A route planning system (10) uses a computer (11) and stored road data to calculate a desired route to a destination. Road data is stored in a multiple layer road map data memory (13) in hierarchical multiple layers (17, 18, 19), each layer defining roadways by stored road segments (1S1-3S7) which extend between nodes (135-365)that correspond to roadway intersections. A first or lower layer (17) of road data designates a large number of first layer vehicle roadways while a second or higher level layer (18 or 19) of road data designates only some of the large number of first layer roadways as second layer roadways. Preferably, stored second layer road segments (2S1-2S17 or 3S1-3S7) extend between intersections of the roadways designated in the second layer rather than between intersections of roadways in the second layer with roadways or road segments not designated in the second layer but designated in the first layer. Preferably, at least some of the second layer road segments (2S1-2S17 or 3S1-3S7) are equivalent to the combination of several road segments (1S1-1S52)stored in the first layer. The road map data memory (13) and route planning system (10) minimize storage requirements for road data while speeding up the route planning process.

Many prior vehicle route planning systems are known in which data concerning fixed roadways in a predetermined geographical area are stored in a memory device and the route planning system utilizes such data in determining an optimum route to a desired destination via the fixed roadways. Most prior automobile/vehicle route planning systems for planning travel along fixed roadways utilize some form of such prior systems. In such prior systems the desired route is achieved by accessing the data defining all of the possible roadways for travel and then selecting, according some predetermined criteria, which fixed roadways should be utilized to define an optimum path to the desired destination.
In some of the above noted prior route planning systems, the roadway data is stored hierarchically in several different layers of road data with, typically, one layer representing a detailed road layer in which all roadways are designated and another layer representing a higher layer containing just vehicle roadways having certain travel characteristics rather than all roadways. Thus a detailed roadway layer having every road and street of every type is provided, and then, for example, a higher layer of roads having information about just major roads and limited access expressways may be provided. Of course this can be extended such that an even higher layer of roadways can be stored having, for example, just limited access expressway roads. In such prior systems, typically route planning occurs by having origin and destination locations located on the most detailed layer. Then, a route is provided to an intersection of roadways that are defined on the next higher roadway layer. Then, route planning is implemented on the higher roadway layer. In this manner, more efficient route planning is achieved since the majority of the route planning will occur at the higher road layer which therefore will ignore data and potential road choices relating to roadways not designated in this higher layer. Several such prior multiple layer systems are known and have been described in various articles.
In previously known multiple layer road memory devices, and route planning systems which utilize such devices, each roadway in each layer is defined by road segments which make-up each roadway, and each road segment extends between intersections of that roadway with other roadways in the same layer. Route planing occurs by determining, at each intersection, what other road segments are connected to that intersection. Then, one of the these road segments is selected for use in the desired route. The route segment selection typically occurs in accordance with some predetermined criteria, and several systems are known which utilize various criteria for accomplishing this. In some systems, a route is determined by simultaneously searching from both the origin and the destination for a desired route. The search ends when a common road segment is found by this simultaneous double searching. An example of this type of searching is commonly known as the double ended A-star algorithm.
In known prior route planning systems which utilize multiple layer road data storage, the layers differ only in that some road segments found in the lower layer are not carried forward into the higher layer since the roadways defined by those segments are not to be provided or designated in the higher layer. For roadways which are defined in both the higher and lower layers, the road segments which define the roadway in the lower layer are reproduced substantially exactly in the higher layer. Thus some road segment data in the first layer is just duplicated in the second layer and no reformatting of this data is needed. However, one result of this is that a relatively large amount of memory is required for the higher layer because all of the small road segments for a roadway contained in the lower layer are carried forward into the higher layer if the roadway is also contained in the higher layer. A more significant disadvantage of the prior systems is that route planning still is relatively time consuming because decisions are made at the end of each and every road segment as to whether or not there are any additional road segments connected to these road segments and which of these additional road segments are to be selected. The route planning process generally always implements such steps even though there is only one road segment that is connected to the end of another road segment in the second layer. While the prior systems have an advantage in that the roadway data in the second layer is just a direct subset of the roadway data in the first layer, this is offset by the fact that the second layer requires a substantial amount of memory, and also by the fact that the time for route planning still is relatively lengthy, especially when route planning takes place over a substantial distance and therefore involves several hundred or several thousand individual road segments.

Multiple layer road memory storage device and route planning system


The invention is a method and apparatus for supplying both positive and negative gate drive power supply potentials to the top switch, in a typical half-bridge semiconductor power topology, from the bottom switch gate drive power supplies and without the use of transformer, capacitive or optical isolation. A known method of providing the positive top switch gate drive supply is enhanced and used in conjunction with a new and novel method for providing the negative top switch gate drive supply. The negative top switch gate drive supply is provided by an additional, lower power semiconductor switch, which is substantially synchronized with the bottom semiconductor switch, except for a slight turn-on delay. When this additional switch is gated “on” and conducting, the negative bottom switch gate drive power is connected to the negative top switch gate drive supply energy storage capacitors.

This invention pertains to power electronics, electrical power conversion and switch mode power supplies.
Semiconductor half-bridge power circuit topologies are the fundamental building blocks used in most high power converters. Two half-bridge circuits are used to configure a full-bridge topology and three half-bridge circuits are used to configure a three-phase bridge topology. The semiconductor switches used are typically insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) and field effect transistor (FET) devices.
When a semiconductor power switch is switched off, a mono-polar gate drive places the gate of the semiconductor device at the same voltage potential as the source for FET devices or the emitter for IGBT devices. A bipolar gate drive places the gate of the semiconductor device at a voltage potential that is negative with respect to the source or emitter.
Not all applications require bipolar drive voltages. However, at gate transitions, if the parasitic inductance from the gate driver circuit to the semiconductor die is large enough, the gate voltage will ring or oscillate at the characteristic frequency of the tank circuit created by this parasitic inductance. If the peak excursions of this ringing are greater than the turn-on threshold of that device, the semiconductor switch will oscillate on and off for a number of unintended high frequency cycles. This extra switching manifests in higher switching losses and higher levels of radio frequency emissions. When a bi-polar drive is used, the negative turn-off potential moves the peak excursion of the gate oscillation away from the device turn-on threshold by an amount equal to the negative gate drive voltage. If the negative gate potential is large enough with respect to the amount of parasitic inductance and the speed of the rise and fall times of the gate voltage, the peak excursion of the oscillation will not exceed the device turn-on threshold. Typically, high frequency, switch-mode applications employing a number of paralleled semiconductor dies or devices will require bipolar drives.
In a typical half-bridge topology using IGBT devices, the emitter of the bottom switch, the zero voltage reference point for the IGBT drive circuit, is connected to a stationary −DC bus with respect to earth ground. The voltage at bottom switch collector and the top switch emitter move between the +DC bus voltage and the −DC bus and at very high rates of voltage change with respect to time. In the prior art, bipolar power supply voltages for the non-stationary top switch were typically transformer isolated. In a typical prior art, three-phase DC to AC power converter, four transformer isolated power supplies were required; one for all three half-bridge bottom switch drives and one for each (three) top switch drives. This invention not only reduces the number of bipolar drive supplies required from four to one but also enables an integrated circuit, silicon-only solution for providing top switch bipolar drive supplies.
In this patent disclosure, a preferred embodiment for the invention will be disclosed. Therein, a known but enhanced method of providing the top switch positive gate drive power is disclosed as well as a new and novel method of providing the top switch negative gate drive power. The half-bridge topology, and regulation and control thereof, used to illustrate the use of the invention are known.
FIG. 1 illustrates one common, prior art method of providing positive and negative drive voltage potentials to the top or high-side semiconductor switch in a half-bridge topology. AC power source 71 is typically 120 volts, 60 Hertz. AC power source 71 may also be a high frequency AC source to reduce the size of transformer 72. Transformer 72 provides the electrical isolation to enable the secondary windings, common to the emitter of IGBT 20, to operate at a common mode voltage different from AC source 71. Rectifiers 73 and 74 steer current into capacitor 22 and rectifiers 75 and 76 steer current into capacitor 23 in a typical center-tapped bridge arrangement.
FIG. 2 illustrates another common, prior art method of providing positive and negative drive voltage potentials to the top or high-side semiconductor switch in a half-bridge topology. The positive voltage for driver 25 and subsequently for IGBT 20, is provided by a known "bootstrap" circuit arrangement. When IGBT 10 is conducting, current is sourced from power supply 12, flows through bootstrap diode 30, into capacitor 22 and returns through IGBT 10. DC to DC converter 77 converts a portion of the energy stored in capacitor 22 into the negative voltage used by driver 25. This negative charge, with respect to the emitter of IGBT 20, is stored in capacitor 23. The topology of DC to DC converter 77 can vary. Common arrangements include flyback converters, charge pumps and transformer isolated topologies.

