A tool for chip removing machining, including a basic body and a replaceable cutting insert that has a center axis and is detachably mounted in an insert seat formed in the basic body. The seat is delimited by a bottom surface and at least one side support surface. The cutting insert includes an out of round engagement surface that is pressed against an out of round shoulder surface to rotationally secure the cutting insert. The shoulder surface is included in a separate lock member that is partially inserted in a space formed in the basic body, the space opening towards the insert seat and located between the side support surface and the bottom surface of the insert seat such that the lock member rotationally secures a lower part of the cutting insert, while an upper part of the cutting insert is supported by the side support surface.

Milling cutters may be equipped with a plurality of small and round cutting inserts that are generally pulley-shaped and have a circular, endless edge between a topside and a circumferential clearance surface, as well as a number of out of round engagement surfaces adjacent to the underside. A usual existing cutting insert of this type is formed with six planar, identical and equidistant engagement surfaces, which together give the bottom part of the cutting insert a hexagonal, nut-like shape. By bringing this bottom part in engagement with a mating, hexagonal countersink in the bottom of the insert seat, the cutting insert is rotationally secured, i.e., is kept in position without rotating. Simultaneously, the cutting forces, which are considerably greater than the forces that aim to rotate the cutting insert, are carried by the bottom of the insert seat, as well as by one or more rotationally symmetrical arched side support surfaces against which the rotationally symmetrical and endless clearance surface of the cutting insert is pressed.
As long as the cutting inserts are large and few in number, the polygonal countersink in the bottom of the individual insert seat can be made without major difficulties, viz. by milling and/or drilling by means of conventional cutting tools. However, if the milling cutter should be equipped with small cutting inserts, and in particular, many small cutting inserts, difficulties arise in forming the countersink. In such cases, the plurality of (e.g., six) planar shoulder surfaces, which together form the countersink, will become so exceptionally small that traditional cutting tools cannot be used to generate the proper surfaces, as well as the requisite clearances between the same. Studies made on the question whether it would be possible to mill cut the surfaces by means of special shank-end mills having a diameter of down to 1 mm have shown that this alternative is not realistic. When the insert seats are numerous, i.e., located close to each other, the accessibility for the cutting tools is further reduced.
The present invention aims at obviating the above-mentioned difficulties. Therefore, a primary object of the invention is to provide a tool that can be constructed with small and numerous cutting inserts, which are rotationally secured by the use of means that are simple and inexpensive to provide.
Another object of the invention is to improve the rotational securing of the cutting inserts so far that the risk of unintentional rotation of the cutting insert is minimized.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a tool in which the risk of damage, e.g., wear damage, to the expensive basic body is reduced to a minimum.

Tool for chip removing machining, and a basic body and a lock member therefor


A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell module for generating electrical energy by electrochemical reactions of a fuel gas and an oxygen-containing gas, a condenser for condensing water vapor in an exhaust gas discharged from the fuel cell module by heat exchange between the exhaust gas and a coolant to collect the condensed water and supplying the collected condensed water to the fuel cell module. The condenser includes an air cooling condensing mechanism using the oxygen-containing gas as the coolant. The air cooling condensing mechanism includes a secondary battery for inducing endothermic reaction during charging and inducing exothermic reaction during discharging.

Typically, a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) employs a solid electrolyte of ion-conductive oxide such as stabilized zirconia. The solid electrolyte is interposed between an anode and a cathode to form an electrolyte electrode assembly. The electrolyte electrode assembly is interposed between separators (bipolar plates). In use, normally, predetermined numbers of the electrolyte electrode assemblies and the separators are stacked together to form a fuel cell stack.
As the fuel gas supplied to the fuel cell, normally, a hydrogen gas produced from hydrocarbon raw material by a reformer is used. In general, in the reformer, a reformed raw material gas is obtained from hydrocarbon raw material of a fossil fuel or the like, such as methane or LNG, and the reformed raw material gas undergoes steam reforming, for example, to produce a reformed gas (fuel gas).
The operating temperature of the fuel cell of this type is relatively high. Therefore, the exhaust gas containing the fuel gas and the oxygen-containing gas partially consumed in the power generation reaction is hot. In most cases, the exhaust gas of this type is discarded wastefully. Thus, it is desired to effectively utilize the heat energy.
In this regard, for example, a power storage type heat electricity combined supply system disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 06-176792 (hereinafter referred to as the conventional technique 1) is known. In the system, as shown in FIG. 6, as heat supply systems, an absorbed water heating system for an exhaust heat boiler 1a, a heating system for an Na-S battery (sodium-sulfur battery) 2a, a heat supply system by a boiler 3a are provided. Further, as power supply systems, a power generator 4a, the Na-S battery 2a, and a commercial power system 5a are provided.
The absorbed water heating system as one of the heat supply systems includes a water-water heat exchanger 7a for cooling bearing coolant water of a gas turbine 6a or the like and a gas-water heat exchanger 9a provided in an exhaust air system for a constant temperature bath 8a which keeps the Na-S battery 2a at a constant temperature.
Absorbed water is heated by the water-water heat exchanger 7a and the gas-water heat exchanger 9a, and then, supplied to the exhaust heat boiler 1a. The heating system for the Na-S battery 2a is branched at the outlet to guide the hot exhaust gas from the internal combustion engine such as the gas turbine 6a into the constant temperature bath 8a through a heat insulation pipe, and to heat the Na-S battery 2a for keeping the Na-S battery 2a at the constant temperature.
According to the disclosure, excessive electrical energy is charged to achieve effective utilization of generated electricity, and power storage equipment for charging and discharging electrical energy as necessary is provided. Thus, since the hot exhaust gas which is already available is used as a heat source of the battery (Na-S battery) which needs to be kept at high temperature for operation at high temperature, the expense for the facilities such as conventional electric heaters and electrical energy required for the heaters can be reduced.
Further, in a load following type fuel cell power generation system disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-334710 (hereinafter referred to as the conventional technique 2), as shown in FIG. 7, a fuel cell stack 2b is connected to a desulfurizer 1b as a fuel processing device, and an inverter 3b is connected to the fuel cell stack 2b. A sodium-sulfur battery 5b is connected between the fuel cell stack 2b and the inverter 3b through a bidirectional converter 4b.
A heat exchanger 6b connected to the fuel cell stack 2b through a coolant water pipe is provided. Further, a heater 7b for heating the sodium-sulfur battery 5b is provided. The heater 7b is connected to the heat exchanger 6b through a medium pipe for heat transfer, and a hot water supply unit 8b is connected to the heat exchanger 6b through a medium tube for heat transfer.
In the structure, electrical power outputted from the load following type fuel cell power generation system can be changed in accordance with the electrical power required for the load (load power) by charging and discharging the sodium-sulfur battery, and thus, can be changed to follow rapid fluctuations in the load power. According to the disclosure, since it is not required to heat the sodium-sulfur battery using electrical energy, no losses in the electrical energy occur.


Apparatus and methods for translation processing. The apparatus may be a transaction system including a keypad, a circuit for interacting with the transaction customer and a link communicatively connecting the keypad and the customer-interaction circuit. The cashier may interact with the keypad, while the customer (and not the cashier) may interact with the customer-interaction circuit. The link may communicate a dollar amount for the transaction between the keypad and the customer-interaction circuit. Accessories for the keypad may include a display. Accessories for the customer-interaction circuit may include a smart-card reader, a magnetic-strip reader, a check reader, a receipt printer and a biometric-information circuit. The customer-interaction circuit may include a port for connection to a remote service provider. That port may be the only remote-access port in the transaction system. The customer-interaction circuit may include a virtual PIN pad, and the circuit itself may be a programmed to capture a personal identification number by means of that virtual PIN pad. The customer-interaction circuit may include virtual paper, and the circuit itself may be programmed to capture a signature by means of the virtual paper. A cash register at the point of sale with the transaction system may not be communicatively coupled to the transaction system.

