A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) switch is provided which includes a multiple of three support arms extending from the periphery of a moveable electrode. In addition, MEMS switch includes a plurality of contact structures having portions extending into a space between a fixed electrode and the moveable electrode. In some cases, the relative arrangement of the support arms and the contact structures are congruent among three regions of the MEMS switch which collectively comprise the entirety of the fixed electrode and the entirety of the moveable electrode. In other embodiments, the contact structures may not be arranged congruently within the MEMS switch.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to microelectromechanical devices, and more particularly, to the arrangement and number of contact structures and support beams within a plate-based microelectromechanical device.
2. Description of the Related Art
The following descriptions and examples are not admitted to be prior art by virtue of their inclusion within this section.
Microelectromechanical devices, or devices made using microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology, are of interest in part because of their potential for allowing integration of high-quality devices with circuits formed using integrated circuit (IC) technology. As compared to transistor switches formed with conventional IC technology, for example, microelectromechanical contact switches may exhibit lower losses and a higher ratio of off-impedance to on-impedance. MEMS switch designs generally use an actuation voltage to close the switch, and typically rely on the spring force in the beam or plate to open the switch when the applied voltage is removed. In opening the switch, the spring force of the beam or plate must typically counteract what is often called "stiction." Stiction refers to various forces tending to make two surfaces stick together such as van der Waals forces, surface tension caused by moisture between the surfaces, and/or bonding between the surfaces (e.g., through metallic diffusion). Consequently, actuating a switch at a relatively low voltage tends to make the switch harder to open, resulting in a switch which may not open reliably (or at all).
For this reason, it is often desirable within MEMS switches to apply high actuation voltages, such as on the order of 50 volts or more, such that a complementary spring force sufficient to open the switch is stored within the switch. Such relatively high actuation voltages, however, often require voltage translation circuits when used with transistor switches, increasing the complexity of the circuit. In addition, relatively high actuation voltages increase the force attracting the electrodes of a MEMS switch. In some cases, the actuation voltages may be high enough to cause the electrodes to contact, causing the device to malfunction. As such, it is often desirable to optimize actuation voltages of MEMS switches such that the switch can reliably open and close but the electrodes can be prevented from contacting.
MEMS switch designs are often characterized by the form of their moveable component/s. For example, a cantilever-based MEMS switch includes a moveable beam supported at one end and free at another. In contrast, strap-based MEMS switches include a moveable beam supported at both ends. A third class of MEMS switches is diaphragm-based structures in which a membrane is supported around most or all of its perimeter. In some MEMS switches, a moveable plate is used instead of a cantilever beam, strap beam, or diaphragm membrane. In some embodiments, the moveable plate may be supported by support structures arranged at each of the four corners of the plate (i.e., when a square or rectangular plate is employed). The support structures of plate-based MEMS switches differ from support structures used for cantilever-based, strap-based and diaphragm-based MEMS switches in that they are configured to twist and bend such that the entire plate may move relative to a fixed electrode. Such an adaptation of support structures, however, may cause plate-based MEMS switches to be more susceptible to having electrodes collapse onto each other, particularly at high actuation voltages. In addition, high actuation voltages may cause the plate itself to bend such that a portion of the plate contacts the underlying gate electrode, particularly if the plate is not evenly supported by the structures. Consequently, the tolerance of actuation voltages for plate-based MEMS switches are often small or cannot be effectively optimized to allow the switches to be reliably opened and closed while simultaneously preventing the actuation electrodes of the switches from contacting one another.
It would, therefore, be desirable to develop a plate-based MEMS switch which relaxes the aforementioned constraints imposed by the use of high actuation voltages, namely opening and closing reliability and the prevention of collapsing electrodes.

Plate-based microelectromechanical switch having a three-fold relative arrangement of contact structures and support arms


A device can capture small pests with a sheet overlaying a perforated panel. The sheet may be one layer or several separable and disposable layers with pest detaining adhesive applied to at least a portion of an outer side. The sheet has a marginal recess with a deflected pull tab that is no longer or wider than the recess. The perforated panel has a handle and a peripheral wall with a first and a second section rising in opposite directions from the panel. The panel has at least one overhang projecting inwardly from the peripheral wall for holding the sheet in place. The outer side of said sheet is adhesive free in a region located under the overhang. A cover can fit on the panel and at least partially cover it. The cover has at least one internal detent for engaging the panel and holding it in place.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to fly swatters and devices for capturing small pests, and in particular, devices using an adhesive to capture small pests
2. Description of Related Art
Flying insects, spiders and other small pests are not only annoying but can carry disease, bite, and present other health hazards. Using an insect spray to exterminate these pests may be undesirable inside a home because of concerns with environmental pollution or contamination of foodstuffs.
House flies can be captured by an adhesive strip that is suspended from the ceiling. This stationary strip can be scented or otherwise impregnated to attract flies. Flies landing on the strip are caught on the adhesive and eventually die. While effective, the sight of several dead flies stuck to an adhesive strip is somewhat repulsive. Moreover, one cannot know in advance where the house fly will appear and suspending multiple strips in every room adds to the unpleasantness and cost of these adhesive strips.
The well-known fly swatter may have a handle supporting a plastic perforated panel. With this device a user attempts to quickly swat the fly after it lands on a flat surface. Unfortunately, the fly can land behind Venetian blinds, inside a lamp shade or in a crevice of an uneven surface, safe from the swatter. Also, the user may be unable to use the swatter without causing damage if the fly should land on something fragile such as a light fixture.
See also U.S. Pat. Nos. 834,039; 884,213; 1,005,443; 1,083,179; 1,604,460; 1,718,805; 1,802,774; 2,437,447; 2,618,882; 2,015,092; 3,449,856; 4,120,114; 4,653,222; 4,759,150; 4,787,171; 4,905,408; 4,907,367; 5,269,092; 5,630,290; 6,055,767; 6,067,746; 6,957,510; and 7,165,355.


Data is recorded in a first part PA1 in accordance with a signal format same as that of an existing CD at the lower limit (1.5 μm) of an allowable value of a Wreck pitch and the lower limit (1.2 m/sec) of a linear velocity. As a result, the data for the maximum regeneration time (74.7 min) can be recorded in the first part PA1. An existing CD reproducing apparatus can reproduce the audio data recorded in the first part PA1 with no problem. Moreover, compressed and encrypted audio data is recorded in a second part PA2 at a single density or a double density. The single density represents a recording density same as that of an existing CD and the double density represents a density two time larger than the single density. Furthermore, the audio data recorded in the second part PA2 is charged when reproduced in order to protect copyrights. The format of the data recorded in the second part PA2 uses the format of a CD-ROM.

For compact disc (CD) and DVD (Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc) and the like, various copy-prevention arts for preventing illegal copy are proposed and practically used in order to protect copyrights. For example, SCMS (Serial Copy Management System) permits a first-generation copy from a CD to an MD (Mini Disc: trade mark) but inhibits a second-generation copy from an MD to other medium. Moreover, a copy-generation restriction system is also known which restricts what-th generation copy can be generated.
Moreover, music contents have been recently circulated in accordance with quick advancement of networks including Internet. Under the above situation, EMD (Electronic Music Distribution) using networks such as Internet and satellite broadcasting has been started and a copyright management method for EMD is proposed. In the case of EMD, a user can obtain music contents through charging. The above-described arts such as SCMS and copy generation restriction are going to be used for the EMD in order to prevent illegal copy.
As described above, the conventional copyright protection method has restricted copy by using a copy prevention art to protect the right of a writer. Therefore, the method has been an obstacle for circulating music contents widely in a short time. For example, a due system is one of conventional copyright protection systems. This system is executed by a DAT (Digital Audio Taperecorder) or MD, in which a user of a digital recorder pays a compensation added to a product price. In these days in which networks are advanced, hardware (player or medium) does not frequently correspond to contents distributed through a network one to one so that the contents are received by a personal computer and reproduced and therefore, it cannot be said that the above due system is suitable as a copyright protection system.
Moreover, a plurality of melodies are recorded in a medium such as a CD, a user may enjoy only one specific melody or only several melodies among the recorded melodies or may not want to buy the whole medium, that is, the DC. Furthermore, advertisement and circulation of music contents may be prevented due to a copying-prevention technique. It is possible to advertise and circulate the music contents for a short time by distributing the music contents free of charge and reduce the cost for advertisement and circulation of them.
When considering the above point, it is preferable to use a system in which contents are circulated and widely distributed free of charge and charged when reproducing the contents so that the contents are easily and quickly circulated and a writer can obtain a legal compensation. To realize the above system, it is necessary that contents recorded in a medium are encrypted. Moreover, it is considered to construct a system that is charged when the encrypted contents are reproduced. However, there is a problem that a recording medium storing encrypted contents such as a disk cannot be reproduced by an existing disk reproducing apparatus such as a CD reproducing apparatus.
Moreover, it is preferable that copy (redistribution) can be freely performed in addition to the fact that contents can be circulated and distributed free of charge. In this case, encrypted contents are copied. It is preferable that the copying time required is short.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a recording medium storing contents that can be charged when decoded by being encoded while securing the compatibility with an existing data-recording medium.
Moreover, it is another object of the present invention to provide a recording medium for recording and reproducing data in and from the former recording medium and controlling copy, data recording method and apparatus, data reproducing method and apparatus, and a copy control method.

