An illumination device for single-track motor vehicles that emits bundled light in the form of a light beam bundle, that in a first propagation direction (A) is aimed at the roadway area located in front of the motor vehicle. The illumination device (SCH) comprises a light module (LIM) that emits light in a second propagation direction (B) and where at least one optical reflection device (SPI) is arranged in the beam path of the light. Light emitted by the light module (LIM), first of all, will hit the optical reflection device (SPI) and then will be deflected by the latter into the first propagation direction (A). At least one optical reflection device (SPI) can be swung around at least one swing axis. According to the invention, at least one swing axis (SA1) lies essentially in a plane that extends parallel to the longitudinal vehicle midplane (FLE) or that is the longitudinal vehicle midplane (FLE).

An illumination device for motor vehicles is known from DE 198 17 348 A1. The headlight presented there makes it possible, among other things, to regulate the width of illumination in that the optical reflection device can be swung around a horizontal axis that is positioned particularly with respect to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. Besides, segments of the optical reflection device can be swung around another axis so that by swinging these segments, one can provide a curved light for multi-track motor vehicles.
A problem is also encountered in the case of single-track motor vehicles, such as motorcycles, as they are driven around curves due to the inclination of the vehicle. As a rule, a headlight that is rigidly connected with the motorcycle or with the fork of the motorcycle can no longer illuminate the roadway in front of the motorcycle in an optimum fashion. There are various approaches in the state of the art to remedy this problem; by way of example, it might be mentioned that one can make provision for positioning the entire headlight in the motorcycle in an accordingly movable manner so that it can be swung simply upon the inclination of the motorcycle. This is disadvantageous since the positioning of the entire headlight in the motorcycle is expensive and awkward, and also, since the entire headlight must be swung when driving around a curve. As a result, one must move a relatively great mass, the movement becomes slow, and furthermore, much structural space is required.
The headlight disclosed in DE 198 17 348 A1 likewise does not make it possible to solve the general complex problem of light distribution while driving around a curve with a single-track motor vehicle; this is so because, due to the swinging only of segments, light is still not deflected accordingly and gets into unnecessary areas on the roadway. This results mainly from the following fact: the headlight disclosed in DE 198 17 348 A1 is intended for multi-track vehicles where, as they are driven around curves, one does not encounter the complex problem connected with the inclination of the vehicle but rather the actual "concomitant steering" of the light distribution in accordance with the steering deflection of the vehicle.


A feeding network is realized by dielectric phase shifting module. The module includes a dielectric device into which interlayer space is defined, a first conductor and a second conductor disposed side by side into the interlayer space and a third conductor located outside of the interlayer space and connected, at different locations, to one end, located at a same side, of each of the first and second conductors. Another end of the first conductor is defined as an input end, while another end of the second conductor and any end of the third conductor are all defined as output ends. The dielectric device is configured to slide along a longitudinal direction of the first and second conductors under external force so as to change phase of signals fed in from the input end and fed out from the output ends. Two dielectric phase-shift modules constitute a phase-shift unit thereof.

Electrically adjustable antenna technology is a common demand for present mobile communications system. This technology suitably changes phase of respective radiation elements of an antenna array by a phase shifter so as to adjust vertical beam steering of a base station antenna, thereby controlling application range of the base station. A phase shifter generally is capable of distributing an input signal into several branch output ports. Phase differences among these output ports may be regulated in ratio. With rapid development of mobile communications technology, the phase shifter should be designed to meet higher requirement. For example, it is required to have better broadband match performance, occupy even small space and so on. Extensive and various researches have been conducted by many researchers and designers to obtain a phase shifter with better performance and more effective structure.
By research and during development of the current invention, the inventor has found following problems in prior art.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,949,303 has disclosed a phase shifting method realized by moving a dielectric element 2 along a feeding network 1 of zigzag circular path. As shown in FIG. 1, when the zigzag circular path includes much more branch paths, as the edges of dielectric element intersect the feeding network at several locations, it has adverse effect on reduction of reflection signals and design of component with wide frequency band response. Moreover, the dielectric element covering respective branch paths must be moved simultaneously. As a result, the entire structural reliability and phase shifting accuracy of the phase shifter and transmission construction will be reduced. CN1547788A discloses a phase shifting device where phase shifting is realized by movement of an integral elongated dielectric plate disposed inside the device. The principle underlying this patent is similar to that of U.S. Pat. No. 5,949,303. Here, phase shift among several ports is achieved using multiple zigzag circular paths. In addition to difficulty in design of component with wide frequency band response such as ultra wide band phase shifter working at frequency range of 1710-2690 MHz, the phase shifting device located at the same plane and with multiple ports also occupies much space of the antenna, thus resulting in difficulty in reduce size of the antenna.
US20020030560 avoids above disadvantages but it employs a pie-shaped dielectric block 3 formed by sintering two dielectric pieces with different dielectric constant, as shown in FIG. 2. However, it suffers from drawbacks such as high manufacture cost, low production efficiency, thus being unsuitable for extensive application in industry. Moreover, to shift phase, pie-shaped dielectric block must take structure of rotatory transmission. As is well known, rotatory transmission structure is more complex than transmission structure of straight pulling type, thereby further limiting its application.

Dielectric phase-shift module and phase-shift unit thereof, feeding network and antenna


