Device of layered structures for optical reflectors and method for making the device. A device for providing environmental stability and mechanical integrity in space includes a substrate and a first silicon oxynitride layer on the substrate. The first silicon oxynitride layer has a tensile stress. Additionally, the device includes a second silicon oxynitride layer on the first silicon oxynitride layer. The second silicon oxynitride layer has a compressive stress.

The present invention relates generally to thermal insulation technology. More particularly, the invention provides a layered structure to an optical reflector. Merely by way of example, the invention has been applied to a satellite system, but it would be recognized that the invention has a much broader range of applicability.
A satellite uses thermal insulation to control the internal temperature of the satellite. The internal temperature should be maintained so that various instruments in the satellite can function properly. The satellite instruments usually include sensitive electronic systems susceptible to malfunctions caused by thermal variations. Hence the high-quality thermal insulation is important for proper functioning of the satellite.
One type of thermal insulation used by satellite includes an optical solar reflector. The optical solar reflector protects an exterior surface of the satellite. To control the internal temperature of the satellite, the optical solar reflector suppresses the absorption of heat from the solar radiation and facilitate the radiation of heat from the satellite. For example, the optical solar reflector reflects solar energy incident on the satellite and emits heat energy produced by the satellite. Consequently, the optical solar reflector should usually have a low ratio of absorption coefficient to emissivity.
Also, the optical solar reflector should have high environmental stability and mechanical integrity. The environmental stability can ensure longitivity of the optical solar reflector. The optical solar reflector needs to function properly for the lifetime of the satellite; otherwise, the satellite instruments may malfunction prematurely. Similarly, the mechanical integrity can ensure sufficient coverage of the solar optical reflector on the satellite. For example, the optical solar reflector should have sufficient mechanical integrity to cover both curved surfaces and flat surfaces of the satellite; otherwise, the exposed curved surfaces may cause the malfunction of the satellite.
The conventional optical solar reflector usually cannot meet both criteria of high environmental stability and mechanical integrity. For example, an optical solar reflector may be a flexible optical solar reflector that includes a polymer-based heat radiation layer. But the flexible optical solar reflector usually suffers from deterioration of the polymer layer under the radiation of solar energy. Hence the optical reflector does not have sufficient environmental stability. As another example, an optical reflector may be a rigid optical solar reflector which includes a glass-based heat radiation layer. The rigid optical solar reflector is usually flat; therefore it can be used only at limited locations on the satellite. Further, the rigid solar reflector is usually difficult to handle during manufacturing and assembling. Hence the rigid optical solar reflector lacks desirable mechanical integrity.
It is desirable to improve an optical solar reflector.

Layered structures for optical reflectors


A gaseous mixture is deposited onto a substrate surface using a showerhead. A first plenum of the showerhead has a plurality of channels fluidicly coupled with an interior of a processing chamber. A second plenum gas flows through a plurality of tubes extending from a second plenum of the showerhead through the channels into the interior of the processing chamber. The diameter of the tubes is smaller than the diameter of the channels such that a first plenum gas flows into the interior of the processing chamber through a space defined between the outer surface of the tubes and the surface of the channels. The length and diameter of the tubes determine the level of distribution and the molar ratio of the first gas and the second gas in the gaseous mixture that is deposited on the surface of the substrate.

Semiconductor wafer processing systems generally contain a process chamber having a pedestal for supporting a semiconductor wafer within the chamber proximate a processing region. The chamber forms a vacuum enclosure defining, in part, the process region. A gas distribution assembly or showerhead provides one or more process gases to the process region. The gases are then heated and/or supplied energy to form a plasma which performs certain processes upon the wafer. These processes may include chemical vapor deposition (CVD) to deposit a film upon the wafer or an etch reaction to remove material from the wafer.
In processes that require multiple gases, generally the gases are combined within a mixing chamber that is then coupled to the showerhead via a conduit. For example, in titanium nitride deposition using titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4) and ammonia (NH3) as process gases, the two process gases are supplied to a mixing chamber along with respective carrier gases of helium and hydrogen where they are combined to form a gaseous mixture. The gaseous mixture is then coupled through a conduit to a distribution plate, where the plate contains a plurality of holes such that the gaseous mixture is evenly distributed into the process region. As the gaseous mixture enters the process region and is infused with energy, a chemical reaction occurs between the titanium tetrachloride and the ammonia such that the titanium tetrachloride chemically reacts with the ammonia (i.e., the TiCl4 is reduced by the NH3) to produce titanium nitride. The titanium nitride is deposited on the wafer in a chemical vapor deposition reaction.
Other two gas chemical vapor deposition reactions include the thermal decomposition of tetradiethylaminotitanium (TDEAT) in combination with ammonia to produce titanium nitride, the thermal decomposition of tetradimethylaminotitanium (TDMAT) in combination with ammonia or a nitrogen-hydrogen mixture to produce titanium nitride, or a reduction of tungsten hexafluoride (WF6) using hydrogen (H2) to produce tungsten. In any of these cases and any others that require two or more gases to process a wafer, multiple gases need be uniformly supplied to the process region.
Although it is generally advantageous to mix the gases prior to release into the process region to ensure that the gases are uniformly distributed into the process region, the gases tend to begin reduction, or otherwise react, within the mixing chamber. Consequently, deposition or etching of the mixing chamber, conduits and other chamber components may result prior to the gaseous mixture reaching the process region. Additionally, reaction by products may accumulate in the chamber gas delivery components. In some cases, it is desirable to dispense the gases into the processing region such that the gases are not uniformly distributed in the gaseous mixture.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a showerhead that provides at least two gases to the process region without commingling the gases prior to reaching the process region, and that affords control over the molar ratio and the level of distribution of gases that interact in the process region.

System and method for depositing a gaseous mixture onto a substrate surface using a showerhead apparatus


A method and apparatus for producing animation image wherein at least one quantum is given to at least one point to be observed in a space in which an animated object is contained, and the position of the animated object is modified in each frame of a plurality of successive frames on the basis of a value obtained through observation by the animated object of at least one of the quanta given to the point to be observed.

The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for producing an animation image by means of a computer, and especially to a method for producing an animation image which can display a variety of motions of objects by varying input data quantitatively.
A conventional system for producing an animation image is discussed, for instance, in "Method of Producing Animation Using Active Characters", by Tetsuya Uchiki and others, as part of a collection of papers filed to the Second NICOGRAPH Paper Contest (Shadanhojin Nippon Computer Graphics Kyokai, 1986), pp. 197 to 206. Based on the result of observation of an object present in a certain area, according to this system, an animated object selects an appropriate one of several patterns of an action model, which are provided beforehand in the form of programs, and moves in accordance with routine specified by these programs. In the production of an animation image of a barracuda attacking a school of herring, for instance, the following action models may be produced for the barracuda and the herring and the selected models are then implemented as programs.
A. Action model for the barracuda
(1) When a barracuda finds a school of herring, it starts an attack in the direction of the center of the school.
(2) Once turning to an attacking posture, it can not change its action for a length of time even if it misses the school of herring.
B. Action model for the herring
(1) When herring sense the attack of the barracuda, they select a direction for avoiding the attack based on the positional relationships they have with the barracuda.
(2) When they are not attacked or succeed in avoiding an attack, they select a direction which makes it possible to equalize the positional relationships they have with the neighboring herring as much as possible, while also taking action to form a school.
(3) When there is a possibility of interference (collision or contact) with other herring in proceeding in the direction selected in actions (1) or (2) with reference to the positional relationships they have with other herring in the vicinity, they change their direction to avoid contact.
In the conventional system for producing an animation image, as described above, an animated object perceives the type of an object present in its vicinity and, based thereon, selects a pattern of action.
We have discovered that the above-described conventional system has a problem in that the various actions corresponding to each animated object and each object present in the vicinity of the animated object present in the vicinity of the animated object must be described in the form of different programs for each different action. The conventional system has another problem in that it is difficult to represent a difference between the individual objects of the same type and also an action corresponding to an object having an intermediate property between different types of objects.

