An optical recording medium which comprises a print-receiving layer as the outermost layer on the side opposite to the light incidence side, wherein a pattern is formed on the print-receiving layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to optical recording media. More particularly, the present invention relates to optical recording media on which various information which is visually recognizable by the naked eye (hereinafter referred to as visual information) can be displayed by any of manufacturers of optical recording media themselves, manufacturers who record various digital information on optical recording media and sell them as optical recording media having digital information recorded thereon, and end consumers purchasing optical recording media themselves or optical recording media having digital information recorded thereon. The present invention further relates to optical recording media on the surface of which various information as visual information is displayed by the manufacturers of the optical recording media themselves, and on which various visual information can further be displayed (written or printed) by the manufacturers who record digital information or the end consumers.
2. Description of the Background
Optical recording media (optical discs) on which digital information can be written and/or read by laser are widely used as recording media in fields of e.g. audio software, computer software, game software and computer-aided publishing, since they have a large recording capacity as compared with conventional recording media and are random access discs.
The optical recording media are classified into two types i.e. a write once type capable of recording and reproducing digital information and a rewritable type capable of erasing recorded digital information and recording new digital information. Among them, CD-Rs (compact disc-recordable: write once type) and CD-RWs (compact disc-rewritable: rewritable type) which are CD system optical recording media, become used widely in recent years. On these CDs, users can write their own digital information or data, and further, CD-Rs are compatible with read only CDs. Further, DVD-Rs (write once type) and DVD-RWs (rewritable type) which are DVD system optical recording media become used widely in recent years.
It is desired for users of such optical recording media that they can tell at a glance what kind of digital information is recorded on each optical recording medium without reproducing recorded digital information. One method is making the surface on the side opposite to the light incidence side of an optical recording medium printable and displaying visual information thereon.
Particularly, manufacturers which record digital information such as music on optical recording media and sell the optical recording media having digital information recorded thereon, desire optical recording media, the surface of which is printable so that what kind of digital information is recorded on the optical recording media is indicated and the commercial value of the optical recording media to be sold is increased. To meet such a demand, optical recording media wherein the surface of the outermost layer on the side opposite to the light incidence side is formed into a print-receiving layer so that said surface is printable, become commercially available in recent years.
Further, printers dedicated to printing on such optical recording media are also commercially available. Many of these printers are of ink jet type using a water base ink or of thermal transfer type. Using such printers, a sharp full color image can be printed at a relatively low cost.
Here, the manufacturers of optical recording media themselves also desire to print e.g. their trademark on optical recording media to be produced so as to label the optical recording media and to increase their commercial value. However, if printing is conducted on the print-receiving layer with a conventional ink by the manufacturers of the media, it is impossible for manufacturers who record digital information on the media and sell them to further conduct printing on the printed surface, and said manufactures have to conduct printing on portions on which no printing is conducted, and printing has to be conducted very restrictedly.
Under these circumstances, it is an object of the present invention to provide an optical recording medium which comprises a surface having visual information already displayed, on the side opposite to the light incidence side, wherein a new visual information can be displayed on said surface. Another object of the present invention is to provide an optical recording medium wherein each of a manufacture of the optical recording medium itself and a manufacture who records digital information on the medium and sell it or an end consumer can display a new visual information on the surface opposite to the light incidence surface of the medium. Another object of the present invention is to provide an optical recording medium which comprises a surface having visual information displayed by a manufacturer of the medium itself, on the side opposite to the light incidence side, wherein a new visual information can further be displayed on said surface by printing by a manufacture who records digital information on the medium and sell it.
Now, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments.

Optical recording medium having a print receiving layer and pattern


Methods and apparatus for performing intelligent crawling are provided. Particularly, the intelligent crawling techniques of the invention provide a crawler mechanism which is capable of learning as it crawls in order to focus the search for documents on the information network being explored, e.g., world wide web. This crawler mechanism stores information about the crawled documents as it retrieves the documents, and then uses the information to further focus its search appropriately. The inventive techniques result in the crawling of a small percentage of the documents on the world wide web.

The world wide web (or "web") has seen a rapid explosion of information in the past few years. The rapid growth and dynamic nature of the web makes it important to be able to perform resource discovery effectively off the web. Consequently, several new techniques have been proposed in recent years. Among them, a key idea is focused on "crawling" which is a resource discovery technique allowing large relevant portions of the world wide web to be quickly searched without having to explore all web pages.
A "crawler" is a software program which can perform large scale collection of web pages from the world wide web by fetching web pages in a structured fashion. A crawler functions by first starting at a given web page; transferring it from a remote server using, for example, HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol); then analyzing the links inside the file and transferring those documents recursively.
This invention addresses the problem of intelligent resource discovery on the world wide web. In recent years, the problem of performing effective resource discovery by focused crawling and searching has received considerable attention, see, e.g., S. Chakrabarti et al., "Focused Crawling: A new approach to topic-specific resource discovery," Computer Networks, 31:1623-1640, 1999; and S. Chakrabarti et al., "Distributed Hypertext Resource Discovery Through Examples," VLDB Conference, pp. 375-386, 1999. One approach on focused crawling proposes the discovery of resources by using the simple model that pages linking from a particular topic are likely to point to the same topic. Thus, the crawler is forced to stay focused on specific topics while performing the resource discovery on the web. The idea of the focused crawler as proposed in the above-referenced S. Chakrabarti et al. article, "Focused Crawling: A new approach to topic-specific resource discovery," is to only recover a small percentage of the documents on the world wide web which are topic specific.
Furthermore, the crawler may be used only in the context of a hypertext classifier (pre-trained with some data; which also requires resource discovery). Provision of such trained hierarchical classifiers which are well representative of the web resource structure is not always possible from a practical perspective. The crawling technique is highly sensitive to the nature and specificity of the classes in the hypertext classifier, and the quality of the hierarchy used. If the classes are too specific, the crawler stalls; if the classes are too broad, the crawler diffuses away. Often, administrator guidance is needed in order to prevent such difficulties. The intelligence and quality of crawling may be hidden in the nature of the initial hierarchical trained classes provided, and the skill of the administrator in a process which may require hours. Furthermore, users are often likely to want to provide arbitrary predicates in order to perform resource discovery. These arbitrary predicates could be simple keywords (as in search engines where pre-crawled data is stored); topical searches using hypertext classifiers (as in focused crawling); document similarity queries; topical linkage queries; or any combination of the above. The only restriction is that the predicate should be efficiently computable.
The focused crawling approach is a somewhat simple model where it is assumed that the web has a specific a linkage structure in which pages on a specific topic are likely to link to the same topic. Considerable input is required from the system in terms of training data, classification hierarchy, starting points and administrator support. This may not always be possible in many systems.

Methods and apparatus for intelligent crawling on the world wide web

International Business Machines Corporation


A receiver for a digital broadcast terminal includes first and second receiving units, each for receiving a digital broadcast signal. Each of the first and second receiving units typically includes an antenna, a tuner, and an analog/digital (A/D) converter. The receiver further includes a control unit configured to determine reception environment based upon the digital broadcast signal, and to selectively operate the first and the second receiving units based upon the reception environment. A method for controlling a digital broadcast receiving terminal includes receiving a digital broadcast signal at first and second receiving units, determining reception environment based upon the digital broadcast signal, and selectively operating the first and second receiving units based upon the reception environment.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a digital broadcast receiving terminal, and more particularly to power control for a digital broadcast receiving terminal.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
System-E type digital broadcast receivers typically utilize two antennas to enhance reception. This antenna arrangement is useful in compromised reception environments, such that two antennas allow for higher gain as compared to a single antenna receiver. A receiver implementing two antennas typically requires a corresponding pair of tuner units which are unconditionally activated. The baseband end is also unconditionally activated to correspond to the activated tuner units.
Although a two antenna arrangement is useful to maximize reception quality, two antennas have space and power requirements which are greater than single antenna systems. Conventional receivers typically have either a single antenna system or a two antenna system. In relatively clear reception environments, a single antenna may be sufficient to provide the desired level of reception quality. Single antenna systems have relatively lower power consumption needs, but have limited reception capabilities in compromised reception environments. On the other hand, two antenna receivers have greater reception capabilities in various types of reception environments, but such systems require more power because of the two antennas and associated components. Accordingly, there is a need for a receiver that is capable of switching between one and two active antennas as the need arises.

Power control for a digital broadcast receiving terminal


For manufacturing an implantation mask on a semiconductor surface which is provided with grooves, a positive photoresist is provided on the surface. Portions of the photoresist which are to form the implantation mask are illuminated in a first step and rendered insoluble in the developer in an image reversal step. The photoresist is then illuminated without mask and developed, so that the portions not illuminated during the first step are removed. The implantation mask thus obtained has a receding profile, the openings at the area of the grooves becoming wider in the direction of the bottom of the grooves.