Disclosed is a multi-core optical fiber block having a block base and a cover, each of which is formed having a tree-structured groove array, so as to allow respective optical fiber arrays to be seated in the corresponding respective groove arrays. The groove arrays comprises first sub-grooves having depth and pitches decreasing in magnitude as approaching from an input end of the block to an output end, and second sub-grooves formed alternately between the first sub-grooves and having the depths and pitches increasing in magnitude as approaching from the input end of the block to the output.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates generally to an optical device. In particular, the invention relates to a block base having tree-structured groove arrays and a multi-core optical fiber block with a tree-structured groove array, and method for aligning optical fiber arrays in the multi-core optical fiber block.
2. Description of the Related Art
A multi-core optical fiber block is typically used for aligning an array of cores or strands of a multi-core optical fiber cable relative to an input or output terminal of a planar light wave circuit (PLC). The optical fiber block is also used as an input/output terminal of an optical device, such as a micro-optic device.
In general, a multi-core optical fiber block comprising a block base and a cover has been manufactured according to the following steps:
Step 1. seating an array of cores or strands of a multi-core optical fiber cable onto a plurality of V-shaped grooves, which are formed on a top surface of the block base made of silicon, quartz, glass or the like and which have a uniform pitch, depth and length, wherein the array of cores or strands of the multi-core optical fiber cable is typically prepared by partially removing a sheath from the multi-core optical fiber cable;
Step 2. covering the array of cores with a cover having a plurality of V-shaped grooves which are formed on a bottom surface of the cover and which have uniform pitch, depth and length;
Step 3. fixing the array of cores, the block base, and the cover using an adhesive such as epoxy resin; and
Step 4. polishing an end face of the block.
FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a multi-core optical fiber block according to the prior art. FIG. 2 is a perspective of a block base of the multi-core optical fiber block shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a side view of the multi-core optical fiber block shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 1, a multi-core optical fiber block comprises first and second ribbon type multi-core optical fiber cables 110 and 140, respectively, a block base 170 and a cover 210.
The first and second ribbon type multi-core optical fiber cables 110 and 140, respectively, are layered horizontally, and have their respective sheaths 130 and 160 removed over a predetermined length at the end. The portions on which the sheaths 130 and 160 are removed from the first and second ribbon type multi-core optical fiber cables 110 and 140, respectively, are called first and second bare or de-sheathed multi-core optical fiber arrays 120 and 150, respectively.
Referring to FIG. 2, the block base 170 includes a body 180 which has a top surface formed with sixteen (16) V-shaped grooves 200 having a uniform pitch, depth and length, and a support 190 which extends from the body 180. In the sixteen V-shaped grooves 200 are seated the first and second de-sheathed multi-core optical fiber arrays 120 and 150, respectively, each of which consist of eight cores or strands.
Referring back to FIG. 1, the cover 210 has a bottom surface formed with sixteen V-shaped grooves 220 which have a uniform pitch, depth and length. The V-shaped grooves 220 serve to fix the first and second de-sheathed multi-core optical fiber_arrays 120 and 150, respectively, together with the corresponding V-shaped grooves 200 of the block base 170.
Referring to FIG. 3, it is apparent that the first and second de-sheathed multi-core optical fiber arrays 120 and 150 must be precisely aligned so that a height H1 of respective rhombic cavities formed by the V-shaped grooves 200 and 210 of the block base 170 and the cover 210 between both ends of the multi-core optical fiber block are uniform. However, as the first and second de-sheathed multi-core optical fiber arrays 120 and 150 aligned in the V-shaped grooves 200 of the block base 170 have a height(from the bottom surface of the block base 170) that is different from heights (from the bottom surface of the block base 170) of the first and second ribbon type multi-core optical fiber cables 110 and 140 during the alignment process, this alignment approach results in bending of the first and second de-sheathed multi-core optical fiber arrays 120 and 150. As a result, the first and second de-sheathed multi-core optical fiber arrays 120 and 150 deteriorate resulting in a decreased tensile strength breaking more easily upon any external force. Thus, there is a need to reduce bending of the first and second de-sheathed multi-core optical fiber arrays 120 and 150.
To reduce bending of the first and second de-sheathed multi-core optical fiber arrays 120 and 150, the first and second de-sheathed multi-core optical fiber arrays 120 and 150, respectively, are configured to extend at a predetermined length L1 from one end of the body 180 of the block base 170. This approach has some drawbacks. First, when the first and second multi-core optical fiber arrays 120 and 150, which extend from the layered first and second ribbon type optical fiber cables 110 and 140, are seated and fixed in the narrow shallow grooves 200 of the block base 170, it is difficult to simultaneously align the first and second multi-core optical fiber arrays 120 and 150 in the grooves 200 of the block base 170. Second, when the multi-core optical fiber arrays 120 and 150 extend at a predetermined length L1 from one end of the body 180 of the block base 170, and the multi-core optical fiber arrays have epoxy resin applied to respective portions which are not seated in the grooves 200 of the block base 170 to reduce bending of the multi-core optical fiber arrays 120 and 150, the epoxy resin is subjected to contraction or expansion as the portions applied with epoxy resin are widened. Due to this contraction and expansion, the multi-core optical fiber arrays 120 and 150 are subjected to a greater insertion loss as well as a higher possibility of breaking.

Block base having tree-structured groove array, multi-core optical fiber block having tree-structured groove arrays, and method for aligning optical fiber arrays in the same


A modified physical adsorption process is described in which small quantities of caustic are added to glyceride oils, fatty chemicals or wax esters having an FFA level sufficient to create about 20 to 3,000 ppm soaps. The soaps, together with impurities, are removed by adsorption onto amorphous silica.

