A method and apparatus are provided for use in a multi-channel digital transmitter and receiver. A filtering process is accomplished by conditioning portions of a digitized signal during digital signal processing by integrating, taking the difference of, and multiplying portions of the digitized signal. The filtering process may be used in conjunction with a receiving process to generate a digitized channel signal by conditioning the digitized signal and subsequently Fourier transforming the conditioned portions of the digitized signal. Alternatively, the filtering process may be used in conjunction with a transmitting process by inverse Fourier transforming a plurality of digitized information signals to be transmitted to generating a composite digitized signal and subsequently conditioning the composite digitized signal.

Transmitters and receivers for communication systems generally are designed such that they are tuned to transmit and receive one of a multiplicity of signals having widely varying bandwidths and which may fall within a particular frequency range. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that these transmitters and receivers radiate or intercept, respectively, electromagnetic radiation within a desired frequency band. The electromagnetic radiation can be output from or input to the transmitter or receiver, respectively, by several types of devices including an antenna, a wave guide, a coaxial cable, an optical fiber, and a transducer.
These communication system transmitters and receivers may be capable of transmitting and receiving a multiplicity of signals; however, such transmitters and receivers generally utilize circuitry which is duplicated for each respective signal to be transmitted or received which has a different frequency or bandwidth. This circuitry duplication is not an optimal multi-channel communication unit design architecture, because of the added cost and complexity associated with building complete independent transmitters and/or receivers for each communication channel.
An alternative transmitter and receiver architecture is possible which would be capable of transmitting and receiving signals having a desired multi-channel wide bandwidth. This alternative transmitter and receiver may utilize a digital-to-analog converter and a digitizer (analog-to-digital converter) which operates at a sufficiently high sampling rate to ensure that the signal of the desired bandwidth can be digitized in accordance with the Nyquist criterion (e.g., digitizing at a sampling rate equal to at least twice bandwidth to be digitized). Subsequently, the digitized signal preferably is pre- or post-processed using digital signal processing techniques to differentiate between the multiple channels within the digitized desired bandwidth. Such a communication unit structure is essentially equivalent to a single radio frequency (RF) and intermediate frequency (IF) band analog signal processing portion followed by or preceded by a single digital processing portion which manipulates the digitized signal as if it represented multiple communication channels.
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that another possible technique for providing this type of communication unit structure is through the use of Discrete Fourier Transforms (DFT's) in a DFT bank and Inverse Discrete Fourier Transforms (IDFT's) in an IDFT bank or similar digital filtering techniques, to synthesize a series of adjacent narrow bandwidth channels.
The disadvantage to this alternative type of communication unit is that the digital processing portion of the communication unit must have a sufficiently high sampling rate to ensure that the Nyquist criterion is met for the maximum bandwidth of the received electromagnetic radiation which is equal to the sum of the individual communication channels which form the composite received electromagnetic radiation bandwidth. If the composite bandwidth signal is sufficiently wide, the digital processing portion of the communication unit may be very costly and may consume a considerable amount of power. Additionally, the channels produced by a DFT or IDFT filtering technique must typically be adjacent to each other. Thus, the sampling rate for these filtering techniques is necessarily restricted to an integer multiplier of N times the number of possible communication channels (e.g., N, 2N, 3N . . . possible communication channels).
A need exists for a transmitter and a receiver, like the one which is described above, which is capable of transmitting and receiving a multiplicity of signals within corresponding channels with the same transmitter or receiver circuitry. However, this transmitter and receiver circuitry preferably should reduce communication unit design constraints associated with the digital signal processors (DSPs) which implement DFT and IDFT functions. If such a transmitter and receiver architecture could be developed, then it would be ideally suited for cellular radiotelephone communication systems. Cellular base stations typically need to transmit and receive multiple channels within a wide frequency bandwidth (e.g., 825 MegaHertz to 894 MegaHertz). In addition, commercial pressures on cellular infrastructure and subscriber manufacturers is prompting these manufacturers to find ways to reduce the cost of communication units. Similarly, such a multi-channel transmitter and receiver architecture would be well suited for personal communication systems (PCS) which will have smaller service regions (than their counterpart cellular service regions) for each base station and as such a corresponding larger number of base stations will be required to cover a given-geographic region. Operators, which purchase base stations ideally would like to have a less complex and a reduced cost per unit to install throughout their licensed service regions.
Current and future cellular and PCS communication systems have information signal coding and channelization standards (i.e., air interface standards) which share at least one common characteristic. The characteristic is that all of the systems include communication channels which are allocated substantially the same amount of frequency bandwidth for each channel (i.e., each communication channel uses the same frequency bandwidth). A number of current and future planned information signal coding and channelization standards (i.e., open air interface standards) exist. These coding and channelization standards which have channels allocated in equal portions of frequency bandwidth include channelization structures based on frequency division multiple access, time division multiple access, and frequency hopping code division multiple access. Some of the current and future planned coding and channelization standards have names including: Advanced Mobile Phone Service (AMPS), Narrow Advanced Mobile Phone Service (NAMPS), Total Access Communication System (TACS), Japanese Total Access Communication System (JTACS), United States Digital Cellular (USDC), Japan Digital Cellular (JDC), Groupe Special Mobile (GSM), Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FH-SS), Cordless Telephone 2 (CT2), Cordless Telephone 2 Plus (CT2 Plus), and Cordless Telephone 3 (CT3). It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that, although digital communication open air interfaces typically have a group including more than one communication channel that occupies the same frequency bandwidth, the channels within the group are separated from one another by a code (e.g., the code may be time slots within a time frame or the code may be slots within a frequency hopping pattern). Further, each group of channels utilizes the same frequency bandwidth as each other group of channels operating according to the same open air interface.
An additional advantage may be gained by cellular and PCS manufacturers as the result of designing multi-channel communication units which share the same analog signal portion. Traditional communication units which are designed to operate under a single information signal coding and channelization standard. In contrast, these multi-channel communication units include a digital signal processing portion which may be reprogrammed, at will, through software during the manufacturing process or in the field after installation such that these multi-channel communication units may operate in accordance with any one of several information signal coding and channelization standards.

Multi-channel digital transmitter and receiver


Methods and devices are provided for replacing a nucleus of a spinal disc, and in particular for preventing nucleus disc replacement expulsion. The nucleus of a spinal disc can be removed from the annulus by forming a small opening in the annulus. Once the nucleus is removed, one or more insert devices can be implanted within the annulus of a spinal disc and they can be mated to one or both endplates of the adjacent vertebrae. The insert(s) is configured to interact with a nucleus disc replacement implant to prevent expulsion of the implant from the annulus.

A spinal disc is composed of two main parts, a gel-like inner portion called the nucleus pulposus, and a tough outer portion called the annulus fibrosus. The annulus is similar to a radial tire surrounding the nucleus. In a healthy disc, the nucleus is contained, and for the most part, centered within layers of the annulus, allowing for even distribution of pressures thereby providing cushioning to the adjacent vertebrae surrounding the disc.
An artificial disc (also called a disc replacement, disc prosthesis or spine arthroplasty device) is a device that is implanted into the spine to imitate the functions of a natural disc (carry load and allow motion). There are many artificial disc designs classified into two general types: total disc replacement (TDR) and nucleus disc replacement (NDR). As the names imply, with a TDR, all or most of the disc tissue is removed and a replacement device is implanted into the space between the vertebra. With an NDR, only the center of the disc (the nucleus) is removed and replaced with an implant. The outer part of the disc (the annulus) is not removed. NDR surgery offers certain benefits compared to TDR. Since an NDR device is designed to replace only the nucleus of the disc, the procedure is less time consuming and posses less risk and maintains the functionality of surrounding structures.
One of the primary hurdles an NDR device has to overcome is the ability to stay within the annulus of the disc. In order to closely mimic the native nucleus, most NDR devices are made of soft and pliable plastic-like (biopolymer) materials. One such material is called hydrogel, which expands as it absorbs water. The device is placed into the nucleus cavity of the disc and hydrates to expand and fill the cavity. The device is flexible or compressible and by this means, allows motion, much like a natural disc nucleus. In particular, the device can elastically deform during normal activities (axial loading, flexion, extension). As a result, the device can potentially squeeze out of the opening(s) formed in the annulus and used to introduce the NDR into the annulus. Another issue is that the containment wall of the NDR is often a degenerated annulus that has existing fissures or will develop fissures in which the NDR device can expulse over time.
Accordingly, there remains a need for improved methods and devices for replacing a nucleus of a spinal disc, and in particular for preventing nucleus disc replacement expulsion.