The invention relates to a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device whereby a semiconductor body is provided at a surface with at least one groove which extends from the surface into the semiconductor body, a zone doped with an impurity being provided in a portion of the groove by means of ion implantation through a mask. The invention also relates to a semiconductor device manufactured by such a method.
The groove, which may have, for example, a U- or V-shape, may form a separation region between active regions, such as an island insulation in bipolar circuits. In an alternative embodiment, a conducting layer is provided in the groove, forming a gate electrode of a charge-coupled device such as described in, for example, the European Patent Application EP 0 239 151 filed by Applicant and laid open to public inspection on Sep. 30, 1987. In this device, the transport channel is situated in a mesa limited by two parallel grooves, the charge transport taking place along the walls of the mesa. Zones are formed locally in the walls, defining the charge storage locations in the channel.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,466,178 describes a method by which groove walls are doped by oblique implantation. In this method, doped zones are provided over the entire length of the grooves. It is often desirable, however, to provide the walls and/or the bottom of the groove or grooves only locally with doped zones which are provided over only a portion of the groove length.
Major practical drawbacks are involved, however, in the local implantation, i.e. not covering the entire groove length, of doped zones in narrow grooves which are relatively deep compared with their width. An obvious method is to use an implantation mask of photoresist. The realisation of a well-defined photoresist mask which leaves exposed only a portion of the groove bottom in a groove having a width of, for example, 2 microns or less and a depth of more than 3 microns is practically impossible. To illuminate the photoresist down to the groove bottom would require such a great illumination dose that the mask definition near the surface 7/uld become very bad, while the photoresist in the bottom of the groove would not or insufficiently be illuminated in the case of smaller illumination doses.
A method of the kind described in the opening paragraph is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,756,793. In this known method, the grooves are temporarily filled up with a filler material, for example photoresist, so that an at least substantially plane surface is obtained. On this surface is provided an implantation mask of metal, for example Al, which has one or several openings where in a subsequent step the dopant is to be provided in the groove or grooves. The filler material is then removed from the groove or grooves at least at the areas of the windows in the implantation mask, or from the entire groove or grooves, upon which the implantation is carried out through the 7indows in the implantation mask. The implantation mask is then removed again.

Method of manufacturing a semiconductor device using an implantation mask


In a charged particle beam exposure method and an apparatus therefor, wherein the intensity of the charged particle beam used for irradiation is increased to a maximum to improve a throughput for an exposure procedure, accordingly, the temperature of a sample, such as a wafer, is elevated and thermal expansion occurs. The thermal expansion that occurs has reproducibility based on the intensity of the projected charged particle beam. Therefore, a coefficient of thermal expansion is detected by monitoring the intensity of the projected charged particle beam. A shifting distance for each irradiation position which is acquired from the thermal expansion is added as a compensation value for deflection of the charged particle beam, to provide an accurate exposure procedure.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a charged particle beam exposure method for employing a charged particle beam, such as an electron beam or an ion beam, when performing an exposure, and in particular, to a charged particle beam exposure method, and an apparatus therefor, for correcting for the shifting of an exposure position, which accompanies the thermal expansion of a wafer, or beam drift due to a charge-up, which occurs when the entire surface of a wafer is exposed within a short period of time.
2. Related Arts
An electron beam exposure method (hereinafter this phrase is employed to simplify the explanation), one of the charged particle beam exposure methods, is a lithography tool that has both a high resolution capacity and a pattern generation capacity, and that is employed for the exposure of a reticle or the direct exposure of a semiconductor wafer. However, with the common electron beam exposure method, a desired drawing pattern is calculated, based on the electronic data for a pattern to be drawn, and an electron beam for the pattern is sequentially emitted to expose a reticle or a wafer. Since an area that can be exposed by a single emission beam is comparatively narrow, a process for using an electron beam having a predetermined pattern to expose a plurality of fields obtained by dividing a chip must be repeated a number of times. As a result, a long time is required for an exposure, while the throughput is smaller than that provided by a stepper exposure method that uses light.
At present, therefore, the electron beam exposure method is mainly used with a procedure employed for exposing a reticle, or with a procedure for exposing a sample for a new device. Thereafter, a reticle mask produced in this manner is employed to expose a large area on a wafer by employing the stepper exposure method that uses light, so that semiconductor devices can be mass produced.
A high density and microstructures will be required in the future for large capacity semiconductor devices, such as DRAMs (Dynamic Random Access Memories), and it is anticipated that the conventional stepper exposure method will not be able to cope with the revolution increase.
In order to fabricate 256M bit DRAMs, because of microstructure, the employment of the technique for directly exposing a wafer by using the electron beam exposure method is inevitable. For this reason, the conventional problem posed by inadequate throughput must be resolved, and the exposure accuracy must also be improved, even as the throughput is increased.
Assuming that the technique for exposing a wafer directly to an electron beam is the technique employed for the mass production of semiconductor devices, in this case, it is necessary to draw a single 8-inch wafer about five minutes, for example. To effect an exposure in such a short time, a block exposure method or a blanking aperture array method, both of which have been conventionally proposed, could be employed. According to these methods, a general pattern obtained by combining several variable rectangular beam shots can be exposed within a single shot, and therefore a throughput is expected to be increased several times. However, the number of electron beams per unit time with which the wafer will be irradiated will also be increased several times. The accumulated quantity of charged particles is referred to as the "volume" herein.
A limit is imposed on the current of an electron beam when an image is blurred by Coulomb interactions between electrons. For example, 2 to 4 .mu.A is the limit for an image dissection of 0.2 .mu.m. When a beam current exceeds the limit, an irradiated image will be blurred by the interaction of the electrons in the beam. Therefore, for resolution, a beam current of about 0.2 .mu.m is considered to be the limit. With an acceleration voltage of 50 kV, a wafer is irradiated with an energy of 0.1 to 0.2 W, and for five minutes (300 seconds) a thermal energy of 30 to 60 J (Joule) is supplied to the wafer. Even assuming that 50% of this thermal energy is transferred from the wafer to the holder of the apparatus and exhausted, if the thermal capacity of the 8-inch wafer is approximately 16 J/K, the temperature of the wafer is raised 1 to 2.degree. C. When the linear expansion of a Si wafer is 2.6 ppm/K, a thermal expansion with a coefficient of 3 to 5 ppm (point per meter: .mu.m to be expanded per 1 m) will occur.
For the 8-inch wafer, for example, the actual shift caused by the thermal expansion is 0.45 to 0.75 .mu.m with an expansion coefficient of 3 to 5 p.mu.m. Since the shifting distance from the center is about 0.3 .mu.m, which is about the half of the above value, this shifting can not be ignored when fabricating 256-M DRAM, for which a line width of 0.2 .mu.m is required.
To improve the throughput when a wafer is directly irradiated by an electron beam, an effective method is the continuous movement method, one whereby a stage on which the wafer is mounted is in constant movement while the wafer is being exposed. In a conventional step-and-repeat method in which an exposure in a main deflection area is repeated by moving a stage between the areas, the setting time accompanied by a halt following the movement of the stage prevents the improvement of the throughput.
According to the continuous wafer movement method, a wafer travels along a frame area that is narrower than a single chip but is sufficiently wide to permit a main deflector, constituted by an electromagnetic coil, to deflect the electron beam. Therefore, a single chip area is covered with a plurality of frame areas, and even if the location of a positioning mark, which is provided near a chip area on a wafer, is detected and the origin of the beam is corrected, it takes an extended period of time for the exposure of the pertinent chip area to be completed. Since irradiation of a large volume of an electron beam is performed during this period, the temperature of the wafer is raised and the wafer is expanded. This problem can not be avoided when the continuous wafer movement method, together with a stronger electron beam, is employed to perform direct exposure of a wafer for fabrication of a microstructure.
Further, the increase in the intensity of the beam is accompanied not only by a rise in the temperature but also by beam drift, which is caused by a charge-up related to the contamination of the exposure apparatus. The accumulation of electric charges in an organic substance, such as a resist attached to an electrostatic deflector, that results in a shift in the deflection distance of the deflector is known as beam drift, which is due to a charge-up.
The explication of the behavior of beam drift is very difficult, and how a value to compensate for beam drift should be determined has not yet been resolved. It is proposed that, when the intensity of a beam is increased for direct irradiation of a wafer, the drift of the beam will be changed during the irradiation of a single wafer. This problem must also be resolved.

Charged particle beam exposure method and apparatus


Parcel processing systems and methods. A method for processing parcels includes receiving a stream of a plurality of parcels on a conveying system of a parcel processing system. The method includes receiving physical characteristics of a parcel of the plurality of parcels. The method includes selectively reorienting the parcel on the conveying system based on the physical characteristics.