This invention relates to a method for refining, reclaiming or reradiating glyceride oils, fatty chemicals and wax esters by contacting them with an adsorbent capable of removing certain impurities. The method has been designated "MPR", which may refer to modified physical refining, modified physical reclamation or modified physical remediation. MPR is intended to refer to any treatment of glyceride oils, fatty chemicals or wax esters according to the procedures of the invention described herein, regardless of the stage of refining, use or re-use of the composition being treated. MPR will be useful in treating these materials whether they are intended for food-related or for non-food-related applications.
The MPR method combines the benefits of caustic treatment and physical adsorptive treatment, while eliminating the key disadvantages of each process. It previously had been found that amorphous silicas are made more effective in adsorbing phospholipids from caustic treated or caustic refined glyceride oils by the presence of soaps in the oils. It now has been discovered that the addition of only very minor amounts of caustic creates sufficient, though small, quantities of soap to enhance phospholipid adsorption on amorphous silica.
For purposes of this specification, the term "impurities" refers to soaps and phospholipids. The phospholipids are associated with metal ions and together they will be referred to as "trace contaminants." The term "glyceride oils" as used herein is intended to encompass both vegetable and animal oils. The term is primarily intended to describe the so-called edible oils, i.e., oils derived from fruits or seeds of plants and used chiefly in foodstuffs, but it is understood that oils whose end use is as non-edibles are to be included as well. In addition, the process of this invention may be used with other fatty chemicals and wax esters where phospholipids and associated metal ions are contaminants which must be removed.
The presence of phosphorus-containing trace contaminants can lend off colors, odors and flavors to the finished oil product. These compounds are phospholipids, with which are associated ionic forms of the metals calcium, magnesium, iron and copper. For purposes of this invention, references to the removal or adsorption of phospholipids is intended also to refer to removal or adsorption of the associated metal ions.
In the preferred embodiment of this invention, the terms "glyceride oil," "crude glyceride oil," "degummed oil," "caustic refined oil," "oil" and the like as used herein refer to the oil itself, including impurities and contaminants such as those discussed in this specification. These are substantially pure oils at about 99.8% or higher oil content, with respect to solvents (Handbook of Soy Oil Processing and Utilization, pp. 55-56 (1980)). That is, the glyceride oils utilized in the preferred embodiment are substantially pure oils, in the complete absence or substantially complete absence of solvents such as hexane. Notwithstanding this purity with respect to solvents, it will be understood that the oils do contain contaminants, such as phosphorus, free fatty acids, etc., as described in detail below. Similarly, fatty chemicals and wax esters preferably are treated in substantially pure states, in the complete or substantially complete absence of solvents. In these preferred embodiments, the method of this invention can be categorized as non-miscella refining, remediation or reclamation.
This contrasts to solvent/oil solutions, or miscella as referred to by the industry. The initial oil extraction process in which oils are removed from seeds typically is done by solvent extraction (e.g., with hexane). The result is a solvent/oil solution which may be 70-75% solvent. Refining methods which utilize this solution commonly are referred to as miscella refining. In an alternative embodiment, the methods of this invention can be applied to miscella refining, remediation or reclamation. This conveniently may take place immediately after solvent extraction, for miscella refining. Alternatively, solvent/oil solution may be prepared at any stage of refining or use, for miscella refining, remediation or reclamation. All descriptions contained herein which are directed to non-miscella processing may be applied as well to solvent/oil miscella.
With respect to initial refining applications, crude glyceride oils, particularly vegetable oils, are refined by a multi-stage process, the first step of which typically is "degumming" or "desliming" by treatment with water or with a chemical such as phosphoric acid, malic acid, citric acid or acetic anhydride, followed by centrifugation. This treatment removes some but not all gums and certain other contaminants. Some of the phosphorus content of the oil is removed with the gums.
Either crude or degummed oil may be treated in a traditional chemical, or caustic, refining process. The addition of an alkali solution, caustic soda for example, to a crude or degummed oil causes neutralization or substantial neutralization of free fatty acids ("FFA") to form alkali metal soaps. In traditional caustic refining, an excess of caustic over FFA is added to ensure that neutralization of all or substantially all FFA takes place. The following equation, used where the caustic is lye, is used to calculate the amount of caustic solution to be added ("wt% lye"), which varies with the FFA content and with the concentration of the caustic ("% NaOH in solution"): ##EQU1## (Handbook of Soy Oil Processing and Utilization, pp. 90-91 (1980)). The term "% excess NaOH" refers to a mathematical excess selected to ensure neutralization of FFA; typically this is at least 10% (entered into the equation in decimal form as "0.1").
This neutralization step in the traditional caustic refining process will be referred to herein as "caustic treatment" and oils treated in this manner will be referred to as "caustic treated oils"; these terms will not be used herein to refer to the small quantities of caustic added in the MPR process of this invention. The large quantity of soaps (typically at least 7500-12,500 ppm) generated during traditional caustic treatment is an impurity which must be removed from the oil because it has a detrimental effect on the flavor and stability of the finished oil. Moreover, the presence of soaps is harmful to the acidic and neutral bleaching agents and catalysts used in the oil bleaching and hydrogenation processes, respectively.
Prevalent industrial practice in traditional caustic refining is to first remove soaps by centrifugal separation (referred to as "primary centrifugation"), followed by a water wash and second centrifuge. The waste from this first centrifuge is frequently acidulated to produce FFA, which is removed. The remaining acidified water requires costly disposal. Additionally, this step is responsible for high neutral oil loss ("NOL") due to entrainment of oil in the soap phase. Generally, the primary centrifugation is followed by water wash and a second centrifugation in order to reduce the soap content of the oil below about 50 ppm. The water-washed oil then must be dried to remove residual moisture to below about 0.1 weight percent. The dried oil is then either transferred to the bleaching process or is shipped or stored as oncerefined oil.
A significant part of the waste discharge from the caustic refining of vegetable oil results from the centrifugation and water wash process used to remove soaps. In addition, in the traditional caustic refining process, some oil is lost in the water wash process. Moreover, the dilute soapstock must be treated before disposal, typically with an inorganic acid such as sulfuric acid in a process termed acidulation. Sulfuric acid is frequently used. It can be seen that quite a number of separate unit operations make up the soap removal process, each of which results in some degree of oil loss. The removal and disposal of soaps and aqueous soapstock is one of the most considerable problems associated with the caustic refining of glyceride oils.
An improved, or modified, caustic refining process is taught in European Patent Publication No. 0247411. This modified caustic refining ("MCR") process removes soaps and phospholipids from caustic treated or caustic refined oils in a single unit operation by adsorption of these contaminants onto amorphous silica. The water wash centrifuge steps are eliminated, along with the waste streams and NOL associated with those steps. However, in MCR, as in traditional caustic refining, very large quantities of soaps still are generated by neutralization of free fatty acids. The present MPR process seeks to advance the art further by reducing initial soaps, adsorbent loadings and NOL as compared with the previous MCR process.
An additional consequence of the formation and removal of large quantities of soaps in traditional or modified caustic refining processes is that significant amounts of natural antioxidants (e.g., tocopherol) are removed with the soaps. This is detrimental to the oil, reducing its oxidative stability. Moreover, valuable vitamins (such as vitamin A in fish oils) may also be lost in the soap removal process.
Alternatively, oil may be treated by traditional physical refining. A primary reason for refiners' use of the physical refining process is to avoid the wastestream production associated with removal of soaps generated in the caustic refining process: since no caustic is used in physical refining, no soaps are generated. Following degumming, the oil is treated with one or more adsorbents to remove the trace contaminants, and to remove color, if appropriate. Physical refining processes do not include any addition of caustic and no soaps are generated. Although physical refining does eliminate problems associated with soap generation in caustic refining, quality control in physical refining processes has proven difficult, particularly where clays are used as the adsorbent. In addition, large quantities of clay adsorbents are required to achieve the low contaminant levels desired by the industry and there is considerable neutral oil loss associated with use of such large quantities of clay.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,629,588 (Welsh et al.) discloses a physical adsorption process in which amorphous silica adsorbents are used to remove trace contaminants from glyceride oils. The Welsh process is particularly effective when the phospholipids present in the oil are in hydratable form. The process is less effective in treating oils which have been dried (e.g., for storing), in which the phospholipids have been dehydrated to a more difficult-to-remove form.

