Systems and methods for avoiding conflict in a wireless mobile display digital interface (WMDDI) environment including both host and client devices. In one aspect, the presently claimed invention includes a system and/or method that is configured for broadcasting a first multicast MAC address by a first host to at least one first client in a predetermined geographic area and broadcasting the first multicast MAC address by a second host to at least one second client in the predetermined geographic area. The system and/or method can be further configured for determining a priority between the first host and the second host when the second host receives multicast packets transmitted by the first host and changing to a second multicast MAC address by a least priority host of the first host and the second host.

1. Field
The presently claimed invention relates generally to the field of communications, and more specifically to the field of wireless communications in a network having multiple nodes.
2. Background
Recent trends in communications have demonstrated that visual content is becoming a more important aspect of both the communications themselves as well as the devices that enable such communications. For example, displays have become much more integral to the operation of mobile phones in recent years. The mobile display digital interface (MDDI) protocol has been adopted by many manufacturers and users as a cost-effective and low-power solution that enables high-speed short-range communication with a display device, for example a display portion of a clamshell-type or flip-phone. The MDDI protocol typically utilizes a miniature connector system and a thin flexible cable for connecting portable computing, communications and entertainment devices to displays, generally referred to as a host and a client, respectively. However, with the development of high-speed wireless technologies such as ultra wideband and 802.11n, there is a growing desire for wireless communications between computing platforms and displays. Wireless USB has been introduced as one option for wireless communication between devices. However, unlike a MDDI system, wireless USB operates within the framework of the wiMedia UWB MAC, which unfortunately ties the communications protocol very heavily to the underlying MAC structure, which in turn complicates operation of wireless USB systems making them less than optimal for many applications.
As noted above, in a wired MDDI system, the host and client devices are connected by actual cabling, which forms the basis for the association between the host and the client. In a wireless system; however, there is no automatic, physical link creating an association between the host and client, which can lead to numerous difficulties with association, security, inefficient use of air link bandwidth, and conflicting addresses, packets and/or communication protocols from differing hosts and/or clients.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a system and/or method for wireless MDDI communications that ensures proper association between a host and a client, as well as efficient and secure communications there between.

System and method for avoiding and resolving conflicts in a wireless mobile display digital interface multicast environment


A phase shift mask shape that reduces line-end shortening at the critical feature without changing layout size increases required of requisite phase shift rules. The phase feature is given an angled extension, which includes the lithographic shortening value. This allows the critical shape to be designed much closer to the reference layer then it could without the angled extension feature. Phase mask extension features beyond a given device segment are significantly reduced by lengthening the feature along an uncritical portion; moving the feature reference point to the device layer; and flattening the phase extension feature into an L-shape or T-shape along the uncritical parts of a device segment. Applying these design rules allows a draw of the gate conductor under current conditions and puts phase shapes inside without extending the gate conductor dimensions to the next feature.

The present invention relates generally to lithography in very large scale integrated (VLSI) chip manufacturing, and more particularly to an improved phase shifted mask (PSM) lithography.
In recent years, demands to increase the number of transistors on a wafer have required decreasing the size of the features, but this has introduced diffraction effects, which have posed limitations on the desired feature size. Lithography in the context of VLSI manufacturing is the process of patterning openings in photosensitive polymers, commonly referred to as photoresists, which define small areas in which the silicon base material is modified by a specific operation in a sequence of processing steps. Conventionally, photoresist chemistry is optimized to discriminate between the brighter and darker intensities.
Phase-shift lithography was developed to enhance the range of conventional optical photolithography. Phase-shift lithography is based on opposite phase destructive interference of the waves of incident light. By shifting the phase of one region of incident light wave approximately 180° relative to an adjacent region of incident light waves, a sharply defined dark zone is created beneath the phase-shift mask due to destructive interferences of the waves. This zone defines the interface between light and dark regions, and hence defines the boundary between exposed and unexposed portions of the resist layer underlying the phase-shift mask. Having a portion of incident light traverse through a longer distance, or conversely, traverse through a shorter distance, typically generates interference phase shifting. The distance differences that the incident light traverses establishes a comparative phase shift. The longer distance may be established by introducing an extra deposited layer through which the light must travel. The shorter distance may be achieved by virtue of an etched groove. Phase-shifting masks are now well known in the art, and there are many varieties that have been employed.
The resolution, R, of a lithography tool is defined by the equation:R=κ1λ//NA
where,
λ is a wavelength of the electromagnetic radiation used in the exposure;
NA is a numerical aperture of the optical system; and
κ1 is an Aries factor, which relates to the limit of diffraction.
Phase shifted mask lithography improves the lithographic process latitude, allowing the operation of a lower Aries factor or κ1 value. Specifically, the electric field vector of the incident light, having magnitude and direction, can be made to constructively interfere with a 0° phase change or with an 180° phase change. For example, light traveling through a thicker portion of material of a predetermined thickness and index of refraction can be made 180° out of phase with incident light not traversing through the thicker material. The electric field vectors of this out-of-phase light will be of equal magnitude but in opposite directions, so that any interaction between these vectors will result in cancellation (destructive interference).
Conversely, light that is in phase will constructively interfere. The thickness of the masking layer is chosen to achieve the desired opacity. Thus, a binary nature of the image is projected, represent by areas of high intensity and areas of low or zero intensity. However, a perfectly square step function is only a theoretical limit.
Diffraction effects will cause images to occur at the edge. These images, in turn, will cause artifacts upon exposure. Trim masks are generally used to remove the artifacts created by the phase shifting mask. A trim mask is a second mask that transmits light, in part, in regions left unexposed by the residual phase edge.
The limits of phase shifted mask lithography are tested by the manufacture of high performance integrated circuits, such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM) technologies. Phase edge PSM lithography makes use of contrast enhancement caused by a phase transition under an opaque feature on a mask.
Phase shift mask solutions are used in lithography to enable printing of very small feature sizes in semiconductors that cannot be realized with conventional techniques. They represent a key technology enabling further shrinking of feature sizes. However, alternating phase shift masks have implications regarding layout rules, such as those relating to line end shortening, which can result in a significant layout area impact and further increase layout rule complexity. Due to the required phase shift technologic rules, some of the prior art design rules must change to accommodate the additional layers introduced in the design by alternate phase shifting methods.
Bearing in mind the problems and deficiencies of the prior art, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a methodology to incorporate phase mask shapes having a minimum impact on the current design rules.
It is another object of the present invention to provide phase mask shapes that can eliminate line-end shortening without influencing conventional design styles.
A further object of the invention is to provide a methodology to reduce the space for critical shapes beyond a reference or feature layer.
Still other objects and advantages of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part be apparent from the specification.

Layout impact reduction with angled phase shapes

International Business Machines Corporation

Infineon Technologies North America Corp.


Apparatus for optical imaging onto a moving surface including a movable surface for receiving an optical image, apparatus for measuring the movement of the surface and providing an surface movement reference signal, optical image producing apparatus operative to produce at least one scanning optical beam for scanning the surface and to provide timing reference signals, and a servo-controlled relay mirror located so as to reflect the at least one scanning beam onto the moving surface. The mirror is precisely positioned in response to the relationship between the substrate movement reference signals and the timing reference signals to ensure proper positioning of the optical image on the moving surface.

Optical imaging onto a moving substrate is well known, for example in laser printers and photocopiers, which employ a photoconductive drum for receiving the optical image. Normally optical information, such as an image, is imaged or written directly onto a photoconductive drum using appropriate stationary optics together with a rotating polygon or hologon or a galvano-mirror to scan the drum axially. Examples of such systems are illustrated and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,796,961; 4,547,038; 4,445,125 and 4,474,422.
It has been found by the applicants that potentially troublesome distortions can occur due to uneven velocity of the photoconductive drum during imaging. This is particularly true in multi-color, multi-pass photocopying wherein registration misalignment may result. Additionally, image distortions during the writing of the image may be different for different color images. The varying distortions result in local areas of misregistration between images. These problems are especially severe for multi-beam systems.
Methods for at least partially correcting some of these problems are known such as changing the timing of the light signals, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,445,128.

Laser scanning apparatus with a positionable relay mirror


A method and computer program product for providing a random linear coding approach to distributed data storage is presented. A file is broken into a plurality of pieces. For every peer (peer means storage-location with limited storage space), the number of coded-pieces the peer can store is determined. Each of the coded-piece is determined by taking random linear combination of all the pieces of the entire file. The associate code-vector is stored for every coded-piece. The file is retrieved by collecting code-vectors and the coded-pieces from the peers and viewing the collected code-vectors as a matrix. When a dimension of the matrix is equal to the number of pieces of the file, the file is recovered using the collection of code vectors in the matrix.

