An audio generation system produces streams of audio wave data and routes the audio wave data to audio buffers via logic buses that correspond respectively to the audio buffers. A logic bus, or buses, are assigned to an audio wave data source. Additionally, a logic bus corresponds to an audio buffer. Thus, any streams of audio wave data generated by the audio wave data source are routed to the audio buffer corresponding to the logic bus. A logic bus can receive streams of audio wave data from multiple sources, and route the multiple audio wave data streams to an audio buffer. Additionally, an audio buffer can receive streams of audio wave data from multiple logic buses.

Multimedia programs present data to a user through both audio and video events while a user interacts with a program via a keyboard, joystick, or other interactive input device. A user associates elements and occurrences of a video presentation with the associated audio representation. A common implementation is to associate audio with movement of characters or objects in a video game. When a new character or object appears, the audio associated with that entity is incorporated into the overall presentation for a more dynamic representation of the video presentation.
Audio representation is an essential component of electronic and multimedia products such as computer based and stand-alone video games, computer-based slide show presentations, computer animation, and other similar products and applications. As a result, audio generating devices and components are integrated with electronic and multimedia products for composing and providing graphically associated audio representations. These audio representations can be dynamically generated and varied in response to various input parameters, real-time events, and conditions. Thus, a user can experience the sensation of live audio or musical accompaniment with a multimedia experience.
Conventionally, computer audio is produced in one of two fundamentally different ways. One way is to reproduce an audio waveform from a digital sample of an audio source which is typically stored in a wave file (i.e., a .wav file). A digital sample can reproduce any sound, and the output is very similar on all sound cards, or similar computer audio rendering devices. However, a file of digital samples consumes a substantial amount of memory and resources for streaming the audio content. As a result, the variety of audio samples that can be provided using this approach is limited. Another disadvantage of this approach is that the stored digital samples cannot be easily varied.
Another way to produce computer audio is to synthesize musical instrument sounds, typically in response to instructions in a Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) file. MIDI is a protocol for recording and playing back music and audio on digital synthesizers incorporated with computer sound cards. Rather than representing musical sound directly, MIDI transmits information and instructions about how music is produced. The MIDI command set includes note-on, note-off, key velocity, pitch bend, and other methods of controlling a synthesizer.
The audio sound waves produced with a synthesizer are those already stored in a wavetable in the receiving instrument or sound card. A wavetable is a table of stored sound waves that are digitized samples of actual recorded sound. A wavetable can be stored in read-only memory (ROM) on a sound card chip, or provided with software. Prestoring sound waveforms in a lookup table improves rendered audio quality and throughput. An advantage of MIDI files is that they are compact and require few audio streaming resources, but the output is limited to the number of instruments available in the designated General MIDI set and in the synthesizer, and may sound very different on different computer systems.
MIDI instructions sent from one device to another indicate actions to be taken by the controlled device, such as identifying a musical instrument (e.g., piano, flute, drums, etc.) for music generation, turning on a note, and/or altering a parameter in order to generate or control a sound. In this way, MIDI instructions control the generation of sound by remote instruments without the MIDI control instructions carrying sound or digitized information. A MIDI sequencer stores, edits, and coordinates the MIDI information and instructions. A synthesizer connected to a sequencer generates audio based on the MIDI information and instructions received from the sequencer. Many sounds and sound effects are a combination of multiple simple sounds generated in response to the MIDI instructions.
A MIDI system allows audio and music to be represented with only a few digital samples rather than converting an analog signal to many digital samples. The MIDI standard supports different channels that can each simultaneously provide an output of audio sound wave data. There are sixteen defined MIDI channels, meaning that no more than sixteen instruments can be playing at one time. Typically, the command input for each channel represents the notes corresponding to an instrument. However, MIDI instructions can program a channel to be a particular instrument. Once programmed, the note instructions for a channel will be played or recorded as the instrument for which the channel has been programmed. During a particular piece of music, a channel can be dynamically reprogrammed to be a different instrument.
A Downloadable Sounds (DLS) standard published by the MIDI Manufacturers Association allows wavetable synthesis to be based on digital samples of audio content provided at run time rather than stored in memory. The data describing an instrument can be downloaded to a synthesizer and then played like any other MIDI instrument. Because DLS data can be distributed as part of an application, developers can be sure that the audio content will be delivered uniformly on all computer systems. Moreover, developers are not limited in their choice of instruments.
A DLS instrument is created from one or more digital samples, typically representing single pitches, which are then modified by a synthesizer to create other pitches. Multiple samples are used to make an instrument sound realistic over a wide range of pitches. DLS instruments respond to MIDI instructions and commands just like other MIDI instruments. However, a DLS instrument does not have to belong to the General MIDI set or represent a musical instrument at all. Any sound, such as a fragment of speech or a fully composed measure of music, can be associated with a DLS instrument.
Conventional Audio and Music System
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional audio and music generation system 100. The audio system 100 includes two discrete components, DirectMusic® 102 and DirectSound® 104. DirectMusict® and DirectSound® are application programming interfaces (APIs) available from Microsoft Corporation, Redmond Wash. DirectSound® plays prerecorded digital samples, typically from wave files, and DirectMusic® plays synthesized audio in response to MIDI files or preauthored musical segments.
The audio system 100 includes a synthesizer 106 having a synthesizer channel 108. Typically, a synthesizer is implemented in computer software, in hardware as part of a computer's internal sound card, or as an external device such as a MIDI keyboard or module. The synthesizer channel 108 is an audio data or communications path that represents a destination for a MIDI instruction. The channel 108 has a left and right audio data output, and a reverb audio data output. The reverb output is input to a reverb component 110, and the left and right audio data outputs are input to a left or right input component 112 and 114, respectively. The output of the reverb 110 is a stereo pair that is also input to the left or right input component 112 and 114, respectively. The synthesizer output 116 is a stereo pair that is input to a mixing component 118.
A MIDI instruction, such as a "note-on", directs a synthesizer 106 to play a particular note, or notes, on a synthesizer channel 108 having a designated instrument. The General MIDI standard defines standard sounds that can be combined and mapped into the sixteen separate instrument and sound channels. A MIDI event on a synthesizer channel corresponds to a particular sound and can represent a keyboard key stroke, for example. The "note-on" MIDI instruction can be generated with a keyboard when a key is pressed and the "note-on" instruction is sent to synthesizer 106. When the key on the keyboard is released, a corresponding "note-off" instruction is sent to stop the generation of the sound corresponding to the keyboard key.
The audio system 100 includes a buffer component 120 that has multiple buffers 122(1 . . . n). The output of the mixing component 118 associated with synthesizer channels 108 is input to one buffer 122(2) in the buffer component 120. A buffer in this instance is typically an allocated area of memory that temporarily holds sequential samples of audio data that will be subsequently delivered to an audio rendering device such as a speaker.
An application program typically communicates with synthesizer 106 via some type of dedicated communication interface, commonly referred to as an API. In the audio system 100, an application program delivers audio content or other music events to the synthesizer 106. The audio content and music events are represented as data structures containing information about the audio content and music events such as pitch, relative volume, duration, and the like. Audio events are message-based data, such as MIDI files or musical segments, authored with an external device.
Sound effects can be implemented with a synthesizer, but the output is constrained to the stereo pair 116. For music generation, only having the ability to process audio in a synthesizer can be sufficient. In an audio system that supports both music and sound effects, however, a single output pair input to one buffer is a limitation to creating and enhancing the sound effects.