This invention relates to point-of-sale (POS) systems and retail stores. More specifically, this invention relates to transaction terminals at POS locations in small retail stores.
Brick-and-mortar retailers may be divided into three classes based on the number of registers at a store. A tier-1 retailer may have, say, twenty-six (26) or more cash registers at one store. A tier-2 retailer may have 3 to 25 cash registers. Tier-3 retailers have one or two registers per store. (These tiers may overlap at their boundaries.)
The cash registers at the tier-1 and tier-2 stores, termed "electronic cash registers" or "ECRs," tend to be qualitatively different from the registers at tier-3 stores. A tier 1-tier 2 cash register may cost $5,000 or more. For its expense, an ECR is programmed or programmable to handle activities beyond that of a cash register. In an integrated POS system, an ECR may communicatively couple with a POS device such as a check reader or a magnetic-strip reader. The ECR has sufficient intelligence to control the POS device, say, to obtain credit- or debit-card information from the magnetic-strip reader, combine it with the transaction total that the ECR has computed and forward it all to an external payment processor for authentication and approval. The IBM ECR model 4690, available from Internal Business Machine Corporation, Armonk, N.Y., is an example of a prior-art ECR.
In comparison, the cash registers of tier-3 retailers are typically much less sophisticated. These cash registers cost about $500 to $800—significantly less than the tier 1-tier 2 ECRs. For their affordability, stand-beside cash registers are not able to control POS devices co-located with the cash register. Any magnetic-strip/POS reader located with such a tier-3 register, for example, itself possesses the intelligence to send card information to a remote payment processor for authorization.
FIG. 1 illustrates a prior-art POS transaction environment 200 for a tier-3 POS location. The POS transaction environment 200 includes a cash register 210, a payment-processing device 220 (optionally integrating a check/magnetic-strip reader 221 and a printer 222), a PIN pad 230 and a communications link 240. The link 240 communicatively connects the device 220 and the PIN pad 230.
In a retail system including the transaction environment 200 and a remote payment processor 300, a link 400 communicatively connects the transaction environment 200—through its device 220—to the payment processor 300. Notably, the cash register 210 and the payment-processing device 220 do not communicate.
The OMNI models 460 and 470, available from VeriFone, a division of Hewlett-Packard Company, Palo Alto, Calif., with their printer 900 and CR 600 check-reader options, are examples of prior-art payment processing devices 220. The OMNI 460 has automatic-payment-processing and receipt-printing capabilities. The OMNI 470 combines a payment terminal, a printer and a PIN pad. Both OMNI terminals can transfer data via modem. Eclipse-brand payment terminals convert paper checks into electronic items for instant funds transfer from a customer's account to the merchant's.
Hypercom, Inc., Phoenix, Ariz., makes T7 and T8 series of transaction terminals. The T7 series include a 35-key keyboard, LCD display, a card reader and a receipt printer.
IVI Checkmate, Roswell, Ga., makes an eN and Elite series of transaction terminals with PIN-pad and receipt-printer peripherals. Most of these terminals have direct-dial capability integrated card readers and an LCD. Functions such as check reading, thermal receipt printing and wireless communication are optional.
In this tier-3 environment, processing a credit-card payment involves the cashier determining the dollar amount of the transaction using the cash register 210 and sliding the credit card through the check/magnetic-strip reader 221. The cashier then enters the transaction dollar amount into the device 220. The MSR 221 provides the requisite card information such as card number and expiration date. The device 220 then (dials and) communicates with the remote payment processor 300 to authorize the transaction. Upon authorization, the printer 222 prints a paper receipt which the customer then signs.
Processing a debit-card payment is similar: Instead of signing a paper receipt, the customer enters a PIN on the separate PIN pad.
Such a credit or debit transaction may take 6 to 22 seconds, depending on the type of connection with the remote payment processor. The customer idly waits for the transaction approval. Except for the entry of a PIN (if every necessary, for a debit-card transaction, for example), the customer does not interact at all with the transaction system 200.
While such a setup allows the merchant to use credit- or debit-cards as payment for goods or services at a cost much less than with integrated ECRs, the setup obliges the retailer to forgo certain additional sources of revenue. For example, the intelligence of the payment-processing device is limited to communicating and authorizing transaction information.
Accordingly, the art seeks a tier-3 POS environment that is less costly than the tier-1 and tier-2 environments but nonetheless offers the opportunity to convert the idle times of the customer into potential revenue.
These and other goals of the invention will be readily apparent to one of skill in the art on reading the background above and the description below.


A wireless communications interface couples wireless service to conventional wireline phone appliances. In one embodiment, the wireless communications interface is connected to the phone appliances through existing phone jacks. This allows a user to place and receive calls over a wireless network using the existing wireline infrastructure in a building. By using the invention, users can consolidate their portable and fixed phone service with one of the multiple wireless service provides and bypass the wireline service provider entirely, if so desired. In a second embodiment, the wireless communications interface is directly connected to the phone appliances, bypassing the installed wireline infrastructure. In a third embodiment, both wireline and wireless service are operative, and the wireless communications interface may include logic arbitration to route multiple calls to multiple phone appliances.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is generally related to wireless communications and wireline communications. More particularly, the invention relates to an interface between wireless and wireline communications.
2. Background Art
Various systems and methods exist for providing telephone services, including wireless and wireline networks that carry voice and/or data communications.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


Systems and methods for determining a chip yield are disclosed. One system includes a first level integration solver and a second level integration solver. The first level integration solver is configured to obtain a first probability distribution function modeling variations within a chip and to perform a discontinuous first level integration with the first probability distribution function. In addition, the second level integration solver is implemented by a hardware processor and is configured to perform a continuous second level integration based on a second probability distribution function modeling variations between dies to determine the chip yield.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to the design and manufacture of integrated circuits, and more particularly to the determination of chip yields.
2. Description of the Related Art
Memory yield simulation techniques have traditionally only accounted for within-die independent random variation. However, chip mean variation (die-to-die) also has a significant effect on memory yield. Due to the prevalence and growing popularity of FinFET devices, the impact of chip mean variation in relation to random, within die variation on the memory yield of manufactured chips is likely to increase. Existing memory yield analysis methods cannot account for both chip mean variation and within die random variation. The yield analysis problem is a multimillion random variable problem when the independent random variations of all memory cells in an array are considered together with the chip mean variation of the array. Although the straightforward approach of using Monte Carlo simulation and the like can be employed to solve the problem, it would require significant processing resources to evaluate the integrand.

Analysis of chip-mean variation and independent intra-die variation for chip yield determination

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


A viscous liquid dispenser (1) having a dispensing container (6) with a dispenser bottom (2) having a multiplicity of drainage holes (3) a grooved track (5) within the inside wall of the dispensing container parallel to and above the dispenser bottom, and a slidable damming plate (4) having a multiplicity of drainage holes (3) which is mounted in the grooved track and is capable of sliding between a closed position (FIG. 2) wherein the drainage holes of the slidable damming plate and the dispenser bottom are not aligned and an open position (FIG. 3) wherein the drainage holes of the slidable damming plate and the dispenser bottom are aligned is provided.

There is a great need for a device which rapidly and efficiently dispenses viscous liquids into containers for a great variety of applications. This need is especially great in Drosophila sp. laboratories where large volumes of hot media are dispensed into vials on a daily basis. There is also a need for such a device in microbiological laboratories which require large volumes of hot media for culture vials and plates. Of course, such a need also exists in other areas such as the cosmetic industry and food industry. Prior art devices for dispensing viscous liquids are relatively expensive, have many moving parts and may require energy sources to operate. Prior art media dispensing devices include peristaltic and piston driven pumps.
The present invention, however, rapidly and efficiently dispenses viscous liquids into selected containers in only a fraction of the time and cost required by piston or peristaltic pump devices.


Techniques are described herein for generating a dynamical systems control policy. A non-parametric family of smooth maps is defined on which vector-field learning problems can be formulated and solved using convex optimization. In some implementations, techniques described herein address the problem of generating contracting vector fields for certifying stability of the dynamical systems arising in robotics applications, e.g., designing stable movement primitives. These learning problems may utilize a set of demonstration trajectories, one or more desired equilibria (e.g., a target point), and once or more statistics including at least an average velocity and average duration of the set of demonstration trajectories. The learned contracting vector fields may induce a contraction tube around a targeted trajectory for an end effector of the robot. In some implementations, the disclosed framework may use curl-free vector-valued Reproducing Kernel Hilbert Spaces.

Various techniques have been proposed to enable robots to perform various tasks. For example, some techniques enable a user to kinesthetically teach the robot to follow a particular trajectory. For instance, the user may physically manipulate a robot arm to cause a reference point of an end effector of the robot arm to traverse the particular trajectory—and that particular traversed trajectory may thereafter be repeatable by the robot arm. As another example, while a user uses his or her arm to perform a task like moving to and grasping an object, a camera or other device may obtain visual samples of the movement to determine a trajectory of a reference point of the user's arm, which may then be repeated by a robot arm. However, those and other techniques may suffer from one or more drawbacks, such as those described herein.
The classical way to record a particular trajectory is to generate a time-indexed trajectory, e.g., of individual waypoints. This recorded trajectory can be used as a robot control policy. Whatever the starting point of the end effector reference point, the policy may cause the robot to identify the closest individual waypoint of the time-indexed trajectory, move the end effector reference point to that way point, and then move it along the remainder of the trajectory. However, this technique may not yield optimal results in terms of time required to traverse the trajectory and/or robot wear and tear. Moreover, a robot operating in accordance with such a simple control policy may not be well-suited to deal with dynamic obstacles in the environment.
By contrast, in a dynamical systems approach to feedback control, robot motion during a task (for example reaching a cup) is formulated as a differential equation, rather than as a time-indexed trajectory. Such a representation allows better generalization since instead of memorizing the demonstration trajectories, the policy has to capture the essential dynamics underlying the task during training. Additionally a dynamical systems policy can, by construction, adapt to changes in dynamic environments, making it suitable for use in unstructured environments. However, existing dynamical systems techniques employ non-convex optimization for dynamic fitting and constructing Lyapunov functions, and consequently are prone to sub-optimal local minima.