Bipolar bootstrap top switch gate drive for half-bridge semiconductor power topologies


The present invention relates to automatic sentiment analysis by a computer arrangement and a computer implemented method. A message is presented to the computer arrangement which stores a set of patterns. Each pattern has a word and an associated part-of-speech tag. The message is compared against the patterns as stored in memory rendering a set of matching patterns. The set of matching patterns is then processed in accordance with a set of rules taking into account presence of patterns in the message that may add to a positive polarity and negative polarity, and patterns that may amplify, attenuate or flip such positive polarity or negative polarity.

We investigate automated sentiment analysis on multilingual data from social media. As social media more and more connect the entire world, there is an increasing importance to analyze multilingual data rather than unilingual data. The automated sentiment analysis we perform extracts opinions from the relatively short messages placed on social media in multiple languages.

Computer arrangement for and computer implemented method of detecting polarity in a message


A dual chamber syringe for dispensing a dry medicine that is to be reconstituted just prior to administration to a patient includes a syringe housing having an outer wall and proximal and distal end portions. A syringe bore extends between the proximal and distal end portions. The bore is divided during use into upper and lower chambers for containing medicinal contents that are to be first mixed and then dispensed. In the preferred embodiment, the chambers contain an upper liquid component and a lower dry component. A first lower piston occupies a position generally in between the upper and lower chambers. The first lower piston engages a plurality of ribs at an enlarged diameter bypass portal section of the syringe housing with multiple longitudinally extending channels after the user applies pressure to a second upper piston in the bore and above the upper chamber. Continued downward movement of the two pistons causes the two components to mix to be dispensed from the distal end of the syringe. The ribs have recess portions that form a dampening slot for engaging the periphery of the first lower piston as it travels distally. This enables the diluent fluid to completely mix with the dry drug product before the second, upper piston engages the lower piston to force it down during administration of the reconstituted product to the patient.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to syringes (manual, automatic and/or cartridge type), and more particularly to a double chambered syringe having a pair of pistons including an upper piston that is operable by the user and another piston that "floats" in between the upper piston and the distal, dispensing end of the syringe. Even more particularly, the present invention relates to a dual chamber syringe that has a pair of chambers positioned respectively in between the first and second pistons and in between the first "floating piston" and the distal, dispensing end of the syringe and wherein a plurality of longitudinally extending channels are provided at a middle portion of the syringe barrel so that when the first floating piston is positioned adjacent to the channels, liquid contained in the upper chamber can flow around the first piston and through the channels to the second chamber wherein a dry medicine is contained. A mixing of the liquid and dry medicine takes place in the second chamber. Continued downward movement of the two pistons dispenses the combined liquid and dry components (to an I.V. line, intermediary bottle, patient, etc.). The closure can be a closure cap, a Luer lock, or a needle/condom. For these dispensing and closure arrangements, a user simply inverts the syringe during dispensing.
2. General Background of the Invention
It is known that many drugs cannot be administered by the oral route because of gastrointestinal intolerance, irregularity in absorption, and metabolic breakdown in the gut wall and liver (first pass effects). In particular, first pass loss abolishes oral bioavailability of all polypeptide and protein medications [e.g. sermorelin acetate, follitropin beta growth hormone, insulin, glucagon, alteplase, erythropoietin, alglucerase (glucocerebrosidase-B-glucosidase), etc.]. This necessitates their administration through various parenteral routes, i.e., intravenous, intramuscular, subcutaneous, intrathecal, etc. Further, parenteral delivery of such drugs will expand with future mapping and functional understanding of the human genome. Pharmaceutical recombinant DNA synthesis of new peptide-protein moieties will concomitantly increase [e.g. megakaryocyte growth and development factor, tumor necrosis binding receptor, angiogenic growth factor, stem cell factor, neurotrophin-3, leptin, glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor, nerve growth factor, etc.], and make a cost-contained, safe, effective and simple to use delivery device essential for both patients and medical professionals.
Functionally, stability of an injectable drug may be defined as its capability to retain chemical, sterile, toxicological and therapeutic specifications within 90% of its original potency. By tradition, expiration dates denote the last day of a month and year a particular preparation retains such stability under recommended conditions. In case of a dry or lyophilized medication to be reconstituted prior to use, expiration dates are designated for both the dry and reconstituted product. When compared to drug solutions ready for injection, dry soluble medications ready to be reconstituted with solvent just prior to use are well known to have greater stability and longer expiration dates.
Time related deterioration in ready to use parenteral drug preparations include interactions between combined active, and between active and inactive ingredients. Aqueous solvents in particular, potentiated by heat and radiation, initiate or accelerate time dependent drug degradation through oxidation, reduction, hydrolysis, racemization, decarboxylation, photolysis, and, autooxidative free radical chain reactions.
Notwithstanding such chemical breakdown, buffers, antioxidants, preservatives and other stabilizers oftentimes cannot be used in formulations containing water because of their reactivity with the active ingredient(s) or, direct patient hypersensitivity. Moreover, water itself has a profound effect on hydrolysis and denaturation of drugs possessing ester or amide chemical bonds, e.g. tetracaine, physostigmine, anagrelide, growth hormone, benzylpenicillin, calcitonin, epoetin alfa, menotropins, placental gonadotropin, interferons, pituitary releasing hormones (gonadorelin, cosyntropin, etc.) and numerous others.
A cost effective, simple, self contained dual-chamber syringe which isolates dry-wet drug components and mixes them immediately prior to injection is highly desirable. Furthermore, such a device would eliminate extra standard syringes, medication and diluent containers required for mixing the individual drug constituents. The device would permit accurate drug reconstitution, reduce time required for drug preparation, eliminate waste and possible introduction of contaminants through human error.
Various types of two compartment injection syringes have been patented to address such concerns and are known. U.S. Pat. No. 5,395,326 describes a medication jell-liquid two compartment syringe fitted with side-by-side chambers for mixing and injecting via a dilating O-ring piston assembly; U.S. Pat. No. 4,983,164 utilizes a two chambered syringe barrel created by a non-movable, separating membrane which ruptures when displaced toward the plunger.
Other patents, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,413,991, 4,202,314 and 4,214,584 either possess dual chambers interconnected with side openings through an injection needle, or two driving systems for mixing and injecting, or have concentric dual chambers which upon manual rotation, untighten and permit mixing with subsequent standard injection.
Dual chamber syringes are known for administering medicinal preparations wherein it is desired to isolate a first medicinal preparation from a second medicinal preparation until it is time to administer the combination of the two preparations to a patient.
An example of a device for administering such first and second medicinal preparations is seen in the Smirnov et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,214,584. The Smirnov device is provided for administering medicinal preparations that includes an isolated capsule divided into a chamber for a first medicinal preparation and a chamber for a second medicinal preparation. Coaxially inside the isolated capsule and concentrically therewith is the piston which bounds the chamber for the first medicinal preparation. Made fast on the piston is an injection needle having a hole located at the base of the piston. Provision is made in the device for a mechanical actuator of the piston, which is a spring-opposed pushrod located inside the housing which also accommodates the retaining member for the spring-opposed pushrod. The chamber for the second medicinal preparation is arranged concentrically with the chamber for the first medicinal preparation so as to embrace the latter. The isolated capsule is mounted traversably inside the housing, while communication between both of the chambers is established upon a positive extension of the isolated capsule from the housing outwards.
Another Smirnov patent is U.S. Pat. No. 4,202,314 entitled "Device For Injection Of Medicinal Preparations". The device for injection of medicinal preparations, comprises a changeable isolated capsule, an injection needle, and a drive to move pistons, made in the form of a spring-loaded pusher located inside the housing which supports the changeable isolated capsule. The housing has a stopping member to arrest said spring-loaded pusher. Inside said isolated capsule, installed coaxially therewith and with each other are a main piston closed by a partition on the side facing the chamber holding the first medicinal preparation and an additional piston. The partition is movable. The injection needle is installed inside the isolated capsule, fixed on the additional piston, and it in use passes through said partition, and has an aperture in the zone of the partition on the side of the chamber holding the first medicinal preparation. The additional piston is located in the channel of the main piston and limits the chamber for the second medicinal preparation. The drive of the pistons has an additional spring-loaded pusher interacting with the additional piston and is located coaxially with the spring-loaded pusher. The housing of the drive of the pistons has an additional stopping member for the additional spring-loaded pusher.
The Kamstra U.S. Pat. No. 4,529,403, entitled "Automatic Injection Syringe", relates to a syringe for injecting two or more different injection liquids which may not be contact with each other for long periods of time. For that purpose, the ampoule between the piston and the needle connection includes one or more stoppers which keep the injection liquids separated from each other, while at a point a short distance before the needle connection a by-pass means is present through which the injection liquid or injection liquids present behind the stopper or stoppers can pass the stopper or stoppers during use of the syringe.
In the Hook U.S. Pat. No. 4,983,164, an automatic two-chamber injector for mixing and injecting a medicinal solution is disclosed. The injector comprises a barrel having a first end with a receiving portion for an injection needle, that portion being sealed prior to use, and a second end with a displaceable plunger. The barrel comprises two chambers separated by a migration proof membrane, the membrane being adapted to rupture when the plunger is displaced towards the first end of the barrel. The '164 patent also discloses a method for mixing and injecting a solution by means of an automatic two-chamber injector and to a cartridge for a two-chamber injector.
European Patent Application No. 0 072 057 relates to an automatic syringe for injecting two or more different injection liquids which may not be in contact with each other for longer periods of time. For that purpose the ampoule between piston and needle connection comprises one or more stoppers which keep the injection liquids separated from each other, while at a short distance before the needle connection a by-pass means is present past which the injection liquid or injection liquids present behind the stopper or stoppers can pass the stopper or stoppers during use of the syringe.
One of the problems with dual chamber syringes is that of achieving a complete mixture of the medicinal components while at the same time perfecting a complete and total dispensing of the combined medicinal portions into the patient after mixing has been completed.
The syringes disclosed in the above-discussed patents do not provide a plurality of ribs that define flow channels therebetween and dampening slots that hold the first, lower piston until the diluent has completely mixed with the dry drug.
Many of the above-discussed prior art patents are highly complex structures comprising multiple interlocking and telescoping portions, some requiring springs for operation. The present invention is an improvement over these prior art patents. Unlike prior art dual chamber syringes, the apparatus of the present invention has only two moving parts, each being a piston sliding within a single one piece syringe barrel. Yet the present invention effectively isolates first and second medicinal portions before use, perfects mixture immediately prior to administration, and contains the mixed medicinal components below a lower piston in the syringe barrel to ensure complete discharge of the mixed medicinal components during administration to the patient.


