An apparatus is provided for quantizing data obtained by transforming image data to a frequency zone so as to encode it. The speed at which such an apparatus performs processing is increased. Data is quantized on the basis of a plurality of coefficients C.sub.1 for controlling a quantizing step. As a result of the quantization, reference encoding data items Nb1 to Nb4 are obtained. Coefficients C.sub.5 to C.sub.7 for controlling the quantizing step are generated when image data which is delayed by one frame is quantized. At this time, the data items Nb1 to Nb 4 are output by bit-shifting the result of the quantization.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for encoding an image. More particularly, it pertains to an apparatus and method for quantizing conversion data obtained by transforming image information to a frequency space so as to encode such data.
2. Related Background Art
An Adaptive Discrete Cosine Transformation (ADCT) encoding system used as a method for encoding color image signals has gained attention in recent years. A Joint Photographic Expert Group (JPEG), which was founded as an international organization for standardizing such an encoding system, will soon adapt the ADCT encoding system as an official encoding system.
The outline of such an encoding system will be described briefly.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the approximate structure of a conventional encoding system utilizing DCT. FIGS. 4A to 4D are views illustrating the encoding system shown in FIG. 3. Numeral 2 denotes an input terminal of a digital image signal to be encode. A raster scanned digital image signal is input from a CCD sensor (not shown) to the input terminal 2, and then to an 8.times.8 block formation circuit 4, where it is two dimensionally divided into 8.times.8 pixel blocks, and then transmitted pixel block by pixel block to components connected to the formation circuit 4.
Numeral 6 denotes a DCT converting circuit for changing the image signal transmitted from the block formation circuit 4 into discrete cosine transformation so as to output 8.times.8 data matrices regarding a frequency zone. In other words, the DCT converting circuit 6 converts pixel blocks forming image data items D.sub.11 to D.sub.88 shown in FIG. 4A into data matrices forming DCT coefficients X.sub.11 to X.sub.88 shown in FIG. 4B.
Data matrix coefficient X.sub.11 represents a DC component in horizontal and vertical directions of the pixel block, that is, the average value of the pixel block. When the DCT coefficients X.sub.11 to X.sub.88 are expressed as Xij, the greater the "i" increases, the higher the frequency a component has in the vertical direction; similarly, the greater the "j" increases, the higher the frequency the component has in the horizontal direction.
The data matrices output from the DCT converting circuit 6 are input to a linear quantization circuit 8. A quantization matrix generation circuit 18 generates quantization matrices W.sub.11 to W.sub.88 (shown in FIG. 4C) which show the weight of a step of quantizing the DCT coefficients X.sub.11 to X.sub.88. A coefficient generation circuit 16 generates coefficients C. The quantization matrices W.sub.11 to W.sub.88 and the coefficients C are input to a multiplier 20. The multiplier 20 calculates an equation (Wij.times.C/C.sub.0). A quantizing step performed by the linear quantization circuit 8 is determined in accordance with the outputs Q.sub.11 to Q.sub.88 of the multiplier 20. The coefficients C are positive values which control image quality and the amount of data generated, whereas C.sub.0 is a constant.
The linear quantization circuit 8 actually calculates an equation X.sub.ij /Q.sub.ij, and outputs it. The outputs of the linear quantization circuit 8 are expressed as quantized conversion data items G.sub.11 to G.sub.88. The quantized data items G.sub.11 to G.sub.88 are successively transmitted starting from DC components from a zigzag scan circuit 10. In other words, the data items G.sub.11 to G.sub.88 are supplied from the zigzag circuit 10 to a Variable Length Coding (VLC) circuit 12 in the order of G.sub.11, G.sub.12, G.sub.21, G.sub.31, G.sub.22, G.sub.13, G.sub.14, G.sub.23, G.sub.32, G.sub.41 ... G.sub.85, G.sub.86, G.sub.77, G.sub.68, G.sub.78 and G.sub.88.
As regards, for example, a DC component G.sub.11, the VLC circuit 12 calculates a predicted value between pixel blocks located near the DC component G.sub.11, and changes a difference between the predicted value and an actual value into a Huffman code. As regards AC components G.sub.12 to G.sub.88, since most of the coefficients appear to be zeros, group ID numbers, which identify groups into which significant coefficients except zero are divided according to the values of the significant coefficients, and values combined with the number of zeros preceded by the significant coefficients (run length of zeros) are formed into Huffman codes by the VLC circuit 12. Data indicating values in the groups, into which the significant coefficients are divided, is additionally coded.
In general, since the ratio at which high-frequency components occur in the diagonal direction of an image is low, it is predicted that, after zigzag scanning has been performed, in many cases all components become zero which occupy the latter half of the outputs represented by Gij and transmitted from the line quantization circuit 8. It is therefore expected that variable length codes thus obtained can be compressed at a very high ratio. If a compression ratio between 1 out of 2 and 1 out of 9 is employed, it is possible to reproduce an image having hardly deteriorated quality.
Generally, the amount of data transmitted through a transmission route per unit time is fixed. When one screen must be transmitted at each predetermined time interval, as when an image is transmitted, it is desirable that an output code be represented by a bit number fixed by an image or pixel block unit.
If a high value is given to the coefficients C mentioned previously, the ratio at which Gij assumes zero increases and the total number of bits of encoded data NB decreases. The relationship between the coefficients C and the total number of bits NB varies according to images, and is expressed by a monotonically decreasing function. It is known that such a relationship regarding an average image is expressed by the logarithmic curve shown in FIG. 4D.
The above-mentioned JPEG presents a method of predicting a coefficient C.sub.0 for obtaining the desired total number of bits NB0. A coefficient C.sub.1 is first encoded, and then the total number of bits nb1 of a thus-obtained code is determined. A predicted value C.sub.2 of the coefficient C.sub.0 is calculated on the basis of the total number of bits nb1. Such calculation can be predicted because the logarithmic curve shown in FIG. 4D runs through a point (C.sub.1, nb1).
By repeating the above operation several times, the amount of data encoded can be obtained within approximately several % errors with respect to the desired total number of bits NB0.
However, the process of repeatedly encoding data so as to determine the coefficients C is a very time-consuming process, and is not suitable for an encoding apparatus which is required to transmit one screen at predetermined time intervals, such as moving images. Such a process is extremely difficult to perform in terms of calculation speed, particularly when image signals of a very high bit rate, such as high definition television signals, are handled.


A circuit substrate comprises a glass substrate 16, through-holes 18 formed through the glass substrate 16 and via electrodes 20 buried in the through-holes 18. An opening width of the through-holes 18 is minimum inside the glass substrate and is increased toward both surfaces of the glass substrate 16. Accordingly, the detachment of the via electrodes 20 can be prevented without increasing the surface roughness of the inside walls of the through holes, and stresses generated in the core substrate can be mitigated.

The present invention relates to a circuit substrate and a method for fabricating the circuit substrate which are adaptable to higher density and higher speed.
Recently, semiconductor parts used in computers, etc. are rapidly made increasingly adaptable to higher density and higher speed. Circuit substrates as well are accordingly required to be adaptable to the higher density and the higher speed.
One example of the conventional circuit substrates will be explained with reference to FIGS. 9A and 9B. FIG. 9A is a sectional view of the mounted conventional circuit substrate, which shows the structure of the circuit substrate. FIG. 9B is a perspective view of the circuit substrate, which shows the structure of the circuit substrate.
As shown in FIG. 9A, the circuit substrate 100 is mounted on a printed circuit board 106. The circuit substrate 100 and the printed circuit board 106 are electrically connected to each other via solder balls 104a, etc. Decoupling capacitors 108 are formed on the upper surface of the circuit substrate 100. An LSI substrate 110 is mounted on the circuit substrate 100 mounted on the printed circuit board 106. The circuit substrate 100 and the LSI substrate 110 are electrically connected to each other via solder balls 104b, etc.
As shown in FIG. 9B, through-holes 114 are formed in the circuit substrate 100 at a certain pitch. Via electrodes 116 of a metal are buried in the through-holes 114. Usually, passive elements, active elements, etc., such as decoupling capacitors, etc., are formed on the circuit substrate 100 mounted on the printed circuit board 106. In FIG. 9B, these elements, etc. are omitted.
Prescribed wiring of the LSI substrate 110 and prescribed wiring of the printed circuit board 106 are electrically connected via the via electrodes 116, electrode pads 102a, 102b and solder balls 104a, 104b.
In the above-described conventional circuit substrate, when the adhesion between the via electrodes of the buried metal and the inside walls of the through-holes is insufficient, the via electrodes often come off. In order to increase the adhesion between the via electrodes and the inside walls of the through-holes, the surface roughness of the inside walls of the through-holes are increased, whereby the detachment of the via electrodes are prevented.
However, when a base material of the circuit substrate is a conducting substrate, such as a silicon substrate or others, the rough inside walls of the through-holes tends to cause leak current. That is, when a conducting substrate is used, an insulation film is formed on the inside walls of the through-holes to ensure the insulation between the via electrodes and the substrate. In this case, when the surface roughness of the inside walls of the through-holes is increased, electric fields are concentrated on the insulation film and the dielectric breakdown is occurred. Resultantly, leak current more tends to be caused.
As a result of increasing the surface roughness of the inside walls of the through-holes, processing strains are present in the inside walls of the through-holes, etc. Resultantly, cracks tend to take place in the circuit substrate.
Furthermore, a metal, etc. whose thermal expansion coefficients are different from that of the substrate is buried in the through-holes, which causes stresses in the substrate. These stresses are a cause for damaging the circuit substrate. However, it is difficult for the conventional circuit substrate to mitigate the stresses caused therein.

