A system and method is provided for opening a sealed engine control module in which the module includes a substrate bent around and sealed to a central housing. In one aspect of the invention, the housing is machined around its perimeter, without damaging the substrate, to expose the sealing bead. The sealing bead is disrupted by cutting a groove in the bead, in one embodiment. The modified module is placed within an opening fixture that supports the substrate against buckling or folding while the substrate is unbent about the housing. In another aspect of the invention, a handling support can be attached to the unbent substrate to prevent buckling or folding while the circuit board supported by the substrate is evaluated or modified, and while the substrate is being transported. A closing fixture is also contemplated that supports the substrate while applying a force to fold or close the substrate about a new housing.

The present invention concerns the remanufacture of electronic control modules, such as for use with electronically controlled engines. In particular, the invention concerns a system and method for opening a sealed module and resealing the module after servicing the internal components.
Most modern internal combustion engines have some form for electronic controller that governs the operation of the engine. In the case of larger vehicles, a substantial engine control module is provided that performs a wide range of functions. For example, the module provides signals via an electrical harness to various electrical components throughout the engine and vehicle. In addition, the module receives signals from a number of sensors disposed at various locations throughout the engine.
For example, as shown in FIG. 1, an engine control module (ECM) 10 includes a housing 11 with a top mounting boss 12 and side bosses 13 extending therefrom. The mounting bosses provide a means for mounting the ECM 10 within the vehicle or engine compartment. The ECM 10 includes a number of electrical components and microprocessors within the housing 11. A pair of connectors 17 are provided for engaging a pair of cables or harnesses 18, 19. These cables 18, 19 link the electronic and microprocessor components of the ECM 10 to the various sensors and engine control devices.
These electronic control or engine control modules utilize microelectronic components mounted on a substrate. In one type of ECM 10, a circuit board 20 is provided that includes a number of components 21 mounted thereon (see FIG. 2). In one particular approach, the circuit board 20 is formed of a flexible material, such as polyimide. The circuit board 20 is mounted to a rigidizer 15, which is formed of a relatively rigid substrate that is capable of withstanding the harsh environment of the engine. With this ECM, the rigidizer material has properties that allow the rigidizer to be folded or bent. In one example, the rigidizer is formed of aluminum.
One particular rigidizer 15 is shown in FIG. 2. The rigidizer 15 includes a top plate 16A, a bottom plate 16B and an integral intermediate bend region 16C between the two plates. The bottom plate 16B defines a number of connecting holes 22, which receives a number of screws therethrough for attaching the connectors 17 to the outside surface of the bottom plate. A number of slots 23 are formed at the bend region 16C of the circuit board 20 as a bend relief feature and to accommodate a hinge support component of the housing 11, as described herein. The rigidizer 15 also defines certain features for retaining and supporting circuit board 20. For example, the rigidizer defines a sealing or alignment rim 27 around the perimeter of the top plate 16A and bottom plate 16B. The outer perimeter of the circuit board 20 follows the contour of the sealing rim 27. Preferably, the circuit board 20 is engaged to the rigidizer 15 with a compatible adhesive. The sealing rim 27 is offset from the edges of the rigidizer 15 for reasons made clear herein. The rigidizer 15 also defines a plurality of housing mounting holes 25 that are used to receive a like number of screws 26 (FIG. 1) for closing the rigidizer 15 about the housing 11 to form the sealed module 10. A number of mounting boss reliefs 24 can also be defined around the edge of the rigidizer 15 to correspond to the location of the side mounting bosses 13 of the housing 11.
Details of the housing 11 are shown in FIG. 3. Like the rigidizer 15, the housing is preferably formed of a rigid metal, such as aluminum. The housing 11 is generally sized to correspond to half of the rigidizer 15, since the housing is disposed between the top plate 16A and bottom plate 16B. Thus, the features depicted in FIG. 3 appear on both sides of the housing 11. For example, the housing includes an outer rim 30 that follows the outer perimeter of the housing. An inner rim 31 is also formed in the housing offset inward from the outer rim. The inner rim 31 corresponds to the configuration to the sealing rim 27 defined on rigidizer 15.
The housing 11 defines a number of connector holes 37 that align with the corresponding mounting holes 22 in the circuit board 20 and rigidizer 15. A number of mounting holes 38 pass through the housing 11 and are aligned with the housing mounting holes 25 to receive the screws 26. The housing 11 also includes a number of hinge supports 35 that are aligned with the slots 23 formed in the circuit board 20. These hinge supports 35 are preferably rounded and provide a surface about which the bend portion 16C of the rigidizer 15 is folded.
As shown in FIG. 4, the housing 11 is sandwiched between the top plate 16A and the bottom plate 16B of the rigidizer 15. A number of connector mounting screws 39 pass through the mounting holes 37 in the housing 11 and the holes 22 in the bottom plate 16B to engage the connectors 17. In the construction of this module 10, the rigidizer 15 is bent around the housing 11. The rigidizer 15 is configured to essentially sit within the outer rim 30 of the housing, as shown most clearly in FIG. 5. When the rigidizer 15 is bent around the housing 11, the various rims, namely the sealing rim 27 of the rigidizer 15, and the outer and inner rims 30, 31 of the housing 11, define a bead groove 33 that travels around three sides of the perimeter of the module 10. The bead groove 33 need not extend to the bend region 16C of the rigidizer 15, since that side or edge of the module 10 is already closed. Before the top plate 16A and bottom plate 16B of the rigidizer 15 are bent to their final position, an adhesive or sealant bead 40 is applied along the bead groove 33. This sealant bonds the rigidizer 15 to the housing 11. Preferably, the bead material is capable of bonding metal-to-metal, while withstanding the high temperatures experienced in the engine compartment. In one embodiment, the bead is an RTV material.
While the ECM 10 depicted in FIGS. 1-5 provides an environmentally sound and sealed module, difficulties arise when the module must be remanufactured. This remanufacturing process may be required when there is an update to some of the components 21 mounted on the circuit board 20. In other instances, direct diagnosis of the components is necessary, necessitating access to the circuit board 20. In the absence of remanufacturing, the ECM 10 is simply disposed of or scavanged, and replaced with a new module. Of course, this approach unnecessarily wastes resources and can lead to delays where the module is difficult to obtain.
Consequently, there is a need for a system and method that permits the remanufacture of modules, such as the ECM 10 described above. The system and method must be capable of opening the module without disturbing or compromising the rigidizer 15, or the circuit board 20 and its components.
In order to address these needs, the present invention contemplates a system and method for opening a sealed module for remanufacture. In one aspect of the invention, the housing is machined at its perimeter to expose a sealing bead. The machining operation is precisely controlled to prevent any. impingement on the rigidizer or the circuit board mounted on the rigidizer. Instead, only the housing is machined to provide access to the bead groove. In a next step of the method, the sealing bead is disrupted substantially around the perimeter of the module. In one embodiment, a slot saw is operated along the entire perimeter at the bead groove to cut a channel or slot along the sealing bead at both the top and bottom plates of the rigidizer. In another embodiment, an array of wedges is driven into the bead groove.
Once the sealing bead has been disrupted or weakened, the top plate and bottom plate can be unbent relative to each other. In one aspect of the invention, a bending brake device is modified for opening the sealed module. In the preferred embodiment, the outer perimeter of both the top plate and the bottom plate of the rigidizer are fully supported in order to maintain the integrity of the rigidifier and circuit board mounted thereon. Consequently in a further aspect of the invention, a system is provided in which an opening fixture is used to support the plates of the rigidizer while facilitating the unbending operation. The opening fixture can include a fixed base portion having a flange configured to fit within the slot cut into the sealing bead at the bottom plate. The flange extends substantially around the perimeter of the sealing bead groove.
The fixture can also include a moveable or pivotable upper rigid support that also includes a flange configured to engage the slot formed in the sealing bead between the top plate and the housing. The upper perimeter support is hingidly mounted to the base or lower perimeter support so that the upper support can essentially pivot about the bend region of the rigidizer. The fixture can include a pair of moveable stops that are moveable from one position clear of the lower perimeter support to allow insertion of the module into the opening fixture and a second position in which the stops block or prevent expulsion of the module from the opening fixture during the unbending process.
In one embodiment, the opening fixture is manually operated. With this approach, the upper perimeter support provides adequate surface for grasping and pivoting about the hinge mount to unbend the rigidizer at the bend region. In an alternative embodiment, the opening fixture is powered. In this feature, the upper perimeter support includes a lever arm that is connected to a drive mechanism or power device. For instance, the drive mechanism can constitute a pneumatic or air cylinder in which the cylinder piston is connected to the lever arm. Reciprocation of the piston causes the lever arm to pivot about the hinge mount, which thereby causes the upper perimeter support to pivot about the hinge.
With either opening fixture, the bottom plate is held generally rigid and unmovable while a force is applied to the top plate to unbend the rigidizer about the bend region. Using this fixture, the integrity of the rigidifier is maintained, not only in the top and bottom plates, but also at the bend region. A controlled force can be applied, either manually or automatically, to the upper perimeter support to gradually open the module. Preferably, at this point, the integrity of the sealing bead has been sufficient disrupted by the machined slot so that the bead itself offers little resistance to the separation of the rigidizer from the housing.
In a preferred embodiment, the top plate is unbent so that the top plate forms approximately a ninety-degree angle relative to the bottom plate. At this point, the housing can be removed by removing any fasteners that may be holding the housing to the bottom plate of the rigidizer. The housing can be discarded, since it has been significantly machined. With the housing removed, the perimeter of the rigidizer adjacent the sealing rim can be cleaned of any residual sealing bead material.
With the module thus opened, the components of the circuit board can be modified, replaced and/or tested. The rigidizer and circuit board are now ready to receive a new housing. In a further feature of the invention, a handling support is provided to preserve the integrity of the rigidizer, and particularly the top and bottom plates, when the unbent or open rigidizer is removed from the opening fixture. In one embodiment, the handling support includes an upper bar and lower bar connected at a substantially right angle joint. Each of the bars defines a groove to receive a side edge of one of the plates of the rigidizer. Each of the bars includes an opening to receive a fastener therethrough, which fastener is. aligned with one or more of the external fastener openings defined in the rigidizer. This handling support is thus connected to the rigidizer to maintain the top and bottom plate in their ninety-degree orientation, and to preserve the structural integrity of the rigidizer and circuit board mounted thereon.
Once the work on the circuit board has been completed, the rigidizer is carried by the handling supports to a closing fixture. The handling supports can then be removed and the rigidizer mounted within the fixture. In one embodiment of the invention, the rigidizer is oriented so that its top and bottom plates form a forty-five degree angle relative to the horizontal. The new housing can then be inserted into the space between the top and bottom plates and fastened to the appropriate plate. A new sealing or joint bead can be applied to both the top and bottom plates around their perimeter adjacent the sealing rim. The closing fixtures can be operated to push the top and bottom plates toward each other, thereby bending the rigidizer at the bend portion with the housing sandwiched between the two plates. The closing fixture can be held in position with the rigidizer clamped about the housing for sufficient period of time to allow the sealing or joint bead to cure. Upon completion of this step, a new remanufactured control module is available for mounting within a particular vehicle.
It is one object of the present invention to provide a system and method for the remanufacture of the sealed electronic modules. A further object of the invention is achieved by features that maintain the integrity of the circuit components of the module, while minimizing the number of module components that must be replaced.
The present invention provides a significant benefit to systems employing a sealed module since the modules no longer need to be discarded when errors arise or system updates are required. A further benefit is that the remanufacture process does not require any complicated machines or fixtures, which means that remanufacturing stations can be readily and cheaply provided for a mass remanufacture of sealed control modules.
These and other objects and benefits, will become apparent upon consideration of the following written description and accompanying figures.

