A method is described of manufacturing a semiconductor material having a zone (200) with p-conductivity type and n-conductivity type regions with dopant concentrations and dimensions such that, when the n- and p-conductivity type regions are depleted of free charge carriers the space charge per unit area of the regions balances at least to the extent that the resulting electric field is lower than that at which avalanche breakdown would occur in the area. The method starts with a semiconductor body having adjacent a first major surface (10b) a first semiconductor region (2) of one conductivity type. A mask (3, 4, 5) is provided on the first major surface, having at least one mask area masking a part (2a) of the first region. At least a part of the unmasked first region (2) is then removed to provide at least one opening (7) in the first region. Doped epitaxial semiconductor material (8; 81, 82; 8a) is selectively provided in the opening (7) so as to fill the opening and to provide at least a second region (8; 81, 8a) of the opposite conductivity type. Then material (8; 82; 8a) is removed from the first major surface (10b) using at least a part (4) of the mask as an etch stop layer so as to provide a planar surface.

This invention relates to a method of manufacturing a semiconductor material and to semiconductor devices manufactured using that material. In particular, this invention relates to a method of manufacturing a semiconductor material having an area or zone formed of first regions of one conductivity type interposed with second regions of the opposite conductivity type with the dopant concentration and dimensions of the first and second regions being such that, when the area is depleted in a high voltage mode of operation, the space charge per unit area in the first and second regions balances at least to the extent that the electric field resulting from the space charge is less than the critical field strength at which avalanche breakdown would occur in that area. The area thus provides a voltage-sustaining space charge zone when depleted.
Semiconductor devices having such zones are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,754,310 (our reference: PHB32740). As set out in U.S. Pat. No. 4,754,310, the provision of such a zone within a semiconductor device enables the individual dopant concentrations and thicknesses of the first and second regions to be controlled so that the effective dopant concentration of the area can be increased independently of the desired breakdown voltage so that the series resistivity of the area is approximately proportional to the breakdown voltage rather than to the square of the breakdown voltage as is the case in conventional devices. The achievement of a lower on-resistance device for a given breakdown voltage is particularly advantageous for high voltage MOSFETs and IGBTs. Other embodiments of semiconductor devices having such zones are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,438,215 and International Patent Publication No. WO-A-97/29518. The whole contents of U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,574,310 , 5,438,215 and WO-A-97/29518 are hereby incorporated as reference material.
As described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,754,310 , 5,438,215 and WO-A-97/29518, epitaxial refill of etched openings may be used to interpose regions of one conductivity type with regions of the opposite conductivity type where the semiconductor device is to be a vertical device, that is where the main current flow path is between first and second major opposed surfaces of the semiconductor device. Neither U.S. Pat. No. 4,754,310 nor U.S. Pat. No. 5,438,215 suggests how such epitaxial refill may be carried out. FIGS. 7A to 7B of WO-A-97-29518 suggest using repeated epitaxy with ion implantation of the opposite type dopant at each epitaxial stage. However, the number of steps involved in this process makes it expensive and, moreover, it is difficult to control the repeated epitaxy and ion implantation processes to achieve the required space charge balancing discussed above.
It is an aim of the present invention to provide a low-cost, straightforward process for manufacturing a semiconductor material having such an area.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a zone having p-conductivity type and n-conductivity type regions with dopant concentrations and dimensions such that, when the n and p-conductivity type regions are depleted of free charge carriers, the space charge per unit area of the regions balances at least to the extent that the resulting electric field is lower than that at which avalanche breakdown would occur in the area is manufactured by selective epitaxial deposition after which the semiconductor surface is planarised using as an etch stop a mask used to assist selective deposition.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a zone having p-conductivity type and n-conductivity type regions with dopant concentrations and dimensions such that, when the n and p-conductivity type regions are depleted of free charge carriers, the space charge per unit area of the regions balances at least to the extent that the resulting electric field is lower than that at which avalanche breakdown would occur in the area is manufactured by selective epitaxial deposition into at least one opening after which the semiconductor surface is planarised using as an etch stop a mask used to enable definition of the at least one opening.
According to further aspects of the present invention, there are provided a method as set out in claim 1 and a method as set out in claim 9.
Methods embodying the present invention provide a simple way for forming a voltage sustaining zone. A method embodying the present invention may be used to manufacture a high voltage MOS device, for example a MOSFET or IGBT, in which the zone forms at least part of the drain drift or drain extension region and requires only one more mask stage than is required for the manufacture of high voltage MOS devices which do not have such a zone.
Other advantageous technical features in accordance with the present invention are set out in the appended dependent claims.

Manufacture of semiconductor material and devices using that material


A game program of the present invention causes a computer to execute a first delete condition setting step of setting a delete condition of puzzle elements in which puzzle elements of the same kind in a first number or more are continuously arranged in a predetermined direction as a first delete condition and a second delete condition setting step of setting a next delete condition of the puzzle elements in which puzzle elements of the same kind in a second number which is smaller than the first number or more are continuously arranged in a predetermined direction as a second delete condition when it is judged that the first delete condition is achieved in the first delete condition judgment step.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a game program and a game device, and more particularly to a game program and a game device on a puzzle game.
2. Description of the Background Art
Among background arts are Japanese Patent Application Laid Open Gazette No. 2001-178967 and Japanese Patent Application Laid Open Gazette No. 11-226263.
The above two background arts are techniques on a puzzle game where a plurality of kinds of puzzle elements are displayed on a screen. In these techniques, assuming a condition in which a predetermined number of puzzle elements of the same kind are continuously arranged as a delete condition, a plurality of kinds of puzzle elements displayed on the screen are moved in accordance with an operation of a player and when the delete condition is satisfied, the puzzle elements satisfying the delete condition are deleted and the puzzle elements are moved downward in the screen so as to fill the space created by the deletion, and if puzzle elements satisfying the delete condition are formed by the movement, the puzzle elements are further deleted. Thus, a repeat of deletion and movement of the puzzle elements (a chain operation) is performed until there exists no puzzle element satisfying the delete condition.
In both the above two background arts, since the delete condition is always constant, there is a problem that it is hard to continue a chain operation in which deletion of the puzzle elements is repeated for a long time. Therefore, the game is hard to deal with for a beginner who is inexperienced in it. Though it is possible to set the delete condition easier in advance (for example, a condition in which two or more puzzle elements of the same kind are continuously arranged is set as the delete condition), in this case, since the delete condition can be satisfied easily, the puzzle elements are instantly deleted and it is hard to leave puzzle elements so as to continue a chain operation for a long time, and as a result, since it becomes hard to continue the chain operation, there arises a problem that the game loses its interest.


The apparatus comprises a treatment vessel (112) having a path-defining roller (12) biased towards a reaction member (14) to define a nip (136) there-between through which a sheet material path (120) extends. The path-defining roller (12) comprises a core (56) having a covering of elastomeric material, an outer layer (60) of which is doped with a surface modifying material. The roller which is able to resist wear without significant loss to operating characteristics.