The most common method by which files are transferred on the Internet is the client-server model. A central server sends the entire file to each client that requests it. The clients only speak to the server, and not to each other. The main advantages of this method are that it's simple to set up, and the files are usually always available since the servers tend to be dedicated to the task of serving, and therefore are always on and connected to the Internet.
Another method of transferring files utilizes a peer-to-peer network. Systems such as Kazaa, eDonkey, Gnutella, Direct Connect, etc. are examples of peer-to-peer networks. In most of these networks, Internet users trade files by directly connecting one-to-one. The advantage of this method is that files can be shared without having access to a server, and because of this there is little accountability for the contents of the files. Hence, these networks tend to be very popular for illicit files such as music, movies, pirated software, etc. Typically, a downloader receives a file from a single source, however some clients allow downloading a single file from multiple sources for higher speeds.
BitTorrent is a protocol designed for transferring files. It is peer-to-peer in nature, as users connect to each other directly to send and receive portions of the file. However, there is a central server (called a tracker) which coordinates the action of all such peers. The tracker manages connections, but does not have any knowledge of the contents of the files being distributed, and therefore a large number of users can be supported with relatively limited tracker bandwidth. The key philosophy of BitTorrent is that users should upload (transmit outbound) at the same time they are downloading (receiving inbound.) In this manner, network bandwidth is utilized as efficiently as possible. BitTorrent is designed to work better as the number of people interested in a certain file increases, in contrast to other file transfer protocols.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Random linear coding approach to distributed data storage


The present invention is a trolling boat motor assembly that provides a motor displaced above the water line which is connected to a propeller shaft below the water line by one of a belt drive assembly, worm gear assembly, or flexible cable drive assembly. The motor is housed above the water line to limit the amount of noise transmitted through the water. There are noise insulating bushings placed beneath the motor to further limit the transmission of noise into the water and thus disturbing the marine life therein. There is a noise inversion device that transmits a signal 180 degrees out of phase from noise detected in the water, thereby reducing the amount of audible noise.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to trolling motors. More specifically, the invention is an improved trolling motor which utilizes a unique structural configuration as well as noise reducing means to render the device extremely quiet.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is common for boaters to desire extremely quiet boat motors for several reasons. One reason for desiring a quiet motor is to avoid disturbing the surrounding environment or disrupting one's enjoyment of a day on the water. Fishermen generally desire a quiet boat motor to prevent disrupting the underwater environment of the fish which would likely scare them away.
A typical trolling boat motor is designed to run quietly. Trolling boat motors are generally fashioned such that there is an electric motor provided within a housing and a shaft which is connected to the motor at one end and to a propeller at its other end. These motors, although relatively quiet, do create noise which may disturb the marine environment.
Boat motors, and boat motor noise reduction methods have been the subject of prior patents. U.S. Pat. No. 2,756,713 issued on Jul. 31, 1956 to Kort discloses a method of and a means for reducing noises and vibrations produced by screw propellers of ships. Kort accomplishes its objectives by forming uniquely shaped nozzles around the propellers or modifying the shape of the hull of the ship. Kort does not disclose reducing motor noise by means as described in the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,877,733 issued on Mar. 17, 1959 to Harris discloses an electric steering and power control system for outboard motors. Harris discloses a motor which is displaced below the water line.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,845,839 issued on Nov. 5, 1974 to Eriksson discloses a device for use in a motor boat for damping the noise directly or indirectly produced by a motor. The device has a noise damping receptacle in the shape of a box which slides into the hull of the boat. Eriksson does not disclose reducing motor noise by means as described in the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,587,512 issued on Jun. 28, 1971 to Patterson discloses a boat with secondary propulsion means. The boat has a motor and propeller assembly mounted within the bow of the boat that can be raised and lowered when needed. Patterson does not teach or describe any means of connecting the motor and propeller.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,606,858 issued on Sep. 21, 1971 to Edwards et al. discloses a remotely steerable electric outboard motor which is placed below the water line. Edwards et al. teaches away from the present invention where the motor is placed above the water line.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,954,082 issued on May 4, 1976 to Roller et al. discloses a housing and sealing gasket enclosing an unsealed DC motor for submerged use in water. The invention in Roller et al. teaches away from the present invention, where the object is to have the motor displaced above the water line.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,293,304 issued on Oct. 6, 1981 to Sandstrom et al. discloses a flexibly mounted drive shaft for a ship. The orientation of the shafts and the fact that they are prevented from vibrating a significant amount renders the motor and propeller motion relatively quiet. Sandstrom et al. does not disclose reducing motor noise by means as described in the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,787,868 issued on Nov. 29, 1988 to Hoshiba et al. discloses an outboard motor drive having an improved arrangement for absorbing torsional vibrations and isolating the drive shaft from the vibrations. The vibrations are absorbed in some embodiments by an elastomeric sleeve, and in other embodiments by a viscous fluid. The patent issued to Hoshiba et al. does not disclose a means for reducing motor noise as in the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,169,349 issued on Dec. 8, 1992 to Hilbert discloses an electric trolling motor apparatus provided with a passage that protects a wire of a sonar unit which is connected to the motor. Hilbert does not disclose the placement of the trolling motor above the water line in addition to noise isolating means as in the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,336,119 issued on Aug. 9, 1964 to Lais et al. discloses a drive unit for relatively small water craft having a cylindrical underwater partial housing which carries, at one end, an electric motor, with which a propeller is arranged, at the other end, in such a way that it is seated on a shaft which is rotatably mounted in a parallel relationship with the motor output shaft. The motor output shaft and the propeller shaft are connected by a toothed belt drive. Lais does not disclose reducing motor noise by means as described in the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,389,746 issued on Feb. 14, 1995 to Moody discloses an acoustic isolation structure in the hull of a submarine to reduce noise generated by the submarine. Moody does not teach motor noise reduction methods as described in the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,597,245 issued on Jan. 28, 1997 to Meyerhoff discloses a propeller cavitation suppression system. The invention relates to a device for use with a ducted propeller system for suppressing gap cavitation between a moving rotor tip and a duct wall. Meyerhoff does not disclose motor noise reduction methods as in the present invention.
UK Patent No. 2,264,683 published on Sep. 8, 1993 discloses a vibration absorbing steering device for outboard motors. The device is designed to reduce vibrations that are typically transmitted to the drive shaft, the propeller, and the operator of the motor. The invention does not disclose noise reduction means as disclosed in the present invention.
Japanese Patent No. 63-246,257 Published on Oct. 13, 1988 discloses a method of reducing vibration energy effectively over a wide band of vibration by analyzing a detected vibration spectrum and vibration mode such as phase, then outputing vibration suppressing energy having phase shifted by 180 degrees corresponding to the magnitude of the respective vibrations.
Other patents which are generally related to the present invention are U.S. Pat. No. 2,848,884 (Gear) issued on Aug. 26, 1958 to Maude; U.S. Pat. No. 3,201,953 (Torque Limiting Device) issued on Aug. 24, 1965 to Firth; U.S. Pat. No. 3,424,287 (Yieldable Clutch) issued on Jan. 28, 1969 to Dreiding; and Russian Patent No. 850,509 published in August 1981.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singularly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus an improved trolling motor solving the aforementioned problems is desired.


A image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive body as an image bearing member having a surface layer. The surface layer includes a charge transport layer having the thickness from 10 μm to 20 μm. An exposing unit exposes the surface layer to the light to form latent image, and has a resolution greater than 600 dpi. A developing unit develops the latent image with toner so that a toner layer is formed on the photosensitive body. The toner layer formed on the photosensitive body includes two or three layers of toner particles. The electric charge Q (μC/g) of the toner layer per unit weight, the average thickness t (μm) of the toner layer, and the gap d (μm) between the smallest dots satisfy the following relationship:50.4/d≦|Q/t|≦10.0.

This invention relates to an image forming apparatus.
Conventionally, an electrophotography is used in an image forming apparatus such as a copier, a printer, a facsimile or a combined apparatus that combines the functions of copying, printing and faxing. Such an image forming apparatus performs processes of charging, exposure, developing, transferring, fusing and cleaning. As disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open patent publication No. 10-138549, the above described processes are respectively performed by a charging unit, an exposing unit, a developing unit, a transfer unit, a fixing unit and a cleaning unit.
The charging unit includes a conductive charging roller to which a direct voltage is applied. The charging roller contacts a photosensitive body to uniformly charge the photosensitive body. The exposing unit exposes the photosensitive body to the light so that a latent image is formed on the photosensitive body.
The developing unit includes a developing roller made of a resilient conductive material to which a direct voltage is applied, and a toner supplying roller that supplies the toner stored in a toner container to the developing roller. The developing roller contacts the photosensitive body so that the toner adheres to the latent image on the photosensitive body.
The transfer unit includes a transfer roller made of a semiconductive sponge to which a direct voltage is applied. The transfer roller contacts the bottom side of the recording sheet opposite to the photosensitive body so that the toner image is transferred from the photosensitive body to the recording sheet.
The cleaning unit includes a cleaning blade that contacts the surface of the photosensitive body to recover the residual toner that remains on the photosensitive body after the toner image is transferred to the recording sheet.
The conventional image forming apparatus has a resolution of 300 dpi. However, in order to meet the recent demand for improving image quality, the image forming apparatus is required to have a resolution of 600–1200 dpi or more, and therefore it is necessary to make improvements in the electrophotographic processes. Particularly, it is studied that the resolution can be improved by reducing the size of the toner particle or by reducing the thickness of a charge transport layer of the photosensitive body. However, it is difficult to reduce the size of the toner particles because of the difficulty in manufacturing. Moreover, it is difficult to reduce the thickness of the toner layer because the lifetime of the charge transport layer may be shortened with decreasing thickness.
Moreover, it is known that the scattering of the toner particles may occur when the toner particles are transferred from the photosensitive body to the recording sheet. The scattering of the toner particles is considered to be caused by electrostatic force acting on the toner particles at the transferring position. As the resolution increases, the gap between the smallest dots formed on the recording sheet decreases, and therefore the scattering of the toner particles may easily effect the image quality. For example, under the assumption that the allowable range of the scattering of the toner particle is within 150% of the size of the smallest dot, the scattering of the toner particles must be restricted within an area with the diameter of 126 μm when the resolution is 300 dpi. However, if the resolution is 600 dpi, the scattering of the toner particles must be restricted within an area with the diameter of 63 μm. Further, if the resolution is 1200 dpi, the scattering of the toner must be restricted within an area with the diameter of 32 μm.