MPR process for treating glyceride oils, fatty chemicals and wax esters


A semiconductor device structure is provided. The semiconductor device structure includes an isolation feature over a substrate and a fin structure protruding from the substrate and partially surrounded by the isolation feature. The fin structure includes a first portion above the isolation feature and having a first width. The fin structure also includes a second portion extending from a top of the first portion and having a second width greater than the first width, so that the fin structure above the isolation feature has a T-shaped profile. The semiconductor device structure also includes a gate structure covering the first portion and the second portion of the fin structure.

The semiconductor industry has experienced rapid growth and demands for highly integrated semiconductor devices are increasing. Technological advances in integrated circuit (IC) design and materials have produced generations of ICs. Each generation has smaller and more complex circuits than previous generations. In the course of IC evolution, functional density has generally increased while geometric size (i.e., the smallest component (or line) that can be created through a fabrication process) has decreased.
As the semiconductor industry has progressed into nanometer technology process nodes in pursuit of higher device density, higher performance, and lower costs, challenges from both fabrication and design issues have resulted in the development of three-dimensional designs, such as the fin field effect transistor (FinFET). FinFETs are fabricated with a thin vertical "fin" (or fin structure) extending from a substrate. The channel of the FinFET is formed in this vertical fin. A gate is provided over three sides (e.g., wrapping) the fin. Advantages of the FinFET may include reducing the short channel effect and increasing the current flow.
Although existing FinFETs and methods of fabricating FinFETs have been generally adequate for their intended purposes, they have not been entirely satisfactory in all respects. For example, as the size of the FinFET has been reduced, is has become a challenge to integrate a fin-trim process into the fabrication processes of the FinFET device.

TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.


The present invention concerns an integrated circuit (1) comprising a standard cell (4), an application cell (2) and a test cell (3) designed in particular to store or to modify from outside the integrated circuit the value of communication signals passing between the standard cell and the application cell. The standard cell executing instructions provided on an instruction bus (3B4) by a program memory located in the application cell in response to an instruction address carried by an instruction address bus (3A4), the conductors of these buses constituting communication links. The integrated circuit further includes a branching circuit for replacing at least one erroneous instruction from the program memory with a replacement instruction previously stored in the integrated circuit in response to a predetermined state of the communication links.

The present invention concerns an integrated circuit comprising a standard cell, an application cell and a test cell designed in particular to monitor communication signals between the previous two cells.
Modern electronic devices, and especially those which process digital signals, often comprise a programmable unit such as a microprocessor associated with a program memory and an application circuit combining peripheral circuits of the programmable unit and logic circuits specific to the functions that these devices implement. They are routinely mounted on an electronic circuit board on which the programmable unit and its memory are two standard components whereas the application circuit is usually an application-specific integrated circuit. The connections between these three components are therefore all visible on the circuit board and test or emulation equipment can therefore access them during the various test and debugging phases of the development of such devices.
Technological advances in the field of microelectronics now make it feasible to integrate in a single component the various devices that were previously mounted on a circuit board of this kind. The programmable unit is usually a standard cell defined by the manufacturer whereas the application circuit is specified by the component designer. The program memory is also usually a standard subsystem which in this disclosure will be arbitrarily combined with the application circuit to constitute what is referred to hereinafter as the "application cell". With this mode of implementation the only device connections accessible are the component leads which are reduced in number as compared to a printed circuit board implementation because most of the communication links between the standard cell and the application cell are not connected to pins. It is not desirable to increase significantly the number of pins as this increases the size and the cost of the component. It may even be ruled out by virtue of the technology employed. As a result, it is impossible to use known test and emulation methods on such components. The successive stages which previously consisted in debugging the application cell, developing the programming memory software, debugging this software and finally debugging the device as a whole can no longer be dissociated.
It is possible to use a computer-aided design tool to simulate the interaction between the standard cell and the application cell. In this way it is possible to verify mainly the operation of the communication links between the two cells. However, such simulations are time-consuming and costly given the computing power of the simulation tools. Component development and debugging times become incompatible with industrial constraints.
It is also possible to obtain from some manufacturers a component kit in which the programmable unit and the application cell are separate devices. During the test phase, the device is implemented as a mock-up in which the connections between the two components are accessible and so can be treated in a similar way to connections on electronic circuit boards. In this case the mock-up development cost is additional to the cost of the fully integrated component. Also, the performance of the mock-up device, and in particular its execution speed, are significantly degraded in comparison with what can be expected of the same device in its integrated version. It is therefore impossible to reproduce this version in all respects. The problem of limited speed is particularly accentuated if the programmable unit is a signal processor. The "boundary scan" test and emulation technique described in particular in IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers) standard 1149.1 is used in the case of a fully integrated component. In this technique, a test cell is disposed between the standard cell and the application cell. It comprises, for each communication link, a scanning unit provided with a unit memory, these unit memories being interconnected to form a shift register connected to pins of the component. It is therefore possible, by adding a limited number of input/output pins, to record and to modify the communication signals carried by the communication links. This technique makes is possible to debug the application cell. It has the drawback of disrupting the communication links during movement of the information stored in the shift register because of the connections between these components.
When the test and emulation procedure is carried out, it is necessary to be able to command the test cell in response to a particular state of the various input/output signals of the standard cell.
The American company MOTOROLA has drawn up for the DSP 96000 signal processor an emulation technique it calls "on-chip emulation". In this technique the signal processor is a standard cell to which is added a serial interface enabling execution to be resumed after a break point and loading of an instruction by means of a set of registers and address comparators connected to the buses of the cell adapted to produce break points. The status of these buses can be read via the serial interface. This solution does not cover the case of a circuit comprising also an application cell, but only the cases where the standard cell is an "open" processor, meaning a processor whose instruction bus is accessible, or where the program memory is a RAM type rewritable memory. It does not make it possible to read the information present on the buses independently of the operation of the standard cell.
Patent application EP-0 358 376 discloses a test cell comprising a shift register in which stored information can circulate without disrupting the communication links. This test cell can also be commanded in response to the status of the standard cell input/output signals.
However, when the integrated circuit has been fabricated by the manufacturer, an error may remain in the program memory, which is often a read only memory (ROM). Any such error in the memory cannot be corrected. To alleviate this drawback, some manufacturers add to the circuit an additional rewritable memory such as an EPROM or EEPROM, for example. This additional memory uses specific technology which can limit the performance of the circuit in terms of processing speed and which is not necessarily compatible with the technology of the remainder of the circuit.

