absorbed and lack of sensitivity results. Particularly, in the heat-developable light-sensitive material using a binder having high lipophilic property, as described above, adsorption of a dye to silver halide as a light-sensitive element is weak and unless a sufficiently large amount of dye is added, the sensitivity becomes deficient.


An anti-fuse structure that can be programmed at low voltage and current and which potentially consumes very little chip spaces and can be formed interstitially between elements spaced by a minimum lithographic feature size is formed on a composite substrate such as a silicon-on-insulator wafer by etching a contact through an insulator to a support semiconductor layer, preferably in combination with formation of a capacitor-like structure reaching to or into the support layer. The anti-fuse may be programmed either by the selected location of conductor formation and/or damaging a dielectric of the capacitor-like structure. An insulating collar is used to surround a portion of either the conductor or the capacitor-like structure to confine damage to the desired location. Heating effects voltage and noise due to programming currents are effectively isolated to the bulk silicon layer, permitting programming during normal operation of the device. Thus the potential for self-repair without interruption of operation is realized.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to increasing manufacturing yield of integrated circuit devices and, more particularly, to the formation of various anti-fuse structures in the bulk semiconductor substrate of silicon on insulator (SOI) wafers and similar layered substrates.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The advantages of increased functionality and performance of integrated circuit devices and increased economy of manufacture derived from increased integration density have led to substantial advances in lithography and other manufacturing processes that allow reduction of sizes of transistors, capacitors and other electronic circuit elements and substantial increases in integrated circuit complexity. As integrated circuit complexity increases, however, the likelihood of a malformation of some portion of the integrated circuit during manufacture increases as well. Therefore, it has been a common incident of integrated circuit design to provide for repair of wafers, chips and packages or modules containing the chips at virtually all stages of manufacture so that the expense of processing is not lost.
For example, if a yield or reliability failure is detected after significant wafer processing has been performed, the cost of processing to that point is not lost if performance of the chip can be restored. As other examples currently possible or foreseeable, electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection may be provided during manufacture and disconnected when modules are installed in a system, off-chip driver (OCD) strength can be set based upon load requirements and system failure can be repaired without powering down a system or replacing failed parts.
Such repairs are generally accomplished by the provision of fuses and anti-fuses as potential disconnections and connections that can be made to substitute redundant elements or circuits (e.g. memory cells or partitions) for structures which are defective or of sub-specification performance. Numerous structures and techniques for activating or programming both fuses and anti-fuses are known. In general, more current or voltage must be applied to activate anti-fuses than is required to activate (e.g. destroy/disconnect) a fuse. This fact is becoming more critical at increased integration densities and reduced operating and breakdown voltages due to the potential for damage to other circuit elements since excessive heat, voltage and/or current alone or in combination can damage device structures that are becoming more critical with improved performance. Additionally, fuses and anti-fuses require significant chip space (including separations to limit thermal effects) and placement among complex circuits of increased numbers of elements is often difficult.
To obtain highest performance from active devices that may be included in integrated circuits, the use of silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer has been generally adopted in recent years. SOI substrates have a relatively thick bulk silicon or other conductive material layer to provide mechanical strength and facilitate handling and packaging and a thin, very high quality monocrystalline silicon active device layer isolated from the bulk silicon by a layer of insulator, generally an oxide.
It is known (but not admitted to be prior art as to the present invention) to allow the structure of some elements formed in the active device layer to extend into the bulk silicon layer. A deep trench capacitor is an example of such a structure. While it is characteristic of SOI structures to be isolated from the bulk layer, such a structure for dynamic memory arrays is advantageous since the capacitor dielectric maintains electrical isolation while allowing the bulk layer to serve as a common electrode for capacitors of the array. While some other structures extending into the bulk silicon layer have been proposed for various purposes including improvement of heat transfer, the basic principle of electrical isolation of the bulk silicon layer from the active device layer must be observed. Further, since the SOI structure is of substantial cost relative to other structure providing lower active device performance, the cost of forming fuses and anti-fuses in terms of the cost of their respective "footprints" is substantial.

Method of forming connection and anti-fuse in layered substrate such as SOI

International Business Machines Corporation


An ignition device for gas discharge lamps is proposed, in particular for motor vehicle lights. The ignition device contains a first transformer (17) which is supplied on its primary side with an alternating current produced from a direct current supply voltage. To generate this alternating current, a capacitor (14), which is acted upon by a charging current, constitutes a closed circuit together with the primary winding of the first transformer and a spark gap (16), wherein the spark gap (16) arcs at a predetermined charge state of the capacitor (14). This device makes a simple, inexpensive, and space-saving device possible for generating the required operating voltage for the transformer (17), wherein the spark gap can be reliably used, even at higher temperatures.

The invention relates to an ignition device for gas discharge lamps, in particular for motor vehicle lights. The invention pertains to an ignition device of the general type in which a transformer has a secondary side that produces a gas discharge ignition voltage and a primary side that receives an alternating current produced from a direct current supply voltage.
Recently, various proposals have been made to use gas discharge lamps in motor vehicles, in particular in headlights. In addition to a longer service life, there are also advantages with regard to efficiency. Thus, for example, the same light intensity can be achieved with substantially less energy.
To turn on gas discharge lamps, ignition devices or ignition circuits are required, which produce the required high ignition voltage. Ignition devices of this kind are known, for example, from "Lamps and Lighting", Third Edition, 1983, Edward Arnold, pp. 292, 293. An ignition device is described there that has two transformers, wherein a device with controllable switches converts the direct current supply voltage into a pulsed voltage for powering the primary winding of the first transformer. A problem with it is its susceptibility to malfunction and its structural size, since rough vehicle use demands components that are not susceptible to malfunction and subassemblies that do not require much space.

Ignition device for gas discharge lamps, particularly for motor vehicle lights


A method for detection of emissions levels during extended engine speed controlled operation is provided. The method includes monitoring mass airflow passing through the engine while operating the engine. The method further includes adjusting mass airflow responsive to engine speed to maintain a desired engine speed. The method further includes shutting down the engine when engine mass airflow becomes higher than a predetermined mass airflow threshold.

Carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions can accumulate when a vehicle operates at extended speed controlled conditions, for example at idle speed, in an enclosed environment. Oxygen (O2) is involved in combustion reactions that produce CO and CO2, and both are emitted from an exhaust tailpipe. As these concentrations increase, the engine may begin to act like an exhaust gas recirculation system (EGR), taking in higher concentrations of CO and CO2 via the intake manifold.
A method for detecting CO is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,333,703, wherein the vehicle includes cabin and external CO sensors. When the sensors detect a predetermined maximum carbon oxide threshold of CO, the engine can be disabled if the vehicle is in neutral or park mode.
However, CO sensors present an additional cost in the manufacturing of a vehicle. In contrast, the subject application presents a low-cost, or even no-cost, solution for estimating O2, CO, and CO2 concentrations when the engine is in extended speed controlled conditions.
A method for detection of emissions levels during extended engine speed controlled operation is provided. The method includes monitoring mass airflow passing through the engine while operating the engine. The method further includes adjusting mass airflow responsive to engine speed to maintain a desired engine speed. The method further includes shutting down the engine when engine mass airflow becomes higher than a predetermined mass airflow threshold.
By using an airflow sensor, such as an air meter, in the intake manifold of an engine, O2 concentration, CO concentration, and CO2 concentration (herein referred to as [O2], [CO], and [CO2]) may be estimated. A mass airflow increase during extended operation of an engine under speed controlled conditions (e.g., engine idle speed) indicates a decrease in intake [O2]; that is, as the engine seeks to achieve stoichiometric conditions for combustion in a reduced [O2] situation, a request to increase mass airflow to the engine is executed. Using predetermined relationships between at least mass airflow rate, engine power, [CO2], [CO], and [O2], concentrations of these constituent gases may be estimated. Thus, when concentration of one or more constituent gases exceeds a predetermined maximum carbon oxide threshold or becomes less than a predetermined minimum oxygen threshold, a method for disabling the engine can be employed.
It should be understood that the summary above is provided to introduce in simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description. It is not meant to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defined uniquely by the claims that follow the detailed description. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any part of this disclosure.

Method for detection of emissions levels during extended engine speed controlled operation


Embodiments of the present invention include a memory cell that has a vertically-oriented fin. The memory cell may also include a resistive memory device located on a first lateral side of the fin. The resistive memory device may include a bottom electrode, a top electrode, and a resistive element between the bottom electrode and the top electrode. The memory cell may also include a vertical field-effect transistor having a metal gate and a gate dielectric contacting a second lateral side of the fin opposite the first lateral side.

The present invention relates generally to the field of non-volatile memory, and more particularly to providing a one-transistor-one-resistor memory cell with a single fin.
Resistive random-access memory (ReRAM or RRAM) is an emerging non-volatile (NV) random-access memory (RAM). It has potentials for both classic memory applications and neuromorphic computing.
In a RRAM, a memristor element is positioned between two electrodes. Defects such as oxygen vacancies are intentionally introduced in the memristor film to enable the formation of filaments. A write circuit can provide voltages to the memristor element to set or reset the filaments, and therefore program logic states within the RRAM. That is, the write circuit programs a low-resistance state (e.g., logic "1") by a so-called SET operation, or a high-resistance state (e.g., logic "0") by a so-called RESET operation. The SET and RESET operations may include changing the polarity of electrical field across the memristor element.
In most RRAM devices, a selector (typically a transistor) is desired in series with the memristor element to form a one-transistor-one-resistor ("1T1R", T standing for transistor, and R standing for resistor) cell. As the scaling of 1T1R cell is limited to transistor scaling, there is a need of innovating in highly scalable RRAM cell.

Resistive memory with vertical transport transistor


A circuit and a method of examining in a microprocessor a section of a first range of values and a second range of values each comprising a lower boundary value and an upper boundary value is disclosed. The method includes examining whether a value of the first range of values is equal to or greater than the lower boundary value of the second range of values, and examining whether the lower boundary value of the first range of values is smaller than or equal to the upper boundary value of the second range of values.

The present invention provides circuits for and methods of comparing values, in particular, in a microprocessor.
In one embodiment, the invention relates to circuits and methods for comparing numbers that are given as a start value and a sequence of increments, in digital circuits.
There are applications where it is to be determined at any time whether a signal reaches or passes a range of values.
Signal transitions through the range from, e.g., 10.050 to 10.060 are to be examined, whereby the values that are to be observed and are provided by e.g., a stimulating circuit are e.g., 10.000, 10.040 and 10.080 successively, given as start/increment pairs {10000, −}, {−,40}, {−, 40}. However, a simple set of two comparators (10.050≦signal≦10.060) will miss the transition through the above range as the provided signals do not have its granularity. (It is assumed here that when stimulating with the illustrated values, this implies that all (other) values from 10.050 to 10.060 are valid as well.)
The above type of comparison/determination is of interest when performing the trace of a program counter (PC) of a microprocessor. A PC circuit generates, to control the order of execution of a group of instructions, an address indicating a storage location of an arbitrary instruction code that is stored in a storage medium. Control may be performed in such a manner that instruction codes are executed in an order that is prescribed by a program. Instruction codes are designated by specifying addresses indicating their storage locations. The PC circuit generates such addresses and outputs the addresses as PC values.
The program counter is automatically incremented for each instruction cycle so that instructions are normally retrieved sequentially from the storage medium. However, certain instructions, such as branches and subroutine calls and returns, interrupt the sequence by placing a new value in the program counter.
In a superscalar CPU, trace hardware receives the absolute PC value only at special incidents, such as the beginning of trace or after a program branch, and code execution is otherwise indicated by the CPU in form of PC increments, wherein each increment indicates that one or more instructions have been executed.
A typical task of the trace hardware is to evaluate the received PC values for generation of control signals, e.g., break points. A set of comparators might be used to determine whether the CPU has executed instructions within a certain PC range, or even if it has executed only one specific instruction at a specific PC location.
Continuing with the abovementioned example and provided that the stimulating circuit is capable of providing increments from 2 to 40 in steps of 2, the trace hardware or comparing hardware has to compare all values from 10.040 to 10.080 in steps of 2 when receiving the value of 10.080 (actually the increment "{−,40}") in a second step after receiving the value of 10.040. This plurality of comparing processes has to be performed either in the same clock cycle or sequentially, wherein, however, the following problems arise: On the one hand, doing the comparison for each calculated value entirely is costly (typically, PC values are represented with 24 to 32 or even more bits) and, on the other hand, spending extra clock cycles is highly detrimental for processor performance, in particular when the CPU provides the increments at high bandwidth.
For these or other reasons, there is a need for the present invention.

