A sensor circuit is provided that includes a first T-network including a first impedance serially connected to a second impedance at a first junction and a first variable resistance sensor element connected at a first end to the first junction and at a second end to ground. The sensor circuit also includes a second T-network including a third impedance serially connected to a fourth impedance at a third junction and a second variable resistance sensor element having first and second sensor element ends. The first sensor element end is connected to the third junction and the fourth impedance is connected to the second junction. The sensor circuit further includes a constant voltage source connected to the third impedance and to ground. The second end of the second variable resistance sensor element is connected to a fourth junction intermediate the constant voltage source and ground.

The invention relates generally to circuitry for use in conjunction with sensor devices and, more particularly, to a high sensitivity sensor circuit that minimizes the effects of environmental changes on sensor data.
A variety of instruments and electronic measuring devices rely on the measurement of resistance or changes in resistance of conductive elements disposed in a particular environment. Such instruments may include resistance strain gages used to measure static and dynamic strains on a structure and resistance-based temperature sensors. Resistance-based instruments typically comprise a detector element in the form of a filament or film that may be positioned in a measurement configuration/environment so as to respond to changes in an imposed environment or to changes in a secondary responses changes in an imposed environment. The detector element forms a part of a sensor circuit that may be used to identify changes in the resistance of the element. In strain gages, these changes in resistance relate primarily to changes in elongation or compression of the sensor element. They can, however, also relate to temperature changes in the detector element or to other structural changes.
In prior art sensor systems, detector elements are often placed in one or more (to a maximum of four) arms of a Wheatstone bridge circuit and supplied with a source of electrical energy. A difference of potential, the value of which is mathematically related to the strain in the device appears across the measuring diagonal of the Wheatstone bridge. A variation on this approach is to place up to two detector elements into a potentiometer network. Conventional Wheatstone bridge circuits have been used extensively for resistance sensor applications for many years and have many useful features. One such useful feature is a temperature compensation capability. The major drawback of bridge networks, however, is that the bridge output's sensitivity to resistance changes is inherently limited, thus necessitating large subsequent amplification. It is a well known fact that such amplification causes deterioration of the signal-to-noise ratio of the measured data. Another drawback is that bridge output is proportional, not only to changes in the target measurement variables (e.g., strain or temperature), it is also a function of the absolute value of these measurement variables. This dependence on absolute values may result in nonlinearity unless corrected by a separate measurement. Finally, the Wheatstone bridge has the inherent limitation that only four sensors can be used efficiently for data measurement.

Active sensor circuit with one or more T-network pairs


A method of intercepting application program interface, including dynamic installation of associated software, within the user portion of an operating system. An API interception control server in conjunction with a system call interception module loads into all active process spaces an API interception module. An initializer module within the API interception module hooks and patches all API modules in the active process address space. When called by the application programs, the API routines' flow of execution, by virtue of their patched code, is re-directed into a user-supplied code in a pre-entry routine of the API interception module. The API routine might be completely by-passed or its input parameters might be filtered and changed by the user code. During the operation, the API routine is double-patched by the API interception module to ensure that all simultaneous calls to the API routine will re-direct its flow of control into the API interception module. A user-supplied code in a post-entry module of the API interception module might filter or change the return values of the API.

The present invention relates to a method and system for intercepting an application program interface within a computer system, in general and to a method and system of diverting control from an application program interface to user supplied functions within a computer system, in particular. The present invention further includes dynamic installation of associated software, within the user portion of an operating system and within the kernel portion of the operating system for the implementation thereof.
The present invention provides a method of implementing better security within a computer system and enhances security capabilities for systems such as Windows and NT. The present invention further provides a method of better control over function call routines also known as application program interface routines (API) in a manner transparent to the user.
Numerous security systems have previously been proposed and implemented in various systems such as UNIX and the like. None of the previous solutions provide an efficient, time saving and cost effective manner for controlling APIs. On the contrary, previous systems, relating to security in general, have resulted in high costs to users to implement, maintain and upgrade said systems.
Previously known systems, such as the Windows and NT operating systems, fail to secure computer systems making use of APIs from misuse of APIs. There is thus a need for a method for intercepting an application program interface within a computer system.
Therefore it is the object of the present invention to provide a method and system whereby API functions called by user applications are not allowed to execute unless the calling process has the requisite authority and privilege.
One application of such a system could be a security application whereby certain API functions called by user applications are not allowed to execute unless the calling process has the requisite authority and privilege.
Another application might include a system profiler whereby any or all API function calls issued by an application are tracked and used to generate statistics about the behavior of the user application.
Yet another application might include intensive parameter checking in conjunction with parameter filtering or parameter correction, whereby any or all API function input parameters sent by the calling application program and the return values from the API routine itself are handled according to prescribed rules.
Constructive in the abstraction of providing API function interception in a computerized environment is that the user-supplied code can be inserted and installed within the operating system where it can be accessed.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Application program interface interception system and method


The invention discloses a method for determining a region where a broadcasting receiver is located by detecting the signal strength of a plurality of channels. When a user takes the broadcasting receiver from region A to region B, the broadcasting receiver provides a list of regions including region B when the broadcasting receiver is turned on. When the user chooses to change the current region to region B, and after the channel scan is performed, the user can effortlessly view the broadcast programs of region B.

1. Field of the invention
The invention relates to a method for a broadcasting receiver determining a region where the broadcasting receiver is located and, more particularly, to a method for detecting signal strengths of plural channels so as to determine a region where the broadcasting receiver is located.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Please refer to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 shows a table of parameters related to broadcasting regions. At present, digital video broadcasting (DVB) signals in different countries vary in frequencies and bandwidths. In general, if a broadcasting receiver is to receive a DVB signal in a certain country, the broadcasting receiver has to be set not only the corresponding frequency and bandwidth, but also other corresponding parameters, such as a carrier type, a guard interval, a forward error correction, and a modulation type, according to the situation of the country. As shown in FIG. 1, the frequency of Taiwan is 473 MHz˜857 MHz, and the bandwidth is 6 MHz. The table of parameters is stored in the broadcasting receiver. If the parameters of a region are wrongly set, the broadcasting receiver can not receive DVB signal correctly.
For example, when a user carries the broadcasting receiver from Taiwan to Britain, the user should change the region setting from Taiwan to Britain and then perform channel scan, so as to receive the broadcast programs in Britain.
Conventional broadcasting receiver has to be manually operated via an operation menu to change region setting and perform channel scan. It is very inconvenient for a user to perform such complicated operations. Besides, when the broadcasting receiver can not receive signals, the user would not know whether it is because of the change of region or poor signal, so the user can not judge whether he or she should change the parameters of region or not.
Accordingly, a scope of the invention is to provide a method for determining a region in a broadcasting receiver to solve the aforesaid problems.

Method for determining region where broadcasting receiver is located


A method for fabricating the memory structure includes: providing a substrate having a pad, forming an opening in the pad, forming a first spacer on a sidewall of the opening, filling the opening with a sacrificial layer, removing the first spacer and exposing a portion of the substrate, removing the exposed substrate to define a first trench and a second trench, removing the sacrificial layer to expose a surface of the substrate to function as a channel region, forming a first dielectric layer on a surface of the first trench, a surface of the second trench and a surface of the channel region, filling the first trench and the second trench with a first conductive layer, forming a second dielectric layer on a surface of the first conductive layer and the surface of the channel region, filling the opening with a second conductive layer, and removing the pad.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a memory structure and a method of making the memory structure, and more particularly, to a memory structure having two gates embedded in the substrate and the method of making the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is well known that memory devices have become essential elements of electronic products. For example, a cell phone, a computer system, and a personal digital assistant (PDA) all comprise memory devices to store data or program codes for further data processing. Memory devices can be separated into volatile and non-volatile, where non-volatile memory devices can retain the data even if the power supply is turned off. Unlike non-volatile memory devices, volatile memory devices require power to maintain the stored information.
Flash memory is a non-volatile computer memory that can be electrically erased and reprogrammed. It is a technology that is primarily used in memory cards and USB flash drives, which are used for general storage and transfer of data between computers and other digital products. As electronic devices become smaller, the size of the flash memory cells shrinks as well. Today, in order to make electronic devices of small sizes, increasing the integration of elements is a major issue.
FIG. 1 shows a structure of a two-bit flash memory cell according to prior art. As shown in FIG. 1, the structure of the conventional two-bit flash memory cell comprises: a substrate 10, a gate insulating layer 12 comprising a silicon oxide layer 18, a silicon nitride layer 16, and a silicon oxide layer 14, wherein the silicon nitride layer 16 has two charge storage regions 16a, 16b and a control gate 20 positioned on the gate insulating layer 12.
The two charge storage regions 16a, 16b of the above-mentioned flash memory cell are capable of storing two-bit data. However, as the size of the electronic device shrinks, a short channel effect is formed because the gate channel length becomes shorter. Furthermore, the smaller the size, the more difficult it is to achieve alignment of elements. Therefore, a new structure of the memory cell and a new method of making the memory cell are needed to overcome the short channel effect and solve the problem of element alignment.

