A cleaning mechanism and method for cleaning the probe needles of a probe card used for the inspection of the electric characteristics of a wafer W. This mechanism is provided with a soft cleaner and a brush cleaner. The soft cleaner has a cleaner layer formed of rubber and inorganic filler. The brush cleaner has a number of brush sections, and each brush section is a bundle of fiber members. The fiber members are thinner than the probe needles and have a certain degree of elasticity. The cleaning method includes the steps of: a) cleaning the probe needles using the soft cleaner having a the cleaning layer made of rubber and inorganic filler and b) cleaning the probe needles using the brush cleaner having bristles.

The present invention relates to a cleaning mechanism and a cleaning method, which are adapted for cleaning the probe needles of a probing apparatus used for inspecting the electric characteristics of an object under electrical inspection.
A large number of semiconductor devices (hereinafter referred to as chips) formed on a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter referred to simply as a wafer) are an example of the object that should be inspected by the subject apparatus. A probing apparatus is employed to inspect the electric characteristics of the chips formed on the wafer.
For inspection, the wafer is placed on the main chuck, which is arranged inside the apparatus and movable in the X, Y, Z and .theta. directions. The wafer is index-fed by moving the main chuck. As shown in FIG. 6, the probe needles 1 of a probe card are brought into contact with the electrode pads (not shown) of the chips on the wafer that is being index-fed during inspection. The electrodes of the chips are electrically connected to a tester, so as to inspect the electric characteristics of the chips.
In order to achieve reliable electric connection between the probe needles 1 and the electrode pads, the electrode pads, which are formed of aluminum, must be processed to remove a natural oxide film therefrom. The natural oxide film on the electrode pads is scraped off by using of the probe needles 1.
However, if this inspection process is repeated, aluminum oxide or other undesirable substance will adhere to the tips of the probe needle 1. If such undesirable substance as aluminum oxide is present, the probe needles 1 may not be electrically connected to the electrode pads of the chips. To solve this problem, the conventional art employs a main chuck provided with an abrasive plate. The tip ends of the probe needles 1 are cleaned by means of the abrasive plate, for the elimination of adherent substance.
FIG. 6 shows a structure wherein a plurality of probe needles 1 are supported on a probe card at one end. The probe needles 1 are arranged in such a manner that they can be simultaneously brought into contact with the electrodes arranged in rows.
However, the conventional cleaning method has the problem that the substance adherent to the abrasive plate will scatter at the time of polishing. In addition, the abrasive plate is horizontally projected from the wafer chuck. Due to this structure, in order to polish all probe needles 1 by use of the same abrasive plate, the wafer chuck has to be moved greatly in such a manner that the probe needles are all brought into contact with the abrasive plate without exception. As long as the moving range of the wafer chuck is wide, the apparatus is inevitably large in size.
The present applicant developed a technique for preventing generation of particles, such as those generated when the substance adherent to the probe needles is removed and scattered, and filed a patent application to claim that technique (Japanese Patent Application No. 9-106616). The technique is directed to a soft cleaner 2 comprising a cleaner layer that is formed of rubber and inorganic filler (see FIG. 7). The present applicant also developed a cleaning mechanism comprising a brush cleaner (not shown) that has a cleaner layer, and filed a patent application (Japanese Patent Application No. 9-220247). This cleaning mechanism enables all probe needles of a probe card to be cleaned, with no need to provide a wide space inside the apparatus.
A further study was made of the soft cleaner and brush cleaner described above, and it was found out that the cleaners needed improvement in the following points. In the case where the soft cleaner 2 is employed, the probe needles 1 are stabbed into the soft cleaner 2, as shown in FIG. 7. At the time, the substance D adherent to the surface of the probe needles, such as abraded particles, are rubbed off the surface and collected in the neighborhood of the upper portion of the probe needles. However, such substance may partially remain on the probe needles 1. Moreover, it should be noted that the surfaces of the probe needles 1 have been subjected to sand blast processing, as shown in FIG. 8. When the substance D is cleaned away from the tiny depressions formed in the surface of the probe needles by means of the brush cleaner, the tip ends of the bristles of the brush are bent, as shown in FIG. 8. Since the bristles are soft in this manner, the substances in the tiny depressions cannot be fully removed.
In the case where a probe card that supports probe needles 1A upright is employed, the substance D from the electrode pads will adhere not only to the probe needles 1A but also to the support plate 2A used for supporting them. However, the substance D adherent to the support plate 2A cannot be removed therefrom by means of the soft cleaner or brush cleaner described above. The remaining substance D may come off the support plate 2A and drop onto a wafer under inspection, resulting in unreliable examination.

Mechanism and method for cleaning probe needles


An AC--AC multi-module matrix PWM converter includes one to a plurality of phase banks within which are provided architecturally identical basic circuit modules of single phase output AC--AC matrix converters. Each basic converter module includes three-phase AC inputs and two output terminals. The modules may then be interconnected in series or parallel with other modules within a phase bank to increase the output voltage or current respectively of the phase bank. The differential power module structure and the differential phase PWM modulation scheme increases the output voltage by 15.5% in comparison with 120.degree. phase modulation. Individually designed and tested phase banks can be further connected to a higher power symmetric three phase system or multiphase system for various AC load and AC motor controls. The modular structure permits standardization of the power electronics design and manufacture at system level. The modular design permits using power components at lower voltage or current rating with low cost while obtaining higher power output through module integration.

The present invention relates to power conversion and more specifically to an improved AC--AC power converter for use in conjunction with AC loads having high power requirements.
AC--AC converters are static power converters which change a fixed voltage and fixed frequency AC power source into an output AC power source having variable voltage and variable frequency (VVVF) in a controlled manner. Unlike a voltage source or current source inverter which will first convert the AC input power to a DC power and then reconvert the DC power back to VVVF AC power output, AC--AC converters perform the AC--AC power change in a one-stage conversion without using any energy storage components in a DC-link. Such AC--AC conversion is a highly efficient power conversion.
In AC--AC PWM converters, self-turn-off static power devices are used to form bi-lateral switches for each input phase. A circuit of this type which consists of 9 bi-lateral switches S.sub.1 -S.sub.9 is provided in FIG. 1. This circuit is also known as a matrix converter since it provides one switch for each of the possible connections between the input and output AC lines.
In existing AC--AC matrix converters, a bi-lateral switch consists of a current steering diode bridge and a power transistor device as shown in FIG. 1. Although each of the bi-lateral switches has only one switching device and four fast recovery power diodes, special care in the load current commutation is needed. A dead-time insertion is typically employed between turning the switch off in the outgoing phase and turning the switch on in the incoming phase, to prevent a short circuit between the outgoing and incoming phases. The dead-time is typically in proportion to the device current and voltage rating. During the dead-time period, the load is electrically open circuit from the power source due to both the outgoing and incoming devices are off and the normal current flow is interrupted. This causes a high voltage spike across the switching devices due to the load and line side inductances. Large sized snubber capacitors are needed to suppress the transient voltage spikes to protect the switching devices. This increases the converter switching losses and unit cost.
Another drawback of the existing configuration of the three-phase matrix converters is that their output power rating is dictated and limited by the commercial availability of the power switching devices.
Alternatively, FIG. 2 shows a power converter topology which is able to provide equivalent functions by the combination of a PWM rectifier bridge and a PWM inverter bridge circuit. The DC link capacitor values can be reduced by coordination of the PWM rectifier and PWM inverter switching. However, there exists an explicit DC link stage in this power circuit. The output power rating is also limited by the commercial availability of the power devices.
Practically, due to the limits of the device ratings of components used for the forced commutation PWM converters in FIGS. 1 and 2, it is not possible to produce feasible converters which meet very high power (high voltage and high current) requirements. For instance, known switching techniques in forced commutation employ IGBT devices. While use of such devices have many benefits, IGBT based conventional power converter design is commercially practicable only within a limited power rating. This is due to the IGBT and associated passive components which can withstand higher voltage and current, for example for 920 V to 6600 V application, are either not readily available or not cost effective.
Additionally, in many industrial settings products will have power ratings which vary from a low to a very high power. For example, in an industrial setting a load may be a 400 kilowatts machine, however, in another industrial setting a piece of equipment may require over 10,000 kilowatts to operate. Therefore, for a manufacturer to supply such a wide range of requirements it is necessary to have a wide variety of AC--AC converters with different power ratings. Such a situation is very expensive not only due to the construction costs of so many varied units but also in maintaining and stocking so many different components. Particularly, each different unit needs to be individually designed, and thoroughly tested and debugged. Further expenses are incurred due to developmental cost and design time which each unit needs. All the above drawbacks raise the cost of supplying such converters.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a multi-modular structure which increases the ease of development, manufacture, testing, and field service by utilizing commonly available and field proven power components having low voltage ratings to replace a wide variety of and expensive high voltage active power devices and passive components.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide direct AC--AC power conversion with low switching losses, thus increasing the conversion efficiency and reducing the physical size of the converter, thereby eliminating the front end rectifier, DC-link and precharge circuitry in a traditional AC-DC-AC power conversion.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide inherent power regeneration for true four quadrant operation of an AC drive, provide, especially for large horse power requirements, low harmonic distortion on both line side and motor side.