Circuit substrate and method for fabricating the same


A method (and structure) senses a rotational vibration of a disk drive. The disk drive includes a rotating disk. The disk includes a plurality of reference bits across a surface thereof. The method (and structure) includes detecting the reference bits across a pattern on the rotating disk, and analyzing a time interval between adjacent ones of the reference bits.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a disk drive, and more particularly to a method and system for detecting rotational vibration without using an external sensor, and more particularly by measuring the time shift of the magnetic transitions (e.g., time variations or jitters, or bit variations or jitters) due to vibration alone.
2. Description of the Related Art
As track density continues to grow, vibration induced track following error component becomes highly critical to the operation of a disk drive. The effective data rate throughput is degraded in the presence of rotational vibration. At high TPI (tracks per inch), the in-plane rotational vibration (theta coordinate) of a disk drive, directly impacts the TMR (track misregistration) component. A solution to this vibration challenge can be developed along several disciplines, ranging from novel mount systems to sophisticated sensors and servo algorithms.
A computer system may include one or more disk drives where each drive contributes to the total vibration environment. In addition, a computer system itself may be subjected to external seismic excitations. Head positioning accuracy in a disk drive is prone to both self-generated vibration and to vibration generated by a neighboring disk drive or other peripherals attached to the same mounting structure.
The present generation of 1.0″, 2.5″ and 3.5″ hard disk drives (HDDs) are designed to operate in portable and desk-top/server environments respectively. To reduce cost and weight of a computer system, manufacturers tend to fabricate the hard disk drive (HDD) mounting frame utilizing thin structural members. Therefore, a computer frame is a compliant object which makes it susceptible to vibration.
Such a mounting configuration makes a disk drive vulnerable to vibration excited by internal and external sources. An HDD with a rotary actuator system is highly sensitive to in-plane rotational vibration (RV) of its base plate.
As known, a head positioning servo system in an HDD performs three critical tasks. First, it moves the head to the vicinity of a target in a minimum time using a velocity servo under a seek mode. Next, it positions the head on the target track with a minimum settle-out time using a position controller without an integrating term in it. Finally, the servo system enters the track follow mode with a proportional-integral-derivative type (PID) position controller.
During the seek mode, maximum rotational acceleration torque followed by a deceleration torque is imparted by a voice coil motor (VCM)-based actuator. The corresponding reaction torque on the base-plate causes transient rotational vibration that can be detrimental to the positioning accuracy of the read/write heads.
However, the presence of random vibration impacts the track following precision, and to a lesser degree the settle-out performance. This problem has been recognized by the present inventors and the present inventors hereinbelow address the problem of random vibration as it critically affects the track following precision of an HDD actuator system.
Present 3.5″ disk drives have reached 40 kTPI, and in the future it is expected to grow beyond 50 kTPI. A major obstacle to raising the track density is inadequate head positioning accuracy in the presence of vibration disturbances. Due to exponential growth in TPI, positioning the read/write elements over a track has become a major challenge. Conventional servo control system requires continuous innovations to perform well under increasingly difficult operating conditions.
The mechanical components such as spindle motor assemblies are not perfectly mass-balanced, and during operation they produce harmonic vibration. Harmonic vibration produces both a linear and a rotational oscillatory motion of the entire HDD system. When not compensated, a track following error of 15% of the track pitch can be detrimental to a disk drive's "soft" and "hard" error rate performance. The positioning error due to this internally produced periodic vibration can be solved using a servo method proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,608,586, incorporated herein by reference.
By using special shock and vibration isolation mount design, the rotational oscillatory components due to internal spindle forcing can be minimized as taught by U.S. Pat. No. 5,400,196, incorporated herein by reference. However, a mount design optimized to decouple internal spindle vibration as covered by the U.S. Pat. No. 5,400,196, remains susceptible to external input vibration.
By deploying the isolation mounts along a polygon satisfying a particular set of criteria defined by Japan Patent No. 2,565,637, the external vibration inputs generating rotational vibration on an HDD can be minimized.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,122,139, incorporated herein by reference, a method to neutralize the reaction by generating a counter torque using a secondary actuator is disclosed. An HDD with a novel sensing and control solution could provide an enhancement to the problem of random vibration.
By deploying dual PZT sensors 101, 102, as shown in FIG. 1, and a signal conditioning algorithm, a conventional system 100 (e.g., see A. Jinzenji et al. "Acceleration feedforward control against rotational disturbance in hard disk drives," APMRC—Nov. 6-8, 2000, TA6-01-TA6-02) demonstrates a feedforward solution to random vibration. PZT sensors 101, 102 by themselves do not produce high quality output without additional innovation. FIG. 1 also illustrates a feedforward compensator 103, a conventional servo 104, a base plate 105, a head 106, a disk 107, and an actuator 108 for the head 106.
As shown in FIGS. 2A-2C, U.S. Pat. No. 5,721,457, incorporated herein by reference, shows a dual PZT configuration 201, 202 in a disk drive where the mass and inertia of the disk drive is exploited as the seismic body to measure angular and linear acceleration with substantial sensitivity.
That is, FIG. 2(a) illustrates a head disk assembly 200, FIG. 2(b) illustrates in greater detail the piezoelectric strain sensor 201, 202 for measuring acceleration, and FIG. 2(c) illustrates the head disk assembly 200 on a userframe 204 undergoing shock and vibration, with the dual PZTs 201, 202 providing an angular and linear acceleration inputs to a component 205, thereby resulting in a write inhibit signal being issued.
Another challenge in the use of PZTs is that they are sensitive to strain along multiple axes, and therefore they respond to vibration inputs in addition to the theta-dynamics.
To produce high fidelity signals in the range of 100-1000 Hz, the size of a PZT configuration must be large and such a design is not compatible with the electrical card height and manufacturing requirements in a disk drive.
On the other hand, reducing the PZT volume produces poor signal quality, and more particularly the signal drift in the low frequency range (˜100 Hz) is not easily stabilized. Signal stability and noise are key problems in employing a compact PZT configuration. Sudden drift in PZT signal can cause undesirable write-abort condition.
Use of dual PZTs further complicates the problem of matching the individual PZT gain and thermal sensitivity. With novel mechanical structures, the sensitivity of a PZT can be enhanced along the desired direction and minimized along the remaining directions. However, this requirement makes the sensor cost prohibitive for a disk drive application.
As an alternative approach using a capacitive sensing micromechanical device, C. Hernden, "Vibration cancellation using rotational accelerometer feed forward in HDDs," Data Storage, November, 2000, pp. 22-28, attempts to produce a quality theta-acceleration sensor. Sensor size, bandwidth and cost are considered to be a limitation of a micro-electromechanical structures (MEMS) sensor.
Thus, prior to the present invention, there have been no optimized methods or structures for reducing the rotational vibration of the disk drive, in the plane of the rotary actuator which causes higher steady-state tracking error due to the finite bandwidth and gain of the servo position controller.
That is, the conventional techniques of using sensors such as dual piezoelectric (PZT) or electromotive force generator (EMF) to allow the servo position controller to compensate for this type of disturbance, have not been adequate or optimized. Indeed, such techniques have required an external sensor to detect the rotational vibration, thereby making the HDD costly and complex, and there has been no scalability with the expected future increase in tracks per inch (TPI) and bits per inch (BPI).

Method and system for time-shift based rotational vibration sensing in disk drives

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.