Image forming apparatus transfer unit with toner layer charge-to-thickness ratio


A computer-based method of innovatively solving one or more problems using a group assembled at a computerized meeting. One participant of the group is the client who is the owner of or is responsible for the problem or opportunity to be resolved. Each participant is provided with a computer which is networked with all other computers. A group list is created of all the participants of the group, and one participant is designated the facilitator who controls the problem solving process of the meeting. The remaining participants are designated as resources. An agenda is created consisting of placeholders and activities. The resources enter creative springboards into their computers based on the problem to be solved, and these springboards are distributed to all participants. Builds and elaborations are generated by the resources based on the springboards and distributed to all participants. Participants are polled about their opinions about the springboards, and one or more beginning ideas are selected based on high newness and intrigue. Participant engage in excursions to gather action oriented ideas concerning the beginning ideas. Action oriented ideas are selected to become emerging ideas, and positive aspects and concerns are identified. Excursions are then used to resolve the concerns about the emerging ideas. Emerging ideas are selected as possible solutions if the emerging ideas have an element of newness, the ideas are feasible, and the group is committed to implementing the idea. Finally, actions are listed; accountability is assigned; and time lines are generated to implement the possible solutions.

This invention relates to computerized group decision support systems. Specifically the invention involves the computerized implementation of a modification of the Synectics innovative problem solving methodology and innovation body of knowledge.
Decision making processes in business are often haphazard, unstructured and unorganized affairs. Lack of teamwork, poor skills in personal interaction, disorganization and fear of risk taking plague organizations interested in innovation and growth. No systematic methodology for spurring innovation has been successfully developed to allow teams of individuals, large or small in number, whether in a single room or around the globe, to tackle and conquer tough problems.
One method of sparking innovation through teamwork and collaboration uses the Innovative Teamwork Program ("ITP"). Synectics ITP embodies processes utilized by a team of eight to ten participants to solve problems. One participant, the client, is the owner of the problem and designates the problem to be solved. Another participant is designated the facilitator, while the remaining members of the team are designated as problem solving resources. The facilitator acts as the neutral process manager of the team, designing a process plan to meet the team's objectives, keeping track of time, developing and managing an agenda and ensuring full participation of all members of the team. Resources are expected to wrestle with the problem and devise solutions. A critical teaching of the Synectics ITP is that there are three channels of communication: words, tones and non-verbals. Synectics ITP teaches that it is especially true in problem solving meetings that participants focus on the non-verbal and tonal communications because they account for 93% of the message being communicated. Synectics has a five step method of problem solving: defining the task; exploring thoughts about the task; selecting areas for further development; developing and refining those areas; and creating an action plan for implementation of ideas. This five step method organizes problem solving meetings and encourages innovation.
While the Synectics methodology excels at solving the problems of lack of organization, lack of innovative thought, and poor interpersonal skills among team members, the Synectics methodology does not address all of the problems in innovative problem solving. As stated in the preceding paragraph, Synectics requires that there be no more than eight to ten people in a Synectics problem solving team. In addition, all team members must be located in the same room during a Synectics session. Because of the vocal nature of Synectics communication, only one team member may speak at a time, thus limiting participation. In addition, since all members of the team are physically present in the same room, only one area or problem may be investigated at a given time. Because all of the participants are face to face, there is less risk taking than a more anonymous process would produce. Also, since physical presence is required in a Synectics session, each individual can only participate in one problem solving team at a time. Another limitation is that Synectics teaches against remote team members participating in a problem solving session because of the importance of the non-verbal cues to communications.
Many problem solving methodologies have attempted to solve the problem of group interaction through the use of formal methodologies. Others have focused on solving the problems of remote team members. Existing interactive group communication systems have advanced the ability of remote team members to share documents and comments over a computer network, but they have no formal methodology that addresses problem solving.
It is known in the prior art to link various computer systems together and share data between the different systems. It is also known in the prior art of interactive group communication systems to simultaneously update shared documents, simultaneously conference a single individual in multiple problem solving teams, and plan meeting agenda using computerized planning programs. The limitation of all of the prior art in the area of interactive group communication systems is they provide no guidance or structure for creative problem solving. While the prior art enables the physical communication systems necessary for remote group interaction, it does not provide, anticipate, disclose or enable any method of leveraging these systems to enhance group decision making or to spur innovation.
For the foregoing reasons, there is need for a computerized group decision support system that allows participation by large numbers of team members, some of whom may be located in remote locations. There should be no degradation of results due to larger numbers of participants. In fact, having as many as forty or fifty participants should lead to enhanced results and innovations, as diversity enriches innovative problem solving.
Furthermore, a system is needed that allows simultaneous participation in the creative problem solving effort by more than one member of the team and permits more than one aspect of the problem to be tackled simultaneously by the team. More than one team member should be able to speak to the problem at the same time. The conventional limitation of a single speaker at a time should be eliminated. A problem should be able to be broken down into multiple suggestions and actions. Each suggestion should be able to be investigated by some team members without disturbing other team members.
Also, a system is required that will facilitate the development of creative and novel ideas when team members encounter a dead end in their thought processes. The system should spur creative thinking and free members of teams from the conscious mental constraints and socially imposed limitations that have been placed upon them. Such a system should allow the problem solvers to shed their current paradigms and embrace creative responses based on high newness and personal intrigue.
In addition, a system is required that encourages innovation and allows individuals to be participants of more than one problem solving team. While sitting at a computer console at one's desk, an individual should be able to participate in more than one problem solving team. That individual should be able to switch from team to team with a minimum of effort.
There is also a need for a computerized system that has a formal methodology that encourages innovation while maintaining a structured problem solving process. It is not enough that this new system provide the tools to interact; the new computerized system should be a true creative problem solving system which helps to lead participants through the problem solving process and to innovative solutions.
Whatever the merits of prior problem solving systems, they do not achieve the benefits of the present invention.

Computer-based group problem solving method and system


A surface mount fuse device comprising an alumina-glass-fuse-glass-alumina laminated structure provides high voltage ratings and superior mechanical and thermal properties.