As a rule, a processing apparatus for photographic sheet material comprises several vessels each of which contains a treatment liquid, such as a developer, a fixer and a rinse liquid. As used herein, the term sheet material includes not only photographic material in the form of cut sheets, but also in the form of a web unwound from a roll. The sheet material to be processed is transported through these vessels in turn, by transport means such as one or more pairs of drive rollers, and thereafter optionally to a drying unit. The time spent by the sheet material in each vessel is determined by the transport speed and the dimensions of the vessel in the sheet feed path direction.
In a conventional processing apparatus the sheet material is transported along a generally horizontal feed path, the sheet material passing from one vessel to another usually via a circuitous feed path passing under the surface of each treatment liquid and over dividing walls between the vessels.
In a system for the development of aluminium lithographic printing plates of the type disclosed in EP-A-410500 (Agfa Gevaert NV), the apparatus comprises a housing with pairs of processing rollers carried on roller shafts supported within the housing. The processing rollers are positioned substantially parallel and in line contact with each other. Means are provided for feeding photographic sheet material between the rollers. The roller shafts are biased towards each other to exert a pressure on the photographic sheet material as it passes between the rollers.
Processing machines having a substantially vertical orientation have also been proposed, in which a plurality of vessels are mounted one above the other, each vessel having an opening at the top acting as a sheet material inlet and an opening at the bottom acting as a sheet material outlet or vice versa. In the present context, the term "substantially vertical" is intended to mean that the sheet material moves along a path from the inlet to the outlet which is either exactly vertical, or which has a vertical component greater than any horizontal component. The use of a vertical orientation for the apparatus leads to a number of advantages. In particular the apparatus occupies only a fraction of the floor space which is occupied by a conventional horizontal arrangement. Furthermore, the sheet transport path in a vertically oriented apparatus may be substantially straight, in contrast to the circuitous feed path which is usual in a horizontally oriented apparatus. As a consequence of the straight path, the material sensitivity to scratches becomes independent of the stiffness and thickness of the material.
In a vertically oriented apparatus, it is important to avoid, or at least minimise leakage of treatment liquid from one vessel to another and carry-over as the sheet material passes through the apparatus. United States patent U.S. Pat. No. 4,166,689 (Schausberger et al. assigned to Agfa-Gevaert AG) describes such an apparatus in which liquid escapes form the lower opening and is intercepted by the tank of a sealing device with two squeegees located in the tank above a horizontal passage in line with the lower opening. One or more pairs of drive rollers in the vessel close the lower opening and also serve to transport the sheet material along a vertical path which extends between the openings of the vessel.
In both such forms of processing apparatus, the rollers are used in pairs, biased towards each other, between which the sheet material passes to act as a seal between treatment vessels of the processing apparatus, that is to remove excess treatment liquid from the sheet as it passes from one treatment vessel to the next. This reduces carry-over of treatment liquid and thereby reduces contamination and wastage. A good removal of processing liquid is also required to reduce the drying time of the sheet material after the last process bath, and hence to reduce the energy use.
It is often convenient that these rollers also act as drive rollers, serving to advance the sheet material through the apparatus. To meet these demands successfully, the resilience of the rollers is important. Usually such rollers comprise a rigid core having a layer of, for example, elastomeric material positioned over the core. If the elastomeric material is too hard, the squeegeeing properties beyond the edges of the sheet material may not be optimum, resulting in an unacceptable level of carry-over. On the other hand, if the elastomeric material is too soft it will often contain oily materials which are liable to leach out of the elastomer and contaminate the sheet material, while the elastomeric material becomes progressively degraded.
Typical rollers have a core provided with a covering of elastomeric material, although it is possible for the roller to be elastomeric throughout its cross-section. As the sheet material leaves a given liquid treatment vessel it is necessary to remove any liquid carried on the sheet material as efficiently as possible, to prevent carryover of liquid into a next treatment vessel and to reduce edge effects which arise from non-homogeneous chemistry on the sheet material after squeegeeing. This applies whether the apparatus is of a horizontal or vertical configuration. To do this job properly, the rollers must exert a sufficient and homogeneous pressure over the whole width of the sheet material. Also, to reduce edge effects, it is desirable that the opposite roller surfaces are in contact with each other beyond the edges of the sheet material. To put this problem in context, rollers used in conventional processing apparatus for example have a length of 400 mm or more and a diameter of from 24 to 60 mm. The sheet material typically has a width of from a few millimetres up to 2 m and a thickness of 0.05 mm to 0.5 mm. In view of the nature of elastomeric material, it is in fact impossible to totally eliminate any gap between the roller surfaces at the edges of the sheet material as it passes through the nip. It is desirable that the roller surfaces be in contact with each other within as short a distance as possible from the edges of the sheet material i.e. that the size of the leak zone should be minimised. It is important however that the force between the rollers is sufficient to prevent leakage when no sheet material is passing through. However, the force must not be so high as to risk physical damage to the sheet material as it passes through the nip.
It has been proposed that, in order to equalise the pressure applied by the rollers to the sheet material across the width thereof, the rollers should not have an exactly cylindrical configuration, but rather the roller should be provided with a radial dimension profile which varies along the length thereof. This may be achieved by grinding the elastomer to provide the roller with the predetermined profile. However, grinding of the elastomer can only be carried out successfully if it is sufficient hard. The use of different rollers for different purposes is costly and introduces engineering problems into the design of the apparatus.
It has also been proposed that the rollers comprise a core having a covering of elastomeric material constituted by inner and outer layers, wherein the elastomeric material of the outer layer has a higher hardness than the elastomeric material of the inner layer. Such a roller is able to minimise carry-over between vessels of a processing apparatus without damage to the sheet material while being capable of successfully being used as a drive roller. However, such a roller suffers from the disadvantage that the production process is rather complex due to the fact that two types of elastomeric material have to be processed (e.g. vulcanised) at the same time. This could effect bonding of the layers and thickness variations.
Japanese patent application JP 62 180111 (Minolta Camera Co. Ltd.) describes a non-viscous elastic roller in which the occurrence of cracks in a surface layer are reduced by covering the outer circumferential surface with a surface layer containing a reinforcing fiber, the base material of which is a fluorine-containing resin.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,583,600 (Kurosawa) describes a photosensitive material processing machine. FIGS. 40 and 41 of the patent show conveyance rollers for use in such a machine. The structure of the rollers is modified to prevent slippage and skew at high speeds. This is achieved by providing an outer layer of the roller with a fiber structure.

Apparatus for the wet processing of photographic sheet material


In an image forming device management system and method of the present invention, a data communication device is connected to one or a plurality of image forming devices and a central control system is connected to the data communication device via a public switched telephone network and provides a remote maintenance of the one or the plurality of image forming devices through the telephone network and the data communication device. A communication request signal is transmitted from the data communication device to the image forming device concerned. When the request signal is received by the image forming device concerned, a supplying of a power from a main power source to the image forming device concerned is automatically turned on. The supplying of the power from the main power source to the image forming device concerned is automatically turned off after a communication between the data communication device and the image forming device concerned ends.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming device management system and method wherein one or a plurality of image forming devices, such as copiers and printers, are connected to a data communication device within a customer system, the data communication device is connected to a central control system via a public switched telephone network.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, an image forming device management system of the above type is known, and, in such image forming device management system, the central control system (or a host computer) provides a remote maintenance of one or the plurality of image forming devices, which are located within each individual customer system, through the telephone network and the data communication device.
In a conventional image forming device management system of the above type, many image forming devices are designed to have an automatic power-off function. In such an image forming device with the automatic power-off function, when the image forming device stays in an inactive condition for a long period, exceeding a given reference period, after an end of an image forming action (copying action) of the image forming device, the supply of electric power from a power source to the image forming device is cut off for the purpose of reduction of the power consumption.
In the image forming device that is provided in the conventional image forming device management system of the above type, when a main switch of the image forming device is turned off by the operator or when the automatic power-off function is effected in order to reduce the power consumption, the supply of electric power from the power source to the image forming device is cut off. Hence, there is a problem that the image forming device, which is held in such power-off state, is unable to respond to a call or a communication request signal sent by the data communication device.
In addition, the data communication device usually functions to transmit the current setting of internal parameters of the image forming device to the central control system via the telephone network by sending, at a preprogrammed time, a call to the image forming device. However, if the image forming device is held in such power-off state as described above, the image forming device does not respond to the call sent by the data communication device. Consequently, the data communication device is unable to transmit the current setting of internal parameters of the image forming device to the central control system.

Image forming device management system and method


Systems and methods for optimizing resources of a packet service gateway are disclosed. According to an embodiment, a telecommunication system includes a servicing node, a gateway node connecting the servicing node to a data network, and a control node virtualizing the connection of the servicing node to the data network when the connection is inactive for a predetermined period of time. The control node can include a memory storing control information of inactive connections to the data network, and a processor processing and generating requests to and from the servicing node and the gateway node. According to another embodiment, a method of establishing a connection to a data network includes requesting a connection to the data network by a servicing node, connecting the servicing node to the data network via a gateway node, and virtualizing, by a control node, the connection of the servicing node to the data network.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to optimizing resources in a telecommunications system, and more specifically to a system and a method for optimizing resources of a packet service gateway.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS), a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) is a packet-based radio communication service, which became available in 2000. The GPRS is known in the art and the specification of the GPRS is provided by 3GPP available at www.3gpp.org, last visited Jan. 3, 2006. The GPRS guarantees mobile devices such as mobile phones and laptops access to the Internet without interruption, at a fast speed. Because of fast data transmission by the GPRS system, users may take part in video conferences, and use a mobile device to perform interactive communication with multimedia web sites. Packets transmitted by a mobile device are provided to the public network through Gateway GPRS Support Nodes (GGSN). The GGSN functions as a gateway that routes packets between the GPRS and the public network.
As depicted in FIG. 1, the UMTS includes mobile devices 100a, 100b, . . . , 100n and a base station controller (BSC) 101. The mobile devices 100a, 100b, . . . , 100n communicate with the BSC 101 in a GSM system, for example. In a GPRS system, the BSC 101 is connected to a packet control unit (PCU). Alternatively, the PCU of the GPRS system may be included in the BSC 101. The PCU is adjacent to the public network and operates a routing protocol and performs a security function such as a firewall. Other base stations operating in non GPRS system may include a Radio Access Node (RAN) that is used for authentication of packets. For example, the UMTS system has a RAN serving as a base station controller 101.
The BSC 101 is in turn connected to a serving GPRS supporting node (SGSN) 102. The SGSN 102 keeps track of the location of an individual mobile devices 100a, 100b, . . . , 100n and performs security functions and access control. The SGSN 102 also exists to connect the BSC 101 to the GPRS system 103 (depicted as GPRS backbone 103 in FIG. 1), which in turn is connected to the gateway GPRS support node (GGSN) 104. As explained above, the GGSN 104 is a gateway between the GPRS/UMTS network and the public data network (PDN) 105 such as the internet.
In order for the mobile devices 100 to have access to the PDN 105, a connection with the GPRS 103 and the mobile devices 100 are established. Due to the call setup time, an "always on" connection is established for the GPRS/UMTS networks. That is, once the connection is established, it remains "on" even when the MS 100 is not communicating with the public data network until it is disconnected by the MS 100. With these types of connections, the mobile operators that provide the services to the mobile devices are faced with a large amount of equipment that will potentially be deployed if the mobile device maintains the "always on" connection.

