Process for the production of phase-pure highly reactive lead metal niobates of perovskite structure corresponding to the general formula Pb.sub.3 Me(II)Nb.sub.2 O.sub.9 or Pb.sub.2 Me(III)NbO.sub.6, where Me.dbd.Mg, Fe, Co, Ni, Cr, Mn, Cd, Cu and/or Zn, in which perovskite intermediates are formed from corresponding salt solutions, separated off, dried and calcined at temperatures of 500 to 1000.degree. C.

This invention relates to a process for the production of phase-pure highly reactive lead metal niobates of perovskite structure corresponding to the general formula Pb.sub.3 Me(II)Nb.sub.2 O.sub.9 or Pb.sub.2 Me(III)NbO.sub.6, where Me.dbd.Mg, Fe, Co, Ni, Cr, Mn, Cd, Cu and/or Zn, in which perovskite intermediates are formed from corresponding salt solutions, separated off, dried and calcined at temperatures of 500.degree. to 1000.degree. C.
By virtue of their high dielectric constant and their high electrostrictive coefficient, ferroelectric, such as for example PbMg niobate, PbNi niobate or PbZn niobate, are playing an increasingly important role. Compounds such as these with their perovskite structure correspond to the general formula Pb.sub.3 Me(II)Nb.sub.2 O.sub.9 or Pb.sub.2 Me(III)NbO.sub.6, where Me.dbd.Mg, Fe, Co, Ni, Cr, Mn, Cd, Cu, Zn (Appl. Phys. Lett., 10(5) 163-165 (1967)).
There are several known processes for the production of complex ferroelectric perovskites with a transition metal belonging to the 5th secondary group:
According to J. Am. Ceram. Soc. 71 (5), C-250-C-251 (1988), the oxides are mixed and subsequently subjected to a solid-state reaction at very high calcination temperatures. It is extremely difficult to produce phase-pure perovskites containing more than 95% perovskite phase by these ceramic processes. A stable pyrochlore phase unavoidably occurs during this solid-state reaction. It is known from J. Am. Ceram. Soc. 67 (5) 311-314 (1984) that Nb.sub.2 O.sub.5, for example, can be reacted with MgO in a preliminary solid-state reaction, a substantially phase-pure perovskite being obtained in the subsequent reaction with PbO in accordance with the following formulae: ##STR1##
However, in view of the high temperatures of 1000.degree. C. in the preliminary reaction to columbite, an only moderately reactive Mg niobate is obtained from the mixed oxides mentioned, so that the subsequent reaction with PbO can only be carried out successfully at relatively high temperatures. In the final production stage, the perovskite can only be sintered at temperatures of around 1200.degree. C.
Wet chemical processes have proved to be of greater advantage for the production of complex perovskites. Thus, J. Am. Ceram. Soc. 72 (8), 1333-1337 (1989) describes the hydrolysis of an alkoxide mixture while Ep-A 294 991 describes co-precipitation from an alcoholic oxalic acid solution. The calcination of a gel produced from NbCl.sub.5 or Nb(OR).sub.5 and metal salts by addition of H.sub.2 O.sub.2 and citric acid is known from Advances in Ceramics, Vol. 21, 91-98 (1987). The co-precipitation method generally gives highly reactive intermediate products which react even at low temperatures to form the corresponding phase-pure perovskites. The sintering properties of these very fine powders are correspondingly good. However, these wet chemical processes have hitherto been extremely uneconomical. Thus, the alkoxide method has the disadvantage that the starting materials are difficult to produce and handle.
In the oxalate method, it is not possible to co-precipitate all the components because problems arise through the considerable differences in the solubility of the metal oxalates in an alcohol/water mixture. Nevertheless, a very fine-particle powder having good sintering properties is obtained even in this method. The most serious disadvantage of the oxalate method lies in the very large quantities of alcohol required for quantitatively precipitating all the components. The poor solubility of niobium oxalate is another disadvantage. The known processes mentioned in the foregoing either have the disadvantages that the calcination and sintering temperatures are very high, as in the ceramic processes, or that significant complications and high costs are involved, as is the case with the wet chemical processes. The same also applies to the described citrate process. The known starting materials for this process are corresponding metal salts and niobium chloride or niobium alkoxide. It is only be addition of hydrogen peroxide (to form a water-soluble niobium peroxo complex) and citric acid that an aqueous gel can be produced from all the components together. In this process, however, co-precipitation is not possible because the metal complexes formed (metal/citrate complex and niobium/peroxocitrate complex) are extremely stable. Accordingly, the complexes do not decompose, even in the presence of excess ammonia. Some of the water-soluble Me citrate complexes are so stable (as, for example, where Me.dbd.Pb, Mg, Fe, Ni, Co, Mn, Nb, Ta, Zn, Cd citrate) that, when ammonia is added, the corresponding hydroxide does not precipitate. Binary mixtures of the metal citrates (Pb-Nb, Me-Nb) behave in exactly the same way as the individual components.
Accordingly, the principal object of the present invention is to provide a process for the production of perovskites which does not have the disadvantages of the prior art.

Process for the production of lead metal niobates


The invention relates to a method and a device for detecting and localizing sources of fire in one or more monitored areas (R1, . . . , Rn) utilizing a suction pipe system (3) connecting the plurality of monitored areas (R1, . . . , Rn) and which communicates with each individual monitored area (R1, . . . , Rn) by means of at least one suction opening (4), a suction device (5) for extracting air samples (6) representative of the room air of the individual monitored areas (R1, . . . , Rn) from the individual monitored areas (R1, . . . , Rn) by means of the suction pipe system (3) and the suction openings (4), and a sensor (7) for detecting at least one fire parameter in the air samples (6) extracted through the suction pipe system (3), whereby the inventive device comprises a blowing device (8) for blowing out the air samples (6) suctioned into the suction pipe system (3) when sensor (7) detects at least one fire parameter in the extracted air samples (6). The fire is localized by means of the transit time measurement of a re-extracted fire parameter.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for detecting and localizing a fire and/or the origin of a fire in one or more monitored areas as well as a device for realizing the method.
The invention starts out from a fire detecting device having a sensor for detecting a fire parameter which is fed a representative volume of room or device air through a suction pipe system by means of a suction device such as a fan.
2. Description of Related Art
The term "fire parameter" is to be understood as physical variables which are subject to measurable changes in the vicinity of an incipient fire, e.g. ambient temperature, solid or liquid or gaseous content in the ambient air (accumulation of smoke particles or particulate matter or accumulating smoke or gases) or local background radiation.
Both procedures as well as fire detecting devices of the cited type are known and serve for prompt detecting of fires still in their incipient phase. Typical areas of application are either rooms containing high-quality or important equipment such as, for example, rooms containing computer systems in banks or the like, or even just the computer equipment itself. To this end, representative samples of the room air or the device cooling air are continually extracted, referred to in the following as "air sample." An appropriate means for extracting such air samples and feeding same to the fire sensor, to the housing of the fire sensor respectively, is a suction pipe system designed as a system of conduits which are mounted, for example, below the ceiling of the room and lead to air intake openings in the housing of the fire sensor and which sucks the air samples in through air suction openings provided in the suction pipe system. An important premise in detecting an incipient fire at its earliest stage is that the fire detecting device continually extracts a sufficiently representative amount of air without interruption to supply the sensor sensing chamber. An applicable sensor here would be, for example, a point-based smoke sensor which measures the light turbidity in a sensor smoke chamber caused by particulate matter, or also a scattered light sensor integrated in the intake path which detects scattered light caused by smoke particles at a center of the sensor.
Methods and devices using a plurality of suction pipe systems to detect and localize sources of fire in one or more monitored areas are known from the prior art and have been developed based on the fact that, for example, it is very difficult for firefighting crews to localize the source of a fire in large halls, office buildings, hotels or ships. One single smoke suction system having a single fire-detecting unit may—subject to national regulations—monitor an area of up to 2000 m2, which may also comprise several rooms. In order to enable an operative alarm site to be quickly localized, requirements have been defined such as those set forth, for example, in Germany's "Guidelines for Automatic Fire Reporting Installations, Planning and Construction" (VdS 2095). Pursuant thereto, a plurality of rooms may only be grouped together into one alarm area when the rooms are adjacent, the access to same can be readily seen at a glance, the total surface area does not exceed 1000 m2, and there are clear visual alarm indicators at the fire alarm monitoring station which, in the event of a fire alarm, indicate the area where the fire is located.
While devices for detecting fire which operate on an aspirative principle, in which a plurality of areas to be monitored are connected by one individual smoke suction system, offer the advantage of the earliest possible detection of fire, there is no guarantee that the site of the fire can be localized in such a commonly-shared smoke suction system monitoring a plurality of areas. This is due to the fact that the individual air samples, each representing the room air from one individual monitored area, are fed to the sensor for detecting a fire parameter after having been mixed together in the jointly-shared suction pipe system. All the sensor can thus establish is that a fire broke out and/or is imminent in one of the areas being monitored. In order to be able to additionally ensure a localization of the seat of the fire in one of said monitored areas, it is usually necessary to feed each air sample extracted from each individual monitored area to another sensor of a separate suction pipe system in order to detect a fire parameter. Yet when monitoring a plurality of monitored areas, this has the disadvantage that the corresponding number of suction pipe systems must be in place, which involves a very complex implementation of the one or more aspirative fire detection system(s) both structurally as well as financially.
FR 2670010 Al discloses alarm boxes which serve to identify the smoke-sucking joint in a branched suction pipe system. These alarm boxes consist of a point-based smoke sensor built into a housing with a cable threading to connect the inlet and outlet pipes and a signal light on its cover. Yet disadvantageous to this construction is that because of their size, design and price, these alarm boxes cannot be employed at each individual air intake opening.
Known further from WO 00/68909 is a method and a device for detecting fires in monitored areas by means of which the source of a fire can be localized. This method utilizes an appropriate device in each monitored area comprised of two crossing pipes, into which one or more fans continually suck in air from the monitored areas through suction openings disposed in the pipes and feed same to at least one sensor for detecting one fire parameter per pipe. The localization of the seat of the fire thereby follows from the responding of the two sensors allocated to the crossing pipes. A plurality of areas is monitored by such pipes arranged as a matrix of columns and rows, where appropriate by one cumulative sensor each for the column and row arrangement. A disadvantage to this known device, however, is the very substantial installation outlay for the matrix-like system of pipes.
Known from the German DE 3 237 021 C2 patent specification is a selective gas/smoke detection system having a plurality of suction lines connected separately to various measuring points in an area to be monitored in order to withdraw samples of air or gas at said measuring points. Here, a gas or smoke sensor connected to these lines reacts to the presence of a specific gas in the sample upon a fixed threshold being exceeded and emits a detection signal which controls an indicator and/or alarm circuit. Shut-off valves which are cyclically and periodically energized in a controlled loop are furthermore arranged on the individual suction lines. Detecting fire with this gas/smoke detection system ensues in that in the absence of a detection signal, the control unit sets the shut-off valves such that all the suction lines are simultaneously in open connection with the sensor, and upon a detection signal being received, switches them over to a sensing mode in which the suction lines are conventionally brought into open connection with the sensor consecutively or in groups. This function for detecting the origin of fire presupposes, however, that the sensor can be brought into connection with each area to be monitored by way of individual and selectively-opened feed lines. This inherently means having to install an extensive system of pipes in order to create these individually selectable connections. Likewise disadvantageous is the high cost of installing the necessary suction lines.
WO 93/23736 further makes known an air pollution/smoke detection device based on a network-like configured suction system having a large number of sampling sites at which gas is extracted from each room to be monitored. This pollution/smoke detection device has a plurality of inlet ports connected to the grid-like suction system and monitored individually. Under normal circumstances, all these inlets remain open until the detection device detects pollution/smoke. Selectively closing the inlet ports then allows the localizing and detecting of a fire zone. But the operation of this detection device also requires an extensive installation of suction lines to form a grid-like structure in order to ensure reliable detection of a fire source. Here as well, the disadvantage to this known device lies in the high installation outlay for the system of pipes.
Further known from DE 101 25 687 Al is a device for detecting and localizing a source of fire in one or more monitored areas. The device comprises a main sensor for detecting a fire parameter with an intake unit continuously feeding samples of the ambient air from the monitored areas through a line disposed with intake ports arranged in each monitoring chamber. One sub-sensor each is thereby provided on or in the vicinity of at least one suction opening per monitored area, which is switched on by a switch-on signal transmitted by a controller in accordance with a detection signal emitted by the main sensor. The switched-on sub-sensor thereby serves in the detecting of the source of the fire and thus for localizing the fire source from the plurality of monitored areas. This device known from the prior art has the disadvantage that due to the number of sub-sensors employed, the costs associated with the fire detecting device are relatively high and furthermore necessitates a relatively complex wiring of the sub-sensors when installing the device.

