A method for making a thermosetting polymer reproduction of an object preferably comprises the steps of modifying an original object such as an object found in nature (e.g., a stone or array of stones) or a manmade article (e.g., a carved decorative object) to a predetermined configuration, making a first mold of at least part of the surface of the original object, filling the first mold with a first thermosetting polymer material to produce a reproduction of at least part of the surface of the original object, modifying the reproduction to a predetermined configuration, making a second mold from the modified reproduction and filling this second mold with a thermosetting polymer material to produce a reproduction of at least part of the surface of the original object. The second mold can be used repeatedly to produce reproductions in commercial quantities.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention of this application relates to the field of manufactured articles having the characteristics of natural articles. More particularly, this invention relates to methods and apparatus for producing a plastic article with some of the contours and colors of natural articles, and then employing a unique process to imbue the plastic article with corners, edges, and shapes not found in those natural articles, thereby creating a master part representing a state of the art previously unknown, and using this master part to manufacture plastic reproductions in commercial quantities.
2. Discussion of the Background
Many people have attempted to manufacture plastic parts simulating the contours and colors of natural articles, but either produce an item that does not look authentic or that poorly reproduces the natural article in its entirety. One example is Formica®, a hard plastic substrate used to cover countertops and the like. Some forms of Formica® were impregnated during manufacture with dyes or other colored material to simulate the look of wood or stone. But the simulation was not convincing because the Formica® was flat. It did not have the texture of the natural articles it purported to simulate.
Another example is Corian®. This was made from plastic in the form of sheets of varying thickness for use as countertops and related structures. The resulting product was colored much like the filler material used during manufacture. Some forms of Corian® were made to resemble stone. But the simulation was not convincing because Corian® was largely flat. It did not have the texture of the natural articles it purported to simulate.
Yet another example is Linoleum®. This was made from various plastics and fillers, and was sold in the form of sheets or rolls, principally for covering floors with a wear-resistant surface. While some forms of Linoleum® were colored and textured to resemble natural articles, the simulation was not convincing. The colors were artificial and the texture so regular as to dispel the notion of a natural article.
Still another example is plastic floor tiles. These were typically squares of regular size. They were intended to be butted against one another once a mastic had been applied, and some were both colored and textured to resemble natural articles. However, the colors were often unconvincing. And the same was true for the textures, which were not only shallow, but also discontinuous where one tile butted up against another.
Another example is exterior siding designed to replace or cover some or all of the exterior of outdoor structures, including houses. This siding typically was made of plastic or aluminum and was marked or embossed in an effort to simulate natural articles. But the simulation was not convincing. The colors were unconvincing and the textures were not only shallow and unrealistic, but also discontinuous where one piece of siding butted up against another.
Another example is cultured stone. This was cast from cement and aggregate and simply mimicked the characteristics of real stone. It could not be molded any differently from the natural article, and required the same methods for installation as real stone.
Processes for casting plastics are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,750,583 to Gansen et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 3,883,627 to Fitts. Gansen et al. disclosed a process for the preparation of polyurethane products in which a plastic film was positioned in a mold, the mold was closed, a polyurethane reaction mixture was injected into the mold, and the product was removed from the mold once the reaction mixture had fully reacted.
Fitts disclosed a process in which a heat curable elastomeric sheet comprising a curing agent and either urethane elastomeric gum stock or silicone gum stock was placed over a master to be copied; the heat curable elastomeric sheet was one that did not cause inhibition between the master and the heat curable elastomeric sheet. Next, the elastomeric sheet was vacuum drawn against the master and the master sheet material was enclosed in a frame. Next, a foamed polymeric backing was formed in situ to force the heat curable elastomeric sheet against the master to copy the shape of the master in the heat curable elastomeric sheet, which was then cured in the shape of the master. Finally, articles were molded in the shape of the master in a mold constructed from the cured elastomeric sheet material.
A decorative plastic moulding was disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,372,869 to Drexinger et al. The moulding comprised two moulding pieces, each with a decorative face, a back, two sides and two ends. Each end of each piece had a 45 degree angle pre-mitered cut relative to the plane of the decorative face, with the pre-mitered cuts of each piece being in parallel planes. Each side of each piece was in a plane at a 45 degree angle to the plane of the decorative face, with the side planes converging at a position spaced from the back of the piece. The two moulding pieces were made of fire rated polyurethane.
Finally, a method for molding an artificial rock was disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,940,558 to Jarboe et al. This method entailed selecting a rock for reproduction, creating a flexible rubber mold and supporting cradle having a mold cavity conforming to the exterior of said rock, the mold having a substantial degree of flexibility and being created by applying an uncured liquid rubber forming material to said rock, curing the uncured liquid rubber forming material to produce the rubber mold, the cradle being formed by applying by spraying a low density urethane foam forming mixture to the exterior of the rubber mold to provide a self-supporting cradle, spraying a two-sided urethane composition into the mold cavity, said urethane composition comprising an isocyanate side and a polyol side and being mixed in a spray gun in a spray-in-mold process, carrying out the spraying to build up the molded artificial rock to a desired thickness and stripping the cradle and mold after curing.

Methods and apparatus for producing manufactured articles having natural characteristics


The present invention provides multiple-promoter expression cassettes for simultaneous delivery of RNAi, preferably to mammalian cells in vivo.

Utilization of double-stranded RNA to inhibit gene expression in a sequence-specific manner has revolutionized the drug discovery industry. In mammals, RNA interference, or RNAi, is mediated by 19- to 29-nucleotide long, double-stranded RNA molecules referred to as small interfering RNAs that are derived by enzymatic cleavage of long, double-stranded RNA within cells in vivo. RNAi agents can be synthesized chemically or enzymatically outside of cells and subsequently delivered to cells (see, e.g., Fire, et al., Nature, 391:806-11 (1998); Tuschl, et al., Genes and Dev., 13:3191-97 (1999); and Elbashir, et al., Nature, 411:494-498 (2001)); or can be expressed in vivo by an appropriate vector in cells (see, e.g., McCaffrey, et al. Nature Biotech. 21(6): 639-644 (2003)).
However, in vivo delivery of unmodified RNAi as an effective therapeutic for use in humans faces a number of technical hurdles. First, due to cellular and serum nucleases, the half life of RNA injected in vivo is only about 70 seconds (see, e.g., Kurreck, Eur. J. Bioch. 270:1628-44 (2003)). Efforts have been made to increase stability of injected RNA by the use of chemical modifications; however, there are several occurrences in which chemical alterations led to increased cytotoxic effects. In one specific example, cells were intolerant to doses of an RNAi duplex in which every second phosphate was replaced by phosphorothioate (Harborth, et al., Antisense Nucleic Acid Drug Rev. 13(2): 83-105 (2003)). Other hurdles include providing tissue-specific delivery, as well as being able to deliver the RNAi agents in amounts sufficient to elicit a therapeutic response, but that are not toxic.
Several options are being explored for RNAi delivery, including the use of viral-based vector systems that can infect target cells, and deliver and express RNAi molecules in situ. Typically, small RNAs of approximately 70 nucleotides are transcribed as short hairpin precursors (shRNA) from a viral vector backbone. Once transcribed, the shRNA are processed by the enzyme Dicer into the appropriate active RNAi species. Viral-based delivery approaches attempt to exploit the targeting properties of viruses to generate tissue specificity and once appropriately targeted, rely upon the endogenous cellular machinery to generate sufficient levels of the RNAi species to achieve a therapeutically effective dose.
Currently, the most commonly used viruses for delivery of target sequences are those based upon systems evolved from retrovirus, herpes simplex virus (HSV) or adenovirus (Ad). All of these vectors can accommodate rather large inserts and can be produced in therapeutically relevant titers. However, in all systems, there are concerns relating to development of cancer (Cavazzana-Calvo, et al., Science, 288:669-72 (2000)), as well as undesirable host immune responses and resulting toxicity in patients. Another virus that is useful for delivering RNAi is adeno-associated virus (AAV).
One useful application of RNAi therapeutics is as an anti-viral agent. In general, RNA viruses depend on RNA/DNA-dependent RNA polymerase for replication. Such RNA/DNA polymerases replicate the viral genome with comparatively low fidelity, the functional consequence of which produces genomes with an exceptionally high number of mutations. This results in the ability of rapidly evolving progeny virions to evade common immunological and chemical antiviral agents. Thus, similar to the effects observed with small molecule therapeutics, the relative potency and efficacy of the RNAi therapeutic may decrease as a result of viral evolution during long term treatment. In one study, HIV escape mutants that contained a single nucleotide change appeared 35 days after delivery of an expressed shRNA (Boden, et al., J. Virol. 77(21): 11531-11535 (2003)). In another study, poliovirus escape mutants could be detected in as little as 54 hours post-infection in cells that had been transfected with pre-synthesized RNAi. Yet, the simultaneous delivery of two RNAis against multiple target sequences within the virus significantly delayed the onset of escape variants (see Gitlin, et al., Nature. 418: 430-434 (2002)).
Thus, there is a need in the art to develop stable, effective RNAi therapeutics. The present invention satisfies this need in the art.

