A developer carrier comprising a cylindrical support having provided on the outer surface thereof a coating layer for retaining a developer, wherein the coating layer comprises electrically conductive fine particles and a binder resin comprising a phenolic resin having a weight-average molecular weight of from 3,000 to 5,000 as determined before being crosslinked. Also disclosed is a developing apparatus which comprises a developer carrier for retaining a developer on the surface thereof and for conveying the developer onto the position at which an electrostatic latent image formed on a latent image carrier is developed, wherein the developer carrier comprises a cylindrical support having provided on the outer surface thereof a coating layer for retaining a developer, wherein the coating layer comprises electrically conductive fine particles and a binder resin comprising a phenolic resin having a weight-average molecular weight of from 3,000 to 5,000 as determined before being crosslinked.

There has been already known to externally add to the developing agent a substance for controlling the electrostatic charge amount of a dry magnetic one-component developer, i.e., dry silica.
It is widely known in the art that a developing apparatus using such a developer, when used, for example, in a thin developer layer form formed on a sleeve to develop a latent image, provides an image having an increased image density and being free from roughness, in comparison with a case where a latent image is developed using a developer without external addition of silica.
Various developing devices have already been proposed for maintaining superior developing characteristics of the developer.
For example, JP-A-63-311367 (The term "JP-A" as used herein means an "unexamined published Japanese patent application) discloses a developer carrier having thereon a resin layer having a resistance of from 10.sup.9 to 10.sup.13 .OMEGA..cndot.cm. Further, JP-A-4-166864 discloses a developer carrier comprising graphite and positive-charged resin particles. Furthermore, JP-A-4-246676 discloses a developer carrier having specific surface roughness regulated by surface abrasion treatment.
JP-A-6-289697 discloses a developing apparatus in which a vibrating electric field is applied to a layer-thickness regulating member for a developer.
However, the developer carrier disclosed in JP-A-63-311367 has a high surface resistance and thus tends to cause development ghosts, which correspond to hysteresis of a printed pattern, on the developer carrier in the case, for example, where a developer having externally added a negative silica which is enduring for use in a negative developer.
In the developer carrier disclosed in JP-A-4-166864, the content of the positive-charged resin particles is limited, so that the positive-charged resin particles tends to be unevenly dispersed. Consequently, the resistance of a surface coating layer formed of the positive-charged resin particles becomes uneven, thereby easily causing leaks or development ghosts.
In the developer carrier disclosed in JP-A-4-246676, the developer surface becomes smooth by the surface abrasion treatment. As a result, the transfer amount of a developer is reduced, thereby resulting in a reduction in image density.
Further, in the developing apparatus disclosed in JP-A-6-289697, a vibrating electric field is applied to act on the layer-thickness regulating member for a developer layer for inhibiting reduction in image density, fogging of non-image areas and development ghosts. However, this technique is fundamentally technically disadvantageous because it arise an increase in costs resulting from the necessity of provision of an equipment for applying a vibrating electric field.

Developer carrier and developing apparatus comprising the same


Embodiments of the present invention provide a novel method of implementing a network communication protocol. In one embodiment, the state of the network communication process is determined based upon one or more conditions. The protocol stack is then executed as a single thread of execution if the network communication process is in a first state. Alternatively, the protocol stack is executed as a receive thread of execution and a drainer thread of execution if the network communication process is in a second state.

Referring to FIG. 1, a diagram of a network device, in accordance with the conventional art, is shown. As depicted in FIG. 1, the network device 110 (e.g. computer, workstation, server, or the like) comprises one or more interface modules 120, one or more protocol stacks 130, and one or more applications 140. The interface module 120 provides for receipt of data packets 150 transmitted on a communication channel 160. The protocol stack 130 provides for processing of the data packets 150 destined for the application 140. The application 140 (e.g. database systems, text editors, games, and the like) provides users with various functions.
Each data packet 150 is comprised of a header 170 and a payload 180. The interface module 120 acquires each data packet 150 and stores it in a buffer. The interface module 120 generates an interrupt upon acquiring a data packet 150. An operating system of the network device 110 catches the interrupt and spins off a thread of execution to handle the interrupt. The thread of execution represents one or more sequences of instructions (e.g., code) comprising the applicable protocol stack (e.g. DLPI, IP protocol, TCP protocol, and/or the like). The interrupt therefore causes the protocol stack 130 to receive the data packet and provide for routing and flow control. The thread then delivers the payload 180 of the data packet 150 to the destination application 140 in accordance with information contained in the header 170.
The protocol stack 130 provides a network communication protocol, such as the transmission control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP) suite, or the like. The TCP/IP protocol suite is typically divided into three layers: transport layer, internet layer, and network access layer. The transport layer (TCP) provides a flow control protocol. The flow control protocol keeps track of data packets to assure reliable delivery to an intended destination application. It includes explicit and acknowledged connection initiation and termination, reliable in-order unduplicated delivery of data, and out of band indication of urgent data. The internet layer (IP) provides an addressing and routing protocol. The addressing and routing protocol includes host-to-host addressing and routing of data packets, data packet fragmentation, and re-assembly. The network access layer provides a receive protocol, such as data link provider interface (DLPI), or the like. The receive protocol provides access to and transmission of data across a communication channel 160.
According to the conventional art, the thread of execution spans the receive stream, from the interface module 120 to the application 140. The single thread of execution provides the payload 180 to the application 140 as quickly as possible. Thus, according to the conventional art, the single thread of execution provides for short data latency when receiving data packets 150. However, while the thread is being executed the protocol stack 130 cannot service another data packet 150. Therefore, the interface module 120 buffers other incoming data packets 150 until the protocol stack 130 can service another data packet 150. The interface module 120, however, has a finite buffer for holding data packets 150. Therefore, if the data packets 150 are received faster then the protocol stack 130 can process them, the interface module 120 will drop data packets 150 once its buffer is full.
Thus, the network device 110 is prone to reduced throughput when the data packet traffic speed exceeds the speed at which the network device 110 can process incoming data packets. Hence, there is a continued need for a network communication method capable of providing for increased network throughput.

Load-balancing utilizing one or more threads of execution for implementing a protocol stack


Provided is a semiconductor memory device. The semiconductor memory device includes: a memory cell array including regular cells; a redundancy memory cell array including redundancy cells for substituting for defective regular cells; a command decoder for generating an operation mode selection signal in response to command signals; a redundancy cell test controller for generating a test operation control signal and transmitting address signals in response to the operation mode selection signal; and a redundancy decoder for decoding the address signals to select the redundancy cells in response to the test operation control signal. All redundancy cells can be selected and tested based on the external command signal and the address signal, and thus it is possible to check all redundancy cells for defects in advance even after the semiconductor memory device is packaged, and to enable only non-defective redundancy cells to be substituted for defective regular cells. This increases the reliability of a repair operation.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor memory device, and more particularly, to a semiconductor memory device which allows for testing all redundancy cells.
2. Description of the Related Art
A semiconductor memory device includes regular cells and corresponding redundancy cells. The redundancy cells are adapted to be substituted for defective regular cells and thus increase the yield in fabricating memory devices.
As the process of fabricating semiconductor memory devices becomes more complicated, cell defect rate increases. Accordingly, the probability of redundancy cells being substituted for the defective regular cells increases. Thus, it is increasingly important to check all redundancy cells for defects.
To guarantee the quality of redundancy cells, the redundancy cells are tested at the same level as regular cells. In particular, for post-package repair methods, the redundancy cells are substituted for the regular cells even after a wafer is packaged, as well as after the wafer is tested. Thus, it is necessary to test all redundancy cells even after packaging completion in order to check the quality of the device.
However, conventional semiconductor memory devices only allow for testing fuse-programmed redundancy cells by a fuse programming circuit, not non-fuse-programmed redundancy cells. Consequently, it is impossible to test all the redundancy cells of conventional semiconductor memory devices. FIG. 1 illustrates the configuration of a conventional semiconductor memory device.
Referring to FIG. 1, the semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array 11, a redundancy memory cell array 12, a pre row decoder 13, a row decoder 14, a pre column decoder 15, a column decoder 16, a row fuse controller 17, and a redundancy row decoder 18.
The memory cell array 11 includes a plurality of regular cells. Data is written/read to/from regular cells selected by word line enable signals from the row decoder 14 and column selection signals from the column decoder 16.
The redundancy memory cell array 12 includes a plurality of redundancy cells corresponding respectively to the plurality of regular cells in the memory cell array 11. Data is written/read to/from redundancy cells selected by word line enable signals from the redundancy row decoder 18 and column selection signals from the column decoder 16.
The pre row decoder 13 pre-decodes a plurality of row address signals RAab to generate a plurality of pre-decoded row address signals PRAcd. The row decoder 14 is enabled when it does not receive a row repair signal repair_R, and decodes the plurality of pre-decoded row address signals PRAcd to generate the word line enable signals for selecting regular cells included in the memory cell array 11.
The pre column decoder 15 pre-decodes a plurality of column address signals CAgh to generate a plurality of pre-decoded column address signals PCAij. The column decoder 16 decodes the plurality of pre-decoded column address signals PCAij to generate column selection signals for selecting the regular cells or the redundancy cells.
The row fuse controller 17 programs a plurality of fuses according to row addresses of defective regular cells (hereinafter, referred to as "defective cells"), which are identified in wafer testing and post-packaging testing. When addresses indicated by the input pre-decoded row address signals PRAcd match programmed row addresses, the row fuse controller 17 generates a row repair signal repair_R for enabling repair operation and row fuse signals RFef for selecting redundancy cells to be substituted for defective cells.
In this case, a plurality of fuses in the row fuse controller 17 may be implemented by laser beam-cut laser fuses or electrically cut electric fuses. Each of the plurality of fuses is selectively cut to be programmed.
The redundancy row decoder 18 is enabled when receiving the row repair signal repair_R and decodes a plurality of row fuse signals RFef to generate word line enable signals for selecting redundancy cells in the row redundancy memory cell array 12.
Hereinafter, operation of the semiconductor memory device will be described with reference to FIG. 1.
It is assumed that row addresses of defective cells are programmed in the row fuse controller 17 and row addresses RAab for selecting programmed row addresses are input from the exterior.
When receiving the plurality of row addresses RAab, the pre row decoder 13 generates a plurality of decoded row addresses DRAcd. When receiving the decoded row addresses PRAcd for selecting the programmed row address, the row fuse controller 17 generates a row repair signal repair_R for enabling repair operation and row fuse signals RFef for selecting redundancy cells to be substituted for defective cells.
The row decoder 14 is disabled in response to the row repair signal repair_R, and the redundancy row decoder 18 generates word line select signals for selecting redundancy cells to be substituted for defective cells in response to the row repair signal repair_R and the row fuse signals RFef.
Accordingly, the redundancy memory cell array 12 selects the redundancy cell in response to the word line select signals from the row decoder 14 and the column selection signal from the column decoder 16.
In order to test the selected redundancy cell in the semiconductor memory device, electric stress is applied to the selected redundancy cell or an active operation (e.g., read or write operation) is performed through the selected redundancy cell.
As such, since the conventional semiconductor memory device has no means for selecting a redundancy cell to be tested, only redundancy cells selectable through fuse programming are selected and tested.
In this manner, it is only possible to check whether any fuse-programmed redundancy cells are defective, but not non-fuse-programmed redundancy cells.
Consequently, in the conventional semiconductor memory device, a defective redundancy cell may be substituted for another defective cell, which significantly degrades reliability of the repair operation.