Recording medium, data recording method and apparatus, data regenerating method and apparatus, and copy control method


A ball and socket type universal workpiece support is provided that is locked in its normal state. A balanced system of spring force is provided to lock the positioner in any position chosen by the operation. It will remain in the selected position until fluid pressure is provided to release it for movement to another position.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a universal workpiece positioner and more particularly to a holder for a workpiece to be operated upon in which the workpiece may be moved and retained in a desired position.
In the manufacture of various items it is often necessary to position the item to conveniently perform an operation upon it such as welding, painting, forming, assembling, etc. The items may take various forms and sizes and may be small such as a circuit board or as large as perhaps a section of an automobile body.
Accordingly, it is desirable to have a workholder to which a large variety of items to be worked upon may be secured and in which the workholder may be freely adjusted to position time item in an ergonomically correct work position for the operation to be performed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There exists a considerable number of universal ball and socket type of workholders for securing workpieces in a particular position. One type of such workholder contemplates a pneumatic system for holding the ball in position within its socket after the ball with the workpiece attached has been manipulated to the desired position. A particular disadvantage of this system of the prior art is that when the pneumatic pressure is released or in the event of air leakage the ball with a workpiece attached may move under the force of gravity to change its position and perhaps cause damage and injury to an operator or associated equipment. Examples of these prior art devices are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,354,937, 2,559,925 and 3,638,973. The systems of these patents all depend on fluid pressure to maintain the universal workpiece holder in the fixed predetermined position.


The present invention relates to a plasma display panel, more particularly, to a plasma display panel apparatus and manufacturing method of the same, which is capable of minimizing a gap between a seal layer and a UV Ultra Violet ray / silicon desiccant layer due to an air bubble, when the front panel and the rear panel of the plasma display panel are in the sealing process. A plasma display panel according to the present invention includes a front substrate; a rear substrate; a seal layer which is formed between the front panel and the rear panel; and a desiccant layer which is in contact with the front panel, the rear panel and the seal layer.

1. Field of the Invention
This document relates to a plasma display panel, more particularly, to a plasma display panel apparatus and manufacturing method of the same, which is capable of minimizing a gap between a seal layer and a UV Ultra Violet ray/silicon desiccant layer due to an air bubble, when the front panel and the rear panel of the plasma display panel are in the sealing process.
2. Description of the Background Art
As to the plasma display panel, the ultraviolet ray, which is generated when the inert mixing gas including He+Xe, Ne+Xe and He+Xe+Ne discharges, stimulates a fluorescent substance to display an image. PDP is available for a thin large-size product, in addition, an engineering development makes it possible to improve the picture quality.
FIG. 1 is a schematical diagram of a discharge cell cross section of a conventional plasma display panel.
As to FIG. 1, the plasma display panel is comprised of a scan electrode Y and a sustain electrode Z formed on the front panel not shown and data electrode 3X formed on the rear panel.
The scan electrode Y and sustain electrode Z are formed inparallel on the front panel not shown, including the wide transparent electrode 2Y, 2Z and the narrow bus electrode 1Y, 1Z. The transparent electrode 2Y, 2Z is formed with Indium-Tin-Oxide ITO which is a transparent conduction material, while the bus electrode 1Y,1Z is formed by patterning the silver Ag paste.
An upper-side dielectric layer not shown and a protective film not shown are laminated in order to cover the scan electrode Y and sustain electrode Z in the front panel. Wall charges generated by plasma discharge are stored in the upper-side dielectric layer. The protective film enhances the emission efficiency of the secondary electron with preventing the damage of the upper-side dielectric layer due to a sputtering generated in the plasma discharge. Generally, the magnesium oxide MgO is used as protective film. The data electrode X3 is orthognal with the scan electrode Y and sustain electrode Z.
The lower dielectric layer not shown and a rib 10 are formed in the rear panel. The red R, the blue B and the green G phosphor layer 20R, 20G, 20B are coated in the surface of the dielectric layer and rib 10 on the rear panel. The rib 10 prevents an optical and the electrical crosstalk between the discharge cells which are adjacent by separating discharge space horizontally adjacent. The phosphor layer 20R, 20G, 20B is excited with the ultraviolet ray generated by the plasma discharge to generate one visible ray among the red, the green and the blue.
The inert mixing gas including He+Xe, Ne+Xe and He+Xe+Ne is injected into the discharge space formed between the front panel, the rear panel and the rib 10.
FIG. 2 is a schematical diagram of the plane view of the whole panel shown in FIG. 1.
Referring FIG. 2, the conventional plasma display panel is divided into a panel display part L1 and a panel terminal part L2. Firstly, as described in FIG. 1, the panel display part L1 is formed with the identical structure. That is, the panel display part L1 is comprised of the seal material 201 for suturing the front panel 200 and rear panel 210 to form a discharge cell. The front panel 200 comprises a transparent electrode 2Y, 2Z, a bus electrode 1Y,1Z, a bus electrode pad 206, an upper-side dielectric layer not shown and a protective film not shown. The transparent electrode 2Y, 2Z forms a scan electrode Y and a sustain electrode Z which are formed in parallel on the front panel 200. The bus electrode 1Y, 1Z is formed in the edge of the transparent electrode 2Y, 2Z. The bus electrode pad 206 is extended from the bus electrode 1Y, 1Z to the panel terminal part L2. The upper-side dielectric layer not shown and the protective film not shown are successively laminated on the front panel 200 in order to cover the transparent electrode 2Y, 2Z, the bus electrode 1Y,1Z and the bus electrode pad 206. The data electrode 3X which is formed on the rear panel 210 in order to meet at right angle with the scan electrode Y or the sustain electrode Z. The data electrode 3X is extended to the data electrode pad 207. The data electrode pad 207 is comprised of the film type device such as Tape Carrier Package TCP 205 in which an integrated device is formed on the flexible printed circuit board supplying driving signal. The data electrode pad 207 and the film type device 205 in which the integrated device is formed on flexible printed circuit board is adhered with the anisotropic conductive film ACF not shown. The lower dielectric not shown laminated on the rear panel 210 is provided to cover data electrode 3X.
The panel terminal part L2 on the front panel 200 is comprised of the bus electrode pad 206 extending from the panel display part L1 and the flexible printed circuit board 204 which is connected to the bus electrode pad 206 to supply the driving signal. The bus electrode pad 206 and the flexible printed circuit board 204 are adhered with the anisotropic conductive film ACF not shown. The anisotropic conductive film has a film-type where the conductive particle such as a metal-coated plastic or a metal particle is dispersed, playing a role of electrically connecting the bus electrode 1Y,1Z and flexible printed circuit board 204.
The UV/silicon desiccant layer 203 is coated on the upper side to which the bus electrode 1Y, 1Z and the flexible printed circuit board 204 are connected.
The air bubble 202 or the gap is generated in the process of coating the seal layer 201 and UV/silicon desiccant layer 203 during the sealing of the plasma display panel. In the air bubble 202 region, due to the temperature change of the low temperature and the high temperature, the air expands or condenses. Therefore, the anti-wetting agent is detached or the air bubble is generated so that the exposed part is corroded by the external environment.
Moreover, as the viscosity of the UV/silicon desiccant layer 203 increases, it is unable to sufficiently seep between the interface. Thus, it causes a bad effect in the long-term reliability, because air bubble 202 is generated between the seal layer 201 and the UV/silicon desiccant layer 203.
Moreover, there is a problem in that the electrodes are damaged by the reaction with the external environment, such as temperature, moisture, corrosive gas source or a conductive material, that is, the reaction with the migration in the driving of plasma display panel, because the bus electrode 1Y, 1Z made of silver Ag is exposed to the external air on the panel terminal part L2.
FIG. 3 is a drawing showing the cross section in the line D1-D1′, D2-D2′, D3-D3′, D4-D4′ in FIG. 2.
Referring d1 of FIGS. 2 and 3, as to the cross-sectional view which cuts the right side of the plasma display panel in the line D1-D1′, the bus electrode pad 206 of the panel terminal part L2 is laminated on the upper side of the front panel 200 in the plasma display panel sealing. The seal layer 201 is formed between the rear panel 210 corresponding with the panel terminal part L2. The bus electrode pad 206 and the flexible printed circuit board 204 formed in the front panel 200 are adhered with the anisotropic conductive film ACF 310.
The UV/silicon desiccant layer 203 is coated onto the upper side to which the bus electrode pad 206 connected to the bus electrode 1Y, 1Z and the flexible printed circuit board 204 are connected.
The air bubble 202 region as much as 11 is generated in the process of coating the seal layer 201 and UV/silicon desiccant layer 203 in sealing the plasma display panel.
As to d2 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, in the cross-sectional view which cuts the bottom plane of the plasma display panel in the line D2-D2′, the data electrode pad 207 of the panel display part L1 is laminated on the upper side of the rear panel 210, the seal layer 201 is formed between the front panel 200 and the rear panel 210 corresponding with the panel display part L1. The data electrode pad 207 formed on the rear panel 210 and the film type device TCP 205 in which the integrated device is formed on the flexible printed circuit board are adhered with the anisotropic conductive film ACF 310. The UV/silicon desiccant layer 203 is coated on the upper side in which data electrode pad 207 connected to the bus electrode 1Y, 1Z and the film type device TCP 205 in which the integrated device is formed on the flexible printed circuit board are connected.
In the process of coating with the seal layer 201 and UV/silicon desiccant layer 203, the air bubble region 202 as much as 12 is formed in the sealing of the plasma display panel.
As to d3 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, in the cross-sectional view which cuts the left side of the plasma display panel in the line D3-D3′, the bus electrode pad 206 of the panel terminal part L2 is laminated on the upper side of the front panel 200, while the seal layer 201 is formed between the front panel 200 and the rear panel 210 corresponding with the panel terminal part L2. The bus electrode pad 206 formed in the front panel 200 is adhered with the anisotropic conductive film 310. The UV/silicon desiccant layer 203 is coated on the upper side in which the bus electrode pad 206 connected to the bus electrode 1Y, 1Z and the flexible printed circuit board 204 are connected.
The air bubble 202 region as much as 13 is generated in the process of coating the seal layer 201 and UV/silicon desiccant layer 203 in the sealing of the plasma display panel.
As to d4 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, in the cross-sectional view which cuts the right side of the plasma display panel in the line D3-D3′, the data electrode pad 207 of the panel display part L1 is not laminated on the upper side of the rear panel 210 in sealing of plasma display panel. Therefore, also, the data electrode pad 207 formed on the rear panel 210, the flexible printed circuit board 204, the anisotropic conductive film ACF 310 and UV/silicon desiccant layer 203 are not coated.
As illustrated in d1 to d3 of FIG. 3, the air bubble 202 region delivers the stress to the UV/silicon desiccant layer 203 due to an expansion and condensation, the panel damage phenomenon is generated due to the anti-wetting agent exfoliation and the transmission of the panel stress, when the temperature changes to the low temperature or to the high temperature.

