The present disclosure relates to flotation oils, processes for making such flotation oils, and uses thereof for example in the froth flotation of ores such as sylvinite ores to recover potassium chloride.

Froth flotation is a process commonly used to recover desirable minerals from ores and generally comprises at least some of the following steps: ore crushing; scrubbing, desliming; conditioning; flotation; concentrate washing; filtration and drying. Froth flotation is accomplished by aerating the ore pulp (e.g. ore particles mixed with a saturated brine solution) to produce a froth at the surface. Minerals adhering to the froth are removed and further processed. A variety of chemicals may be added to the ore particles or pulp to assist in flotation. For instance, as described in US Patent Publication No. US20060226051A1, the following chemicals may be added: a carrier which is generally a liquid vehicle for the ore particles; a depressant chemical that can interact with undesirable material; a collector chemical (e.g. amines) that can interact with the desired material; an extender chemical that can assist the collector chemical in floating the desired material; a frother chemical that can assist in generating a froth of air bubbles and/or can aid dispersion of the collector; and a flocculent chemical that can affect the agglomeration of the separated undesired material.
Potassium chloride, commonly referred to as potash, Muriate of Potash (MOP) or sylvite, is a naturally occurring mineral and the most widely used potassium fertilizer. It is manufactured primarily from sylvinite ores, which consists mainly of sodium chloride (halite) and potassium chloride (sylvite), along with small amounts of carnallite (hydrated KMgCl3) and water insoluble minerals (slimes). Potash is sold on the basis of its potassium oxide (K2O) equivalent content: pure potassium chloride contains 63.17% K2O equivalent. Potash is commonly recovered using the flotation process.
As described by Perucca (2003), sylvinite ores from Saskatchewan mines typically contain on average 30% sylvite (KCl), as well as halite (NaCl), some carnallite (hydrated KMgCl3), and up to 5.5% water insolubles. Run-of-mine ores are produced underground by continuous miners, with sizes up to 1,500 mm, and are usually processed in a primary jaw crusher to reduce the largest lumps to the 150-250 mm range to avoid problems during transportation to the surface. Liberation of the minerals can be obtained for example using dry or wet crushing methods. In particular, liberation is substantial at 9.5 mm for the Esterhazy member ore, and at 1.2 mm for the Patience Lake member ores.
After crushing, the ore is scrubbed through a series of highly agitated cells, normally at high percent solids (e.g. 60 to 70% solids in a KCl—NaCl saturated brine), designed to remove the insoluble slime from the potash ores. After scrubbing, primary separation of the insolubles is achieved with cyclones, siphon-sizers or wet screens, while the secondary separation is usually accomplished with hydro-separators, cyclones, and thickeners (Arsentiev and Leja, 1977). Desliming of insoluble slimes from the ores can also be achieved for example by flotation in two stages: a flocculant is added to the minus 100-mesh fraction to increase the size of the slime particles prior to flotation, slime flocs are conditioned with a collector and floated in a conventional flotation cells (Perucca and Cormode, 1999). Desliming by two-stage flotation process has the advantage of reduced capital cost for the desliming equipment but suffers disadvantages from higher reagent costs (Banks, 1979). Desliming is desired to minimize the reagent costs and ensure the good quality potash recovery.
Coarse and fine material streams are conditioned separately. Both streams are conditioned with a depressant and a potash collector. An extender oil is added to the coarse conditioner. Alcohols may be used to promote froth; and a polyelectrolyte modifier or slime depressant may be applied to reduce amine adsorption on clay surfaces.
Both coarse and fine materials may be floated using conventional (e.g. Denver DR-type) flotation cells. The flotation circuits consist typically of three stages: rougher, scavenger, and cleaner. Rougher flotation is the first separation step and removes the fast-floating valuables. The rougher concentrate is sent to cleaners and recleaners to improve the grade of the rougher products, and/or treat slow-floating valuables. Scavenger treat tailings from the other stages and its concentrate are typically re-circulated as rougher feed.
De-brining is usually achieved with screen-bowl type centrifuges and the moisture of the concentrate is reduced to 4 to 5%. Flotation tails are thickened in hydro cyclones before being disposed of.
There remains however a need for a flotation oil (also referred to as an extender or extender oil) free of at least one of the drawbacks of existing flotation oil formulations. There is also a need for a less toxic flotation oil, preferably made from waste products. There is further a need for a flotation oil having increased overall extraction efficiency when used for the production of potassium salts but also for the production of other minerals and metals such as phosphate, lime, sulfate, gypsum, iron, platinum, gold, palladium, titanium, molybdenum, copper, uranium, chromium, tungsten, manganese, magnesium, lead, zinc, clay, coal, bitumen, silver, fluorite, tantalum, tin, graphite, nickel, bauxite, borax, or borate.
There is additionally a particular need for flotation oils that possess at least one of the following properties:                float coarser minerals (e.g. potash);        reduce tailings;        contain less reportable polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs);        safe to transport and use (e.g. not considered dangerous goods pursuant to the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act and Regulations, and having a lower WHMIS (Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System) classification);        easier and safer to handle and store (e.g. pour point (as measured by ASTM D-97)<0° C. & flash point (as measured by ASTM D-93)>75° C.);        leave less residues (i.e. gums, sludge, sediments) in flotation oil systems and tanks that must be cleaned out and disposed of;        adaptable to different flotation cells and operating conditions, for example, can be optimized for summer and winter operations; and        cost effective.

Flotation oils, processes and uses thereof


The present invention provides a JFET which receives an additional implant during fabrication, which extends its drain region towards its source region, and/or its source region towards its drain region. The implant reduces the magnitude of the e-field that would otherwise arise at the drain/channel (and/or source/channel) junction for a given drain and/or source voltage, thereby reducing the severity of the gate current and breakdown problems associated with the e-field. The JFET's gate layer is preferably sized to have a width which provides respective gaps between the gate layer's lateral boundaries and the drain and/or source regions for each implant, with each implant implanted in a respective gap.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to field effect transistors (FETs), and, more particularly, to junction field effect transistors (JFETs).
2. Description of the Related Art
Junction field effect transistors (JFETs) are found in many applications, such as electronic switches and voltage-controlled resistances. The structure of a conventional JFET is shown in FIG. 1. This P-type JFET comprises an N-type bottom gate layer 10, P+ source and drain regions 14 and 16 recessed into N-type layer 10, a P-type layer 18 recessed into the surface of the N layer between the source and drain regions, and an N-type top gate layer 20 recessed into the surface of P-type layer 18 between the source and drain regions. Contacts are provided to the source and drain regions and the gate layers to provide the device's source (S), drain (D) and gate (G) terminals. Layer 18 serves as a P-channel which provides a current path between the source and drain regions.
With no voltage applied to gate terminal G, current flows easily when a voltage is applied between the source and drain terminals. Current flow is modulated by applying a voltage (Vgs) between gate terminal G and source terminal S. The polarity of Vgs is such that it reverse-biases the p-n junction between the gate and channel. This creates a depletion region which extends into the channel. The width of the depletion region varies with Vgs, with an increasing reverse-bias serving to widen the depletion region and thereby pinch off the channel and reduce the device's drain current. In this way, the Vgs voltage controls the conductance of the channel.
One inherent disadvantage of the JFET is its non-zero gate current. Voltages applied to the JFET's drain terminal give rise to an electric field (e-field) at its drain/P-channel junction. The e-field causes impact ionization to occur at the junction, which leads to the generation of carriers that are swept into the gate—thereby creating a gate current which may increase to an unacceptably high level with increasing drain voltage.
The e-field at the drain/channel (or source/channel) junction can also result in the device having a poor breakdown voltage characteristic. When the e-field reaches a critical level, the impact ionization current is essentially so high that drain current increases almost independently of drain voltage; this critical level defines the device's breakdown voltage, which may be unacceptably low for some JFETs.

JFET with drain and/or source modification implant


A semiconductor integrated circuit device according to the present invention includes a semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type having a high concentration of impurity atoms which layer is formed in or on predetermined locations of a semiconductor substrate with the first conductivity type which locations requires a resistance to alpha rays. The device of the present invention can decrease the amount of the electron collection to a semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type having a high concentration of impurity atoms which layer is separated from the semiconductor layer of the first conductivity type having a high concentration of impurity atoms. Therefore, the semiconductor integrated circuit device of the present invention can have enhanced resistance to alpha rays without capacitances being increased and maintain a fast speed of circuit operation.

The present invention relates to a semiconductor integrated circuit device and, in particular, a bipolar integrated circuit device having resistance to alpha rays.
Alpha rays are generated by the nuclear decay of radioactive elements contained in such as wiring materials. When those rays enter into a semiconductor integrated circuit device, pairs of electrons and holes are generated so that collection of the electrons occurs due to causes such as funneling phenomenon. The electron collection may cause unexpected currents so that software errors may occur.
In order to reduce the electron collection, there has been employed a technique by which the concentration of impurity atoms of a semiconductor substrate is increased. This technique, however, increases capacitances of the semiconductor integrated circuit device, thereby deteriorating the operation speed of the device.

