A trackball that is used notably for pointing at objects on a screen of a computer system comprises a body that is intended to be fixed to a workstation, a sphere that is rotatable with respect to the body, a set of sensors that provide information relating to the relative position of the sphere with respect to the body, and braking means for braking the rotational movements of the sphere with respect to the body. The braking means comprise a friction ring that encircles the sphere. The ring extends mainly in a plane perpendicular to an axis of symmetry of the sphere. The ring is free to move translationally in the plane in which the ring extends.

The invention relates to a trackball that is used notably for pointing at objects on a screen of a computer system.
A trackball is understood to be an assembly having a fixed body and a movable part such as a sphere, for example. The fixed part comprises sensors for providing information that is representative of the position of the sphere with respect to the fixed part. The information may be associated with a position on the screen by means of a computer of the piece of equipment. An operator moves the sphere with his fingers in order to reach a desired position on the screen and thus to point at an object displayed on the screen.
The invention is particularly useful for a trackball belonging to an item of equipment installed on board an aircraft. The trackball can thus be used to select flight parameters that are displayed on the screen of the system. More generally, the trackball makes it possible to point at objects displayed on the screen.
The aircraft can be subjected to turbulence which is likely to make it more difficult to point at objects. More precisely, the turbulence generates vibrations, which can result in uncontrolled movements of the sphere. Even in the absence of turbulence as such, minor acceleration phenomena to which the equipment is subjected prevent members of crew from pointing at a graphical zone beyond a certain degree of precision.
A conventional solution to this problem consists in oversizing the objects which are selectable on the screen so as to take this limitation into account. As a result, this reduces the number of objects that can be displayed on a given display surface.
Attempts have also been made to stabilize the operator's hand by creating suitable support surfaces. One example is given in the patent application published under the number EP 1 552 376, where the fixed part of the trackball has an ergonomic shape intended to take the operator's palm, hence its name of "palm rest". However, such a palm rest is unable to completely stabilize the sphere through the operator's fingers.
These two solutions are often associated with means for braking the sphere. These means make it possible to limit the uncontrolled movements of the sphere in the event of vibrations.
The brake is of course secured to the fixed part of the trackball and exerts a force on the sphere for example by means of a pad that rubs against the sphere. During movements of the sphere, the pressing of the pad generates a friction torque which opposes rotations of the sphere. The pad is kept pressed against the sphere by means of a spring that bears against the fixed part.
Assuming that the sphere is accessible to the operator's fingers from above, one solution that has already been implemented consists in positioning a friction surface on the ball above the plane of symmetry of the sphere. The friction surface is generally realized by a membrane made of plastics material. The force exerted along the vertical axis of the sphere by the friction surface is realized by an elastomer or a spring system that applies pressure to the friction surface.
This arrangement brings about a number of problems. The area that is usable by the operator is reduced on account of the presence of the friction surface above the plane of symmetry of the sphere.
The friction torque generated by the brake is highly dependent on the precision of coaxiality between the vertical axis of the sphere and the axis of the friction surface. The sphere is generally positioned on pivots that form sensors for providing information relating to the position of the sphere with respect to the fixed part. The deviation between the axes of the sphere and of the brake depends on a chain of dimensions that passes through numerous mechanical parts. The precision of coaxiality requires precise assembly and machining operations.
The friction torque generated depends on the pressure exerted by the elastic device, this pressure depending itself on the vertical position of the sphere. In order to limit this dependence, provision can be made of vertical wedging means of the brake. This solution is expensive since the wedging means need to be adjusted jointly for each trackball.
The torque generated also varies greatly depending on the variations in diameter of the sphere, in particular during variations in temperature, causing said sphere to rise against the braking device when it is used at high temperature or to lower when it is used at low temperature.
Moreover, the friction torque is set when the trackball is assembled. In order to modify this setting, it is necessary to remove the brake, this being difficult to accept in the aeronautical field.
Finally, it has been found that the brake is particularly delicate when used outside its normal use position, such as if it is turned over during transport.


A punctum dilating and plug inserting system includes an inserter and a protective cover defining a dilator. The inserter includes a longitudinal body, and a handle. The handle has a rounded stationary member and a trigger rotatably connected to the handle by a living hinge. A mounting wire extends through the body and is connected to the trigger. When the trigger is activated, the wire is retracted and a plug mounted on a distal end of the wire is released. A packaging is provided for receiving, protecting, and handling at least a portion of the entire inserter until ready for use. An end of the packaging includes a dilator dip for dilating the punctum in advance of receiving the punctum plug.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates broadly to medical instruments. More specifically, this invention relates to instruments for inserting a punctum plug and a packaging for such instruments.
2. State of the Art
The surface of the eye and the inner surface of the eyelid are moisturized by tears constantly produced by glands around the eye. A tiny hole, known as the lacrimal punctum, at the inner corner of each upper and lower lid margin drains the tears away through ducts for proper circulation.
Patients, including contact lens wearers, who suffer from dry eye, or insufficient tear production, experience a great deal of discomfort because of insufficient lubrication between the lens and the surface of the eye. One solution is to occlude or block the lacrimal duct to prevent tear drainage. Permanent lacrimal occlusion can be performed surgically, typically by closing the punctal opening, whereas reversible occlusion can be performed by inserting a tiny plug into a portion of the lacrimal duct, such as the punctum. A typical punctum plug includes a cylindrical or frustoconical body, a larger head portion to retain the plug at the punctal opening, and a coaxial bore through the head portion and partially through the body at which the plug is coupled to the tip of an instrument during insertion.
A variety of instruments are available for inserting lacrimal occluders such as punctum plugs and canalicular implants. For example, Lacrimedics, Inc. of Rialto, Calif., has sold a canalicular implant preloaded on the tip of a wire stuck into a piece of foam. The wire is used to push the implant into the canaliculus. After the implant is deeply seated, the wire is withdrawn.
EagleVision, Inc. of Memphis, Tenn. sells the EP2 punctum plug inserter and dilator which is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,741,292 to Mendius. This more complex device for punctal dilation and insertion includes a cylindrical body having a plug inserting tip at one end and an opposite punctum dilating end. An elongated button is arranged longitudinally along the body, and includes a slidable end and a fixed end positioned between the slidable end and the plug inserting tip. The button has an outwardly bowing inner surface spaced from the body such that when the button is pressed toward the body, the slidable end slides away from the plug inserting tip. A plug mounting wire is fixedly attached to the slidable end of the button, and slidably extends within the body and protrudes out of the plug inserting tip. A conventional punctum plug is attached to the protruding end of the wire. The mounting wire can be retracted by pressing on a button at a location between the proximal and distal ends of the mounting wire and thereby effect release of the plug.
In operation, one hand of the physician is placed against the face of a plug recipient, and the lid of the eye receiving the plug is pulled down to expose the punctal opening. The instrument is held in the other hand and the dilating tip is used to dilate the punctum. The instrument must then be turned around so that the plug inserting tip is now facing the eye, and the plug can then be inserted into the dilated punctum. It is noted that the device must be turned around carefully to prevent inadvertently dropping the instrument and to prevent unwanted contact with the plug (which may contaminate or dislodge the plug). Moreover, it must be turned around quickly, as the punctal opening begins to constrict within approximately five seconds after dilation. Once the plug is positioned in the punctum, the plug is released from the instrument by depressing the buttons, which retracts the wire and frees the plug.
FCI Ophthalmics of Marshfield Hills, Mass. sells a Ready-Set™ punctum plug system which also includes a plug inserter and punctal dilator instrument. The instrument is generally similar to the Mendius device, but includes a two-sided trigger with handles located on diametrically opposite sides of the body. When the handles are pressed toward a plug mounting pin and one another, the pin is retracted into the body, thereby dislodging the plug from the pin.
US Pub. No. 2004/0068286, also to Mendius, teaches a plug insertion instrument having a protective dilating cap covering the plug. The punctal opening can be dilated with the cap, and then the cap is removed to expose the plug at the same end as the dilator so that the plug can then be conveniently inserted into the punctum. The plug is deployed by pressing on a button attached to a proximal end of a plug mounting wire, with the plug mounted at the distal end of the wire. The button is pressed at a location between the proximal and distal ends of the wire to retract the wire and effect release of the plug.

Punctum plug insertion device and device packaging


A concrete panel system includes first, second, and third rectangular precast concrete panels, each defining a respective top edge, bottom edge, and first and second lateral edges. A first type connector is formed in the concrete material at least along the top edge of the first panel and along the first lateral edge of the first panel. A second type connector is formed in the concrete material at least along the second lateral edge of the second panel, and along the bottom edge of the third panel. The first type connector and the second type connector are configured to connect together, and a cavity is formed between the respective panel edges. This cavity extends along both the top edge of the first panel and the first lateral edge of the first panel to facilitate positioning reinforcing bar traversing a corner of the first or second panel.