Two bit memory structure and method of making the same


A method and apparatus for synthesizing logic circuits with synchronized outputs is disclosed. A logic designer selects a fixed number of levels in which to synthesize the circuit, each level implementing a plurality of different logic function all having the same propagation delay. Circuit outputs are synchronized by ensuring that each logic function is synthesized by connecting logic functions from level to level such that each signal path passes through each level once and only once.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to a technique for synthesizing logic circuits. More specifically the present invention relates to a logic synthesis technique in which propagation delays across circuits are equalized.
2. Description of Related Art
Digital logic circuitry is becoming increasingly prevalent in all kinds of devices. Many systems that were once operated through mechanical or analog electronic means are now controlled through digital electronics. Audio technology, including both home stereo equipment and the telephone system, is increasingly dominated by digital technology. Vehicles such as airplanes and automobiles, which were once controlled largely through mechanical means, are now primarily controlled by digital computers. Digital signal processing and digital wireless communications are just now beginning to replace long-dominant analog communications technology.
Designers of digital logic circuitry today generally use synthesis tools, computer programs for deriving a low-level implementation of a logic circuit from a high-level representation of logic functions. For instance, a designer may wish to connect two D-type flip-flops in series. The designer will specify to the synthesis tool that two D-type flip-flops connected in series are desired. The synthesis tool will then select circuit schematics for the two flip-flops from a standard library and combine the schematics to derive a low-level (logic-gate level) implementation for the circuit. In many synthesis tools, a designer has the option of choosing different design goals, such as power minimization, speed optimization, and so forth, so that the schematics picked from the standard library address these goals.
These schematics can then be translated into a physical form. Methods for translating a schematic into a physical form include deriving an integrated circuit layout directly from the schematic using some sort of integrated circuit compiler, and implementing the circuit in some kind of programmable logic device (PLD).
Programmable logic devices, including programmable logic arrays (PLAs), are integrated circuits containing connected blocks of circuitry for performing basic logic functions. A circuit design is xe2x80x9cprogrammedxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cburnedxe2x80x9d into a PLD by eliminating those connections between circuitry blocks that are not needed (by, for instance, blowing an internal fuse in the PLD, in the case of a xe2x80x9cfuse-programmablexe2x80x9d PLD) or defining certain wiring levels within the PLD (in the case of a xe2x80x9cmask-programmablexe2x80x9d PLD).
Conventional logic circuit synthesis techniques, however, suffer from a number of drawbacks. In complex circuits containing many signal paths, propagation delays (delays of signals through a circuit from input to output) can easily become unequal, which causes synchronization problems, particularly at high speeds.
Programmable logic arrays (PLAS), which are a type of PLD, solve the problem of synchronizing outputs, but only for simple circuits. PLAs are generally made up of arrays of AND and OR logic gates, and can be used to synthesize 2-level logic functions using a level of ANDs and a level of ORs. For simple circuits that can be implemented using a two-level AND-OR schematic, PLAs are an adequate solution, but for more complex circuits they are not.
What is needed, then, is a synthesis technique for producing circuits with synchronized outputs that is applicable for more complicated circuits, and a tool for implementing the technique.
The present invention is directed toward a method of synthesizing logic circuits having synchronized outputs, which method can be used in a synthesis tool for computer-aided engineering of logic circuits. The technique involves the a priori selection of a fixed number of logic xe2x80x9clevels,xe2x80x9d in which each level has a fixed propagation delay associated with it. Each level can include several logic functions, with each logic function in the level having the same propagation delay.
The logic circuit(s) to be implemented are then synthesized by connecting logic functions from one level to the next, so that every signal path must pass through each level once and only once. Logic circuits that are too complex to be synthesized using the number of levels chosen can be synthesized by partitioning the circuit into pieces that can each be synthesized using the levels available.
The physical result of such synthesis can be implemented using discrete logic components, or as a custom-fabricated integrated circuit using a standard integrated circuit compiler or layout tool, or in one or more programmable logic devices containing circuitry for each level.

Method and apparatus for synthesizing levelized logic

International Business Machines Corporation


A mobile spreader having a main frame, a tank mounted on the main frame for receiving manure or other fertilizer material, and a ground engaging wheel assembly mounted on the main frame for supporting the tank. A pair of augers rotatably mounted in the tank for conveying material received in the tank to a discharge area where an opening is provided in the tank. An expeller assembly, also mounted on the main frame, receives material conveyed to the discharge area and discharges it from the tank as it is transported over a field. The pair of augers consist of a first auger having a tubular element with continuous flighting extending therefrom, and a second auger mounted parallel and adjacent the first auger. The second auger also has a tubular element. Interrupted flighting elements extends from the tubular element of the second auger to aggressively engage clumpy material and break it up into particles small enough to be transferred to the discharge area by the augers.

There are various types of machines for spreading fertilizer, such as compost, manure, lime, commercial fertilizer, and the like, onto lawns, gardens and fields. One type is commonly referred to as a manure spreader, which as its name implies is used to spread barnyard manure. In a typical farm operation, manure is dispensed in fields for the purpose of conveniently disposing of accumulated manure as well as providing nutrients that enhance the characteristics of the soil in which crops are to be grown. To this end, a variety of manure spreaders have been developed over the years to haul and distribute different types of manure. For instance, conventional box spreaders are preferred for handling dry, clumpy types of manure.
Box spreaders comprise a box-like holding container in which a moveable conveyor is mounted in the bottom for transferring the material to the rear of the container. Rotating beaters, typically paddle shaped, are mounted in a transverse fashion at the rear of the container to engage and break up the material that has been conveyed rearwardly. The paddles also serve to distribute the broken up material in a swath behind the spreader as it is transported across the field.
Even though box spreaders have proven to be effective for dry, clumpy manure, they have not been as effective for distributing manure that has a significant liquid content. One problem is that box spreaders are open at the back, and are normally not sealed, resulting in leakage of the liquid content of the manure as it is being transported to the field, which in many instances is over publicly traveled roadways. To overcome this and other problems encountered with respect to the handling of liquid and semi-liquid manure, spreaders have been developed in which the material is held in a leak proof container.
In one common design the container is a V-shaped tank with inwardly angled sides for guiding material, such as manure, to an auger assembly mounted in the bottom. As manure is loaded into the tank onto the auger assembly, it engages it and conveys it to an expeller assembly for discharge from the tank. This type of spreader, as opposed to a box spreader, is commonly referred to as a tank spreader and is well adapted for handling cattle manure in liquid or slurry form as well as other types of manure with a lesser liquid content, such as swine and poultry manures.
In tank type spreaders, there are various arrangements employing either one or two augers for moving material to a discharge area. A typical example of a single auger machine is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,221,049, issued Jun. 22, 1993 in the name of Gilbert W. Linde, et al, while, on the other hand, U.S. Pat. No. 5,386,943, issued Feb. 7, 1995 in the name of Kenneth J. Peeters, shows a two auger arrangement. In the latter patent a spreader is depicted in which a transverse beater is mounted above the augers to engage material as it is urged rearwardly by the augers to an external transverse beater type expeller.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,199,638, issued Apr. 6, 1993 in the name of Thomas R. Fischer, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,275,335, issued Jan. 4, 1994 in the name of Stanley W. Knight, et al, are also directed to dual auger machines. In the spreaders shown in these two patents the augers, rotating in the same direction, are utilized in a cooperative manner to convey material to a side discharge assembly. In the '335 patent one auger is mounted above the other, while in the '638 patent the augers are mounted in a side-by-side fashion at the same elevation, and in both instances feed assist means are provided for conveying the manure to a side delivery discharge area.
Still another dual auger machine representative of the prior art is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,435,494, issued Jul. 25, 1995 also in the name of Stanley W. Knight, et al. In the several embodiments of the '494 machine one of the augers is used as a feed auger and the other is used as a discharge auger. The manure is conveyed to discharge means, comprising one or two side delivery assemblies, or an end mounted assembly.
In another prior art arrangement for tank spreaders side discharge is not used. Dual augers convey material to rearwardly located expellers rotated about one or more horizontal axes. Exemplary of this combination are U.S. Pat. No. 3,781,588, issued Mar. 18, 1975 in the name of John B. Long, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,124,166, issued Nov. 7, 1978 in the name of Gustave Lucas, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,801,085, issued Jan. 31, 1989 in the name of Thomas R. Fischer.
In yet another arrangement where side discharge is not used, the expeller is mounted to rotate about a vertical axis. Typical of this latter arrangement, is U.S. Pat. No. 5,501,404, issued Mar. 26, 1996 in the name of Donald A. Meyer, et al, which in the principal embodiment shows rotary expeller means with blades extending from a vertical shaft mounted rearwardly and external of the tank. Another example of a vertical expeller arrangement is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,296,909, issued Sep. 29, 1942 in the name of Merrills L. Dake, showing a truck mounted spreader used for spreading granulated material, such as salt, sand, or the like. In this spreader the augers, mounted within a flat bottomed tank, are counter rotating to discharge the material through an opening in the back wall of the tank onto distribution discs rotating about vertical shafts.
Notwithstanding the numerous kinds of spreaders available for transporting and discharging fertilizer material, such as manure, applicants have embraced additional needs for a spreader that effectively spreads all the various kinds of manure mentioned above as well as municipal sludge and other wastes such as yard waste materials commonly referred to as "greens". Typical of these materials are lawn clipping and plant trimmings from bushes, many of which are viney and tend to wrap, e.g., forsythia cuttings. Equally as important as providing a spreader for handling various kinds of manure is providing a spreader that does not bridge, regardless of the clumpy nature of the material and the ambient weather conditions, which could cause moisture laden material to present frozen lumps to the transfer and discharge assemblies of the spreader. Attempts in the past to provide an all purpose spreader have invariably encountered problems in the areas of bridging, handling clumpy material, handling packed material, handling sludge and greens effectively with the same spreader. While the need for an all purpose spreader has been recognized in the past, applicant is aware only of prior art resolutions that have been directed generally to solutions that focus on one or two of the problem areas, while neglecting the remaining areas.