Integrated circuit including a test cell for efficiently testing the accuracy of communication signals between a standard cell and an application cell


The present invention relates generally to the fields of oncology, virology and immunotherapy. More particularly, it concerns the use of poxviruses, specifically the replication competent attenuated vaccinia virus with deletion of thymidine kinase (VC-TK−) with and without the expression of human Flt3L or GM-CSF as oncolytic and immunotherapy. The foregoing poxviruses can also be used in combination with immune checkpoint blocking agents. The foregoing poxviruses can also be inactivated via Heat or UV-treatment and the inactivated virus can be used as immunotherapy either alone or in combination with immune checkpoint blocking agents.

Immune System and Cancer
Malignant tumors are inherently resistant to conventional therapies and present significant therapeutic challenges. Immunotherapy has become an evolving area of research and an additional option for the treatment of certain types of cancers. The immunotherapy approach rests on the rationale that the immune system may be stimulated to identify tumor cells, and target them for destruction.
Numerous studies support the importance of the differential presence of immune system components in cancer progression (Jochems and Schlom, Exp Biol Med, 236(5): 567-579 (2011)). Clinical data suggest that high densities of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes are linked to improved clinical outcome (Mlecnik et al., Cancer Metastasis Rev.; 30: 5-12, (2011)). The correlation between a robust lymphocyte infiltration and patient survival has been reported in various types of cancer, including melanoma, ovarian, head and neck, breast, urothelial, colorectal, lung, hepatocellular, gallbladder, and esophageal cancer (Angell and Galon, Current Opinion in Immunology, 25:1-7, (2013)). Tumor immune infiltrates include macrophages, dendritic cells (DC), mast cells, natural killer (NK) cells, naïve and memory lymphocytes, B cells and effector T cells (T lymphocytes), primarily responsible for the recognition of antigens expressed by tumor cells and subsequent destruction of the tumor cells by T cells.
Despite presentation of antigens by cancer cells and the presence of immune cells that could potentially react against tumor cells, in many cases the immune system does not get activated or is affirmatively suppressed. Key to this phenomenon is the ability of tumors to protect themselves from immune response by coercing cells of the immune system to inhibit other cells of the immune system. Tumors develop a number of immunomodulatory mechanisms to evade antitumor immune responses. For example, tumor cells secrete immune inhibitory cytokines (such as TGF-β) or induce immune cells, such as CD4+ T regulatory cells and macrophages, in tumor lesions to secrete these cytokines. Tumors have also the ability to bias CD4+ T cells to express the regulatory phenotype. The overall result is impaired T-cell responses and induction of apoptosis or reduced anti-tumor immune capacity of CD8+ cytotoxic T cells. Additionally, tumor-associated altered expression of MHC class I on the surface of tumor cells makes them 'invisible' to the immune response (Garrido et al. Cancer Immunol. Immunother. 59(10), 1601-1606 (2010). Inhibition of antigen-presenting functions and dendritic cell (DC) additionally contributes to the evasion of anti-tumor immunity (Gerlini et al. Am. J. Pathol. 165(6), 1853-1863 (2004).
Moreover, the local immunosuppressive nature of the tumor microenvironment, along with immune editing, can lead to the escape of cancer cell subpopulations that do not express the target antigens. Thus, finding an approach that would promote the preservation and/or restoration of anti-tumor activities of the immune system would be of considerable therapeutic benefit.
Immune checkpoints have been implicated in the tumor-mediated downregulation of anti-tumor immunity. It has been demonstrated that T cell dysfunction occurs concurrently with an induced expression of the inhibitory receptors, CTLA-4 and programmed death 1 polypeptide (PD-1), members of the CD28 family receptors. Nevertheless, despite extensive research in recent years, the success of immunotherapy in a clinical setting has been limited. Few therapeutic agents have been approved by regulatory authorities, and among those, the benefit has been observed only in a minority of patients. In recent years, immune checkpoints have been implicated in the downregulation of anti-tumor immunity and used as therapeutic targets. Studies have shown that T cell dysfunction occurs concurrently with an induced expression of the inhibitory receptor, programmed death 1 polypeptide (PD-1). PD-1 is an inhibitory member of the CD28 family of receptors that in addition to PD-1 includes without limitation CD28, CTLA-4, ICOS and BTLA. However, to date, these approaches have met with limited success. While promise regarding the use of immunotherapy in the treatment of melanoma has been underscored by the clinical use and even regulatory approval of anti-CTLA-4 (ipilimumab) and anti-PD-1 drugs (pembrolizumab and nivolumab) the response of patients to these immunotherapies has been limited. Recent clinical trials, focused on blocking these inhibitory signals in T cells (e.g., CTLA-4, PD-1, and the ligand of PD-1 PD-L1), have shown that reversing T cell suppression is critical for successful immunotherapy (Sharma and Allison, Science 348(6230), 56-61 (2015); Topalian et al., Curr Opin Immunol. 24(2), 202-217 (2012)). These observations highlight the need for development of novel therapeutic approaches for harnessing the immune system against cancer.
Melanoma
Melanoma, one of the most deadly cancers, is the fastest growing cancer in the US and worldwide. Its incidence has increased by 50% among young Caucasian women since 1980, primarily due to excess sun exposure and the use of tanning beds. According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 76,380 people in the US will be diagnosed with melanoma and 10,130 people (or one person per hour) are expected to die of melanoma in 2016. In most cases, advanced melanoma is resistant to conventional therapies, including chemotherapy and radiation. As a result, people with metastatic melanoma have a very poor prognosis, with a life expectancy of only 6 to 10 months. The discovery that about 50% of melanomas have mutations in BRAF (a key tumor-promoting gene) opened the door for targeted therapy in this disease. Early clinical trials with BRAF inhibitors showed remarkable, but unfortunately not sustainable, responses in patients with melanomas with BRAF mutations. Therefore, alternative treatment strategies for these patients, as well as others with melanoma without BRAF mutations, are urgently needed.
Human pathological data indicate that the presence of T-cell infiltrates within melanoma lesions correlates positively with longer patient survival (Oble et al. Cancer Immun. 9, 3 (2009)). The importance of the immune system in protection against melanoma is further supported by partial success of immunotherapies, such as the immune activators IFN-α2b and IL-2 (Lacy et al. Expert Rev Dermatol 7(1):51-68 (2012)) as well as the unprecedented clinical responses of patients with metastatic melanoma to immune checkpoint therapy, including anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-1/PD-L1 either agent alone or in combination therapy (Sharma and Allison, Science 348(6230), 56-61 (2015); Hodi et al., NEJM 363(8), 711-723 (2010); Wolchok et al., Lancet Oncol. 11(6), 155-164 (2010); Topalian et al., NEJM 366(26), 2443-2454 (2012); Wolchok et al., NEJM 369(2), 122-133 (2013); Hamid et al., NEJM 369(2), 134-144 (2013); Tumeh et al., Nature 515(7528), 568-571 (2014). However, many patients fail to respond to immune checkpoint blockade therapy alone. The addition of virotherapy might overcome resistance to immune checkpoint blocking agents, which is supported by animal tumor models (Zamarin et al., Sci Transl Med 6(226), 2014).