Generating a robot control policy from demonstrations collected via kinesthetic teaching of a robot


An alignment key (10) in a semiconductor substrate (40) is fabricated to display high optical contrast, and to prevent the diffusion of ionic contaminants through the alignment key (10) and into underlying portions of the semiconductor substrate (40). The alignment key (10) defines an enclosed structure formed by first and second metal layers (14, 20) which are electrically coupled by a filled via (22). A dielectric layer (42) is disposed between the metal layers (14, 20). A passivation layer (16) overlies an edge portion of the upper metal layer (14), however, the central portion of the upper metal layer (14) is bare. Slots (11, 12) in the upper metal layer (14) expose a portion of the lower layer (20) through the dielectric material (42). A high contrast scan signal (24) is generated as a continuous-wave laser beam traverses across the upper metal layer (14) and the slots (11,12). The scan signal is analyzed by a computer algorithm to determine the vertical and horizontal position of a semiconductor substrate (40) having multiple alignment keys (10) of the invention.

As semiconductor technology advances, more and more device components are being placed on a single semiconductor die. This phenomenon is especially apparent in the area of memory device fabrication. A typical VLSI memory device contains many thousands, and even millions of transistors for the storage of information. The increased complexity of semiconductor memory devices has resulted in a corresponding increase in the size of each semiconductor die, and in the cost for fabricating the die. The increased cost arises, in part, from the need to reduce the number of defects in each semiconductor die. In view of the high fabrication costs, a semiconductor manufacturer must obtain maximum yield of semiconductor memory devices, and must obtain maximum yield at an early point in the product life cycle of any particular semiconductor product.
Because of the need to obtain optimum yield, memory designers have for a number of years included redundant circuitry within the memory array of the devices. The redundant circuitry can be activated to compensate for primary circuits, which are non-functional because of processing defeats. The redundant circuitry is activated by selectively destroying fusible links at predetermined locations in the device circuitry. The process of de-selecting damaged portions of the memory circuit and activating undamaged portions by destroying selective fusible links is known as laser repair. An optical alignment system is used to position the semiconductor die to be repaired at a specific location where a laser beam can be trained on a predetermined fusible link. The optical alignment system has the capability of recognizing certain highly reflective features, such as alignment keys, on a wafer with high accuracy. Once a wafer is placed on the alignment system, the alignment keys are used by the optical system to align the wafer stage to the laser beam. The alignment keys are placed at strategic locations on the wafer and in the die area such that proper alignment of the laser to the fusible links can be obtained. The alignment keys must be positioned such that the wafer can be aligned in both the vertical and horizontal directions. In addition, because semiconductor wafers have a circular geometry, a rotational correction must also be made as the stage moves to various locations on a wafer.
An alignment key is typically two strips of metal laid out perpendicular to each other in either an "L" shape, or a disjointed "T" shape. In operation, the laser repair tool scans a continuous wave laser beam across the alignment keys, integrating the photo-reflective response to determine as precisely as possible the exact location of the keys. Once the key locations are known, the fuse locations are known. After the laser repair tool aligns itself to the die, it steps to the appropriate fusible links on that die and cuts them with an intense laser pulse. If the laser repair tool fails to align itself to the die, the die is not repaired, and the entire device will remain nonfunctional.
Because of the high cost associated with memory device fabrication, it is important that a repairable die not be lost as a result of failure to properly align the laser repair tool to the repairable die. To enable precise alignment of the die to the laser repair tool, the alignment key must be highly reflective and must be readily identifiable by the optical alignment system. To be readily identifiable, the optical system must be able to precisely detect the edges of the metal strips in the alignment key. High reflectivity and precise edge detection are most readily obtained by a large alignment key having metal edges which are free from any overlying passivation layers.
As memory device manufacturing costs rise, it becomes less economically feasible to devote a large die area to the fabrication of alignment keys. Further, while providing a highly reflective surface, removing the passivation layers to expose bare metal edges in an alignment key, can provide a location where ionic contaminates can diffuse into underlying circuit components, and cause device failure. Accordingly, the alignment keys of the prior art suffer from either poor reflectivity leading to die alignment failure, or provide a conduit for ionic contaminates to diffuse into the integrated circuit.

Alignment key for a semiconductor device having a seal against ionic contamination


The invention provides a fiber-optic sensing system for measuring a curvature in a small and elongated cavity of an object. The system includes a light source, an optical fiber and a light signal reflecting device disposed at a distal end of the optical fiber. The optical source emits a light signal into the optical fiber. The distal section of the optical fiber is inserted into the cavity of the object which curvature is to be measured. The curvature of the cavity bends the distal section of the optical fiber so that attenuation of light signal transmitting through the distal section occurs. This attenuated signal is reflected by a reflecting device and coupled into a measuring device. Thereby the curvature is deduced in accordance with the amount of energy attenuation in the reflected light signal.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a fiber-optic sensing system for measuring the curvature, especially for measuring the curvature of an elongated cavity of an object.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Curvature measurement is important in some fields but hard to perform. For example, in root canal treatment, the measurement of root canal curvature is very useful but complicated to make.
Root canal treatment involves the removal of diseased canal tissue and affected canal wall with super-elastic Ni—Ti rotary file. Due to the curvature of root canals, the rotary files are under rotating bending condition at work, which incurs an alternate tension and compression in the files. Such an alternating loading will lead to fatigue failure. Fracture of rotary file inside the canal is highly undesirable as it is difficult to take the fractured part out. It is therefore useful if one can predict the remaining life of a rotary file. To achieve this purpose, it is important to know the degree of curvature of the root canal.
Conventional method to measure the curvature of root canal employs X-ray radiography. Owing to the three dimensional nature of the canal, more than one radiograph from different directions are needed to obtain a realistic picture of the curvature. However, obstruction form other teeth may interfere with the image. Furthermore, X-ray radiography involves expensive equipment and radiation hazard.
Accordingly, an objective of the invention is to provide a fiber-optic sensing system for measuring curvature, especially for measuring the curvature of a small and elongated cavity such as root canal. This technique for measuring the curvature of the root canal is not only cheaper and more expedient than the conventional X-ray technique, but also it involves no radiation hazard.

Fiber-optic sensing system for measuring curvature


A system for topology selection to minimize leakage power during synthesis, wherein the system is configured to receive a circuit model that has one or more circuit gates. The system is further configured to receive a library having one or more logic gates, wherein each logic gate has a topology and the leakage sensitivities for each of the topologies is calculated. The system is then configured to synthesize a new circuit model by selecting one or more of the topologies based on its leakage sensitivities, wherein the new circuit model has reduced current leakage.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to electronic circuit design and more particularly, to topology selection of logic gates during synthesis of electronic circuits for minimizing leakage power.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Static power dissipation is becoming a major design constraint, not only in portable, but also in high performance very large-scale integrated (VLSI) systems. As static power dissipation exceeds dynamic power dissipation in high performance designs, synthesis techniques are being adapted to reduce leakage currents.
Several techniques have been proposed to achieve leakage power reduction based on circuit-level optimization techniques. These techniques require architectural support, and in some cases, technology support, and are applied at run-time (i.e., dynamically) and can be divided into three different categories: (1) input vector control; (2) threshold variation; and (3) power supply gating.
In one example of an input vector control technique, designers introduce sleep transistors to mitigate the increase in leakage current when low-threshold devices are inserted into a design. In this technique, the power and supply terminals of low threshold voltage gates are surrounded by high threshold positive-channel metal oxide semiconductor (PMOS) and negative-channel metal oxide semiconductor (NMOS) transistors, which are normally on in an active mode. In the sleep mode, the high threshold sleep transistors are turned off, thereby limiting the leakage of the high threshold transistors. This technique has a few disadvantages; however, such as decreased circuit speed due to the sleep transistor's resistance and increased area requirements for sleep signals and sleep transistors in a circuit design.
In an example of a threshold variation technique, high threshold devices are placed on non-critical paths and low threshold devices are placed on critical ones. In another threshold variation technique, the body and gate of each transistor are tied together such that whenever the device is off, low leakage is achieved while when the device is on, higher current drives are possible.
In another technique, known as power supply gating, the power supply is shut down so that idle components do not consume leakage power. This can be done by using multi-threshold complementary metal oxide semiconductor (MTCMOS) sleep transistors. The problems associated with this technique are reduced performance and noise immunity if care is not exercised when designing the sleep transistors.
The techniques discussed above attempt to reduce power leakage by performing leakage optimization on components' threshold voltages and/or components' oxide thicknesses. None of these techniques, however, take advantage of the fact that different gate topologies have different gate sensitivities for a unit width of a transistor size to its leakage current as an approach to topology selection.

System and method for topology selection to minimize leakage power during synthesis

International Business Machines Corporation


The present invention is directed to the compound 1,2-benzo-8-(D,L alanyl)-3-phenoxazone nitrate and to the method for preparing this compound.