Multiple promoter expression cassettes for simultaneous delivery of RNAi agents targeted to Hepatitis C virus


The present invention is directed to a Stereo to Monaural Multi-speaker Parallel Wiring System that uses a standard 200 watt stereo and a whole sound impedance corrector to greatly reduce the wiring connections, the installation time and the overall cost of the system. A whole or complete sound comes from each speaker and will overlap from speaker to speaker so that moving around in different areas or zones within a house or yard, a person will receive the same whole and complete sound. With the master speaker switch box included, different areas or zones can be turned off or on as desired.

Stereo sounds are better used for entertainment areas such as movie theaters, on headphones, or at concerts where the sound is better heard in a concentrated area that is commonly called a "sweet spot." In many rooms of the house people are generally active except for possibly the TV room where they usually are seated. In this case a stereophonic sound system is beneficial in watching movies, but is unsatisfactory when they are actively moving from room to room, where it produces different elements of the sound at different locations. By using a Stereo to Monaural Multi-speaker Parallel Wiring System where the whole sound is transmitted throughout the desired rooms the sound is the same.
Additionally, the layout of backyards differ greatly from house to house and people are generally in the backyard doing something, whether that is yard work, having a party, etc. Most people are not standing in one area for a prolonged period at a time, so an involved stereo system in a backyard would also prove to be inadequate. The music being played would not sound ideal to everyone because they would not be able to be in the sweet spot of the speakers. Here the use of a Stereo to Monaural Multi-speaker Parallel Wiring System with the whole sound capability transmitted throughout the desired area, or separate areas would be very effective.
Wireless speakers can be used in some cases where one or two work well but would be very expensive to be put through the house or yard. They require batteries that will be drawn down with extended use or a power connection to each speaker. These are not a practical solution for a back yard or throughout a house sound system.
The existing US patent application publication US 2008/0240468 A1 of Ron R. Adam the inventor of the landscape speaker connector and sound system relates to an outdoor monaural music and sound system. More particularly, this system incorporates weather proof wiring cable connectors used in connecting a plurality of weatherproof speakers on a single electrical line to a remote sound system that may be employed in a variety of landscape areas. By using 8 ohm at 20 to 50 watt resistor unit, or a 1.5 to 2 ohm receiver amplifier to control the output, a single cable can be used to connect a plurality of speakers. This patent deals primarily with the wiring connections and an outdoor music and sound system.
Where the Stereo to Monaural Multi-speaker Parallel Wiring System patent application differs is that most conventional stereo amplifiers do not have a monaural to FM or stereo switch and the 4 channel mixer with a monaural switch is required. This addition compared to using a standard 200 watt stereo and an impedance corrector greatly reduces the wiring connections, the installation time and the overall cost of the system and making the use of the Stereo to Monaural Multi-speaker Parallel Wiring System more desirable. By using the Stereo to Monaural Multi-speaker Parallel Wiring System a whole or complete sound comes from each speaker and will overlap from speaker to speaker so that moving around in different areas a person will receive the same whole or complete sound.
Numerous innovations for the Stereo to Monaural Multi-speaker Parallel Wiring System have been provided in the prior art that are described as follows. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, they differ from the present design as hereinafter contrasted. The following is a summary of those prior art patents most relevant to this application at hand, as well as a description outlining the difference between the features of the Stereo to Stereo to Monaural Multi-speaker Parallel Wiring System and the prior art.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,920,708 of Steven D. Trautmann describes a method of converting single channel audio (mono) signals to two channel, audio (stereo) signals using simple filters and an Intra-aural Time Difference (ITD) is presented. This method does not distort the spectral content of the original signal very much, and has low computation requirements. A variation is proposed which also uses intra-aural Intensity Difference (IID).
This patent describes a method of converting single channel audio (mono) signals to two channel audio (stereo) signals using simple filters and an Intra-aural Time Difference (ITD). It does not have the capability of converting stereo to monaural by using the whole sound impedance corrector to be used in an in house or landscape application.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,714,652 of Stephen A. Davis describes a system and method that are for rendering a left rear surround input signal at a left rear virtual speaker location and rendering a right rear surround input signal at a right rear virtual speaker location. The method includes phase shifting the left rear surround input signal by a first phase shift. The right rear surround input signal is phase shifted by a second phase shift. The phase shifted left rear surround input signal is phase shifted using an HRTF selected to render the left rear surround input signal at the left rear virtual speaker location. The phase shifted right rear surround input signal is transformed using an HRTF selected to render the right rear surround input signal at the right rear virtual speaker location.
This patent describes a system and method that are for rendering a left rear surround input signal at a left rear virtual speaker location and rendering a right rear surround input signal at a right rear virtual speaker location. It also does not have the capability of converting stereo to monaural to be used in a house or landscape application.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,498,857 of Alastair Sibbald describes a method of synthesizing an audio signal having left and right channels corresponding to an extended virtual sound source at a given apparent location in space relative to a preferred position of a listener in use is described. The information in the channels includes cues for perception of the direction of said virtual sound source from the preferred position. The extended source comprises a plurality of point virtual sources, the sound from each point source being spatially related to the sound from the other point sources, such that sound appears to be emitted from an extended region of space. If the signal from two sound sources is the same, they are modified to be sufficiently different from one another to be separately distinguishable by a listener when they are disposed symmetrically on either side of the listener. This modification can be accomplished by filtering the two point sources using different comb filters.
This patent describes a sophisticated stereophonic sound system but does not have the capability of converting stereo to monaural by using the whole sound impedance corrector to be used in a house or landscape application.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,307,934 of Theodore Calhoun Tanner describes a system and method for providing improved virtual sound images. One or more spatial cues of an audio signal may be modulated within a described range to increase the clarify and perceived localization of a virtual sound image. Interaural time delay, interaural intensity difference and/or spectra may be varied at below the "just noticeable level" to cause the virtual source location to move slightly relative to the listener's head. Such variation assists the listener's auditory system in filtering out ambiguous spatial cue information from the audio signal. The resulting virtual sound image has a larger sweet spot and is less sensitive to head movement.
This patent describes a system and method for providing improved virtual sound images but still does not have the capability of converting stereo to monaural by using the whole sound impedance corrector to be used in a house or landscape application.
None of these previous efforts, however, provides the benefits attendant with the Stereo to Stereo to Monaural Multi-speaker Parallel Wiring System. The present design achieves its intended purposes, objects and advantages over the prior art devices through a new, useful and unobvious combination of method steps and component elements, with the use of a minimum number of functioning parts, at a reasonable cost to manufacture, and by employing readily available materials.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the Stereo to Stereo to Monaural Multi-speaker Parallel Wiring System in detail it is to be understood that the design is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The Stereo to Monaural Multi-speaker Parallel Wiring System is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. In addition, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present design. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent construction insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present application.

Stereo to monaural multi-speaker parallel wiring system


A method for design rule checking (DRC) during a static timing analysis (STA) of an integrated circuit (IC) design comprises analyzing cells with distorted waveforms in a cell library and generating both library-based waveforms and simulated waveforms for said each cell type according to a plurality of parameters for the cell type. The method further comprises constructing a lookup table based on analysis of the distorted waveforms, wherein the lookup table maps a waveform error to a hold time constraint error of each cell type in the library. The method further comprises identifying one or more cells in the IC design as risky for a timing constraint violation during the STA of the IC design according to the lookup table and re-optimizing the identified risky cell(s) is to reduce risk for the timing constraint violation of the IC design.

