A coating-fluidizing gas supply system for a flat-bottom fluidized bed coater that maintains a high degree of uniform fluidization of levitated particles for a long enough time period to coat medical-device components. The coating-fluidizing gas supply system prevents premature pyrolysis of the coating component of the gas from plugging gas-distributor holes of a flat plate at the bottom of a flat-bottom fluidized bed coater, by directing multiple gas streams uniformly against the entire undersurface of the flat gas-distributor plate, creating an overall cooling-effect on the gas-distributor plate which prevents clogging.

The process of forming a pyrolytic carbon coating utilizes high-temperature gas-phase dissociation of low-molecular-weight saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbons which undergo polymerization and/or dehydrogenation reactions to ultimately form a finely particulate form of carbon. When this occurs in a fluidized bed of particles in which the hydrocarbon itself, or combined with an inert diluent gas, serves as fluidizing medium, the particles will receive a pyrolytic carbon coating, the nature and quality of which depend on several process parameters including such factors as the nature of the pyrolysis gas, deposition temperature, deposition rate, and uniformity of fluidization. For specific details, reference is made to an article by R. J. Bard et al., "Pyrolytic Carbons Deposited in Fluidized Beds at 1100.degree.-1400.degree. C. from Various Hydrocarbons," Carbon, 1968, pp. 603-616. See also, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,399,969, 3,977,896, 4,546,012, and 4,594,270, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
There have been many devices proposed for supplying gas in fluidized bed coaters for the purpose of uniformly distributing the fluidizing gas throughout the mass of such beds. Typically, such coating operations have recently been conducted in a relatively small apparatus utilizing a graphite or graphite-lined tube several inches in internal diameter with a lower cone-shaped section which serves as an inlet passage for a fluidizing gas stream that typically contains a decomposable hydrocarbon and an inert gas, such as argon, nitrogen, or helium. While this can be an effective way of uniformly coating with small charges of particles, effectiveness can decrease sharply as the amount of charge increases, causing the employment of larger diameter chambers for larger charges. When this is done, non-uniform fluidization and non-uniform coating can become a severe problem.
The flat-bottom, or flat-bed coater is a device that has the potential of producing a more uniform coating on a medical-device component within a bed of particles, compared to conical-bottom coaters, when viewed on a microscopic scale. It can yield finer silicon (Si) distribution and less banding than does a conical-bottom coater. Flat-bed coaters commonly utilize either porous frits or distributor plates containing a plurality of drilled holes to define the bottom or lower wall of the coating chamber through which both the fluidizing and coating gases enter.
However, one of the major drawbacks of current flat-bed coaters is the tendency of the coating gas component to clog the gas-distributor pores or holes of the distributor plate, thereby modifying the flow of gas upward into the bed and causing less uniform fluidization prior to the completion of the relatively long coating run, which results in coatings of less uniformity. While the distributor plate is not heated directly during the coating process, radiation from the zone of coating and fluidization often heats areas of the plate to a temperature sufficient to pyrolyze the hydrocarbon. More specifically, the temperature at the surface boundary of the gas-distributor plate holes, especially the peripherally outer holes of the plate, becomes sufficiently high enough to decompose the coating components of the coating-fluidizing gas. This often results in clogging of the outer holes of the plate, either by coating-over the top of the hole or by plugging the inside of the hole, which in turn causes the fluidized bed in that area to have less levitation. As a result, the entire bed action can change in a manner which can have an undesirable effect on the material properties of the coating.
Flat-bed coaters used for coating objects useful as components in prostheses or other medical devices require relatively long coating periods and cannot tolerate the distributor plate holes clogging, which affects the uniformity of fluidization. Thus, since the degree of coating uniformity is a direct function of the degree of uniformity of fluidization, it is an object of this invention to provide apparatus for maintaining a high degree of uniform fluidization of levitated particles for a long enough time period to coat medical-device components. This is accomplished by utilizing a coating-fluidizing gas supply system that prevents the coating-over or plugging of gas-distributor holes in a flat plate at the bottom of a flat-bottom fluidized bed coater.

Coating-fluidizing gas supply system and method for flat bottom coater


A clutching jig is adapted to disassemble a lens module which includes a lens socket and a lens component mounted to the lens socket. The clutching jig includes a base and at least two inserting slices. The base defines two opposite lateral surfaces and a bottom surface. A slot passes through the opposite lateral surfaces and the bottom surface to divide the base into a first holding portion and a second holding portion. The bottom surface has a receiving recess at a portion thereof. The inserting slices are removably mounted to the opposite lateral surfaces and beyond the bottom surface. Wherein the inserting slices are inserted between the lens component and the lens socket, and the receiving recess receives the lens component with a circumferential dimension thereof lessened to clutch the lens component when the first holding portion and the second holding portion are urged to approach each other.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a clutching jig, and more particularly to a clutching jig for conveniently disengaging a lens component from a lens socket.
2. The Related Art
As the digital products have been diversely developed, such as personal digital assistants (PDA), mobile phones, or other small portable terminal apparatuses, each of them is broadly combined with a miniature photographing device, like lens module, to perform the photographing function. The lens module includes a lens socket and a lens component provided in the lens socket. In the process of assembly and repair, the users usually need to clutch the lens component out of the lens socket.
Referring to FIG. 7, a traditional disengaging jig 7 includes a housing 71 having a square shape. A square hole 72 is formed in the middle of the housing 71. Three pressure plates 711 and a plywood 712 are protruded downward from each side of the housing 71 with the pressure plates 711 being against the plywood 712. A lens module includes a lens component 80 and a lens socket 90 for receiving the lens component 80. A groove 81 is formed in each corner of a lens base 82 of the lens component 80. A notch 91 is formed in each of inner sides of the lens socket 90. A buckling piece 92 is located in the notch 91 with a free end thereof buckled in the groove 81, so the lens component 80 is buckled firmly in the lens socket 90. The size of the lens socket 90 perfectly matches with the disengaging jig 7.
While the disengaging jig 7 is inserted into the lens socket 90, the buckling pieces 92 are pressed and pushed back into the notches 91 by the pressure plates 711, so the lens component 80 is not fastened by the buckling pieces 92. Then, the lens component 80 can be disengaged from the lens socket 90 by other jig devices. As described above, the disengaging jig 7 just releases the lens component 80 from the fastening of the buckling pieces 92 and is difficult to take out the lens component 80 from the lens socket 90 by itself.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A sheet processing apparatus according to the invention includes a sheet feeding tray capable of aligning and storing plural sheets, a discharging member that discharges a sheet at the top of a bundle of the sheets aligned from the sheet feeding tray, and a retracting member that moves the sheet at the top of the sheet bundle in a direction opposite to a direction of the discharge. When plural pieces of plural types of sheets are stored in the sheet feeding tray, the sheet processing apparatus controls the operations of the discharging member and the retracting member, discharges, for each of the types, a sheet located at the top of the sheet feeding tray and retracts the remaining sheets, performs alignment again at a point when the discharge and the retraction are finished for all the types, and repeats the operations to sequentially discharge the sheets of the respective types.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sheet processing apparatus that feeds a sheet having an image formed thereon by a copying machine, a printer, a multifunction peripheral (MFP), or the like to a finisher and has a collating function.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, among image forming apparatuses, there is an image forming apparatus in which a finisher is provided adjacent to an image forming apparatus main body in order to perform post-processing such as processing for sorting sheets after image formation and processing for applying staple processing to the sheets. An inserter may be arranged at a pre-stage of the finisher in order to feed sheets having images formed thereon to the finisher.
In a general inserter, since a user needs to arrange orders of sheets to be inserted in advance and insert the sheets, a burden is imposed on the user.
In JP-A-2001-270653, a collating device is described. In this example, prints are supplied from plural printing machines to plural trays on a belt conveyor, respectively, and the prints received by the trays are collected and stacked to collate the prints. However, in this example, since the plural trays and the belt conveyor are necessary, the apparatus is large in scale.
In JP-A-10-186741, an original conveying apparatus that copies plural originals by the number n and sorts the copies is described. In this example, a system for varying discharge speed at the time when a first sheet is discharged and at the time when second to nth sheets are discharged on the basis of the number of copies n is adopted.
However, since it is necessary to frequently switch discharge speed of the sheets, a structure of the apparatus is complicated.
Moreover, in JP-A-9-48531, a supplying apparatus that supplies sheets to a collating machine to bind the sheets is described. This example is a large-scale apparatus for bookbinding.
The present invention provides a sheet processing apparatus and a sheet processing method that can classify sheets into predetermined states and discharge the sheets.

Sheet processing apparatus and sheet processing method


Compounds of formula (I): ##STR1## wherein W represents a sulfur atom and X represents a group of formula --N(R.sup.1)--, or W represents a group of formula --N(R.sup.1)-- and X represents a sulfur atom; R.sup.1 is hydrogen, alkyl or aralkyl; R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 are each hydrogen, alkyl, aralkyl, aryl or aromatic heterocyclic; R.sup.4 is hydrogen, alkyl or aralkyl; and A is alkylene which is optionally substituted by carboxy; and pharmaceutically acceptable salts and esters thereof, have a valuable vasodilatory activity.