System and method for the remanufacturing of a sealed module


A variable vane assembly for a gas turbine engine compressor and method of manufacturing same is described. A plurality of projections the inner and/or outer shroud which protruded into the annular gas path such as to ensure that a radial clearance gap, defined between the projections and a vane airfoil overhang portion, remains substantially constant throughout a substantial portion of the vane pivot arc of the variable vane. The method includes forming one cavities within the shroud, the cavities isolated from the annular gas path and disposed radially beneath at least each of the projections, and providing one or more structural reinforcing elements within the cavities.

Variable vanes, namely vanes which are not fixed but pivot about axes such as to vary the angle of the vane airfoil, are sometimes used in gas turbine engine compressors to optimize compressor operability and/or efficiency over the compressor speed range. These variable vanes may include variable inlet guide vanes (IGV) located directly upstream of the first compressor stage, or variable vanes which form part of one or more of the subsequent downstream stages in a multistage compressor (ex: first compressor stage and/or second compressor stage, etc.). Variable vanes enable optimized compressor efficiency and/or operability by providing a close-coupled direction of the gas flow into the immediately downstream compressor rotor, and/or may introduce swirl into the compressor rotor to improve low speed operability of the compressor, and thus the engine, as well as to increase the flow capacity at high speeds.
Such variable vanes extend between the inner and outer shrouds which define the perimeter of the annular gas path into the compressor, and the variable vanes pivot about their respective axes to modify the angle of the vane airfoils and thus provide a closer incidence match between the air flow entering exiting the vane and the blade angle of the rotor. However, as each of the variable vane airfoils pivots about its radially extending axis, the clearance gap between the base and tip of the vane airfoil and the surrounding inner and outer shrouds, respectively, also varies. This can lead to greater vane tip losses, which may negatively affect the aerodynamic performance of the vanes and thus the compressor.
Improvements in variable compressor vanes and methods of forming same are therefore sought.


A method of detecting an anti-mycobacterial CD8 T cell response comprising contacting a population of CD8 T cells of an individual with one or more peptides selected from the peptides represented by SEQ ID NO: 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 or 12, and, optionally, one or two further peptides represented by SEQ ID NO: 1 and/or 2, wherein one or more of said peptides may be substituted by an analogue which binds a T cell receptor which recognises the corresponding substituted peptide, and determining whether CD8 T cells of the CD8 T cell population recognize the peptide(s).

The current live attenuated vaccine for tuberculosis, BCG, has variable and limited efficacy in tuberculosis-endemic regions. For a vaccine to be effective it must cause the generation of a strong immune response against M. tuberculosis. Until now researchers in this field have concentrated on CD4 T cell and antibody responses to M. tuberculosis. A correlation has not been shown in humans between infection with M. tuberculosis and the generation of a CD8 T cell response against specific M. tuberculosis antigens.

Abstract: The invention also provides a method of vaccinating against infection by a mycobacterium, wherein the vaccination leads to a CD8 T cell response, comprising administering (i) a CD8 T cell epitope of a mycobacterium protein, (ii) an analogue of the epitope which is capable of inhibiting the binding of the epitope to a T cell receptor, (iii) a precursor or (i) or (ii) which is capable of being processed to provide (i) or (ii), or (iv) a polynucleotide which is capable of being expressed to provide (i), (ii) or (iii).


A bending brake assembly for manually bending pieces of sheet metal material including a base supporting a plurality of c-shaped members presenting opposing clamping surfaces for receiving the sheet metal material. An extension extends away from the clamping surfaces with a socket connection rotatably supporting a bending member on the base for bending the sheet metal material disposed between the clamping surfaces. The socket connection includes a mate portion and a female portion in sliding engagement with one another as the bending member moves between a pre-bending position, a first operating position, and a second operating position. A finger extends from the male portion and defines a gap between the finger and the extension when in the pre-bending position with the finger maintaining the gap as the finger moves from the pre-bending position to the first operating position and the finger engaging the extension when in the second operating position.

1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention relates to a bending brake assembly for manually bending pieces of sheet metal material.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A bending brake assembly generally includes a base and a plurality of generally c-shaped members supported by the base and each presenting opposing clamping surfaces for receiving a sheet of metal material between the clamping surfaces. Furthermore, the assembly generally includes a bending member and a socket connection rotatably supporting the bending member on the base for bending a piece of sheet metal material disposed between the clamping surfaces. The socket connection generally includes a male portion and a female portion in sliding engagement with one another or connected by a pin hinge connection to one another. Examples of bending brake assemblies and socket connections as specified are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,282,735, issued to Douglas G. Break and in U.S. Pat. No. 6,389,864, issued to Arthur B. Chubb. Further, U.S. Pat. No. 4,282,735 discloses a finger in constant engagement with an extension as the bending member rotates to bend the sheet metal material. The effort required to rotate the bending member is greater than other designs due to the constant engagement between the finger and the extension. Also, a portion of the bending member abuts and moves along the sheet metal material as the bending member rotates to bend the sheet metal material, which may cause marring of the sheet metal material. Another example is U.S. Pat. No. 4,557,132 issued to Douglas G. Break which discloses a bending brake assembly including a base having a plurality of projections spaced from each other and disposed along a length of the bending brake assembly. Each of the projections of the base define a slot for receiving a pin. The bending brake assembly further includes a bending member having a plurality of projections spaced from each other with each of the projections of the bending member defining an opening. Each of the projections of the bending member is disposed between a pair of adjacent projections of the base such that the pin is disposed through the slot and the opening of each of the projections of the base and the bending member for coupling the bending member to the base to allow movement of the bending member relative to the base. However, each of the projections and the opening of the bending member and each of the projections and the slot of the base are formed by machining which is expensive and time consuming to manufacture.
Constant and continuous usage of the bending brake assembly causes the male portion to erode due to the frictional force generated by the surface of the male portion sliding against the surface of the female portion during the process of bending a piece of sheet metal material.


A method for facilitating the comparison of two computerized documents. The method includes loading a first document into a random access memory (RAM), loading a second document into the RAM, reducing the first document into a first sequence of tokens, reducing the second document into a second sequence of tokens, converting the first set of tokens to a first (multi)set of shingles, converting the second set of tokens to a second (multi)set of shingles, determining a first sketch of the first (multi)set of shingles, determining a second sketch of the second (multi)set of shingles, and comparing the first sketch and the second sketch. The sketches have a fixed size, independent of the size of the documents. The resemblance of two documents is provided using a sketch of each document. The sketches may be computed fairly fast and given two sketches the resemblance of the corresponding documents can be computed in linear time in the size of the sketches.

As is known in the art, computer users create and store data files as documents in computer systems. As is also known, these same computer users, for a variety of reasons, are often interested in determining the similarity of two documents.
One approach, for example, is to record samples of each document, and to declare documents to be similar if they have many samples in common. The samples could be sequences of fixed numbers of any convenient units, such as English words. Such a method requires samples proportional in size with the length of the documents.
Another approach to this problem is based on single word "chunks." Such a method employs a registration server that maintains registered documents against which new documents can be checked for overlap. The method detects copies based on comparing word frequency occurrences of the new document against those of registered documents.
What is needed is a method to determine whether two documents have the same content except for modifications such as formatting, minor corrections, web-master signature, logo, etc., using small sketches of the document, rather than the full text.