Plasma display panel which is capable of minimizing a gap between a seal layer and a ultra violet ray/silicon desiccant layer and manufacturing method of the same


A method for stimulating production of hydrocarbons from a sandstone formation includes the steps of injecting a stimulation fluid into the sandstone formation, the stimulation fluid formed from a hydrofluoric acid precursor and an oxidizer; injecting an ammonium containing compound into the sandstone formation; and injecting a nitrite containing compound into the sandstone formation. The method further includes maintaining the stimulation fluid, the ammonium containing compound, and the nitrite containing compound in the sandstone formation to initiate reaction of the ammonium containing compound and the nitrite containing compound to generate heat and nitrogen gas, where upon generation of heat within the formation the hydrofluoric acid precursor and the oxidizer react to form hydrofluoric acid in-situ to dissolve silica and silicate minerals and stimulate the sandstone formation. A treatment fluid for use in stimulating sandstone formations includes the stimulation fluid, the ammonium containing compound, and the nitrite containing compound.

Reserves trapped within certain low permeability formations, such as certain sandstone and carbonate formations, exhibit little or no production, and thus may be economically undesirable to develop. Well stimulation is one method that may be employed to increase the net permeability of a formation or reservoir, thereby leading to increased production from these wells that have little or no natural production.
During well stimulation operations, chemicals can be injected into the formation in a process known as well stimulation. Some stimulation techniques include: (1) injection of chemicals into the wellbore where the chemicals react with or dissolve production limiting conditions such as clays and drilling solids; (2) injection of chemicals through the wellbore and into the formation to react with or dissolve portions of the formation, thereby creating alternative flow paths for recoverable hydrocarbons, such as with acid-fracturing or matrix-fracturing processes; and (3) injection of water or chemicals through the wellbore and into the formation at pressures that are sufficient to fracture the formation, thereby creating new or additional flow channels through which hydrocarbons can more readily move from the formation into the wellbore.
Sandstone and carbonate formations can be particularly susceptible to formation damage from formation minerals such as clay and other siliceous deposits. Stimulation methods for these types of formations have typically employed acid or acid-based fluids for the treatment or stimulation due to the ability of the acid or acid-based fluid to readily dissolve both formation minerals and contaminants introduced into the wellbore/formation during drilling or remedial operations. The known prior art techniques typically involve acids, often concentrated acids such as hydrofluoric acid (HF) and HCl—HF acid mixtures, which are both corrosive and can create dangerous operating conditions and formation damage. Further, in many instances, the reaction of the acid with the formation is rapid, frequently instantaneous, which limits the penetration depth of the acid.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Sandstone stimulation using in-situ mud acid generation


A semiconductor package structure includes a base. A first die is mounted on the base. The first die comprises a plurality of first pads with a first pad area arranged in a first tier. A plurality of second pads with a second pad area is arranged in a second tier. A second die is mounted on the base. The second die includes a plurality of third pads arranged in a third tier. A first bonding wire has two terminals respectively coupled to one of the first pads and one of the third pads. A second bonding wire has two terminals respectively coupled to one of the third pads and one of the second pads.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor package structure, and in particular to a compact die-to-die wire bonding pad arrangement design for a multi-die semiconductor package structure.
Description of the Related Art
The multi-die semiconductor package is getting more and more popular because of demands for multiple functions. In order to lower the product cost, a compact package size and a small die size are necessary. A die-to-die wire bonding technology is available in package subcontractors. Also, the die-to-die wire bonding technology is applied to reduce the package size and the package cost. In order to reduce the cost, Cu wire is popular for use in die-to-die wire bonding technology. However, the conventional die-to-die wire bonding design requires a specific die pad or package area for wire bonding requirements.
Thus, a compact die-to-die wire bonding pad arrangement design for a semiconductor package structure is desirable.

Bonding pad arrangment design for multi-die semiconductor package structure


A lithium battery comprises a negative electrode composition that uses lithium hydride and a second metal. The negative electrode composition is activated by infusing lithium into particles of the second metal hydride to form lithium hydride and the second metal. As the battery is discharged lithium is released from the electrode and the second metal hydride formed. Charging of the battery re-infuses lithium into the negative electrode composition with the re-formation of lithium hydride.

Lithium batteries, sometimes described as lithium-ion batteries, offer the promise of high energy density because lithium is a very light element. They are used in lap top computers, power tools, and other portable devices that can use a source of relatively low potential electrical energy. Lithium batteries are also being developed for applications in automotive vehicles.
Metallic lithium, often intercalated in suitable layered carbon material as lithium ions, has been employed as a negative electrode for rechargeable lithium batteries. During discharge of the battery, lithium metal in the negative electrode is oxidized to lithium ions (Li+) which enter the electrolyte, and during charging lithium ions in the electrolyte are reduced to lithium metal and re-deposited in the electrode. However, non-uniform deposition of lithium during the charging process generates dendritic lithium that may present difficulties in the operation of the cell. Much work has been expended to solve the lithium dendritic growth problem of the lithium battery, using various inhibitors and additives in the cells. One commercial solution has been to move to Li-ion systems in which the lithium metal negative electrode is replaced by a carbon-based electrode. However, the capacity of the carbon electrode is appreciably less than that of lithium metal. Thus, there is a motivation to devise alternative electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries.
There is a need for improved negative electrode compositions for lithium batteries.

Lithium hydride negative electrode for rechargeable lithium batteries


An LDPC iteration decoder includes a second interleaver for performing interleave processing on a signal series outputted from a soft output detection unit, an LDPC decoder for implementing LDPC decoding processing on a signal that has undergone interleave processing; a checking unit for checking that an error has been corrected by the LDPC decoder; a second de-interleaver for performing sort processing the reverse of the second interleaver on a signal that has been LDPC decoded; a judging unit for judging whether to carry out iteration processing again; and a DAE for computing a likelihood again, in cases in which iteration decoding is carried out, and giving feedback to the front stage of the second interleaver.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to technology for accessing storage media, and in particular, to a signal decoder, a signal decoding method and a storage system.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, storage devices using hard disks are becoming essential devices in various fields, such as those of personal computers, hard disk recorders, video cameras, mobile telephones, and the like. Various specifications are required for the storage devices using hard disks, according to fields of application; for example, when used in personal computers, high speed and large capacity are required. However, since the amount of data to be handled increases as the capacity is enlarged, correction of generated errors by error correction processing becomes a bottleneck for realizing high speed.
Conventionally, Reed-Solomon encoding, turbo encoding, low density parity check encoding, and the like, are used as error correction methods employed in storage devices using hard disks. Common to all of these error correction encoding methods is the fact that they are strong with regard to randomly generated errors, but are weak with regard to errors generated in groups. For example, when data of 10,000 bits is composed of 10 blocks of code words, that is, when each code word is 1000 bits, with 100 bit burst errors, there is a tendency for errors in certain code words. In these types of cases, even if error correction decoding is carried out, errors cannot be corrected. Thus, additional processing of re-reading, re-decoding, and the like, occurs, and as a result, there is an effect on reading speed. As a method of improving this, carrying out interleaving may be considered. Since interleaving is composed of processing for interchanging data order, an effect is realized of dispersing errors occurring in groups, and changing them into random errors (for example, refer to Patent Document 1).
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application, Laid Open No. 2002-367296
In view of these conditions, the inventors came to recognize the following problem. That is, when interleaving is carried out, it is necessary to decide in advance in what way data series are sorted, and since it is necessary to perform interleaving for each of writing to and reading from the storage device, there is a problem in that it is difficult to adaptably change sorting rules.