Modular AC-AC variable voltage and variable frequency power conveter system and control


Provided is an organic thin film transistor that can prevents damage to source and drain electrodes when patterning an organic semiconductor layer, and a method of manufacturing an organic light emitting display device having the organic thin film transistor. The organic thin film transistor includes a source electrode and a drain electrode; an organic semiconductor layer that contacts the source and drain electrodes, and has an ashed surface except a channel area between the source and drain electrodes; a gate electrode insulated from the source electrode, the drain electrode, and the organic semiconductor layer; and a gate insulating film that insulates the gate electrode from the source electrode, the drain electrode, and the organic semiconductor layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an organic thin film transistor, a method of manufacturing the same, and an organic light emitting display device having the same, and more particularly, to an organic thin film transistor that can prevent damage to source and drain electrodes when an organic semiconductor is patterned, a method of manufacturing the same, and an organic light emitting display device having the same.
2. Description of the Related Technology
Thin film transistors are used in flat display devices such as liquid crystal display devices, and organic light emitting display devices, as switching devices to control the operation of each pixel or driving devices to drive each pixel.
The thin film transistor includes a semiconductor layer having source and drain electrodes separated from each other, a channel region formed between the source and the drain electrodes, and a gate electrode insulated from the source and drain electrodes and the semiconductor layer.
Thin film transistors having the above structure are arranged in an array, each acting as an independent switching device. To prevent cross-talk between adjacent thin film transistors, the semiconductor layer may be patterned. In a conventional silicon thin film transistor, a semiconductor layer formed of silicon is patterned by photolithography.
Recent studies into flexible display devices have attempted to use plastic substrates instead of conventional glass substrates. However, since the plastic substrate cannot be processed at a high temperature, it is difficult to use the conventional silicon substrate.
Accordingly, methods to form plastic substrates at a low temperature have been proposed. In particular, studies with regards to organic thin film transistors that can be processed at a low temperature, that is, thin film transistors in which a semiconductor layer is formed of an organic material, have been actively conducted. However, in the case of the organic thin film transistor, the semiconductor layer cannot be patterned by conventional photolithography. That is, when the conventional processes of wet or dry etching and photolithography are mixed, the organic semiconductor layer can be damaged, thereby degrading the thin film transistor.

Organic thin film transistor, method of manufacturing the same, and organic light emitting display device having the same


A system for supplying power to a load connected to a power supply network, to achieve improve operating. the invention provides for the load to be connected via an inductive element, such as a duplex inductor, to the electrical supply network and to an energy store. With the inductive element having the same turns ratios, the impedance between the electrical power supply network and the energy store is greater by a factor of about 4 than that between the load and the power supply network or the energy store.

This application claims priority to International Application No. PCT/DE99/02948 which was published in the German language on Sep. 17, 1999.
The invention relates to a system for supplying power, and in particular, to a system for supplying power to a load connected to a power supply network.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,329,222 describes a power supply to a load connected to an electrical power supply network, for an additional voltage to be supplied in series between the power supply network and the load when the voltage of the power supply network falls or fails. The additional voltage is in this case is supplied in series via a series transformer, also referred to as series-path transformer. In this case, the transformer is supplied with power from an energy store.
A similar arrangement, in which the assisting energy is supplied in parallel, is known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,514,915. This arrangement is also referred to as xe2x80x9cbeing shunt connectedxe2x80x9d. A problem with this arrangement is that, in the event of a fault in the power supply network, energy or volt-amperes may flow into the power supply network fault rather than into the load.
A system in which the present electrical voltage drops on a power supply line are compensated for by emission of a voltage is known from Japanese Patent Abstracts: E-747, 1989; Vol. 13/No. 168, JP 64-1434. The systems comprises a converter which is connected in series via a transformer to a power supply line which connects an energy source to a load. The transformer has two windings, one of which windings is connected in series in the line. If the voltage on the power supply line falls, the converter is started, with electrical power being drawn from a DC voltage source, which is not shown in any more detail, and being emitted via the transformer as the voltage to the power supply line.
A system for assisting the supply of power to a load connected to a power supply network which, while being coupled in parallel to the load, is largely decoupled from the power supply network.
The invention provides for the energy store to be connected in series with the second winding to the load-side end of the first winding, with the two windings having magnetic fields which counteract one another with the same current flow direction with respect to the load. This results in decoupling in the same manner as that of a duplex inductor.
This results in the impedance between the arrangement and power supply network being considerably greater than the impedance between the apparatus and the load, thus effectively resulting in the arrangement and the power supply network being decoupled. In the process, mutual interactions are kept low, and the supply voltage can be kept stable for the load.
Duplex inductors are known from the prior art. In the prior art, they are also referred to as current dividers, current divider induction coils, equalization or compensation inductors or smoothing inductors with a center tap. The use of duplex inductors for on-board power systems on ships is known from the literature reference xe2x80x9cNetzgestaltung mit Duplex-Drosselnxe2x80x9d, STG Symposium at FA Elektrotechnik, on Apr. 16, 1997, Bremerhaven, authors W Planiz and W Schild.
A use of duplex inductors in which power is distributed from one or more feeders to two network elements is known from the literature reference xe2x80x9cModerne Bordnetzkonzeptexe2x80x9d, Shipyard Manual, Vol. XXI, pages 66-67, 1992, Schiffahrtsverlag Hansa. The duplex inductors are designed such that, during normal operation, the two branches of the inductors have currents of such magnitude flowing through them that magnetic effects of the currents are cancelled out.
In one embodiment of the invention, there is a system for supplying power to a load connected to an electrical power supply network. The system includes, for example, an energy store which can be connected via an inductive element having at least two windings to the load, and a first winding connecting the load in series with the power supply network, wherein the energy store is connected in series with a second winding to the load-side end of the first winding, with the two windings having magnetic fields which counteract one another with the same current flow direction with respect to the load.
In one aspect of the invention, the two windings are coupled to one another by means of an iron core.
In another aspect of the invention, the two windings are designed to be approximately the same size.
In still another aspect of the invention, the two windings are connected magnetically in parallel and electrically in parallel but in opposite senses.
In yet another aspect of the invention, the energy store comprises at least one energy-storage element and one coupling appliance.
In another embodiment of the invention, the energy-storage element is in the form of a superconducting energy store, capacitor, battery, flywheel or fuel cell.
In still another embodiment of the invention, the coupling appliance comprises a converter.

System for supplying power to a load connected to a distribution network


In one aspect, the present invention provides an imaging system for multiple view imaging. Multiple view imaging comprises, but is not limited to, stereoscopic imaging. The imaging system for multiple view imaging comprises at least two video processing devices, each of the video processing devices being for displaying a video image on one or more display devices. Each video processing device receives at least a first sequence of image frames comprising at least second sequence of image frames and a third sequence of image frames, the at least second and third sequences being for generating at least first and second video images, respectively. Each video processing device outputs at least a fourth sequence of image frames, the fourth sequences being for generating at least one of the first or second video images, the fourth sequences of image frames from the first and second video processing devices being asynchronous with respect to each other. The imaging system is adapted to generate a linking signal for synchronising images displayed by the at least first and second video processing devices on the one or more display devices. In other aspects, the present invention provides a method for performing multiple view imaging by means of at least two video processing devices, and a controller for controlling the operation of at least two video processing devices in an imaging system for displaying multiple view images.