Method for determining the resemblance of documents


A checking apparatus, for example a plug gauge, for checking diameters and/or geometrical features of mechanical parts includes a support structure (1) and checking means (20,21) coupled to the support structure, with mutually movable feelers (36) for contacting the surface of the part and transducer means for providing electrical signals. The support structure includes at least two studs (11,12) that achieve a guide along a longitudinal axis, and the checking means are coupled to the studs in a removable and adjustable way along such longitudinal axis. Several checking means can be coupled to the studs. A particular embodiment foresees three flanked studs and checking means coupled to pairs of adjacent studs. An adapting system allows the feelers to self-center on the part to be checked, for example the surface of a hole.

There are known in the art apparatuses, for example gauges of the so-called "plug" type, for checking the diameter of holes, for example before or after the machining in machine tools like grinding machines.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,348,814 discloses examples of such gauges, in which a measuring armset coupled to a support includes two feelers fixed to movable arms in diametral opposite positions, for contacting the surface of the hole to be checked. A transducer detects reciprocal displacements between the movable arms and provides electric signals indicative of the mutual position of the feelers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,339,879 discloses a multiple plug gauge for checking a hole with cross-sections with different nominal diameter, including pairs of cells with one feeler each, coupled to a central support, at diametrically opposite positions, at portions of suitable diameter that form the support. The cells are coupled in a limitedly adjustable way, thanks to the coupling of fastening screws in shaped holes, so that the position of the measuring heads along a direction parallel to the axis of the plug gauge and along transversal directions can be adjusted about a reference position.
The structure of the multiple gauge described in the herein secondly mentioned U.S. patent is aimed at checking holes with well defined characteristics, matched by the shape and dimensions of the central support. Thus, although the position of the single cells on associated, dedicated portions of the support is limitedly adjustable, the overall structure of the gauge does not enable a flexible use for checking holes with different configurations. Furthermore, the structure and the utilized components limit the possibility of simultaneously performing the checking of diameters at nearby cross-sections along the longitudinal axis of the hole, a checking that is frequently requested, and generally carried out in ways that are not entirely satisfactory in terms of costs, time and convenience.

Apparatus for dimensional and/or geometric checking of mechanical parts


A liquid cooling device comprises a heat spreader disposed along a plurality of memory modules on a dual in-line memory module (DIMM), a cold rail block extending along the heat spreader and a compressible thermal adapter interleaved between the cold rail block and the memory modules. The thermal adapter is compressible in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the DIMM board, thus allowing the components of the cooling device to be moved and adjusted relative to each other in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the DIMM. In a preferred embodiment, matching smooth surfaces of adjacent components within the cooling device are collated with a lubricant, thus permitting a low-friction gliding of these components relative to each other and allowing the DIMM to be easily removed from the cooling device and to be replaced without effort and without tooling.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to cooling of electronic components, and specifically to a liquid cooling device for electronic circuit boards.
2. Background of the Related Art
Microelectronic components such as memory modules contained in computers and electronic devices generate substantial amounts of heat during operation which must be removed in order to ensure reliable performance and a long lifetime of the components. In the past, this has been achieved by using air cooling, for example with fans forcing an air flow through the electronic device. However, these air cooling arrangements have been found to consume a considerable amount of space and/or fail to adequately cool the microelectronic components. In particular, usage of densely packed powerful microelectronic components such as dual in-line memory modules (DIMMs) requires a powerful cooling system.
A DIMM is a narrow elongated electronic circuit board which holds memory modules on both of its sides. Due to the high density and close vicinity of powerful memory modules on the circuit board, DIMMs need reliable and highly effective cooling which is difficult to implement using air flow cooling.

International Business Machines Corporation


An air exchange assembly that allows for the passage of large volumes of air through a continuously rotating joint. The large cross section of the passageways in the air exchange assembly allow for a large volume of low pressure air to pass through in both directions to make a closed loop air cooling system possible. The invention supports air flows of 10,000 standard cubic feet per minute (scfm) of air through two 20 inch diameter ducts through the rotating joint. The basic design can be scaled to allow for small ducting and lower air flow or larger ducting and higher airflow. The invention can also be scaled to provide for more channels of air flow.

Liquid rotary joints provide single or multiple passages for liquid or air to be transported through a rotary joint. Liquid rotary joints do not allow for large volumes of air to pass through unless the air is under extremely high pressure. Liquid rotary joints typically provide for the passage of air only in one direction.


A process for controlling an exhaust system can comprise flowing exhaust gas from the engine past a first oxygen sensor, through a NOx adsorber, past a second oxygen sensor, through a catalyst and past a third oxygen sensor, wherein the first oxygen sensor, the second oxygen sensor, and the third oxygen sensor, are in operable communication with an electronic control module, and using a switching delay between the first oxygen sensor and the second oxygen sensor to determine a NOx value, wherein the NOx value is selected from the group consisting of a NOx regeneration time, a stored NOx amount, a NOx storage efficiency, and combinations comprising at least one of the foregoing NOx values. A desulfurization process can be initiated when the NOx value is less than or equal to a first selected value. During the desulfurization process, when the third oxygen sensor signals a condition rich of stoichiometry, oxygen can be provided to the catalyst.

Automotive exhaust gas treatment devices have been used as original equipment by automotive manufacturers for many years as a way to reduce the hydrocarbon (HC), carbon monoxide (CO), and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from automotive internal combustion engines.
Some catalytic converters utilize a monolithic structure containing noble metals (e.g., platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), rhodium (Rh), and/or the like) to provide catalytic afterburning of the engine emissions. More advanced systems utilize a three-way catalytic converter that is capable of simultaneously reducing the emissions of HC, CO. and NOx. To maximize the efficiency of these three-way converters, the engines are typically run at stoichiometry; that is, they are run at an air/fuel ratio in which the amount of air (oxygen) inducted into the cylinder is equivalent to the amount needed to burn all of the injected fuel. The stoichiometric air/fuel ratio is approximately 14.56. One problem with this mode of engine operation is that it is not always possible or desirable to operate the engine at stoichiometry. Rather, for purposes of maximizing fuel economy, it is often desirable to operate the engine in a lean combustion condition in which the amount of intake air is greater than is needed to burn the injected fuel.
Under lean-burn conditions, the air-to-fuel ratio is adjusted to be somewhat greater than the stoichiometric ratio (about 14.7 or greater), generally between about 19 and about 35, in order to realize a fuel economy benefit. However, when operating under lean-burn conditions, typical three-way catalyst systems are efficient in oxidizing unburned HC and CO, but are inefficient in reducing NOx emission. Conversely, during engine warm up and during periods of acceleration when torque is required, it is desirable for driveability to operate the engine in a rich combustion condition in which the amount of fuel injected is greater than the amount of fuel that the inducted air can burn. A rich combustion condition is one in which the air/fuel ratio is less than 14.56.
More recently, NOx adsorbers have been developed which store NOx during periods of lean engine combustion (i.e., excess air) and then periodically release the NOx during periods of rich combustion (i.e., excess fuel) so that the NOx can be catalytically reduced due to the presence of excess HC, CO, and H2.
The amount of NOx that can be stored in a NOx adsorber during any one lean cycle is dependent upon the state, volume, and temperature of the NOx adsorber. A problem with NOx adsorbers is that, over time, the adsorbers can deteriorate due to, for example, poisoning from sulfur oxides (SOx).
When the NOx adsorber has deteriorated to some extent, it needs to be regenerated by running the engine rich until the stored sulfur oxides are released. A common problem that remains unsolved, however, is that during the rich combustion conditions necessary for desulfurization of the NOx adsorber, the amount of HC and CO breakthrough (i.e., released from the system to the environment) increases.
Therefore, a need exists for a more effective system for desulfurization of the NOx adsorber; that is, for an exhaust system that enables improved desulfurization while decreasing HC and CO breakthrough. Additionally, there exists a need for a NOx adsorber diagnostic system that provides an accurate measure of the stored NOx.
There also exists a need for an engine control system, which provides control of the amount of NOx supplied to the NOx adsorber between regenerations.


In pulse width control equalization, attention is paid to the existence of the symmetry of anteroposterior signals and thereby the size of a table in which the adjustment amount of an edge position is stored is reduced to the power of one-half. Pattern jitters caused by inter-symbol interference are suppressed. The pulse time span of each symbol is adjusted to an optimum pulse width determined by a calculating formula or search in a table in response to a code sequence to be transmitted. In the configuration wherein a table is used, the table to store an edge position adjustment amount wherein the row of the exclusive OR of two symbols located at positions symmetrical to each other before and after a center symbol now ready to be sent in the code sequence is used as a search key is made.