System, node, and method optimizing data connections for packet services


Provided are compounds having a thiol group as an anchoring group introduced into a Rose Bengal molecule, a method of producing the compound, an electronic device comprising the compound immobilized on an electrode by a self-assembling method, and a method of manufacturing the electronic device. The compound has the following formula:

This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2004-0091576, filed on Nov. 10, 2004, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a compound for use in electronic devices, a method of producing the compound, an electronic device comprising a layer composed of the compound, and a method of manufacturing the electronic device, and more particularly, to a compound for use in electronic devices which is derived from a Rose Bengal molecule having switching/memory properties, a method of producing the compound, an electronic device comprising a layer composed of the compound, and a method of manufacturing the electronic device.
2. Description of the Related Art
It has been recently discovered that organic materials having π-electrons that form conjugate bonds have semiconducting properties and considerable research is being conducted to develop such organic semiconductor materials. Research on organic semiconductor materials has been primarily related to electron transportation. Also, vigorous research is being conducted to apply such materials to molecular switch/memory devices using a charging phenomenon that occurs due to the polarization of π-electrons in the molecules. It has been reported that a molecular device manufactured by spin coating Rose Bengal molecules, which are used as organic coloring agents, has a molecular memory property. However, the molecular film produced by spin coating is composed of up to several tens of molecular layers, and the thickness of the molecular film is at least several tens of nanometers. Thus, an ultra-thin film cannot be easily produced and it is almost impossible to control the thickness of the film.

Compound having anchoring group, electronic device comprising the compound, and methods of producing them

Abstract: wherein        R is an unsaturated or saturated C2-C20 hydrocarbon group.

Abstract: The compound can provide switch/memory properties and form a single molecular layer by self-assembling when manufacturing a molecular electronic device.

Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute


A wireless communication device according to an aspect of this invention includes a main body antenna to communicate with the antenna of a wireless card, and an antenna position setting unit capable of setting a plurality of types of positional relationships between the antenna of the wireless card and the main body antenna.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wireless communication device which communicates with a wireless card or wireless tag used for a credit card, reward card, or individual identification medium (e.g., a bankbook, employee card, or passport), and a wireless communication method applied to the wireless communication device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, wireless cards have widely spread for reasons of information security and portability. Organizations such as ISO standardize the communication method so that wireless readers/writers and wireless cards available from various manufacturers can be utilized without any problem. For example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 9-179954 discloses a technique for a wireless information processing apparatus which reads/writes data from/on a portable wireless card via a wireless communication medium.
However, when the transmission/reception antenna of the wireless reader/writer and the antenna of the wireless card are in tight contact with each other and have a similar shape, cross coupling between the antennas becomes strong, and their antenna characteristics influence each other. The antenna characteristic of the wireless reader/writer may greatly deviate from the communication frequency of the wireless card. Along with this, the wireless reader/writer may not normally receive a response from the wireless card. That is, the wireless reader/writer and wireless card which meet the standard of ISO or the like may not be able to communicate with each other.

Wireless communication device adjusting antenna position and wireless communication method of adjusting antenna position


An imaging apparatus according to the present invention aims to make a transit of a blur correction section from/to an electronically retained state to/from a mechanically retained state without causing image shifts on a display section. For this purpose, the imaging apparatus includes an image sensor, an LCD monitor, a gyro-sensor, a CCD stage, an actuator, a mechanical retention mechanism, a blur correction function in which the CCD stage is mechanically retained at a predetermined position during non-performance of a blur correction and it is electronically retained in a drivable state at a predetermined position during the blur correction, and a controller changing a display control over the LCD monitor when the CCD stage is transited from/to an electronically retained state to/from a mechanically retained state.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus having a blur correction function to correct blurs due to moving hands at shooting, as well as to an imaging method.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, imaging apparatuses such as a still camera or a video camera with automatic multi-functions as auto-exposure or auto-focus mechanism have been very popular. Also, several techniques for blur correction to correct image blurs due to shakes or movements of the imaging apparatus have been realized.
In general, an anti-blur apparatus with such a blur correction function includes a shake detector which detects shakes of the apparatus, a blur corrector which corrects image blurs due to the shakes, a driver which drives the blur corrector, a controller which calculates a correction amount for the image blur in accordance with output of the shake detector to control the driver, and a retainer which mechanically retains the blur corrector at a predetermined position.
For example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication No. 2001-66655 has disclosed a technique to correct blurs by detecting an amount of shakes of the imaging apparatus due to the moving hands of a user, detecting a shift of a substrate having a photoelectric converter while the substrate is being shifted according to the detected blur amount, and correcting the blur amount according to the detected shift to shift the substrate.
For another example, Japanese Patent No. 2613581 has disclosed an anti-blur apparatus having a portion to get in contact with a member moving for prevention of image blurs to allow it to be in a non-operational state. The anti-blur apparatus is configured so that the portion is smoothly transited from an operational state to the non-operational state, thereby preventing an occurrence of a mechanical failure and unnatural changes in an image during the transition as well as improving usability of the apparatus.


A vehicle body structure having a pillar member maintains the shape of a pillar member in a substantially linear state when the pillar member deforms inward toward the passenger compartment during a side collision. The pillar member has a collision force converting structure that is constituted by the curved shape of the pillar member. When a side collision force is imparted to the pillar member, the collision force converting structure converts it into and maintains it as a force acting on the pillar member in the lengthwise direction of the pillar member. Thus, the collision force is absorbed as a lengthwise compressive load in the pillar member. A shape maintaining structure restricts the inward deformation of the pillar member 3 toward the passenger compartment and holds the pillar member in a substantially linear shape to increase the efficiency with which the collision load is transferred to the side roof rail and side sill.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a vehicle body structure for an automobile. More specifically, the present invention relates to a vehicle body side structure that is configured to absorb the energy of a side impact.
2. Background Information
Some conventional vehicle body structures have been proposed in which a strength discontinuity is provided in a lower portion of a center pillar having a closed cross sectional structure. During a side collision, the structure bends into the passenger compartment in an appropriate manner at the strength discontinuity, thus preventing localized bending at the middle area and the upper area of the center pillar. As a result, the center pillar is displaced toward the passenger compartment in a substantially uniform manner and the amount of inward deformation is relatively small. One example of such a vehicle body structure is disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 335781 (see, pages 3-4, FIG. 6).
In view of the above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that there exists a need for an improved vehicle body structure. This invention addresses this need in the art as well as other needs, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.


Adjusting power for a WDM optical transmission system comprising emitter means, an optical transmission line, and receiver means, the method being characterized in that for each wavelength channel, the power emitted for said channel by the emitter means is adjusted as a function of the optical powers received for said channel at a plurality of points distributed along the transmission line.

The present invention relates to a method of adjusting power for a wavelength-division multiplexed (WDM) optical transmission system.
Digital optical channel transmission, in particular over an amplified link, is limited firstly at low powers by noise and secondly at high powers by non-linear effects.
In any amplified link, there exists an optimum outlet power level from each of the amplifiers which ensures the lowest possible error rate.
For transmission without wavelength-division multiplexing, the optimum power can be adjusted by the power of the pump in each amplifier.
However, when the transmission uses wavelength-division multiplexing, it is no longer possible to adjust the gain of each of the signals individually, since the response of the amplifiers is not flat with varying wavelength.
Three main techniques have been described for resolving this problem.
One of those techniques consists in optimizing the dopants of the amplifying fiber and in optimizing mean population inversion: flatness of about 1.5 decibels (dB) over 30 nanometers (nm) can thus be obtained for gain of 25 dB.
In this respect, reference can be made to the following publication:                K. Inoue, T. Kominato, H. Toba, IEEE Photon. Techn. Letters 3, 718 (1991);
Sulhoff, Smart, Zyskind, Nagel, DiGiovanni, "Gain peaking in concatenated 980-nm-pumped EDFAs", OFC'94, p. 40 (1994).
Another technique consists in using optical filters.
In general, those first two techniques are used for the purpose of limiting variations in gain to a few tenths of a decibel.
A third technique consists in pre-emphasizing the signals, i.e. in reducing inlet power at those wavelengths that have higher gain and in increasing inlet power of signals for which gain is lower. Pre-emphasis is considered to be optimized when the signal-to-noise ratios in the various channels are equal.
A technique of that type is described in particular in:                Chaplyvy, Nagel, Tkach, "Equalization in amplified WDM lightwave transmission systems", IEEE Photon. Techn. Lett. 4, 8 (1992);        Chraplyvy, Tkach, Reichmann, Magill, Nagel, "End-to-end equalization experiments in amplified WDM lightwave systems", IEEE Photon. Techn. Lett. 4, 428 (1993).
Nevertheless, that technique cannot correct cumulative gain differences of more than 25 dB. In addition, it increases the non-linear penalty for given signal-to-noise ratio.
Furthermore, one of the main sources of degradation in a WDM terrestrial transmission system having amplifiers with equalized gain is the way the gain characteristic curve varies as a function of temperature. This variation is about 1 dB per 25 dB of gain over a temperature range of 50° C. Variation in line losses is another factor that degrades the flatness of amplifier gain.
To resolve that problem, proposals have been made, in particular in European patent application No. 0 580 497, for a device which adjusts the source parameters as a function of the error rate on reception, as estimated or as measured.
Nevertheless, information concerning error rate is not always available on reception.
Proposals have already been made, in particular in Japanese patent abstract No. JP 08 223136 for techniques which consist in equalizing gains at each of the amplifiers in a transmission line.