Surface mounting has become the preferred technique for circuit board assembly and virtually all types of electronic components have been or are being redesigned for surface mount, that is, leadless, applications. The rapid incorporation of surface mount devices (SMD) into all types of electronic circuits has created a demand for SMD fuses.
Fuses serve an essential function on many circuit boards. By fusing selected sub-circuits and even certain individual components it is possible to prevent damage to an entire system which may result from failure of a local component. For example, fire damage to a mainframe computer can result from the failure of a tantalum capacitor; a short in a single line card might disable an entire telephone exchange.
The required characteristics for circuit board fuses are small size, low cost, accurate current-sensing, very fast reaction or blow time and the ability, in the case of time lag fuses, to provide surge resistance.
Prior art tube type or leaded fuses take up excessive space on circuit boards designed for SMD assembly and add significantly to production costs. Recognizing the need for fuses compatible with SMD assembly techniques, several manufacturers offer leadless, molded fuses for standard SMD assembly. The devices provided by this approach, however, remain bulky (for example, package sizes of about 7.times.4.times.3 mm), expensive and of limited performance range. Most importantly, the characteristics of fuses of the aforedescribed prior art cannot be accurately controlled during manufacture.
The above referenced U.S. patent and application show that thin film technology provides a high level of control of all fuse parameters, thus making possible economical standard and custom fuse designs meeting a wide range of fusing requirements. Thus, thin film technology enables the development of fuses in which both electrical and physical properties can be tightly controlled. The advantages of the technology are particularly evident in the areas of physical design, repeatability of fusing characteristics and I.sup.2 t "let-through". Moreover, because present techniques allow line width resolution below 1 .mu.m and control of layer thickness to 100 .ANG., the fabrication of true miniature SMD fuses having standard (for example, 1.6.times.0.8 mm) and non-standard package sizes are made possible.
The referenced U.S. patent and application also disclose methods of manufacturing a thin film surface mount electrical fuse in which, first, a uniform thin metal film of aluminum is deposited by sputtering or the like on a surface of an insulating substrate such as glass. The thickness of the film is dependent upon, among other things, the fuse rating. Selected portions of the thin metal film are then removed by photolithographic techniques to define a repetitive pattern comprising a plurality of identical fuse elements each comprising a pair of contact portions interconnected by a fusible link having a width smaller than that of the contact portions. The structure is then passivated and an insulating cover plate of glass is bonded by epoxy over the passivation layer. The assembly formed by the preceding steps is next cut into strips along end planes normal to the surface of the substrate, each strip including a series of side-by-side fuses. This cutting step exposes edges of the contact portions of each fuse element along the end planes of the strips. Conductive termination layers are deposited over the end planes thereby electrically connecting the terminations to the exposed edges of the contact portions. Last, the strips are cut transversely into individual fuses.
The photolithographic production method allows a great variety of fuse element designs and substrate types to be combined for creating a wide range of fuse chips. Moreover, critical parameters such as fuse speed can be programmed to optimally satisfy application requirements. Finally, the hermetic structure of the thin film fuse provided by the sealing glass cover plate imparts excellent environmental reliability.
The glass-fuse-glass layered structure described in the aforementioned patent application does have several limitations. Although glass has the desirable thermal properties needed for "quick" rated thin film fuses, it is fragile. The voltage ratings of such fuses are thus limited, for example, to 32 volts, because the application of high voltages would fracture the fuse body. The mechanical bending strength of the glass-fuse-glass structure is likewise limited by the fragility of the glass, as is the thermal cycling ability of the structure.
Accordingly, it is an overall object of the present invention to provide a thin film surface mount fuse having voltage ratings that are higher than previously possible while maintaining the "quick" rating thereof.
It is another object of the invention to provide a thin film surface mount fuse structure that has improved mechanical strength and reliability, as well as a greater thermal cycling ability.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide methods of manufacturing such improved thin film surface mount fuses.

High voltage, laminated thin film surface mount fuse and manufacturing method therefor


An optical fiber amplifier array and related method, in which high beam quality is achieved by varying the frequency of an input signal applied to all of the fiber amplifiers, to locate a frequency at which the amplifiers produce nearly coherent optical outputs. In spite of statistical variations in length and other factors among the fibers, there are frequencies at which the amplifiers produce nearly coherent outputs. In the control system of the invention, the input signal frequency is scanned across a selected narrow range and the beam quality is monitored by measuring on-axis far-field output beam intensity. The frequency is scanned until the beam intensity exceeds a selected threshold, and then the frequency is held constant until the beam intensity falls below a second selected threshold.

This invention relates generally to fiber amplifier arrays and, more particularly, to techniques for controlling the phase relationships of multiple emitters in a phased array of fiber amplifiers. Fiber amplifier arrays have been used or proposed to provide a high power optical source. Basically, the optical outputs of multiple fiber amplifiers in an array can be effectively combined to produce a high power beam if the phases of the individual amplifier outputs are controlled to provide a coherent composite beam.
Various methods have been proposed for controlling the phase of each emitter in a phased array of fiber amplifiers. Prior to this invention, the most successful of the methods involves measuring the phase of each emitter and adjusting the phase to produce a diffraction limited beam from the beam combining aperture of the array. An alternative scheme is to measure on-axis, far field power of the output beam and to provide a phase correction to each emitter to optimize the on-axis intensity of the beam. Another approach is to use analog heterodyne phase-locking techniques to lock the phase of each emitter to the phase of a master oscillator. The control systems needed to achieve phase control of the individual emitter outputs are effective in some of these approaches, but are also relatively complex and expensive to implement.
Therefore, there is still a need for a simpler and less expensive technique for coherently combining the outputs of multiple fiber amplifiers. The present invention satisfies this need.


A digital imaging kiosk, comprising an imaging device adapted to electronically capture an image of an object, a display device adapted to display at least one of a captured image, a user interface adapted to display information to a user and to receive information from a user, a printing device adapted to print a manipulated or non-manipulated image on one or more sides of one or more substrates, a substrate handling device adapted to position a substrate in proximity to the printing device such that the printing device can print to the one or more substrates, a control unit in communication with the information suite, wherein the kiosk is adapted so that the printing device prints the image captured by the image capturing device on a first side of a set number of substrates having a preprinted and unique image on a second side of the set number of substrates.

Earlier photo kiosks depended on photographic processes that were limited in their capabilities to produce combined images and were enclosed within a booth arrangement that required additional square feet of floor space. As technology developed, computer generated images offered opportunities to produce instant photos in formats that combined the image with a background or foreground of the users choice. Technology improved to provide the ability to generate multiple output photos using a digital still camera format. The results produced images on single sheets and/or multiple "stickers" hard copies.
Digital images captured in a kiosk with a camera have been printed in black and white. The output has been a single sheet of individual photos with or without backgrounds or foregrounds. These kiosks have not been user friendly in that they fail to give the user options to add other elements. Past photo booths have limited the flexibility for the user to interact on the ultimate output.


Tangential forces present at the mating area between a clamp-on transducer and a pipe can be made very small in order to provide a higher quality, more stable acoustic coupling. In some cases this is accomplished by providing a low friction bearing on a surface of a transducer housing. This bearing may be a slippery surface portion, or may involve a rotary bearing mounted on the housing. In other cases, where a steel pipe is used, pairs of permanent magnets coupled by a yoke can provide the desired clamping force directed solely along a radius of the pipe.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to acoustic transducer apparatus and methods for measuring a rate of flow of a fluid through a pipe. More specifically, the invention relates to arrangements in which ultrasonic transducers are clamped to an external surface of the pipe.
2. Background Information
Transit time flow meters used to measure the rate of flow of fluids through a pipe commonly employ clamp-on transducers attached against an external surface of the pipe. In these applications the transducers are commonly held against the pipe with screw-tensioned clamp bands. When these bands are tightened during installation, unbalanced frictional forces can move the transducer tangential to the pipe and can torque a portion of the transducer away from intimate acoustic contact with the pipe. Moreover, clamp band tension can change due to temperature or other factors, thus leading to flow sensor drift and loss of precision and reliability.
Current art clamp-on transducers typically reflect a compromise between acoustic coupling and mechanical mounting considerations. Some degradation of coupling is accepted in exchange for mechanical convenience. For example, a relatively large mounting area between the transducer and the pipe may be provided in order to bring an acceptable degree of mechanical stability to the transducer mounting. This also means that less of the available clamping force is applied directly to the area transmitting the acoustic energy. Hence, acoustic coupling promoters, such as silicone greases, can play a bigger role in maintaining the acoustic energy path. Because coupling promoters tend to evaporate, wick away or otherwise degrade or leave the area over a period of time, the transducer mounting may require frequent maintenance effort.
In some known arrangements, clamp-on transducers are made with a reduced height so as to press more evenly against the pipe. In these cases, the increase in clamp band tension needed for a reliable acoustic connection tends to become excessive, thus dissipating any advantage gained by this procedure.
It is further noted that uneven movement in a clamp band as it is tightened can move a transducer along the pipe. When this happens, the clamp band must be loosened and the clamping process restarted.


A method for network node encryption is provided. Signals that carry a node encryption request from a client for a network node is received by an apparatus. Subsequently, node data information of the network node according to the node encryption request is acquired by the apparatus. The node data information includes a preset link. Next, an application to a trusted third party for an encryption certificate is transmitted via the apparatus and the application includes the node data information. The trusted third party sends a certificate verification request including a verification file once the application is received to verify an authority to the preset link. The certificate verification request is received and the verification file is stored subsequently. The trusted third party verifies the storing of the verification file and sends an encryption certificate. The encryption certificate is received and deployed on the network node via the apparatus.

A CDN (Content delivery network) is a computer network system interconnected by the Internet and may send music, pictures, videos, application programs and other files to other users more rapidly and reliably by using a server closest to each user so as to provide network contents with high performance, expandability and low cost.
In order to improve the security of a CDN node, a network content provider generally encrypts the CDN node.

Network node encryption method and apparatus

TENCENT TECHNOLOGY (SHENZHEN) COMPANY LIMITED


A method for detecting signals using an adaptive transducer arrangement, the arrangement including a transducer array having a plurality of transducers, a beamformer, and an energy detector, the method comprising: determining weights to be applied by the beamformer to signals emitted from each transducer in order to maximize a performance metric; applying the determined weights to the signals emitted from each transducer; measuring the energy received at the energy detector; comparing the measured energy with a predetermined value and based on said comparison determining whether or not one or more signals are present.

In the field of signal detection, the key problem which must be solved, is how to distinguish between noise alone, and the presence of one or more signals together with noise. This is a well known problem and many methods and devices are known for solving it. Conventional beamformers have been used to provide a more sensitive solution to the signal detection problem. However, they are typically used in the traditional manner of forming a directional beam and looking for signals in a particular direction. Spatial diversity methods which use multiple transducers have also been previously proposed. Neither of these techniques provides optimum energy detection sensitivity.