Semiconductor integrated circuit device with alpha rays resistance


Fishing apparatus for setting a fish hook into a fish striking the hook and concurrently signaling the strike. The fishing apparatus includes mechanism for swingably mounting a fishing pole having a fishing reel thereon around which is wound a fishing line having a terminal end mounting a fish hook. A signaling flag is mounted on a flexible staff for movement between a stowed position and a signaling position. Mechanism is provided for moving the rod in the direction away from the base in response to tension force being applied to the fishing line to set the hook. The fish strike signaling flag is released in response to tension force being applied to the fishing line.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to fishing apparatus and more particularly, to apparatus which will automatically set a fish hook in response to a fish striking the fishing hook and concurrently signal a fish being caught.
2. Description of the Prior Art and Objects
Fishermen have heretofore utilized a variety of tip up devices for catching fish while the fishing apparatus is unattended and signaling a fish being caught. Such devices are illustrated, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,163,243, issued to George R. Wold, Jr., on Nov. 17, 1992; U.S. Pat. No. 4,285,154 issued to Paul F. Grahl, on Aug. 25, 1981; U.S. Pat. No. 5,448,850, issued to Lawrence J. Gonnello, on Sept. 12, 1995; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,067,269 issued to David M. Eppley on Nov. 26, 1991.
Sometimes, a fish will strike the bait with sufficient force to trigger the tip up but without sufficient force to impale itself on the hook. The game fish will sometimes "mouth the bait" and/or carry the bait without striking the bait with sufficient force to impale itself upon the fishing hook. If, in such instance, a fisherman was manually holding the fishing pole at the time of the strike, the fisherman would suddenly jerk the pole and line in a direction away from the fish, thereby causing the hook to penetrate and hook the fish.
With the unattended tip up apparatus utilized heretofore, there is no device for setting the hook. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide tip up fishing apparatus including mechanism for setting a fish hook.
It is another object of the present invention to provide mechanism for setting the hook on an unattended fishing pole and for signaling a setting of the hook as the hook is being set.
It is another object of the present invention to provide fishing apparatus which is responsive to tension force being applied to a hook mounting fishing line for causing the fishing pole and line thereon to suddenly jerk to set the hook.
It is another object of the present invention to also provide mechanism for pivotally mounting a fishing pole and mechanism for swinging the pole in response to tension force being applied to a fishing line.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide fishing apparatus of the type described including a swingably mounted fishing pole holding mechanism and mechanism for moving the pole holding mechanism to set a hook when a fish strikes a fishing line supported by the fishing pole.
It is a further object of the present invention is to provide fishing apparatus of the type described including signaling mechanism operable in response to movement of the pole moving mechanism, to signal a fish being caught.
It is another object of the present invention to provide fish hook setting mechanism of the type described which is responsive to a fish hook mounting line being payed out in one direction for moving the suddenly bodily moving the line in an opposite direction to set the hook mounted on the line.
Another object of the present invention is to provide apparatus of the type described including signaling mechanism responsive to tension force being applied to the fish line by a fish strike to signal the strike.
It is another object of the present invention to provide fishing apparatus of the type described including a flexible signal member having a free terminal flag end and trigger mechanism for receiving the fishing line and detachably holding the terminal flag end but releasing the terminal flag end in response to tension force being applied to the line when a fish strikes the line.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art as the description thereof proceeds.


The invention disclosed is an appliance which, when attached as an accessory to a heavy-duty vacuum cleaning unit such as may be used in industrial applications, as well as in professional and home workshop environments, attenuates exhaust port turbulence on such machines, providing an overall cleaner and safer work environment.

The present invention relates to accessories for heavy-duty vacuum-type cleaning units such as those found in industrial applications, as well as in professional equipment kits and home workshop environments. Such equipment is referred to hereinafter as "cleaning units", "vacuums", or "cleaning equipment." More particularly, the invention disclosed herein is an appliance which, when attached as an accessory to a heavy-duty vacuum cleaning unit attenuates exhaust port turbulence on such machines, providing an overall cleaner and safer work environment.
A vast range of accessories for heavy-duty and shop-type vacuum cleaners exists. For example, there exist carbon filter systems intended to be used as an add-on to such vacuum cleaners to capture volatile organic compounds emitted in waste or exhaust streams, which for purposes of this disclosure may be referred to as "post cycle supplemental filtration" given that the primary waste air flow results from intake air being drawn into one or more internal filters inherent to a vacuum cleaning unit. A prime example of such a post-cycle supplemental filtration unit is found at http://www.apsimplepsaltery.com/shopvac.htm. Another related concept is presented at http://www.instructables.com/id/Making-a-sound-baffle-for-loud-shop-vacuums/, where the do-it-yourself instructions provided are intended to result in a shop vacuum cleaner exhaust noise reduction baffle.
Numerous other examples of accessories for industrial and shop-type vacuums are to be found. The majority of these items, such as high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters, are directed largely to components and systems designed to inhibit the discharge of noxious substances or irritants and allergens into the waste air flow of a vacuum cleaner or cleaning system. Similarly, a smaller group of accessories attempt, as indicated by the latter example in the preceding paragraph, to minimize the noise level attendant with the operation of a powerful vacuum cleaner motor. For example, patent application U.S. Serial Number 20060179601, submitted by Crevling et al., discloses a removable internal air diffuser intended to reduce noise associated with the generation and discharge of high-speed airflows.
While it is known in the art that various aspects of the exhaust flow streams emanating from a variety of types of equipment may be effectively managed to bring about a reduction in the decibel level produced by many types of machines, there appears to be only an extremely limited body of physical solutions directed towards reducing the turbulence of vacuum cleaner exhaust flows, and this outcome appears to be an unintentional byproduct of other desired aspects of the few attachments and accessories that provide post-cycle supplemental filtration.
More particularly, a wide variety of exhaust airflow filters for various exhaust-generating units and systems are known in the art. In the case of vacuum cleaners and related systems, common—and rather similar—solutions are directed primarily at noise attenuation. The inventive concepts claiming to resolve the issue of high output-air-related noise levels involve a range of internal and external baffles, mufflers, and the like. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 8,261,406 granted to Kunz et al., covers a vacuum with multiple exhaust points, and claims the construction provides for quieter, lower velocity discharge of the air from the vacuum source. The operating principle is that the multiple exhaust points are supplied from a radially extending chamber that is defined between upper and lower panels. The radially extending chamber has both vertical and radial sections that operate to slow the velocity of the exhaust air to reduce the noise generated by the vacuum. Like Kunz, most of these concepts, when reduced to practice, are relatively simplistic in principle while complex in terms of their construction and number of parts. Moreover, apart from expensive and sensitive high-efficiency particulate filters geared towards allergen capture, and related components such as cartridges, frames, etc., few, if any of these filters, mufflers, or baffles are directed to limiting the discharge of fine particulates from the waste air stream, presumably on the assumption that filtration prior to the airflow reaching the motor is adequate.
More importantly, none of these accessories appears to be directed at effectively managing turbulent exhaust discharge flow, which can be highly problematic, for example by forcefully and powerfully disturbing particulates that have previously settled out of ambient air, or by unsettling fragile objects, for example precision tools or parts on a laboratory or workshop bench. A prime illustration of the problem raised is found in the example of a turbulent and powerful exhaust flow stirring up fine drywall dust that may have settled upon surfaces following the sanding of joint compound applied to seal the interstices of installed drywall panels. The scattering and random redistribution of fine particulate matter into the atmosphere of the immediate work area in large part defeats the attempts to clean with a shop-type vacuum cleaner, requiring laborious sweeping and wet mopping.
Therefore, given the heretofore unmet need of a device capable of reducing exhaust flow turbulence from a vacuum cleaning unit, while not diminishing the efficacy of the unit by reducing suction capacity or placing additional strain on the unit's motor, there is a clear need for an exhaust stream turbulence attenuating unit which is easily adapted and fitted to a broad range of vacuum cleaning units, which is low in cost, and which functions without diminishing the performance of the device to which it is attached.

Exhaust turbulence attenuator for industrial and shop vacuum cleaning units


A method of treating gum disease using a soft tissue diode laser which generates a beam of light having a wavelength in the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum (400 nm-700 nm) at a laser power of 0.5 to 1.2 watts, used with intermittent stops to control tissue temperature, to decontaminate the gum tissue and biostimulate the periodontium nonsurgically when used with a substrate, thus preventing the long junctional epithelium from migrating into the sulcus, preserving tissue height, and regenerating periodontium, the method comprising: placing the tip of the laser inside the sulcus; penetrating the entire sulcus by moving the laser light with intermittent stops to control tissue temperature vertically and horizontally throughout the sulcus; and placing a substrate in the sulcus prior to a blood clot forming, thus regenerating periodontium in the sulcus.