Method of adjusting power for a wavelength-division multiplexed optical transmission system


Embodiments of the invention include polypeptide formulations and methods for making, using and characterizing them. Embodiment of the invention include stabilized polypeptide formulations, for example stable glucose oxidase formulations that can be used with glucose sensors used in the management of diabetes. Another embodiment of the invention includes methods to characterize the concentration of nonionic surfactants in stabilized polypeptide formulation for example stable insulin formulations that can be used in the treatment of diabetes.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to polypeptide formulations such as those used in the treatment and management of diabetes.
2. Description of Related Art
Advancing technologies have made a wide variety of biologically active polypeptides available in sufficiently large quantities for use in both diagnostic as well as therapeutic methodologies. Many polypeptides, however, can lose biological activity by a variety of chemical and physical means including deamidation, aggregation and denaturation. Consequently, the identification and characterization of compositions and methods that can be used to stabilize and/or assess the stability of these agents is essential for the optimization of their benefits.
Stable polypeptide formulations are particularly important for use in devices that expose these agents to elevated temperatures and/or mechanical stress. Stable glucose oxidase formulations, for example, are used with glucose analyte sensors and related devices in the management of diabetes. Similarly, in continuous infusion systems, a fluid containing a therapeutic agent is pumped from a reservoir, usually to a subcutaneous, intravenous, or intraperitoneal depot. Stable insulin formulations, for example are used with continuous infusion systems and related devices in the treatment of diabetes. Formulations of such polypeptides must remain active even though subjected to extended periods of storage prior to use as well as a patient's body heat and motion during use.

Polypeptide formulations and methods for making, using and characterizing them


During the light illumination period of a monomer addition cycle in synthesizing an DNA microarray, undesirable reflections of illumination light from various interfaces that the illumination light passes through near the synthesis surface of the substrate may reduce the light-dark contrast, and negatively affect the precision and resolution of the microarray synthesis. The present invention provides an flow cell that reduces the undesired reflections by constructing certain flow cell structures with materials that have similar refractive indexes as that of the solution that is in the oligomer synthesis chamber during the illumination period and/or constructing certain flow cell structures or covering the structures with a layer of a material that has a high extinction coefficient.

The sequencing of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is a fundamental tool of modern biology and is conventionally carried out in various ways, commonly by processes which separate DNA segments by electrophoresis. See, e.g., "DNA Sequencing," Current Protocols In Molecular Biology, Vol. 1, Chapter 7 (1995). The sequencing of several important genomes has already been completed (e.g., yeast, E. coli), and work is proceeding on the sequencing of other genomes of medical and agricultural importance (e.g., human, C. elegans, Arabidopsis). In the medical context, it will be necessary to "re-sequence" the genome of large numbers of human individuals to determine which genotypes are associated with which diseases. Such sequencing techniques can be used to determine which genes are active and which are inactive, either in specific tissues, such as cancers, or more generally in individuals exhibiting genetically influenced diseases. The results of such investigations can allow identification of the proteins that are good targets for new drugs or identification of appropriate genetic alterations that may be effective in genetic therapy. Other applications lie in fields such as soil ecology or pathology where it would be desirable to be able to isolate DNA from any soil or tissue sample and use probes from ribosomal DNA sequences from all known microbes to identify the microbes present in the sample.
The conventional sequencing of DNA using electrophoresis is typically laborious and time consuming. Various alternatives to conventional DNA sequencing have been proposed. One such alternative approach, utilizing an array of oligonucleotide probes synthesized by photolithographic techniques is described in Pease et al., "Light-Generated Oligonucleotide Arrays for Rapid DNA Sequence Analysis," Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 91:5022-5026 (1994). In this approach, the surface of a solid support modified with photolabile protecting groups is illuminated through a photolithographic mask, yielding reactive hydroxyl groups in the illuminated regions. A 3′ activated deoxynucleoside, protected at the 5′ hydroxyl with a photolabile group, is then provided to the surface such that coupling occurs at sites that had been exposed to light. Following capping and oxidation, the substrate is rinsed and the surface is illuminated through a second mask to expose additional hydroxyl groups for coupling. A second 5′ protected activated deoxynucleoside base is presented to the surface. The selective photodeprotection and coupling cycles are repeated to build up levels of bases until the desired set of probes is obtained. It may be possible to generate high density, miniaturized arrays of oligonucleotide probes using such photolithographic techniques, wherein the sequence of the oligonucleotide probe at each site in the array is known.
These probes can then be used to search for complementary sequences on a target strand of DNA, with detection of the target that has hybridized to particular probes accomplished by the use of fluorescent markers coupled to the targets and inspection by an appropriate fluorescence scanning microscope. A variation of this process using polymeric semiconductor photoresists, which are selectively patterned by photolithographic techniques, rather than using photolabile 5′ protecting groups, is described in McGall et al., "Light-Directed Synthesis of High-Density Oligonucleotide Arrays Using Semiconductor Photoresists," Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 93:13555-13560 (1996), and McGall et al., "The Efficiency of Light-Directed Synthesis of DNA Arrays on Glass Substrates," J. Am. Chem. Soc. 119:22:5081-5090 (1997).
A disadvantage of both of these approaches is that four different lithographic masks are needed for each monomeric base, and the total number of different masks required are thus four times the length of the DNA probe sequences to be synthesized. The high cost of producing the many precision photolithographic masks that are required, and the multiple processing steps required for repositioning of the masks for every exposure, contribute to relatively high costs and lengthy processing times.
A similar problem exists for synthesis of diverse sequences of other types of oligomers such as polypeptides, which is useful for determining binding affinity in screening studies. For example, Piffling et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,143,854 (see also PCT Application No. WO 90/15070) discloses methods of forming vast arrays of peptides using light-directed synthesis techniques. However, the large number of lithographic masks needed in the synthesis makes the fixed cost for this process relatively high and the processing time lengthy.
A patterning process described in Cerrina et al., PCT Application No. WO 99/42813 overcomes the above problems. With this patterning process, an image is projected onto an activate surface of a substrate for oligomer synthesis utilizing an image former that includes a light source that provides light to a micromirror device including an array of electronically addressable micromirrors. The substrate is activated in a defined pattern and monomers are coupled to the activated sites, with further repeats until the elements of a two-dimensional array on the substrate have an appropriate monomer bound thereto. The micromirror arrays can be controlled in conjunction with an oligomer synthesizer to control the sequencing of images presented by the micromirror array in coordination with the reagents provided to the substrate. The patterning process eliminated the requirement of lithographic masks for selectively illuminating certain oligomer synthesis positions.
In an instrument for the synthesis of nucleic acid probes using light, strict control of the light in the instrument has proven to be a critical parameter. Light that is misdirected, inadvertently reflected or otherwise directly randomly inside the instrument, herein referred to as "stray light," can adversely affect the overall accuracy and fidelity of the arrays made by the instrument. Excess stray light can lead to the de-protection of areas of the array other than the ones intended to be de-protected, and thus cause errors in the synthesis of probes. This problem cannot be well-controlled in a photolithographic process, where the use of masks interposed between the light source and the array synthesis cell inherently causes refracted light in some amount to be direct where it is not intended. However, the development of the maskless array synthesizer permits the level of stray light in the instrument to be minimized to an extent that was not possible before.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Microarray synthesis instrument and method


A heat exchange method and system for heat transfer includes a plate fin and tube or finned tube heat exchanger that reduces the plume of a stream that is being rejected to atmosphere by reducing the water dew point of the stream.

Plate fin and tube heat exchangers or externally finned tube exchangers have long been employed to recover process heat. These exchangers are most often employed to heat or cool a low density gas stream located on the finned side against a denser fluid with higher heat transfer coefficient within the tubes. The extended surface on the finned exterior pass allows greater heat transfer surface than a bare tube and provides greater heat transfer at a low-pressure drop.
The art has not heretofore recognized the unexpected advantage of using multiple cooling streams on the tube side of one or more heat exchanger and interlacing the heat transfer zones to allow more effective heat transfer and reduce the water dewpoint of the stream to reduce or eliminate visible vapor plume while also reducing SO3 emissions was not recognized in the art.