Method and apparatus for producing animation image


An image format conversion apparatus including a 3:2 pull-down detection part determining whether a current field out of plural fields continuous in time is an image of a 3:2 pull-down format produced by a 3:2 pull-down process; a scroll text/graphic data detection part determining whether scroll motions exist on the current field; a 3:2 pull-down compensation part calculating interpolation values for pixels of the current field to be interpolated by using a 3:2 pull-down interpolation method; an IPC part calculating interpolation values for pixels of the current field to be interpolated by using a second interpolation method; and an output selection part for selectively outputting either the interpolation values of the 3:2 pull-down compensation part or the interpolation values of the IPC part based on results of the determinations of the scroll text/graphic detection part and the 3:2 pull-down detection part.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image format conversion apparatus and method, and, more particularly, to an image format conversion apparatus and method capable of detecting and errorlessly converting horizontally moving text and graphic data of an interlace format contained in images produced in a 3:2 pull-down into images of a progressive format.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, an image display device employs either the interlace scan mode or the progressive scan mode. The interlace scan mode, which is used for general TVs and the like, divides one image frame into two fields and displays the fields on the screen one after the other in order when displaying one image. At this time, the two fields are referred to as a top field and bottom field, upper field and lower field, odd field or even field, and so on. On the other hand, the progressive scan, or non-interlace scan mode, is used for computer monitors, digital TVs, and so on, and displays the entire frame image at a single time by dealing with one image frame as a frame unit, much like a film is displayed on a screen.
For example, in the case of the 480-line National Television System Committee (NTSC) interlace scan mode (precisely, 487 valid lines in 525 lines), one frame is divided into two 240-line fields for a display, and the 240-line fields divided as such are displayed on a screen one after the other every 1/60 seconds. On the other hand, the progressive scan mode completely displays the entire frame image, a 480-line image, every 1/60 seconds. Accordingly, an image of a progressive format based on the progressive scan mode has a better image quality compared to an image of the interlace format.
One format that is closely related to such a progressive scan mode is a movie produced in film, which is because the original source for almost all recently released DVD movie titles is movies produced in film. Movies are produced at 24 frames per second, which is different from NTSC TV programs. In the case of a DVD movie title, it is, of course, possible to directly manufacture a DVD movie title from original images of 24 frames per second as in an original movie. However, since a majority of image display devices, such as general TVs which are widespread at the present time, adopt the interlace scan mode, DVD movie titles are practically produced in the interlace scan mode, considering such a reality.
Accordingly, a process is required for converting a 24-frame progressive film into 60-field interlace images, which is referred to as the 3:2 pull-down, or the telecine. The 3:2 pull-down process is a process that converts two 24 Hz frames into five 60 Hz fields.
FIG. 1 is a view explaining the 3:2 pull-down process. In FIG. 1, images produced at 24 frames per second in the progressive format are converted into 60 Hz interlace images. That is, as shown in FIG. 1, three fields are produced from the first frame Frame1, two fields are produced from the second frame Frame2, and so on, so five fields are produced per two frames on the whole.
However, since the data exchanges among devices using different scan modes become more necessary than ever as image display devices employing the progressive scan mode increase, an interlaced-to-progressive conversion (IPC) method becomes necessary to convert the interlace scan mode into the progressive scan mode. During such an IPC process, if it is known that a field to be interpolated is for an image of the 3:2 pull-down format, which is produced in 3:2 pull-down interpolation, a complete image of the progressive format before the 3:2 pull-down interpolation can be easily obtained by combining fields of the interlace format. Accordingly, before implementing the IPC method, it becomes necessary to detect whether a field to be interpolated is for an image interpolated in the 3:2 pull-down format. Various conventional methods exist for detecting such images of the 3:2 pull-down format.
However, horizontally scrolling interlaced text, or graphic data such as caption, and so on, may be included in an image of the 3:2 pull-down format. In this case, if the progressive images prior to the 3:2 pull-down interpolation are reproduced by simply combining the interlaced fields without considering scrolling text or graphic data, the text or the like is not smoothly displayed in the interpolated images, and, in worse cases, the broken text is displayed.
Therefore, in the case that an input image is in the 3:2 pull-down format, it is necessary to have an image format conversion apparatus and method capable of detecting whether scroll motions exist on horizontally scrolling interlaced text or graphic data prior to the interpolation, and adaptively interpolating the images accordingly.

Image format conversion apparatus and method


A unitary heterolaminar tissue graft construct is prepared by fusing partially overlapped strips or sheets of submucosa tissue. The submucosa components are fused by compressing at least the overlapped positions of said strips between two surfaces under conditions that allow or promote dehydration of the compressed submucosa sheets. Three dimensional graft constructs can be prepared by using complementary non-planar compressive surfaces.

It is known that compositions comprising the tunica submucosa delaminated from both the tunica muscularis and at least the luminal portion of the tunica mucosa of the intestine of warm-blooded vertebrates can be used as tissue graft materials. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,902,508 and 5,281,422. The compositions described in those patents are characterized by excellent mechanical properties, including high compliance, a high burst pressure point, and an effective porosity index which allowed such compositions to be used beneficially for vascular graft constructs and in connective tissue replacement applications. When used in such applications the submucosal graft constructs appear to serve as a matrix for the regrowth of the tissues replaced by the graft constructs. Significantly, too, in over 600 cross-species implants, submucosa-derived graft compositions have never been shown to elucidate a tissue graft rejection reaction.
One limitation of the submucosal graft constructs described in above mentioned patents is that the size of the graft is restricted by the size of the source material from which the submucosal tissue is prepared. For example, the size of a submucosal tissue graft prepared from intestinal tissues is limited by the length and circumference of the source segments intestinal tissue. Yet several applications of submucosal tissue graft constructs, including hernia repair, skin graft, meningeal coverings, repair of gastroschisis (congenital stomach defects) and organ tissue replacement, often require larger sheets of graft material than can be prepared directly from natural sources.
Large sheets of submucosal tissue can be prepared from smaller segments of submucosal tissue through conventional techniques such as weaving, knitting or the use of adhesives. However, commercial implementation of such techniques are often impractical and expensive. Additionally the use of adhesives or chemical pretreatment to promote adhesion of the tissue strips can compromise the biotropic properties of the submucosal grafts. Thus there is a need for an inexpensive, easily manufactured, large area submucosal tissue graft construct that retains its biotropic properties.
The present application is directed to a method of forming large area submucosal tissue graft constructs from vertebrate submucosa-derived matrices and the graft constructs formed by said method. Submucosa-derived matrices for use in accordance with the present invention are collagen based biodegradable matrices comprising highly conserved collagens, glycoproteins, proteoglycans, and glycosaminoglycans in their natural configuration and natural concentration. One extracellular collagenous matrix for use in this invention is submucosal tissue of a warm-blooded vertebrate. Submucosal tissue can be obtained from various sources, for example, intestinal tissue harvested from animals raised for meat production, including, pigs, cattle and sheep or other warm-blooded vertebrates. Vertebrate submucosal tissue is a plentiful by-product of commercial meat production operations and is thus a low cost tissue graft material.
Unitary heterolaminar sheets (graft constructs) of submucosal tissue are prepared in accordance with the present invention by adhering multiple partially overlapped strips of submucosal tissue to each other. The unitary sheet of tissue has a surface area larger than any one of the component submucosa strips. The present process comprises the steps of overlapping at least a portion of one strip of submucosal tissue with at least a portion of another strip of submucosal tissue and applying pressure at least to said overlapped portions under conditions allowing dehydration of the submucosal tissue. Under these conditions the overlapped portions will become "fused" to form a unitary large sheet of tissue. The large area graft constructs formed in accordance with the present invention consist essentially of submucosal tissue, free of potentially compromising adhesives and chemical pretreatments, and have a greater surface area and greater mechanical strength than the individual strips used to form the graft construct.

Large area submucosal tissue graft constructs and method for making the same


A direct reduction process for the production of ferrochrome from chromite ore or concentrate is disclosed. According to the present invention, calcium chloride (CaCl2) is added as a catalyst to accelerate the solid reduction and enhance the particle growth of the metallic phase (i.e. ferrochrome) during reduction. The reduction of chromite ore or concentrate takes place at much lower temperatures (e.g. 1200 to 1400° C.) compared to the conventional smelting technologies, and the ferrochrome particles formed are segregated from the unwanted residual gangue and spinel particles, facilitating their subsequent physical separation.