Circuit and method for comparing program counter values


A clipping instrument for an endoscope is provided. The clipping instrument includes a flexible sheath and at least one clip assembly with a pair of openable and closable clipping arms. The clip assembly is arranged in vicinity to a distal end portion of the flexible sheath with the clipping arms closed. The clipping arms are configured to be protruded forward to open outside the flexible sheath and to be closed to clip onto a treatment object outside the flexible sheath. The clipping instrument further includes an operating wire, which is configured to be forwarded and retracted to operate the pair of arms to be opened and closed. The clip assembly includes a bendable portion, which corresponds to a position of a shaft to support the clipping arms. The clip assembly can be arbitrarily bended at the bendable portion.

The present invention relates to a surgical device having a clipping instrument to be inserted through a forceps channel of an endoscope for in vivo hemostasis and marking operations.
Generally, in an endoscopic surgical device, a clipping instrument is arranged at a distal end of a flexible sheath, which is inserted through a forceps channel of an endoscope, with a clip thereof being closed. The clipping instrument is designed such that as an operating wire being detachably connected to the clip, axially movable in the flexible sheath, is forwarded, the clip is protruded accordingly from the distal end of the flexible sheath and opens like a pair of pincers.
Further, the clip is forcibly closed by an operation through the operating wire to clutch onto body tissue and detached therein from the operating wire to be left clutched during the surgery. Thus, an endoscopic clipping operation is conducted.
However, retracting the clipping instrument out of the forceps channel and reattaching a new clip to the operating wire each time the clip is detached can be troublesome. Therefore, a clipping instrument having a plurality of clips aligned in line inside the flexible sheath is provided so that the clipping operations can be successively conducted without retracting the clipping instrument out of the forceps channel. Such a clipping instrument is disclosed in Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 2006-87537, for example.
In the above referenced publication, a distal end of an inserted portion of the endoscope is provided with a bendable portion, which can be bended in an arbitrary angle through a remote operation, and the forceps channel to penetrate through the bendable portion is provided so that the clipping instrument can be inserted therethrough.
In this configuration, when the bendable portion is bended at a large angle with a small curvature radius, the clipping instrument is bended at the same angle accordingly. FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of a conventional clipping instrument being bended inside the flexible sheath of an endoscope. As shown in FIG. 9, the clipping instrument can be strained, and each clip 92 aligned in line inside the flexible sheath 91 can be deformed to an excessive extent and damaged.

Clipping instrument for an endoscopic surgical device


An image forming apparatus, performing a corresponding method of image forming, includes an image carrier, a writing unit, a developing unit, a charging member configured to rotate continuously with the image carrier at a portion contacting the image carrier and uniformly charge a surface of the image carrier while contacting a surface thereof with the surface of the image carrier, a charge bias applying unit configured to apply a charge bias to the charging member, and a controller configured to control of driving of the image carrier and the charging member and reduce at a charge nip at a given timing a linear velocity ratio of a travel speed of the surface of the charging member to a travel speed of the surface of the image carrier.

1. Field of the Invention
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention generally relate to an image forming method and apparatus for effectively charging an image carrier, and more particularly to an image forming apparatus that can uniformly charge a surface of an image carrier while contacting a surface of a charging member to which a charge bias is applied, and an image forming method used in the above-described image forming apparatus.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
When producing copies of an original document, related-art electrophotographic image forming apparatuses cause a charging unit to uniformly charge a surface of an image carrier, an optical writing unit to irradiate the surface of the image carrier to form an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the image carrier, and a developing unit to develop the electrostatic latent image into a visible toner image. The visible toner image is transferred onto a recording medium such as a transfer sheet directly from the image carrier or onto an intermediate transfer member before being transferred onto a recording medium.
In a known charging unit, a charging member, such as a charge roller and a charging brush roller, contacts the image carrier to form a charge nip and apply a charge bias to the charge nip, thereby uniformly charging the surface of the image carrier.
In the related-art image forming apparatuses including such charging unit, residual toner may remain on the surface of the image carrier after the transfer operation of the toner image. As the image carrier rotates, the residual toner remaining on the surface of the image carrier may be conveyed to the charge nip and adhere to the charging member. As the amount of residual toner adhering to the charging member continues to increase, defective charging occurs in a local region or local regions on the surface of the image carrier, resulting in deterioration of image quality.
To avoid the above-described drawback, some related-art image forming apparatuses have a configuration in which a surface of a charge roller serving as a charging member travels in a direction opposite to a surface of an image carrier at a charge nip that is a contact portion of the charge roller and the image carrier, so that the surface of the image carrier can be uniformly charged.
The related-art image forming apparatuses having the above-described configuration cause the charge roller to rotate after a print job and/or before an image forming operation at a speed greater than a speed thereof generated during the image forming operation. By speeding up the rotation of the charge roller as described above, the residual toner remaining on the charge roller can effectively be discharged to the image carrier, that is, the amount of residual toner discharged can be increased.
A detailed description is now given of the enhancement of toner discharge efficiency or efficiency of discharging residual toner remaining on the charge roller in a related-art image forming apparatus having the above-described configuration.
FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of an image forming part of a related-art image forming apparatus 200.
The related-art image forming apparatus 200 includes a charge roller 201, a photoconductor 202, and a developing unit 205. The charge roller 201 and the photoconductor 202 form a charge nip therebetween.
As indicated by arrows shown in FIG. 1, the surface of the charge roller 201 travels in a direction opposite to a direction of travel of the surface of the photoconductor 202 at the charge nip.
A point P11 located at the right end of the charge nip in FIG. 1 corresponds to an entrance or start point of the charge nip of the charge roller 201. Toner particles T adhering to the surface of the charge roller 201 enter the charge nip via the point P11 in FIG. 1. At this time, the photoconductor 202 traveling in the opposite direction to the charge roller 201 at the charge nip exerts a force of removing or scraping the toner particles T. Therefore, the toner particles T are discharged from the charge roller 202 at the point P11. The discharged toner T is then conveyed along the surface of the photoconductor 202 and to the developing unit 205, without entering the charge nip.
In the image forming apparatus 200 having the above-described configuration, when the rotation speed of the charge roller 201 increases, a difference between the linear velocity of the charge roller 201 and the linear velocity of the photoconductor 202 may increase, thereby increasing a removing force of the toner particles T at the point P11.
According to the above-described operations, it is believed that the efficiency of discharge of the toner particles T from the charge roller 201 can be enhanced.
However, when the above-described configuration or a first configuration in which the surface of the charge roller 201 and the surface of the photoconductor 202 travel in the opposite directions at the charge nip is compared with a second configuration in which the surface of the charge roller 201 and the surface of the photoconductor 202 travel in the same direction at the charge nip, the image forming apparatus 200 with the first configuration may require a greater amount of a driving torque generated by each driving source for the charge roller 201 and the photoconductor 202. Therefore, the driving source for the first configuration may need to be larger than the driving source for the second configuration, and such a large-sized driving source can increase costs.
Consequently, to reduce such costs, it would be preferable to use the second configuration and have the surface of the charge roller 201 and the surface of the photoconductor 202 to travel in the same direction at the charge nip. However, the inventors of the present invention have conducted tests and found that the second configuration cannot efficiently increase the toner discharge efficiency of the charge roller 201 even when the rotation speed of the charge roller 201 is increased. That is, it is believed that, when the surface of the charge roller 201 travels in the same direction as the surface of the photoconductor 202, the surface of the photoconductor 202 cannot apply the toner removing force to the toner T remaining on the surface of the charge roller 201.