An authentication signal extraction part measures the frequency spectrum of electric noise specific to a semiconductor element for authentication so that a code depending on this frequency spectrum is generated as an authentication signal. An authentication signal storage part previously registers the authentication signal. When performing authentication, the authentication signal generated from the authentication signal extraction part is compared with a registered authentication signal stored in the authentication signal storage part so that a result display part displays successful authentication when coincidence is recognized. Thus, authentication is performed without forming a nonvolatile memory or writing the authentication signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an authentication method, an authentication apparatus, an authentication system and an IC card.
2. Description of the Background Art
In order to enable only registered users to use services provided by a common carrier, a procedure of authentication is necessary for determining whether or not the users are registered. In general authentication utilizing a semiconductor element with an IC card or the like, for example, the semiconductor element formed as a nonvolatile memory preserves a number serving as an authentication signal for determining whether or not the user using the IC card or the like is registered on the basis of whether or not the number coincides with a registered number.
In such conventional authentication, however, it is necessary to form the nonvolatile memory for preserving the authentication signal in a semiconductor integrated circuit in the first place, and to write the authentication signal in the nonvolatile memory in the second place.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, an authentication method comprises steps of (a) obtaining an authentication signal on the basis of electric noise of a semiconductor element and (b) comparing the authentication signal obtained in the step (a) with each of at least one registered authentication signal and determining coincidence in any comparison.
In the authentication method according to the first aspect, the electric noise of the semiconductor element is specific to each element and hence the authentication signal obtained on the basis thereof is also specific to each element. Therefore, it is not necessary to form a nonvolatile memory or write the authentication signal for implementing authentication but the semiconductor element may simply be manufactured through the same manufacturing steps. Thus, authentication can be simply performed at a low cost.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, the authentication method further comprises a step of (c) recording the authentication signal as one of at least one registered authentication signal.
In the authentication method according to the second aspect, a semiconductor element for which an authentication signal has already been obtained can be distinguished from other ones to be authenticated.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, the step (b) comprises steps of (b-1) determining whether or not at least one registered authentication signal is present and (b-2) comparing each of at least one registered authentication signal with the authentication signal and determining coincidence in any comparison when a positive determination is obtained in the step (b-1), and wherein the authentication signal is recorded as one of at least one registered authentication signal in the step (c) only when a negative determination is obtained in the step (b-1) or a negative determination is obtained in the step (b-2).
In the authentication method according to the third aspect, an authentication signal intended to be newly registered is registered only when there is no registered authentication signal coinciding with the authentication signal, whereby double registration can be prevented.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the step (a) includes a step (a-1) of measuring the electric noise with respect to the semiconductor element thereby obtaining a code or codes depending on the frequency spectrum of the electric noise as the authentication signal.
In the authentication method according to the fourth aspect, a code varying with each semiconductor element while reflecting noise specific to the semiconductor element is obtained as the authentication signal.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the semiconductor element comprises a plurality of unit semiconductor elements, and the step (a-1) comprises a step (a-1-1) of measuring electric noise with respect to the respective ones of the plurality of unit semiconductor elements thereby obtaining codes depending on the frequency spectra of the electric noise and regarding a set of the codes as the authentication signal.
In the authentication method according to the fifth aspect, the codes depending on the frequency spectra of the plurality of unit semiconductor elements are obtained as the authentication signal, whereby it is possible to reduce such a possibility that the same authentication signal is obtained although the semiconductor elements are different from each other. Thus, the range of users requiring authentication can be further enlarged.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, a set of numerical values expressing the values of the frequency spectra corresponding to a plurality of frequencies are obtained as the codes in the step (a).
In the authentication method according to the sixth aspect, the set of the numerical values expressing the values of the frequency spectra corresponding to the plurality of frequencies are obtained as the authentication signal, whereby the authentication signal can be generated by employing a simple circuit.
According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, the semiconductor element has at least one MOSFET.
In the authentication method according to the seventh aspect, the semiconductor element employed as the object of extraction of the authentication signal has the MOSFET, whereby an authentication signal remarkably varying with each semiconductor element can be obtained.
According to an eight aspect of the present invention, an authentication apparatus comprises an authentication signal extraction part generating and outputting an authentication signal with respect to a detachably connected semiconductor element on the basis of its electric noise, a storage part storing at least one registered authentication signal each comparable with the authentication signal, a comparison part comparing the authentication signal output from the authentication signal extraction part with at least one registered authentication signal stored in the storage part, and a control part making the comparison part compare the authentication signal output from the authentication signal extraction part with each of at least one registered authentication signal stored in the storage part for executing authentication processing determining coincidence in any comparison.
In the authentication apparatus according to the eighth aspect, the electric noise of the semiconductor element is specific to each element, and hence the authentication signal obtained on the basis thereof is also specific to each element. Therefore, it is not necessary to form a nonvolatile memory or write the authentication signal for implementing authentication but the semiconductor element may simply be manufactured through the same manufacturing steps. Thus, authentication can be simply performed at a low cost.
According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, the control part selectively executes the authentication processing and registration processing making the storage part store the authentication signal output from the authentication signal extraction part as one of at least one registered authentication signal.
In the authentication apparatus according to the ninth aspect, a semiconductor element for which an authentication signal has been obtained can be distinguished from other ones to be authenticated.
According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, the control part selectively executes the authentication processing and registration processing making the comparison part compare the authentication signal output from the authentication signal extraction part with each of at least one registered authentication signal stored in the storage part for making the storage part store the authentication signal only when no coincidence is recognized in any comparison.
In the authentication apparatus according to the tenth aspect, an authentication signal intended to be newly registered is registered only when there is no registered authentication signal coinciding with the authentication signal, whereby double registration can be prevented.
According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, the authentication signal extraction part measures the electric noise with respect to the semiconductor element thereby generating a code or codes depending on the frequency spectrum of the electric noise and outputting the code or codes as the authentication signal.
In the authentication apparatus according to the eleventh aspect, a code varying with each semiconductor element while reflecting noise specific to the semiconductor element is obtained as the authentication signal.
According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, the authentication signal extraction part measures, with respect to an element comprising a plurality of unit semiconductor elements as the semiconductor element, electric noise of the respective ones of the plurality of unit semiconductor elements thereby obtaining codes depending on the frequency spectra of the electric noise and outputting a set of the codes as the authentication signal.
In the authentication apparatus according to the twelfth aspect, the codes depending on the frequency spectra of the plurality of unit semiconductor elements are obtained as the authentication signal, whereby it is possible to reduce such a possibility that the same authentication signal is obtained although the semiconductor elements are different from each other. Thus, the range of users requiring authentication can be further enlarged.
According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, the authentication signal extraction part generates a set of numerical values expressing the values of the frequency spectra corresponding to a plurality of frequencies as the codes.
In the authentication apparatus according to the thirteenth aspect, the set of the numerical values expressing the values of the frequency spectra corresponding to the plurality of frequencies are obtained as the authentication signal, whereby the authentication signal extraction part can be formed by a simple circuit.
According to a fourteenth aspect of the present invention, an authentication system comprises a terminal having an authentication signal extraction part generating and outputting an authentication signal with respect to a detachably connected semiconductor element on the basis of its electric noise and common carrier equipment, connected to the terminal through a communication line, having a storage part storing at least one registered authentication signal each comparable with the authentication signal, a comparison part comparing the authentication signal output from the authentication signal extraction part with at least one registered authentication signal stored in the storage part and a control part making the comparison part compare the authentication signal output from the authentication signal extraction part with each of at least one registered authentication signal stored in the storage part for executing authentication processing determining coincidence in any comparison.
In the authentication system according to the fourteenth aspect, the electric noise of the semiconductor element is specific to each element, and hence the authentication signal obtained on the basis thereof is also specific to each element. Therefore, it is not necessary to form a nonvolatile memory or write the authentication signal for implementing authentication but the semiconductor element may simply be manufactured through the same manufacturing steps. Thus, authentication can be simply performed at a low cost. Further, the terminal is connected with the common carrier equipment through the communication line, whereby the user can be authenticated for enjoying services provided by the common carrier at a long distance.
According to a fifteenth aspect of the present invention, an IC card comprises a semiconductor device having an integrated circuit and a semiconductor element built into the same semiconductor substrate and a terminal group including a plurality of terminals connected to the semiconductor element for enabling connection between the semiconductor device and the exterior.
In the IC card according to the fifteenth aspect, the semiconductor element for authentication is built into the same semiconductor substrate along with the integrated circuit, whereby the cost for forming the semiconductor element for authentication can be reduced.
According to a sixteenth aspect of the present invention, the IC card further comprises a switching element interposed between the semiconductor element and at least one of the plurality of terminals, and the terminal group further includes a terminal relaying a signal controlling the switching element.
The IC card according to the sixteenth aspect comprises the switching element which can be controlled through the terminal, whereby the semiconductor element for authentication can be protected against static electricity or the like so that noise characteristics can be stabilized.
According to a seventeenth aspect of the present invention, the semiconductor element has at least one MOSFET.
In the IC card according to the seventeenth aspect, the semiconductor element has the MOSFET, whereby an authentication signal remarkably varying with each semiconductor element can be obtained.
An object of the present invention is to provide an authentication method, an authentication apparatus, an authentication system and an IC card requiring neither formation of a nonvolatile memory nor writing of an authentication signal.

Authentication method, authentication apparatus, authentication system and IC card


A method, an electronic device, and computer readable medium are provided. The method includes receiving an input into a neural network that includes a kernel. The method also includes generating, during a convolution operation of the neural network, multiple panel matrices based on different portions of the input. The method additionally includes successively combining each of the multiple panel matrices with the kernel to generate an output. Generating the multiple panel matrices can include mapping elements within a moving window of the input onto columns of an indexing matrix, where a size of the window corresponds to the size of the kernel.