Disclosed is a ball grid array (BGA) package substrate, in which a wire bonding pad and a solder ball pad are formed on a via hole, making high freedom in design of a circuit pattern and a high density circuit pattern possible, and a method of fabricating the same.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to a ball grid array (BGA) package substrate and a method of fabricating the same and, more particularly, to a BGA package substrate, in which a wire bonding pad and a solder ball pad are formed on a via hole, making high freedom in design of a circuit pattern and a high density circuit pattern possible, and a method of fabricating the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recently, technologies with respect to a BGA package substrate have rapidly been developed so as to realize light, compact and high density microcircuit patterns in accordance with the trend toward miniaturization, high integration, and multi-functionalization of electronic goods. Particularly, the light and compact microcircuit patterns are frequently needed in CSP (chip-sized package) goods in which a semiconductor device is mounted on the BGA package substrate.
Furthermore, it is required that mobile phones, to which the CSP goods are most frequently applied, have multiple functions, in other words, it is required to continuously add novel functions to existing functions of the mobile phones. Thus, the number of signal lines of the semiconductor device is rapidly growing. With respect to this, in order to mount the semiconductor device having a large number of signal lines, it is required to increase freedom in design of the BGA package substrate.
FIGS. 1a to 1g are sectional views illustrating the fabrication of a conventional BGA package substrate, FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a conventional BGA package substrate on which a semiconductor device is mounted, and FIG. 3 illustrates a conventional inferior BGA package substrate.
As shown in FIG. 1a, after a copper clad laminate 11, in which copper foil layers 13, 13′ are formed on both sides of an insulating resin layer 12, is prepared, internal layer circuit patterns are formed on the copper foil layers 13, 13′ of the copper clad laminate 11. Subsequently, prepregs 14, 14′ and copper foils 15, 15′ are layered on both sides of the copper clad laminate 11 on which the internal layer circuit patterns have already been formed.
As shown in FIG. 1b, blind via holes (a), which connect the copper foil layers 13, 13′ to the copper foils 15, 15′ therethrough, are formed using a laser to achieve circuit connections between the copper foil layers 13, 13′ and the copper foils 15, 15′, and a through hole (b) is formed using a mechanical drill to connect the upper and lower copper foils 15, 15′ to each other therethrough.
As shown in FIG. 1c, copper plating layers 16, 16′ are formed on the upper and lower copper foils 15, 15′, walls of the blind via holes (a), and a wall of the through hole (b) to electrically connect the blind via holes (a) to the through hole (b).
As shown in FIG. 1d, external layer circuit patterns are formed on the upper and lower copper foils 15, 15′ and the copper plating layers 16, 16′ using a photolithography process.
As shown in FIG. 1e, solder resists 17, 17′ are applied on upper and lower sides of the resulting substrate, on which the external layer circuit patterns are formed, and then subjected to a pseudo-drying process.
As shown in FIG. 1f, openings (c) are formed through the upper solder resist 17 using a photolithography process so as to correspond to wire bonding pads, and openings (d) are formed through the lower solder resist 17′ so as to correspond to solder ball pads.
As shown in FIG. 1g, gold plating layers 18 are formed on the wire bonding pads that correspond in position to the openings (c) of the upper solder resist 17, and gold plating layers 18′ are formed on the wire bonding pads that correspond in position to the openings (d) of the lower solder resist 17′, thereby creating the conventional BGA package substrate 10.
As shown in FIG. 2, a semiconductor device 20 is attached to the conventional BGA package substrate 10 using an adhesive 30, wire bonds 40 are formed between the wire bonding pads and the semiconductor device 20, and solder balls 50 are formed on the solder ball pads.
The fabrication of the conventional BGA package substrate 10 as described above is disclosed in Korean Patent Registration Nos. 190,622, 328,251, and 340,430.
In the conventional BGA package substrate 10, surfaces of the wire bonding pads must be even in order to form the wire bonds 40 that are connected between the semiconductor device and the wire bonding pads to connect the semiconductor to signal lines. Therefore, the wire bonding pads and the blind via holes for transmitting signals, which flow through the wire bonding pads, to circuit layers therethrough must be formed at different positions.
If the wire bonding pads are formed on the blind via holes, since exposed portions of the blind via holes are uneven in the conventional BGA package substrate 10, it is difficult to form the wire bonds 40 due to uneven surfaces of the wire bonding pads.
Therefore, the wire bonding pads and the blind via holes must be formed at different positions in the conventional BGA package substrate 10, thus large areas are wasted on the external layer circuit patterns of BGA package substrates 10 as they tend to have high density.
Additionally, in the conventional BGA package substrate 10, the solder ball pads and the blind via holes for transmitting signals, which flow through the solder ball pads, to circuit layers therethrough must be formed at different positions so as to form the solder balls 50 that are to be connected to a mother board.
If the solder ball pads are formed on the blind via holes, since it is difficult to completely remove the solder resist 17′ from walls and bottoms of the blind via holes in the conventional BGA package substrate 10, adhesion strength between the exposed solder resist 17′ and the solder balls 50 is poor, and thus, undesirably, the solder balls 50 are easily separated from the solder resist 17′.
Accordingly, the solder ball pads and the blind via holes must be formed at different positions in the conventional BGA package substrate 10, thus large areas are wasted on the external layer circuit patterns of BGA package substrates 10 as they tend to have high density.
To avoid the above disadvantages, a plan, in which a fill plating process is conducted to fill the blind via holes (a) in the course of forming the copper plating layers 16, 16′ in FIG. 1c, is suggested.
However, the fill plating process is problematic in that since the blind via holes (a) are filled with costly chemicals, the fabrication cost of the BGA package substrate 10 increases.
In addition, the fill plating process is problematic in that voids or dimples are easily formed when sizes of the blind via holes (a) are reduced.
Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3, the conventional BGA package substrate 10 is problematic in that voids (e) are formed in portions of the solder resists 17, 17′ corresponding in position to the blind via holes (a) because the solder resists 17, 17′ having high viscosity do not completely fill the blind via holes (a) when high density microcircuit patterns are required. Internal pressure of the BGA package substrate 10 increases with an increase in a temperature of the substrate during operation of the semiconductor device 20, thus the voids (e) act as a cause for the occurrence of burst of the voids (e), cracks, and interruptions in circuit patterns.

BGA package substrate and method of fabricating same


A texture processing for imparting a magnetic orientation in the circumferential direction is applied to a substrate so as to impart a magnetic anisotropy to the magnetic disk in the circumferential direction. An underlying film, a magnetic recording film, a protective film, and a lubricating film are laminated one upon the other on the surface of the substrate. The surface of the magnetic disk has a value of the contact ratio [BH 1.0 nm] falling within a range of 7% to 15% in a region having a height not smaller than 1.0 nm, based on the height at which the contact ratio in the bearing curve of a surface roughness is 50%.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetic disk capable of achieving a high density magnetic recording and to a magnetic disk apparatus having the magnetic disk mounted thereto, particularly, to a magnetic disk capable of reading-writing with the fly height of the magnetic head set at a level not higher than 10.0 nm and to a magnetic disk apparatus equipped with the particular magnetic disk.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a magnetic disk apparatus comprises a magnetic disk arranged within a case, a spindle motor for supporting and rotating the magnetic disk, and a head suspension assembly (hereinafter referred to as HSA) including a magnetic head for reading-writing information in and from the magnetic disk.
The HSA includes a slider having a magnetic head formed thereon, a suspension supporting the slider, and an arm supporting the suspension. The HSA is rotatably supported by a bearing assembly. The magnetic head can be moved to an optional position on the magnetic disk by allowing the HSA to be rotated by a voice coil motor.
In order to suppress the change in the slider behavior when the magnetic disk is unintentionally brought into contact with the magnetic disk in the magnetic disk apparatus, it is necessary to increase the roughness of the magnetic disk surface to some extent so as to reduce the adhesion force of the slider relative to the magnetic disk. In the conventional magnetic disk apparatus, the fly height of the magnetic head is not smaller than 10.0 nm. Therefore, even in the case of using a magnetic disk in which the height of the asperity on the surface of the disk (i.e., the asperity height) is not smaller than 4.0 nm, it is possible to ensure the fly height margin of the magnetic head, i.e., the minimum distance between the magnetic head and the magnetic disk, so as to make it possible to maintain the fly height stability of the magnetic head.
However, the recording density of the magnetic disk has been increased to reach 70 GB/inch2 in recent years so as to make it necessary to set the fly height of the magnetic head to a level not higher than 10.0 nm. Under the particular situation, the fly height margin of the magnetic head is eliminated if the asperity height of the magnetic disk surface is not smaller than 4.0 nm. As a result, the thermal asperity is generated, or the reliability is lowered. Incidentally, thermal asperity noted above denotes the phenomenon that the output of the MR (magnetoresistance sensor) in the magnetic head is changed by the heat that is generated when the magnetic head collides against the asperity.
In order to improve the SN ratio included in the electromagnetic characteristics, it is attempted in recent years to apply a texture processing to the substrate of the magnetic disk so as to impart a magnetic anisotropy to the magnetic disk. To be more specific, the easy axis of magnetization of a Co alloy layer constituting the magnetic recording layer is oriented in the circumferential direction by the texture processing, with the result that the residual magnetization and the squareness ratio in the circumferential direction are rendered high relative to those in the radial direction of the magnetic disk. Since the read output is improved substantially in proportion to the residual magnetization, the thickness of the magnetic layer can be decreased so as to improve the magnetization transition width, the capability of suppressing the noise and the overwrite characteristics. It should be noted that the texture medium (anisotropic medium) having the texture processing applied thereto exhibits an improvement in the resolution, the full width at half-maximum, and the SN ratio and, thus, is allowed to have a big merit as a recording medium having a high recording density. Such being the situation, the practical use of the texture medium constitutes an effective means for achieving a high density recording.
However, the asperities on the disk surface are also removed by the texture processing, with the result that the surface roughness of the magnetic disk tends to be rendered very low. It follows that the absorption properties of the magnetic head relative to the magnetic disk are increased. Such being the situation, in order to obtain a texture medium having a high reliability, it is necessary to control severely the surface roughness of the disk so as to optimize the surface roughness.
An average roughness Ra, which is defined in Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS B 0601) is widely used as an index of the surface roughness. In the average roughness Ra noted above, the depth or height of the asperity or valley on the surface of the magnetic disk from the center line of the surface height is integrated and averaged. However, the friction force that is generated when the magnetic head is brought into contact with the magnetic disk is much related to the contact area occupied by the asperity of the magnetic disk and is less related to the valley. Such being the situation, the average roughness Ra is insufficient for use as an index of the surface roughness denoting the relevancy to the fly height stability of the magnetic head.
Difference Rp between the center line of the height of the asperity on the surface of the recording and the maximum height of the asperity on the surface of the magnetic disk is also known as another index. However, the difference Rp noted above does not denote the average height of the asperity. It follows that, even if the index Rp is large, it is possible for the surface having a low average roughness such as a texture medium to fail to lower the friction force in the stage of the contact between the magnetic head and the asperity on the surface of the magnetic disk unless the high asperity are included in a large area on the surface of the recording medium. It follows that the relevancy of the index Rp to the fly height stability is low.
In recent years, the difference ΔBH[0.01, 50] between the height BH[0.01%] at which the contact ratio in the bearing curve is 0.01% and the height BH[50%] at which the contact ratio in the bearing curve is 50%, i.e., ΔBH[0.01, 50]=|BH[0.01%]−BH[50%]|, is used as an index of the surface roughness, as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Disclosure (Kokai) No. 2001-160214. Proposed in this prior art is a magnetic disk having the difference ΔBH[0.01, 50] set to fall within a range of between 0.3 nm and 6.0 nm.
Proposed in Japanese Patent Disclosure
No. 2001-143246 is a substrate for an information recording medium in which the height of the surface roughness at 0.4% of the contact ratio falls within a range of between 2.0 nm and 7.0 nm under the condition that the case where the contact ratio of the surface roughness is 50% is used as the standard height.
However, where these technologies are applied to the texture medium, the index of the roughness noted above is insufficient so as to make it difficult to achieve both a high recording density and a high reliability.
To be more specific, in the magnetic disk noted above, the roughness is defined with the height at 50% of the area ratio of the bearing curve used as a standard. However, the roughness is defined with attentions paid to the height of a small number of asperities having the contact area ratio of 0.01% or 0.4%, particularly, to the high asperities having a height not smaller than 5.0 nm. In the texture medium, however, the maximum height of the asperity is not larger than 3.0 nm. It is considered reasonable to understand that the asperities on the surface of the magnetic head are pushed into the head slider by several nanometers when the head slider is brought into contact with the surface of the magnetic disk. Therefore, the factor substantially determining the adhesion properties between the slider and the surface of the magnetic disk is the contact area at the time when the asperities are pushed into the slider in a height of up to about 1.0 nm. It follows that it is insignificant to argue the high asperities having a height not smaller than 5.0 nm and, thus, the index of the roughness noted above is insufficient in respect of the texture medium.
The magnetic disk disclosed in Japanese Patent Disclosure No. 2001-160214 noted above covers the case where the asperity has a height of 4.0 to 6.0 nm. However, in order to realize a desired fly height of the magnetic disk, which is not larger than 10.0 nm, and a desired recording density, which is not lower than 70 GB/inch2, it is difficult for the asperity height noted above to achieve both a high recording density and a high reliability.
In the magnetic disk disclosed in Japanese Patent Disclosure No. 2001-143246 noted above, the surface roughness that is important in realizing the recording with a very low fly height of the magnetic head is not substantially defined.