Laser Assisted Periodontium And Osseus Regeneration (LAPOR) is a protocol which is laser assisted with the use of a substrate such as but not limited the LAPOR periodontal solution, the LAPOR periodontal gel and the LAPOR substrate and thus causes an increase in cell attachment of epithelial cells, gingival fibroblasts, PDL fibroblasts and adhesion of osteogenic cells. This protocol has shown to increase the expression of transcription factors related to the differentiation of osteoblasts/cementoblasts as well as chondroblasts. Enhanced cell migration and proliferation appears to lead to accelerated wound fill rates in vitro using PDL fibroblasts, gingival fibroblasts and osteoblast-like cells.
A substrate such as the LAPOR periodontal solution, the LAPOR periodontal gel and the LAPOR substrate, used in the LAPOR protocol, stimulates total protein synthesis and the synthesis of specific extracellular matrix molecules. Studies that evaluate the bone remodeling regulation system indicate that enamel matrix proteins influence this by modulating the OPG and RANKI expression, thus indicating an indirect involvement in the bone remodeling process.
The soft tissue diode laser used produces a beam of light having a wavelength in the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum (400 nm-700 nm). Optionally, a beam of light having a wavelength in the green wavelength range (520-570 nm) at a laser power of 0.5 to 1.2 watts is used in the LAPOR protocol. It has been shown by the LAPOR protocol to biostimulate the healing and regenerative processes of the periodontium, including the biostimulation of new bone and its supporting elements. Previous studies have shown a positive healing effect of low power laser therapy (infrared range of a soft tissue diode laser) on tissue repair. Low power lasers, in the infrared range, have been shown to positively affect several indices of tissue repair. They biostimulate wound healing by acceleration of collagen synthesis, acceleration of inflammation, decrease of healing time, acquisition of strength. They biostimulate regeneration of tissue via elevated metabolic indices of ATP synthesis, elevated fibroblast proliferation, elevated collagen synthesis and increased indices of biomechanical aspects of tissue healing. The soft tissue diode laser used in the LAPOR protocol, biostimulates the healing response of the periodontium nonsurgically, and biostimulates the tissue regeneration of the periodontium, nonsurgically, and prevents long junctional epithelium from migrating downwards into the sulcus (a biomechanical aspect of tissue healing), thereby preserving the tissue height. A soft tissue diode laser used in the LAPOR protocol helps a substrate such as but not limited to enamel matrix proteins to stimulate total protein synthesis and the synthesis of extracellular matrix molecules, nonsurgically.

Laser assisted periodontium and osseus regeneration protocol


A database system operating over a communication network. A plurality of client applications coupled to the network generate database access requests. An intermediary server coupled to the network receives the requests. A data storage mechanism coupled to the network has an interface for communicating with the intermediary servers. The intermediary server is responsive to a received database access request to establishing a channel with the data storage mechanism to obtain data from the data storage mechanism in response to a received client request. The intermediary server is further operable to format the obtained data in a manner suitable for use by one of the client applications that requested the associated database access.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to network information access and, more particularly, to software, systems and methods for providing database services in a coordinated fashion from multiple cooperating database servers.
2. Relevant Background
Increasingly, business data processing systems, entertainment systems, and personal communications systems are implemented by computers across networks that are interconnected by internetworks (e.g., the Internet). The Internet is rapidly emerging as the preferred system for distributing and exchanging data. Data exchanges support applications including electronic commerce, broadcast and multicast messaging, videoconferencing, gaming, and the like. In electronic commerce (e-commerce) applications, it is important to provide a satisfying buying experience that leads to a purchase transaction. To provide this high level of service, a web site operator must ensure that data is delivered to the customer in the most usable and efficient fashion. Also, the web site operator must ensure that critical data received from the customer is handled with priority.
A vast amount of information is stored in databases. These databases have been developed over time with different schemas, formats, and database management systems. Databases vary from 20 year old (or more) "legacy" systems to modern object oriented database systems. In most cases, a database was developed for a particular application to be used by a defined set of computers either directly or over a local area network. In such cases, the computers and users could readily be specially configured and trained to use the database. However, these systems are difficult to expand to new computers and users.
With the advent of the Internet, computing appliances that can potentially act as interfaces to a database have potentially ubiquitous access to this stored database information. Public network and, in particular, the Internet promise to enable ready access from a wide variety of computing appliances at a wide variety of locations. However, public networks do not inherently support the various formats required by the wide variety of existing database systems. As a result, much of the stored information is not available to Internet users.
The Internet is a collection of disparate computers and networks coupled together by a web of interconnections using standardized communications protocols. While most Internet access is currently performed using conventional personal computers and workstations, the variety of devices that access the Internet is growing quickly and expected to continue to grow. Wireless devices such as telephones, pagers and connected personal digital assistants (PDAs) are increasingly common. It is expected that a variety of appliances and devices within offices, businesses, and households will support Internet connectivity in the coming years. As a result, supporting interfaces to these devices has become a significant issue in the problems associated with providing services over the Internet, including database services. For example, it is desirable to format data returned to a cellular phone or pager much differently than might be desirable on a workstation having a high bandwidth connection and advanced graphics processing and display capability. Conventional database systems do not recognize the different demands required by such diverse access devices.
The Internet is characterized by its vast reach as a result of its wide and increasing availability and easy access protocols. Unfortunately, the heterogeneous nature of the Internet results in variable bandwidth and quality of service between points. The latency and reliability of data transport is largely determined by the total amount of traffic on the Internet and so varies wildly seasonally and throughout the day. Other factors that affect quality of service include equipment outages and line degradation that force packets to be rerouted, damaged and/or dropped. Also, routing software and hardware limitations within the Internet infrastructure may create bandwidth bottlenecks even when the mechanisms are operating within specifications. The variable nature of the quality of service (QOS) provided by the Internet has made development and deployment of database systems that leverage the Internet infrastructure difficult.
Current methods of database access involve configuring an intermediate front-end server, such as a web-server, to interface with the database system. A web designer creates an input form on a browser interface comprising one or more HTML input controls. The HTML is converted to XML in most cases due to the increased functionality available through the XML language. The XML is processed by a server that generates query language messages in the database's native query language.
For more complex, high volume database environments, a database management system (such as Oracle) implements a web "listener" that monitors its network interface and identifies dB query/management related packets. The packets must be properly formed at the client, but the query may be embedded in a conventional HTTP packet. The listener creates a socket for the database access request/response. Listeners are closely coupled to the database themselves, however, and typically are implemented by software processes that are dedicated to a particular database type.
In either type of implementation, the web server interface easily becomes a critical bottleneck in database performance. Even where the underlying database systems are designed for high volume, the web server that presents that database to the Internet has limited resources for processing requests. These resources include software and hardware resources within the web server that create and maintain connections to clients, as well as resources used to translate requests into a database recognized format and translate responses to formats that can be recognized by clients. Many web servers may be required to support even modest activity rates. This becomes difficult and expensive for the database owner to establish and administer.
As a result of these difficulties, it is a significant undertaking for the owner of a database to place the contents on-line through the Internet. In e-commerce environments, for example, catalogs, inventories, customer support databases and the like cannot be easily made network accessible. Alternatively, database owners may be required to upgrade databases to more net-accessible forms. Although this may make maintenance easier, this often compromises database performance. In many cases, database owners create a shadow copy of an operational database so that the Internet access port can use the shadow database rather than the operational database. Such solutions face the same mapping difficulties discussed above, with the additional task of periodically synchronizing the operational database to the shadow copies. Nevertheless, the shadow copy is almost always out of date to a degree and so is not effective for applications with volatile data such as many e-commerce applications.
Internet transport protocols do not discriminate between users. Data packets are passed between routers and switches that make up the Internet fabric based on the hardware's instantaneous view of the best path between source and destination nodes specified in the packet. Because each packet may take a different path, the latency of a packet cannot be guaranteed and, in practice, varies significantly. Likewise, data packets are routed through the Internet without any prioritization based on content.
Conventional database systems also lack prioritization features. However, in an Internet environment, it is desirable to prioritize some database access requests over others. For example, a request for a stock ticker code and a request for current stock value have very different needs. A ticker code is static while the stock value information changes rapidly. This information may reside in a single database, however, and the database software typically does not prioritize one request over another. Even where multiple databases are used, these disparate priority requests are often routed through the same web server that connects the databases to the Internet. A need exists for a system and method that enables database access in a manner that enables prioritization of requests and responses.
Prioritization has not been an issue with conventional database systems operated over local area networks (LANs) and wide area networks (WANs) because the average latency of such networks has been sufficiently low and sufficiently uniform to provide acceptable performance to all users. However, there is an increasing demand for network applications such as database services that cannot tolerate high and variable latency. This situation is complicated when the application is to be run over the Internet where latency and variability in latency are many times greater than in LAN and WAN environments.
A particular need exists in environments that involve multiple users accessing a shared network resource such as a database server or database management system. Examples include broadcast, multicast and videoconferencing as well as most electronic commerce (e-commerce) applications. In these applications, it is important to maintain a reliable connection so that the server and clients remain synchronized and information is not lost.
Another trend in database services is to implement a database in a distributed fashion across multiple servers. These servers are often geographically and/or logically distributed in a network topology. Distributed databases not only makes the variable QOS issues more relevant and harder to solve, but may also require greater duplication of resources that must be maintained to manage access to the databases in a coordinated fashion. A distributed database system may distribute the data itself to various servers, the services and functionality required to access the databases (e.g., query formulation and processing) remain essentially confined to the server upon which they are implemented. A need exists for systems and methods for distributing the functionality provided by a database management and access system throughout a network environment.