This disclosure relates to static timing analysis of an integrated circuit.
Static timing analysis (STA) is a method of computing the expected timing of an integrated circuit (IC) without requiring conducting actual simulation of the circuit. High-performance integrated circuits have traditionally been characterized by the clock frequency at which they operate. Gauging the ability of an integrated circuit to operate at the specified speed requires an ability to measure, during the design process, its delay at numerous steps. Moreover, delay calculation should be incorporated into the inner loop of timing optimizers at various phases of design of the integrated circuit, such as logic synthesis, layout (placement and routing), and in-place optimizations performed late in the design cycle. While such timing measurements can theoretically be performed using a rigorous circuit simulation, static timing analysis plays a vital role in facilitating fast and reasonably accurate measurement of timing of the IC without actually conducting the simulation on the IC due to the use of simplified delay models during the STA.
For each cell in the IC, its characteristics are defined in a cell library for library-based static timing analysis. In the example of a cell being a flip-flop or a latch, a hold time constraint can be defined, which characterizes constraint on hold time of the cell defined as the minimum amount of time after the clock's active/rising edge during which data signal should be held steady so that the data are reliably sampled. If the hold time at the cell is less than the characterized hold time constraint/threshold, the flip flop may fall into the failure region and not be able to operate properly.

Rule checking for confining waveform induced constraint variation in static timing analysis

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.


A test method and implementation is described to test an internal data path within a DDR DRAM during a read operation. A worse case test sequence and a compliment of the worse case test sequence is stored within memory. The test sequence and its compliment are arranged within a data word such that upon read out of the data word, the test sequences or the compliment of the test sequences is applied to a plurality of wire connections of the internal data path. Each test sequence comprises a plurality of logical bits of the same value followed by a bit of the opposite value, which tests for charge buildup on each element of the internal data path. Adjacent elements of the internal data path connect test sequences that are compliments to maximize voltage differentials and enhance possibility of signal coupling between wire elements of the internal data path.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention is related to memory testing and in particular test patterns to insure read signal integrity for a DDR DRAM.
2. Description of Related Art
A DDR DRAM is a memory chip that has been designed to provide high-speed reading and writing of data. In order to accomplish the high-speed, data is read or written using both edges of a clock. Thus for each clock cycle there is two bits of data being transferred to, or from, memory for each of two data words, where each data word comprises two four-bit segments. The signal lines for connecting the data from and to the sense amplifiers of the memory form a data bus and are routed on the memory chip in close proximity where wire elements of the data bus provide an opportunity for coupling between the high speed data signals. The ability of the bus circuitry to operate properly in a signal coupling environment is important for the memory chip to perform at high speed. Also, if a sequence of data bits of the same logical value is coupled onto a wire element of the data bus, an additional charge is built up on the wire and devices of the data path circuit that needs to be discharged when a data bit of opposite value is propagated on the wire element. A test to measure the ability of the driver of the wire element to overcome the additional charge is important to insure the operational integrity of the memory chip.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,799,290 (Kirihata et al.) a method is directed to the testing of a data path of a memory device including a plurality of stages of the data path and the transfer of data along the data path. U.S. Pat. No. 6,813,696 (Kanada et al.) is directed to a method to read and write a memory array chip in synchronization with an externally supplied clock and to test the operation of the memory chip with conventional memory test equipment. U.S. Pat. No. 5,600,660 (Wolf) is directed to a method for determining the number of defective digital data bits transmitted over a data transmission path being tested.

Test patterns to insure read signal integrity for high speed DDR DRAM


A processing device identifies a plurality of media items that have been accessed by a user. The processing device determines a plurality of annotations in the plurality of media items that identify a plurality of media content sources. The processing device calculates scores for the plurality of media content sources, wherein a score for a media content source of the plurality of media content sources is calculated based at least in part on a quantity of the plurality of annotations that identify the media content source. The processing device ranks the plurality of media content sources based on the calculated scores. The processing device the provides one or more ranked media content sources for presentation to the user.

Multiple different types of media content sources are available online. Media content sources are sources of media items such as videos, text strings, and so forth. Users can subscribe to particular media content sources and then receive media items from those media content sources. One example of a media content source is a video channel, such as provided by a video hosting service. Another example of a media content source is a user profile of a social network service. Yet another example of a media content source is a data feed such as a twitter feed provided by a social network service. Due to a vast quantity of available media content sources, it may be difficult for users to find and subscribe to media content sources that interest them.


Described examples include a system having a non-volatile memory including a binary section, a first page table and a second page table. The system also has a volatile memory and a processor coupled to the non-volatile memory and the volatile memory, the processor operable to use the first page table when the processor is initialized, the first page table including a first pointer to the binary section, the processor operable to cause copying of the binary section of the non-volatile memory to the volatile memory to create a copied binary section in the volatile memory, and the processor operable to use the second page table when the copying is complete, the second page table including a second pointer to the copied binary section.

In certain networks, devices connected to the network need a certain amount of time to go from a powered-off state to a communicative state. For example, vehicles often employ controller area networks (CANs). When the vehicle is off, almost all devices connected to the CAN do not have power. When the vehicle starts, these devices receive power. Vehicle manufacturers often specify that devices connected to the CAN must be able to answer a message on the CAN within a specified start-up period, which creates challenges for device designers.

Integrated circuit capable of switching between non-volatile memory-based and volatile memory-based processor execution


An Internet Call Waiting (ICW) service provides single-line subscribers (100) connected to the Internet with incoming call information, call screening and voice messaging capabilities. An incoming call is terminated at an ICW server (154). The caller is prompted to leave a voice message and the voice message is relayed in real-time over the Internet connection (138) to permit the subscriber to monitor the message. The subscriber can choose to answer the call at any time before the caller disconnects. Subscriber profile options specify how calls are treated. Calls may be forwarded to a second directory number, directed to a Voice-over-IP (VoIP) connection, or the Internet connection may be dropped and the call completed to the subscriber's directory number. The subscriber benefits from being able to screen voice messages in real-time, which assists the subscriber in determining how the call should be terminated.