Ferrochrome is an essential alloy for stainless steel production. In Canada, the discovery of large chromite deposits in the Ring of Fire area in Northern Ontario has resulted in increased interests in the exploration of the deposits and its subsequent exploitation and processing to produce ferrochrome alloys.
Currently, most of the chromite ores or concentrates are processed by smelting with a reducing agent in electric arc furnaces to produce high-carbon ferrochrome or charge chrome. High-carbon ferrochrome contains typically 60-70 wt % of chromium, and 4-6 wt % of carbon, whereas charge chrome typically has chromium content of 50-55 wt % and carbon content of 6-8 wt %. These two types of ferrochrome are intermediate products primarily used for stainless steel production.
In a typical electric arc furnace smelting operation, electric current is passed through electrodes to generate heat and keep the temperatures sufficiently high to melt the feed materials and keep the slag in molten form. Endothermic reduction reactions take place by the addition of reductant to produce the molten ferrochrome alloy (Cr—Fe).FeCr2O4+4C→Cr2Fe+4CO
During the reduction process, MgO and Al2O3 are released from chromite to the molten slag phase. Molten alloy and molten slag phases in the electric arc furnace form two separate layers due to their immiscibility and substantial density difference. Separation of the molten alloy from the molten slag is then achieved by tapping them separately. Molten ferrochrome is tapped and casted in moulds, followed by crushing of the ingots to form a saleable ferrochrome product of different size fractions. An alternative product in the form of granulates is produced by water granulation of the molten ferrochrome.
There are certain drawbacks associated with conventional electric arc furnace smelting operation.
Among the drawbacks, conventional electric arc furnace smelting technologies for ferrochrome production are highly electrical energy intensive, mainly caused by the fact that smelting at temperatures as high as 1800° C. is required to keep the ferrochrome alloy and the slag phase molten during the reduction of chromite. Electrical energy consumption ranges from 2.4 to 4.3 MWh per tonne of ferrochrome produced. As a result, ferrochrome production is heavily constrained by the electrical power supply and the profitability of the smelting operation is greatly influenced by the local/regional price of electricity.
Therefore, efforts have been made to reduce the electrical energy consumption relating to conventional smelting technologies by incremental improvement, and by developing alternative processing routes for ferrochrome production.
For example, patent application WO 2015/060951 discloses a process wherein the chromite ore is reduced by reformed natural gas for reduction at sufficiently high temperatures. According to this application, fines of chromite are agglomerated with carbon and an accelerant (i.e. an alkaline compound in the form of an oxide, hydroxide or carbonate). The agglomerates, preferably in the form of pellets, are then reduced by reformed natural gas in a temperature range of 750 to 1150° C.
Patent application WO 2012/149635 discusses high temperature carbonaceous reduction of chromite ore with the usage of boron oxide (B2O3) or borate as a fluxing agent for the production of medium carbon ferrochrome. This application describes first making pellets from a mixture of chromite ore, coal and the above-mentioned catalyst; the pellets are then subjected to high temperatures of 1500° C. or lower, resulting in partial melting of the refractory oxides initiated by the flux followed by the reduction. The iron/chromium/residual carbon mixture is then further separated from the slag. Medium carbon ferrochrome alloy is produced by further melting the mixture in a melter.
Patent application WO 2008/142704 A1 discloses a process whereby chromite ore/concentrates are oxidized at a temperature of 900° C. to increase the reactivity of chromite, which, according to this application, is due to the formation of vacancies during the oxidation of FeO to Fe2O3. The oxidized ore/concentrates are further mixed with excess carbonaceous reductant and catalyst in the form of quartz (SiO2) and lime (CaO) before pelletization. Reduction is carried out at 1400˜1550° C., which supposedly would result in the formation of high-carbon ferrochrome nuggets with diameters measuring from 0.5 to 2.5 cm. This application claims that separation of the metal and slag phases can be achieved by physical methods and that a metallization degree of 50˜70% can be achieved.
Patent application WO/2013/011521 discloses a method for direct reduction of oxidized chromite ore fines composite agglomerates in a tunnel kiln to produce a reduced product that can be used in ferrochrome or charge chrome production. According to this application, prior to agglomeration, the ground run of mine chromite ore fines are first heat-treated in a tunnel kiln or a rotary kiln at temperatures up to 1100° C. for a period of 30˜300 minutes in the presence of air to allow the oxidation of FeO present in chromite spinel to form sequioxide lamellae on the surface of chromite particles. The oxidized chromite ore fines are then agglomerated with carbonaceous reductant, quartz or quartzite and lime as the slag formers and bentonite as the binder. The agglomerates are placed on the carbonaceous layer on the surface of tunnel kiln cars or trolleys, and subjected to reduction in the tunnel kiln, achieving metallization degrees of 15.0˜75.0 wt % for Cr and 40.0˜90.0 wt % for Fe. The reduced product or agglomerate can be used in ferrochrome or charge chrome production.
Patent GB1040443 describes a process for increasing the chromium-iron ratio of the chromite ore. According to this patent, the ore fines produced from grinding chromite ores or concentrates are mixed with ground carbonaceous reducing agent of up to 10 wt %, water, and a binding agent (e.g. sodium chloride, calcium chloride, sodium carbonate, or starch) before forming pellets. The proportion of the reducing agent is important so as to allow only reduction of the iron content while avoiding reduction of the chrome content. Partial reduction takes place by subjecting the pellets to a temperature of 1000˜1450° C. for about 10 minutes. The reduced iron can subsequently be removed by leaching the roasted pellets with acid, producing the leached pellets having higher chromium to iron ratio than the original chromite ore or concentrate.
Notwithstanding the above improvements on conventional smelting technologies, there remains the need for effective and energy-efficient processes for the reduction of chromite to produce ferrochrome alloys.

Carbothermic direct reduction of chromite using a catalyst for the production of ferrochrome alloy

Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada as represented by the Minister of Natural Resources


A power converter circuit for a low power illumination device includes a boost converter circuit, a buck converter circuit, and a control circuit. The control circuit configures the boost converter circuit to alternately operate in a current conducting mode and an off mode, to draw different values of the current from an electric transformer in different periods in the current conducting mode, and to stop drawing current from the electric transformer in the off mode. The control circuit further configures the buck converter circuit to generate the required output signals to the low power illumination device according to the output of the boost converter circuit so that the low power illumination device may function normally.

The disclosure generally relates to a power converter circuit of an illumination system and, more particularly, to the power converter circuit with better compatibility.
In view of the awareness of the energy crisis and the promotion of the environmental protection, many traditional products with poor energy efficiency are gradually replaced by energy-saving products. For example, in the illumination system, low power illumination devices (e.g., light-emitting diodes) are usually utilized to replace traditional illumination devices (e.g., incandescent lamps and halogen lamps) to conserve energy.
Many low power illumination devices are manufactured in the form of standard bulbs or tubes to directly replace traditional bulbs or tubes. For example, light-emitting diodes may be made into T8 tubes, E27 bulbs, and MR16 lamps. It is, however, difficult to replace many circuit elements of the current illumination system already installed in the building (e.g., dimmers, electric transformers, and ballasts). If the traditional bulbs or tubes are directly replaced by the low power illumination devices, the low power illumination devices usually have problem cooperating with the circuit elements installed in the building. Therefore, the low power illumination device may flicker or may not be lighted up.
The electric transformers are so compact that they are usually utilized in the illumination system. The electric transformer comprises oscillating circuits and other circuit elements for providing the required voltage signal with a higher oscillating frequency. The load of the electric transformer must draw enough current to enable the normal operation of the electric transformer. The energy consumption of the low power illumination device, however, is usually far less than the energy consumption of the traditional illumination devices so that the low power illumination device may not draw enough current from the electric transformer. Consequently, the low power illumination device usually ma not function normally when cooperating with traditional circuit elements in the current illumination system.
U.S. Patent Application No. 2012/0169246A1 discloses an illumination device and a driving method to solve the aforementioned compatibility problem by alternately operating the circuit between a current generating mode and an off mode. Even if the technique in the aforementioned application is adopted, the compatibility problem still occurs when the low power illumination device cooperate with the electric transformer. The low power illumination device still may flicker or may not be lighted up.

Power converter circuit for low power illumination device, control circuit thereof and method thereof


A dynamic RAM comprising a plurality of word lines respectively connected to address select terminals of a plurality of dynamic memory cells, a plurality of complementary bit line pairs respectively connected to input/output terminals of the plurality of dynamic memory cells and placed in directions opposite to one another, and a sense amplifier array which is supplied with an operating voltage according to an operation timing signal and comprises a plurality of latch circuits for respectively amplifying the differences in voltage between the complementary bit line pairs. In the dynamic RAM, common electrodes provided, in opposing relationship to storage nodes corresponding to connecting points between address select MOSFETs and information storage capacitors of the plurality of dynamic memory cells, on both sides of the sense amplifier array are connected to one another by wiring using the common electrodes.