System and method for providing distributed database services


The present invention provides a polarization beam splitter including a multilayer film formed by laminating a first layer having a refractive index in a first range, a second layer having a refractive index in a second range which does not overlap the first range, and a third layer having a refractive index in a third range which does not overlap the first or second range in the order of the first layer, the second layer, the first layer, and the third layer in succession, wherein the transmittance of s-polarized light is 60% or more higher than the transmittance of p-polarized light in a first wavelength region, the transmittance of p-polarized light is equal to or higher than 70% in a second wavelength region different from the first wavelength region, and each of the first wavelength region and the second wavelength region has a bandwidth equal to or larger than 30 nm.

The present invention relates to a polarization beam splitter and a projection apparatus having the same. The present invention relates to a polarization beam splitter with wavelength selectivity which transmits s-polarized light in a first wavelength band and reflects the s-polarized light in a second wavelength band different from the first wavelength band, and reflects p-polarized light in the first wavelength band and transmits the p-polarized light in the second wavelength band, by way of example. The present invention is particularly preferable for a projection apparatus which employs a light modulator with liquid crystal.
A conventionally well-known polarization beam splitter is a polarization beam splitter (PBS) of a prism type in which polarization splitting is achieved by a dielectric thin film comprised of a number of alternately laminated H layers and L layers between two prisms. Each H layer is formed of a dielectric thin film with high refractive index and each L layer is formed of a dielectric thin film with low refractive index.
The dielectric thin film has the optical characteristic of transmitting p-polarized light and reflecting s-polarized light incident thereon. The principles of the polarization beam splitter are that, for p-polarized light, the incident angle generally matches the Brewster angle θB expressed by the relationship of the refractive index nP of the material of the prism, the refractive index nH of the H layer, and the refractive index nL of the L layer, thereby transmitting the p-polarized light. For s-polarized light, the reflection at the interface between the H layer and the L layer is used to reflect the s-polarized light through multilayer film interaction.
The characteristic of the PBS is degraded when it is used out of design conditions due to variations in factors because of a change in incident angle or wavelength for use. In particular, the conditions for the Brewster angle are sensitive to each constant, so that the p-polarized light is more likely to be affected than the s-polarized light.
In an optical system for use in an image projection apparatus (a projection apparatus), luminous flux radiated from a light source often has a certain angular range, and a wavelength range as wide as the whole range of visual light is used. In general, the number of the layers in the polarization splitting film is added or the thickness of the film is modified to provide favorable characteristics in an intended angular range and wavelength band.
A PBS which reflects p-polarized light and transmits s-polarized light has been reported in "Li Li and J. A. Dobrowolski, Appl. Opt., vol. 39, p. 2754, 2000" (hereinafter referred to as "Document 1"). The incident angle is set to an angle equal to or larger than the critical angle of a prism with high refractive index (a prism made of a material with high refractive index) and a thin film with low refractive index (a thin film made of a material with low refractive index) to produce attenuated total reflection. Since the light after attenuated total reflection has its phase changed, the principles of transmitting p-polarized light and reflecting s-polarized light through interference in a provided multilayer film are used to realize the PBS. This achieves favorable characteristics in a wide range of incident angles.
On the other hand, a dichroic filter is also well-known which has a dielectric thin film comprised of alternately laminated H layers each formed of a dielectric thin film with high refractive index and L layers each formed of a dielectric thin film with low refractive index.
The dichroic film also has the optical characteristic of utilizing interference in the multilayer film through reflection at the interface between the H layer and the L layer to transmit or reflect light in a specific wavelength band. A variety of film structures are known which realize the functions of a high pass filter, a low pass filter, a band pass filter or the like. In particular, to separate the wavelength bands for red, green, and blue from each other, it is possible to use a long wavelength transmission filter, a wavelength band pass filter, a short wavelength transmission filter or the like. The characteristic of the dichroic filter is degraded when the incident angle and polarization conditions are out of design conditions.
When the incident angle is changed, the optical admittance of the thin film material is changed to widen the transmission band of p-polarized light (or narrow the reflection band) and narrow the transmission band of s-polarized light (or widen the reflection band). As a result, the transition wavelengths at the shift from the transmission band to the reflection band are changed in opposite directions in the p-polarized light and s-polarized light.
Thus, design is typically made such that the number of the layers in the polarization splitting film is added or the thickness of the film is modified to widen the angular range for use and reduce the polarization dependence in p-polarized light and s-polarized light. On the contrary, design may be made by taking advantage of the difference in characteristics depending on polarization.
The PBS or dichroic filter is used to form a color separation/combination optical system (a color separation/color combination means) of an image projection apparatus.
FIG. 27 shows an example of a conventional image projection apparatus which employs a light modulator of a reflection type realized with liquid crystal.
Arrows represent the optical paths of light beams for red, green, and blue in white display (image information is for white color). Solid lines represent s-polarized light, while broken lines represent p-polarized light.
White light emits from a light source 51, and unified into s-polarized light by a polarization changer 52. A dichroic mirror 53a transmits a light beam 30 in a green wavelength band, and reflects a light beam 40 in a red wavelength band and a light beam 20 in a blue wavelength band.
The light beam 30 in the green wavelength band transmitted through the dichroic mirror 53a is reflected by a PBS 54a, incident on a reflection type light modulator 55g realized with liquid crystal for green, and modulated. For the white display, the modulated light emerges therefrom as p-polarized light 31 which is then transmitted through the PBS 54a and a PBS 54c and is incident on a projection lens system (a projection optical system) 57 for projection.
The light beam 20 in the blue wavelength band reflected by the dichroic mirror 53a is changed into p-polarized light 21 by a wavelength selective phase shifter 56b, transmitted through a PBS 54b, and incident on a reflection type light modulator 55b realized with liquid crystal for blue and then modulated.
For the white display, the modulated light emerges therefrom as s-polarized light 20, so that it is reflected by the PBS 54b and maintained as the s-polarized light 20 through a wavelength selective phase shifter 56r. It is then reflected by the PBS 54c and is incident on the projection lens system 57 for projection.
The light beam 40 in the red wavelength band reflected by the dichroic mirror 53a is maintained as the s-polarized light 40 through the wavelength selective phase shifter 56b, reflected by the PBS 54b, and incident on a reflection type light modulator 55r realized with liquid crystal for red, and then modulated. For the white display, since the modulated light emerges therefrom as p-polarized light 41, it is transmitted through the PBS 54b, changed into s-polarized light 40 through the wavelength selective phase shifter 56r, reflected by the PBS 54c, and incident on the projection lens system 57 for projection.
For black display (image information is for black color), all of the light beams emerge from the reflection type light modulators 55r, 55g, or 55b with the same polarization as when they are incident thereon, so that they return toward the light source 51 along the same optical paths through the respective optical members. The color separation/combination means as described above is used to take advantage of the reflection type light modulator realized with the liquid crystal with high resolution and to form a small apparatus.
The conventional PBS aims to transmit p-polarized light and reflect s-polarized light throughout the wavelength band for use. The PBS described in Document 1 reflects p-polarized light and transmits s-polarized light. All of the PBSs are devices for providing polarization splitting throughout the wavelength band for use. None of the previously reported PBSs has wavelength selectivity or has polarization splitting characteristics reversed in different wavelength bands such that it transmits s-polarized light and reflects p-polarized light in a first wavelength band and reflects s-polarized light and transmits p-polarized light in a second wavelength band different from the first wavelength band.
In the dichroic filter, the transmission band of p-polarized light is widened and the transmission band of s-polarized light is narrowed when light is obliquely incident thereon, so that polarization splitting is performed in a certain wavelength band. However, p-polarized light is transmitted and s-polarized light is reflected at all times, and p-polarized light is not reflected and s-polarized light is not transmitted. Thus, it does not have the characteristic depending on wavelength such that it transmits s-polarized light and reflects p-polarized light in a first wavelength band and reflects s-polarized light and transmits p-polarized light in a second wavelength band different from the first wavelength band.
The color separation/combination in the image projection apparatus shown in FIG. 27 requires the two wavelength selective phase shifters 56b and 56r. Each of the wavelength selective phase shifters 56b and 56r is comprised of a plurality of laminated stretched polycarbonate films with birefringence such that their anisotropy axes are arranged at particular angles, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,658,490 (hereinafter referred to as "Document 2"). It involves a more complicated fabricating method and thus is an expensive optical device as compared with the PBS or dichroic filter formed with the dielectric thin film using a deposition method.
Since the polycarbonate is a polymer film, it is highly susceptible to the influence of external environment such as heat, humidity, and ultraviolet rays in view of the physical property of the material, and the reliability and durability of the color separation/combination means may be reduced. In addition, the low surface accuracy may cause flare if it is used in an optical system. On the other hand, depending on an anti-reflection film, each of the projection lenses reflects some amount of light, and the reflected light returns toward the color separation/combination means as return light. In the conventional color separation/combination means, the return light reaches the light modulator realized with liquid crystal and thus causes flare.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-504441 (hereinafter referred to as "Document 3") has disclosed a projection apparatus which employs a reflection type light modulator realized with liquid crystal without a wavelength selective phase shifter. Document 3 has disclosed a color separation/combination means which employs a PBS having the effect of reflecting p-polarized light and transmitting s-polarized light in a blue wavelength band and transmitting p-polarized light and reflecting s-polarized light in green and red wavelength bands. However, the PBS is only described in terms of its functions, and a method of realizing it has not been disclosed.
A polarization beam splitter with wavelength selectivity (a wavelength selective polarization beam splitter) which transmits s-polarized light and reflects p-polarized light in a first wavelength band and reflects s-polarized light and transmits p-polarized light in a second wavelength band different from the first wavelength band has not been realized.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a wavelength selective polarization beam splitter which transmits s-polarized light and reflects p-polarized light in a first wavelength band and reflects s-polarized light and transmits p-polarized light in a second wavelength band different from the first wavelength band.
It is another object of the present invention to realize a projection apparatus which employs the wavelength selective polarization beam splitter as a color separation/color combination means (a color separation/combination system) of the projection apparatus to simplify the structure and achieve high contrast with excellent reliability and durability.