Magnetic disk with specified contact ratio [BH 1.0 nm] and circumferential texturing and magnetic disk apparatus equipped with magnetic disk


A second phase rotation unit rotates a signal equalized by an equalizer by a phase error detected by a second phase error detection unit. A decision unit partitions a phase plane into a plurality of sub-areas in accordance with phases to which CCK modulated signals are assigned. The decision unit identifies a sub-area corresponding to an output signal from the second phase rotation unit, and thereby converts the output signal from the second phase rotation unit into a value corresponding to the identified sub-area. An FWT transform unit subjects the value resulting from conversion in the decision unit to FWT computation so as to output a Walsh transform value FWT. A maximum value searching unit receives 64 Walsh transform values FWT and selects one Walsh transform value by referring to the magnitude thereof.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technology of signal receiving and, more particularly to a method and apparatus for receiving a spread spectrum signal.
2. Description of the Related Art
Wireless local area network (LAN) that complies with the IEEE 802.11b standard is practiced as a spread spectrum communications system using a radio frequency of 2.4 GHz band. The IEEE 802.11b wireless LAN enables a maximum transmission rate of 11 Mbps using complementary code keying (CCK). The Radio Law prescribes the bandwidth of wireless LAN to be 26 MHz. Therefore, the maximum chip rate in a direct sequence scheme is also 26 Mcps. Assuming that the chip rate of 26 Mcps is band-limited by an ideal Nyquist filter, the sampling frequency required of a D/A converter is 40 MHz. Also, strict band limitation after the D/A conversion is necessary. Therefore, band limitation using a Nyquist filter is not practical. Instead of using a Nyquist filter for band limitation, analog filtering subsequent to the D/A conversion is used for band limitation, resulting in a maximum chip rate of 11 Mbps. In a receiver adapted for CCK modulation, a plurality of waveform patterns for a transmitted signal are generally prepared. A signal having a waveform that best matches the waveform of the received signal is defined as a demodulation result (See Reference (1) in the following Related Art List, for instance).
Related Art List
(1) Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-168999.
In demodulating a CCK modulated signal, i.e. in demodulating a Walsh-coded signal, a plurality of correlations are determined from a received signal, using fast Walsh transformation (FWT) computation. The largest correlation is identified from a plurality of correlations. A combination of transmitted signals providing the largest correlation is reconstructed. If an error is included, however, in correlations determined as a result of FWT computation due, for example, to noise or multipath transmission, a combination of signals not actually transmitted may be selected. Since a wireless LAN apparatus is desirably small, internal processes should be simplified as much as possible.

Receiving method and receiver with high-precision signal estimation


A surface treatment apparatus, disposed around a conveying device conveying a substrate in a predetermined conveying direction, includes: first and second liquid nozzles, disposed at an adjustable angle above the conveying device, each having an axial direction perpendicular to an axial direction of the conveying device, in which the second liquid nozzle is spaced apart from the first liquid nozzle by a first predetermined distance in the predetermined conveying direction, and the first and second liquid nozzles incline at a first angle facing each other; and first and second liquid level baffles, disposed on two sides of the conveying device respectively and spaced apart from the conveying device by a gap, in which the first and second liquid level baffles are located within the first predetermined distance spaced apart between the first and second liquid nozzles.

Field of Invention
The present invention relates to the technical filed of surface treatment, and more particularly to a surface treatment apparatus for a substrate.
Related Art
Generally speaking, a chemical treatment process of a substrate starts with a dipping process, i.e., dipping the whole substrate in a chemical liquid, then drying the substrate by means of spinning via a spin dryer, and roasting the substrate to be dried out after entering into an oven.
However, a chemical thin film (for example, a Na2S thin film) is likely to be formed on the surface of the substrate when dipping the substrate in the chemical liquid, and it requires dipping for a long time; moreover, the roasting temperature in the oven shall be at least higher than 100° C., which is very undesirable based on considerations of safety.
Furthermore, for the gas nozzle (air knife) for intensively drying out the substrate used by a common liquid crystal panel factory, the exit pressure is approximately larger than 10 kgf/cm2, and the excessive pressure easily causes uneven distribution of the undried liquid film.


A mobile audio device (for example, a cellular telephone, personal digital audio player, or MP3 player) performs Audio Dynamic Range Control (ADRC) and Automatic Volume Control (AVC) to increase the volume of sound emitted from a speaker of the mobile audio device so that faint passages of the audio will be more audible. This amplification of faint passages occurs without overly amplifying other louder passages, and without substantial distortion due to clipping. Multi-Microphone Active Noise Cancellation (MMANC) functionality is, for example, used to remove background noise from audio information picked up on microphones of the mobile audio device. The noise-canceled audio may then be communicated from the device. The MMANC functionality generates a noise reference signal as an intermediate signal. The intermediate signal is conditioned and then used as a reference by the AVC process. The gain applied during the AVC process is a function of the noise reference signal.

1. Field
The disclosed embodiments relate to noise cancellation and automatic volume adjustment for mobile audio devices.
2. Background Information
FIG. 1 (Prior Art) is a diagram of an active noise cancellation system that removes noise and echoes from speech information. A first microphone MIC1, referred to as the speech reference microphone, is placed close to the desired speech source. It picks up acoustic speech information from the user of the cellular telephone and converts it into an electrical speech signal 1. This speech signal 1 is contaminated with background noise. A second microphone MC2, referred to as the noise reference microphone, is placed close to the noise sources or far away from the speech source. It picks up acoustic noise, and converts it into an electrical noise reference signal 2. The noise reference signal 2 is assumed to be relatively free of the desired speech information as compared to the speech signal. Separation circuitry 3 uses the noise reference signal to cancel noise and to separate incoming signals into a speech signal 4 and a noise signal 5. The speech signal 4 is relatively free of noise. Echo cancellation involves employing adaptive filters to mimic echo paths. Cancellers 6 and 7 subtract the generated echo signals from the signals output by microphones MIC1 and MIC2. There are many such active noise cancellation techniques and circuits that are practiced in various technical fields.
Mobile communication devices (for example, cellular telephones) generally have small physical dimensions. These small dimensions limit the distance between the multiple microphones of an active noise cancellation system. As a consequence, the noise reference signal is generally not free of the desired speech information and noise cancellation performance is limited. Simple active noise filtering techniques tend to cancel some of the desired speech signal while leaving some of the noise uncancelled.
A more sophisticated noise reduction technique known as Blind Source Separation (BSS) has been used in digital hearing-aids. In such a BSS system, two microphones of a noise cancellation system are located in the ears of the hearing aid user. Accordingly, neither one of the two microphones can be used primarily for picking up noise. Both microphones pick up speech as well as noise to be cancelled. A temporal anti-Habbian learning algorithm is used to separate noise and speech information. For further information, see "Symmetric Adaptive Maximum Likelihood Estimation For Noise Cancellation And Signal Separation", Electronics Letters, 33(17): 1437-1438 (1997), by M. Girolami; and "Blind Separation Of Convolved Sources Based On Information Maximization", IEEE Workshop On Neural Networks for Signal Processing, Kyoto, Japan (1996), by K. Torkkola. Because performance of the BSS system generally relies on impulse response symmetry and proper placement of the microphones, additional signal processing may be applied.
FIG. 2 (Prior Art) is a diagram of a system employed in some cellular telephones. When using a cellular telephone, a cellular telephone user may be listening to audio that has softer passages as well as other relatively louder passages. If the user is listening to the audio in a noisy environment, then background noise may prevent the user from hearing the softer passages. If the overall electrical signal being supplied to the speaker were simply amplified, then the softer passages would be amplified so that the user could hear the softer passages, but the louder passages may then be amplified to the point that clipping occurs. Such clipping would introduce undesirable distortion into the sound emitted from the speaker. The loud sound could also damage the ear of the user. To prevent such undesirable clipping and distortion, the amplitude of signal 8 is tracked in the time domain. The signal is amplified by a gain that is a function of the input amplitude such that if the signal is weaker then the signal is amplified by larger gain values whereas if the signal is stronger then the signal is amplified by smaller gain values. The dynamic range of the overall signal is therefore compressed. This process may be referred to as "compression" or "Audio Dynamic Range Control" (ADRC) and occurs in ADRC block 10.
A process known as Automatic Volume Control (AVC) 11 is then applied to the output of ADRC block 10. The level of background noise is detected by microphone 12 and related circuitry 13. Under low background noise conditions, the compressed signal 9 need not be amplified by AVC block 11 and is supplied to the speaker largely unamplified. Under high background noise conditions, however, compressed signal 9 is substantially amplified by AVC block 11. Due to the compression performed by ADRC block 10, clipping of the high amplitude portions of the audio is reduced or eliminated. The above description of FIG. 2 is a simplification. See U.S. Pat. No. 6,766,176 for a more detailed description.