Method and device for identifying and localizing a fire

Wagner Alarm- und Sicherungssysteme GmbH


An electrical contact for use in an electrical connector, includes a contact body made of metal and having a contact head, a contact tail, and an anti-wicking region disposed between the contact head and the contact tail arranged to prevent wicking of a fusible material past the anti-wicking region in a direction toward the contact head. The anti-wicking region is defined by one of a laser-ablated portion, a laser marking material, a UV marking material, and an ink that is permanently disposed on the contact body.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to solder stops. More specifically, the present invention relates to solder stops on electrical contacts and to methods of making electrical contacts having solder stops.
2. Description of the Related Art
As shown in FIG. 6, it is well known in the art to use solder 64 to form an electrical connection between a connection pad 65 on a printed circuit board 66 and the contact tail 63 of an electrical contact 60. When the solder 64 is reflowed to join the contact tail 63 of the electrical contact 60 to the connection pad 65 on the printed circuit board 66, the solder 64 will wick up the length of the contact body 61, which reduces the amount of solder 64 located between the contact tail 63 of the electrical contact 60 and connection pad 65 on the printed circuit board 66.
The reduction in the amount of solder has the following disadvantageous effects: (a) causes a reduction in the electrical performance of the electrical connection between the electrical contact and the printed circuit board; (b) causes a reduction in the integrity of the mechanical connection between the electrical contact and the printed circuit board; (c) hinders mating of the electrical contact with the printed circuit board; and (d) reduces the aesthetics of the completed mechanical connection.
Several techniques are known in the art to prevent solder wicking, and more specifically, to prevent solder from wicking up along the length of the contact body of an electrical connector. First, it is known to use a nickel barrier to prevent solder wicking. Nickel is known as a solder anti-wicking material. A typical electrical contact is formed by coating or plating a base layer of copper or copper alloy with a nickel layer. The nickel layer is then coated or plated with an additional layer of tin, gold, or silver.
In order to use the nickel layer as an anti-wicking layer, selective plating, belt masking, spot plating, and controlled depth plating are typically required. In selective plating, the additional layer must be selectively plated such that a portion of the nickel layer is left exposed. This is accomplished by using removable mask materials such that a portion of the nickel layer is covered when the additional layer is plated. After the additional layer is plated, the removable mask materials are removed, along with the additional layer, such that the nickel layer is exposed.
In belt masking, the contact is pinched between two belts. Then, the portion of the contact that is not pinched between the belts is plated.
In spot plating, the contact is pinched between two specialized belts. Specialized belts used in spot plating are different than the belts used in belt masking because they have an opening in which a plating solution is sprayed through. Thus, only the region of the contact exposed by the opening of the specialized belt is plated.
In controlled depth plating, the contact is suspended at a given height with the contact partially submerged in a plating bath. The contact is plated only where the contact is submerged in the plating bath.
A problem with these techniques is that it is hard to accurately plate the additional layer such that nickel layer is exposed in a location that is most effective for preventing the wicking of the solder. This problem increases the cost of production of any contact that uses the above-described techniques. An additional problem with these techniques is that exposed nickel is not a very effective anti-wicking material.
It is known that the anti-wicking characteristic of nickel is improved by oxidizing the nickel. However, the flux used to facilitate soldering acts as an activating agent that helps to remove impurities and re-activates the surface. Thus, the flux reduces the effectiveness of the oxidized nickel as an anti-wicking material.
It is also known to use a post-plating punch to prevent solder wicking. After the contact is plated, a hole is punched into the contact such that the base layer of copper or copper alloy is exposed. The hole with the exposed base layer physically prevents solder from wicking up the contact around the hole. This is a mechanical solution as opposed to a chemical solution to the solder wicking problem.
A problem with this technique is that the hole in the contact acts to degrade any electrical signal traveling through the contact and to degrade the mechanical strength of the contact. Another problem with this technique is the cost of the secondary process of punching a hole during manufacturing of the contact.
Further, it is also known to use selective plating using an ink mask to prevent solder wicking. Before the contact is plated, an ink is printed onto the base layer of copper or copper alloy. The contact is then plated with metal. Any metal used during the plating will not adhere to the ink. After the plating is completed, the ink is removed to expose the copper or copper alloy, and thus, the ink is not a permanent part of the contact, but instead is only temporarily used during the contact manufacturing process. Thus, the contact has a portion in which the base layer of copper or copper alloy is exposed and oxidized. Solder is prevented from wicking because of the oxidization of the copper or copper alloy.
A problem with this technique is that it is very costly because of the materials and processes used.
In addition, it is known to use a post assembly applied solder mask to prevent solder wicking. That is, after the contact has been assembled, a solder mask, for example, Kapton Tape or fluorine coating, is applied to the contact to prevent wicking.
Some problems with this technique are the cost associated with the additional assembly step and the cost of the solder mask. Another problem with this technique is that not all electrical connectors are arranged such that enough space is available to add the tape.
It is also known to use molded plastic disposed around the contact to prevent solder wicking. A plastic dam is molded around the contact such that a physical barrier is created around the circumference of the contact to prevent the solder from passing.
A problem with this technique is that an additional assembly step is required, which increases the time and labor costs for producing a contact. Another problem with this technique is that it will add extra height to the electrical connector, which will make it unsuitable in situations were an electrical connector having a low profile is needed.
It is further known to press fit the tail of a contact into plastic having a cross-section similar to the cross-section of the contact to prevent solder wicking. The tail of the contact is pressed into an opening in the plastic such that friction keeps the contact in place.
A problem with this technique is that an effective anti-wicking barrier is not created because the opening into which the tail is pressed does not conform precisely to the circumference of the contact. Another problem with this technique is that it is difficult to apply this technique to SMT (Surface Mount Technology) connectors because there is not sufficient space to add the plastic.
Other problems with the above techniques are that excessive materials can inadvertently be used and that the materials can be inadvertently removed during post reflow cleaning. Further, these materials may interfere with the formation of a solder joint.