The present invention relates to a series of new thiazolidinone and oxazolidinone derivatives containing a nitrooxyalkylcarbamoyl group, and provides methods and compositions using these compounds as vasodilators, e.g. in the therapy and prophylaxis of cardiovascular diseases; the invention also provides processes for their preparation.
Cardiovascular diseases are a well known and increasing cause of death and disability in the world, and considerable efforts have been expended in a search for drugs capable of treating or preventing such diseases.
Nitroglycerin is frequently used, and has been used for many years, for the therapy of cardiovascular diseases, particularly angina pectoris, but this compound has several disadvantages when used as a medicine. For example, the compound is easily inactivated in the liver (the "first-pass effect") and the duration of the effect is very short. Furthermore, the medicine sometimes causes adverse reactions, such as cephalalgia, vertigo and tachycardia, as a result of its reducing the patient's blood pressure. It has, therefore, been desired for many years to discover anti-anginal drugs showing a long lasting effect but which do not have the problem of the first-pass effect.
We have now discovered a series of compounds which we believe achieve this aim.
The closest prior art to the compounds of the present invention is believed to be U.S. Pat. No. 4 200 640, which describes a number of compounds including N-(2-nitrooxyethyl)-3-pyridinecarboxamide, which is said to have activity as a coronary vasodilator.
The compounds of the present invention resemble the prior art compound in having a nitrooxyalkylcarbamoyl group, but differ in that they include a thiazolidinone or oxazolidinone group. These compounds also have vasodilatory activity, and, because they have few adverse effects, they are expected to be of use for the treatment and prophylaxis of cardiovascular disorders or insufficiency, such as angina pectoris.

Thiazolidone compounds and method of using the same as a vasodilator


A sound-reproducing package comprises a housing for storing a consumer product, a disposed therein sound signal reproducing unit electronically connected to a power supply and a loudspeaker, at least one external activation sensor connected to the sound signal reproducing unit, and a package state sensor operative to form a signal corresponding to an open or closed state of the package, or the presence or absence of a consumer product in it. The package state sensor is connected to the sound signal reproducing unit operative to select from its memory sound signals for reproducing depending on the signal from the package state sensor.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,020,823 to DeCicco, 2000, discloses a package with sound effects comprising a container for a consumer product, a sound-reproducing unit connected to a power supply and a loudspeaker, and an external activation sensor.
The package according to the above patent can reproduce sounds, when the user activates the external activation sensor. The drawback of the above package is that reproduced sound signals do not depend on the package state, in particular if the package is open or closed, full or empty.
The most close to the claimed invention is the sound-reproducing package disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,795,209 to Moore, 1998. The package according to Moore comprises a housing for storing a consumer product with a sound signal reproducing unit located therein and connected to a power supply and a loudspeaker, and at least one external activation sensor connected to the first input of the sound signal reproducing unit.
The package according to Moore can comprise several external activation sensors and reproduce various sound signals, for example speech messages prerecorded in the memory of the sound signals reproducing unit upon the activation by the user of said sensors.
However, the package according to Moore has its limitations. The reproduced sound signals do not depend on the state of the package, for example if it is open or closed, empty or full. They are determined only by a sensor activated. Besides, the package according to Moore can not be used as a pet toy after the consumer product has been used, as sounds are only reproduced only upon sensors activation. The above package cannot reproduce spontaneous sounds to attract the attention of pets.

Package provided with a sound-reproducing device


Packet of smoke articles, including: a container, which has a parallelepiped shape and has a front wall, a rear wall, a bottom wall and two lateral walls; a parallelepiped-shape inner wrapper that wraps a group of smoke articles, which is housed inside the container and has a front wall, a rear wall, a top wall, a bottom wall and two lateral walls; and a separating element, which is arranged inside the inner wrapper and divides the inner volume of the inner wrapper so as to form several partitions of the group of smoke articles.

In packets of cigarettes configured for housing a group of cigarettes of reduced longitudinal dimension it may happen that, when only a few cigarettes are present, these cigarettes fall in overturned positions which make the cigarettes difficult to extract.
In order to overcome this drawback, packets have been developed that are known as "twin packets" or "double pocket packets". A twin packet consists of two internal half packets that are provided with respective metal foil inner wrappers, are coupled with a single inner frame, a central portion of which is folded like a book and is interposed between the half packets, and are arranged alongside the same outer container. A drawback of twin packets is that in order to be made, the twin packets require machines that are particularly complex, costly and bulky and are difficult to maintain and repair. In fact, machines for making twin packets can use two different wrapping methods, both of which have drawbacks.
A first operating method provides for the simultaneous production of two sequences of groups of cigarettes and the advancement of these two sequences along two first parallel wrapping lines along which, around each group of cigarettes, a metal foil enclosure is formed, i.e. the inner wrapper, to form a respective half packet. Each first wrapping line then supplies a sequence of respective half packets to an intermediate transferring station, and each pair of half packets that reaches the transferring station defines a group of half packets. With the group of half packets an inner frame of folded cardboard is associated and subsequently the group of half packets is transferred to a second wrapping line, along which, around each group of half packets, an outer enclosure is formed, i.e. the container of the packet. This first method has the drawback of doubling the first wrapping line and of there being an intermediate transferring station.
A second operating method provides for the production of a single sequence of groups of cigarettes and the advancement of this sequence along a first wrapping line along which, around each group of cigarettes, a metal foil enclosure is formed, i.e. the inner wrapper, to form a half packet. The first wrapping line then supplies a sequence of half packets to an intermediate transferring station, which removes one pair of half packets at a time from the first wrapping line to define a group of half packets. With the group of half packets an inner frame of folded cardboard is associated and subsequently the group of half packets is transferred to a second wrapping line, along which, around each group of half packets, an outer enclosure is formed, i.e. the container of the packet. This second method has the drawback of halving production speed as two half packets in succession have to be formed to produce just one complete packet leaving the machine.
Furthermore, there are known packets of the type disclosed in DE2327294A1 and DE2331062A1. In particular, the packets described in DE2327294A1 and DE2331062A1 comprises an outer container and an inner wrapper, wrapping a group of smoke articles, which is housed inside the outer container. A divider is provided inside the inner wrapper, which divides the inner volume of the inner wrapper so as to form two compartments.


A display includes a display lightguide, on which a shape of a display character is formed in three dimensions, a light source, emitting a light toward the display lightguide, and a light collection portion, provided between the light source and the display lightguide, and having a light reflection face formed like a parabolic face which employs a straight line perpendicular to a light receiving face of the display lightguide as an axis thereof.

This invention generally relates to a display, more particularly to a display having display lightguide which is shaped into display characters in three dimensions, and to a light collection portion for use in the display. Also, the present invention relates to a light diffusion member provided on the rear surface of a display portion on which a plurality of display characters illuminated by light that is incident thereon from behind. Further, the present invention relates to a display member having display lightguides each provided with a convex portion on which a display character is shaped in three dimensions.
Hitherto, from viewpoint of layout of design, there has been devised a display adapted to irradiate light on display lightguides, which are shaped into display characters in three dimensions, from behind so that the display lightguides luminously display the characters. However, in the case that a point light source, such as an LED, is used as a light source, the farther the location of a part of each of the display characters from the LED, the lower the brightness of the part.
For instance, in the case that as shown in FIG. 18, the shape of a segment constituting a numeral serving as a display character is formed on the display lightguide 11. Moreover, an LED 20 is disposed on the back face of the display lightguide 11 and at the nearly center C in the longitudinal direction Y1 thereof, the luminance in the longitudinal direction Y1 of the segment decreases toward a tip end from the center C. Thus, the related display has problems in that the display character does not have a three-dimensional appearance, and that presentation effects thereof are imparted.
Also, it has been devised to make a surface light source, which is opposed to display characters, by using a liquid crystal display (LCD). This related display has a problem in that the luminance of a liquid crystal display itself is low, thereby the luminance of the display characters is low as a whole
Especially, in the case where a segment is shaped into a display lightguide, it has been devised to make a surface light source, which is shaped according to the shape of the segment, by using a vacuum fluorescent character display tube (VFT). However, a VFT has a gap formed between an illuminant, which serves as a luminous face, and a front glass. Therefore, this related display has problems in that although a VFT 30 is placed just behind the display lightguide 11 shaped into the segment when viewed from just front thereof as illustrated in FIG. 19A, the position of the VFT 30 is shifted from the place located just behind the segment when shifting the line of vision to the left, as illustrated in FIG. 19B.
Also, there has been devised a display adapted to irradiate light on a display portion that is constituted by lightguides, on which display characters are shaped in three dimensions, or by light blocking plates in which the shapes of display characters are cut out, thereby to luminously display the display characters. Moreover, it has been devised to provide a light diffusion plate between the display portion and a light source in the display in such a way as to cause all the display characters to uniformly emit light.
An example of such a display is a seven-segment display shown in FIG. 20A having a display portion, in which seven segments a to g constituting a numeral "8", and seven light sources 2a to 2g respectively provided on the rear surfaces of the segments a to g. In a case where a light diffusion plate 3 is provided in the seven-segment display in such a manner as to cover all the segments a to g, for example, when a light source 2a provided corresponding to the segment a is caused to emit light, the light is incident on the rear surfaces of the segments b and c through a light diffusion plate 3.
Thus, in a case that light diffusion plates 4 are respectively provided corresponding to the segments a to g independent of one another as shown in FIG. 20B, leakage of light therefrom to the segment other than the segment corresponding to the lighted light source is prevented. However, this related display has a problem in that assembly of the display becomes more troublesome wit increase in the number of components thereof.
Also, from viewpoint of layout of design, there has been devised a display adapted to irradiate light on a display portion having display lightguides each provided with a convex portion, on which a display character are shaped in three dimensions, from behind to thereby luminously display the display characters.
However, in the above related display, the three-dimensional shape of the display character is formed by the lightguide. The related display has problems in that especially, in a case where the display character is shaped on a transparent lightguide in three dimensions, it is difficult to visually cognize the three-dimensional shape, and that the display character cannot be seen as a three-dimensional image, with the result of spoiling the design thereof. Additionally, there have been demands for providing higher quality design in displaying characters in a display for luminously displaying three-dimensional display characters.