Building walls, retaining walls and perimeter fence-type walls are often made with concrete block. These construction methods are easily done manually, but are time consuming and create a product that has many mortar joints, which are inherently weak. In cases where joints are eliminated by the use of concrete panels, the panels are often massive and require heavy machinery to assemble into the desired structure. If smaller panels are used, it is still necessary to incorporate structural reinforcement within the panel, complicating the panel manufacturing process. What is needed are improved precast concrete panel systems and constructions methods using precast concrete panels.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Concrete panel, panel kit, and concrete panel connector structure for forming reinforced concrete building components


A receiver circuit for a communications terminal includes a signal pre-processing circuit having: an analog/digital converter device with K analog/digital converters connected in parallel, a conversion device, and a filter device connected downstream of the conversion device. The filter device has N digital filters connected in parallel, where N is an integer that is greater than or equal to 1 and is less than K.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a receiver circuit having a signal-receiving device providing K analog reception signals, a signal pre-processing circuit configured downstream from the signal-receiving device, an analog/digital converter device having K analog/digital converters providing k digital signals, and a filter device connected downstream from the analog/digital converter device. The invention also relates to a method for signal processing using such a receiver circuit.
In conventional communications terminals, in particular in those, which are provided for wireless communication, a plurality (K) of reception signals are frequently processed in parallel. Within the scope of signal pre-processing, the K reception signals are first downmixed into an intermediate frequency range or into the baseband, then digitalized independently of one another by K analog/digital converters (A/D converters) and then fed—still independently of one another—to K digital filters which carry out digital broadband limitation for the purpose of channel selection.
This form of signal pre-processing requires a considerable implementation expenditure because of the multiple use of identical components, and is therefore, disadvantageous.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,852,477 describes a digital television receiver which uses, for example, 24 analog/digital converters which are connected in parallel to sample the received signal and a digital equalizer filter that is connected downstream of these converters. The converters are operated here cyclically with a correspondingly reduced sampling rate so that they successively sample the received signal.
International Patent Application WO 91/07829 discloses a mobile radio receiver with a plurality of reception antennas. Each reception antenna is assigned two analog/digital converters for converting the I and Q components of the reception signal and a digital filter with two outputs for the filtered I and Q components.

Receiver circuit for a communications terminal and method for processing signals in a receiver circuit


The partially-parallel trellis decoder with equalizer (360) uses multiple channel estimators (377, 379) but less than one independent channel estimator for each state. The state information set from the state with the best state metric as computed during the previous time period is used to update a primary channel estimator (377), and a state information set from the state with the second best state metric as computed during the previous time period is used to update a secondary channel estimator (379). Each updated channel estimator (377, 379) processes the corresponding state information set to calculate the possible transmitted symbols and their associated state metrics. Because there are fewer channel estimators than states, any unassigned states are processed using the primary channel estimator (377) but do not update the primary channel estimator (377).

This invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for decoding a received digital signal using a maximum likelihood sequence estimation (MLSE), or trellis, decoder under common fading channel conditions.
The Viterbi algorithm is a well-known type of MLSE decoding method that can be used to estimate transmitted digital sequences from a signal received over a communication channel. Initial data (training symbols) decoded by a Viterbi decoder are used to construct an initial channel estimate that is then used to decode the body of the received signal. As the received signal is used to construct a trellis, the state transition metric of each state transition from a time t=(nxe2x88x921)T to a consecutive time t=nT in the trellis is either discarded as being invalid according to criteria, such as the minimum mean-squared error criteria, or used to modify the channel estimate for future state transition computations. At the conclusion of the received signal, the trellis is back-traced to obtain the estimated transmitted digital sequence.
If the channel estimate is not accurate initially or during a later portion of the decoding process, due to changing conditions of the communication channel or other reasons, the decoding of the body of the received digital signal can get progressively erroneous. An error in the initial channel estimate may cause the Viterbi decoder to modify the channel estimator in a direction that does not properly track the dynamic communication channel conditions. Additionally, any later-occurring error in the dynamic channel estimate may cause unrecoverable divergence from a replication of the actual dynamic communication channel conditions.
A variation of the above-described conventional Viterbi decoder uses a separate and independent channel estimate for each state in a trellis decoder rather than a single channel estimate for the entire Viterbi decoder. As the trellis is traversed during the Viterbi decoding process, channel estimates for each state are computed from a time t=(nxe2x88x921)T to a time t=nT. When the received digital signal ends, the best cumulative channel estimate is used to determine the estimated transmitted digital sequence by back-tracing through the trellis. Thus, an initial channel estimate can be modified in multiple directions, which reduces the chances that an inaccurate initial channel estimate will result in future channel estimates that progressively worsen. U.S. Pat. No. 5,432,821 issued Jul. 11, 1995 to Polydoros et al. proposes such a full-parallel Viterbi approach and contrasts it with a conventional Viterbi decoder.
Because full-parallel Viterbi processing creates an independent estimate of the communication channel for each state, and each channel estimate requires updating and tracking during each state transition, full-parallel Viterbi processing greatly increases the computational power required to decode a received signal. Thus, there is a need for improved MLSE decoding of received signals compared to conventional Viterbi decoding but with reduced computational complexity compared to full-parallel Viterbi processing.

Partially-parrallel trellis decoder apparatus and method


A sensor is described, which basically consists of a leadless high sensitivity differential transducer chip which responds to both static and dynamic pressure. Located on the transducer are two sensors. One sensor has a thicker diaphragm and responds to both static and dynamic pressure to produce an output indicative of essentially static pressure, the static pressure being of a much higher magnitude than dynamic pressure. The other sensor has a thinner diaphragm and has one side or surface responsive to both static and dynamic pressure. The other side of the differential sensor or transducer structure has a long serpentine reference tube coupled to the underneath of the diaphragm. The tube only allows static pressure to be applied on the underside of the diaphragm and because of the natural resonance frequency of the tube, the dynamic pressure is suppressed and does not, in any manner, interface with the sensor or transducer having a thinned diaphragm. Thus, the thinned diaphragm differential unit provides an output which is indicative of the dynamic pressure, as the static pressure applied to both the top and bottom surfaces of the transducer sensor is cancelled.

This invention, as indicated above, involves an improved transducer for simultaneous measuring a low dynamic pressure in the presence of a high static pressure. During the testing of jet engines and in many other environments, it is often desirable to measure both the static pressure and the dynamic pressure. The static pressure, in most instances, is usually very high and the dynamic pressure is much lower. The dynamic pressure is also associated with a distinct frequency which occurs at a relatively high rate, for example 5000 cycles/second (Hz) or greater. In this manner, the dynamic pressure is usually 20 times less than the static pressure. Hence, to measure static pressure, one requires a transducer with a relatively thick diaphragm so that it can stand the high static pressure. On the other hand, such thick diaphragms have a very poor response to low pressure. Therefore, to measure static pressure and dynamic pressure is extremely difficult unless one uses a thick diaphragm in conjunction with a thin diaphragm. However, if one uses a thin diaphragm, then this diaphragm will rupture upon application of the high static pressure which also contains the dynamic pressure. One can think of the dynamic pressure as a relatively high frequency fluctuation on top of a relatively high constant static pressure. Thus, as one can ascertain, using a thick diaphragm to measure dynamic and static pressure is not a viable solution.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,642,594 entitled, "Single Chip Multiple Range Pressure Transducer Device" which issued on Nov. 4, 2003 to A. D. Kurtz, the inventor herein and is assigned to Kulite Semiconductor Products, Inc., the assignee herein, discloses the problems with transducers responsive to large pressures utilized to measure low pressures. Thus, when you have a pressure transducer adapted to measure relatively large pressures, these transducers suffer from a relatively poor resolution or sensitivity when measuring relatively low pressures. This is because, as a span of the sensor increases, the resolution or sensitivity of that sensor at the low end of the span decreases. An example of various piezoresistive sensors are indicated in that patent. In the patent, there is shown different transducers which have thinned regions having the same thickness, but different planar dimensions. In this manner, the thinned regions will deflect a different amount upon application of a common pressure thereto, whereby when excited each of the circuits provides an output indicative of the common pressure of a different operating range.
As indicated above, during the testing of jet engines there is a very high static pressure which, for example, may be 100 psi. Present with the static pressure is a low dynamic pressure, which may exhibit frequencies in the range of 5000 Hz and above. As indicated, using a high pressure sensor to measure the static pressure will give an extremely poor response to the dynamic pressure because of the small magnitude of dynamic pressure which can be, for example, about 5 psi. Therefore, it is desirable to use a relatively rugged pressure transducer having a thick diaphragm to measure static pressure and to utilize another transducer on the same chip having a thinned diaphragm to measure dynamic pressure. Because the thinned transducer is exposed to static pressure both on the top and bottom sides, the static pressure cancels out and does not, in any manner, afford to cause the thinned diaphragm to deflect. According to the present invention, both static and a dynamic pressure is applied to the rear side of the diaphragm by a reference tube of an exceedingly long length. This reference tube, as will be explained, is a helical structure and has a low resonant frequency. In this manner, when a small dynamic pressure is applied because of the low internal frequency of the tube, the sensor will respond to the static pressure only. As will be explained, the thinned diaphragm should be stopped for pressures in excess of 25 psi, or some higher number than the desired dynamic pressure. As will be explained, the long reference tube can be made by taking a tubular structure and wrapping it such that it looks like a coil or spring. One end would be inserted into the transducer and the other end would be exposed to pressure. In this manner, one can now implement an improved transducer for simultaneously measuring a low dynamic pressure in the presence of a high static pressure.