In high volume product handling operations, such as mail handling and similar processing, large quantities of items such as boxes, parcels packages or parts often varying widely in size, must be inducted into a sorter system. Typically, a feeder system for use in such processing areas takes a disordered stream of items fed to it on a conveyor and inducts the items onto a sorter system. The feeder system ideally should perform several functions. To the maximum extent possible, the feeder should singulate disordered items in order to present the articles to downstream processing equipment, such as a sorter, one at a time with some minimum specified spacing or separation between product items. The feeder system must also provide for the reading of destination information from the item so that the control system for the sort can track it through the system and sort it correctly. In the U.S., scannable bar codes are used for this purpose in automated systems. A third important function is intercepting and removing items which are non-machinable because they are too large, too heavy or the like from the system for special handling.
Singulation is an important first step in the handling and sorting of product items such as boxes, soft packages, or other parcels. As used herein, "parcel" refers to any item being processed as described, including a box, tube, irregularly-shaped item, or otherwise. Parcel singulation, as used herein, refers to the generation of a flow of discrete parcels having no two parcels abreast, stacked, or having a gap or lineal (in the direction of flow) separation less than some minimum value. In other words, singulation is a process whereby a randomly input stream of items moving on a conveyor system is separated into a stream of single items spaced from each other so that a downstream process can readily perform operations on each item one at a time. Mixed item streams are a particular challenge in that a mixed material stream may include packages that vary greatly in size and may be piled at random one upon another, forming agglomerates of packages that are difficult to detect and separate.
Presently, singulation is accomplished in two ways, by manual manipulation of material on bulk conveying lines and with mechanical singulators that rely on the mechanical characteristics of the material being singulated to generate an output stream in which the probability that each parcel is singulated is high. While manual operations can be relatively effective, they are costly; and high throughput, either continuous or in bursts, can exceed an individual's capacity, resulting in "doubles" or "multiples" (unsingulated output). Conventional mechanical singulation schemes vary widely in method, throughput, and error rates, but tend to be large (requiring a large amount of floor space) and subject to high error rates when handling material at the margins of the mechanical material specifications for which they are designed and/or tuned. They too tend to degrade in performance when they encounter heavy bursts of material flow.
Once singulated into a single-item-at-a-time flow, the gap or pitch between each of the items must be adjusted to ensure a minimum spacing for the downstream processing equipment. The shape or orientation of the items may affect how densely the items can be processed while still maintaining the target gap or pitch. Improved systems and methods are desirable.

Parcel processing systems and methods using selective parcel rotation


An apparatus and method for generating a clock using piecewise linear modulation are provided. The apparatus includes: a modulation profile generator for outputting an M-bit digital profile obtained by quantizing a piecewise linear modulation profile consisting of two or more linear signals; a delta-sigma modulator for receiving the M-bit digital profile and outputting a K-bit profile obtained by delta-sigma modulating the M-bit digital profile, K being a smaller number than M; a phase-frequency comparator for outputting up and down pulses having the same phase difference as that between a reference clock and a feedback clock; a charge pump for outputting a predetermined current for a time corresponding to the phase difference between the up and down pulses; a loop filter for outputting a control voltage corresponding to the predetermined current; a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) for outputting a multi-phase clock having a frequency corresponding to a level of the control voltage; and a fractional divider for receiving the multi-phase clock of the VCO, selecting a divider according to the K-bit profile, and outputting a divided clock as the feedback clock. Therefore, it is possible to minimize electromagnetic interference (EMI) using piecewise linear modulation, and to readily implement the apparatus and method on a chip due to the modulation profile consisting of two or more linear signals. In addition, the delicate fractional divider using a multi-phase clock of the VCO and a phase interpolator allows precise frequency interpolation. Furthermore, unnecessary power consumption can be reduced by preventing application of a clock to an unused block.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a clock generator, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for generating a clock using piecewise linear modulation.
2. Description of the Related Art
Due to increasing use and demand for various portable devices, electromagnetic interference (EMI) between components of a portable device is becoming an increasingly large problem. A simple EMI problem may be transient distortion of video or audio data, but a serious EMI problem may cause components to malfunction. With miniaturization and integration of portable devices, methods of coping with EMI are under active discussion. Products are predicted to be further integrated and miniaturized and to operate at higher speeds in the future, and thus demand for technology for preventing EMI will further increase.
To prevent on-chip EMI, components of a portable device may be covered. However, since the size and cost of the device drastically increases, this method is not feasible.
A method of increasing rising time to reduce high-frequency components of a signal can be simply implemented using Resistive Capacitive (RC) delay when a portable device has a clock frequency of about 30 MHz or less. However, when a delay is shortened due to increase in the clock frequency, it is difficult to adjust skew and control rising time. Thus, it is impossible to efficiently reduce radiated electromagnetic waves by increasing rising time in a system having a high clock frequency.
Currently, spread spectrum technology is mentioned as the most effective method for reducing EMI.
Spread spectrum clocks are compatible with a conventional clock driving method and can use an extended frequency of several hundred MHz to several GHz. In addition, since a clock signal is modulated, a signal applied to all circuits synchronized with the clock to operate is also modulated. When the clock is modulated, not only all data but also noise generated on a power line are modulated. In this way, spread spectrum clocks reduce EMI generated in digital systems.
The spread spectrum technology modulates a period or frequency of a regular clock to evenly distribute energy concentrated on a specific frequency band over a wider frequency band.
Most conventional spread spectrum clock generators introduce an intended jitter into a regular clock using a Phase-Locked Loop (PLL) or Delay Locked Loop (DLL) to generate a spread spectrum clock. However, such a jitter deteriorates the performance of an analog front end of a microprocessor, and a relatively complex circuit is necessary to demodulate the spread spectrum clock into the regular clock.
Therefore, a method of inverting the phase of a regular clock according to a specific modulation profile to generate a spread spectrum clock has been developed.
As illustrated in FIG. 1A, a conventional spread spectrum clock generator 100 using phase inversion roughly includes a multiplexer 106, an inverter 108, a pattern generator 114 and a divider 126.
When a regular clock 102 is input through an input terminal 104 of the spread spectrum clock generator 100 using phase inversion, it is uniformly applied to the multiplexer 106 and the inverter 108. The inverter 108 applies a clock 110 having an inverse phase with respect to the regular clock 102 to an input terminal 112 of the multiplexer 106. The pattern generator 114 also receives the regular clock 102 and outputs a modulation signal 116, and a modulation profile is determined according to a constitution of the pattern generator 114. The multiplexer 106 selects one of the regular clock 102 and the clock 110 having the inverse phase according to the modulation signal 116, and outputs a spread spectrum clock 124 having a modulated phase. In addition, the phase-modulated spread spectrum clock 214 may be demodulated by the divider 126 into a regular clock 128 and used in an analog front end of a microprocessor.
There are two modulation schemes frequently used in Spread-Spectrum Clock Generators (SSCGs). A triangular modulation scheme of FIG. 1B outputs a linear signal and thus is readily implemented on a chip.
A Hershey-Kiss modulation scheme of FIG. 1C reduces peaks shown at both ends of an output clock based on the triangular modulation scheme to maximize reduction in EMI.
However, when a conventional clock generator uses the triangular modulation scheme, peaks are shown at both ends of an output clock, and thus reduction in EMI decreases. Since the Hershey-Kiss modulation scheme outputs a non-linear signal, it is difficult to implement on a chip and thus is mostly implemented using a memory.

Apparatus and method for clock generation with piecewise linear modulation

Korea University Industrial & Academic Collaboration Foundation


A method of manufacturing a semiconductor integrated circuit device having on the same substrate both a high breakdown voltage MISFET and a low breakdown voltage MISFET is provided. An element isolation trench is formed in advance so that the width thereof is larger than the sum of the thickness of a polycrystalline silicon film serving as a gate electrode of a low breakdown voltage, the thickness of a gate insulating film and an alignment allowance in processing of a gate electrode in a direction orthogonal to the extending direction of the gate electrode and is larger than the thickness of the polycrystalline silicon film in a planar region not overlapping the gate electrode. It is possible to decrease the number of manufacturing steps for the semiconductor integrated circuit device.

The present invention relates to a semiconductor integrated circuit device and a method of manufacturing the same. Particularly, the present invention is concerned with a technique applicable effectively to a semiconductor integrated circuit device with both high breakdown voltage MISFET (Metal Insulator Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor) and low breakdown voltage MISFET formed on the same semiconductor substrate, as well as a method of manufacturing the same.
In Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-170888 (Patent Literature 1) is disclosed a technique for increasing the drain breakdown voltage by forming an electric field relaxing layer around source and drain regions of a high breakdown voltage MISFET.
[Patent Literature 1]
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-170888

Semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing the same


According to one embodiment, an electronic apparatus has a housing, a first heat emitter and a second heat emitter which are accommodated in the housing, and a cooling device accommodated in the housing. The cooling device includes a heat sink to cool the first heat emitter, a first heat pipe which thermally connects the first heat emitter with the heat sink, a second heat pipe, and a fan unit which cools the heat sink and the second heat pipe. The second heat pipe has a first end portion which is thermally connected to the second heat emitter, and a second end portion which is located near the heat sink.