Humans and many animals have binocular vision provided by two eyes which look in the same direction. Two parallel aligned but spaced eyes deliver two slightly different images of the same scene. This is due to the 4 to 6 cm separation between the eyes, which makes each eye have a slightly different viewpoint. The images from these two different viewpoints are sent to the brain, and this difference, which is termed parallax, is interpreted as depth. The nearer an object is to the eyes, the greater the difference between the two images. From the difference between the two images, the brain can display an impression of depth.
Stereoscopic image displays, such as stereoscopic projection for example, are based on the same principle: two slightly different images, one for the left eye and one for the right eye, are displayed by some means, e.g. projected onto a screen. A corresponding image modulating system enables the left eye to see only the left eye image, and the right eye to see only the right eye image.
There are at least three types of electronic stereo-3D-devices:                a) devices which produce two different images which are so arranged that the left and right eye can only see the relevant image, such as Helmet Mounted Devices (HMD) or virtual reality (VR) headsets,        b) devices which project a single virtual image at a distance which is viewed by both eyes in a normal way, such as Head-Up Displays (HUD), and        c) viewing glasses which influence the way each eye sees the relevant image on the display. These glasses may have liquid crystal-shutter glasses or polarisers or include colour filters such as red and green filters.
HMDs are basically wearable monitors. To allow stereoscopic vision, an image is projected onto a beam splitter in front of each eye. For VR headsets a miniature liquid crystal display (LCD) can be placed in front of each eye.
In active stereo, shutter glasses or shutter screens are used in conjunction with a normal CRT, digital light processing (DLP), or equivalent monitor or projector. The two images required for stereoscopic vision are displayed in turn. For a fraction of a second the image dedicated to the left eye is displayed, after that the image for the right eye appears for the same duration of time, and so on. The job of the glasses is to prevent the left eye from seeing the image dedicated to the right eye and vice versa. To do this, light is blocked by a shutter. The frequency of the shutter is adapted to the frequency of the displayed images. The blocking can be done by having a filter which alternates between opaque and transparent.
Passive stereo displays are based on the principle of different light polarisations or of differences in frequency (colour). For example, the viewer wears a pair of glasses containing two oppositely polarised lenses or filters, one for the left eye and one for the right eye. The light from each of two projected images is polarised differently and can pass only through its corresponding filter. If the images are provided by means of a single projector, the projector alternates the left eye information with the right eye information at double refresh rate. A screen in front of the projector's lenses alternates the polarisation of the projected image in such a way that the image of each eye passes only through its corresponding polarising filter of the pair of passive stereo glasses. If the images are provided by means of two projectors, one projector displays the left eye information and the other display the right eye information, both at a standard refresh rate. A polarising filter mounted in the optical path of each projector ensures that the correct information passes through its corresponding filter in the pair of passive stereo glasses. If the projectors are LCD projectors, they may be internally polarised, thus eliminating the requirement for external filters. The two-projector approach has the added value over the one-projector approach of providing higher brightness.
Stereoscopic image display may be used, a.o. in keyhole surgery, in entertainment applications, such as gaming environments, in training environments such as in flight simulators, ship bridge simulators, air traffic control, mission rehearsal simulators, and in visualisation of large data-sets, such as in car design for example.
Currently, projectors can display useful active stereo 3D-images from an image source such as an image generator (IG) if the vertical frequency is typically greater than 96 Hz. Typical large venue systems may use three projectors to produce a large image by tiling. Such a prior art set-up for active stereo 3D projection is shown in FIG. 1. It comprises three projectors 2, 4, 6 which each are connected to an image source 8, from which the projectors 2, 4, 6 receive images to be displayed on a display screen 10. An inverter 12 may be provided which is coupled both to the image source 8 and to an IR-emitter (infrared emitter) 14 for sending signals to shutter glasses (not represented), so as to be in phase with the displayed images, i.e. so that the left eye only receives images intended for the left eye, and so that the right eye only receives images intended for the right eye. The presence of an inverter 12 is technology dependent: when using projectors designed such that there is a delay of one image frame between reception and projection of images, and therefore an inverter 12 is necessary to make the shutter glasses to be in phase with the displayed images, but for other types of projectors such inverter may not be necessary.
According to an alternative prior art embodiment, as represented in FIG. 2, which e.g. uses Barco Galaxy projectors, obtainable from Barco Projection Systems, Kuurne, Belgium, the inverter for the IR signals may be integrated into one of the projectors, so as to add an adjustable delay to the shuttering to overcome the processing delay of the image in the projectors.
If a vertical frequency of 96 Hz is used for displaying the stereoscopic image, then the left and right images are updated at only 48 Hz. This results in flickering of the 3D-image, which is annoying and fatiguing, and is preferably to be avoided.
Furthermore IGs generating images for both eyes each at 48 Hz or more have to be powerful, and thus are expensive. It would be much cheaper if images could be generated at a lower frequency. However, displaying these images at these lower frequencies would certainly result in flickering images, and is thus not desirable.
On the other hand, if the 3D-image is displayed at a different vertical frequency greater than the input frequency in order to reduce flicker, the projectors will have asynchronously up converted the frequency. In this case, there is no longer a frequency nor phase relation between a displayed image and the IG-image. Therefore, in a multiple projector system, the stereo performance will be poor as each projector creates its own refresh rate that is not synchronised with the others and, for active stereo systems, with the control signal of the shutter glasses. Implementing the emitter phasing logic as in the set-up of FIG. 2 cannot overcome the differences between these images and the emitter control signal. Even if the control signal for the shutter glasses was generated by a projector then the glasses would only be synchronised with one projector channel.

Device and method for performing multiple view imaging by means of a plurality of video processing devices


The disclosure relates to a portable golf swing practice device. The practice device includes a weighted base and an upstanding flute guide post with a positioning bar adjustably mounted between ear portions of a post encircling locking jaw which is vertically and rotatably adjustable on the guide post. By setting the positioning bar in any one of a plurality of positions relative to the user, each of the proper body positions and swing motions can be reinforced thus improving the user's stance and wring during actual playing. All components of the device are made of a rigid high strength polyvinglchloride to prevent corrosion.

The instant invention relates to a golf training device and more particularly, it relates to a multi-use golf training device for improving one's golf swing, putting and chipping skills.
As anyone who has played the fascinating game of golf knows, in order for a golfer to execute a perfect swing, there are a multitude of factors that must be simultaneously considered and controlled to effect a good swing. A slight deviation in executing anyone of these many factors will result in a poor shot. For example, stance, hand grip, position of the head, straight left elbow, eye on the ball, backswing, forward swing and follow--through are some of the factors or facets to be kept in mind in order to successfully execute a good golf swing.
It is a well known theory that practice makes perfect, and in the golf game, the truth of this statement is more accurate than in many other instances. Since it is the repetitive conditioning of the body to go through certain motions, utilizing specific muscles and coordinating them in a particular manner which allows a good golf swing to be consistently executed in an efficient automatic manner and thus improve one's score.
Presently, there are numerous golf training devices on the market. However, many such known devices are limited to a single golfing facet, i.e. they are designed to control the golfer's stance, head position or putting strokes as set forth in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,013,044 , 3,443,811 and 3,806,133, respectively. Other known golf training devices are very complex in nature as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,326,558 and 4,659,084. As can be seen from a review of these patents, there is a need for an uncomplicated, easy to use device such as the one developed by applicants.


A card edge connector for connecting a daughter board to a mother board, includes an insulative housing defining a front mating face, a top portion, a bottom portion opposite to the top portion, and a central slot recessed from the mating face between the top portion and the bottom portion to receive the daughter board, a plurality of terminals retained in the insulative housing, and a spacer disposed under the insulative housing. The spacer having a preselected height and a mounting surface toward the mother board. The spacer and the bottom portion of the insulative housing are assembled by snap-fastening.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a card edge connector, and particularly relates to a card edge connector having an improved spacer for adjusting the height of the card edge connector.
2. Description of Related Art
A card edge connector is widely used to connect a daughter board to a mother board. A conventional card edge connector comprises an insulative housing as one-piece, and a plurality of terminals received in the insulative housing. The insulative housing includes a front wall, a rear wall opposite to the front wall, and a central slot recessed from a front face thereof and disposed between the front wall and the rear wall for receiving the daughter board. When the daughter board is inserted into the central slot, there is a litter space between the daughter board and the mother board along a height direction of the insulative housing, the space between the daughter board and the mother board is not big enough to receive other electrical elements.
Hence, it is desirable to have an improved card edge connector to overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages of the related art.

Card edge connector with improved spacer


A rack is made up of a plurality of support rods and locating devices for locating the support rods. Each of the locating devices are composed of a hollow tubular body, an elastic ring, and a control piece. The tubular body is provided respectively at both longitudinal ends thereof with outer threads and an outer tapered circular edge. The control piece is tubular in shape and is provided with a center through hole and an inner tapered circular edge. The elastic ring is disposed between the outer tapered circular edge of the tubular body and the inner tapered circular edge of the control piece. The support rod is received in the hollow interior of the tubular body and the center through hole of the control piece such that the outer wall of the support rod is pressed against firmly by the elastic ring at the time when the control piece is so turned as to cause the inner tapered circular edge thereof to press against the elastic ring.

The conventional support frame of the rack is generally composed of a plurality of cross rods and upright rods, which are fastened fixedly together. As a result, the conventional support frame of the rack can not be adjusted in height and width. In addition, the conventional support frame of the rack can not be easily stored, packaged, or shipped.


There is discloses a transgenic mouse over-expressing a potassium channel BEC1, which can be used as an effective tool for screening a substance for antidementia or a substance to improve learning and memory.

Studies on the disorders in learning new information which occupies an important part of the mental activities of human and on the disorders in keeping and recalling already learned information are main themes for elucidating higher brain functions which have been regarded as the final frontier of life science. However, the cause for the disorders is unclear even at present and there are no sufficiently effective medicaments yet, so that early development of therapeutic drugs is greatly demanded. Even in the case of medicaments which have been reported to be effective in improving impairment in learning and memory of dementia patients to a certain degree, it has been pointed out that the duration of action is short and the clinically effective range is narrow (Feldman H. et al., (2001), Neurology, 57 (4), 613–20), that side effects such as hepatic toxicity and the like are generated (Summers W. K. et al., (1989), Lancet, 1 (8640), 729) and the like. In addition, for the purpose of finding an agent showing a useful therapeutic effect, it is necessary to take into consideration not only its in vitro efficacy but also in vivo bioavailability and transferring activity into the brain of the agent itself. Accordingly, the presence of a model animal which can be analyzed at individual level is essential for the elucidation of onset mechanism of the disease, prevention of onset of the disease or improvement of its pathologic condition, development of medicinal techniques for the treatment and of medicaments, and the like.
The transgenic mouse is expected as a method for displaying functions of genes in the living body for development of models for respective human diseases and development of various therapeutic drugs using these models. Including the c-myc oncogene-introduced transgenic mouse as a leukemia model which received a patent for a living life for the first time in the world (U.S. Pat. No. 5,087,571), various pathological model mice have been introduced, such as a prostatic hyperplasia mouse (U.S. Pat. No. 5,175,383), a diabetes mellitus-generating mouse (Japanese Patent 2771493), an Alzheimer'S disease model mouse (Games D. et al., (1995), Nature, 373 (6514), 523–7) and the like. Although many of the dementia-related transgenic animals represented by an APP transgenic show pathologic changes of dementia, it is difficult to detect impairment of learning and memory as a behavioral pattern in these animals, so that attempts have been made detect it by adding some factors such as aging and the like (Moran P. M. et al., (1995), Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 92, 5341–5345; Hsiao K. et al., (1996), Science, 274, 99–102; Arendash G. W. et al., (2001), Brain Res., 891, 42–53). However, because preparation of such transgenic animals takes time, it was not practical to conveniently mass-prepare transgenic animals capable of detecting disorders of learning and memory as a behavioral pattern for use in the screening of a substance for antidementia.
Accordingly, demands have been directed toward a model animal to be used as an effective tool for screening a substance for antidementia or a substance to improve learning and memory, and a method for screening a substance for antidementia or a substance to improve learning and memory, which uses said model animal.
On the other hand, anxiety is a physiological phenomenon functioning as a warning against a present or potential danger. Anxiety becomes pathologic when it occurs without a real danger or its emotional strength intensifies. It is known that both of the physiological and pathological anxieties can threaten life when an organ disorder is generated in spite of its previous presence and may cause or permanently keep various physiological dysfunctions. There are various reports on transgenic animals as models of anxiety (Holmes A., (2001), Neurosci. Biobehav. Rev., 25 (3), 261–73). However, there is no applicable and optimum agent having less side effects even now.
Regarding a potassium channel BEC1 which can be used in preparing the transgenic animal of the present invention, the present inventors have disclosed it in WO 99/37677, and there are many reports regarding polynucleotides and polypeptides having a homology of from 98 to 99% with the BEC1 (WO 00/05346, WO 00/09534, WO 99/43696). However, a BEC1 transgenic animal was not prepared in reality, and its functions were not necessarily understood completely.