The reaction of 1-nitroso-2-naphthol with tyramine and tyrosine in the presence of nitric acid has been reported by Udenfriend et al., J. Biol. Chem. 1952, 196, pp.227-233. Specifically, it is disclosed:
"TYROSINE DERIVATIVE--To 200 mg. of 1-nitroso-2-naphthol dissolved in 150 ml. of ethanol were added 80 mg. of L-tyrosine dissolved in 300 ml. of 1M nitric acid. The mixture was heated at 55.degree. for 2 hours, cooled, and extracted four times with 500 ml. portions of ethylene dichloride to remove excess nitrosonaphthol. The nitrosonaphthol derivative was then extracted into 250 ml. of n-butanol, which was washed twice with equal volumes of water to remove dissolved acid. 1 liter of n-heptane was added to the n-butanol and the mixture was extracted with 200 ml. of water. Orange crystals appeared in the aqueous layer.
These were collected on a sintered glass filter and washed with water. The moist crystals were readily soluble in water. The absorption spectrum was qualitatively the same as that of the isolated nitrosonaphthol tyramine derivative (FIG. 1). When dried in vacuo, the material was no longer easily soluble in water and displayed a changed absorption spectrum, indicating that a chemical change had occurred."
The reaction of 1-nitroso-2-naphthol with tyramine or tyrosine was used for quantitative analysis of either tyramine or tyrosine; however, as set forth by Udenfriend et al.: "The method does not distinguish between tyrosine or tyramine." A product was produced by the reaction, usually red to yellow, which related to the concentration of tyrosine or tyramine added, but the reaction product was not identified. The quantitative analysis of materials known or suspected to contain tyrosine or tyramine were reacted with 1-nitro-2-naphthol in the same manner as the controlled reaction and the color intensity measured by a spectrophotometer. The concentration of tyrosine or tyramine was determined by comparing the measured reading from the spectrophotometer to a calibrated chart having the color intensity for known concentrations.


Techniques for avoiding lock contention when processing data definition language (DDL) statements are provided. Some DDL statements modify metadata of a table and then require access to the table. After such a DDL statement modifies the metadata of a table and the updated metadata is made available (i.e., published) to other database statements, execution of the DDL statement is suspended. Data manipulation language (DML) statements acquire locks on the table. In one approach, the locks, of any DML statement, that are granted after the DDL statement is issued are timestamped. The DDL statement uses the timestamps to determine when to access the table. The timestamps are used to determine when the last DML statement (that was pending at the time the modified metadata was published) commits and releases its lock on the table.

In database systems, many resources (such as data blocks, tables, indexes) are shared among multiple processes. Even though resources may be shared, many resources may not be used by more than one process at a given time. For example, sometimes, tables stored on a storage medium may be concurrently accessed in some ways (e.g., read) by multiple processes, but accessed in other ways (e.g., written to) by only one process at a time. As a result, mechanisms have been developed to control access to resources.
One such mechanism uses locks. A lock is a data structure that indicates that a particular process has been granted certain rights with respect to a resource. There are many types of locks, some of which may be shared by many processes, while other types prevent any other locks from being granted on the same resource.
A database transaction includes one or more database statements. A database statement that specifies a change to a database object (such as a table or an index) is referred to as a data manipulation language (DML) statement. A database statement that specifies a change to metadata (i.e., at least a portion thereof) of a database object is referred to as a data definition language (DDL) statement. Even though a process acquires and holds a lock, a database statement is also said to acquire and hold a lock.
In high traffic database systems, it is important to allow multiple DML statement s to update a single table concurrently. However, if locks were granted to DML statements on a per-table basis, then only one DML statement would be able to access a table at any instant. Mechanisms have therefore been developed for allowing multiple DML statements to update a single table. DML statements may obtain locks at the granularity of a single row of a table in order to allow other DML statements to concurrently acquire locks on other rows of the table. Such DML statements typically also acquire an object-level lock (e.g., a lock on the entire table) in SX mode (described in more detail below) that prevents other process from acquiring incompatible object-level locks on the same object.
However, some DDL statements require a lock on an entire table. Once issued, such a DDL statement must wait for any DML statements that currently hold locks on individual rows of the table to release their locks before the DDL statement begins. Once the table lock is acquired, any DML statements that require a lock on individual rows of the same table must wait until the DDL statement completes.
FIG. 1 is a graph that illustrates the effect on DML activity that DDL statements typically have when issued. At T1, a DDL statement is issued. Subsequently, the DDL statement must wait until any DML statements that hold locks on any row of the pertinent table have completed. Also, any DML statements (1) that are issued after the DDL statement and (2) that require a lock on any row of the table must wait until the DDL statement is executed and completes.
By T2, all DML statements that were issued before the DDL statement have completed. Also at T2, the DDL statement begins executing. As part of its execution, the DDL statement acquires a lock on the table. At T3, the DDL statement completes and releases the lock on the table. The period between T3 and T4 indicates an increase in DML activity above the "normal" threshold in order to process the DML statements that were blocked on the DDL statement. In high traffic websites with online databases, the "dip" (i.e., between T1 and T3) in DML activity is unacceptable because the "dip" indicates that some users are waiting longer for database statements to complete than such users normally would wait. Thus, overall user experience suffers, which may result in some users choosing to visit other websites. Furthermore, a database system might not have enough resources to process the backlogged DML statements in addition to the DML statements that are received in the normal course of business. This lack of resources may cause additional delays in processing the DML statements.
The approaches described in this section are approaches that could be pursued, but not necessarily approaches that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated, it should not be assumed that any of the approaches described in this section qualify as prior art merely by virtue of their inclusion in this section.

Avoiding lock contention by using a wait for completion mechanism


An information processing apparatus is capable of using more than one type of keyboard with a single keyboard controller without increasing the production cost. In a keyboard matrix, a key scanning line C0 is arranged so that the key scanning line C0 is only connected to any one of key return lines R0 to R7 through a key switch having a key switch number G01. The key switch number G01 is assigned for the key [F1] which is common to keyboards having different key arrangements. When the information processing apparatus is activated, a keyboard initializing program is activated by depressing the [F1] key. As a result, the information processing apparatus identifies the type of the keyboard by detecting a key return line R from which a signal is returned when scanning is made upon the depression of the [F1] key.