Light correction member, light diffusion member, display member, and display using the same


A dishwasher is provided, comprising a door pivotably attached to a body and having a counterbalance assembly coupled therebetween for facilitating pivoting of the door, wherein the counterbalance assembly includes a biasing member coupled to the body and serially engaged with a flexible element coupled to the door, and a guide member secured to the body and including a fixed arcuate member defining a first guide track, and a pulley rotatable about an axis and defining a second guide track, wherein the flexible element is at least partially wrapped about each of the fixed arcuate member and the pulley so as to serially engage the first and second guide tracks, and wherein the first guide track of the fixed arcuate member is offset from the second guide track of the pulley along the axis thereof.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate to dishwashers and, more particularly, to a counterbalance assembly for a dishwasher door, and a method associated therewith.
2. Description of Related Art
A dishwasher typically includes a wash tub for containing the dishware to be washed, wherein the tub defines a front opening. The front opening is configured to be engaged by a door for closing/sealing the front opening. The door is typically hinged at the lower end thereof such that the upper end of the door can be pivoted downward so as to permit access to the interior of the tub.
The dishwasher may include a device for balancing or counterbalancing the weight of the door, when opening and closing the door. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,226,706 to Tuller discloses an adjustable door balancing mechanism that includes a counterbalance spring. The counterbalance spring extends between the door and an adjustable bracket mounted to the tub support. The tension in the counterbalance spring may be varied by changing the position of the adjustable bracket.
Despite these improvements in counterbalancing a dishwasher door, it would be advantageous for the door of the dishwasher to be balanced or counterbalanced so as to allow for smooth opening and closing of the door. That is, it may be advantageous to configure the door so as to prevent the door from inadvertently pivoting to the open or closed positions and/or to allow for the door to be maintained at various positions between the open and closed positions.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a counterbalance assembly that facilitates opening and closing of a dishwasher door. In addition, it may be desirable to provide a counterbalance assembly that may be easily integrated with a dishwasher, is cost efficient, and may be readily adjusted.

Counterbalance assembly for a dishwasher door and associated method


It is provided a method for controlling access to a physical space using a co-sign delegation. The method is performed in a lock device and comprises the steps of: receiving an access request from an electronic key; obtaining a plurality of delegations, wherein each delegation is a delegation from a delegator to a delegatee, the plurality of delegations collectively forming a chain of delegations; determining that a delegation is a co-sign delegation, indicating that all further delegations need to be cryptographically signed by both the delegator of the respective delegation and by an access controller; and granting access to the physical space when the chain of delegations start in an owner of the lock device and ends in the electronic key; and when all delegations in the chain of delegations after the co-sign delegation are cryptographically signed by both the delegator of the respective delegation and by the access controller.

Locks and keys are evolving from the traditional pure mechanical locks. These days, electronic locks are becoming increasingly common. For electronic locks, no mechanical key profile is needed for authentication of a user. The electronic locks can e.g. be opened using an electronic key stored on a special carrier (fob, card, etc.) or in a smartphone. The electronic key and electronic lock can e.g. communicate over a wireless interface. Such electronic locks provide a number of benefits, including improved flexibility in management of access rights, audit trails, key management, etc.
From time to time, the lock owner controlling the lock device needs to give access to service providers for delivery of a service. The service can be any service where the person performing the service needs the electronic lock to be opened. For instance, the service can be a home care service, a delivery of a product, a cleaning service, a builder/plumber/electrician, etc. To be able to consume the service, the lock owner thus needs to provide access to a service provider using the electronic lock.
It greatly simplifies lock installation if the lock device does not need to be connected to a network, i.e. an offline installation. However, one issue in offline implementation is how to control access to the lock.


According to another exemplary embodiment, a pivotable interbody implant system includes an implant including a body defining an inner cavity and a plurality of teeth formed on one end of the implant, and an insertion instrument associated with the implant, wherein the insertion instrument includes a retractable latching mechanism and an internal gear configured to pivotably mate with said teeth formed on said implant.

A The degeneration of the intervertebral disk, in particular of the nucleus pulposus, results in a loss of height in the affected disk space which is associated with a weakening of the annulus fibrosus and of the ligaments. The spinal column hereby becomes instable at this position. The consequence is a horizontal displaceability of the vertebral bodies with respect to one another which results in impairments of the nerve roots in this region and/or of the spinal marrow with pain resulting therefrom.
The principle for the treatment of these symptoms consists of the surgical removal of the nucleus pulposus and the insertion of support bodies in order to restore the normal height of the disk space.
There are a variety of demands on both the surgeon performing an intervertebral disk procedure and on the spinal implants themselves.
A Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion (TLIF) is a posterior and lateral approach to the disc space. To gain access to the disc space, typically the facet joint is removed and access is gained via the nerve foramen. While more technically demanding of the surgeon than other fusion techniques, a TLIF offers a number of clinical advantages.
When compared to a PosteroLateral Fusion (PLF), a TLIF approach leaves much more of the soft tissue intact, which is less traumatic for the patient. Further, a PLF does not provide access to the disc space.
While a PosteroLateral InterBody Fusion (PLIF) provides access to the disc space, a TLIF approach also provides access to the interbody space, but without the need for manipulation of neural elements, reducing the risk of post-operative neural deficit. Additionally, in a TLIF, only a single implant is placed. More specifically the TLIF implant is placed in the anterior aspect of the disc space, thus providing space for a substantial fusion mass in the posterior aspect of the disc space where the natural compression occurs.
However, traditional TLIF procedures do suffer from shortcomings. For example, to place the desired implant in the anterior aspect of the disc space from an oblique posterior approach, traditional procedures demand that the implant be released from the inserter and then tamped into place. The two step insertion of this implant is generally recognized among surgeons as cumbersome.


A sub-frame assembly for use with a vehicle having wheels such as a trailer is provided. The sub-frame assembly comprises two or more frame members, one or more cross members, and two or more stub torsion axle assemblies. Each of the stub torsion axle assemblies have a torsion arm, a spindle extending from the torsion arm for mounting one of the wheels, and a distal end extending from the stub torsion axle assembly for mounting to the frame assembly. The frame assembly may further comprise one or more shim plates for reception between the cross member and the distal end of the stub torsion axle assembly for allowing adjustment of the toe angle of the wheel assembly. In addition, the stub torsion axle assembly may be rotatably mounted to the cross member whereby the camber angle of the wheel assembly may be adjusted.

Prior art trailers such as those used in hauling portable equipment, livestock or recreational travel trailers typically use tandem axles. The axles are typically supplied to the trailer manufacturer from the axle manufacturer. The trailer manufacturer must then install and align both axles on the trailer as well as wire or plumb the brakes of each axle assembly to the trailer. Proper alignment of the axles on the trailer can be tedious and time-consuming. Further, once the axle has been installed it is very difficult to realign, and it is often necessary to replace the entire axle if one of the wheel ends has become misaligned or damaged.
Thus an improved axle sub-frame assembly for a trailer is desired which provides for independent alignment and realignment of each wheel, as well as easy installation of the axle sub-frame assembly by the trailer manufacturer.