Abstract: Also disclosed are an in vivo screening method of a substance for antidementia or a substance to improve learning and memory, which uses the learning and memory abilities of said mouse as the index, and an in vivo screening of a substance for antianxiety, which uses acceleration of anxiety as the index.

Abstract: In addition, there is disclosed a method for producing a pharmaceutical composition for antidementia, learning and memory improvement use or antianxiety, using a substance capable of inhibiting the learning and memory potassium channel activity as the active ingredient which can be obtained by the aforementioned screening method of the present invention.


A multiple punch and die assembly body member has dies or strippers that are held within multiple pockets in a multipunch body member by means of a centrally positioned retaining member formed from a rigid or flexible material located in a central recess at the middle of a ring of the surrounding dies or strippers. The retaining member is preferably held in place by a push plate that can be secured to the multipunch body member by a tightening element, e.g., a screw fastener for pressing the peripheral surface of the retainer member into engagement with the dies or strippers to hold them in their respective pockets in the multipunch body member.

I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to punch and die equipment, and more particularly to a multiple punch and die assembly that is adapted to be installed in a punch press.
II. Description of the Prior Art
A common multipunch often includes as many as ten or more separate punches, each with a corresponding aligned die and often with a stripper located proximate the bottom end of the punch for stripping the work from the punch when the punch is withdrawn. Punches, dies and strippers must be removed at regular intervals for sharpening or replacement. Up to the present this has been a time consuming operation because each time the dies or strippers are removed for cleaning, sharpening, adjustment or replacement, several separate setscrews or fasteners must be individually removed to withdraw the dies or strippers from the punch assembly. See, for example, in Patent EU 396817, FIG. 8. Performing this operation increases the downtime of the punch press. In addition, the multiple fasteners that are required add to the manufacturing cost of the assembly. The applicant of the present application has marketed an axial clamp consisting of eight separate metal shoes that are forced outwardly from the center against the dies to hold them in place, but this product is too expensive and is not suitable for certain applications. Moreover, the retention force cannot be varied to suit the conditions of use and is not uniformly applied over the surface of each die.

Multipunch with axial retainer for securing multiple dies or strippers


A network switch, method and computer program product. The network switch comprises a plurality of ports each adapted to exchange frames of data with one or more network devices; a transfer circuit adapted to transfer the frames of the data between the ports; and wherein at least one of the ports comprises a loopback circuit adapted to send to the transfer circuit, when the one of the ports is not operational, each frame of the data received by the one of the ports from the transfer circuit, and a redirect circuit adapted to cause the transfer circuit to transfer, to one or more predetermined others of the ports, when the one of the ports is not operational, each frame of the data received by the transfer circuit from the one of the ports.

The present invention relates generally to data communications. More particularly, the present invention relates to port failover in network switches and routers.
When a port fails in a network switch, the switch executes a failover process. In conventional failover processes, a processor, either within the switch or external to the switch, modifies forwarding tables in the switch. The forwarding tables are used by the switch to direct data from port to port. The failover process modifies the forwarding tables to redirect traffic away from the failed port to other ports in the switch.
One disadvantage of this approach is that modifying forwarding tables is a time-consuming process, especially in a large switch, because some or all of the information in one forwarding table is replicated across many forwarding tables, and/or because the forwarding tables are large. All of these forwarding tables must be modified. Until all of the forwarding tables are modified, data transmitted to the failed port either must be re-transmitted, or is lost.


Disclosed is provides a plasma processing apparatus that processes a workpiece. The plasma processing apparatus includes: a processing container configured to accommodate the workpiece; a coaxial waveguide configured to transmit microwaves generated in a microwave generator; and a slow wave plate configured to adjust a wavelength of the microwaves transmitted from the coaxial waveguide and to introduce the microwaves into the processing container. A lower end portion of an inner conductor of the coaxial waveguide has a tapered shape of which a diameter increases downwardly, the slow wave plate has an annular shape in a plan view, and the inner surface of the slow wave plate encloses the lower end portion of the inner conductor and is located more outside than an inner surface of an outer conductor of the coaxial waveguide in a radial direction.

In the related art, a plasma processing apparatus using a radial line slot antenna has been known as a plasma processing apparatus that performs a predetermined plasma processing on a workpiece such as, for example, a semiconductor wafer. The radial line slot antenna is disposed on a ceiling opening a processing container in a state where a slow wave plate is disposed above a slot plate having a plurality of slots and is connected to a coaxial waveguide at the central portion thereof. With this configuration, microwaves generated by a microwave generator are radially transmitted in a radial direction by the slow wave plate via the coaxial waveguide, generate circular polarized waves by the slot plate, and then are radiated from the slot plate into the processing container. High density plasma having a low electron temperature may be generated in the processing container by the microwaves under a low pressure and the plasma processing such as, for example, a film forming processing or an etching processing is performed by the generated plasma.
In the plasma processing apparatus described above, for example, the coaxial waveguide 100 is configured by an inner conductor 101 and an outer conductor 102, as illustrated in FIG. 7. The lower end portion 101a of the inner conductor 101 is formed in a conical shape and has a tapered shape of which a diameter increases downwardly. Further, the slow wave plate 110 has, for example, a protrusion 110a which upwardly protrudes therein. The protrusion 110a is formed to fill a gap between the inner conductor 101 and the outer conductor 102 and suppresses an axial deviation in a radial direction of the coaxial waveguide 100.
However, since the protrusion 110a in the slow wave plate 110 is hard to process, minute air layers 111 are generated between the protrusion 110a and the inner conductor 101 or between the protrusion 110a and the outer conductor 102. Thus, the transmission path of the microwaves becomes a complicated space. Further, the air layers 111 may become different from each other depending on a machine difference between apparatuses. Then, the microwaves are not appropriately transmitted from the coaxial waveguide 100 to the slow wave plate 110, and as a result, the circumferential radiation of the microwaves in the slow wave plate 110 becomes non-uniform.
From this point, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2011-077228 discloses a slow wave plate 120 which does not have the protrusion 110a, as illustrated in FIG. 8. The slow wave plate 120 is configured by a small diameter circular flat plate member disposed therein and a large diameter circular flat plate member which encloses the small diameter member. FIG. 8 illustrates the small diameter member of the slow wave plate 120. The inner surface 120a of the slow wave plate 120 is located more inside than the inner surface 102a of the outer conductor 102 of the coaxial waveguide 100 in the radial direction. In other words, the slow wave plate 120 is provided to protrude toward the inner conductor 101 more than the outer conductor 102.


A golfing appartaus for assisting a golfer in putting includes a guide member adapted to encourage only certain motions during the golf swing to improve the engagement of ball with club and subsequently improve ball control, trajectory and speed. Further the golfing apparatus includes a movable member configured to slide along a path defined by the guide member and coupled with the putter handle. The guide member is afixed to the waist of a golfer. The guide member is curved to follow a natural rotation of arms and shoulders of the golfer and can be adjusted for proper angle that best fits a golfer's stance and has a second planar back stop surface to further align and control the movement of the putter club head, thereby assisting the golfer in putting.