All purpose dual auger material spreader


A glucose measuring device for determining the concentration of glucose in intravascular blood within a body part of a subject. The device includes light sources having a wavelength of 650, 880, 940 or 1300 nm to illuminate the fluid. Receptors associated with the light sources for receiving light and generating a transmission signal representing the light transmitted are also provided. A support piece is including for supporting the light sources associated with their respective light sources. The support piece is adapted to engage a body part of a subject. Finally, a signal analyzer, which includes a trained neural network, determines the glucose concentration in the blood of the subject. A method for determining the glucose concentration is also provided which calibrates a measuring device and sets the operating current for illuminating the light sources during operation of the device. Once a transmission signal is generated by receptors receiving light via the light sources and illuminated blood, and the high and low values from each of the signals are stored in the device, and averaged to obtain a single transmission value for each of the light sources. The averaged values are then analyzed to determine the glucose concentration, which value is displayed on the device.

The frequent monitoring of blood glucose levels in individuals with diabetes mellitus has become a major factor in the care of such patients over the past decade. Currently, it is possible for the diabetes patient and health care professionals to measure and record blood glucose levels using a variety of portable devices. Due to the need for multiple daily measurements, invasive blood for samples are a burden on the patient and often expensive. As a result, non-invasive devices using spectroscopic techniques, and which are battery powered and use solid-state electronics, have begun to be commercialized. Used at home, these devices allow diabetes patients to monitor and respond to fluctuations in blood glucose on a daily basis.
One example of such a device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,070,874 to Barnes, et al. ("the U.S. Pat. No. '874"). As set forth in the U.S. Pat. No. '874, human blood glucose concentration levels vary greatly, and are found within the range of 0-600 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl). Normal human blood glucose levels are in the approximate range of 80-110 mg/dl. Devices of the type disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. '874 involve measurement of blood components using near infrared radiation and spectroscopic absorption techniques. Additional devices of this type are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,379,764 and 4,882,492, as well as numerous others, which make use of both reflectance and transmission spectroscopic analysis techniques.
Problems with these prior art devices have resulted due to several issues. One problem is the overlap of the spectrum of glucose with other blood sugars and chemicals. Another relates to hemoglobin-glucose binding, which renders discrete spectral measurements difficult. Also, spectroscopic techniques are typically unable to discriminate between sugars that are metabolized and those that are excreted, resulting in erroneous readings. Still further, prior art devices have failed to address issues which directly impact the accuracy of the measurements taken, such as the spectral effect produced by the skin and tissue, as well as variable blood vessel and skin thickness and composition.
As a result of these and other problems, the repeatability and resulting accuracy of such devices has not been in the range it is desired. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is currently advising that non-invasive glucose measuring devices should have an accuracy in the range of 15% error or less.

Non-invasive glucose measuring device and method for measuring blood glucose


Methods and systems for determining pressure changes across at least two fuel vapor storage canisters are described. The methods and systems may include determining the pressure changes via a sole pressure sensor. In one example, fuel vapor canister bypass passages are provided to determine pressure values at a plurality of positions within an evaporative emissions system.

A vehicle may include an evaporative emissions control system to reduce release of fuel vapors from the vehicle into the atmosphere. The evaporative emissions control system may include a fuel vapor storage canister. Carbon within the fuel vapor storage canister may hold and release fuel vapors. The carbon's capacity to store fuel vapors may degrade over time due to water and/or liquid fuel entering the fuel vapor storage canister. In addition, the carbon may breakdown from its pellet form into a dust form. The dust form of carbon may store less fuel vapor than the pellet form. One way to increase the likelihood of fuel vapors being stored in carbon is to increase a volume of carbon in which the fuel vapors may be stored. However, a single canister with sufficient volume to store a desired amount of fuel vapor may not conform to vehicle packaging constraints and a new large volume canister that meets storage requirements may be cost prohibitive as compared to existing smaller canisters. Therefore, it may be desirable to provide an evaporative emissions system that has fuel vapor storage capacity to meet requirements and diagnostics that allows the larger volume to be evaluated for functionality.
The inventors herein have recognized the above-mentioned issue and have developed a method for operating an engine, comprising: estimating a pressure change across a fuel vapor storage canister via a controller according to a first pressure and a second pressure, the first pressure and second pressure indicated via a pressure sensor; and indicating a presence or absence of a restriction of the fuel vapor storage canister that is greater than a threshold according to the pressure change across the fuel vapor storage canister via the controller.
By selectively opening and closing one or more fuel vapor storage canister bypass passages, it may be possible to provide the technical result of providing diagnostics for a large volume fuel vapor storage system at reduced cost. In particular, bypass passages around two or more fuel vapor storage canisters may be selectively opened and closed so as to allow pressures along a plurality of fuel vapor storage canisters that are arranged in series to be determined. Pressure drops across the serially arranged fuel vapor storage canisters may be determined from individual pressures that were determined via opening and closing the bypass passages. Thus, with a single pressure sensor, it may be possible to determine whether or not a large volume of carbon may be degraded.
The present description may provide several advantages. In particular, the approach may allow large amounts of fuel vapor to be stored. Additionally, the approach may allow a large volume of fuel vapor storage material to be evaluated for degradation via a single pressure sensor. Further, the approach provides for mitigating actions if a fuel vapor storage canister is determined to be degraded.
The above advantages and other advantages, and features of the present description will be readily apparent from the following Detailed Description when taken alone or in connection with the accompanying drawings.
It should be understood that the summary above is provided to introduce in simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description. It is not meant to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defined uniquely by the claims that follow the detailed description. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any part of this disclosure.