A navigation apparatus with image recognition, includes: an imaging section for obtaining a stereo image of a target spot; an inertial information detecting section for measuring an attitude angle of a body and an acceleration of the body; an image process calculating section for calculating a relative position of the body with respect to the target spot based on the stereo image and the attitude angle; and a navigation calculating section for calculating navigation information based on the attitude angle, the acceleration and the relative position.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a navigation apparatus and a navigation method with image recognition.
2. Description of Related Art
So far, various technologies for navigating a vertical-takeoff aircraft such as a helicopter and the like to land on the ground (a ship) have been proposed.
One proposed example of them is a technology for navigating a helicopter to a predetermined target spot by detecting sound wave generated from the helicopter with a microphone, by calculating a position of the helicopter based on an electric signal regarding the sound wave, and by transmitting the calculation result to the helicopter (see JP-Tokukaihei-8-7199A, Page 1, FIG. 1). Further, another proposed example of them is a technology for navigating a flying object to a predetermined target spot based on positional information of the flying object obtained by using a millimeter-wave radar apparatus or a stereo camera apparatus located on the ground (see JP-Tokukaihei-11-72558A, Page 1, FIG. 1).
Further, these days, what is developed is "DGPS/INS hybrid navigation apparatus" which accurately measures relative positional information of an aircraft body with respect to a predetermined target spot by using DGPS such as RTK-GPS or the like, and corrects positional information obtained by an inertial sensor based on accurate positional information obtained by DGPS. By using such hybrid navigation apparatus, it is possible to navigate an aircraft body to a predetermined target spot.
However, when the technology of JP-Tokukaihei-8-7199A or the technology of JP-Tokukaihei-11-72558A is adopted, it is necessary to set ground facilities for the navigation control, such as a microphone, a millimeter-wave radar apparatus, a stereo camera apparatus and the like near the predetermined target spot in advance. Therefore, it is not possible to navigate an aircraft body to a spot near which these ground facilities for the navigation control are not set.
Further, in the navigation technology with the above-mentioned DGPS/INS hybrid navigation apparatus, since the differential between positional information of a target spot and positional information of an aircraft body is used as relative positional information for navigating the aircraft body, it is necessary to measure an absolute coordinate of the target spot in advance. Therefore, it is necessary to spend a certain amount of time and labor for the measurement of the absolute coordinate. Further, since it is necessary to set a GPS base station for transmitting correction information for DGPS to the aircraft on the ground, a system structure thereof becomes complicated. Further, in order to wait for the convergence of DGPS solutions, it is necessary to make an aircraft do the hovering or the slow flight up in midair near the target spot before the landing. Therefore, flying time becomes longer and extra fuel is wasted unnecessarily.

Navigation apparatus and navigation method with image recognition


A wireless communication system can comprise two or more antennas that interfere with one another via free space coupling, surface wave crosstalk, dielectric leakage, or other interference effect. The interference effect can produce an interference signal on one of the antennas. A cancellation device can suppress antenna interference by generating an estimate of the interference signal and subtracting the estimate from the interference signal. The cancellation device can generate the estimate based on sampling signals on an antenna that generates the interference or on an antenna that receives the interference. The cancellation device can comprise a model of the crosstalk effect. Transmitting test signals on the communication system can define or refine the model.

Heightened consumption of communication services fuels a need for increased data carrying capacity or bandwidth in wireless communication systems. Phenomena known as crosstalk and interference often occur in these communication systems and can impair high-speed signal transmission and thus limit wireless communication bandwidth to an undesirably low level.
Crosstalk and related interference are conditions that arise in communication systems wherein a signal in one communication channel or antenna interferes with or bleeds into another channel or antenna or an associated structure, housing, material, active device, or conductor. Such interference may occur due to a variety of effects, including current leakage, surface wave propagation, line interference, and electromagnetic coupling.
Crosstalk is emerging as a significant barrier to increasing throughput rates of wireless communications systems. When not specifically addressed, crosstalk often manifests itself as noise. In particular, crosstalk degrades signal quality by increasing uncertainty in received signals, thereby making reliable communications more difficult and causing data errors to occur with increased probability. In other words, crosstalk typically becomes more problematic at increased data rates. Not only does crosstalk reduce signal integrity, but additionally, the amount of crosstalk often increases with bandwidth, thereby making higher data rate communications more difficult.
In a typical wireless communication system, circuit boards, connectors, and transmission lines handle the incoming and outgoing communication signals that enter or leave the system via communication antennas. At high communication speeds, the conductive paths of the system's circuit boards, connectors, and transmission lines pickup and radiate electromagnetic energy that can interfere with the performance of the system's receiving and sending antennas. The radiated energy from one antenna or an associated conductive channel undesirably couples into or is received by another antenna or its associated channel. This undesirable transfer of signal energy, known as "crosstalk" or "interference," can compromise signal or data integrity. Crosstalk typically occurs in a bidirectional manner in that a single antenna or channel can both radiate energy to one or more other antennas or channels and receive energy from one or more other antennas or channels.
Compact wireless communication devices are particularly susceptible to antenna-to-antenna crosstalk. The close proximity of the antennas in such systems can intensify the crosstalk effect and cause acute signal degradation. Such interference can affect multiple-antenna wireless applications, whether each antenna carries the same payload or a distinct payload. Further, interference between antennas can impair performance whether each antenna operates at the same frequency or at a unique frequency. In applications involving global positioning sensors ("GPS"), wireless fidelity ("WiFi"), "Bluetooth," or another wireless standard, each of two interfering antennas of a wireless device may operate at a different frequency and support one of these services. In antenna diversity systems and other applications having two or more antennas that each carries the same payload, crosstalk coupling can distort the radiation pattern of each antenna. The radiation pattern can also be affected whether the antennas operate in band or out of band, for example in applications other than antenna diversity.
Antenna diversity typically involves using two or more antennas to receive multiple instances of the same signal. The resulting signal redundancy enables the system to be robust against many factors that can degrade signal reliability, such as antenna type, antenna orientation, and beam obstacles. However, interference among the multiple antennas that are typically associated with antenna diversity can defeat the technique's benefits when the antennas are closely spaced to one another. Additionally, from a power budget perspective, it is beneficial to avoid unnecessarily resorting to activating dormant antennas for increased gain.
In multi-antenna systems, whether the antennas carry distinct or indistinct signals, maintaining an adequate level of antenna isolation is generally desirable. A minimum isolation of 15 dB is usually considered adequate for most applications. Using conventional technology, such isolation can be difficult to attain in miniaturized devices, such as handhelds, in which the antennas are physically close together. Without adequate isolation, reducing the spacing between antennas can negatively impact gain, directivity, throughput, beam shape, reach, efficiency, and receiver sensitivity. Because the amount of antenna-to-antenna coupling increases with closer antenna spacing, distances of 17-33% of the wavelength ("λ"), i.e. λ/6 to λ/3, are often considered a compromise between antenna isolation and compactness.
In an effort to achieve increased miniaturization, conventional canceller systems have been used to provide a limited level of isolation between interfering antennas. One type of conventional canceller system samples an interfering signal from a transmitting antenna and generates a cancellation signal that is adjusted in magnitude and phase to cancel leakage signals impinging on an adjacent antenna. This conventional technology is generally limited to addressing leakage signals, which are high-frequency currents, and usually does not adequately address other forms of interference such as surface wave crosstalk and free space coupling. Surface wave crosstalk can occur when electromagnetic waves propagate along the surface of a circuit board, mounting, or other structure that is proximate to two or more adjacent antennas. Via free space coupling, the electromagnetic field patterns of the adjacent antennas can undesirably distort or interact with one another in an open air propagation medium.
Conventional canceller systems may also attempt to maintain isolation of the signals that a transmit antenna generates to reduce the mixing of outgoing signals with incoming signals on a nearby receiving antenna. However, such conventional canceller systems generally do not adequately address all of the phenomena that can cause antenna-to-antenna interference or crosstalk. For example, the physical presence of the receive antenna can distort the radiation pattern of the system, even if the receive antenna is in a passive or dormant mode. This distortion can cause a receive antenna to undesirably radiate energy or can warp the field pattern of a nearby transmitting antenna. The presence of one receive antenna can also distort the receptive pattern of another receive antenna. Conventional canceller technologies generally neglect such secondary radiation effects that may occur in free space. In other words, these conventional canceller systems typically apply cancellation to address leakage-type crosstalk occurring within a device, but often do not adequately address crosstalk between two antenna field patterns in free space.
To address these representative deficiencies in the art, what is needed is a capability for crosstalk cancellation between two or more antennas disposed in physical proximity to one another. A need also exists for a capability to cancel crosstalk occurring between two antennas through free space coupling or via propagation of surface waves. Such capabilities would facilitate higher bandwidth and increased signal fidelity in wireless communication applications that may involve compact devices.

Method and system for antenna interference cancellation


The present invention provides a method of removing photoresist from a wafer surface having a bonding pad using a three step clean composed of (1) a wet cleaning the substrate, (2) a F-containing gas high temperature plasma treatment which prevents the corrosion of aluminum contact pad, and (3) completely striping the photoresist strip using an O.sub.2 dry ash. The invention eliminates metal bonding pad corrosion and the completely removes residual photoresist from keyholes.

1). Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the fabrication of semiconductor devices and particularly to a method of striping photoresist from a passivation layer over metal lines and more particularly to a F-containing gas passivation treatment of bonding pad after a dry etch of a passivation layer overlying the bonding pad.
2). Description of the Prior Art
This invention relates to the prevention of metal corrosion after dry etches. Two manufacturing processes which have metal corrosion problems are the patterning of passivation layers over bonding pad formations and the patterning of metal lines. These two problems are explained below.
First, metal bonds are formed to metal bonding pads in a top metal layer on a semiconductor chip. This occurs after the chip has completed the fabrication process. It is usually assembled into a package to be utilized on a printed circuit board as part of a larger circuit. In order for the inner leads of the package to make electrical contact with the bonding pads of the chip, a metal bond is formed at the bonding pad of the chip with a lead extending to the inner lead of the package lead frame.
FIGS. 1A and 1B show a conventional bond pad area. A top metal layer 118 is formed over a top dielectric layer over a semiconductor substrate 110. The top metal layer is then etched to form metal lines. Bonding pad areas 124 are then etched into the top metal layer using conventional photolithographic processes. A passivation layer 122 is formed over a top metal layer 118. The passivation layer 122 can be formed of silicon oxide. The passivation layer is patterned using a photolithography and a dry etch process to form an opening over the bond pad area 124. We have encountered a corrosion problem of the top metal layer 188 in the bonding pad area after the dry etch of the passivation layer 122. Next, a metal bond is formed in the bonding pad area. The metal corrosion creates fails.
Second, another corrosion problem occurs when patterning metal lines after an etch. A conventional method of making wiring layer for VLSI devices or the like is shown in FIG. 2 is known. An aluminum (Al) based wiring material layer, i.e. Al or Al alloy is deposited on an insulating film 112 covering the surface of a semiconductor substrate 110. Thereafter, a resist layer 16 is formed thereon and patterned in a desired layout. Using the resist layer 116 as a mask, the Al based wiring material layer is selectively etched by using a Cl based gas.
Thereafter, the resist layer 16 and etch by-products generated during the etching process are removed. Normally, an dry ashing process is used. The ashing process is performed using under plasma assisted conditions where an oxygen radical generated in the plasma reacts with organic material included in the resist materials. Thereby, the resist materials are oxidized and resolved. The photoresist removal process has been performed by two methods. First, photoresist ashing removal process is performed by an ashing process using a mixed gas of a fluorine (F) containing gas and an O.sub.2 gas. The second method performed the ashing by using a plasma of a mixed gas, which contains hydrogen and oxygen (a H and O containing gas), such as CH.sub.3 OH and an O.sub.2 gas.
The first process (F and O.sub.2) cannot remove Cl components sufficiently, which have attached during the etching process on the surface of the wafer. The unremoved Cl components may corrode a wiring. For a laminated layer having a barrier metal layer, such as TiW under the Al based wiring material layer, there are not only unremoved Cl components but also local batteries formed by the layers. This corrosion can more likely occur.
The second process (H.sub.2 O) is an improved version of the first process. With the second method, however, it is necessary to heat a substrate or wafer to about 250 to 350.degree. C. in order to obtain a practical ashing speed. This heating process alters the quality of and cures, the resist surface in which the etching gas and by-product (such as AlCl.sub.x, CuCl.sub.2, SiCl.sub.x) have been mixed. As shown in FIG. 2, resist surface layers of the resist film 116, particularly resist surface layer 116A and 116B, which are sometimes called rabbit ears, may be left unremoved.
Although the resist surface layers 116A and 116B may also be left unremoved when using the first method, theses layers can be readily washed out by amine based solvent. However, with the second method, the quality change and curing of the resist surface layer reached sometimes to the extent that the surface layer cannot be removed even if it is processed by amine based solvent, thereby lowering the manufacturing yield.
Others have attempted to solve aluminum corrosion problems after etching Al lines. The most pertinent appear to be, U.S. Pat. No. 5,202,291 (Charvat et al.) teaches a method of etching Al using a high CF.sub.4 RIE. The patent shows the replacement of Cl with a carbonaceous species. U.S. Pat. No. 5,468,686 (Kawamoto) teaches a method of etching aluminum on a wafer with a Halogen gas and then cleaning the wafer and chamber with an oxygen containing gas. U.S. Pat. No. 5,451,293 (Tabara) teaches a method of ashing a photoresist layer using H and O containing gas with a F containing gas. U.S. Pat. No. 5,378,653(Yanagida) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,399,236 (Ha et al) show methods of reducing aluminum corrosion caused by Cl.sub.2.

Method of stripping photoresist from Al bonding pads that prevents corrosion

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.


Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for treating the retina and/or other areas of a patient's eye. The procedures may involve using one or more treatment beams (e.g., lasers) to cause photocoagulation or laser coagulation to finely cauterize ocular blood vessels and/or prevent blood vessel growth to induce one or more therapeutic benefits. In other embodiments, a series of short duration light pulses (e.g., between 5-15 microseconds) may be delivered to the retinal tissue with a thermal relaxation time delay between the pulse to limit the temperature rise of the target retinal tissue and thereby limit a thermal effect to only the retinal pigment epithelial layer. Such procedures may be used to treat diabetic retinopathy, macular edema, and/or other conditions of the eye. The treatment beam may be delivered within a treatment boundary or pattern defined on the retina of the patient's eye.

Therapeutic lasers are often used to treat various conditions of the eye. For example, a specific type of condition that may be treated with such lasers is diabetic retinopathy. Diabetic retinopathy, is damage to the retina that is due to complications of diabetes. If left untreated, diabetic retinopathy can eventually lead to blindness. Diabetic retinopathy typically results from microvascular retinal changes. For example, diabetic induced effects may damage tissue of the eye, which may change the formation of the blood-retinal barrier and make the retinal blood vessels become more permeable. In treating such conditions, one or more light beams may be directed into the eye and/or onto retinal tissue to cause photocoagulation of the tissue so as to finely cauterize ocular blood vessels and/or prevent blood vessel growth to induce various therapeutic benefits. Laser photocoagulation is commonly used for early stages of retinopathy.
In providing laser photocoagulation treatments, however, it is important to avoid damaging sensitive tissue of the eye, such as the fovea, macula, and the like. In certain instances, it may be desired to treat tissue close to one or more of these areas while ensuring that damage to such areas is avoided. Conventional laser photocoagulation techniques do not offer optimal solutions to treating areas close to such sensitive tissue while ensuring that damage to such tissue will be avoided or greatly reduced. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for improved laser photocoagulation methods for treating various conditions of the eye, such as diabetic retinopathy.

Short duration pulse grid pattern laser treatment and methods


A semiconductor device incorporating a capacitor structure that includes a ferroelectric thin film is obtained by forming, on a single crystalline substrate 10 having a surface suited for growing thereon a thin film layer of ferroelectric single crystal having a plane (111), a ferroelectric single crystalline thin film 12′ containing Pb and having a plane (111) 11 in parallel with the surface of the substrate (or a ferroelectric polycrystalline thin film containing Pb and oriented parallel with the plane (111) in parallel with the surface of the substrate) and part 16 of a circuit of a semiconductor device, to thereby fabricate the single crystalline substrate 10 having said ferroelectric thin film containing Pb and said part of the circuit of the semiconductor device; and bonding said single crystalline substrate 10 to another substrate on which the other circuit of the semiconductor device has been formed in advance, to couple the two circuits together.

There are various known semiconductor devices, such as semiconductor memories. Among these memory devices, those that hold data even when the power source is turned off are called nonvolatile memories. Among the nonvolatile memories, one using a ferroelectric material as a capacitor material for holding the electric charge is called ferroelectric memory (Ferroelectric Random Access Memory (FRAM, registered trademark)).
The FRAM utilizes two residual polarizing properties of dissimilar polarities possessed by a ferroelectric thin film, and holds data even when the power source is turned off. The possible number of times of rewriting, which is an indication of nonvolatile property, is as great as 1×1010 to 1×1012 times. The rewriting speed is in the order of several tens of nanoseconds, a very high speed.
In the FRAM, the ferroelectric material used for forming a capacitor can be polarized in one of the two directions. By distinguishing the direction of polarization, it is possible to store the data "1" corresponding to one direction of polarization and the data "0" corresponding to the opposite direction of polarization. When the dielectric material in the capacitor is not a ferroelectric material but is a paradielectric material, the polarization is maintained only when there is a potential difference from the electrodes but is not maintained when the potential difference is removed. In this case, therefore, a volatile operation is brought about. The direction of polarization of the ferroelectric material in the FRAM can be detected by applying a potential large enough for switching over the polarization of the capacitor.
The ferroelectric materials used in the FRAM include a lead-based ferroelectric material and a bismuth-based ferroelectric material. Representative lead-based ferroelectric materials are PZT (PbZrxTi1-xO3), PLZT (PbyLa1-yZrxTi1-xO3), etc. A representative bismuth-based ferroelectric material is SBT (SrBi2Ta2O9).
Concerning the ferroelectric material used in the FRAM, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 13-102543 teaches the use of a single crystalline ferroelectric thin film, as a ferroelectric material, for forming a capacitor in the FRAM. This publication, however, does not teach the method of producing semiconductor devices by using a single crystalline ferroelectric thin film grown on a single crystalline substrate, as in the present invention.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 11-103024 teaches a semiconductor device of the structure in which a ferroelectric thin film (oriented polycrystalline thin film), having a plurality of crystalline particles arranged as a layer, is formed on the lower electrode in which crystals constituting a surface that comes in contact with the thin film are arranged on a plane (111).
Further, Foster et al., Journal of Applied Physics, 81, 2324, 1997, reports a thin PZT film having a large residual polarization charge (2Pr) obtained by forming (001) SrRuO3 as a lower electrode on (001) SrTiO3 and then forming a thin PZT (001) film by the MOCVD method.
A system LSI using a ferroelectric material for forming the capacitor as mentioned above must have very highly reliable, since it is used in equipment that deals with money data and data on individuals, such as IC cards, smart cards, etc. To realize a service life of ten years, as expected for these system LSIs, it is desired that the polarizing charge of the ferroelectric capacitor is as large as possible. With the ferroelectric capacitors fabricated by the conventional sputtering method, however, the amount of polarizing charge was mostly from 20 to 25 μC/cm2, and it was difficult to obtain, maintaining a high yield, ferroelectric capacitors satisfying the amount of polarizing charge of 30 μC/cm2 that is necessary for practical products. It is even more difficult to obtain a ferroelectric capacitor having the amount of polarizing charge of not smaller than 35 μC/cm2 necessary for improving the reliability of the product.