The invention relates generally to golf training aids, and more particularly, golf putting training aids to improve a user's swing. Putting is an important aspect of golf. During putting, the golfers generally bend towards a golf ball, and hit the golf ball with a golf club for displacing the golf ball towards an aimed hole on the golf course.
However, such striking of the golf ball often fails to displace the golf ball substantially closer to the aimed hole. Accordingly, golfers both experienced and beginners repeatedly practice putting strokes aiming to accurately put the golf ball in the aimed hole. However, since arms, wrists and body of golfers are unrestrained, every golf stroke may result in a different and inconsistent swing of the golf club.
The accompanying drawings and figures illustrate a number of exemplary embodiments and are part of the specification. Together with the present description, these drawings demonstrate and explain various principles of this disclosure. A further understanding of the nature and advantages of the present invention may be realized by reference to the following drawings. In the appended figures, similar components or features may have the same reference label. The advances and features of the present disclosure will become better understood with reference to the following detailed description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:


Methods and apparatuses are provided for transmission of at least two HARQ-ACK bits. Information for at least two configured cells and information for a transmission mode for each of the at least two configured cells are received. At least one transport block is received on the at least two configured cells. The at least two HARQ-ACK bits are generated based on a number of the at least two configured cells and the transmission mode for each of the at least two configured cells. Transmission power for the at least two HARQ-ACK bits is adjusted based on a number of the received at least one transport block. The at least two HARQ-ACK bits are transmitted on a PUCCH. A transmission mode supports one transport block or up to two transport blocks.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed generally to wireless communication systems and, more specifically, to the transmission of acknowledgement information in an uplink of a communication system.
2. Description of the Art
A communication system includes a DownLink (DL) that conveys transmission signals from a Base Station (BS or NodeB) to User Equipments (UEs) and an UpLink (UL) that conveys transmission signals from UEs to the NodeB. A UE, also commonly referred to as a terminal or a mobile station, may be fixed or mobile and may be a wireless device, a cellular phone, a personal computer device, etc. A NodeB is generally a fixed station and may also be referred to as a Base Transceiver System (BTS), an access point, or some other equivalent terminology.
More specifically, the UL conveys data signals carrying information content, control signals providing control information associated with the transmission of data signals on the DL, and Reference Signals (RSs), e.g., pilot signals. The DL also conveys data signals, control signals, and RSs.
UL data signals are conveyed through a Physical Uplink Shared CHannel (PUSCH) and DL data signals are conveyed through a Physical Downlink Shared CHannel (PDSCH).
In the absence of a PUSCH transmission, a UE conveys UL Control Information (UCI) through a Physical Uplink Control CHannel (PUCCH). However, when it has a PUSCH transmission, a UE may convey UCI and data through the PUSCH.
DL control signals may be broadcast or sent in a UE-specific nature. Accordingly, UE-specific control channels can be used, among other purposes, to provide UEs with Scheduling Assignments (SAs) for PDSCH reception, i.e., DL SAs, or PUSCH transmission, i.e., UL SAs. The SAs are transmitted from the NodeB to respective UEs using DL Control Information (DCI) formats through respective Physical DL Control CHannels (PDCCHs).
The NodeB may configure a UE through higher layer signaling, such as Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling, a PDSCH Transmission Mode (TM), and a PUSCH TM. The PDSCH TM or PUSCH TM is respectively associated with a DL SA or a UL SA and defines whether the respective PDSCH or PUSCH conveys one data Transport Block (TB) or two data TBs.
PDSCH or PUSCH transmissions are either scheduled to a UE by the NodeB through higher layer signaling, such as Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling, or through physical layer signaling, e.g., a PDCCH, using a respective DL SA or UL SA, or correspond to non-adaptive retransmissions for a given Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest (HARQ) process. Scheduling by RRC signaling is semi-static and is referred to as Semi-Persistent Scheduling (SPS). Scheduling by PDCCH is referred to as dynamic. If a UE misses, e.g., fails to decode, a PDCCH, it also misses the associated PDSCH or PUSCH, respectively. This event will be referred to as Discontinuous Transmission (DTX).
The UCI includes ACKnowledgment (ACK) information associated with a HARQ process (HARQ-ACK). The HARQ-ACK information may include multiple bits corresponding to positive acknowledgments (ACKs) for TBs the UE correctly received or negative acknowledgements (NACKs) for TBs the UE incorrectly received. When a UE does not receive a TB, it may transmit DTX (tri-state HARQ-ACK information) or both the absence and the incorrect reception of a TB can be represented by a NACK (in a combined NACK/DTX state). One consequence of a UE not providing DTX information to the NodeB is that the NodeB cannot use Incremental Redundancy (IR) for the HARQ process. This leads to throughput loss. Another consequence is that PDCCH power control, based on DTX feedback, is not possible.
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional PUSCH transmission structure.
Referring to FIG. 1, a Transmission Time Interval (TTI) is one subframe 110, which includes two slots. Each slot 120 includes NsymbUL symbols, which are used to transmit data signals, UCI signals, or RSs. Each symbol 130 includes a Cyclic Prefix (CP) to mitigate interference due to channel propagation effects. The transmission in one slot may be either at a same or at a different BandWidth (BW) than the transmission in the other slot. Some PUSCH symbols in each slot are used to transmit an RS 140, which enables channel estimation and coherent demodulation of the received data and/or UCI signals.
The transmission BW includes frequency resource units that will be referred to herein as Physical Resource Blocks (PRBs). Each PRB includes NscRB sub-carriers, or Resource Elements (REs), and a UE is allocated MPUSCH PRBs 150 for a total of MscPUSCH=MPUSCH·NscRB REs for the PUSCH transmission BW.
The last subframe symbol may be used for transmitting a Sounding RS (SRS) 160 from one or more UEs. The SRS provides, to the NodeB, an estimate of the channel medium the respective UE experiences over the SRS transmission BW. The SRS transmission parameters are configured to each UE, by the NodeB, through higher layer signaling.
In FIG. 1, the number of subframe symbols available for transmission of data or UCI signals is NsymbPUSCH=2·(NsymbUL−1)−NSRS, where NSRS=1 if the last subframe symbol is used for SRS transmission and NSRS=0 otherwise.
FIG. 2 illustrates a conventional transmitter for transmitting data information and HARQ-ACK information in a PUSCH.
Referring to FIG. 2, encoded HARQ-ACK bits 210 and encoded data bits 220 formed into a signal stream by puncturer/inserter 230. Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) is then performed by DFT unit 240. The REs for the PUSCH transmission BW are selected by the sub-carrier mapping unit 250 as instructed from controller 255. Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT) is performed by an IFFT unit 260, CP insertion is performed by a CP insertion unit 270, and time windowing is performed by filter 280, thereby generating a transmitted signal 290. For brevity, the encoding and modulation processes and additional transmitter circuitry such as digital-to-analog converter, analog filters, amplifiers, and transmitter antennas are not illustrated.
The PUSCH transmission is assumed to be over a single cluster 295A or over multiple clusters 295B of contiguous REs in accordance to the DFT Spread Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (DFT-S-OFDMA) method for signal transmission.
FIG. 3 illustrates a conventional receiver for receiving a transmission signal as illustrated in FIG. 2.
Referring to FIG. 3, an antenna receives a Radio-Frequency (RF) analog signal and after further processing, e.g., such filtering, amplification, and analog-to-digital converting, the received digital signal 310 is filtered by filter 320 and the CP is removed by CP removal unit 330. Subsequently, the receiver unit applies a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) by an FFT unit 340, and selects the REs used by the transmitter by sub-carrier demapping by a sub-carrier demapping unit 350 under a control of controller 355. Thereafter, an Inverse DFT (IDFT) unit 360 applies IDFT, and an extraction unit 370 extracts the HARQ-ACK bits, places erasures at the respective REs for the data bits 380, and finally obtains the data bits 390.
The RS transmission is assumed to be through a Constant Amplitude Zero Auto-Correlation (CAZAC) sequence. Orthogonal multiplexing of CAZAC sequences can be achieved by applying different Cyclic Shifts (CSs) to the same CAZAC sequence.
Assuming, for simplicity, that the PUSCH conveys a single data TB, for HARQ-ACK transmission in a PUSCH, a UE determines a respective number of encoded HARQ-ACK symbols Q′ using Equation (1).
                              Q          ′                =                  min          (                                    ⌈                                                                    O                                          HARQ                      ·                      ACK                                                        ·                                      β                    offset                                          HARQ                      -                      ACK                                                                                Q                    m                                    ·                  R                                            ⌉                        ,                          4              ·                              M                sc                PUSCH                                              )                                    (        1        )
In Equation (1), OHARQ-ACK is a number of HARQ-ACK information bits (HARQ-ACK payload), βoffsetHARQ-ACK is a parameter the NodeB informs to the UE through higher layer signaling, Qm is a number of data information bits per modulation symbol (Qm=2, 4, 6 for QPSK, QAM16, QAM64, respectively), R is a data code rate of an initial PUSCH transmission for the same TB, MscPUSCH is a PUSCH transmission BW in a current subframe, and ┌ ┐ is the ceiling function that rounds a number to its next integer.
The data code rate R is defined as shown in Equation (2).
                    R        =                              (                                          ∑                                  r                  =                  0                                                  CB                  -                  1                                                                          K                r                                      )                    /                      (                                          Q                m                            ·                              M                sc                                  PUSCH                  -                  initial                                            ·                              N                symb                                  PUSCH                  -                  initial                                                      )                                              (        2        )
In Equation (2), CB is a total number of data code blocks and Kr is a number of bits for data code block number r.
The maximum number of encoded HARQ-ACK symbols is limited to the number of REs in 4 DFT-S-OFDM symbols (4·MscPUSCH), which may be located in the two DFT-S-OFDM symbols adjacent to the RS in each of the two subframe slots, as illustrated in FIG. 1.
The determination of the number of encoded HARQ-ACK symbols when a PUSCH conveys multiple TBs, using for example the Single-User Multiple Input Multiple Output (SU-MIMO) transmission method, is similar to when a PUSCH conveys one TB. Accordingly, a repetitive description is omitted for brevity, as it is not material to the present invention.
If a PDSCH conveys one TB, the respective HARQ-ACK information includes one bit, which is encoded as a binary '1', if the TB is correctly received (ACK value), and as a binary '0', if the TB is incorrectly received (NACK value). If a PDSCH conveys two TBs, the HARQ-ACK information includes two bits [o0ACK o1ACK] with or for TB 0 and o1ACK for TB 1. The transmission of one HARQ-ACK bit may use repetition coding and the transmission of two HARQ-ACK bits may use a (3, 2) simplex code.