Automatic volume and dynamic range adjustment for mobile audio devices


A toothpaste dispensing apparatus includes a base. A housing is attached to and extends upwardly from the base. The housing includes a peripheral wall that has an upper edge defining an opening. A toothpaste tube squeezing assembly is mounted within the housing and is adapted for selectively ejecting toothpaste out of a tube of toothpaste. A cover is hingedly attached to the upper edge of the housing. A flange is attached to and extends outwardly away from the cover. The cover has a dispensing conduit therein. The dispending conduit includes a receiving opening extending upwardly into the cover and an ejecting opening extending downwardly from the flange. The tube may be fluidly coupled to the receiving opening when the cover is placed in a closed position such that toothpaste flows into the receiving opening and outwardly through the ejecting opening when the toothpaste is ejected out of the tube.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to toothpaste dispensing devices and more particularly pertains to a new toothpaste dispensing device for holding a tube of toothpaste and ejecting toothpaste therefrom.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of toothpaste dispensing devices is known in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 5,441,172 describes a device for coiling a collapsible tube of toothpaste so that the toothpaste therein is extracted as the tube is coiled. Another type of toothpaste dispensing device is U.S. Pat. No. 6,364,165 which includes a pair of spaced panels that are slid downward along a tube of toothpaste to force the toothpaste downward and outward of a housing into which the tube is positioned. Yet another device is U.S. Pat. No. 3,860,147 that includes a threaded saddle that is moved along the tube for again forcing the toothpaste downward and outward of the tube.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the need remains for a device that includes a housing that directs extracted toothpaste outward of a tube of toothpaste and outwardly away from the housing. The housing should also include toothbrush-storing capacity.


Block copolymers have a first copolymer block wherein lactide is the predominant component and a second copolymer block wherein trimethylene carbonate is the predominant component. The copolymers are useful in forming surgical devices, including monofilament sutures.

Polymers and copolymers of, and surgical devices made from, lactide and/or glycolide and/or related compounds are well-known. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,668,162, 2,683,136, 2,703,316, 2,758,987, 3,225,766, 3,268,486, 3,268,487, 3,297,033, 3,422,181, 3,442,871, 3,463,158, 3,468,853, 3,531,561, 3,565,869, 3,597,449, 3,620,218, 3,626,948, 3,636,956, 3,736,646, 3,739,773, 3,772,420, 3,733,919, 3,781,349, 3,784,585, 3,792,010, 3,797,499, 3,839,297, 3,846,382, 3,867,190, 3,987,937, 3,878,284, 3,896,802, 3,902,497, 3,937,223, 3,982,543, 4,033,938, 4,045,418, 4,057,537, 4,060,089, 4,137,921, 4,157,437, 4,243,775, 4,246,904, 4,273,920, 4,275,813, 4,279,249, 4,300,565, and 4,744,365, U.K. Pat. or Appln. Nos. 779,291, 1,332,505, 1,414,600 and 2,102,827, D.K. Gilding et al., "Biodegradable polymers for use in surgery-polyglycolic/poly (lactic acid) homo-and copolymers: 1, "Polymer, Volume 20, pages 1459-1464 (1979), and D. F. Williams (ed.), Biocompatibility of Clinical Implant Materials, Volume II, chapter 9: "Biodegradable Polymers" (1981).
Surgical devices prepared from copolymers containing lactide or glycolide and trimethylene carbonate have been described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,429,080 which describes glycolide-trimethylene carbonate random copolymers and triblock copolymers having glycolide end blocks and glycolide-trimethylene carbonate random copolymer middle blocks. As another example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,066,772 describes random copolymers of lactide and trimethylene carbonate and triblock copolymers having lactide end blocks and lactide-trimethylene carbonate random copolymer eater blocks. In addition, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,243,775; 4,300,565; 4,705,820; 4,891,263; 4,916,193; and 4,920,203.

Absorbable block copolymers and surgical articles made therefrom


A spin dryer assembly for drying workpieces such as semiconductor wafers includes a workpiece platform for receiving a workpiece to be dried. A motor is coupled to and spins the platform to effect removal of water and particulates from the workpiece. Gripping fingers are pivotally mounted around the platform and securely grip the workpiece during drying. Spring loaded plungers maintain the gripping fingers in a secured position during drying. A cam ring is vertically movable into and out of contact with the gripping fingers to bias the gripping portions of the fingers outwardly to a release position after drying.

Semiconductor devices, such as microprocessors, memory devices, and other microelectronic computer "chips", are typically produced from a thin, flat, circular disk of material, often referred to as a silicon wafer. A large number of identical microelectronic structures are created on a single wafer and the wafer is then cut into individual devices, whereupon each device is packaged for sale as a chip.
During the manufacture of such semiconductor devices, a series of layers are typically produced on the surface of a wafer. A layer of microelectronic structures may be applied to the wafer surface through the use of, for example, optical lithography, as is well known in the art. In the production of integrated circuits, a plurality of interrelated layers of microelectronic structures are superimposed on the surface of the wafer, with a layer of a dielectric interposed between and separating each of the microelectronic layers. Proper application of a microelectronic layer requires a smooth, highly planar surface. Thus, after each layer of dielectric is applied to a workpiece, the workpiece is planarized through the use of, for example, a chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) machine.
The production of semiconductor devices requires a high degree of purity; hence, powerful and mature clean room manufacturing techniques have been developed. An integral component of clean room fabrication processes is a thorough cleaning of wafers after each planarization, polishing, or other process. A typical cleaning operation passes wafers through a series of scrub rollers, whereupon the wafers are rinsed to remove all particles from the wafer surfaces. After rinsing, the wafers must be dried prior to storage and/or transportation to subsequent processing step(s).
Presently known spin dry systems rely on centrifugal forces which result from spinning wafers at high velocities (e.g., 2,700 to 5,000 rpm) to drive water droplets radially outward from the wafer surfaces, and to thereby liberate all water from the wafer surfaces. The drying of a wafer after cleaning is typically accomplished by placing the wafer on a platform and spinning the platform at a high velocity, for example on the order of 1,000-3,000 rpm, to liberate all rinse water and any residual particles from the wafer surfaces. As a result of these high process velocities, presently known spin drying systems typically confront the following two concerns:
I) the need to protect operators and equipment from disk fragments which could be thrown from the spin dryer in the event that a disk is broken during the spin dry process; and PA1 ii) the need to prevent water thrown from disks during the drying process from contacting disks which have already been dried.
In many prior art systems, these two needs are addressed by isolating the spinner, for example through the use of a shield, compartment, or the like.
Presently known spin dry systems are unsatisfactory in several regards. As spin rates increase, for example, stresses on and in the wafers being spun also increase, resulting in enhanced risks of wafer damage. Moreover, attempts to shield spinning wafers from operators and adjacent equipment tend to increase the "footprint" of the cleaning and/or drying machine, thereby increasing the cost of capital equipment acquisition and maintenance. Such costs become particularly high in a clean room environment.
As semiconductor manufacturers are experiencing increased pressure to increase throughput in response to the growing demand for computer chips, it is also desirable to decrease the time required to dry rinsed wafers. In view of the aforementioned circumstances, however, it is problematic to simply increase the spin rate to thereby decrease drying time.