Method of producing semiconductor device

Abstract: The capacitor in the semiconductor device thus obtained includes a ferroelectric thin film having a large amount of polarizing charge. The semiconductor device can be used as a highly reliable nonvolatile memory.


A solar energy system includes a solar energy receiver and a matrix of pipes containing a working fluid attached to the bottom side of the receiver. The matrix is a plurality of vertically-tilted pipes and at least three horizontal pipes arranged in a specific order and have a defined function. The working fluid absorbs heat and changes from a liquid to a gas. The system further includes a thermal storage tank, which includes a heat storage medium and a heat exchanger. The heat exchanger receives evaporated working fluid from one of the horizontal pipes, condenses the working fluid vapor by transferring heat to the heat storage medium. When water is the working fluid, a distilled water storage tank may be connected to the heat exchanger to receive distilled water. When recirculation of the working fluid is desired, condensed liquid from the heat exchanger is flowed to a horizontal pipe.

Phase change heat transfer has been utilized in numerous applications from air conditioning to solar heating. Heat pipes are well known for employing phase transition and gravity for operability. However for the heat pipe, there is one drawback of contra-flow of vapor and liquid in the same pipe, which limits the transfer rate and the distance.
The loop heat pipe uses a chilled liquid that flows to the bottom of a solar collector. However, this technology introduces problems associated with the liquid level inside of the solar collector: if the liquid level is low, there can be a deficit of liquid in the upper part of the solar collector and, as a consequence, the temperature of the solar collector can rise to destructive levels, especially for a combination photovoltaic and thermal application. Also, when the liquid level is high, there can be a large flow of liquid out of the vapor pipe, preventing effective heat transfer.
Solar energy is still not quite competitive to traditional fossil energy in terms of return on investment (ROI). While the industry continues to strive to lower system cost (the denominator of ROI), another direction is to increase the return (the numerator of ROI).


In certain embodiments, a method for validating the human visual inspection process or an optical analysis instrument for use with biological particles may include inspecting a standard particle solution using the optical analysis instrument. The standard particle solution may include a known concentration of standard particles suspended in solution with the standard particles having a defined size and shape distribution. The standard particles may have a refractive index that is substantially similar to a refractive index of the biological particles. The method may include assessing a concentration of standard particles in the standard particle solution from the inspection. The method may include assessing a difference between the assessed concentration of standard particles and the known concentration of standard particles. The method may include modifying one or more parameters of the optical analysis instrument based on the assessed difference between the concentrations. The method may include assessing a detection efficiency of the optical analysis instrument.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a standard suspension used for inspection of liquids. More particularly, the invention relates to (1) a standard suspension that allows instruments that inspect and classify particle suspensions to be calibrated, validated, and/or compared and (2) a standard for the visual inspection of particle suspensions.
2. Description of Related Art
Biopharmaceutical companies often characterize biological drug products in injectable, liquid form in vials, syringes, or other containers. These containers are typically inspected for the presence of external particles but also can be inspected for particles formed by aggregation of the protein drug substance itself (e.g., in order to determine the safety of a drug product). Additionally, medical device manufacturers that coat medical devices with bio-compatible substances may inspect solutions after washing the devices to look for particles that have sloughed off the devices.
Similarly, in the field of Life Science, optical instruments such as microscopes and flow cytometers are used to analyze particles of biological nature, including biological cells, microvesicles, bacteria and viruses. These particles and protein aggregates, called biological particles henceforth, typically have a low refractive index that is close to that of the solution in which they are presented to the optical instrument.
Visual inspection by the human eye as well as various inspection instruments are used to detect biological particles. Results between human inspectors and instruments may, however, vary and the results may be difficult to compare given the random shapes and sizes of the biological particles and the relatively low contrast the biological particles exhibit because of their small refractive index difference with the solution in which they are suspended. FIG. 1 depicts a photograph of an example of protein aggregation in a container.
In order to assure the efficacy and safety of parenteral drugs, United States Pharmacopeia chapter <788> requires manufacturers of injectable drugs to report a count per unit volume of the number of any particles larger than 10 μm and a count per unit volume of the number of particles larger than 25 μm, including protein aggregate particles. Based on input from the new February 2013 United States FDA (Food & Drug Administration) guidelines that cite increasing concern about immunogenicity caused by protein aggregates, a new chapter with new rules may require monitoring biologic drug products for particulates greater than 2 μm. Protein aggregates may be difficult to detect because their index of refraction (n=˜1.34 to 1.40) is close to protein-based drug solutions index of refraction (n=˜1.34 to 1.36). There are also are a number of different protein agglomerate types that vary in shape and appearance. For example, from ellipsoidal to threadlike (aspect ratios from 0.8 to 0.1) and from amorphous to crystalline.
Current visual inspection relies on the transparency difference between the biologic particles and the surrounding liquid. Instruments used to inspect (detect) micron sized particles typically involve imaging, or light scattering, or light obscuration of the particles as they flow through a clear flow cell. The instruments may use visual and/or machine-based inspection processes. Each of these instruments is calibrated/validated for size measurement accuracy and particle count accuracy by the vendor or a user. Typically, calibration/validation is provided using polystyrene spheres (beads) of a well-defined and uniform diameter and defined concentration. Polystyrene beads are commercially available from vendors such as Thermo Fisher Scientific (Waltham, Mass., U.S.A.), Polysciences, Inc. (Warrington, Pa., U.S.A.), and other vendors.
There are three fundamental drawbacks to optical instrument calibration and validation using polystyrene beads. A first drawback is that polystyrene beads have a higher refractive index (typically n=1.599) than some particles of interest (e.g., protein aggregates with n=˜1.34 to 1.40). Thus, the optical signal of polystyrene beads does not adequately represent that of the signal generated by a low-contrast particle of the same size (such as biological particles). Biological particles may generate a lower signal than a polystyrene sphere of the same size due to the refractive index and transparency differences between the particles. As a result, the biological particle may be misclassified and result in erroneous analysis results. In addition, low contrast particle (e.g., biological particle) events may be eliminated from analysis when they generate a signal that falls below the analysis threshold established using polystyrene beads of the same size. This may result in erroneous count results of the low contrast particles. Likewise, the low refractive index makes biological particles more difficult to observe by human eye, also resulting in erroneous count results.
A second drawback is that some biological particles are irregular shaped three-dimensional (3-D) objects rather than uniformly spherical objects (like polystyrene beads). The irregular shapes of biological particles may present certain challenges to the optical analysis instruments. For example, the instrument may only generate a signal based on a two-dimensional (2-D) projection of the 3-D particle. Thus, measuring particles of irregular shape in a flow-through detector may produce wide distributions of instrument response due to random orientation of the particle at the interrogation point. Further, irregular shaped particles may result in a broader size distribution compared to the size distribution of polystyrene beads of the same size. As a result, irregularly shaped particles (such as some biological particles) may be eliminated from the analysis and result in erroneous count results.
A third drawback is that the concentration of polystyrene beads in suspension may vary due to systematic differences in sampling. For example, the parent polystyrene bead suspension may be sampled in the center of the suspension but after beads have begun to settle out of the suspension, resulting in different concentration in later samples.
Thus, it is desired to create a standard suspension that (1) allows the standardization of visual inspection methods and (2) allows optical analysis instruments to be calibrated, validated, and/or compared using standard particles that more closely match the properties of low-contrast and possibly irregular shaped particles such as biological particles. The standard particles in the standard suspension should be stable, reproducible, and have uniformity in key properties to allow operators to properly adjust the instruments or analysis software parameters when necessary. The particle standard suspension should support corrections to defined concentration through the use of an internal concentration standard. Proper adjustment of the instruments and/or the analysis software parameters may allow results to be compared accurately between samples, between analytical instruments, and/or between measurement labs.