A connector comprises a housing and a plurality of contacts. Each of the contacts has one or more first sets and one or more second sets. The first set includes two first press-fit portions which protrude oppositely to each other in a first direction. The second set includes two second press-fit portions which protrude oppositely to each other in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The first press-fit portions and the second press-fit portions are press-fit in the housing.

This invention relates to a connector comprising a contact and a housing and, in particular, to a connector where the contact is press-fit in the housing.
For example, this type of connector is disclosed in the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 to 10 of JP-A 2010-272320 (Patent Document 1), the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
As shown in FIG. 12, Patent Document 1 discloses a first connector 910 (mating connector) and a second connector 920 (connector) having so-called floating structure. The second connector 920 comprises a stationary housing 922, a movable housing 924 and a plurality of contacts 926. The movable housing 924 is supported by the contacts 926 so as to be movable, relative to the stationary housing 922, in a plane perpendicular to a mating direction.
In general, in a connector with floating structure, when its movable housing is moved in an orthogonal plane perpendicular to a mating direction, various stresses directed in various directions on this orthogonal plane are applied to its contact. Accordingly, supporting position at which the contact supports the movable housing might be shifted. In even worse cases, the contact might come off the supporting position.
Even in a connector not having floating structure, a problem might be caused when stresses are similarly applied to its contact held by a housing. For example, when the aforementioned stresses are applied to the contact under a case where the connector is mounted on a circuit board and where an SMT portion of the contact is fixed to the circuit board by using solder, the stresses might make the contact be loosely held by the housing. As a result, the contact might be moved so that the solder, which fixes the SMT portion to the circuit board, might be cracked.

Japan Aviation Electronics Industry, Limited


A sensor system for detecting defects in a tubular string while positioned in the well includes a sensor tool (10) comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced sensors (40) arranged in two or more axially spaced rows. A plurality of sensors are positioned in each row, with each sensor positioned on one of a plurality of sensor support pads. Sensors within a row may include sensors with axes inclined at different angles, and each of the plurality of sensor pads may move from a radially retracted run-in position to a radially extended sensing position. A flexible line (50) may be used for lowering a sensor tool in the well and retrieving the sensor tool from the well.

Various techniques have been used for detecting defects in metal flowlines. "Pigs" have been pumped through pipe liner for decades to of detect corrosion or cracks in the pipeline. The method and operation of a detection tool is considerably different, however, for oilfield applications, wherein the tubulars are conventionally inspected after they have been disassembled from the tubular string. Oilfield tubulars descend in a generally vertical direction within a well, and various types of connections are used to couple oilfield tubulars, thereby creating various types of problems when a sensor passes by an interface. Pipeline sections are conventionally welded and "smart pigs" are pumped through pipelines of a considerable distance to detect defects.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,904,818 discloses a device for detecting defects in a riser with ultrasonic transducers. The unit is self-propelled, and a portion of the inspection unit is rotatable relative to the remainder of the unit. Sensor shoes are moved between a retracted and an extended position by pneumatic cylinders or by outwardly biased springs. The inspection unit travels to a selected location, stops, and takes a measurement, preferentially with the shoe, in direct contact with the well. The inspection unit is intended to take measurements only when the unit is at a fixed location in the pipeline.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,082,822 and 7,234,347 disclose an improved device compared to the '818 patent for inspecting a riser. The sensors are enclosed in a vessel, which is run in on a wireline. The housing provides the protection for the internal sensor components. An acoustic liquid is provided so that signals travel through metal components, through acoustic fluid, through a metal component, and in some cases through another acoustic fluid and another metal component, before the signals reach the target.
The disadvantages of the prior art are over come by the present invention, and a new non-destructive inspection technique is hereinafter disclosed for reliably protecting oilfield tubulars while the tubular remains in the well.

Method and apparatus for detecting defects in oilfield tubulars


A request for information (RFI) system is provided for use in communications networks including broadcast networks and the internet. In one implementation, a viewer of a cable television network enters an RFI input (1) to a digital set top box using a user remote. Based on this RFI input, the digital set top box transmits a data request (2) to an RFI data center. The RFI data center also receives asset data (3) from an asset database so as to associate the RFI input (1) with a particular asset. An RFI request (4) can then be transmitted to the appropriate asset provider. The asset provider can then provide a report such package of assets or follow-on information (5) back to the RFI data center. The RFI data center may then, in turn, provide the package of assets or follow-on information to a user data terminal, for example, of the cable television network viewer, via access through a web-portal or e-mail (6). The digital set top box may also record inputs from the user to verify consumption of assets and track data requests. Using this information, the RFI data center or an RFI platform may credit value to a rewards account established for the network user based on the user's verified consumption of assets and/or data requests. Further, the RFI data center or RFI platform may be used to collect consumer behavior information, including purchasing decisions made by the user after consumption of assets, and correlate the consumer behavior information with the user's verified asset consumption.

Assets such as advertising materials or items of programming content are provided in connection with various communications networks such as broadcast networks and data networks. In the advertising context, these assets include commercials inserted into commercial breaks of broadcast television or radio, product placement advertising embedded into pre-recorded or live programming, banner ads, pop-up ads and the like. These different types of assets have been used in different contexts and have different relative advantages that have been the subject of considerable attention by asset providers, network providers and other interested parties.
In the case of broadcast television, commercials broadcast during commercial breaks have long been a significant source of revenues. These commercials can be designed to use full motion video and audio content to create viewer impressions that have substantial impact. Moreover, large audiences can be reached with some degree of targeting based on the demographics of the audience of the associated programming. Indeed, television advertising has been integral to the marketing of some of the most valuable brands of our era.
Of course, though, there are limitations to the effectiveness of television advertising. For example, air time for such advertising is expensive, particularly in connection with programming having the largest audiences of the most desirable demographics. In part because of the high value of such advertising spots, advertisers are limited, as a practical matter, to brief time intervals to make the desired impression and convey sufficient information to advance potential sales opportunities. Moreover, because of the passive nature of the broadcast experience, viewers are generally not in a position to immediately consummate a transaction or even, in most cases, to record information for later use. The latter shortcoming has led to the art forms of jingles, mnemonics and the like to assist viewers in retaining important advertising information.
By contrast, advertising in data networks can take advantage of interactive functionality to improve ad effectiveness. For example, users can select links of interest, in some cases, to delve deeper into details of interest and obtain more customized content. However, such data network advertising is not effective in reaching some consumers. In addition, such advertising can be easily avoided or disregarded by some network users. Moreover, metrics for measuring the effectiveness of such advertising are still being developed, particularly in contexts where the ads do not lead to an immediate "click."
Accordingly there is a continuing effort to provide effective asset delivery to users of multiple networks in different use modes. Ideally, asset providers would like to utilize the comparative advantages of each network. It would also be useful to better understand how such assets lead to actual purchase decisions (in the case of commercial assets) so as to "close the loop" concerning analysis of asset effectiveness. In this regard, it would be useful to verify consumption of assets and to collect consumer behavior information for correlation with the verified consumption data to provide a better understanding of asset effectiveness.
Some efforts have been made to provide follow-on information in relation to network ads. For example, systems have been proposed where a specialized remote can attempt to track television ads of interest such that the remote can then be downloaded at a data terminal to access related information via the data network. However, this requires specialized equipment and may be inconvenient if the data terminal and television are not at the same locations. Systems have also been proposed where a specialized remote can bookmark the present date, time, and channel in response to a user input. Using this bookmarked information in combination with stored information relating to the fixed advertisement schedule, the system can provide a list of Internet web addresses that relate to ads of interest. The links can then be viewed either at the television or they may be viewed at a separate computer after the user has downloaded the addresses from the specialized remote to the computer or manually entered the addresses into the Internet browser. However, this requires specialized equipment and, if the viewer does not wish to view the follow-on information at the television itself, requires the viewer to initiate and undertake additional steps to access the follow-on information. In addition, the system does not account for and would not function within a targeted advertising environment in which different ads (by one or multiple asset providers) are delivered during a given ad spot.
In addition, it is believed that systems have been implemented, to some extent, that enable a user of a personal video recorder ("PVR") device to provide an input in relation to specified ads, for which additional information has been stored, and thereby access the stored information. However, this requires use of storage resources at the PVR and has limited functionality in relation to network data transfer.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Request for information related to broadcast network content