1. Field
One embodiment of the invention relates to an electronic apparatus having a cooling device.
2. Description of the Related Art
For example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Pub. No. 2004-213655 discloses the following electronic apparatus having a cooling device. The electronic apparatus has a housing, a semiconductor chip accommodated in the housing, and a cooling device for cooling the semiconductor chip. The cooling device has a pair of connecting blocks to thermally connect with the semiconductor chip, a pair of heat sinks for cooling the connecting blocks, and a fan unit for cooling the connecting blocks. The heat sinks are arranged in positions opposed to a pair of side walls adjacent to a corner portion of the housing. The fan unit has a pair of air outlets to supply air to the heat sinks.
Heat generated by the semiconductor chip is received by the connecting blocks. The heat received by the connecting blocks is conducted to the respective heat sinks through respective heat pipes. The heat sinks discharge the heat to the outside of the housing. The electronic apparatus is provided with a pair of heat sinks and a pair of heat pipes, and thereby the cooling efficiency for the semiconductor chip is improved.
However, the above electronic apparatus requires a space for providing a pair of heat sinks and a pair of heat pipes, and thereby the space use efficiency in the housing is degraded. Further, in the electronic apparatus, the running distance of the heat pipes is long. Therefore, it is possible that a part of the heat in the heat pipes is released into the housing and causes an increase in temperature in the housing.


A plate heat exchanger has flow channels through which a first flow and a second flow pass in concurrent or countercurrent flow. The flow channels are formed for the first medium between individual plates (1) joined together to form in each case a pair (P) of plates, and for the second medium between pairs (P) of plates joined together to form a stack (S) of plates, wherein the individual plates (1) within an inlet region (E) have guide blades (2) which are formed by stamped embossments and protrude into the flow channel, wherein the guide blades (2) are formed in an arch-shaped manner with an inflow leg (21) aligned substantially parallel to the main flow direction and an outflow leg (22) aligned at an angle to the inflow leg (21).

The invention relates to a plate heat exchanger comprising flow channels through which a first and a second flow flows in concurrent or countercurrent flow, which flow channels are formed for the first medium between individual plates joined together to form in each case a pair of plates, and for the second medium between pairs of plates joined together to form a stack of plates, wherein the individual plates and the pairs of plates are connected to each other at longitudinal edges and support surfaces running parallel to the main flow direction, wherein each individual plate comprises inflow and outflow cross-sections arranged diagonally and corresponding in the longitudinal direction for the first medium, and inflow and outflow cross-sections adjacent thereto in the transverse direction for the second medium, wherein the outflow cross-sections for the first medium are in each case offset by half the height of the inflow and/or outflow cross-sections for the second medium, wherein the individual plate is provided with a profiling that generates turbulences.
Plate heat exchangers of this kind are used on a large scale with plate dimensions of several meters. A field of application here is the use in incinerators, power plants, chemical plants, refineries and/or the like, in which the resulting combustion heat of the flue gas is used for heating the second medium.
A plate heat exchanger according to the aforementioned type is disclosed in detail in German patent DE 41 42 177 C2. Here, for increasing the efficiency of the heat exchanger or, alternatively, for reducing the dimensions of the required individual plates, guide blades are provided which distribute the medium flowing in through the inflow cross-section over the full channel width of the flow channel. In order to avoid dead zones in the inlet region, in particular in the plate region located mirror-symmetrically adjacent to the longitudinal center, the guide blades are provided with elongated outflow legs which protrude beyond the longitudinal center of the individual plate. In addition, for equalizing the flow within the flow channel, the guide blades are arranged closer to the inflow cross-section in the longitudinal center of the individual plates than in the direction of the longitudinal edge of the individual plate. The turbulence-generating profiling, which covers a surface area of the individual plates that is as large as possible, serves for the same purpose.
Although this arrangement has proved itself in practice, there are still problems due to flow bypasses which form on the individual plate and which allow the heat medium to flow interaction-free along the profiling. This relates in particular to the edge regions of the individual plate. As a result of this, the heat flow rate of the plate heat exchanger decreases so that said heat exchanger needs correspondingly longer individual plates for a required performance.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a plate heat exchanger with which the interaction-free flow of heat medium through the individual plate is as low as possible, and therefore the heat flow rate at constant plate dimension increases.


An illumination system and method is disclosed. In one example, the illumination system comprises a light source, a controller controlling the power output of the light source, and a light sensor wirelessly communicating with the controller. In a normal mode, the controller controls the light source such that the light level remains substantially constant. In a change mode, the controller controls the light source such that the light level is gradually changed with a predetermined change rate so as to decrease a deviation from a target level. The controller switches from the normal mode to the change mode on the basis of input signals received from the light sensor. The light sensor measures a light level, and decides whether or not to communicate a signal to the controller. The light sensor refrains from transmitting a signal when receiving the signal does not cause the controller to change its control behavior.

At a working station, it is generally desirable to have a certain level of light (i.e. light intensity), and in many countries there are even health regulations specifying a minimum level of light for the workers. This level may depend on the type of work being performed. To provide such light level under all circumstances, it is necessary to arrange light sources (lamps) capable of providing said light level. However, during daytime, sunlight may enter the room in question, and may contribute to the light level at the working station. If the lamps would be operating at their nominal light output, the light level would be higher than necessary. Thus, energy can be saved if the light output of the lamps is reduced with increasing daylight level, such that the total light level remains substantially constant.
For this purpose, systems have been developed comprising dimmable lamps, and a lamp controller for controlling the dim level of the lamps on the basis of the daylight level. The daylight level is measured by one or more daylight sensors, which provide(s) a measuring signal to the controller.
In new systems to be installed, such daylight sensor(s) may be coupled to the controller by wires, but greater flexibility is obtained if wireless sensors are used. Further, in existing buildings with existing illumination systems, it is easier to use wireless sensors as compared to the necessity of arranging wirings. A wireless sensor provides its measuring signal to the controller by a suitable wireless communication transmission, such as for instance ZIGBEE.
A wireless sensor will be powered from a dedicated power source such as a battery, possibly recharged by a photovoltaic converter using captured daylight if the higher system costs are acceptable. With such dedicated power source, it is desirable to keep power consumption low in order to have along service time, i.e. life time of the battery or the like. On the other hand, the wireless transmission consumes relatively much energy. Thus, it has already been proposed that the sensor does not communicate to the controller constantly, but intermittedly. For instance, if the sensor only transmits a measuring signal once per second, and the transmission duration is 20 ms per transmission, the energy consumption is roughly reduced by a factor 50.
US patent application 2008/0007394 describes an illumination system where each light source is provided with a sensor for sensing the light level close to the light source. Here, the light sensor is not wireless, is not powered from a battery, and transmission of measuring signals is continuous, reduction of power consumption clearly not being an issue.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,340,864 describes an illumination system with a wireless sensor, which transmits its data periodically in small bursts, for instance once every second.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Illumination system with automatic adaptation to daylight level


A composition comprises, based on the total weight of the composition: from 10 to 80 wt. % of a modified polybutylene terephthalate copolymer that (1) is derived from polyethylene terephthalate component selected from the group consisting of polyethylene terephthalate and polyethylene terephthalate copolymers and (2) has at least one residue derived from the polyethylene terephthalate component; from 10 to 80 wt. % of a polycarbonate; from 0 to 20 wt. % of an impact modifier; from 1 to less than 25 wt. % of a reinforcing filler; from 0.1 to less than 2.5 wt. % of a fibrillated fluoropolymer; from 0 to 5 wt. % of an additive selected from the group consisting of antioxidants, mold release agents, colorants, quenchers, stabilizers, and combinations thereof. The composition has a heat deflection temperature of at least 110° C., measured in accordance with to ASTM D648 on 3.2 mm thick molded bars at 0.455 MPa.

This disclosure relates to polymer compositions, methods to synthesize the polymer compositions and articles made from the compositions.
Many polymer-based articles are manufactured by injection or other molding processes. In order to obtain good mechanical properties such as high modulus, different approaches have been tried, such as use of filler to reinforce the polymers. Different types of fillers such as glass fibers, aramid fibers, carbon fibers, and various particulate fillers have been used. However, addition of these fillers often leads to brittle failure of the polymer and can lower the impact strength of the resin. Where improved ductility has been obtained, such as in the case of aramid fillers, the modulus obtained is very low. In addition, use of fillers can present processing difficulties, due at least in part to lack of compatibility of the filler with the polymer matrix. Such incompatibility can also result in molding and flow-related problems.
Despite advances in the art and the success of many filled polymer compositions, there remains a continuing need for improved combinations of properties such as higher modulus, improved ductility, improved impact, and/or improved melt flow characteristics, so that molding operations can be performed more rapidly and with improved economics. Also it is desirable that the article has good impact resistance and ductility without the consequent loss of other desirable characteristics. Typically, it is difficult to obtain high modulus, good flow, and good ductility and impact strength in a particular polymer composition.
Therefore, there remains a continuing need in the art for compositions, methods, and articles that can provide a balanced mechanical property profile, particularly tensile modulus and impact properties.