Heat exchange system for plume abatement


Poisoning-preventive and poisoning-resistant materials including: a poisoning-preventive layer-possessing support comprising a support and, formed thereon, a poisoning-preventive layer having a compound containing at least one element selected from the Group IIa element of the periodic table; a poisoning-resistant catalyst for catalytic converter, which comprises a support, a noble metal catalytic component deposited on the support, and a poisoning-preventive layer formed on the side of the catalytic component exposed to an exhaust gas, the poisoning-preventive layer having a compound containing at least one element selected from the Group IIa elements of the periodic table; an exhaust gas converter device comprising a poisoning-preventive material provided on the exhaust gas inlet side, the poisoning-preventive material being either a ceramic material or the poisoning-preventive layer-possessing support as described above, the ceramic material comprising a compound containing at least one element selected from the Group IIa elements of the periodic table or comprising the compound and other ceramic compound, and a catalyst provided on the exhaust gas outlet side, the catalyst comprising a support and a noble metal catalytic component deposited on the support; and a poisoning-preventive gasoline composition comprising a gasoline and a compound containing at least one element selected from the Group IIa elements of the periodic table.

Automotive exhaust gas catalytic converters are commonly used in automobiles to prevent environmental pollution because the catalytic converters greatly reduce air pollutants such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, etc. without lowering the output and fuel efficiency of the engines.
With recent improvements in the combustion systems in engines, the concentrations of unburned ingredients in exhaust gases have become low. As a result, catalytic converters are now mainly employed. Catalysts for use in these catalytic converters include an oxidation catalyst, a reduction catalyst, and a three-way catalyst, each consisting of a ceramic support of the pellet or monolith-type and a particular catalytic component deposited on the support. Such catalytic components include, for example, noble metals such as Pt, Rh, etc.
Catalytic converters are also used in industrial engines (e.g., engines for use with digestion gases formed by the digestion of organic sludges such as sewage sludges).
However, the known catalytic converters have the following problem. Silicon (including various Si-containing compounds), for example, siloxane gas (Si(CH.sub.3).sub.n O or (CH.sub.3).sub.2 SiO) and phosphorus, for example, phosphoric acid and phosphate (such as H.sub.3 PO.sub.4, HPO.sub.3 and H.sub.4 P.sub.2 O.sub.7) are often present in exhaust gases, mainly because silicones or the like are used in large quantities as sealing materials, i.e., formed in-place gasket (FIPG) for present-day automotive parts and phosphorus is contained in oils. Further, sand and dust, dispersed in the air, may come into the intake air and be introduced into the engine. In the case of engines used with digestion gases, there are also situations where Si etc. enters into the fuel. Because of Si and phosphorous, the noble metals, such as Pt and Rh, used as catalytic components are likely to be poisoned or clogged. This poisoning or clogging greatly impairs the catalyst function.


A multi-flute reamer includes a cutting portion having a forward end and a rearward end, and a chip flute with a chip gash opening, and a cutting insert mounted on the cutting portion. A leading edge is formed at an intersection between a top surface and a radially-outward side surface, and a front edge is formed at an intersection between the top surface and a forward side surface. The cutting insert includes a rounded lead cutting edge formed at the intersection between the leading edge and the front edge, and the top surface includes a chip breaker having a bottom surface formed with a radius, R.

Known rotary cutting tools for performing reaming operations typically comprise a cutting head having an axis of rotation. The cutting head has a forward end and a peripheral surface extending rearwardly therefrom. The peripheral surface includes at least two cutting inserts or wiping pads extending rearwardly from the forward end and a chip flute for the evacuation of chips produced during the cutting operation.
One disadvantage of conventional reamers is that the chips produced during a cutting operation flow directly into the chip flute, thus lacking the ability to control the shape and evacuation of the chips during the cutting operation. Consequently, the chips may become tangled on the tool shank and/or remain in the machined holes during the cutting operation.

Multi-flute reamer and cutting insert therefor


Systems and methods are described for implementing automation of testing in remote sessions. In an implementation, a test agent is deployed at a remote server to automate testing of various components in a remote session between the remote server and a remote client. The test agent enables automation, synchronization and monitoring of test commands between the remote client and the remote server. The test agent communicates with test applications deployed at the remote client to test the components in the remote session.

In typical remote systems, remote computing devices are connected to servers from a distant location. Often, it may be necessary to test various features of the remote computing devices and the servers, after establishing a remote connection between the remote computing devices and the servers. Typical test automation tools may use manual inputs that can involve keyboard and mouse inputs to test the various features. This can become unreliable during testing operations due to timing issues and string dependencies. Furthermore, a new set of instructions may have to be written for the remote computing devices and the servers for each new feature to be tested. This may further mean that custom components are to be implemented on the server side and the computing device side for every new test. This can lead to a great consumption of time and resources.

Automation of testing in remote sessions


A SAW device includes a mounting substrate including a mounting surface, a SAW chip mounted on the mounting surface, a dummy chip mounted on the mounting surface, and a resin part covering the acoustic wave chip and the dummy chip. The dummy chip includes an insulating dummy substrate, and one or more dummy terminals which are located on a surface of the dummy substrate on the mounting surface side and are bonded to the mounting surface. The dummy chip configures an open end when electrically viewed from the mounting substrate side.

Known in the art is an acoustic wave chip which has a piezoelectric substrate and has an excitation electrode positioned on the piezoelectric substrate and supplies voltage to the piezoelectric substrate by the excitation electrode to thereby excite an acoustic wave propagating through the piezoelectric substrate. Further, there is also known an acoustic wave device having such an acoustic wave chip, a mounting substrate on which the acoustic wave chip is mounted, and a resin part covering (sealing) the acoustic wave chip (for example Patent Literature 1). In Patent Literature 1, two acoustic wave chips are mounted on one mounting substrate and the two acoustic wave chips are sealed by resin together.

Acoustic wave device and communication apparatus


A method for minimizing tunnels in a network, apparatus and computer-readable storage medium having computer readable code stored thereon for programming a computer to perform the method. The method includes the steps of: obtaining state information associated with a first node connected to a mobile network behind a mobile node; receiving a first message sent between the first node and a correspondent node, wherein a first header was removed from the first message prior to sending the first message; recreating, in one of the mobile node and a mobility agent, the first header using the state information; and sending the first message with the first header.

Packets sent in communication networks wherein nodes implement Mobile Internet Protocol (MIP) and some form of security protocol can be burdened with significant packet overhead due to multiple sets of IP headers and possibly also Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) or User Datagram Protocol (UDP) headers. For example, packets to and from nodes that are connected to a mobile network behind a mobile router may include four headers that are associated with four IP tunnels—two for the mobile router and two for the node connected behind the mobile router. This is especially a problem where such packets must traverse a narrowband wireless link.
Thus, there exists a need for optimizing the use of IP tunnels in a communication network in order to minimize header overhead. Such optimization will enhance efficiency of the system overall, but will be especially useful for packets being sent over links that have a narrow bandwidth.

Optimized tunneling methods in a network


Complex microspheres consist of polysiloxane and vinyl polymers which are unistructurally mixed together and substantially free of covalent bonds therebetween. Polysiloxane and vinyl polymer are contained at ratio of 97/3.about.30/70 by weight, the average diameter of the complex microspheres is 0.05.about.30 .mu.m, the standard deviation of their particle size is 1.0.about.2.5, and the ratio between their major and minor axes is 1.0.about.1.2. Thermoplastic films containing such complex microspheres at a specified rate have improved lubricity and anti-blocking properties.

This invention relates to a method of making complex microspheres, complex microspheres made by such a method and thermoplastic films containing such complex microspheres.
It has been known to add complex microspheres to paints, cosmetic products, rubbers, plastics, paper and the like during their production or fabrication processes in order to improve their properties or, more specifically, to thermoplastic films during their production or fabrication process in order to modify their properties. Nowadays, polyolefin, polyester, polyvinyl chloride, polyamide, polystyrene and many other kinds of thermoplastic films are widely being used as industrial base films, for example, as lapping material, for photography, as magnetic memory media and as capacitors. With the recent demands for higher performance and greater variety of these base films, however, it is becoming of vital importance to further improve the surface characteristics of these films. In the field of magnetic memory media using a base film produced from a resin composition having linear aromatic polyester as its principal element, for example, there is a strong demand not only regarding its thickness but also for improved lubricity because of the requirement of high memory density, high capacity and high reliability. In the field of lapping materials using base films of a resin composition having polyolefin as its principal element, as another example, there is a strong requirement for anti-blocking characteristics because the surfactants and water-soluble macromolecules which are applied to the film for providing improved antistatic, printable and anticloud properties tend to enhance the blocking between the film surfaces.
In the past, use of particles of different kinds such as polystyrene, polyvinyl acetate, polyethylene, nylon, epoxy resins, phenol resins and polysiloxane has been proposed. As examples of polysiloxane particles, use of silica particles (i. Colloid and Interface Sci. , Vol. 26, 62-69, 1968), polymethylsilsesquioxane particles (Japanese Patent Publication Tokkai 63-77940), and polyorganosiloxane particles (Japanese Patent Publication Tokkai 63-312324) has been proposed. Regarding the modification of thermoplastic films by the application of such polysiloxane particles, Japanese Patent Publication Tokkai 59-171623 reported improved lubricity by their application onto a polyester film.
There are problems with these prior art particles. Firstly, they are easily breakable by a mechanical impact. Secondly, they do not disperse easily inside a medium or a polymer material. Thirdly, their dispersion stability is poor. Fourthly, their shapes and size distribution are not uniform. These problems make it difficult as a matter of fact to accomplish the desired modification of a film. In other words, even if polysiloxane particles of the kinds which have been suggested are applied to a thermoplastic film, the kind of improved lubricity and anti-blocking properties which is recently being required of thermoplastic films cannot be realized without adversely affecting their basic original characteristics.