Semiconductor memory device for testing redundancy cells


One embodiment of the apparatus for resisting motion comprises: a framework having spaced apart, first and second sides; a sun pulley fixedly mounted to the first side; a rotatably adjustable pulley mounted on the second side opposite the sun pulley; a load torque shaft fixed to the adjustable pulley; an input torque shaft positioned coaxial with the fixed sun pulley and with the load torque shaft and being rotatable relative to the fixed sun pulley; an arm having a first end fixed to the input torque shaft and a second end mounting a planetary shaft which extends transversely of the arm and parallel to an axis of the input torque shaft; a first planetary pulley fixedly mounted on the planetary shaft in alignment with the fixed sun pulley; a second planetary pulley fixedly mounted on the planetary shaft in alignment with the adjustable pulley; a first belt or chain trained over the sun pulley and the first planetary pulley; and a second belt or chain trained over the adjustable pulley and the second planetary pulley, whereby placement of a torque on the load torque shaft fixed to the adjustable pulley will place tension on one length of the first belt or chain and tension on the other length of the second belt or chain thereby to establish friction between adjacent moving parts throughout the apparatus thereby to establish resistance to rotary movement of the input torque shaft with the amount of resistance being dependent on the amount of torque placed on the load torque shaft.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for providing resistance to motion, such as rotary motion. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a relatively low cost, lightweight, easy to adjust, quiet, and reliable motion resistance device or apparatus for use in exercise equipment, rehabilitation equipment, and other equipment where adjustable resistance to an input motion is desired.
2. Description of the Related Art
While many motion resistance devices heretofore have been proposed, most of them have a focused point of resistance, like a clutch brake on a drum, which leads to focused wear, e.g., between the brake and the drum. This leads to wear and the requirement to replace the worn parts.
Many exercise devices operate by requiring the user to work against a resistance that opposes the motion of the user. Developing this resistance or opposing force (torque) has been a traditional problem in exercise and rehabilitation equipment. In high-end devices, a magnetic brake or eddy current device is commonly used, but these are expensive and heavy. Wind turbines are also commonly used, but these are often large, heavy, noisy, and are usually not adjustable. Friction devices such as disc brakes and other rubbing devices are also used, but these are often noisy, hard to adjust, and subject to wear.
Several examples of non-analogous motion resistance devices are disclosed in the following non-analogous United States patents.
U.S. Pat. No.Patentee1,820,372Blomquist3,751,033Rosenthal4,417,724Bikker5,031,902Findlay5,033,733Findlay5,116,294Findlay5,314,392Hawkins et al.5,478,299Harmom et al.5,692,994Eschenbach5,833,583Chuang


An optical filter (1a) includes a UV-IR-absorbing layer and has the following characteristics (i) to (v) when light with wavelengths of 300 nm to 1200 nm is incident at an incident angle of 0°: (i) an average transmittance of 78% or more in the wavelength range of 450 nm to 600 nm; (ii) a spectral transmittance of 1% or less in the wavelength range of 750 nm to 1080 nm; (iii) a spectral transmittance of 1% or less in the wavelength range of 300 nm to 350 nm; (iv) a decreasing spectral transmittance with increasing wavelength in the wavelength range of 600 nm to 750 nm and a first IR cut-off wavelength in the wavelength range of 620 nm to 680 nm; and (v) an increasing spectral transmittance with increasing wavelength in the wavelength range of 350 nm to 450 nm and a first UV cut-off wavelength in the wavelength range of 380 nm to 430 nm.

In imaging apparatuses employing an imaging sensor such as a charge coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS), any of various optical filters is disposed ahead of the imaging sensor in order to obtain an image with good color reproduction. Imaging sensors generally have spectral sensitivity over a wide wavelength range from the ultraviolet to infrared regions. The visual sensitivity of humans lies solely in the visible region. Thus, a technique is known in which an optical filter shielding against infrared light or ultraviolet light is disposed ahead of an imaging sensor in an imaging apparatus in order to allow the spectral sensitivity of the imaging sensor to approximate to the visual sensitivity of humans.
There are the following types of optical filters: optical filters using light reflection; and optical filters using light absorption. Examples of the former include an optical filter including a dielectric multilayer film, and examples of the latter include an optical filter including a film containing a light absorber capable of absorbing light with a given wavelength. The latter are desirable in view of their spectral properties less likely to vary depending on the incident angle of incident light.
For example, Patent Literature 1 describes a near-infrared-absorbing filter formed of a near-infrared absorber and resin. The near-infrared absorber may include a particular phosphonic acid compound, particular phosphoric acid ester compound, and copper salt. The particular phosphonic acid compound has a monovalent group R1 bonded to a phosphorus atom P and represented by —CH2CH2—R11. R11 represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, or a fluorinated alkyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms.