Particle suspensions used as low-contrast standards for inspection of liquids


A technique is described herein for assisting a user in exploring the operation of a quantum computer program. It involves first receiving qubit state information from a quantum system emulator which executes a quantum computer program. The qubit state information describes one or more states of one or more respective qubits at a specified analysis point in the quantum computer program. The technique then generates a three-dimensional graphical depiction that provides a visualization of the qubit state information. The three-dimensional graphical depiction includes at least one graphical control element that allows a user to interact with the three-dimensional graphical depiction. The technique then displays the three-dimensional graphical depiction on a display device. In one implementation, the display device is provided by a head mounted display associated with a mixed reality system.

A computer programmer typically subjects a conventional computer program to robust testing prior to its release. In some cases, the programmer tests the computer program by methodically changing the values of its runtime variables, and then noting how the computer program responds to these changes. This iterative testing procedure provides insight into whether the computer program is operating in a desired manner.
The field of quantum computing has various characteristics which complicate testing, as it has traditionally been performed. For example, using Dirac's notation, a qubit at a particular point in the execution of a quantum computer program has a state |ψ that may be expressed as a weighted superposition of two basis states, 0 and 1. That is, |ψ=α|0+β|1, wherein α and β are probability amplitudes, such that |α|2+|β|2=1. This superposition collapses into the "classical" bits of 0 and 1, however, whenever the qubit state is physically measured. To further complicate issues, the state of a qubit may be entangled with the states of other qubits at a particular juncture in the quantum computer program. Two or more qubits are said to be entangled when their composite n-qubit state cannot be expressed as a tensor product of their constituent individual qubit states. These complicating factors may prevent a programmer from understanding what is happening at a particular juncture of a quantum computer program. These factors may also make it more difficult for the programmer to explore the operation of the quantum computer program by methodically making changes to it. A programmer may even attempt to modify a qubit state in a prohibited manner, e.g., by attempting to change the state of a qubit without considering its entanglement with another qubit.

Visualization tool for interacting with a quantum computing program


Example embodiments relate to a method and system for transmitting messages between an emitter and at least one receiver. The method may include encrypting a message (m) to be transmitted by means of a key (a) associated to the emitter, sending the encrypted message to a conversion module including at least a conversion key (πa→b) and a conversion function, the conversion module being placed between the emitter and the at least one receiver, converting the encrypted message received in the conversion module by at least one message encrypted in such a way as to be able to be decrypted by a key (b) specific to the at least one receiver, the conversion being carried out without the initial message appearing in plaintext in the conversion module, and resulting in as much messages in accordance to a number of receivers, sending the converted message to a certain receiver, and decrypting the converted message received by the certain receiver via the key b specific to the receiver, wherein the conversion key (πa→b) of the conversion module depends on a non trivial value raised to a power of the key (a) bound to the emitter and of the key (b) bound to the at least one receiver.

There are currently many message encryption methods, these methods each having specific characteristics with regards to their application or their security level.
In most cases, the content is first encrypted by means of a plurality of keys which can each have a relatively short life, these keys being called "control words". The content encrypted in this way, is transmitted to multimedia units which are subscribed to the supplier. The control-words are themselves encrypted by means of a transmission key and sent in the form of control messages (Entitlement control message ECM).
The extraction and the decryption of the control words is carried out in a security module which can have notably the form of a smart card. When the control-words have been decrypted, they can be used to decrypt the content. As this method is well known to those skilled in the art, it is not described in more detail here.
There are also methods in which the use of a security module is not necessary or desired. An example of such a method uses a specific encryption type, such as notably proposed by Blaze & Strauss (Matt BLAZE, Martin STRAUSS. Atomic Proxy Cryptography, Technical report, AT&T Research, (http://www.research.att.com/resources/trs/TRs/98/98.5/98.5.1.body.ps).
This document describes an encryption method in which a message is encrypted by means of a key bound to the emitter and sent in a conversion module, which transforms the message received into another message that can be decrypted by means of a key bound to the receiver. This conversion module does neither deliver the message in plaintext, nor the key bound to the emitter, nor the one bound to the receiver. This module also contains a particular function, called thereafter conversion function, which allows the modification of the message according to the constraints defined above.
The conversion module according to Blaze & Strauss operates in the following way:
From the encryption side, that is to say the emitter side, one has a secret key "a" and a random number generator, which generates a value "k". This value belongs to the set 9*2q that is to say the set of integers between 0 and 2q−1 which are prime numbers with 2q. For example, if q=5, the set 9*10={;1;2;3;5;7;9}. Two values "p" and "q" are also determined such that "p" and "q" are large prime numbers and such that p=2q+1. The idea of a large number is not defined by a precise numerical value. The larger the used numbers are, the more difficult it is for a third party to find these values by successive attempts. The security level is therefore connected to the size of the used numbers.
The emitter also has a value "g" belonging to the set 9*p.
From the encryption side, these messages are also generatedC1=(mgk)mod p andC2=[(ga)k]mod p
The value (ga)mod p is the public key of the emitter.
The couple <C1;C2> forms the message which is generated by the emitter and which is transmitted to the conversion module.
The conversion module assigns a conversion key and a conversion function.
The key is equal to:
      π          a      →      b        =            (              b        *                  1          a                    )              mod                                      2            q
The conversion function associated to this key is:C2′=[(C2)(πa→b)]mod p
When the couple <C1;C2> is introduced into the conversion module, the value of C1 is not modified. C2 instead changes to C2′ according to the above conversion function.
The couple <C1;C2> entering into the conversion module is transformed into an output couple <C1;C2′>. The latter is transmitted to the receiver and more precisely to the secured part of the receiver which contains the secret key b1 specific to this receiver. In principle, each receiver is provided with his own key "b".
From the received values, the receiver can deduce the message by applying the following formula:
  m  =            (              C                                                  1        *                  1                                    (                              C                                                                                2                  ′                                            )                                                      (                                  1                  /                  b                                )                                          mod                                                                                2                            q                                          )              mod                                      p
Although perfectly functional, this method suffers a major disadvantage when it is put into practice, in particular in an environment in which an emitter supplies a great number of receivers. In fact, by knowing the key b1 of a specific receiver and the conversion function πa→b, it is relatively simple to calculate the key "a" of the emitter such that
      π          a      →              b                                                  1              =                    (                              b            1                    *                      1            a                          )                    mod                                                  2                q              .
From that point, it is possible for a person with bad intentions to make the key "a" of the emitter available to third parties. This then allows to calculate the keys bi of all the receivers supplied by this emitter and using the same conversion function. This means that a user who has subscribed to at least one channel managed by the data supplier can freely have access to all the other channels of this supplier.
The following description explains in more detail, the aforementioned problem.
Imagine a user having a multimedia unit STB2 with the secret key b2. This user is a subscriber of channels 1, 2 and 3 having respectively the keys a1, a2 and a3. Suppose that this user knows his secret key b2. Since he is subscriber, he receives the conversion keys
      π                  a                                                  1            →              b                                                  2              ,                    π                              a                                                                          2                    →                      b                                                                          2                                                              and                                              π                                            a                                                                                3                        →                          b                                                                                2                                ,                                                    where                                              π                  ai          →                      b                                                                          2                                =                            (                                    b              2                        *                          1              ai                                )                          mod                                                              2                    q                    .
From these elements, it is relatively simple to calculate a1, a2 and a3. The user with bad intentions can therefore make these keys a1, a2 and a3 available, for example, by a network such as Internet.
Imagine another user having a multimedia unit STB1 with the secret key b1. This user is subscriber of channel 1 using the key a1. This channel, for example, can be a part of a cheap basic offer. The subscriber therefore receives the conversion key
      π                  a                                                  1            →              b                                                  1              =                    (                              b            1                    *                      1                          a                                                                                1                                      )                    mod                                                  2                q              .  From this point, he can easily determine b1, that is to say the secret key of his own multimedia unit. He can also receive a2 and a3 from the user having the previously mentioned multimedia unit STB2. With these elements, he can create the conversion key for channels 2 and 3 using
            (                        b          1                *                  1                      a                                                                          2                              )              mod                                      2            q        =                    π                              a                                                                          2                    →                      b                                                                          1                                                              and                                                        (                                    b              1                        *                          1                              a                                                                                3                                              )                          mod                                                              2                    q                                        =                  π                              a                                                                          3                    →                      b                                                                          1                              .      In this way, he will have access to channels 2 and 3 without having acquired the corresponding subscription rights. The same is true for a person having cancelled his subscription and who has calculated the specific key b1 of his receiver before the cancellation.
In this way, if the security of one of the receivers is compromised, the security of all of the other receivers is also compromised.
Another disadvantage of the method described above is the fact that the construction of the conversion key requires the knowledge of the secret key "a" of the emitter and that of the encryption stage b, which is not optimal from a security point of view.