Polymer compositions, method of manufacture, and articles formed therefrom


The invention relates to a control process for a roll stand consisting of a pair of work rolls, a pair of backup rolls, and optionally a pair of intermediary rolls. The controls for a rolling force, a deflecting force, and optionally a roll shift are given specified values, which are obtained on-line in a roll stand model with a roll deflection model. According to the invention, relationships between the rolling force, the deflecting force, and the roll shift, on the one hand, and a corresponding roll gap variation on the other hand are determined on line in the roll deflection model at interpolation points. These relationships are used to calculate at the interpolation points set points for the rolling force, the deflecting force, and the roll shift.

The present invention is directed to a control process for a roll stand for rolling a strip, and in particular to a four-high or a six-high stand having at least one pair of work rolls and one pair of backup rolls, both mounted on roll bearings. As an option, the stand may include one pair of intermediary rolls, also mounted on roll bearings. The present invention is directed to a control process for roll stands of the type having controls for a rolling force, for a deflecting force, and, as an option, for a roll shift. The roll stand also includes a roll stand model with a deflection model, in which the roll stand model is assigned a specified roll gap variation, and the roll stand model calculates from the specified roll gap variation a plurality of on line set points for the rolling force, for the deflecting force, and, optionally, for the roll shift.
Control processes for roll stands in general are in wide use. The differential equations for calculating the deflection and the variation of forces during a rolling operation, as well as the solutions of these differential equations, are well known in principle. The solution algorithms used, however, converge very slowly. Therefore, they cannot be used on-line. For this reason, tables have been calculated for obtaining, through interpolation, the relationship between on the one hand the rolling force and the deflecting force and, optionally, the roll shift, and on the other hand the roll gap variation. Use of such tables, however, has proven extremely rigid and inflexible, particularly when individual rolls of the roll stand are replaced, because in that situation the tables must be completely recalculated.

Control process for a roll stand for rolling a strip


An example method of treating a subject having a tumor is described herein. The method can include determining a radiosensitivity index of the tumor, deriving a subject-specific variable based on the radiosensitivity index, and obtaining a genomic adjusted radiation dose effect value for the tumor. The radiosensitivity index can be assigned from expression levels of signature genes of a cell of the tumor. Additionally, the genomic adjusted radiation dose effect value can be predictive of tumor recurrence in the subject after treatment. The method can also include determining a radiation dose based on the subject-specific variable and the genomic adjusted radiation dose effect value.

Radiation Therapy (RT) is a highly utilized, efficacious and cost-effective therapeutic option for cancer patients. RT is received by up to two-thirds of all cancer patients in the US, has been estimated to be responsible for 40% of all cancer cures, yet represents only 5-10% of all cancer-related health expenditures1,2. In spite of its therapeutic importance, it is under-represented in the national portfolio of clinical trials (i.e. only 5.5% of NCI trials involve RT)2.
The sequencing of the human genome has paved the way for the era of precision medicine which promises that the right treatment will be delivered to the right patient at the right time. While the genomic era has affected the delivery of chemotherapy and targeted biological agents3 4 5, it has yet to impact RT, the single most utilized therapeutic agent in oncology6.
A central principle in precision medicine is that cancer therapy should be tailored to individual tumor biology7 8 9. In spite of this tenet, RT dose protocols are uniform or one-size-fits-all (e.g., a uniform daily dose rate of 2 Gray ("Gy")) and have not yet been adapted to this vision. Thus, integrating individual biological differences into RT protocols is a central step towards realizing the promise of precision medicine, thereby improving RT-based clinical outcomes. Previously, a gene-expression based radiosensitivity index (RSI) was developed that has been validated in over 2,000 patients as a predictor of clinical outcome in RT-treated patients in multiple independent cohorts and disease sites10-19. These data support that clinical benefit from RT is non-uniform and only maximized in a sub-population of genomically-distinct patients (e.g. radiosensitive).
Personalized RT holds the promise that the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of cancer can be based on individual assessment of risk.

Systems and methods for providing personalized radiation therapy

H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Inc.


A system, apparatus and method for a multi-stage Parallel Residue Compensation (PRC) receiver for enhanced suppression of the Multiple Access Interference (MAI) in Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) systems. The accuracy of the interference estimation is improved with a set of weights computed from an adaptive Normalized Least Mean Square (NLMS) algorithm. In order to reduce complexity, the commonality of the multi-code processing is extracted and used to derive a structure of PRC to avoid direct interference cancellation. The derived PRC structure reduces the interference cancellation architecture from a complexity that is proportional to the square of the number of users to a complexity that is linear with respect to the number of users. The complexity is further reduced by replacing dedicated multiplier circuits with simple combinational logic.

Generally speaking, cellular communication systems offer communication channels to multiple users within a given service area, e.g., cell, at the same time. Such communication channels include an uplink, i.e., a mobile terminal to base station communication channel, and a downlink, i.e., a base station to mobile terminal communication channel, to facilitate two-way, multiple access communication with a number of users. Regardless of which multiple access communication scheme is employed, however, the number of users that are serviceable in a given cell is bounded by an upper limit.
In a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) system, for example, the number of users that may be accommodated by the respective cell is bounded by the number of timeslots, M, that are available within the uplink and downlink frequency bands. Such frequency bands may be represented as contiguous time-frequency planes, where M timeslots are available within the time-frequency plane. For example, the number of mobile terminals able to simultaneously communicate with their respective base stations is equal to M, whereby the Mth user transmits signal energy in the Mth timeslot of the uplink using a low duty cycle. Receptions from the base station to the mobile terminal are similarly bounded in the downlink.
In a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) system, on the other hand, the signal energy is continuously distributed throughout the entire time-frequency plane, whereby each user shares the entire time-frequency plane by employing a wideband coded signaling waveform. Thus, the number of users that may be simultaneously accommodated in a CDMA system is not bounded by the number of timeslots available within the time-frequency plane, but is rather a function of the number of users present within the communication channel and the amount of Processing Gain (PG) employed by the CDMA system. The PG of a CDMA system is defined to be the ratio of the bandwidth of the spread signal in Hertz (Hz) to the data signal bandwidth in Hz.
The number of users transmitting within a given CDMA channel contributes to the total amount of undesired signal power received and is thus a measure of the jamming signal power resulting from multiple access users within the CDMA channel. Thus, depending upon the PG and jamming signal power present at the CDMA receiver, an upper limit may be calculated for the number of users that may be supported by a given CDMA channel.
For example, if the information bandwidth of the data signal to be transmitted is 9600 Hz and the transmission bandwidth of the data signal is 1.152 Megahertz (Mhz), then the PG=1152000/9600=120, or 20.8 decibels (dB). Furthermore, if the required bit energy-to-noise spectral density ratio (Eb/N0) for acceptable performance of the CDMA communication system is equal to 6 dB, then the communicator can achieve its objective even in the presence of jamming signal power in excess of 14.8 dB. That is to say, that the jamming margin tolerated by the receiver is calculated to be 20.8−6=14.8 dB. Thus, if every user in the spread spectrum bandwidth supplies the identical amount of signal power to the base station antenna through a perfect power control scheme, regardless of location, then 102.08=120 Multiple Access (MA) users may be accommodated by that CDMA channel.
The idea of a CDMA communication system, therefore, is to expend the jamming margin by accommodating the maximal number of co-channel communicators possible. As mentioned above, these co-channel communicators occupy the frequency-time plane simultaneously and thus account for the interference, or jamming power as seen at the CDMA receiver. In theory, Multiple Access Interference (MAI) caused by MA users within the CDMA channel can be reduced to zero if their respective signals are mutually orthogonal. In practice, however, co-channel interference, or cross-correlation from other codes, is still present, since delayed and attenuated replicas of the signals that arrive non-synchronously are not orthogonal to their primary components. Similarly, signals received from neighboring cells contribute to the MAI, since those signals are non-synchronous, and thus are not orthogonal to signals received from the home cell.
A conventional CDMA receiver demodulates each user's signal as if it were the only signal present by using a bank of filters that are matched to the user's signal waveform. Since the user's signal also contains cross-correlation from other codes, i.e., interference, the matched filters exhibit increasingly poor performance as the number of users increases, or as the relative power of the interference signals becomes large. Thus, it is imperative that the receiver be capable of determining which of N possible messages is the transmitted message in the presence of this interference.
It is well known that the Maximum Likelihood (ML) sequence detector, which is based on the maximum a posteriori probability (MAP) receiver principle, is the optimal receiver for performing such determinations in the presence of interference. The complexity of the ML sequence detector, however, is exponentially related to the number of codes being processed, which yields prohibitively challenging computational and storage implementations.
Prior art attempts to achieve a good trade-off between performance and complexity have spawned a number of Multi-User Detection (MUD) research activities. Among these, the multi-stage Parallel Interference Cancellation (PIC) technique, presents a promising algorithm for real time implementation because of its relatively low computational complexity and good performance. In particular, the Complete-PIC and the Partial-PIC algorithms have received attention in the literature.
Complete-PIC is a subtractive interference cancellation scheme that assumes that the symbol detection from a previous stage is correct. An MAI estimate is then made from the previous stage detection, which is then completely subtracted from the received signal. If some of the symbol detection is wrong, e.g., when the system load is high or the iteration is in its early stages, an erroneous interference estimate results, which when subtracted from the received signal may introduce even more interference than had previously existed. This phenomenon leads to the so-called "ping-pong" effect in the conventional Complete-PIC scheme.
In such situations, it is not preferable to cancel the entire estimated interference. Thus, a partial cancellation, i.e., Partial-PIC, of the MAI may be performed by introducing a weight in each stage. The weights are found by trial and error with the constraint that the value of each weight takes on values between 0 and 1. Although considerable capacity enhancement over the Complete-PIC algorithm is achieved by Partial-PIC, it is known that the choice of the weights used in each stage affects the performance significantly. Thus, incorrect selection of the weights has less than acceptable performance characteristics.
While MAI reduction techniques continue to develop, very few research activities have studied the viability of Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) implementation of these techniques. While the Complete-PIC and Partial-PIC algorithms provide good performance with relatively low computational complexity, their real-time hardware implementations are still extremely challenging. Commercialization of these algorithms is particularly dependent upon finding a viable VLSI architecture that can apply the hardware resources efficiently to achieve low power and low cost in its design.
Accordingly, there is a need in the communications industry for an MAI reduction algorithm that further reduces computational complexity over existing techniques. In addition, the reduced computational complexity should compliment its VLSI implementation by utilizing features inherent with the MAI reduction algorithm. The present invention fulfills these and other needs, and offers other advantages over the prior art MAI reduction approaches.