In recent years, in proportion to the rapid increase of the transmission speed of communication between LSIs or substrates, a serial transmission method for superimposing data on a clock in a signal line and transmitting the data is prevailing in place of a conventional parallel transmission method using a tandem clock. In the serial transmission method, it is necessary to dramatically increase the transmission speed per one signal line and, in association with that, the attenuation of the high frequency component of transmission signals caused by the skin effect of a transmission line conductor, the dielectric loss of an insulation material, or the like increases and, on the receiver side, deterioration of signal quality depending on a transmission code sequence called ISI (Inter-Symbol Interference) appears in an input waveform. As a result, an eye pattern on the receiver side narrows in both the time-axis (width) direction and the amplitude (height) direction and that causes a reception error to occur.
FIG. 5 comprises graphs conceptually showing that signals deteriorate by ISI. As shown in FIG. 5A, when a code sequence is a pattern wherein "H" levels and "L" levels appear alternately, both the time and the amplitude of a received signal are well aligned. As shown in FIG. 5B however, in a code sequence wherein an "H" level code appears after two "L" level codes appear consecutively, the deviation of received signals in the time-axis direction, namely pattern jitters, appears and also an amplitude may not reach a prescribed level in some cases. The deviation in the time-axis direction (pattern jitters) 501 and the deviation in the amplitude direction 502 appear as the reduction of the width and the height of an eye pattern on the receiver side, respectively.
The reduction of the height of an eye pattern, namely the deviation in the amplitude direction, can be compensated to some extent by amplifying signals with an amplifier. However, there is no means for simply compensating the reduction of the width of an eye pattern, namely pattern jitters, because it is impossible to extend the time axis. In addition, although to take out a clock from a signal waveform itself with a clock data regenerator (CDR) is generally employed in a recent serial transmission method, the jitters of received signals: largely deteriorate the performance of the clock data regenerator; and cause a reception error caused by synchronization deviation to appear. Therefore, how to suppress or compensate pattern jitters on a receiver side is a big problem in the event of high speed signal transmission.
In order to solve the problem, employed is a method for expanding an eye at a receiving end by transmitting a waveform distorted beforehand from a sender side (sender side equalization) in consideration of the ISI of a transmission line. As methods for the sender side equalization, there are roughly two methods; a method of changing a pulse amplitude in accordance with a code sequence to be sent (sender side pulse amplitude equalization) and a method of changing a pulse time span in accordance with a code sequence to be sent (sender side pulse width equalization).
The sender side pulse amplitude equalization: can determine the variation of amplitude by linear computation (an FIR filter) of a transmission data sequence; hence can be realized comparatively easily; and is widely used currently. In the sender side pulse amplitude equalization however, the equalization is carried out at each symbol and hence the ISI faster than a symbol rate cannot be compensated in principle, and consequently the effect of ISI reduction is limited.
In contrast, in the case of the sender side pulse width equalization, in principle it is possible to reduce pattern jitters to zero by optimally controlling the variation of a pulse width. Further, it is possible: to increase the average level of a transmission waveform to the limit of the capability of a transmitter; and hence to increase also the height of an eye pattern on the receiver side.
As an example of applying the sender side pulse width equalization to communication between LSIs, there is a transmission signal correction circuit disclosed in JP-A No. 2005-057686. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a transmission signal correction circuit disclosed in JP-A No. 2005-057686. In FIG. 2, a data row inspection circuit 203: inspects a code sequence 201 sent from an internal circuit to be sent outside; and determines an optimum pulse width. An M-stage variable delay circuit 202 delays the code sequence sent from the internal circuit on the basis of the pulse width, and then a transmission driver circuit 204 amplifies signals to a transmission level and outputs the signals.
In the transmission signal correction circuit of this configuration, the internal signals are delayed and output so as to: compensate pattern jitters beforehand on the receiver side; and get the optimum pulse width determined by some method in accordance with the transmission code sequence. As a result, the influence of pattern jitters is negated and a beautiful observation waveform can be obtained on the receiver side.
A big problem in the sender side pulse width equalization is that an optimum pulse width responding to a code sequence is hardly determined since the transmission code sequence and the optimum pulse width are in a complicated nonlinear relation. As a method for solving the problem, it is considered to make a table to store an optimum pulse width wherein a transmission code sequence is used as a search key in advance of actual transmission.
In a digital signal write/read device such as an optical disk or a magnetic disk for example, carried out are the processes of: writing a plurality of specific code sequences on trial in advance of actual data writing; and deciding and storing in a table an optimum pulse width responding to a code sequence from the observation result of the edge positions of the reproduced signals.
FIG. 3 is a simplified block diagram showing an optical disk memory unit disclosed in JP-A No. 11(1999)-259863. Every time when a recording medium 301 is exchanged, a plurality of specific code sequences are written on trial in the region for trial writing on the recording medium in advance of the start of the writing of actual data. On this occasion, a controller stops a pulse width adjustment circuit 305 and the pulse width of writing is kept constant. After the finish of the trial writing, the data written on trial are read with a pickup 302 and amplified with an amplifier 306, and the edge position of the data is detected with an edge timing detector 308. The magnitude of the deviation of the edge position of the data written on trial from its proper position is judged with a judging device for pulse width setting, a pulse width adjustment amount required for moving the edge position to its proper position is computed with a data conversion circuit 310, and the computed result is set in a pulse width adjustment amount table. The above processes are those carried out in advance of the writing of actual data every time when a recording medium is changed.
When actual data are written, the pulse width adjustment amount table 311 is looked up by using a code sequence to be written as a search key and an optimum pulse width is decided. After a pulse time span is adjusted so as to be the optimum pulse width with the pulse width adjustment circuit 304, the data are written into the recording medium 301 through a laser driver 303 and the pickup 302.
With an optical disk memory unit disclosed in JP-A No. 11(1999)-259863, it is possible to obtain a beautiful waveform having fewer jitters at reading by determining an optimum pulse width adjustment amount in response to a code sequence by trial writing every time when a recording medium is changed.
Here, estimated is the size of a table required for realizing such a configuration of storing an optimum pulse width responding to a code sequence in the table as the optical disk memory unit disclosed in JP-A No. 11(1999)-259863. ISI decreases as the distance from a target symbol increases. Therefore, in the event of equalization, only the code sequence of the length N that cannot ignore the influence of ISI may be taken into consideration. Here, N is a constant determined by the state of a line and the sensitivity of a receiver. In the optical disk memory unit disclosed in JP-A No. 11(1999)-259863, it is necessary to store an optimum pulse width in a table for each of the code sequences of the length N. Consequently, a table size proportional to 2 to the N-th power is necessary.

Pulse amplitude modulation circuit with pulse width equalization


A method and system for simulating application workloads on an e-business application sewer hosting e-business application programs. A test driver can simulate different workloads and enable monitoring of e business applications. A work request for a placebo transaction can be forwarded to the application server for processing. The placebo transaction can be a workload used to test the application server by placing a load on the application server. The placebo transaction can emulate realtime tasks and activities within the application server. The workloads for the placebo transactions can require varying levels of processing resources. The placebo transaction can include hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) traffic. A work request can include HTTP requests for accomplishing e-business related calculations, and retrieving and/or storing information in a database.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to the field of e-business, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for simulating application workloads on an e-business application server.
2. Description of the Related Art
The pervasiveness of the Internet has allowed companies to exploit electronic communications to engage in what is commonly known as e-business activities with their customers. E-business involves conducting business on the Internet and not only includes buying and selling goods and services, but also includes servicing customers and collaborating with trading or business partners. To accommodate this vast range of activities, companies engaging in e-business have to ensure that their systems can optimally handle website traffic by implementing an effective traffic flow management policy.
A traffic flow management policy is a set of rules which dictate how workload should be handled by a system and its subsystems. A workload is a task or group of tasks that require system resources for processing. A work request can be used to initiate processing of a workload. An effective traffic flow management policy must assign and distribute tasks associated with a workload to various processing elements within the system and its subsystems. Moreover, to ensure optimal performance, the traffic flow management policy must constantly monitor system conditions and dynamically adjust the workload accordingly. Dynamic adjustment can include redistributing and rescheduling the tasks associated with a workload for processing.
E-business systems present a unique set of challenges to providing an effective traffic flow management policy. In e-business systems, legitimate overload conditions occur frequently and are generally unpredictable. A legitimate overload condition may result from several load factors which can include an increase in user demand, a partial website outage, and even the elimination of previous bottlenecks. For example, an increased user demand can occur when there are special events, promotions, and marketing campaigns. Furthermore, when overload occurs, system performance is significantly degraded and this results in diminished capacity. From an economic perspective, the diminished capacity results in lost opportunity which translates directly to lost revenue. Consequently, a provider utilizing an e-business system wants some assurance that its system is robust enough to effectively handle overload conditions.
Given the unique challenges presented by e-business systems, what is needed is an efficient method and system for ensuring that existing traffic flow management policies can effectively accommodate overload conditions.

Method and apparatus for simulating application workloads on an e-business application server


The invention provides a semiconductor device including a memory of a simple structure to provide an inexpensive semiconductor device and a driving method thereof. The semiconductor device of the invention includes a phase change memory including a memory cell array having a plurality of memory cells, a control circuit that controls the phase change memory, and an antenna. The memory cell array includes a plurality of bit lines that extend in a first direction and word lines that extend in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. Each of the plurality of memory cells includes a phase change layer provided between the bit lines and the word lines. In the semiconductor device having the aforementioned structure, one or both of a conductive layer that forms the bit lines and a conductive layer that forms the word lines transmits light.