Signal decoder, a signal decoding method and a storage system


Disclosed are a luminous flux control member, which includes an incident surface onto which a light is incident, a reflective surface reflecting the incident light, and a light exit surface outputting the reflected light according to at least two orientation angles based on one direction perpendicular to a central axis connecting a center of the incident surface with a center of the reflective surface, a light emitting device and a display device having the same. The uniformity in the brightness of the display device is ensured and the display device is realized in small size.

The disclosure relates to a luminous flux control member, a light emitting device, and a display device.
In general, since liquid crystal displays (LCDs) can be realized in terms of lightness and slimness, and can reduce power consumption, the LCDs have been extensively used. The LCDs display images by using the characteristic of liquid crystal aligned according to voltages or temperatures. The LCDs include a backlight unit (BLU) and a liquid crystal display panel. The BLU is mounted on the bottom surface of the liquid crystal display panel to output light toward the liquid crystal display panel. The liquid crystal display panel displays images by using light incident thereon from the BLU.
In this case, the BLU includes a light source to generate light actually, and is classified into an edge-type BLU and a direct-type BLU according to positions of the light source. According to the edge-type BLU, the light source is positioned at the lateral portion of the BLU, and the light generated from the light source is guided through a light guide plate so that the light is output toward the liquid crystal display panel. According to the direct-type BLU, the light source is positioned corresponding to the bottom surface of the liquid crystal display panel, and the light generated from the light source is directly output toward the liquid crystal display panel.
However, the BLU has a problem in that the BLU irregularly irradiates light toward the liquid crystal display panel. Accordingly, the performance of the LCD may be deteriorated. Therefore, in order to solve the problem, the distance between the direct-type BLU and the liquid crystal display panel must be ensured. In this case, as the distance between the BLU and the liquid crystal display panel is increased, the performance of the LCD can be more improved.
However, the LCD is realized at a thick thickness corresponding to the distance between the BLU and the liquid crystal display panel. In other words, the realization of a smaller-size LCD may be difficult. Accordingly, a scheme of ensuring the uniformity in brightness of the LCD and realizing the smaller-size LCD is required.

Luminous flux control member, light emitting device, and display device


A rotary damper having an oil chamber within a housing which is divided into two by a vane, and generates a damping force by passing operating oil between the two oil chambers when the vane oscillates, has a shaft supporting the vane to allow oscillation in relation to the housing, fixed to a base part of the vane, and seal washers for dividing in a fluid-tight manner between a bearing rotatably supporting the shaft on the housing shaft, and the oil chamber, is provided on the base part of the vane.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rotary damper.
2. Description of Related Art
As a conventional rotary damper, there is known one having an oil chamber within a housing which is divided in two by a vane, and generates a damping force by passing operating oil between the two oil chambers when the vane oscillates. This has a shaft supporting the vane to allow oscillation in relation to the housing while the base part of the vane is linked in a fixed state (for example, see FIGS. 2 and 3 in the left-hand column of page 3 of Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2001-99208).
The aforementioned conventional rotary damper has the following problem.
That is, in the conventional rotary damper the oil chamber in the housing is divided in two by the vane. However, there is a small gap between the shaft supporting the vane and the housing bearing supporting the shaft due to the two sliding in relation to each other, and this gap provides a location for leakage so that the operating oil in the two chambers within the housing is able to bypass, thus reducing the damping force.


A method for rapidly detecting infectious conjunctivitis in a host is provided. The method includes contacting an ocular test sample with a chromogen (e.g., Reichardt's dye) that exhibits a color change in the presence of a microbe. The present inventors have discovered that the extent of the color change may vary depending on whether the microbe is a bacteria or virus. Without intending to be limited by theory, the present inventors believe that the chromogen interacts with the peptidoglycan-based cell wall structure of bacteria to induce a color change that is even more apparent at infectious levels. It is believed that this interaction occurs to a much greater extent in bacteria than in viruses. Accordingly, although the chromogen may still undergo a color change in the presence of the viruses, it is typically to a much lesser extent. In this manner, the degree of color change of the chromogen may be used in the present invention as a mechanism for differentiating between viral and bacterial conjunctivitis.

Conjunctivitis is the most common eye disorder and may vary in severity from a mild inflammation with tearing to a severe inflammation that causes tissue injury. Infectious conjunctivitis is generally caused by the presence of bacteria or viruses. A variety of bacteria may cause bacterial conjunctivitis, such as S. pneumoniae, H. influenzae, P. aeruginosa, or S. pyogenes. Likewise, a variety of viruses may be responsible for viral conjunctivitis, such as adenovirus, herpes simplex virus (HSV), varicella-zoster virus (VZV), picornavirus (enterovirus 70, Coxsackie A24), poxvirus (molluscum contagiosum, vaccinia), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Adenoviral conjunctivitis is the most common cause of viral conjunctivitis. Particular subtypes of adenoviral conjunctivitis include epidemic keratoconjunctivitis (pink eye) and pharyngoconjunctival fever. Primary ocular herpes simplex infection is also common, particularly in children, and is normally associated with a follicular conjunctivitis.
The treatment protocol for infectious conjunctivitis largely depends on whether the infection is viral or bacterial. Viral conjunctivitis is self-limiting and may require no specific treatment, other than drops to alleviate any symptoms associated with the infection. On the other hand, patients having bacterial conjunctivitis are typically treated with topical antibiotics (e.g., sulfacetamide sodium 10% drops or trimethoprim/polymyxin B qid). Conventional techniques for diagnosing the type of ocular infection rely primarily on clinical examination. For example, because the discharge in bacterial conjunctivitis is usually more purulent than the watery discharge of viral conjunctivitis, physical examination may be used in the diagnosis. Unfortunately, such diagnostic techniques are often unreliable and lead to the prescription of antibiotic drops in cases in which they are not needed.
As such, a need currently exists for a technique of rapidly screening for bacterial conjunctivitis in a patient.

Method for screening for bacterial conjunctivitis


We introduce a connected vehicles adaptive security signing and verification methodology. We also introduce an adaptive node filtering at receiver, using noise levels and received signal strength. This invention addresses two important pillars in connected vehicle technology and autonomous cars: The first one is related to the security 1609.2 format and its main two functions: signing and verification. The second one explains how the noise level and signal strength can be used to filter undesired connected nodes. In this presentation, we provide various examples and variations on these topics.

The autonomous cars or vehicles are subject of intense research today. The safety is one of the most important issues in this technology. Thus, the system security is very important for the integrity of the control and functions of the car. In addition, the large number of the units or cars under consideration in a given situation makes the analysis extremely difficult, unless we can somehow limit the scope of analysis, or limit the input, with respect to the number of cars or amount of data received, per unit time.
This invention addresses two important pillars in connected vehicle technology: The first one is related to the security 1609.2 format and its main two functions: signing and verification. The second one is continuation to Savari's prior invention (shown above, as parent case) and explain how the noise level and signal strength can be used effectively to filter undesired connected nodes.
There is no prior art or product in the industry that teaches the following features in our disclosure here.

Connected vehicles adaptive security signing and verification methodology and node filtering


A gaming apparatus may include a housing, a display unit, a value input device, a controller operatively coupled to the display unit and the value input device. The housing may include a first opening, a second opening and one or more light sources positioned around the second opening. The controller may be operatively coupled to the light sources. The display unit may be positioned relative to the housing so that a first portion of the display unit is visible through the first opening and the second portion of the display unit is visible through the second opening. The controller may comprise a processor and a memory, and may be programmed to cause the display unit to generate a first display on the first portion of the display unit, to cause the display unit to generate a second display on the second portion of the display unit, to cause the light sources to emit light when the second display is generated, and to determine a value payout associated with an outcome of the game.