In an encasing mechanism for a cassette enclosing a magnetic record medium, the mechanism provides a cassette with a recess formed at a first surface of the cassette to identify first and second surfaces and first and second edges of the cassette, a case main body, and a cover coupled rotatably to the case main body to be openable relative to the case main body, in which the cover includes at least one projection formed on an inner surface of the cover. The projection is fitted into the recess so that the cover is closed relative to the case main body in an inserted arrangement of the cassette into the case main body. The encasing mechanism is capable of encasing the magnetic record medium cassette only when the cassette is correctly positioned in the case main body.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mechanism for encasing a cassette including various magnetic record mediums such as a tape cassette. More particularly, the present invention relates to such a case for encasing a cassette having a main case body and a cover which are connected for rotation relative to each other so that the cassette is closed or open, and further to a case for encasing a cassette in which the case is made with respect to operation for inserting the cassette into the case and taking a cassette out of the case.
2. Description of the Related Art
Magnetic record medium having a rectangular parallelepiped cassette shell such as a 8 mm cassette tape and a video tape cassette is usually preserved in a case for encasing a cassette in order to prevent that foreign material such as dust is adhered to a surface of data storing medium such as a magnetic tape or data storing medium is damaged.
Such a case includes, for instance, a so-called plastic case which is transparent and includes an assembly of a main case body and a cover, and a so-called hard case having a cover and a main case body connected to each other in facing relation through a connection having a hinged portion.
FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a conventional hard case for encasing a video cassette. A hard case 10 includes a main case body B and a cover C connected to each other in foldable fashion through a connection J.
The main case body B, the cover C and the connection J are integrally formed of flexible material such as synthetic resin. The main case body B and the cover C are designed to be able to be piled on top of another by a flexible connection J. A bottom plate 12 of the main case body B is formed at a circumference thereof with a frame 14 having a height and defining a space corresponding to a shape of a cassette, namely a space into which a cassette is to be inserted.
The cover C is formed at a lower surface of a roof 16 thereof with a frame 18 having a height and extending along a front end and left and right sides of the roof 16. The frame 18 is designed to externally cover the frame 14. In inserting a magnetic tape cassette 20 into the case 10, while the hard case 10 is maintained to be open as illustrated in FIG. 1, the magnetic tape cassette 20 is put into the main case body B, and then the cover C is closed. Since the cassette 20 is restricted in position so that all sides of the cassette 20 is held by the frame 14 defining cassette storing space, it is preferable for the cassette storing space to have little gap relative to the cassette.
Various attempts have been made to prevent unexpected opening of the cover of the case. For instance, the cover C is formed at inner side of the frame 18 in the vicinity of the front end of the roof 16 with ribs 22. The ribs 22 cooperate with the adjacent frame 18 to hold the frame 14 between the ribs, so that the hard case is prevented from opening unexpectedly.
As mentioned above, most of cases such as the above mentioned hard case for encasing a magnetic record medium cassette is formed merely with a space into which a magnetic tape cassette is to be inserted. Since a direction in which a magnetic tape cassette is inserted into a case is not regulated, a magnetic tape cassette may be inserted into a case bottom up. If a magnetic tape cassette is inserted into a cassette case bottom up, when the magnetic tape cassette is taken out of the cassette case, an operator may seize the magnetic tape cassette at its tape guard panel side, which would cause the magnetic tape to be damaged.
In order to resolve such a problem, Unexamined Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 4-106285 has suggested a cassette case for preventing bottom up insertion of a magnetic tape cassette, which case is formed with a projection which is designed to fit into a recess formed on a reverse surface of a magnetic tape cassette.
However, in the suggested cassette case, since the projection of the cassette case is fit into the magnetic tape cassette, it is necessary, when the magnetic tape cassette is to be taken out of the case, to seize up the magnetic tape cassette in a direction for disengaging the magnetic tape cassette from the projection. Namely, the suggested case has a problem of some difficulty on taking the magnetic tape cassette out of the case.
In addition, the projection disposed on a bottom of the cassette case poses another problem particularly when a cassette case is made of light-permeable material. Namely, when an index card is interposed between a bottom of a such cassette case and a reverse surface of the magnetic tape cassette, it is not possible to read out contents written on the index card from outside of the cassette case. In such a case, it is possible to insert a magnetic tape cassette into a case with an index card lying on a top surface of the magnetic tape cassette. However, such insertion causes another problems that design on a top surface of the magnetic tape cassette cannot be seen, that if data is written on a top surface of the magnetic tape cassette, it is not possible to see such date, and that the index card has to be dealt together with the magnetic tape cassette when the magnetic tape cassette is to be taken out of or to be inserted into the cassette case with the result of poor operation efficiency.

Encasing mechanism for a cassette enclosing a magnetic record medium


An immunogenic composition capable of producing a respiratory syncytial (RS) virus specific immune response in a host immunized therewith comprises purified, inactivated RS virus which is substantially free from cellular and serum components and which is non-infectious, non-immunopotentiating, immunogenic and protective. The virus is grown on a vaccine quality cell line and harvested virus is purified under non-denaturing conditions to be substantially free from cellular and serum components. The purified RS virus is inactivated using β-propiolactone, a non-ionic detergent, particularly n-octyl-α-D-glucopyranoside and n-octyl-β-D-glucopyranoside, or ascorbic acid. The immunogenic composition may be formulated as a vaccine for in vivo administration to a human host. The immunogenic composition also may be used in diagnostic applications.

Human respiratory syncytial virus is the main cause of lower respiratory tract infections among infants and young children (refs. 1 to 3-a list of references appears at the end of the disclosure and each of the references in the list is incorporated herein reference thereto). Globally, 65 million infections occur every year resulting in 160,000 deaths (ref. 4). In the USA alone, 100,000 children may require hospitalization for pneumonia and bronchiolitis caused by RS virus in a single year (refs. 5, 6). Providing inpatient and ambulatory care for children with RS virus infections costs in excess of $340 million annually in the USA (ref. 7). Severe lower respiratory tract disease due to RS virus infection predominantly occurs in infants two to six months of age (ref. 8). Approximately 4,000 infants in the USA die each year from complications arising from severe respiratory tract disease caused by infection with RS virus and Parainfluenza type 3 virus (PIV-3). The World Health Organization (WHO) and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) vaccine advisory committees have ranked RS virus second only to HIV for vaccine development.
RS virus is a member of the Paramyxoviridae family of the pneumovirus genus (ref. 2). The two major protective antigens are the envelope fusion (F) and attachment (G) glycoproteins (ref. 9). The F protein is synthesized as a 68 kDa precursor molecule (FO) which is proteolytically cleaved into disulfide-linked Fl (48 kDa) and F2 (20 kDa) polypeptide fragments (ref. 10). The G protein (33 kDa) is heavily O-glycosylated giving rise to a glycoprotein of apparent molecular weight of 90 kDa (ref. 11). Two broad subtypes of RS virus have been defined: A and B (ref. 12) The major antigenic differences between these subtypes are found in the G glycoprotein (refs. 7, 13).
A safe and effective RS virus vaccine is not available and is urgently needed. Approaches to the development of RS virus vaccines have included inactivation of the virus with formaldehyde, isolation of cold-adapted and/or temperature-sensitive mutant viruses and isolation of the protective antigens of the virus. Clinical trial results have shown that both live attenuated and formalin-inactivated vaccines failed to adequately protect vaccinees against RS virus infection (refs. 14 to 16). Problems encountered with cold-adapted and/or temperature-sensitive RS virus mutants administered intranasally included clinical morbidity, genetic instability and overattenuation (refs. 17 to 19). A live RS virus vaccine administered subcutaneously also was not efficacious (ref. 20). Inactivated RS viral vaccines have typically been prepared using formaldehyde as the inactivating agent. Murphy et al. (ref. 21) has reported data on the immune response in infants and children immunized with formalin-inactivated RS virus. Infants (2 to 6 months of age) developed a high titre of antibodies to the F glycoprotein but had a poor response to the G protein. Older individuals (7 to 40 months of age) developed titres of F and G antibodies comparable to those in children who were infected with RS virus. However, both infants and children developed a lower level of neutralizing antibodies than did individuals of comparable age with natural RS virus infections. The unbalanced immune response, with high titres of antibodies to the main immunogenic RS virus proteins F (fusion) and G (attachment) proteins but a low neutralizing antibody titre, may be in part due to alterations of important epitopes in the F and G glycoproteins by the formalin treatment. Furthermore, some infants who received the formalin-inactivated RS virus vaccine developed a more serious lower respiratory tract disease following subsequent exposure to natural RS virus than did non-immunized individuals (refs. 15, 16). The formalin-inactivated RS virus vaccines, therefore, have been deemed unacceptable for human use.
Evidence of an aberrant immune response also was seen in cotton rats immunized with formalin-inactivated RS virus (ref. 22). Furthermore, evaluation of RS virus formalin-inactivated vaccine in cotton rats also showed that upon live virus challenge, immunized animals developed enhanced pulmonary histopathology (ref. 23).
The mechanism of disease potentiation caused by formalin-inactivated RS virus vaccine preparations remains to be defined but is a major obstacle in the development of an effective RS virus vaccine. The potentiation may be partly due to the action of formalin on the F and G glycoproteins. Additionally, a non-RS virus specific mechanism of disease potentiation has been suggested, in which an immunological response to contaminating cellular or serum components present in the vaccine preparation could contribute, in part, to the exacerbated disease (ref. 24). Indeed, mice and cotton rats vaccinated with a lysate of HEp-2 cells and challenged with RS virus grown on HEp-2 cells developed a heightened pulmonary inflammatory response.
Furthermore, RS virus glycoproteins purified by immunoaffinity chromatography using elution at acid pH were immunogenic and protective but also induced immunopotentiation in cotton rats (refs. 22, 25).
There clearly remains a need for immunogenic preparations, including vaccines which are not only effective in conferring protection against disease caused by RS virus but also does not produce unwanted side-effects, such as immunopotentiation. There is also a need for antigens for diagnosing RSV infection and immunogens for the generation of antibodies (including monoclonal antibodies) that specifically recognize RSV proteins for use, for example, in diagnosis of disease caused by RS virus.
Art recognized approaches to the developments of RSV vaccines have been summarized in recent review articles (refs. 2, 31 to 35), none of which propose the development of an inactivated RSV vaccine.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Inactivated respiratory syncytial viral vaccines


In one aspect, in general, a method is described for managing an archive for determining approximate matches associated with strings occurring in records. The method includes: processing records to determine a set of string representations that correspond to strings occurring in the records; generating, for each of at least some of the string representations in the set, a plurality of close representations that are each generated from at least some of the same characters in the string; and storing entries in the archive that each represent a potential approximate match between at least two strings based on their respective close representations.

The invention relates to managing an archive for approximate string matching.
Various techniques for approximate string matching (also called "fuzzy" or "inexact" string matching or searching) are used for finding strings that match a given pattern string within some tolerance according to a string metric (also called a "similarity function"). The strings being searched may be substrings of a larger string called a "text" or may be strings contained in records of a database, for example. One category of string metric is the "edit distance." An example of an edit distance is the Levenshtein distance, which counts the minimum number of edit operations (insertion, deletion, or substitution of a character) needed to convert one string into another. Approximate string matching includes on-line matching, in which the text to be searched cannot be processed (or "indexed") before the matching begins, and off-line matching, in which the text can be processed before the matching begins.