Method for transmitting messages between an emitter and at least on receiver and system for implementing said method


A CAM providing for the identification of a plurality of multiple bit tag values stored in the CAM, having logic circuitry for comparing each bit of an inputted test value to the corresponding bits of all stored tag values. A bit select is employed for generating a plurality of test bits for sequential input into the logic circuitry. The logic circuitry compares the plurality of test bits to the corresponding bit of each stored tag value and generates a xe2x80x9chitxe2x80x9d signal if the selected bit is the same as the corresponding bit of the stored tag value. Storage means are employed for recording the results of the compare with the M hit signal.

The technical field encompasses computer architectures having content addressable cache designs. In particular, an architecture that supports reading of the contents of the tag portion of a CAM structure without the need for a separate RAM read port.
Computer systems may employ a multi-level hierarchy of memory, with relatively fast, expensive but limited-capacity memory at the highest level of the hierarchy and proceeding to relatively slower, lower cost but higher-capacity memory at the lowest level of the hierarchy. The hierarchy may include a small fast memory called a cache, either physically integrated within a processor or mounted physically close to the processor for speed. The computer system may employ separate instruction caches and data caches. In addition, the computer system may use multiple levels of caches. The use of a cache is transparent to a computer program at the instruction level and can thus be added to a computer architecture without changing the instruction set or requiring modification to existing programs.
A cache hit occurs when a processor requests an item from a cache and the item is present in the cache. A cache miss occurs when a processor requests an item from a cache and the item is not present in the cache. In the event of a cache miss, the processor retrieves the requested item from a lower level of the memory hierarchy. Associated with cache design is a concept of virtual storage. Virtual storage systems permit a computer programmer to think of memory as one uniform single-level storage unit but actually provide a dynamic address-translation unit that automatically moves program blocks on pages between auxiliary storage and the high speed storage (cache) on demand.
Also associated with cache design is the concept of fully associative or content-addressable memory (CAM). Content-addressable memory is a random access memory that in addition to having a conventional wired-in addressing mechanism also has wired-in logic that makes possible a comparison of desired bit locations for a specified match for all entries simultaneously during one memory-cycle time. The specific address of a desired entry need not be known since a portion of its contents can be used to access the entry. All entries that match the specified bit locations are flagged and can be addressed the current or on subsequent memory cycles.
Memory may be organized into words (for example 32 bits or 64 bits per word). The minimum amount of memory that can be transferred between a cache and the next lower level of memory hierarchy is called a line or a block. A line may be multiple words (for example, 16 words per line). Memory may also be divided into pages or segments with many lines per page. In some computer systems page size may be variable.
In modem computer memory architectures, a central processing unit (CPU) produces virtual addresses that are translated by a combination of hardware and software to physical addresses. The physical addresses are used to access physical main memory. A group of virtual addresses may be dynamically assigned to each page. Virtual memory requires a data structure, sometimes called a page table, that translates the virtual address to the physical address. To reduce address translation time, computers may use a specialized associative cache dedicated to address location, called a translation lookaside buffer (TLB).
A cache may include many segments, or ways. If a cache stores an entire line address along with the data and any line can be placed anywhere in the cache, the cache is said to be fully associative. For a large cache in which any line can be placed anywhere, the hardware required to rapidly determine if and where an item is in the cache may be very large and expensive. For larger caches a faster, space saving alternative is to use a subset of an address (called an index) to designate a line position within the cache, and then store the remaining set of the more significant bits of each physical address, called a tag, along with the data. In a cache with indexing, an item with a particular address can be placed only within a set of lines designated by the index. If the cache is arranged so that the index for a given address maps exactly to one line in the subset, the cache is said to be direct mapped. If the index maps to more than one line in the subset, or way, the cache is said to be set-associative. All or part of an address may be hashed to provide a set index that partitions the address space into sets.
With direct mapping, when a line is requested, only one line in the cache has matching index bits. Therefore, the data can be retrieved immediately and driven onto a data bus before the computer system determines whether the rest of the address matches. The data may or may not be valid, but in the usual case where the data is valid, the data bits are available on the data bus before the computer system determines validity. With set associative caches, the computer system cannot know which line corresponds to an address until the full address is compared. That is, in set-associative caches, the result of tag comparison is used to select which line of data bits within a set of lines is presented to the processor.
Additional details related to prevalidated cache architectures are provided in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/955,821, filed on Oct. 22, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,014,732, entitled CACHE MEMORY WITH REDUCED ACCESS TIME, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
A fully associative cache is commonly defined as content-addressable memory (CAM) and is typically employed in computer systems having virtual memory. FIG. 1 illustrates the basic operation of a CAM 100. A tag value 101 is input into CAM and the associated data value 102 is outputted. While the preferred embodiment of the invention discloses a memory array associated with the CAM that temporarily stores instruction data that is fetched during the operation of the computer system, CAM""s are commonly used for storing many types of data that must be accessed very quickly.
For manufacturing and verification reasons it is often desirable to be able to obtain a listing of all tag values stored in the CAM. There is typically no provision for identifying tag values as such identification is not required in the normal usage of a CAM. Where identification is required, a RAM port is usually added to the memory array. This allows the tag value of each entry of the array to be individually addressed and dumped out for review. The cost of adding this second port is primarily area on the IC and results in an adverse impact on the speed of the array.
It would be desirable and of considerable advantage to provide a method and apparatus for obtaining the tag values of a CAM that does not require the addition of a RAM port to the memory array.
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for reading the tag portion of a CAM array without adding a second port to the CAM structure. Without a second port, the CAM structure takes less space on the IC and results in faster operation of the IC.
A CAM in accordance with the present invention provides for the identification of a plurality of multiple bit tag values stored in the CAM. Logic circuitry compares each bit of a test value to the corresponding bits of all stored tag values. A bit select is employed for generating a plurality of test bits for sequential input into the logic circuitry. The logic circuitry compares the plurality of test bits to the corresponding bit of each stored tag value and generates a xe2x80x9chitxe2x80x9d signal if the selected bit is the same as the corresponding bit of the stored tag value. Storage means are employed for recording the results of the compare with the M hit signals.
In a CAM containing M entries, each entry having an N bit wide tag value, the invention reads Nxc3x97M bits of data by generating M hit/miss signals that convey the result of the logic circuitry. The leftmost bit of the tag values for all M entries may be read simultaneously by performing a CAM operation that compares just 1 bit (out of N), the leftmost bit, of the tag values. The M compare results (from the M hit signals) are recorded in the storage means. By repeating this process for all N bits of the tag, all Nxc3x97M bits of tag data may be generated and recorded. This data constitutes the entire contents of the tag portion of the CAM array.

Mechanism for broadside reads of CAM structures


An auxiliary contact block is disclosed for expanding a switching device and to a switching device having at least one auxiliary contact block. A compact auxiliary contact block, i.e. a block requiring little wiring and space, for a switching device is disclosed, and a switching device having at least one auxiliary contact block. In at least one embodiment of the auxiliary contact block, the auxiliary contact block includes auxiliary contacts disposed in a plane, the contacts having contact bridges and associated fixed contact pieces, and at least one contact slider, which can be equipped with at least one auxiliary contact pair. The configuration of the auxiliary contacts in a plane as described herein allows a very small installation size and very little wiring complexity of the auxiliary contacts in a simple manner. The actuating unit can, for example, be configured as a slider that couples the contact slider and the switching device with each other.