As input means for entering user's instructions to controllers like personal computers and word processors, a keyboard device is generally used. There are other types of input means, such as a voice input system and a touch panel. However, when inputting a large number of characters, for example, texts and programs, it would be said that the keyboard device is still the best input means.
In the keyboard device, a plurality of keys are usually arranged to correspond to characters, respectively. The keyboard device is formed by a keyboard and a keyboard controller. The keyboard has key switches which correspond to the respective keys and are arranged in a matrix form. When a key on the keyboard is depressed, a key switch corresponding to the depressed key is turned on. Then, the keyboard controller outputs a logical key number corresponding to this key switch as a signal.
However, since each country has its own standards, various types of keyboards exist. For example, there are variations in the characters printed on the top of the keys and in the arrangement of the keyboard matrix.
In general, a keyboard controller is produced to correspond to a particular keyboard. Thus, even if a keyboard device is electrically and mechanically compatible with a keyboard having another arrangement of keys, when the keyboard device is connected to the keyboard controller by only replacing the keyboard, signals corresponding to correct logical key numbers cannot be output.
Therefore, in apparatuses like information processing apparatuses including a keyboard device, when the need to replace the keyboard with a keyboard having another arrangement of keys arises, it is impossible to replace only the keyboard. Namely, it is necessary to replace the whole keyboard device as a unit for the replacement of the keyboard. Such a drawback results in poor development efficiency and high development costs.
In order to solve these problems, for example, Japanese Publication for Unexamined Patent Application No. 61585/1993 (Tokukaihei 5-61585) proposes an "information processing apparatus".
In the information processing apparatus disclosed in this publication, an ID memory section storing ID for distinguishing keyboards is included in a keyboard device formed by a keyboard and a controller for outputting key code signals corresponding to the respective key switches of the keyboard. A memory in the information processing apparatus includes, for example, key-code-signal to character-code conversion tables corresponding to a plurality of keyboards. The information processing apparatus reads the ID of a keyboard from the ID memory section, and accepts inputs from the keyboard through the key-code-signal to character-code conversion tables. Consequently, when an occasion to connect a newly developed keyboard to the controller arises, it is possible to use the new keyboard with the use of a conventional controller by storing a key-code-signal to character-code conversion table corresponding to the new keyboard in the memory and reading the key-code-signal to character-code conversion table in accordance with the ID of the new keyboard.
The following description will briefly explain the structure and operation for distinguishing keyboards by presenting an example of a conventional information processing apparatus having storage means for storing a plurality of conversion tables corresponding to keyboards outside of the keyboard controller like the apparatus disclosed in the above-mentioned publication.
As illustrated in FIG. 24, this information processing apparatus includes a system device 51, and a keyboard device 52. The system device 51 includes a central processing unit 53, a display device 54, a system information memory device 55 formed by an EEPROM, FLASHROM, non-volatile RAM, or the like, a main memory 56 formed by a read/write RAM, a secondary memory 57 formed by HDD, etc., and an input/output device 58 for managing the flow of signals between the constitutional elements of the keyboard device 52 and the system device 51.
The system information memory device 55 includes a system information valid flag storage area 55a for storing a system information valid flag (hereinafter just referred to as the flag) L for determining whether initialization of the keyboard is to be performed or not, and a keyboard ID storage area 55b for storing the recognized keyboard ID from the keyboard device 52. The flag L is arranged to be 1 (L=1) after the completion of the execution of a keyboard initializing program 66a which is called up from a system initializing program 59a, to be described later, when the power supply of the system is first switched on. More specifically, the system device 51 judges that the system information is invalid when L=0, and that the system information is valid when L=1. When L=1, the system device 51 performs the following operations. The keyboard ID is a unique number allotted to each keyboard device 52 and the number varies according to the types of keyboards so that the system device 51 can identify the types of keyboards.
The main memory 56 includes a program storage area 59 storing the system initializing program 59a for initializing the system setup and a keyboard input program 59b for converting a logical key number input to the keyboard device 52 into a character code, and a data storage area 60 formed by a character codes storage area 60a and a conversion tables storage area 60b storing logical-key-number to character-code conversion tables.
The secondary memory 57 stores a plurality of logical-key-number to character-code conversion tables T (hereinafter referred to as the "conversion tables T") corresponding to different keyboard ID values. Like the embodiments of the present invention, to be described later, three conversion tables T00 to T02 corresponding to three types of keyboards are provided as shown in FIG. 24.
The keyboard device 52 is formed by a keyboard controller 61 and a keyboard 62. The keyboard controller 61 is formed by a central processing unit 63, an input/output device 64 for managing the flow of signals between the constitutional elements of the system device 51 and the keyboard device 52, and a memory device 65.
The memory device 65 includes a program storage area 66 and a data storage area 67. The program storage area 66 stores a keyboard initializing program 66a for recognizing the keyboard ID and transferring the recognized keyboard ID to the system device 51, and a keyboard output program 66b for converting a key switch position input through the keyboard 62 into a logical key number and transferring the logical key number to the system device 51 via the input/output device 64. In addition, the data storage area 67 has a keyboard ID storage area 67a storing the keyboard ID recognized by the keyboard initializing program 66a, and a key-switch-number to logical-key-number conversion table t (hereinafter referred to as the "conversion table t").
The keyboard 62 has a keyboard matrix 68 including an ID storage section 68a and a matrix section 68b with respect to necessary pieces of keys, for example, p pieces of keys. The ID storage section 68a is formed by an IC including ROM, etc., and stores an ID code unique to the keyboard. The matrix section 68b outputs a signal corresponding to the key switch position of a key depressed.
For example, as shown in FIG. 20 which is related to Embodiment 2 to be described later, the matrix 68b is formed by 10 key scanning lines C0 to C9, and 8 key return lines R0 to R7. A key switch is formed at each of the intersections of the key scanning lines and the key return lines. The key switches are provided with key switch numbers Gp (p=00 to 74). Namely, a corresponding key switch number Gp is individually determined by each key scanning line and key return line.
The conversion table t shows the relationship between the key switch numbers Gp determined by the key scanning line numbers and key return line numbers, and the logical key numbers Kg (q=00-74). The relationship is the same as the relationship shown in FIG. 21 which is related to an embodiment of the present invention, to be described later.
The conversion tables T show the relationship between the logical key numbers Kq and character codes. As described above, the conversion table T varies according to the keyboard ID value. For example, a keyboard whose keyboard ID is 00 has an arrangement of keys which is the same as the arrangement of keys (FIG. 11) corresponding to the conversion table T00 shown in FIG. 4 related to an embodiment of the present invention, to be described later. When the keyboard ID has a different value, the conversion table T also varies.
In the information processing apparatus having the above-mentioned structure, when power is supplied to the system device 51 and the keyboard device 52 after connecting the keyboard 62 whose keyboard ID is 00 to the keyboard controller 61, the system initializing program 59a is activated. Then, when it is judged based on the value of the flag L that the system information is invalid, the system information memory device 55 transmits to the keyboard controller 61 a request for keyboard ID.
Upon the request for keyboard ID, the keyboard controller 61 activates the keyboard initializing program 66a. Then, the keyboard ID having a value of 00 is read from the ID storage section 68a of the keyboard 62, stored in the keyboard ID storage area 67a, and sent to the system device 51.
The system device 51 stores the keyboard ID in the keyboard ID storage area 55b, reads the conversion table T00 corresponding to the keyboard ID from the secondary memory 57, and stores the conversion table T00 in the logical-key-number to character-code conversion tables storage area 60b. As a result, the flag L is made valid, and the activation of the system is completed.
After making the above-mentioned setup, in the keyboard device 52, when a character is input through the keyboard 62, the keyboard output program detects the key switch number Gp of a depressed key, calls a logical key number Kq corresponding to the key switch number Gp from the conversion table t, and transmits the logical key number Kq to the system device 51.
In the system device 51, the keyboard input program 59b calls a character code corresponding to the input logical key number Kg from the conversion table T00, and outputs the character code to the display device 54.
As described above, the keyboard 62 includes the keyboard ID storage section 68a storing the unique keyboard ID, and the system device 51 has a plurality of conversion tables T corresponding to different keyboard ID values. By storing the conversion table T corresponding to the keyboard ID of the connected keyboard 62 in the logical-key-number to character-code conversion tables storage area 60b upon the activation of the information processing apparatus and by using the conversion table T, it is possible to output a character corresponding to a key depressed on the keyboard 62. Namely, this structure allows a single keyboard controller 61 to be compatible with a plurality of keyboards having different key arrangements.
However, in the above-mentioned conventional techniques, the system automatically identifies a keyboard upon the activation of the information processing apparatus. Thus, it is necessary to provide the keyboard with a new memory area (ID storage section 68a). For instance, when a system as a whole supports four types of keyboards, at least a two-bit memory area is required. Moreover, since an IC is added, a capacitor and a resister may be required to deal with unwanted radiation and electrostatic breakdown. As a result, the cost of the keyboard device 52 itself increases.


A method for printing images on a substrate wherein the image has a textured, three-dimensional appearance is described. The printing method comprises printing a graphic design consisting of very fine lines having varying width, shape and orientation. This process is effective on the first surface of a pre-metalized substrate and on the second surface of a clear substrate. The lines are printed using an ink which even after drying or curing has a thickness (height above the film) to produce the desired textured effect. A layer of reflective ink is then printed over the entire boundary of the printed substrate, including over the clear ink. A protective layer of pigmented ink may then be printed over the reflective ink to protect the decorative substrate from abrasion. This printing process method may be used to make labels (both flat and formed) for any decorative application. Applications include flat two-dimensional parts using pressure sensitive adhesive and flat or three-dimensional formed applique's for use in In Mold Decoration and In Mold Labeling.