A fully-integrated CMOS peak detector stores the peak amplitude of an input signal using an on-chip storage capacitor. The fully-integrated CMOS peak detector includes a delay buffer, a transfer gate and a comparator. A discharge controller is used to step-down the peak amplitude stored on the on-chip storage capacitor some predetermined amount. The discharge controller includes a switched capacitor circuit which is placed in series with the storage capacitor such that the two capacitors act as a capacitive voltage divider to produce a predictable fraction of the acquired peak amplitude. Multiple peaks can be determined and/or stored by using multiple fully-integrated CMOS peak detectors in conjunction with a single comparator. A multiplexer is used in this configuration to control the multiple peak detectors.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the peak amplitude detection of high frequency signals and more particularly to a CMOS peak detector that does not require an off-chip peak storage capacitor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Active peak detectors are used in applications which require the peak value of an input waveform to be determined or stored. Simple peak detectors may be constructed of a diode and a capacitor in which the highest value of the input signal charges the capacitor. There are several disadvantages to this simple set-up, including variable input impedance and temperature-induced diode drops. Another form of a peak detector employs operational amplifiers and feedback loops. The feedback, which is taken from the stored voltage at the capacitor, compensates for the diode drop. However, these circuits still suffer from variable input impedance problems.
Peak detectors known in the art are constructed using bipolar technology. One problem with bipolar technology is that it has a high rate of power dissipation. A bipolar peak detector also requires a high voltage supply (i.e., greater than 5 volts) to provide sufficient voltage swing through the diode, and hence, ensure linearity. Another problem with bipolar detectors is reverse leakage inherent in the diode which thereby sets the lower bound discharge rate of the capacitor. Furthermore, these peak detectors employ off-chip capacitors to store the peak amplitude. This additional circuitry adds significantly to cost and results in slightly less reliable performance.
Frequently, it is desired to step-down the stored peak amplitude in anticipation of receiving the next succeeding pulse. With respect to bipolar technology, discharging the storage capacitor involves either a large resistor or a current source tied to a DC voltage source. In the case of using the resistor, the amount of step-down must be fixed prior to circuit assembly (i.e., the desired step-down amount determines the value of the resistor). In both instances, the step-down results in a steady discharge of the storage capacitor from the instant the capacitor acquires the peak. Thus, succeeding circuit stages will not receive the true peak amplitude since a small amount will have already been discharged.
It would be advantageous if a peak detector could be implemented using CMOS technology and an on-chip storage capacitor, thereby decreasing overall power requirements and providing the ability to control the charge step-down on the storage capacitor. Another benefit could be realized if a single comparator could be used for multiple peak detectors.


An integrated modulator and semiconductor laser device includes a semiconductor substrate; an optical waveguide including an active layer having a width and a cladding layer, and disposed on the semiconductor substrate, the optical waveguide including a laser part and a modulator part modulating the intensity of laser light; a semi-insulating semiconductor layer disposed on opposite sides of the optical waveguide; a low-resistance contact layer for making an ohmic contact with an electrode material, disposed on the optical waveguide, being absent between the laser part and the modulator part, and having a width equivalent to the width of the active layer. Since the contact layer with a stripe structure having a width equivalent to that of the active layer is used in making ohmic contact to the electrode material, the cladding layer of the second conductivity type below the contact layer is narrowed as well, and the isolation between the laser and the modulator is also improved with good controllability without narrowing by etching. The flow of current between the contact layer of the laser part and the contact layer of the modulator part is reduced. As a result, the isolation between the laser part and the modulator part is improved by one order of magnitude over the prior art semiconductor laser device.

Recently, developments of a semiconductor laser device integrating a semiconductor laser and a modulator have been advanced, intended for an application to optical communications. In this device, a distributed feedback laser diode (DFB LD) is operated with direct current and light emitted from the laser diode is subjected to high speed modulation by a light absorption modulator.
FIGS. 24(a)-24(c) are diagrams illustrating a prior art integrated modulator and semiconductor laser device. FIG. 24(a) is a perspective view of the semiconductor laser device, FIG. 24(b) is a cross-sectional view of the device taken along a line 24b--24b, at the isolation part between the laser and the modulator, and FIG. 24(c) is a cross-sectional view of the device taken along a line 24c--24c in the resonator length direction.
In these figures, reference numeral 1 designates an n type InP substrate. A ridge, i.e., optical waveguide, comprising an active layer 2 and a p type InP cladding layer 3 is disposed on the semiconductor substrate 1. This ridge includes a semiconductor laser part (a), and a modulator part (c) having a diffraction grating (not shown) at the surface of the semiconductor substrate 1 beneath the active layer 2. Burying layers comprising an Fe-doped InP semi-insulating semiconductor layer 6a, an n type InP hole trap layer 8 and an Fe-doped InP semi-insulating semiconductor layer 6b, successively formed, are disposed on both sides of the ridge. A p type InP cladding layer 10 and a p type InGaAs contact layer 4 are successively disposed on the ridge and on the burying layers. The contact layer 4 is absent at an isolation part (b) between the laser part (a) and the modulator part (c). The entire surface of the wafer, except for portions of the contact layer 4, is covered with an insulating film 7.
A description is given of the operation.
Since this semiconductor laser device has a diffraction grating beneath the active layer 2 of the modulator part (c), laser oscillation at a single wavelength is stably performed employing the diffraction grating. The active layer 2 of the laser part (a) and the active layer, i.e., light absorption layer, 2 of the modulator part (c) comprise a continuous InGaAs/InGaAsP multiple quantum well layer. The energy difference between normal levels of the conduction band and the valence band in the quantum well of the laser part (a) is smaller than that of the modulator part (c). Therefore, when no bias voltage is applied to the modulator part (c), light from the laser part (a) is not absorbed in the light absorption layer 2. However, if reverse bias voltage is applied to the modulator part (c), the light is absorbed due to quantum confined Stark effect (QCSE). Consequently, the light emitted from the laser part (a) which is operated with direct current, can be modulated by changing the bias voltage which is applied to the modulator part (c).
In addition, the Fe-doped InP semi-insulating semiconductor layers 6a and 6b and the n type InP hole trap layer 8 fill in both sides of the ridge waveguide comprising the active layer 2, and the InP cladding layer 3 and the InP substrate 1 respectively disposed above and below the active layer 2, and function as a current blocking layer. Because Fe produces a deep acceptor in InP, the Fe-doped InP semi-insulating semiconductor layer 6a can block diffusion of electrons from the n type InP substrate 1. The n type InP hole trap layer 8 can block diffusion of holes from the p type InP cladding layer 10. Thereby, the threshold current of the laser is reduced and the efficiency of the laser is enhanced.
A description is given of the fabricating method.
FIGS. 21(a)-21(c), 22(a)-22(c) and 23(a)-23(c) are diagrams illustrating respective states of process steps in the fabricating method.
Initially, after forming the diffraction grating in a region of the n type InP semiconductor substrate 1 where the modulator is to be formed, the active layer 2 comprising an InGaAs/InGaAsP multiple quantum well layer and the cladding layer 3 comprising, for example, p type InP, are grown on the substrate 1 by MOCVD. Then, an insulating film stripe 5 having a width of 1.about.2 .mu.m is formed on the cladding layer 3. Using this stripe 5 as a mask, dry etching is performed to form a ridge having a height of about 2.about.3 .mu.m, thereby providing an optical waveguide (FIGS. 21(a)-21(c)). Thereafter, the Fe-doped InP semi-insulating semiconductor layer 6a, the n type InP hole trap layer 8 and the Fe-doped InP semi-insulating semiconductor layer 6b are successively grown on both sides of the ridge (FIGS. 22(a)-22(c)). After removal of the insulating film stripe 5, the p type InP cladding layer 10 and the p type InGaAs contact layer 4 are successively grown by MOCVD (FIGS. 23(a)-23(c)). Then, the contact layer 4 at the isolation part (b) between the semiconductor laser part (a) and the modulator part (c) is etched and removed. Further, in order to make the capacitance lower, opposite sides of the active layer 2 are etched to form a mesa shape. In this etching, the ridge width of the contact layer 4 is 10.about.20 .mu.m, and the etching range of the contact layer 4 in the resonator length direction, is 10.about.50 .mu.m. The entire surface of the wafer, except for portions of the contact layer 4, is covered with the insulating film 7, completing the semiconductor laser device shown in FIG. 24(a). In addition, an electrode for making an ohmic contact is formed on the portions of the contact layer 4 unmasked with the insulating film 7.
In the integrated modulator and semiconductor laser device, since the semiconductor laser part is forward biased and the modulator part is reversely biased, sufficient electrical isolation between the laser part and the modulator part is required. Generally, an oscillation wavelength of a semiconductor laser varies with varying injection current. In the integrated modulator and semiconductor laser device, however, the laser part is driven with a constant current. Thus, if the electrical isolation between the laser part and the modulator part is insufficient, the current flowing through the laser part is unfavorably varied by a modulation signal which is applied to the modulator part via the isolation resistance between the laser part and the modulator part, thereby resulting in wavelength variation. This wavelength variation causes degradation of a transmitted waveform during long-distance transmission through an optical fiber, resulting in limited transmission distance. Consequently, in order to improve transmission characteristics, it is very important to enhance the isolation resistance between the laser part and the modulator part.
On the other hand, the mobility of electrons is tremendously larger than that of holes in InP. This results in low electrical resistance of the n type InP hole trap layer 8 in the above-described semiconductor laser device. In addition, the hole trap layer 8 is continuous through the modulator part (c) and the laser part (a). This results insufficient electrical isolation between the modulator part (c) and the laser part (a), and there occurs mutual interference between these parts. Further, the semi-insulating semiconductor layer 6b forms a capacitance. Accordingly, when the hole trap layer 8 is continuous through the modulator and laser parts, the capacitances of the semi-insulating semiconductor layer 6b are coupled, thereby increasing parasitic capacitance of the modulator part (c) and impeding modulation operation at harmonics.
The following are semiconductor laser devices which avoid these problems.
A semiconductor laser device shown in FIG. 25 integrates a laser part (a) and a modulator part (c). The laser and modulator parts (a) and (c) are both disposed on a semiconductor substrate 100. The laser part (a) includes optical waveguide layers 15 and 16 and a quantum well layer 50a, and the modulator part (c) includes optical waveguide layers 15 and 16 and a quantum well layer 50b and has a diffraction grating 12 formed on the semiconductor substrate 100. P.sup.+ type InGaAsP layers 70 are disposed on the laser and modulator parts (a) and (c) and electrodes 91a and 91b are disposed on the p.sup.+ type InGaAsP layers 70. There is an isolation part (b) comprising a p type InP layer 65 having a larger band gap energy than those of the optical waveguide layers 15 and 16, provided between the laser part (a) and the modulator part (c). This p type InP layer 65 of the isolation part (b) increases the isolation resistance between the laser part (a) and the modulator part (c).
A semiconductor laser device shown in FIG. 26 is provided with a laser part (a) and a modulator part (c) on a semiconductor substrate 101. In the laser part (a), a first optical guide layer 102, a first buffer layer 103, a second optical guide layer 106, a cladding layer 107 and a cap layer 108 are successively disposed on the semiconductor substrate 101. The modulator part (c) has a diffraction grating 12 formed on the semiconductor substrate 101, the first optical guide layer 102 and the first buffer layer 103, which are continuous with the respective layers of the laser part (a), disposed on the semiconductor substrate 101. An active layer 104, a second optical buffer layer 105, a second optical guide layer 106, a cladding layer 107 and a cap layer 108 are successively disposed on the first buffer layer 103. There is an isolation part (b) filled with a high resistance semiconductor 109 between the laser part (a) and the modulator part (c). This high resistance semiconductor 109 increases the isolation resistance between the laser part (a) and the modulator part (c).
A semiconductor laser device shown in FIG. 27 includes a ridge, i.e., optical waveguide, 140 comprising an active layer 110, 400 and a cladding layer 350 that is disposed on a semiconductor substrate 200. The ridge 140 includes a semiconductor laser part 1010 and a modulator part 1020 having a diffraction grating 120 on the semiconductor substrate 200 beneath the active layer 110. Burying layers comprising a semi-insulating semiconductor layer 800 and a hole trap layer 900, which are successively formed, are disposed on both sides of the ridge 140. Electrodes 300 and 700 are disposed on the lower and upper surfaces of the semiconductor laser device, respectively. In this semiconductor laser device, the cladding layer 350, the hole trap layer 900 and the semi-insulating semiconductor laser 800 between the laser part 1010 and the modulator part 1020 are etched and removed, thereby increasing the isolation resistance between the laser part 1010 and the modulator part 1020.
In the semiconductor laser devices shown in FIGS. 25 and 26, however, the active layers in the laser part (a) and the modulator part (c) are separated from each other. Therefore, the optical coupling efficiency between the laser part (a) and the modulator part (c) is low.
In the semiconductor laser device shown in FIG. 27, the cladding layer 350 above the ridge 140 is employed to make an ohmic contact with the electrode 700. However, since the electrode 700 is disposed in a wide range, current flows between the laser part 1010 and the modulator part 1020 through the electrode 700, thereby reducing the isolation resistance between the laser part 1010 and the modulator part 1020. This results in wavelength variation, and further degradation of the transmitted waveform during long-distance transmission in an optical fiber.