Method and apparatus for signal detection


A treatment machine for containers, in particular bottles, having a rotatable container table; a lift guard cover formed laterally on the container table; and a rail guide, which is stationarily fixed in position above the container table and which has the lift guard cover secured thereto such that it is displaceable in a vertical direction. The lift guard cover includes a carrier for fastening to the rail guide, the carrier extending in a circumferential direction. The lift guard cover can be mounted in a suspended fashion. Access to the container table in the raised condition of the lift guard cover is not impaired by guide rails extending down to the container table.

Treatment machines with rotating container tables are, as is generally known, protected by a lateral lift guard cover during operation so as to prevent the fast rotating container stations from being accessed by hand. In known treatment machines the lift guard cover normally consists of planar screens and has, when seen from above, a substantially polygonal shape. The screens are then guided at the vertical edges of the polygon in stationary rails or the like and can be pushed upwards in said rails so as to allow lateral access to the container table for the purpose of cleaning, retooling or similar maintenance measures. The guide rails extend here continuously from a non-rotatable frame above the container table to a non-rotatable lower frame of the treatment machine. However, lateral access to the container table is limited by these stationary components of the lift guard also in the raised condition of the lift guard, so are the possible positions for docking treatment units along the machine circumference.
It would, however, be desirable to allow unhindered access to the container table throughout the largest possible angular area of the machine and/or to improve the flexibility with respect to possible docking positions for treatment units.


A diesel oxidation catalyst for the treatment of exhaust gas emissions, such as the oxidation of unburned hydrocarbons (HC), and carbon monoxide (CO) and the reduction of nitrogen oxides (NOx) is described. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a washcoat composition comprising high silica to alumina zeolite and platinum and palladium such that the zeolite minimizes negative interactions of these platinum group metals with the zeolite.

Operation of lean burn engines, e.g., diesel engines and lean burn gasoline engines, provide the user with excellent fuel economy, and have very low emissions of gas phase hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide due to their operation at high air/fuel ratios under fuel lean conditions. Diesel engines, in particular, also offer significant advantages over gasoline engines in terms of their fuel economy, durability, and their ability to generate high torque at low speed.
From the standpoint of emissions, however, diesel engines present problems more severe than their spark-ignition counterparts. Emission problems relate to particulate matter (PM), nitrogen oxides (NOx), unburned hydrocarbons (HC) and carbon monoxide (CO). NOx is a term used to describe various chemical species of nitrogen oxides, including nitrogen monoxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), among others.
The two major components of particulate matter are the volatile organic fraction (VOF) and a soot fraction (soot). The VOF condenses on the soot in layers, and is derived from the diesel fuel and oil. The VOF can exist in diesel exhaust either as a vapor or as an aerosol (fine droplets of liquid condensate) depending on the temperature of the exhaust gas. Soot is predominately composed of particles of carbon. The particulate matter from diesel exhaust is highly respirable due to its fine particle size, which poses health risks at higher exposure levels. Moreover, the VOF contains polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, some of which are suspected carcinogens.
Soot can be collected by wall-flow filters, which can comprise a multi-channel honeycomb structure having the ends of alternate channels on the upstream and downstream sides of the honeycomb structure plugged. This results in a checkerboard type pattern on either end. Channels plugged on the upstream or inlet end are opened on the downstream or outlet end. This permits the gas to enter the open upstream channels, flow through the porous walls and exit through the channels having open downstream ends. The gas to be treated passes into the catalytic structure through the open upstream end of a channel and is prevented from exiting by the plugged downstream end of the same channel. The gas pressure forces the gas through the porous structural walls into channels closed at the upstream end and opened at the downstream end. Such structures are primarily known to filter particles out of the exhaust gas stream. Often the structures have catalysts on the substrate, which enhance the oxidation of the particles. Typical patents disclosing such catalytic structures include U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,904,551; 4,329,162; 4,340,403; 4,364,760; 4,403,008; 4,519,820; 4,559,193; and 4,563,414.
Oxidation catalysts comprising a platinum group metal dispersed on a refractory metal oxide support are known for use in treating the exhaust of diesel engines in order to convert both hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide gaseous pollutants by catalyzing the oxidation of these pollutants to carbon dioxide and water. Such catalysts have been generally contained in units called diesel oxidation catalysts (DOC), or more simply catalytic converters, which are placed in the exhaust flow path from a diesel-powered engine to treat the exhaust before it vents to the atmosphere. Typically, the diesel oxidation catalysts are formed on ceramic or metallic substrate carriers (such as the flow-through monolith carrier, as described hereinbelow) upon which one or more catalyst coating compositions are deposited. In addition to the conversions of gaseous HC, CO and the SOF fraction of particulate matter, oxidation catalysts that contain platinum group metals (which are typically dispersed on a refractory oxide support) promote the oxidation of nitric oxide (NO) to NO2.
Catalysts used to treat the exhaust of internal combustion engines are less effective during periods of relatively low temperature operation, such as the initial cold-start period of engine operation, because the engine exhaust is not at a temperature sufficiently high for efficient catalytic conversion of noxious components in the exhaust. To this end, an adsorbent material, which may be a zeolite, may be provided as part of a catalytic treatment system in order to adsorb gaseous pollutants, usually hydrocarbons, and retain them during the initial cold-start period. As the exhaust gas temperature increases, the adsorbed hydrocarbons are driven from the adsorbent and subjected to catalytic treatment at the higher temperature.
As discussed above, oxidation catalysts comprising a platinum group metal dispersed on a refractory metal oxide support are known for use in treating exhaust gas emissions from diesel engines. Platinum (Pt) remains the most effective platinum group metal for oxidizing CO and HC in a DOC, after high temperature aging under lean conditions and in the presence of fuel sulfur. Nevertheless, Pd incorporated catalysts offer advantages in stabilizing Pt at higher temperature aging (>700° C.) and lowering catalyst cost. However, Pd based DOCs typically show higher light-off temperatures for oxidation of CO and HC, especially when used with HC storage materials, potentially causing a delay in HC and or CO light-off. Pd containing DOCs may poison the activity of Pt to convert paraffins and/or oxidize NO and may also make the catalyst more susceptible to sulfur poisoning. These characteristics have typically prevented the use of Pd as an oxidation catalyst in lean burn operations especially for light duty diesel applications where engine temperatures remain below 250° C. for most driving conditions.
It would be desirable to provide catalytic articles that addresses one or more of the disadvantages mentioned above.

Pt-Pd diesel oxidation catalyst with CO/HC light-off and HC storage function


An image sensor and method for manufacturing the same are provided. The image sensor can include a semiconductor substrate, a metal interconnection layer, a light-receiving unit, a lens-type upper electrode, and a color filter. The semiconductor substrate can include a circuit region. The metal interconnection layer can include a metal interconnection and an interlayer dielectric. The light-receiving unit can be a photodiode disposed on the metal interconnection layer. The lens-type upper electrode can be disposed on the light-receiving unit and formed in a convex lens shape. The color filter can be disposed on the lens-type upper electrode.

An image sensor is a semiconductor device for converting an optical image into an electrical signal. An image sensor can generally be classified as a charge coupled device (CCD) image sensor or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor (CIS).
A CIS includes a photodiode and a metal oxide silicon (MOS) transistor for each unit pixel, and sequentially detects an electrical signal of the unit pixel in a switching manner to generate an image.
Typically, the CIS includes a photodiode region for converting a light signal into an electrical signal and a transistor for processing the electric signal where the photodiode and transistor are horizontally arranged on a semiconductor substrate.
The photodiode of the horizontal type CIS is horizontally adjacent to the transistor on the substrate. Therefore, an additional area of the substrate for each pixel is required for forming the photodiode region.

Image sensor and method of manufacturing the same


A vacuum processing apparatus includes a row of containers of vacuum transfer chambers connected to each other behind a lock chamber, a wafer being transferred through depressurized inside of the row of the containers of the vacuum transfer containers, an intermediate chamber disposed between the containers of the vacuum transfer chambers, a plurality of processing units including processing containers respectively connected to left or right side walls of the containers of the vacuum transfer chambers and the wafer is processed therein, and a bypass chamber which constitutes a bypass path connecting the processing units, where only either the wafer which is being transferred from the lock chamber toward one of the processing units or the wafer which was processed in one of the processing units and is being transferred toward the lock chamber is transferred through the containers of the vacuum transfer chambers.