There a numerous methods to ornament, decorate and label articles. For example, decoration can be added to an article by molding, printing, painting, applying a decal, embossing, etching, engraving, among others. Printing, painting and decals are effective for creating flat, two-dimensional images, whereas, molding embossing, etching, and engraving can create textured, three-dimensional images.
The textured, three-dimensional images are often desirable because their visual appearance can change depending on the angle at which they are viewed and the angle of incident light. These images are commonly associated with more expensive, luxury articles. Indeed, decorating an article by molding, embossing, etching and engraving is usually much more expensive than decorating by most available printing techniques. Also, it is generally relatively expensive to change the decorative design created by these processes.
Guilloche is a centuries old form of engraving which is used to create the ornamentation on the dials that distinguish some of the most expensive and rare watches. The term guilloche is derived from the French word "Guillochis," used to describe the mechanical creation of precise, regular decorative patterns comprising straight and rounded lines using a technique related to engraving. The engraving is performed by an artisan utilizing a rose engine (named for the shape of its cams). The engine is similar to a lathe but is hand powered. The decorated piece is fixed onto the engine. A cutting tool is held in place as the decorated piece is moved against the cutting tool. With one hand, the artisan cranks the engine to rotate the decorated piece while his other hand regulates the pressure of the tool against the decorated piece. FIG. 1 shows several examples of patterns created by the guilloche process. As one might imagine, decorating by guilloche is a time consuming, expensive process. Engraving a single watch dial can take a guillocheur an entire day, which a brocading machine, a type of pantograph, can produce a similar engraving in forty minutes. In order to produce similar looking dials for mass production quantities, most dials displaying guilloche like patterns are embossed or stamped. But stamped patterns do not reflect light in the same manner as an authentic guilloche engraved pattern.
Another design used to decorate articles which can produce the effect of a three dimensional image is a holographic image. Basically, a hologram is a recording of an interference fringe pattern between two beams of coherent light (typically light produced by a laser). The resulting recording is a series of very finely spaced lines of varying widths that acts as a diffraction pattern. When illuminated with only the reference beam or similar light, the object beam displaying the three-dimensional object image is reproduced in phase and amplitude.
For background, one process for producing a hologram will be explained with reference to FIG. 2. A laser is provided which produces coherent light, meaning light of the same wavelength and which is in phase. The laser light is split into two beams, a reference beam and an object beam, by a beam splitter. The reference beam is expanded by a lens or curved mirror and is aimed directly through an interference region onto a film plate. The film plate comprises a suitable high resolution photosensitive emulsion (e.g. silver halide) which can resolve over one-thousand spaced lines per millimeter (mm). The object beam is also expanded through a lens and is aimed at the three-dimensional object to be imaged. The object beam reflects off of the object and some of the reflected light reflects through the interference region. The reference beam and reflected object beam interact to form an interference pattern which is recorded on the film. One beam comprises light reflected from the object of which the image is being recorded and is called an "object beam."
As described above, the resulting recording comprises a series of very finely spaced lines representing the interference pattern of the reference beam and reflected object beam. For typical wavelengths of visible light, the density of the lines is approximately 2000 lines per millimeter. Due to the very high resolution required, several precise processes have been developed for volume reproduction of the recorded holographic diffraction pattern. In one such process, photoresist is used to produce a metalized surface relief pattern on a master die. The master die is then used to emboss the diffraction pattern into a thermoplastic film which has typically been softened by heat, pressure, solvents or some combination thereof. In the last step, the film is coated with a highly reflective metal, such as aluminum or silver, usually by vacuum deposition. The result is a hologram in which the recorded light pattern is reconstructed in ordinary light reflected off the reflective metal coating and diffracted by the embossed diffraction pattern. The hologram can be attached to an article as decoration or as a product authentication device by lamination or other suitable attachment means. Several processes, including the one described above, for creating and replicating holograms are described in detail in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,839,250, 5,882,770 and 6,017,657, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated herein in their entireties.
Screen printing is another example of a useful technique for producing decoration and labeling on film substrates. Screen printing is also a very efficient and cost effective process for high volume, mass production of decorated and/or labeled articles. With its ability to vary and control ink thickness accurately, screen printing is an extremely versatile and useful process for decorating many different types of films which can then be applied to articles as decoration and/or labeling. While screen printing is generally well known to those skilled in the art, a short description will be included herein for completeness. Screen printing begins by creating the graphic design to be reproduced. Today, most designs are generated by computer with the aid of design drafting software, but the design may be created manually or by any other suitable method. The graphic design is then transferred onto a piece of clear film with the image printed in black. The black portions of the printed film prevent light from transmitting through the film. A screen mesh is coated with a light sensitive emulsion. The printed film is then fastened to the screen and exposed to a bright light. The dark areas of the film block the light from exposing the areas of the screen that are to print, and the transparent areas allow a photo-chemical reaction to harden the emulsion. When the screen is rinsed with water or other solvent, the emulsion washes out of the areas that were not exposed. This results in a screen with openings in the areas of the printed image. The screen is clamped into a frame that holds the screen steady during printing. The substrate to be printed is placed under the screen and is held by vacuum, clamps or other means during printing. With the screen lowered over the substrate and held at the correct off contact distance, ink is forced through the screen by the blade of a squeegee. The squeegee may be automated to control the speed, pressure, stroke and angle of the blade across the screen. Once the ink is printed onto the substrate it must be dried or cured depending on the type of ink. If the ink is solvent bases, then it may be dried by a gas or electric dryer. If the ink is curable, for example by exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light, then the printed substrate is exposed to ultraviolet light. Screen printing and processes for producing screens and stencils are described in greater detail in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,634,289 and 6,539,856, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.
The decorated films created by the holographic and screen printing processes described above may be applied to articles by many different methods. One method for adding decorative designs to thermoplastically molded articles is the in-mold decorating (IMD) process, sometimes referred to as in-mold labeling (IML), full surface decoration (FSD) or film insert molding. In a typical IMD process, the printed film is trimmed to the dimensions of the mold and/or formed into a three-dimensional shape that matches the shape of the mold cavity. The printed film is then placed into a mold and molten thermoplastic resin is injected into the mold behind and/or around the printed substrate. The result is a one-piece, permanently bonded article decorated by the printed film. The IMD process is described in detail in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,623,677 and 6,117,384, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by re entireties.
Various methods of printing graphics on articles to provide a textured or "tactile" look have been previously described. Such methods have been described for use in printing images on articles such as advertising signs, brochures, greeting cards, packaging material, trading cards and the like. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,042,888, issued Mar. 28, 2000 to Sismanis et al. describes a print article and method for making the print article which has a design which projects above the surface of a substrate. The substrate is described as being opaque with a reflective, shiny first surface (the first surface is the surface facing the intended viewing side of the substrate and a second surface is the opposite surface). The projecting design is formed by a layer of thick ink printed on the first surface of a substrate. The thick ink layer has sufficient thickness so that the thickness of the ink is visible to an observer and also has a tactile feel for an observer, similar to an embossed effect.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,968,607, issued Oct. 19, 1999 to Lovison, describes a printed article and process similar to Sismanis et al., except that Lovison is directed to a higher throughput continuous roll substrate and process for printing on a continuous roll. Typical ink thicknesses for the printed products and processes disclosed in Sismanis et al. and Lovison are greater than 0.01 inches. Furthermore, the printed lines are widely spaced apart (shown to be at least 0.1 inches or more) so that the individual lines are easily resolved from each other from a typical viewing distance. Indeed, it would be infeasible with the printing processes disclosed in Sismanis et al. and Lovison to print lines that are 0.01 inches or thicker to print very thin lines at very high line densities because such lines would tend to bleed together.

Method for producing printed image having 3-dimensional appearance


This disclosure relates to an electrified vehicle with a climate controlled front trunk and a corresponding method. An example electrified vehicle includes a thermal management system configured to circulate fluid to thermally condition a battery, a front trunk, and a valve configured to selectively permit fluid from the thermal management system to thermally condition the front trunk.

The need to reduce automotive fuel consumption and emissions is well known. Therefore, vehicles are being developed that reduce or completely eliminate reliance on internal combustion engines. Electrified vehicles are one type of vehicle currently being developed for this purpose. In general, electrified vehicles differ from conventional motor vehicles because they are selectively driven by one or more battery powered electric machines. Conventional motor vehicles, by contrast, rely exclusively on the internal combustion engine to drive the vehicle.
With the onset of electrified vehicles in the automotive market, many existing components in the engine compartment will become unnecessary. The excess room made available by the removal of these component allows for a front storage compartment, which is also known as a front trunk and sometimes shortened to "frunk." Front trunks are cargo areas located in the front of a vehicle and are typically accessible by opening the hood of the vehicle.

Electrified vehicle with climate controlled front trunk and corresponding method


The present invention provides a method of decreasing program disturb in memory cells, comprising: finding an initial programming condition that ensure programming memory cell normally; selecting one parameter from the initial programming condition as a variable for the program disturb test; performing the program disturb test to the memory cell for at least two values of the variable; obtaining a programming condition with minimum program disturb based on the result of the program disturb test; and applying the programming condition with minimum program disturb as the programming condition for memory cell. The method according to the present invention can minimize the program disturb for the memory cell and can be performed easily.

Non-volatile memory device consists of memory cell array including word lines and bit lines. In general, FET (field effect transistor) is a basic element of the memory cell. The word line connects gates of the transistors and the bit line connects drains of the transistors. A programming operation for a selected memory cell can be performed by floating certain word line and bit line. However, when it is desired to program the selected memory cell during application, the unselected memory cells connected to the same word line and adjacent to the selected memory cell may be programmed also. Such a phenomenon is called "program disturb".
The U.S. Pat. No. 6,469,933 discloses a method of decreasing program disturb in memory cells. When memory cell array is programmed, a ground voltage is applied to the bit line of the memory cell to be programmed, while a high voltage is applied to the bit line of the adjacent memory cells needless to be programmed, thus forming a complementary bit line to decrease the program disturb. The basic principle of the above method is to decrease program disturb by controlling the programming operation of memory cell. Thus, it is necessary to control not only the bit line voltage of the memory cell needed to be programmed, but also a bit line voltage of memory cells needless to be programmed. Therefore, it is not easy to operate.

Method of decreasing program disturb in memory cells

Semiconductor Manufacturing International (Shanghai) Corporation


A disposable remote-injection syringe comprises a syringe needle (2), an inner tube (3), an outer tube (4) and a casing (10), the syringe needle (2) being arranged on one end of the inner tube (3), the inner tube (3) being arranged in the outer tube (4), the outer tube (4) being connected with the casing (10).

An endoscope is a tube equipped with lamplight, so that it may enter the stomach through the oral cavity or enter the body through other natural orifices. Pathological changes which may not be displayed under X-ray may be examined by the endoscope. Therefore, the endoscope is very useful to doctors. For example, with an endoscope, doctors may observe ulcers or tumors inside the alimentary tract, hereby establishing the best therapeutic plans.
The existing injection syringes for use with various endoscopes usually have a slender insertion part capable of inserting into the endoscope channel and an operating part connected with a base end of the insertion part. The insertion part comprises a double-layer tube having an outer tube and an inner tube which may be inserted into the outer tube in a way that it may be fed into and retracted from the outer tube freely. The operating part enables the inner tube to be fed into or retracted from the outer tube. A front end of the inner tube is provided with a hollow syringe needle.
The existing injection syringes usually have a single injection function. When in use, the whole feeding or retracting of the needle needs to be completed by hands, and control by hands of the operators is required during the whole operation. Therefore, the existing injection syringes are laborious and inconvenient to operation.
In addition, for the existing injection syringes for use with an endoscope, the length of the needle tip extending out from a cannula may be determined just before an operation. Once determined, the length cannot be changed during the operation, resulting in that the existing injection syringes are difficult to adapt to different disease parts and the piercing depth of the needle tip cannot be adjusted according to the specific situation of the affected part.