Internet access is made available to home users by Internet Service Providers (ISPs). Typically, home users subscribe to Internet dial-up services available from ISPs, and use home personal computers (PCs) to connect to the ISPs via modems connected to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) by Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS), subscriber lines. In operation, a modem places the POTS subscriber line off-hook, dials a directory number (DN) associated with the ISP providing Internet access, and establishes a data connection with terminating equipment maintained by the ISP.
With the increasing variety of Internet services being provided, PCs are being connected to the Internet for increasingly longer periods of time. With the subscriber line in an off-hook condition, telephone calls placed to the subscriber receive busy treatment unless a call alerting system is available. Prior art methods of alerting a subscriber to an incoming call while a telephone termination is off-hook are typically subscription based and referred to as "Call Waiting" services. Call Waiting provides, during a telephone session between two parties, an audible alert to the called party, signifying that another telephone call has just been placed and is awaiting an answer. Such services work well for voice calls, but do not integrate well with data connections established using a modem for accessing the Internet because the Call Waiting alert disrupts the data connection. The Call Waiting service is therefore usually disabled by the user during an Internet session.
The problem of alerting the home PC user of incoming telephone calls during an Internet session, is addressed in many prior art references. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,805,587 entitled CALL NOTIFICATION FEATURE FOR A TELEPHONE LINE CONNECTED TO THE INTERNET, which issued Sep. 8, 1998 to Norris et al., describes a facility for alerting a subscriber whose telephone station set is connected to the Internet of a waiting telephone call. The alert is sent through the Internet connection. The waiting call is forwarded via the PSTN to a services platform which in turn establishes a connection to the subscriber using the Internet. The service platform notifies the subscriber of the waiting call via the Internet connection. Information, limited to Caller Identification (ID) or Automatic Number Identification (ANI) information, is provided to the subscriber. The services platform may forward the waiting telephone call to the subscriber via the Internet responsive to a subscriber request to do so.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,946,381 entitled CONTROLLING INCOMING CALLS VIA THE WORLDWIDE WEB, which issued Aug. 31, 1999 to Danne et al., describes a method and system in which an incoming call is routed to a service node with a Worldwide Web interface. Responsive to an incoming call, an "alert" software routine is executed in the service node, which sends an alert message to a Java software application executing on a called party's Internet connected terminal (i.e., a personal computer). The Java application causes a window to be displayed on the called party's terminal, which shows pertinent information about the calling party. The displayed window also contains "buttons" that permit the called party to choose whether to accept the call, reject the call, hold the call or re-direct the call to another phone.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,982,774 entitled INTERNET ON HOLD, which issued Nov. 9, 1999 to Foladare et al., describes methods of enabling a user connected to the Internet, over a telephone line, through an Internet access provider, to place the Internet connection on hold to answer an incoming telephone call. The user is informed of the waiting call by means of a signal sent by a local exchange carrier to the Internet access provider, indicating the presence of the waiting call and the identity of the calling party. This information is then transmitted by the Internet access provider. Upon an affirmative decision to take the call, indicated to the Internet access provider by means of a "click" on the screen of the user's terminal, the call to the Internet access provider is placed on hold and the incoming call is connected through to the user's telephone set.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,078,581 entitled INTERNET CALL WAITING, which issued Jun. 20, 2000 to Shtivelman et al., describes a telephony call-waiting system for clients having a computer with a video display unit, adapted to keep a status indication of a client's Internet connection status. During periods of time that the client is accessing the Internet, the system alerts the client of any waiting PSTN calls by sending an "alert" signal over the Internet connection. An audio and/or visual alert event is provided by the computer on receiving the "alert" signal. Information such as Caller ID can be provided. The system also provides for a client-initiated response to an alert accepting or rejecting a waiting call. Provisions are made for connecting the waiting call to the client's computer premises as an Internet protocol (IP) call. A facility is also provided to permit the client to deal with multiple waiting calls.
Although meritous, the above mentioned inventions only provide Caller ID and/or ANI information for screening purposes. The call screening information is derived from the phone number of the subscriber line from which the caller is placing the call, therefore providing to the called party with only the originating DN (if available). In many cases, the originating DN is not adequate to identify the calling party. Examples in which Caller-ID and ANI information fails to provide adequate screening information include when a caller calls from someone else's telephone set, or calls from a public telephone, or some other unknown or unrecognized number. Besides, the nature or intent (i.e., subject matter) of the call, and other relevant information, can only discovered by the called party after accepting the call.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,041,103 entitled INTERACTIVE CALL IDENTIFICATION, which issued Mar. 21, 2000 to La Porta et al., addresses the need for caller information prior to accepting a call, to assist a call recipient in screening the call. La Porta describes a method and system for interactively identifying a telephone call on a communications network as part of call establishment procedures. When a telephone call is placed to the called party, it is routed to a server element on the PSTN, which terminates the call. The server then prompts the calling party for a message. When this message is received, the first telephone connection is put on hold and a second telephone connection is established between the server element and the called party. The screening message is relayed to the called party over the second telephone connection. If the called party accepts the call, the server element bridges the two calls. This invention only addresses telephone calls originating and terminating on voice terminals. It does not provide call screening to called parties who are using their telephone line to connect to the Internet. Furthermore, the solution may be regarded as intrusive by some callers because they are prompted to provide a screening message every time they call a party subscribing to this service.
As is evident from the foregoing, there remains a need for a method and system that permit subscribers to screen incoming telephone calls in real-time, and in a non-intrusive manner, when the telephone calls are directed to a PSTN termination engaged in an Internet session established over POTS service facilities.

Internet call waiting with voicemail system that provides monitoring during recording


A recording apparatus is provided with a paper supply stacker on which sheets are stacked and held, a recording head for effecting recording on the sheets fed out from the paper supply stacker, a flat support device for supporting the sheets during the recording by the recording head, and a discharged paper stacker onto which the sheets recorded by the recording head are discharged.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a recording apparatus for effecting recording on a recording medium, and more particularly to a recording apparatus capable of effecting recording of high quality with recording means brought close to a recording medium.
2. Related Background Art
Today, various recording systems have been developed and above all, the ink jet recording system which effects recording by discharging ink droplets in conformity with recording signals has recently been widely used because of the ease with which the compactness and low noise of the apparatus are realized.
In this ink jet recording apparatus, an example of which is shown in FIG. 9 of the accompanying drawings, a recording medium 51 is conveyed to a recording position L by a pair of conveying rollers 50a and 50b and the back of the thus conveyed recording medium 51 is supported by a paper guide 52 and also, an ink jet recording head 53 is driven to discharge ink droplets to the recording medium 51 in conformity with recording signals to thereby accomplish desired recording. After the recording, the recording medium 51 is discharged by a pair of discharge rollers 54a and 54b. In such a recording apparatus, ink droplets discharged from the recording head 53 are very minute and therefore, in order to eliminate the influence of wind or the like to the utmost to thereby obtain a high quality of recording, the distance between the recording head 53 and the paper guide 52 is made small. Design is also made such that the plane to which the paper guide 52 belongs and the point of pressure contact P between the pair of conveying rollers 50a and 50b and the point of pressure contact Q between the pair of discharge rollers 54a and 54b are on the same plane and the recording medium 51 is conveyed rectilinearly.
However, when paper is used as the recording medium 51 and ink is discharged for recording at high density, the paper 51 which has passed the recording area by the recording head 53 is bulged by the permeation of the ink. At this time, there is no escape for the bulged paper and therefore, the paper is expanded toward the recording head 53 side as indicated by the dot-and-dash line in FIG. 9. If this expansion becomes great, the recording head 53 may rub against the recording medium 51 during scanning to thereby stain the recording medium 51 with the recording ink. In an extreme case, the recording head 53 may be caught by the bulged recording medium 51 to thereby cause the jamming of the recording medium. Therefore, distance between the recording head 53 and the paper guide 52 has been limited in being made small.
FIG. 10 of the accompanying drawings shows another example of the prior art.
In FIG. 10, the reference numeral 401 designates a recording head for effecting recording, the reference numeral 402 denotes a carriage carrying the recording head 401 thereon and effecting main scanning in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the drawing sheet, the reference numeral 403 designates a carriage shaft along which the carriage slides, the reference numeral 406 denotes a conveying roller for holding a sheet S and conveying it in the sub-scanning direction, the reference numeral 407 designates a follower roller for urging the sheet S against the conveying roller 406 to thereby create a conveying force, the reference numeral 408 denotes a paper discharging roller for discharging the sheet S, the reference numeral 409 designates a paper discharging follower roller adapted to be urged against the paper discharging roller 408 to thereby create a conveying force, and the reference numeral 410 denotes a recording position at which recording is effected on the sheet S by the recording head 401. The reference numeral 421 designates a supply stacker on which sheets S are stacked, the reference numeral 417 denotes a paper feeding roller for feeding the sheets S on the feeding stacker 421, and the reference numeral 423 designates a discharged paper stacker on which the discharged sheets S are stacked.
The sheets S stacked on the supply stacker 421 are picked up one by one by the paper feeding roller 417 and are fed to the conveying roller 406, and thereafter are conveyed to the recording position 410 by the conveying roller 406. Recording is effected on the sheets S by the recording head 401, whereafter the sheets S are discharged from the recording position 410 by the paper discharging roller 408 and are stacked on the discharged paper stacker 423.
In this example of the prior art, the sheet S is fed to the recording position 410 from the side opposite to the recording head 401, and the discharge direction was parallel to the plane of the recording position or opposite to the recording head 401. In the above-described prior-art recording apparatus, when a rigid sheet such as a postcard is used, the sheet is fed to the recording position 410 from the side opposite to the recording head 401, and this has led to the disadvantage that when the leading end of the sheet is conveyed to the recording position 410 through the point of pressure contact between the conveying roller 406 and the follower roller 407, the leading end of the sheet floats up from the recording position 410 due to the rigidity of the sheet and is liable to contact the recording head 401 when the head effects main scanning, thereby becoming jammed. There has also been the disadvantage that when the sheet is conveyed by only the paper discharging roller 408 after the trailing end of the sheet has passed the point of pressure contact between the conveying roller 406 and the follower roller 407, the trailing end of the sheet likewise floats up from the recording position 410 due to the rigidity of the sheet and is liable to contact the recording head 401 when the head effects main scanning, thereby becoming jammed.
Also, in an ink jet recording apparatus, and particularly a color printer, design has heretofore been made such that as a method of preventing paper floating after recording and imparting tension to a recording surface, paper is pulled by a roller upstream of the recording surface or is adsorbed by air suction or the like. Also, a spur has been provided in a recording medium discharging portion to contrive a countermeasure for paper floating.
The above-described roller construction upstream of discharged paper, however, can only cope with coated paper, and cannot cope with OHP and plain paper which are liable to be print-stained. Also, the construction for air-sucking the recording medium leads not only to the bulkiness of the apparatus, but also to the problem of noise. On the other hand, in an ink jet recording apparatus of the spur construction, there has arisen the problem that by the shape of the projected portion of the spur, ink adhering to the projected portion of the spur stains the white or otherwise colored recording surface of a recording medium such as coated paper, plain paper or OHP. Since the painted surface of coated paper is made of a metallic oxide or a metallic compound of the Si family or Mg family, this projected portion comes to effect paper conveyance at a higher speed, and even if the spur is made of an SUS material, the spur has come to be abraded and slip relative to the recording surface onto which ink has been shot, thereby causing image deterioration. The abraded projection would cause the surface of the paper to be more stained with the ink adhering to the projection.
Also, in the case of a color printer, the influence of the spur in the paper conveying portion differs from that in a monochrome printer, and a slight amount of ink adhering to the spur again becomes wet with the ink on the recording paper shot onto the other color end by the spur being rotated once and thus, color mixing occurs to stain the recording surface. The tip of the projection of the spur becomes rounded from the abrasion of a mold in the punching of a press and the portion thereof which contacts the surface of the paper becomes large, and on OHP, plain paper or the like on which it is difficult for ink to be fixated, the ink is greatly wet with the ink on the surface of the paper and therefore, print stain by the spur is liable to occur. Particularly on OHP, slip occurs between the spur and the surface of unfixated ink liquid on the surface of the paper and a trace like a drawn line is liable to be created by the relative speed. In an ink jet color printer, not only coated paper but also OHP, plain paper or the like is recently used as a recording medium and therefore, when printing is effected on a recording medium of bad fixation, the influence of the abrasion of the projection of the spur by the painted layer of the recording medium occurs more readily and the stain of the printed surface becomes remarkable.
FIGS. 11 and 12 of the accompanying drawings schematically show the stain of the printed surface. FIG. 11 shows the re-melting stain of wet red ink (R) by black ink (Bk). FIG. 12 shows black dots and black lines due to sliding in a case of a sheet 522 of bad fixativeness. Also, FIGS. 13, 14 and 15 of the accompanying drawings show the relation between OHP and the spur, and in these figures the letter C designates a coat layer, and represents the manner in which sliding becomes liable to occur due to the abrasion of a spur projection 509a.