The present invention relates to a vacuum processing apparatus formed by connecting a plurality of processing units which process samples in processing chambers in vacuum containers to a plurality of vacuum transfer containers through depressurized insides of which substrate-shaped samples to be processed such as semiconductor wafers are transferred.
Among processes for manufacturing semiconductor devices, there are an etching process for processing a semiconductor wafer (hereafter referred to as a wafer) which is a substrate-shaped sample using a corrosive gas, a film forming process which needs processing at a high temperature, and an ashing process for conducting ashing processing on a mask used in the etching process and removing the mask. Among these processes, there are processes in which it is necessary to conduct a specific processing on a wafer processed using a corrosive gas at a high temperature (in the range of approximately 800° C. to 1,000° C.) after the processing.
This is because, if processing is conducted at the high temperature when conducting the ashing processing, for example, a wafer immediately after the processing remains at the high temperature, and there is a case where the wafer may be damaged due to an abrupt change in the temperature or products generated during the processing and particles of the processing gas remaining which stay around the high temperature wafer exert an unfavorable influence upon materials and members around the wafer when the wafer is transferred to the outside of the processing chamber as it is. In other words, if such a wafer immediately after the processing is transferred through the same transfer path as that before the processing, there is a possibility of causing a problem that an outgas is generated by a corrosive gas which adheres to the wafer or by excessive heating due to heat brought by the wafer and adheres to the wafer or contaminates a transfer robot or a transfer chamber.
Travel of a wafer after prescribed processing and before post-processing through the same transfer path as that of an unprocessed wafer in this way causes contamination of the unprocessed wafer, the transfer chamber which constitutes the transfer path, and members such as a robot therewithin.
Against such a problem, an example in which processing chambers can easily be added to or removed from the transfer chamber via gate valves and layouts of the processing chambers can be conducted respectively arbitrarily (see, for example, JP-A-6-349931), an example in which transfer capable of suppressing occurrence of cross-contamination is conducted by using a plurality of picks with distinction to hold processed wafers (see, for example, JP-A-2004-119635), and an example in which an intermediate path chamber which has a mounting stage and which can be evacuated to vacuum is provided between transfer chambers in a plurality of processing units and a gate valve in the intermediate path chamber is opened and closed properly to transfer without direct communication between the transfer chambers so that occurrence of metal contamination is suppressed (see, for example, JP-A-2000-150618) are known.

Vacuum processing apparatus and operating method of the same


This invention is directed to a process for the preparation of a supported metallocene catalyst, said process comprising preparing a precursor catalyst material by dissolving a magnesium halide in an electron donor solvent in which the magnesium halide is completely soluble, heating the solution to a temperature in the range of 20.degree. C. to the boiling point of the respective electron donor for a period ranging between 10 to 60 minutes, separately preparing a solution of the metallocene compound into the same electron donor solvent, heating the solution to a temperature in the range of 25.degree. C. to 70.degree. C. for a period ranging between 0.1 to 0.5 hrs., mixing the two solutions to obtain a homogenous solution of catalyst precursor compound, stirring and maintaining this resulting homogenous solution at a temperature in the range of 50.degree. C. to 70.degree. C. for a period of 0.5 to 2 hrs., separately preparing a slurry of support in a liquid hydrocarbon medium, heating the slurry to a temperature in the range of 50.degree. C. to 70.degree. C. and stirring it for a period of 0.25 to 2 hrs., mixing the homogenous solution of the catalyst precursor compound with the slurry of the support, stirring the resulting slurry for 0.5 to 3 hrs. maintaining at a temperature ranging between 50.degree. C to 70.degree. C., cooling the resultant slurry to room temperature under an inert atmosphere, separating the solid by conventional methods, washing the solid with a hydrocarbon solvent and drying the solid under vacuum to obtain the product.

Anhydrous magnesium chloride, commonly used as a support in high activity olefin polymerization catalyst is, often not, convenient because it is very brittle and undergoes easy attrition in the polymerization reactor. Silica is a well known support for fluidized bed gas phase polymerization of olefins using titanium based Ziegler-Natta catalysts. However, when used with metallocene type catalysts silica supports show low polymerization activities. Therefore, a combination of the two, namely, silica and anhydrous magnesium chloride, offers a good balance of properties to prepare catalysts with high activity, controlled particle size and good resistance to attrition.
Olefin polymerization and copolymerization catalysts comprising a metallocene and an aluminum alkyl component are well known in the prior art. The molecular weight of the polymer can be controlled by adjusting the reaction temperature or the amount of co-catalyst or by the addition of hydrogen. The metallocene catalysts require the use of methylaluminoxane (herein after referred to as MAO) as co-catalyst, which is produced by reacting an aluminum alkyl with water.

Process for the preparation of supported metallocene catalyst

Council of Scientific & Industrial Research


A lead frame, as one product unit in a multi-row lead frame sharing a partition frame among other lead frames, has a non-mirrorsymmetric pad region and at least one terminal region arranged inside and held to a rectangular outer frame region, which is a part of the partition frame and forms a boundary of the lead frame as a product unit, via respective suspension leads. Only two suspension leads hold the non-mirrorsymmetric pad region to the outer frame region as extending from opposite sides of the outer frame region to the non-mirrorsymmetric pad region, respectively. This structure decreases stress resulting from holding of the non-mirrorsymmetric pad region to the outer frame region and thus can prevent the outer frame region from deformation without widened connecting bars or dambars, which form the outer frame region.

1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lead frame that forms a product unit in a multi-row lead frame formed by etching, having a non-mirrorsymmetric pad region.
2) Description of Related Art
As shown in FIG. 4, as a conventional example of this type of lead frame, there has been proposed in JP KOKAI No. 2014-130973 a lead frame structured to have a first region 51, which has a main body portion 51a and an extending portion 51b extending from the main body portion 51a with a decreased width, held via three or more suspension leads 53, 54, 55, 56 and 57 in three directions lengthwise and breadthwise from an outer frame region 52. In FIG. 4, the reference numeral 65 denotes a region that is to turn into a semiconductor package as a product unit, the reference numerals 58 and 63 denote another regions that are to turn into terminals in the frame, the reference numerals 59-62 denote suspension leads which support the region 58 in three directions lengthwise and breadthwise from the outer frame region 52, and the reference numeral 64 denotes a suspension lead which supports the region 52 in one direction from the outer frame region 52.


Implementations of this disclosure provide for certificate application operations. An example method includes sending, from a terminal device, a subscription topic name to a gateway to establish a data transmission channel between the terminal device and the gateway; receiving by the terminal device, via the data transmission channel, a certificate installation instruction from a certificate server; generating, by the terminal device, a user certificate request based on the certificate installation instruction; sending the user certificate request to the certificate server; and receiving, via the data transmission channel, a user certificate from the certificate server.

As an authoritative electronic document, a digital certificate can be used to prove an identity of an agent (such as a person or a server) that performs information exchange and business activities in a network environment. Due to its tamper-resistance and non-repudiation, the digital certificate can be widely applied to application scenarios of data encryption, network finance, network government affairs, and other data services to check validity of interaction information between parties.
The digital certificate is stored in a local device. A browser can be used to call the locally stored digital certificate when a data service is processed by using the browser and interaction information needs to be checked. Continuous upgrade of browser technologies and diversity of browsers and operating systems impose a higher requirement on stability of a communication channel between the local device and the browser.


A differential pressure flow sensor that includes a plurality of channels divided into multiple sets of channels having different characteristics. Primary channels establish fluid communication between an inlet and an outlet of the flow sensor. Secondary channels establish fluid communication between the inlet and a first pressure port, but not the outlet. Tertiary channels establish fluid communication between the outlet and a second pressure port, but not the inlet. Signals generated at the first and second pressure port are used to determine a rate of flow through of gas through the sensor. Due to the structural features of the device, the phase delay of individual oscillatory flow components compared to corresponding oscillatory pressure components remains substantially constant across a wide range of flow rates.

1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure pertains to systems and methods for measuring a differential pressure of a flow of gas and/or liquid in a flow body and, in particular, for measuring a differential pressure of an oscillatory flow.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is well known that some types of respiratory therapy involve the delivery of a pressurized flow of breathable gas to the airway of a subject. It is known that providing high-quality respiratory therapy, through a ventilator and/or pressure support device, hinges on accurately measuring the flow and/or (differential) pressure of a pressurized flow of breathable gas. Is it known that existing flow sensors have various restrictions and/or complications under certain operating conditions.


A process is disclosed for producing spatially patterned components from a body. On the backside of the body, a retardation layer with openings is provided for retarding a removal of the material of the body, and areas of migration-capable material are deposited. The body is subjected to a thermal migration process to form migration regions. Then, in a single material removal step, the components are separated from the body and the migration regions are exposed.