This patent is directed to a casino gaming apparatus, which could be either an individual gaming unit or a casino gaming system having a plurality of gaming units, each gaming unit including multiple display panels made up of a single, subdivided display.
Conventional casino gaming units often included multiple display panels for displaying a variety of images. The gaming unit consisted of three separate display panels: the top glass, the bottom (or "belly") glass, and the primary display. The top glass and the belly glass were typically static images that provided game instructions, game information, images to attract players to the game, or images otherwise associated with the games that could be played on the gaming unit, though active images were sometimes used. The top glass sometimes used active images to display a bonus game. The top glass was typically part of a top box that could be removed from the remainder of the gaming unit. To change the bonus game, the entire top box had to be removed. The displays have included active images that may vary as part of a player-attract sequence or as part of the game play. Sometimes the game play would require the player's attention on a different display or area of a display, though this was difficult to communicate to the player which, in turn, limited player interaction. A front panel was part of the game unit housing and included a control panel. The front panel was sometimes designed to correspond to the game or bonus game of the gaming unit. In some cases, the top box was designed to correspond to a bonus game displayed on the top glass.


In a two-part adhesive composition wherein one-part comprises a polymerizable acrylic monomer and an organoboron amine complex and the second-part contains an organic acid destabilizer and optional acrylic polymer, the improvement wherein a transparent or clear bond is provided in the cured adhesive composition by having about 45% or more by weight of the total acrylic monomer in the composition comprising selected phenyl containing acrylic compounds.

This invention relates to an improved two-part adhesive composition useful as a structural adhesive in forming transparent or clear bond lines. More particularly, this invention involves an improved adhesive composition wherein one-part comprises a polymerizable acrylic monomer and an organoboron amine complex and the second-part contains an organic acid destabilizer and optional polymerizable acrylic monomer wherein the improvement comprises using about 45% or more by weight of selected phenyl containing acrylic compounds as the acrylic monomer.
Adhesive compositions including acrylic adhesives such as solutions of elastomeric polymers in soluble polymerizable acrylic or methacrylic monomers are well known in the art. These compositions which are especially known for their toughening properties generally include a redox system which comprises a catalyst or initiator, an accelerator and an activator to initiate cure, as well as other additives such as adhesion promoters, chelators, cross-linking agents, thickeners and plasticizers. Two-part acrylic adhesives where an activator is added as a separate second component are widely used and are known for curing speed as well as toughness. The catalyst or initiator typically used in these adhesives are free-radical initiators of the organic peroxy or hydroperoxy type, perester or peracid type.
Many known adhesive systems, such as the epoxies, require a thermal cure to obtain desirable properties, while others that do not, usually require prolonged cure times. More recently adhesive compositions with organoboron amine complex initiators have been developed which cure at room temperature and reach high tensile strength in a short period of time. These new adhesive compositions which have shown exceptional stability on ageing while exhibiting both high tensile strength and high peel strength are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,106,928 and 5,143,884 issued to M. Skoultchi, et al. on Apr. 21, 1992 and Sep. 1, 1992 respectively. This adhesive is useful in structural systems particularly those requiring fast curing at room temperature. However, when such adhesives cure they form an opaque bond-line making them less desirable for use with clear substrates such as glass and clear plastics.
Accordingly, there is need for an adhesive composition which provides transparent or clear bond lines upon curing making it particularly useful in structural systems employing glass, plastic or other clear substrates.

Transparent two-part acrylic adhesive composition and the method of use thereof

National Starch and Chemical Investment Holding Corporation


A compliant electrical contact assembly for temporarily interfacing two electrical devices. The assembly includes a contact having loops with axes forming with a closed coil with opposed contact points. The axes is angled from the direction of the compression force holding the assembly sandwiched between the electrical devices. The electrically shorted loops of the coil slide on the surfaces of one another as the compression force is applied, providing compliance. The contact can be made extremely small such that pitches in the micrometer range can be achieved with very low inductance values. The contact is installed in a through aperture in a dielectric panel such that the contact points extend from opposed openings of the aperture. Optionally, the aperture is filled with a compliant, conductive elastomer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electrical contacts, more particularly, to very small compliant electrical contacts with very low inductance at high frequencies.
2. Description of the Related Art
The purpose of an electrical contact is to provide a separable electrical interconnection between two electrical conductors. The characteristic of separability means that the conductors are not interconnected by permanent mechanical means, such as soldering or bonding, but by temporary mechanical means. Consequently, in order to maintain a good mechanical contact in an attempt to minimize detrimental electrical effects of the contact, some form of spring force is used to press the two conductors together. These electrical contacts are called compliant (as in "flexible") contacts.
Small compliant contacts are necessary for separably interconnecting integrated circuit (IC) devices to whatever electrical device the user desires. A prime example is connecting the IC to a test fixture or sorting equipment used for testing and sorting IC's during manufacture. The compliant contact should be as close to electrically transparent as possible in order to minimize parasitic effects, such as inductance, that alter the signals to and from the IC which could lead to erroneous results.
Compliant contacts provide another advantage in that they can compensate for noncoplanarities of the electronic unit under test (UUT) being connected. The conduction points on the UUT are not exactly coplanar, that is, they are not within the same plane, even between the same conduction point on different UUT's. The compliant contacts deflect by different amounts depending upon the actual position of the conduction point.
Conventional compliant contacts for connecting to UUT's include spring probes, conductive rubber, compliant beam contacts, and bunched up wire called fuzz buttons. Each technology provides the necessary means to overcome the noncoplanarities between the contact points and provides uniform electrical contact throughout a plurality of contacts. Each technology has shortcomings in one characteristic or another and all have high electrical parasitic characteristics. In addition, they are relatively expensive to manufacture.
A typical spring probe consists of at least three or four parts, a hollow barrel with a spring and one or two plungers. The spring is housed in the barrel with the end of the plungers crimped in opposed open ends of the barrel at the ends of the spring. The spring biases the plungers outwardly, thereby providing a spring force to the tip of the plungers. Spring probes can have highly varying degrees of compliance and contact force, and are generally very reliable for making contact many times or for many cycles. Spring probes can accommodate many different conduction interfaces, such as pads, columns, balls, etc. Spring probes, however, have a size problem in that the spring itself cannot be made very small, otherwise consistent spring force from contact to contact cannot be maintained. Thus, spring probes are relatively large, leading to an unacceptably large inductance when used for electrical signals at higher frequencies. Additionally, spring probes are relatively costly since the three components must be manufactured separately and then assembled.
Conductive rubber contacts are made of rubber and silicones of varying types with embedded conductive metal elements. These contact solutions usually are less inductive than spring probes, but have less compliance and are capable of fewer duty cycles than spring probes. The conductive rubber works when the conduction point is elevated off the UUT thus requiring a protruding feature from the UUT or the addition of a third conductive element to the system to act as a protruding member. This third member lessens the contact area for a given contact force and thus increases the force per unit area so that consistent contact can be made. The third element may be a screw machined button which rests on the rubber between the conduction point. This third element can only add inductance to the contact system.
Compliant beam contacts are made of a conductive material formed such that deflection and contact force is attained at one end to the UUT conduction point while the other end remains fixed to the other conductor. In other words, the force is provided by one or more electrically conductive leaf springs. These contacts vary greatly in shape and application. Some compliant beam contacts are small enough to be used effectively with IC's. Some compliant beam contacts use another compliant material, such as rubber, to add to the compliance or contact force to the beam contact point. These later types tend to be smaller than traditional compliant beam contacts and thus have less inductance and are better suited for sorting higher frequency devices. However, these contacts still tend to be somewhat too large to be useful in some radio frequency (RF) applications.
Fuzz buttons are a relatively old yet simple technology in which a wire is crumpled into a cylindrical shape. The resulting shape looks very much like tiny cylinder made of steel wool. When the cylinder is placed within a hole in a sheet of nonconductive material, it acts like a spring that is continuously electrically shorted. It provides a less inductive electrical path than other contact technologies. Like rubber contacts, the fuzz button is most commonly used with a third element needed to reach inside the hole of the nonconductive sheet to make contact with the fuzz button. This third element increases parasitic inductance, degrading the signals to and from the UUT.
IC packaging technology is evolving toward being smaller, higher frequency (faster), and cheaper, resulting in new requirements for these types of electrical contacts. They need to perform adequately at the lowest cost.


A video system comprises a video display having a wide format display ratio for displaying a video signal. A signal processor has an interpolator and a first in first out line memory having asynchronous write and read ports for selectably expanding and compressing a picture represented by data in the video signal. The picture is cropped to define a subset of the picture for display by controlling writing of the data into the line memory. A microprocessor for controls provides control signals with selectable time durations and selectable phases relative to a synchronizing component of said video signal for selecting boundaries of the subset of the picture for display. The microprocessor can select the time durations and the phases responsive to user commands.