Pressure transducer for measuring low dynamic pressures in the presence of high static pressures


A semiconductor package with an embedded capacitor and corresponding manufacturing methods are described. The semiconductor package with the embedded capacitor includes a semiconductor die having a first metal layer extending across at least a portion of a first side of the semiconductor die and a package structure formed on the first side of the semiconductor die. A first electrical conductor of the embedded capacitor is formed in the first metal layer of the semiconductor die. The package structure includes a second metal layer that has formed therein a second electrical conductor of the embedded capacitor. A dielectric of the embedded capacitor is positioned within either the semiconductor die or the package structure of the semiconductor package to isolate the first electrical conductor from the second electrical conductor of the embedded capacitor.

As electronic devices become more powerful, they require increasingly fast switching interfaces for some of the transistors on one or more semiconductor die within the electronic devices. Voltage irregularities associated with these faster switching interfaces can create noise that adversely impacts the functioning of the electronic devices. For instance, there may be a voltage spike or a voltage dip, also referred to in the art as supply bounce, with either a power supply rail or a ground supply rail that powers the transistors on the semiconductor die. If ignored, this power supply bounce or ground supply bounce can, for instance, adversely impact data integrity.
Including decoupling capacitance on the semiconductor die between the power and ground supply rails has been one solution for dampening noise resulting from bouncing of the voltage supply rails. This solution has been so effective in noise reduction that there is a general desire to add as much decoupling capacitance on the semiconductor die as possible. Unfortunately, adding decoupling capacitance often utilizes large amounts of space on a semiconductor die at the expense of other components on the die, such as memory and processing components, which correspondingly increases cost.
Embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated by way of example and are not limited by the accompanying figures, in which like reference numbers indicate similar elements. Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of the embodiments.
The apparatus and method components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments, so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein. Also, the functions included in the flow diagrams do not imply a required order of performing the functionality contained therein.

Semiconductor package with embedded capacitor and methods of manufacturing same


The invention relates to a connecting element for welding onto a circular front face of a pipe, said element having an annular region, (friction region), that can be friction welded to said front face. The connecting element can be welded onto the end of a pipe with a substantially circular front face in a particularly simple, rapid and cost-effective manner. Said element, together with additional components, e.g. a coupling nut and a threaded sleeve enables a tight connection of the pipe to other components, even under extreme pressure and temperature fluctuations.

The invention relates to a connecting element for pipes and a method for welding a connecting element to the end of a pipe. In this connection, the connecting element is designed for being welded to a circular ring-shaped, optionally beveled, end face of a pipe. In particular, the invention relates to a connecting element comprising a conical sealing surface that, when connecting the pipe to other structural components, for example, other pipes, fittings, hoses, and the like, interacts with a sealing surface that is at least partially complementary to it and provided on a connecting element, in particular, a screw fitting or weld fitting listed in DIN EN ISO 8434-1.
Connecting elements of the aforementioned kind are disclosed, for example, in DE 1 960 933 U1. They serve for enabling, together with other structural components, such as, in particular, a screw fitting or weld fitting, a union nut, and an annular seal, extremely stress-resistant seal-tight connections (as they are needed, for example, in high-pressure conduits) of pipes with other structural components, for example, additional pipes, fittings, hoses etc.
The connecting element disclosed in the aforementioned DE 1 960 933 U1 has proven to be extremely successful in practice for many years. However, welding of such a connecting element having a circular ring-shaped end face onto an end face of the same kind provided at the end of a pipe is not trivial and must be performed by qualified, specially trained personnel.
When the usual gas welding method is employed in this connection, as a result of burning of alloy elements contained in the material of the connecting element and of the pipe, which, in the case of the relevant pipelines in this context, are generally both made of steel, cinder is produced on the outer side of the pipe as well as on the inner side of the pipe, wherein the cinder produced on the inner side of the pipe generally must be dissolved by a complex after treatment by etching (conventionally with a 13% hydrochloric acid solution) and subsequently flushed out because otherwise, when using the pipe, for example, in the context of a high-pressure hydraulic oil line, the cinder particles could lead to damages of the structural components, for example, hydraulic cylinders.
In order to prevent cinder formation, usually the so-called tungsten inert gas welding method (TIG welding method) under inert gas atmosphere is employed for welding of the connecting element to the end of the pipe. However, in this connection attention must be paid that during welding neither the material to be welded nor welding beads will reach the interior of the pipe. Subsequently, the welding seam must generally be at least cleaned; frequently, it must also be leveled by grinding.
The known welding methods require not only qualified trained personnel, they are also time-consuming and thus particularly cost-intensive.
Also, weld-free pipe connections in the form of so-called flared fittings are known. In this connection, an end of a pipe is deformed (flared) by a machine and a bead is formed by upsetting, wherein the bead forms a shoulder for a union nut that has been slipped over prior to this. Since the upsetting process requires very great forces and since the pipe must be clamped in a direction counter to the upsetting direction, deep clamping grooves are formed on the exterior of the pipe during upsetting. These clamping grooves can damage the grain within the pipe; in particular, in high-pressure hydraulic systems where the pipelines are frequently subjected to significant dynamic loads, this can cause rupture of the pipe.
Moreover, upsetting produces in the interior of the pipe a channel where dirt can collect; this can lead to increased corrosion in the interior of the pipe.
A problem is also the fact that during flaring the pipe is cold-formed and the course of the grain is not cut; this can also lead to tearing of the grain in the material and thus in rupturing of the pipe occurring more easily.
The flared fittings are therefore suitable only to a limited extent, in particular, for very high operating pressures and in pipeline systems where strong vibrations can occur, for example, in certain hydraulic systems.

Connecting element for pipes and method for welding a connecting element onto the end of a pipe


A blank book attachment having a mark and sweep leaf with a fold out feature is provided. The leaf is pivotally retained along one edge on a frame, and the frame is pivotally retained at the binding spine of the host blank book. Pulling outward on the leaf causes the leaf to extend out and beyond the pages of the book allowing the pages to turn freely. When the leaf is placed within the host book, with the book open or closed, the leaf can be turned as a page, in which case it also acts as a mark to identify a specific position in the host book. Alternatively, the leaf may be pivoted on the frame to allow the host book pages to be turned past it in either direction.