A device for branching a fluidic partial flow off a main flow by a hydraulic pump (10) includes individual main chambers (12, 14, 16, 18, 20) sealed from each other and divided into functional groups, and operates according to the displacement principle. The chambers enable fluid from at least one main flow inlet (22) to be transported from an inlet or suction side to an outlet or pressure side of the hydraulic pump (10) and then via at least one main flow outlet. At least one independent partial chamber (26) is provided for the transport of the partial flow in addition to the main chambers (12, 14, 16, 18, 20). The partial chamber forms part of the pressure side of the hydraulic pump (10) and is connected to an independent partial current outlet (42) separate from the main flow inlet (22) and the main flow outlet (24).

Hydraulic pumps (see, e.g., DE 21 14 202 C3) of this type are known in the prior art in a plurality of embodiments. Generally, hydraulic pumps are used to convert mechanical energy in the form of torque and rotational speed into hydraulic energy with a definable volumetric flow and fluid pressure. Hydraulic pumps that work according to the displacement principle have individual chambers sealed in the pump housing. In these chambers fluid is transported from the inlet side of the pump, comprising a suction port, to the outlet side in the form of the pressure port. Since no direct connection is between the suction port and the pressure port, pumps according to the displacement principle are suitable especially for high fluid system pressures.
Depending on whether vanes or pistons are used for implementation of the displacement principle, gear pumps and spiral pumps are distinguished from the vane pumps as dictated by design. Vane pumps are distinguished from the radial and axial piston pumps. All these pumps, regardless of whether the displacement volume is kept constant or variable, the displaced volume commonly and certainly always relates only to a fluid flow that is to be delivered and that is hereinafter referred to as the main flow.

Device for branching off a fluidic partial flow


A hybrid network 100 which combines a neural network of the self-organized type 110 with a plurality of neural networks of the supervised learning type 150,160,170 to successfully retrieve building address information from a database using imperfect textual retrieval keys. Generally, the self-organized type is a Kohonen Feature Map network, whereas each supervised learning type is a Back Propagation network. A user query 105 produces an activation response 111,112,113 from the self-organized network 110 and this response, along with a new query 151,161,171 derived from the original query 105, activates a selected one of the learning networks R.sub.1,R.sub.2,R.sub.M to retrieve the requested information.

Many large-scale software systems currently deployed incorporate a database subsystem which stores information such as: customer lists, including names, addresses, and phone numbers; an inventory of equipment; supply houses; lists of parts; or scheduling and routing information. One telephony database system, which is illustrative of an application of the present invention, is a mainframe system which provides on-line support for development, assignment, and maintenance of building location information. Specifically, the building locations are identified by universal codes which uniquely identify buildings that contain telecommunications equipment. Such codes are accessible by the local operating telephone companies, long distance telephone companies, and telecommunications equipment vendors. The building location database presently contains more than one million records for telecommunications building locations in 73,000 cities and for 175,000 buildings. More than 44,000 new buildings are entered into the database each year.
The codes can be entered by any company that has or will be installing telephone equipment in a given building. This leads to a potential problem of duplicate codes being entered into the database. Typically a database user is provided with the capability of checking if the address of a building is already in the database. However, if the address is not entered correctly or exactly as it appears in the database, it may not be found, and a duplicate code would then be created. Each duplicate location code then results in up to tens of thousands of incorrect subsidiary records being generated. Correcting these errors is a time-consuming and costly data purification effort. Oftentimes, the database is never fully corrected, thereby resulting in what is commonly referred to as a "noisy" database.
Conventionally, various computer algorithmic techniques have been employed in an attempt to check on the correctness of an entered building address. However, these techniques have been static in the sense that they have little ability to learn about or adapt to the underlying semantic structure or expressiveness of the database. Also, the algorithms are usually deterministic in the sense that formulae are developed, oftentimes heuristically, assuming that the database conforms to certain underlying parameters and characteristics.
Recently, neural networks have been applied to problem areas or situations related to noise-corrupted data, information retrieval, and data classification. For instance, neural networks have been used to construct many different types of classifiers in such diverse fields as speech recognition and image processing. However, the application of simple neural networks (neural networks of one type only), or even more complex neural networks (combinations of simple neural networks), to the retrieval of information from large databases using textual retrieval keys wherein either the retrieval key or the data in the database is "noisy" has generally proven to be ineffective. For instance, the application of these neural network structures to the problem of identifying and correcting for inadvertent errors in building addresses never achieved the required objective of building address retrieval accuracy of at least eighty percent (80%).


A sponge cleaning utensil has an inner core for holding a cleaning agent and encouraging the cleaning agent to be continually in contact with water drawn into the inner core preferably via a plurality of conduits which are preferably molded into the sponge material. The inner core is fabricated so as to be substantially larger than the solid cleaning agent therein allowing the cleaning agent free movement within the core. This allows water to freely surround the cleaning agent creating rich lather production and the lather to be easily removed to the surface. The conduits preferably have openings at a plurality of positions on the sponge exterior surface so as to provide even moisture and lather to all portions of the sponge exterior including the edges.

Various cleaning utensils for bathing have been developed for use in conjunction with bar soap or liquid personal washing cleansers. U.S. Pat. No. 3,114,928 to Spiteri and U.S. Pat. No. 4,457,643 to Caniglia, both entitled "Sponge for Containing Soap", describe sponge devices which use highly porous sponge material. However, this type of material does not have definite and consecutive open spaces leading to the center of the sponge so that water absorbed by the sponge is absorbed in layers tending to cause water to be trapped so that it cannot easily reach the soap. Another problem with devices such as these is the devices are constructed with the solid soap sandwiched between two flat sponges which tend to hold the soap too firmly in the center of the sponge. Thus, it is difficult for water to freely surround and mix with the soap to form lather, and also it is difficult for lather to be released. Although the prior art discloses employing cut or stamped holes, still the soap is not allowed to freely move about and be surrounded with water to encourage lather production, and the distribution of lather is limited. The holes are not well placed so that the edges of the sponge are not kept moistened, and the relatively large holes make water dissipate faster producing a poor concentration of lather. Another problem is that when the soap gets smaller it can become trapped in the inner edges of the device making the soap difficult to come into contact with water. Additionally, such devices tend to become weak from repeated use as the soap becomes smaller and the structure collapses. Other devices such as the one described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,738,294 to Duden et al., entitled "Solid Cleanser Holder," are constructed of materials that tend not to easily retain water and thus have poor lather production. When the cleaning agent gets smaller from repeated use the structure also becomes weak. Moreover, soap insertion is more difficult thereby demanding more effort by consumers.
There are also many well known cleaning utensils for other tasks such as dishwashing. These include various sponges and scrubber-sponge combinations. One problem associated with the conventional way of washing dishes using such devices is that the "set-up time" can be long. Consider what is required to simply wash a few dishes using a scrubber or sponge. First the utensil must be located, and then an appropriate container must be found and filled with water and then liquid dishwashing soap. Another problem associated with the regular way of washing dishes is that the cleaning utensil can contaminate the dishwashing water. Once the dishwashing water becomes dirty, it typically becomes "greasy" and loses its ability to effectively clean the remaining dishes. Assume that the dishwashing solution had an initial capacity to wash 30 plates. To accomplish this task of washing the 30 plates, the user would have to wash the cleaning utensil before sinking it into the dishwashing solution. However, in practice, this does not happen since it would require too much additional time to finish the job. Thus, the potential capacity is typically never realized. More liquid soap is used than is necessary thereby wasting resources. Yet another problem with the conventional way of washing dishes is that the user may forget that the dishwashing water from previous uses should be thrown out since it is contaminated. Or, the user may not be sure whether the dishwashing water is contaminated, so he or she may throw the dishwashing water away even though it could have been used to clean additional dishes safely.
Some cleaning utensils have hollow reservoirs for storing liquid soap. For example, some dishwashing utensils have a hollow handle for storing liquid dishwashing soap. The set-up is long and requires precision to pour the solid soap into the reservoir. Although these devices are convenient for washing plates and flatware, they are generally not suitable for reaching narrow areas such as those found in glassware. In general, they are difficult to manage. Because of their design, these utensils fail to afford the same flexibility of ordinary scrubbers and sponges.
Accordingly, it would be highly desirable for there to be a sponge cleaning utensil that overcomes the many deficiencies of the prior art and whose essential structure and principles of operation could be incorporated into a variety of different types of cleaning devices.