In recent years, a semiconductor device that transmits and receives data using electromagnetic waves without contact has been developed. Such a semiconductor device is called an RF (Radio Frequency) tag, a wireless tag, an electronic tag, a transponder and the like. Most semiconductor devices currently in practical use have circuits each using a semiconductor substrate (also referred to as an IC (Integrated Circuit) chip) and an antenna. The IC chip is incorporated with a memory and a control circuit.

Semiconductor device and driving method of the same

Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.


An analytical method capable of easily, rapidly, and accurately determining concentrations of a multi-component aqueous solution. Near-infrared spectra of a standard solution containing k components of known concentrations are measured n times within a range of 1,500 to 1,850 nm. A loading matrix of p columns by m rows and an intermediate matrix of k columns by m rows for an appointed factor number m are obtained from a response matrix of p columns by n rows consisting of p absorbance values of the respective spectra in a calibration stage and p absorbance values of a near-infrared spectrum within a wavelength range of 1,500 to 1,850 nm of a test liquid. The test liquid contains k components including pure water of unknown concentrations. The concentrations of the k components are determined from a group of absorbance values and the loading and intermediate matrices obtained in the calibration stage by a matrix operation in an prediction stage. In the calibration stage, k+1 characteristic contents can be obtained by adding a solution temperature as one of characteristic items, and k concentration values and one temperature value can be obtained in the prediction stage.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an analytical method for multi-component aqueous solutions and an apparatus for the same, and, in particular, to a method for determining concentration values of a plurality of components from a near-infrared absorption spectrum and an apparatus for the same, which method and apparatus are used in fields such as semiconductor processing and food processing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In an analytical system for determining concentrations of a multi-component aqueous solution by the use of a spectrophotometer, absorbance (optical absorptivities) has been measured at absorptive wavelengths inherent to the respective components, and their values have been compared with known calibration curves previously obtained for standard samples, as shown in, for example, FIGS. 12(A) and (B), to determine concentrations.
In such an analytical system as shown in FIG. 13, in order to make a temperature of the multi-component aqueous solution of unknown concentrations to be measured equal to a liquid temperature of the standard solution at a calibration time, the multi-component aqueous solution (x.degree. C.) within a chemical tank 16 has been introduced into a flow cell 10 through a thermostatic bath 13 (e.g., 25.degree. C.), as shown in FIG. 13. In addition, reference numeral 1 designates a light source and reference numeral 18 designates a spectrometer (near-infrared spectral and detecting means).
However, in the above-described analytical system on the basis of the calibration curves, a disadvantage is present in that the accuracy of the measurement is remarkably lowered by interferences due to other components. In particular, absorbance ranges of an aqueous solution are overlapped within a near-infrared range in many cases, so that it has been difficult to eliminate influences due to other components, and it has also been considerably troublesome to draw calibration curves.
In addition, in a process using high-temperature chemicals, if chemicals cooled in the thermostatic bath 13 are returned to the chemical tank 16, a deviation from processing conditions has occurred according to such circumstances. Moreover, the thermostatic bath 13 and temperature-adjusting means 17 therefor are bulky, so that the apparatus is large so that not only is a wide installation area required but also the apparatus is complicated and expensive.

Analytical method for multi-component aqueous solutions and apparatus for the same


Impact testing apparatuses are disclosed which simulate and measure various impact-related events associated with the operation of a drug delivery device. The impact testing apparatus may include an impactor configured to simulate a plunger rod of the drug delivery device, and a guide sleeve configured to receive a syringe corresponding to the drug delivery device. The syringe may have a proximal end, a distal end defining an outlet, and an interior chamber extending between the proximal and distal ends and carrying a plunger. Additionally, the impact testing apparatus may include an energy source configured to reduce a distance between the impactor and the plunger so that the impactor strikes the plunger. Various sensors may be included to measure characteristics of one or more impacts caused by the impactor. Methods of impact testing a syringe filled with a fluid and carrying a plunger are also disclosed.

Automated injector devices for drug delivery, including autoinjectors and on-body injectors, have grown in popularity in recent years. These devices offer several benefits, including simplicity of use as compared with traditional methods of delivery such as manually-operated syringes.
Injector devices typically include a drive mechanism (e.g., a spring) that operates on a syringe in response to a triggering event such as the patient pressing a button. The drive mechanism may cause a needle to be inserted into the patient and/or drive a plunger to discharge the drug through the needle.
Damage to the syringe and/or drug may occur if the drive mechanism exerts an excessive load on the plunger. The barrel of the syringe is particularly susceptible to damage as it is usually made of glass. Furthermore, an excessive load may be felt and/or heard by the patient in the form of a "slap" or "bump," which may distract or disturb the patient and thus result in incomplete drug delivery.
Drive mechanisms tend to apply excessive loads for various reasons. For instance, the force provided by the drive mechanism may decrease as the plunger is advanced. Spring-type drive mechanisms oftentimes suffer from this problem, because of the inverse relationship existing between the length of a spring and its applied force. As a result, providing sufficient energy for drug delivery at the end of a plunger stroke may require the drive mechanism to release an excessive amount of energy at the beginning of the plunger stroke.
Further, the growth in treatments requiring high viscosity drugs such as biologics has resulted in the need for more powerful drive mechanisms. Because kinetic energy is proportional to velocity squared, even an incremental increase in the velocity at which the drive mechanism operates can result in a large change in the net kinetic energy applied to the syringe or drug. In general, it is difficult to predict whether the syringe or drug will be damaged, because of the multiple components involved with drug delivery.
Same reference numerals are used in the drawings to identify same or similar elements and structures in the various embodiments.

Impact testing apparatuses and methods for drug delivery devices


A low voltage electrical hermetic penetrant structure which provides input of electrical energy and signals in tight premises, such as in atomic power stations, nuclear vessels, underground, and the like. The hermetic penetrant structure includes hermetic modules sealed relative to a surrounding case. A metal pipe of each hermetic module includes longitudinally pressurized wires hermetically sealed inside the metal pipe through polysulphone and polyetheretherketon insulators. The polyetheretherketon insulators are positioned at the end portions of the wires. On the ends of each module an additional external insulator can be installed in the form of a socket of thermal-shrinkage pipe, filled with fire-resistant sealant.

It is known as penetrant structure containing the case under pressure, wiring harness, gasket seal of wiring harness relative to the case. This design is unreliable since in places of gasket seal of wires relative to the case there is a break of insulation which is humidified while in service, that results to failure of penetrant structure (see SCHOTT catalogue No. 4835/1d the publication of 1989).
The most similar on technical essence to the described invention is electrical hermetic penetrant structure containing the case under pressure, the hermetic modules sealed relative to the case, the hermetically sealed wires pressurized in a metal pipe of each module through polysulphone insulators (see the patent of the U.S. Pat. No. 3,601,526, H01B17/26, 1971).
The known design possesses the lowered thermal stability and fire resistance due to the following reasons: polysulphone is used as a sealing material for wires relative to modules. This material has temperature of a softening 168° C., and emergency operation at nuclear stations stipulate long operation of penetrant structure at temperatures up to 250° C. and pressure of 7-9 Bar. Polysulphone simply flow out under the influence of a fire, thus there is a loss of tightness and breakdown of electric insulation.

Electrical hermetic penetrant structure of low voltage

Zakrytoe Aktsionernoe Obshchestvo “Elox-Prom”