Complex microspheres, method of making same, and thermoplastic films containing same


A process for producing an N-alkyl-N-methylamine or an N-alkenyl-N-methylamine in a high yield from a higher alcohol and methylamine comprising the step of reacting a higher alcohol with methylamine in the presence of a catalyst comprising copper and a fourth period transition metal of the Periodic Table, except for chromium, or a catalyst comprising copper, a fourth period transition metal of the Periodic Table, except for chromium, and an element of the platinum group VIII of the Periodic Table, at a pressure ranging from atmospheric pressure to 100 atm. G., at a reaction temperature ranging from 100.degree. to 250.degree. C., with hydrogen gas being introduced into the reaction system while water produced in the reaction is removed from the reaction system and the amount of methylamine in the gaseous mixture which contains no matter formed through the reaction and is exhausted from the reaction system is regulated from 5 to 50% by volume.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for producing an N-alkyl-N-methylamine or an N-alkenyl-N-methylamine.
Aliphatic amines produced from tallow, coconut oil or palm oil are important intermediates for household and industrial products. Particularly aliphatic secondary amines such as N-alkyl-N-methylamine and N-alkenyl-N-methylamine are converted into quaternary ammonium salts and the like, and widely used as a raw material for softeners and antistatic agents and as a base material for conditioners.
2. Description of the Related Art
Aliphatic secondary amines have been produced from a fatty acid via a nitrile or by a process wherein a higher alcohol is aminated (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,792,622). Although only secondary amines having symmetrical alkyl chains (two alkyl chains which are identical with each other) can be produced in the former process, secondary amines having asymmetrical alkyl chains can be obtained by reacting a long-chain alcohol with a long-chain primary amine in the latter process (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 202854/1990). However, even by the latter process, an efficient production of an N-(long-chain alkyl)-N-methylamine wherein one of the alkyl chains is a methyl group is difficult, because an N,N-di(long-chain alkyl)-N-methylamine is formed in a large amount as a by-product.

Process for producing N-alkyl-N-methylamine or N-alkenyl-N-methylamine


A portable folding electronic device has a base with a longer length dimension and a shorter width dimension and a user interface on one surface. The user interface may be oriented for use when the base has a portrait orientation. The device also has a screen unit with a longer length dimension and a shorter width dimension and a screen on one surface. A linkage connects the base to the screen unit. The linkage provides at least two degrees of freedom between the base and the screen unit such that the screen unit may be moved to a first position folded onto the base, with the length dimension of said screen unit aligned with the length dimension of the base, and to a second position tilted with respect to the base, with the length dimension of the screen unit aligned with the width dimension of the base.

This specification relates to a portable folding electronic device.
Many portable electronic devices have a screen unit hinged to a base, with the base supporting a user interface. With such devices, the screen unit may fold down so that the screen faces the keys on the base. In this closed configuration, the screen and keys are shielded. Such folding portable devices (as, for example, a flip phone) typically have a rectangular configuration with the hinge at the short side of the base and screen unit. In consequence, the screen is long and narrow which, at least for some users, may make reading the screen difficult.


A DC offset compensation system and method significantly reduce a DC offset voltage in the voltage feedback loop of an AC motor drive control system. A control voltage error signal is demodulated and filtered and applied to the closed loop voltage feedback signals to compensate for DC offset voltages in the closed loop voltage feedback. A frequency discriminator tuned to the fundamental motor frequency improves the precision of the DC offset detection. A startup flux DC offset compensation operates to eliminate initial startup flux DC offset. Motor flux compensation is improved through a variable flux filter time constant.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to AC motor drive control systems, and relates more particularly to improving performance of AC motor drive control systems.
2. Description of Related Art
Sensorless AC drives provide a number of advantages over motor drive systems that include position feedback devices such as encoders or resolvers. Operating AC drives in a sensorless control scheme can reduce system costs and simplify implementation, and provide a number of other advantages in typical environments in which AC motor drives are employed.
Sensorless AC drive control schemes often benefit from a voltage feedback derived from the power signals supplied to the motor. A closed loop voltage feedback can improve the control system responsiveness, and in particular when used with the current feedback typically employed in a sensorless AC motor drive. One advantage of voltage feedback is improved drive performance especially at low speed operation. A number of non -linearities and other system variables can be largely suppressed by providing a closed loop voltage control. For example, inverter dead time, conduction losses and switching losses, which are typical non-linear variables in the motor drive system can be compensated with a high bandwidth voltage regulating loop. Such a voltage regulating loop may operate at 1500 rad/sec, for example. Sophisticated motor drive control systems also use on line motor parameter estimation algorithms that use motor voltages as input signals. Accordingly, using voltage feedback for AC drive control systems permits a number of high performance control opportunities in the implementation of an AC drive system.
One of the difficulties with voltage feedback sensing is a DC offset typically found in the feedback circuitry. A DC offset in the feedback circuitry can cause unwanted drive torque oscillations, and can even lead to unstable drive operation. One technique to solve the problem of a DC offset is to nullify the sensor feedbacks at initialization, prior to operating the drive system. However, once the motor drive is initialized and running, it is difficult to continue to nullify the DC offset due to the presence of high amplitude AC signals. For the sake of ease of implementation, offset compensation is typically frozen until the motor drive is no longer running, at which point a DC offset compensation can again be performed. DC offset voltage may vary significantly during long duration runs of a motor drive, and significant unwanted torque ripple can eventually develop as the DC offset voltage continues to build. It would be desirable to eliminate the DC offset while the motor drive system is on line and running.

System and method for elimination of DC offset feedback in AC drives


The boxing training device is a striking machine with a pair of identical spaced apart upright members affixed to the adjustable base. A block is affixed to the uprights most proximal the top end with a head removably disposed on the block. The head can be selectively fitted with a display unit that offers electronic feedback to the user. An upper impact pad can replace the display unit. A crossbar is affixed to the double action spring hinge of the head. The crossbar has a removable impact pad on each end such that a strike on either pad causes a counterstrike from the opposite pad, as the crossbar provides resisted horizontal rotation about the head via the hinge. Various impact pads are provided and interaction is offered a user with metered measurement and recording of activity, with further interaction available for interplay with existing electronic media and devices.

Various types of sport specific athletic training apparatuses are known in the prior art. Most are purely mechanical and often quite basic, such as a punching bag, hanging punching bag, or the like. Some are more complex yet none offer what is needed to fully engage a boxer or martial artist. Continual and progressive engagement of these athletes requires a combatative offering that can even counter react to a trainee. For example, should a boxer or martial artist throw a kick or punch, great training benefit is to be derived from a device that forces the trainee to expect a counter punch in return, often from an opposed direction. Further, today's athlete both needs and expects electronic feedback as well as interactive abilities with regard to existing external media and other electronic devices in order to enhance training and gaming experiences. Not only does engagement with external devices provide more enjoyable training, external engagement also provides for faster and more effective learning and enjoyment.
What is needed is a boxing and martial arts training device that fulfills these requirements, advantages provided by the current boxing training device.


A method and system of adjusting a drive signal to a fuel injector or other electromagnetic device having an electromagnetic coil and an armature. The system includes an amplifier coupled to the electromagnetic coil by a link. A sensor is coupled to the link to measure the electric signal travelling through the link and produces an output signal based on the sensed electric signal. A controller coupled to the amplifier and to the sensor produces a drive signal for the electromagnetic coil. The controller determines the position of the armature based on the output signal of the sensor, and modifies the drive signal based on the position of the armature. The method includes sending a drive signal to a fuel injector, sensing whether the armature contacts the body of the fuel injector, running the injector with the drive signal if no contact is detected, and upon sensing contact between the armature and the body, modifying the drive signal. If the armature contacts the body of the fuel injector when driven by the modified drive signal, the controller modifies the modified drive signal until no contact between the armature and the body is detected. Then, the injector is run using the modified signal. The drive signal if preferably modified by notching the drive signal or stepping the drive signal.