Poxviruses
Poxviruses, such as engineered vaccinia viruses, are in the forefront as oncolytic therapy for metastatic cancers (Kim et al., 2009). Vaccinia viruses are large DNA viruses, which have a rapid life cycle (Moss et al., 2007). Poxviruses are well suited as vectors to express multiple transgenes in cancer cells and thus to enhance therapeutic efficacy (Breitbach et al., 2012). Preclinical studies and clinical trials have demonstrated efficacy of using oncolytic vaccinia viruses and other poxviruses for treatment of advanced cancers refractory to conventional therapy (Park et al., 2008; Kim et al., 2007; Thorne et al., 2007). Poxvirus-based oncolytic therapy has the advantage of killing cancer cells through the combination of cell lysis, apoptosis, and necrosis. It also triggers innate immune sensing pathway that facilitates the recruitment of immune cells to the tumors and the development of anti-tumor adaptive immune responses. The current oncolytic vaccinia strains in clinical trials (JX-594, for example) use wild-type vaccinia with deletion of thymidine kinase to enhance tumor selectivity, and with expression of transgenes such as granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) to stimulate immune responses (Breitbach et al., 2012, Curr Pharm Biotechnol). Many studies have shown however that wild-type vaccinia has immune suppressive effects on antigen presenting cells (APCs) (Engelmayer et al., 1999; Jenne et al., 2000; Deng et al., 2006; Li et al., 2005; ref from Deng et al., J VI 2006 paper) and thus adds to the immunosuppressive and immunoevasive effects of tumors themselves.
Poxviruses however are extraordinarily adept at evading and antagonizing multiple innate immune signaling pathways by encoding proteins that interdict the extracellular and intracellular components of those pathways (Seet et al. Annu. Rev. Immunol. 21377-423 (2003)). Chief among the poxvirus antagonists of intracellular innate immune signaling is the vaccinia virus duel Z-DNA and dsRNA-binding protein E3, which can inhibit the PKR and NF-κB pathways (Cheng et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 894825-4829 (1992); Deng et al. J. Virol. 809977-9987 (2006)) that would otherwise be activated by vaccinia virus infection. A mutant vaccinia virus lacking the E3L gene (ΔF3L) has a restricted host range, is highly sensitive to IFN, and has greatly reduced virulence in animal models of lethal poxvirus infection (Beattie et al. Virus Genes. 1289-94 (1996); Brandt et al. Virology 333263-270 (2004)). Recent studies have shown that infection of cultured cell lines with ΔE3L virus elicits proinflammatory responses that are masked during infection with wild-type vaccinia virus (Deng et al. J. Virol. 809977-9987 (2006); Langland et al. J. Virol. 8010083-10095). The inventors have reported that infection of a mouse epidermal dendritic cell line with wild-type vaccinia virus attenuated proinflammatory responses to the TLR agonists lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and poly(I:C), an effect that was diminished by deletion of E3L. Moreover, infection of the dendritic cells with ΔF3L virus triggered NF-κB activation in the absence of exogenous agonists (Deng et al. J. Virol. 809977-9987 (2006)). The inventors of the present disclosure have also showed that whereas wild-type vaccinia virus infection of murine keratinocytes does not induce the production of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines, infection with ΔE3L virus does induce the production of IFN-β, IL-6, CCL4 and CCL5 from murine keratinocytes, which is dependent on the cytosolic dsRNA-sensing pathway mediated by the mitochondrial antiviral signaling protein (MAVS; an adaptor for the cytosolic RNA sensors RIG-I and MDA5) and the transcription factor IRF3 (Deng et al., J Virol. 2008 November; 82(21): 10735-10746.). See also international Application PCT/US2016/019663 filed by the inventor and co-workers on Feb. 25, 2016; and provisional application No. 62/149,484 filed on Apr. 17, 2015 and its corresponding international application, PCT/US2016/028184. These applications are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.
E3LΔ83N virus with deletion of the Z-DNA-binding domain is 1,000-fold more attenuated than wild-type vaccinia virus in an intranasal infection model (Brandt et al., 2001). E3LΔ83N also has reduced neurovirulence compared with wild-type vaccinia in an intra-cranial inoculation model (Brandt et al., 2005). A mutation within the Z-DNA binding domain of E3 (Y48A) resulting in decreased Z-DNA-binding leads to decreased neurovirulence (Kim et al., 2003). Although the N-terminal Z-DNA binding domain of E3 is important in viral pathogenesis, how it affects host innate immune sensing of vaccinia virus is not well understood. The inventors have previously shown that myxoma virus but not wild-type vaccinia infection of murine plasmacytoid dendritic cells induces type I IFN production via the TLR9/MyD88/IRF5/IRF7-dependent pathway (Dai et al., 2011). Myxoma virus E3 ortholog M029 retains the dsRNA-binding domain of E3 but lacks the Z-DNA binding domain of E3. It was found that the Z-DNA-binding domain of E3 (but probably not Z-DNA-binding activity per se) plays an important role in inhibiting poxviral sensing in murine and human pDCs (Dai et al., 2011; Cao et al., 2012).
Deletion of E3L sensitizes vaccinia virus replication to IFN inhibition in permissive RK13 cells and results in a host range phenotype, whereby ΔE3L cannot replicate in HeLa or BSC40 cells (Chang et al., 1995). The C-terminal dsRNA-binding domain of E3 is responsible for the host range effects, whereas E3LΔ83N virus with deletion of the N-terminal Z-DNA-binding domain is replication competent in HeLa and BSC40 cells (Brandt et al., 2001). Because E3LΔ83N is 1000-fold more attenuated than wild-type vaccinia, in this application, the inventors explored its use as an attenuated replication competent vaccinia viral vector for further construction of immune-stimulating immunotherapeutic agent against various cancers.
Vaccinia virus (Western Reserve strain; WR) with deletion of thymidine kinase is highly attenuated in non-dividing cells but is replicative in transformed cells (Buller et al., 1988). TK-deleted vaccinia virus selectively replicates in tumor cells in vivo (Puhlmann et al., 2000). Thorne et al. showed that compared with other vaccinia strains, WR strain has the highest burst ratio in tumor cell lines relative to normal cells (Thorne et al., 2007). The inventors selected a derivative of this strain, vaccinia E3LΔ83N WR strain as their vector for further modification.
Human Flt3L (Fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 ligand), a type I transmembrane protein that stimulates the proliferation of bone marrow cells, was cloned for in 1994 (Lyman et al., 1994). The use of hFlt3L has been explored in various preclinical and clinical settings including stem cell mobilization in preparation for bone marrow transplantation, cancer immunotherapy such as expansion of dendritic cells, as well as an vaccine adjuvant. Recombinant human Flt3L (rhuFlt3L) has been tested in more than 500 human subjects and is bioactive, safe, and well tolerated (Fong et al., 1998; Maraskovsky et al., 2000; Shackleton et al., 2004; He et al., 2014; Anandasabapathy et al., 2015). Much progress has been recently made in the understanding of the critical role of the growth factor Flt3L in the development of DC subsets, including CD8α+/CD103+ DCs and pDCs (McKenna et al., 2000; Waskow et al., 2008; Liu et al., 2007; 2009; Naik et al., 2006; Ginhoux et al., 2009).