Deep learning or deep neural networks are a revolutionary force in artificial intelligence. Neural networks enable computers to make sense of huge amounts of data in various forms, such as images, sound, and text. Using multiple layers of neural perceptrons, computers now have the capacity to see, learn, and react to complex situations as well as, if not better than, humans. Deep learning networks are based on numerous layers, such as connected layers and convolution layers. Most deep learning networks rely heavily on the convolutional layers, as the convolutional layers typically account for over 90% of total computation of the neural network. One convolutional layer typically has tens of thousands to millions of small two-dimensional kernels.

Convolution streaming engine for deep neural networks


The device comprises a foot (7) equipped with two pairs of mutually opposite lugs (10A, 10B, 12A, 12B) one of which carries a crosspiece (11) having a portion (18) in the form of a wedge which points towards a slot situated between the lugs (12A, 12B) of the other pair, the crosspiece (11) having a body (17) in which a housing (19) is formed for a metal nut (4) with which the threaded metallic shank of a screw (3) engages, the screw (3) serving to drive the crosspiece (11) towards the base member (5) so that the lugs (10A, 10B) of the first pair flex while the wedge (18) causes the lugs (12A, 12B) of the other pair to bend outwards.. The fastening support (1) also comprises a hook (6) provided for the pivot of a sun visor.

From FR-A-2.442.987 a device of the aforenoted type is already known which comprises a foot which is introduced into an opening of standard shape in a carrier element, the foot being equipped with two pairs of mutually opposite lugs, one of which comprises a crosspiece in the form of a wedge which points towards a slot located between the lugs of the other pair, the blocking of the fixing device on the carrier element being effected by manipulating a rod which moves the crosspiece so that the wedge penetrates into the slot and the pair of lugs carried by the crosspiece flex while the other pair of lugs are caused to bend outwards by the wedge.
In general the crosspiece is controlled by means of a screw with a self-cutting threaded shank with which it co-operates.
This type of device is highly regarded because it provides a high quality fixation because each of the four lugs deforms outwards during the fixing step, because it is suitable for a carrier element the thickness of which may vary over a relatively large range, and lastly because this type of device can usually be removed without any part remaining in the carrier element.

Fixing device, fastening support incorporating it, and its use for a vehicle sun visor


A frame and suspension for a vehicle provides automatic lean and alignment. The lean is determined by force sensors, the speed and/or the angle of turn and is provided by actuators in the suspension in accordance with a predetermined protocol in an electronic control unit (ECU). The protocol also provides shock absorption by rapidly tracking a contour of a surface on which the vehicle rides. The suspension is provided by a plurality of arm assemblies each including a lower arm, an upper control arm, and an actuator motively connected to the lower arm and to the upper control arm. The arm assemblies are pivotally connected to the frame on a common axis. The arm assemblies generally form parallelograms and are actuated in concert to remain generally parallel to each other through a range of angles to adjust the lean of the vehicle. The arm assemblies are also actuated independently of each other to accommodate variations in the contour. In one aspect, an actuator controlled by an ECU can be replaced by a mechanical actuator that can be activated manually such as by a driver's own leaning weight.

1. Technical Field
This invention generally relates to vehicles that are capable of being leaned and that have rear steering capabilities, and more specifically to a frame and suspension system that facilitates leaning and rear steering on a vehicle having more than two wheels.
2. Background Art
Vehicles capable of leaning include motorcycles. Of course, standard configuration motorcycles have only two wheels so that leaning the vehicle happens naturally. The benefits of leaning include that leaning facilitates turning. Leaning the motorcycle in a direction while the motorcycle is moving forward actually pulls the front steering in the same direction. Another benefit of leaning the motorcycle is that the wheels are also leaned and better support the forces applied to the wheel and tire. At the same time, leaning increases the contact area of the tire on a driving surface. Still further, leaning the motorcycle better positions the center of gravity on the line of force applied to the surface by the motorcycle and driver.
Rear wheel alignment by a rear steering mechanism has been implemented on vehicles having four wheels, such as automobiles. Rear steering mechanisms have been provided for counter steering the rear wheels for greater maneuverability. These counter steering mechanisms are generally restricted to operation at low speeds.

Vehicle lean and alignment control system


The present invention provides an image display device which can realize the recycling at a low cost by shortening a disassembling time of a face substrate and a back substrate. In a support frame which is bonded and fixed to a face substrate and a back substrate by way of sealing materials respectively, a cut portion whose spatial region expands from the inside to the outside is integrally formed on an end surface at a corner portion thereof. To outer portions of the cut portions, the sealing materials 10a, 10b are not fixed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image display device which makes use of the emission of electrons into a vacuum defined between a face substrate and a back substrate, and more particularly to the structure of a support body which holds and fixes a given gap between both substrates.
2. Description of the Related Art
A color cathode ray tube has been popularly used conventionally as an excellent display device which exhibits high brightness and high definition. However, along with the realization of high image quality of recent information processing device and television broadcasting, there has been a strong demand for a planar display (panel display) which can realize a light-weighted and thin display while ensuring the excellent properties such as high brightness and high definition.
As typical examples of such a planar display device, a liquid crystal display device, a plasma display device and the like have been put into practice. Further, particularly, with respect to the planar display device which can realize the high brightness, various types of panel display devices including an image display device which makes use of emission of electrons into a vacuum from electron sources (hereinafter referred to as "an electron emission type display device" or "a field emission type display device", hereinafter also referred to as "FED") and an organic EL display which is characterized by low power consumption are expected to be put into practice in near future.
Among these panel-type display devices, with respect to the electron emission type display device, the display device which has the electron emission structure proposed by C. A. Spindt, a display device which has the metal-insulator-metal (MIM) type electron emission structure, a display device which has the electron emission structure making use of an electron emission phenomenon based on a quantum tunneling effect (also referred to as surface conductive type electron sources), and a display device which makes use of an electron emission phenomenon which a diamond film, a graphite film and carbon nanotubes possess have been known.
Further, among these panel type display devices, the field emission type image display device is configured such that a back substrate which forms cathode lines having field emission type electron sources, control electrodes and the like on an inner surface thereof, and a face substrate which forms an anode and phosphors on an inner surface thereof which faces the back substrate in an opposed manner are laminated to each other by inserting a support frame between inner peripheral portions of both substrates and are hermetically sealed to form a panel, and a sealed space of the panel is held at a pressure lower than an external atmospheric pressure or in a vacuum state.
The above-mentioned control electrodes are arranged in a state that the control electrodes intersect the cathode lines by way of an insulation layer or with an insulation gap therebetween.
Further, in the above-mentioned control electrode, a single or a plurality of apertures which allow electrons from the electron sources formed on the cathode lines to pass therethrough are formed for every pixel. Further, to hold a distance between the back substrate and the face substrate to a distance of a given value, space holding members are interposed between the back substrate and the face substrate. Here, the distance holding members are formed of a thin plate made of glass or ceramics, for example, and are mounted in an erected manner at positions which avoid the pixel.
FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of an essential part for explaining the constitution of an image display device which constitutes this kind of conventional panel type display device. The image display device is constituted of a back substrate 2 which mounts a plurality of electron emission elements 5 on a surface thereof, a face substrate 1 which is arranged to face the back substrate 2 in an opposed manner and, at the same time, mounts image forming members 6 on which images are formed due to the irradiation of electron beams emitted from the electron emission elements 5, a frame-like support frame 3 which is interposed between the back substrate 2 and the face substrate 1 and supports peripheral portions of the back substrate 2 and the face substrate 1, and spacers (distance holding members) 4 which are arranged as support columns between the face substrate 1 and the back substrate 2.
In the image display device having such a constitution, as shown in FIG. 11 which is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the essential part, between the peripheral portions of the face substrate 1 and the back substrate 2 which face each other in an opposed manner, the support frame 3 which is formed by assembling glass members having an approximately rectangular cross section into a frame shape has both end surfaces thereof adhered to the face substrate 1 and the back substrate 2 using a sealing material such as a frit glass material, for example, thus adhering and fixing the support frame 3 to the face substrate 1 and the back substrate 2. Further, in the inside of the peripheral portion, the spacers 4 which are formed of a glass member are adhered and fixed to the face substrate 1 and the back substrate 2 while interposing a fixing material made of frit glass or the like, for example (frit glass) between the spacers and both end surfaces. Due to such a constitution, the atmospheric pressure resistance strength and the impact resistance property can be enhanced. This type of image display device is disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3241219 (Japanese Patent Laid-open Hei 7(1995)-230776 (patent document 1)) or the like.