Sponge cleaning utensil with inner core for solid soap


A method and apparatus for preventing particles from dislodging from the interior of a process chamber by preventing DC bias spikes. Such DC bias spikes can be caused by variations in the power or pressure in a process chamber. DC bias spikes are prevented by ramping changes in the pressure at a rate which avoids the creation of such spikes. RF power is ramped down at a rate which avoids spikes.

The present invention relates to the fabrication of integrated circuits. More particularly, the invention provides a technique, including a method and apparatus, for preventing particle generation from interior surfaces of a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) treatment chamber. The present invention also may be applied to an apparatus for plasma-enhanced CVD (PECVD), plasma etching, physical vapor deposition (PVD), and the like.
In the manufacture of high density integrated circuits, commonly termed VLSI devices, contaminant particles are a major problem. In particular, contaminant particles attach themselves to unpassivated elements of integrated circuit devices during fabrication, where they can create short circuits or cause reliability problems. Therefore, the contaminant particles ultimately reduce the yield of good dies on a conventional semiconductor wafer. Even worse, as feature sizes decrease, the influence of contaminant particles in the fabrication of integrated circuits becomes greater.
Accordingly, semiconductor equipment vendors and users, alike, often rely upon elaborate and expensive techniques to control potential sources of contaminant particles. Such techniques include the use of ultra-clean rooms, super automated handling equipment, and sophisticated process controls during the fabrication of integrated circuits to reduce the potential sources of contaminant particles. However, such techniques can only be of limited success because substantial amounts of contaminant particles in integrated circuit fabrication are actually derived from reactant by-products created when semiconductor wafers undergo processing.
These reactant by-products often attach themselves to interior surfaces of a process chamber and form into a thick contaminant residue layer. Typically, the contaminant residue layer is derived from by-products of reactant gases and other by-products already attached to interior surfaces of the process chamber. Portions of the contaminant residue layer can flake off and deposit onto unpassivated surfaces of the integrated circuit, thereby damaging such integrated circuit by causing short circuits, broken connections, missing elements, and reliability problems.
In a conventional silicon dioxide deposition process, for example, the reactant gases used may be mixtures of organic silane or TetraEthylOrthoSilicate (TEOS) and ozone. These gases are introduced into the chamber to form a silicon dioxide layer on surfaces of a semiconductor water. As the silicon dioxide layer is formed, however, these gases also form particulate compositions. The particulate compositions form loosely attached contaminant residues on the interior surfaces of the process chamber. These interior surfaces of the chamber include a gas dispersion head, electrodes, walls, and any other exposed surfaces. The loosely attached contaminant residues often form into a thicker contaminant residue layer, which is likely to flake off and fall onto the integrated circuit.
To prevent portions of the contaminant residue layer from damaging the integrated circuit, a variety of cleaning techniques have been used. These cleaning techniques require separate process steps, which include machine shut-down and cleaning, after each deposition step. This is time consuming, expensive, and difficult to achieve. Of course, when the system is not operating, its throughput drops, rendering the manufacturing process all the more expensive.
An example of a conventional cleaning technique for a silicon dioxide deposition apparatus involves sequential steps of machine shut-down, dismantling portions of the process chamber, and hand wiping interior surfaces of the process chamber using appropriate materials, e.g. rinse water and clean wipes. The hand wiping step attempts to remove contaminant residues from the interior surfaces. Other conventional cleaning techniques sometimes used rely upon hand wiping the interior surfaces of the process chamber with a liquid chemical solution, such as a dilute hydrofluoric acid solution, or an organic solvent, in an attempt to dissolve and remove the contaminant residues. These conventional cleaning techniques also are applied to vacuum exhaust channels and pump systems because diminished vacuum or suffocation often occurs with accumulated residues or contaminant clogging. The conventional techniques are time consuming, and generally provide additional sources for even more contamination.
Plasma enhanced dry cleaning techniques have also been used to remove contaminant residues from interior surfaces of a deposition chamber. The dry cleaning techniques often take place during a separate process step, for example, by introducing cleaning gases into a process chamber, striking a plasma from the cleaning gases, and using the plasma to remove contaminant residues. Preferably, ionic species in the plasma combine with the contaminant residues to form volatile products which are removed from the process chamber. The dry cleaning techniques typically are used after every deposition run to be effective in keeping the interior surfaces of the process chamber substantially free from contaminant residues.
Another method for in-situ cleaning is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 5,427,621, assigned to Applied Materials, Inc. That patent recognizes that a quick change in a magnetic field will generate a DC bias voltage spike to dislodge particles from the interior surfaces of a processing chamber. The magnetic field traps electrons released in a plasma cloud in the magnetic field. A sudden change in the magnetic flux density allows electrons suddenly released and their associated ions to bombard the inside surfaces of the process chamber to dislodge any film or particulate contaminants coating the chamber walls.
A method for removing particle contaminants is set forth in another application in which one co-inventor of the present application is also a co-inventor, U.S. Ser. No. 07/899,539, filed Jun. 16, 1992, abandoned, and a CIP of that application filed Nov. 29, 1993, abandoned, U.S. Ser. No. 08/158,243, with an FWC filed Nov. 20, 1995, U.S. Ser. No. 08/559,855, issued Apr. 22, 1997 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,622,595. Those two applications discuss preventing particles formed during a plasma or dislodged during a plasma from depositing on a wafer at the end of the plasma process when the plasma is turned off. This is done by a plasma purge, in which reactants are turned off while maintaining a purge gas flow at a reduced pressure, but with a plasma maintained to keep particles suspended. The gas flow is then used to purge the suspended particles from the plasma before turning off the plasma.
Another method is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 5,456,796, issued Oct. 10, 1995, assigned to Applied Materials, Inc. One embodiment set forth in that patent provides for a gradual increase in RF power upon plasma initiation to avoid stirring up and circulating particles within the reaction chamber.

Method and apparatus for reducing particle generation by limiting DC bias spike


Apparatus and method of determining the surface condition of a workpiece, operate by measuring a roughness profile of the surface across a certain measuring distance, splitting up the roughness profile into wave frequencies and amplitudes associated with them, dividing the wave frequencies into wave frequency ranges, and determining the surface condition of the workpiece based on the amplitudes in the respective wave frequency ranges. The roughness profile may be understood as the superpositioning of harmonic oscillations having certain wavelengths and amplitudes. By subjecting them to a Fourier analysis, these harmonic oscillations are split up into their wave frequencies and associated amplitudes. Then wave frequency ranges are combined to form bands such that a high intensity in one of the bands each corresponds to a certain physical appearance of the surface. The invention thus provides an objective, calculable measure of the surface condition of a workpiece.

Objective criteria do not exist as yet for determining the quality, nature or, quite generally, the condition of a varnished or enameled workpiece surface, in other words a surface to which a lacquer or varnish coat has been applied. Such surfaces are simply examined visually by trained staff and then classified subjectively according to characteristics such as "orange peel skin", "cloudiness" or "unsteadiness". The characterization cannot be but inaccurate, as these "florid" terms themselves suggest.
The reason why this kind of surface examination is not reliable is due to the fact that it depends a lot on the personal impression and experience of the examining person. Such results can never be unambiguous because objective criteria are missing.
A device for measuring the "orange peel skin effect" or disturbance of the flow on surfaces is known from catalog 94/08 by Messrs. BYK-Gardner GmbH, of Geretsried, Germany and also from DE-A-41 27 215. The device simulates the visual observation of the surface. As with the eye, the wavy brightness pattern on the surface is scanned optically. A measuring instrument directs a light beam against the surface and measures the reflection. The resulting brightness profile is divided into long wave and short wave components, this long wave and short wave characterization serving as an indirect measure of analyzing the surface. The catalog is silent on the further processing of the measurement signals. It is a disadvantage of the method described that the measurement is performed by way of the reflection of light so that it is applicable only with reflecting surfaces. Surfaces having mat finishes cannot be characterized.
DE-A-41 30 068 describes an optical reflection measuring device which detects the intensity of light reflected from a surface and calculates the local frequency spectrum of the reflected intensities. A comparison of the local frequency spectrum, or meaningful parts thereof, with a theoretical or desired value is made in order to verify the surface roughness of a workpiece. The method described in this prior publication is not suitable for determining the physical appearance of a surface in respect of the effects specified above.

Method of and an apparatus for determining the surface condition of a workpiece


This disclosure relates to a system and method for creating nano-object arrays. A nano-object array can be created by exposing troughs in a corrugated surface to nano-objects and depositing the nano-objects within or orienting the nano-objects with the troughs.