This invention relates to a system in package including a plurality of integrated circuit chips and a substrate on which the plurality of integrated circuit chips are mounted and characterized in that a testability circuit for facilitating a test on at least one of the integrated circuit chips is incorporated into the substrate. The testability circuit incorporated into the substrate is formed by embedding a so-called WLCSP integrated circuit chip into the substrate. Alternatively, the testability circuit is formed by using a transistor element formed by using a semiconductor layer formed on the substrate. By incorporating the testability circuit into the substrate as described above, it is possible to realize a system in package facilitated in test without increases in size and cost.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a system in package (hereinafter abbreviated to SIP) having a testability circuit interior substrate and/or an impedance matching circuit mounted on its substrate and to a socket used in the system in package.
2. Description of the Related Art
Integration technology for semiconductor integrated circuit has considerably progressed in recent years, and a large scale integration circuit that realizes a plurality of circuit devices as one integration circuit chip, which is called SOC (System On Chip), has been put into practical use. The SOC often includes a large capacity memory and a logic circuit such as a processor operating at a high speed. In order to manufacture the SOC, an insulating layer of a material having large permittivity is formed for downsizing the memory cell is formed, and an insulating layer of a material having small permittivity for realizing the high speed operation of the logic circuit such as the processor is formed. Therefore, the SOC manufacture process is complicated, and it is difficult to improve yield of the manufacture process, thereby making it difficult to reduce the SOC manufacture cost lower than a certain level.
Accordingly, an SIP that is obtained by producing each of a plurality of circuit devices forming the SOC as an integrated circuit chip and mounting the integrated circuit chips on one package is attracting attention.
One of the advantages of the SIP is that it is possible to produce the SIP by assembling integrated circuit chips that have been produced. In this case, since the integrated circuit chips to be used are those that have been produced, they are available at low prices.
Also, in the case of producing a newly developed integrated circuit chip to be mounted on the SIP, it is possible to produce each of the memory and the logic circuit, for example, as a separate integrated circuit chip. Therefore, since it is possible to produce each of the integrated circuit chips by a minimum process step, it is possible to independently improve the yield of each of the integrated circuit chips. Consequently, even when a cost for assembling a plurality of chips as one package is taken into consideration, it is possible to produce the SIP at a low cost as compared to the production cost of the SOC in which the integrated circuit chips are integrated on a silicon chip of the identical type.
However, in an SIP (or in an SOC), there is a problem that it is difficult to perform a test on the integrated circuit chips since a signal conductor for connecting the integrated circuit chips mounted on the SIP is not connected to an external connection terminal of the SIP. For example, it is possible to perform a test on a memory integrated circuit chip when all terminal signals of the memory integrated circuit chip are controlled and observed by an external device such as a testing device. Accordingly, in the case where the terminal signals of the memory integrated circuit chip are connected only to other internal integrated circuit chips and not connected to the external connection terminal of the SIP, it is impossible to perform the test on the memory integrated circuit chip.
In recent years, a testability circuit interior substrate such as a boundary scanning circuit that is normalized by JTAG (Joint Test Action Group) is provided in some cases in an integrated circuit chip. In such case, the test on the integrated circuit chip is facilitated. However, many of those that have heretofore been on the market as a general-purpose component, particularly the memory integrated circuit chip, for example, are not provided with such testability circuit interior substrate. The integrated circuit chip to be mounted on the SIP is usually supplied as a baring die (in this specification, the baring die means an integrated circuit obtained by dicing a wafer, and the integrated circuit means the baring die that is mounted in a package). Therefore, it is necessary to develop a strategy for facilitating the test by taking the above-described reality into consideration when designing and producing an SIP.
As to the problem of difficulty in conducting the test on the SIP, Patent Document 1 described below discloses a technology for facilitating a test on an SIP by forming a circuit for assisting a test on a first integrated circuit chip (e.g. memory integrated circuit) mounted on the SIP on a second integrated circuit chip mounted on the same SIP. Also, Patent Document 2 described below discloses a technology of facilitating a test on an SIP by mounting an integrated circuit chip formed of an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) in addition to integrated circuit chips to be mounted on the SIP, and forming a testability circuit interior substrate using the integrated circuit chip of FPGA.
Patent Document 1: JP-A-2004-158098 (paragraphs 0009 to 0021 and FIGS. 1 to 3)
Patent Document 2: JP-A-2005-283205 (paragraphs 0015 to 0021 and FIGS. 1 and 2)
Further, it is necessary to consider measures against reflection of signals in the integrated circuit chip terminals in such SIPs. Many of recent integrated circuit chips operate at a clock frequency that is in a GHz band. In the case where the signal reflection measure is not taken when mounting the integrated circuit chip of the high speed operation on the SIP, it is difficult to accurately perform the high speed signal transmission due to the signal reflection caused by impedance mismatching.
In the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, in the case of performing a test on an integrated circuit chip, an auxiliary circuit for the test is added to another integrated circuit chip. Therefore, it is impossible to use any existing integrated circuit as the another integrated circuit chip. In such case, since it is necessary to produce an integrated circuit chip dedicated to the SIP, the cost advantage of SIP is impaired. Also, in the technology disclosed in Patent Document 2, since an integrated circuit chip of an extra FPGA is added to an SIP, the size and the cost of the SIP are undesirably increased.
As to the signal reflection measure in the integrated circuit chip terminal, it is possible to prevent the signal reflection by adding resistance and inductance elements for impedance matching in the vicinity of the terminal of the integrated circuit chip. However, when such technology is applied to the SIP, a space for mounting the resistance and inductance elements is required to cause a disadvantage of increasing the size of SIP.

System in package with built-in test-facilitating circuit


A system top deliver liquid egg product in aliquot portions respective to a selected number of eggs, the system being totally contained in a cooled surround.