A PDSCH with multiple TBs (e.g., two TBs) can be supported using SU-MIMO transmission with a rank greater than 1. In response to a PDSCH reception with multiple TBs, a UE generates multiple respective HARQ-ACK information bits. However, it is possible for a UE to always generate only one HARQ-ACK bit per PDSCH reception by applying HARQ-ACK spatial-domain bundling. With spatial-domain bundling, the HARQ-ACK bit has the NACK value when at least one TB is incorrectly received and has the ACK value when all TBs are correctly received.
For a Time Division Duplex (TDD) communication system, a PDSCH in several DL subframes may be received before a UL subframe is available for HARQ-ACK transmission, either in a PUSCH or in a PUCCH. Then, a UE may need to transmit multiple HARQ-ACK information bits in a single UL subframe. For HARQ-ACK payload OHARQ-ACK>2 bits, a linear block code, such as the (32, OHARQ-ACK) Reed-Mueller code, may be used.
The fundamental conditions for the proper HARQ-ACK transmission in a PUSCH are for the UE and the NodeB to have the same understanding (1) of whether HARQ-ACK information is included in the PUSCH, (2) of the corresponding HARQ-ACK payload, and (3) of how the HARQ-ACK information bits are multiplexed in the PDSCH.
For a Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) communication system and single-cell operation, no specific measures are necessary to ensure the above common understanding, as the communication is over a single cell and the HARQ-ACK information is for a single PDSCH.
In TDD, due to the additional time dimension relative to FDD, a DL Assignment Index (DAI) Information Element (IE), VDAIUL, may be included in UL SAs to inform a UE of the HARQ-ACK payload, if any, to convey in a PUSCH (UL DAI). A DAI IE is also included in DL SAs, VDAIDL, for a UE to determine whether it has missed any DL SA, except for the last DL SA, when the UE transmits HARQ-ACK in the PUCCH (DL DAI). As the NodeB cannot predict whether a given UE will have DL SAs in future DL subframes, the VDAIDL is a relative counter that is incremented in each DL SA transmitted to a given UE and starts from the beginning after the last DL subframe linked to the UL subframe of the HARQ-ACK signal transmission.
FIG. 4 illustrates a conventional PUCCH structure in one subframe slot for a UE to transmit multi-bit HARQ-ACK information based on a DFT-S-OFDM transmission method.
Referring to FIG. 4, after encoding and modulation using, for example, an RM block code and QPSK, respectively, a set of the same HARQ-ACK bits 410 is multiplied 420 with elements of an Orthogonal Covering Code (OCC) 430 and is subsequently DFT precoded 440. For example, for 5 symbols per slot carrying HARQ-ACK bits, the OCC has length 5 {OCC(0), OCC(1), OCC(2), OCC(3), OCC(4)} and can be either of {1, 1, 1, 1, 1}, or {1, exp(j2π/5), exp(j4π/5), exp(j6π/5), exp(j8π/5)}, or {1, exp(j4π/5), exp(j8π/5), exp(j2π/5), exp(j6π/5)}, or {1, exp(j6π/5), exp(j2π/5), exp(j8π/5), exp(j4π/5)}, or {1, exp(j8π/5), exp(j6π/5), exp(j4π/5), exp(j2π/5. The output is passed through an IFFT 450 and it is then mapped to a DFT-S-OFDM symbol 460.
As the previous operations are linear, their relative order may be inter-changed. Because the PUCCH transmission is in 1 PRB, which include NscRB=12 REs, 24 encoded HARQ-ACK bits are transmitted in each slot with QPSK modulation (12 HARQ-ACK QPSK symbols). The same or different HARQ-ACK bits may be transmitted in the second slot of the subframe. In addition to HARQ-ACK signals, RSs are transmitted in each slot to enable coherent demodulation of the HARQ-ACK signals. The RS is constructed from a length-12 CAZAC sequence 470, which passes through an IFFT 480, and is mapped to another DFT-S-OFDM symbol 490.
FIG. 5 illustrates a conventional UE transmitter for HARQ-ACK signals in a PUCCH.
Referring to FIG. 5, the HARQ-ACK information bits 505 are encoded and modulated by an encoder and modulator 510 and then multiplied with an element of the OCC 525 for the respective DFT-S-OFDM symbol by multiplier 520. The output of the multiplier 520 is then precoded by DFT precoder 530. After DFT precoding, sub-carrier mapping is performed by sub-carrier mapper 540, under control of controller 550. Thereafter, the IFFT is performed by IFFT 560, a CP is added by CP inserter 570, and the signal is filtered by filter 580, thereby generating the transmitted signal 590. For brevity, additional transmitter circuitry such as digital-to-analog converter, analog filters, amplifiers, and transmitter antennas are not illustrated in FIG. 5.
FIG. 6 illustrates a conventional NodeB receiver for HARQ-ACK signals in a PUCCH.
Referring to FIG. 6, after receiving an RF analog signal and converting the analog signal to a digital signal 610, the digital signal 610 is filtered by filter 620 and a CP is removed by CP remover 630. Subsequently, the NodeB receiver applies a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) by FFT 640, performs sub-carrier demapping by sub-carrier demapper 650 under the control of controller 655, and applies an Inverse DFT (IDFT) by IDFT 660. The output of the IDFT 660 is then multiplied with an OCC element 675 for the respective DFT-S-OFDM symbol by multiplier 670. An adder 680 sums the outputs for the DFT-S-OFDM symbols conveying HARQ-ACK signals over each slot, and a demodulator and decoder 690 demodulates and decodes the summed HARQ-ACK signals over both subframe slots to obtain the transmitted HARQ-ACK information bits 695.
The HARQ-ACK signal transmission power in a PUCCH in subframe i, PPUCCH(i), is assumed to be given as shown in Equation (3).PPUCCH(i)=min{PCMAX,h(OHARQ-ACK)+Q(i)}  (3)
In Equation (3), the measure is decibels (dBs) per milliwatt (dBm), PCMAX is the maximum transmission power configured to the UE, Q(i) contains cell-specific and UE-specific parameters, which are not material to the present invention, and h(OHARQ-ACK) is a monotonically increasing function of the HARQ-ACK payload OHARQ-ACK. The derivation of PPUCCH(i) in Equation (3) does not account for possible puncturing of DFT-S-OFDM symbols in a PUCCH, such as, for example, the last symbol to accommodate SRS transmissions, or for possible multiplexing of additional information other than HARQ-ACK in a PUCCH.
For HARQ-ACK transmission in a PUSCH, as the PUSCH transmission power is determined assuming data transmission and as the transmission powers of HARQ-ACK REs and data REs are the same, the HARQ-ACK reception reliability depends on the number of respective REs as reflected in Equation (1). For HARQ-ACK transmission in a PUCCH, the number of REs is predetermined (12 REs over one UL subframe) and the HARQ-ACK reception reliability depends on the transmission power of the HARQ-ACK signal.
In order to increase peak data rates, the NodeB can configure a UE with Carrier Aggregation (CA) of multiple cells to provide higher operating BWs. For example, to support communication over 60 MHz to a UE, CA of three 20 MHz cells can be used. Assuming that the PDSCH in each cell conveys different TBs, the UE generates separate HARQ-ACK information for the respective TBs received in each cell. This is similar to single-cell TDD operation, where the UE generates separate HARQ-ACK information for the respective TBs received in each DL subframe for which the HARQ-ACK transmission is in the same UL subframe.
Unlike the DL SAs in different subframes of a TDD system, for DL CA, the NodeB knows the total number of PDSCH or DL SAs it transmits to a UE in a given subframe. A cell-domain DL DAI IE can then be introduced in DL SAs which, unlike the time-domain DL DAI IE in a TDD system that is a relative counter for the respective DL SA, can be an absolute counter conveying the total number of DL SAs in a given subframe.
A UE is configured with C cells for DL CA. In C2≦C cells, the UE is configured with a PDSCH TM that supports 2 TBs and requires 2 HARQ-ACK information bits. In the remaining C−C2 cells, the UE is configured with a PDSCH TM that supports 1 TB and requires 1 HARQ-ACK information bit. In a given subframe, P≦C PDSCH are transmitted to a UE, with P2≦P PDSCH requiring feedback of 2 HARQ-ACK information bits and P−P2 PDSCH requiring feedback of 1 HARQ-ACK information bit for a total of NTBtransmitted=P+P2 transmitted TBs and a total of P+P2 HARQ-ACK bits. The UE receives R≦P PDSCH with R2≦P2 PDSCH requiring feedback of 2 HARQ-ACK information bits and R−R2 PDSCH requiring feedback of 1 HARQ-ACK information bit for a total of NTBreceived=R+R2 received TBs and a total of R+R2 HARQ-ACK bits. Dynamic switching in a cell between a TM requiring 2 HARQ-ACK information bits and a TM requiring 1 HARQ-ACK information bit is supported.
FIG. 7 illustrates a set of cells configured to a UE, a subset of configured cells with PDSCH transmission in a given subframe from a NodeB to the UE, and a further subset of cells wherein the PDSCH transmission from the NodeB is received by the UE.
Referring to FIG. 7, a UE is configured with C=4 cells, 710, 712, 714, and 716. The PDSCH in C2=2 cells, 710 and 716, conveys 2 TBs. The NodeB transmits DL SAs (and the associated PDSCHs, if any) in P=3 cells, 720, 722, and 726. The NodeB does not transmit DL SA in C−P=1 cell 724. The UE receives DL SAs in R=2 cells, 730 and 732, it does not receive DL SA in one cell 734, and misses the DL SA (and the associated PDSCH, if any) in one cell 736.
For HARQ-ACK transmission in a PUCCH and absence of cell-domain DL DAI IE, because a UE may miss some DL SAs, a common understanding for the HARQ-ACK payload between the UE and the NodeB can be achieved only if the HARQ-ACK payload is always the maximum one of OHARQ-ACK=C+C2 bits (or, with spatial-domain bundling, OHARQ-ACK=C bits). Using the maximum HARQ-ACK payload of OHARQ-ACK=C+C2 bits does not create additional resource overhead. The UE may transmit a NACK or a DTX (in case of tri-state HARQ-ACK information) for the C+C2−R−R2 TBs it did not receive, but the NodeB already knows the cells with no DL SA or PDSCH transmission to the UE and can use the knowledge that the UE transmits a NACK for each of those TBs (a-priori information) to improve the reception reliability of the HARQ-ACK CW. Then, even though the HARQ-ACK payload is oHARQ-ACK=C+C2 bits, the reception reliability of the HARQ-ACK CW is practically the one obtained if the HARQ-ACK payload was P+P2 bits (or, with spatial-domain bundling, P bits).
The NodeB is able to use a-priori information to improve the decoding reliability of the HARQ-ACK CW because a linear block code and QPSK are assumed to be used for the encoding and modulation of the HARQ-ACK bits, respectively. Simply, the NodeB considers only HARQ-ACK CWs having NACK (binary '0') at the predetermined locations as candidates. Due to the implementation of the decoding process, the use of the a-priori information would be impractical or impossible if a convolutional code or a turbo code was used for the encoding or if QAM was used for the modulation of the HARQ-ACK bits.
Although HARQ-ACK signal transmission in a PUCCH with the maximum payload of OHARQ-ACK=C+C2 bits (or, with spatial-domain bundling, of OHARQ-ACK=C bits) does not generate additional resource overhead, it may use larger HARQ-ACK signal transmission power than that needed to achieve the desired reception reliability because the HARQ-ACK payload in the PUCCH is larger than or equal to the actual one of P+P2 bits (or, with spatial-domain bundling, of P bits).
Transmission with larger power than necessary increases UE power consumption and creates additional interference, thereby degrading the reception reliability of signals transmitted in the same BW in other cells.
For HARQ-ACK transmission in a PUSCH, using the maximum HARQ-ACK payload creates unnecessary resource overhead when the actual HARQ-ACK payload is smaller than the maximum one. HARQ-ACK transmission is assumed to be in a single PUSCH, which may be determined, for example, based on a predetermined prioritization for the configured cells.
Therefore, there is a need for deriving the HARQ-ACK payload for transmission in the PUSCH and reducing the corresponding overhead for DL CA.
There is another need for deriving the HARQ-ACK signal transmission power in the PUCCH, while both achieving the desired reception reliability for the HARQ-ACK CW and minimizing interference and UE power consumption for DL CA.
There is another need for setting the appropriate HARQ-ACK transmission power in the PUCCH, while considering the existence of SRS transmission and the multiplexing of other information in the same PUCCH transmission.
There is another need for designing a cell-domain DL DAI IE in the DL SAs and a cell-domain UL DAI IE in the UL SAs, such that the overhead for HARQ-ACK transmission in the PUSCH is minimized, while achieving proper functionality.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Transmission of HARQ control information from a user equipment for downlink carrier aggregation