Prior art thin-wire arrays are used in a large number of devices, and have been found particularly suited for use in small or densely structured computer devices, such as sensors, memory devices, and logic chips.
To address this need for thin-wire arrays, thin-wire arrays have been created using photolithography. As computer devices get smaller and smaller, however, the wires of these arrays need to be thinner and more closely spaced. Photolithography has so far not proven to be an adequate method to create very thin and closely spaced arrays of wires.
To address this need for thinner arrays of wires, two ways of creating them have been used. One of these prior-art ways uses an etched superlattice as a mold for imprint lithography. The other uses an etched superlattice and physical vapor deposition to fabricate nanowire arrays.
Prior-art etched-superlattice imprint lithography is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,407,443. This example of imprint lithography is typically associated inconveniently with subsequent lift-off processing and may ultimately have limited process capability. It also uses a nano-imprinting step, which has so far not been consistently and successfully used in a production atmosphere.
Prior-art physical vapor deposition uses an atomic beam to directly deposit material on a surface of an etched superlattice. This deposited material is then physically transferred to a substrate. This method, however, may produce oddly shaped wires, which can create various structural and usage difficulties. Prior-art physical vapor deposition also can require processing in an Ultra-High Vacuum ("UHV"), which can be costly to use and would restrict the usage of materials that are incompatible with UHV processing.
There is, therefore, a need for a technique for manufacturing arrays of thinner wires that is reliable, less expensive, more reproducible, and more production-friendly than permitted by present-day techniques.
The same numbers are used throughout the disclosure and figures to reference like components and features.

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


An air flow system for a horticulture application is configured to facilitate simplified, reconfigurable air flow. Via use of adaptable and reconfigurable inlet ports, outlet ports, and a number and/or configuration of ventilation socks, the air flow system may be customizable to each respective application and/or produce increased plant density and/or health in horticultural applications.

In order to obtain optimum growth, plants release water vapor into the air to be evaporated, allowing them to absorb the water found in the growing media. Moving the air and creating a current encourages this transpiration process. Additionally, plants require carbon dioxide (CO2) to breathe and engage in photosynthesis. Poor airflow may result in a deficiency in CO2, as well as other environmental issues affecting the plant canopy, so the plant cannot properly transpire and metabolize. Accordingly, improved air flow systems and methods, including for horticulture applications, remain desirable.

Air flow systems and methods for horticulture racks


Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to a failure recovery apparatus of digital logic circuit and method thereof when a fault occurs in the digital logic circuit. A failure recovery apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a fault detection block configured to determine fault occurrence by comparing output results of a plurality of digital logic circuit which perform the same operation using a clock having a first cycle; and a failure recovery block configured to perform a failure recovery operation of the plurality of digital logic circuit by using a clock having a second cycle which is longer than the first cycle when it is determined as that a fault occurs. According to exemplary embodiments of the present invention, when a fault occurs in digital logic circuits due to external factors, it provides high reliability in failure recovery of the digital logic circuits.

1. Technical Field
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to a failure recovery apparatus of digital logic circuit and method thereof when a fault occurs in the digital logic circuit.
2. Description of the Related Art
A CPU core means hardware or intellectual property (IP) which reads instructions stored in a storage such as a memory or a hard disk and executes an algorithm for a particular application, such as that executing a certain arithmetic operation to an operand according to operations encoded to the instructions and storing again the executed result.
Application range of the CPU core is extensive throughout the entire fields of system semiconductor. For example, application areas of the CPU core (processor core) have been extended from a high performance media data processing area for high performance multimedia data such as video/audio data compression and un-compression, audio data transformation and sound effects and a minimum performance microcontroller platform area such as modem for wire/wireless communication, voice codec algorithm, network data processing, touch screen, controller for home appliances, motor control and the like to device areas to which stable power supply or power supply from outside is impossible.
The CPU core is basically composed with a core, a translation lookaside buffer (TLB) and a cache. Operations to be performed by the CPU core are regulated with combination of a plurality of instructions. Instructions are stored in a memory and are inputted sequentially to the CPU core so that the CPU core can perform a particular operation every clock cycle. The TLB converts a virtual address to a physical address to perform operation system-based applications and the cache temporally stores the instructions, which are stored in an external memory, in an internal chip to increase speed of the CPU core.
In response to the development in driver assistance systems with a high level of intelligence and precision such as advanced drive assistance systems (ADAS) to the automate vehicle systems, importance of electronic systems has been increasing. Particularly, it is expected that applications using a CPU core having high performance of higher than 50 MHz-100 MHz, preferably 500 MHz or higher, may be significantly increased as a device to recognize external environments of a vehicle instead of a driver. Such applications may include motion detection of smart blackbox, pedestrian recognition during vehicle operation, driving assistance through driver's driving pattern or drowsiness recognition and lane detection. Thus, it must be able to analyze big data in real time using a CPU core having high performance to directly or indirectly involve in vehicle operation by recognizing external environments and analyzing the recognized video information, sound information and sensor information. Particularly, in case of lane detection-based driving assistance, the recognized result may have direct influence on a steering system and the like during vehicle operation. Vibrating a handle or restricting handle rotation angle or the like may be used to notify lane detection result to a driver as a method for providing direct influence to the steering system.
Reliability of the CPU core, which is a function to detect whether the CPU core operates normally or not, becomes more important for applications which recognize external environment data of a vehicle and have direct influence to the steering system of the vehicle. When any fault is caused in a semiconductor due to at least one factor of voltage, current and temperature, etc. under the condition that the recognized result directly affects the steering system of the vehicle, it may threat a driver's life. When such results of the CPU core affect the steering system, stability to ensure that the CPU core operates as it is intended may be very important.

Failure recovery apparatus of digital logic circuit and method thereof

ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH INSTITUTE


A mounting structure for an integrated circuit device comprises a first substrate, a second substrate and an insulator. The first substrate contains conductive wiring electrically connected to the integrated circuit device. The first substrate is mounted on the second substrate which have a ground pattern. The insulator is provided between the conductive wiring and the ground pattern.

The present invention relates to a mounting structure for an integrated circuit device and its mounting method, and more particularly, to a mounting structure for an integrated circuit device using a film carrier and its mounting method.
An example of conventional mounting structures for integrated circuit devices is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. Hei 2-185051.
Referring to FIG. 5, in the conventional mounting structure such one as disclosed in the above reference, conductive wiring 500 comprises an inner lead 501 and an outer lead 502. The inner lead 501 is connected to an electrode pad of an IC chip. The outer lead 502 is connected to a connection pad provided on the substrate. The inner and outer leads 501 and 502 are electrically connected through the conductive wiring 500 on a film carrier 300 (hereinafter referred to as Reference 1).
In addition, TAB tape having two metal wiring layers is described in Shin Kayama and Kunihiko Naruse, "Practical Lecture: VLSI Packaging Technology (Vol. 2)", 1993, Nikkei BP, p.174 (hereinafter referred to as Reference 2).
In the Reference 1, the inner and outer leads are electrically connected through first wiring on a carrier film. Noise appears in signals transmitting through the first wiring on the carrier film since the first wiring is easily affected by noise generated by signals transmitting through second wiring on the substrate. This is because only the carrier film lies between the first and second wiring without having a ground layer. In addition, there is also a problem that characteristic impedance of the second wiring on the substrate cannot be matched with impedance from the inner lead to the outer lead.
On the other hand, it is contemplated to arrange one of two metal wiring layers as a ground layer by using the TAB tape described in the Reference 2. However, the complicated manufacturing method of TAB tape leads to another problem that the lead time for manufacturing becomes longer.

Mounting structure for an integrated circuit


The present disclosure relates to tape dispensers that provide an easy to use locking mechanism for loading and unloading a roll of tape thereon. The dispenser includes a generally U-shaped frame with a pair of flexible sidewall arm portions that extend rearwardly in a generally side-by-side spaced apart relation. The dispenser includes inwardly facing opposed first and second hub portions that have a roll surface, a bottom surface, and an abutment surface, wherein the roll surface is configured to support the roll thereon. The frame also includes a pair of interlocking tabs disposed on the bottom surfaces hub portions. The tabs include a locking means for securing the hub portions together wherein the abutment surfaces of the first and second hubs are in direct contact.