The invention relates to the field of televisions capable of displaying zoomed and/or cropped pictures, and in particular, to methods and apparatus for horizontally panning such zoomed or cropped pictures in televisions having a wide display format ratio screen. Most televisions today have a format display ratio, horizontal width to vertical height, of 4:3. A wide format display ratio corresponds more closely to the display format ratio of movies, for example 16:9. The invention is applicable to both direct view televisions and projection televisions.
Televisions having a format display ratio of 4:3, often referred to as 4.times.3, are limited in the ways that single and multiple video signal sources can be displayed. Television signal transmissions of commercial broadcasters, except for experimental material, are broadcast with a 4.times.3 format display ratio. Many viewers find the 4.times.3 display format less pleasing than the wider format display ratio associated with the movies. Televisions with a wide format display ratio provide not only a more pleasing display, but are capable of displaying wide display format signal sources in a corresponding wide display format. Movies "look" like movies, not cropped or distorted versions thereof. The video source need not be cropped, either when converted from film to video, for example with a telecine device, or by processors in the television.
Televisions with a wide display format ratio are also suited to a wide variety of displays for both conventional and wide display format signals, as well as combinations thereof in multiple picture displays. However, the use of a wide display ratio screen entails numerous problems. Changing the display format ratios of multiple signal sources, developing consistent timing signals from asynchronous but simultaneously displayed sources, switching between multiple sources to generate multiple picture displays, and providing high resolution pictures from compressed data signals are general categories of such problems. Such problems are solved in a wide screen television according to this invention. A wide screen television according to various inventive arrangements is capable of providing high resolution, single and multiple picture displays, from single and multiple sources having similar or different format ratios, and with selectable display format ratios.
Televisions with a wide display format ratio can be implemented in television systems displaying video signals both at basic or standard horizontal scanning rates and multiples thereof, as well as by both interlaced and noninterlaced scanning. Standard NTSC video signals, for example, are displayed by interlacing the successive fields of each video frame, each field being generated by a raster scanning operation at a basic or standard horizontal scanning rate of approximately 15,734 Hz. The basic scanning rate for video signals is variously referred to as f.sub.H, 1 f.sub.H, and 1.sub.H. The actual frequency of a 1 f.sub.H signal will vary according to different video standards. In accordance with efforts to improve the picture quality of television apparatus, systems have been developed for displaying video signals progressively, in a noninterlaced fashion. Progressive scanning requires that each displayed frame must be scanned in the same time period allotted for scanning one of the two fields of the interlaced format. Flicker free AA-BB displays require that each field be scanned twice, consecutively. In each case, the horizontal scanning frequency must be twice that of the standard horizontal frequency. The scanning rate for such progressively scanned or flicker free displays is variously referred to as 2 f.sub.H and 2H. A 2 f.sub.H scanning frequency according to standards in the United States, for example, is approximately 31,468 Hz.
Considerable signal processing of the main video signal is necessary to implement many of the display formats which are especially appropriate for a wide screen television. The video data must be selectively compressed and expanded, depending upon the desired format. In one case, for example, it is necessary to compress the 4.times.3 NTSC video by a factor of 4/3, or 4:3, to avoid aspect ratio distortion of the displayed picture. In the other case, for example, the video can be expanded to perform horizontal zooming operations usually accompanied by vertical zooming. Horizontal zoom operations up to 33% can be accomplished by performing compressions less than 4/3, for example 5/4. A sample interpolator is used to recalculate the incoming video to a new pixel positions because the luminance video bandwidth, up to 5.5 MHz for S-VHS format, occupies a large percentage of the Nyquist or fold over frequency, which is 8 MHz for a 1024 f.sub.H system clock.
The luminance data for the main signal is routed along a main signal path including a FIFO line memory for compressing (pausing) and expanding (repeating) the data and an interpolator for recalculating sample values to smooth the data. However, the relative positions of the FIFO and the interpolator are different for compression than for expansion. In accordance with an inventive arrangement, switches or route selectors reverse the topology of the main signal path with respect to the relative positions of the FIFO and the interpolator, avoiding the need for two main signal paths requiring two FIFOs and two interpolators. In particular, these switches select whether the interpolator precedes the FIFO, as required for compression, or whether the FIFO precedes the interpolator, as required for expansion. The switches can be responsive to a route control circuit which is itself responsive to a microprocessor.
An interpolator control circuit generates pixel position values, interpolator compensation filter weighting and clock gating information for the luminance data. It is the clock gating information which pauses (decimates) or repeats the FIFO data to allow samples not to be written on some clocks for effecting compression or some samples to be read multiple times for expansion. In order to process a 4/3 compression, for example, wherein 4/3 represents the ratio of the number of input samples to the number of output samples, every fourth sample can be inhibited from being written into the FIFO. The average slope of a ramp read out of the luminance FIFO is 33% steeper than the corresponding input ramp. Note that 33% less active reading time is required to read out the ramp as was required to write in the data. This constitutes the 4/3 compression. It is the function of the interpolator to recalculate the luminance samples being written into the FIFO so that the data read out of the FIFO is smooth, rather than jagged.
Expansions may be performed in exactly the opposite manner as compressions. In the case of compressions the write enable signal has clock gating information attached to it in the form of inhibit pulses for writing to the output FIFO. For expanding data, the clock gating information is applied to the read enable signal. This will pause the data as it is being read from the FIFO. The average slope of a ramp read out of the luminance FIFO is 33% more shallow than the corresponding input ramp for a 3/4 expansion or zoom. In this case it is the function of the interpolator, which follows the FIFO, to recalculate the sampled data from jagged to smooth after the expansion. In the expansion case the data must pause while being read from the FIFO and while being clocked into the interpolator. This is different from the compression case where the data is continuously clocked through the interpolator. For both cases, compression and expansion, the clock gating operations can easily be performed in a synchronous manner, that is, events can occur based on the rising edges of the 1024 f.sub.H system clock.
There are a number of advantages in this topology for luminance interpolation. The clock gating operations, namely data decimation and data repetition, may be performed in a synchronous manner. If a switchable video data path topology were not used to interchange the positions of the interpolator and FIFO, the read or write clocks would need to be double clocked to pause or repeat the data. The term double clocked means that two data points must be written into the FIFO in a single clock cycle or read from the FIFO during a single clock cycle. The resulting circuitry cannot be made to operate synchronously with the system clock, since the writing or reading clock frequency must be twice as high as the system clock frequency. Moreover, the switchable topology requires only one interpolator and one FIFO to perform both compressions and expansions. If the video path switching arrangement described herein were not used, the double clocking situation can be avoided only by using two FIFO's to accomplish both compression and expansion. One FIFO for expansions would need to be placed in front of the interpolator and one FIFO for compressions would need to be placed after the interpolator.
A circuit for compressing and expanding video data comprises a FIFO line memory and an interpolator. A timing circuit generates control signals for writing data into the line memory and for reading data from the line memory to compress and expand the data. The interpolator smooths the data compressed or expanded in the FIFO line memory. A switching network selectively establishes a first signal path in which the line memory precedes the interpolator for implementing the data expansion and a second signal path in which the interpolator precedes the line memory for implementing the data compression. The switching network is controlled according to selected display formats requiring compression or expansion, for example by a microprocessor.

Horizontal panning for wide screen television


A data error correction circuit includes a plurality of one-bit registers, a data error detection unit and a data error correction unit. The data error detection unit detects whether all the data values stored in the plurality of the registers are equal. The data correction unit determines a correct data value based upon each of the stored data values, and corrects each of the data values into the determined correct data value if the data values are not equal. Therefore, the data error correction circuit may correct a data error due to electrostatic discharge (ESD) or electromagnetic interference (EMI).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to data error correction, and more particularly to a data error correction circuit, an integrated circuit (IC) for data error correction, and a method of data error correction capable of correcting data errors caused by electrostatic discharge (ESD) or electromagnetic interference (EMI).
2. Description of the Related Art
As digital electronic devices such as liquid crystal display (LCD) devices, digital televisions (TV), and mobile communication devices have become more popular, memory devices have become more important for the digital devices for storing status and user information or supporting various functions. These memory devices may include registers and random-access memory (RAM).
However, a data value stored in a memory device such as a one-bit register may be damaged due to various causes. For example, the causes of data damage may include static electricity generated by a user's touch, electromagnetic interference (EMI) due to operation of the digital device, and electrostatic discharge (ESD).
FIG. 1 is a diagram for illustrating how a data value stored in a register (flip-flop) may be damaged due to EMI or ESD.
In FIG. 1, an original data value stored in a register ("D" flip flop) 100 corresponds to a value of '0', but the stored data value may be changed into a to value of '1' due to EMI or ESD. Therefore, the register 100 may store and/or output an incorrect data value of '1'.

Data error correction circuit, integrated circuit for data error correction, and method of performing data error correction


The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus that allows separately forming regions having different roles. When an area definition region #0100h is newly formed under an area definition region #0000h that is formed on an IC card, information of the area definition region #0100h is encrypted using a service key stored in an area registration service definition region #0020h that is formed in advance, and the encrypted information is supplied to the IC card. Upon receiving that information, the IC card decrypts the encrypted information using the service key stored in the area registration service definition region #0020h. Then, the area definition region #0100h is formed based on the result of decryption. The present invention may be applied to an IC card that exchanges information in a non-contact manner and to an apparatus that exchanges data with the IC card.