System, apparatus, and method for adaptive weighted interference cancellation using parallel residue compensation


Methods of fabricating three-dimensional objects featuring properties of a soft bodily tissue and three-dimensional objects featuring properties of a soft bodily tissue or of an organ comprising same are provided.

The present invention, in some embodiments thereof, relates to additive manufacturing (AM), and, more particularly, but not exclusively, to additive manufacturing of an object made, in at least a portion thereof, of a soft material that features properties (e.g., mechanical and/or visual properties) of a soft bodily tissue.
Additive manufacturing is generally a process in which a three-dimensional (3D) object is manufactured utilizing a computer model of the objects. Such a process is used in various fields, such as design related fields for purposes of visualization, demonstration and mechanical prototyping, as well as for rapid manufacturing (RM).
The basic operation of any AM system consists of slicing a three-dimensional computer model into thin cross sections, translating the result into two-dimensional position data and feeding the data to control equipment which manufacture a three-dimensional structure in a layerwise manner.
Various AM technologies exist, amongst which are stereolithography, digital light processing (DLP), and three dimensional (3D) printing, 3D inkjet printing in particular. Such techniques are generally performed by layer by layer deposition and solidification of one or more building materials, typically photopolymerizable (photocurable) materials.
In three-dimensional printing processes, for example, a building material is dispensed from a dispensing head having a set of nozzles to deposit layers on a supporting structure. Depending on the building material, the layers may then be cured or solidified using a suitable device.
Various three-dimensional printing techniques exist and are disclosed in, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,259,962, 6,569,373, 6,658,314, 6,850,334, 7,183,335, 7,209,797, 7,225,045, 7,300,619, 7,479,510, 7,500,846, 7,962,237 and 9,031,680, all to the same Assignee, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
A printing system utilized in additive manufacturing may include a receiving medium and one or more printing heads. The receiving medium can be, for example, a fabrication tray that may include a horizontal surface to carry the material dispensed from the printing head. The printing head may be, for example, an ink jet head having a plurality of dispensing nozzles arranged in an array of one or more rows along the longitudinal axis of the printing head. The printing head may be located such that its longitudinal axis is substantially parallel to the indexing direction.
The printing system may further include a controller, such as a microprocessor to control the printing process, including the movement of the printing head according to a pre-defined scanning plan (e.g., a CAD configuration converted to a Stereo Lithography (STL) format and programmed into the controller). The printing head may include a plurality of jetting nozzles. The jetting nozzles dispense material onto the receiving medium to create the layers representing cross sections of a 3D object.
In addition to the printing head, there may be a source of a curing condition, for curing the dispensed building material. The curing condition typically comprises a curing energy, and is typically radiation, for example, UV radiation.
Additionally, the printing system may include a leveling device for leveling and/or establishing the height of each layer after deposition and at least partial solidification, prior to the deposition of a subsequent layer.
The building materials may include modeling materials and support materials, which form the object and the temporary support constructions supporting the object as it is being built, respectively.
The modeling material (which may include one or more material(s), included in one or more formulations) is deposited to produce the desired object/s and the support material (which may include one or more material(s)) is used, with or without modeling material elements, to provide support structures for specific areas of the object during building and assure adequate vertical placement of subsequent object layers, e.g., in cases where objects include overhanging features or shapes such as curved geometries, negative angles, voids, and so on.
Both the modeling and support materials are preferably liquid at the working temperature at which they are dispensed, and subsequently hardened, typically upon exposure to a curing condition (e.g., a curing energy such as UV curing), to form the required layer shape. After printing completion, support structures are removed to reveal the final shape of the fabricated 3D object.
Several additive manufacturing processes allow additive formation of objects using more than one modeling material. For example, U.S. Patent Application having Publication No. 2010/0191360, of the present Assignee, discloses a system which comprises a solid freeform fabrication apparatus having a plurality of dispensing heads, a building material supply apparatus configured to supply a plurality of building materials to the fabrication apparatus, and a control unit configured for controlling the fabrication and supply apparatus. The system has several operation modes. In one mode, all dispensing heads operate during a single building scan cycle of the fabrication apparatus. In another mode, one or more of the dispensing heads is not operative during a single building scan cycle or part thereof.
In a 3D inkjet printing process such as Polyjet™ (Stratasys Ltd., Israel), the building material is selectively jetted from one or more printing heads and deposited onto a fabrication tray in consecutive layers according to a pre-determined configuration as defined by a software file.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,227,365, by the present assignee, discloses methods and systems for solid freeform fabrication of shelled objects, constructed from a plurality of layers and a layered core constituting core regions and a layered shell constituting envelope regions.
Additive Manufacturing processes have been used to form rubber-like materials. For example, rubber-like materials are used in PolyJet™ systems as described herein. These materials are formulated to have relatively low viscosity permitting dispensing, for example by inkjet, and to develop Tg which is lower than room temperature, e.g., −10° C. or lower. The latter is obtained by formulating a product with relatively low degree of cross-linking and by using monomers and oligomers with intrinsic flexible molecular structure (e.g., acrylic elastomers). An exemplary family of Rubber-like materials usable in PolyJet™ systems (marketed under the trade name "Tango" family) offers a variety of elastomer characteristics of the obtained hardened material, including Shore scale A hardness, elongation at break, Tear Resistance and tensile strength. The softest material in this family features a Shore A hardness of 27.
Another family of Rubber-like materials usable in PolyJet™ systems (marketed under the trade name "Agilus" family) is described in PCT International Application No. IL2017/050604 (published as WO2017/208238), by the present assignee, and utilizes an elastomeric curable material and silica particles.
To date, there are no reports of additive manufacturing techniques that employ model materials which, when hardened, feature a hardness and appearance of a soft bodily tissue, and hence of additive manufacturing techniques that are capable of producing 3D objects that comprise, in at least a portion thereof, a hardened material that features mechanical and optionally also visual properties similar to that of a bodily soft tissue.

Additive manufacturing processes employing a material featuring properties of a soft bodily tissue