A dynamically configurable portion of a cache shared between central processing and graphics units in a highly integrated multimedia processor is engaged as a secondary level in a hierarchical texture cache architecture. The graphics unit includes a small multi-ported L1 texture cache local to its 2D/3D pipeline that is backed by the relatively large, single ported portion of the shared cache. Leveraging the shared cache as a secondary level texture cache reduces system memory bandwidth and die size without significant sacrifice in performance.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to a highly integrated multimedia processor having a shared cache and tightly coupled central processing and graphical units and more specifically to employing a portion of the shared cache as a secondary level in a hierarchical texture cache architecture.
2. Description of Related Art
The following background information is provided to aid in the understanding of the application of the present invention and is not meant to be limiting to the specific examples set forth herein. Displaying 3D graphics is typically characterized by a pipelined process having tessellation, geometry and rendering stages. The tessellation stage is responsible for decomposing an object into geometric primitives (e.g. polygons) for simplified processing while the geometry stage is responsible for transforming (e.g. translating, rotating and projecting) the tessellated object. The rendering stage rasterizes the polygons into pixels and applies visual effects such as, but not limited to, texture mapping, MIP mapping, Z buffering, depth cueing, anti-aliasing and fogging.
The entire 3D graphics pipeline can be embodied in software running on a general purpose CPU core (i.e. integer and floating point units), albeit unacceptably slow. To accelerate performance, the stages of the graphics pipeline are typically shared between the CPU and a dedicated hardware graphics controller (a.k.a. graphics accelerator). The floating-point unit of the CPU typically handles the vector and matrix processing of the tessellation and geometry stages while the graphics controller generally handles the pixel processing of the rendering stage.
Reference is now made to FIG. 1 that depicts a first prior art system of handling 3D graphics display in a computer. Vertex information stored on disk drive 100 is read over a local bus (e.g. the PCI bus) under control by chipset 102 into system memory 104. The vertex information is then read from system memory 104 under control of chipset 102 into the L2 cache 108 and L1 cache 105 of CPU 106. The CPU 106 performs geometry/lighting operations on the vertex information before caching the results along with texture coordinates back into the L1 cache 105, the L2 cache 108 and ultimately back to system memory 104. A direct memory access (DMA) is performed to transfer the geometry/lighting results, texture coordinates and texture maps stored in system memory 104 over the PCI bus into local graphics memory 112 of the graphics controller 110 for use in rendering a frame on the display 114. In addition to storing textures for use with the graphics controller 110, local graphics memory 112 also holds the frame buffer, the z-buffer and commands for the graphics controller 110.
A drawback with this approach is inefficient use of memory resources since redundant copies of texture maps are maintained in both system memory 104 and the local graphics memory 112. Another drawback with this approach is the local graphics memory 112 is dedicated to the graphics controller 110, is more expensive than generalized system memory and is not available for general-purpose use by the CPU 106. Yet another drawback with this approach is the attendant bus contention and relatively low bandwidth associated with the shared PCI bus. Efforts have been made to ameliorate these limitations by designating a xe2x80x9cswap areaxe2x80x9d in local graphics memory 112 (sometimes misdescriptively referred to as an off chip L2 cache) so that textures can be prefetched into local graphics memory 112 from system memory 104 before they are needed by the graphics controller 110 and swapped with less recently used textures residing in the texture cache of the graphics controller 110. The local graphics memory swap area merely holds textures local to the graphics card (to avoid bus transfers) and does not truly back the texture cache as would a second level in a multi-level texture cache. This approach leads to the problem, among others, of deciding how to divide the local graphics memory 112 into texture storage and swap area. Still yet another drawback with this approach is the single level texture cache in prior art graphics controllers consume large amounts of die area since the texture cache must be multi-ported and be of sufficient size to avoid performance issues.
Reference is now made to FIG. 2 that depicts an improved but not entirely satisfactory prior art system of handling 3D graphics display in a computer. The processor 120, such as the Pentium II(trademark) processor from Intel corporation of Santa Clara California, comprises a CPU 106 coupled to an integrated L2 cache 108 over a so-called xe2x80x9cbacksidexe2x80x9d bus 126 that operates independently from the host or so-called xe2x80x9cfront-sidexe2x80x9d bus 128. The system depicted in FIG. 2 additionally differs from that in FIG. 1 in that the graphics controller 110 is coupled over a dedicated and faster AGP bus 130 through chipset 102 to system memory 104. The dedicated and faster AGP bus 130 permits the graphics controller 110 to directly use texture maps in system memory 104 during the rendering stage rather than first pre-fetching the textures to local graphics memory 112.
Although sourcing texture maps directly out of system memory 104 mitigates local graphics memory constraints, some amount of local graphics memory 112 is still required for screen refresh, Z-buffering and front and back buffering since the AGP bus 130 cannot support such bandwidth requirements. Consequently, the system of FIG. 2 suffers from the same drawbacks as the system of FIG. 1, albeit to a lesser degree. Moreover, there is no way for the graphics controller 110 to directly access the L2 cache 108 that is encapsulated within the processor 120 and connected to the CPU 106 over the backside bus 126.
From the foregoing it can be seen that memory components, bus protocols and die size are the ultimate bottleneck for presenting 3D graphics. Accordingly, there is a need for a highly integrated multimedia processor having tightly coupled central processing and graphical functional units that share a relatively large cache to avoid slow system memory access and the requirement to maintain separate and redundant local graphics memory, and to leverage the relatively large shared cache in a hierarchical texture cache architecture.
To overcome the limitations of the prior art described above, and to overcome other limitations that will become apparent upon reading and understanding the present specification, the present invention discloses a highly integrated multimedia processor employing a shared cache between the central processing and graphics units which may be used in, among other things, a hierarchical texture cache scheme. A dynamically configurable portion of the shared cache is engaged as a secondary level in a hierarchical texture cache architecture. The graphics unit includes a small multi-ported L1 texture cache local to its 2D/3D pipeline that is backed by the relatively large, single ported portion of the shared cache. The graphics unit issues data reads with physical addresses to locations that are cached in the shared cache. If the shared cache misses, a cache fill is performed similar to a cache fill that occurs with a miss from the central processor unit. Regions in the shared cache can also be selectively locked down (thereby disabling eviction or invalidation of data from a selected region) to provide the graphics unit with a local scratchpad area for applications such as composite buffering for blending texture maps in multi-pass rendering. Other 3D applications for the locked down regions may include but are not limited to, bump mapping, Z buffering, W buffering and 2D applications such as blit buffering.
A feature of the present invention is the shared cache can be leveraged as a secondary level texture cache to reduce die size without significant sacrifice in performance.
Another feature of the present invention is the shared cache provides the graphics unit access to data generated by the central processing unit before the data is written-back or written-through to system memory.
Another feature of the present invention is reduction of the system memory bandwidth required by the central processing and graphics units.
Another feature of the present invention is pushing data transfer bottlenecks needed for 3D graphics display into system memory such that system performance will scale as more advanced memories become available.
These and various other objects, features, and advantages of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed hereto and forming a part hereof. However, for a better understanding of the invention, its advantages, and the objects obtained by its use, reference should be made to the drawings which form a further part hereof, and to the accompanying descriptive matter, in which there is illustrated and described a specific example of a hierarchical texture cache in accordance with the principles of the present invention.