Method and system for determining vapor storage canister restriction


Methods and apparatus for the installation of VIV suppression during the S-Lay installation of a subsea pipeline. A locking member will be interposed between a pipe and a fairing rotatably mounted on the pipe, sufficient to bias the fairing against rotating. Upon marine application, the locking member will degrade, thereby releasing the fairing.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus, systems and methods for reducing vortex-induced-vibrations ("VIV"), current drag, low frequency drift oscillations due to random waves, and low frequency wind induced resonant oscillations. In another aspect, the present invention relates to apparatus, systems and methods comprising enhancement of VIV suppression devices for control of vortex-induced-vibrations, current drag, low frequency drift oscillations due to random waves, and low frequency wind induced resonant oscillations. In even another aspect, the present invention relates to apparatus, systems and methods comprising modified and improved performance fairings for reducing VIV, current drag, low frequency drift oscillations due to random waves, and low frequency wind-induced resonant oscillations. In still another aspect, the present invention relates to methods and apparatus for the "S-Lay" installation of pipe. In even still another aspect, the present invention relates to methods and apparatus installation of VIV suppression during the "S-Lay" installation of pipe.
2. Description of the Related Art
When a bluff body, such as a cylinder, in a fluid environment is subjected to a current in the fluid, it is possible for the body to experience vortex-induced vibrations (VIV). These vibrations are caused by oscillating hydrodynamic forces on the surface which can cause substantial vibrations of the structure, especially if the forcing frequency is at or near a structural natural frequency. The vibrations are largest in the direction transverse to flow, however, in-line vibrations can also cause stresses which are sometimes larger than those in the transverse direction.
Drilling for and/or producing hydrocarbons or the like from subterranean deposits which exist under a body of water exposes underwater drilling and production equipment to water currents and the possibility of VIV. Equipment exposed to VIV includes the smaller tubes and cables of a riser system, umbilical elements, mooring lines, anchoring tendons, marine risers, lateral pipelines, the larger underwater cylinders of the hull of a minispar or spar floating production system.
There are generally two kinds of water current induced stresses to which all the elements of a riser system are exposed. The first kind of stress as mentioned above is caused by vortex-induced alternating forces that vibrate the underwater structure in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the current. These are referred to as vortex-induced vibrations (VIV). When water flows past the structure, vortices are alternately shed from each side of the structure. This produces a fluctuating force on the structure transverse to the current. If the frequency of this harmonic load is near the resonant frequency of the structure, large vibrations transverse to the current can occur. These vibrations can, depending on the stiffness and the strength of the structure and any welds, lead to unacceptably short fatigue lives. Stresses caused by high current conditions have been known to cause structures such as risers to break apart and fall to the ocean floor.
The second type of stress is caused by drag forces which push the structure in the direction of the current due to the structure's resistance to fluid flow. The drag forces are amplified by vortex induced vibrations of the structure. For instance, a riser pipe which is vibrating due to vortex shedding will disrupt the flow of water around it more so than a stationary riser. This results in greater energy transfer from the current to the riser, and hence more drag.
Many methods have been developed to reduce vibrations of subsea structures. Some of these methods operate by modifying the boundary layer of the flow around the structure to prevent the correlation of vortex shedding along the length of the structure. Examples of such methods include the use of helical strakes around a structure, or axial rod shrouds and perforated shrouds. Other methods to reduce vibrations caused by vortex shedding from subsea structures operate by stabilization of the wake. These methods include use of fairings, wake splitters and flags.
VIV is also a common problem for subsea pipelines, especially the portions of the pipe line that span canyons or trenches on the ocean floor. These canyons or trenches can act as conduits and magnify the effects of currents at or near the ocean floor. As with vertical risers/tendons, the solution is to install VIV suppression such as fairings, wake splitters and flags.
Installation of VIV suppression after the laying of the pipe line very expensive, laborious, and dangerous. Ideally, VIV suppression would be installed on the pipe at the lay vessel as it is being laid.
There as two main methods of laying pipe, the "J-Lay" and "S-Lay."
With "J-Lay," a vertical lay vessel is utilized, in which pipe leaves the traveling vessel vertically, with the pipe essentially forming a "J" as it is being laid on the ocean floor. With J-Lay installation, VIV suppression is easily applied to the pipe at the vessel during installation.
With "S-Lay," pipe leaves the lay vessel in an essentially horizontal position, and rolled off of a radially shaped "stinger" mounted aft, with the pipe essentially forming an "S" as it is being laid on the ocean floor. The stinger cross-section is a "V" shaped trough conveyor comprising a series of rollers across which the pipe passes. As the stinger is "V" shaped, only a portion of the pipe engages rollers. The problem with installing VIV during an S-Lay, is that the stinger will tend to shear off anything that extends radially from the pipe at those places where it engages the pipe.
Thus, there is a need in the art for apparatus, systems and methods for suppressing VIV and reducing drag of a marine element.
There is another need in the art for apparatus, systems and methods for suppressing VIV and reducing drag of a subsea pipeline, which can be installed during the laying of the pipeline.
There is even another need in the art for apparatus, systems and methods for laying a subsea pipeline with VIV.
These and other needs of the present invention will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon review of this specification, including its drawings and claims.

Methods and apparatus for installation of VIV suppression during installation of marine pipeline


Automated feature construction for algorithm portfolios in machine learning is provided. A gray scale image is generated from a text representing a problem instance. The gray scale image is rescaled or reshaped to a predefined size that is smaller than an initial size of the gray scale image. The rescaled gray scale image represents features of the problem instance. The rescaled gray scale image is input as features to a machine learning-based convolutional neural network. Based on the rescaled gray scale image, the machine learning-based convolutional neural network is automatically trained to learn to automatically determine one or more problem solvers from a portfolio of problem solvers suited for solving the problem instance.

In many scenarios there is no single solver that will dominate or provide optimal performance across a wide range of problem instances. Algorithm selection in algorithm portfolios is designed to help identify the best approach for each problem at hand, to select the best algorithm for a given problem instance. This selection is usually based on carefully constructed features that characterize problem instances, designed to quickly present the overall structure of the problem instance as a constant size numeric vector. Based on these features, a number of machine learning techniques can be utilized to predict the appropriate solver to execute, leading to improvements over relying solely on any one solver. However, feature generation usually involves a manually process, and the creation of good features becomes an arduous task requiring a great deal of knowledge of the problem domain of interest and expertise.