Image forming method and apparatus for effectively charging an image carrier


A circuit in accordance with one embodiment of the invention can include a light emitting diode (LED) assembly comprising a plurality of LED channels that are controlled independently with a switch mode driver. The circuit also includes N+1 wires coupled to said LED assembly, where N is equal to the number of said plurality of LED channels of said LED assembly.

There are different types of lighting technologies that can be utilized for illuminating indoor or outdoor space. For example, these different lighting technologies can include incandescent light bulb technology, fluorescent tube (or fluorescent lamp) technology, halogen light bulb technology, compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) technology, and light emitting diode (LED) lighting fixture technology. With regard to LED lighting fixture technology, one type of LED lighting fixture can be implemented with multiple channels of LEDs, wherein the current that flows through each LED channel can be controlled separately by a floating load Buck Converter or a standard Buck Converter. However, this type of multiple channel LED lighting fixture typically involves a considerable amount of wiring which can impose an undesirable cost burden.


An apparatus and a method of cleaning a dielectric film are provided in the present invention. In one embodiment, an apparatus of cleaning a dielectric film the apparatus includes a chamber body adapted to support a substrate therein, a remote plasma source adapted to provide a plurality of reactive radicals to the chamber body, a passage coupling the remote plasma source to the chamber body, and at least one magnet disposed adjacent the passage. In another embodiment, a method of cleaning a dielectric film that includes providing a substrate having an at least partially exposed dielectric layer disposed in a process chamber, generating a plurality of reactive radicals in a remote plasma source, flowing the reactive radicals from the remote plasma source into the process chamber through a passage having at least one magnet disposed adjacent the passage, and magnetically filtering the reactive radicals passing through the passage.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an apparatus and a method for cleaning the surface of a substrate. More specifically, the present invention provides an apparatus and a method for cleaning the surface of a dielectric film.
2. Description of the Related Art
Interconnect structures of integrated circuits and semiconductor devices are typically fabricated by forming a series of dielectric layers and conductive layers in order to create a three dimensional network of conductive layers separated by dielectric material. The interconnect structure may be fabricated using, for example, a damascene structure in which a dielectric layer such as a low k dielectric layer is formed atop one or more conductive plugs or sub-layers. In order to form an electrical connection to the conductive sub-layers, the dielectric is patterned and etched to define via openings therethrough. Formation of the openings within the dielectric layer exposes a portion of the conductive line. Therefore, reliable formation of these interconnect features is an important factor in ensuring the quality, performance and reliability of devices formed on individual substrates and in each die.
The market for integrated circuits and semiconductor devices continually requires faster circuitry and greater circuit density, e.g., including millions of components on a single chip. As a result, the dimensions of the integrated circuit components shrink, and the choice of materials used to fabricate such components becomes increasingly important. For example, low resistivity metal interconnects, such as copper and aluminum, that provide conductive paths between the components on the integrated circuits, now require low dielectric constant layers, e.g., having a dielectric constant ≦4, between the metal interconnects to provide insulating inter-metal layers that reduce capacitive coupling between adjacent metal lines, thereby enabling reliable performance at the same line widths.
Low k materials conventionally used as dielectric layers include un-doped silicon glass (USG), fluorine-doped silicon glass (FSG), carbon doped silicon dioxide, and polytetrafluoroethylene, among other materials, deposited as a film on a substrate. Before forming the conductive layer on the etching-defined dielectric layer, it is desirable to clean the top surface of the dielectric film to remove residual contaminants, such as native oxides and/or organic materials from etching and/or ashing processes. Removing contaminants reduces contact resistance and/or prevents adhesion loss at the interface of the conductive layer to be deposited.
A precleaning procedure may be used to remove contaminants from the dielectric film surface prior to deposition of the conductive layer. However, conventional in-situ plasma used for precleaning the dielectric layer may damage or resputter the dielectric film surface or generate unwanted charged particles in the process chamber prior to the subsequent conductive layer deposition. As such, low k dielectric film cleaned by using in-situ plasma techniques may result in film degradation and defects. Additionally, carbon doped low k materials tend to experience carbon depletion or "k loss," in which the dielectric constant of the low k material is increased after exposure to the plasma used in the cleaning procedure. As a result, undesired cross-talk and RC delay become more problematic after the cleaning procedure.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for an improved low k dielectric cleaning process.