The present invention is directed to a new class of 6-benzylsulfonamido-quinoline/chromene derivatives, to their use as androgen antagonists, and to formulations containing these androgen antagonists.

The androgen receptor (AR) is a member of the steroid receptor (SR) family of transcriptional regulatory proteins that transduces the signaling information conveyed by androgens. Upon androgen binding, the androgen receptor is released from the repressive effects of an Hsp 90-based regulatory complex, allowing the receptor to either activate or inhibit transcription of target genes in a hormone-dependent manner. In addition to the role the androgen receptor plays in male sex determination, its activation plays a critical role in the development and progression of benign prostate hyperplasia, prostate cancer, seborrhea, acne, premenstrual syndrome, lung cancer, ovarian polycyclic syndrome, hirsutism, and hair loss. Thus, the androgen receptor is an important target in multiple areas of drug discovery.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,017,924 discloses a class of non-steroidal compounds, pyridinoquinolines that have affinity for the androgen receptor. The '924 patent describes these compounds as being agonists, partial agonists, antagonists, and partial antagonists, etc. The '924 patent provides no guidance on how to achieve a specific biological effect (i.e. agonist versus antagonist). Agonists have the ability to masculinize females, whereas antagonists feminize males. Such side effects limit the potential applicability of androgen therapy.
PCT applications WO 01/16133 and WO 01/16139 also disclose non-steroidal compounds that have affinity for the androgen receptor. Examples of such structures include pyrazinoquinolines, oxazinoquinolines, and pyridinoquinolines. The PCT application does not disclose any 6-benzylsulfonamido-quinolin-2-ones or 6-benzylsulfonamido-chromen-2-ones.
PCT application WO 01/16108 discloses non-steroidal compounds having affinity for the androgen receptor. Like the '924 patent described above, the compounds are described as having both agonist and antagonist effects. Some of the compounds of the PCT application are quinolin-2-one derivatives. The PCT application does not disclose any 6-benzylsulfonamido-quinolin-2-ones or 6-benzylsulfonamido-chromen-2-ones.
While the prior art describes compounds having affinity for the androgen receptor, it does not describe how to achieve selectivity with respect to this affinity (i.e. agonist or antagonist). The physiological impact of this affinity is often an undesirable side effect, depending upon the gender of the patient. Thus a need exists in the art for androgen receptor antagonists.


A semiconductor laser is provided with: an active layer that excites a transverse electric (TE) mode and a transverse magnetic (TM) mode of light and constitutes at least a part of a resonator guiding the TE mode and the TM mode of light; and a diffraction grating as a frequency difference setting structure that sets the difference in oscillation frequency between the TE mode and the TM mode of light higher than a relaxation-oscillation frequency.

In recent years, due to an explosive increase in network traffic amount accompanying the spread of the Internet, an increase in speed and capacity of optical fiber transmission is remarkable. Semiconductor lasers have been developed as light source devices that support optical fiber communication. Especially, a realization of a single-mode light source using a distributed feedback (DFB) laser has greatly contributed to increases in the speed and capacity of the optical fiber communication by time division multiplexing and wavelength division multiplexing (WDM).
In recent years, optical communication has been applied not only to telecommunication areas such as core networks and metro networks but also to short-distance data communications between data centers, between racks, and between boards. 100-Gb Ethernet (registered trademark) has been standardized using a configuration of a WDM type multi-wavelength array light source, and the capacity for data communication is increasing rapidly.
As a semiconductor optical element used in the optical communication as described above, a direct modulation laser is known. The direct modulation laser is a laser for providing intensity modulation by superimposing a signal on an input current of the laser and widely used for a reason of low power consumption, and has become popular in optical fiber networks, particularly in short-range communication. The communication capacity has been steadily increasing irrespective of whether telecommunications or data communications, and in the future, it is desired to realize a high-speed direct modulation laser by further advancing these technologies.
The frequency response of the direct modulation laser is limited by a relaxation-oscillation frequency attributable to the lifetimes of carriers and photons in a resonator. In the general structure, the relaxation-oscillation frequency is up to about 30 GHz, and there is a limitation in the modulation frequency, which has been problematic. Therefore, in recent years, a proposal has been made to realize a higher frequency response by generating a resonance frequency with a coupled resonator due to a light-light interaction by use of an interaction between a plurality of longitudinal modes (e.g., see Non-Patent Literature 1 and Non-Patent Literature 2).

Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation


There is provided a particle detector system and to detect particles on target including reticle and pellicle. The system includes a light transmitting device adapted to transmit light beam to a target through an electrowetting microlens, a light receiving device adapted to receive the transmitted light beam reflected by a surface of the target, a light refraction angle adjusting controller adapted to apply a voltage to the electrowetting microlens in order to adjust an incident angle of the light irradiated, and a detector adapted to analyze the light received by the light receiving device to determine whether there are particles on a surface of the target.

1. Technical Field
The present invention generally relates to a particle detector and a method of using the same. More particularly, the present invention generally relates to a system used to detect particles by using an electrowetting microlens and a method of detecting particles using the same.
A claim of priority is made to Korean Patent Application No. 2004-0038060, filed May 28, 2004, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Developments in semiconductor devices are increasing almost on a daily basis. The development of ultra highly integrated semiconductor devices has advanced the electronic communication industry and the multimedia field. The development of the semiconductor devices is an aggregate of circuit design technology, equipment technology, and process technology.
Manufacturing processes for a semiconductor device consist of photo-lithography, etching, ion implantation, thin film formation, and metal wiring. Among these processes, a pattern formation by a photo-lithography process is a key process in the manufacture of the ultra highly integrated semiconductor devices. The photo-lithography process is divided into a coating step, an exposure step, and a development step. The exposure step and equipment used for the exposure step are very important in the photo-lithography process.
During the exposure step, a substrate is coated with a photo-resist, a soft bake is performed on the substrate, and a temporary phase is formed on the photo-resist.
To perform the exposure step, an exposure device capable of transferring a circuit pattern onto a substrate is used. Recently, a projection exposure device has been used to transfer a photo-mask pattern or reticle onto a substrate such as a semiconductor substrate or a glass plate by coating a photosensitive material onto a surface of the substrate.
However if particles, such as dust, contaminate the surface of the reticle, the photo-lithography process can be degraded, impairing the proper formation of circuit patterns on a substrate.
Under some circumstances, a pellicle is used to protect the circuit pattern formed on the reticle. The pellicle is a passivation layer that prevents contaminates such as dust from reaching the reticle. That is, the pellicle functions to protect a surface of reticle from air dust during a photo-lithography process. The pellicle is generally made of thin and transparent nitro-cellulose material.
However, when a pellicle is employed, particles can also adhere to the pellicle, thereby degrading the exposure process and impairing the proper formation of circuit patterning on a substrate.
In a conventional exposure device, a scanner using a light emitting diode (LED) laser is used to detect particles on the upper and lower side surfaces of a reticle, or a pellicle formed on the reticle.
FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating a detecting operation of a conventional particle detector.
As shown in FIG. 1, the conventional particle detector includes a light emitting device 50, a light receiving device 60, and a detecting member (not shown). Light emitting device 50 transmits light 40 to a reticle 10 or a pellicle 20, if applicable. Light receiving device 60 receives light 40 after it has been reflected by a surface of reticle 10 or pellicle 20. The detecting member analyzes light 40 and detects whether there are particles on the surface of reticle 10 or pellicle 20.
In detail, if light 40 emitted by light emitting device 50 is transmitted to a surface 22 of reticle 10 or pellicle 20 at a predetermined angle, and no particles are present, light 40 reflected by the same angle as the transmitted angle is received by light receiving device 60. However, when particles are present, light 40 transmitted by light emitting device 50 scatters, and only a portion of light 40 is received by light receiving device 60. Accordingly, the received light 40 is analyzed, and a determination is made as to whether particles are on present on reticle 10 or pellicle 20.
FIG. 2 is a schematic view illustrating a detecting operation of the conventional particle detector shown in of FIG. 1.
Particle detection is sometimes performed, even though pellicle 20 is not completely adhered to reticle 10, or a thickness of pellicle 20 is not uniform.
In the aforementioned cases, since an incident angle of light maintains a constant value based on the surface of pellicle 20 having a relative small thickness, only particles present at a surface of pellicle 20 are accurately detected. In contrast, it is difficult to accurately detect particles on a surface 12 of a reticle 10 without a pellicle, or on a surface 32 of a pellicle 30 having a relative larger thickness.
In the conventional particle detector, an incident angle of light should be changed as a function of the presence or the thickness of a pellicle. However, it is impossible for the conventional particle detector to adjust the incident angle of light. Therefore, particle detection accuracy varies significantly based on the type or the presence of the pellicle.