Recording apparatus with system for stacking , supplying and guiding recording media


A positive uniaxial film 14 with a retardation of Rp [nm] in an in-plane direction is disposed between a vertical alignment mode liquid crystal cell 11 and a polarizing plate 12, and a negative uniaxial film 15 with a retardation of Rn [nm] in a thickness direction is disposed between the positive uniaxial film 14 and the polarizing plate 12. Further, when a parameter α1 [nm] in relation to Rp is 35+(Rlc/80−4)2×3.5+(360−Rlc)×Rtac/850; and a parameter β1 [nm] in relation to Rn is Rlc−1.9×Rtac, where Rtac [nm] is a retardation in a thickness direction of the respective base films of polarizing plates 12 and 13, the retardations Rp and Rn are set to fall within ranges of 80% to 120% of the parameter α1 and 60% to 90% of the parameter β1, respectively.

Conventionally, a liquid crystal display device has been widely used for the screen of a word processor and a computer. In recent years, the liquid crystal display device has spread rapidly as a television screen. Many of these liquid crystal display devices adopt TN (Twisted Nematic) mode. However, the TN mode liquid crystal display device has the problems of tendencies to degrade a contrast and to reverse a gradation property when viewed from an oblique direction.
For this reason, in recent years, in light of the improvement in viewing angle property when viewed from an oblique direction, a VA (Vertical Alignment) mode liquid crystal display device has been attracting attention. A liquid crystal cell of the VA mode liquid crystal display device is arranged in combination of a nematic liquid crystal having a negative dielectric anisotropy with a vertical alignment film.
Further, for example, Japanese Patent No. 2947350 (published on Sep. 13, 1999) and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2000-39610 (published on Feb. 8, 2000), as shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, disclose a liquid crystal display device 101 in which a biaxial film 116 is provided between a liquid crystal cell 111 and a polarizing plate 112, and a liquid crystal display device 101a in which a positive uniaxial film 114 and a negative uniaxial film 115 are provided between the liquid crystal cell 111 and the polarizing plate 112 and between the positive uniaxial film 114 and the polarizing plate 112, respectively, in order to optically compensate for the optical anisotropy of the liquid crystal cell 111 when black image is displayed.
With the above arrangement, even though the liquid crystal cell 111 brings a phase difference depending on a polar angle to transmitting light when the liquid crystal cell 111 in which liquid crystal molecules are oriented vertically is viewed from an oblique direction, the phase difference can be compensated by properly setting the respective retardations of the film 116 (films 114 and 115). Therefore, a black display can be performed substantially as in the case when the liquid crystal cell 111 is viewed from a front direction, that is, as in the case where the liquid crystal molecules maintain the polarized state of the transmitting light. As a result of this, it is possible to prevent light leakage, thus enhancing the contrast and suppressing the occurrence of coloring and tone degradation when viewed from an oblique direction.
However, nowadays, under the situation where a liquid crystal display device with a wider viewing angle and higher display quality is expected, there is a demand for the improvement in coloring and tone degradation caused when viewed from the oblique direction. The liquid crystal display device using the films 116 (114 and 115) with the retardation described in Japanese Patent No. 2947350 and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2000-39610, however, is not always satisfactory and still leaves room for improvement.
In view of the above problems, the present invention in a vertical alignment mode liquid crystal display device is attained as a result of investigating the effects of base films of polarizing plates on suitable retardations of films for the suppression of coloring and tone degradation when viewed from an oblique direction. It is therefore an object of the present invention is to surely provide a liquid crystal display device in which the coloring and tone degradation can be suppressed within allowable limits in practical use, while maintaining a contrast at a sufficiently high value in practical use when viewed from an oblique direction.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


In a webbing-winding device, a tension acting on a webbing is smaller when a pretensioner-mechanism is actuated than when a force-limiter mechanism is actuated, thus, projection dimensions of a first claw and a second claw can be made smaller than projection dimensions of second contact portions. A total of contact areas of first contact portions and the second contact portions with a body portion is larger than a total of contact areas of the first claw and the second claw with the body portion. Accordingly, the first claw and the second claw are caused to insert through an insertion hole from the lower side of a stay to attach. Since the projection dimensions can be made smaller, an amount of deflection of the protector can be made smaller. Therefore, the protector can be held on the stay reliably to allow the protector to be attached to the stay easily.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a webbing winding device including a protector that protects a webbing worn by an occupant of a vehicle by covering an insertion hole through which the webbing is inserted.
2. Related Art
FIG. 13 of Japanese Utility Model No. 3041981 shows a stay upper that is fixed to a frame. The stay upper includes a stay upper body having a seat belt guide hole formed by being penetrated therethrough and the seat belt guide hole with a seat belt being inserted therethrough.
A protector having a rectangular ring shape made of resin is arranged in a periphery of an opening of the seat belt guide hole. An upper side flange and a lower side flange are provided in an entire outer circumferential portion of the protector and the upper side flange and the lower side flange are each projected from the protector toward an outer side.
At a time in which a protector is attached to a stay upper, the protector is inserted into the seat belt guide hole from above the stay upper while being deflected (flexed) by a projecting amount of the lower side flange. Accordingly, the protector is held by the stay upper with the stay upper being sandwiched between the upper side flange and the lower side flange. Thus, with a seat belt being in contact with the protector, the seat belt is suppressed from coming into contact with the opening periphery of the seat belt guide hole.
If a load such as a strong tensile force is abruptly applied to the seat belt, the seal belt slides in an inner circumferential portion of the protector so that a high-load frictional force acts on the protector from the seal belt. Thus, the projecting amount (engage-amount) of the upper side flange and the lower side flange from the protector is set large to allow the stay upper to reliably hold the protector.
Therefore, at a time in which the protector is attached to the stay upper, the amount by which the protector is deflected increases, posing a problem that it is difficult to attach the protector to the stay upper.