This invention relates to "host books" with a fixed or variable number of pages including spiral bound note books, multi-ring bound books, staple-, tape-, or glue-bound books, plastic finger clasp bound books, and the like, add-in leaves in the form of mounting surfaces with additional pages, and particularly, a repositionable mounting surface with a fold-out feature. The add-in components act as a mechanical means for adding "a window system to the host object" and may be configured from a set of building blocks. Entirely new information handling metaphors may be developed from the add-in components in the form of books as well as other objects. The other objects would be objects typically used for representing and accessing information, such as calendars, record keeping devices and the like. In addition to "host books" of the conventional variety, this invention relates to electronic notebooks of the notebook and palm size, which themselves may have software/electronic window systems.
The invention further relates to toys and games and the use of the configurable add-in window system parts as knowledge processing objects for store and order scripting. The toys and games may be mechanical in composition or may rely on a host object with electronic information handling properties. The host object may itself have a software/electronic window system of its own.
Host books are typically sold in a variety of forms including glue- or tape-bound with cover, staple-bound with cover, spiral-bound with cover, and ring-bound with cover. They may have a fixed or variable number of pages or no pages, and the pages may be blank pages, pages with text or pictures, where the text may be formatted or unformatted. Typically, host books with pages that are intended for writing or which contain text and or pictures in any form do not easily allow for the insertion of notes, except for use of margins, specially identified format blocks, or spaces between lines or pictures. Arbitrary notes must be taken on loose pages which themselves can be retained in the host book in a variety of ways as marks. Host pages that have pre-defined formats support structured entry of information but often do not support arbitrary input or output notes very well.
Host books have pages which are typically bound in a sequential order. If the pages can be repositioned, it requires opening of the binding and the removal and reinsertion of the pages to be repositioned. Tagging these pages or marking them for reentry requires (a) folding the page, (b) placing a loose mark in the page which could fall out, or (c) binding a mark that attaches to the page and stays on the page unless physically removed and replaced at another point. Noting or marking in this way either damages the book or covers the written material. Additionally, this type of marking does not easily allow for the continuous collection of information on the mark as the mark is moved through successive pages.
Electronic, computer-based text has been developed which can be accessed on-line via a personal computer or through a shared information utility and which addresses the issue of flexible information manipulation. The basic technology is known as hypermedia, and specifically, as it relates to textual information, hypertext. This capability provides the individual the ability to attach new information to any context he or she is working with, and to view that portion or chunk of specially tagged information out of context from its location in relation to other such specially tagged information, or in context with its location in the body of the text. In this sense, "hyper-access" means that one may view the tagged information dynamically out of context as well as in relationship to the source item or items. The mechanism provided for viewing information on the computer is known as "multiple-windowing". This feature has proven very powerful and has opened up entirely new applications for computers in desktop publishing, computer-aided design, project management, and the like.
This capability of multiple windowing has been unavailable to users of blank books due to the inherent limitation of physically bound surfaces and their supporting bindings. The lack of windows in conventional books has made the context-independent access of information available only through the limited means of fold-out pages.
Previously known add-in page systems do not offer the important feature of windows, the key feature of which is the ability to maintain the face and perimeter orientations of the add-in surface in all of its possible context-independent, floating positions.
Other add-in facilities that may offer additional writing surfaces offer limited positioning of the surface, restricting the add-in to the front or the back of the book and restricting the interleaving of the surface with other surfaces the book may itself hold. Other add-in facilities assist in the page turning process but do not offer any additional facilities for note-taking. The previous alternatives that suggest the use of a frame use dual-arm frames that enclose the entire host object in a brace. That approach is cumbersome and unnatural for the host object and represents an obstruction for the user. Additionally, the frames of that variety add additional weight to the host and in the case of books, obstruct multiple indexing. Multiple indexing involves the indexing of a plurality of edges of the host books leaves.
In the case of notebook- and palm-size computers, the window system is restricted to the size of the screen the host electronic device contains. In the smaller sized notebook- and palm-sized computers, this visual space is restrictive and does not enable a plurality of contexts to be viewed at one time.
Furthermore, in the case of books, configurability is usually limited to forms and add-in leaves. Forms presume the structure of the information that is to be collected and the way in which it is to be collected. Books of this type do not reflect the information map of the user's mind, the frequency of access to certain types of information, the time value of that information, or the linking of that information to other information of related properties. These types of books offer limited robustness, typically providing ring mechanisms for extending the information architecture of the book. They require eye, hand, and mind to restructure or prepare for access, often interrupting the dynamics of the capture-and-represent process of information handling. Books have not been able to provide users with facilities comparable to the interactive windows of computers, limiting the development of an appetite for non-linear information handling among users of conventional books. Computer vendors have been unable to offer users the familiar metaphor of a page, requiring the user to process information in metaphorical window pages. The thinking and learning process is facilitated by the combined use of the eye and the hand. Although the mouse has offered a very large advantage in this area, the page turning metaphors that have been offered mirror the use of a page of a conventional book in a similar but much more limited way and do not adequately reflect the visual/manual restructuring of knowledge inherent in solutions like the mouse.
Toys and game scripting metaphors exist to facilitate the process of a game. These tools are often game-constrained--i.e. offer utility only in relation to the game itself--or, if useful outside of the game, do not support knowledge-intensive activities. Dice are an important gaming metaphor but do not assist the user in a robust knowledge-specific fashion. A blank drawing pad and pencil can be used in creative ways in both games and the real world, but do not offer sufficient robustness in the sense being discussed here. Currently, there are no known puzzles or games that allow for the use of functionally equivalent, let alone identical, tools of the nature of the present invention, within the game and outside in real life. Specifically, tools that can function in a similar fashion, being directed at deeper, multiple-level inferencing, and knowledge-based information processing in both the game and in the real world application. Games and toys exist where the ideas are useful in multiple realms, but not the actual physical object that the game is played with. An excellent example of a case where the object of the invention can be used in both environments is LOGO.COPYRGT.. The physical metaphor, when made available, is a moving object which offers body syntonic learning opportunities, but the object itself is not typically intended for use outside of the game. Making the LOGO.COPYRGT. object a robot or a factory system begins to bridge this gap of utility. However, although computers offer promise in this area, i.e., where the computer is played as a game and then used as a device, computers are limited in availability, expensive, and suffer from the lack of broadly useful eye-hand metaphors as discussed earlier.


A system and method for serving short messages in high rate packet data system for transmitting short messages to a predetermined terminal by registering location and state information of the terminal and using the registered information is disclosed. The system includes a short message service center for general short message transmission, a location and information management server for registering and managing location and state information of the terminal, and providing the information to the short message service center, a packet data service node for reporting the state information of the terminal to the Location and Information Management Server and a PCF for reporting the location information of the terminal to the Location Information Management Server, and providing call state change information of the corresponding terminal to the packet data service node.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system and method for serving short message in high rate packet data system, and more particularly, to a system and method for serving short message in high rate packet data system to transmit short message to a HRPD terminal using location and state information of a corresponding registered terminal.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
A CDMA mobile communication system based on an IS-95A standard was originally devised for voice communications between users, but changing for high rate data service.
Although 14.4 Kbps data service is available under the IS-95A standard, IS-95B and IS-95C (IS-2000), upper version of the IS-95A, are introduced for basic data service and high rate data service while remaining capability with the IS-95A.
HRPD (High Rate Packet Data) system, one of IS-2000 system, is a new packet wireless data transmission technology devised by Qualcomm using CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), and serves the data transmission at maximum transmitting rate of 2.4 Mbps in one direction and at maximum transmitting rate of 307.2 kbps in inverse direction. HRPD is called HDR (High Data Rate) or 1xEV-DO (1xEvolution Data Only).
SMS (Short message service) is a full duplex wireless calling service based on a standard of a GSM (global system for mobile communications), and transmits data at rate of maximum 150 bytes between terminals. SMS exchanges SM (Short Message) including texts and/or numbers between terminals or networks, and serves for short message transmission, urgent message indication, dates and time record, and message recognition.
Meanwhile, there was no such technology for serving short messages in HRPD system in the past, but IS-637-A is defined as a standard for serving the short message using IS 2000. Hereinafter, structure of a conventional short message service system in IS-2000 system will be described referring to FIG. 1.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the conventional short message service system in IS-2000 system. The conventional short message service system includes a MS (Mobile Station) 11, a BTS (Base Transceiver Subsystem) 12, a BSC (Base Station Subsystem) 13, a MSC (Mobile Switching Center) 14, a SMC (Short Message Center) 15, a SMS Server (Short Message Service Server) 16, and a HLR (Home Location Register) 17. The MS 11 is a terminal having software for serving short message. The BTS 12 is a base station. The BSC 13 is a control station. The MSC 14 is a switchboard. The SMC 15 is a short message service center for assigning a channel of short message. The SMS server 16 is a short message service server for maintaining short message users, receiving short message service requests from the users, and transmitting the requests to the SMC 15. The HLR 17 is a home location register.
Hereinafter, a method for serving short message in a conventional IS-2000 system on a short message system in the conventional IS-2000 system structured as aforementioned.
First, the first MS 11 transmits the short message to the BTS 12 for providing the short message to the second MS 11′, and the BTS 12 transmits the message to the MSC 14 through the BSC 13.
The MSC 14, if the message is interpreted as a short message, transmits the corresponding short message to the SMC 15, and the SMC 15 decides to which the message be delivered referring to the telephone number of destination in the user information at HLR 17, and transmits the corresponding short message to the second MS 11′ whereto the short message is supposed to be delivered. In this case, the MSC 14 transmits the short message to the SMS server 16 for serving additional service of interlocking outside network, e.g., Internet.
Meanwhile, the SMS server 16 receives the short message service request from the users through the MS 11, and transmits the short message to the SMC 15 for serving the short message.
In this way, there was a standard (IS-637-A) for defining the short message service in IS-2000 system in the past, but no standard for defining the short message service in HRPD system. Therefore, there was a problem that the short message service in HRPD system could not be provided.