The present invention relates to a dynamic RAM (Random Access Memory) and a semiconductor device, and to a technology effective for application to a so-called open bit line type wherein dynamic memory cells are respectively placed at points where word lines and bit lines intersect.
According to investigations subsequent to the completion of the present invention, it has been revealed that Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Sho 59(1984)-2365 (hereinafter called xe2x80x9cprior art 1xe2x80x9d), Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Sho 60(1985)195795 (hereinafter called xe2x80x9cprior art 2xe2x80x9d), Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Sho 60(1985)-211871 (hereinafter called xe2x80x9cprior art 3xe2x80x9d), and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 9(1997)-135009 (hereinafter called xe2x80x9cprior art 4xe2x80x9d) have existed as those considered to. be related to the present invention to be described later.
The prior arts 1 through 3 relate to a technology which makes use of even information storage capacitors using MOS capacity and supplies a voltage to each of plate electrodes employed in an open bit line type (one-intersection type or system). In the publication of the prior art 1, first wires crossed in a direction orthogonal to each bit line and connected at plural points, second wires for interconnecting the first wires with one another, and third wires for connecting central portions of the second wires to their corresponding power or source lines are provided to achieve the uniformity of accurate potential distributions of opposite electrodes of the information storage capacitors. In the publication of the prior art 2, a resistor is provided between two plate electrodes provided with a sense amplifier interposed therebetween to thereby delay a change in the potential of each plate electrode in association with a change in substrate voltage at the time that information stored in each memory cell is read out to a bit line. In the publication of the prior art 3, a plate electrode and wires for supplying voltages thereto are formed of a metal having a high melting point and low in resistance, or silicide of the metal and silicon. Alternatively, a plurality of metal wiring layers are provided on the plate electrode.
According to the prior art 1, a problem developed due to the fact that a source voltage changed according to the operation of a peripheral circuit is not transferred to the entirety of a plate electrode, is solved by laying out voltage-supplying power or source wires at plural points of the plate electrode and uniformizing the potential of the plate electrode on the whole according to the change in potential due to the operation of the peripheral circuit. According to the prior art 2, a problem developed due to the fact that a relative potential change differs from a change in potential on the substrate side, is solved by connecting the two plate electrodes through a resistor having time constant associated with the change in potential on the substrate side. In the prior art 3 on the other hand, the problem that a change in potential supplied to each plate electrode from its corresponding bit line through a storage capacitor would lead to the application of a voltage to the plate electrode, is solved by reducing the resistance of each wire connected to the plate electrode.
It has been desirable to reduce the cost of a dynamic RAM (hereinafter called simply xe2x80x9cDRAMxe2x80x9d). To this end, a reduction in chip size is most effective. A scale-down has heretofore been pushed forward to reduce a memory cell size. It is however necessary to change even an operating mode or system of a memory array and thereby make a further reduction in cell size. By changing the operating mode of the memory array from a two-intersection type to a one-intersection type, the cell size can ideally be reduced to 75% by using the same design rule. However, the one-intersection type memory array has a problem in that array noise placed on each bit line or the like is high, as compared with the two-intersection type memory array. Thus, a product application becomes difficult unless it is solved.
Therefore, a discussion has been made of noise developed when the memory cells employed in the conventional two-intersection type are used as they are to configure the one-intersection type memory array. Thus, it has been revealed that an unnegligible parasitic capacity has existed between each bit line and the plate electrode when the memory cell is a COB (Capacitor over Bit-line) cell, so-called deep hole STC (such cylinder shape that a lower electrode SN of each capacitor is formed on an inner wall of a hole defined in an interlayer dielectric) except for the MOS capacity. Even if the techniques described in the prior arts 1 to 3 are used as they are to perform the supply of a voltage, it has been found out that the array noise placed on the bit line, could not be reduced.
A description will be made of degradation in operating margin for each memory array due to plate noise by reference to FIGS. 16A and 16B. In the worst case of a one-intersection memory array shown in FIG. 16A, bit lines in a selected mat are all amplified to a low level (L) except for one bit line according to an amplifying operation of each sense amplifier, and bit lines in a non-selected mat are all amplified to a high level (H) except for one bit line. At this time, there is a danger that only one bit line in the selected mat, on which a high-level (H) signal appears, is subjected to noise from a plate electrode, whereby the signal would be amplified erroneously.
Now consider, as one example, where a word line WLO is activated so that a high-level (H) signal appears on a bit line BL1T alone and a low-level (L) signal is read out onto other bit lines BL0T and BL2T and the like. Further, the high-level (H) signal developed on the bit line BL1T is regarded as small due to the reason such as the leakage or the like of an electrical charge for holding information in each memory cell. When a sense amplifier is activated, such bit lines BL0T/B, BL2T/B, etc. that signals greatly appear between complementary bit lines, are amplified fast in signal.
On the other hand, a bit line BL1T/B small in signal is slow in amplifying rate. At this time, negative noise is developed in a plate electrode PL0 of a selected mat from the bit lines BL0T, BL2T, etc. through a parasitic capacity CBLSN and a memory cell capacitor CS between storage nodes SN. To the contrary, positive noise is produced in a plate electrode PL1 of a mat adjacent thereto from bit lines BL0B and BL2B, etc. When these noise are returned from the plate electrode PL1 to the bit line BL1T/B on which a reverse signal appears, through the capacitor CS and the parasitic capacity CBLSN, a signal amount decreases so that the bit line is reversed erroneously.
Thus, the open bit line type memory array referred to above gets into great danger that information is erroneously read when the amount of a signal charge stored in each memory cell decreases. This leads to degradation in refresh characteristic and can result in a great reduction in yield of a DRAM. While the above description has been made with the noise developed in each plate electrode as an example, there is a fear of noise having a similar mechanism being produced even in a non-selected word line WL and a substrate for each memory cell. These noise degrade a read margin for the memory array.
An object of the present invention is to provide an open bit line type dynamic RAM and a semiconductor device capable of improving an operating margin. Another object of the present invention is to provide a dynamic RAM and a semiconductor device capable of achieving high integration and the stabilization of their operations. The above, and other objects and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the description of the present specification and the accompanying drawings.
A summary of a typical one of the inventions disclosed in the present application will be described briefly as follows: In a dynamic RAM comprising a plurality of word lines respectively connected to address select terminals of a plurality of dynamic memory cells, a plurality of complementary bit line pairs respectively connected to input/output terminals of the plurality of dynamic memory cells and placed in directions opposite to one another, and a sense amplifier array which is supplied with an operating voltage according to an operation timing signal and comprises a plurality of latch circuits for respectively amplifying the differences in voltage between the complementary bit line pairs, common electrodes provided in opposing relationship to storage nodes corresponding to connecting points between address select MOSFETs and information storage capacitors of the plurality of dynamic memory cells provided on both sides with the sense amplifier array as the center are connected to one another while circuit connections in the sense amplifier array are being ensured by wiring means using the common electrodes.

Dynamic random access memory (DRAM) capable of canceling out complementary noise developed in plate electrodes of memory cell capacitors