A restaurant customer who orders his eggs cooked in an unmixed fashion such as sunnyside up, or over, expects and receives a product in which the egg yolk and the white are discrete and recognizable from one another. For these dishes the cook breaks and cooks the eggs without disturbing them, except perhaps for puncturing the yolks.
Depending on the type of restaurant, an order of scrambled eggs or an omelette will also be produced by the cook from eggs which he breaks and then stirs or whips. Restaurants and cafes with relatively slow traffic in egg dishes do provide shell eggs to the cook, who breaks them when he prepares every order.
There is another type of restaurant, in which egg dishes are an active, even dominant part of the menu, and which rely heavily on omelettes as a specialty and product leader. In such operations, the cook must produce omelettes at a considerable rate, so there is no time for him to break eggs. For such operations deshelled whole eggs are provided in a liquid, mixed and stabilized form. This product is sometimes called "Egg Wash". It is the whole egg, mixed and stabilized, and supplied in a plastic bag. This bag is often confined in a cardboard box, and can conveniently be stored in a refrigerator located at the cook's omelette stand.
The advantages of this form of egg are evident. It arrives at the cook's stand free from the biological hazards of handling a whole unshelled egg. It can readily be portioned to suit an order for any number of eggs per order. Even more importantly, it is the same product as would have been produced from an egg that was shelled at the stand. The customer will not know the difference.
However advantageous the above is, and it is in widespread use, restaurant proprietors and public health inspectors are on nearly continuous alert because of the way the egg product is actually dispensed. In practice there is a cold-table insert for the egg product. The cook fills the insert from the bag and returns the bag to the refrigerator. Then he puts a ladle, usually one which conforms to a "one-egg" size, into the filled insert. When he makes the omelette, he doles out an amount respective to a number of eggs, one at a time, puts it in the pan, and returns the ladle to the insert when where it is kept until the next order.
Notice that the egg product in the insert will be exposed to the air for an undetermined length of time depending on activity, exposed to ambient temperature, subjected to repeated return of a ladle into the egg product, and subject to things passing into it, which they do. The temperature and sanitary condition of the egg product are of continuing and considerable importance. After the egg product has left the bag, its condition is no longer certain. Also, it becomes exposed to the question about sanitary condition of the insert.
These uncertainties plague the operators of restaurants with heavy egg traffic, and often result in negative grades from inspectors.
It is an object of this invention to provide liquid egg product in a strictly-sanitary condition up to the moment it is placed in the pan.
It is another object of this invention to provide a delivery system which can produce on demand egg product in desired aliquot quantities.
It is yet another object of this invention to produce a system that can readily be primed and sanitized, utilizing the same equipment as is used to deliver egg product to the pan.

Storage and dispensing aliquot portions of liquid egg in a wholesome and convenient manner


The color correction method in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention can comprise the steps of: acquiring an image from a captured image; detecting the face and eyes from the captured image; separating the sclera and pupil of the detected eye(s); correcting the image by comparing the areas of the sclera and pupil extracted by separating the sclera and pupil with the reference values stored in a database; and extracting the skin color of the face from the corrected image.

Recently, various techniques have been proposed in relation to makeup using devices; however, most of them do not take the facial skin color of the user and the lighting environment into consideration. The conventional arts disclose methods for measuring real skin color without the effect of illumination; however, they have such disadvantages as having to make use of the devices for measuring color information based on a spectrum not available to common users.
In addition, there has been proposed such techniques as to take pictures with a standard color table to conveniently measure the lighting environment; however, the technique requires preparation of a color table and using it in the course of taking pictures.
In addition, Do et al. (2012) proposed a method for correcting illumination using the sclera of the human eye; however, this method has difficulty extracting the correct skin color because the range of skin colors extracted is too wide, including shadow and highlights.
As such, the demand has emerged for a technology able to extract the correct facial skin color from images using the sclera and pupil of the human eye to improve user convenience and provide a basis for various makeup-related programs.

System and method for correcting color of digital image based on the human sclera and pupil


A photoelectric conversion device includes an intrinsic semiconductor layer, a first conductive type semiconductor layer disposed on a first side of the intrinsic semiconductor layer, and a second conductive type semiconductor layer disposed on a second side of the intrinsic semiconductor layer opposite the first side. The intrinsic semiconductor layer includes an amorphous semiconductor layer and a crystalline semiconductor layer including a plurality of crystals. A diameter of a crystal of the plurality of crystals is equal to or less than approximately 100 angstroms.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a photoelectric conversion device and a photodetector apparatus having the photoelectric conversion device. More particularly, the present invention relates to a photoelectric conversion device having improved photoelectric conversion efficiency and a photodetector apparatus having the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
A photoelectric conversion device includes a semiconductor layer which absorbs light energy and thereafter performs a photoelectric conversion process to thereby convert the light energy into electrical energy. An efficiency of the photoelectric conversion process of the photoelectric conversion device is a function of an amount of current generated by the photoelectric conversion device as compared to an amount of light applied to the photoelectric conversion device.
A photodetector apparatus includes a plurality of the photoelectric conversion devices, each of which outputs an electrical signal corresponding to light applied thereto, and the photodetector apparatus uses the electrical signal from each of the photoelectric conversion devices to measure an amount of the light. When the photodetector apparatus is used as a medical diagnostic apparatus, for example, the photodetector apparatus typically further includes a scintillator array which converts an x-ray to a light having a wavelength which corresponds to a visible light.
A photodetecting efficiency of the photodetector apparatus depends on a light-conversion efficiency of the scintillator array and a photoelectric conversion efficiency of the photoelectric conversion device. Further, the photoelectric conversion efficiency of the photoelectric conversion device is determined based on both a light-absorbing efficiency and a light-conversion efficiency of the photoelectric conversion device.

Photoelectric conversion device and photodetector apparatus having the same


A method and apparatus for license distribution are disclosed. An endpoint requests information from a server related to information required for the server to grant a license. The server provides the required information to the endpoint. The endpoint obtains the required information, and forwards the information to the server. The server, upon receiving the information, determines if a license may be granted to the endpoint, and transmits a license authorization to the endpoint, which includes the number of licenses which are granted.

To protect software manufacturers' intellectual property rights in software sold to the public, manufacturer's commonly license software to the purchaser. Additionally, in many applications the purchaser has purchased a large number of licenses, commonly referred to as rights to use (RTUs), which are used across many different sites in an enterprise. In particular, a customer may purchase a number of licenses for a release or version of a particular software package for a customer premise telecommunication switching system. Many times the customer also has an enterprise network which includes telecommunication switching systems located at several different sites. Rather than purchase licenses for each individual site, it is often more cost effective to purchase all of the licenses for all of the sites in a bulk package. The licenses may be used across various sites where different telecommunication switching systems are used. In certain instances a customer may need to change the number of licenses for particular sites. For example, a company may initially require 1000 licenses at site A, and 2000 licenses at site B. Due to personnel shifts, the company may later require 500 licenses at site A, and 2500 licenses at site B. Portability of licenses between different sites for an organization is known as "enterprise wide licensing" or "EWL." EWL may also be advantageous for balancing loads at different sites. For example, an enterprise may have three telecommunications switches and thirty total licenses which are initially distributed as ten licenses per switch. It may then be determined that one of the switches has a heavier volume than the other two, and it would be useful to have additional licenses at that site. In such a case, efficient EWL would be advantageous.
Traditionally, number of licenses available at a site, after the initial license distribution, had to be manually adjusted, which commonly involved contacting the software distributor and obtaining the adjustment of the licenses. This also typically required a technician from the software distributor to visit the sites to install files which allow for the adjusted number of licenses. Thus, it would be advantageous for such a customer to have portability of the licenses, allowing them to automatically adjust the number of licenses available for any given site without requiring the installation of separate files, and without requiring a service call from a technician. As is known, the number of licenses simply indicates the total number of copies of the software package which may be operated at a given time. Accordingly, the licenses control the number of copies of the software package which are available at any given time. Thus, the control of licenses may also be viewed as controlling the number of copies of a software package.
A similar type of problem is present in the high definition digital video content industry. In this case, a content provider which provides high definition digital content needs to limit the available copying of that digital content. Many content providers, such as broadcast television content providers, are required to allow for fair use copying, such as copying for time-shift purposes, but want to limit other copying. This problem is particularly important for devices which are able to digitally record the digital content. In such cases, there is no deterioration in quality for the copy, and additional copies may be made with no deterioration. Accordingly, there is a large piracy concern for such digital content communication.
Traditionally, two schemes have been commonly used to protect content providers from unauthorized copying. One scheme, known as Macrovision™, provides an inherent instability within the picture. When the picture goes through an analog conversion, the instability becomes apparent, degrading the picture. However, this scheme only works if the copying is performed using an analog conversion. As digital recording technology advances, digital recording mediums and hardware to record digitally are become more common. Thus, this scheme will not be effective against copying which is performed using a digital recording medium.
A second scheme is a software restriction on digital transfer of high definition picture. One such method is known as 1080i, which is a digital transmission format defined by the Advanced Television Systems Committee. Embedded in the 1080i digital transmission is an identified transmission quality of picture. This embedded digital encoding is picked up at the receiver, which determines if the transmission is copy protected. While this method can be effective in allowing copying or not allowing copying, it is not flexible with respect to the amount of copying allowed for certain content. For example, in many cases a content provider may need to allow copies of certain content for fair use time-shift purposes. Using this method, if copying of the content is allowed, additional copies may be made following the recording of the original copy. Accordingly, it would be useful to have a system which would allow a single fair use copy, or limited fair use copies, to be made of such content, and limit any additional copies which are made of the content.
Another method to limit copying of content is known as IEEE1394 or "Firewire." If picture is copy encoded, it is trusted that the receiver will not allow a copy to be made. If the receiver is an original source (i.e. a personal video recorder or "PVR"), a limit on the copies may be given. However, a drawback of this method is that pirates can defeat the digital copy encoding in a relatively simple manner, by locating the information containing the permitted copying information and altering this information to allow for unlimited copies. For example, if a Digital Video Disk (DVD) contains information related to permissible copying of the digital content, a pirate may locate the area on the surface of the disk which contains this information. The pirate may then alter that area such that the information cannot be read, which results in copies being able to be made.
In order to attempt to limit unauthorized copying, content providers may also encrypt the signal. In such a case, the pirate may also defeat the encryption. While encryption is somewhat effective, it requires that encryption keys be distributed in a secure manner. Decoding the encryption also degrades the performance of a video system, and can potentially cause a fault if there is an error in the decryption. Thus, it would be advantageous to provide a method for copy protection which does not rely on copy encoding data in the digital content, and does not require encryption.
Another method for limiting copying of digital content is a failed technology known as DIVX. This technology required a digital player which contacted, via a telephone connection, a center which granted permission to view the digital content. This technology was not successful and raised a number of privacy concerns, as people did not want it to be recorded every time they viewed a movie. Furthermore, permission was required from the authorization source any time the product was viewed. Thus, unlimited copies of the digital content could be made, and the content only viewed upon the grant of permission by the authorization center. This had the effect of removing any incentive for a producer to make any copies of such content, because the content could be copied freely, and an end user would simply pay when the content was actually viewed. Thus, it would be advantageous to provide a copy protection system which maintains incentive for producers to manufacture copies of digital content.
Another problem area in software and digital content distribution may occur following the distribution of the software or some digital content. Following this distribution, it may be determined that the software or digital content violates a law or some rights of another owner. In the event that such a situation arises, it would be advantageous to limit the amount of additional copying which may be done for the software or digital content. For example, a first customer may purchase 10,000 licenses for telecommunications switching software and divide the number of licenses between two sites, with each site receiving 5000 licenses. The license purchase agreement may specify that the customer is to pay the software distributor an amount of $10,000 per month for one year. If the customer then fails to pay the software distributor, it would be advantageous to provide a solution which does not allow the customer to move copies of the software between the sites. Thus, if the customer in this example, after failing to pay the license fee, wishes to move 1,000 licenses from the first site to the second site, it would be useful to the software distributor to be able to deny the movement of the licenses until proper payment is made. Similarly, if a digital content provider determines that the content which is distributed violates an intellectual property right, it would be useful for the content provider to deny any additional copies of the content from being made. For example, a content provider may distribute a movie in digital format, and later discover that a scene in the movie contains a copyrighted image which the copyright owner demands not be reproduced. In such a case, if the content provider cannot resolve the dispute with the copyright owner, it would be useful to deny that any additional copies of the content be made, thus limiting the amount of damages to the copyright owner.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to have a mechanism which provides copy protection for software and digital content while not inhibiting authorized use. It would also be advantageous for the mechanism to not require encryption, and which also does not require transmission of information every time a customer views the content.