A bit synchronization circuit composed of a multiphase data sampling unit for converting each received burst data sets to multiphase data trains, a phase determination unit for generating a control signal indicating an optimum phase data train, an output data selector for selectively passing optimum phase data train indicated by the control signal, and a data synchronization unit for converting the optimum phase data train to a data train in synchronization with a reference clock. The phase determination unit repeatedly detecting the optimum phase data train during the same burst data set is received. When optimum phase varies, the output data selector dynamically switches the optimum phase data train to be supplied to the data synchronization unit.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bit synchronization circuit and a transmission system each for converting high speed burst signals to data trains in synchronization with a reference clock and, more particularly, to a bit synchronization circuit and a central terminal for a PON system each having an excellent phase variation tracking ability for high speed burst signals.
(2) Description of the Related Art
As an example of a transmission system for relaying burst signals transmitted from a plurality of terminal apparatus, there can be listed a PON system defined in ITU-T Recommendation G.983. 1 "Broadband Optical Access Systems based on Passive Optical Network (PON)" (Non-Patent Document 1). As shown in FIG. 2, the PON system is a point-to-multipoint optical transmission system having a structure in which each of optical fibers 11 (11-1 to 11-m) to be accommodated to a central terminals OLT (Optical Line Terminals) 1 (1A or 1B) is branched with an optical coupler (star coupler) 12 to a plurality of tributary optical fibers 13 (13-1 to 13-m) and remote terminals ONU (Optical Network Units) 10 (10-1 to 10-n) are connected to the individual tributary optical fibers.
In a PON section, a 53-byte ATM cell, e.g., is used for downstream data transmission from the central terminal 1 to each of the remote terminals 10 and a 56-byte cell obtained by adding a 3-byte overhead to the ATM cell, e.g., is used for upstream data transmission from the remote terminal 10 to the central terminal 1. The central terminal 1 generates downstream communication frames each with a frequency f0 in synchronization with a reference clock in the central terminal or with a multiple of the frequency f0. Each of the downstream communication frames has a transmission speed of, e.g., 622.08 Mbit/s and is composed of 224 consecutive cells. A control cell is inserted with a frequency of one control cell for every 27 cells. The control cell in the PON section is termed a PLOAM cell.
On the other hand, each of upstream communication frames has a transmission speed of about 100 Mbit/s to 155.52 Mbit/s, which is lower than the transmission speed of the downstream communication frame. For example, an upstream frame at 155.52 Mbit/s is composed of 53 cells and, as shown in FIG. 3, transfer cells B (B1-1, B1-2, . . . , Bn-1, Bn-2, . . . ) from the plurality of remote terminals 10-1 to 10-n are time-division multiplexed on the optical fiber 11-1.
Each of the remote terminals 10 extracts the reference clock from the downstream frame and transmits a cell (burst data set) B composed of a 3-byte overhead OH and a 53-byte payload (ATM cell portion) PLD to have a 56-byte length with a frequency f0 in synchronization with the reference clock. The transmission of the cell B is performed within a burst period (hereinafter referred to as the burst slot) Tb which is specified in the PLOAM cells by the central terminal 1 to each of the remote terminals 10. The period Tb of each the burst slots is on the order of several microseconds. The overhead OH is composed of a guard time GT with no signal, a preamble PR, and a delimiter DTL.
Since the length of the segment of the tributary optical fiber 13 branched from the optical splitter 12 is not uniform, the upstream cells (burst data sets) transmitted by the individual remote terminals reach the central terminal 1 to have phase differences, which are different from each other, with reference to the reference clock. Accordingly, the central terminal 1 is required to establish, upon reception of each burst data set, bit synchronization within the period during which the preamble PR composed of a series of alternating "1" and "0" bits is received, identify the leading portion of the payload by the subsequent delimiter DL, and perform a receiving process for the ATM cell.
As typical circuit technologies for the bit synchronization mentioned above, there have been known, e.g., a timing clock extracting method (Prior Art 1) which extracts a timing clock from received data by using a timing extracting circuit composed of a PLL (Phase Locked Loop) and a surface acoustic wave (SAW) filter and latches the received data based on the clock, an optimum phase clock selecting method (Prior Art 2) which preliminarily generates a plurality of internal clocks having different phases from a reference clock and performs a receiving process for that one of the internal clocks having a phase with the highest margin over the phase of received data, and an optimum phase data selecting method (Prior Art 3) which generates a plurality of data trains having different phases from received data and selecting that one of the data trains having the highest phase margin over a reference clock.
The bit synchronization circuit of the optimum phase clock selecting type (Prior Art 2) is shown by way of example in FIG. 4, which is composed of: an n-phase clock generator 41 for generating, from a reference clock CL having the same frequency as the received data, reference clocks having n phases each shifted from the adjacent one by a 1/n period; a multiphase data sampling unit 42 for latching the received data with the n-phase reference clocks and converting the latched received data to n-phase data trains having different phases; a phase determination unit 43 for performing a comparing process between those of the n-phase data trains outputted from the multiphase data sampling unit 42 which have adjacent phases to detect a variation point in the input data and generating a control signal for selecting the optimum phase clock having a phase with the highest margin over the phase of the received data; a clock selection unit 44 for selecting, in response to the control signal, the optimum phase clock from among the n-phase reference clocks; and a FIFO buffer 45 for temporarily storing the received data. The bit synchronization circuit is designed to write the received data in the FIFO buffer 45 in accordance with the optimum phase clock and read out the written data therefrom in accordance with the reference clock CL.
Examples of the foregoing bit synchronization circuit of optimum phase clock selecting type are disclosed in, e.g., Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 7-193562 (Patent Document 1), Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 9-181713 (Patent Document 2), Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 10-247903 (Patent Document 3), and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 11-308204 (Patent Document 4).
The bit synchronization circuit of optimum phase data selecting type (Prior Art 3) is shown by way of example in FIG. 5, which is composed of: a multiphase data sampling unit 46 for converting received data to n-phase data trains each shifted in phase from the adjacent one by the 1/n period of a reference clock CL; a phase determination unit 47 for performing a comparing process between those of the n-phase data trains outputted from the multiphase data sampling unit 46 which have adjacent phases to detect a variation point in the input data and generating a control signal for selecting the optimum phase data train having the highest phase margin over the reference clock CL; an output data selection unit 48 for selectively outputting the optimum phase data train indicated by the control signal from among the n-phase data trains outputted from the multiphase data sampling unit 46; and an output data synchronization unit 49 for latching output data from the output data selection unit 48 in synchronization with the reference clock CL and outputting the latched data as a retimed data train.
Examples of the foregoing bit synchronization circuit of optimum phase data selecting type are disclosed in, e.g., Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 9-162853 (Patent Document 5) and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 9-36849 (Patent Document 6).
Since the optical signal received by the central terminal 1 in the PON system attenuates while passing through the optical fiber and the level of the received optical signal is different from one transmitter (remote terminal) from another, a signal identification threshold is controlled variably on a per burst-data-set basis depending on the received light level of the preamble PR by using the ATC (Automatic Threshold Control) function of an O/E signal converter. As shown in FIG. 6, e.g., the optical signal of the preamble PR1 of a burst data set B1 is detected with an offset threshold TH0 and an ATC decision threshold TH1 for the burst data set B1 is set depending on the received light level of the preamble PR1. When the receiving process for the burst data set B1 is completed, the ATC decision threshold is reset to the offset threshold TH0 within the period of the guard time GT for the next burst data set so that the preamble PR2 of the next burst data set B2 is detected with the offset threshold.
In an optical transmission system, the level of an optical signal attenuates while passing through an optical fiber as a signal transmission medium so that an improvement in the responsivity of a unit for receiving the optical signal is required to elongate the distance of optical transmission. To set an optimum ATC decision threshold for a burst data set which is low in received optical power, it is necessary to minimize the value of the offset threshold TH0 which is set in the period of the guard time GT. As the offset threshold TH0 is reduced increasingly, however, an O/E signal converter becomes more sensitive to noise. As a result, an erroneous signal may be inputted to a bit synchronization circuit to cause the misoperation thereof.
To solve the problem, a method in which data received by a bit synchronization circuit is forcibly fixed to a logic value "0" by using a mask signal for a given period from the resetting of the ATC decision threshold till the reception of the next burst data set is proposed in, e.g., Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 10-327159 (Patent Document 7).
With an increase in the amount of traffic over a communication network, a PON system used for an access network is also required to be increased in transmission speed so that the standardization of a PON system having a transmission speed increased from the conventional 100 Mbit/s order to a Gbit/s class (hereinafter referred to as the G-PONs) has been promoted in, e.g., the ITU-T Recommendation G.984 or the IEEE Recommendation 802.3ah. In the G-PONs, an upstream data set transmitted from the remote terminal 10 to the central terminal 1 is composed of a variable-length burst data set, instead of a conventional fixed-length burst data set (ATM cell). Accordingly, the maximum burst length thereof may be elongated to about 1 ms, which is far larger than conventional several microseconds.
In the case of designing a bit synchronization circuit for a central terminal in the G-PON system having a higher transmission speed, however, the timing clock extracting method (Prior Art 1) which essentially takes a long time for clock extraction requires a long preamble segment for each of burst data sets, so that the transmission speed is lowered effectively. In the G-PON system, therefore, the optimum phase clock selecting method (Prior Art 2) or the optimum phase data selecting method (Prior Art 3) capable of achieving higher-speed bit synchronization is promising.
To enhance system flexibility in the G-PON system, it is necessary to give consideration to a system configuration in which data frequencies in upstream and downstream directions are asynchronous. It is also necessary to give consideration to a system configuration in which a data transfer speed in an upstream direction differs from one remote terminal to another, e.g., a system configuration in which burst data sets received from the individual remote terminals have varied frequencies f1 to fn relative to the reference clock frequency f0 of the central terminal 1.
In the conventional bit synchronization circuit of optimum phase clock selecting type or optimum phase data selecting type, once the optimum phase is determined during the period during which the preamble is received, the bit synchronization for the received data is performed without changing the optimum phase clock or the optimum phase data during the period during which the burst data set is received.
In the case of using the optimum phase clock selecting method or the optimum phase data selecting method in the G-PON bit synchronization circuit in which the burst data set has an increased length, however, there is a possibility that the optimum phase clock or the optimum phase data determined in the preamble region may come out of the optimum phase due to a phase variation or frequency asynchronization occurring in the payload region. In this case, retiming data based on the optimum phase clock or the optimum phase data determined in the preamble region becomes unstable and a bit error occurs in output data. Therefore, the bit synchronization circuit for the G-PON system is required to have a phase tracking ability over the entire region of the received burst data set.
In accordance with the optimum phase clock selecting method, however, it is not easy to control timing for clock switching in the payload region and suppress noise occurring upon the clock switching. On the other hand, the optimum phase data selecting method has a problem that, when the phase of the received data has varied by one period or more relative to the reference clock, data continuity is disturbed by the missing or overlapping of data upon the switching to the optimum phase data, which will be described later.