A machine for cutting tires into a plurality of elongated strips includes parallel cutting shafts having a plurality of cutting wheels mounted for rotation therewith. The cutting wheels are separated by annular spacers on the cutting shafts. A spacer comber partially encircles each annular spacer and has a lower portion having a rounded surface to minimize surface contact between the elongated strips and the spacer comber. After the side cutting edges of each cutting wheel becomes worn, the cutting wheels can be sharpened by surface grinding which narrows the cutting wheel. Each annular spacer and spacer comber are also narrowed by respective corresponding surface grinding of the side surfaces thereof. The machine is overhauled, after the surface grinding and the corresponding surface grinding, by the addition of at least one of each cutting wheel, annular spacer and spacer comber on each cutting shaft.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a machine which is capable of cutting a plurality of tires into elongated strips and, more specifically, such a machine which includes a cutting wheel configuration which can be readily overhauled when the cutting wheels begin to wear and the efficiency of the machine decreases.
2. Description of the Prior Art
While there exists numerous machines which will rip and shear discarded tires, they often require significant power to properly cut the tires and generate excessive heat during the cutting of the tires. Because of the heat generated, some machines include means for adding cooling water to the cutting region to prevent overheating of the cutting elements or the pieces of tire being cut.
One type of tire cutting machine, generally disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,682,522; 4,738,172; 4,776,249; 4,802,635; 4,914,994; and 4,976,178, includes a configuration of cutting blades to segment the tire into specific parts. The cutting blades include removable sections or cutting edges which can be replaced and/or resharpened to restore the efficiency of the machine for cutting tires.
There are other tire cutting machines which appear to include rotating teeth configurations which tend to rip the tires. A plurality of overlapping cutting wheels are mounted on parallel shafts for rotation in opposite directions to also produce cutting or shearing at the overlapping edges of the cutting wheel. Such machines are generally disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,046,324; 4,241,882; and 4,607,800; and British Patent No. 1,558,423. Some of these machines have very complicated teeth configurations and include means for replacement or resharpening of the cutting segments in order to overhaul the machine after extended use. The complicated tooth configuration of U.S. Pat. No. 4,241,882 allows cutting segments to be removed and replaced when they have become excessively worn through operation of the machine. U.S. Pat. No. 4,607,800 discloses two sets of rotating cutting wheels. The top set of cutting wheels appears to provide some ripping action for the tires or other material feed thereto. The bottom set of cutting wheels is said to primarily produce a transverse cut of the material passing therebetween. Both sets of cutting wheels include a form of replaceable wear shoe or tooth for overhauling the machine.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,374,573; 4,519,550; 4,684,070; and 4,684,071; and Russian Patent No. 1,333,411 disclose machines having overlapping cutting wheel configurations which are clearly intended to provide primary cutting at the side edges of the cutting wheels. Each of the machines disclosed therein appears to include a plurality of cutting and gripping plates which can be removed or replaced when excessively worn by cutting of material passing therethrough.
A similar machine, shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,560,112, includes a plurality of cutting discs which have different thicknesses or widths in the axial direction. The cutting discs include cutting segments or teeth thereon which become worn with use. When the cutting segments are excessively worn, each segment is removed so that both side surfaces thereof can be ground to sharpen the edges. This reduces the overall thickness of the segment. The resulting narrower cutting segment can be reinstalled on the next smaller cutting wheel which has a narrower width or thickness in the axial direction. Accordingly, resharpening of the various cutting segments allows them to be progressively relocated on narrower cutting wheels with only one new set of such segments being needed for the widest cutting wheels in the array in the machine. The design of the machine in U.S. Pat. No. 4,560,112 demonstrates the need for any means which will facilitate the overhauling of such machines after extended use and wear.
The need for periodically sharpening cutting discs or wheels is also recognized in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,052,013 and 4,134,556. The machines disclosed therein clearly employ cutting discs which overlap to provide side edge cutting of the material passing therethrough. Recognizing that the cutting discs will become dull after repeated use, these machines employed an installed grinding wheel configurations for each series of cutting wheels. The grinding wheel configuration may be used to simultaneously sharpen all the cutting wheels on the cutting wheel shaft of the series. However, each of the preferred cutting wheels disclosed therein includes a plurality of feeding teeth which are not intended to cut material directed to the machine but simply to assist in the feeding of the material to be cut at the edges of the cutting wheels. These feeding teeth must be specifically removed from the periphery of each of the cutting wheels prior to any grinding by the grinding wheel configuration.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,931,935 discloses other machines specifically adapted for cutting tires. The machines disclosed therein include two types of rotating cutting discs for cutting tires at the side edges thereof. One of the cutting discs includes circumferential cutting strips and a series of outwardly extending pegs on the outer surfaces thereof. The cutting strips and pegs must be replaced periodically in order to maintain the machine in a sharpened condition. Another cutting disc configuration employs a series of chrome strips for gripping and cutting. Again, these strips may be periodically replaced with sharpened strips in order to overhaul the cutting discs after extensive use.
The various configurations for the machines discussed hereinabove indicate a continuing concern for maintaining the cutting surfaces and edges of the cutting wheels in a condition for efficiently cutting the material passing therebetween. While replacement of or sharpening of the edges of the various cutting segments has been primarily discussed, other patents recognize the significant wear resulting from the use of such cutting wheel configurations. For example, German Offenlegungsschrift No. DE 3,413,614 includes a complicated tooth configuration and a complicated means for applying hard, wear-resistant metal to the cutting surfaces thereof.
One form of prior art paper cutting or paper shredding machine incorporates a configuration which has been employed to extend the life of the machine. For example, one type of paper shredder, sold under the registered trademark DESTROYIT, includes several models employing cutting blades having a standard thickness (for example, 1/8") and corresponding combers having a standard thickness (also about 1/8"). If the model of the paper shredder is to cut paper strips having a narrow, standard width, single cutting blades are installed on each shaft to extend between single cutting blades on the other shaft. A single standard comber is also installed between each of the cutting blades on the shaft to insure that the paper strips will be directed through the shredder.
However, if the paper is to be shredded into strips having a width which is twice the standard, a different model is employed using double cutting blades and double combers on each shaft. The two cutting blades together have a combined width which is twice the standard (in this case, 1/4"). Yet a different model could employ triple cutting blades and triple combers for cutting paper into strips having a width which is three times the standard (for example, 3/8").
It has been found that the models using such multiblade configurations could be overhauled to extend the life of the machine by rearranging the cutting blades as the cutting edges become dull. If a double blade configuration is employed, the life could be doubled by basically swapping the position of the two cutting blades on the shaft for each cutting component. If a triple cutting blade configuration is employed, the individual blades could be repositioned in order to triple the life of the machine as sharp, unused edges are positioned at the sides of the cutting components to replace the cutting edges which have become dull after extended use.
Clearly, there is a continuing concern for providing any cutting wheel configuration which is particularly adapted for refurbishing such machines after extended cutting of the tires.
Additionally, because of the need to improve the efficiency of tire cutting machines, any configuration which will facilitate the flow of material through the cutting area, reduce the friction created, and prevent undesired heating of the material and/or the cutting area is desirable. Generally, the use of rotating annular spacers between adjacent cutting wheels can be seen to urge the pieces of tire cut by the machine through the cutting section. The prior art machines disclosed in some of the patents discussed hereinabove include features which do not facilitate the most efficient flow of material through the cutting area.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,519,550 includes guide fingers which are intended to move to "urge" the material through the cutting area but do not rotate to reduce the friction of the material passing therethrough. U.S. Pat. No. 4,560,121 includes a "floating" comber configuration which might facilitate the movement of the pieces through the cutting area but would generate significant heat because of friction produced by its movement within the cutting area. U.S. Pat. No. 4,046,324 includes a rotating annular spacer which would tend to urge the elongated pieces of tire through the cutting area but includes no means for preventing such pieces from rotating with the spacers to be collected at the backside of the shafts.
On the other hand, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,931,935; 4,052,013; 4,134,556; and 4,241,882 and British Patent No. 1,558,423 disclose rotating annular spacers which include means for "stripping" or "combing" the material from the surface from the annular spacer to prevent collection at the remote side of the cutting shafts. However, not every "combing" or "stripping" means will effectively prevent the collection of pieces at the backside of the cutting shafts or insure that excessive friction is not generated by the "deflection" of pieces of tire from the rotating surface of the annular spacer.
In order to determine an effective way for preventing the collection of pieces of tire material in the cutting section of the machine without generating excessive heat, it is appropriate to analyze the types of combing means which have been employed in various types of cutting or shredding machines which may not be specifically adapted for the cutting and shredding of tires.
One group of such devices disclosed in prior art patents includes some form of combing means located at the backside of the spacer element between the cutting wheels. These spacer combers prevent the collection of pieces or strips of material between the cutting wheels at the backside thereof. Various cutting machines including such combing configurations are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,931,935; British Patent No. 1,558,423; German Patentschrift No. 249,359; German Auslegeshrift No. 1,291,606 and German Offenlegungsschrift Nos. 2,526,650; 2,723,281; 3,231,341; and 3,313,321.
All of the devices disclosed in these patents are characterized by the inclusion of some type of separate or integrally formed annular spacer ring between adjacent cutting wheels or discs on a shaft. The annular spacer ring tends to serve as a rotating comber for the aligned cutting wheel or disc on the other shaft. As a result, the pieces or strips of material are maintained in close proximity with the cutting wheel or disc by which they are formed. The spacer ring rotates in the direction of movement through the cutting area to generally facilitate the formation of the pieces or strips and their passage through the cutting area of the machine.
The devices disclosed therein are also characterized by the inclusion of a fixed "combing" means or "scraping" element which tends to prevent the collection of any material around the rotating spacer ring. The location of the fixed combing means at the lower or rear region of each spacer ring would prevent the collection of the strip or piece material at the backside of the spacer ring remote from the cutting area. However, as will be seen, the general shape and form of such combing means may not be satisfactory for the "combing" or "scraping" of pieces formed from tires because of the heat produced by friction between the pieces and the fixed combing means.
Another group of cutting or shredding machines also includes additional means for preventing the collection of pieces of material at the remote side of the cutting wheels themselves rather than simply at the remote or backside of the spacer ring. Such cutting or shredding machines are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,068,805; French Patent No. 45,173; and Japanese Patent Nos. 55-136597 and 63-232860. All of these machines apparently incorporate a solid comber block or backing member which occupies the space within the housing at the backside of both the rotating cutting wheels and the spacer rings therebetween. Such configurations will again tend to prevent most of the pieces or strips from being carried about the interior of the machine with the rotating cutting discs and spacers. To a greater or lesser degree, each of these prior art comber configurations will tend to prevent the collection of such pieces or strips in the region remote from the cutting area. However, as will be seen later, the particular configurations of the prior art combing devices aligned with the spacer rings do not entirely prevent the generation of undesired heat by the friction created between the pieces of tire and the fixed combing devices.
All of the U.S. and foreign patents mentioned hereinabove are incorporated by reference as if included in their entirety herein.


A method is provided for model training to detect defective products. The method includes sampling training images of a product to (i) extract image portions therefrom made of a center patch and its context and (ii) black-out the center patch. The method further includes performing unsupervised back-propagation training of a Contextual Auto-Encoder (CAE) model using (i) the image portions with the blacked-out center patch as an input and, (ii) the center patch as a target output and, (iii) an image-based loss function, to obtain a trained CAE model. The method also includes sampling positive and negative center-patch-sized portions from the training images. The method additionally includes normalizing, using the trained CAE model, the positive and negative center-patch-sized portions. The method further includes performing supervised training of a classifier model using the normalized positive and negative center-patch-sized portions to obtain a trained supervised classifier model for detecting the defective products.

Technical Field
The present invention relates to anomaly detection and more particularly to anomaly detection with predictive normalization.
Description of the Related Art
Detecting small and faint anomalies is a difficult problem for a human and one that benefits greatly from automation. For example, x-ray images of metallic objects may reveal tiny hidden micro-fractures that have very low contrast with the surrounding pixel intensities. Detection of such anomalies is difficult for humans and automated systems. Increasing the accuracy of such detection is very valuable for quality assurance and quality control.