System and method for serving short message in high rate packet data system


A device for measuring angles of freedom of adjacent vertebrae which includes two reference elements associated with each vertebra respectively. Indicators are associated with the two reference elements for measuring the angle of freedom of movement of the vertebrae in torsion in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the vertebrae and for measuring the angle of freedom of the vertebrae in lateral inflexion in a plane perpendicular to that of the spinous processes as a function of a given position of flexion-extension of the vertebrae in the plane containing the spinous processes.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device intended to measure, on the one hand, the angle of freedom of two adjacent vertebrae in torsion and, on the other hand, the angle of freedom of these vertebrae in lateral inflexion with respect to a given position in flexion-extension of the vertebrae.
2. History of the Related Art
In theory, it is considered that the intervertebral articulation comprises 6.degree. of freedom, but, in practice, the principal freedom of the articulation lies in flexion-extension. Similarly, but to a lesser amplitude, there exist degrees of freedom upon intervertebral horizontal rotation or lateral flexion.
It should also be noted that these two movements are usually linked with each other, i.e. the lateral flexion necessarily causes a certain horizontal degree of rotation, and vice versa.
The problem of this lumbar intervertebral articulation is that it is rapidly subject to damage, leading to a reduction in the rubbery quality of the disc. Such deterioration results in a greater suppleness of the articulation, which brings about more ample movements both in flexion-extension, but also in lateral inflexion and in torsion.
The reduction in the rubbery quality of the disc leads to a complete disorganization of the movements of the lumbar intervertebral articulation.
It therefore seems important, for certain therapeutical decisions, both to be able to measure the amplitude of all the intervertebral movements and to have an idea of the disorganization of the coupling of the movements with respect to one another.
It is a particular object of the present invention to provide a solution to this problem.

Device for measuring angular movement of vertebrae


Polarization mode dispersion (PMD) induced system penalty ε is determined from optical characteristics of an optical wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) signal that is carried on a network. The method involves tapping the optical WDM signal, separating an optical channel from the tapped optical WDM signal, performing a frequency-resolved state of polarization (SOP) measurement on the channel, and computing the PMD-induced system penalty as ε=AL2+BL4, in which A and B are predetermined parameters and L is an SOP string length based on the SOP measurement.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to arrangements for measuring polarization mode dispersion (PMD) in optical communication fibers. More specifically, the invention relates to arrangements for determining which portion of fiber communication system penalty is induced by first-order and all-order PMD.
2. Background Art
Optical fiber communications systems are subject to system penalties that derive from a variety of sources, only one of which is polarization mode dispersion (PMD). Other sources that can degrade system performance include, for example, chromatic dispersion, multi-path interference and nonlinear effects.
When a fiber's performance has been inadequate or failing, conventional systems have not been able to readily isolate the causes of any performance degradation, or measure the relative contributions of the degradation sources. It has sometimes been necessary to bring a system offline in order to perform experiments that can isolate the cause of a problem. This inability to readily diagnose the problem source(s) has thwarted predictions of system performance and prevented efficient and focused attempts to correct performance problems.
Thus, there is a need in the art to readily monitor and evaluate PMD-induced effects in optical transmission systems, to allow system outages to be predicted, corrected or prevented.

Estimating optical transmission system penalties induced by polarization mode dispersion (PMD)


A cup-shaped housing assembly for a device for separating liquid from air has a cup-shaped housing body having an interior. At least one annular filter element for separating liquid from air is arranged in the housing body. A housing cover closes off an end face of the housing body. The housing cover has an inner side that is facing the interior and an outer side that is facing away from the interior. The housing cover has at least one raw air inlet through which raw air is supplied to the interior. The housing cover has at least one clean air opening though which filtered clean air is discharged from the interior. For sealing the raw air inlet relative to the clean air opening, at least one sealing surface is arranged at the outer side of the housing cover across sections thereof.

The invention concerns a cup-shaped housing assembly for a device for separating liquid from air, wherein the cup-shaped housing assembly is designed for receiving at least one filter element that is configured in particular as an annular coalescing element for separation of liquid from air and wherein the cup-shaped housing assembly for closing off its open end face has a housing cover, wherein the housing cover, for discharging the filtered clean air, has at least one clean air opening and wherein the housing cover has at least one raw air inlet for supply of raw air.
The present invention concerns moreover a device for separating liquid from air comprising a cup-shaped housing assembly with a filter element that is designed in particular as an annular coalescing element.
The present invention concerns also a method for mounting a cup-shaped housing assembly on a nipple for detachable connection of the cup-shaped housing assembly with a connecting head that is in particular connected to a compressed air compressor, wherein the cup-shaped housing assembly is detachably connected to the nipple, for example, screwed onto the nipple.
The publication DE 85 01 736.1 U1 discloses a device of the afore mentioned kind and this device is designed for separating oil droplets from air. The filter element or separating element is designed as an annular coalescing element that coalesces the fine oil droplets to larger droplets in the separating element and the larger droplets deposit downstream thereof in downward direction due to the force of gravity. A nipple which is designed as a threaded tubular socket is detachably connectable to a connecting head and a cup-shaped housing assembly in which the filter element is arranged. For discharging the clean air, the connecting head has a central pipe or cylindrical tubular element that projects through the nipple and opens into the filter element. The cylindrical tubular element embodied for separating the separated liquid from the purified air is thus correlated according to the prior art with the connecting head. The cylindrical tubular element extends through the nipple and projects past it. In the known device for separation of oil droplets from air, an annular gap is arranged between the cylindrical tubular element and the nipple for discharging the separated oil. This annular gap is connected with a separate discharge passage.
Moreover, for example, the publications EP 2 108 424 A1, EP 0 806 564 A1, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,972,092 B disclose air/oil separator boxes in which the removal of the separated oil is realized by means of an annular gap in the threaded tubular socket. According to the prior art, the separated oil is thus discharged via an annular gap that is surrounded by the nipple or the tubular socket, i.e., is arranged within the inner diameter of the nipple. This annular gap is formed by providing an additional tubular element that is inserted into the nipple and is arranged between the nipple and the additional tubular element.
The publication DE 88 06 694 U discloses a drain groove that is arranged within the thread of a drain plug. However, this known drain plug does not enable emptying in the completely screwed-in state but requires that the plug must be first unscrewed to some degree for emptying.
The object of the invention is to further develop a cup-shaped housing assembly of the aforementioned kind, a device for separating liquid from air of the aforementioned kind, as well as a method for mounting a cup-shaped housing assembly of the aforementioned kind in such a way that for discharging the filtered clean air as little energy as possible is required.

Cup-shaped housing, device for separating liquid from air, and method for mounting the cup-shaped housing on a nipple


The present invention relates to a Wnt5a protein or peptide thereof possessing Wnt5a signaling properties, such as Foxy5, for use in the treatment of prostate cancer, in particular in patients that have undergone or will undergo radical prosteatectomy. The invention also relates to a method for determining a prognosis for a patient having prostate cancer and a kit for performing said method. The method for determining a prognosis for a patient comprises the steps of: evaluating an amount of Wnt5a protein present in at least part of a sample earlier obtained from the patient and determining a sample value corresponding to the evaluated amount; comparing the sample value obtained in step a) with a reference value associated with a reference prognosis; and, if said sample value is higher than said reference value, concluding that the prognosis for said patient is better than said reference prognosis.