Particle detecting system and method of detecting particles using the same


A calibration process utilizes two nearly identical sensors. The characteristic output curve of the first sensor is obtained using the measuring outputs of the second sensor. In particular, the first sensor has a characteristic output curve f[x] where x is a physical variable to be measured. The second sensor has an output curve y[x].apprxeq.f[x+a]. Starting from an initially known portion of the curve f[x], outputs of the second sensor are utilized to extend the known portion of the characteristic output curve f[x] of the first sensor into ranges of the variable x where this function is not yet known.

Such processes are for example suitable to measure distances, magnetic fields, pressure differences etc. when the characteristic output curve of the sensor used for the measurement is not linear and is either unknown at the beginning or unstable, so that in the latter case, although originally known, it has changed in the meantime as a function of time, temperature or some other factor in an unknown manner so that it is again unknown and must be recalibrated. In this process values of a function f[x] of the physical variable x are measured. However not the values of the function f[x] but the values x=f.sup.-1 [x] of the physical variable are desired, and this is only possible if the characteristic output curve of the sensor used is known and calibrates or recalibrates itself automatically.
It is known that in conventional non-automatic calibrations of a sensor used for measurements, the corresponding values of the output signal f[x] of the sensor are determined point by point for each value of the physical variable x to be measured by means of a measuring device that is as precise as possible. Re-calibrations or calibrations are then generally required from time to time, for example at fixed time intervals.
An automatic calibration process is known from the published document "Applied Optics, Feb. 1, 1989, Vol. 28, No. 3, pages 419 to 420, Loss compensated fiber-optic displacement sensor including a lens, E. Bois, S. J. Huard and G. Boisde", in which a self-calibrating and loss-compensating optical distance sensor is described. The distance sensor contains two light conductors for the purpose of self-calibration, the first ends of which are axially offset in relation to each other and are arranged facing a light-reflecting surface of a mobile body moving along the optical axis of the light conductors. The second end of each light conductor is alternately connected to a light diode or to a photo diode. Each light diode emits light and is excited alternately in order to evaluate by means of a microcomputer two signals detected thereupon by the photo-diodes The light emitted reaches the light-reflecting surface via the appertaining light conductor and the reflected light then reaches via the other light conductor one of the photo-diodes whose output signals are transmitted to the microcomputer. The microcomputer in turn holds the reference signal transmitted by the light diode constant via a digital/analog converter and calibrates the measuring arrangement by utilizing the relationship between the sum and the difference of the two detected signals. The relationship is near the zero point proportional to the desired value of the distance when the presence of a parabolic characteristic output curve can be assumed for the sensors.
It is the object of the instant invention to provide a process of the type mentioned initially by using two nearly identical sensors making it possible to calibrate or recalibrate the output curve of a first one of the two sensors by using the measuring results of the second sensor without rigorous requirements as far as the configuration of the output curve of the sensors is concerned and without any other overly restrictive conditions.

Process for automatic calibration or re-calibration of measurements of a physical variable


Embodiments of the present invention improve database performance testing. In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method of testing the performance of an application running transactions against a database comprising specifying performance critical database transaction statements in the application corresponding to one or more tables and separately executing each performance critical database transaction statement against the database a predetermined number of times, wherein the database is in a predetermined initial state at the beginning of each execution.

The present invention relates to database testing, and in particular, to systems and methods for repeatable database performance testing.
Methodic software development should include repetitive performance evaluation and optimization of fundamental system components to lead to high-quality software products. In this context, the performance evaluation of database applications (e.g., relational database applications) is of special importance since sub-optimal database structures and access or update statements can result in severe performance problems. For efficient database performance evaluation, tools are needed that allow the flexible definition of repeatable performance experiments at both the individual access statement level (individual database transaction statements such as SQL statements, micro benchmark) and on the benchmark level (entire query mix/sequence of statements of a database application program). In addition, it would be beneficial if the tool provided a detailed and clear presentation of the performance properties of the respective test, and should support the documentation of individual test cases.
Although a multitude of software test tools (e.g., CASE tools) exist, none of the existing tools provide a low-footprint and easy to use solution for the definition, execution, and/or documentation of database performance experiments. Furthermore, none of the existing system test tools provide a comprehensive and simple database testing methodology comprising all steps from test case identification and execution to test result evaluation and documentation. Rather, existing test tools are designed to support a broad spectrum of test classes, and thus impose a more significant burden on the system under test (SUT) and are typically difficult to use.
Thus, there is a need for improved database testing systems and methods. The present invention solves these and other problems by providing systems and methods for repeatable database performance testing.

Systems and methods for repeatable database performance testing


An apparatus for providing tactile feedback to an operator. The apparatus includes first and second magnetic assemblies having first and second magnets, respectively. The apparatus further includes a user input device, such as a trigger, a knob, a release cord, or a joystick, that is connected to at least one of the two assemblies and positions the first magnet proximate to the second magnet such that interaction occurs between the magnetic fields to generate a force that is exerted on the input device. The force may be an opposing, resisting, or attractive force that creates movement of the user input such as resisting a triggering or releasing action in an interactive video game when the poles are of like polarity. The first magnetic assembly may be stationary, and the second magnetic assembly may be connected to the user input device to be positioned relative to the first magnet assembly.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to user interface or input devices such as are used in video and other interactive games to control characters or action in the game, and, more particularly, to systems and methods for providing an operator of a user interface or a manipulandum with tactile or haptic feedback to realistically simulate overcoming a resistive force such as may occur when pulling a trigger, manipulating a release mechanism, or other action performed by operating a user interface or game controller in which an opposing force has to be overcome.
2. Relevant Background
Recently, there has been a growing need for devices that can allow a human operator or user to interact with a user interface that allows the operator to interact with an electronic device such as a video game played on a computing device or to perform mechanical devices remotely. When interacting with a video game, an amusement ride, or other interactive games; it is desirable for the operator to be provided with a physical sensation such as a vibration or resistive force on the user interface. In other cases, an operator may be interacting with an electro-hydraulically controlled system such as front-end loaders, cranes, and robotic equipment; and it is useful to provide the operator with feedback as to the amount of force that is being applied by or on their equipment during operations. In other cases, a surgeon may perform procedures by remotely manipulating devices implanted in a patient's body via a user interface while watching a monitor, and medical applications may demand that the remote procedures be performed based on touch. In each of these and many other applications, it is desirable to provide the operator of the user interface with physical feedback, and each of these applications may be addressed through the use of tactile or haptic feedback mechanisms or force feedback devices.
One growing application for tactile feedback mechanisms is interacting in a natural, easy-to-use, and realistic manner with computer-generated environments such as are provided in interactive games or rides at amusement parks and in video games found in more and more homes. Interface devices or game controllers are used extensively with computer systems in the implementation of computer-controlled games, simulations, and other applications very popular with the mass market of home consumers. In a typical implementation, a computer system such as a personal computer, home video game console, portable computer, stand-up arcade machine, or the like displays a graphical environment to a user on a display device or monitor. The user or operator interacts with the displayed environment by inputting commands or data by manipulating one or more actuable or movable components on the user interface or game controller. Popular interfaces include joysticks, button and joystick-based game controllers, gun or launching device with a trigger or release, mice, trackballs, steering wheels, foot or hand pedals, pads for simulating dance, or the like, and these are each connected to the computer system rendering and controlling the displayed game or interactive environment. The computer runs a game program to update the displayed interactive environment in response to input signals from the interface device based on the user's manipulation of the component (e.g., a manipulandum) such as a joystick handle, a trigger or release, a wheel, or a mouse. The computer via the game program also provides visual feedback to the user using the display screen such as displaying a projectile or object being fired or released in response to a trigger or release being pulled on the user interface.
In a growing number of interactive game interface devices, tactile or haptic feedback is also provided to the user by the user interface operating to provide physical sensations. For example, a joystick may vibrate in response to a collision occurring in a video game or a handheld controller housing may vibrate when a football player is tackled. In some interactive games and other non-game applications, the manipulandum or component handled or touched by the operator is caused to push back or resist movement in response to actions occurring in the game or in response to forces being applied on an object being controlled through operation of the user interface. It is important in many of these applications that the feedback be provided in a realistic manner such as by providing a resistive force or a vibration that is proportional or similar to that which may be experienced by a game character or to perform a game activity (e.g., pulling a trigger, turning a door knob, releasing a mechanical latch or switch, or the like). Another design issue is how to provide such a realistic physical feedback in a reliable manner that can be repeated many times without failure of the feedback mechanism and, typically, at low cost.
Tactile feedback has historically been provided in one of two ways. First, an electrically controlled actuator has been used to generate computer-controlled forces or to provide feedback to an operator of a user interface. For example, in a number of interactive games provided in amusement park settings, a powered transducer or solenoid was provided to simulate the triggering or firing of a gun, a laser device, or the like and to provide a desired "feel" or physical feedback to the user via the trigger or release on the user interface or input device. While relatively effective at providing a desired tactile feedback, these mechanisms are complex and expensive to design and manufacture, which makes them of limited value for mass production as would be the case for a typical video or computer game controller. Similarly, in a typical video game environment, motors or other actuators in the interface device or game controller are coupled to the manipulandum and are connected to the controlling computer system. The computer system receives sensor signals from the interface device and sends appropriate force feedback control signals to the actuators in conjunction with game events or actions. The actuators apply forces on the manipulandum to convey physical sensations to the user in conjunction with other visual and auditory feedback as the user is contacting the manipulandum or input portion of the user interface. These devices require power to the actuators and also call for the mechanisms to be controlled by the computer or game program run by the game processor. Actuators, furthermore, tend to require maintenance and replacement due to wear of internal components. Other disadvantages of active actuators include high cost, large size, and unwanted weight. Second, some feedback devices utilize a passive, spring arrangement to provide a detent-type mechanism. This type of feedback device is useful for eliminating the need to provide power to the feedback mechanism, can provide relatively high magnitude forces, and is typically of lower cost and weight. However, these passive devices generally experience significant wear on internal components that leads to failure and frequent maintenance including part replacement.
Hence, there remains a need for improved mechanisms for providing tactile or haptic feedback to a user or operator of a controller or interface device such as a user interface to an interactive game (e.g., a video game or computer game) and to other electrically or electro-hydraulically controlled devices (e.g., a work machine such as a backhoe, a loader, or the like or a remote surgical device or robotic device with a user interface). Preferably, such mechanisms would be less complex than existing powered actuators or devices, would be reliable to require less maintenance, be less expensive, and, in some cases, provide a smaller form factor or be provided in a smaller package or housing.