Generally switching devices can be expanded with one or more auxiliary contact blocks, which can be built onto the switching device on a housing or housing part or are already integrated in the device. The auxiliary contacts here serve for a specific function, for example to communicate the status of the main contact poles. In the case of power circuit breakers they are used to display the on, off or trigger status of the device.
Actuating units are deployed to allow actuation of the auxiliary contacts. In the case of contactors these are actuated for example with electromagnetic drives; in the case of power circuit breakers this is done for example with mechanical control units (latching mechanisms). Actuation of the mechanical control apparatus or electromagnetic drive brings about the closing or opening of the contacts, which are connected by way of the actuating units to the mechanical control unit or the electromagnet. Since there is now an increasing trend toward compact motor starter apparatuses for example—corresponding to one of the above-mentioned switching device combinations—auxiliary contacts of suitable form are required, as with known auxiliary contact blocks, in which for example external auxiliary contacts are built onto the switching device on different planes, the wiring outlay and space requirements are significant.
Auxiliary contact blocks for expanding a switching device with auxiliary contacts disposed in a plane with contact bridges and associated fixed contact pieces as well as with at least one contact slider, which can be equipped with at least one auxiliary contact pair, it being possible to actuate the contact slider by way of an actuating unit, which can be connected to at least one switching apparatus for switching the at least one switching point are known from DE 196 36 109 C1, WO 2005/101444 A, DE 101 18919 A1 and from DE 875 681 B. Further contact apparatuses are also known from DE 22 19 428 C2, DE 102 96 272 T5 and from DE 10 2004 034 859 A1.

Auxiliary contact block for expanding a switching device


Polymeric monofilaments having 3 to 12 circumferential striations exhibit excellent performance when used in woven papermaking belts.

In the preparation of paper, woven support belts are used for the initial casting, transporting and dewatering of the paper sheet. These belts are known as paper machine clothing. A variety of materials have been used in manufacture of such belts, including metals, and, currently, thermoplastic monofilaments. Thermoplastic materials which have been used in the weaving of these belts include nylon, polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), and poly ether ether ketone (PEEK), as well as polyester monofilaments. The requirements for the monofilaments in the machine and cross machine directions in paper machine clothing often vary. Accordingly, filaments which differ in polymeric composition, size, configuration and filler materials are often used in the machine and cross machine direction. While monofilaments are normally round in cross-sectional configuration, many other shapes have been used in attempts to balance the requirements of strength, durability, abrasion resistance and overall performance in the paper machine clothing.

Striated monofilaments useful in the formation of papermaking belts


The present invention provides an optical disk comprising: at least a rewritable region and a read-only data region, wherein the rewritable region includes a plurality of groove tracks and a plurality of land tracks, the read-only data region includes a plurality of groove tracks and a plurality of land tracks, read-only data comprising control data are written as concavo-convex pits to the groove tracks and/or the land tracks in the read-only data region, and the width of each groove in the read-only data region is smaller than that of each groove in the rewritable region. According to the first optical disk of the present invention, the area of rewritable regions for users can be ensured as broadly as possible failing to deteriorate the high-speed performance of the system.

Rewritable and removable optical disks have been widely used as file memories for personal computers. Hitherto, various technologies for increasing the recording density of the optical disks have been developed.
Methods for recording marks (mark position recording/mark length recording), methods for dividing regions into sectors (Constant Angular Velocity/Zone Constant Angular Velocity: CAV/ZCAV), and the like are known as methods for increasing the recording density. Other than these methods, a method for reducing the track pitch or the mark length by using light having a shorter wavelength is known. This method has significantly contributed to the increase of recording density.
Hitherto, a so-called land recording method has been used, in which data are only written to and read from tracks, each track being formed with a land disposed between guide grooves (pregrooves). Recently, however, a so-called land/groove recording method has been also put into practical use for optical disks, in which the data are written in the grooves in addition to the lands, with the width of each groove (width in the direction of the shorter axis of the groove) being increased. In the present description, regions of an optical disk where data can be written to and read from are referred to as rewritable regions.
An optical disk must be recorded in advance with read-only data which are so-called control data, such as the type of the optical disk and recording conditions, and which are not erasable. An example of the layout of the control data on an optical disk is shown in FIG. 8. In FIG. 8, numeral 21 denotes an optical disk, numeral 22 denotes a rewritable region, and numeral 23 denotes a region in which the control data are recorded (hereinafter referred to as a control data region).
In the land recording method, the control data are recorded on the optical disk with concavo-convex pit rows being formed along land tracks. In a land/groove recording method, the control data are recorded with the concavo-convex pit rows being formed in a flat region instead of the rewritable region. In this case, the capacity of the optical disk is inefficiently used by providing the flat region.
Another method for recording the control data is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. HEI 9(1997)-274733, in which recording is performed by forming pit rows in a flat region, the pit rows having the same track pitch as grooves.
However, since the concavo-convex pits are formed in a flat surface which has no grooves, an optical head is likely to mistakenly detect the track pitch when the optical head seeks the flat surface, and there is a risk in that desired control can not be performed.
In addition to the control data, the optical disk has read-only data recorded, which are header data, such as a sector mark, a synchronizing signal (VFO), an address mark, and ID (IDentification) data, at the header of each sector as a unit which forms the rewritable region, the recording being performed by forming the concavo-convex pit rows, so that high-speed access is possible. In particular, the header data are recorded in the form shown in FIG. 8. In FIG. 8, numeral 25 denotes a sector, numeral 26 denotes a region in which the header data are recorded (hereinafter referred to as a header data region), and numeral 27 denotes a rewritable region. The header data region 26 includes a sector-mark region 28, a VFO region 29, an address-mark region 30, an ID-data region 31, and the like in the order in the track direction.
In a magneto-optical disk, which is one type of optical disk, a technology for high-resolution reading from magneto-optical marks each having a size smaller than the diffraction limit of the reading light (magnetic super resolution technology) is used. However, since the resolution for reading the above-described concavo-convex pits is not increased by this technology, data which are written by using the concavo-convex pits having the same pitch as the magneto-optical marks along the circumference of the disk (in the track direction) could not be read at high resolution. Therefore, in order to read data from the magneto-optical marks and data (the control data and header data) from the concavo-convex pits, it is necessary to make the recording frequency of the latter lower than that of the former.
It is also difficult to read in the radial direction (the seek direction) of a magneto-optical disk from the concavo-convex pits formed at the same track pitch as that of the magneto-optical marks, at high resolution while reducing crosstalk. Therefore, methods in which the concavo-convex pits for header data in land tracks and in groove tracks are offset from each other along the circumference have been proposed (for example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication Nos. HEI 6(1994)-28729 and HEI 10(1998)-79125).
Also, a method has been proposed (for example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. HEI 7(1995)-110944), in which, since a sector mark, for example, of the header data is commonly used in each track, the sector-mark regions, each indicating the start of a header data region, are disposed every two tracks, and when the optical head is positioned at a track where no sector mark is provided, the optical head detects crosstalk data from the sector-mark regions of the adjacent tracks as the sector mark of the track at which the optical head is positioned (for example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. HEI 7(1995)-110944). However, in this method, there is a problem in that the length of the sector mark which is read from the crosstalk is recognized to be smaller than that of the sector mark which is read by the optical head when it is positioned at the track on which the sector mark is provided.
Another method has been proposed (for example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. HEI 9(1997)-81965), in which the concavo-convex pits for sector marks are disposed in the land tracks and in the groove tracks. However, a problem has been found in this method in that the seeking performance of the optical head is reduced because large distortion of a track error signal is produced.


To provide a configuration that can discharge condensed water remaining in an exhaust gas passage in an engine in which a catalyst is placed in the exhaust gas passage. An engine system (100) is an engine system having an engine (10) in which a catalyst (6) is placed in an exhaust gas passage (31). The engine system (100) has a determination device (81a) for determining whether or not the catalyst (6) is immersed in the condensed water condensed from exhaust gas in a cold state and remaining in the exhaust gas passage (31) when the engine (10) is started, and an operation continuing device (81b) that allows operation of the engine (10) to continue when it is determined that the catalyst (6) is immersed in the condensed water so that a discharge operation time Te exceeds a required time.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an engine system having an engine, in which a catalyst is placed in an exhaust gas passage.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, there is known an engine technology in which a catalyst is placed in an exhaust gas passage in order to remove condensed water generated by condensation of moisture in exhaust gas. JP 2010-216399 A discloses a configuration of inhibiting generation of the condensed water in an exhaust gas passage by controlling ignition timing and an air-fuel ratio on the basis of a temperature of the exhaust gas.
If the engine is started in a cold state, the exhaust gas condenses when the exhaust gas passes the exhaust gas passage, and the condensed water is generated. If operation of the engine is continued, since the temperature of the exhaust gas passage is also increased, the condensed water once condensed is also evaporated and removed. However, if the operation of the engine is stopped for a short time, the condensed water remains in the exhaust gas passage. If such a short time operation is repeated, the amount of the remaining condensed water cannot be ignored, and there is a possibility that the catalyst in the exhaust gas passage is immersed.
JP 2010-216399 A discloses a configuration of inhibiting the condensed water generated during the operation of the engine. However, JP 2010-216399 A does not disclose a configuration of discharging the condensed water remaining in the exhaust gas passage. Although the condensed water can be discharged by providing a drainage passage in the exhaust gas passage, it is sometimes difficult to install the drainage passage in terms of layout or maintenance of the engine.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a configuration that can discharge the condensed water remaining in an exhaust gas passage of an engine in which a catalyst is placed in an exhaust gas passage.