Bit synchronization circuit and central terminal for PON systems

Hitachi Communication Technologies, Ltd.


An expert system is used to recommend a customized solution for a customer. The expert system includes a set of scenarios each of which includes default facts and is associated with a detailed rule base that when applied in isolation to the default facts fully determines a prototype solution. A particular scenario is selected from the set based at least on user input. A customized solution is generated by applying the detailed rule base associated with the particular scenario to facts based at least on the user input and any default facts of the particular scenario that complement and do not conflict with the facts that are based at least on the user input. The customized solution is iteratively refined.

In many areas of the business world, companies dedicate resources to support and sell to large customers. Although interested in meeting the needs of small and medium-sized customers, these companies may decide that it is not cost-effective to dedicate the same or similar resources to support and sell to them.
If the numbers of products, services and customization options offered by a particular company are relatively small, it is sometimes sufficient for the company to provide prospective and returning customers with a searchable catalog of offerings or a similar, relatively straightforward tool. A human representative of the company may be made available if the customer needs some guidance and clarifications.
If a company has a vast portfolio of offerings, it may be a complex task to assess which of the offerings provides a solution to the needs of a customer.

Recommending solutions with an expert system

International Business Machines Corporation


Disclosed is an electrode for electrolytic synthesis of a fluorine compound, including: an electrode substrate having at least a surface thereof formed of a conductive carbon material; a conducting diamond layer formed on a part of the surface of the electrode substrate; and a metal fluoride-containing coating layer formed on an exposed part of the electrode substrate that is uncovered by the conducting diamond layer. It is possible for the electrolytic synthesis electrode to limit the growth of a graphite fluoride layer on the electrode surface, prevent decrease in effective electrolysis area and allow stable electrolysis in an electrolytic bath of a hydrogen fluoride-containing molten salt.

In conventional electrolytic synthesis methods in which fluorine compounds e.g. fluorine, nitrogen trifluoride etc. are produced by electrolysis of hydrogen fluoride in electrolytic baths of hydrogen fluoride-containing molten salts, electrodes of carbon materials are mainly used as anodes. It is however known that, in the case of using such a carbon material electrode in the electrolytic synthesis of the fluorine compound, an insulating layer of graphite fluoride e.g. (CF)n grows on a surface of the carbon material. When the graphite fluoride layer grows to a large thickness on the surface of the carbon material, the area of contact of the electrode with an electrolytic solution in the electrolytic bath becomes reduced to cause a problem of decrease in current flow (which is so called "anode effect"). There is thus adopted a coating technique to apply a coating layer of conducting diamond, on which the growth of a graphite fluoride layer is unlikely to occur, to a carbon substrate surface of the electrode.
In the conventional coating technique, however, it has been practically difficult to completely cover the carbon substrate surface by the conducting diamond coating layer with no minute defects because the conducting diamond coating applied to the carbon substrate is in polycrystalline form. The diamond coating layer undergoes separation when the carbon substrate wears out due to the entry of the electrolytic solution through minute defects in the diamond coating layer.
As a solution to improve this problem, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for self stabilization of the electrode by forming a graphite fluoride layer on an exposed part of the electrode substrate to which the diamond coating layer is not applied.

Method for synthesizing fluorine compound by electrolysis and electrode therefor


An inventive multi-layered cylinder head gasket includes a metallic base plate with an inner peripheral edge spaced radially outwardly from a cylinder bore opening and a metallic compensating plate thicker than the base plate. The base plate includes a stopper section comprising an integral flange folded about an inner peripheral edge of the compensating plate and terminating at a free edge adjacent the inner peripheral edge of the base plate.

Gaskets are often used as a seal between mating mechanical components. One common application involves gasket placement between the engine block and cylinder head of an internal combustion engine. Cylinder head gaskets typically extend around cylinder bores to provide a combustion seal, maintaining the high temperature gases of combustion within the cylinder bores. Simultaneously, the gaskets also seal fluid flow openings such as coolant and oil openings to prevent undesirable mixing. A cylinder head gasket bears the load from a bolted connection of the mechanical components and relies upon that load to provide both the combustion and fluid flow seals.
In a metal laminate gasket for an internal combustion engine, the gasket is formed from a plurality of metal plates laminated together. The metal layers provide a seal for the engine coolant and lubricant. The metal layers also provide structural support within the joint between the cylinder head and the block, and provide radial strength to resist blow-out of the gasket due to pressure from the combustion chamber.
To provide adequate gasket thickness, it is known to use at least one thin metal intermediate plate that extends across the entire gasket. It is also known to have a thin compensating plate that provides a differential gasket thickness between the combustion and fluid flow seals. Often the compensating plate is folded upon itself or the intermediate plate to provide the differential gasket thickness.
It is also known to have a base plate adjacent a compensating plate, wherein an end of the base plate is radially spaced outwardly from an end of the compensating plate. A distinct secondary material is laminated onto the compensating plate to help provide a combustion seal.

Multi-layered cylinder head gasket with compensating intermediate plate


A carbon nanotube sensor and a method of producing the carbon nanotube sensor are disclosed. The sensor detects small particles and molecules. The sensor includes a gate, a source and a drain positioned on the gate, and a carbon nanotube grown from a catalytic material and extending from one of the source and the drain. The method includes the step of functionalizing an end of the carbon nanotube with a receptor. As such, the carbon nanotube is receptive to the small particles and molecules. The carbon nanotube is driven at a resonance, and the resonance of the carbon nanotube is measured when the end of the carbon nanotube is free of the small particles and the molecules. The method includes monitoring for a change in the resonance to detect the association of the small particles and molecules with the end of the carbon nanotube.

1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention relates to a carbon nanotube sensor and a method of producing the sensor. More specifically, the carbon nanotube sensor detects small particles and molecules.
2. Description of the Related Art
Carbon-based nanotechnology has not, to date, been adequately applied across many industries to assist in the detection of various small particles and molecules. Small particles may include various pathogens, e.g. anthrax, proteins, and enzymes whereas the molecules may include various chemical agents such as sarin nerve gas. Carbon nanotube sensors have not been utilized in the medical, biological, and military industries to detect certain chemical or biological agents, harmful or otherwise.
Due to the limited application of carbon nanotube sensors throughout the many industries, it would be advantageous to provide a carbon nanotube sensor and a method of producing the sensor to assist in the detection of various small particles and molecules. Such a sensor would have significant application across a wide array of industries including, but not limited to, the medical, biological, and military industries.

Carbon nanotube sensor and method of producing the same


For controlling a robotic surgical system including arms, consoles, and a controller in communication with the arms and consoles, systems and methods are provided that include receiving a request for selection of a first arm for assignment to a first console, and in response to the request, determining whether the first arm is already assigned, assigning the first arm to the first console, if a determination is made that the first arm is not already assigned, determining whether the first arm is to be deselected from a previous assignment, if a determination is made that the first arm is already assigned, generating an error message, if a determination is made that the first arm is not to be deselected, and deselecting the first arm from the previous assignment and assigning the first arm to the first console, if a determination is made that the first arm is to be deselected.