Disposable remote injection syringe for use with an endoscope


A magnetic recording medium is disclosed that includes a substrate; an anodic alumina film formed on the substrate; a pore formed in the anodic alumina film; a carbon layer covering the surface of the anodic alumina film and the inner wall of the pore; a magnetic particle formed on the carbon layer inside the pore; and a lubrication layer covering the carbon layer and the magnetic particle.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to magnetic recording media, methods of manufacturing the same, magnetic medium substrates employed in the magnetic recording media, and magnetic storage units, and particularly to a magnetic medium substrate in which a carbon layer is formed on the surface of a pore of an anodic alumina film on a non-magnetic substrate, and a magnetic recording medium using the magnetic medium substrate, making it possible to increase capacity, increase speed, reduce cost, and ensure reliability.
There is a growing need for capacity increase, higher speed, and lower cost with respect to a recording medium used in external magnetic storage units for computers and household video storage devices due to a rapid increase in the amount of information stored therein. The principal emphasis for satisfying such a need is to increase the recording density of the magnetic recording medium. The conventionally mainstream in-plane recording method using a continuous magnetic film is approaching a technological limit on reaching a recording density of 100 Gbit/in2 because of a problem in that with an increase in recording density, signal-to-noise ratio decreases because of an increase in transition noise and the thermal stability of recorded magnetization decreases.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to reduce transition noise, a patterned medium in which minute magnetic particles are wrapped in a non-magnetic film and arranged regularly has been actively studied as a new type of magnetic recording medium. In the patterned medium, the exchange interaction and the magnetostatic interaction between magnetic particles are interrupted by the non-magnetic film between the magnetic particles. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce transition noise. Further, the perpendicular recording method has attracted attention again as a method that can achieve recording densities higher than 1 Tbit/in2. As patterned media, those in which magnetic particles are self-organized and arranged (see Sun et al., Science, vol. 287, No. 17, pp. 1989 (2000), Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2000-48340, and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2000-54012) and those using regular pores formed in an anodic alumina film have been presented. FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a conventional magnetic recording medium using an anodic alumina film. As shown in FIG. 1, a magnetic recording medium 100 is formed by filling pores 105 formed in an anodic alumina film 103 formed on a lower electrode layer 102 on a substrate 101 with a magnetic material 104 (see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2002-175621). The anodic alumina film 103 can be obtained by anodizing an aluminum film in an oxalic acid aqueous solution. In doing so, the aluminum film is converted into an alumina film, and a pore is formed in the center of a hexagonal cell. The hexagonal cells are formed regularly. Therefore, it is expected that by filling the pores with a magnetic material, magnetic particles are arranged regularly and the exchange interaction and the magnetostatic interaction between the magnetic particles are interrupted by the alumina film, which is a non-magnetic film, thereby making it possible to greatly reduce transition noise.
By the way, in order to realize a highly reliable magnetic recording medium, high performance is required in terms of the tribology and the chemical stability of a magnetic head and the surface of the magnetic recording medium, for instance, the durability of the surface of the magnetic recording medium with respect to the sliding of the magnetic head and the corrosion resistance thereof to acids or alkalis resulting from a variety of contaminants.
For instance, the above-described magnetic recording medium 100 using the anodic alumina film 103 has a problem in terms of corrosion resistance. That is, the anodic alumina film is an amorphous alumina film, and is converted into a polycrystalline alumina film by heat treatment at temperatures higher than or equal to 850° C. The polycrystalline alumina film is stable with respect to acid or alkali, while it has been reported that the amorphous alumina film is gradually or rapidly dissolved by acids having a pH of 4.2 or lower or alkalis having a pH of 9.9 or higher (see P. P. Mardilovich et al., J. Membrane Science, 98, (1995) 143). A magnetic storage unit that contains a magnetic recording medium may be internally contaminated by various chemical substances in air or in the magnetic storage unit as impurity gases or liquid droplets, which may adhere to and corrode the magnetic recording medium. If corrosion occurs, the surface of the magnetic recording medium becomes uneven so that a magnetic head that floats as low as tens of nanometers above the surface of the magnetic recording medium suffers a head crash.
In light of the sliding of the magnetic head, normally, a lubricant having a main chain of perfluoropolyether is applied to reduce the coefficient of friction, and it functions as a cushioning material when the magnetic head comes into contact with the magnetic recording medium. In particular, the lubricant is scattered or dissolved and vaporized by the sliding of the magnetic head against the magnetic recording medium. Accordingly, in order to ensure long-time durability, it is important to store the lubricant sufficiently on the surface of the magnetic recording medium. However, the lubricant is prevented from being stored sufficiently on the above-described magnetic recording medium using the anodic alumina film because its surface is alumina oxide or metal. In general, in dealing with this, a protection layer of an amorphous carbon film or a DLC film is formed on the surface. However, mere provision of the protection layer does not provide sufficient durability against sliding.

Magnetic recording medium, method of manufacturing the same, magnetic medium substrate employed in the magnetic recording medium, and magnetic storage unit


Some embodiments provide a novel method for tempering an adjustment of an image to account for prior adjustments to the image. The adjustment in some embodiments is an automatic exposure adjustment. The method performs an operation for a first adjustment on a first set of parameters (e.g., saturation, sharpness, luminance). The method compares the first set of parameters to a second set of parameters to produce a third set of parameters that expresses the difference between the first adjustment and a second adjustment. The method performs a third operation to produce an adjusted image. The first set of parameters quantify a set of prior adjustments to the image by an image capturing device when the image was captured in some embodiments. The second set of parameters is a set of target parameters. The third set of parameters specify the tempered adjustment of the image.

Digital graphic design and media editing applications (hereafter collectively referred to as image editing applications or media editing applications) provide graphical designers, media artists, and other users with the necessary tools to view and edit an image. Examples of such applications include Aperture®, Final Cut Pro®, iMovie®, and iPhoto®, all sold by Apple, Inc. These applications give users the ability to edit images in a variety of manners. For example, some applications provide different range sliders for adjusting different properties of an image or a video.
Many media editing applications, however, do not provide automatic image adjustment controls. For example, a user is required to manually adjust different sliders or enter values for different image properties in order to effectively use most of the existing image adjustment tools. This requires the user to have extensive knowledge of the values and slider positions for making different image adjustments. Unless the user knows precise values or slider positions for making image adjustments, the user is forced to try different values or slider positions until the adjustments are accurate. Even a user with such extensive knowledge may not have precise values or slider positions readily available when the user is making image adjustments. Furthermore, the user is left to verifying the accuracy of the adjustment by simply eye-balling the image after the adjustment. These deficiencies cause unnecessary inconvenience in editing an image.

Tempered auto-adjusting, image-editing operation


A presser foot drive structure of an embroidery machine, by which a vertically movable presser foot for preventing a sheet of cloth to be sewn from rising in a sewing operation is vertically moved inside a sewing head. The presser foot drive structure includes a presser foot drive holder, which is vertically slidable and is mounted on the outer circumference of a needle bar, which is vertically driven; a presser foot drive shaft, which is disposed parallel to the needle bar via the presser foot drive holder; and the presser foot, which is disposed at the lower end of the presser foot drive shaft and vertically reciprocates. It is possible to reduce the stroke of a presser foot so that it is smaller than that of a needle bar, enhance the supporting force for a needle bar, and reduce the shaking of a presser foot.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to embroidery machine, and more particularly, to a presser foot drive structure for embroidery machine.
2. Description of the Related Art
As well known in the art, an industrial embroidery machine is a type of machine in which an embroidery frame fixing a sheet of fabric moves horizontally in x- and y-axial directions in order to embroider a desired pattern on the fabric, while a needle bar capable of sewing moves up and down. A sewing machine carries a sheet of fabric using a geared carriage to sew the fabric sheet. In contrast, the embroidery machine performs needlework while the embroidery frame, fixing the sheet of fabric, is carried in x- and y-axial directions. Accordingly, the precise and constant-speed movement of the embroidery frame has a close relationship with the quality of an embroidered pattern.
Thus, as a source of power for driving the needle bar of the embroidery machine in a vertical direction, a servo motor, an induction motor, the speed of which can be controlled, or the like is used. As a power source for carrying the embroidery frame in x- and y-axial directions, a stepping motor, which ensures good positioning and is easy to control, is typically used.
Generally, 12 to 24 sewing machines are connected with each other along one spindle in order to improve the productivity of embroidery machine. Since the sheet of fabric must be sewn with various colors of thread corresponding to an embroidery design, each sewing machine has 6 to 12 needle bars, which are equipped with different colors of thread.
These days, users are demanding the ability to easily input, copy and store embroidery designs while performing simple editing on the designs. The users are also demanding various functions, such as an automatic thread color change function, which is enabled according to an embroidery design, a trimming function of automatically cutting a thread when sewing is finished, a function of interrupting the operation of the machine and raising an alarm when a thread is inadvertently cut, an outage restoration function of restarting the embroidery machine when the sewing machine stops due to a power failure, and the like.
In addition to the above-mentioned attempts to improve embroidery quality, embroidery machine providers are adopting industrial computers or microcomputers to embroidery machines in order to meet user demands for multi-functional embroidery machine operation.
FIG. 1 is a perspective and partially expanded view illustrating an embroidery machine of the prior art, FIG. 2A is a perspective view illustrating a presser foot drive structure of the embroidery machine of the prior art, and FIG. 2B is an expanded view of part "A" of FIG. 2A. As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of sewing heads is arranged in the front portion of a sewing machine 1, along the length thereof. In the front portion of a sewing arm 3 of each sewing head, there is provided a needle bar support case 4, which has a plurality of presser feet 5 acting as cloth pressing members.
The presser foot 5 serves to prevent a sheet of cloth to be sewn from coming loose when it is being sewn, and is provided so as to be vertically movable in cooperation with a needle bar (see the reference number 6 in FIG. 2A).
As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the needle bar 6 acts as a guide shaft for the vertical movement of the presser foot 5. Presser foot supports 12 and 13 for mounting the presser foot 5 on the needle bar 6 in a vertically and reciprocally movable fashion are located in two places on the presser foot 5, such as the top end and the middle section of the presser foot 5, so that a needle bar holder 14 at the bottom end of the needle bar 6 does not pass through the middle section of the presser foot 5. This acts as a factor limiting the reduction of the stroke of the presser foot 5, that is, the distance between the upper dead point and the lower dead point of the presser foot 5.
The needle bar 6, which should always have a predetermined stroke length, vertically moves through the middle section of the presser foot 5. In the vertical movement of the presser foot 5, in order to avoid excessive interference with the needle bar holder 14, the stroke of the presser foot 5 should have a predetermined length that is determined according to the stroke of the needle bar 6.
When the presser foot 5 is located at the lower dead point 5, a predetermined gap is always maintained between a pressing portion, which presses the sheet of cloth to be sewn, and the middle section, which is slidably supported on the needle bar. Thus, in the presser foot 5 pressing portion, where the sheet of cloth to be sewn is pressed, supporting force for the needle bar 6 is unreliable. Since the needle bar 6 is assembled through the presser foot 5, it is complicated to replace the presser foot 5 when it is fractured or broken. It is also necessary to disassemble the needle bar 6 and reset the upper and lower dead points of the needle bar.