Apparatus and a method for cleaning a dielectric film


A method and apparatus for processing sheets, includes placing a sheet on a carrier to form a sheet/carrier structure, sizing the sheet/carrier structure, stacking the sheet/carrier structure in a stacking apparatus having a second sheet stacked in advance therein, so that the sheet contacts the second sheet, aligning the sheets with pins, tacking the sheet to the second sheet and removing the carrier.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a method and apparatus for stacking sheets (e.g., metallized ceramic green sheets) used in producing laminated ceramic electronic components and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for stacking large sheets (e.g., green sheets) having a size not less than 200.times.200 mm. For purposes of this application, "large" is defined as greater than 200.times.200 mm.
Generally, large green sheets can be processed more cost-effectively than standard size green sheets (e.g., sheets having a size of approximately 155 to 200.times.155 to 200 mm.) because of economies of scale and other factors. However, as green sheets become larger, manufacturing multilayered laminates becomes more difficult because of punching distortion, screening instability, handling loss and misalignment. The present invention provides a method and apparatus for reliably and precisely manufacturing large green sheet laminates without sheet distortion or misalignment.
2. Description of the Related Art
Typical multilayer ceramic electrical components, such as ceramic substrates and capacitors are formed from laminates (i.e., multiple sheets bonded together) of ceramic green sheets.
Green sheet laminates are typically produced by first forming a ceramic film in a continuous sheet and then drying the ceramic sheet. Thereafter, the sheet is punched into individual square or rectangular sheets. Various desired electrode patterns are formed and dried on the sheets, depending upon the electrical component to be produced, in a process called "screening". Then, the patterned sheets are stacked and bonded to form a laminate, and the laminate is cut into individual electrical components.
Specifically, the processing steps of transporting, stacking and bonding typically require the punched and patterned sheets to be transferred to a frame by a continuous strip carrier. Then, the sheets are loaded into a frame by a vacuum holder and are bonded together by heat and/or pressure. The sheets either are bonded one sheet at a time or many sheets may be bonded together simultaneously. Examples of such conventional processes are disclosed in European Patent Application Publication Number 0 530 052 A1 to Takaoka et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,174,842 to Hamuro et al.
The above conventional processes and apparatuses have several problems. For example, performing the required processing steps of transporting, cutting the green sheet and the carrier simultaneously, stacking and bonding the aligned patterned sheets correctly is crucial in producing defect-free electronic components. However, as mentioned above, such steps typically result in sheets which are misaligned with one another or sheets which are bonded insufficiently or improperly.
The misalignment results from inaccurate simultaneous shearing of a rigid carrier film and green sheet where there are unavoidably low tolerances between the punch and the frame holding the green sheet. The carrier film will also distort with the green sheet during the cutting thereof due to the nature of the high modulus carrier film that is used. This problem occurs, even though the purpose of the carrier film is to minimize the distortion and to increase stability. Also, the conventional full area individual thermal bonding process may distort the green sheet.
If sheets are misaligned or insufficiently bonded, the respective electrical connections between the sheets may be missed or only partially made, thereby resulting in short-circuiting problems and the like. Further, the capacitance of the electronic component may be inconsistent or outside the desired range. Also, internal electrodes may be severed during later cutting steps if they are improperly aligned. Therefore, conventional stacking methods and apparatus are not well-suited for large green sheet technology.

Method and apparatus for stacking sheets supported by carriers

International Business Machines Corporation


A resin mold has a surface layer formed on the molding surface of a main body from a thermosetting resin and containing fine particles of silicon carbide. The surface layer can be formed simply by thermosetting the resin without calling for any plating, so that the mold can be made in a short time. The high hardness of silicon carbide gives a high wear resistance to the surface layer. The main body is formed from a thermosetting resin and contains metal particles.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an improved resin mold or pattern used for making, for example, a vehicular panel or sheet.
2. Description of the Related Art
A known resin mold for making a vehicular panel or sheet by vacuum or press forming is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. HEI-07-106576 entitled xe2x80x9cRESIN MOLDxe2x80x9d. The mold has an electrically conductive intermediate layer of a polymer formed on a thermosetting resin, and a metal plating layer formed on the surface of the intermediate layer by, for example, nickel plating. The metal plating layer is required to have a sufficiently large thickness ranging, for example, from 50 to 300 microns to ensure durability. The formation of such a thick layer, however, requires a lot of time which is undesirable from the standpoint of productivity in a job of mold manufacture. Moreover, the layer is not satisfactory in wear resistance, since it is formed simply by plating the surface of the intermediate layer with, for example, nickel, chromium, copper or zinc. It is likely to get worn relatively soon if the mold is used for vacuum or press forming vehicular panels or sheets repeatedly.
Therefore, there is also known a resin mold which does not have any such plating layer, but is satisfactory in wear resistance, and can be made in a relatively short time. The mold has a wall structure as fragmentarily shown in FIG. 14. The mold 100 comprises a main body 105 and a surface layer 101 formed on its surface. The main body 105 is formed from a thermosetting epoxy resin 107 containing aluminum particles 106. The surface layer 101 is formed from a thermosetting epoxy resin 103 containing aluminum flakes 102. The surface layer 101 has a molding surface 108 having recesses 108a and protrusions 108b by which an uneven, or grained surface is formed on the surface 110a of a sheet 110, as described below.
When the mold 100 is used for press forming the sheet 110, it is cooled to 50xc2x0 C., while the sheet 110 is heated to 180xc2x0 C. Then, its surface layer 101 is pressed against the sheet 110 to form it into a desired shape. The heat of the sheet 110 is transferred to the surface layer 101, and main body 105 of the mold 100 to raise its temperature to 120xc2x0 C. Then, the mold 100 is opened, the sheet is removed therefrom, and after it is cooled to 50xc2x0 C. again, the process as described above is repeated for another sheet. For raising the productivity of the press forming operation, therefore, it is important to cool the mold 100 from 120xc2x0 C. to 50xc2x0 C. quickly and shorten the time for which it has to wait to be cooled. The aluminum particles 106 in the main body 105 of the mold 100 are, however, not uniform in size, but include large and small particles. Therefore, the aluminum particles 106 are not joined together in a regular mold, and there are, for example, small particles 106a not contacting medium-sized or large particles 106b or 106c. The failure of those small particles 106a to contact medium-sized or large particles 106b or 106c makes it difficult for the main body 105 to have a high thermal conductivity. Thus, the mold 100 has to wait for so long a time to be cooled from 120xc2x0 C. to 50xc2x0 C. and become ready again that it is difficult to obtain a high productivity in any press forming operation. Moreover, the main body 105 is low in strength, since small aluminum particles 106a are not securely held by medium-sized or large ones 106b or 106c.
The surface layer 101 contains a large amount of thermosetting resin 103, since it fills the interstices between the aluminum flakes 102 densely. On the other hand, the main body 105 contains a small amount of thermosetting resin 107, as compared with that of the resin 103 in the surface layer 101, since it has a porous structure formed by the aluminum particles 106 not uniform in size, but creating open pores 109 which are required for the evacuation of the cavity of the mold. As the thermosetting resin 103 or 107 has a higher coefficient of linear expansion (hereinafter referred to as coefficient of thermal expansion) than aluminum, the surface layer 101, or main body 105 has a coefficient of thermal expansion depending on the amount of the thermosetting resin 103 or 107 which it contains. As the surface layer 101 contains a larger amount of resin, it has a higher coefficient of thermal expansion, but its thermal expansion is restricted by the main body 105. As a result, a high stress is produced in the surface layer 101 and this eventually causes it to crack.
It is, therefore, a first object of this invention to provide a resin mold which can be made in a short time and is excellent in wear resistance.
It is a second object of this invention to provide a resin mold which is improved in thermal conductivity and strength.
It is a third object of this invention to provide a resin mold having a sufficiently small difference in coefficient of thermal expansion between its layers to prevent any cracking of its surface layer.
According to a first aspect of this invention, there is provided a resin mold which comprises a main body formed from a thermosetting resin containing metal particles and having a molding surface, and a surface layer formed on the molding surface from a thermosetting resin and containing fine particles of silicon carbide.
This surface layer can be formed simply by thermosetting the resin. As it does not call for any plating, the mold can be made in a short time. The silicon carbide in the surface layer is high in hardness and wear resistance, and makes it resistant to wear.
The resin forming the surface layer preferably contains 50 to 80% by weight of silicon carbide. If the proportion of silicon carbide is less than 50% by weight, the surface layer may not be satisfactorily resistant to wear, as its entire surface may not be completely covered with silicon carbide. If its proportion exceeds 80% by weight, the surface layer is difficult to form, since the proportion of the resin is too small for its satisfactory fluidity.
The main body has a porous structure defined by open spaces formed between the adjoining metal particles and enabling the mold to be evacuated.
According to a second aspect of this invention, there is provided a resin mold which comprises a main body formed by metal particles held together with a thermosetting resin and having a molding surface, and a surface layer formed on its molding surface from a thermosetting resin, the metal particles being spherical and substantially equal in diameter, every adjoining three of those particles contacting each other.
The mold has a high thermal conductivity owing to the spherical metal particles having substantially the same diameter and therefore maintaining contact between every two adjoining ones. When the mold is used for shaping, for example, a sheet, the heat transferred from the sheet to the mold can be dissipated effectively, so that the mold can be cooled in a short time. Moreover, every two adjoining metal particles are held fast by each other and thereby contribute to improving the strength of the mold.
The spherical metal particles preferably have a diameter of 0.3 to 3.0 mm. If their diameter is smaller than 0.3 mm, the open spaces formed between every three adjoining particles are too small for evacuation purposes. If their diameter exceeds 3.0 mm, the open spaces are too large for the mold to maintain a high thermal conductivity.
According to a third aspect of this invention, there is provided a resin mold which comprises a main body formed from a thermosetting resin containing metal particles and having a molding surface, an intermediate layer formed on its molding surface from a thermosetting resin containing pieces of a nonwoven metal fabric, and a surface layer formed on the intermediate layer from a thermosetting resin, the intermediate layer having a coefficient of thermal expansion which is lower than that of the surface layer and higher than that of the main body.
The intermediate layer having a coefficient of thermal expansion as defined above is intended for mitigating a large difference in the degree of thermal expansion which may arise between the surface layer and the main body. The thermal expansion of the surface layer is not restricted by the intermediate layer supporting it, nor is the thermal expansion of the intermediate layer restricted by the main body supporting it. Therefore, it is possible to lessen any stress produced in not only the surface layer, but also the intermediate layer, and thereby prevent their cracking. The nonwoven metal fabric which the intermediate layer contains in the resin gives the mold a high thermal conductivity.
The main body preferably has open spaces formed by every two adjoining metal particles, through which the mold can be evacuated.