Managing an archive for approximate string matching


The present invention relates to a hydrogen plasma down-flow processing method and a hydrogen plasma down-flow processing apparatus and has an object to provide a hydrogen plasma down-flow processing method and a hydrogen plasma down-flow processing apparatus ensuring that it is possible to make it difficult for hydrogen atoms to deposit and recombine on the internal wall of the apparatus. High speed hydrogen plasma processing can be realized by improving transfer efficiency of hydrogen atoms to the processing chamber. Moreover hydrogen plasma efficiency can also be improved by reducing influence of oxidation species such as OH radical and oxygen atom concentrations can be controlled as desired by keeping the change in hydrogen atom concentration small. The apparatus includes a vacuum chamber of which at least a part of the structural members exposed to a vacuum is made by silicon oxide. In a hydrogen plasma down-flow processing method, whereby the processed object is processed in the down-flow area, the plasma is generated from the gas including at least hydrogen. A processing object is processed by heating at least a part of the silicon oxide region to 443.degree. C. or higher.

In recent years, for example, in a semiconductor device manufacturing process, it has been reported that a native oxide film on a semiconductor surface results in a variety of defects and therefore it has also been discussed how to realize desirable semiconductor surface by removing the native oxide film.
Moreover, also in the semiconductor device manufacturing process, particular attention has been paid in these several years to the processing for a semiconductor surface utilizing hydrogen atoms, because only hydrogen is assumed as a substantial reducing gas which may be used for the semiconductor device manufacturing process. Especially high efficiency of hydrogen plasma has been confirmed for stripping of a resist used as a mask during ion implantation (S. FUJIMURA, J. KONNO, K. HIKAZUTANI AND H. YANO, JPN. J. APPL. PHYS., 28,2130, 1989) and for elimination of a native oxide film on the surface of a semiconductor device (A. KISHIMOTO, I. SUEMUNE, K. HAMAOKA, T. KOUJI, Y. HONDA AND M. YAMANISHI, JPN, J. APPL. PHYS., 29, 2273, 1990). In this manner, the contribution of hydrogen atoms, for example, is considered essentially in the process for removing a native oxide film on the surface of a semiconductor device. However, such elimination process is carried out mostly in the hydrogen plasma, providing a fear of generating damages.
It is considered to be a result that hydrogen atoms are easily recombinated and immediately return to hydrogen molecules. Therefore, it has long been desired to develop the technique for leading a large amount of hydrogen atoms to the area wherein influence of high energy particles of plasma can be neglected.
As a method of removing a native oxide film, some methods, such as realization of etching of a native oxide film of silicon by a reduced fluoric acid and termination of hydrogen (for example, G. S. HIGASHI ET AL., JPN. J. APPL. PHYS, LETT., 56, 656, 1990) and removal of a native oxide film of silicon or gallium-arsenic by hydrogen plasma (for example, A. KISHIMOTO ET AL., J. APPL. PHYS., 29, 2273, 1990) are well known. Moreover, it has also been reported that a native oxide film on the surface of a semiconductor device can be removed by hydrogen atoms (hydrogen radical) (T. TAKAHAGI ET AL., J. APPL. PHYS., 68, 2187, 1990), (B. Anthony ET AL., J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B7(4), July/August. 1989), (J. Cho ET AL., Appl. Phys. Lett. 59(16), Oct. 14, 1991). In addition, as a typical method which has long been used, hydrogen annealing under the temperature as high as approximately 100.degree. C. has been known.
The existing high temperature hydrogen annealing described above is the most typical method of the prior art, but this method gives rise to difficulties in microminiaturization because it is impossible, for example, to ignore changes of profile of a diffused layer during the annealing. It becomes more distinctive as the microminiaturization progresses.
Moreover, in the existing processing by reduced fluoric acid described above, a stable surface can be obtained, for example, for the plane (111) of silicon, but the stable surface cannot be ensured for the plane (100) and the wet processing makes it difficult to make the connection with processing apparatuses in the successive stages (such as CVD, epitaxial and sputter or the like). Moreover, there arises a problem that fluorine is left at the surface even after the completion of the process.
Next, the hydrogen plasma processing of the prior art explained previously can advantageously overcome the problems described above but still has a problem that high energy particles represented by ions or electrons collide with the surface of semiconductor device resulting in damage. If power is lowered in order to eliminate damage, the processing rate is extremely lowered. This method is not practical because the processing takes too much time in the references listed above.
To prevent the processing rate from lowering, a method in which a small amount of water vapor is added to hydrogen plasma has been proposed. The method is useful for increasing hydrogen atom concentration in the plasma and controlling recombination of hydrogen atoms in the down-flow (Kikuchi, Fujimura, Suzuki, Yano: Fall Meeting of 39th Japanese Applied Physics Association; 29A-ZS-7). FIG. 12 illustrates an example of a conventional down-flow processing apparatus for which the water vapor is added to hydrogen. In FIG. 12, the numerals designate as follows: a quartz (quartz glass is more accurate but it is called only quartz for simplicity) tube 41, a microwave cavity 43 to which microwaves are applied from a microwave power supply 42, and an ESR cavity 44 coupled with an ESR apparatus 45.
However, in the conventional method where water vapor is added to hydrogen plasma, not only hydrogen atoms but also oxidation species such as OH radicals or oxygen atoms are generated though they are a small amount. Particularly, the OH radicals among these elements have an extensive oxidation power and is therefore considered as a factor which impedes the reducing effect of hydrogen atoms.
Moreover, as a method of the prior art for solving the problem that a rate of processing utilizing hydrogen plasma is low, a method in which water vapor and moreover oxygen are added to hydrogen gas, and it is also reported that this method realizes high concentration of hydrogen atoms within the down-flow owing to an increase of the dissociation coefficient of hydrogen molecules in the plasma and the control of recombination of hydrogen atoms in the down-flow (for example, Kikuchi, Fujimura, Suzuki, Yano: Fall Meeting of 39th Japanese Applied Physics Association; 29A-ZS-7).
However, since water vapor and oxygen gas were added to the hydrogen plasma under the condition that the flow rate thereof was fixed in this method, oxygen gas and OH radical were also generated simultaneously in addition to hydrogen atoms. In this case, the rate of adding both water vapor and oxygen gas to the hydrogen gas, and the concentration of oxygen gas and OH radicals are determined uniquely for the maximum concentration of the hydrogen atoms, which restricts freedom of process design. Moreover, the papers by Anthony et al. and Cho et al. mentioned above describe the fact that damages on the Si surface could be eased by removing a native oxide film by hydrogen atoms in the down-flow, but also suggested it would be better to make the residual moisture content as low as possible and also the concentration of hydrogen atoms at the Si surface lower. Therefore, it is difficult to expect remarkable improvement in an efficiency of removing the native oxide film by hydrogen atoms.

Method for hydrogen plasma down-flow processing and apparatus thereof


A new and distinct cultivar of Osteospermum plant named ‘Sumost 06’, characterized by its compact, upright and outwardly spreading plant habit; freely branching growth habit; freely and continuous flowering habit; and daisy-type inflorescences with dark yellow-colored ray florets with violet-colored bases.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Osteospermum plant, botanically known as Osteospermum ecklonis, and hereinafter referred to by the name 'Sumost 06'.
The new Osteospermum is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Lüdinghausen, Germany. The objective of the program is to create and develop new compact Osteospermum cultivars with attractive and unique inflorescence coloration.
The new Osteospermum originated from a cross-pollination by the Inventor in February, 2002 of a proprietary selection of Osteospermum ecklonis identified as code number XY4, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Osteospermum ecklonis identified as code number 01-6, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Osteospermum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Lüdinghausen, Germany in May, 2003.
Asexual reproduction of the new Osteospermum by terminal cuttings in a controlled environment in Lüdinghausen, Germany since June, 2003, has shown that the unique features of this new Osteospermum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.


A 2-line YC separation device comprising a delay circuit for delaying a composite input video signal for a horizontal scanning period; a first band-pass filter which receives the composite input video signal; a second band-pass filter which receives the output signal of the delay circuit; a Y-correlation detector which receives the output signal of the band-pass filter; a C-correlation detector which receives the output signal of the band-pass filter; a difference detector for detecting a Y signal differential value; a YL-correlation detector for detecting a Y signal correlation; and an AND circuit for logically ANDing the output signals of the YL-correlation detector and the Y-correlation detector.