The invention relates to an aluminium alloy wrought product with high strength and fracture toughness and high fatigue resistance and low fatigue crack growth rate, and having a composition for the alloy comprising, in weight %, about 0.3 to 1.0% magnesium (Mg), about 4.4 to 5.5% copper (Cu), about 0 to 0.20% iron (Fe), about 0 to 0.20% silicon (Si), about 0 to 0.40% zinc (Zn), and Mn in a range 0.15 to 0.8 as a dispersoids forming element in combination with one or more of dispersoids forming elements selected from the group consisting of: (Zr, Sc, Cr, Hf, Ag, Ti, V), in ranges of: about 0 to 0.5% zirconium (Zr), about 0 to 0.7% scandium (Sc), about 0 to 0.4% chromium (Cr), about 0 to 0.3% hafnium (Hf), about 0 to 0.4% titanium (Ti), about 0 to 1.0% silver (Ag), the balance being aluminium (Al) and other incidental elements, and whereby there is a limitation of the Cu—Mg content such that −1.1[Mg]+5.38≦[Cu]≦5.5. The invention further relates to a method of manufacturing such a product.

Designers and manufacturers in the aerospace industry are constantly trying to improve fuel efficiency, product performance and constantly trying to reduce the manufacturing and service costs. Efficiency can be improved by further weight reduction. One way of obtaining this is by improving the relevant material properties, so that the structure made from that alloy can be designed more effectively or will have overall a better performance. By having better material properties, also the service cost can be significant reduced by longer inspection intervals of the aeroplane. Lower wing plates are typically made from AA2324 in the T39 temper. For fuselage skin, typically AA2024 in the T351 temper was used. This because these alloy in these temper showed the requested material properties under tensile loading, i.e. acceptable strength levels, high toughness and low crack growth propagation. Nowadays, new more efficient aeroplanes are designed, leading to wish for improved material properties.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,652,063 discloses an AA2000-series alloy with a Cu/Mg ratio between 5 and 9 and strength of more than 531 MPa. The alloy can be used both for lower wing plate and for fuselage skin. This alloy is particularly intended for supersonic aircraft.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,593,516 discloses an AA2000-series alloy wherein the copper (Cu) and magnesium (Mg) levels are kept preferably below the solubility limit. Preferably, [Cu]=5.2−0.91[Mg]. In U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,376,192 and 5,512,112, originating from the same initial US patent application, the addition of silver (Ag) levels of 0.1-1.0 weight % has been disclosed.
U.S. patent application US2001/0006082 discloses an M2000-series alloy especially suitable for the lower wing, without dispersoid forming elements like Zirconium (Zr), Chromium (Cr), or Vanadium (V). It is mentioned also that advantages are achieved by a mandatory Cu/Mg ratio of above 10.
For new designed aeroplanes, there is a wish for even better properties than the above-described alloys have, in order to design more cost and environmental effective aeroplanes. Accordingly, a need exist for an aluminium alloy capable of achieving the improved proper property balance in the relevant product form.

High-damage tolerant alloy product in particular for aerospace applications


The present invention provides for an engineered three dimensional (3D) pulmonary model tissue culture which is free of any artificial scaffold.