Wnt5a is a non-canonical secreted glycoprotein of the Wnt family that plays an important role in cancer development and progression.
Peptides derived from Wnt5a, including the N-formylated hexapeptide Foxy5, have been described earlier, i.a. in WO 01/32708 and WO 2006/130082. These peptides have been shown to be agonists of Wnt5a signaling. The use of such a peptide in a mouse breast cancer model has demonstrated its ability to significantly inhibit the metastatic spread from the primary tumor inoculated and growing in a mammary fat pad. In WO 2010/019103 it has been shown that by modifying such peptides in a certain way it is possible to change the agonist function to that of an antagonist, and further that such antagonists may be used in treatment of melanoma and gastric cancer.
Previous studies report that Wnt5a is upregulated in prostate cancer and suggested that Wnt5a affects migration and invasion of prostate tumor cell.
Prostate cancer (PCa) is the leading cancer affecting men of all races and the second most leading cause of death in developed countries [1]. Androgens and the androgen receptor (AR) play critical roles not only in normal development, growth and function of the prostate gland but also in carcinogenesis and progression of PCa [2]. Initially, PCa cells are commonly AR dependent for their growth and survival, and hence respond to androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), but in later stages PCa cells become androgen-insensitive, and fatal castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) develops [3]. The molecular mechanisms responsible for transition into CRPC are poorly understood, however, the most consistent change associated with castration resistant growth in global gene expression profiles of PCa xenografts was an increase in the AR mRNA levels [4]. Increased expression of AR is considered to be a key feature of CRPC and it has been demonstrated as a consequence of either mutation or amplification of AR or by increased expression caused by deregulated growth factors or various co-regulators [5]. Although we have access to prognostic factors in PCa, including Gleason grade, TNM stage, surgical margin status and serum PSA levels, there is an urgent need to identify novel biomarkers, which can significantly improve, either alone or in combination of other biomarkers, our ability to predict outcome in PCa patients. Previous studies have suggested a possible relationship between AR and Wnt-β-catenin signaling pathways during the development and progression of PCa [6,7].
Recently, attention has been drawn to the role of Wnt proteins and Wnt signaling in PCa. The name Wnt comes from "wingless-related MMTV integration site" and was originally suggested by Nusse and co-workers in 1991 [8]. Wnt proteins constitute a family of nineteen secreted glycoproteins that play important roles during development and in cell fate specification, cell migration and cell polarity [9,10]. Wnt proteins can be classified into at least two subfamilies; canonical Wnts that promote β-catenin-mediated transcription and non-canonical Wnts. Wnt signaling occur in an auto- or paracrine fashion through binding of secreted Wnt molecules to seven transmembrane Frizzled receptor proteins (Fz) in the absence or presence of co-receptors such as LRP 5/6 and ROR [10]. Several Wnt signaling components have also been implicated in genesis of human cancers; overexpression of Wnt-1 was observed in mammary epithelial adenocarcinoma [11] and in several PCa cell lines and PCa tissues. Wnt-1 expression positively correlated with Gleason score, β-catenin and with serum PSA levels [12]. In addition, based on the determination of Wnt5a mRNA levels in prostate tumors it has been suggested that abnormal expression of the non-canonical Wnt5a is involved in PCa [13].
Wnt5a, one of the most studied non-canonical Wnts, is an essential Wnt protein in inducing and controlling the Wnt/planar cell polarity (PCP) and the Wnt/Ca2+ pathways [14,15]. In addition, Wnt5a has not only been demonstrated to counteract the Wnt/β-catenin pathway but also, in specific contexts, to activate this pathway [16]. The possibility of Wnt5a to induce different downstream signaling events can at least in part explain the presence of reports suggesting an ambiguous nature of Wnt5a; having either a tumor suppressor or tumor promoting function depending on context and tumor type [16]. Previous studies have shown that Wnt5a is downregulated in certain malignancies including colorectal cancer (protein expression) [17], neuroblastoma (mRNA levels) [18], invasive ductal breast carcinomas (protein expression) [19,20] and leukaemias (mRNA levels) [21], indicating a tumor suppressing effect of Wnt5a.
Interestingly, other reports have instead suggested an oncogenic effect of Wnt5a primarily based on an upregulation in breast cancer cells (mRNA levels) [22], gastric cancer (protein expression) [23], melanoma (protein expression) [24], lung cancer and prostate cancer (mRNA expression) [13]. Aberrant gene and protein expression of Wnt5a in PCa and possible underlying molecular mechanisms have been described in previous reports [13, 25, 26, 27]. In a recent study, based on the Affymetrix studies of normal prostate epithelial and cancer cell lines, Wang et al showed that increased transcription of the Wnt5a gene in PCa was due to hypomethylation; suggesting that epigenetic regulation of Wnt5a expression may be of importance in PCa progression [28]. Any conclusion made from data from an Affymetrix analysis without a simultaneous analysis of Wnt5a protein expression is dangerous since the Wnt5a mRNA has a long untranscribed 3′-region open for translational regulation. Data supporting such a translational regulation of Wnt5a protein expression has previously been reported [19,29].
Recent studies have shown increased Wnt5a and protein levels in PCa compared to benign tissue [25,26]. Yamamoto et al demonstrated in vitro that knockdown of Wnt5a reduced the invasive properties of DU145, and over-expression of Wnt5a stimulated invasion of PC3 cells [25]. In contrast, Wang Q and co-workers demonstrated that recombinant Wnt5a did not induce an increased motility in the same PC3 cells [26]. In addition, it has been shown by immunohistochemistry (IHC) that Wnt5a expression correlated with Gleason score≧8 in 24 patients from a cohort of 98 PCa patients that had undergone radical prostatectomy. This could indicate that Wnt5a promotes aggressiveness, since patients with low Wnt5a levels had a better relapse-free survival compared to patients with high Wnt5a levels [25].

Treatment of prostate cancer and a method for determining the prognosis for prostate cancer patients