The present disclosure relates to a dispensing device for tape rolls. It finds particular application in conjunction with hand-held tape dispensers from which tape may be dispensed and severed from tape remaining on the roll in the dispenser, and will be described with particular reference thereto. However, it is to be appreciated that the present exemplary embodiments are also amenable to other like applications.
Dispensers for pressure-sensitive tapes usually comprise an integral molded plastic frame of U-shape and include a planar tape guide wall and a tape severing portion. A pair of flexible tape roll support arms extend in spaced, generally parallel relation from opposite sides of the severing portion. The support arms can be formed with opposed C-shaped hub portions at a location spaced from and more or less centered on an axis in the plane of the guide wall portion. The hub portions are inwardly facing and axially aligned for rotatably supporting a roll of tape thereon.
While such tape dispensers perform satisfactorily to dispense tape wound on cores having a comparatively small size central opening such as 1½ inches, dispensers sized to dispense tape wound on considerably larger diameter cores, e.g., cores having a 3 inch diameter central opening, have been found to be unstable when used to dispense or cut tape, particularly where the tape is of a type difficult to cut such as heavy-duty packaging tape with increased mil thickness.
Some difficulty in cutting the tape is attributed to the end user squeezing the dispenser during use, which causes the tape roll to brake and become more difficult to dispense the tape. Thus, it is desirable to provide an improved tape dispenser to protect the tape roll from braking, where the tape roll will still function when squeezed. Some devices solve this problem by including a thick interior rib structure to resist the squeezing. However, this requires additional material, stiffens the device, and adds visual features (ribs) that may not be visually appealing to customers or limit the placement of markings on the dispenser for advertising.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,961,525 and 5,071,051 (the disclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference) teach a releasable locking means for firmly joining the hub portions together to rigidify the dispenser. This design, however, includes a locking means that is covered when a roll of tape is placed on the dispenser, potentially making it difficult for removing of the tape roll.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,627,560 (the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference) teaches a tape dispenser for three inch cores. In one embodiment, the dispenser device includes a rib insertable into a slot defined by walls to lock the hub portions together. This design suffers from drawbacks in that the dispenser must be twisted to attach and detach the rib from the slot. This motion is difficult for some users and can cause damage of the dispenser. Furthermore, the mechanism of the U.S. Pat. No. 4,627,560 patent for locking the dispenser is hidden under the roll. Thus, users may experience increased difficulty in detaching a tape due to the fact the user cannot see the locking mechanism nor appreciate a tactile feel.
The disclosure provides certain improvements.


The present invention relates to an image forming method wherein the surface of an electrophotographic photoreceptor contains a compound having an unsaturated double bond, a toner for electrostatic latent image development has a binder resin obtained by polymerizing a polymerizable monomer having a vinyl double bond, has at least one kind of metal oxide particles and/or metal nitride particles on the surface of the toner and has a shape factor SF1 of 110 to 140, and the storage of elastic modulus at 160° C. (G′(160)) of the toner for electrostatic latent image development is in a predetermined range.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming method wherein an electrostatic latent image formed by electrophotography, electrostatic recording etc. is visualized through the steps of development, transfer and fixation to give a suitable image.
2. Description of the Related Art
A method of visualizing image information via an electrostatic latent image, such as an electrophotographic method etc., is used in various fields. In the electrophotographic method, an electrostatic latent image on an electrophotographic photoreceptor (electrostatic latent image bearing body, also referred to hereinafter as "photoreceptor") after a charging step, a light exposure step etc. is developed with a toner for electrostatic latent image development (also referred to hereinafter as "toner") and visualized through a transfer step, a fixing step etc.
A process of producing a toner by an emulsion-polymerization aggregation process in which the shape and surface structure of the toner are intentionally regulated has been proposed as a countermeasure to the broad distribution of particle sizes, irregular shapes, and insufficient durability of performance in a process of producing a toner by a kneading-pulverizing process (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) Nos. 63-282752 and 6-250439).
The emulsion-polymerization aggregation process generally means a process wherein a resin dispersion is prepared by emulsion polymerization, while a colorant dispersion having a colorant dispersed in a solvent is prepared, and the resin dispersion is mixed with the colorant dispersion, to form aggregated particles having particle sizes corresponding to the toner particle size, and then the aggregated particles are coalesced and united by heating to form a toner, and there is proposed a means of realizing more accurate regulation of a particle structure by arbitrarily regulating the internal structure of the toner from an inner layer to a surface layer (see, for example, Japanese Patent No. 3141783).
By the methods easily realizing a smaller diameter of toner and accurate regulation of a particle structure, image qualities in an electron photograph are significantly improved, and simultaneously higher reliability can also be achieved.
As digitalization and coloring advance in recent years, an image forming method by electrophotography using the toner and developing agent technology described above is now applied in some fields of printing, and coming to be practically used in the graphic arts market, for example, in on-demand-printing. The graphic arts market is defined as a market whose targets are business and divisions involved in producing printings, including tracing, copying, and reproduction, which is a business relating to production of prints employing a large-scale production system, of a small number of created printings such as wood-cut prints, of original writings and paintings.
However, when compared with the original and orthodox conventional printing, the electrophotographic methods satisfies the feature of on-demand-printing as non-planographic printing, but there remain various problems to be solved for improving the market value as producer goods of products particularly in the field of graphic arts from the viewpoint of performance in respect of color regeneration, resolution, image qualities, typically gloss, feel of the material, uniform qualities in the same image, and duration of image qualities in continuous printing for a long time.
For example, the resolution tends to be limited not only by an image processing system, a photoreceptor, and a system for light exposure, but also by the particle diameter and distribution of toners, but it is a serious technical problem to use small-diameter toners effectively and reliably in the steps of charging, development, transfer, fixation and cleaning.
To solve these problems, it is necessary to develop a carrier for uniformly charging the small-diameter toner, design of a charging blade and a charging roll, a development system for achieving higher image density without background stain, a transfer system for realizing accurate transfer at high efficiency, a fixing system for various kinds of paper compatible with the small-diameter toner, and a cleaning system for removing the small-diameter toner completely from the surface of a photoreceptor or an intermediate transfer material (transfer material) to realize stable image qualities.
For improving uniformity of a single image and for solving defects, it is important to regulate uniformity of the development performance of a developing agent in an image forming system. A highly durable developing agent with less dependence on environments such as temperature and humidity, which shows stable charging in continuous printing of several thousands copies of uniform images and keeps stable and uniform development, is necessary for meeting the demand for maintainance of image qualities in the market of printing.
As an electrophotographic photoreceptor for the development system, on the other hand, a photoreceptor using an easily producible, organic photoconductive material as a photosensitive layer is proposed and practically used. The photoconductive material is classified roughly into positive hole transporting one and charge transporting one, and as the organic photoconductive material, the positive hole transporting material can easily achieve higher performance, and thus a negatively charged laminated photoreceptor using an positive hole transporting material in a charge transporting layer laminated on the surface of a charge generating layer is widely used.
In the charge transporting layer, polycyclic aromatic compounds such as anthracene and pyrene, nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds such as carbazole and imidazole, hydrazone derivatives, stilbene derivatives, triphenyl amine derivatives, tetraphenyl benzidine derivatives etc. are used as the charge transporting materials, and as the materials, compounds having a large number of aliphatic double bonds in addition to aromatic rings are generally used to improve charge transportation. However, such aliphatic double bonds are easily oxidized, and in particular, the surface of the photoreceptor is very liable to oxidized with strongly oxidizing ozone, nitrogen oxides etc. upon corona discharge etc., resulting in a change in potential, sensitivity etc. to deteriorate the performance of the photoreceptor.
One the other hand, there are reported electrophotographic photoreceptors to which antioxidants, stabilizers etc., for example a compound having a triazine ring and a hindered phenol skeleton, trialkyl amine, an aromatic amine compound, an amine compound, an amide compound, and hindered amine or hindered amide compound are added to prevent oxidization and deterioration of the surfaces of the photoreceptors (see, for example, JP-A Nos. 62-105151, 63-4238, 63-216055, 3-172852 and 10-282696).
However, the toner used in visualization in the development step of visualizing the above electrostatic latent image is blended usually with external additives, for example inorganic metal oxides such as silica and titania for the purpose of improving and regulating powdery flowability, charging etc. or with similar inorganic metal oxides as internal additives for the purpose of improving fixation, or with magnetic powders such as ferrite especially in the case where the toner is a magnetic toner, so that these metal oxides collide with and adhere to the photoreceptor at the time of development thereby shaving the surface layer of the photoreceptor. Further, the toner, inorganic metal oxides etc. remaining on the surface of the photoreceptor in the cleaning step are pushed by a blush or a blade against the surface of the photoreceptor, thereby further shaving the surface layer of the photoreceptor. The surface layer of the photoreceptor undergoes gradual oxidation and abrasion repeatedly, resulting in a deterioration in the performance of the photoreceptor. This tendency is significant particularly in the filed of graphic arts where the amount of the toner used at one time is high.
Improvement in the abrasion resistance of the charge transporting layer on the surface of the photoreceptor is attempted by usually incorporating not only the charge transporting material but also a binder resin such as polycarbonate resin, polyacrylate resin and polyester resin, and by further providing the surface of the charge transporting layer with a surface protective layer of e.g. a polysiloxane compound having relatively high hardness (see, for example, JP-A Nos. 2001-154390, 2002-62777 and 2002-221886). However, inorganic metal oxides used as external additives on the toner surface are usually fine particles of 20 nm or less having higher hardness than the binder resin and the surface protective layer, so that durability can be improved to a certain degree but is not fundmentally improved at present.
Further, there is a method wherein the adhesion property of external additives to the toner is controlled to regulate the amount of the free external additives for the purpose of improving the durability of the photoreceptor, or the adhesion strength of external additives to the surface of the toner is increased to a certain degree to prevent the external additives from becoming spent (see, for example, JP-A Nos. 9-179467 and 2002-62683). However, this method leads to a reduction in the original effect of the external additives of improving the flowability of the toner, thus causing problems such as blocking of the toner in a development device.
As the transfer system, an electrostatic transfer system is generally used in electrophotography at present, but in the case of a color image using a toner image thickened by overlapping colors, optimization for precisely regulating the behavior of the toner in an electric field is necessary in the toner material and in the transfer system in order to prevent image deterioration due to the toner scattered during transfer. As the transfer system, there are a system of directly transferring a toner image on a photosensitive drum onto a recording material such as paper and a system of transferring an image via an intermediate transfer material (transfer material).
Generally, the intermediate transfer material comprises a circulating endless belt, a part of which contacts with a photosensitive drum and another part of which contacts with a transfer member etc. in an image forming device. In transfer via the intermediate transfer material, a toner image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum is transferred at a primary transfer position onto the intermediate transfer material, and the toner image transferred onto the surface of the intermediate transfer material is then delivered by a circulating belt onto a secondary transfer position and transferred at the secondary transfer position onto a recording material such as paper.
The material of the endless belt used as the intermediate transfer material includes, for example polycarbonate resin, polyvinylidene fluoride resin, polyalkylene phthalate resin and an electroconductive material mixed with resin, and as the material excellent in mechanical characteristics, thermosetting polyimide materials are proposed (see, for example, JP-A No. 63-311263).
However, the surface of these resins is generally low in strength and liable to be abraded or scarred. In particular, fine particles of metal oxides such as silica, titania etc. are added as external additives to the surface of the toner, and by transfer of the toner from the photoreceptor at the time of primary transfer to the intermediate transfer material, the surface of the intermediate transfer material is scratched by the external additives. Even if scratches generated in each transfer may be very small, the scratches are enlarged by repeated transfer, resulting in problems such as uneven transfer, streaks and insufficient image density at the time of transfer. Since the amount of a toner consumed particularly in the field of graphic arts is large and the amount of the toner transferred in each transfer is also large, the surface of the intermediate transfer material is liable to be further abraded and scratched.
On the other hand, a toner obtained by the conventional kneading-pulverizing process wherein thermoplastic resin together with a pigment, a charging regulator, a releasing agent etc. is melted, kneaded, cooled, finely pulverized and classified, has an indefinite shape and an indefinite surface structure, and depending on the ability of the used materials to be pulverized and conditions of the pulverizing step, the shape and surface structure of the toner are slightly changed, thereby making intentional regulation of the shape and surface structure difficult. Further, the toner obtained in the kneading-pulverizing process is one having a storage of elastic modulus, which will be described below, at 160° C. (G′(160)) of 700 Pa or higher.
Accordingly, there is demand for an image forming method free of defects in images with excellent durability of a photoreceptor to solve the problems described above.