Method and apparatus for license distribution


An apparatus of remote server console redirection is described. The apparatus provides multi-managers to control remote server computers simultaneously. The apparatus includes at least one monitoring computer and a console redirection proxy service server (CRPSS). The monitoring computer executes a browser program and assigns a remote server computer to be controlled. The CRPSS determines whether the assigned remote server computer is on monitoring. If the assigned remote server computer is on monitoring, the CRPSS directly sends display images of the assigned remote server computer to the monitoring computer. If the assigned remote server computer is not on monitoring, the CRPSS issues a console redirection command and a reboot command to the assigned remote server computer. Therefore, the display images of the assigned remote server computer are sent to the monitoring computer by way of the CRPSS.

1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to an apparatus of remote server console redirection and, in particular, to an apparatus of remote server console redirection for multiple users.
2. Related Art
As computers become popular and with the rapid development in network technology, people can quickly obtain desired information and various kinds of services through the Internet. The development of computer network indeed brings us convenient and comfortable life.
Transmission technology utilizing the network has a lot of progress in recent years. Therefore, computer systems comprised of few centralized computers or equipment are getting insufficient in practice. The computer system used in a normal company no longer contains only a few computers. Instead, they are often composed of computers and devices, such as the workstations, servers, databases, routers, and backup devices, distributed at different locations but connected by way of the network in order to provide various services.
In order to effectively manage computers at different locations, remote control becomes important. Remote server management generally has a two-tier structure and usually adopts the one-to-one management mode. However, as the software functions and hardware structure of servers become more complicated, it is often difficult for a single manager to fix problems or perform settings on the servers. In particular, the server problems may not be only on the software or hardware side. It is more likely that a problem is caused by software failure that also results in hardware breakdown.
Therefore, it would be a problem if the management, maintenance, and problem shooting of remote servers only rely on a few managers. It will be highly desirable that one can effectively combine the efforts of several software and hardware managers along with server users, salesmen, and manufacturers, and even the system designers and integrators to maintain the servers. This will make the server management and problem solving much easier and faster.

Apparatus of remote server console redirection


First and second transparent hard plastic substrates are placed one over the other to form therebetween a gap into which a liquid crystal is to be sealed in. The first and second substrates are mounted on the reference plane of a stage. The distance between the first substrate and the reference plane is measured in a non-contact manner at a plurality of measuring points on a predetermined dividing line. Based on the distances measured, a slit is formed on the first substrate by cutting the first substrate along the dividing line while leaving a portion of a predetermined thickness uncut. The first substrate is then broken along the slit. With this arrangement, it is possible to cut the substrates while leaving a portion of an appropriate thickness uncut irrespective of unevenness of the thickness or waviness of the first substrate. Moreover, since the surfaces of the cut sections of the substrates do no crack and since the portions of the substrates to be broken have a reduced thickness, the divided sections have smoother surfaces.

In a conventional LCD, two pieces of transparent glass (for example, 300 mm (L) .times. 300 mm (W) .times. 0.5 mm to 1.1 mm (T)) are used as substrates for sandwiching a liquid crystal. An undercoat, ITO (indium Tin Oxide) electrodes as transparent electrodes, and an alignment film are formed respectively on the substrates, and the molecules of alignment film are then aligned.
Next, the two pieces of the glass substrates are placed to sandwich the ITO electrodes with a gap between them and bonded. The gap is formed for a liquid crystal layer. In the case of using such two glass substrates, the ITO electrodes can be formed on one of or both of the glass substrates.
Then, slits are made on the glass substrates so as to divide them into cells as liquid crystal display elements. Also, to expose the terminal sections of the ITO electrodes on one of the glass substrates, sections of the other glass substrate opposite the terminal sections are cut off.
With this manufacturing method, since it is possible to form numbers of cells in a pair of substrates having a predetermined gap therebetween at a time, cells having a uniform gap between the substrates are produced with precision. Besides, mass production permits a reduction in the manufacturing costs.
When dividing such glass substrates, firstly, scratches in the form of lines are made with a diamond cutter along predetermined dividing lines. Then, by applying a stress to the scratches with a breaking device, the glass substrates are broken along the dividing lines (breaking process).
In general, a glass substrate having a scratch in the shape of a line on its surface is easily broken when a stress is applied to the scratch. With this method, it is therefore possible to break the substrates along the scratches with precision.
In recent years, substrates produced from light-weight plastic are used for manufacturing a thinner and light-weight LCD. For the TN (Twisted Nematic)-type LCD, plastic films with a thickness of 0.1 mm to 0.3 mm, such as PES (Polyether Sulphone) or uniaxial oriented PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) have been developed as substrates and mass-produced.
When cutting the substrates, a cutting device with a heat cutter is used or die cutting such as Thomson's die cutting method is adopted. In the case where such plastic films are used, however, it is impossible to cut only one of the two substrates if they are bonded. Therefore, to expose the terminal sections, cutting must be performed before bonding the two substrates.
Moreover, in recent years, it is known that plastic substrates produced from an acrylic resin or epoxy resin with the use of a mold having a polished surface are superior to those produced from the above-mentioned PES and uniaxial oriented PET in terms of the flatness of the substrate surface.
The acrylic resin and the epoxy resin are as stiff as they are used as lenses for glasses. If such resins are used to produce a substrate with a thickness of, for example, about 0.4 mm, the resulting substrate is brittle although it has some elasticity against a bending stress.
Therefore, unlike the glass substrates, even if stress is applied to split such a substrate along the scratches formed on the dividing lines thereon, it may not be broken along the dividing lines, deteriorating preciseness of dimensions. Thus, there is a possibility to produce defective products. In addition, the surfaces of the split sections tend to crack when stress is applied, and cracks tend to develop if a little stress is put, resulting in defective products.
Accordingly, the method used for cutting glass substrates can not be used when cutting substrates produced from an acrylic resin or epoxy resin to break them into cells and to expose terminal sections. Similarly, the method used for cutting a plastic film with a thickness of 0.1 to 0.3 mm can not be adopted when cutting such substrates.
Then, a cutting method including the dicing process using a substantially disk-shaped blade is suggested for cutting substrates having improved surface flatness, produced from hard and brittle plastic, such as acrylic resin and epoxy resin.
With this cutting method, the substrates are first placed on a movable stage as a worktable. Then, slits of a predetermined depth are formed on the substrates by rotating the blade while moving the stage so that the blade cuts the substrates along dividing lines. At this time, the depth of slit is determined so that the substrates are not completely cut off. The reason for this is to prevent the blade from coming into contact with and damaging the stage when cutting the substrates into cells and to prevent the terminal pattern from getting damaged when cutting the substrate to expose the terminal sections.
Next, the substrates are removed from the stage, and the uncut portion of the substrates is broken by applying stress to the substrates in a direction toward which the substrates are bent along the dividing lines. It is desirable to make the thickness of the uncut portion as small as possible when cutting the substrates with the blade.
With this cutting method, it is possible to divide the substrates without causing cracks because the sections of the substrates cut by the blade do not crack.
In contrast, with the above-mentioned conventional cutting method, the cut sections do not have smooth surfaces due to the following reasons.
With the present techniques for manufacturing the substrates, it is impossible to manufacture a substrate with a consistently uniform thickness. In reality, there is unevenness in the range of about .+-.70 .mu.m in the thickness of a substrate. Also, to prevent the blade from coming into contact with and damaging the stage, it is necessary to arrange the uncut portion to have a thickness which is greater than an appropriate value when cutting the substrates.
This arrangement causes an increase in the thickness of the portion to be split by bending. Moreover, since the thickness of the portion is not uniform, the substrates may not be split along the dividing lines, increasing the number of cracks on the split surfaces. Consequently, the number of defective products increases.
Besides, the frictional heat produced by the rotating blade and the substrate when cutting the substrate melts the surfaces of the cut sections and chips of the substrate caused by dicing. When the melted portions of the substrate become hard, a protruding burr is formed on each side of the openings of the slits along the dividing lines. When the liquid crystal display element is placed upside down so as to cut the other substrate which was located at the lower position before turning the liquid crystal display element, such burrs come into contact with the stage. This adversely affects the preciseness of the depth of slit made by the blade. Namely, the thickness of the portion to be uncut becomes uneven. It is therefore difficult to obtain smooth surfaces when the substrate is broken, increasing the number of defective products.