Replication competent attenuated vaccinia viruses with deletion of thymidine kinase with and without the expression of human Flt3L or GM-CSF for cancer immunotherapy


A method for controlling subtitles applied to a display apparatus is provided. The method is capable of dynamically adjusting a subtitle of an original image. The original image includes a right-eye frame and a left-eye frame. The right-eye frame includes right-eye subtitle information, and the left-eye frame includes left-eye subtitle information. The method includes the steps of: determining an adjusted subtitle display mode; determining a shift distance of the right-eye subtitle information and the left-eye subtitle information; and adjusting the shift distance according to the adjusted subtitle display mode or a given 3D depth, such that an adjusted subtitle presented by the right-eye frame and the left-eye frame shows an adjusted subtitle 3D depth. The adjusted subtitle display mode includes a static display mode and a dynamic 3D display mode.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates in general to a control method and device for an image signal, and more particularly, to a method and device for controlling a subtitle applied to a display apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the spur of three-dimensional (3D) movies, related products such as 3D televisions have also begun to prosper. After receiving an image signal generated by a 3D image source (e.g., a player supporting 3D images), the 3D television displays the 3D image according to the image signal, offering a viewer the pleasure of viewing a 3D movie.
In general, after receiving an image signal, a 3D television alternately displays a left-eye frame and a right-eye frame on a screen and correspondingly shields a left eye and a right eye of a viewer in an alternate manner. Alternatively, the left-eye frame and the right-eye frame are played in a row interlaced format, and a micro polarizer is utilized by a viewer to allow a left eye of the viewer to perceive the left-eye frame and a right eye of the viewer to perceive the right-eye frame. Due to minute differences between objects in the left-eye and right-eye frames, the viewer is then enabled to observe a 3D movie with increased visual depth perception.
While filming image signals, a same object is filmed by two video cameras located at different positions. A first video camera captures a left-eye frame, and a second video camera captures a right-eye frame. In a post-process of the image signals, in addition to processing the left-eye and right-eye frames by the foregoing temporally alternating and row interlacing approaches, a subtitle can be selectively added to the left-eye and right-eye frames to further interpret dialog content of the images. Once the image signals are post-processed, a 3D image source transmits the image signals to a 3D television, which then plays a corresponding 3D movie according to the image signals.
In some image signals outputted by a 3D source, a subtitle is already added to a predetermined position in the left-eye and right-eye frames. However, in conventional 3D television processing mechanisms, the position and image properties of the subtitle in the left-eye and right-eye frames are inalterable. For example, a 2D subtitle cannot be changed to a 3D subtitle.
In other words, when image signals outputted from a 3D image source are already attached with a subtitle, a current 3D television merely serves as a receiver of the image signals, incapable of changing the position and image properties of the subtitle. In this way, a viewer may not timely adapt to a display mode of a subtitle when viewing a 3D movie under certain circumstances, and thus suffer from extreme eye discomfort and fatigue.