Robotic surgical systems are increasingly being used to perform minimally invasive medical procedures. Typically during such medical procedures, a clinician is positioned at a console remote from the robotic surgical system. The clinician provides input to a user interface at the console to thereby control the robotic surgical system. For example, the clinician moves an input controller or handle to manipulate an end effector that acts on a patient.
In some configurations of the robotic surgical system, multiple consoles are included to allow multiple clinicians to manipulate the system. In this regard, each of the consoles includes a user interface, which can be used to control the same end effectors. However, allowing multiple users to control the same end effector increases the need for coordinated cooperation between the clinicians and may reduce efficiency. Thus, there is a need for a robotic surgical system configured to be used with multiple consoles to allow each user to provide an input without interfering with another. Additionally, there is a need for the robotic surgical system to be operable by multiple clinicians while improving efficiencies during robotic surgical procedures.

Multi-input robot surgical system control scheme


An atherectomy device having the ability to create variably sized lumens in a vessel. An ablation burr rotated by a drive shaft is routed through a control shaft having a bend in its distal end. The control shaft is in turn routed through a surrounding guide catheter. By extending or retracting the bend of the control shaft into the distal end of the guide catheter, the lateral displacement of the ablation burr is varied. A lumen in a vessel is created by rotating the control shaft within the surrounding guide catheter. In addition, the atherectomy device may include an integrated imaging sensor contained within a separate lumen of the catheter surrounding the drive shaft. The imaging sensor provides images of the interior of the vessel wall to determine if an occlusion has been removed by operation of the ablation burr. The catheter may include a self-expanding stent at its distal end to force the ablation burr against a vessel wall in order to create various sized lumens in a patient""s vasculature. Finally, the drive shaft that rotates the ablation burr is made of a lightweight polymeric material such as a liquid crystal polymer having fibers that are braided to provide desired torque and flexibility characteristics of the drive shaft.

The present invention relates to medical devices in general, and in particular to atherectomy devices for removing occluding material from a patient""s blood vessels.
Vascular diseases, such as arteriosclerosis and the like, have become quite prevalent in modern day. These diseases may manifest themselves in a number of ways, often requiring different forms or methods of treatment for curing the adverse effects of the diseases. For example, vascular diseases may take the form of deposits or growths in a patient""s vasculature which may restrict, in the case of a partial occlusion, or, stop, in the case of a total occlusion, blood flow to a certain portion of the patient""s body. This can be particularly serious if, for example, such an occlusion occurs in a portion of the vasculature that supplies vital organs with blood or other necessary fluids.
To treat these diseases, a number of different invasive and minimally invasive therapies have been developed. For example, cardiac bypass surgery is now a commonly performed procedure whereby an occluded cardiac artery is bypassed with a segment of a healthy blood vessel that is obtained from elsewhere in the body. While this procedure is generally successful, it is fairly traumatic because the entire chest cavity of the patient must be opened to access the occluded vessel. Therefore, the procedure is generally not performed on frail or elderly patients.
As an alternative to bypass surgery, it is also fairly common to treat occluded vessels using an intravascular device. Such treatment devices, sometimes referred to as atherectomy or ablation devices, use a variety of material removal means, such as rotating cutters or ablaters, to remove the occluding material. The material removal means, such as a rotatable burr, is typically coupled to an electric motor or air turbine via a drive shaft that extends out of the patient""s body. The drive shaft is rotated and the burr is advanced through the occluding vessel. The rotating burr grinds the occluding material into sufficiently small fragments that are removed by the body, rather than merely displacing or reforming the material in the vessel as in a balloon angioplasty procedure.
One problem faced by physicians when performing an atherectomy procedure is determining if all of the stenosis has been ablated by the ablation burr while the ablation burr is within the occluded area. While imaging techniques such as fluoroscopy or external ultrasound have been developed to image a person""s vasculature, these techniques generally cannot resolve a thin layer of occluding material that remains on a vessel wall. Therefore, there is a need for an atherectomy device that can image the interior of a patient""s vasculature without removing the ablation burr from the occluded site.
Yet another problem that occurs with conventional atherectomy devices is the fact that they can only create lumens of a fixed size. Therefore, if a physician wants to increase the size of a lumen, the driveshaft and burr have to be removed from the patient and replaced with a larger diameter burr. Therefore, there is a need for an atherectomy device that can create various sized lumens with a single burr.
Another area for improvement of conventional atherectomy devices is with the driveshaft. As indicated above, rotational energy is transferred from the motor or turbine to the ablation burr with a drive shaft. Most drive shafts are constructed of wound steel. For example, a Rotoblator(copyright) atherectomy device as developed by Boston Scientific uses a wound steel coil to transmit the rotational energy created outside of the patient""s body to the burr located within a blood vessel lumen or other body channel. Currently, in order to provide sufficient torque carrying capacity, flexibility, and strength the drive shaft is constructed of three steel wires, each of which is 0.006 inches in diameter, that are wound into a coil configuration.
Drive shaft flexibility affects how the drive shaft is controlled and performs in the patient. While a stiff drive shaft is easily advanced through vasculature, it may not easily conform to the vasculature. A drive shaft that is too flexible, however, may stall as it is being advanced. Additionally, a drive shaft having rough edges may not advance smoothly through the stenosis being ablated. For example, tissue could possibly become trapped within the coils of the drive shaft thereby restricting movement of the drive shaft and adversely affecting control. Therefore, it is desirable to improve the drive shaft to be smaller, more flexible and smoother than currently available drive shafts.
An atherectomy device according to the present invention allows images of an interior vessel wall to be obtained as ablation is occurring in order to ensure that substantially all occluding material is removed from a vessel during an ablation procedure. In one embodiment of the invention, an atherectomy device includes an integrated imaging sensor such as an intravascular ultrasonic transducer. The transducer is preferably disposed on the distal end of a guide wire. The guide wire is routed through a separate lumen of a guide catheter in which an ablation device is routed.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the atherectomy device includes an expandable distal end that forces an ablation burr against a vessel wall such that a single device can be used to create various sized lumens in a patient""s vasculature.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the diameter of a lumen that can be created in the vessel is continuously variable by routing the ablation device through a control shaft having a predefined bend at its distal end. The bend in the control shaft is extended from or drawn into a lumen of a surrounding guide catheter. The bend in the control shaft displaces an ablation burr laterally in a vessel depending upon the amount of the bend that extends distally from the end of the surrounding guide catheter. To create a lumen in a vessel, the control shaft is rotated within the surrounding guide catheter.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a drive shaft that rotates an ablation burr is made of a lightweight polymeric material such as a liquid crystal polymer. Fibers of the liquid crystal polymer are braided or wound to optimize the torque or flexibility aspects of the drive shaft as needed.

Therectomy device having a light weight drive shaft and an imaging device


A low density highly porous laminate sheet material of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene/expanded thermoplastic. The composite sheet material comprises two or more layers of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene laminated with an expanded thermoplastic. A process to make the invention is disclosed.

This invention relates to porous laminated expanded polytetrafluoroethylene.
Porous expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) is a well-known fluoropolymer which is utilized in a wide variety of products. These products include such articles as waterproof rainwear, gaskets, electrical insulation, filters and human implants. Many of these articles and the processes for producing them are described in numerous United States patents.
ePTFE articles can be produced in any extrudable shape and as a single or multiple layered article depending on the desired physical properties. Because ePTFE is a thermoset polymer, bonding multiple layers together can be problematic. Various means have been used to laminate PTFE, including pressing the unexpanded extrudate together then expanding the multi-layered article, and by using various thermoplastic and thermoset polymer adhesives to bond expanded PTFE layers together. Most methods for laminating multiple layers with adhesives partially or completely block the pores of the ePTFE, rendering adhesive lamination unsuitable for articles where porosity is a desirable feature.
Means for laminating sheets of PTFE to produce a multi-layered microporous article are described in Gore (U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,953,566 and 4,187,390), Hubis (U.S. Pat. Nos.
4,385,093 and 4,478,665) and Kranzler (U.S. Pat. No. 5,641,566). Gore and Hubis teach that layers of PTFE extrudate may be laminated together without using an adhesive. The lamination is achieved by layering PTFE extrudate then bringing the layers into intimate contact by means of pressure. The extrudate is then expanded and sintered to form a porous multi layered article. Although high Z directional strengths as measured in the laboratory can be attained by making laminated ePTFE articles according to these teachings, these laminates are known to delaminate in use.
A thermoplastic fluoropolymer, fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) is known in the art as a suitable agent for laminating layers of PTFE. For example, facial implants comprising ePFTE sheets laminated with sheets of FEP can be found in the medical marketplace. Implants laminated in this fashion are not known to delaminate in use, however, articles produced by this method are known to be non-porous and hence unsuitable for applications where porosity is a desirable.
The present invention is a porous composite comprising two or more layers of ePTFE sheet laminated with a with an expanded thermoplastic. The components of PTFE tape and FEP film are layered together, brought into close contact, then expanded simultaneously in one simple step. The inventive article is low density, soft, and very porous.
The inventive article is a porous multi-layered composite sheet material comprising two or more layers of ePTFE laminated with an expanded thermoplastic film. It is often desirable to sinter the inventive article above the crystalline melt point of PTFE, and many thermoplastic adhesives degrade at sintering temperatures. Thus, in a preferred embodiment the thermoplastic film is a fluoropolymer such as FEP, or an alternative thermoplastic that can withstand temperatures up to about 400 degrees C.
A preferred embodiment is a FEP laminated sheet material. This article is produced by alternately layering sheets of PTFE extrudate with thin films of FEP. The PTFE extrudate/FEP layers are brought into close contact by calendering. This composite is then expanded above the melting point of the FEP and below the crystalline melt point of the PTFE. The expanded product may be sintered above the crystalline melt point of the PTFE. The resulting ePTFE/expanded FEP (eFEP) composite article is, non reactive, low in density and soft or compliant making it an excellent biomaterial.
Alternatively, substituting calendering with a step wherein the PTFE/FEP layers were subjected to pressure by any other means, such as a press or die would produce a similar article. The important feature of this process is that the layers of the PTFE/FEP layered material are brought into close contact.