Method for dividing substrates of liquid crystal displays using repeated measurements


Filter apparatus for extracting water vapors from a gas includes a housing and a cartridge containing desiccant disposed in the housing. A spring biased follower in the cartridge exerts continuous compressive forces on the desiccant.

Filters for extracting water vapors from a gas, a process known as drying, are very common and in widespread use at the present time. A common material employed is molecular sieve, a bead-like material made from diatomaceous earth with a very high surface area to volume ratio and an affinity for adsorbing water molecules.
Several design considerations apply to the construction of a successful desiccant filter assembly. The desiccant material must be closely packed in its container so that further settlement does not produce channeling or create voids where the gas can bypass close contact with the desiccant.
If the desiccant is exposed to vibrations in service it must be tightly packed to prevent the desiccant beads from rubbing against each other and against the walls of the container which can cause the material to breakdown and form dust.
If the desiccant is contained in a renewable cartridge the cartridge must be mounted in such a manner that it will not vibrate loosely in the housing for the cartridge. Also, the arrangement must be such that the wet inlet gas is prevented from mixing with and contaminating the dry discharge gas.
The gas flow must be directed from one end of the bed to the other and evenly distributed for effective use of all the desiccant material. The desiccant must be protected from direct contact with liquid water as that may cause it to disintegrate.


A method of positioning a catheter, for example a balloon or treatment catheter. The catheter is inserted in a passage and sensed through the luminal wall to correctly determine its position. As applied to prevent hemorrhage during surgery the method involves inserting the catheter in a deflated configuration along a passage such as a blood vessel near to the operative site in a position determined by direct or video-assisted sensing from outside the passage. In the event a blood vessel is cut during surgery, the already-positioned catheter inflates a balloon to occlude the passage and stop blood flow into the injured site. In one aspect, a flow-directed catheter includes an inflatable balloon attached at its distal end and an optical fiber connected to one or more light emitting regions positioned at the tip or in the vicinity of the balloon. The light is divergent and is emitted at one or more points to provide beacons that are readily detected through the walls of a blood vessel and permit a direct determination of the exact location of the balloon within the vessel. Rather than a flow-directed balloon catheter, a drug-delivery or other catheter may be used. In that case the light emitting regions are located at or adjacent to one or more drug delivery ports or other active areas in the catheter. In another or further aspect, one or more magnetic elements are provided on the catheter, and an external magnet is used to feel and engage the catheter through the vessel wall, sense its position, steer and move it along branching vessels, and anchor the balloon in a desired position.

This invention relates to intravascular catheters, and more particularly to balloon-tipped catheters and to novel catheters and methods of using such catheters during surgery.
Minimally invasive or video-assisted surgical procedures are being rapidly developed as a method of replacing conventional surgery. These new techniques may reduce trauma and result in fewer surgically-induced complications and lower medical costs associated with hospital stays. Current minimally invasive surgical techniques include laparoscopic, endoluminal, perivisceral, endoscopic, thoracoscopic, intra-articular and hybrid approaches. As an illustration of this procedure, access into a body cavity, e.g., peritoneal or pleural cavity, is made through a small incision. The cavity may be insufflated with fluid, such as carbon dioxide or saline fluid, to provide a working space, if necessary, as is commonly done for laparoscopic or intra-articular procedures. Generally, the gas or fluid is injected through an insufflation needle. After removing the needle, surgical instruments may be inserted at the incision into the cavity or working space, and an endoscopic camera is inserted through the opening into the cavity. Under direct visualization, additional incisions are then made at strategic locations in the body for inserting secondary surgical instruments to perform the operation.
Despite the significant advances in minimally invasive techniques, serious complications may arise due to accidental cutting or perforation of a vessel or organ. As an illustration, the application of these techniques to pulmonary resections, particularly lobectomy or partial lobectomy, has been limited by the fear that the pulmonary artery is relatively inaccessible, so that hemorrhage, if it occurs, cannot be easily stopped in a closed chest. Currently, the routinely used method of controlling hemorrhage in a closed space is to apply a clip or staple to the injured vessel. This would be a difficult undertaking once hemorrhage commences due to the lack of visibility at the operative site in a closed cavity.
Therefore, a need exists for an effective manner of stopping vascular flow into an operative site during a minimally invasive surgical procedure, particularly in thoracoscopic applications.
The use of balloon-tipped catheters which are flow-directed to the pulmonary artery for measuring right-sided vascular pressures was first described in 1953 (Lategola, M. and Rahn, H. (1953) Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med. 84: 667-68). Since then, pulmonary artery balloon catheters have been widely used for monitoring vascular pressures in the fields of anesthesia and critical care medicine. In 1970, Swan, Ganz and associates reported the use of a flow-directed catheter in humans and further refined it for direct measurement of pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (Swan et al. (1970) N Engl J Med 283: 447-51). At present, this catheter is an invaluable aid in the management of critically ill patients with pulmonary and cardiac disease. Moreover, pulmonary wedge pressure (as an estimation of left ventricular filling pressure or preload) is the standard of reference for intravascular volume management.
In addition to monitoring right heart pressures, balloon-tipped catheters, particularly flow-directed Swan-Ganz catheters have been routinely used for sampling mixed venous blood, and for infusing solutions. Numerous variations of these catheters are available in configurations containing double and triple lumens, as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,746,003, 3,833,004, 3,710,781, 3,634,924, 3,152,592, 3,044,468, 3,050,066 and 2,845,930 and elsewhere.
Balloon-tipped catheters are generally inserted using pressure waveform monitoring, with or without fluoroscopic control. Typically, the catheter may be inserted into a patient at the bedside into a median basilic or deep brachial vein by a cutdown, or it may be inserted percutaneously through the subclavian, internal jugular or femoral vein. After insertion, the balloon on the catheter tip is carried by the stream of maximal blood flow through the right atrium and right ventricle into the branch of the right pulmonary artery and, with a lesser frequency, into the left pulmonary artery. Variations on the ultimate location of the catheter depend mainly on the position of the patient when the catheter is inserted (Parlow, J. L. (1992), J. Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia 6 (1):20-23), but surgeons also develop their own movements for steering to a desired site.
A primary objective of the present invention is to provide a modified balloon-tipped flow-directed catheter useful for stopping the blood flow in the event of injury to a vessel during minimally invasive surgery.
If such a catheter could be dependably and quickly deployed in a determined position by a vessel branch point, it could be used intraoperatively to provide emergency hemostasis.
It is thus an object of the invention to provide a balloon catheter that is readily deployed during endoscopic surgery at a site effective to occlude a vessel supplying the site of surgery.
It is a further object to provide a method of quickly and efficiently deploying such balloon, and method of stopping hemorrhage with the balloon.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a balloon-tipped catheter containing a light fiber positioned in the balloon assembly which emits light in the vicinity of the balloon.
Another object is to provide a method of controlling hemorrhage during minimally invasive surgery, such as thoracic surgery, wherein the balloon catheter of the present invention is inserted into the pulmonary artery on the side of the lung to be operated on and the exact location of the balloon is determined by direct visual or video observation of emitted light. In the event of injury to the vessel during surgery, the balloon is inflated to stop the blood flow.
It is more generally an object of the invention to provide an endovascular catheter and a method of steering, positioning and anchoring the catheter during surgery.

Through-wall catheter steering and positioning