One technical area in which components are produced from a body is semiconductor technology, where semiconductor wafers are separated into individual electronic devices.
Such a process for separating a wafer into chips is disclosed in DE 43 17 721. The wafer has an SOI (silicon-on-insulator) layer. Between the chips, moats are etched down to the insulator layer. Then, spacers are formed for passivating silicon-oxide layers of the chips, and finally, the chips are separated by etching away the insulator layer.
German Patent Application No. 195 38 634.5, which was not published prior to the filing date of the present application, discloses another process for separating a semiconductor wafer into electronic devices. In this process, the electronic devices are separated by removing material in separation regions of the semiconductor wafer. In a wafer area to be thinned, a retardation layer is provided which retards the removal of material and has openings in the separation regions. With this process, even very thin electronic devices can be readily separated from a relatively thick semiconductor wafer as is commonly used for stability reasons. The thickness of the semiconductor wafer is reduced simultaneously with the separation process. The devices are separated simultaneously by removing the material in the separation regions of the semiconductor wafer. The material of the retardation layer is chosen to slow down the removal of the material, so that the thickness of the body is reduced more slowly than the device separation takes place.
From Schade, Halbleitertechnologie Band 2, Verlag Technik, Berlin 1983, page 21 et seq., it is known to form patterns of migration-capable material in a semiconductor. A migration-capable material, such as aluminum, is deposited on the semiconductor by thin-film techniques. By a migration process in which a given temperature gradient is applied to the semiconductor wafer, the material is caused to migrate from the film along the temperature gradient into the semiconductor. With this process, both abrupt pn junctions and enriched regions as well as interconnections through the semiconductor can be formed.
For various applications, it may be desirable to produce spatially patterned components. In semiconductor technology, such components can be used as heatsinks, for example. They can be fabricated separately and be attached to electronic devices. However, it is complicated and costly to produce suitably patterned components, such as microheatsinks, and connect them with electronic devices.
It is also known in practice to produce electronic devices with a cooling system by patterning the backside of the wafer by forming saw lines therein so as to enlarge the wafer back surface. This process has the disadvantage that because of the sawing, the wafer becomes mechanically unstable, and that as a result of the patterning, the wafer may become warped.
Accordingly, it is greatly desired to obtain a simple process for producing spatially patterned components without the above-mentioned disadvantages.

Process for producing spatially patterned components


A grid power mode is defined such that, when the PC is in a grid power mode, pressing the power switch of the PC retains power to the system, but restores operation of the PC to the ‘on/off/standby’ mode the user expects. Other aspects include: an indicator telling the user that a grid function is in progress; a reprogrammed power on/off/resume switch; and a notification protocol.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices, systems, and processes useful in grid computing environments, and more specifically to devices, systems, and processes useful for indicating when a computing device is operating in a grid computing mode and terminating grid computing operations.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
In general terms, grid computing enables the virtualization of distributed computing and data resources such as processing, network bandwidth, and storage capacity to create a single system image, granting users and applications seamless access to greater capabilities than available to a single computing device alone. In a way similar to how an Internet user views a unified instance of content via the Web, a grid user essentially sees a single, large virtual computer.
A basic aspect of grid computing is that it is based on an open set of standards and protocols, e.g., Open Grid Services Architecture (OGSA) or the like, that enable communication across diverse, heterogeneous, geographically dispersed environments. With grid computing, groups of computing devices can be optimized for computing and data resources, pooling large capacity workloads, sharing such resources across networks, and enabling collaboration.
Grid computing is well known to routineers in the art, and therefore an exhaustive description of grid computing will not be given herein. According to one way of describing grid computing, all or some of a group of computers, servers, and storage are located and addressable across an enterprise are virtualized as one large computing system. Computing grids have the capacity to give access to latent computing and storage power that, at any one time, is not being used, and can therefore afford users of the grid very large gains in power, speed, and collaboration, potentially radically accelerating computationally-intensive processes. Costs can remain low, as grids can be built using existing infrastructure, helping to ensure optimal utilization of computing capabilities.
There may be several states in which a computing device, e.g., a personal computer (PC) operates. These may include ON, OFF, STANDBY, SUSPEND, HIBERNATE, and GRID. In general, for a grid computing environment to operate, there typically is a mechanism or logic implemented by which control of a PC on a network can be usurped by a network entity to do work while the PC is not being used for its primary intended purpose. For example, if a PC in a retail store is connected to a network and left ON overnight, a software element operating on the PC may respond to a grid request from the network and dispatch programs to the PC to do calculations and send the results back to the network. Similarly, if the PC is in STANDBY, SUSPEND, or HIBERNATE, the network can use a "WAKE-ON-LAN" packet or the like to bring the PC out of that state and into the ON state to perform the task. The grid computing tasks tend to be very computationally-intensive and would negatively impact performance if a user was using the PC at the same time; therefore, if a user tries to use the PC, the Grid tasks are usually aborted and are assigned to a different PC on the grid network.
Grid operations must be resilient so that a power failure, disconnect, or other disturbance will not effect the overall outcome of an application. For example, when PCs are used as grid resources during off-hours, in which they are initialized with a specialized operating environment, a problem occurs if the user of that PC decides to use it while the grid has control of the PC. If a PC is booted into a grid operation, it may appear as being off. Given current technology, pressing the power switch will not turn the PC on, as the user may expect, but essentially will turn it off and abruptly terminate the Grid operation.
There remains a need, therefore, for systems, devices, and processes that facilitate the use of computing devices, e.g., PCs, in grid computing environments while providing more information to the PC's user about the use of the PC during grid computing.

Method of switching modes of a computer operating in a grid environment based on the current operating mode


A humidity control system having an outside temperature humidity compensator circuit responsively coupled to an outside temperature sensing circuit and capable of responding to sensed inside humidity levels to provide control signals to a humidity controller to automatically adjust the target in-room humidity produced by a controller as a function of sensed changes in outside temperature is described. The compensator circuit provides two variables to allow control of both the level of humidity at a specified temperature and the rate of humidity change with changes in outside temperature, and provides a means to limit the highest humidity level that is independent of the controlling variables. Switching is shown to allow the compensator circuit to be switched out of operation and to allow it to be momentarily bypassed.

It is well known that humidity is important to comfort within any given environment. Many systems have been developed to adjust humidity levels in an enclosure, either by adding moisture to the air or removing moisture for given temperature conditions. The majority of prior art systems are involved with controlling the 'relative humidity' as opposed to the actual 'humidity', even though the literature relating thereto is generally expressed simply in terms of 'humidity'.
The term 'absolute humidity' is an expression of the actual amount of water vapor present in the air, and is usually expressed in terms of a humidity ratio, or pounds of water vapor per pound of dry air. 'Dewpoint' and 'absolute humidity' are related in that they both relate to the total amount of water in the air. As is known, 'dewpoint' is the temperature at which air become totally saturated, such that moisture condenses. For each value of 'absolute humidity' there is a single related value of 'dewpoint'. Unless water is added or taken away, the 'absolute humidity' and the 'dewpoint' remain the same, even though the temperature of the air changes.
The amount of moisture that is in the air, when compared to the maximum amount of moisture it can hold at a given temperature, is referred to as 'relative humidity'. As noted, this is the relationship that is generally cited as 'humidity' when literature or people refer to humidity-related numbers. Unless otherwise qualified, the term 'humidity' will be utilized in hereinafter in the general usage sense to indicate relative humidity.
It is of course well-known that warm air can hold more moisture than can cold air, and that the 'relative humidity' changes with changes in temperature, even though no moisture is added or removed. If a humidity control system maintains a constant humidity as temperature rises, a substantial amount of additional moisture will be held in the air. Though it would be desirable to maintain dewpoint at around 50° from a comfort standpoint, cold outside temperature may make this undesirable due formation of condensation on windows or wall structures. Problems can occur when comfortable indoor humidity levels are maintained during cold weather. Moisture will usually first condense on windows because they have less insulation capability than walls, that is, the temperature on the inside surface may be lower than the dewpoint of the inside air.
The American Association of Heating and Refrigeration Engineers recommends maintaining humidity levels for indoor swimming pools and spas in the range of 50% to 60% to provide the most desirable for comfort. It also recommends that the building enclosure be designed to handle these levels to avoid damage from condensation, frost build-up, and moisture penetration. In geographical areas with cold winter climates, this ideal cannot always be met. In some buildings and conditions, it is necessary or desirable to adjust the humidity levels as the outside temperature changes so as to avoid or minimize damage to the structure.
Some manufacturers have recognized and provided equipment that addresses the humidity concerns in residential structures. For example, one supplier has marketed a system for residential humidification, but not dehumidification, as a function of outside temperature. However, the ranges of humidity control for that system are too low for swimming pool or spa applications, and merely function as on-off control, not proportional control. Another manufacturer has marketed a residential system that calculates and adjusts dewpoint, but again, the ranges of control are insufficient for use in swimming pool applications.
While simply reducing the humidity within the building can have a positive result in lowering the damages mentioned above, there is cost factor in such reduction. For example, reducing the humidity in a pool or spa structure causes the rate of evaporation to increase. This increases the cost to remove the additional water vapor. For example, in a typical indoor pool, reducing the indoor humidity for 55% to 35% increases the evaporation rate by about 30%. Energy costs to control this higher level of humidity reduction (removal of additional moisture) will usually increase by a similar rate. Prior art humidity control systems adapted for use in pool or spa enclosures have been of fixed setting variety that either maintain humidity at fixed levels based upon inside temperature, or require manual re-setting to account for temperature changes. Such manual intervention results in inefficient energy usage and is difficult to maintain on regular basis to account for temperature changes from daytime to nighttime conditions.
Rather than maintaining humidity at a fixed rate, with the attendant additional costs, or attempting to manually adjust humidity targets, it would be preferable to adjust the inside humidity change as a function of the inside humidity and the outside temperature.