Polarization beam splitter and projection apparatus having the same


A high voltage switch circuit is disclosed for reducing high voltage junction stresses. The circuit contains a cascode device structure having one or more transistors of a same type connected in a series and being operable with a normal operating voltage and a high operating voltage. The cascode device structure comprises a high operating voltage coupled to a first end of the device structure, a low voltage coupled to a second end, and one or more control voltages controllably coupled to the gates of the transistors, wherein at least one of the control voltages coupled to the gate of at least one transistor is raised to a medium voltage level that is higher than a normal operating voltage when operating under the high operating voltage for tolerating stress imposed thereon by the high operating voltage.

The present disclosure relates generally to semiconductor devices; and more particularly, to the protection of semiconductor devices from high voltage junction stresses. Still more particularly, the present disclosure relates to a modified switch design and method to reduce its high voltage junction stresses, thereby decreasing the required integrated circuit (IC) high voltage requirement.
Complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology is a preferred fabrication process for many integrated circuit devices, particularly those wherein low power consumption and high component density are important considerations. These devices may be found in laptops and other portable electronic devices. For example, these portable electronic devices utilize memory devices such as erasable programmable read only memories (EPROMs), and electrically erasable programmable read only memories (EEPROMs). Typically, a low voltage signal is used to switch on a high voltage output, which is then used to operate the memories. In other words, a low voltage input signal (typically 0.5 to 2 volts) is used to switch high voltage outputs (typically 13 to 15 volts) for circuits such as row and column address decoders, signal level translators, programming circuits, and output pad drivers.
The structure of CMOS technologies is dependent upon the required performance of the CMOS device. Since the structure of semiconductors designed to operate at high voltages; e.g., to withstand a high voltage junction stress, is different from the structure of semiconductors designed to operate at regular voltages, additional IC fabrication steps and fabrication masks are required to produce circuitries whose operating voltages include regular and high voltages. The requirement of extra fabrication steps and fabrication masks result in a longer processing cycle and higher processing costs.
Desirable in the art of semiconductor devices are additional designs that reduce high voltage junction stresses, thereby decreasing the required IC high voltage requirement and hence the required fabrication steps.

High voltage CMOS switch with reduced high voltage junction stresses

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.


The present invention relates to a medicament for preventing or treating an ocular disease comprising cyclo-trans-4-L-hydroxyprolyl-L-serine as an active ingredient, a medicament for preventing or treating dry eye comprising the compound as an active ingredient, and, in particular, a medicament for preventing or treating dry eye having an action of enhancing mucin secretion and an action of enhancing repair of ocular tissue damage caused by dry eye.

Dry eye is a chronic disease, which is caused by various factors, on lacrimal fluid and corneal/conjunctival epithelium and is an ocular disease accompanied by ocular discomfort and dysfunction. The number of dry eye patients in Japan is estimated to be 20 million. Examples of a medicament for treating dry eye are limited to sodium hyaluronate eye drops and/or administration of artificial lacrimal fluid, but a medicament comprising diquafosol sodium or rebamipide as an active ingredient and having an action of enhancing secretion of mucin from a conjunctival tissue have become commercially available. Among the mucins, Muc5ac is a protein that is secreted from goblet cells of an ocular conjunctival tissue, and is an important component constituting lacrimal fluid. A decrease in the amount of mucin is one of factors causing dry eye.
Meanwhile, cyclo-trans-4-L-hydroxyprolyl-L-serine is a hydroxyproline derivative, and has been known to have cell proliferation and cell protection actions (Patent Literature 1) and to be effective in preventing or treating allergic and inflammatory diseases (Patent Literatures 2 and 3).

Drug for preventing/treating ocular disease


The disclosure describes embodiments of an airborne molecular contamination (AMC) monitoring apparatus. The AMC apparatus includes a manifold having a plurality of inlets and one or more outlets. A sampling tube bus fluidly is coupled to the manifold, the sampling tube bus comprising a plurality of individual sampling tubes, each individual sampling tube being fluidly coupled to one of the plurality of inlets. One or more analyzers are each fluidly coupled to one of the one or more outlets of the manifold to analyze fluid drawn into the manifold through one or more of the plurality of individual sampling tubes. A control and communication system coupled to the one or more analyzers. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Air quality and airborne molecular contamination (AMC) have been gaining increasing attention in the semiconductor, memory, and other similar high-tech industries (e.g., display) as their processes advance. In these industries, among others, AMC has been identified as major contribution to fabrication failure rate, and the effects of AMC on manufacturing process yield just get worse as the fabrication technology becomes capable of smaller component sizes. Prolonged exposure to AMC has also been identified as a possible risk to human health.
Manufacturers have been putting significant efforts into on-site continuous monitoring and into controlling facility ambient cleanliness using on-site or off-line AMC sensing equipment. Detailed studies and on-going improvements have been implemented to identify contamination sources and preventive procedures to reduce AMC in a facility's ambient air.
But although significant efforts have been made to control facility ambient air quality, the cleanliness inside manufacturing equipment such as process equipment modules and movable carriers (e.g., Front Opening Unified Pods (FOUPs) used as substrate/wafer transport containers in the semiconductor industry) are not well-studied. Specific process equipment modules or movable carriers can also contribute to AMC, but in most situations the process equipment modules and substrates have their own enclosed micro-environments, meaning that on-site facility ambient monitoring cannot capture AMC-related problems associated with process equipment modules or movable carriers. Furthermore, when one process equipment module or one movable carrier is contaminated, AMC cross-contamination can occur over a fabrication line, with the movable carrier serving as an AMC carrier that spreads contamination to various locations. As a result, it becomes extremely difficult to trace the source of contamination, even if AMC is later found in one movable carrier or process equipment module.

System and method for in-line monitoring of airborne contamination and process health


Methods and apparatuses for resizing buffered windows. In one aspect of the invention, a method to resize a buffered window on a data processing system includes: determining an estimated size for a window which has a first pixel image of a first size buffered in a first window buffer; allocating a second window buffer which is large enough to buffer the window in the estimated size; and buffering a second pixel image of the window in a second size in the second window buffer. In one example according to this aspect, a portion of a frame buffer is updated to the second pixel image to display the window in the second size. A portion of the second window buffer, storing the data that represents the second pixel image, is clipped to update the corresponding portion of the frame buffer.