Tactile feedback mechanism using magnets to provide trigger or release sensations


A system for decontaminating a fluid-injection system for a tub from organic growth comprises an ozone source and a pressure source, producing an ozone-enriched air output. Piping is connected to a fluid-injection system. A controller device actuates the ozone source and the pressure source such that the ozone-enriched air output is conveyed to conduits of the fluid-injection system. A switch manually actuated to stop an actuation of the ozone source, whereby organic growth in the conduits of the fluid-injection system is exposed to the ozone-enriched air output.

1. Field of the Application
The present application generally relates to tubs and, more particularly, to the decontamination of fluid-injection systems for tubs that inject fluid into a tub so as to create a massaging-effect turbulence in the liquid of the tub.
2. Background Art
Tubs are well known for their primary use, namely a washroom installation in which a user person washes and/or bathes. Tubs have, however, evolved to add relaxation and comfort to practicality, and are found in many forms, such as bathtubs, spas, whirlpools.
For instance, tubs are now provided with air-jet systems or hydro-massage systems. Such systems often involve piping to inject a fluid (air, water) into the water of the tub, so as to cause a turbulence that will create a massaging effect on the occupant of the tub.
The piping is connected to openings in the wall of the tub for fluid injection therethrough. Even though various mechanisms have been provided to prevent infiltration (e.g., check valves at the jets), water has been known to infiltrate the piping through these openings, to accumulate in the piping. Water accumulated therein is stagnant, and is subject to mildew, alga and/or bacteria growth.
In order to decontaminate the piping, it is known to inject ozone so as to oxidize organic growth and kill same. However, ozone is noxious at low concentrations, whereby the use of ozone in piping decontamination must be highly controlled in residential installations.


The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a composite material wherein by dynamic densification of an amount of granular or powdered relatively brittle material or a mixture of one or more of such materials, a continuous porous product is obtained, whereafter, by infiltration thereof with a second material, the brittle material particles are embedded in a continuous network of the second material. The invention further relates to a composite comprising ceramic particles embedded in a continuous matrix of a second material, obtainable by a method according to the invention, and to products manufactured from such composite.

This invention relates to a method for manufacturing a composite material, in particular a ceramics or the like containing composite material, as well as to a composite material.
The use of ceramics in applications where conventionally metals were used has recently increased markedly. Reasons for this are, for instance, various clearly improved material properties, such as wear-resistance, hardness, corrosion-resistance, modulus of elasticity, dimensional stability, chemical resistance and heat-resistance. One of the important disadvantages of the use of ceramic materials, however, is that they are relatively brittle. Further, their resistance to thermal shocks is poor. Moreover, good ceramic composites are relatively expensive. As a consequence, the possible areas of application of ceramic composites are limited.
In order to avoid these disadvantages, a number of proposals have been made for the manufacture of such composites with improved properties.
European patent application 0,378,500 describes a method for manufacturing a metal-infiltrated composite material which comprises reaction products of the metal with boron and/or carbon To that end, from a boron donor material and a carbon donor material, a self-supporting intermediate of a relatively high porosity is formed, whereby bonds between the material particles are effected, for instance during sintering of the intermediate. Thereafter the intermediate is contacted with a molten parent metal, in a manner and for a time suitable to obtain a reactive infiltration. The space existing between the mutually bonded particles is thereby filled with the metal and the whole is maintained at a suitable temperature for a suitable time, in such a manner that at least chemical bonds are formed between boron and metal, carbon and metal and boron, and/or carbon and metal. As a result of the reactive infiltration, a composite material is formed with mutually bonded particles with residual metal between them.
In this method, bonds between the different particles are effected, partly prior to the infiltration. As a result, a base product with a relatively high density and relatively coarse particles is formed, whereby the product does not acquire a completely open porous network. Any closed porosity present in the product is not removed and therefore not filled with metal during the infiltration. The particles are not entirely surrounded by the metal, so that no fully continuous matrix is obtained in which the particles are embedded. Moreover, the properties of the starting materials change considerably as a result of the chemical reactions.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,879,262 describes a method for manufacturing composites and in particular boron-containing composites, using combustion synthesis of boride compounds and composites. To that end, a suitable mixture of at least a first, B.sub.4 C rich component and a second, B.sub.4 C/TiB.sub.2 rich component is composed and heated such that a maximum inclusion of the relatively light B.sub.4 C into the relatively heavy B.sub.4 C/TiB.sub.2 is obtained, whereafter a self-sustaining combustion is effected in the mixture, such that a densification of the matrix arises as a result of the chemical reaction. The densification is not maximal, so that a porous structure is left. Thereafter the porous composite obtained is infiltrated with liquid metal, for instance aluminum. As a result, a composite of a relatively high density is formed. It is noted that in this way other composites can also be obtained, provided a self-sustaining combustion front can be generated therein.
This method can only be used with specific combinations of starting materials, while moreover heating prior to the combustion is required in order to obtain a good densification. Further, a relatively coarse division of the particles is obtained, while the particles will frequently be in mutual abutment. Any porosity present, which may or may not have arisen during the reaction, is not prevented, reduced or removed in this known method. No completely open porous network is formed, so that the particles cannot be completely surrounded by the metal. Moreover, as a result of chemical reactions that occur, the properties of the starting materials change.
European patent application 0,207,371 describes a method for manufacturing composites, in which powders are dynamically densified to a very high relative density. The shock induced by an explosive and/or strike plate in this method should be so high that exothermic sintering of the powders occurs. Chemical bonds and possibly plastic bonds between the powder particles are thereby formed, so that a closed network is obtained of, for instance, metals, oxides and the like, and a substantially full density.
In this method a very strong shock should be induced, in such a manner that the starting powders enter into an exothermic chemical reaction. As a result, the composition, and hence the chemical and mechanical properties, of the mixture changes. Moreover, a continuous network of ceramic particles fixedly bonded to each other is obtained, which particles are therefore not embedded in another material which forms a continuous matrix. As a result, the material obtained does not have an optimum resistance to, for instance, thermal shocks and it is insufficiently tough. Moreover, only starting powders capable of entering into the desired exothermic reactions with each other can be used.

Method for manufacturing a composite material

Nederlandse Organisatie voor toegepast-natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek TNO


Example methods and apparatus to manage process control data are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes receiving a request for process data associated with a field device, searching a database for a descriptor file that includes the requested process data, and accessing the descriptor file to retrieve the process data to display within an application, wherein the process data is retrieved using a schema that specifies that the process data is located at an object referenced by a file entry that is part of a section of a file body included within the file. In the example method, the object may include at least one of an expression to calculate a value using the process data in a mathematical formula or a display transformation to instruct how the process data is to be displayed.

Process control systems, like those used in chemical, petroleum or other processes, typically include one or more process controllers and input/output (I/O) devices communicatively coupled to at least one host or operator workstation and to one or more field devices via analog, digital or combined analog/digital buses. The field devices, which may be, for example, valves, valve positioners, switches and transmitters (e.g., temperature, pressure and flow rate sensors), perform process control functions within the process such as opening or closing valves and measuring process control parameters. The controllers receive signals indicative of process measurements made by the field devices, process this information to implement a control routine, and generate control signals that are sent over the buses or other communication lines to the field devices to control the operation of the process. In this manner, the controllers may execute and coordinate control strategies or routines using the field devices via the buses and/or other communication links communicatively coupling the field devices.
Process data from the field devices and the controllers may be made available to one or more applications (i.e., routines, programs, etc.) executed by the operator workstation (e.g., a processor-based system) to enable an operator to perform desired functions with respect to the process, such as viewing the current state of the process (e.g., via a graphical user interface), evaluating the process, modifying an operation of the process (e.g., via a visual object diagram), etc. Many process control systems also include one or more application stations. Typically, these application stations are implemented using a personal computer, workstation, or the like that is communicatively coupled to the controllers, operator workstations, and other systems within the process control system via a local area network (LAN). Each application station may execute one or more strategies, routines, or applications that perform campaign management functions, maintenance management functions, virtual control functions, diagnostic functions, real-time monitoring functions, safety-related functions, configuration functions, etc. within the process control system.
Currently, a Field Device Integration (FDI) standard supports multiple process control communication protocols (e.g., Hart®, Foundation Fieldbus™, and Profibus®), which enables process control systems to manage field devices using a universal toolset. In some examples, the universal toolset may be implemented by Electronic Device Description Language (EDDL) files. The EDDL files provide a structured and/or standardized format to describe and specify functions of field devices. Process controllers and/or workstations may use EDDL files to facilitate interpretation, control and/or management of field devices. In other examples, the universal toolset may be implemented by defined client/server interfaces that exchange process data in a universal format.