A temperature compensated crystal oscillator with an improved phase noise characteristic and a fast start up time includes a large time constant low-pass filter coupled to a temperature compensation circuit. At start up the low pass filter is effectively bypassed to enable the temperature compensation voltage and oscillator output frequency to settle quickly. A capacitance in the low-pass filter is precharged by a precharge circuit to match the temperature compensation voltage without disturbing the temperature compensation circuit and the concurrent settling of the oscillator. When the capacitance is fully charged, the low-pass filter is enabled without unsettling the oscillator output frequency.

Oscillators that have a frequency determining crystal are commonly used to provide a stable output frequency. However, the crystals used in these oscillators are temperature sensitive and are therefore required to be temperature compensated to maintain a stable oscillator output frequency.
A temperature compensated crystal oscillator (TCXO) generally includes a temperature compensation circuit which generates a temperature variable output voltage which is applied to a frequency control input to stabilize the oscillator output frequency over temperature. To improve phase noise prior art TCXOs use a low-pass filter with a large time constant to remove unwanted noise generated at the output voltage. Unfortunately, when power is turned on to the TCXO, the low-pass filter takes a long time to settle and, consequently, the oscillator takes a long time to stabilize to the correct temperature compensated output frequency.
Typically, prior art TCXOs use a low-pass filter with a twenty millisecond time constant to sufficiently attenuate output noise from the temperature compensation circuit. At power on, these TCXOs require about ten to twelve milliseconds for their output frequencies to settle to within specifications. This startup delay is unacceptable for modern communication systems, including cellular telephones and two-way radios, which require low-power crystal oscillators that provide a stable output frequency with low phase noise almost immediately after turn-on. In particular, many cellular radios which use a discontinuous receive mode require startup delays of less than three milliseconds.
Integrated circuit (IC) based TCXOs have been unable to achieve three millisecond startup times. TCXOs made up of discrete components have fast startup times, but are relatively large and expensive. In addition, their phase noise degrades with temperature.
There is a need for a low power TCXO that has a fast startup time with improved phase noise. There is also a need for a TCXO that retains the advantages of IC based TCXOs with the performance of discrete component TCXOs.

Circuit for minimizing turn-on time of temperature compensated crystal oscillator


Systems for providing secure access to systems are provided. A computing device may receive a request to access functionality which may include login credentials of a user. Upon receiving the request to access functionality, the computing device may execute a scan of an area surrounding the computing device to detect any wearable devices within proximity of the computing device that are linked to the computing device. The authenticating information and, in some examples, detected, linked wearable device, may be validated. Based on the validation, authentication response data may be generated and transmitted to an authentication computing platform which may cause the authentication computing platform to validate the authentication response data and cause the computing device to connect to a client interface computing platform. After a connection between the computing device and client interface computing platform is established, interface data may be transmitted from the client interface computing platform to the computing device and one or more interfaces may be displayed on the computing device.

Aspects of the disclosure relate to electrical computers and systems. In particular, one or more aspects of the disclosure relate to using advanced biometric and/or multi-factor, hardware-based techniques to authenticate a user, provide access to functionality, or the like.
Controlling access to secure systems is an important function in the business world. Unauthorized users are constantly finding more creative ways to obtain user login information and/or otherwise gain access to secure systems and the personal information stored thereon. Conventional systems often rely on traditional credentials, such as a username and password combination to enable access for a user. However, these traditional credentials can often be falsified or obtained by unauthorized users to perform unauthorized activity.
Some conventional systems rely on traditional biometric data, such as a fingerprint, to authenticate a user. However, fingerprint data can also be falsified or obtained without the authorization of a user. Accordingly, it would be advantageous to increase the technical complexity associated with authenticating a user, such as by providing multi-factor hardware-based and/or advanced biometric arrangements as discussed herein, in order to prevent access to unauthorized users.

Preventing unauthorized access to secure information systems using multi-factor, hardware based and/or advanced biometric authentication


Porous semiconducting material, e.g. silicon, is formed by electrochemical treatment of a specimen in hydrofluoric acid, using the specimen as anode. Before the treatment, the specimen can be masked. The porous material is then etched with a caustic solution or is oxidized, depending of the kind of structure desired, e.g. a thinned specimen, a specimen, a patterned thinned specimen, a specimen with insulated electrical conduits, and so on. Thinned silicon specimen can be subjected to tests, such as measurement of interstitial oxygen by Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR).

In the art of large scale integrated (LSI) devices, the information packing density is constantly increasing. However, with the increasing packing density, certain problems or potential problems may present themselves.
It has been shown that the generation of thermally induced internal microdefects in semiconductors is strongly affected by the type and concentration of dopant, and that oxygen precipitation is drastically suppressed in heavily doped n-type (n+) or p-type (p+) silicon wafers. In this respect, it has been deemed important to measure the interstitial oxygen (O.sub.i) non-destructively in heavily doped wafers as well as heat-treated ones in order to understand the formation and behavior of thermally induced microdefects in the wafers.
However, the measurement of interstitial oxygen in silicon materials is not always a straightforward and easily accomplished goal. More specifically, many CMOS processes use epitaxial structures of a lightly doped layer of silicon on a heavily doped substrate to avoid latch-up problems. Typically, epitaxial structures are either n/n+ or p/p+.
Although optical transmittance measurements can be employed to measure interstitial oxygen under certain circumstances in some semiconductors, the interstitial oxygen (O.sub.i) of the n+ or p+ substrates, if the substrate is standard (SEMI) thickness, is not easily measured by optical transmittance for resistivities between 0.1 Ohm-cm and 0.02 Ohm-cm and cannot be measured for resistivities less than 0.02 Ohm-cm due to the optical interference of free carrier optical absorption. O.sub.i is measured at 1107 cm.sup.-1 (9 micrometers) where the localized Si--O bond stretching vibration occurs. Free carrier absorption interference creates problems for both the consumer and the silicon supplier when specifying O.sub.i concentration for n+ or p+ silicon. Furthermore, the inability to measure interstitial oxygen has led to contradictory results in precipitation studies of n+ silicon and to confusion regarding the effects of dopant type and concentration on the SiO.sub.x precipitation in n+ or p+ silicon.
To ensure that the O.sub.i meets the specification of the consumer, most silicon suppliers will grow a dummy ingot of lightly doped silicon (having a resistivity of greater than 1.0 Ohm-cm). Lightly doped silicon does not have the free carrier optical absorption interference, and the O.sub.i can be easily measured. If the O.sub.i of the dummy ingot meets specifications, then the dopant level is increased to meet the consumer resistivity specification, and a new ingot is grown under the same conditions as the dummy ingot. An assumption is made that the O.sub.i will not drastically change during the growth of the new ingot. However, this assumption is not always reliable. It would be desirable, therefore, to have a method of measuring O.sub.i that is reliable for silicon wafers that are heavily doped (having dopant concentrations greater than 10.sup.17 /cm.sup.3).
Other methods are known which include the determination of interstitial oxygen implicitly but not explicitly. These methods are for the determination of total oxygen, which includes both interstitial oxygen and substitutional oxygen, in silicon substrates. These methods for determining total oxygen include: secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS); vacuum fusion gas analysis; photoactivation analysis combined with gas fusion analysis; electron irradiation; positron annihilation; charged particle analysis; and Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR). The methods that provide total oxygen, as opposed to interstitial oxygen, are obviously not used for interstitial oxygen determinations. Furthermore, the techniques of SIMS, gas fusion, and irradiation are destructive of the samples, and further processing after analysis is impossible.
More specifically with respect to FTIR, FTIR can be used for the direct FTIR measurement of O.sub.i in n+ or p+ silicon. When FTIR is used for the direct FTIR measurement of O.sub.i in n+ or p+ silicon, some form of mechanically thinning of a wafer is always involved. Standard mechanical thinning practice requires that the wafer be sectioned into pieces of approximately 5.0 cm.sup.2 in order to maintain flatness and parallelism during the mechanical thinning and polishing processes. Sectioning into smaller pieces destroys substrate integrity and any further processing to produce a LSI or CMOS device is impossible.
A number of significant disadvantages are associated with the mechanical thinning of the silicon wafers. When a particular specimen is mechanically thinned for the FTIR testing to determine O.sub.i, too much damage may be done to the specimen which would increase the background noise level of the spectra thereby decreasing the accuracy of the measurement of the O.sub.i band. Thus, it would be desirable to provide a way of thinning a silicon wafer for FTIR testing which permits the tested specimen to be used in further processing steps to produce a LSI or CMOS device, or the like.
Furthermore, when a particular specimen is mechanically thinned for the FTIR testing, free carrier absorption interference can still be a problem. Subsequently, then, irradiation is carried out to neutralize the free carriers. It would be desirable, therefore, to provide a way of thinning a silicon wafer for FTIR testing in which free carrier optical absorption is significantly reduced, whereby there is no need for subsequent irradiation to the neutralize free carriers.
When a particular specimen is mechanically thinned for the FTIR testing, relatively small specimens are needed. However, for many LSI and CMOS devices, the entire wafer of silicon is employed. It is difficult to handle the small pieces of silicon, and it is difficult to subject the small pieces of silicon to mechanical thinning. It would be desirable, therefore, to have a way to prepare silicon samples for FTIR testing for interstitial oxygen without the need to handle and mechanically thin relatively small pieces of silicon.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for forming porous semiconductor material on semiconductor substrates.
Another object is to provide a method for selectively thinning semiconductor devices.
Another object is to provide a method for thinning complete integrated circuit chips for application in multichip packaging technology.
Another object is to provide a method for forming insulated electrical path through a thick conductive silicon substrate.
Another object is to provide a method for forming holes in integrated circuit chips, which will serve to align said chips into a three-dimensional package.
Another object is to form vias or holes through a conductive silicon substrate for making electrical connections the front and the back of the substrate.
Another object is to decorate structural grown-in or process induced defects on a silicon wafer.
Another object is to provide a method for preparing silicon samples that permits reliable measurement of interstitial oxygen (O.sub.i) in silicon wafers that are heavily doped.
Another object is to provide a method of selective thinning a silicon wafer for FTIR testing which maintains the original dimensions of the tested specimen so further processing steps to produce an LSI or CMOS silicon-based device, or the like, can be carried out.
Another object is to provide a method for determination of interstitial oxygen in silicon that does not require the making and using of dummy ingots.
Another object is to provide a method of thinning a silicon wafer for FTIR testing in which free carrier absorption is significantly reduced, whereby there is no need for subsequent irradiation to the neutralize free carriers.
Another object is to provide a method to conduct FTIR testing for interstitial oxygen without the need to handle and mechanically thin relatively small pieces of silicon.
Additional objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description that follows and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned with the practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The United States of America as represented by the Department of Energy