A conferencing system includes a plurality of ports for network connection to endpoint devices of participants to a conference session. A mixer receives input audio streams from the endpoint devices and then outputs a mixed audio stream back to the endpoint devices. A processor runs a program that automatically downgrades one or more of the participants to the conference session from a full-duplex communication mode to a half-duplex communication mode in response to an event affecting allocation of conferencing resources, the conferencing resources including the ports.

Push-to-talk (PTT) is a two-way communication service that works like a walkie-talkie. A normal cell phone call is full-duplex, meaning both parties can hear each other at the same time. PTT is half-duplex, meaning communication can only travel in one direction at any given moment. A token-based model of operation, in which a person must be first granted access to the floor by a floor control mechanism before he may speak to other session participants, typically governs most PTT sessions. For instance, a PTT-enabled handset typically requires that a caller press and hold a button while talking, and then release the button when they are done. Any listener may then press their button in a similar manner to request access to the floor in order to respond.

System and method for dynamically upgrading / downgrading a conference session


A hinge assembly for receiving a door, for example for an aircraft storage bin, and including a wall having opposed inner and outer surfaces, an edge of the wall including two spaced apart wall panels extending from a respective one of the inner and outer surfaces and defining part of a perimeter of an opening closable by the door; a pivot located between the wall panels, the pivot defining a pivot axis intersecting the wall panels; and a hinge arm having a portion received between the wall panels and engaged to the pivot, the hinge arm extending away from the wall panels and configured for attachment to the door, the hinge arm pivotable about the pivot axis to be movable between open and closed positions of the door, the hinge arm movable between the open and closed position within a plane extending between the opposed inner and outer surfaces.

Overhead bins in aircraft cabins typically have door hinges which are received within the storage space of the bins, for example attached to an inner surface of the bin walls. The hinges accordingly reduce the available storage space within the bin, and accordingly the amount of luggage which can be stored within the bin.


A system comprises a stator magnetically coupled to a rotor and a plurality of conductor assemblies distributed evenly along a perimeter of the device, wherein each conductor assembly is evenly distributed into at least two branches of conductors, and wherein each branch comprising a plurality of conductors, all the branches form a plurality of windings, wherein a winding comprises a positive segment and a negative segment, and wherein each segment has a plurality of branches, and wherein one segment is in more than two conductor assemblies and the plurality of windings is symmetrically divided into a plurality of groups, wherein each group of windings forms a balanced multi-phase system and is connected to a connection bar, and wherein at least two connection bars are isolated from each other.