Methods and apparatus to manage process data


An integrated structure of a network of N add-compare-select (ACS) units associated with N states of a trellis of a Viterbi convolutive decoder. The ACS units are physically gathered by pairs juxtaposed to form two spaced apart parallel columns, each pair including two ACS units associated, respectively, with states 2n and 2n+1 modulo-N (n being a positive integer). Each of the two ACS units of the pair is coupled, for receiving two path metrics, to an ACS unit associated with one of states n and n+N/2 of a close pair and to an ACS unit associated with the other of states n and n+N/2 of a remote pair. The space between the two columns constitutes a common channel that includes the interconnections between remote pairs of units. The structure is implemented in a technology with at least three metallization layers and wherein the two ACS units of each pair are juxtaposed along the column height.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an integrated circuit structure for a convolutive Viterbi decoder, and more specifically to the integrated structure for the add-compare-select units of the decoder.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Convolutive coding and decoding are used to reduce the amount of errors in digital signal transmission. In a convolutive Viterbi decoder, one add-compare-select unit (ACS) is associated with each node of a so-called "trellis". Each node of the trellis corresponds to a possible state of a shift register used in convolutive coding.
Since the present invention relates only to the interconeect structure of ACS units, it is not necessary to recall the operation of a convolutive Viterbi decoder which is well known in the art. Only those elements necessary for the understanding of the invention are described hereafter.
FIG. 1 illustrates a generic trellis for building any N-state trellis. A state 2n and a state 2n+1 are both linked to a state n and a state n+N/2. Number n is any positive integer and numbers 2n and 2n+1 are defined modulo-N. The links between states correspond to transitions determined by symbols received by the decoder. In this example, each symbol contains two information bits. The transitions from state n to state 2n and from state n+N/2 to state 2n+1 correspond to the reception of a symbol ab, where a is equal to 1 or 0 and b is equal to 1 or 0 according to the value of 2n. The transitions from state n to state 2n+1 and from state n+N/2 to state 2n correspond to the reception of symbol ab.
FIG. 2 shows essential components of the ACS unit associated with state 2n. This unit ACS(2n) is meant to update an associated path metric PM(2n) in a register 10 and to issue a decision D(2n). Each path metric is a 7-bit number, for example.
Unit ACS(2n) includes an adder 12 which receives path metric PM(n) of the ACS unit associated with state n and a branch metric BMab associated, in the present example, with symbol ab. A second adder 13 receives the path metric PM(n+N/2) issued by the ACS unit associated with state n+N/2 and a branch metric BMab associated, in the present example, with symbol ab.
A branch metric BMx is a five-bit number, for example, which is smaller as the probability of having received the corresponding symbol x increases. Similarly, for a given ACS unit, the lower the value of a path metric PM(y), the more likely it is for the received symbol to be the one corresponding to the transition of state y to the state associated with the ACS unit.
Decision D(2n) is issued by a comparator 15 receiving the outputs of adders 12 and 13. It controls a multiplexer 17 to select, from among the outputs of adders 12 and 13, that output with the lowest value. Thus, decision D(2n) indicates the most likely preceding state among states n and n+N/2. The output of multiplexer 17 is stored in register 10 as the path metric PM(2n) to be used upon receipt of the following symbol.
The ACS unit associated with state 2n+1 is similar to that of FIG. 2, except that adder 12 receives branch metric BMab and adder 13 receives branch metric BMab.
In currently used convolutive decoders, the trellis has a relatively significant size, for example of 64 states. Thus, the interconnections between ACS units become complex and particular care is required for the positioning and routing of these ACS units on an integrated circuit so as not to occupy a large surface area and affect the operating speed.
An optimized solution for the positioning and routing of ACS units has been found by Sparso and is described in IEEE Journal of Solid State Circuits, Vol. 26, n.degree. 2, February 1991, pp. 90-97, "An Area-Efficient Topology for VLSI Implementation of Viterbi Decoders and Other Shuffle-Exchange Type Structures".
FIG. 3 illustrates the general principle of Sparso's placing and routing. The ACS units are gathered by pairs in two columns separated by a common routing channel 20. Each pair includes, juxtaposed along the width of the corresponding column, the units associated with states 2n and 2n+1 (modulo-N, n being any number). These two ACS units receive the path metric PM issued by the ACS unit associated with state n or with state n+N/2 which is located, as shown, in a previous close pair, on the side away from the common channel 20. The missing path metric arrives to the ACS units associated with states 2n and 2n+1 via common channel 20. There remains a local routing channel 22 between two pairs of ACS units.
FIG. 4 schematically illustrates an ACS network structure, obtained by using the Sparso method in the example of a 64-state trellis. The ACS units are illustrated by cells designated by the associated states.
The Sparso method is optimal when using integration technologies with two metallization layers. However, in more recent technologies, there are three metallization layers. When the Sparso method is transposed to a technology with three metallization layers, the size of the ACS network cannot be significantly reduced with respect to the same trellis implemented in a technology with two metallization layers.

Integrated structure for a convolutive viterbi decoder


The disclosed prosthetic device may comprise a receptacle for receiving a limb of a person; a vacuum pump in fluid communication with the receptacle for maintaining an amount of vacuum used for connecting the receptacle to the limb of the person; a controller; and/or an electronically controllable fluid control device. The controller may be configured to provide a vacuum signature to be displayed at a user interface and/or to control the amount of vacuum used for connecting the receptacle to the limb of the person.

The present invention relates to prosthetic devices and technology for connecting prosthetic and other devices onto body parts.
In the field of prosthetics, various means are used to connect an artificial limb to a residual limb of a patient, such as an amputee. One such means is to provide an artificial limb having a socket into which the patient's residual limb is inserted and to create a vacuum in the socket to maintain the artificial limb on the residual limb.
A known device uses a manual vacuum pump to create the vacuum used to maintain an artificial limb on a residual leg. In this known device, ambulation causes the manual vacuum pump to actuate under the influence of the patient's body weight and create the vacuum in the socket. Unfortunately, the device is bulky, heavy, and difficult to apply to patients who are lightweight or slight of build. Also, when the patient is sitting, the pump does not function; thus resulting in a loss of vacuum.
Another known device uses an electronic vacuum pump that is operated by batteries to create a vacuum for the connection of an artificial limb to a residual leg. This device, however, is very large, noisy, difficult to adjust with accuracy, and expensive.
These and other known devices have additional drawbacks. For example, they are not well suited to address individual needs of patients or to address changes in a patient's environment. They also are not capable of recognizing and addressing certain situations and/or problems.

Prosthetic device and connecting system using a vacuum


A shielding component, in particular a heat shield, has shield components (10, 12, 14) which are made flat, which lie at least partially on top of one another, and which are connected to one another at least partially along at least one common connecting line (16). Along the common connecting line (16), at least one shield component (14) encompassing another shield component (10, 12) in an overlap (18). Within the overlap (18), the shield components (10, 12, 14) are held at least partially by frictional engagement so as to be displaceable against one another relative to a compensation distance. A rigid connection of the shield components with their individual layers is avoided. Rather, depending on the thermal situation, they can mutually slide off one another.