A method of controlling a manufacturing process, the method including the steps of a) providing a testing area with a periodic structure, where the periodic structure includes a series of sets of patterned features, b) illuminating the periodic structure with a light, thereby producing a non-zero order diffraction signal, c) collecting the diffraction signal to produce a test signature, d) matching the test signature with a reference signature, where the reference signature was previously produced by performing steps a), b), and c) with respect to a reference structure that is at least similar to the periodic structure, and e) controlling a manufacturing process using a control setting set associated with the matching reference signature.

Recently, tools based on scatterometry have been developed for process control in photolithography, and particularly for micro-lithography, which provide for high accuracy and repeatability, faster measurement, smaller volume and lower cost. Scatterometry is a method by which the signature, or optical response, of a periodic structure is measured. The signature may be obtained by measuring the optical properties of a structure, such as reflectance, ellipsometric or other parameters, as a function of one or more light parameters, such as the angle of incidence, polarization or wavelength. Thus, term "signature" may refer to an optical response of the structure to predetermined incident light. Due to the periodicity of the structure, it is possible to theoretically calculate the signature of a given sample using exact models thereof, such as in accordance with Rigorous Couple Wave Theory (RCWT), where a measured signature is correlated with theoretically calculated signatures that fit the structure's parameters. This fitting method suffers from such drawbacks as long calculation time, in-adequacy to real-time calculations, and the need for detailed knowledge about the structure, such as optical constants, that is required as input to the model. The problem of long calculation time is usually overcome by preparing a library of pre-calculated signatures. This procedure, however, requires a long setup time. The detailed knowledge about the structure, in many cases, also requires preliminary setup processes, such as material characterization. Yet another problem is the complicated, sometimes indirect relation between the process parameters, such as focus and exposure, and the profile parameters, where attempting to control the process by modifying process parameters based on profile information is difficult to implement. These problems impede the application of scatterometry-based systems as a production tool, specifically for integrated monitoring that require a fast feedback for process control. Additionally, since the accuracy of any measurement depends on the precision of the measuring device, any error of the measuring device decreases the reliability of such measuring techniques. Therefore, there is a need for an improved and efficient method for photolithographic process control.

Process control using non-zero order diffraction


A surgical sagittal saw blade that includes a guide bar to which a blade head is pivotally mounted. Side edges extend between the opposed proximal and distal ends of the guide bar. A blade is pivotally mounted to the guide bar. The blade includes a base disposed in the guide bar. The blade has a head that extends outwardly from the base. A head extends from the base. The head extends outwardly from one of the side edges of the blade bar. Drive rods that extend from the base are reciprocated. The reciprocation of the drive rods results in the oscillation of the blade, including the blade head, around a pivot point.