Expanded PTFE multilayer composite sheet


The present invention relates to a lithographic apparatus including a projection system configured to project a patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of a substrate held on a substrate support, the patterned beam of radiation being patterned with a patterning device held by a patterning device support. The lithographic apparatus includes an exchangeable object handling apparatus for exchanging an exchangeable object with a exchangeable object station and a support, the exchangeable object being one of the substrate and the patterning device and the support being one of the substrate support and the patterning device support, the exchangeable object handling apparatus including an intermediate holding device for holding an exchangeable object, which intermediate holding device can interact with the support to place an exchangeable object on or take an exchangeable object from the support, and a robot which can exchange an exchangeable object with the support, the intermediate holding device and said exchangeable object station.

A lithographic apparatus is a machine that applies a desired pattern onto a substrate, usually onto a target portion of the substrate. A lithographic apparatus can be used, for example, in the manufacture of integrated circuits (ICs). In that circumstance, a patterning device, which is alternatively referred to as a mask or a reticle, may be used to generate a circuit pattern to be formed on an individual layer of the IC. This pattern can be transferred onto a target portion (e.g. including part of, one, or several dies) on a substrate (e.g. a silicon wafer). Transfer of the pattern is typically via imaging onto a layer of radiation-sensitive material (resist) provided on the substrate. In general, a single substrate will contain a network of adjacent target portions that are successively patterned. Conventional lithographic apparatus include so-called steppers, in which each target portion is irradiated by exposing an entire pattern onto the target portion at once, and so-called scanners, in which each target portion is irradiated by scanning the pattern through a radiation beam in a given direction (the "scanning"-direction) while synchronously scanning the substrate parallel or anti-parallel to this direction. It is also possible to transfer the pattern from the patterning device to the substrate by imprinting the pattern onto the substrate.
In conventional lithographic apparatus of the above-mentioned type an exchangeable object handling apparatus may be used for the exchange of exchangeable objects between a stationary exchangeable object station and an exchangeable object support on which the exchangeable object during an operational phase is supported. Such exchangeable object may be a substrate which is exchanged between a substrate station and a substrate support, such as a substrate table on which the substrate is supported during the transfer of a pattern on the substrate. The exchangeable object may also be a patterning device which is exchanged between a patterning device loading station and a patterning device support on which during an operational phase the patterning device is supported.
Production capacity of a lithographic apparatus is, in part, affected by the exchange time needed to take away, after illumination, a substrate, which is located on the substrate support, and to place another substrate on the substrate support for a subsequent illumination. In order to increase the capacity of the lithographic apparatus it is desirable to decrease this exchange time.
In order to keep the exchange time small, the substrate handling apparatus of a conventional lithographic apparatus includes a robot with a double end-effector, i.e. robot capable of holding at the same time two substrates in two different holding positions. The double end-effector can be rotated around its vertical axis so that one of the two holding positions can be turned to a position wherein the robot can exchange a substrate with the substrate support. In another position, usually when the double end-effector is rotated over 180 degrees, a substrate in the other of the two holding positions can be exchanged with the substrate support.
When a first substrate held in the substrate support is to be exchanged by a second substrate which is placed in a loading station, the second substrate can during the transfer of a pattern on the first substrate, be placed in one of the holding positions of the robot. When the transfer is finished, the first substrate is taken from the substrate support in the other one of the holding positions of the robot. After that the double end-effector is rotated the second substrate is placed on the substrate support. Subsequently a pattern can be transferred on that second substrate. During this pattern transfer the robot can place the first substrate in the loading station. As the robot can hold two substrates at the same time the robot with double end-effector makes a relative quick exchange of the first and second substrate possible.
However, in conventional substrate handling apparatus, the robot with double end-effector is a relative expensive part of the lithographic apparatus, also due to the space needed to make the movement of the robot and in particular the rotating movement of the double end-effector in the lithographic apparatus in the proximity of the substrate support possible.
Alternatively, two robots which each can exchange an exchangeable object with a stationary station and the support may be provided. However, this solution may be expensive and may require a lot of footprint.

Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method


The present invention discloses a technique of enhancing adhesion between a passivation layer and a low-K dielectric layer, in which a SiO2 layer as the passivation formed on the low-K dielectric layer is subjected to N2O plasma annealing. This technique is useful in improving the yield of a process for preparing Cu damascene interconnection.

The present invention relates to a process for preparing a Cu damascene interconnection, particularly a process for preparing a Cu damascene interconnection with an improved yield.
In the damascene of copper in a low dielectric material, a copper line structure is formed by forming trenches in a low dielectric layer by using an active ionic etching, depositing copper on the whole surface (including filling the trench with copper), and using a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) to polish off the copper on the surface and leaving copper in the trenches.
A photoresist is used as a mask layer when the active ionic etching is carried out. In order to protect the organic low dielectric layer from damage during the stripping of the photoresist mask layer, a passivation layer is required between the photoresist and the organic low dielectric layer [J. M. Neirynck, R. J. Gutmann, and S. P. Murarka, J. Electrochem. Soc., 1602, (1999); D. T. Price, R. J. Gutmann, and S. P. Murarka, Thin Solid Films, 308-309, 523 (1997)]. However, due to a poor adhesion between the passivation layer and the low dielectric layer, the deposited copper layer is torn off from the surface and the trenches during the CMP process. As a result, a copper damascene interconnection can not be completed.
The present invention provides a process for preparing a Cu damascene interconnection, which comprises forming a low-K dielectric layer on a substrate; forming a passivation layer on said low-K dielectric layer; forming a plurality of trenches on said low-K dielectric layer/passivation layer; forming a pad oxidation layer on the inner walls of each of said plurality of trenches; forming a barrier metal layer on said pad oxidation layer; depositing copper on the resulting structure; and chemical mechanical polishing said copper until said passivation layer is exposed, thereby forming a Cu damascene interconnection on said low-K dielectric layer, characterized in subjecting said passivation layer/low-K dielectric layer with a N2O plasma annealing prior to the formation of said plurality of trenches.
The present invention uses said N2O plasma annealing to improve the yield of the process for preparing a Cu damascene interconnection.
Preferably, said N2O plasma annealing uses the following conditions: N2O flow rate 50xcx9c1000 sccm, pressure 10xcx9c1000 mTorr, temperature of plate 20xcx9c450xc2x0 C., radio frequency power 50xcx9c1000 W, and processing time 1xcx9c100 minutes.
Preferably, said low-K dielectric layer is hydrogen silsesquiuxane or methyl silsesquioxane.
Preferably, said passivation layer is SiO2 or SiNx, wherein 0 less than x less than 1.4. More preferably, said passivation layer is SiO2, particularly a SiO2 deposited by a chemical vapor phase deposition (CVD).

Process for preparing Cu damascene interconnection


A detachable lamp assembled device comprises a lamp seat secured to a wire winding box, and a lamp rod. A top of the lamp seat is protruded with a connecting seat and a receiving hole is formed in the connecting seat for locating a limiting structure. The limiting structure is formed by a buckling lock at a lowermost side of the receiving hole. An elastomer is above the buckling pin, and a positioning plate is locking above the connecting seat by a first stud. In another case, a buckling hole is formed in the lamp seat and penetrated two sides of the lamp seat. A buckling pin is placed in the buckling hole. A reed is locked below the buckling hole by a first stud and one free end of the reed is inserted into the buckling hole. Thereby, the buckling pin is limited in the buckling hole.

The present invention relates to lamp assembly devices, and particularly to an easily detachable lamp assembled device. By the design of the present invention, a user can assemble the lamp rod by inserting it into the lamp seat easily; thus, the lamp is detachable for storage and transfer with a smaller volume.
The prior art buckling structures of lamps, such as wall lamps, seat lamps, or stand lamps, are assembled by screwing studs with nuts. Not only collision events easily occur, but also the locking tools (for example, spanners, openers, etc.) are necessarily used in assembly. In assembly, the wires will expose so as to generate electric shock. Moreover, the assembly work is tedious and thus it is unsuitable for being assembled by the users themselves. Thus generally, the wire winding box is assembled with the inserting rod before sale. Thereby, the cost is high and a larger space is necessary for transfer and storage.