2-line luminance-chrominance (YC) separation devices are increasingly drawing attention as inexpensive means for accurately separating luminance (Y) and chrominance (C) signals.
FIG. 11 is a block diagram of a 2-line YC separation device disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. H1-117494.
The 2-line YC separation device in FIG. 11 comprises a one horizontal scanning period delay circuit (1HDL) 2202, a subtractor 2203, another subtractor 2204, a band-pass filter (BPF) 2205, a switch circuit 2206, a chrominance subcarrier frequency trap circuit (T) 2207, a switch circuit 2208, a low-pass filter (LPF) 2211, a YL-correlation detector (YLC) 2212 (where the L component is the low-frequency luminance component), a band-pass filter (BPF) 2213, a chrominance detector (C) 2214, and an AND circuit 2215. The 2-line YC separation device separates a Y signal output 2209 and a chrominance signal output 2210 from a composite video signal 2201. The Y signal is assumed to consist of a Y signal component YH in the chrominance frequency band and a Y signal YL other than YH. The YL-correlation detector detects a line correlation (hereafter referred to as "correlation") between YL in a present line and YL in a signal delayed for one horizontal scanning period.
The operation of a 2-line YC separation circuit configured as above is described below.
First, a signal, after passing through the one horizontal scanning period delay circuit 2202, is subtracted from the current composite video signal. Then, this signal is made into a YL correlation output signal through the low pass filter circuit 2211. A detection output signal detected by the chrominance detector 2214 after filtering signals in the frequency band of the chrominance signal with the band-pass filter 2213. Both signals pass through the AND circuit 2215 and the output of AND circuit 2215 controls a comb-line filter.
More specifically, the switch circuit 2208 is turned on and, at the same time, the switch circuit 2206 is switched to the current video signal 2201 side only when the YL-correlation detector 2212 determines that i) there is no correlation, and ii) the chrominance detector 2214 detects a chrominance signal or the Y signal in the frequency band of the chrominance signal (YH). In other cases, for example, if the YL correlation detector 2212 determines that there is a correlation, or if the YL correlation detector 2212 determines that there is no correlation, but the chrominance detector 2214 detects no chrominance signal, the switch circuit 2208 is turned off and the switch circuit 2206 is switched to the band-pass filter 2205.
With the YC separation device as configured above, however, YC in an input signal pattern as illustrated in FIGS. 12A to 12J cannot be accurately separated. FIG. 12A is the case when a Y signal, in a vertical direction on a screen, whose frequency is equivalent to that of the chrominance subcarrier frequency, exists up to the 3H line and disappears thereafter.
Here, FIG. 12A is the composite video signal 2201; FIG. 12B is the output signal of the one horizontal scanning period delay circuit 2202; FIG. 12C is the output signal of the subtractor 2203; FIG. 12D is the output signal of the low-pass filter circuit 2211; FIG. 12E is the output of the YL-correlation detector 2212; FIG. 12F is the output of the chrominance detector 2214; FIG. 12G is the chrominance signal output from the chrominance output terminal 2210; and FIG. 12H is the Y signal output 2209 from the Y signal output terminal. Since the output signal of the band-pass filter 2205 is the result of filtering the frequency component of the chrominance subcarrier in the output signal of the subtractor 2203, the output signal of the subtractor 2203 and the band-pass filter 2205 become identical when a video signal such as the signal of FIG. 12A is input. The signal of FIG. 12E has the value "0" when there is a YL correlation, and "1" when there is no YL correlation. The signal of FIG. 12F has the value "1" when a chrorninance signal exists and "0" when there is no chrominance signal. FIG. 12I shows the desirable chrominance signal to be output, and FIG. 12J shows the desirable Y signal to be output.
Looking at FIGS. 12E and 12F, there is no case when i) the YL-correlation detector 2212 does not detect a correlation, and ii) the chrominance detector 2214 detects the presence of the chrominance signal in lines of 1H, 2H, 3H, 4H, and 5H. Consequently, the switch circuit 2208 is turned off and the switch circuit 2206 is switched to the band-pass filter 2205. In this case, the Y signal output becomes the same as the result of subtracting the output signal of the band-pass filter 2205, which is equal to the output signal of the subtractor 2203 in FIG. 12C, from the current composite video signal in FIG. 12A. Therefore, a signal in FIG. 12H is output. The chrominance signal output is the output signal of the band-pass filter 2205 which is equal to the output signal of the subtractor 2203 in FIG. 12C, and therefore a signal in FIG. 12G is output.
This means that in a video image as illustrated in FIG. 12A in which the Y signal in a vertical direction on a screen (having a frequency equivalent to that of a chrominance subcarrier) exists up to the 3H line, and disappears thereafter, the Y signal displayed is as shown in FIG. 12H, and the chrorninance signal displayed is as shown in FIG. 12G. However, a desirable chrominance signal to be output is as shown in FIG. 12I and a desirable Y signal is as shown in FIG. 12J when the signal pattern shown in FIG. 12A is input.
As described above, conventional technology is incapable of separating YC signals correctly, and may result in erroneous display operation, such as degraded horizontal resolution, appearance of color where there should be no color, and appearance of the Y signal where the chrominance signal should be.

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A voltage Vdd-Vee amplified by a differential amplification circuit is provided to a common mode feedback circuit which controls an average potential of the Vdd and Vee to be constant by controlling a gate potential of an E-FET and to a level shift & common mode feedback circuit which controls an average potential of VDD and VBB to be constant by controlling a current mirror circuit having E-FETs via resistors and a diode. Output voltage VAA-VBB is used as an source & input voltage of a voltage controlled oscillator in a PLL circuit using a high frequency. Instead of the level shift & common mode feedback circuit, a differential offset circuit can be used with a pair of current being approximately equal to each other.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a differential amplification circuit which performs differential amplification of complementary input signals and performs level shifting after the differential amplification, a semiconductor integrated circuit provided with this circuit and a method of noise removal.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is necessary to remove noise to a sufficient degree in a semiconductor integrated circuit provided with a high precision analog circuit. In particular, a semiconductor integrated circuit which includes both an analog circuit and a digital circuit, i.e., a PLL circuit that includes a frequency divider circuit, for instance, noise is communicated from the digital circuit to the analog circuit. Therefore, it is important to remove the noise in the analog circuit. The importance of noise removal increases as the frequency in the digital circuit increases to achieve higher speed.
FIG. 8 shows a schematic structure of a semiconductor integrated circuit. An amplifying circuit 10, a digital circuit 11 and an analog circuit 12 operate under a source voltage VCC supplied from the outside. The analog circuit 12 may be a voltage controlled oscillator, for instance, and the output VAA from the amplifying circuit 10 is supplied to the analog circuit 12 as an input signal and a source voltage. Since noise is communicated to the analog circuit 12 via the wiring of the input Vaa and the source voltage VCC of the amplifying circuit 10, the amplifying circuit 10 includes a noise filter.
However, increasing the capacity of the noise filter in order to remove the noise to a sufficient degree results in poor operating characteristics, decreasing response speed in the amplifying circuit 10.

Differential amplification circuit and method of noise removal


A roof module for motor vehicles is disclosed having an exterior skin, a material layer adjacent thereto, a spacer layer, and a circumferential plastic material.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of the present invention relates to a multi-layered roof module for motor vehicles.
2. Background
EP-A-995 667 and EP-A-1 077 225 describe the preparation of automobile exterior components, such as roof modules, engine hoods etc., wherein deep-drawn colorized thermoplastic sheets or metal foils are reinforced by glass-fiber reinforced polyurethane (PUR). DE-A-100 57 365 describes the preparation of fiber-reinforced plastic sandwich components having an intermediate layer structure.
The deep-drawn sheets usually do not run exactly according to the contour of the mold. This produces an air cushion between the sheet and mold. When a full-surface glass fiber (GF) PUR is introduced, the entrapped air cannot escape from between the sheet and mold during the PUR foaming. The thus entrapped air is partially compressed; the foaming pressure is lower than the pressure of the air between the sheet and mold, resulting in a bulging of the sheet towards the GF PUR. This indentation remains visible on the sheet surface after the molded part has been demolded.
The deep-drawn sheets from thermoplast, aluminum coil coasting or steel coil coating may also be reinforced by another process. In this method, the sheets are inserted in the foaming mold and covered by a layer of GF PUR in a long fiber injection (LFI) PUR method. A honeycomb cardboard is inserted in the reaction mixture while it is still wet. (The honeycomb cardboard may be coated with a glass-fiber mat on both sides thereof. The honeycomb cardboard serves the function of a spacer in the component. This results in a weight reduction as compared to the conventional LFI PUR method.) Now, a second layer of GF PUR is inserted onto the honeycomb cardboard by the LFI PUR method. Subsequently, the mold is closed, and the honeycomb cardboard with the LFI PUR is formed into the desired shape.
For example, a honeycomb cardboard having a thickness of 12 mm is compressed to about 7 mm in the middle zone and about 2 mm in the marginal zone. Due to the high degree of compression in the marginal zone, the air present between the sheet and foaming mold becomes entrapped and cannot escape during the foaming process. This produces partial air cushions that result in the formation of indentations in the sheet.
In addition, it is difficult in this method to foam thread inserts or metal sheet inserts with screwing points in a way as to achieve high tearing-out forces.
In this construction, the trimming edge of the built-in component projects into the wet zone of the vehicle. Due to the capillary action and hydrophilicity of the honeycomb cardboard, an undesirable water absorption by the component may occur. The wet honeycomb may be attacked by microbes, and/or the component may freeze and burst open at freezing temperatures (ice bursting), resulting in a delamination of the exterior coating and reinforcement. In the worst case, this may lead to a drastic deterioration of the mechanical properties.
DE 102 44 287 A1 describes a process for the preparation of a composite element composed of i) a sheet and ii) a reinforcing layer containing a polyurethane, comprising the steps of: (A) inserting a sheet (i) in an open mold, B1) introducing polyurethane system components into the mold on top of the sheet (i), B2) introducing a spacer layer into the mold on top of the introduced polyurethane system components, B3) introducing polyurethane system components into the mold on top of the inserted spacer layer, and C) closing the mold and reacting the introduced polyurethane system components to form a polyurethane (ii), and D) optionally trimming projecting sheet, wherein the dimensions of the spacer layer are selected in such a way that the outer edge of the spacer layer within the composite element has a distance of at least from 10 mm to 300 mm, preferably from 15 to 250 mm, more preferably from 25 to 220 mm, more preferably from 40 to 200 mm, from the edge of the resulting composite element. Further, this specification relates to a composite element composed of i) a sheet and ii) a reinforcing layer containing a polyurethane, wherein a spacer layer is embedded in the reinforcing layer, characterized in that the embedded spacer layer has a horizontal distance of at least from 10 mm to 300 mm, preferably from 15 to 250 mm, more preferably from 25 to 220 mm, more preferably from 40 to 200 mm, from the edge of the composite element, and to the use of the composite element for preparing indentation-free vehicle body exterior parts, especially indentation-free roof modules.
"Indentation-free" within the meaning of DE 102 44 287 A1 means that no unevenness, especially no projections or indentations, can be detected in sheet (i) upon visual inspection of the prepared composite element, i.e., the sheet is in a planar arrangement on the reinforcing layer. However, according to the technical teaching disclosed therein, surfaces having a high optical finish (class A) cannot be prepared.
WO 2006/09939 A1 relates to a process for the preparation of fiber-reinforced composite components in which an exterior sheet is bonded to a layer containing fiber-reinforced polyurethane, characterized in that a) an elastic intermediate layer having a modulus of elasticity of from 0.5 MPa to 50 MPa and a thickness of from 0.3 mm to 6 mm is first applied to the outer sheet having a thickness within a range of from 0.2 mm to 5 mm; and subsequently b) at least one other layer is applied to the back side of the intermediate layer, wherein at least one layer containing fiber-reinforced polyurethane is applied.