In a graphical user interface on a computer system, a user can continuously resize a window until the window has a desirable size. For example, the user may drag a portion of the border of a window to change the size of the window continuously (e.g., press down and hold a button of a mouse when the cursor is on the portion of the border, and move the mouse while holding down the button). The change is finalized when the user releases the dragged portion of the border (e.g., release the button which was held down during dragging the border).
On some systems, when the size of the window is continuously changed, only a rectangle is displayed to indicate the current position of the border of the window. After the change is finalized, the window is redrawn to show the contents in the window of the new size.
On other systems, live resizing is performed. When the size of the window is continuously changed, the window is redrawn a number of times to show the contents in the window changing size as the window is continuously resized. Since live resizing shows the changing contents in the window as the window is continuously resized, live resizing provides better feedback to the user than merely redrawing the border of the window to show the changing size of the window.
In a buffered windows system, resizing a window is expensive because a new buffer is allocated and the new content for the window is filled into the allocated buffer. The problem is particularly problematic for live resizing, as any delay is directly experienced by the user.
FIG. 2 illustrates a buffered window system. In a buffered window system, applications draw contents in the window buffers; and the window system combines the images buffered in window buffers in a frame buffer to display the corresponding windows on the screen. For example, application software 201 draws contents in window buffer 215, which is typically allocated from system memory 211 (e.g., volatile RAM 105 in FIG. 1). When the size of the window is changed, a new window buffer is allocated to replace the old one in order to accommodate the window of the new size. Frame buffer 221 contains data for the screen image of the windows that are displayed on the screen of display device 205. When the window for application software 201 is moved on the screen, the content in the window is not changed; and the application software does not have to update window buffer 215. The window system copies the data in the window buffer to the correct position in frame buffer 221 to display the window in the new location on the screen. When the window is partially covered by other windows, a portion of data in window buffer 215 is copied onto the frame buffer to display the corresponding portion of the window that is visible. Frame buffer 221 is typically under control of graphics hardware 203 (e.g., graphics/video card) which controls the display of the windows on the screen of display device 205 using the data in the frame buffer.
Thus, in a buffered window system, operations for creating the contents in windows are separated from operations for composing a screen image from images of windows for different applications. Applications create (or update) images of the windows (contents for the windows) in window buffers; and the window system composes a screen image from images of the windows in the window buffers. The window buffers are independent from the frame buffer.
For illustration purpose, window buffers are illustrated in various Figures (FIGS. 3-10) at the locations in the frame buffers where the corresponding windows are displayed. It will be understood that such illustrations indicate that contents in the corresponding window buffers can be copied by the window system to the corresponding locations in the frame buffers to display the windows in these locations. It will be understood that these window buffers are not part of the frame buffers.
FIGS. 3-5 illustrate a prior art scenario of resizing a buffered window. In FIG. 3, window buffer 303 is shown on top of the portion of the frame buffer where the window is displayed before a resizing operation. When the user causes cursor 307 to drag grow box 305 (e.g., pressing and holding down a mouse button while the cursor is over the grow box and moving the mouse, or using keyboards or other input devices to provide similar inputs), the user starts to resize the window. Window 303 contains area 311 for displaying contents (e.g., list of folders or files in a folder) and scroll bar 313. The position and the size of thumb 315, with respect to the scroll bar, indicate the position and the size of the portion of the content visible in area 311 with respect to the entire content. When the window is resized to the size as indicated by the position of cursor 407 in FIG. 4, new window buffer 403 is allocated for the window according to the current size of the window. Then, the application updates new window buffer 403 to display the image of the window after resizing, as shown in FIG. 5. Since a portion of window is not changed after resizing, the data for that portion is copied from the old window buffer into the new window buffer; and the portion that is changed after resizing is redrawn by the application in the new window buffer. After the data is copied from the old window buffer to the new window buffer, the old window buffer is freed (or released) so that the memory allocated for the old window buffer can be used for other purposes. For example, the content in area 511 is not changed after resizing. Thus, the data in area 311 of window buffer 303 is copied into area 511 in window buffer 403. Then, window buffer 303 is freed. Area 517 is drawn, and scroll bar area 513 is redrawn, to display additional contents visible in area 517 and to indicate the updated position and size of the portion displayed in the visible area versus the entire content. When window buffer 403 is updated, the application can ask the window system to flush the contents in the window buffer to frame buffer 301 to actually display the image of the window.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method and apparatus for resizing buffered windows


A vane arm assembly for a gas turbine engine is provided including: a vane arm having a first end, a second end opposite the first end, and an aperture proximate the second end, the aperture being defined by an aperture wall; a vane stem extending through the aperture of the vane arm; a mechanical fastener retaining a position of the vane arm in the longitudinal direction of the vane stem; and an impedance clip partially enclosing a portion of the second end of the vane arm to provide redundant position retention of the vane arm in the longitudinal direction of the vane stem.

The subject matter disclosed herein generally relates to gas turbine engines and, more particularly, to a self-retaining vane arm assembly for gas turbine engines.
Turbine engines include a plurality of engine sections such as, for example, a fan section, a compressor section, a combustor section and a turbine section. Some turbine engines may also include a variable area vane arrangement. Such a vane arrangement may be configured to guide and/or adjust the flow of gas into a respective one of the engine sections. Alternatively, the vane arrangement may be configured to guide and/or adjust the flow of gas between adjacent stages of a respective one of the engine sections.
Some variable area vane arrangements include a plurality of adjustable stator vanes that are rotatably connected to an inner vane platform and an outer vane platform. Each of the stator vanes includes an airfoil that extends between the inner and the outer vane platforms. Each of the stator vanes may be rotated about a respective axis using a vane arm. A vane arm may be a sheet metal or machined piece that transmits load from a synchronizing ring to a variable vane stem. The end of the vane arm that interfaces with the synchronizing ring has a pin swaged into a hole on the end, and sits in a pinhole on the ring. The end of the vane arm that attaches to the vane stem are secured to the vane stem typically by a single retention method. However, additional retention methods are desired for redundancy. Further, prior art designs have had difficulty in meeting more stringent stress requirements due to increased torque experienced by the vane stems in recent years.

Continuous wedge vane arm with failsafe retention clip


A garment transportation and storage device comprises a support rod at the bottom, a hook at the top, and a ball-shaped handle between the support rod and the hook for transporting garments supported on the support rod by hangers and for engaging the hook with a support structure. An article transportation and storage device comprises an inverted U-shaped frame, a support rod slidably engageable with the frame, and a hook mounted on the frame for pivotal movement between extended and retracted positions. A garment receiving and supporting hanger is provided with an inflatable garment protection device that prevents wrinkling of garments supported by the hanger. A garment transportation and support device comprises opposed garment engaging arms that pivot outwardly to securely support a garment.

When pants are cleaned by a laundry or dry cleaning service, they are traditionally returned hung over a clothes hanger having a cardboard garment support tube. If the pants, shorts, skirts, scarves, and linens are left on the clothes hanger for an extended period of time, a crease is formed at the point where the pants engage the garment support tube. Further, the cardboard support tube traditionally has a light adhesive coating that retains the pants on the hanger. The coating, however, can adversely affect delicate fabrics and eventually damage the article and degrade the appearance thereof. Clothing is also returned by a laundry or dry cleaning service supported on a plurality of hangers. Often times, the plurality of hangers is awkward to handle at best and impossible to support from the small coat hooks typically found in automobiles.


Provided are semiconductor packages and methods of fabricating the same. The method may include mounting a first semiconductor chip including chip and heat-transfer regions and a lower heat-transfer pattern disposed on the heat-transfer region, on a substrate, mounting a second semiconductor chip on the chip region of the first semiconductor chip, forming a mold layer on the substrate to enclose the first and second semiconductor chips, forming an opening in the mold layer to expose at least a portion of the lower heat-transfer pattern, forming a heat-pathway pattern in the opening, and forming a heat-dissipating part on the second semiconductor chip and the mold layer to be connected to the heat-pathway pattern.

Example embodiments of the inventive concept relate to a semiconductor device, and in particular, to a multi-chip semiconductor package including a heat-dissipating part.
With the development of the electronics industry, it becomes possible to manufacture light, small, fast, and high-performance electronic products in a cost-efficient manner. The electronic products may include integrated circuit ICs to be provided in the form of a semiconductor package, and various studies are being conducted on improving reliability of the semiconductor packages. Particularly, with increasing demands for high-speed and high-capacity semiconductor devices, the semiconductor devices may consume electric power more and more. Thus, thermal characteristics of the semiconductor packages are becoming more and more important.

Semiconductor package and method of fabricating the same


An embodiment of the present invention is a three-terminal switched mode power supply chip with a signal terminal for accepting a combination of a feedback control signal and bias supply voltage to operate the chip. A feedback extraction circuit separates the feedback signal from the power supply voltage within the chip by sensing the excess current flowing through a shunt regulator.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to semiconductor integrated circuits and specifically to the integrated circuit devices used in switching power supplies with minimum numbers of pinouts.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The cost to manufacture a power supply is a principal concern in selecting between power supply types to be used in particular applications and the components selected to construct them. Switching power supplies have become cost competitive with much simpler linear power supplies because integrated circuit (IC) technology has advanced such that a majority of the complex switch mode circuits can be integrated on a single chip. As a rule of thumb, the fewer necessary pins on an IC package the lower will be the cost. A goal in switching power supply IC cost reduction has been the three-terminal package. One pin for power switching, one pin for ground and one pin for feedback. Conventional power supply ICs typically require as many as eight pins, thus limiting packaging options to the more expensive types.
FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art power supply 10 that includes a full-wave bridge rectifier 12, a filter capacitor 14, a transformer 16 with a primary winding 18 and a pair of secondary windings 20 and 22, a diode 24 and a capacitor 26 that provide DC output, a diode 28 and a capacitor 30 that provide a voltage Vbias, a compensated error amplifier 32, an opto-isolator 34, a four-pin switched mode power supply chip 36 and a Vbias smoothing capacitor 38 located near chip 36. Vbias provides power to operate chip 36. However, at power start-up, chip 36 will be without power because primary winding 18 will be open and no voltage will be induced into secondary winding 22 because chip 36 is not switching. To initiate such switching, a high voltage is tapped from the junction of a high voltage MOSFET 40 and the end of primary winding 18. This tap can supply enough current to start chip 36. A voltage regulator internal to chip 36 includes a high voltage preregulator transistor 42, a pass transistor 44 and an undervoltage comparator 46. During initial power-up when the voltage (Vs) across capacitor 38 is zero or near zero, a resistor 48 biases transistor 42 on and will pass current to charge up capacitor 38. When voltage Vs exceeds a predetermined threshold, comparator 46 will switch on transistor 44 and switch off transistor 42. Comparator 46 includes hysteresis, transistors 42 and 44 will not switch back unless the voltage Vs falls below a second threshold voltage that is lower than the first threshold voltage. With voltage Vs and transistor 44 on, power is supplied to a pulse width modulator (PWM) 50. This allows normal switching operation to begin and transistor 40 chops the current flowing through primary winding 18. Transformer 16 therefore begins operating and a voltage (V.sub.bias) develops from secondary winding 22, diode 28 and capacitor 30. With V.sub.bias being supplied across capacitor 38, comparator 46 operates to keep transistor 42 off and no further high voltage power is required. A feedback signal, proportional to the DC output, is returned by way of amplifier 32 and opto-isolator 34 to PWM 50. Chip 36 therefore requires a minimum of four pins, e.g., OUT, FB, VS and GND.
In the prior art, the need for a minimum of four terminals prevents the use of low cost three-terminal packages such as industry standards TO-22O, DPAK, TO-5, and equivalents. A three-terminal switched mode power supply chip is therefore needed by the industry.