A printing carrier sleeve for mounting printing plates thereon, is formed by cutting a sheet of flexible plastic material having opposite edges into a substantially rectangular shape of desired dimensions such that opposite edges are cut-away to provide complementary tabs and openings that interlock with each other, adhering printing plates on the sheet when the sheet is in a substantially flat condition, securing opposite edges of the sheet together in abutting relation so as to prevent air from passing between the opposite edges, and thereby forming the printing carrier sleeve in a cylindrical configuration, by placing a strip of tape on a forming cylinder, securing one edge of the rectangular sheet on the strip of tape on the cylinder, and wrapping the opposite edge of the sheet about the cylinder into abutting relation with the one edge to provide the interlocking arrangement.

This invention relates generally to printing carrier sleeves removably mountable on flexographic printing cylinders and having printing plates mounted thereon, and more particularly, to a novel printing carrier sleeve that is simply constructed and easily formed.
In the flexographic printing process, flexible printing plates formed of rubber or other elastomeric material are permanently mounted on a printing carrier sleeve. The printing carrier sleeve is then mounted on a printing cylinder for use in a printing operation. Specifically, the printing plates are then inked in order to print on paper or film sheets.
However, because of the permanent mounting of the printing plates, in order to perform a different printing job, the carrier sleeves with the printing plates mounted thereon must be replaced with a different carrier sleeve and printing plates. Therefore, it is required that there be as many carrier sleeves as there are jobs to run.
This, of course, increases the operating expenses since multiple carrier sleeves must be manufactured and stored. Further, since the carrier sleeves are stored in their cylindrical shape, the amount of storage space that is required is great.
Some carrier sleeves are manufactured by helically winding a paper or other tape on a mandrel, such that the wound edges are in abutting relation, and then securing the edges together to form the carrier sleeve. As described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,978,254 to Hoexter et al, it is known to form carrier sleeves from a rectangular sheet of film material whose opposite edges are adjoined to define an inner tube. Then, a strip of plastic tape having an adhesive layer thereon is helically wound about the inner tube to define a first helix thereabout. Thereafter, a second strip of plastic tape having an adhesive layer thereon is wound in the opposite direction about the first helix.
Hoexter et al eliminates the inner tube, and merely forms the helically wound tape structure on a forming mandrel. See also U.S. Pat. No. 5,425,693 to Gardner et al. This is now a conventional manner of forming carrier sleeves.
However, these latter carrier sleeves suffer from several disadvantages. First, a different tooling must be provided for each diameter carrier sleeve. This greatly increases the cost of manufacture. Second, because of the formation only from oppositely wound helically wound tapes, so that there are different layers that form the carrier sleeve, the carrier sleeve tends to de-laminate, that is, the layers tend to separate. Third, because of the helically wound tapes, there are seams between adjacent winds of the tape. These seams can affect a high grade printing operation.

Printing carrier sleeves and method for manufacturing the same


Systems and methods are described for indicating a range for which HARQ feedback is to be transmitted for sidelink V2X communications. A TX UE receives from a gNB an RRC message with an IE that describes a communication range. The communication range is used by a RX UE when the TX UE transmits a groupcast PSSCH and PSCCH to the RX UE to determine whether or not to send HARQ feedback in response to the TX UE transmission. The RX UE receives the communication range from the gNB or the TX UE signals the communication range in the SCI of the PSCCH. If the TX UE sends a TB in which multiple DRBs with different communication ranges are used for the PDU, the SCI indicates that either the maximum or minimum communication range is to be used.

The use of 3GPP networks has increased due to both an increase in the types of devices user equipment (UEs) using network resources as well as the amount of data and bandwidth being used by various applications, such as video streaming, operating on these UEs. The 5G network, which like previous generations of networks includes both a radio-access network (RAN) and a core network (CN), has been developed to answer the enormous increase in number and diversity of communication devices, and are expected to increase throughput, coverage, and robustness and reduce latency and operational and capital expenditures. In addition to communication with the RAN, UE communications may include direct (sidelink) communications between the UE and other, non-RAN entities. Sidelink (SL) communications may involve their own challenges, including resource allocation for various types of communications.


An assembly tool for installing a clutch pressure plate and clutch housing of a manual clutch on the flywheel of an engine includes a bell shaped housing which receives and pivotally supports a plurality of fingers having outwardly directed claws. A coaxial cylindrical portion of the bell shaped housing includes male threads which receive a complementarily threaded collar which may be rotated to engage, radially extend and retract the fingers. Internal threads in the cylindrical portion of the housing receive a complementarily threaded portion of a push rod. The push rod includes a thrust bearing at an end that engages the fingers of the pressure plate and may be rotated to engage, retract and extend the pressure plate. A method of clutch housing installation utilizing the tool is also disclosed.

The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may or may not constitute prior art.
The assembly and attachment of a manual clutch and particularly the clutch housing to an engine flywheel is rendered difficult by the extended position of the pressure plate. This extended position of the pressure plate is the result of the unrestrained force and consequent movement of the pressure plate by the springs which, in normal operation, achieve and maintain clutch engagement. In order to readily and properly install the pressure plate and mount the clutch housing to the flywheel, it is necessary to temporarily retract the pressure plate by overcoming or neutralizing the force generated by the engagement springs.
Various installation methods and tools to achieve this have been proposed, many with mixed results. One approach comprehends providing bolts having sufficient length that they are capable of engaging the flywheel with the pressure plate fully extended. The bolts are then laboriously, sequentially advanced, typically only one-third of their length at a time, until they contact the flywheel at which time they are tightened in sequence to the proper torque specification. Because of the time and numerous steps involved in this process, it is often not properly executed resulting in improperly tightened fasteners and a warped clutch housing.
Other procedures comprehend the use of specialized tools. One such procedure involves temporarily mounting a transmission bell housing to the engine. A tool which engages the fingers of the pressure plate is attached to the bell housing and a threaded member is rotated which collapses the spring assembly to remove pressure on the pressure plate and facilitate mounting of the clutch housing to the flywheel. The fasteners may then be tightened to the proper torque specification in any order and the tool and bell housing removed.


A method for triggering an action of at least one downhole device on a downhole network integrated into a downhole tool string synchronized to an event comprises determining latency, sending a latency adjusted signal, and performing the action. The latency is determined between a control device and the at least one downhole device. The latency adjusted signal for triggering an action is sent to the downhole device. The action is performed downhole synchronized to the event. A preferred method for determining latency comprises the steps: a control device sends a first signal to the downhole device; after receiving the signal, the downhole device sends a response signal to the control device; and the control device analyzes the time from sending the signal to receiving the response signal.

The present invention relates to the field of triggering synchronized actions in downhole environments, such as along a drill string used in oil and gas exploration, or along the casings used in production wells and other equipment used in oil and gas production.
Triggering a seismic source and simultaneously collecting data has been expressed for more than half a century. The precise relationship between the time the seismic source triggers and the time the seismic receivers collect data may be useful in determining subterranean formations and thereby improve oil, gas, and geothermal well exploration and production. For example, to determine the subterranean formations surrounding a well bore, it may be beneficial to record seismic data synchronously with the triggering of a seismic source. Also, it may be useful to trigger multiple seismic sources synchronously. Several methods and systems to take such measurements, and correlate the times of triggering two actions are known in the art. In the downhole environment, systems and methods have been developed that have direct communication by wire or through fluid to the downhole device, and trigger a downhole device according to instructions received via these methods.
One example of such systems is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,624,759 to Tubel , et al., which discloses a communication system that enables communication from a surface location to a downhole location where instructions communicated are executed. The system employs accelerometers to sense vibrations traveling within the annulus fluid or the tubing string. The accelerators provide signals representative of the vibration generated at the surface of the well to a microcontroller. The microcontroller is programmed to energize a nichrome element to actuate the downhole tool in response to a user-defined vibration sequence. The vibration sequence includes a defined number of vibration cycles. Each cycle includes alternating periods of vibration and no vibrations with each period lasting for a defined length of time. The user may program the parameters of the sequence and arm the vibration receiving unit on site through a handheld terminal that interfaces with the microcontroller.
Several systems for actuating or triggering downhole tools are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,349,766; 5,558,153; and 4,471,435 and describe a variety of non-electrical methods to trigger a downhole tool. These methods include placing a chemical sensor downhole and introducing a chemical slug into fluids being pumped downhole, or using a burst of neutrons downhole to trigger a downhole tool.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,386,108 to Brooks, et al. discloses the initiation of one or more explosive devices. In response to activation of a trigger signal down the electrical cable, a switch coupling the energy source and an initiator is closed to couple the energy source to the initiator.
A system that may be used to trigger downhole actions is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,670,880 to Hall, et al. which discloses a system for transmitting data through a string of downhole components. In one aspect, the system includes first and second magnetically conductive, electrically insulating elements at both ends of the component. Each element includes a first U-shaped trough with a bottom, first and second sides and an opening between the two sides. An electrically conducting coil is located in each trough. An electrical conductor connects the coils in each component. In operation, a varying current applied to a first coil in one component generates a varying magnetic field in the first magnetically conductive, electrically insulating element, which varying magnetic field is conducted to and thereby produces a varying magnetic field in the second magnetically conductive, electrically insulating element of a connected component, which magnetic field thereby generates a varying electrical current in the second coil in the connected component.