A thermoplastic polyamide comprising a copolyamide and a modified copolyolefin. The copolyamide is the reaction product of a hexamethylene diamine, which may be substituted with one or more alkyl groups, and a his (4-aminocyclohexyl) alkane which is substituted adjacent to the amino groups, and a dicarboxylic acid.. Molded bodies made therefrom have high rigidity, excellent impact resistance over a broad temperature range, low water uptake, high dimensional stability, low permeability to oxygen, and high shape retention on heating. They are particularly suitable for injection molding and extrusion, especially for the preparation of thin walled or large surface area shapes.

U.S. No. 2,696,482 describes an amorphous polyamide derived from bis(4-aminocyclohexyl)methane and isophthalic acid, which is unsuitable for processing in, for example, injection molding because its viscosity is too high.
German 1,795,464 discloses a process for the preparation of amorphous copolyamides from combinations of alkyl-substituted hexamethylenediamines, isophthalic acid and terephthalic acid. These products also have viscosities so high that they are difficult to work.
U.S. No. 3,597,400 describes an amorphous copolyamide derived from bis (4-aminocyclohexyl)methane, hexamethylenediamines, isophthalic acid and terephthalic acid, in which the compositions having high proportions of bis(4-aminocyclohexyl)methane clearly exhibit high melt viscosities and therefore lend themselves poorly to processing, e.g. by injection molding; however, even at low diamine concentrations, viscosities are still sufficiently high that the preparation of large molded parts is difficult.
According to U.S. No. 4,369,305, viscosities below 30,000 poise at 280.degree. C. and a shear value of 10.sup.5 dyn/cm.sup.2 are obtained if a copolyamide composition contains particular proportions of iso- and terephthalic acids, very low proportions of bis(4-aminocyclohexyl)methane in a particular mixture of isomers; viz. at least 59% by weight trans/trans or cis/trans isomers.
U.S. No. 4,536,541 describes an amorphous copolyamide which also includes a small amount of bis(4-aminocyclohexyl)methane isomers and is modified for impact-resistance with a particular ethylene/propylene/diene copolymer (EPDM) activated with succinic acid.
It is known that, if impact-resistant modifiers of this type are worked into polyamides, they considerably increase the melt viscosity (U.S. No. 4,174,538 and German 1,242,606), so that the processing of such polyamides is again made more difficult. By contrast, a reduction of the amount of bis(4-aminocyclohexyl)methane in the amorphous copolyamide has the effect of reducing the retention of form on heating and deteriorates certain mechanical properties; e.g. viscosity and strength.
British 998,439 describes the introduction of modified polyolefins and polyacrylates into linear partially crystalline polyamides to modify impact-resistance. Impact resistance modification using particular reactive copolyolefins is described in detail in German DE-A-2,722,270 for the polyamides PA 6 and PA 66. However, partially-crystalline polyamides have a very low melt viscosity, the increase in viscosity due to the modification causes no problem in processing thermoplastic compositions of this type.
U.S. No. 4,339,555 describes the modification of conventional homopolyamides with particular copolyolefins which contain, in addition, urea derivatives for the improvement of the melt and forming processes.
British 2,170,209 discloses a transparent copolyamide derived from a dicarboxylic acid such as isophthalic acid and a diamine component comprising bis(4-amino-3,5-diethylcyclohexyl)methane as Well as other polyamide-forming components. British Patent Application 86 29928 discloses a similar product, but one in which the principal diamine is bis(4-amino-3-ethyl-5-methylcyclohexyl) methane.


An apparatus for establishing the electrical connection between a stationary body and a rotating body having flanges formed in the lower end portions of the inner portion and the outer portion of a carrier; and an annular and stepped restriction portion, the center of which is the center of rotation of the rotating body, and which is formed in either or both of the lower portions of the inner and outer portions of a cable accommodation chamber, wherein the flanges are accommodated and engaged to the lower portion of the restriction portion.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for use in, for example, a steering apparatus for an automobile and capable of establishing electrical connection between a stationary body and a rotating body by a flexible flat cable.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hitherto, apparatuses for establishing the electrical connection between a stationary body and a rotating body such that electric parts mounted on an automobile and a portion for operating the electric parts provided for a steering wheel, as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-19291 or Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-26185, include a structure arranged such that an internal cable-accommodation chamber formed into an annular shape by a rotating body and a stationary body accommodates a flexible flat cable in a state where the flexible flat cable is wound in an inverted manner such that an inside portion and an outside portion of the flexible flat cable are wound in the opposite directions with respect to an intermediate position of the cable length. Moreover, an annular carrier, a portion of which is divided by a cable guide groove, is disposed between the inside portion and the outside portion of the flexible flat cable so as to be capable of moving in the circumferential direction of the apparatus. The intermediate portion of the flexible flat cable is allowed to pass through the cable guide groove of the carrier. When the rotating body is rotated, the carrier handles the flexible flat cable so that the flexible flat cable is passed between inside portion or the outside portion. Thus, the inside and outside portions of the flexible flat cable are wound and rewound with respect to the inside and outside portions of the cable accommodation chamber while preventing unraveling. Moreover, vertical movement of the carrier and collision of the same to the upper and lower walls of the cable accommodation chamber occurring when the automobile is vibrated vertically is prevented to avoid generation of noise.
However, the apparatus for establishing the electrical connection disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-19291 has a complicated structure in that the carrier comprises upper and lower support portions and an elastic member disposed to span the inner and outer portions of the upper and lower support portions. Thus, the cost of the apparatus cannot be reduced.
Also the apparatus for establishing the electrical connection disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-26185 has a complicated structure in that an annular recess is formed in the top surface of the cable accommodation chamber and the top end portion of the carrier is rotatively received in the annular recess. Thus, cost reduction cannot be attained.

Apparatus for establishing electrical connection between stationary body and rotating body