The preferred embodiments of the present invention include providing automated passcode recovery in an interactive voice response system by providing to a caller an automated passcode recovery question and processing a caller answer to the automated passcode recovery question to authenticate the caller.

Interactive voice response systems are commonly used as interfaces at a wide variety of support centers, call centers, and other information retrieval centers (e.g., voice mail systems, automated banking systems, etc.). When an interactive voice response system is contacted by a caller, the caller is typically first presented with voice information from an interactive voice response unit. The interactive voice response unit poses voice queries to the caller. The caller inputs responses (e.g., with a touch tone telephone and dual tone multifrequency (DTMF) tones) to the voice queries, and then is presented additional voice queries based on the responses. The caller responses to the voice queries are typically used to route the caller to a desired destination, dispense information for the caller, and/or collect information from the caller.
Typically, interactive voice response systems also employ an authentication function whereby a caller must enter an authentication passcode, password, personal identification number (PIN), etc. before the caller can be authenticated to use the interactive voice response system. For example, when the caller first contacts the interactive voice response system, the caller may be required to input the special passcode before the caller is able to gain full access to the services provided by the interactive voice response system. However, such systems may be problematic in situations where the caller cannot recall the authentication passcode. For example, in existing systems, if the caller forgets the authentication passcode, the only means by which the user can retrieve the authentication passcode is to contact a customer service representative associated with the service provider that supports the interactive voice response system. Typically, the customer service representative will establish a temporary passcode, which the caller may use to access the interactive voice response system. After gaining access to the interactive voice response system, the caller may then change the passcode.
This method for recovering passcodes may be very expensive for the service provider because of the need to maintain a customer service presence to respond to these situations. Furthermore, this recovery method may serve as a deterrent to callers who frequently forget their passcode because the caller would have to contact the customer service representative each time the passcode is forgotten.
Thus, there is a need in the industry for systems and methods for addressing these and/other problems.

Automated passcode recovery in an interactive voice response system


In case that data are written in a flip-flop circuit by inverting the voltage to be supplied to a pair of write bit lines, the peak of the current waveform flowing in the pair of write bit lines is to be made gentler, whereby reduced power source noise and low power consumption should be achieved. To this end in a semiconductor device wherein flip-flop circuit for holding data, a memory cell including a transfer gate, a pair of write bit lines for writing data in the memory cell, are provided, in case that data are written in the flip-flop circuit by inverting the voltage to be supplied to the pair of write bit lines, the slew rate of the voltage to be supplied to the pair of write bit lines is made equal to predetermined value or less.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device being suitably applicable to a memory device such as an RF (Register File) mounted on a semiconductor chip.
(2) Description of the Related Art
In recent years, in a processor such as a VLIW (Very Long Instruction Word) type processor and a super-scalar type processor, there is on the increase the number of instructions being issued for each cycle simultaneously. And there are increasing needs for a multi port register file, which can read/write a lot of data in one cycle.
As for technology pertaining to a register file having a plurality of ports there has been provided the technology disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open (Kohyo) HEI 10-510087.


A secure toll payment system is realized by transmitting a changeable encryption code from roadside equipment at a toll plaza to a moving vehicle. Thereafter, the moving vehicle uses it to encrypt payment information according to the Data Encryption Standard algorithm. The moving vehicle transmits the encrypted payment information to the roadside equipment which performs a credit or debit transaction. Because the encryption code changes from time to time, so too does the nature of the signal which is transmitted by the vehicle; and fraud, based on electronic eavesdropping, is substantially eliminated. The encryption code comprises an 8-bit random number and a time/date number. Vehicle-mounted apparatus includes a transponder unit and a portable smart card which inserts therein. The roadside equipment includes a pair of spaced-apart antennas that are sequentially located along an express payment lane at a toll plaza and a computer (Plaza Server) which controls them.

Unless a willingness exists to embrace mass transportation and, thus, decrease the use of personal automobiles, traffic delays will be a growing and unfortunate fact of life. Ultimately, mass transportation systems will become a more significant part of everyday travel due to population growth and the costs (personal and environmental) associated with highways packed with automobiles-each carrying one person. One of the costs comes in the form of highway congestion and the anguish that accompanies long traffic delays. However, until more convenient and cost-competitive, mass transportation systems become available, it is desirable to improve the highway congestion problem, and nowhere is it worse than around toll booths.
The use of toll booths on highways is viewed as a mixed blessing by motorists. Most will agree that safe, high-speed, well-maintained highways are vital to the quality of their life; that such highways are expensive; and that toll booths provide an equitable way to pay for them. On the other hand, most will agree that stopping in order to pick up a ticket and/or make a payment is an annoyance, particularly during peak traffic periods when toll payment queues exceed several minutes. The fuel wasted and pollution created, while waiting in a queue, is significant when large numbers of automobiles are involved. Considering the many conveniences available in present day automobiles and the generally high quality of toll roads, the annoyance displayed by motorists when encountering a traffic delay is somewhat surprising. Nevertheless, the desire for increased transit speed appears insatiable.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,338,587 discloses a vehicle toll collection system that automatically identifies vehicles in an "express" lane. In order to benefit from the express lane, vehicles are equipped with radio frequency transmitters that send data to electronic toll collecting apparatus to identify the vehicle using information such as the state of registration and license number. Tolls are billed to the vehicle owner's account, and payment is disbursed by an agency that both issues license plates and collects toll payments (in advance) from the vehicle owner. Although this technique is useful, it requires a great deal of administrative overhead and is susceptible to fraud. For example, the transmission of incorrect information (the license number of another vehicle) is not detected until the next time the owner of the other vehicle is billed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,963,723 discloses an automatic toll collector for toll roads which requires the driver of a vehicle to insert an integrated circuit (IC) card into each toll booth. The IC card stores both license and bank account information. Tolls are withdrawn from the card holder's bank account, and means are provided for comparing the license information with the actual license plate which is acquired as the vehicle passes through the toll booth. However, this system offers little or no improvement in the speed of toll collection since the driver is required to stop. But even if the information on the IC card were electronically transmitted to the toll booth, the improved security against fraud comes at great inconvenience to both the card holder and the highway authority. Card holders should be able to pay the toll for any vehicle that they happen to be in (a friend's car, a rental car, etc.), not just specific vehicles; and additional equipment is needed to read each license plate. The latter is not only a significant technical challenge but also requires cooperation among various states regarding license design if out-of-state drivers are to benefit from such a system.
One popular technique for making high speed toll payments is through the use of a miniature transponder that attaches to the windshield of a vehicle and broadcasts an identification signal when it enters an electromagnetic field having predetermined characteristics. Because such transponders operate at radio frequencies, they have become known as RF-tags. Unfortunately, electronic eavesdropping is relatively easy in such a system; the transmitted identification signal can be intercepted, recorded, and rebroadcast by another vehicle to avoid toll payments. It appears to be a fact of life that when theft is too easy to accomplish, even the most honest people indulge; and when theft requires great effort, even scoundrels behave.
In systems where payments are made by the transfer of data, care must be taken to assure that the data represents an accurate indication of the purported information. Tampering with the device containing the data can produce various undesirable results that comprise the integrity of the data and thereby defeat the payment scheme. For example, if the account number on a credit card is altered, then the transaction is charged to the wrong person; and if the cash balance on a debit card is increased in an unauthorized manner, then the creditor is defrauded. It is therefore desirable to provide a secure toll collection scheme for moving vehicles.