Three-terminal switched mode power supply integrated circuit


There is disclosed a method for preparing a direct reversal type silver halide light-sensitive emulsion which is used for a black-and-white light-sensitive material and has the improved photographic performances of a high sensitivity and a high contrast. The method comprises:. A method for preparing a fogging type direct positive silver halide emulsion comprising the steps of:. (a) forming an emulsion containing silver halide grains; PA1 (b) fogging surfaces of the grains with a reducing agent to form a silver nuclei; and then PA1 (c) performing at least one of an adjustment of pH of the emulsion to 4.5 or less and an adjustment of pAg of the emulsion to 8.1 or more.

The silver halide emulsion used for the direct positive silver halide photographic light-sensitive material according to the present invention is fogged in advance, and a solarization or a Herschel effect is utilized to break fogging nuclei by exposure, whereby a positive image is formed. The direct positive light-sensitive material can include a photographic light-sensitive material having a high sensitivity, in which a desensitizing dye is used, as shown in JP-B-50-3938 (the term "JP-B" as used herein means an examined Japanese patent publication) and JP-B-50-3937, and a light-sensitive material for daylight which can be handled in the daylight, as shown in JP-A-62-234156 (the term "JP-A" as used herein means an unexamined Japanese patent application) and JP-A-61-251843. The present invention relates to the silver halide emulsion used for these light-sensitive materials.
Usually, a direct positive type light-sensitive material is fogged with a reducing agent after the formation of the grains so that a reduced Ag nucleus is formed on the surface thereof to the extent that optical bleaching is possible. Obtaining the performance of high sensitivity and high contrast requires suppressing the degree of fogging and equalizing fogging among the grains. However, suppressing the degree of fogging to increase sensitivity makes it difficult to increase Dmax and softens gradation.
Suppressing the degree of fogging in order to suppress Dmin may result in a Dmax which is not sufficiently increased and a gradation which is liable to become soft.
Further, in a direct positive light-sensitive material for photographing, since it is required to increase sensitivity, the degree of fogging by a reducing agent can not be strengthened and, therefore, the resulting Ag nuclei are fine and unstable.
Meanwhile, in a direct positive light-sensitive material for daylight, the need for a decrease in sensitivity requires an intensification of the degree of fogging with a reducing agent and, therefore, the resulting Ag nuclei are not easily bleached by exposure and the Dmin is liable to increase.
It is proposed in JP-B-50-3978 to use a gold compound to increase stability of the Ag nuclei. However, even the use of a gold compound does not overcome the fact that the Ag nuclei remain insufficiently stable and Dmin is liable to increase.
Further, the development processing of the direct positive light-sensitive material has been carried out by a lith development (for example, HS-5 (developer) manufactured by Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.). In recent years, however, the trend for a processing system has been changed. That is, a rapid processing aptitude such as an RAS (a rapid access) processing and Hybrid processing (for example, Grandex manufactured by Fuji Photo Film Co. and Ultratec manufactured by Eastman Kodak Co., Ltd.) have been required. Thus, it is desired to achieve excellent performance with respect to Dmax, Dmin and high contrast as close as possible to those achieved with the lith processing.

Method for preparing a fogged typed direct positive silver halide emulsion


An integrated circuit device, a first direction being a direction extending from a first side which is a shorter side of the integrated circuit device to a third side opposed to the first side, a second direction being a direction extending from a second side which is a longer side of the integrated circuit device to a fourth side opposed to the second side, includes: a first to a Nth circuit blocks (N is an integer more than 2) arranged in the first direction. One of the first to the Nth circuit blocks is a programmable ROM block in which at least a part of data programmed is stored by a user; the programmable ROM block includes a plurality of word lines, a plurality of bit lines, and a plurality of memory cells connected to the plurality of word lines and the plurality of bit lines; and the plurality of word lines extend in the second direction.

Japanese Patent Application No. 2005-262389 filed on Sep. 9, 2005, is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an integrated circuit device and an electronic device.
2. Related Art
As an integrated circuit device driving a display panel such as a liquid crystal panel, there is known as a display driver (LCD driver). For this display driver, it is required to reduce chip size in order to achieve reduction in cost.
However, the display panels mounted into, for example, cell-phones have a substantially constant size. Therefore, when a fine designing process is employed and the integrated circuit device of the display driver is merely shrinked to thereby reduce a chip size, there arises a problem in that mounting it on a panel may become difficult.
Further, when the user mounts the display drivers into the liquid crystal panels to thereby manufacture the display devices, various adjustments are necessary at the display driver side. In other words, it is necessary to perform adjustments so as to accommodate the display drivers to the specifications of the panels (for example, an amorphous TFT, a low-temperature poly-silicon TFT, a QCIF, a QVGA, and a VGA) or the specifications of driving conditions. Furthermore, it is necessary to perform adjustment so as to prevent variation in display properties among the panels. Also at the IC manufacturer side, the adjustment of the oscillating frequency or of output voltage, the switching to a redundant memory or the like is needed during the IC test.
Conventionally, the adjustments at the user side have been performed by an external Electrical Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (E2PROM) or an external trimmer resistance (variable resistance). The switching to the redundant memory or the like at the IC manufacturer side has been performed by blowing out a fuse element provided inside the integrated circuit device.
However, the mounting work of the components is complicated for the user. Moreover, there is a disadvantage in that the trimmer resistance is expensive, large, and apt to be broken. Also at the IC manufacturer side, the blowing out of the fuse element and the work for operation test thereafter are complicated.
In view of the above, JP-A-S63-166274 has been proposed a nonvolatile memory device which can be manufactured in easier manufacturing process and at a lower cost as compared to a stack gate type nonvolatile memory device having two gates. In the nonvolatile memory device according to JP-A-63-166274, a control gate is an N type impurity region inside a semiconductor layer, and a floating gate electrode is composed of a conductive layer such as a single layer poly-silicon (hereinafter, the nonvolatile memory device according to JP-A-63-166274 is also referred to as a "single layer gate type nonvolatile memory device"). Such the single layer gate type nonvolatile memory device does not require the gate electrodes stacked, so it can be formed in a process for a normal CMOS transistor.
JP-A-2001-222249 is an example of related art.

Integrated circuit device and electronic device


A straddle type motorcycle includes a frame, an engine mounted on the frame and having a substantially vertical cylinder assembly and an intake air passage extended backward from a rear surface of the cylinder assembly, a fuel tank disposed above the cylinder assembly, and a fuel supply device. The fuel supply device includes a fuel pump disposed at a rear portion of the fuel tank, the fuel pump being overlapped with the cylinder assembly in a longitudinal direction of the motorcycle in a side view of the motorcycle, a fuel injector installed on the intake air passage, and a fuel hose connecting the fuel injector with the fuel pump.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fuel supply device of a motorcycle.
2. Related Art
In a recent method of supplying fuel to an engine using a fuel injector, it is necessary for a motorcycle to be equipped with a fuel pump. In an example of installation place and installation method of the fuel pump include, a fuel pump is mounted on the upper surface of a crankcase behind a cylinder (as shown in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2005-096504), a fuel pump is housed inside of a side portion of a fuel tank having a horseshoe section straddling a frame pipe (as shown in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2007-015468), or a fuel pump is inserted from a upper side of a fuel tank (as shown in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2005-170273).
However, in a case where the fuel pump is mounted on the upper surface of a crankcase behind the cylinder, the fuel tank is disposed above the cylinder, and thus, a fuel pipe extending from the fuel tank to a fuel pump and a fuel pipe extending from the fuel pump to a fuel injector have long length. Therefore, it is required for a fuel pump to have a high discharging performance. Moreover, since an exhaust pipe exists near the fuel pipe, there is a possibility that percolation may occur, which is not preferable and disadvantageous.
On the other hand, in a case where a fuel pump is housed in one side of the fuel tank, the fuel pump can be housed only by disposing the fuel pump close to the front portion of the fuel tank because the fuel pump is relatively high, and the fuel pump is disposed far from an injector. As a result, the fuel pipe is made long, and a fuel pump having a high exhaust performance is hence required, which is not preferable.
Further, the side portion of the fuel tank needs a height dimension enough to house the fuel pump, and thus, it becomes necessary to lower a lower edge of the fuel tank or to set high a frame pipe. In the former case, since the engine mounting position becomes lower, a sufficient minimum road clearance cannot be secured. In the latter case, conversely, the position of the fuel tank is made high and then, the gravity center also becomes high. This leads to distribution of mass, and therefore, the vehicle body gravity center is not well balanced.
Furthermore, in the case of a mounting structure in which the fuel pump is inserted from the upper surface of the fuel tank, the fuel pipe is made long, and it is hence required for a fuel pump to have a high discharge performance. Further, since influence of fuel pipe deflection or expansion is intensified, still higher discharge performance is required, which is not preferable.