The present invention relates to fuel injectors. More particularly, the invention relates to methods and devices used to control the actuation of fuel injectors.
Modem internal combustion engines rely on electronically controlled fuel injection systems. Mechanical injectors spray or otherwise dispense fuel within the combustion chamber(s) of the engine at specific times. The timing of fuel dispensing and the amount of fuel dispensed affects engine performance in a myriad of ways. While systems have been developed to control fuel injectors, these systems suffer from several deficiencies.
As is known, a fuel injector has an electromagnetic coil that is used to open and close a fuel-metering valve to control the flow of fuel into the engine. In most conventional fuel systems, the drive signal delivered to the coil is an amplified square wave. The square wave deteriorates slightly as it is amplified and run through the coil. Thus, the signal delivered to the fuel injector is not a true square wave. One deficiency in modem systems is that distorted square wave signals cause the armature to forcefully drive the valve into end stops positioned at either end of the path of travel of the valve. When the valve contacts the stops, the valve bounces. This generates an unpleasant noise and excessive wear of the valve and stops.
In light of the noted noise and wear problems of present fuel injection systems, there is a need for an improved fuel injection system that eliminates or reduces valve or armature bounce.
The present invention includes a fuel injector control system that modifies the control signal sent to the electromagnetic coil of a fuel injector. The control system has a microprocessor or other programmable device that delivers an output signal to an amplifying circuit such as a power transistor. The microprocessor modifies the control signal by notching or stepping the signal at times that correspond to the opening and closing of the injector valve. The notches in the signal help eliminate vibrations in the fuel injector caused by the impact of the valve contacting the stops within the injector. The microprocessor adjusts the notching of the drive signal by monitoring the electromagnetic characteristics of the fuel injector.
The invention also provides a method of driving a fuel injector that includes, sending a drive signal to a fuel injector, sensing whether the armature contacts the body of the fuel injector, running the injector with the drive signal if no contact is detected, and upon sensing contact between the armature and the body, modifying the drive signal. As noted, the drive signal is modified by notching or stepping the drive signal. The modified drive signal is reapplied to the fuel injector and the system then senses whether the armature contacts the body of the fuel injector when driven by the modified drive signal. The system continues to modify the signal until no contact between the armature and the body is detected. The injector is then run with the modified signal.
As is apparent from the above, it is an advantage of the present invention to provide a method and system for controlling a fuel injector. Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings.

Feedback tailoring of fuel injector drive signal


A negative voltage switching circuit in a nonvolatile memory includes a switching transistor coupled to an output of the negative voltage switching circuit and a first voltage source that has a voltage level substantially lower than zero volts. A pull-up circuit is coupled to a control terminal of the switching transistor and selectively to a second voltage source having a voltage level substantially above zero volts. The pull-up circuit applies the second voltage source to the control terminal of the switching transistor when the pull-up circuit is coupled to the second voltage source such that the switching transistor does not couple the first voltage source to the output. A pull-down circuit is coupled to the first voltage source and the control terminal of the switching transistor. The pull-down circuit applies the first voltage source to the control terminal of the switching transistor when the pull-up circuit is not coupled to the second voltage source such that the switching transistor couples the first voltage source to the output.

A prior flash electrically erasable and programmable read-only memory ("flash EPROM") typically uses memory cells that include electrically isolated gates (i.e., floating gates). Information is stored in the memory cells in the form of charge on the floating gates. FIG. 1 illustrates the structure of one such memory cell 10. Memory cell 10 includes a drain region 13 and a source region 14 in a substrate 15. Source region 14 and drain region 13 are asymmetrically doped with an arsenic dopant and source region 14 is additionally doped with a phosphorous dopant. A polysilicon floating gate 12 is generally disposed above and between these regions and insulated from these regions by an insulating layer 16. Floating gate 12 at the completion of processing is completely surrounded by insulating layers and electrically floats. A second gate (i.e., a control gate) 11 is disposed above floating gate 12 that is fabricated from a second layer of polysilicon. A second insulating layer 17 separates floating gate 12 from control gate 11.
As can be seen from FIG. 2A, memory cell 10 is programmed (i.e., negatively charging the floating gate) by coupling control gate 11 to a gate programming potential of approximately +12 volts, drain region 13 to a drain programming potential of approximately +7 volts, and source region 14 to ground. Under these conditions, channel hot electron injection occurs through oxide layer 16. The electrons deposited on floating gate 12 of memory cell 10 cause the threshold voltage of memory cell 10 to rise. Memory cell 10 is now programmed to have a programmed threshold voltage V.sub.TP.
To erase cell 10, drain region 13 is floated, control gate 11 is grounded and an erasure potential of approximately +12 volts is applied to source region 14, as shown in FIG. 2B. Under these conditions, charge is tunneled from floating gate 12 to source region 14. This removes the electrons deposited on floating gate 12 of memory cell 10, causing the threshold voltage of memory cell 10 to decrease. Memory cell 10 is now erased to have an erased threshold voltage V.sub.TE.
To read cell 10, a positive read potential less than that which would cause charge to transfer onto floating gate 12 is applied to control gate 11 (e.g., 5 volts) and a potential (e.g., 1 volt) is applied to drain region 13. Current through the device is sensed to determine if floating gate 12 is or is not negatively charged.
The speed at which memory cell 10 is erased largely depends on the erasure ability of memory cell 10 and the erasure voltage applied to the source of memory cell 10. Typically, the higher the erasure voltage applied to the source of memory cell 10, the faster memory cell 10 is being erased. However, one disadvantage of such prior art erasure technique is that if the erasure voltage applied to the source of memory cell 10 exceeds certain voltage threshold (e.g., 12 volts), the source-to-gate junction of memory cell 10 then moves into the breakdown region, at which hot holes are generated in floating gate 12 of memory cell 10. This is detrimental to the lifetime cycles of the memory cell. Therefore, the erasure voltage constraint typically limits the increase in the erasure speed of memory cell 10. In addition, when the source-to-gate junction of memory cell 10 is at the breakdown condition, the erasure speed of memory cell 10 does not increase when the erasure voltage increases.

Negative voltage switch architecture for a nonvolatile memory


A deployable marker banner structure and system including (a) an elongate, rollable/unrollable fabric body having opposite ends, a long axis, and opposite faces, (b) shape-forming biasing structure operatively connected to the body, applying shape-forming biasing forces thereto at plural, spaced locations distributed along the body's long axis in a manner whereby, with the body unrolled, the biasing structure produces complex, alternating, longitudinally distributed convex and concave topography portions in the body's faces, with at least one each of such convex and concave topography portions disposed in each face of the body, and with each convex topography portion in one face of the body corresponding, and being complementary, to a companion concave topography portion located directly in the opposite face of the body, and (c) facial visibility-enhancing structure operatively present at least on the convex topography portions in the body's faces, urged by the mentioned topography portions into complex convex curvatures.

This invention pertains to a deployable, streamer-like marker banner structure and system which may be attached to, or tossed onto, various surfaces, including water surfaces, for the purpose of enabling high-visibility locating near that surface of something, such as the position of a person or of a selected object, which is specifically marked by the marker.
Numerous situations exist wherein it is desirable, and in some circumstances critical, to place and use a high-visibility, remotely spottable marker to indicate, and in some instances to identify generally by category, the position of a person or of some object. For example, downed aviators on the ground or in the water, and specific objects which need to be located/identified for some purpose, come immediately to mind in this context.
A critical-use condition exists in the realm of marking dangerous devices, such as the so-called IED (Improvised Explosive Device) weapons currently employed by combatants in a Mideast war theatre.
Other illustrative uses involve hiker and climber rescues, the marking of helicopter landing zones, medivac operations, target marking, signals for needed roadside assistance, and many others.
In such situations, it is important that a marker of the kind just generally outlined, though typically relatively small in size as a practical matter, be structured to be readily and highly visible from as wide as possible a distribution of vantage points, including very low-angle vantage points. Such a marker is also one which preferably should be readily and easily deployable rapidly, and if carried as an emergency location device, or for other purposes, by a person, be conveniently stowable and carryable in a very compact form.
The present invention offers such a marker structure and system.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the proposed marker structure and system takes the form generally of an elongate, rollable/unrollable, fabric, streamer-like banner, one end of the elongate body in which may be, for certain applications, weighted with a suitably attached weight element, such as a magnetic weight element, and the other end of which may be unweighted. Such single-end weighting, and, where appropriate, magnetic weighting, enables easy throwing/tossing of the marker-banner device of the invention to aid in deployment and placement. In an application where the structure of the invention is to be deployed as a floating object on the surface of water, of course, no weighted end is present.
Provided preferably near, for example, the weighted end of the banner is an attaching structure, such as an open eyelet, which allows the banner easily to be attached to a particular surface for marking. Hook-and-pile structure (such as the product sold under the registered trademark VELCRO®) may also be provided for attaching an auxiliary identification marker, and for other purposes. An auxiliary marker may be provided which bears information useful for the specific purpose of identifying more specifically, for example, a particular kind of marked object.
The elongate fabric body of the banner structure of this invention, itself preferably made of a high-visibility material, is associated, by attachment, with a plurality of elongate, transverse, passive, elastomeric, shape-forming elements (ribbon-like in nature) which have been stitched to the body of the banner preferably under circumstances where they have been stretched, and thus under tension, during attachment. When these elastomer elements are relaxed after stitching, or after being otherwise attached to the mentioned fabric body, they are slightly pre-stressed because of their attachments to the banner body material which tends to resist full elastomeric contraction. Under these circumstances, they draw longitudinally inwardly on themselves toward relaxed-length conditions, also referred to herein as relaxed-condition lengths, to create, in cooperation with the banner body material, transverse material puckers, and arches which produce surface bulges in one direction from one side, or face, or the other, of the banner body. This condition thus creates in the banner body a kind of rising, convex elevation above any marked surface, which surface-bulge condition enables the marker banner to be seen quite readily from a substantial distance, even at very low observation angles. Preferably, these elastomeric elements, which are referred to herein collectively as shape-forming biasing structure, and also as shaping structure, are disposed on alternate, opposite sides, or faces, of the banner body material, in longitudinally spaced and distributed locations along that body material, whereby there are at least two regions of the body which tend to bulge outwardly, i.e., convexly, and longitudinally spaced, in opposite directions from opposite faces of the body.
A consequence, of course, of this unique arrangement, is that substantially no matter how the structure of the invention is deployed against a surface, and thus no matter which of its faces outwardly from that surface, at least a portion of the banner structure, along its length, exhibits a highly visible, outwardly-from-surface bulge, viewable easily from a distance. Thus, the plurality of distributed elastomeric shape-forming elements tends to create in the banner body a kind of undulating, serpentine, alternate-side bulge pattern as seen in a side-elevation of the banner body.
Preferably, along what might be thought of as the crests of bulges so produced, generally laterally centrally relative to the opposite lateral sides, or edges, in the banner body, there are suitably joined elongate strips of a highly reflective material, such as any suitable, conventional retro-reflective tape material. This material preferably is bonded by a heat-welding approach so as to operate effectively as a unit with the fabric that makes up the banner body. Bulges in the banner body tend to cause at least portions of such high-reflectance elements to bulge with complex, convex curvature, thus to be readily visible from extremely low angles.
The fabric body of the marker banner structure and system of this invention may be prepared with different colorings, singular or plural, in order to characterize it for use in marking particular kinds of things, and also to give it a high-visibility characteristic. Additionally, and preferably, attached to the opposite faces of the fabric body of the marker is something like one side of a conventional hook-and-pile attaching structure, which allows selective attachment to a selected side of the banner body of a secondary marker badge, or element. Such a badge may be differently colored, (or otherwise differently decorated) and formed also of a high-reflectance material, such as retro-reflective material, in order to collaborate with marker-body coloration to furnish an even "finer-grain" identification capability for something which is marked by the banner.
Still another interesting feature of the invention is that, with respect to the banner body being formed of a fabric material, when the device is not in use, it can be rolled up upon itself for very compact storage, and when tossed, preferably when it possesses a weighted end, will generally readily travel, in the direction in which it is thrown, in a "weight-forward" manner—i.e. in a manner which enhances the likelihood that a tossed/deployed marker banner will land and deploy substantially where desired.
These and other features and advantages of the marker banner structure/system of the present invention will become more readily apparent as the detailed description which now follows is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
In certain ones of these figures, which are not drawn to scale, shading and cross-hatching surface marks have been employed to individuate and highlight certain structural elements present in the invention.