A manufacturing method of a color filter comprising the following steps is provided. At first, a transparent substrate is provided. Next, a black matrix is formed on the transparent substrate to define a plurality of pixel areas on the transparent substrate. Then, an isolation layer is formed and patterned on the black matrix and then Red/Green/Blue color filter inks are filled into each of the pixel areas separately by inkjet printing. After that, the color filter inks are dried to form color filter units and optionally the isolation layer can further be patterned to form plenty of photo spacers on the black matrix. The isolation layers prevented the color filter inks from spilling out of the pixel areas and color mixing problems during color filter inkjet fabrication. Besides, it is characterized that the color filter units can be formed with even thickness.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a color filter and a manufacturing method thereof, in particular, to a color filter formed by inkjet printing and manufacturing method thereof.
2. Description of Related Art
The liquid crystal display (LCD) is becoming the main project of the display research and continuously towards the development of colorized display because the LCD has the advantages of low operation voltage, no radiation, light weight and small volume etc., which are not possessed by the cathode ray tube display (CRT).
The liquid crystal display can display full color picture by using a color filter. Recently, a manufacturing method of a color filter using inkjet printing is developed. At first, a black matrix is formed on a substrate to define a plurality of pixel areas. Then, Red/Green/Blue pigments are filled into the pixel areas using inkjet printing. And then, the pigments are solidified by thermal baking process.
The inkjet printing technique can coat the color pigment on the substrate directly to form the color filter, with the advantages that no mask or stencil is needed to form the color filter. So that, the manufacturing flow becomes easy and the problems resulted from using acid-base solutions will not be occurred. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional color filter formed by using inkjet printing. Please refer to FIG. 1, the conventional color filter 100 includes a glass substrate 110 and a black matrix 120 formed on the glass substrate 110. The black matrix 120 defines a plurality of pixel areas P filled with color pigment 130. It is noted that the color pigment 130 is filled into the pixel areas P by using inkjet printing.
The ratio of solvent to solution of the color pigment 130 is about 70% to 80%, that is, 70% to 80% of the solution is solvent. In the process of solidifying the color pigment 130, a great deal of solvent is vaporized that makes the color pigment 130 constrict so that the pixel areas P cannot be fully filled with the color pigment 130. Moreover, in order to make the thickness of the solidified pigment layer be same as the thickness of the black matrix 120, the column of the color pigment 130 before being solidified must relatively larger than the capacity of the pixel area P, and the color pigment 130 is filled into the pixel areas P with high flow velocity. As a result, the color pigment 130 will spill out of the pixel areas P so that color mixing problem may occur. Accordingly, The column of the color pigment 130 may be limited to avoid the color pigment from spilling out of the pixel areas P and color mixing problem, however, this inevitably result in unfilled pixel areas P and insufficient color saturation instead.
Furthermore, a hydrophobic treatment is performed on the black matrix 120 to modify the surface tension of the color pigment 130 on the black matrix 120. As shown in FIG. 1, under the influence of the surface tension, an uneven surface of the color pigment 130, whose center is protuberant and circumambience is sunken, is appeared. The color filter 100 with uneven surface results in worse coverage of the film layers in the follow-up process, and the liquid crystal display having such a color filter 100 may suffer from mura phenomenon.
It is known from experiments that in the color filter 100, a specific relation exists between the film thickness Db of the black matrix 120 and the film thickness Dc of the color pigment 130. For example, the color pigment 130 is filled using inkjet printing at the film thickness Db of the black matrix 120 of 2 micron. After molding, if the maximal film thickness Dc of the color pigment 130 is equal to or slightly bigger than the film thickness Db of the black matrix 120, the difference of the color pigment 130 is about 0.5 micron to 0.8 micron. However, when the maximal film thickness Dc of the color pigment 130 is equal approximately from ⅓ to ½ of the film thickness Db of the black matrix 120, the difference of the film thickness Dc of the color pigment 130 is only about 0.1 micron. That is to say, when the film thickness Db of the black matrix 120 is three times or double larger than the film thickness De of the color pigment 130, the color pigment 130 has a uniform and even surface. However, the protruding black matrix 120 causes the problem of uneasy coverage of the follow-up film layer.
Accordingly, it is an important issue to avoid color pigment mixing as well as manufacture a color filter with uniform pigment thickness and even surface in manufacturing the color filter.

Color filter and manufacturing method thereof


The present invention relates to a signal processing apparatus and method, a program, and a data recording medium configured such that the playback level of an audio signal can be easily and effectively enhanced without requiring prior analysis. An analyzer 21 generates mapping control information in the form of the root mean square of samples in a given segment of a supplied audio signal. A mapping processor 22 takes a nonlinear function determined by the mapping control information taken as a mapping function, and conducts amplitude conversion on a supplied audio signal using the mapping function. In this way, by conducting amplitude conversion of an audio signal using a nonlinear function that changes according to the characteristics in respective segments of an audio signal, the playback level of an audio signal can be easily and effectively enhanced without requiring prior analysis. The present invention may be applied to portable playback apparatus.

For example, in the case where movie content or music content with a large dynamic range in audio volume is played back on a portable device with compact built-in speakers, not only does the audio volume become lower overall, but audio such as low-volume dialogue in particular becomes difficult to hear.
Thus, although normalization and automatic gain control technology does exist as technology for making the audio of such content easier to hear, volume control becomes audibly unstable unless data is read sufficiently far enough ahead.
There also exists technology that boosts low-volume portions and compresses high-volume portions of audio by means of a dynamic range compression process for volume. However, with a compression process, it is difficult to obtain large audio enhancement effects if generalized volume boost and compression settings are used. In order to obtain large effects, it is necessary to vary settings on a per-content basis.
For example, there exists technology that takes a sound pressure level specified by dialogue normalization as a basis, boosting signals with a lower sound pressure level and compressing signals with a higher sound pressure level. With this technology, however, it is necessary to specify boost and compression settings and a sound pressure level for dialogue normalization at the time of encoding the audio signal in order to obtain sufficient effects.
Furthermore, technology has also been proposed in which, in the case of compressing the dynamic range of audio volume, faint sounds in an audio signal are made easier to hear by multiplying the audio signal by coefficients determined by the average of the absolute values of the audio signal (see PTL 1, for example).

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Signal processing apparatus and method, program, and data recording medium


A contact pin subassembly including a plurality of contact pins, a contact pin holder which holds the contact pins and which is provided with a plurality of insulation ring portions in which the associated contact pins are slidably fitted, and springs which are held in the contact pin holder to bias the contact pins outward from the insulation ring portions. The contact pins subassembly may be combined into an assembly with a camera body, a lens, or some other subassembly of a device or instrument which requires contact pins, by mounting to the respective subassembly.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a contact pin assembly provided for example in a camera body of a single lens reflex camera.
This application is related to the commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,860,043, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
2. Description of Related Art
In a recent single lens reflex camera, there are various functions, such as automatic aperture control, AF (Auto Focus), and PZ (Power Zoom), etc. In such a single lens reflex camera, electrical contact pin assemblies are provided on a camera body and an interchangeable lens. These contact pins of the contact pin assemblies come into contact with each other when the interchangeable lens is attached to the camera body. When in contact, a data communication between the camera body and the interchangeable lens can be carried out, and the interchangeable lens can receive power from the camera body.
It is necessary to bias the contact pins of the electrical contact pin assemblies, on either the camera body or the interchangeable lens, against the contact pins on the other assemblies so as to maintain the necessary pressure for the electrical charges to pass therebetween. Furthermore, the contact pins must be electrically insulated from the associated body mount member or lens mount member, which is made of electrically conductive metal.
To this end, in a known contact pin assembly, the contact pins are slidably fitted into separate insulation annular rings which are provided into the corresponding holes formed in the associated mount members. The contact pins of the camera body, for example, are biased by compression coil springs to project outwardly so as to electrically contact the contact pins of the interchangeable lens.
In the known contact pin assembly, each contact pin must be assembled with a separate insulation ring and a compression coil spring which must then be electrically connected to a predetermined connecting portion of a printed circuit board. This, however, is a complicated assembly.


The present invention relates to a process of treating a fabric with a composition comprising a pre-swollen absorbent gelling material.

Carpets produced from synthetic or natural fibers and mixtures thereof are commonly used in residential and commercial applications as a floor covering. Various types of fibers can be used in making carpets such as polyamide fibers, polyester fibers as well as wool, cotton or even silk in the case of rugs.
However, carpets irrespective of whether they are made from natural or synthetic fibers are all prone to soiling and staining. Foods, grease, oils, beverages in particular such as coffee, tea and soft drinks especially those containing acidic dyes can cause unsightly, often dark stains on carpets ("spot stains"). Also fibers may become soiled as a result of dirt particles, clay, dust, i.e., particulate soils in general, which may come into contact with and adhere to the fibers of the carpet. These latter soils often appear in the form of a diffuse layer of soils rather than in the form of spots and tend to accumulate particularly in the so-called "high traffic areas" such as near doors as a result of intensive use of the carpets in such areas.
Compositions for treating and/or cleaning carpets are already known in the art. Indeed, such carpet treatment compositions can be formulated either as solid or liquid compositions. Solid carpet cleaning compositions to be scattered over a soiled carpet are, for example, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,659,494 or DE-OS-4411047. Furthermore, water can be used to clean carpets. The currently known carpet treaters and/or cleaners as described above, usually show at least some performance on removing particulate soils appearing in the form of a diffuse layer of soils as well as on removing spot stains from carpets.
However, it is well-known from consumer research that the carpet cleaning performance of compositions used to treat carpets may still be further improved. In particular, the removal from the fabric surface, preferably carpet surface, of moist stains and/or moist soil particles as well as stains and/or soil particles dissolved, dispersed or emulsified by any means known, for instance a liquid carpet cleaning composition or water, is not yet satisfactory in order to provide a clean fabric surface and prevent the redeposition after the cleaning of said moist stains and/or moist soil particles as well as stains and/or soil particles dissolved, dispersed or emulsified by any means known onto the fabric surface. Therefore, the removal from the carpet of moist stains and/or moist soil particles as well as stains and/or soil particles dissolved, dispersed or emulsified by any means known may still be further improved.
It is therefore an objective of the present invention to provide a process of treating a carpet with a carpet treatment composition that delivers good overall carpet cleaning performance. In particular, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a process of treating a carpet with a carpet treatment composition that delivers good moist stains and/or moist soil particles removal performance as well as good dissolved, dispersed or emulsified stains and/or soil particles removal performance on various types of stains including proteinic, greasy, bleachable and/or particulate spot stains as well as good soil removal performance, especially for soiling of so-called "high traffic areas".
It has now been found that the above objectives can be met by a process of treating a fabric, and in particular a carpet, with a composition comprising a pre-swollen absorbent gelling material.
An advantage of the process as described herein is that said process provides an effective way of treating a carpet.
A further advantage of the process as described herein is that the pre-swollen absorbent gelling material as used in the process according to the present invention is capable of absorbing malodorous that are present on a fabric, preferably a carpet, and/or liquids spilled over a fabric, preferably a carpet.
Another advantage of the process as described herein, is that said process provides the means to selectively apply a high performance spot stain and soil removal method on heavily stained and/or soiled parts of a fabric, preferably carpet.
Still a further advantage of the present invention is that the process of treating a carpet herein is applicable to all carpet types, especially delicate natural fibers, and are also safe to most of the carpet dye types, even those particularly sensitive natural dyes used therein. The present invention is also suitable to be used to treat upholstery and car seats covering.