International Business Machines Corporation


Methods for rotating a magnetic field in a process chamber is provided herein. In one embodiment, a method for rotating a magnetic field in a process chamber includes forming a magnetic field having a primary shape; changing the primary shape to at least two sequential transitional shapes; and changing the transitional shape to a rotated primary shape. Optionally, the magnetic field may be maintained at an approximately constant magnitude throughout each step. Optionally, a maximum of one current applied to one or more magnetic field producing coils is equal to zero or has its polarity reversed between any two adjacent steps.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to plasma enhanced, semiconductor substrate processing systems and, more specifically, to a method and apparatus for shaping a magnetic field in a magnetically enhanced plasma reactor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Semiconductor wafer processing chambers commonly employ plasmas to enhance the performance of various processes for fabricating semiconductor devices on silicon substrates or other workpieces. Such processes include sputter etching, plasma enhanced chemical etching, plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition, and ionized sputter deposition. The high energy level of reagents in the plasma generally increases the rate of the fabrication process, and also reduces the temperature at which the semiconductor workpiece must be maintained to perform the process.
Magnetically enhanced plasma chambers (also referred to as reactors) employ magnetic fields to increase the density of charged particles in the plasma to further increase the rate of the plasma enhanced fabrication process. Increasing the process rate is highly advantageous because the cost of fabricating semiconductor devices is proportional to the time required for fabrication.
Despite this advantage, many plasma chambers in commercial use do not employ magnetic enhancement because the magnetic enhancement has been found to increase the likelihood of damaging the semiconductor devices on the wafer. Such damage is caused by non-uniform electron density across a wafer due to the spatial contour of the magnetic field being poorly optimized.
FIG. 1 depicts a schematic cross section view of a magnetically enhanced plasma chamber 5 suitable for either etching or chemical vapor deposition in accordance with the prior art. FIG. 2 depicts a top cross sectional view of the chamber 5. The chamber 5 is enclosed by an octagonal sidewall 12, circular bottom wall 14 and circular top wall or lid 16. The lid 16 and bottom wall 14 may be either dielectric or metal. An electrically grounded anode electrode 18 is mounted at the bottom of the lid 16. The anode electrode may be perforated to function as a gas inlet through which process gas enters the chamber. The side wall 12 may be either dielectric or metal. If it is metal, the metal must be nonmagnetic material such as anodized aluminum so as to not interfere with the magnetic field created by an array of electromagnetic coils 6, 7, 8, and 9 located outside the chamber 5. If the side wall is metal, it will function as part of the anode.
The semiconductor wafer or workpiece 20 is mounted on a cathode electrode 22, which, in turn, is mounted in the lower end of the chamber 5. A vacuum pump, not shown, exhausts gases from the chamber 5 through an exhaust manifold 23 and maintains the total gas pressure in the chamber 5 at a level low enough to facilitate creation of a plasma, typically in the range of 10 millitorr to 20 torr, with pressure at the lower and higher end of the range being typical for etching or CVD processes, respectively.
An RF power supply 24 is connected to the cathode pedestal 22 through a series coupling capacitor 26 or matching circuit (not shown). The RF power supply 24 provides an RF voltage between the cathode pedestal 22 and the grounded anode electrode 18 that excites the gases within the chamber into a plasma state. The plasma body has a time average positive DC potential or voltage relative to the cathode or anode electrodes that accelerates ionized process gas constituents to bombard the cathode and anode electrodes.
Magnetic enhancement of the plasma most commonly is implemented by a DC magnetic field in the region between the cathode and anode electrodes. The direction of the magnetic field is usually transverse to the longitudinal axis of the chamber 5, i.e., transverse to the axis extending between the cathode and anode electrodes. Various arrangements of permanent magnets or electromagnets are conventionally used to provide such a transverse magnetic field. One such arrangement is the pair of coils 6, 7 shown in FIG. 1 disposed on opposite sides of the cylindrical chamber side wall 12. FIG. 2 depicts a top, cross-sectional view of the chamber of FIG. 1 that shows the orientation of opposing coil pairs 6, 7, 8 and 9. Generally, the diameter of each coil approximately equals the spacing between the two coils. Each pair of opposing coils 6, 7, 8 and 9 are connected in series and in phase to a DC power supply, not shown, so that they produce transverse magnetic fields which are additive in the region between the coil pairs. This transverse magnetic field is represented in FIGS. 1 and 2 by the vector B oriented along the negative X axis. An example of such a magnetically enhanced plasma chamber is described in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,215,619, issued Jun. 1, 1993, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Because the plasma has a positive time average potential or voltage relative to the cathode electrode 22, the time average electric field E in the plasma pre-sheath adjacent the cathode is directed downward from the plasma toward the cathode, thereby giving the free electrons in the pre-sheath a drift velocity vector whose time average values oriented upward towards the plasma body, as represented by vector Ve in FIG. 1. In response to the DC magnetic field vector B, these free electrons will primarily experience a qvxB force, causing the electrons and ions to move in a helical shaped path that generally follows the magnetic field vector. In additional, the electrons and ions will experience another time-averaged force due to the combination of the helical motion and the electric field. This is commonly called the ExB drift, where the direction of the drift is approximately coplanar with the semiconductor wafer 20 and orthogonal to the magnetic field vector B as illustrated in FIG. 2 by the ExB vector oriented along the Y axis.
In this discussion, the term "time average" means averaged over one period of the RF frequency or frequencies at which the plasma is excited, this period typically being less than 10−7 seconds. This time average over one RF period is unrelated to the time averaging due to the optional rotation of the magnetic field relative to the workpiece that typically has a rotation period on the order of 0.2 to 4 seconds. The frequency of the electron moving helically about the magnetic field vector is f=(qB)/2 πm, where q is the electron charge, B is the magnetic field strength (Gauss), and f is the frequency (Hertz). For example, a magnetic field of 35 G will result in one turn around the helix lasting about 10e−4 seconds. This is longer than the RF frequency, but is much shorter than the magnetic field rotation of 0.2 to 4 seconds.
It is believed that the ExB drift of free electrons is a major source of semiconductor device damage in conventional magnetically enhanced plasma chambers. Specifically, it is believed that ExB drift can unevenly distribute the free electrons in the plasma pre-sheath and cause non-uniformity in the ion flux. It is believed that this spatial non-uniformity of the ion flux that bombards the wafer produces electrical currents in the wafer which often damages the semiconductor devices on the wafer.
Conventional magnetically enhanced plasma chambers attempt to ameliorate this non-uniformity by slowly rotating the magnetic field relative to the wafer, typically at a rotation frequency in the range of one quarter to five rotations per second. In some designs, the wafer 20 or the magnets 6, 7, 8 and 9 are physically rotated. In other designs, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the rotation is performed electronically by providing two pairs of coils 6, 7 and 8, 9 that are arranged orthogonally to one another. The magnetic field can be rotated in 90° increments by successively and periodically connecting the DC power supply to the first coil pair 6, 7 with positive polarity (2) to the second coil pair 8, 9 with positive polarity; (3) to the first coil pair 6, 7 with negative polarity; and (4) to the second coil pair 8, 9 with negative polarity. Alternatively, the magnetic field can be rotated continuously by replacing the DC power supply with a very low frequency (in the range of 0.1-10 Hz) power supply having quadrature outputs connected to provide current to the first coil pair 6, 7 offset in phase by 90° from the current provided in the second coil pair 8, 9.
Rotating the magnetic field relative to the wafer greatly reduces the time average spatial non-uniformity in the ion flux bombarding the wafer, and therefore can provide acceptable spatial uniformity of etch rate (in an etching chamber) or deposition rate (in a CVD chamber) on the wafer surface. However, rotating the magnetic field does not in any way improve the instantaneous spatial uniformity of ion flux on the wafer surface, and therefore does not completely solve the problem of semiconductor device damage in magnetically enhanced plasma chambers.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,113,731, issued Sep. 5, 2000, discloses a method and apparatus that further combats the ExB drift problem by driving current through the adjacent coil pairs 6, 9 and 7, 8 such that a magnetic field gradient is generated laterally across the surface of the wafer.
In FIG. 2, the magnetic field produced by driving a first current through coils 7, 8 is represented by arrow 10 and the magnetic field produced by driving a second current through coils 6, 9 is represented by the arrows 11. The first current is less than the second current such that the magnetic field 10 is smaller than magnetic field 11 such that a magnetic field gradient is produced, i.e., the magnetic field is shaped. The ratio of the currents produces the specific shape of the gradient. This ratio is optimized for each process regime to create a nearly uniform plasma. For most process regimens, the current ratio is in the range 0.1 to 0.7. This non-uniform magnetic field produces a more uniform ion flux within the chamber by increasing the magnetic field magnitude in the region of the wafer formerly with low etch rate, and by decreasing the magnetic field magnitude in the region of the wafer formerly with high etch rate. This magnetic field gradient is then adjusted to the shape that optimizes ion flux uniformity for each process condition. The optimum magnetic field gradient is dependent upon the hardware configuration used to produce the magnetic fields. As smaller and smaller feature sizes are used on wafers, the requirements for producing a nearly uniform ion flux continue to become more stringent, especially in certain process regimes, in order to prevent damage to the electrical circuitry formed on the wafer. The optimal gradient may be produced in a static position; however when the current is switched to the next coil pair to cause rotation of the plasma, the plasma "jumps" by 90°. Such a "jump" forms a discontinuity in the plasma process that can damage the substrate or cause non-uniform processing.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a method and apparatus for controlling the magnetic field gradient within a magnetically enhanced plasma chamber.

Method for shaping a magnetic field in a magnetic field-enhanced plasma reactor


A portable radio telephone having an antenna projecting from the top surface. The antenna can be pivoted from an upright position to an angled position.

The present invention relates to a portable radio telephone having a projecting antenna. The portable radio telephone may, for example, be a radio telephone such as a conventional handheld cellular telephone, or it may be a so-called smart radio telephone or personal organiser having radio frequency (RF) communication capabilities.
A handheld cellular telephone generally includes an antenna for transmitting and receiving radio frequency signals. Some handheld cellular telephones have antennas which are movable, for example, between retracted and extended positions.
European patent publication EP 0 516 490 shows an example of a movable antenna for a portable cellular radio telephone, in the form of a whip antenna which may be extended out of the housing of the portable telephone, or retracted into the housing of the portable telephone.
The Ericsson EH97 handheld cellular telephone shows another example of a movable antenna. Here the movable antenna is in the form of a rod antenna joined to the side of the cellular telephone housing so that it may rotate through 360 degrees. The antenna can be rotated manually by a user between a retracted position and an extended position (see FIG. 1).


A battery state estimation system estimates a state of charge of a chargeable battery. A SOCv computing unit calculates a state of charge of the battery using a voltage applied across the battery. A SOCi computing unit integrates a current flowing through the battery to calculate a state of charge of the battery. A SOCw computing unit which performs weighted addition to the state of charge of the battery calculated by the SOCv computing unit and the state of charge of the battery calculated by the SOCi computing unit, wherein when the temperature of the battery is a threshold value or less and the current flowing through the battery is a threshold value or less, the SOCw computing unit sets the specific gravity at the state of charge of the battery calculated by the SOCi computing unit larger than that in other cases upon the weighted addition.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technology which estimates a state of charge of a battery.
2. Description of the Related Art
In devices each using storing devices such as a lithium secondary battery, a nickel-metal hydride battery, a lead battery, an electric double-layer capacitor, etc., e.g., a battery system, a distributed power storage system and an electric vehicle, a state detection device for detecting the state of the storing device has been employed to use the storing device with safety and effectively. As the state of the storing device, there are mentioned a state of charge (SOC) indicative of the extent to which it is being charged, or how dischargeable amount of charge remains, a state of health (SOH) indicative of how it is deteriorated, etc.
An SOC for a portable device and in a battery system of an electric vehicle or the like can be detected by integrating a discharge current from full charge and calculating the ratio of the amount of charge (remaining capacity) remaining in a storing device to the amount of charge (full capacity) chargeable to the maximum. In addition, the relation between a voltage (open circuit voltage) applied across a battery and the remaining capacity of battery is defined in a data table or the like in advance, and the current remaining capacity can also be calculated by referring to the data table or the like. Further, the state of charge can also be determined by using these techniques in combination.
A method of performing weighted addition to a charge characteristic determined from a discharge current and a charge characteristic determined from a battery voltage and deciding a weight at this time, based on a current value obtained from the output of a storing device and an internal resistance, thereby determining a state of charge has been described in JP-2011-85592-A.

Battery state estimation system, battery control system, battery system, and battery state estimation method


There are provided methods for detection and measurement of stress in a cell, the method including introducing a labeled tRNA into the cell and detecting a change in subcellular localization of the labeled tRNA in the cell, based on the signal emitted from the labeled tRNA. There are further provided methods and systems for the generation of a stress index of a living cell. There are further provided methods and systems for detection of stress in a living cell, comprising detection of changes in subcellular localization of labeled tRNA in a cell, wherein the detection is performed in real time.