Deployable marker banner structure and system


Disclosed is a fireproof shutter for opening and closing a passage between an upper story and a lower story. The fireproof shutter includes a base panel having an opening corresponding to the passage, a door for opening and closing the opening, and a guide unit for guiding the door between an open position in which the door is opened and a closed position in which the door is closed and having a predetermined inclination such that the door is closed by its own weight.

The present disclosure relates to a fireproof shutter. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a horizontal fireproof shutter for opening and closing a passage between an upper story and a lower story in a multi-story building.
Generally, in a semiconductor or display manufacturing process, materials such as semiconductor wafers or display substrates may be transported in a vertical direction between clean rooms of multiple floors by a tower lift. Each of the floors is provided with an elevating passage of the tower lift, and a fireproof shutter may be provided on the elevating passage to block flames and smoke when a fire occurs.
The fireproof shutter may be opened or closed by a driving unit including a motor. However, when the power supply is cut off, the fireproof shutter may not operate normally even if a fire occurs. In such case, toxic gases due to the fire may be transferred to all floors, and the fire may spread throughout the building.


The present invention relates generally to a method for the treatment and prophylaxis of inflammatory conditions. The present invention is predicated in part on the identification of cells of the monocyte/macrophage lineage being critical for inflammation and, in particular, chronic inflammation. In accordance with the present invention, it is proposed that the reduction in levels of monocyte/macrophage-type cells and/or a reduction in the production of inflammatory and pro-inflammatory mediators by these cells, especially locally, is effective in reducing inflammatory conditions. The present invention further provides animal models useful for screening for reducing levels of monocyte/macrophage-type cells and/or reducing the production of inflammatory and pro-inflammatory mediators of these cells.

Cytokines impart signals to cells to regulate the immune response, control cell proliferation and differentiation and to regulate the operation of the cytokine network. However, the pleiotropic nature of cytokines is such that in addition to their beneficial effects, cytokines can also induce adverse side effects such as alteration of normal cell growth, undesirable modulation of the functional activity of other cytokines or other unwanted immune effects such as severe inflammation, fever, malaise, nausea or modulation of haemopoiesis.
Inflammation is a particularly important physiological process with effects ranging from minor discomfort to life threatening situations. Macrophages are the key cells in chronic inflammatory lesions which produce a range of inflammatory and pro-inflammatory mediators such as Tumour Necrosis Factor .alpha. (TNF-.alpha.) and Interleukin-1 (IL-1). TNF-.alpha. and IL-1 are proposed to be associated with rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, Crohns disease, type I diabetes, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis and chronic obstructive lung disease, such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, emphysema and chronic obstructive airway disease. It has been previously proposed to use anti-inflammatory glucocorticoids, which act, at least in part, to suppress macrophage production of TNF-.alpha., IL-1 and other pro-inflammatory mediators. However, although effective, the use of anti-inflammatory glucocorticoids poses therapeutic difficulties given that their receptors are widespread in the body.
In work leading up to the present invention, the inventors proposed to adopt a strategy of lowering monocyte/macrophage levels and/or reducing their level of activation, especially at a site of inflammation in the treatment of inflammatory conditions. The method developed by the instant inventors does not require knowledge of which pro-inflammatory mediator(s) is (are) more relevant to a particular inflammatory condition than another pro-inflammatory mediator.

Methods of ameliorating inflammatory disease using an uPA antagonist


A method is presented for determining at least one piece of information representative of a phase fraction of a fluid in a pipe. The method comprises the estimation of a number of counts received in each measuring interval based on each piece of representative information determined at a preceding iteration, then calculating a residual comprising a first criterion calculated from probabilities using a given statistical law to measure, for each energy, the number of counts measured in each interval, the given statistical law being parameterized based on the number of estimated counts.

During the production of the well, it is known to measure the flow rate of fluid extracted from the well to be able to monitor the quantity and quality of the production. In particular, it is frequently necessary for the operator of the well to determine the overall flow rate of fluid flowing through the pipe, and if possible, the individual volume flow rates of each phase flowing in the pipe.
To determine these values, it is necessary to estimate the volume fraction of gas contained in the multiphase fluid, often referred to as "gas hold up," and the proportion of aqueous phase present in the liquid at any moment.
To estimate these parameters, it is known to determine the relative areas occupied by each of the gas phase, the oily liquid phase and the aqueous liquid phase on a section of the pipe. To that end, a radioactive source is placed opposite a wall of the pipe to emit gamma photons at typically one or more energy levels.
The gamma photons are then oriented transversely through the fluid flowing in the pipe. A detector is placed opposite the source, opposite the pipe to collect and count the photons that pass through the multiphase fluid and determine their energy. The count number received at each energy is measured at a high frequency, for example with a sampling pitch in the vicinity of 20 ms. This makes it possible to calculate the lineic fraction of the gas, i.e. the ratio between the length of the gaseous phase crossed and the internal diameter of the pipe.
Due to the nature of the radioactive source, there is a natural statistical dispersion of the number of counts measured, even in the case where the measured fluid is static. The measurement uncertainty resulting from this dispersion can be reduced significantly by increasing the integration time.
However, in practice, the multiphase fluid circulates in the pipe at a high flow rate. This fluid is generally turbulent and sometimes has structural irregularities, for example gas bubbles in liquid, or plugs in gas that make the flow unstable.
Measuring the number of gamma photon counts remains an effective way to measure the phase fractions, regardless of the state of flow. However, in a dynamic state, the number of counts cannot be significantly averaged to reduce the statistical noise, since the nature of the flow can vary quite rapidly.
Subsequently, in certain cases, the results obtained directly based on count measurements done in a dynamic state have significant fluctuations.
To resolve this problem, U.S. Pat. No. 5,854,820 proposes a method in which the statistical fluctuations of the measured numbers of counts are compensated by an algorithm making it possible to model the attenuations and compare them to the measured attenuation. A statistical residual is calculated and is minimized to estimate the fractions.
Such a calculation increases the precision of the measurement, but can still be improved, in particular to optimize the determined values of the gas content levels and the proportion of water, in particular when these values are close to their physical boundary values.
One aim of the present disclosure is therefore to provide a method for calculating phase fractions that are more precise, even when the values of the measured fractions are close to their physical boundaries and/or it is not possible to significantly average the measured numbers of counts, given the dynamic nature of the flow.

Method for determining at least one piece of information representative of a phase fraction of a fluid in a pipe