An electric machine (motor or generator) is an apparatus converting energy between electric power and mechanical rotary motion. There are different types of electric machines including induction machines, permanent magnets machines, switching reluctance machines, synchronous reluctance machines and hybrid machines. The various embodiments in this disclosure are applicable to the different types of electric machines above, which are configured as either motors or generators. Induction motors as an example are used to illustrate the innovative aspects of the present disclosure. The induction motor comprises a stator and a rotor. The stator is the stationary part and the rotor is the rotating part. The rotor may be inside the stator, outside the stator or beside the stator as in an axial field machine. An induction motor having a rotor inside a stator is used as an example to illustrate the innovative aspects of the present disclosure. A small motor air gap exists between the rotor and the stator for mechanical clearance and mechanical torque generation.
The squirrel cage inductor motor is the most common electric machine. The stator of the squirrel cage inductor motor comprises a plurality of windings. The plurality of windings usually forms a plurality of phase belt arranged in pole pairs. The rotor of the squirrel cage induction motor comprises a shaft and a squirrel cage made of metal bars contained in a magnetic structure such as a laminated silicon steel stack. The shaft is surrounded by the metal bars. First ends of the metal bars are connected by a first interconnect ring. Second ends of the metal bars are connected by a second interconnect ring.
In operation, the electric power is usually applied to the stator. As a result, a first magnetic field is created in the stator and in the air gap. The first magnetic field rotates in time at a synchronous speed with alternating current (ac) power applied to the stator windings. The first magnetic field induces electric currents in the metal bars of the rotor. The induced current produces a second magnetic field in the rotor. The second magnetic field of the rotor reacts against the first magnetic field of the stator. According to Lenz's Law, the rotor follows the rotating first magnetic field and generates a mechanical torque pulling the rotor into rotation. In a motor mode, the rotor will fall behind the first magnetic field. The speed difference between the first magnetic field and the rotor keeps inducing the electric current inside the rotor. If a load is applied to the rotor and the rotor falls further behind the first magnetic field, more torque will be developed due to the lag between the rotor and the first magnetic field. In other words, the torque of the motor is approximately proportional to the slip between the speed of the rotor and the speed of the first magnetic field.
The theoretical speed of the rotor in an induction motor traditionally depends on the frequency of the electric power supply and the arrangement of poles the stator coils. With no load on the motor, the speed of the rotor is equal to or approximately equal to the synchronous speed of the rotating magnetic field. The synchronous speed of an inductor motor is determined by the frequency of the electric power supply and the number of poles of the inductor motor. In particular, the speed of the induction motor is equal to the frequency of the electric power supply times 60 and further divided by the number of pole pairs.
As energy efficiency becomes an increasingly important issue, more motors and generators are coupled to power electronics equipment in variable speed applications, such as industrial drives, electrical vehicles, diesel-generator sets, servo systems, and wind power generation. Many of these applications require the motors and generators to operate over a wide speed and power range, and traditional technologies cannot satisfy the performance and cost requirements for such applications. Especially, as renewable energy becomes an important issue, more motors are used to drive electrical vehicles. There may be a need for having a motor operating efficiently over a wide speed and power range. Traditional motors cannot satisfy the performance and cost requirements for such applications. It has become a significant issue, which presents challenges to the system design of the motor system.
It would be desirable to have a high performance motor system exhibiting good behaviors such as high efficiency over a variety of speed and power range conditions at a low cost.

Motor system with distributed winding structures


An ink composition is provided including an amide compound represented by formula I, a coloring agent and a solvent. The amide compound and the polyhydric alcohol in the ink composition decrease the mobility of coloring agents and increase the adhesion to media, thereby minimizing the bleeding between colors of printed images, and improving the water fastness and dry and wet rub fastness to provide good color fastness on papers. The ink composition also improves the quality of the printed image, and also has good long-term storage stability. Thus, the ink composition can be widely used as ink-jet inks for ink-jet printers, printing inks, paints, textile printing, paper manufacturing, cosmetics manufacturing, ceramic industry, etc.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ink composition. More particularly, the invention relates to an ink composition that resists bleeding between a printed image and original color, exhibits improved water fastness of the printed image, and exhibits improved dry and wet rub fastness.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, coloring agents embody their inherent colors by selectively absorbing or reflecting visible light. The coloring agents are classified as dyestuffs and pigments.
Dyestuffs are used in many materials to be dyed, such as fibers, leathers, furs, and papers thereby providing considerable fastness to daylight washing, friction, etc. Pigments are coloring matters in the form of particulates. The particulates are not absorbed into the material to be dyed but are adhered to the surface of the material to be dyed, by physical means (e.g., adhesion, etc.) thereby providing the inherent color.
Dyestuffs are dissolved in solvents such as water, alcohol or other organic solvents and applied directly or indirectly to the substrate being dyed. Pigments are generally insoluble to most solvents, and thus it is most important to disperse a pigment particulate homogeneously in a solution, suspension or dispersion. The pigments are typically maintained in a stable dispersed state to inhibit re-aggregation of the pigments.
Water-soluble dyestuff-type inks are very superior in long-term storage stability, maintaining homogeneity of the ink, and retaining clear color and brightness. However, water-soluble dyestuff type inks exhibit poor water fastness, and light resistance.
Pigment-type inks have high optical density (OD), superior water fastness and light resistance, and exhibit little bleeding between colors. However, the color clearness is poor and its long-term storage stability is low compared to the dyestuff-type inks. Also, the images printed by the pigment-type inks have poor dry and wet rub fastnesses.
When printing in colors (multicolor printing) with dyestuffs or pigments, bleeding at interfaces of each color occurs, and thus clearness of images is reduced. The rub fastness and color fastness can be improved by decreasing mobility of the coloring agent on receptors such as a paper. Examples of ink compositions for ink-jet printers comprising a pigment, a water-soluble resin and a specific alcohol are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,172,133 and 5,529,616.
However, the ink-jet ink used in jet printing is applied through nozzles, so that it is necessary to maintain a low viscosity. Thus, the amount of the polymer binder used in the ink is limited. A minimum amount of the binder is required to sufficiently bind pigment particles to the substrate. When the amount of the binder is too low, the ink exhibits unsatisfactory rub fastness and color fastness.
Another approach to improve rub fastness and color fastness by decreasing mobility of a coloring agent on receptors, by chelating a metal ion as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,694,302. Rub and color fastness are also purported to be improved by the reaction of a cation and an anion as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,623,294, and by a reaction of polymer as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,629,359. However, the method of chelating a metal ion has difficulty in obtaining long-term storage stability due to a reaction of each ink constituent and a metal ion contained in an ink. The method of reacting a cation and an anion also has poor performance due to a reaction between the substrate and the ions as well as a reaction of ink constituents. Also, the method of reacting a polymer has an environmental burden due to an unreacted monomer, the need for a curing apparatus and curing time, and the difficulty in obtaining long-term storage stability.
Thus, an ink composition is required to improve the color fastness such as bleeding resistance, rub fastness, water fastness, etc. and to provide improved quality of a printed image as well as long-term storage stability.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A polysilane containing insoluble matter and microgel as impurities is purified by dissolving the polysilane in a good solvent to form a polysilane solution, adding a poor solvent to the polysilane solution for causing a minor amount of high molecular weight component to precipitate, thereby agglomerating the insoluble matter and microgel, and removing the resulting agglomerate by filtration. The purifying method of the invention can readily remove the insolubles from the starting polysilane within a short time. A pure polysilane which can form a transparent smooth film is obtainable with commercial advantages.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method for purifying a polysilane containing organic solvent-insoluble matter and microgel.
2. Prior Art
Most often, polysilanes are synthesized by coupling reaction of polyfunctional halosilanes with alkali metals. Most polymer products resulting from this reaction contain organic solvent-insoluble matter and microgel as impurities. Particularly when the starting reactant is a trifunctional or polyfunctional halosilane, a large amount of insoluble matter forms. Additionally, insoluble matter forms in the polysilane during long-term storage.
In the process of preparing polysilanes, the resulting reaction product must be washed with water to remove the alkali halide by-product. The insoluble matter, if present in the reaction product, makes it difficult to separate the aqueous layer. Then the insoluble matter becomes the cause of low yields and low production efficiency.
On the other hand, when polysilanes are applied to photoresists, photosensitive elements, and organic devices, it is desired to form a uniform smooth film from a polymer solution. From the standpoints of yield, production efficiency and film formation, it is necessary to remove the insoluble matter and microgel from the reaction products.
One prior art practice for removing the insoluble matter is by dissolving polysilane in a good organic solvent and subjecting the polysilane solution to centrifugation or filtration. Since the insoluble matter cannot be completely removed by centrifugation, the centrifuged polysilane is unlikely to form a smooth film and thus unsuitable to apply to photoresists and analogues. The filtration method using paper and other filters can remove insolubles of a relatively large size, but not insolubles of a relatively small size, that is, microgel, resulting in a faintly turbid polymer solution. The addition of filter aids would occur to the skilled artisan, but fails to assist in the microgel removal. Polysilane films prepared from such a faintly turbid solution suffer from several drawbacks including low transparency and poor surface smoothness.
When membrane filters are used, clogging occurs because the insoluble matter and microgel have been swollen with the solvent. Then the separation of the insoluble matter and microgel by filtration becomes quite difficult or substantially impossible. A little improvement is achieved by adding filter aids although a very long filtration time is still necessary. This technique is not regarded practical.
It is thus desired to have an effective method capable of purifying a polysilane without the above-mentioned problems.