An improved blade guard stop for a circular saw. The circular saw includes a saw blade driven by a motor for rotation about an axis, a blade guard rotatable about the axis between a covered position, in which the saw blade is covered, and an uncovered position, in which the saw blade is exposed, a biasing member biasing the blade guard toward the covered position, and a flexible spring member to absorb the rotational force of the blade guard and to absorb the biasing force of said biasing member. In the preferred embodiment, the spring member is a leaf spring. Additionally, the circular saw includes an adjustable shoe plate which changes the direction of impact of the blade guard on the spring member. The spring member absorbs the rotational force each adjusted direction. Also, the spring member and the blade guard are constructed of low friction materials so that movement of the blade guard against the spring member does not impede adjustment of the shoe plate of the circular saw.

This invention relates to circular saws and, more particularly, to an improved blade guard stop for a circular saw.
A typical circular saw includes a housing having an operator's handle, an electric motor supported by the housing, a rotating saw blade driven by the motor, and a shoe plate supporting the circular saw against a workpiece. The housing forms a fixed blade guard covering the upper portion of the saw blade. The circular saw also includes a rotatable lower blade guard. The lower blade guard is rotatable about the saw blade axis, so that, during cutting operations, the lower blade guard is rotated to an uncovered or "non-surround" position via engagement with the workpiece. The lower blade guard is biased back to the covered or "surround" position by a coil spring and rotates until engaging a blade guard stop mounted on the housing. Typically, the blade guard stop includes a plastic or rubber grommet, washer or spacer supported by a suitable fastener mounted on the housing.
During the life of the circular saw, the typical blade guard stop is subjected to repeated impacts by the rotating lower blade guard. In order to withstand these repeated impacts, the fastener must usually be specially manufactured.
With a drop shoe or pivot shoe type of circular saw, the shoe plate is vertically and/or pivotally movable relative to the axis of the saw blade to adjust the depth of cut and the bevel angle of the circular saw. As the depth of cut or bevel angle of the circular saw is adjusted, the blade guard moves along the surface of the blade guard stop. Friction is created between the metallic blade guard and the plastic or rubber member of the blade guard stop. Additionally, when the circular saw is adjusted to a different depth of cut or bevel angle, the lower blade guard will impact the blade guard stop from a different direction.


An access terminal for processing a communication signal includes a receiver. The receiver is configured to determine a bias point for the communication signal based on a quality measurement of the communication signal, the quality measurement having a carrier-to-interference (C/I) estimate associated therewith. The receiver is further configured to determine a C/I cap for the communication signal using the C/I estimate, the C/I cap being configured to cap a signal to interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) of the communication signal. In addition, the receiver is configured to process the communication signal using the determined bias point and the determined C/I cap. A method is also provided for processing a communication signal.

In the field of digital communication, it is desired to have wide dynamic range and precision for digital numeric representation. However, quantization and saturation effects, typically due to the finite precision resulting from the number of bits chosen to represent a number, may limit dynamic range and accuracy. Increasing the number of bits may improve quantization and saturation effects, but such an increase typically increases the memory requirement and complexity of a system. Accordingly, the processing of communication signals with reasonable quantization and saturation performance, together with a reduced number of bits, is desired.

Method and apparatus for processing a communication signal


A deployable structural assembly is provided along with associated deployment mechanisms and associated methods of forming and deploying the deployable structural assembly. In one exemplary embodiment, the deployable structural assembly includes a first structural component and a second structural component. The two structural components have their respective longitudinal edges hingedly coupled to one another. In one embodiment, the hinged connections may include a plurality of discrete flex joints, each having a titanium or other high strength foldable component. In one embodiment of the invention, the structural components each include longitudinal members which, when the deployable structural assembly is collapsed and stored in a coiled rolled configuration, are laterally offset from one another such that they do not become radially stacked. Such a configuration enables storage to the structural assembly with reduced stress in the longitudinal members.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is generally related to deployable structural assemblies and, more particularly, to generally elongated, deployable structural assemblies having a high bending stiffness to weight ratio, that are highly compact for storage purposes, are efficiently deployed and retracted, and are suitable for numerous uses.
2. State of the Art
It is often desirable to utilize a deployable structural assembly in various circumstances and environments. For example, deployable structural assemblies, sometimes referred to as deployable booms, may be utilized in conjunction with satellites or other aerospace vehicles. In many instances, the rigors of launching a satellite or aerospace vehicle make it impractical to have a structural assembly in an already-deployed condition or as a permanent installation such that it is extending or protruding from the vehicle during launch. Thus, it is often desirable to delay the deployment of a structural assembly until the satellite or vehicle with which it is associated is in a stable flight pattern, or is in orbit, or until the structural assembly is needed for a specific purpose.
Even after an aerospace vehicle has been placed in a stable flight pattern or in orbit, it may not be desirable to continually maintain a structural assembly in a deployed state. Thus, it becomes desirable to utilize a structural assembly that is capable of being deployed and retracted, relative to the satellite or aerospace vehicle, when desired or on demand. Such a structural assembly may be utilized to deploy, for example, solar sails or solar shields in association with a satellite after the satellite is placed in orbit. Deployable structural assemblies may also be used, for example, as an aid to an astronaut during maintenance activities when the astronaut is required to leave his or her aerospace vehicle to perform a specified activity, such as during the repair of a satellite or another aerospace vehicle.
Of course deployable structural assemblies have utilization in other circumstances as well, including, generally, situations where it would be inefficient to build a permanent structural assembly but where a structural member or assembly is required to provide additional height or to span a distance in order to place and/or support a given component or structure at a specified location. In one example, a deployable structural assembly may be used to position a bank of lights above a specified area such as in an emergency situation or in association with an outdoor concert or other activity. Similarly, a deployable structural assembly might be used to position an antenna or other communications device. In another example, one or more deployable structural assemblies may be used to support a raised platform which may serve as a working surface for one or more people.
Numerous configurations of deployable structural assemblies have been developed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,503,164 issued to Berry et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,543,806 issued to Rushing et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,601,940 issued to Simon, U.S. Pat. No. 3,811,633 issued to Cummings et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,345,482 issued to Warren, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,560,942 issued to Warren et al. each disclose various types of deployable structures.
The Berry et al. patent discloses a tubular extendable structure that is formed of a pair of elongated sheets which are pre-stressed in a predetermined manner so that they curl about their respective longitudinal axes when unrestrained. Each sheet includes a series of interlocking components formed along each longitudinal edge thereof for engagement with corresponding interlocking components formed in the other associated sheet. With the interlocking components of each sheet engaged with one another, the sheets may be flattened for rolling onto a drum and, when in the rolled state, they store energy associated with deforming the sheets from their pre-stressed state. Upon unrolling of the sheets, the stored energy causes them to resume their previous configuration including the exhibited curl about their longitudinal axes.
The Rushing et al. patent discloses an extendible boom formed of a single sheet of "springlike material" which may be rolled onto a reel for storage. When released from the reel, the sheet curls together edgewise and forms a hollow tubular shape as a rod or a boom. The edges of the sheet include tabs that may engage one another when the sheet is curled.
The Simon patent discloses a structure similar to that of the Rushing et al. patent wherein the joined edges of the material sheet form a helical seam about the resulting boom.
The Cummings et al. patent discloses a collapsible/extendible tubular structure having four walls wherein two oppositely disposed walls include a pair of elongated ribbons joined along their longitudinal edges to form a plurality of "cusps" which allow the structure to be folded flat and then wound into a coil.
The Warren and Warren et al. patents disclose an open lattice, foldable, self-deployable structure having longitudinal members configured to bend and diagonal members configured to bend and twist about certain axes. The structure is described as being folded or rolled without material yielding and as being "self resurrecting" during deployment.
While the above-listed U.S. Patents show various configurations of deployable structural assemblies, it is desirable to improve upon the deployable structural assemblies disclosed in the prior art with regard to various features. For example, it is desirable to provide a deployable structural assembly that enables efficient, simplified and reliable deployment and retraction. Additionally, it is desirable to provide a deployable structural assembly with an improved strength and stiffness to weight ratio while also being scalable in design such that various lengths, cross-sectional sizes and load capacities may be provided. It is also desirable to provide a deployable structural assembly that provides a significant reduction in stowed size and an improved packing factor as defined hereinbelow.

Deployable structural assemblies, systems for deploying such structural assemblies and related methods