Anomaly detection with predictive normalization


This method and system allow a subscriber to a cable television service to receiving a listing or menu of programming available for that subscriber's set-top terminal to upgrade or enhance the features available over the cable system. A Directory of Services (DoS) message is transmitted over the cable system to the subscriber's set-top terminal. The terminal can then display for the subscriber the menu of programming available. This display may include a price for downloading each programming object. The subscriber can then, using a remote control unit or a user input device on the terminal, direct the set-top terminal to acquire a listed programming object. The DoS message will provide information enabling the set-top terminal to download the indicated programming object from the cable system in response to the subscriber's input. The subscriber can then have immediate access to upgraded or enhanced programming, the purchase of which is billed to the subscriber's account.

In a typical cable television system, subscribers are provided with a set-top box or terminal. The set-top terminal is a box of electronic equipment that is used to connect the subscriber's television, and potentially other electronic equipment, with the cable network. The set-top box is usually connected to the cable network through a co-axial wall outlet.
The set-top box is essentially a computer that is programmed to process the signals from the cable network so as to provide the subscriber with the cable services. These services from the cable television company typically include access to a number of television channels. Additionally, premium channels may also be provided to subscribers at an additional fee. Pay-per-view events and video-on-demand service may also be provided over the cable network. The set-top box is programmed to provide these services to the subscriber.
However, the services of the cable company need not be limited to providing television programming. Some cable companies are now offering internet access and e-mail over the cable network at speeds much faster than available over conventional telephone lines. It is anticipated in the future that more and more services will be provided over the cable network, including even basic telephone service. Eventually, each home or office may have a single connection, via the cable network, to all electronic data services.
As the cable network and the services provided evolve, the set-top terminal must also evolve to be able to provide subscribers with all the services of the cable network. This set-top box evolution will primarily involve changes to the programming of the set-top box. By upgrading the software or firmware of the set-top box, the box can be made to perform more efficiently or offer new services as the cable network evolves.
In order to upgrade the population of set-top boxes on a cable network, it is preferable to transmit the new programming to the set-top boxes via the cable network itself. Otherwise, a technician must visit each subscriber to upgrade the set-top boxes. Such field upgrades would obviously be at significant expense.
The headend is the facility from which the cable network operator broadcasts television signals and provides other services over the cable network. Updated software that is provided to the population of set-top terminals can be broadcast from the headend over the cable network.
As the services available over the cable network increase, some users will wish to pay for the additional services. In contrast, other subscribers will avoid the increased cost of some services. Over time, new subscribers will enter the network and select the services they desire. Existing subscribers may also wish to expand their use of the services offered. Either situation will require that the appropriate programming for implementing the desired service or services be added to that subscriber's set-top terminal. In such a case, the subscriber would presumably have to contact the cable system operator or service provider to have his or her set-top terminal programmed to offer the new service or services.
This, however, entails some amount of effort on the part of the subscriber. Consequently, such additional services will not commonly be purchased on impulse, thereby decrease the sales of such services by the service provider. Moreover, the service provider will need to maintain and staff a facility for receiving and responding to those orders for additional services that are made.
Consequently, there is a need in the art for a method and system whereby subscribers can order, on impulse, and receive additional or upgraded programming for their set-top terminals without contacting the service provider. There is a further need in the art for a method and system that allows the system operator to support this upgrade service for subscribers at minimal cost, i.e., with automatic electronic delivery that does not require staff to take and fill subscriber requests for additional or upgraded programming.

Method and system of identifying software and firmware objects available for download over a network such as a cable television system


An emergency brake is provided for use with a snowmobile with a braking mechanism for precluding movement of the snowmobile upon the actuation thereof. Also included is a tether worn by a rider of the snowmobile. A release mechanism is coupled to the braking mechanism and the tether for actuating the braking mechanism upon the rider inadvertently falling off the snowmobile.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to engine cut off systems and more particularly pertains to a new snowmobile emergency brake for immobilizing a snowmobile upon a rider inadvertently dismounting the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of engine cut off systems is known in the prior art. More specifically, engine cut off systems heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art engine cut off systems and the like include U.S. Pat. No. 3,938,613; U.S. Pat. No. 4,539,452; U.S. Pat. No. 4,520,890; U.S. Pat. No. 4,362,524; U.S. Pat. No. 5,299,466; and U.S. Pat. No. Des. 244,870.
In these respects, the snowmobile emergency brake according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of immobilizing a snowmobile upon a rider inadvertently dismounting the same.


Purified DNA encoding crucifer AFT proteins and chimeric transcriptional activator proteins from such DNA are disclosed. Such proteins are also involved in plant defense mechanisms by interacting with proteins involved in protecting plants from pathogens. The recombinant polypeptides and fragments are useful in methods of modulating plant gene expression.

This invention relates to recombinant plant nucleic acids and polypeptides.
Improved means to manipulate plant gene expression is desired for a variety of industrial, agricultural, and commercial food uses. To produce new plant varieties, it is necessary to change the genetic makeup of the crop or plant in question. Desirable genes have to be incorporated into the crop or plant, and undesirable genes have to be eliminated or replaced. In other words, one needs to genetically engineer the plant to meet the demands of agriculture. Accordingly, genetic engineering of crop plants necessitates methods of identifying potentially valuable genes and transferring these to the crop that one desires to improve.


A conference call solution with one or more conference server, one or more conference bridge and one or more media mixer. A conference server is chosen as the conference bridge for the conference call using various optimization techniques. A media mixer for the conference call may also be chosen using various optimization techniques. The media mixer mixes media data from one or more conference bridge. If a conference bridge or the media mixer fails, the system recovers from the failure with minimal interruption to the users.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to systems and methods for optimizing resource allocation in a conference call solution. In particular, the present invention relates to a distributed architecture for conference calls in a Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) system.
2. Description of the Background Art
A group of people decide to participate in a conference call. Any user with privileges sets up a conference call for a particular time, and provides a conference call number and password for the conference session. People call in and the conference is set up. Such a situation has been handled by various conference solutions but the magic lies in how different solutions handle the behind-the-scenes set up.
Traditionally, a conference call solution has one call server to handle conference call sessions. If the server reaches its capacity, additional callers cannot be accommodated. Moreover, if the stand-alone server fails, the conference call is terminated.
The alternative to stand alone server is a cluster of servers driven by a master server. The master server gets all conference call requests and the master then allocates various conference calls to different slave servers in the cluster. In this master-slave system, the master server becomes the bottleneck. Because all call requests are made to the master server, the master server must have the processing resources to handle all the call requests. If the master server crashes, the whole system becomes inoperative. Additionally, the network connection between the master server and the caller's site may become a bandwidth bottleneck. Also, scaling a master-server conference call system requires tedious manual configurations. Moreover, the master-slave architecture does not use the available bandwidth efficiently when connection requests for one conference call are allocated to more than one conference call servers.
The traditional conference call solutions also limit the number of participants that can be heard in a conference call. The traditional conference call solutions cannot handle numerous parties speaking in temporal proximity in a conference call. The conference call solutions therefore choose a limited number, typically three, of the loudest parties in the conference call and mute the rest of the participants in the call. The traditional solutions allow only these loudest parties to be heard in the conference call even if a conference call solution is serving hundreds of participants.

Distributed audio conferencing architecture with optimum resource utilization and seamless scalability


According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, hardware initialization code and error action information are retrieved from separate storage areas. The hardware initialization code includes code that initializes a device, and also includes placeholders corresponding to actions that are performed when the device fails initialization. Likewise, the error action information describes the actions that are performed when the device fails initialization. The error action information is converted into macros that include lines of code. As such, the error action placeholders are matched to the macros and, in turn, each of the error action placeholders is replaced with the lines of code corresponding to the matched macros.

The present disclosure relates to streamlining hardware initialization code. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to converting separated error action information into lines of code, and including the lines of code into the hardware initialization code prior to code compilation.
Hardware initialization code initializes devices that are included in a computer system, such as processors, memory controllers, and et cetera. At times, a device may not initialize properly and, as a result, the hardware initialization code generates and error and performs actions based upon the type of error. Actions may include collecting local debug data, identifying/deconfiguring failing devices, and/or creating a persistent de-configuration record for failing hardware. Typically, information that describes the actions (e.g., error action information) is embedded in the hardware initialization source code. As a result, the hardware initialization source code and/or the error action information is difficult to analyze and de-bug.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Streamlining hardware initialization code

International Business Machines Corporation


A distributed control system has a plurality of controllers, program apparatus, and man-machine systems, which are all interconnected by LAN. The program apparatus is provided with functions corresponding to approval and rejection of operating conditions of the controllers, and a program is allotted to each controller by minimizing the values of the functions. Each controller is structured with the capability of detecting both a load ratio and a traffic quantity of the LAN, on the basis of the detection results, a change of allotment of the program allotted to each controller may be made.