Secure toll collection system for moving vehicles


An optical pickup to be used for both DVD and CD is provided with an aberration correcting device using liquid crystal on an input side of an objective lens. A spherical aberration of a CD is corrected by using an electrode for DVD spherical aberration correction and electrodes for DVD astigmatism correction.

There has been spread of various types of optical discs, such as a DVD and a CD (Compact Disc). Moreover, there has been spread of a disc drive which is integrally provided with a function for information recording or reading with respect to a plurality types of optical discs. Such a disc drive is referred to as a multidisc drive or a multi drive. As an optical pickup of this type of disc drive, an optical disc having such a structure that it can be shared among a plurality of optical discs is sometimes used. One of these optical pickups is an optical disc for DVD/CD. This optical pickup is provided with a light source which outputs a light beam for information recording or reading with respect to a DVD and a light source which outputs a light beam for information recording or reading with respect to a CD. This optical pickup also unifies these light beams on a single optical axis and focuses it on the recording surface of the DVD or the recording surface of the CD by using a single objective lens.
By the way, the DVD has a higher recording density than that of the CD. In order to ensure stability or accuracy in the information recording or reading with respect to the DVD, it is desirable to provide the optical pickup with a mechanism for correcting spherical aberration, coma aberration, and astigmatism aberration. Some of the optical pickups for DVD/CD which are currently popular are provided with an aberration correcting apparatus which uses a liquid crystal (LC) to correct the spherical aberration, the coma aberration, and the astigmatism aberration with regard to the DVD. The aberration correcting apparatus is provided, for example, with a LC optical element and a LC driver for driving the LC optical element. The LC optical element is normally located on the incident side of the objective lens and is disposed to cross the optical axis. The LC optical element has two electrode layers which are arranged to face each other with the LC therebetween. Each of the electrode layers has a transparent electrode pattern formed to correct the spherical aberration, the coma aberration, and the astigmatism aberration with regard to the DVD. When correcting the aberration, it applies voltages to electrodes, changes LC orientation, and changes LC refractive index. By this, an optical path length (or phase) of the light beam which passes through the LC is changed, to thereby uniform the wavefront of the light beam for DVD and correct the aberration.
On the other hand, the CD has a lower recording density than that of the DVD. Moreover, a signal processing technique about the information recording or reading with respect to the CD is sufficiently mature. From such situations, it has been generally considered that it is only necessary to correct the coma aberration on the optical pickup, with regard to the CD. In fact, the aberration correcting apparatus provided for the optical pickups for DVD/CD which are currently popular has a function for correcting only the coma aberration with regard to the CD although it has a function for correcting the spherical aberration, the coma aberration, and the astigmatism aberration with regard to the DVD.

Aberration correcting apparatus, optical pickup, and aberration correcting method


The present disclosure relates to techniques to implement a vehicle action using a distributed model distributed across the vehicle and a remote node. A local portion of the distributed model at the vehicle may generate a local output model based on vehicle event data collected at the vehicle. The local output model may be sent from the vehicle at a first location to the remote node at a second location. The remote node may generate a remote output model based on the local output model using the remote portion of the distributed model. The vehicle action may be determined based on inspecting a reconstructed version of the vehicle event data included in the remote output model. The determined vehicle action may be implemented at the vehicle. The distributed model may facilitate the transmission of vehicle event data across multiple locations while securing the transmission of personally-identifiable information.

Many vehicles and vehicle systems may implement automotive data collection and analysis components to gather and inspect data relating to the vehicle. For example, in an autonomous vehicle system, the vehicle system may include a plurality of sensors gathering information relating to the environment inside and outside of the vehicle. The vehicle system may inspect the gathered information in order to perform an action (e.g., turn the vehicle to avoid an object).
Information gathered in a vehicle system may be aggregated to facilitate analysis of the data and the production of data-driven models. In many cases, received information from multiple jurisdictions/geographic locations may be transmitted to a central location, and the received information may be aggregated at the central location to produce the data-driven models. These data-driven models can identify the information depicted in the data and can assist in determining a vehicle action to take.
In many cases, vehicle systems may gather information that may be indicative of an individual or individuals. For example, a vehicle system may gather image(s) of individuals from one or more vehicle-associated image sensors or metadata associated with a vehicle operator/passenger. Further, many jurisdictions may limit the type and extent of personally-identifiable information that can be transferred within and/or outside of such jurisdictions in order to protect the privacy of individuals.
The drawings depict various embodiments for the purpose of illustration only. Those skilled in the art will recognize that alternative embodiments may be employed without departing from the principles of the technology. Accordingly, while specific embodiments are shown in the drawings, the technology is amenable to various modifications.


A wavelength selecting apparatus includes a wavelength selecting filter and that a monitoring filter are similar acousto-optic tunable filters; a light source that outputs light having a specific wavelength to the monitoring filter; a light receiving unit that detects a wavelength of light that has passed the monitoring filter; and a control unit that outputs, to the wavelength selecting filter, a control signal having a control frequency to selectively pass light of a desirable wavelength. The light source includes a light emitting element that emits light of a wide wavelength band; and an optical filter having at least two transmission bands through which the light passes to the monitoring filter. The control unit, based on at least two wavelengths of the light output by the light source, outputs a control signal having a control frequency corresponding to the desirable wavelength.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wavelength selecting apparatus and a wavelength selecting method.
2. Description of the Related Art
A tunable filter is conventionally placed in a photonic network as an important optical element used to select a wavelength required to split signal light. Among such optical elements used to select a wavelength, an acousto-optic tunable filter (AOTF) has particularly attracted attention in recent years. The AOTF is a type of optical filter that has merits, such as enabling a reduction in size and cost based on integration, in addition to high-speed properties of a wavelength selecting operation and extensiveness of a tunable range. A wavelength selecting apparatus based on this AOTF can be already put to practical use. However, an AOTF subsystem that includes a laser output unit and utilizes this laser as a reference light source to improve accuracy of wavelength selection based on the AOTF has also been proposed.
FIG. 9 is a view of a conventional AOTF subsystem. The AOTF subsystem includes a function unit that judges whether selection of a wavelength by an AOTF is appropriately performed and accordingly executes control. An AOTF subsystem 10 in the drawing includes an AOTF 11 that selects a wavelength, a reference light source unit 12, a monitoring AOTF 13, a light receiver 14, and a controller 15. This subsystem also includes a temperature controller 16 that executes control according to the temperature dependence of an element serving as a light source.
The AOTF subsystem 10 is configured to have both a wavelength selecting function of the AOTF, i.e., only transmitting signal light having a specific wavelength based on a radio frequency (RF) control signal input to the AOTF 11 from the controller 15 and a function of using reference light from the reference light source unit 12 to record a corresponding relationships between the RF control signal and the selected wavelength and deriving linear RF control signal-selected light wavelength characteristics to improve a selection accuracy for a light signal. According to such a configuration, when multiplexed light signals (λa to λh) are input to the AOTF subsystem 10, a light signal (λd) having a selected wavelength alone can be selected and transmitted.
FIG. 10 is a view showing a configuration of the AOTF. An operation of selecting a wavelength in the AOTF 11 will now be explained with reference to FIG. 10. The AOTF 11 and the monitoring AOTF 13 have the same element structure, however, they input signals to different ports depending on application, and hence they are individually depicted. The AOTF 11 includes a polarizing beam splitter (PBS) 20, a comb-like electrode 21, and a surface acoustic wave (SAW) waveguide 22 in a circuit manufactured on a lithium niobate (LiNbO3) substrate.
When an RF control signal is applied to the comb-like electrode 21, a SAW is excited. In the linear SAW waveguide 22 through which the SAW is transmitted, a polarized wave having a particular wavelength rotates due to an acousto-optic effect. Here, when the PBS 20 integrated at an intersection of the circuit operates without being dependent on the polarized light, input light (λa to λh) can be divided into selected light (λd) and non-selected lights (λa, λb, λc, λe, λf, λg, and λh) and led to different ports, respectively. A wavelength of the selected light is dependent on a frequency of the RF control signal applied to the comb-like electrode 21, and multiple selected lights can be obtained when multiple RF control signals are input. Selection of a wavelength by the AOTF 11 can be carried out by using the above-explained principle (refer to "Photonic Network" by Terumi Chikama, [online], July, 1999, Magazine FUJITSU, [retrieved Nov. 19, 2004, Internet <URL: http://magazine.fujitsu.com/index2.html>]).
As the reference light source unit 12, a unit configured by a light-emitting diode (LED) having a wide emission spectrum is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H3-233425, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H6-120605, and Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H10-262031.
However, as a light source element of the reference light source unit 12 in the conventional AOTF subsystem 10, a distributed feedback-laser diode (DFB-LD) is used for its characteristic of outputting only one wavelength per element. This DFB-LD is advantageous in that a peak of an output waveform is prominent in the light receiver 14, and detection of the peak by the controller 15 is easy. On the contrary, the DFB-LD has problems, such as reduced reliability of the light source due to a temperature dependence or deterioration with time and a high cost. There is demand to configure the reference light source unit 12 using an element other than the DFB-LD. Furthermore, the peak of an output waveform cannot be detected when the LED alone is used as the reference light source unit 12 and the LED cannot be applied to the AOTF subsystem as it is.