IC (Integrated Circuit) cards (smart cards), which are expected to be used, for example, in electronic money systems and security systems, are being developed.
An IC card includes a CPU for executing various processes and a memory for storing data, etc. required for the processes, and it exchanges data in electrical contact with a predetermined reader/writer (R/W) or in a non-contact manner using electromagnetic waves. In IC cards that exchange data with the R/W in a non-contact manner using electromagnetic waves, generally, required electric power is supplied by the electromagnetic waves.
When an IC card is used, for example, in an electronic money system or a security system, security issues such as secrecy of data and prevention of forging of the IC card are essential, so that, generally, access to the IC card is allowed using a key assigned by an administrator (operator) of the system. That is, access to the IC card by a person without the key is restricted.
Furthermore, security is dictated in, for example, ISO (International Organization for Standardizaion) 7816, which defines standards for contact-type IC cards. According thereto, by applying a key to a DF (Dedicated File) that corresponds to a directory or a folder, access to DFs and EFs (Elementary Files), which correspond to files, that belongs to the layer of the DF is restricted.
Generally, what is called ticketing, which is executed for newly adding to an IC card a file for storing data for providing a new service or for changing a key required for accessing data, is generally executed at a facility or the like with adequate security management after an administrator or a manufacturer of the IC card collects the IC card issued to a user and on the market.
That is, generally, for example, an issuing agent executes primary issuing of an IC card, issuing an IC card without functions (IC card that does not allow reading or writing) to a ticketing agent that executes ticketing, as shown in FIG. 1. The ticketing agent executes ticketing (secondary issuing) so that an administrator #1 that wishes to provide a service using the IC card is allowed to use the IC card.
That is, the ticketing agent allocates a storage region to be used by the administrator #1 (a region of the administrator #1) in the IC card, and writes a key and other information that is required for the administrator #1 to access the storage region. Ticketing is executed at a place with adequate security management (hereinafter referred to as a secure place when appropriate) such as a facility of the ticketing agent. Referring to FIG. 1, the ticketing agent and the administrator #1 are typically the same entity.
The IC card that has undergone ticketing is shipped to the market and distributed to a user. Then, it is used for the administrator #1 to provide a service. That is, this allows the user to use the IC card as, for example, an electronic commuter pass or wallet.
For example, if the IC card that is now on the market supports multiple functions and if an administrator #2 other than the administrator #1 wishes to provide a service using the multi-function IC card, the ticketing agent temporarily collects the IC card on the market, as shown in FIG. 2.
Then, the ticketing agent executes ticketing so that the administrator #2 is allowed to use the IC card. That is, the ticketing agent allocates a storage region to be used by the administrator #2 (a region of the administrator #2) in the IC card, and writes a key and other information required for the administrator #2 to access the storage region. Then, the IC card that has undergone ticketing is shipped to the market again.
The key, etc. that is written to the IC card by ticketing is essential information for security of the IC card. It is undesirable to distribute such information to a place without security management (hereinafter referred to as an insecure place when appropriate) such as the market, where probability of unjust acts such as eavesdropping and tampering is high. Thus, ticketing is executed at a secure place after collecting the IC card from the market, as described above.
Thus, the IC card must be collected each time ticketing is to be executed, which is laborious. In order to overcome the above, the applicant has proposed earlier, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 10-201497, a method of ticketing in which administration information including a key required for accessing a storage region is encrypted so that leakage of content of the administration information to a third party will be prevented.
Now, storage regions will be described with reference to FIG. 3. Storage regions consist mainly of area regions and service regions. An area region is allocated to each administrator, and a service region is allocated to a service provided by an administrator that administers an area region.
According to the method disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 10-201497, allocation of storage regions is such that both area regions and service regions are assigned, so that an assignee administrator is allowed to provide a number of area regions and service regions. Thus, an administrator to which a predetermined storage region is assigned is allowed to let yet another administrator provide area regions and service regions in the storage region under its own administration.
This indicates that a problem has existed that it is impossible to separate rights for registering service regions and area regions, that is, it is impossible to separately assign right to register service regions and right to register area regions.


A plurality of thermal power generation plants 100 are provided with a communication terminal 200 and a function of controlling respectively a boiler control unit 110, a turbine control unit 120 and an auxiliary machine sequence control unit 130 based on an operation signal inputted via the communication terminal 200. A remote control center 10 which is connected to the communication terminal 200 via the Internet 300, accesses the control units and remotely controls operating states including starting and stopping of the concerned thermal power generation plant 100.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a thermal power generation plant remote operation system and, in particular, relates to a remote control system for starting and stopping a plurality of such plants and fee collection processing applied to such system.
2. Conventional Art
Starting and stopping operation of a thermal power plant associates with a variety of concerned installations which relate each other, and includes temperature rising and lowering operations of machines and apparatuses having large thermal capacities, because such thermal power generation unit fundamentally combusts fuel, convents the thermal energy into mechanical energy and finally into electrical energy. In connection with the starting operation, as shown in FIG. 5, for every single thermal power generation plant 100 respective control units such as a boiler control unit (function) 110, a turbine control unit (function) 120 and an auxiliary sequence control unit (function) 130 connected to a power generation plant network 150 are operated from an operator monitoring operation unit 140, and a starting operation is initiated by performing backward counting from a target paralleling (rated load reaching) timing. Then, an operator successively operates individual units and starts the plant while monitoring and confirming the plant condition according to a starting operation sequence. With regard to the starting, it takes even in a most rapid instance about one hour after initiating starting preparation and actually performing parallel making in the line until building up to a target output, and depending on the standstill condition it takes a few hours, during this starting period, it is required to perform monitoring and confirming of the conditions of processes and machines over items in the number of from several tens to several hundreds as well as after correctly judging these information to open and close values and to start and stop pumps and fans in the number of several tens to several hundreds. The operation of stopping is substantially the same as the starting operation as explained above.
The starting and stopping operation can be achieved only after correctly judging the plant condition and performing a proper operation as has been explained above, however, depending on a manner of operation the time required for the starting and stopping operation may be prolonged, and contrary because of rapid starting and stopping the life time of the machines such as a turbine and a boiler sometime results in to be shortened as has been planned. The requirement from a power transmission system side is to keep paralleling (or a target load reaching) timing and decoupling (paralleling off) timing as a target timing of performing starting and stopping operation, in that it is required, when electric power demand is increasing, to properly make parallel and to increase output and to thereby perform electric power generation corresponding to the demand load, and when the electric power demand is decreasing, to perform decoupling and to decrease the output rapidly. One of the most important problems is to make paralleling at a required timing without delay after initiating a starting operation of the concerned electric power generation unit as well as to perform decoupling at the required timing after initiating a stopping operation.
When starting a unit, a boiler is warmed up and a turbine in a form of rotating body is rotated from a standstill condition to an rpm corresponding to a frequency of the concerned power transmission line, however, conditions (such as temperature and internal pressure) of the boiler and turbine in a form of solid body and associating machines and apparatuses vary depending on such as standstill period, manner of stopping operation, existence and absence and kinds of works during standstill, therefore, the manner of starting operation varies depending on the conditions above and the time required for the starting is also varies.
Steady state operation of an electric power generation plant is mostly automated by a dedicated control unit for a boiler and a turbine without necessitating intervention of an operator, however, with regard to the starting and stopping operation, since highly intelligent judgements and greatly many operations are required, such operations are performed individually either by operators at each of the concerned plant, while monitoring the plant condition or by installing such as control use computer and automating control unit which are provided with a function of causing automated starting and stopping operation and by making use of the same by operators at each of the concerned plants. Technology of the control use computer and automating control unit which are provided with a function of causing automated starting and stopping operation has already been established, therefore, it is possible to perform starting and stopping according to a predetermined sequence without needing intervention of operators or by requiring the operators a few selections.
Operation in an electric power generation plant is roughly divided into the following four stages;    (1) during a steady state loading operation,    (2) starting process,    (3) stopping process, and    (4) standstill condition.
Among these stages, since the standstill condition is one in which the plant is stopped, neither operation nor monitoring are required. During the steady state loading, since a large scale process in which fuel is combusted and the thermal energy is converted into mechanical energy and then to electrical energy, the monitoring thereof is always required. However, other than the transient condition from static to dynamic and from dynamic to static a machine operation is stable which is true for all of machine operations, therefore, number of items to be operated is a few. Accordingly, a plant monitoring during a steady state loading operation does not, in particular, require operators to attend all the time but requires to watch important parameters whether the same are stable until detecting an abnormality.
Contrary, when starting a plant, it is necessary to perform a proper operation timely after carefully checking conditions of machines and a apparatuses, auxiliary machines and processes in the plant which also depends on the condition when the plant was stopped, and such requires operators to have high technology and a correct judgement and operation. When stopping a plant, although the requirement is slightly low, it is necessary to perform correct operation with reference to a lot of information. On one hand, an intermediate load service in which starting and stopping operation is frequently repeated tends to become common in a thermal electric power generation plant, therefore, in order to perform correctly such starting and stopping operation, it is the first thing to obtain experienced operators.
However, since training of such operators requires substantial time and cost, and other than large electric power companies there are no training facilities and also these are many entrepreneurs who want to enter into electric power generation business such as industry use and IPP, but have anxieties how to practice actual operation after starting the operating. Further, even if operators are obtained, when the plant is started every day and is stopped every night, although such depends on the plant application, one cycle of starting-steady state operation-stopping requires about 16 hours, therefore, the operators are required to work in two or three shifts with one team of about 3 through 5 operators. If the plant is to be operated on Saturday and Sunday, number of teams has to be increased such as three to four teams so as to permits to take holidays by turn which requires to obtain many operators such as 9 to 20 and costs a substantial personnel expense. Even in large electric power companies owning many power generation plants, acquiring of operators is difficult and payment of personal expense cost is a large burden, therefore, they are continuously trying to reduce number of operators per unit such as by centralizing a plurality of plants and an intermediate level management of a plurality of plants.
Further, although there has been a control use computer and automating control unit which has a function of performing an automated starting and stopping operation, except for a plant which is required to perform starting and stopping operation every day, such provision of an expensive installation having the automating function is not profitable for starting and stopping operation every one week or a few times in a year. Moreover, it is not a best way in view of personnel expense to station many excellent persons as operators in an electric power generation plant for starting the plant from early morning. Although, even during a steady state operation operators are required to monitor many operating conditions, however, when the machines and apparatuses are normally operated, information to be watched is limited, therefore, such condition can be sufficiently covered by a less operators.
Accordingly, in these power generation plants it is desired that when an operation management of electric power generation plant including starting and stopping operation by a limited number of operator attendance required for steady state loading operation, the starting and stopping operation of the concerned electric power generation plant never becomes a burden of these operators.
Further, when automating the starting and stopping operation of a plant, it is required to perform a variety of adjustments depending on the characteristics of the concerned plant, however, under a circumstance where the construction period is shortened year by year and time for test run can not be shared sufficiently, it is becomes difficult to perform adjustment which reflects the plant characteristic at the time of test run completion and permits an optimum starting and stopping from any plant conditions. Further, the application (frequency of starting and stopping operations) of thermal electric power generation plants varies for every plant and further the application at the time of planning varies depending on electric power demand circumstance. For example, an electric power generation plant planned for a base application can be changed to an intermediate loading application (service). Therefore, it is necessary to perform an optimum starting and stopping operation in response to such application change flexibly for life time management of the concerned plant and for maintenance cost reduction, therefore, in order to study, plan and adjust these problems professional engineers are needed. However, it is difficult to obtain such engineers for the individual electric power generation plants, therefore, at present it is hard to say that an optimum starting and stopping operation is performed in many electric power generation plants.