A sagittal saw is a powered surgical tool that is often used in an orthopedic surgical procedure. A sagittal saw generally includes a handpiece that houses a motor and the complementary control circuit that regulates the actuation of the motor. Extending forward, distally, from the handpiece, is a planar saw blade. The most forward end of the saw blade is formed with teeth for cutting hard tissue against which the blade is applied. A drive mechanism internal to the housing transfers the power developed by the motor to the blade. More particularly, the drive mechanism converts the rotary motion produced by the output shaft of the motor to the blade so that the blade moves in an oscillatory, back-and-forth pattern in the plane in which the blade is aligned. Consequently, when a sagittal saw is actuated, the blade teeth move in a back-and-forth pattern against the hard tissue or bone to which the teeth are applied. As a consequence of this motion and the forward pressure applied by the surgeon holding the saw, the teeth cut and separate the hard tissue or bone.
A sagittal saw is often used in an orthopedic surgical procedure to selectively remove bone. One particular type of orthopedic surgical procedure in which the saw is used is a joint replacement procedure. As the name implies, in this type of procedure, the surgeon resects the bone between the joints in the patient and substitutes an artificial joint.
In orthopedic surgical procedures, it is very important to ensure that, when a bone section is separated from the rest of the bone, the section is removed along very precise cut lines. This is very important in a joint replacement procedure because the substitute joint typically has a component that is designed to precisely fit in the space defined by cut lines of the section of bone that is left in place.
Therefore, in order to insure that the proper cut lines are formed in the bone, the surgeon typically first mounts a cutting guide, sometimes called a jig, to the bone adjacent to the location where the cut is to be made. One type of cutting guide is in the form of a block formed with a precisely shaped set of slots. The slots define the lines along which the bone is to be cut. The surgeon then performs the surgical procedure by sequentially inserting the saw blade in the slots. Once the blade is inserted in a slot, the saw is actuated. In this manner the surgeon is able to cut the bone along the precisely defined lines along which the bone is to be separated.
Another type of cutting guide is in the form of an open-face block which is mounted to the bone at the appropriate location and defines a guide surface thereon. The surgeon performs the surgical procedure by positioning the saw blade flat against the guide surface to make the desired cut. This type of cutting guide is advantageous in that the visibility of the cutting area is improved from that of cutting guides utilizing slots, since the saw blade is not hidden within the slot.
While presently available sagittal saws and complementary cutting guides work reasonably well, there are some noticeable limitations. As mentioned above, known commercially available sagittal saws are provided with flat planar blades that oscillate. This type of blade invariably rubs against the cutting guide material forming the slot(s) in which the blade is inserted. This repetitive contact wears away this slot-defining material. One problem associated with the wearing away of this material is that it widens the slot. Eventually, the slot may become so wide that it no longer serves to precisely define the cut line it is intended to define. Once a cutting guide is so worn, it needs to be replaced. Moreover, the wearing of the material forming the cutting guide generates a fine dust of the material. This dust inevitably settles on the surgical site at which the procedure is being performed. Consequently, during the procedure, the surgical personnel are required to spend an appreciable amount of time flushing the site to remove this dust. Having to repeatedly perform this process runs counter to one of the primary goals when performing surgery, that one should perform the procedure as quickly as possible to both minimize the likelihood the exposed tissue is open to infection and the amount of time the patient is held under anesthesia.
As discussed above, the oscillating blade of the current surgical saw will repeatedly gall the surfaces of the cutting guide forming the slot in which the blade is inserted. One further disadvantage of this blade galling is that same consumes power, and since many sagittal saws are battery powered, the power expended due to the friction caused by the blade galling reduces the overall amount of power the battery has available to power the saw. In other words, the power consumed to overcome this frictional contact can reduce the overall amount of time the battery, on a single charge, is able to power the saw. Moreover, as a consequence of the saw blade galling against a surface of the cutting guide, and then pulling away from the surface, there is some jerking of the blade. This jerking motion is transferred from the blade through the handpiece into the hand of the surgeon holding the saw. Consequently, the surgeon must exert some muscle control to hold the handpiece steady when he/she is exposed to this jerking motion.
Also, as an inevitable result of the back-and-forth motion of the blade, the surgical saw invariably vibrates. Again, the surgeon is required to engage in some conscious or unconscious physical effort to hold the saw steady when it so vibrates. Over time, having to so hold the saw steady to overcome this vibration can be significantly mentally and physically fatiguing.
Recently, there has been proposed a new type of surgical sagittal saw that does not include a flat oscillating blade. This saw instead includes an endless metal band that is formed with outwardly directed teeth. The band is wrapped around a static guide that extends forward from the handpiece, with the band teeth extending outwardly from the guide. A drive mechanism rotates the band. Since the guide of the proposed saw does not move, it is believed that many of the problems associated with saws that have oscillating blades would be eliminated. One example of this type of saw is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,725,530.
However, there are disadvantages associated with the above saw. It is expensive to provide the toothed metal band. Also, the metal band appears prone to fatigue and, consequently, breakage. The time it takes to replace this metal band while in the middle of a surgical procedure can appreciably increase the overall time required to perform the procedure.
Moreover, one of the goals of modern surgery is to, whenever possible, perform the procedure using a minimally invasive surgical (MIS) practice. As the name implies, in an MIS procedure only a relatively small incision is made with minimal soft tissue disruption in order to gain access to the surgical site. Minimizing the extent to which a patient's tissue is exposed reduces the amount of tissue that is exposed to the ambient environment and the potential for infection caused by such exposure. Furthermore, reducing the extent to which the patient's tissue is incised minimizes the amount of tissue that then needs to heal.
In order to perform a minimally invasive surgical procedure on a bone or bone joint, only a relatively small portion of the surrounding soft tissue is incised to expose the bone or the joint. Consequently, the bone or joint is not well exposed. In order to make the resection in the bone, the oscillating saw blade that is employed is typically longer than the saw blade used to perform a conventional, resection surgical procedure. Given the relatively long length of the blade, the blade has a mass moment of inertia that is appreciably greater than the mass moment of inertia associated with shorter-length blades. Consequently, when the saw to which this blade is attached is actuated, more vibratory motion is created by the blade and transferred to the rest of the handpiece than when a shorter blade is used. This increased vibratory motion can make it difficult for the surgeon to hold the saw steady. Further, because this longer type of saw blade oscillates along essentially its entire length during the cutting procedure, the saw blade can cause extensive damage to the soft tissue at the incision.
Moreover, a longer blade is more flexible than its shorter counterpart. The added flexibility of the blade can result in the blade making less precise cuts in the bone the blade is used to shape. Unfortunately, it is not possible to reduce this flexibility by simply increasing the overall thickness of the blade. Taking this action increases the mass of the blade and, by extension, the mass moment of inertia of the blade. For the reasons set forth above, increasing the mass moment of inertia of the blade would, in turn, increase the extent to which the associated saw, when actuated, vibrates.
Also, both the sagittal saws that are provided with oscillating blades and the proposed saw with a static guide bar are used with cutting guides that are relatively large in size. The relatively large size of the presently available cutting guides makes it difficult, if not impossible, to perform a minimally invasive surgical procedure.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,854,981 discloses a surgical saw having a saw blade pivotably supported at the end of a beam which extends forwardly from a handpiece. The beam includes a pair of tubes which are secured on opposite sides of a support rod, which tubes house therein reciprocating thrust rods. The thrust rods push against a plate adjacent the blade and cause the blade to undergo pivotal oscillating movement.
This saw, due to the pivotal movement of the blade at the distal end of the saw, would not appear to create excessive vibratory motion and/or soft tissue damage. However, the extension of the saw relative to the cutting slot or kerf created by the blade in the hard tissue or bone is limited. That is, the depth at which the saw can cut is limited to the length of the blade itself, since the beam which supports the blade is much larger than the blade.
Further, the arrangement illustrated in the above patent actuates the blade through compression of the respective thrust rods which then push against the blade to move same. This type of arrangement necessarily requires that the rods be dimensionally large and constructed of a heavy material capable of repeatedly withstanding these types of forces, which then results in a heavy and cumbersome saw.

Surgical sagittal saw blade assembly that includes a guide bar, a blade that is pivotally mounted to the guide bar, the blade having a head that extends from a side edge of the guide bar and drive rods that pivot the blade


A brochure feeding unit comprises a feeding magazine containing brochures stacked on top of each other in the form of a stack. The lowermost brochure in the stack directly resting on a belt conveyor is withdrawn by means of the conveyor through an outlet side of the magazine. The remaining brochures in the feeding magazine are retained by a partition element. The brochure is withdrawn from the feeding magazine and is stopped against a locating member wherein the distance between the lower end of the locating member and belt conveyor defines a gauged passage clearance having a width greater than the nominal thickness of the back edge of the brochure. A pusher element movable along the locating member impinges upon the brochure back edge of the brochure in order to reduce the height of the back edge under the lower end of the locating member so that the brochure can pass through the gauged passage clearance.

It is well-known that prior apparatus for the automatic packaging of compact discs include within their operating cycle insertion of booklets, covers, leaflets or the like into cases designed to receive the compact discs.
Usually feeding of these brochures is achieved with the aid of a belt conveyor by which the brochures are individually positioned close to a pick-up station where, by means of a mechanical handling device, the brochures are picked up to be conveniently fitted into the respective case.
Presently, placement down of the brochures onto the belt conveyor is performed manually by an operator assigned to assist with operation of the packaging machine.
More particularly, the operator, when it is necessary, places a number of brochures stacked on top of each other at the beginning of the longitudinal extension of the belt conveyor. The stacked brochures are distributed in a direction towards the pick-up station so that, when distribution is completed, each brochure projects towards the pick-up station with respect to the next one disposed immediately below.
The belt conveyor is then operated such that the brochures progress towards the pick-up station, until the pick-up station is reached by the first brochure in the stack.
The belt conveyor is then stopped in response to signals received from photoelectric cells or similar sensing devices positioned in the pick-up station, to thereby enable the handling device to pick up the first brochure. Thereafter, operation of the belt conveyor will be repeated so as to position the next brochure in the stack at the pick-up station.
However, these prior booklet insertion mechanisms have been found to have the following disadvantage.
First, the amount of brochures which can be disposed on the belt is closely related to the longitudinal extension of the belt conveyor. It is therefore difficult to obtain a sufficiently self-contained operation, especially in packaging machines of relatively small sizes, where the belt conveyor length is necessarily restricted. In addition, a correct distribution of the brochures on the belt requires a certain skill level of the operator.
Moreover, another disadvantageous aspect of the known art is the time required for periodically distributing the brochures on the belt conveyor, because, if an operator is performing this function, the operator will be unable to assist in the other operations of the packaging machine.

Unit and method for individually feeding brochures to a pick-up station