Process of treating a carpet with a composition comprising an absorbent gelling material


A liquid crystal display and adjustable support thereof. The liquid crystal display includes a display panel, a moving assembly and a locking assembly. The moving assembly is connected to the display panel, and moves the display panel. The locking assembly is moveable between a first position and a second position. When the locking assembly is in the first position, the moving assembly is abutted by the locking assembly so that the display panel cannot be moved by the moving assembly. When the locking assembly is in the second position, the moving assembly is not abutted by the locking assembly so that the display panel can be moved by the moving assembly.

The invention relates to a liquid crystal display and a support thereof; in particular, the invention relates to a liquid crystal display with an adjustable support providing the capability to remain in a collapsed state during transport.
A liquid crystal display normally includes a support with height adjustment function, based on user requirement.
The support of the conventional liquid crystal display is not, however, provided with the capability to remain in a collapsed state during transport. The moveable distance of the support is normally about 130 mm. When the user transports the liquid crystal display, the volume of the entire liquid crystal display increases since the support cannot be remained in a collapsed state at the minimum height. Thus, it is inconvenient for the user.

Liquid crystal display and adjustable support thereof


Gearset-drive unit (10), in particular for use in motor vehicles, comprising a drive wheel (16) that meshes with a driven wheel (22),

The invention concerns a gearset-drive unit with speed detection, in particular for use in a motor vehicle, according to the general class of the independent claims.
A motor gearset-drive unit for adjusting equipment parts of motor vehicles with a commutator motor was made known in EP 0 865 148 A1. According to said publication, a substantially pot-shaped motor housing contains a motor armature with an armature shaft extending out of the motor housing. The armature shaft is supported between the motor housing and the gearset housing by means of a spherical cap bearing. A collector and a ring magnet are located on the armature shaft between the motor armature and the spherical cap bearing. The outer circumference of the ring magnet is magnetized in alternating north and south poles. The changing magnetic field is detected by two Hall-element sensors offset from each other by 90°, and it is evaluated by control electronics located on an electronic printed-circuit board. The electronic printed-circuit board extends into the motor housing into the immediate vicinity of the ring magnet. This arrangement of the electronic printed-circuit board within the motor housing or in the region of the brush holder is very complicated and inflexible. In addition, the brush sparking interferes with the speed sensors.

Abstract: wherein a sensor wheel (26) with a position sensor (36) that interacts with a sensor (42) to detect speed meshes with the drive wheel (16) or the driven wheel (22).


An exhaust system for an agricultural vehicle is provided that includes a mixer configured to receive a spray of diesel exhaust fluid along a longitudinal axis of the mixer and an exhaust flow along a direction cross-wise to the longitudinal axis of the mixer. Additionally, the mixer is configured to mix the diesel exhaust fluid with the exhaust gas. Furthermore, the mixer is configured to discharge the exhaust gas along the longitudinal axis of the mixer.

The present disclosure relates generally to agricultural vehicles with diesel engines, and more particularly, to an exhaust system configured to reduce emissions from the diesel engines.
Certain agricultural vehicles are powered by diesel engines, which burn diesel fuel and produce exhaust gas. The exhaust gas may include undesirable byproducts such as nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide, and particulate material. Certain agricultural vehicles include an exhaust system that reduces the concentration of the undesired byproducts. Traditional exhaust systems may spray a diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) collinearly within the flow of exhaust or against the wall of a mixer. New government regulations have continually reduced the amount of acceptable concentrations of byproducts dispelled from agricultural vehicles, particularly in relation to NOx. The traditional exhaust systems may not be able to satisfy new or future regulatory limits. These new regulations urge more efficient methods of regulating exhaust gases while minimizing the packaging size of the exhaust system to reduce the impact on the design of the entire vehicle.

Exhaust system for an agricultural vehicle


An apparatus and method for processing a virtual world. The apparatus for controlling a facial expression of an avatar in a virtual world using a facial expression of a user in a real world may include a receiving unit to receive sensed information that is sensed by an intelligent camera, the sensed information relating to a facial expression basis of the user, and a processing unit to generate facial expression data of the user for controlling the facial expression of the avatar, using initialization information representing a parameter for initializing the facial expression basis of the user, a 2-dimensional/3-dimensional (2D/3D) model defining a coding method for a face object of the avatar, and the sensed information.

1. Field
Example embodiments of the following description relate to a method and apparatus for processing a virtual world, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for controlling a facial expression of an avatar in the virtual world using a facial expression of a user in a real world.
2. Description of the Related Art
Currently, interest in experience-type games has been increasing. The MICROSOFT CORPORATION introduced "Project Natal" at the "E3 2009" Press Conference. "Project Natal" may provide a user body motion capturing function, a facial recognition function, and a voice recognition function by combining MICROSOFT's XBOX 360 game console with a separate sensor device consisting of a depth/color camera and a microphone array, thereby enabling a user to interact with a virtual world without needing a dedicated controller. Also, the SONY CORPORATION introduced "Wand" which is an experience-type game motion controller. "Wand" enables a user to interact with a virtual world by using a motion trajectory of a controller and applying, to the PlayStation 3 game console, location/direction sensing technology, which is obtained by combining a color camera, a marker, and an ultrasonic sensor.
With recent developments of technologies enabling interactions between a real world and a virtual world, technology related to an avatar in the virtual world, the avatar representing a user in the real world, is being actively researched and developed. For example, technology that processes a certain gesture made by the user and enables an avatar in the virtual world to make the same gesture as the user is under development.
Further, a human face may function as a form of communication, which conveys a host of information through a facial expression. In the field of virtual reality, an agent of the user, that is, the avatar, is the subject of an activity. Therefore, the proper modeling of the agent is an important matter. Furthermore, since the face is an object capable of conveying the most amount of information, technology achieving a more realistic level of modeling and animation is to be applied.
In the section of moving picture experts group, phase 4 (MPEG-4) and synthetic natural hybrid coding (SNHC), integrated coding of a natural image and a synthetic image based on interaction is standardized. The first standard plan suggests a face description parameter (FDP) which describes a face through coding of a face object used in the virtual world, and a facial animation parameter (FAP) which describes motions.
However, the FAP of MPEG-4 defines only motions of respective facial parts. Therefore, to achieve realistic animation of a facial expression change and lip synchronization, an operation system functioning as muscles of a real human face needs to be provided in a modeled face object.

Method, apparatus, and system for processing virtual world


An autonomous memory device in a distributed memory sub-system can receive a database downloaded from a host controller. The autonomous memory device can pass configuration routing information and initiate instructions to disperse portions of the database to neighboring die using an interface that handles inter-die communication. Information is then extracted from the pool of autonomous memory and passed through a host interface to the host controller.

A problem or parallel, distributed systems is how to assign and manage memory resources. Memory is typically attached to a host processor using a shared bus where appropriate protocols are applied to enable coherency and consistency. In this strategy memory controller hardware on the processor core can observe the traffic on the common bus, then update or invalidate cache lines to reflect the operations performed by the other processors. A many-node multiprocessor system may also use "directory-based" coherence techniques to allow processor nodes to see memory traffic that relates to pages or cache lines on which they are working. These strategies become increasingly performance hampering and improvements in distributed systems are needed.
It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, elements illustrated in the figures have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements may be exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity. Further, where considered appropriate, reference numerals have been repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements.


A viewing device for an aircraft pilot, the device comprising: a support for positioning on the head of the aircraft pilot; a display surface; display means carried by the support and arranged to display augmented reality objects on the display surface; acquisition means arranged to act in real time to acquire first data representative of the position and of the orientation of the support, second data representative of the position and of the orientation of a cockpit of the aircraft, and third data defining congested zones occupied by equipment of the cockpit, and to acquire the augmented reality objects; and processor means arranged to act in real time to define positions for the augmented reality objects, so that all of the augmented reality objects are positioned outside the congested zones when they are displayed on the display surface.

The use of so-called "augmented reality" technology is tending to become more widespread in modern aircraft, and in particular in fighters.
Augmented reality makes it possible to incorporate augmented reality objects in the real environment visible to the pilot so that such augmented reality objects are accessible to the pilot without any need to look in another direction.
Augmented reality objects comprise in particular images or written information.
By way of example, the images may be images of a landing strip, of ground topography (mountains, valleys, etc.), of the sea, of any kind of target, of various vehicles including other aircraft, of various buildings, etc. By way of example, the written information may be about a current mission, about monitoring various parameters of the fighter, about a message sent to the pilot, etc.
Augmented reality also makes it possible to compensate for the effects of reduced visibility.
Reduced visibility may be due to night flying conditions or to poor weather conditions.
Reduced visibility may also be due to the position of the pilot in the cockpit of the fighter.
With reference to FIG. 1, it is known that in a fighter 1, the visibility of the pilot 2 is relatively reduced as a result of the constraints involved in installing the pilot 2 in the cockpit 3.
In the fighter 1, the pilot 2 is strapped to an ejector seat 4. The pilot's helmet 5 is held up by the headrest 6 of the ejector seat 4. Typically, the pilot 2 can tilt the helmet 5 forwards through only 15°, can turn it to the left or to right through only 80°, and can incline it sideways through only 45°. Furthermore, the pilot's eyes can swivel through about 30° upwards, downwards, to the left, and to the right. The pilot 2 can perceive shapes and symbols in a zone limited to ±20° about a viewpoint.
By steering the pilot's viewpoint directly to sensitive points of interest, e.g. to a target, to a landing strip, to another airplane, augmented reality makes it possible to compensate for such reduced visibility.