Outside temperature humidity compensation system


In trapping process of a multicolor image, it is judged whether trapping process is required or not, and trapping process is performed only when required. Specifically, trapping process is executed when in a portion where a plurality of figures constituting an image overlap, the plate color value of a relatively lower figure is erased or overwritten. This enables to execute trapping process only when there is the danger that a gap occurs in a boundary portion where different two colors are adjacent each other.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a trapping technique applied to a boundary portion where two different colors are adjacent each other in an image that is configured by allocating a plurality of figures having a relative upper and lower position order.
2. Description of the Background Art
There has heretofore been known the technique of forming an image on a printing paper by multicolor printing by using a plurality of press plates, which correspond to respective colors (process colors), such as C (cyan), M (magenta), Y (yellow), and K (black), and special colors.
In the image formed by such a multicolor printing, there is a boundary portion where two different colors are adjacent each other. In cases where when an image is transferred from press plates to a printing paper, a drift occurs at the positions of the press plates that correspond to respective colors, or expansion and contraction occur in the printing paper, there arises the disadvantages that a gap is left in this boundary portion and the paper color of the printing paper peeps out, and the like.
In order to avoid such a gap, "trapping process" has heretofore been performed in a prepress step. Trapping process is executable by allocating, for example, along a boundary portion where two colors are adjacent each other on an image, a narrow figure (hereinafter referred to as a "trap figure") composed of the color components of the two colors.
Recently, the editing process of images in the prepress step is often performed on a computer. A series of steps relating to trapping process are also implemented by executing a predetermined program on a computer.
When performing editing on a computer in a prepress process, in some cases, an image (page) is handled as data obtained by allocating a plurality of figures to predetermined positions. Between the plurality of figures, the order of relative upper and lower positions (the front and the rear on the page space) are designated in some cases.
However, there are various methods of determining as to which color an overlapped portion is to have on an image, when a certain figure is allocated so as to overlap in its upper part with other figure. For example, there are the following methods: "knock out" that employs the color of the upper figure with regard to the color of the overlapped portion; and "overprint" in which the color of the upper figure is overlaid on the color of the lower figure to obtain a combination color of the two. Alternatively, there is the method of "irregular overprint" that employs a combination color of the colors of both figures only under regular requirements, and employs the color of the upper figure in other cases.
Depending on which one of these various methods is to be applied to, there arises a difference in the need for trapping process with respect to an adjacent boundary portion between the color of the overlapped portion of two figures and the color of the lower figure. In addition, when performing the "irregular overprint," there arises a difference in the need for trapping process even by the color relationship of two colors allocated so as to overlap with each other.

Judging whether trapping process is required or not


An optoelectronic transceiver that has integrated optical and electronic components, and can be passively aligned by a flip-chip method and a mechanical method is provided. The optoelectronic transceiver can be constructed by the key components of a circuit board, a silicon sub-mount, at least two IC chips formed on a silicon sub-mount, a microlens array, an optical fiber, and a receptacle for housing the silicon sub-mount, the at least two IC chips, the microlens array and the optical fiber connector in an aligned configuration. The at least two IC chips preferably include a laser diode, a laser diode driver, a photodetector and a photodetector amplifier. The mechanical alignment between a microlens array and a silicon sub-mount is performed by indentations provided in the surfaces of the two parts and the placement of spacer balls in the indentations.

The present invention generally relates to an optoelectronic transceiver and more particularly, relates to an optoelectronic transceiver that can be passively aligned by a flip-chip method wherein transceiver has integrated optical and electronic components.
The use of optoelectronic technology such as those related to optical data storage and retrieval for computer applications has been growing rapidly in recent years. For instance, it is used in a typical optical data storage device, such as a compact disk. It has also found many other uses in consumer-oriented products, including home entertainment systems, multi-media systems, CD ROM for computer memories and other sophisticated computer devices. Optical disk memories have also emerged as an important and reliable form of information storage for computer systems in general. An optoelectronic transceiver is a key component within such systems.
An optoelectronic transceiver typically includes a laser diode and a photo diode that are used to transmit light in a manner that allows the information from an optical disk to be retrieved. The optoelectronic transceiver typically includes an array of microlenses and a compact optical system that collect and process light that originates from a laser diode that is reflected from the disk surface. A set of photodetectors are utilized to convert reflected light into electronic signals in order to gather the information that is stored on the optical disk. Photodetectors are also used to ensure that the light emitted from the laser diode is focused and tracked properly.
To allow an optoelectronic transceiver to function properly in an optoelectronic system, the geometric and alignment requirements of the system must be met. The geometric requirements, which include the packaging of the various components in a small, compact package such that the size of the optoelectronic device can be reduced. The alignment requirements inbetween the optical source, the microlens and the laser diode is also critical such that the optical signals can be fully converted to electronic signals without the possibility of inaccurate processing of information from the optical disk.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an optoelectronic transceiver that does not have the drawbacks or shortcomings of the conventional optoelectronic transceivers.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an optoelectronic transceiver that has integrated optical and electronic components that form a compact package.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an optoelectronic transceiver wherein the optical source, the microlens and the laser diode are passively aligned by a flip-chip method.
It is another further object of the present invention to provide an optoelectronic transceiver that has integrated optical and electronic components assembled on a circuit board and in a receptacle.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an optoelectronic transceiver that utilizes a plurality of wirebonds electrically connecting a silicon sub-mount to a circuit board, and at least two IC chips to the silicon sub-mount.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an optoelectronic transceiver that utilizes solder bumps by a self-aligned flip-chip method for connecting electrically of at least two IC chips to a silicon sub-mount.
It is still another further object of the present invention to provide an optoelectronic transceiver wherein self alignment between a silicon sub-mount and a microlens array is achieved by using mechanical means of spacer balls and indentations provided in the surfaces of the silicon sub-mount and the microlens array.
In accordance with the present invention, an optoelectronic transceiver that has integrated optical and electronic components, and is passively aligned by a flip-chip solder bump method is provided.
In a preferred embodiment, an optoelectronic transceiver that has integrated optical and electronic components is provided which includes a circuit board that is formed in an xe2x80x9cLxe2x80x9d shape with a vertical portion and a horizontal portion. The vertical portion has an exterior planar surface for receiving a silicon sub-mount. The horizontal portion has a bottom surface provided with a plurality of conductive leads; a silicon sub-mount for mounting to the exterior planar surface of the vertical portion of the circuit board; at least two IC chips of a laser diode and a photodetector formed on a top surface of the silicon sub-mount; an array of microlenses positioned juxtaposed and parallel to the silicon sub-mount aligned with the laser diode; an optical fiber for inputting or outputting an optical signal through an optical fiber connector; and a receptacle for housing the silicon sub-mount, the at least two IC chips, the array of microlenses and the optical fiber connector in an aligned configuration.
The optoelectronic transceiver that has integrated optical and electronic components may further include a heat spreader positioned on a top surface of the horizontal portion of the circuit board. The transceiver may further include a plurality of wirebonds electrically connecting the silicon sub-mount to the circuit board, and electrically connecting the at least two IC chips to the silicon sub-mount. The at least two IC chips may further include solder bumps for providing electrical communication with the silicon sub-mount. The at least two IC chips may be self-aligned with the silicon sub-mount by a plurality of solder bumps. The optoelectronic transceiver may further include at least four indentations formed in a top surface of the silicon sub-mount and in a bottom surface of the array of microlenses in such a way that the indentations are mirror imaged to each other when the silicon sub-mount and the array of microlenses are in an assembled position, and at least four spacer balls positioned in-between the at least four indentations to self-align the silicon sub-mount to the array of microlenses.
In the optoelectronic transceiver, the circuit board may be formed of an insulating material. The at least two IC chips may be four IC chips that includes a laser diode, a photodetector, a laser diode driver and a photodetector amplifier. The at least two IC chips may further include wirebonds for providing electrical communication with the silicon sub-mount. The optoelectronic transceiver may further include at least two spacer bars positioned between the array of microlenses and the silicon sub-mount for keeping a predetermined spacing between the array of microlenses and the at least two IC chips. The plurality of conductive leads on the bottom surface of the horizontal portion of the circuit board may be a plurality of solder bumps.
In the optoelectronic transceiver, the receptacle may be formed of a top plate, a bottom plate, a mounting column on each of the top and bottom plates and an aperture at a center of each of the mounting columns for receiving a pair of guide pins when the optoelectronic transceiver is in an assembled position. The vertical portion of the circuit board may further include a pair of apertures at near a top and a bottom edge of the vertical portion for receiving a pair of guide pins. The pair of guide pins may engage a pair of apertures in the vertical portion of the circuit board at one end, while engaging a pair of apertures in the mounting columns at the other end. The optical fiber may include a bundle of optical fibers. The silicon sub-mount, the at least two IC chips and the array of microlenses are positioned parallel to each other when they are mounted in the receptacle. The laser diode may be one that generates pulsed laser.

Optoelectronic transceiver having integrated optical and electronic components

Industrial Technology Research Institute