Method and apparatus for selecting wavelength


A steel cord includes a core layer composed of three wires, an intermediate layer composed of seven wires, and an outer layer 12 composed of 13 wires. The space ratio of the intermediate layer is in the range from 25% to 34%. and the space ratio of the outer layer is in the range from 10% to 20%. A tire is manufactured by using the steel cord.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a steel cord of a three-layer twisted construction and a tire manufactured by using the steel cord.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, various constructions of steel cord of this kind are known. The wires of the steel cord comprise 3+9+15, i.e., a core layer composed of three wires, an intermediate layer composed of nine wires, and an outer layer composed of 15 wires. The wires of each layer consist of filaments of the same diameter. Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 61-89390 discloses a steel cord including lapping wires, consisting of filaments of smaller diameter, arranged around the outer layer. Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 54-50640 disclose cord of 2+7+12 or 3+8+13 and free space ratio (the ratio of the wire-free space to the whole space including the wire-free space and the wire-occupied space, i.e. the ratio of a circumference including axes of wires in one layer to an area of the circumference not occupied by the wires) is in the range from 14% to 25%. Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 58-177702 discloses a steel cord having free space ratio of 0 to 33% in the core layer and 5 to 15% in the intermediate and the outer layers. Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 59-223503 discloses a steel cord in which the core layer, the intermediate layer, and the outer layer are composed of four wires, nine wires, and 14 wires, respectively.
However, the above-described conventional steel cords have disadvantages. For example, in the steel cord of 3+9+15, it is difficult for rubber to penetrate into the gaps between adjacent filaments. Consequently, filaments are rubbed against each other during the use of a tire. As a result, filaments are worn down or corroded. Thus, the steel cord becomes frail. According to the steel cord disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 54-50640 having the free space ratio of 14% to 25% and the wire construction of 2+7+12 or 3+8+13, it is difficult for rubber to penetrate sufficiently into the inner side of the intermediate layer because the gaps between adjacent wires are small. In the wire construction of 2+7+12, the core layer is composed of two wires. Therefore, the use of a tire including the core layer causes the wires to be bent. As a result, directionality is generated in the rigidity of the wires and the arrangement of the steel cord is likely to be non-uniform.
The above-described Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 58-177702 also discloses a steel cord in which the core layer is composed of three wires, the intermediate layer is composed of eight wires, and the outer layer is composed of 13 wires and each wire consists of filaments of the same diameter. In this construction although rubber penetrates into the gap between the intermediate layer and the outer layer, it does not penetrate sufficiently into the gap between the intermediate layer and the core layer. As a result, it is likely that wires are corroded and deteriorate in quality.
In a steel cord in which the core layer is composed of four wires, the intermediate layer is composed of nine wires, and the outer layer is composed of 14 wires, it is difficult for rubber to penetrate from the intermediate layer into the core layer and the diameter of the steel cord is inevitably large. As a result, a rubber tends to be thicker to embed the steel cord therein, and consequently, the weight of a tire comprising the steel cord is necessarily great.

3+7+13 steel cord and tire including same


A liquid crystal display device having a wide viewing angle and a high aperture ratio. The present invention includes first and second substrates, gate and data lines on the first substrate to define at least one pixel region, a thin film transistor formed at a crossing between the gate and data lines. A pixel electrode is connected to the thin film transistor in the pixel region, the pixel electrode having a first electric field inducing window. An auxiliary electrode is at a position corresponding to the first electric field inducing window. A black matrix layer is on the second substrate. A color filter layer is on the black matrix layer. A common electrode is on the color filter layer, the common electrode having a second electric field inducing window or dielectric protrusion at a position corresponding to an end portion of the pixel electrode. A liquid crystal layer is between the first and second substrates.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device having a wide viewing angle and a high aperture ratio.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Generally, a liquid crystal display device includes lower and upper substrates facing each other so as to leave a predetermined interval from each other and a liquid crystal layer formed between the lower and upper substrates. The liquid crystal layer is driven by an electric field generated between the lower and upper substrates. The liquid crystal display displays an image by controlling light transmittance through the driven liquid crystal layer.
The currently used liquid crystal layer is a twisted nematic (TN) liquid crystal display device which has a problem with varying the transmittance of light at each gray level in accordance with a corresponding viewing angle. Specifically, the light transmittance is distributed symmetrically in right and left directions but asymmetrically in upper and lower directions, whereby gray inversion is generated.
In order to overcome such a problem, a method is proposed to compensate for the variation of light transmittance in accordance with a corresponding viewing angle by dividing a domain by differentiating a liquid crystal driven in a pixel area.
A liquid crystal display device according to a related art proposed for compensating a viewing angle is explained by referring to the drawings as follows.
FIG. 1A illustrates a layout of a unit pixel of a liquid crystal display device according to a related art.
FIG. 1B illustrates a cross-sectional view along a cutting line I-I′ in FIG. 1A.
Referring to FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B, a liquid crystal display device according to a related art includes first and second substrates 10 and 20, gate and data lines 16 and 18 formed on the first substrate 10 horizontally and vertically so as to define at least one pixel area. A gate insulating layer 12 is formed on the gate line 16, and a passivation layer 14 is formed on the data line 18. A pixel electrode 40 is formed in the pixel area, and an auxiliary electrode 30 is formed on a same layer of the data line 18 so as to be overlapped with a circumference of the pixel electrode 40. A black matrix layer 22 is on the second substrate 20. A color filter layer 24 and a common electrode 50 are formed on the color filter layer 24 so as to have an electric field inducing window 52 inside. A liquid crystal layer (not shown in the drawing) is between the first and second substrates 10 and 20.
Namely, when an electric field is generated between the pixel and common electrodes 40 and 50 formed on the first and second substrates 10 and 20, respectively, a fringe field, represented by the dotted line in FIG. 1B is formed by the electric field formed inside the common electrode 50. Liquid crystals of the liquid crystal layer at both sides of the common electrode 50 centering around the electric field inducing window 52 are aligned differently in accordance with the fringe field. Thus, the liquid crystal display device according to a related art compensates for the varying transmittance of light corresponding to a viewing angle.
Moreover, the auxiliary electrode 30 formed over the circumference of the pixel electrode 40 reinforces the fringe field so as to effectively drive the liquid crystals located around the pixel electrode 40.
Yet, in the liquid crystal display device according to the related art, the auxiliary electrode 30 formed around the pixel electrode 40 is made of metal failing to transmit light as well as leaving a predetermined interval from the data line 18 so as to prevent short circuit with the data line 18. Hence, a width of the pixel electrode 40 is reduced to decrease an aperture ratio, whereby brightness is reduced.
An additional task of increasing luminance of a backlight is required for the application to a device, thereby causing problems such as large power consumption and the like.


A method of initializing the position and direction of a mining vehicle, and a mining vehicle. An environmental model and route points are stored in a control system of the vehicle. The environment of the vehicle is scanned, and scanned points are generated based on obstacles observed. The control system is arranged to determine coordinates of the scanned points by using the position of the route points within a search range and at least one direction. The coordinates calculated for the scanned points are compared with the environmental model. Such a route point and direction are selected as initial values for the mining vehicle, by which the generated coordinates of the scanned points best match the environmental model.

An unmanned mining vehicle can be automatically driven in a mine along a predetermined route when the direction of the vehicle and the length of travel are known. The route may be stored as an electronic map in the control system of the vehicle. The initialization of automatic driving is subject to accurate knowledge of the position and direction of the vehicle. Particularly when the positioning of a mining vehicle is not based on the use of positioning systems adapted in advance to a mine, problems have been observed in the determination of the starting position and starting direction of the vehicle.

Initializing position and direction of mining vehicle


A non-volatile semiconductor memory providing a semiconductor substrate including source and drain diffusion regions and a gate electrode, and an insulating film which is at least provided on the semiconductor substrate just below the gate electrode and has a smaller dielectric breakdown strength on the source side than on the drain side, wherein the insulating film is comprised of a laminated film having a multilayer structure on the drain side and a single-layer film or multilayer film which is broken down at a smaller voltage on the source side than on the drain side, and a predetermined voltage is applied to break down the single-layer film or multilayer film on the source side, so that data can electrically be written only once.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a non-volatile semiconductor memory capable of electrically writing data.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally, there has been used a ultraviolet erasure type EPROM capable of electrically writing data only once.
Furthermore, there has also been used a breakdown of insulator for conduction type memory capable of performing programming by breaking down an insulating film having a three-layer structure of SiO.sub.2 --SiN--SiO.sub.2 [IEICE Technical Report, Vol. 89, No. 66, SDM89-15 (IEICE=The Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers)].
Referring to the ultraviolet erasure type EPROM, a two-layer gate structure is needed so that a manufacturing method is complicated. In addition, there is a possibility that the data stored in a floating gate flows out during continuous use so as to be lost.
Referring to the breakdown of insulator for conduction type memory, it is necessary to separate a program region from a gate region. Consequently, it is difficult to reduce the element dimension.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a breakdown of insulator for conduction type non-volatile semiconductor memory capable of electrically writing data only once after manufacturing a LSI wherein the element dimension can be reduced and a charge does not flow out.