A liquid crystal display aimed at improving response speed, movie characteristics and viewing angle dependence of gradation is provided as having a liquid crystal panel including a plurality of gate lined selecting pixels and a plurality of data lines supplying pixel data, and a data driver dividing one frame into a plurality of fields to thereby convert a frame data into a field data, and supplying the field data to the data line, wherein in the last field out of the plurality of fields, the data line is applied with a first constant voltage, for the frame data ranging from the minimum gradation value to a first gradation value, and in the top field out of the plurality of fields, the data line is applied with a second constant voltage larger than the first constant voltage, for the frame data ranging from a second gradation value to the maximum gradation value.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Liquid crystal display devices have widely been disseminated as monitor devices of PCs (personal computers) from the viewpoints of their thinness, light-weight and low power consumption, wherein recent expansion of a market of digital television set has raised an increasing demand on TV-use liquid crystal panel capable of realizing high resolution, for which display quality comparable to that of CRT is required. In particular, liquid crystal display device is known to be slow in response speed when compared with CRT, so that it has been understood as an urgent mission to improve the response speed and to realize excellent movie characteristics.
One possible reason for such low response speed of the liquid crystal display device is that the liquid crystal molecule per se has only a slow response, and cannot make a response within a single frame under low temperatures or low gradation state, and this consequently raises a problem of causing blurring and afterimage in the movie. The liquid crystal display device uses light from an illumination device placed on the back side for the display, wherein the illumination device is kept active throughout one frame, and is therefore known to be inferior in the movie characteristics as compared with CRT and plasma display device which adopt pulse illumination within one frame. The former is referred to as "hold-type display", and the latter is referred to as "impulse-type display". The hold-type display is described in Non-Patent Document 1 listed later.
One of the techniques of improving the response speed of the liquid crystal display device per se is the overdrive technique shown in FIG. 6, which has widely been known. In the drawings of the normal operation 801 and the overdrive operation 802, the upper halves show response waveforms of luminance, and the lower halves show data waveforms. In the normal operation 801, an effective voltage 803 expresses an effective voltage of the data waveform, wherein response time T2 represents a response time of luminance within a single frame FR1 (duration of time having a luminance ratio of 10% to 90% kept therein). In the overdrive operation 802, the effective voltage expressed by the data waveform is increased by an increment 804 from that in the normal operation 801, showing response time T3 of luminance within a single frame FR1 shorter than response time T2.
Liquid crystal generally shows better responsiveness as the voltage applied thereto grows larger. The overdrive operation 802 is a technique of applying, at the rise-up time in the response, a voltage larger than the data voltage to intrinsically be applied so as to accelerate the response of liquid crystal, to thereby improve the response speed at gradation of low response speed. On the contrary, at the fall-down time in the response, the response is accelerated by applying a voltage lower than the intrinsic data voltage.
There are known methods of determining the increment (correction value) 804 of the effective voltage, including a method of determining the correction value for the m-th frame by comparing data between the m-th frame and the (m−1)-th frame; and a method of determining a correction value for the (m−1)-th frame by comparing data among the (m−2)-th frame, the (m−1)-th frame and the m-th frame.
The conventional operation may certainly improve the response speed by applying a voltage larger than the intrinsic data voltage in the period of the first frame (1/operation frequency), but the improvement is achievable only to as short as 16 ms or below, which corresponds to a period of a single frame under a 60-Hz operation, for a gradation range allowing only a low response speed of the liquid crystal per se. This is because too high voltage for accelerating the response may result in overshooting which adversely affect the movie display, so that the voltage value is limitative.
For VA-mode liquid crystal panel, a phenomenon has been confirmed in that disturbance in orientation of the liquid crystal molecules becomes serious under high voltage application. In the VA-mode as shown in FIG. 7, liquid crystal molecules 901 vertically aligned under no applied voltage (in the black level) begin to incline with increase in the applied voltage, as being affected by any structures provided in the panel or by the direction of electric field. In general, a maximum applied voltage gives the white level display, wherein the liquid crystal molecules 902, 903 incline to the largest degree. The liquid crystal molecules 902 express those in the while level display under normal alignment, having a liquid crystal alignment direction 912. The liquid crystal molecules 903 express those in the white level display under abnormal alignment, having a liquid crystal alignment direction 913. It is preferable in the white level display that the liquid crystal molecules incline in the normal direction of alignment, but the inclination under an abrupt voltage application may sometimes result in variation in the direction of alignment.
FIG. 8 is a drawing showing one-frame overdrive operation 1001 and two-frame overdrive operation 1002. In the one-frame overdrive operation 1001, the effective voltage expressed by the data waveform is increased by an increment 1007 as a result of the overdrive only in the first frame FR1. In the two-frame overdrive operation 1002, the effective voltage expressed by the data waveform is increased by an increment 1005 in the first frame FR1, and an absolute value of the effective voltage expressed by the data waveform is increased by an increment 1006 in the second frame FR2. The liquid crystal molecules 902 under the normal alignment shown in FIG. 7 successfully increase the luminance 1004 by the overdrive in the second frame FR2. Whereas, the liquid crystal molecules 903 under the abnormal alignment shown in FIG. 7 undesirably degrade the luminance 1003 in the second frame FR2 due to disturbance in the alignment of liquid crystal.
The liquid crystal molecules under the normal alignment contribute to the luminance to a maximum degree, whereas any molecules departing from such alignment are causative of lowering in the luminance. Also the molecules out of alignment may gradually recover the normal alignment with elapse of time under orientation-limiting force inside the panel, but the lowering in luminance may adversely affect the response waveform in the second frame FR2, or in other words, adversely affect the movie characteristics. Conversion of the data voltage in the second frame FR2 has therefore been necessary.
In this case, it takes two frames (32 ms) to reach the intrinsic data voltage level, and this has been one cause for degrading the movie characteristics.
Another known problem in the liquid crystal display device particularly designed for TV sets relates to that the VA-mode liquid crystal display device causes difference in the luminance and the chromaticity between display in the front view and display in oblique views. More specifically, the display device of this type looks whitish in oblique views due to an excessive luminance, showing a large difference in the chromaticity from the front view, and was therefore inappropriate as a liquid crystal display device possibly viewed also from oblique directions. Such nonconformity is ascribable to that the display by the liquid crystal display device makes use of birefringence, and that the VA-mode device causes difference in the gradation-luminance characteristics between oblique views and the front view, as the liquid crystal molecules incline to a larger degree.
FIG. 9A is a drawing showing the liquid crystal molecules as viewed from this side. Liquid crystal molecules 401 incline towards this side, and liquid crystal molecules 402 incline towards the far side. FIG. 9B is a drawing showing relations between applied voltage (gradation) and transmittance (luminance). A characteristic curve 411 expresses the characteristics observed in the front view, a characteristic curve 412 at 60° on the far side, a characteristic curve 413 at 60° upper in the quadrisection, and a characteristic curve 414 at 60° on this side.
The liquid crystal molecules 401 inclined towards this side and the liquid crystal molecules 402 inclined towards the far side differ from each other in the resultant gradation-luminance characteristics in oblique views, and the sum of the both gives an apparent gradation-luminance characteristic, and this raises differences in the luminance and the chromaticity in the oblique views.
Several methods have already been proposed in view of improving the viewing-angle-dependent gradation characteristics. Principles of these methods are based on provision of a plurality of gradation-luminance characteristics on a time scale so as to moderate the waviness in the gradation-luminance characteristics in the oblique views, and examples of which include a technique of providing a plurality of regions within a single pixel so as to allow different levels of voltage to be applied thereto, to thereby impart a plurality of gradation-luminance characteristics to the pixel; and a technique of applying different levels of voltage on the frame basis, so as to impart a plurality of voltage-luminance characteristics to each frame, to thereby achieve a desired luminance on the time-average basis. These are referred to as half-tone techniques. The techniques or imparting a plurality of gradation-luminance characteristics to a single pixel are typically described in Patent Document 1 listed later.
Watching TV also on the general PC monitors has been becoming more common in these days, and the situation demands improvement in the movie characteristics while also improving the viewing angle characteristics in the VA mode. There is, however, no known technique realizing the both at the same time, and adoption of two or more techniques in combination has undesirably resulted in lowering in the yield ratio and increase in the cost. Now is the time for individual manufacturers to phase into mass production, and the increase in the cost is a critical issue to be overcome.
Patent Document 2 listed below describes a display device capable of displaying an image using a plurality of frames within one second, wherein one frame F0 is displayed as being divided into at least two fields F1, F2, and a desired image is displayed at least in one sub-field 1F in the field F1 with a first luminance Tx, and an image substantially same as that displayed with the first luminance is displayed in the residual one sub-field 2F with a second luminance smaller than the first luminance but larger than 0.
Patent Document 3 describes that one frame is divided into two fields so as to achieve a double-speed operation, while driving a first field using corrected display data calculated from display data after being corrected by a predetermined conversion method, and driving a second field using the display data without such data conversion.
Related arts are disclosed in:
[Patent Document 1] Translated National Publication of Patent Application No. Hei 08-507880;
[Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2000-338464;
[Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2002-132224; and
[Non-Patent Document 1] The Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers, Technical Report EID2000-47 p 13-18 (2000-09).


Bullet feed die assemblies include a case retention station operable to retain the case in a position defining a columnar space above a casemouth of the case, the columnar space defining a primary axis, a bullet insertion facility aligned with the primary axis, the case retention station and bullet insertion facility being relatively movable with respect to each other along the axis between a first separated position and a second proximate position, the bullet insertion facility including a stem aligned with the primary axis, the stem having a lower end operable to press the bullet into a mouth of the case, and the lower end of the stem being laterally movable such that a bullet pushes the stem aside upon entering the columnar space. The bullet insertion facility may include a support element on the primary axis, and the stem may be pivotally connected to the support element.

Modern rifle and handgun cartridges have four components: the cartridge case, the primer, the propellant, and the bullet. The most costly and critical component of a cartridge is the case. Not only does it hold all of the other components, but the case provides a precision seal that ensures expanding gases remain in the firearm and efficiently push the bullet out of the firearm's barrel.
The brass case is often capable of being reused several times before it is no longer suitable for use. Because the case accounts for about 65% of the cost of ammunition, many shooters are therefore motivated to reduce their cost per shot by reloading spent cases for reuse.
However, reducing the cost per shot is not the only factor motivating the reloading of spent cases. Reloaders are able to custom tune the reloaded ammunition to their firearm's particular characteristics. Adjusting the cartridge length to the maximum the firearm will allow can greatly improve accuracy, as can loading the cartridge with a particular bullet weight or style. Furthermore, a reloader can safely assemble reduced velocity ammunition that will subject an inexperienced shooter to less recoil. Finally, reloading enables owners of obsolete firearms to continue to shoot even when factory ammunition is no longer available.
The process of reloading ammunition requires a reloading press, powder measure, priming system, calipers, scale, and a set of reloading dies. The press is a specialized device designed expressly for reloading ammunition. It holds the reloading dies in precise alignment and provides mechanical advantage required to recondition the cartridge case.
The reloading dies, which typically are a sizing die and a seating die, are customized for the case they are intended to load. The sizing die reshapes the case to the dimensions needed to permit easy chambering. The sizing die also ejects the spent primer by the use of a decaping pin attached to a spindle and ensures the case's mouth is the proper diameter to receive a new bullet when a pistol case is being reloaded. If a rifle case is being reloaded, there is an expander ball on the spindle. The seating die aligns the bullet with the case and pushes it into the case to the desired depth.
In conventional practice, a bullet is placed on the mouth of a charged case and is held in place by the reloader's thumb and forefinger. The case head is placed atop the ram of the press. The ram is raised, pushing the casing neck into the seating die. As this occurs, the user releases the bullet and gives the press handle a full stroke to seat the bullet in the case.
The conventional approach suffers the disadvantage of requiring the user to manually hold a bullet on the mouth of a charged case while raising the ram. This creates the potential for injury and increases the time required to reload a casing. And, especially in the case of rifle case reloading, any imprecision in the alignment of the bullet with the casing can result in inaccuracy when the reloaded case is fired. Other conventional bullet feeding mechanisms exist, but are mechanically complex, unreliable, or expensive. In the case of rifle case reloading, other conventional bullet feeding mechanisms are often limited to loading only rifle cases of a specific length.
Therefore, a need exists for a new and improved bullet feed die assembly that feeds bullets into cartridges of different lengths. In this regard, the various embodiments of the present invention substantially fulfill at least some of these needs. In this respect, the bullet feed die assembly according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of feeding bullets into cartridges of different lengths.


A magneto impedance sensor element with electromagnetic coil comprised of: a terminal board on which an extended groove which extends in one direction has been formed; an electromagnetic coil, made with one part of the coil formed in a spiral shape inside the extended groove in the terminal board, and joined to each tip of that coil the other part of the coil placed across the top of the groove; insulating material placed in the extended groove on the terminal board; and a magnetic sensitive body inserted within the insulating material, to which either high frequency or pulse electic current is applied. When either high frequency or pulse electrical current is applied to the magnetic sensitive body, voltage is output from the above electromagnetic coil in response to the intensity of the external magnetic field which is generated in the electromagnetic coil.