A system and method for allowing a user to exercise control over a first image that is not directly accessible because it is covered by a second image. Electronic product designs for online user editing are assembled from multiple overlying images. If a content image in a design is positioned beneath a second image, such as an image that adds a visual effect to the content image, a transparent surrogate image of the same size and the same position in the product design as the content image is positioned above the second image. The surrogate image is linked to the content image such that user selection of the surrogate image is interpreted by the system as a request by the user to select the content image, giving the user the impression that the user is directly accessing the content image.

Many individuals, businesses, and organizations occasionally have a need to purchase a quantity of custom printed materials, such as business cards, product or service brochures, promotional postcards, personalized holiday cards, birth announcements, party invitations, or any number of other items. Many of these individuals and businesses obtain these products through the web sites of online printing service providers, such as VistaPrint.com operated by VistaPrint Limited.
Online printing service providers, taking advantage of the capabilities of the Web and modern Web browsers, provide document design services for users desiring to create customized documents from any computer with web access at whatever time and place is convenient to the user. These service providers typically provide their customers with the ability to access the service provider's web site, view examples of the types of products offered by the provider, and view images of a variety of pre-designed product templates prepared by the site operator. To give the user a wide range of design suggestions, templates presenting a variety of different styles, formats, backgrounds, color schemes, fonts and designs from which the user may choose are typically presented.
When a user has selected a specific template design to customize, the site typically provides product design tools allowing the user to provide personal information for incorporation into the selected template and, in many cases, to perform other modifications to the template design to create a customized electronic document design. After the user has finished designing the product, the site typically allows the user to place an order for the production and delivery of a desired quantity of printed products to the user's home or business.
Various web-based processes and techniques for allowing a user to customize a product design have been employed. In some prior art applications, all product design inputs from the user, such as the text characters the user desires to appear in the product and the user's selections from menus of color options and font options, are forwarded to the printing service provider server for processing. The server creates the image depicting the product design and downloads it to the user's computer for user review. If the user desires to modify any element of the design, the user must again indicate the desired changes, submit the information to the server and wait for the revised version of the document to be received and displayed. The current state of the product design is retained at the server and, therefore, this product creation approach requires repetitive interaction with, and product image transferring from, the server.
Other printing services providers have opted for downloading a set of software tools to the user's computer that are adapted to execute in the user's browser and provide the user with the ability to perform many WYSIWYG product editing operations in the browser at the client system, such as entering text, changing fonts or font attributes, and resizing, repositioning template elements with little or no interaction with the server in the browser at the client system. Some providers have chosen to implement this type of browser-based design tools using markup language code while others have implemented the tools using Flash authoring software from Adobe Systems Incorporated. With either approach, a significant amount of software code is typically required to implement the wide range of editing functions and the time required to complete the downloading process of the tool set may be considered by some users to be undesirably lengthy.
Downloading a font to a user computer for use by the user's browser tends to significantly increase the delay perceived by the user. Font files tend to be relatively large and, even over a relatively fast network connection, may require a few seconds to download. This delay, even if brief, may lead to user irritation or disappointment. If a user desires to display text in multiple different fonts in the user's product design, the time required to download the multiple different font files will increase accordingly. Users who are impatient or who are interacting with the site over a slow communication channel may opt to abandon the site rather than wait for the full set of tools to complete the download. The loss of these users before they can be engaged in the product design process represents both potential customer dissatisfaction and a potential loss of the revenue to the printing service provider.
In addition, for printing services providers desiring to present a WYSIWYG product design experience to their customers, the lack of a standard browser mechanism for rendering downloaded fonts potentially creates problems in producing a WYSIWYG printed product that faithfully represents the online design viewed and approved by the user. Browser programs from different vendors and even different browser versions from the same vendor may render downloaded fonts in a slightly different manner.
There is, therefore, a need for a system and method of online document design that provides flexible and responsive WYSIWYG editing capabilities while reducing the time required to make the editing tools available to the user at the user's computer.

Indirect image control using a surrogate image


A brazing construction and method of brazing an abradable sealing material onto a base material is provided. The abradable sealing material is a tabular member having a cellular compartment construction in honeycomb form having empty compartments and partitions formed by overlapping a plurality of thin corrugated sheets. The abradable sealing material is brazed on the main material by, applying a stop-off agent on a side surface of the abradable sealing material except on a portion of the side surface close to a brazing face to form a stop-off area that prevents infiltration of a brazing filler metal in an overlapping part; superposing the brazing face of the abradable sealing material on the base material, such that the brazing filler metal is provided between the abradable sealing material and the base metal; and brazing the abradable sealing material to said base material.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a brazing construction and a brazing method for an abradable sealing material such as those that may be applied to an internal surface of a casing of a turbine, opposing rotor blades of the turbine.
2. Description of the Related Art
This type of abradable sealing material is generally called honeycomb seal because it appears to have a honeycomb construction when seen from the turbine rotor blade side.
Honeycomb seal is a thin tabular sealing material which is attached to an inner periphery face of a split ring on the casing positioned opposite the rear rotor blade of a gas turbine, and which seals the gap between the turbine rotor blade and the split ring. Also, this honeycomb seal is formed to have excellent abradability (ease of abrasion), so that its own surface will be abraded when the tip of a turbine rotor blade makes contact for some reason (heat expansion etc.), and so it prevents damage to the turbine rotor blade and the split ring caused by contact (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication 11-6446 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication 11-13404).
FIG. 6 shows an enlargement of a schematic configuration of a honeycomb seal, and FIG. 7 shows a sectional view on VI—VI of FIG. 6. In FIG. 6, reference numeral 1 denotes a honeycomb seal fixed by brazing to the upper surface of a base material 10 which is a member at the casing side (split ring or similar). The honeycomb seal 1 is formed as a tabular member that has a cellular compartment construction in honeycomb form comprised of empty compartments and partitions in order to have abradability in the direction A perpendicular to the face of the base material 10 and sealing ability in a specified direction B parallel to the face of the base material 10. Reference numeral 3 denotes numerous cells (cellular compartments) in honeycomb form.
Because this honeycomb seal 1 forms honeycomb-shaped cells 3 by means of the combination of a plurality of thin corrugated sheets 2 standing vertically in the direction A perpendicular to the face of the base material 10, it has micro gaps 5 in the overlapped parts 4 of each thin corrugated sheet 2. Here, the direction B in which the sealing property is created is orthogonal to the direction in which the thin corrugated sheets 2 extend.
When a honeycomb seal 1 of this kind of construction is brazed to the base material 10, the operation proceeds according to the processes shown in FIG. 8. Firstly, as shown in step a in FIG. 8, the honeycomb seal 1 constructed by combining each of the thin corrugated sheets 2, is placed on the base material 10 and temporarily fixed by spot welding.
Next, as shown in step b in FIG. 8, a powdered brazing filler metal 7 is sprinkled over the honeycomb seal 1 into each of the cells 3 (cellular compartments) and the powder of the brazing filler metal 7 spreads evenly on the base material 10. Alternatively, as shown in steps c and d in FIG. 8, a sheet form of brazing filler metal 7 formed using a binding agent is placed on top of the honeycomb seal 1 and dissolved with an acetone 8 so that it falls into each of the cells 3.
Subsequently, as shown in step e in FIG. 8, the assembly is placed in a heating furnace 9 and the honeycomb seal 1 is brazed to the base material 10.
Incidentally, although the requirement of the product is that the honeycomb seal 1 impart excellent abradability to the surface side opposing the turbine rotor blade, there is a concern that a defect may arise when brazing is carried out as described above.
Specifically, because the honeycomb seal 1 is constructed by the combination of a plurality of thin corrugated sheets 2 as mentioned above, it has micro gaps 5 in the overlapped parts 4 of each of the thin corrugated sheets 2. These micro gaps 5 extend in the direction A perpendicular to the face of the base material 10, and when the honeycomb seal 1 is brazed to the base material 10, then as shown in FIG. 7, the brazing filler metal 7 infiltrates into the micro gaps 5 by capillary action and the rigidity of the honeycomb seal 1 increases, and as a result there is a concern that the abradability of the same area may decrease. If the abradability decreases in this way, it will no longer be able to function as a honeycomb seal as the wear on the turbine rotor blade side becomes severe.

Brazing construction and method of brazing an abradable sealing material