Transfer RNA (tRNA) is a small ribonucleic acid (RNA) molecule, generally about 74-95 nucleotides that has a key role in protein synthesis in the cytoplasm. The main function of tRNA is to bind to and transfer a specific activated amino acid to a growing peptide (protein) chain at the ribosomal site of protein synthesis during translation. tRNA molecule has a 3′ terminal site for the covalent linkage of a specific amino acid. The covalent linkage is catalyzed by an enzyme named aminoacyl tRNA synthetase. In addition, the tRNA molecule includes a three base region named the anticodon, which may base pair to the corresponding three base codon region on the mRNA molecule, which is the template for the protein synthesis. Each type of tRNA molecule may be attached to only one type of amino acid, however, since the genetic code includes multiple codons that specify the same amino acid, tRNA molecules bearing different anticodons may carry the same amino acid. (Lodish H, Berk A, Matsudaira P, Kaiser C A, Krieger M, Scott M P, Zipursky S L, Darnell J. (2004). Molecular Biology of the Cell. WH Freeman: New York, N.Y. 5th ed).
tRNA molecules are made and processed in the cell nucleus by a process known as transcription, while its site of action is in the cytoplasm, when participating in protein synthesis, as mentioned above. Hence, tRNA molecules translocate (move) between different subcellular locations. The dynamic movement and steady state accumulation of tRNAs in and between various subcellular locations may be dictated by the sensing of physiological states of the cell and may be regulated by mechanisms that are related to tRNA biosynthesis, function and turnover. Regulation of tRNA availability is central in the cellular response for the need of protein synthesis. Various cellular cues may dictate the function of tRNA by regulating the association of the tRNA with various cellular elements, such as, for example, association of tRNAs with amino-acyl-tRNA synthetases, association of tRNA with translation factors, association of tRNA with cytoplasmic polysomes, association of tRNA with ER-associated polysomes, and the like. In addition, alterations to the intracellular distribution of t-RNAs and sites of protein synthesis occur according to the onset of cellular programs such as cellular growth, division, differentiation, movement and cell-pathogen interactions. For example, viruses which generate localized foci of replication and assembly, termed viroplasms or viral factories, tailor the intracellular milieu to their needs, and may monopolize and concentrate the protein synthesis machinery in sites which differ significantly to those present in uninfected cells. (Castello, A., A. Quintas, et al. (2009), PLoS Pathog 5(8): e1000562; Katsafanas, G. C. and B. Moss (2007), Cell Host Microbe 2(4): 221-8; Qin, Q., C. Hastings, et al. (2009), J Virol 83(21): 11090-101; Smith, J. A., S. C. Schmechel, et al. (2006), J Virol 80(4): 2019-33).
It has previously been shown that in yeast, the tRNA retrograde process (the move/transport of tRNA from the cytoplasm to the nucleus), is energy-dependent, rapid, reversible, and may be responsive to nutrient availability. The re-export to the cytoplasm requires tRNA aminoacylation in the nucleus and probably the binding of eEF1A, which also is present in the nucleus (reviewed by Hopper A K, Pai D A, Engelke D R., FEBS Lett. 2010 Jan. 21; 584(2):310-7). Another publication (Shaheen H H, Horetsky R L, Kimball S R, Murthi A, Jefferson L S, Hopper A K. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2007 May 22; 104(21):8845-50) has shown a retrograde tRNA transport in rat hepatoma cells upon amino acid starvation. Additional publication has shown that Lenti retroviruses use the tRNA retrograde cellular process to deliver their reverse-transcribed genome into the nucleus in non-dividing neuronal cells (Zaitvesa L., Mayers R., Fassati A. (2006), PLos Biol 4:e332).
Nevertheless, the retrograde transfer of tRNA to the nucleus has not been imaged in real time, while it is occurring, in viable cells. Moreover, a correlation between various cellular stress conditions and the changes (spatial and/or temporal) of tRNA subcellular localization have not been demonstrated in living cells. There is thus an ongoing need for methods that provide detection and measurement of the retrograde movement of tRNA in cells. There is further an ongoing need for methods that provide detection and measurement of the retrograde movement of tRNA in cells in real time. There is also a need for methods for detecting, measuring and/or assessing various cellular stress conditions in real time in viable cells, by tracking the subcellular tRNA localization and changes in said localization.

Systems and methods for detection of cellular stress


The invention relates to an integrated optical device which comprises an adjustable Mach-Zehnder interferometer. The waveguide structure of the device is fabricated on the basis of polable unpoled material, the material in one (2) of the branches (2, 3) of the MZ interferometer being poled in a certain area (7). In the case of maximum poling in advance, the degree of poling of the poled material can subsequently be adjusted under conditions of accelerated thermal relaxation. Advantage: the device can first be fabricated, as far as its structure is concerned, using fabrication techniques which are standard for the selected material without additional attention to correct sizing, after which the interferometer section can then be adjusted in a simple manner to the optical pathlength differences required for the specific function of the device. As an example, a passive polarisation splitter is described.

1 Field of the invention
The invention is in the field of integrated optics. It relates to an integrated optical device which comprises an adjustable Mach-Zehnder interferometer, and more in particular an integrated optical device adjustable as a polarisation splitter. It furthermore relates to a method for the permanent setting of a device of this type. 2. Prior art
Polarisation splitters are known per se, for example from references [1]and [2](see below under C.). The polarisation splitter known from reference [1]is a passive splitter which is based on an asymmetry in the branching waveguides in the output of the splitter, which asymmetry is achieved by using a polable glassy polymer as optical waveguide material which in the poled state is polarisation-sensitive and in the unpoled state is not, or virtually not, polarisation-sensitive. In this context, the optical waveguide which extends from the input to the output is of unpoled, and the waveguide which branches off under an acute angle, of poled material. Although this splitter has a structure which is simple per se with a short integration length, it is found that the junction between the unpoled and poled material and the positioning of that junction cannot always be effected sufficiently sharply to achieve the desired degree of polarisation separation. Reference [2]describes an active polarisation splitter based on a coupling of a controllable Mach-Zehnder interferometer with an asymmetrically branching output section, the coupling proceeding via a bimodal waveguide section, while the remaining waveguides are monomodal. The waveguides are produced by diffusing Ti into LiNbO.sub.3 according to a section such that, at least in the two waveguide branches of the interferometer, the two polarisation modes, i.e. the TE mode and the TM mode, of an optical signal entering the interferometer encounter a different refractive index. By means of two sets of independently controllable electrodes, electrical or thermal, disposed over the two waveguide branches of the interferometer, the optical pathlength for each of the two polarisation modes can be controlled separately. Splitting of the polarisations is achieved if the optical pathlength difference between the two waveguide branches is such that the two signals of the one polarisation distributed over the waveguide branches in the interferometer encounter a phase difference of 2k.pi., and at the same time the two signals of the other polarisation distributed over the waveguide branches encounter a phase difference of (2m+1).pi. when entering the bimodal waveguide section, where k,m=0, 1, 2, . . . . This known active splitter too has the disadvantage of the presence of locally fitted electrode material. Furthermore, the nature of the electrode structures makes fabrication more laborious and control rather complicated.
Since the polarisation splitting function is, in fact, a passive function, a passive design of the splitter structure known from reference [2]might offer a solution. This would mean, however, that even at the stage of fabrication the optical pathlength differences, necessary for effective operation of the splitting function would have to be achieved for each of the two polarisations in the interferometer by very accurate choice of material with regard to the refractive indices and by dimensioning with very tight tolerances.