Power generation plant remote operation system


Processes comprising: reacting a dialkyl carbonate and an aromatic hydroxy compound in the presence of a transesterification catalyst in a first reaction column, the first reaction column comprising a top section, a bottom section, a rectifying section in an upper portion of the column and a reaction zone below the rectifying section; feeding a bottom product from the first reaction column to a further reaction column; the bottom product comprising a diaryl carbonate, an alkylaryl carbonate, or both, and residual unreacted dialkyl carbonate and aromatic hydroxy compound; the further reaction column comprising a top section, a rectifying section in an upper portion of the column and a reaction zone below the rectifying section; and reacting the residual unreacted dialkyl carbonate and aromatic hydroxy compound in the further reaction column; feeding a process stream to a distillation column, the process stream comprising a mixture of unreacted dialkyl carbonate and one or more reaction-product alcohols drawn from the first reaction column, the further reaction column, or both, such that the unreacted dialkyl carbonate is separated from the one or more reaction-product alcohols; and recycling the separated, unreacted dialkyl carbonate to the first reaction column; wherein the further reaction column comprises one or more condensers, and heat of condensation from the one or more condensers is fed back into the process.

The preparation of aromatic and aliphatic-aromatic carbonic acid esters (carbonates) by transesterification starting from aliphatic carbonic acid esters and aromatic hydroxy compounds has been described. Such preparative methods are equilibrium reactions in which the position of equilibrium is shifted almost completely towards the aliphatically substituted carbonates. It is therefore comparatively simple to prepare aliphatic carbonates from aromatic carbonates and alcohols. However, in order to carry out the reactions in the opposite direction, in the direction towards aromatic carbonates, it is necessary to shift the equilibrium, which is positioned very unfavorably, to the side of the aromatic carbonates, it being necessary to use not only very active catalysts but also suitable procedures.
Carrying out such equilibrium reactions in columns and thus advantageously shifting them towards the formation of the desired product has been described, for example, in: U. Block, Chem.-Ing. Techn. 49, 151 (1977); DE-OS 38 09 417; B. Sehleper, B. Gutsche, J. Wnuck and L. Jeromin, Chem.-Ing.-Techn. 62, 226 (1990); Ullmanns Encyclopädie der techn. Chemie, 4th Edition, Vol. 3; p. 375 ff. (1973).
In the described processes, the transesterification is therefore also preferably carried out continuously as a countercurrent transesterification in one or more reaction columns.
EP-A 0 461 274 describes a continuous transesterification process for the preparation of aromatic carbonates in one or in a plurality of multistage columns connected in series, wherein dialkyl carbonates or alkylaryl carbonates are reacted with phenols and the readily volatile products, namely the reaction alcohols and dialkyl carbonates, are removed at the head (top) of the columns and the high-boiling products, such as, for example, diaryl carbonates, are removed at the bottom of the columns. However, there is no direction as to the manner or extent to which heat produced in this process can be further used.
DE-A 42 26 756 describes a two-stage process for the preparation of diaryl carbonates by transesterification of a dialkyl carbonate with an aromatic hydroxy compound, in which the corresponding alkylaryl carbonate is first formed from the starting materials in a first stage and the diaryl carbonate is formed in a second stage. The information given in the process description is limited to the reaction conditions, the catalyst used and the construction of the reaction columns. No information is given, however, regarding the manner or extent to which heat produced in this process can be further used.
DE-A 42 26 755 describes a process for the preparation of diaryl carbonates in two reaction columns which are coupled with one another in terms of energy and materials, wherein an aromatic hydroxy compound and a dialkyl carbonate are reacted in the first stage, and the alkylaryl carbonate formed thereby is converted into the diaryl carbonate in the second stage either by transesterification with the aromatic hydroxy compound or by disproportionation. However, a problem with this process is that, owing to the integration of the process in terms of materials and energy, the reaction conditions for the formation of the alkylaryl or diaryl carbonate cannot be chosen optimally because they are determined by the almost identical pressure prevailing in the two steps.
EP-A 781 760 describes a continuous process for the preparation of aromatic carbonates by reacting a dialkyl carbonate with an aromatic hydroxy compound in the presence of a catalyst and continuously removing the aromatic carbonate formed in the reaction, the alcoholic secondary products, the dialkyl carbonate and the aromatic hydroxy compound, the dialkyl carbonate and the aromatic hydroxy compound being fed back into the reaction again. Although the described process steps are effective as regards the reaction procedure in terms of a high space-time yield and as regards working-up in terms of an efficient a separating sequence as possible, the process does not exhibit any possibilities for integration of the reaction and the working-up steps in terms of energy.
WO-A 2006/001256 describes a process in which an aromatic hydroxy compound is reacted with a dialkyl carbonate in the presence of a catalyst, as well as a technical device suitable therefor. Here too, no reference points are given for energy integration.
Without appropriately efficient energy integration, the energy consumption of the processes described hereinbefore is known to be high, which in turn raises questions about the advantageousness of the phosgene-free preparation of aryl carbonates from an ecological and economic point of view.
WO-A 2004/016577 describes a process for the preparation of aromatic carbonates from dialkyl carbonate and an aromatic hydroxy compound in the presence of a catalyst in a plurality of separate, series-connected reaction zones of a reactor arrangement, wherein the heat of condensation that is formed in the condensation of the vapor stream of the last reaction zone is used to heat the liquid stream introduced into the first reaction zone. However, this process has the disadvantage that the reactor arrangement is complex. In addition, the energy integration of this process is worthy of improvement.
JP-A 2002-020351 describes a discontinuous process for the preparation of diaryl carbonate, from which heat can be used for the production of steam. Disadvantages of this process are, however, that it is carried out discontinuously and the reactor arrangement used for the reaction with a distillation column mounted on top. However, a particular disadvantage of this process is that it is carried out discontinuously.

Processes for preparing diaryl and/or alkylaryl carbonates from dialkyl carbonates