The present invention relates to a distributed control system comprising a plurality of controllers, a program apparatus, and man-machine systems, which are all interconnected by a network and, more specifically, relates to a configuring method including for achieving optimal configuration of large scale control systems.
In a known method for providing programming for a plurality of controllers, system designers define the specification of the macro programs to be executed in the individual controllers on the basis of the expected load rate and of the expected traffic quantity of the network. The designers then further breakdown the specification in terms of the description of the macro programs.
In order to achieve a concrete and visible grasp of the control status of the operated systems, the network monitors and CPU monitors are connected outside the operated system, and the load rate and the traffic quantity of the network are detected individually.
In the above prior art systems, there is no serious problem in the case of small-scale distributed systems having a small number of controllers. In the case of large-scale distributed systems having a large number of controllers, however, there results a problem of overhead for realizing optimal decision for macro programs to be executed in the individual controllers.
In addition, in the prior art, in view of system performance including a balanced distribution of the load rate across the controllers and a minimization of the access occurrence of the network traffic, there is no guarantee that human judgment regarding the allotment of macro programs will reach optimal levels.
Even if the controlled object is determined explicitly, because the number of controllers required for controlling these objects cannot be determined quickly, a large amount of time is spent for specification definition of the distributed systems.
And furthermore, in the actual operation of the distributed control systems after their installation, as the above mentioned external apparatus are necessary for detecting the load rate of the arithmetic unit and the network traffic, the cost of the system increases.
Finally, in the prior art, due to the system performance limitations, the allotment of the control programs cannot be changed dynamically so as to estimate the overall status of the system under operation and optimize the system operation.
The above mentioned problem can be resolved by the following technical means.

Distributed control system and method of configuring the system


Embodiments for an exhaust gas aftertreatment device are provided. In one example, an exhaust gas aftertreatment device for a gasoline engine comprises a filter body with porous filter walls through which exhaust gas flows to remove soot, the porous filter walls containing a first catalyst material and having a coating of a second catalyst material on partial areas of the filter walls. In this way, a particulate filter and catalyst may be provided in a common aftertreatment device.

Internal combustion engines produce soot during the combustion process. This is known for diesel engines and has led to the development of corresponding soot filters and exhaust gas aftertreatment systems for diesel engines. However, internal combustion engines with spark ignition, in particular gasoline engines with direct injection, produce soot particles during operation which may enter the ambient air with the exhaust gas. Even though the amount of soot particles produced in gasoline engines is generally lower than in diesel engines, it is desirable to prevent or at least reduce the release of soot particles and the pollution of the ambient air caused thereby.
Soot particles can be removed from the exhaust gas by a particle filter. Such a particle filter may be an additional component part having a corresponding spatial requirement and additional costs. It is therefore advantageous to integrate the function of the particle filter with the other components for exhaust gas aftertreatment.
It is known from EP 1 055 805 B1, in the case of a diesel engine, to separate the soot in a plurality of successive method stages at a filter element for soot, which filter element is provided with a catalyst coating for oxidation of the nitrogen monoxide contained in the exhaust gas into nitrogen dioxide. According to EP 2 273 079 A1, an exhaust gas aftertreatment device is equipped with an insert which is formed in a section on the inflow side as an oxidation catalyst and in a section on the outflow side as a particle filter. In WO 2008/107423 A1 a diesel particle filter with a filter body formed of a ceramic material is disclosed, which in a filter section comprises planar and porous filter walls for the exhaust gas to flow through and which, in addition to the filter section, comprises a catalytic section having an oxidizing catalyst coating or an NOx storage coating.
In gasoline engines it is known to integrate the function of a corresponding particle filter (gasoline particle filter, GPF) with that of a three-way catalyst (TWC) generally provided in the exhaust gas system in any case in gasoline engines. By applying the catalytically active material of the three-way catalyst to the filter walls of the exhaust gas ducts of a particle filter, however, the resistance posed by the particle filter to the throughflow of the exhaust gas, and thus the exhaust gas counter pressure, would be considerably increased. In contrast to a conventional three-way catalyst, the catalytically active material is therefore introduced into the porous filter walls of the particle filter, thus reducing the pressure loss and therefore the exhaust gas counter pressure.
However, the inventors herein have recognized a few issues with the above approaches. For example, it has been found that the insertion of the catalytic coating in the filter walls of the particle filter (GPF) leads to impaired starting behavior compared to conventional three-way catalysts (TWCs). In particular, a longer period is necessary until a sufficient catalytic effect for conversion of the exhaust gas pollutants is achieved, and therefore the emission of pollutants, in particular hydrocarbons, by motor vehicles provided with such a filter is increased on the whole. It would be possible to improve the starting behavior by increased heating of the exhaust gas aftertreatment device, for example by increasing exhaust gas enthalpy or by electric heating, however fuel consumption would be increased as a result. It would also be possible to improve starting behavior by way of an increased noble metal content of the catalyst material, but this would increase costs.
Thus, embodiments are provided to at least partly address the above issues. In one example, an exhaust gas aftertreatment device for a gasoline engine comprises a filter body with porous filter walls through which exhaust gas flows to remove soot, the porous filter walls containing a first catalyst material and having a coating of a second catalyst material on partial areas of the filter walls.
In this way, particulate matter may be removed from the exhaust via the porous filter walls. Further, the catalyst material contained in the filter walls as well as coating the walls may act to convert emissions in the exhaust. By combining the particulate filter with the catalyst material, a single exhaust aftertreatment device may be provided rather than a separate catalyst and particulate filter, reducing engine packaging space. By coating only partial areas of the filter walls, rapid catalyst light-off may be achieved without increasing exhaust back-pressure excessively, thus avoiding fuel economy penalties.
The above advantages and other advantages, and features of the present description will be readily apparent from the following Detailed Description when taken alone or in connection with the accompanying drawings.
It should be understood that the summary above is provided to introduce in simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description. It is not meant to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defined uniquely by the claims that follow the detailed description. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any part of this disclosure.

Exhaust gas aftertreatment device and method for a gasoline engine


A method is provided for fabricating a transistor. The method includes providing a semiconductor substrate; and forming a trench in the semiconductor substrate by etching the semiconductor substrate. The methods also includes forming a threshold-adjusting layer doped with a certain type of threshold-adjusting ions to adjust the threshold voltage of the transistor on the semiconductor substrate in the trench; and forming a carrier drifting layer on the threshold-adjusting layer. Further the method includes forming a gate structure on the carrier drifting layer corresponding to the trench.

In semiconductor processing technology, the threshold voltage of a transistor may be equal to a required bias voltage between a source region and a drain region to form a channel region. If the bias voltage between the source region and the drain region is smaller than the threshold voltage, the channel region may be unable to be formed.
The bottom portion of a gate structure of the transistor may be doped to adjust the threshold voltage, and the doping level may be a major factor for determining the threshold voltage. The doping of the bottom of the gate structure may be adjusted by an ion implantation process. The ion implantation process may be referred as a threshold-adjusting ion implantation process.
A conventional threshold-adjusting ion implantation process may be performed by doping a portion of the semiconductor substrate under the gate structure with certain type of threshold-adjusting ions to form a doping region, and a threshold voltage adjustment of the transistor may be achieved. However, the carrier mobility of the semiconductor substrate may be reduced after the threshold-adjusting ion implantation process. Compared with an intrinsic semiconductor, the scattering possibility of the carriers in the semiconductor doped by the threshold ion implantation process may be increased, thus the carrier mobility may be reduced. A higher doping concentration may result in a lower carrier mobility. The power consumption of a transistor may be increased if the carrier mobility is reduced, and a current withstand capability and a switching speed of the transistor may also be reduced.
Therefore, it may need to increase the carrier mobility of an existing transistor to improve the short channel effect while the threshold voltage is adjusted. The disclosed device structures and methods may overcome one or more problems set forth above by forming a threshold-adjusting layer.

Transistors and fabrication method thereof

SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING INTERNATIONAL (SHANGHAI) CORPORATION


An anti-switch on/off device mounted on a power supplier, which is used for driving an electronic equipment, is provided for preventing an erroneous touch on the switch of the power supplier to avoid the power supplier from instantly stopping supplying power. The power supplier includes an electric connecting slot and a power switch on/off unit. The power switch on/off unit has, mounted thereon, a press control button for being pressed by the user to control power on/off. The present invention utilizes an anti-error cover covered on the electric connecting slot and the power switch on/off unit, wherein the anti-error cover has an electric connecting opening mounted thereon for passing therethrough the connection with the external power source and an accommodating space for accommodating the press control button, so that an erroneous touch on the switch and an instant power disconnection can be prevented without interfering a normal power input.

The power supplier is a power conversion device used to drive the operation of electronic equipment and to convert the external applied electricity into a power mode (e.g., AC power or DC power) suitable for the electronic equipment. The general power supplier, as shown in FIG. 1, utilizes a housing 1 to protect and accommodate the internal electronic components or circuits. The housing 1 has an electric connecting slot 2 and a switch on/off unit 3 respectively mounted thereon, wherein the electric connecting slot 2 is used to electrically connect to the external power source, and the switch on/off unit 3 is connected with the internal electronic circuits for controlling the power conduction. However, because the consumer electronic product becomes thinner and thinner, the power supplier is also required to reduce the volume thereof. Therefore, for achieving this purpose, the design now integrates the electric connecting slot 2 and the switch on/off unit 3 together for reducing the occupied space. But, owing to the narrow space, the switch on/off unit 3 might be erroneously touched as the user connects the power source to the electric connecting slot 2, so that the power supply will suddenly be powered off, and also, the internal electronic components will be damaged because of the burst.