Presser foot drive structure for embroidery machine


An injection device includes a plunger that has a cylindrical portion formed in an outermost diameter. A nozzle adapter is provided with a molding material charge port. A pressure control device injects a molding material into a barrel through the molding material charge port and moves the plunger backward while applying a set back pressure thereto in a metering.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an injection molding machine, and particularly, to an inline type injection molding machine with a plunger.
2. Description of the Related Art
An inline type injection molding machine performs a molding cycle of plasticizing, measuring, and injecting a molding material by one screw. In the inline type injection molding machine, a molding material is supplied from a material input port formed in a base portion of a barrel to a base portion of a spiral groove formed in the screw, the molding material is plasticized and kneaded while the molding material is fed to the front side of the screw with the rotation of the screw, and the molding material is metered at the front side of the screw. Subsequently, a mold is closed, and the molding material is injected into the mold as the screw moves forward, thereby obtaining a molded product.
Hitherto, even in a case where the inline type injection molding machine molds a molding material such as liquid silicon having very low viscosity or does not need to perform a plasticizing or kneading operation, the molding material is injected from the material input port formed in the base portion of the barrel to an inner diameter portion of the barrel corresponding to the base portion of the screw, and the screw moves backward in a rotation state, so that the molding material is metered at the front side of the screw.
However, in the case of a molding material having very low viscosity which does not need the plasticizing and kneading operations or substantially does not need the plasticizing and kneading operations, a problem arises in that the material is degraded due to the shearing operation performed by the screw. Further, in the case of a molding material which needs slight shearing and kneading operations or the case of a screw with a flight, there is a case in which the molding material is sheared and kneaded too much.
Further, since a feeding force is needed due to the spiral structure of the flight for feeding the molding material to the front side of the screw regardless of the unnecessary kneading operation, an expensive screw with a spiral groove is needed.
Although a preplasticating type injection molding machine is also known, even this injection molding machine includes a device that plasticizes and kneads a molding material by a screw and feeds the molding material toward a nozzle as in the inline type injection molding machine. As a result, there are problems in that the molding material is sheared and degraded and the expensive plasticizing and kneading device is needed (JP-A 2006-334974 and JP-A 8-80549).


Powder compositions exhibiting improved flow properties. The compositions generally contain a bulk solid material in the form of a powder and surface-modified nanoparticles. Methods of improving the flow of powder compositions and devices and articles made using such compositions are also disclosed.

The handling, mixing and delivery of bulk solids present unique difficulties when the solids are handled in powdered form. Often, one or more physical properties of the powdered particulates themselves are important, or even critical, to the application for which the composition is intended. Particulate shape, particulate size and particulate porosity often describe important physical properties or characteristics. Environmental conditions (humidity, temperature, shear forces among others) encountered by a powder during use or storage can and often do affect one or more properties of the particulates. Aggregation, agglomeration, attrition and flocculation represent the most common degradative effects on a powder and their presence or progression greatly limits the utility and viability of many powder compositions.
Achieving a uniform blend of dry bulk solids is a problem faced daily by engineers and operators in industries as varied as pharmaceuticals, foods, plastics and battery production. Even when an acceptable blend is obtained additional challenges arise in maintaining the blend through one or more pieces of downstream equipment. Poor blending or the inability to maintain an adequate blend before and during processing lead to additional and unnecessary costs, including costs associated with rejected material and decreased yields, added blending time and energy, decreased productivities, start-up delays and defective or out-of-specification products. Powder caking of raw and in-process materials, particularly during storage (m, e.g., bags or drums) can also pose significant problems. Both powder caking and an inability to achieve uniform blends and mixtures can decrease batch uniformity which, among other drawbacks, can require increased testing and sampling. In pharmaceutical applications, batch nonuniformities translate directly to dose nonuniformities.
Some flowability aids are known. Fumed silica, for example, is one popular powder additive that can be used to improve flow characteristics. While relatively inexpensive, fumed silica often is ineffective in preventing agglomeration of many particle types. Flowability is also a matter of degree; many, if not most, uses of fumed silica lead to some agglomeration and aggregation. Some undemanding industrial applications can tolerate a level of agglomeration not tolerated in more demanding applications. Applications involving precise metering or mixing of a powder, however, require more. Even in relatively undemanding applications the ability to improve powder flow can provide an increase in homogeneity with milder mixing conditions or with reduced mixing periods. Additionally, increased powder flowabilities can allow utilization of lower levels of expensive ingredients, e.g., dyes and pigments, particularly where the requirement of using a level of such ingredients correlates with the dispersibility of the materials in the powder with which they are mixed.
The preparation or delivery of pharmaceuticals and medicaments as powders is particularly demanding. Pharmaceutical applications must take careful account of various particle or powder characteristics, and pharmaceutical compositions often are prepared as powders as an intermediate step to final formulation in myriad forms for delivery to the patient. Pharmaceutical compositions can be tableted or encapsulated for oral gastro-intestinal ingestion and delivery. They also can be incorporated into a dry powder inhaler for delivery to the respiratory tract. The ability to achieve homogenous blends of compositions containing relatively low levels (by weight) of pharmaceutically active ingredients is very difficult.
Dry powder inhalation of a pharmaceutical or drug composition requires unique and challenging physical property profiles for a powder. In order to efficiently and efficaciously deliver pharmaceutical compositions to the lung in powdered form two competing criteria must be balanced:                1. The drug particles to be delivered must be sufficiently small so that the particles can be inhaled and penetrate into the deep lung. The aerodynamic diameter of the particles (Equation 1 below) primarily influences this behavior, since deposition in the respiratory tract is controlled by a particle's aerodynamic size rather than its physical or geometric shape. Lung deposition improves substantially for particles less than 5 microns in aerodynamic diameter and decreases substantially for particles with effective aerodynamic diameters of greater than 5 microns.
                              D          aerodynamic                ≅                              D            physical                                                        ρ              χ                                                          (        1        )                            where: ρ is the particle density; and                    χ is the shape factor of the particle (χ=1.0 for perfectly spherical particles and χ≧1 for irregular particles)                        2. Drug particles need also to be sufficiently deagglomerated by a dry powder inhaler ("DPI") device. Large clusters of multiple drug particles will not penetrate into the deep lung as efficiently as single or very small particle clusters. Traditionally, DPIs have utilized complex mechanical systems to ensure deagglomeration of the particulate powder and even then such systems have yielded only partial success. Competing with the desire for decreasing particle size, the flowability and ease of deagglomeration of powders unfortunately improves with increasing particle size. Below 5 microns in effective particle diameter deagglomeration efficiency exhibits a marked decline.
To balance these competing effects, recent efforts have developed powders for inhalation that are physically large (and thus effectively deagglomerated), yet are aerodynamically small (thus being more respirable). Some such particles, for example, are hollow spherical-like particles with low density but large relative particle size. Others are significantly irregular in shape and physical character. While achieving some degree of balance between penetrability and flowability, powders of such particles, particularly when formulated in lipid/drug matrices for delivery, tend toward an amorphous state and pose potential stability drawbacks. Concerns also arise when inhaling a large amount of the excipients required to form such matrices. Other methods to balance the competing effects have included adsorbing small respirable drug particles onto larger inert particles (e.g., lactose) which act as a carrier for the particles to provide for bulk deagglomeration but which require additional energy to release the drug from the surface of the carrier particle. Such an approach limits the amount of drug that can be delivered, since a substantial amount of the formulation is comprised of pharmaceutically non-active ingredients. Additional concerns surround the preparation of such powders in a homogenous manner and the ability to measure precise amounts of the powder blends in the final delivery vehicles.
Powder handling and processing technologies today lie significantly behind the development pace of companion technologies used in liquid processes, and there remain a great many practical problems handling powders that current methods cannot effectively address. Powder compositions exhibiting enhanced flowability and processability are desired for a wide range of applications including demanding industrial and pharmaceutical uses.

Compositions exhibiting improved flowability