A mechanism for drilling or coring by a combination of sonic hammering and rotation. The drill includes a hammering section with a set of preload weights mounted atop a hammering actuator and an axial passage through the hammering section. In addition, a rotary section includes a motor coupled to a drive shaft that traverses the axial passage through the hammering section. A drill bit is coupled to the drive shaft for drilling by a combination of sonic hammering and rotation. The drill bit includes a fluted shaft leading to a distal crown cutter with teeth. The bit penetrates sampled media by repeated hammering action. In addition, the bit is rotated. As it rotates the fluted bit carries powdered cuttings helically upward along the side of the bit to the surface.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to the field of drilling, and more particularly, relates to apparatus for penetrating, sampling, probing, and testing of a medium.
2. Description of Prior Art
Effective probing, drilling and coring apparatus find use in a great number of areas such as, for example, planetary exploration, military, medical operations, construction, police investigations, geology, archaeology sports (for example hiking and rock climbing) and other games.
Existing drilling techniques are limited by the need for high axial forces, large power consumption, as well as a need to operate from a heavy platform to drill in non-horizontal and/or hard surfaces. The life of coring bits is markedly reduced by the breakdown of the binder that holds abrasive material on a bit surface.
Accordingly, the capability of existing rotary corers has limited application in power and mass constrained environments. As an example, a typical rotary corer that produces 10 mm cores in hard rocks requires at least 20 to 30 watts of power. Such drilling rigs cannot be duty cycled continuously without a loss of efficiency. In addition, drill motors can demand as much as three to four times surge current upon startup then during continuous operation.
Conventional rotary corers that, for example, produce 10 mm diameter cores which may require about 100-N to 150-N or more of axial preload and during core initiation, drill walk can induce torques on the drilling platform that may exceed 30 Nm and tangential forces of 100-N. The drill chatter delivers a low frequency, for example 2-10 Hz, high force perturbations on a drilling platform which requires conventional coring applications to utilize very stable and massive platforms.
In hard rock formations, conventional rotary drillers and corers lose an advantage that they sometimes demonstrate in soft materials. In hard rocks, conventional drillers stop drilling by shearing and spoliation and become grinders. The grinding process is accompanied by at least a 300% increase in consumed energy per unit length of the core. In addition, because the grinding mechanism is determined by the compression failure of the rock, the teeth of the corers must be re-sharpened frequently. Accordingly, sharpness of the bits must be monitored otherwise the heat generation at the tip may increase by a factor of up to 10 times. This increase is accompanied by a concomitant drop in drilling efficiency and often causes burning or melting of the drill bit.
Non-traditional drilling technologies, such as for example, lasers, electron beams, microwaves, hydraulic jets, are typically competitive only in applications that are not power limited. Down-the-well energy required to remove a unit volume of rock for so called "modern" technologies is about the same as grinding and melting, that is, three to five times higher than for shear drilling. Unfortunately, for modern technologies, the ratio of down-the-well power delivered versus input power generation is below several percent versus 10 to 30 percent for conventional drills. Accordingly, many space or power limited applications simply do not have enough power to employ a non-traditional drilling technique.
Hammering drills and particularly the Ultrasonic/Sonic Driller/Corer (USDC) as shown in various embodiments in various earlier-filed U.S. patents and applications offer a solution capable of coring into a variety of rocks and soils using low power and low axial load. The USDC is based on an ultrasonic/sonic actuator mechanism. The advantages of this are attractive for potential future robotic missions to explore the planets and moons.
Experiments have shown that the penetration rate of the USDC can be improved by a factor of ten by rotating the drill bit. This supplements the hammering action and provides for faster drilling rates and greater penetration depth. However, the increased speed of drilling results in more cuttings and requires removal of the cuttings.
It would be greatly advantageous to provide hammer drilling with rotation of the bit, where the bit is independently rotated by a motor to remove large volumes of powdered cuttings, and to provide a backup drilling action in case of failure of either rotary or hammering mechanism. It would also be advantageous to provide a bit design with flutes on the surface to remove the powdered cuttings.

The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration


An ophthalmic apparatus capable of performing alignment of the apparatus with respect to an examinee's eye with ease regardless of characteristics of the eye or an environment of the apparatus includes a measurement unit performing examination/measurement of the eye, a projection optical system for projecting an alignment target onto an anterior segment of the eye, an image-pickup optical system for picking up an anterior-segment image with an image of the projected target by a two-dimensional image-pickup element, and a calculation and control unit detecting the target image, and based on the detection result, detecting an alignment condition of the measurement unit with the eye, wherein the calculation and control unit detects two-dimensional luminance distribution in an image obtained by the element, and based on the detection result, changes projection light intensity of light of the target and/or gain of the element so that the target image becomes detectable.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ophthalmic apparatus which performs examination or measurement of an examinee's eye.
2. Description of Related Art
There is known an ophthalmic apparatus such as a refractometer, a tonometer and a fundus camera, which performs examination or measurement of an examinee's eye, and the ophthalmic apparatus detects an alignment condition of the apparatus with respect to the eye by picking up an image of an alignment target in a spot shape, a ring shape or other shapes which is projected onto an anterior segment (a cornea) of the eye along with an image of the anterior segment by using a two-dimensional image-pickup element, and based on a result of the detection, automatically performs alignment of the apparatus with respect to the eye.
In such an apparatus, light of the alignment target often doubles as light for illuminating the anterior segment. For this reason, projection light intensity of the light of the alignment target and/or gain of the two-dimensional image-pickup element which picks up the alignment target image with the anterior-segment image are set to be higher in order to display the anterior-segment image brightly or to pick up the alignment target image clearly. However, if the projection light intensity of the light of the alignment target and/or the gain of the two-dimensional image-pickup element are set to be higher, there is a possibility that the alignment target image cannot be detected because of scattered light (noise light) from the anterior segment, depending on characteristics of the eye or an environment where the apparatus is placed. For example, if the eye has microcoria, the light of the alignment target (especially, the alignment target in the ring shape) is reflected and scattered by an iris of the eye and the scattered light enters the image-pickup element, which may have a detrimental effect on the detection of the alignment target image. In addition, if light intensity of extraneous light such as light of a light (illumination) in a room where the apparatus is placed is high, the extraneous light is reflected and scattered by the anterior segment and the scattered light enters the image-pickup element, which may have a detrimental effect on the detection of the alignment target image.


A technique controls a network switch having a set of ports. The technique involves configuring the network switch to provide an initial set of communications paths between the ports. The initial set of communications paths defines an initial communications path topology within the network switch. The technique further involves receiving a configuration command which identifies a particular operating mode of the data storage system after configuring the network switch to provide the initial set of communications paths within the network switch. The technique further involves reconfiguring the network switch to provide a new set of communications paths between the ports in response to the configuration command. The new set of communications paths (i) defines a new communications path topology within the network switch, the new communications path topology being different than the initial communications path topology, and (ii) supports the particular operating mode of the data storage system.

A data storage system typically includes one or more storage processors and an array of disk drives. Each storage processor stores data into, and retrieves data from, the array of disk drives on behalf of one or more external hosts.
Some conventional data storage systems include network interfaces which enable the external hosts to remotely communicate with the data storage systems over networks. In the context of a conventional modularized data storage system (i.e., in which modularized components fit together within a common enclosure), the network interface is typically partitioned as a module which is separate from the storage processors and perhaps other devices.
Some conventional data storage systems include service processor interfaces which enable local service processors (e.g., local consoles or terminals, laptop computers, etc.) to communicate with the data storage systems. In the context of a conventional modularized data storage system, the service processor interface may also be partitioned as a module which is separate from the storage processors and other devices.

Techniques for controlling a network switch of a data storage system


Several methods of forming links for use with the creation of rope chains is disclosed, whereby the outer peripheries of such links are contoured prior to assembly into rope chains. In one embodiment, the wire used in the formation of intertwinable links is contoured and then cut into individual, pre-contoured links. In another embodiment, the outer periphery of non-contoured links are individually contoured prior to the intertwining of such links to form actual rope chains. In another embodiment, individual links are stamped with inner and outer peripheries of different shapes. In yet another embodiment, individual links are collectively contoured, preferably after arrangement on a support such as an ice lathe or a mandril. Such contouring can be accomplished by hand, machine or the like. If such links are not already provided with a gap, then a gap can be formed into the links as part of the contouring step.