Integrated optical device adjustable as a polarization splitter by means of a Mach-Zehnder interferometer


A media processing system and device with improved power usage characteristics, improved audio functionality and improved media security is provided. Embodiments of the media processing system include an audio processing subsystem that operates independently of the host processor for long periods of time, allowing the host processor to enter a low power state. Other aspects of the media processing system provide for enhanced audio effects such as mixing stored audio samples into real-time telephone audio. Still other aspects of the media processing system provide for improved media security due to the isolation of decrypted audio data from the host processor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to electronic devices and, more specifically, to processing of audio in an electronic device.
2. Description of the Related Art
This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present invention, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
The trend in consumer electronics is to combine multiple functionalities into a single portable electronic device. For example, cell phones and media players are no longer merely distinct devices, each with their own unique capabilities. Rather, cell phone and media player functionalities can now be merged into one multimedia device with a multitude of capabilities. Modern cell phone/media players are often packed with dozens of additional features which include: playing of audio and video, taking of still pictures, recording video, playing video games, GPS navigation, web surfing, downloading of streaming media from the Internet, Bluetooth and WiFi communications, emailing, text messaging, etc.
One advantage of combining all of these features into one device is that it eliminates the need to carry multiples devices. From an economic standpoint, combined devices also reduce overall cost to the consumer because the electronics that make up the device are used for multiple applications rather than having duplicate electronics with specialized functions. Additionally, by combining an array of electronics with a variety of capabilities it may be possible to provide cross-functionality, in which one device takes advantage of the capabilities of another device.
Typically, the added functionality of a multimedia device is controlled by a central processing unit (CPU) that has direct access to all of the features provided in the device. For example, in the case of processing stored music, a CPU may directly control the routing of data between various components such as memory, digital signal processors, decoders and media playing circuitry. In this type of design, most data, including copyright protected media such as music or music videos, will eventually pass through the CPU for processing and routing. The drawback of this type of design is that the CPU is continually powered up, active and consuming battery power.
Additionally, the telephone audio in a typical multimedia device may be processed by dedicated circuitry rather than the CPU. Generally, telephone audio uses dedicated circuitry to guarantee a hard upper bound on real-time delay, both to comply with the various regulations that bear upon telephones, and to avoid delays that degrade the user experience. This may mean that dedicated circuitry is used to process telephone audio so that telephone audio can bypass the CPU. The circuitry dedicated to the processing of telephone audio is typically very simple, limited to equalization and routing functions. The drawback of this approach is that simplicity of the telephone processing circuitry limits the type of electronic enhancements of telephone audio that might otherwise be possible.
Another drawback of combining multiple capabilities in one device is that as multimedia devices become more functional, the risk of unauthorized copying and distribution of copyright material becomes greater. For example, a multimedia device that is capable of downloading music and/or videos from the Internet can also potentially store the media onto internal memory or an external device and redistribute the media via email or other Internet communication medium as well as by hard copy. Encryption of copyrighted material may help to make such material less susceptible to illegal copying; however, in the typical multimedia device decrypted media may eventually become available to the CPU and, therefore, vulnerable to illegal copying and distribution.
Thus, typical multimedia or audio devices of the prior art include a CPU that is directly coupled to all of the audio components, including a digital signal processor (DSP) and peripheral input/output devices. In a typical prior art device, the CPU would be directly involved in many of the process steps for processing audio, including routing encoded or compressed data to a digital signal processor, receiving the uncompressed data from the DSP and routing the uncompressed audio to a peripheral device.
It may be advantageous, therefore, to provide a multimedia device with an audio subsystem that is not directly controlled by the CPU. It would also be advantageous to provide a device that processes a wide variety of media and takes advantage of the enhanced capabilities that a multimedia device can provide, but, at the same time, provides optimal performance of a dedicated device. For example, it may be advantageous to provide a multimedia device that combines the capabilities of an audio player and a cell phone, but also consumes very low power while operating as an audio player or a cell phone. Additionally, it may be advantageous to provide a multimedia device with enhanced copyright protection that prevents users from illegally distributing copyright protected material.


A delay circuit includes: a current control circuit which has n (n is 1 or larger natural number) control pins and a first output line, and is capable of controlling current outputted from the first output line in response to n control signals inputted to the corresponding n control pins; a current mirror circuit connected with the first output line to produce current mirror current from the current and output the current mirror current from a second output line; a first active element having a gate pin and an input pin, the gate pin is connected with the second output line, and the input pin is connected with the first voltage line; a second active element having a gate pin and an input pin, the gate pin is connected with the first output line, and the input pin is connected with the second voltage line; and an inverter circuit having third and fourth active elements connected in series between an output pin of the first active element and an output pin of the second active element.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a delay circuit and an electronic device including a delay circuit.
2. Related Art
Currently, a delay circuit for delaying an input signal by a predetermined period is used for various purposes. Examples of unit for varying delay time of the delay circuit involve a digital variable delay circuit which varies delay by changing the row number of the circuit, and an analog variable delay circuit which varies delay by changing driving current or load given to a delay element. In case of the digital variable delay circuit, current consumption increases and accuracy lowers in proportion to the row number of the circuit.
In order to overcome this drawback, a method disclosed in JP-A-6-125252 changes power to be supplied to a delay circuit by switching a plurality of power sources using a switch to control delay time. According to the method shown in JP-A-6-125252, however, error is produced by ON-state resistance generated from the switch area. In this case, designing for producing desired delay is difficult.
As an improvement over this disadvantage, a method disclosed in JP-A-2006-217172 controls current and adjusts delay by using a current mirror so as to obtain delay in proportion to a control signal.
According to the method shown in JP-A-2006-217172, highly accurate control can be achieved. However, since delay is controlled by an analog method, control for obtaining desired delay is difficult.

Delay circuit and electronic device including delay circuit


The present application relates to novel heterocyclic compounds, to processes for preparation thereof and to the use thereof for controlling animal pests, which also include arthropods and especially insects.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to novel heterocyclic compounds, to processes for preparation thereof and to the use thereof for controlling animal pests, which also include arthropods and especially insects.
2. Description of Related Art
WO 2008/028903 A2, WO 2003/077918 A1 and WO 2003/029210 A2 disclose heterocyclic compounds for which pharmaceutical applications are described.
Further heterocycles which may be used in plant protection are described in WO 2009/149858, WO 2010/006713, WO 2011/045240 and WO 2011/045224.
Modern crop protection compositions have to meet many demands, for example in relation to efficacy, persistence and spectrum of their action and possible use. Questions of toxicity, the combinability with other active compounds or formulation auxiliaries play a role, as well as the question of the expense that the synthesis of an active compound requires. Furthermore, resistances may occur. For all these reasons alone, the search for novel crop protection agents cannot be considered as having been concluded, and there is a constant need for novel compounds having properties which, compared to the known compounds, are improved at least in respect of individual aspects.


A molding apparatus having variable-volume cavities is provided. The apparatus consists of a lower and an upper mold defining a cavity for the lead frame, and having a conduit for forcing fluid plastic from a reservoir to the cavity for encapsulating an integrated circuit bonded to a lead frame. A pressure source is used to force the plastic from the reservoir through the conduit into both the upper and lower portions of the cavity surrounding the lead frame. The cavity of the mold is equipped with at least one piston-like insert slideably mounted in a bore hole in the surface of the cavity. The insert can be compressed or expanded to reduce or increase, respectively, the volume of the cavity. Thus, the final size of the cavity in the mold is determined by the position of the insert at the end of the encapsulation process. By allowing the expansion of the insert during a first phase of the molding operation, excess plastic is forced into the cavity. During a second phase, the volume of the cavity is reduced to its final size by the application of back pressure on the insert, causing the excess molten plastic to be forced out of the cavity together with residual air bubbles trapped in the plastic.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to the general field of packages and packaging methods for semiconductor devices; in particular, the invention relates to an improved plastic encapsulation apparatus and method for a very thin device having an integrated circuit bonded to a lead frame and packaged in molten plastic according to procedures commonly used in the industry.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a typical prior art system for bonding and encapsulating integrated circuits, a plurality of such circuits is arranged in a work-piece that contains a series of identical lead frames etched or stamped on a strip of metallic substrate. A chip is bonded to each of these premanufactured lead frames and they are loaded into a bottom mold having a cavity and shallow impressions corresponding to each lead frame, the number of lead frames in a single batch being determined by the mold size and the capacity of the particular molding equipment used. A top mold having cavities aligned with the cavities in the bottom mold is moved into place on top of the bottom mold, so that the two molds together define a cavity corresponding to the intended volume of each integrated circuit package. Some means is provided within the molding equipment to heat the molds to the proper temperature for molding. The heated molds are clamped together and, when the temperature is right, usually at approximately 175.degree. C., molding material, such as epoxy in pellet form, is placed in the mold set through bores formed in the top or bottom mold. Plungers are then inserted into the bores and a pressurizing force is exerted on the plungers. The combination of the plunger force and the temperature causes the epoxy pellets to liquify and flow into the cavities provided in the mold set, which determine the configuration and location of the molded plastic that encapsulates the integrated circuits.
Alternatively, in some equipment molten plastic is forced into the cavity defined by the top and bottom molds through a flow conduit connected either to the top or bottom mold. A pressure source forces the molten plastic from a retaining reservoir, where it is heated to flow conditions, through the conduit, into the top or bottom cavity, and around the integrated circuit and lead frame to form a package for the device. The plastic flows from one side of the lead frame to the other, filling the cavity and thereby encapsulating the integrated circuit and adjacent portions of the lead frame contained therewithin, as determined by the geometry of the cavity.
All apparatus and methods of the prior art only inject plastic into either the top or bottom cavity, depending on pressure to force the plastic to the other cavity, around the integrated circuit and lead frame. This approach can cause air pockets to be formed in the plastic material flowing under the lead frame. In addition, it requires high operating pressures to force the plastic to flow from one portion of the mold cavity through the lead frame sandwiched between the top and bottom molds. A special problem exists when dealing with very thin devices that require particularly thin plastic packages (in the order of one millimeter). In such cases the presence of air pockets in the plastic is even more critical to the life and performance of the device. Therefore, a special need exists to ensure that all air is removed during the molding process.
Accordingly, there exists a need to provide an improved plastic encapsulation apparatus which not only provides a more uniform flow of plastic around the lead frame, as achieved by the invention disclosed in my copending application referenced above, but that also forces trapped air to flow out of the molten plastic, thereby reducing the likelihood of air pockets and other imperfections remaining in the finished plastic package. This is the objective to which this application is directed.