While heat development, for example of a high-economy, performance-optimized diesel engine, can be very low on the cylinder crankshaft housing, this low heat development in no way applies to "hot zones" such as manifolds, turbochargers, catalytic converters, etc. Due to the more and more compact construction of engines, components which are not thermally "compatible" are increasingly being placed in close proximity to one another. Accordingly, heat-sensitive assemblies, such as sensors, fuel lines, pressure cells, body parts, etc., must be protected against adjacent thermal engine components. The situation is exacerbated by the compact structure in that the high packing density of the assemblies constricts the cooling air flow in the engine compartment. Noise abatement measures can also contribute to this high packing density. Thus, for example, plastic bottom plates, designed to reduce the emission of noise from the engine compartment to the roadway, under certain circumstances can produce effective insulation with which heat is enclosed in the engine compartment. Catalytic converters, due to their phased high surface temperature, are considered to be among the heat sources which certainly may necessitate the use of protective shield barriers. One typical example of this need is design measures such as positioning the catalytic converter close by the manifold. This design principle, which performs the function of rapid heat-up of the catalytic converter reducing emissions in the cold start phase, shifts a major source of heat into the engine compartment where numerous assemblies are crowded in a tight space. One reason for the growing importance of shielding components, such as heat shields, is the trend toward use of thermoplastics. The light and economical materials with their exceptional moldability are rapidly becoming common in the engine compartment, but require special attention with respect to ambient temperatures at the application site relative to other thermal engine parts ("New materials and development tools for heat protection", in MTZ 12/2001, Vol. 72, pp. 1044 ff).
DE 102 47 641 B3 discloses a structural component in the form of a noise-damping shielding component, as a component of a motor vehicle. To improve acoustic insulation, this shielding component has shield components which are made flat, which lie at least partially on top of one another, which accommodate an insulating intermediate layer between themselves, and which are joined to one another on the outer circumferential side along a common connecting line for secure connection to one another. The joining is by one shielding component with overlap of the insulating intermediate layer encompassing the other shielding component in the same overlap in the manner of flanging. This known positive-locking connection fixes the individual layers or shield components immovably relative to one another. As a result, the produced connection is rigid. In this way, especially in thermal expansion processes for the shielding component, problems arise in fixing it, especially when, as in the indicated known solution, the shielding component is fixed within the engine compartment on its stationary parts by angular bracket legs which act on the edge side. Possible warping of the multilayer shielding component with potential bulging and tearing of the heat shield material can occur, which can lead to failure of the shielding component. The angular bracket legs as fixing means can become detached from the engine components by the provided screw connection. In this way, the shielding component can be released requiring the corresponding repair and maintenance. The known solution is also expensive to implement, since angular bracket legs must be provided in addition for fixing. This fixing also increases the installation cost in production lines of motor vehicles.

Shielding component, in particular a heat shield


To provide a high-temperature stable transition-type alumina that does not undergo transformation into .alpha.-alumina even at high-temperature exceeding 1300.degree. C., and a method for producing the transition-type alumina.. A metal aluminum block is placed on a block of .alpha.-alumina composed of Al.sub.2 O.sub.3. Portions of the .alpha.-alumina block and the metal aluminum block close to their boundary was strongly heated by contacting the flame of burning gas with the portions. Alumina and a relatively small amount of magnesium are thereby vaporized, and allowed to react with oxygen in the atmosphere, thereby obtaining a transition-type alumina that contains a small amount of magnesium in the crystal structure. The transition-type alumina obtained by this method is substantially of single crystal type, and does not undergo transformation into .alpha.-alumina even at high temperatures exceeding 1300.degree. C. and, further, exceeding 1400, but retains a complete transition-type crystal configuration such as .delta.-alumina and .theta.-alumina and the like.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a high-temperature stable alumina that does not transform into .alpha.-alumina even at a high temperature equal to or greater than 1300.degree. C., in particular, a high temperature exceeding 1400.degree. C., and a method for manufacturing the same. The high-temperature stable alumina of the present invention does not undergo a sharp reduction in specific surface area even at high temperatures, and is useful as a carrier of an automotive exhaust gas cleaning catalyst.
2. Description of the Related Art
Alpha (.alpha.)-alumina, which is a high-temperature stable phase of alumina, is widely used due to its excellent characteristics as an industrial material. Various transition-type aluminas obtained by, for example, dehydration of alumina hydrates, are normally porous and have great specific surface areas. Therefore, the transition-type aluminas are excellent in absorption power, catalysis power and the like, and widely used as desiccants, catalysts, catalyst carriers and the like.
However, a normal transition-type alumina starts to transform into the phase of .alpha.-alumina at a temperature of about 1000-1100.degree. C. and, simultaneously, starts to undergo rapid particle growth, resulting in a considerable reduction in specific surface area and, therefore, deterioration of the functions as a catalyst or a catalyst carrier. This has become a big problem in applications as, for example, a carrier of an automotive exhaust gas cleaning catalyst, which is frequently exposed to high temperatures.

High temperature stable alumina and method of manufacturing the same


Compounds having the following structure (I):

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to sleep inducing compounds, as well as to methods for induction of sleep by administration of one or more of such compounds to an animal in need thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Most people experience, at least transiently and often chronically, problems with sleep. Insomnia occurs at all ages with half of all adults in the United States affected at times (The Gallup Organization, Sleep in America: A National Survey of U.S. Adults, The National Sleep Foundation, Washington, D.C., 1995). Insomnia compromises feelings of wellbeing and judgment and performance at tasks requiring alertness (Gillin, Postgrad Med. 1992; 92: 157-160). Significantly, inadequate sleep correlates with increased morbidity and mortality (Zammit et al, Sleep 1999; 22: S379-85).
In a clinical setting, insomnia may be classified as transient, short-term, or chronic, with durations of a few days, a few weeks, or long-term, respectively (Chessor, Sleep 2000; 22: 237-41). Common etiologies for transient insomnia include acute illness, social stress, jet lag, and work shift changes. Short-term insomnias can be caused by grief, stress, and substance exposure. Chronic insomnias can be associated with underlying disease, depression, psychophysiologic conditions, chronic stress, bereavement, substance exposure, and a variety of primary sleep disorders including sleep apnea, periodic limb movement disorder, restless leg syndrome, narcolepsy and hypersomnia. The primary task of the physician is to identify the specific etiology of the insomnia and prescribe a causally specific therapeutic intervention (Pary et al, Postgrad Med. 1996; 100: 195-210).
The categories of drugs used as sedative-hypnotics in the United States (Wang et al., Drug Disposition and Pharmacokinetics 2003; 37: 10-29) include barbiturates, the benzodiazepine hypnotics, benzodiazepine nonhypnotics, benzodiazepine receptor agonists, antidepressants, antipsychotics, miscellaneous compounds including chloral hydrate, and the antihistamines.
With regard to the antihistamines, histamine enjoys a variety of important chemical messenger roles, having activity toward at least four histamine receptors (i.e., H1-H4) and regulatory function in the nervous, gastrointestinal and immune systems. The antihistamines are reversible competitive ligands of the histamine H1 receptor, and have been categorized over the years as first-, second-, or third-generation classes differentiated by chemical structure and refinement of action. Specifically, first-generation antihistamines such as diphenhydramine, chlorpheniramine, clemastine, hydroxyzine and triprolidine provide H1 receptor blockade, but have significant side effects including sedation, CNS dysfunction due to leakage into the CNS, and anticholinergic adverse effects. In response, the second-generation or so-called "nonsedating" antihistamines, including astemizole, terfenadine, loratadine, cetirizine and fexofenadine, were developed. These compounds have reduced CNS impact and additional antiallergic properties, including inhibition of mast cell degranulation. Desloratadine, a metabolite of loratadine, has been categorized as a third-generation antihistamine (McClellan & Jarvis, Drugs 2001; 61: 789-796), and has direct effects on inflammatory mediators such as inhibition of intracellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) expression by nasal epithelium. The importance of histamine in sleep regulation is evidenced by the hypnotic effects of certain histamine receptor ligands (Mignot et al., Nature Neuroscience Supplement; 5: 1071-1075), particularly the older generation molecules.
While significant advances have been made in the field of sleep initiation and prolongation, there continues to be a need in the art for compounds that are effective as sedative and hypnotic agents, especially for compounds with clinical application to the treatment of insomnia. In particular, there remains a need for compounds having improved selectivity, a quicker onset of action, a shorter half-life and/or the ability to penetrate the CNS. The present invention fulfills these needs and other needs, and provides further related advantages.

Sleep inducing compounds and methods relating thereto

Abstract: including stereoisomers, prodrugs, and pharmaceutically acceptable salts, esters and solvates thereof, wherein R1, R2, R3a, R3b, L1, L2 and n are as defined herein. Such compounds generally function as H1 receptor ligands, and thus have utility as sleep inducing agents. Pharmaceutical compositions containing a compound of structure (I), as well as methods relating to the use thereof, are also disclosed.


Is provided a method of forming a polymer waveguide for passive alignment to an optical fiber in an optical module. A groove mounting an optical fiber thereon is formed on a substrate, and a shielding layer pattern is formed to selectively shield the groove. Polymer layers for an optical waveguide, which extend to the shielding layer pattern, are formed on the substrate, and the layers are patterned, thereby forming a polymer waveguide. The shielding layer is removed, and the groove is exposed. An optical fiber aligned to the optical waveguide is mounted on the exposed groove.