This invention relates to a method of forming chain links for use in making fine jewelry rope chains, and more specifically, to method of contouring the outer periphery of individual links.
A fine jewelry xe2x80x9cropexe2x80x9d chain is usually comprised of individual links intertwined to form a chain having the appearance of a double helix. The intertwining of such links is customarily done by hand, with gaps facilitating the interengagement or intertwining of links to form a chain. The rope chain art has evolved considerably since its inception, to the extent that a layman probably takes for granted the complicated and various methods used to create a highly decorative and ornamental piece of jewelry.
The appearance of individual links and the manner in which such links are intertwined to form a chain usually dictate the appearance of the resultant chain. The prior art is replete with rope chains formed from solid and hollow links having all different shapes and sizes. Such links are also formed using a variety of methods. Conventionally, a solid or hollow wire is wrapped around a supporting core and then cut so that the wire separates into individual pieces, each piece having a gap for intertwining with other pieces (the term xe2x80x9cwirexe2x80x9d is customarily used in the jewelry rope chain art and will be used herein to designate a solid strand of material, or a flat, stamped material that has been rolled into an elongated strand of tubular cross-section). After the wire is cut, and before the individual pieces can be intertwined, the pieces are flattened into links. Other methods of creating links are known in the art, including punching an individual link from a sheet of material using a one-step process as taught by Rozenwasser in U.S. Pat. No. 5,544,477 or a two-step process as taught by Grando in U.S. Pat. No. 5,309,704.
Recently, there has been a movement in the rope chain field toward highly decorative surface ornamentation, where the outer surface or periphery of individual chain links are modified or materially altered, both before and after they have been formed into a rope chain. Surface ornamentation usually occurs after the links have been assembled into a rope chain, through methods widely known in the art. This usually involves the creation of a rope chain, followed by the faceting, notching, cutting, bending, deforming, scraping or the like, of distinct portions of such chain, until the desired surface effect is achieved on exposed portions of individual links and the chain as a whole.
Certain methods of surface ornamentation are dependent or preferred based on the type of link used to form the chain, while other methods are preferred depending on the desired effect one wishes to achieve. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,220 to Strobel and U.S. Pat. No. 5,353,584 to Strobel et al., disclose the incremental deforming, by a blunt, burnishing tool, of a hollow link rope chain, which, after several passes by such tool, results in individual links having flattened exposed surfaces. U.S. Pat. No. 5,285,625 to Ofrat et al. discloses the use of a diamond cut forming machine to create diamond cut facets extending spirally around the longitudinal center of the chain, while U.S. Pat. No. 5,303,540 to Rozenwasser discloses the use of a diamond-cutting edge to create shallow depressions along the surface of a thin plate of metal that will eventually be formed into a wire and then a link. The Rozenwasser ""540 patent also discloses the creation of shallow depressions on a wire prior to dividing or cutting into links, while U.S. Pat. No. 5,412,935, also to Rozenwasser, discloses the cutting of facets into a link having a raised surface. See also U.S. Pat. No. 5,537,812 to Rozenwasser. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,471,830 and 5,526,639 to Gonzales disclose the cutting of an assembled rope chain to create a continuously curved surface.
In addition to providing surface ornamentation in the form of faceting and contouring, the overall appearance of rope chains has in the past been altered by using links of various shapes. For example in U.S. Design Pat. Nos. 368,048 and 370,184 and 370,426 all to Rozenwasser, modified xe2x80x9cCxe2x80x9d-shaped links are intertwined to form jewelry rope chains having unique overall designs. While the design of each link is ornamentally unique, each link has a consistent inner and outer peripheral surface and profile and a consistent thickness along such profile.
The faceting and contouring of assembled rope chains has become fairly complicated to meet the demands for unique surface configurations. This has resulted in contouring methods and machinery of increased complexity. There exists a need, therefore, for a method of creating fashionably contoured rope chains that is relatively uncomplicated, efficient to implement, inexpensive in its operation, and provides the designer with a multitude of contouring options unseen or unexperienced in the prior art. Recognizing this need, the present inventor has devised a method of creating ornamentally desirable rope chains by fashionably contouring the outer periphery of individual links, thereby avoiding the costly process of enlisting complicated machinery to act upon ever-increasingly complicated rope chain configurations. More specifically, one embodiment of the method of the present invention involves the arrangement of individual links onto a mandril, followed by the contouring of the outer periphery of such links by hand, machine or the like. After the individual links have been contoured as desired, the links are removed from such mandril and assembled into rope chains using methods known in the art. In other embodiments, the outer peripheries of individual links are contoured without the use of a mandril.
It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a method of creating fashionably contoured rope chains that is relatively uncomplicated, efficient to implement, inexpensive in its operation, and provides the designer with a multitude of contouring options.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method of creating fashionably contoured rope chains by contouring the outer periphery of individual chain links prior to assembly into rope chains.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a method of creating fashionably contoured rope chains by contouring the outer periphery of a coiled wire prior to separation into individual links and assembly of such links into rope chains.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a method of creating fashionably contoured rope chains by arranging individual chain links onto a mandril prior to contouring the outer periphery of such links.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a method of creating fashionably contoured rope chains by arranging individual chain links onto a mandril and contouring the outer periphery of such links along one or a variety of locations along such outer periphery.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a method of forming chain links by contouring the outer peripheries of such links, whether created from a wire, a punching process or the like, while arranged on a mandril.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a method of forming chain links by contouring the outer peripheries of such links by hand, machine or the like.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a method of forming chain links by arranging such links on a preferably flexible mandril for passage through contouring apparatus.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a method of forming chain links by punching, stamping or die extruding links with contoured outer peripheries.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a method of forming chain links having inner and outer peripheries of different shapes.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a method of forming chain links having a non-uniform thickness.
Still other objects and advantages of the invention will become clear upon review of the following detailed description in conjunction with the appended drawings.
Individual chain links used in forming jewelry rope chains are provided, being formed from solid or hollow wire, punched or the like, and being produced using methods known in the art. The outer peripheries of such links are contoured prior to assembly into rope chains. In one embodiment, the outer periphery of links are contoured during the creation of the link, which can occur during a stamping process, or while the link material is still in the form of a wire. In another embodiment, non-contoured links are arranged on a mandril, and the outer peripheries of such links are then contoured as desired. Contouring of the outer periphery can be accomplished by hand, machine or the like. Prior to contouring of the outer periphery, the individual chain links or material made therefrom may or may not have a gap for intertwining with other links to form a rope chain. If individually created links are not provided with a gap, i.e., if the links have continuous inner and outer peripheries, then a gap can be formed into such links as part of the contouring step. The outer peripheries of wire or links used in the formation of rope chains may be contoured using a single stroke or pass by a contouring mechanism, or several passes, until the desired contouring is achieved.


A request to initiate a launch procedure of a compute instance at a virtualization host configured to access a remote storage device over a network is received. A memory buffer of the host is allocated as a write-back cache for use during a portion of the launch procedure. In response to a write request directed to remote storage during the portion of the launch procedure, the write payload is stored in the buffer and an indication of fulfillment of the write is provided independently of obtaining an acknowledgement that the payload has been propagated to the remote storage. Subsequent to the portion of the launch procedure, payloads of other write requests are transmitted to the remote storage device.

Many companies and other organizations operate computer networks that interconnect numerous computing systems to support their operations, such as with the computing systems being co-located (e.g., as part of a local network) or instead located in multiple distinct geographical locations (e.g., connected via one or more private or public intermediate networks). For example, data centers housing significant numbers of interconnected computing systems have become commonplace, such as private data centers that are operated by and on behalf of a single organization, and public data centers that are operated by entities as businesses to provide computing resources to customers. Some public data center operators provide network access, power, and secure installation facilities for hardware owned by various customers, while other public data center operators provide "full service" facilities that include network-accessible services that can be used by their customers.
The advent of virtualization technologies for commodity hardware has provided benefits with respect to managing large-scale computing resources for many customers with diverse needs, allowing various computing resources to be efficiently and securely shared by multiple customers. For example, virtualization technologies may allow a single physical computing machine to be shared among multiple users at a computing service by providing each user with one or more compute instances (e.g., guest virtual machines) hosted by the single physical computing machine. Each such compute instance may be regarded as a software simulation acting as a distinct logical computing system. Clients of the computing service may in some cases specify the machine images to be used for their compute instances. The interval between the submission of a request to launch or start up a compute instance, and the time at which the requested compute instance becomes available for the requesting client's applications, may vary based on a number of factors.
While embodiments are described herein by way of example for several embodiments and illustrative drawings, those skilled in the art will recognize that embodiments are not limited to the embodiments or drawings described. It should be understood, that the drawings and detailed description thereto are not intended to limit embodiments to the particular form disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope as defined by the appended claims. The headings used herein are for organizational purposes only and are not meant to be used to limit the scope of the description or the claims. As used throughout this application, the word "may" is used in a permissive sense (i.e., meaning having the potential to), rather than the mandatory sense (i.e., meaning must). Similarly, the words "include," "including," and "includes" mean including, but not limited to. When used in the claims, the term "or" is used as an inclusive or and not as an exclusive or. For example, the phrase "at least one of x, y, or z" means any one of x, y, and z, as well as any combination thereof.

Parameterized launch acceleration for compute instances


A seat apparatus for a vehicle includes a seat cushion for being secured to a vehicle floor, a seat back arranged on a rear portion of the seat cushion, a sliding unit mounted on the seat cushion to permit the vehicle seat to slide relative to the vehicle floor, a pair of front brackets adapted to be fixed to the vehicle floor and connected to the sliding unit at the front end of the seat cushion and a pair of rear brackets adapted to be fixed to the vehicle floor and connected to the sliding unit at the rear end of the seat cushion. The front brackets are adapted to be deformed during a collision to permit the seat cushion to move upward. The front brackets are configured to include a first attaching portion and a second attaching portion that are spaced apart from one another.

An example of a vehicle seat apparatus is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 5(1993)-338484. The vehicle seat apparatus includes a seat cushion and a seat back, with the seat cushion being secured on the vehicle floor through a pair of front brackets and a pair of rear brackets. The seat back is slidably and rotatably supported on the rear portion of the seat cushion through an absorbing unit and the seat back is connected to the vehicle floor through a wire. The wire functions to maintain a constant reclining angle of the seat back relative to the seat cushion.
When a rear end collision of the vehicle occurs, an impact force is applied to a seated person in the vehicle seat and the seat back slides relative to the seat cushion by the impact force. Therefore, the impact force is absorbed through the absorbing unit. At this time, the constant reclining angle of the seat back relative to the seat cushion is maintained by the wire.
However, this seat apparatus suffers from disadvantage that it is requires a relatively large number of parts and is somewhat complicated in construction. This is due to the fact that the seat apparatus requires the absorbing unit and the wire in order to absorb impact forces.