Compression-cavity mold for plastic encapsulation of thin-package integrated circuit device


An improved chuck for a bottle capper having a torque trigger with vertically set trigger pins capable of withstanding high torques prior to shearing. Further an apparatus to precisely set the application torque of the capping chuck is provided. This apparatus uses a stem head about which a clamp collar and a scale collar are placed. The clamp collar rides below the scale collar and receives the spring. The scale collar is situated above the clamp collar and provides index markings by which to adjust the clamp collar rotationally around the stem head thereby increasing or decreasing the application torque.

There are a number of bottle capping machines currently used to apply screw caps onto bottles. In general such machines employ a reciprocating mechanism to reciprocate a screw cap applying spindle assembly through a capping cycle. A screw cap chuck, typically constructed of a tool grade steel, is attached to the spindle. These machines operate at a predetermined downward stroke while applying a pre-determined torque to the screw cap. The operating height of the chuck is usually adjustable to allow for various bottle heights. An example of such an apparatus is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,031,822 issued May 1, 1962, in the name of George H. Dimond entitled Chuck for Capping Machines. The basic design shown by this patent is still in use today in capping machines made by Figgie International Inc.
The primary elements of the screw-on capping chuck, of the type first described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,031,822, are chuck jaws, jaw bell, a stripper, and a stem. The jaws are retained in the bell by the stem which is associated with a torque trigger through a spring coupling. An adaptor connects the chuck to a spindle sleeve and transmits the rotary motion of the spindle sleeve to the torque trigger. A push rod extends through the sleeve and is adapted to actuate the stripper. The chuck jaws are opened by reciprocal movement of the spindle sleeve upward forcing the stripper between the chuck jaws. The cap is then picked up by reciprocal movement of the spindle sleeve downward onto the cap which displaces the stripper, snapping the jaws closed. The cap is then screwed onto the container. Opening of the jaws to release the capped container is accomplished by the torque opening feature of the torque trigger.
The torque trigger is provided with two flat rectangular lugs that rest in stair-like slots carved into the sleeve of the jaw bell. The torque trigger is, through moving closer to the bell via the force of the spring, adapted to actuate the stripper to open the jaws a sufficient amount to release the capped container.
In the chuck's rest position, the torque trigger is positioned in the lower slot of the bell's collar and due to the torque in the spring is forced against the back of the slot. The stripper is forced into the jaws by the trigger and spring. In operation, the unit is first "reset" whereby the chuck is reciprocated back against the push rod which forces the stripper fully down between the chuck jaws. At the same time the stem and bell are forced down relative to the torque trigger which allows the lugs to rotate up to the next stair step in the slot via the torque in the spring. At this point the stripper is fully wedged between the jaws and held in place by the pressure of the jaws. The chuck is then reciprocated downward to pick up a cap. The cap displaces the stripper upward into the bell, at which point the jaws snap shut via the action of the spring acting against the stem. At this point the stripper rides freely atop the cap and the torque trigger is still positioned on the upper platform of the bell sleeve. The chuck is then brought over the container to which the cap is to be affixed and is reciprocated down onto the container.
When the resistance between the cap and the container overcomes the torque of the spring, the jaws cease rotating, which causes the stem and bell to stop rotating. The torque trigger continues its rotation against the torque of the spring, causing the lug to move into the lower slot, which forces the stripper to push the jaws apart, freeing the cap. The chuck is now in the rest position and ready for another cycle.
To adjust the torque in the chuck, it must first be removed from the adaptor sleeve and the spring either wound or unwound to increase or decrease the amount of resistance needed to overcome the torque in the spring.
There are a number of applications for machines of this type where high speeds and precise torque are required. For example, the pharmaceutical industry makes extensive use of these machines when packaging chemicals for distribution. However, due to the nature of the coupling between the spring and the stem it has been impossible to visually set a chuck for a certain torque. Rather, each chuck must be individually tested and adjusted prior to use. Likewise, each chuck must be tested and set when adjustments need to be made. Further, chucks made in accordance with the prior art are also limited in the size caps they can apply, due to the tendency of the lugs to shear off when subjected to high torque when resetting after applying large caps such as to laundry detergent bottles which require that the spring be tightly wound.


Freight is transferred between a car of a train riding on rails extending in a travel direction and a stationary street vehicle while the train is moving slowly in the travel direction by displacing a grab into a position above the rails, identifying the piece of freight and moving the grab in the travel direction synchronously with the train above the piece of freight on the train, and then engaging the grab with the piece of freight while the grab moves synchronously with the train. The piece of freight is then lifted with the grab off the train and the grab are displaced in a transfer direction transverse to the travel direction while the grab moves synchronously with the train until the piece of freight is clear of the train. Movement of the grab in the travel direction is then arrested and the grab and the piece of freight are moved in the transverse transfer direction and the piece of freight is deposited on a stationary support. The piece of freight is then moved from the support to the street vehicle.

In order to transfer freight, normally in standard containers, between a rail vehicle on one side and a street vehicle or terminal on the other, it is standard to use a mobile crane system such as described in German patent document 1,556,636 of Lichtenford, 4,332,232 of Schroder, 4,338,121 of Viessmann or the article "Die Krupp-Schnellumschlagenanlage--eine Systemlosung fuden Kombinierten Verkehr" by H. Bruckmann (Hebezeuge und Fordermittel, Berlin 34 (1994) 5). These systems transfer the containers between the stationary train and either the depot or the street vehicle.
While such arrangements are relatively effective, they still demand considerable transfer time. The train must be moved in steps through the transfer station and in general the system is cumbersome and slow.

System for loading and unloading rail vehicles


A transistor model defines the carrier mobility as a combination of both drift-diffusion mobility and ballistic mobility. The ballistic mobility is calculated based on the assumption that the kinetic energy of carriers near an injection point is no greater than the potential energy difference of carriers near that injection point. The abruptness of the onset of velocity saturation, as well as the asymptotic velocity associated therewith is made dependent on the degree to which the velocity is ballistically limited. The model further takes into account the inertial effects on the velocity and/or charge flux associated with carriers. The model computes the mobility and hence the velocity of carriers in accordance with their positions in the channel both along the direction of the current flow as well as the direction perpendicular to the current flow.

The present application relates to electronic-design-automation (EDA) tools, and more particularly to modeling of the physical properties of devices disposed in integrated circuits designed using such tools.
As transistors, such as field-effect or bipolar transistors, used to form an integrated circuit (IC) are scaled to ever smaller dimensions, the mathematical models used to describe the physical behavior of such transistors/devices need to be reconsidered. Field-effect transistors are widely used as switching elements in logic circuits. In a field-effect transistor in the on-state, charges flow from the source region to the drain region via a channel. In the off-state, charges are blocked from flowing between the source and drain regions. A gate electrode is used to turn on/off a conduction path (channel), thereby to control the flow of current between the source and drain regions.
Transistors are typically modeled either macroscopically using equations to model relationships between charge, potential, and current flux at contacts, or microscopically using a detailed representation of the device in one, two, or three spatial dimensions. The macroscopic approach, or "compact model" approach, has the advantage of computational efficiency but is relatively inefficient at predicting the effect of design changes on the device behavior. Microscopic models may be used to predict the impact of relatively minor differences on a device physical behavior as well as predicting the behaviors of substantially different devices formed in the same or similar materials.
In a typical microscopic model, a physical representation of the device is created by partitioning the device into regions, and partitioning the regions into elements bounded by vertices. Physics-based equations govern how fields vary between elements or vertices, and charge fluxes are modeled in terms of these fields. Charges are characterized using a "carrier" model, where quanta of charge is considered to be transported by individual quasi-particles called "electrons" (negatively charged) or "holes" (positively charged). The term quasi-particle describes a quantum of charge which exhibits particle-like behavior in a semiconducting crystal. This behavior includes characteristics such as velocity, momentum, energy, and mass. These quasi-particles or carriers travel between various regions of the device at speeds that depend on a number of factors, such as the electrostatic potential, the density of carriers, the lattice temperature, and the like.
A well-known model for characterizing the physics of solid state devices is the drift-diffusion model in accordance with which carrier velocity is considered dependent on local fields and their gradients. Drift-diffusion model, which is a local model, determines a series of fields and/or their gradients at any given point to predict the carrier velocity and/or flux at that point. A non-local model may additionally consider the value of fields at other points in the device.