This application claims the priority of Korean Patent Application No. 2004-58364, filed on Jul. 26, 2004, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical module including an optical waveguide, and more particularly, to a method of fabricating a polymer waveguide with a high passive alignment to an optical fiber in an optical module with the polymer waveguide.
2. Description of the Related Art
An optical module is a key component for an optical communication apparatus for the conversion between an optical signal and an electrical signal. The demand for such an optical module is rapidly increased along with the demand for internet rapidly increasing. The optical module may be classified into three types. For example, there are a optical transmit module for converting electrical signals to optical signals, a optical receive module for receiving transmitted optical signals and converting to electrical signals, and a optical transmit and receive module for combining the functions of the optical transmit module and the optical receive module and performing the functions in one module.
Recently, a study is actively processed on a high reliability, a high speed, and a high capacity of an optical module, and also, a study is actively processed on a low cost of an optical module. As one of the studies to realize the low cost of an optical module, are proposed methods of fabricating an optical module using a flat type optical waveguide circuit to save the cost of optical alignment.
The optical module using a planar optical waveguide includes a region where an optical waveguide is formed, a region where an active device such as a laser diode or a photo diode is mounted, and a region where an optical fiber is coupled with the optical waveguide.
A method of fabricating an optical module using a planar optical waveguide includes a process of forming a platform having an optical waveguide region, an optical active element mounting region, and an optical fiber coupling region on a substrate. Thus, an integral type optical module is proposed. The method of fabricating the integral type optical module is expected to reduce the number of elements used in the module, and to realize the automatization and the low-cost products through a passive alignment.
Most of the integral type optical modules which have been proposed up to now are the case of using a silica waveguide. The method of fabricating the optical module using the silica waveguide includes forming a core layer and clad layers for the silica waveguide on a substrate, and forming a V-shaped groove or etching the portions where active elements are mounted.

Method of fabricating polymer waveguides for passive alignment to optical fibers in an optical module

Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute


Compression set downhole clutch (100) can include an upper body (201), a lower body (202), and a hydraulic member (205). The upper body (201) can include at least one engagement surface (204). The lower body (202) can include at least one engagement surface (203). The at least one engagement surface (204) of the upper body (201) and the at least one engagement surface (203) of the lower body (202) can each be configured to couple with one another and rotate in unison in an engaged configuration (102). The hydraulic member (205) can be configured to be responsive to a predetermined pressure; the hydraulic member (205) can also be configured to disengage the engagement surface (204) of the upper body (201) from the engagement surface (203) of the lower body (202).

In completing a well, a well operator can install casing in a well bore. The casing sometimes has different inside diameters along a length of the well. The change in inside diameter can require that the operator use a sufficiently small diameter drillstring to fit inside the smallest inside diameter of the casing, or to use a number of different diameter pipes of different lengths to reach the bottom of the well.


A cutterhead for use with a power tool includes a generally cylindrical body with a knife recess extending generally parallel to an axis of the body. The knife recess has a wall at an acute angle to a tangent of the outer surface. Received in the knife recess are a knife and a bar that includes an angled side configured to sandwich the knife between the angled wall of the recess and the angled side of the bar. A pin extends from the bar and is received in an aperture of the knife to align the knife relative to the bar. A threaded height adjustment screw is received in a threaded bore in the bar to adjust a height of the knife with respect to the body. A securing screw is received in a threaded opening in the body to secure the bar and the knife to the body.

A power tool may use one or more cutterheads to remove material from a workpiece. In certain implementations, a cutterhead has one or more knives that are mounted about a generally cylindrical member, which is rotated by the power tool to remove the material from a workpiece. The knives may be removable and/or replaceable from the cutterhead. Typical cutterheads have relatively complex mechanisms for replacing knives. For example, in some cutterheads, if one knife is damaged the user may be forced to remove an additional knife to repair or replaced the damaged knife. Blade replacement in typical cutterheads may be time intensive and may require a high level of user sophistication, knowledge, and dexterity.
In one particular implementation, one or more cutterheads may be used with a stationary jointer. For example, multiple cutterheads may be mounted between a first table at a first height and a second table at a second height. This off-set with corresponding material removal allows a user to "true-up" a workpiece or create an edge which is flat (typically the trued side is additionally squared to a second adjacent side to form a uniform shape for subsequent operations).
In another implementation, one or more cutterheads may be used with a hand held planer. Such a planer is used by woodworkers who move between worksites or utilize the shaping capability in new ways (such as for on-site timber framing). For example, hardwood lumber is typically retailed in an imperfect state. In this situation, the end consumer removes imperfections such as bows in the workpiece, imperfections from sawing operations such as from a rip cut, or rough edges before proceeding. When utilizing, e.g., salvaged materials (e.g., barn boards) metal within the workpiece such as nails, may damage the jointer's knives. As a result, a user may be left with a knife (or knives) which systematically leave a ridge longitudinally down the workpiece. To correct this problem a user may replace the knife (or knives) or sand out this imperfection.


The present invention provides for converting a user-specified element of a graphical model into at least one intermediate representation that represents the user-specified element. An intermediate representation of the present invention may support simulation, propagation, and/or code generation. An element for a graphical model is provided, and the element and/or the graphical model are converted into an intermediate representation that may represent algorithmic aspects of the element or that is capable of being simulated and/or capable allowing propagation. The present invention allows a user to provide a single code for a user-specified element that may be used to support simulation, propagation and/or code generation of an element or graphical model.

Graphical modeling has spawned a variety of software products such as Simulink® from The MathWorks, Inc. of Natick, Mass., that cater to various aspects of dynamic system analysis and design. Such products allow users to perform various types of tasks including constructing system models through a user-interface that allows drafting block diagram models, allowing augmentation of a pre-defined set of elements with custom user-specified elements, the use of the block diagram model to compute and trace the temporal evolution of the dynamic system's outputs ("executing" the block diagram), and automatically producing either deployable software systems or descriptions of hardware systems that mimic the behavior of either the entire model or portions of it (referred to herein as "code generation"). Each of the tasks listed above has many intricate details and subtle variations.
Graphical modeling environments allow developers to create an element for a graphical model using a computer language to describe the element. A developer may have direct access to the source code of the graphical modeling environment and may be able to create user-specified elements to implement a functionality desired by the developer or in some cases an application program interface (API) may be provided. For example, Simulink® provides an API that allows S-functions to be written in C, C++, Ada, Fortran, or MATLAB® from The MathWorks, Inc. of Natick, Mass. S-functions use a special calling syntax that enables a user to interact with Simulink®. The form of an S-function is very general and can accommodate continuous, discrete, and hybrid systems. As such, S-functions allow a user to add their own elements to a block diagram model.
Conventionally, graphical modeling environments burden developers of elements by requiring a developer to write a first set of code to support simulation of an element and a second, separate set of code to support code generation for the element. While the two independent implementations are robust, they impose a large amount of work upon developers for implementing both simulation and code generation and maintaining their consistency. In addition, simulation is typically performed based on an in-memory representation of the model that is structured based on the elements that are present in the model. This is inconvenient for simulation since optimizations across elements of a graphical model cannot be achieved. Further, the in-memory representation of the model behavior may be unduly burdened with the graphical structure of connected elements. Graphical modeling environments also burden developers of elements by requiring a developer to write methods to support propagation of compiled information of elements.
Given the above, there is a need for the ability to have a single code for an element that supports simulation and code generation. The single code may also support propagation of data and model characteristics. That is, it is a desire to enable creation of one element that can directly support simulation, propagation and code generation.

Generation of intermediate representations based on user specified elements in a graphical model that enable simulation, propagation and code generation


An electrochemical test sensor being adapted to assist in determining information relating to an analyte in a fluid sample and includes a base and a second layer. The base includes a plurality of electrodes, a working conductive lead and a counter conductive lead thereon. The electrodes include a working electrode and a counter electrode. The second layer assists in forming a channel in which the channel includes a reagent therein. Auto-calibration information of the test sensor is performed by a plurality of auto-calibration segments connected to one of the following: the working conductive lead, the counter conductive lead, or neither of the conductive leads, at least one of the plurality of auto-calibration segments being connected to the working conductive lead and at least one of the plurality of auto-calibration segments being connected to the counter conductive lead.

The quantitative determination of analytes in body fluids is of great importance in the diagnoses and maintenance of certain physical conditions. For example, lactate, cholesterol and bilirubin should be monitored in certain individuals. In particular, it is important that individuals with diabetes frequently check the glucose level in their body fluids to regulate the glucose intake in their diets. The results of such tests can be used to determine what, if any, insulin or other medication needs to be administered. In one type of blood-glucose testing system, test sensors are used to test a sample of blood.
A test sensor contains biosensing or reagent material that reacts with, for example, blood glucose. The testing end of the sensor is adapted to be placed into the fluid being tested, for example, blood that has accumulated on a person's finger after the finger has been pricked. The fluid may be drawn into a capillary channel that extends in the sensor from the testing end to the reagent material by capillary action so that a sufficient amount of fluid to be tested is drawn into the sensor. The tests are typically performed using optical or electrochemical testing methods.
Diagnostic systems, such as blood-glucose testing systems, typically calculate the actual glucose value based on a measured output and the known reactivity of the reagent-sensing element (e.g., test sensor) used to perform the test. The reactivity or lot-calibration information of the test sensor may be provided on a calibration circuit that is associated with the sensor package or the test sensor. This calibration circuit is typically physically inserted by the end user. In other cases, the calibration is automatically done using an auto-calibration circuit via a label on the sensor package or the test sensor. In this case, calibration is transparent to the end user and does not require that the end user insert a calibration circuit into the meter. This assists in reducing calibration error by the user. Manufacturing millions of sensor packages, each having a calibration circuit or label to assist in calibrating the sensor package, can be expensive.
Therefore, it would be desirable to have a test sensor that provides calibration information thereon that may be manufactured in an efficient manner and that is easily used by the user.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Electrochemical test sensor and method of making the same