The linear laser beam generally has a width of 1 mm or less, and it is necessary to adjust the optical system with high accuracy in order to form the laser beam having such a narrow width and having a homogeneous intensity distribution. The adjustment of the optical system requires a large amount of time, and the laser irradiation apparatus using this optical system cannot be used during the adjustment of the optical system. This causes the throughput to decrease. The present invention is made to facilitate a readjustment of the optical system and to shorten the time required for it. When the misalignment of the laser beam is corrected to keep the incident position in the optical system the same by moving the laser beam parallel with the use of a single optical element, it is no longer necessary to readjust all the optical elements, and therefore the time can be saved.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a laser irradiation apparatus and a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device by using the laser irradiation apparatus.
2. Related Art
In recent years, a technique to form a thin film transistor (hereinafter referred to as a TFT) over a substrate has made great progress, and application development to an active matrix display device has been advanced. Particularly, a TFT formed using a poly-crystalline semiconductor film is superior in field-effect mobility to a TFT formed using a conventional amorphous semiconductor film, and therefore high-speed operation becomes possible when the TFT is formed using the poly-crystalline semiconductor film. For this reason, a circuit for driving a pixel, which has been mounted by an external IC chip, can be formed integrally with the pixel over the same substrate by a TFT.
The poly-crystalline semiconductor film suitable for manufacturing a TFT is obtained by crystallizing an amorphous semiconductor film. To crystallize the amorphous semiconductor film, a laser annealing method is generally employed. The laser annealing is more preferable than a general thermal annealing that requires a temperature as high as 600° C. or more. This is because an inexpensive glass substrate, which is often employed as a substrate of a TFT, is inferior in heat resistance and is easy to change in shape due to heat. That is to say, the laser annealing has advantages that the processing time can be shortened to a large degree compared with another annealing method using radiation heat or conduction heat and that a semiconductor substrate or a semiconductor film over a substrate can be heated selectively and locally so that the substrate is hardly damaged thermally. Therefore, the laser annealing method is widely used to crystallize the amorphous semiconductor film formed over the glass substrate.
It is noted that the laser annealing method described herein includes the technique to recrystallize an amorphous layer or a damaged layer formed in the semiconductor substrate or the semiconductor film and the technique to crystallize an amorphous semiconductor film formed over a substrate. In addition, the technique to flatten or modify the surface of the semiconductor substrate or the semiconductor film is also included.
It is preferable to perform the laser annealing in such a way that a beam spot is shaped into a square having a length of several cm on a side or into a line having a length of 100 mm or more through an optical system and that the beam spot is moved relative to the irradiated surface (or a region irradiated by the laser beam is moved relative to in a surface of a processing object) because this method provides high productivity and is superior industrially. (For example, see Reference 1.) It is noted that the term of linear herein used does not mean a line in a strict sense but means a rectangle having a large aspect ratio (or an oblong). For example, the rectangle having an aspect ratio of 10 or more (preferable in the range of 100 to 10000) is referred to as the line. It is noted that the linear is still included in the rectangular.
(Reference 1) Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. H08-088196
Since the laser beam emitted from the laser oscillator generally has Gaussian intensity distribution in which the intensity of the laser beam is attenuated from the center toward the end portion, it is necessary to homogenize the intensity distribution of the laser beam on the irradiated surface in order to perform the homogeneous laser annealing. In recent years, in order to form a linear beam having a homogenous intensity distribution, a method is known in which a lens array is used to divide the laser beam in a predetermined direction and to combine the divided laser beams. However, in this method, adjustment of the optical system requires a large amount of time. Here, the optical adjustment has two modes; setting an optical system such as a lens and a mirror on a predetermined position to perform a laser annealing; and after maintenance of a laser oscillator, correcting a misalignment of a laser beam involved by a misalignment of a window to perform the laser annealing again. Hereinafter, the former and the latter are defined as "adjustment" and "readjustment" , respectively. The latter, that is "readjustment" , is explained as follows.
A linear beam generally used to perform the laser annealing to the semiconductor film has an extremely narrow width, which is 1 mm or less. In order to homogenize the intensity distribution of the linear beam having such a narrow width in a direction of its short side, it is necessary to superpose laser beams divided by the lens array with very high accuracy. When one of the optical elements is displaced even a little, the intensity distribution of the beam spot formed on the irradiated surface may vary. For this reason, very accurate readjustment of the optical system is required, which consumes a large amount of time. During the readjustment of the optical system, the laser irradiation apparatus cannot be used and the process using the laser irradiation apparatus stops. This causes the throughput to decrease.
The optical system is readjusted by various reasons. Particularly, the optical system is most frequently readjusted when the laser beam is displaced from the predetermined position due to the maintenance work inside the laser oscillator.
As one of the maintenance works causing the misalignment of the laser beam from the predetermined position, cleaning of a window in a gas laser oscillator is explained here. In this maintenance work, the window of the gas laser oscillator is removed once in order to clean and then the window is set again to the same place in the laser oscillator. In this case, it is difficult to set the window to the same place and the window may be displaced. As a result, the laser beam is displaced from the predetermined position. This misalignment of the laser beam is explained with reference to FIGS. 1A and 1B.
A laser oscillator 101a shown in FIG. 1A has a pair of resonator mirrors 102a and 106a, a pair of windows 103a and 105a, and O-rings 104a. A flat glass 107a is not rotated in any directions because the laser beam is in the predetermined position. The laser beam emitted from the laser oscillator 101a forms a beam spot having a homogenous intensity distribution on an irradiated surface 109a by transmitting through an optical system 108a.
On the other hand, FIG. 1B shows a laser irradiation apparatus in which an incident position of the laser beam into the optical system is different from that shown in FIG. 1A. In FIG. 1B, since the window 105b is not set to the predetermined position, the laser beam is displaced from the predetermined position. This is because the O-ring for fixing the window is made of rubber When the stress applied to the O-ring is not homogeneous, the O-ring is not pressed homogeneously. Since it is a man that sets the window to the laser oscillator, it is impossible to apply the completely homogeneous stress to the whole O-ring, and therefore the O-ring is not pressed homogeneously. As a result, as shown in FIG. 1B, the window is tilted from its original position where the window is set before being removed.
It is noted that FIG. 1B uses the same laser oscillator as that shown in FIG. 1A. The laser oscillator 101b has a pair of resonator mirrors 102b and 106b, a pair of windows 103b and 105b, and O-rings 104b. A flat glass 107b, an optical system 108b, and an irradiated surface 109b in FIG. 1B correspond to the flat glass 107a, the optical system 108a, and the irradiated surface 109a in FIG 1A.
The optical systems 108a and 108b are designed and positioned so that beam spots having a homogeneous intensity distribution are formed on the irradiated surfaces 109a and 109b respectively when the laser beam is in the predetermined position. Therefore, when the laser beam is displaced from the predetermined position, the laser beam is incident into a different position in the optical system, and the intensity distribution of the beam spot formed on the irradiated surface may not be homogeneous. As a result, the annealing may not be performed homogeneously to the irradiated object. When the laser annealing is performed using a semiconductor film as the irradiated surface in such a way that this beam spot is scanned relative to the semiconductor film and when TFTs are manufactured using a crystalline semiconductor film obtained thus, the electrical characteristic varies between the TFTs, and moreover the reliability may be lowered. In view of these problems, it is necessary to correct the misalignment of the laser beam from the predetermined position and to keep the incident position of the laser beam into the optical system the same in order to obtain the homogeneous intensity distribution on the irradiated surface and in order to perform homogeneous annealing to the irradiated object.
In order to correct the misalignment of the laser beam from the predetermined position, a steering mirror has been used conventionally. With reference to FIGS. 10A and 10B, a general example is explained in which the steering mirror is used to correct the misalignment of the laser beam. In FIG. 10A, the misalignment of the laser beam emitted from a laser oscillator 1501 is corrected by moving the laser beam parallel using two steering mirrors.
To correct the misalignment of the laser beam, it is effective to readjust the position of the laser beam by steering mirrors 1502 and 1503 while confirming the predetermined position of the laser beam with the use of a CCD camera 1504. It is noted that since the CCD camera 1504 is used only to correct the misalignment, it is set so that it can be easily removed after correcting the misalignment. An optical system 1505 has a structure for homogenizing the intensity distribution of the laser beam and for shaping the laser beam into a linear beam on an irradiated surface 1506.
However, the method using the steering mirror has the following problem. The steering mirror can only control the position of the laser beam but also change a traveling direction thereof Therefore, when the laser beam propagates from the steering mirror 1502 to the steering mirror 1503, the traveling direction thereof may change. In FIG. 10A, the misalignment of the laser beam from the predetermined position is corrected by the steering mirrors 1502 and 1503. On the other hand, in FIG 10B, the traveling direction of the laser beam changes by the steering mirrors 1502 and 1503. In order to clarify this change of the traveling direction, the traveling direction of the laser beam in FIG. 10A is shown by a dotted line in FIG. 10B.
When the laser beam whose travel direction changes is incident into the optical system, the intensity distribution of the linear beam spot formed on the irradiated surface 1506 may vary. Even though the CCD camera 1504 is used, the change of the traveling direction of the laser beam cannot be detected.
Although the position of the laser beam observed by the CCD camera 1504 is the same in FIGS. 10A and 10B, it is understood that its traveling direction is different. Thus, the conventional technique in which two steering mirrors are used to correct the misalignment of the laser beam from the predetermined position has a problem to be solved.
Although the misalignment of the laser beam from the predetermined position can be corrected by readjusting the optical system, this method is not preferable because the readjustment requires high accuracy and consumes a large amount of time as described above.

Laser irradiation apparatus and method for manufacturing semiconductor device

Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.


This invention concerns a multiplexed electrohydraulic kind of control system consisting of ten undersea control modules, (24), arranged and installed one for each local Xmas tree (14) and satellite Xmas module (18). System links up with a stationary production system by two hydraulic umbilicals, (42), and one electric umbilical, (44), this latter through an electric distribution module, (26), while connection of jumper, (84) of undersea control module, (24), and to electric distribution module, (26) is done by a remotely controlled vehicle (R.O.V.), (30).

A multiplexed electrohydraulic type of control system has to be provided with some kind of electric power source and means of communication with the control and supervision station, through which to interface with the operator. The ideal way to avoid use of an undersea umbilical with electric cables between the platform and the template would be to provide the undersea control module with its own power supply source and/or place, together with means to enable it to communicate directly with the platform through the undersea environment it which it lies. Furthermore, the need to develop various other kinds of technology connected with idea is why it has not yet gained the degree of reliability and safety needed in the control of undersea production systems.

Multiplexed electrohydraulic type of control system for use in undersea production system


Disclosed herein is a timing device that includes a resonator device to generate a resonator output signal at a frequency offset from a desired frequency, a counter configured to generate an extraction signal in accordance with the frequency offset, and a timing signal generator configured to track time with a count based on the resonator output signal and modified by the extraction signal downward to reach the desired frequency.

1. Field of the Disclosure
The disclosure relates generally to resonator-based devices and, more particularly, to resonator-based clocks and other timing signal applications.
2. Brief Description of Related Technology
Accuracy measured in parts per million (ppm) is often required to keep accurate time information for time-of-day and other real time clock applications. Real time clocks are used in a variety of contexts relying on accurate time information, such as watches, clocks, PCs, mobile phones, cameras, appliances, wireless communications devices, etc.
Conventional real time clock output signals are generated from the output of an accurate quartz crystal oscillator, which has been trimmed to have an accuracy within 10 ppm to the target frequency, often 32.768 kHz. The frequency variation over the operating temperatures of quartz crystal has a parabolic shape. This parabolic shape has provided temperature frequency variation to about 13 ppm over a temperature range of 0-50 degrees, but can vary substantially outside of that temperature range.
Recently, micro-mechanical or microelectromechanical (MEMS) resonators have shown promise as a replacement to quartz crystal oscillators. While MEMS devices have been shown to provide size and cost advantages as well as compatibility with standard silicon circuitry, prior attempts to trim the initial MEMS resonator frequency have often introduced complexities, thereby increasing manufacturing costs.
The resonant frequency of a MEMS resonator also varies with temperature. Without any compensation, the resonant frequency of a MEMS resonator typically varies with temperature to an extent greater than that of a quartz crystal. Unfortunately, attempts to control or prevent temperature-based variation in the resonant frequency have often involved modifications to the MEMS resonator design.

Counter-based resonator frequency compensation


Apparatus and methods for downloading selected multimedia content and applications. In one embodiment, the apparatus and methods enable various options or functionalities for programming content over a home network. A web-based user interface on a consumer device controls a set-top box (STB) over a local home network is utilized. An initial process connects the consumer device to an application server for the necessary web software. After discovery of both the consumer device and the STB on the local home network, an initial page of the application is loaded and the application calls the web services on the STB via the home network to retrieve data and control the STB with a compatible web browser on the consumer device.