An application search system includes a mobile terminal, a device, and a server, connected to a network. The mobile terminal transmits mobile terminal OS information to the device. The device receives the mobile terminal OS information from the mobile terminal, and transmits the mobile terminal OS information and device identification information to the application management server. The server: i) receives the mobile terminal OS information and the device identification information; ii) generates, from the mobile terminal OS information and the device identification information, a list of applications installable in the mobile terminal and used for operating the device from the mobile terminal; and iii) transmits the list of applications to the device or the mobile terminal.

It is known to enable a user to search for a desired application from an application providing site and to install the application in a mobile terminal.
When the user operates, for example, an image forming apparatus such as a multifunction peripheral (MFP), a printer, or the like, which is installed in an office of a business trip destination or a lobby of a hotel and that is usually not operated by the user, the user confirms the manufacturer and model of the image forming apparatus, searches for the application providing site of this manufacturer via the mobile terminal, and accesses the application providing site. Next, the user searches for an application installable in this model from the application providing site. Next, the user selects an application capable of executing target process in the image forming apparatus. The user operates, from among searched applications, and installs the selected application in the mobile terminal.
Since the user searches for the application providing site of the manufacturer after confirming the manufacturer and model of the image forming apparatus, it takes a lot of time and work to search for the application.
Therefore, for the mobile terminal, there has been disclosed a system where it is easy to search for an application capable of executing a process requested by the user. For example, a mobile phone is put close to an IC tag installed in a table in a restaurant and an ID is acquired. From an address management server, a uniform resource locator (URL) of a program management server from which a program (application) corresponding to the ID is able to be downloaded is acquired. Next, the mobile phone accesses the acquired URL, the program corresponding to the ID is installed in the mobile phone, and hence, it is possible to place an order with the restaurant via the user's own mobile phone.
In the above-described system, it is possible to easily install, in the mobile phone, a program where the user is able to place an order with the restaurant via the mobile phone. However, when a device such as an image forming apparatus is operated from the mobile terminal, the type of operating system (OS) of the mobile terminal, the model of the device, and also process requested by the user are different. Therefore, there are a plurality of applications for complying with these conditions. Therefore, it is difficult for the user to search for a requested application by easy operation.

Application search system and method for easy operation


The invention relates to a method of examining the authenticity of a document provided with an optico-diffractively effective element or hologram by subjecting the hologram to capacitive coupling of a voltage and deriving a signal representative of the voltage for comparison with a reference signal representative of a hologram of an authentic document. The method may be improved by providing, between individual segments of the hologram, additional security indicia providing a signal in response to being irradiated by electromagnetic radiation of a predetermined frequency.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention, in general, relates to a method of examining the authenticity of documents and, more particularly, to a method of examining the authenticity of documents provided with optico-diffractively effective markings.
2. The Prior Art
Complex and elaborate devices have hitherto been required for examining documents such as, for instance, bank notes, stock certificates and other securities provided with optico-diffractive indicia or markings, hereinafter sometimes referred to as holograms, for their authenticity. Such examining devices are not only complex; they also depend, for their proper functioning, upon great precision or close tolerances for aligning the documents relative to sensors. This, in turn and by necessity, mitigates against rapid examining and, accordingly, has prevented the incorporation of such equipment in high speed processing machines. More specifically, it has not been possible to examine the authenticity of bank notes provided with holograms in high-speed bank note counting machines as such machines typically operate at rates in excess of 1,500 note per minute.
German patent application 27 47 156 discloses a method and a testing apparatus for testing the authenticity of identity cards provided with holographically encrypted security indicia. The hologram is reproduced for performing a visual examination. Obviously, such a device is not suitable for rapid and efficient examinations independently of a person.
European patent specification 0,042,946 discloses an apparatus for generating scanning patterns for testing by a system including a laser, reflector and lens as well as a photo detector or sensor. This apparatus, too, is expensive and its adaptation for examining unsorted documents would be even more expensive, for it would require a multiple cascading arrangement of the testing system.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,255,652 teaches an electrically responsive indicia detecting apparatus in which at a first position an electrical charge is capacitively induced onto the detection indicia of a document moving to a second position. During such movement the induced charge leaks and the amount of leakage is measured at the second position to generate a signal for use in determining the manner of further processing of the document. Such a system is believed not to yield sufficiently reliable signals in view of the fact that the amount of charge leakage is a function of the quality of the indicia.

Method of testing documents provided with optico-diffractively effective markings


A microprocessor system includes a plurality of modules, among them a microprocessor and at least one storage module for storing the code and/or data for the microprocessor. Stored, in a non-changeable manner, in at least one of the modules, referred to as exchange-protected module, is a serial number of this module. A control module is configured to receive a data value specified by the at least one serial number and to block, at least partially, the function of the microprocessor system if the received data value does not match an expected data value encoded in the control module.

Such devices are generally configured as microprocessor systems having a microprocessor, a program and main memory for the microprocessor and one or a plurality of interfaces for the communication with sensors and actuators on the engine. By manipulating the control program of the processor it is possible to influence the behavior of the engine so as to achieve a higher engine output, for example. Power-output limitations, which are required to prevent possibly harmful overload situations of the engine or the drive train or which are mandated by law, may be circumvented in this manner. Consequently, there is a need for technology that makes unauthorized manipulations of such microprocessor systems impossible or at least makes them more complicated in a deterring manner.
One technique that may be utilized for this purpose is cementing the modules of such a microprocessor system. However, it has become apparent that no adhesive agent is available that cannot be dissolved in some manner. Another disadvantage of cementing is that it not only makes unauthorized manipulations more difficult, but repairs of the microprocessor system as well.

Microprocessor system and method for protecting the system from the exchange of modules


Circuitry and methods allow signal detection based entirely on differential voltage pairs. An incoming differential data signal is processed by separate full-wave rectifiers to extract high and low peak voltage envelopes. The rectifiers utilize negative feedback to ensure accurate envelope detection, and can detect peaks regardless of incoming signal polarity. The extracted envelopes are compared to a differential pair of threshold voltages. If the envelope signals have a smaller voltage difference than that of the threshold signals, the final output of the detector indicates that a loss-of-signal condition has occurred. Fully differential operation makes the detector independent of common-mode voltage, and thus more robust.

High speed serial ("HSS") data communication is constantly increasing in importance. It permits more efficient pin usage and power consumption than traditional parallel data communication, while preserving or increasing available bandwidth.
The extremely fast data rate associated with HSS communication makes the verification of signal integrity an important concern. The receiving end of a link must know when the sending end has ceased data transmission, either intentionally or as a result of system failure or signal degradation. Thus, effective signal detection is necessary for reliable HSS communication.
One simple solution would be to introduce an extra signal that runs parallel to the transmitted data. This binary signal would indicate whether or not valid data was being sent at a given time. However, this solution wastes valuable interface pins at the edge of a chip, and does not address the situation where data is unintentionally corrupted.
If the data being transmitted is encoded in a conventional binary fashion, with logic 0 represented by ground ("GND") and logic 1 represented by the power supply voltage ("VCC"), then another possibility would be to examine the incoming data for logic 1's. After a certain amount of a time has passed, during which no logic 1's have been received, the receiving circuit can safely conclude that data transmission has ceased. However, this solution will not work if any type of automatic gain control is used. In this case, even after data transmission has stopped, the automatic gain control would amplify the magnitude of the GND voltage being transmitted, so that the received data is nothing more than amplified white noise passing for valid data.
In order to accommodate the use of automatic gain control, one must turn to slightly more complex solutions. Many successful strategies exist, and are often used in combination with each other. For example, the data to be sent can be encoded in a way that will introduce more bits into the transmission stream. Because of the added redundancy, random errors in the data will tend to violate the coding rules. Thus, if the receiver detects many violations in succession, it can reasonably assume that transmission has ceased.
Another common solution, and the one most relevant to this invention, relies on voltage envelope detection. It extracts a slowly varying envelope based on the peak-to-peak amplitude of the received signal. If the voltage level of the envelope is less than a certain pre-determined threshold, the receiver concludes that the transmitter has gone down.
Existing signal detectors employing envelope detection are typically common-mode dependent, making them less robust. Different hardware vendors may use slightly different VCC voltages to indicate a logical high, so it is difficult to design circuitry that can accommodate all vendors. In addition, absolute voltages are difficult to set precisely, which makes tasks like fixing a reliable threshold voltage more difficult.
In view of the foregoing, it would be desirable to provide more robust circuitry and methods for signal detection that are independent of common-mode voltage.

Differential signal detector methods and apparatus