Tissue engineering is a rapidly developing field of biomedical research that aims at repair, replace or regenerate damaged tissues. Due to the latest events of disastrous phase II clinical drug trials (e.g. TGN1412), further goals of tissue engineering include generation of human tissue models for safety and efficacy testing of pharmaceutical compounds. Tissue engineering in general and our model in particular exploits biological morphogenesis, which is an example of self-assembly.
Cell and tissue engineering is pursued nowadays from several perspectives. In one aspect, it is used to gain deeper insight into cell biology and physiology.
Three Dimensional Tissue Models
Two main directions are being developed in tissue engineering research: tissue scaffold based and tissue scaffold free systems. While scaffold based systems use mostly biodegradable scaffold material to provide an artificial 3D structure to facilitate cellular interactions, a scaffold free system allows direct cell to cell interactions, and allows cells to grow on their secreted scaffold material in the model.
In US 2001/0055804 A1 ("Three dimensional in vitro model of human preneoplastic breast disease") discloses a three dimensional in vitro cell culture system useful as a model of a preneoplastic breast disease for screening drugs. Said model is prepared by co-culturing preneoplastic epithelial cells of breast origin, endothelial cells and breast fibroblasts on a reconstituted base membrane in a medium comprising further additives like growth factors, estrogens etc. Thus, in this solution a base membrane, preferably Matrigel® is used as a tissue scaffold. According to the description a network of branching ductal alveolar units vasculature is formed within about 3-7 days in this system.
The system relates to breast and not lung and there is no suggestion to make a lung culture by that method. In US 2003/0109920 ("Engineered animal tissue") microvascular endothelial cells were obtained from adult lung and placed between two layers of human dermal fibroblasts present in a three dimensional collagen gel. Thus, a sandwich structure was formed.
Though the vascular endothelial cells were obtained from human lung, the artificial tissue prepared by this method was similar to human skin, therefore, it can not be actually considered as a pulmonary tissue model. In US 2008/0112890 ("Fetal pulmonary cells and uses thereof") a 3D tissue-like preparation is taught which is based on fetal mouse epithelial, endothelial and mesenchymal cells. The authors used mouse embryonic lung cells to the preparation in order to obtain lung prosthesis and perform screening on the 3D tissue-like preparation. As a matrix, a hydrogel, MATRIGEL™ was used to establish appropriate cell-cell interactions. It appears from the description that a fibroblast overgrowth was experienced upon coculturing epithelial cells and fibroblasts.
WO2008/100555 ("Engineered lung tissue construction for high throughput toxicity screening and drug discovery") relates to a lung tissue model preparation comprising fetal pulmonary cells and a tissue scaffold made of a biocompatible material and preferably a fibroblast growth factor. Fetal pulmonary cells comprise epithelial, endothelial and mesenchymal cells. A number of applicable biocompatible materials are listed.
WO2004/046322 ("Replication of biological tissue") preparation of an artificial 3-D tissue is proposed under microgravity environment. The tissue is based on human breast cancer cells and is useful as a breast cancer model. In a rotating bioreactor chamber at first connective tissue cells are cultured till the formation of a 3-D spheroid structure, then sequentially endothelial and epithelial cells are added to the culture. It is to be noted that the teaching is theoretical and while protocols are provided to culture the cells and to handle to cultures, no actual results of the experiments are disclosed.
Vertrees, R A, Zwischenberger, J B et al. (2008) cultured mesenchymal cells (human bronchial tracheal cells) on collagen coated microporous cyclodextrin beads (Cytodex-3 micro carrier beads) in rotating walled vessels. After 24 to 48 h a malignant phenotype human epithelial cell line (BZR-T33) was added. The purpose of the authors was to develop a 3-D model of lung cancer. The authors observed that in the prior art primary cell lines "of human broncho-epithelial cells and human lung cancers provide a more differentiated model similar to the structure and function of epithelial cells in vivo; however, these models are short-lived in vitro."
Nichols, J. E. and Cortiella, J (2008) review recent advancements toward the development of a tissue-engineered lung and find that hitherto developed lung tissue models used specialized scaffold materials and were kept in culture lengthily. The authors mention that "[P]roblems to be faced in the development of . . . lung, depend on . . . the development of appropriate scaffolds and matrices to enhance and support three-dimensional (3D) production of tissues.
Molnar T. F. and Pongracz J. E. provide an overview of different applications of tissue engineering among others in lung tissue cultures. The authors note that "3D cultures . . . create additional problems, including difficulties of gas and nutrient exchange in the third dimension. To circumvent this problem, scaffolds . . . are purposefully engineered in a way to make tissue build-up and allow cellular interactions, nutrients and gas exchange to occur." They conclude, however, that "Biotechnology in reconstructive surgery is still a test-tube based laboratory issue . . . "
Scaffoldless designs are not envisioned in these two reviews.
Wnt Signaling and Wnt11
Wnt proteins are secreted morphogens that are required for basic developmental processes as well as maintenance of adult tissue homeostasis. In the lung, Wnt signaling controls proliferation, cell-fate decision, maturation and terminal differentiation of progenitor cells. Alveolar type II (ATII) cells are progenitors of alveolar type I (ATI) cells that create the primary gas exchange surface of the alveoli. However, how ATII type differentiation is regulated is still far from understood.
Wnt signaling regulates a variety of developmental processes [Dobbs, L. G. (1989)]. Over-expression (Wnt13 and Wnt2,4) or down-regulation (Wnt7a,5) of Wnts or Wnt pathway inhibitors (Dkk3,6, WIF7 and sFRP8), are characteristic in different types of pulmonary diseases including fibrosis and tumors. Additionally, over-expression of disheveled (Dvl), a signal transducer of Wnt signals, has been reported in 75% of NSCLC cases, highlighting the importance of Wnt pathways in pulmonary cancers.
At least three signaling pathways are involved in the signal transduction process: the canonical or β-catenin dependent, and two non-canonical pathways. Epithelial-mesenchymal transitition (EMT) is generally linked to increased β-catenin dependent signaling activity in many invasive or metastatic tumors [Voulgari, A. and Pintzas, A (2009); Zeisberg, M. and Neilson, E. G. (2009)]. Although β-catenin mutations in lung cancers are relatively rare, upregulation of uncomplexed β-catenin without genetic alteration to β-catenin itself has been shown in a high proportion of human NSCLCs [Akiri G. et al. (2009)]. β-catenin dependent signaling is also essential in pulmonary regeneration. Thus, a balance in Wnt levels seems to be essential to keep the healthy equilibrium in pulmonary homeostasis.
The shortcomings of non-human models in mimicking human tissue characteristics often compromise the success of understanding molecular interactions in human tissues. Recently, therefore primary human cells are frequently used in molecular studies. In traditional two dimensional cell cultures, however, primary cells loose their characteristic differentiation markers [Shannon, J. M., (1987)]. The present inventor have not information about any art study on the effect of Wnt11 in 3D model tissue cultures.
Despite the extensive literature of lung models, it appears that the prior art discloses only tissue scaffold based three dimensional models and no simple, tissue scaffold free lung tissue model, comprising at least epithelial cells and fibroblasts, is disclosed in the prior art.
The present Inventors have surprisingly found that by simple biochemical methods a tissue scaffold free lung tissue model system can be created which has certain morphological features of lung tissue and is in several aspects more favorable than two dimensional (2D) systems or systems based on a matrix. The model of the invention avoids the problem of fibroblast overgrowth. The present inventors also recognized and provide the first evidence that Wnt11 is a regulator of ATII type differentiation. Thus, due to the effect of Wnt11 the model can be further improved both in terms of marker expression and morphology. Wnt11 is also shown to be down-regulated in lung cancers (LCs). Thus, according to the invention a pulmonary cancer model is provided wherein expression of Wnt11 is down-regulated in the mesenchymal cells of the model tissue culture.
Moreover, the present Inventors recognized that Wnt11 is useful in repair and/or regeneration of tissue, preferably lung tissue after injury.
The pulmonary model tissue culture can be prepared rapidly. The present invention provides a model tissue which is ready for use in various tests. The model is suitable to study cell-cell interactions in various lung tissues to mimic normal function and disease development.


The general area of this invention relates to porous materials made from nanofiber packed beds. More particularly, the invention relates to altering the porosity or packing structure of a nanofiber packed bed structure by blending nanofibers with scaffold particulates having larger dimensions. For example, adding large diameter fibers to a nanotube packed bed to serve as a scaffolding to hold the smaller nanofibers apart and prevent the nanofiber bed structure from collapsing. This increases the average pore size of the mass by changing the pore size distribution and alters the packing structure of the packed bed. The increase in average pore size is caused by the creation of larger channels which improves the flow of liquids or gasses through these materials.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates broadly to nanofiber packed beds having enhanced fluid flow characteristics and to methods of making same and methods of using same. More specifically, the invention relates to nanofibers which are uniformly or non-uniformly blended with supporting scaffold particulates to form packed beds having enhanced fluid flow rates and an increased overall average pore size. Even more specifically, the invention relates to using such packed beds for a variety of purposes including as products such as flow-through electrodes, chromatographic media, adsorbant media and filters.
2. Description of the Related Art
Nanofiber mats and assemblages have been previously produced to take advantage of the increased surface area per gram achieved using extremely thin diameter fibers. These prior mats or assemblages are either in the form of tightly, dense masses of intertwined fibers and/or are limited to microscopic structures (i.e., having a largest dimension less than 1 micron). Nanofiber mats or assemblages have been previously prepared by dispersing nanofibers in aqueous or organic mediums and then filtering the nanofibers to form a mat. The mats have also been prepared by forming a gel or paste of carbon fibrils in a fluid, e.g. an organic solvent such as propane and then heating the gel or paste to a temperature above the critical temperature of the medium, removing supercritical fluid and finally removing the resultant porous mat or plug from the vessel in which the process has been carried out. See, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/428,496 entitled "Three-Dimensional Macroscopic Assemblages of Randomly Oriented Carbon Fibrils and Composites Containing Same" by Tennent et al. hereby incorporated by reference.
One of the disadvantages of the prior assemblages or mats made by the above described methods is poor fluid flow characteristics within the structure. As suspensions of nanofibers are drained of the suspending fluid, in particular water, the surface tension of the liquid tends to pull the nanofibers into a dense packed "mat". Alternatively, the structure may simply collapse. The pore size of the resulting mat is determined by the interfiber spaces which as a result of the compression of these mats tend to be quite small. As a result, the fluid flow characteristics of such mats are poor.
Accordingly, although previous work has shown that nanofibers can be assembled into packed, thin, membrane-like assemblages through which fluid will pass, the small diameters of the nanofibers results in a very small pore structure that imposes a large resistance to fluid flow.
It would be desirable to overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages by producing a porous packed bed having enhanced fluid flow and an altered pore size distribution since there are applications for porous nanofiber packed beds that require fluid passage and the resistance to fluid transport creates serious limitations and/or drawbacks for such applications. The improved fluid flow characteristics brought about by this invention make such applications more feasible and/or more efficient.

Nanofiber packed beds having enhanced fluid flow characteristics


The novel cyanopyridines of the general formula (I) ##STR1## (A, B, R.sup.1, R.sup.2, X, m and n are defined in the specification) show selective herbicidal activity. The new compounds can be prepared according to known methods and can be used as herbicides in agriculture and related fields.

Pyridines, pyrimidines and their derivatives have many uses in the pharmaceutical area as well as in agriculture (herbicides, fungicides, acaricides, anthelmintics, bird repellents), as reagents, intermediates and chemicals for the polymer and textile industry.
The European patent application EP 0 692 474 discloses 2,5-diphenyloxy-4-cyanopyridines. Certain herbicidal 2-thienylmethoxypyridines are known from and EP 0 693 490 A.
The broad generic formula of the International patent application WO 96/06096 embraces 2-azolyl-5-aryloxy-cyanopyridines.
Although many of the known compounds show considerable activity against various weeds, they are not completely satisfying with regard to their selectivity or because of their persistence.
The compounds according to the present invention combine high herbicidal activity with the necessary selectivity and enhanced soil degradation.