Operation of a non-volatile memory (NVM) storage module may comprise receiving a plurality of commands as associated with a plurality of priority-based queues from a host-memory. A received command is evaluated in accordance with a priority associated with the queue storing the command and a size of the command. The evaluated command is split into a plurality of sub-commands, each of the sub-commands having a size determined in accordance with the evaluation. A predetermined number of hardware resources are allocated for each of the evaluated command based on at least the size of each of the sub-commands to thereby enable a processing of the evaluated command based on the allocated resources. Quality of service (QoS) for the evaluated-command may thus be augmented.

Storage modules, such as solid state drives (SSDs), typically use generalized models to determine optimized write and read patterns by hosts. When a host-behaviour matches these expected patterns, the best level of performance, endurance, and power consumption is exhibited by the storage module. Storage modules that can adapt their storage-algorithms with an actual rather than expected host behaviour see improved synergy with the host, resulting in better performance, endurance, and/or power consumption, as desired.
Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe) presents an additional dimension to this proposition. FIG. 1 represents a conventional Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe) specification within a computing system acting as the host 500 for the NVMe. The host 500 may include a CPU 502, memory (e.g., RAM 504) and a PCI express controller 506 providing an interface to connect to storage module(s) 508 via a PCIe Bus. Storage module 508 may comprise a processor 510, volatile memory 512 and non-volatile memory 514 (which may be configured to provide cache memory storage, high-endurance storage and/or high performance storage), In NVMe, storage module 508 may expose multiple independent queues to the host 500, allowing the host to send many operations at once to different queues of the single storage module 508. Rather than a single pipeline of optimized requests, each thread in a host may potentially send out its own command-sequences to different queues, which may not appear to match the patterns expected (and optimized for) by the storage module 508.
As per NVMe specification, the NVMe controller or the processor 510 fetches SQ-entries (submission queue entries) from submission queues maintained by host as per a selected arbitration-policy as illustrated further in FIG. 2. NVMe specification supports pre-defined criteria to perform arbitration. For example, in a Round robin algorithm acting as a part of policy adopted by Arbitration and Flash translation layer (FTL), the queues are given equal priority and commands are fetched from each queue in a cyclic-fashion or sequentially. As per another-criteria to perform arbitration, such as "weighted round robin algorithm" acting as a part of policy adopted by Arbitration and Flash translation layer (FTL), the queues are prioritized based on classes and weights. The weights allocated to the queues may be defined as (high, medium, low).
The weighted round robin criteria ensures that number of requests/commands fetched from any high-priority queues are more as compared to other lower priority-queues. For such purposes, a time-sliced operation of commands from queues of all categories is known to be performed as further depicted in FIG. 2. The time sliced operation corresponds to division of H1 into H1-1, H1-2, H1-3 for processing along different time slots among various time slots (T0 to T8). The same rationale applies to division of H2 and L1.
As a part of said weighted round robin criteria, the storage module allocates a common pool of resources for executing the tasks (applications) running at the host system (or by virtual-machines executing through the host system). Commands get executed in a time sliced operation and during such execution of a time sliced operation, 'command-priority' is not considered. For example, during a single time sliced operation, high priority commands are handled the same way as low priority command. As may be understood, as tasks differ from each other, common resources as allocated in this way may fail to optimally address priority designations. The conventional queue-handling may not optimally address time critical application needs submitted with a particular-queue.
To put it differently, the overall-resources available inside the hardware is common for commands from any priority queues during the processing operation of the NVMe devices. While constraints may be addressed by computing resource utilization first and then perform task migration by scheduling algorithms, ironically, such an exercise itself ends up occupying substantial processing, thereby proving to be an overhead. Accordingly, balancing the loads to effectively utilize the common resource availability remains a challenge.
Further, a guaranteed input-output (IO) operation as per state of the art is achieved at the cost of reserving fixed amount of resources and operated with low or negligible knowledge on traffic characteristic. In other words, multiple queues of same class are handled equally irrespective of the application needs.

Method and system for processing commands in storage devices to improve quality of service