1. Technological Field
The disclosure relates generally to the fields of content and/or data delivery over a network. In one exemplary aspect, the disclosure is related to apparatus and methods for downloading selected multimedia content and applications that enable various options or functionalities for programming content over a home network.
2. Description of Related Technology
Recent advances in digital information processing and technology have made a broad range of services and functions available for delivery to consumers at their premises for very reasonable prices or subscription fees. Various methods of delivering media content such as video to end-users or consumers are known. For example, when the consumer requests television services (such as from a cable, satellite, or terrestrial network service provider), the service provider generally installs a host or terminal device, such as a set-top box (STB) or a gateway device configured to provide content to other devices in communication with the gateway (such as a wireless mobile device) that has access to the media content at the consumer's premises under a lease arrangement. Additionally, content may be provided to other consumer devices via communication of the service provider to entities in other networks. The service provider (e.g., multiple systems operator or MSO) delivers the content over the various channels subscribed by a particular user, as determined by a network or other content source, via the MSO distribution network and STB, or via other network configurations and entities as discussed above. Hence, the foregoing services may be provided and delivered to the user via a wide variety of different equipment environments including, inter cilia, cable modems, Wi-Fi™ hubs, WiMAX nodes, Ethernet hubs, gateways, switches and routers, computers, mobile user device, servers, cable or satellite networks and associated set-top boxes, and PSTNs.
These services and functions include digital content or programming (movies, etc.) delivered over digital video-on-demand (VOD), personal video recorder (PVR) and networked PVR (nPVR), Internet Protocol television (IPTV), digital media playback and recording, as well high speed Internet access and IP-based telephony (e.g., VoIP). Other services available to network users include access to, and recording of, digital music (e.g., MP3 files), as well local area networking (including wire-line and wireless local area networks) for distributing these services throughout the user's premises, and beyond. Network-delivered or network-based gaming and applications ("apps") have also each recently come to the forefront as popular content areas for subscribers.
The aforementioned STB or other MSO-provided devices accomplish video decoding, conditional access (CA) decryption, and display of a user interface. These STBs and devices however are often limited in processing power and memory, which makes it difficult for network operators to provide more full-featured services such as contemporary user interfaces, interactive program guides (IPGs), and interactive TV applications. Currently, STB user interfaces are typically provided by way of largely monolithic applications downloaded to each STB. Furthermore, two-way (or interactive) communications are limited to low-bandwidth commands and requests for on-demand sessions and video "trick mode" control, necessitating user content to be "carouselled" to each STB on a one-way broadcast network.
Network operators have been working on software solutions to overcome the aforementioned limitations on STBs and other Consumer Owned Devices (CODs). Enhanced Binary Interchange Format (EBIF), tru2way (based on the OpenCable Application Platform), CableCard, and other proprietary solutions have been deployed to create richer user interfaces, better on-screen guides, and interactive applications. Additionally, updated functionality in consumer electronic device technology has given MSOs the ability to explore delivering multimedia content in new ways. Smart TVs, STBs, PCs and mobile devices including smartphones and tablets/"phablets" now routinely include browser capability and can request on-demand content, connect to social networking services and engage in various interactive entertainment deployments.
However, many challenges remain in providing a seamless and user-friendly experience on any device at any time. Despite efforts to standardize digital video services, digital video is still typically provided via complex software downloaded on operator-leased devices, making it difficult to keep each such device up-to-date and capable of managing, viewing, recording, storing and sharing media content with a variety of peripheral devices and their ever-evolving operating systems. Furthermore, implementing interactive features without sacrificing network bandwidth and complying with content protection requirements has only made the task of providing video to a wide range of consumer devices more difficult.
The increased presence of home networking technologies in the average household affords network operators an emerging opportunity; i.e., to take advantage of the Internet and cloud-based applications in the context of digital video services. In particular, ubiquitous access to high-speed networks, robust browser implementation on all classes of electronic devices (including handhelds, tablets, and TVs), and widespread use of network tools (e.g., HTML5, CSS and Javascript) would allow operators to make their distribution system compatible with non-leased devices and enable new implementations of the traditional operator applications by merging data and logic into the network for a far more interactive user experience. However, extant implementations of managed networks are currently not well suited to support service discovery and use by way of non-leased "consumer" electronic devices which are now ubiquitous with users, so as to provide enhanced integration and "seamlessness" of service.
Therefore, what is needed is a methodology and apparatus for enabling non-leased devices to discover services on a network so that features currently available only through leased operator devices can be replaced or supplemented with other delivery (e.g., web-based) technologies adapted for non-leased devices.

Method and system for device discovery and content management on a network


A method of manufacturing a hard precious metal alloy member comprising casting a material consisting essentially of a gold alloy, which has a gold content of from 37.50 to 98.45 wt %, and contains gadolinium in an amount of not less than 50 ppm, but less than 1,5000 ppm; subjecting the material to a solution heat treatment; and subjecting the material to an aging treatment after the solution heat treatment.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hard precious metal alloy member suitable for a decorative member, a dental member, an electronic member, etc., and a method of manufacturing the same.
2. Background Art
Conventionally, gold (Au), silver (Ag), platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), rhodium (Rh), iridium (Ir), ruthenium (Ru), osmium (Os), etc. are known as precious metal materials, and are used in various fields, such as decorative members, dental members, electronic members, etc.
However, where these precious metal materials are used in such fields, they are not necessarily satisfactory in mechanical properties, such as hardness, Young's modulus, etc., and durability properties, such as corrosion resistance etc. Besides, there is another problem in that their operability is poor.
On the other hand, in recent years, white gold (Ni—Cu—Au alloy) has attracted attention in the field of ornamental articles, but its hardness has not yet been satisfactory. In addition, the alloy has a poor color tone, and an unsatisfactory corrosion resistance, thereby hardly maintaining aesthetic value. For this reason, the alloy is commercialized by using a plating treatment etc. under the present circumstances. Furthermore, the alloy cannot help having its hardness lowered by a heat treatment, such as brazing etc. Besides, its operability is also poor.

Method of manufacturing a hard precious metal alloy member


An electronic device (100) includes an antenna system (150) having two antennas (110, 120). A first antenna (110) has a first antenna element (111) positioned outside a first corner (191) of a planar, rectangular ground plane (165) and a second antenna element (115) positioned outside a second corner of the ground plane that is diagonally across from the first corner. A second antenna (120) has a third antenna element (121) positioned near a third corner (193) of the ground plane that is adjacent to the first corner and a fourth antenna element (125) positioned near a fourth corner (195) of the ground plane that is diagonally across from the third corner. At low-band frequencies, the antenna elements (111, 115) of the first antenna (110) are driven out-of-phase relative to each other. Similarly, at low-band frequencies, the antenna elements (121, 125) of the second antenna (120) are driven out-of-phase relative to each other.

Wireless communication devices such as radiotelephones sometimes use two antenna systems with two or more antennas to transmit and receive radio frequency signals. In a radiotelephone using two diversity antennas, the second antenna should have comparable performance with respect to the first antenna, and the second antenna should also have sufficient de-correlation with respect to the first antenna so that performance improvements offered by diversity operation in multi-path propagation environments can be realized.
Diversity antenna system performance is a combination of many parameters. Sufficient operating frequency bandwidth(s), high radiation efficiency, desirable radiation pattern characteristic(s), and low correlation between diversity antennas are all desired components of diversity antenna system performance. Correlation is computed as the normalized covariance of the radiation patterns of two antennas. Due to the dimensions and generally-accepted placement of a main antenna along a major axis or a minor axis of a device such as a hand-held radiotelephone, however, efficiency and de-correlation goals are extremely difficult to achieve simultaneously.
Thus, there is an opportunity to continue to develop antenna structures that have broad operating frequency bandwidth(s), good radiation efficiency, and/or low-correlation radiation patterns. The various aspects, features, and advantages of the disclosure will become more fully apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon careful consideration of the following Drawings and accompanying Detailed Description.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention.
The apparatus and method components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.

Diagonally-driven antenna system and method


A thermoplastic polymer composition comprising: (i) 100 parts by weight of a thermoplastic polymer component which comprises an ethylene-propylene rubber, an ethylene copolymer and a propylene polymer (including an ethylene-propylene block copolymer), and (ii) 7 to 25 parts by weight of talc, the thermoplastic polymer component being composed of, according to fractionation using o-dichlorobenzene as a solvent, component (A) which is a component soluble in the solvent at 40.degree. C., component (B) which is a component insoluble in the solvent at 40.degree. C. but soluble at 110.degree. C., and component (C) which is a component insoluble in the solvent even at 110.degree. C. in such a proportion that the total amount of the components (A) and (B) is from 50 to 70 parts by weight, the weight ratio of the component (A) to the component (B) being from 0.5 to 1.5, and the amount of the component (C) is from 50 to 30 parts by weight; the composition having a flexural modulus of 10,000 to 20,000 kg/cm.sup.2.

Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a specific thermoplastic polymer composition which comprises an ethylene-propylene rubber, an ethylene copolymer, a propylene polymer (including an ethylene-propylene block copolymer) and talc, shows good processability on injection molding, can give a molded product having a good appearance, is excellent in the flexural modulus, tensile properties, surface hardness, impact resistance and adhesion of coating, and thus is suited for the production of injection-molded products such as automobile parts.

Mitsubishi Petrochemical Company Limited