A walker is disclosed having two sets of handles positioned for rising from and lowering to a seated position in addition to serving as a walking aid. The walker comprises a frame having a front section comprising a pair of front vertical supports and a rigid cross-piece, and two side sections each comprising a rear vertical support having a load-bearing axis formed through a ground-engaging point, rigid connectors connecting the side sections to the front section, a first pair of handles positioned to support a user in a standing or walking position, and a second pair of handles positioned below and to the rear of the first set of handles to support a user in rising from or lowering to a seated position, in which the geometric centers of each of the second pair of handles is positioned to the rear of the load-bearing axis of each of the rear vertical supports.

Various types of devices have been employed to assist people who are recovering from various types of injuries and surgery, or who are experiencing weakness or instability from conditions associated with advanced age or other causes, in moving to and from a seated position. Complicated and expensive devices such as tilting chairs and the like have been developed for such purposes. Various types of four-legged walkers and devices designed to be supported by a chair or bed have also been used for this purpose.
Developers in the field have given attention to the problem and various cane and cane-like devices are disclosed in a number of patent or patent-related documents. British patent application No. GB2136290A to Walker; U.S. Pat. No. 3,289,685 to Parker; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,562,850 to Early et al. disclose devices with a plurality of handles and a cane-like structure. Also, U.S. Pat. No. 1,400,394 to Warry discloses a telescoping crutch-like device with a single shaft in which an auxiliary handle may be gripped when the crutch is fully extended.
The device of Walker has four handles at the top of the device and the lower handles may be gripped by a person seated for the purpose of pulling on the handles with the device in a front position in pulling oneself into a standing condition. The upper and lower handles of the Walker device are located close to one another and the device is such that it has two pair of handles located at two different levels of the cane.
The device of Parker has two handles, but the handles are not located with their geometric centers above the shaft member. The principal use of the two handles of the Parker cane is for stability when a user is traversing uneven terrain. The upper and lower handles of Parker are relatively close together, e.g., about six inches. Thus, as one attempts to use these canes, the pressure of the handles will cause some rotational force upon the wrist of the user when trying to rise from a seated position. Since many users have arthritic conditions, torque on the wrist is disadvantageous and generally to be avoided. Furthermore, the handles of the Parker device are sufficiently close together that one using such a cane, especially alongside a chair, would experience an uncomfortable position for the wrist, hand, and forearm because of the limited space available between the handles. Again, as with the Walker device, the more comfortable and biomechanically advantageous position in which to use a cane for uprisal purposes is alongside a chair and close to one's center of gravity when seated. The close proximity of the two handles of Parker does not readily permit this type of convenient use of the device.
The device of Early has a collar close to the handle of the cane. The collar provides a small surface for a person to try to pull on in order to pull oneself into a standing position. The collar, however, is positioned too close to the handle to be used effectively in a pushing-down motion.
Another patent disclosing a supplementary handle is U.S. Pat. No. 4,121,605 to Schmerl which has a long stabilizing bar pivoted in close proximity to the cane handle and the bar may be rotated to a substantially perpendicular position with respect to the cane shaft. A second hand may be placed along the stabilizing bar when a user of the cane has his or her other hand on the cane handle in a standing position. This bar is also located close to the main cane handle and therefore disadvantageous in assisting a person rising from a chair.
Other structures, such as that illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,941,495 to Boyce et al. have also been developed to provide uprisal aid. This device has a pair of arm-rests which are laterally spaced a sufficient distance to encompass the hips of a user. These armrests provide hand support for a person rising from a seated to a standing position.
In addition to the development of canes as walking assist devices and uprisal assist devices, other walking assist devices have been developed with multiple leg members to provide stabilized support for the user during walking. Such devices include walkers which typically have four spaced apart legs as, for example, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,442,276 to Edwards, et al. The user advances the walker ahead of himself or herself the distance of an arm length, and then leans upon the walker as he or she walks forward toward the walker.
Walker devices have been disclosed in the patent literature which also provide assistance in uprisal from a sitting position. U.S. Pat. No. 4,474,202 to Blechner discloses a walker having two, spaced apart foot rests upon which the user places his or her feet while grasping a forward bar to pull himself or herself up to a standing position. The use of the footrests requires specific positioning that can be awkward to use and therefore unsafe.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,347,666 to Kippes discloses an uprisal device having extended horizontal rods at ground level to counterbalance the user's pull on a front bar of the device. The Kippes device also discloses the need for having a second person, in a standing position, to serve as an anchor on the front part of the device to aid the user in uprisal. The Kippes structure serves only as an uprisal device and not as a walking-assist device.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,941,496 to Berning discloses a walking assist device having two legs and two sets of spaced apart grips to assist the user in rising from a seated position or in climbing stairs. The two vertically spaced grips of the Berning device are spaced so closely together, however, that the device cannot be used effectively as an uprisal-assist device. In addition, the Berning device is inherently unstable because of its substantially elongated vertical profile.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,005,599 and 5,445,174, both to Cunningham, disclose walker devices which have attached, articulating brace members that swing outwardly from the walker frame to be positionable over the horizontal surface of a chair or other seating structure. The extended braces are designed to be grasped by the user to assist in rising from a seated position. Such braces, however, are laterally unstable by virtue of their rotatable attachment to the walker frame. The Cunningham devices also require a stable surface upon which the braces are supported during uprisal. Therefore, such devices are disadvantageous as uprisal assist devices.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,785,070 to Block et al. discloses a walker which has, in addition to the handles for use while standing or walking, a second set of handholds for use in assisting a person in rising from and lowering to a seated position. The second set of handholds of the Block walker, like the handholds of other conventional walkers, provides stability to a user by virtue of being positioned in front of the longitudinal axis formed through the ground engaging tips and the rear legs. As a result of this positioning, however, the second set of handholds is disadvantageously located distant from a seated user.
The walking assist devices previously described provide varying proficiency in assisting a person wishing to rise from a seated position, but each has its own disadvantages relating principally to the instability of the device and/or the ease of use. By their designs, the support handles of these devices that are intended for assisting the user in uprisal are either unstable or positioned inconveniently to a person in a seated position behind the walker. Thus, it would be advantageous to provide a combined walking-assist and uprisal-assist device which is both stable and configured to provide conveniently located handholds to readily assist a user in both rising from and lowering to a seated position.


A toilet valve float adjustment assembly, including: a dual flush valve; a pair of floats disposed within the dual flush valve, wherein the vertical position of one of the floats determines the flush volume for a full flush and the vertical position of the other float determines the flush volume for a partial flush; a pair of adjustment mechanisms, wherein each adjustment mechanism adjusts the vertical height of one of the floats; and a pair of locking mechanisms, wherein each locking mechanism inhibits movement of one of the adjustment mechanisms, thereby keeping its float at a preferred vertical height when locked, and wherein the adjustment and locking mechanisms are controlled at the top of the dual flush valve.

Most conventional residential toilets make use of a supply of water in a tank mounted above the toilet bowl. Water from the tank is released into the bowl to flush waste from the bowl down into the waste drain. Various types of mechanisms within the tank typically serve to control the flow of water to the bowl and subsequently to replenish the water in the tank. For example, floats are often employed by these mechanisms to control the amount of water that is flushed and replenished.
Setting the vertical position of these floats is a desirable way to adjust the amount of water that is flushed and replenished. Unfortunately, many toilet mechanisms employ float adjustments that are difficult to use and often require the hand of the user to be submerged in the tank. Furthermore, locking the float in position, once it has been adjusted, can be cumbersome and ineffective. This is especially true for dual flush toilets in which two different floats are used, with one controlling the flush volume for a full (solid waste) flush, and another controlling the flush volume for a partial (liquid only waste) flush.
As will be show, the present invention provides a float adjustment mechanism that may be adjusted easily and intuitively. A single mechanism (e.g.: a first dial) can be used to adjust the full flush float and another mechanism (e.g.: a second dial) can be used to adjust the partial flush float. A benefit of the present invention is to create a float adjustment mechanism that may be adjusted with limited water contact to the user's hand. A further advantage of the present invention is to create a float adjustment mechanism incorporating a simple and secure float locking capability. It is to be understood that although the present invention is preferably used in a dual flush toilet (to adjust both partial and full flush volumes), it can also be used in a traditional single flush toilet (having only one float).


Fluorinated vinyl ethers having cyanate or carbamate groups are useful as monomers in making fluoropolymers having functional sites.

There is an increasing demand for functionalized fluoromonomers and polymers to be applied in the areas of adhesion enhancement, cured coatings, interface compatibilizers for compounding/blending, and so on. Known cyano-containing cure site monomers such as CF.sub.2 .dbd.CFOCF.sub.2 CF(CF.sub.3)OCF.sub.2 CF.sub.2 --CN (8-CNVE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,281,092) used in perfluoroelastomers require high temperature and the presence of catalysts to complete the curing. Hence, the direct utilization of functional monomers such as 8-CNVE in fluoroplastics is generally inconvenient to use and not practical.
Thus, there is an unfilled need for convenient functional monomers for use in fluoropolymers.

Fluorocyanate and fluorocarbamate monomers and polymers thereof