FIG. 13, (Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2000-81471, 2001-296127) shows the construction of a conventional MI element.
In the central part of the MI element is a magnetic sensitive body made from amorphous metal wire. The magnetic sensitive body is set on a terminal board, around which an electromagnetic coil is wound. The conventional MI element uses an electromagnetic coil ranging in diameter from 1 to 5 mm, and the usual size of an MI element is width 3 mm, height 2 mm, length 4 mm.
The above mentioned conventional MI element was able to achieve some degree of high sensitivity, miniaturization, and low power consumption when applied as a magnetic sensor. However, inadequate miniaturization in high performance magnetic sensors was a problem.
In the present field, further miniaturization of high efficiency magnetic sensors (hereafter MI sensor) using this MI element has presently become necessary. However, because conventional MI elements were constructed with an electromagnetic coil wound external to the terminal board, the size of MI elements was necessarily large. Therefore, further miniaturization of MI elements was sought.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Magnet with electromagnetic coil/impedance/sensor element


In a memory cell programming method, first through n-th programming operations are performed to program first through n-th bits of the n bits of data using the plurality of threshold voltage distributions. The first through n-th programming operations are performed sequentially. A threshold voltage difference between threshold voltage distributions used in the n-th programming operation is less than or equal to at least one threshold voltage difference between threshold voltage distributions used in the first through (n−1)-th programming operations.

Description of the Conventional Art
A non-volatile memory device may electrically erase and program data, but may preserve stored data even without application of a supply voltage. An example, non-volatile memory device is a flash memory.
A memory cell may include a cell transistor having a control gate, a floating gate, a source and a drain. The cell transistor may be programmed or erased using a Fowler-Nordheim (F-N) tunneling mechanism.
An example erase operation of the cell transistor may be performed by applying a ground voltage to the control gate of the cell transistor and a voltage higher than a supply voltage to a semiconductor substrate (or a bulk). Under an erase bias condition, a relatively large voltage difference between the floating gate and the substrate may cause a relatively strong electric field there between. As a result, electrons in the floating gate may discharge to the substrate due to F-N tunneling. As a result, the threshold voltage of the erased cell transistor may decrease.
In an example, program operation, a voltage higher than the supply voltage may be applied to the control gate and a ground voltage may be applied to the drain, the source and the substrate. In a program bias condition, electrons may be injected to the floating gate of the cell transistor through F-N tunneling. As a result, a threshold voltage of the programmed cell transistor may increase.
FIG. 1 is a view for explaining the structure and operation of a memory cell included in a non-volatile memory device.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, electrons may be injected to the floating gate FG of the memory cell included in the non-volatile memory device. A state in which electrons may be injected to the floating gate FG is referred to as a "program state." A state in which electrons may be erased from the floating gate FG is referred to as an "erase state."
In the program state, a threshold voltage of the floating gate FG may be higher than about "0," or positive. In the erase state, a threshold voltage of the floating gate FG may be lower than "0," or negative.
To improve density of flash memories, a multi-level flash memory may be used. In a multi-level flash memory, a plurality of data bits (e.g., multi-bit data) may be stored in a single memory cell. For example, multi-bit data (e.g., two or more bits) may be stored in each memory cell. A memory cell storing multi-bit data is referred to as a "multi-level cell," and a memory cell storing a single-bit data is referred to as a "single-level cell." The multi-level cell may store multi-bit data utilizing two or more threshold voltages. Each of threshold voltages may be included in the corresponding threshold voltage distribution of a plurality of threshold voltages. A multi-level cell may also have two or more data storage states corresponding to the two or more threshold voltage distributions. An example in which 2 bits of data are stored in a memory cell of a multi-level flash memory will be described. However, three or more bits of data may be stored in a memory cell of the multi-level flash memory.
A multi-level cell storing 2 bit data may have four data storage states, for example, "11", "01", "10", and "00". In this example, "11" represents an erased state, and "01", "10", and "00" represent programmed states.
The four data storage states may correspond to respective threshold voltage distributions of the multi-level cell. For example, if the threshold voltage distributions of the multi-level cell are "VTH1-VTH2", "VTH3-VTH4", "VTH5-VTH6", and "VTH7-VTH8", the data storage states "11", "01", "10", and "00" may correspond to voltage distributions "VTH1-VTH2", "VTH3-VTH4", "VTH5-VTH6", and "VTH7-VTH8", respectively. In this example, 2 bit data may be stored in the multi-level cell according to threshold voltages "11", "01", "10", and "00".
FIG. 2 is a view for explaining an example operation of a multi-level cell included in a non-volatile memory device.
FIG. 2 illustrates an erase state in which no electrons are in the floating gate FG of the multi-level cell, a first program state in which a first portion of electrons are injected to the floating gate FG of the multi-level cell, a second program state in which a second portion of electrons are injected to the floating gate FG of the multi-level cell, and a third program state in which a relatively large amount of electrons are injected to the floating gate FG of the multi-level cell. From the erase state to the third program state, threshold voltages may increase gradually.
FIG. 3 illustrates a plurality of threshold voltage distributions for the conventional multi-level cell illustrated in FIG. 2.
Referring to FIG. 3, 16 threshold voltage distributions of the conventional multi-level cell may represent 4-bit data. The 16 threshold voltage distributions may correspond to combinations of 4-bit codes.
Memory cell programming may be performed by changing a threshold voltage of a memory cell. Changing a threshold voltage of a programmed memory cell may generate a coupling effect in memory cells adjacent to the programmed memory cell, which may change threshold voltages of the adjacent memory cells. In this example, the larger the change of the threshold voltage when programming, the greater the coupling effect. In addition, a threshold voltage change at the latter half of programming may cause a greater coupling effect than a threshold voltage change at the beginning of programming.

Memory cell programming methods capable of reducing coupling effects


A computer implemented method is provided for processing data representing a data entity having sub entities. The method includes analyzing queries to the data entity for deriving information about sets of the sub entities frequently queried together, and grouping the sub entities to a number of banks, each bank having a maximum width, based on the information about sets of sub entities frequently queried together, in order to reduce an average number of banks to be accessed for data retrieval.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to the field of organization of data in a database, such as a computerized method for processing data (e.g., compressed data), representing a data entity having sub entities, and a corresponding computer system. The present invention also relates to a data processing program and a computer program product for processing data.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
A database is a collection of information organized in such a way that a computer program can quickly and efficiently select desired pieces of data. It is known in the art that data are distinct pieces of formatted information. In electronic form, data are bits and bytes stored in electronic memory. Traditional databases are organized by fields, records, and files. A field is a piece of information; a record is one complete set of fields; and a file is a collection of records. To access information from a database, a program in the form of a database management system is employed.
In the PVLDB-Paper "ROW-WISE PARALLEL PREDICATE EVALUATION" by Ryan Johnson et al, PVLDB'08 Aukland, New Zealand, 2008, Aug. 23-28, Pages 622-634, a row-wise parallel predicate evaluation is disclosed. According to the disclosure table scans have become more interesting recently due to greater use of ad-hoc queries and greater availability of multicore, vector-enabled hardware. Table scan performance is limited by value representation, table layout, and processing techniques. Therefore, a new layout and processing technique for efficient one-pass predicate evaluation are proposed. Starting with a set of rows with a fixed number of bits per column, columns are appended to form a set of banks and then each bank is padded to a supported machine word length, typically 16, 32, or 64 bits. Partial predicates on the columns of each bank are then evaluated using an evaluation strategy that evaluates column level equality, range tests, IN-list predicates, and conjuncts of these predicates, simultaneously on multiple columns within a bank, and on multiple rows within a machine register. This approach outperforms pure column stores, which must evaluate the partial predicates one column at a time. The performance and representation overhead of this new approach and several proposed alternatives are evaluated and compared.


Techniques for removing a tubular from a wellbore include running a downhole tool on a downhole conveyance into a wellbore formed from a terranean surface into a subterranean formation; activating a piston sub-assembly to repeatedly move pistons to contact a portion of a casing installed in the wellbore to at least de-bond a cement layer installed between the portion of the casing and the subterranean formation from the portion of the casing; activating a cutting sub-assembly to move a cutting blade to cut through the portion of the casing adjacent the de-bonded portion of the cement layer; activating a hanger sub-assembly to move a set of slips into contacting engagement with the cut portion of the casing; and running the downhole tool on the downhole conveyance out of the wellbore with the cut portion of the casing engaged with the set of slips.

Hydrocarbon production wells, and other wells formed to extract other fluids from a subterranean reservoir, often include one or more tubulars installed within a wellbore during construction of the well. Such tubulars can include one or more casings. In some instances, ne laterals or sidetracks are desired to be formed from a vertical portion of the wellbore. In certain well designs, there is no further room to drill sidetracks, while some wells have aged and corrosive casings that may not withstand a milling load for a new window to form the new lateral or sidetrack. Some other wells do not have good cement behind the casings, which might cause further complications.


The invention relates to a micro-machined, vibrating structure (4), comprising a fixing end (5), connected to a fixed support (6) and a hollow shell, preferably in a cylindrical form with a lateral wall (7), forming a vibrating wall (7) of the vibrating structure (4), in which progressive or stationary waves are generated. The hollow shell comprises a base (8), forming the fixing end (5) for the vibrating structure (4) and a free end (9). A naturally decoupled region is arranged between the fixing end (5) and the free end (9) of the hollow shell.

The invention relates to a micro-machined vibrating structure comprising a fixing end, connected in secured manner to a fixed support, and at least one vibrating wall, in which progressive or stationary waves are generated and comprising a base and a free end, the vibrating wall being formed by a side wall of a hollow shell.
The invention also relates to a micro-gyroscope using such a vibrating structure.

Micro-machined vibrating structure and associated micro-gyroscope