Method and device for controlling subtitle applied to display apparatus


A data push service system and method using a heterogeneous network. The system transmits push data to a Hybrid Access Terminal (HAT) in a heterogeneous mobile communication system in which at least one circuit network overlaps with at least one packet network. The HAT can be connected to a circuit network or a packet network, and is registered in a new access network. The system includes a Packet Service & Mobility Gateway (PSMG) for acquiring access state and connection information of the HAT from the circuit network and the packet network, and generating an access network switching request upon receipt of an external request signal; and a Push Proxy Gateway (PPG) for acquiring access information of the HAT which will transmit the push data from the PSMG, and transmitting a request message to the PSMG.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data push service system and method for use in a mobile communication system. More particularly, the present invention relates to a data push service system and method using a heterogeneous network.
2. Description of the Related Art
Data push service has been widely used as a data service format provided to a user who gains access to the Internet. The data push service can provide the user with a variety of functions, such as a Short Message Service (SMS) of a mobile communication network, over an IP network. The data push service can be transferred from a server to the user without receiving a user's request, and can provide the user with not only text data, but also multimedia data such as video and audio data.
The data push service over a mobile communication network will hereinafter be described with reference to FIG. 1.
Referring to FIG. 1, if a Push Initiator (PI) 100 generates data to be transmitted to a user, it transmits a push request to a Push Proxy Gateway (PPG). In this case, provided that a Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) session is positioned between an Access Terminal (AT) 130 and a Packet Data Service Node (PDSN) 120, and the PPG 110 recognizes an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the AT 130, the PPG 110 transmits push data to the AT 130 over the PDSN 120. However, if there is no PPP connection between the AT 130 and the PDSN 120, or the PPG 110 is unable to recognize the IP address of the AT 130, push data is unable to be transmitted over the IP network, such that the PPG 110 transmits a request signal to a Short Message Service Center (SMSC) 140 to convert the push data into an SMS message, and transmits the SMS message to the AT 130 over a Mobile Switching Center (MSC) 150.
However, provided that the aforementioned data push service method for use in the mobile communication system is unable to convert the push data into the SMS message, or requires an IP connection between the PI or PPG and the AP in the same manner as in a multimedia service, it is impossible for the data push service method to provide a user with a reliable data push service.
With the increasing development of communication technologies and the increasing demands of users, a variety of radio access technologies and terminals capable of providing the users with data services have recently been proposed. A representative example is a heterogeneous network environment indicative of a mobile communication environment in which a variety of access networks using different radio access technologies are combined with each other. If a specific AT can select and access an optimum access network according to a user's selection or service categories and wireless environment variation in the heterogeneous network environment, the specific AT is called a Hybrid Access Terminal (HAT).
Although the aforementioned data push service method is applied to the heterogeneous network environment, the AT can gain access to a variety of access networks in the heterogeneous network environment. Therefore, in order to allow the PPG to correctly manage an AT's connection state, the AT must acquire a connection state from all of the accessible access networks.

Data push service system and method using a heterogeneous network


Provided are sunflowers, parts thereof, cultures of, and seeds that are capable of producing sunflower oil that is low in saturated fat as well as associated methods.

The cultivated sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is a major worldwide source of vegetable oil. In the United States, approximately 4 million acres are planted in sunflowers annually, primarily in the Dakotas and Minnesota.
The very rapid expansion over the last decade of acreage planted in sunflower in the United States is due in part to several important developments in the field of sunflower breeding and varietal improvement. One significant development was the discovery of cytoplasmic male sterility and genes for fertility restoration, a discovery that allowed the production of hybrid sunflowers. The hybrids thus produced were introduced during the early 1970s.
A description of cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) and genetic fertility restoration in sunflowers is presented by Fick, "Breeding and Genetics," in Sunflower Science and Technology 279-338 (J. F. Carter ed. 1978), the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Sunflower oil is comprised primarily of palmitic (16:0), stearic (18:0), oleic (18:1), linoleic (18:2) and linolenic (18:3) acids. While other unusual fatty acids exist in plants, palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic, and linolenic acids comprise about 88% of the fatty acids present in the world production of vegetable oils. (J. L. Harwood, Plant Acyl Lipids: Structure, Distribution and Analysis, 4 Lipids: Structure and Function, P. K. Stumpf and E. E. Conn ed. (1988).) Palmitic and stearic acids are saturated fatty acids that have been demonstrated in certain studies to contribute to an increase in the plasma cholesterol level, a factor in coronary heart disease. According to recent studies, vegetable oils high in unsaturated fatty acids, such as oleic and linoleic acids, may have the ability to lower plasma cholesterol. Saturated fatty acids also have higher melting points in general than unsaturated fatty acids of the same carbon number, which contributes to cold tolerance problems in foodstuffs and can contribute to a waxy or greasy feel in the mouth during ingestion. It is also known that food products made from fats and oils having less than about 3% saturated fatty acids will typically contain less than 0.5 gram saturated fat per serving and as a result can be labeled as containing "zero saturated fat" under current labeling regulations. Thus, for a number of reasons, it is desirable to produce a sunflower oil having low levels of palmitic and stearic acids and high levels of oleic or linoleic acids.
There are numerous steps in the development of any novel, desirable plant germplasm. Plant breeding begins with the analysis and definition of problems and weaknesses of the current germplasm, the establishment of program goals, and the definition of specific breeding objectives. The next step is selection of germplasm that possess the traits to meet the program goals. The goal is to combine in a single variety an improved combination of desirable traits from the parental germplasm. These important traits may include higher seed yield, resistance to diseases and insects, better stems and roots, tolerance to drought and heat, and better agronomic quality.
Choice of breeding or selection methods depends on the mode of plant reproduction, the heritability of the trait(s) being improved, and the type of cultivar used commercially (e.g., F1 hybrid cultivar, pureline cultivar, etc.). For highly heritable traits, a choice of superior individual plants evaluated at a single location will be effective, whereas for traits with low heritability, selection should be based on mean values obtained from replicated evaluations of families of related plants. Popular selection methods commonly include pedigree selection, modified pedigree selection, mass selection, and recurrent selection.
The complexity of inheritance influences choice of the breeding method. Backcross breeding is used to transfer one or a few favorable genes for a highly heritable trait into a desirable cultivar. This approach has been used extensively for breeding disease-resistant cultivars. Various recurrent selection techniques are used to improve quantitatively inherited traits controlled by numerous genes. The use of recurrent selection in self-pollinating crops depends on the ease of pollination, the frequency of successful hybrids from each pollination, and the number of hybrid offspring from each successful cross.
Each breeding program should include a periodic, objective evaluation of the efficiency of the breeding procedure. Evaluation criteria vary depending on the goal and objectives, but should include gain from selection per year based on comparisons to an appropriate standard, overall value of the advanced breeding lines, and number of successful cultivars produced per unit of input (e.g., per year, per dollar expended, etc.).
Promising advanced breeding lines are thoroughly tested and compared to appropriate standards in environments representative of the commercial target area(s) for three or more years. The best lines are candidates for new commercial cultivars; those still deficient in a few traits may be used as parents to produce new populations for further selection.
These processes, which lead to the final step of marketing and distribution, usually take from eight to 12 years from the time the first cross is made. Therefore, development of new cultivars is a time-consuming process that requires precise forward planning, efficient use of resources, and a minimum of changes in direction.
A most difficult task is the identification of individuals that are genetically superior because, for most traits, the true genotypic value is masked by other confounding plant traits or environmental factors. One method of identifying a superior plant is to observe its performance relative to other experimental plants and to a widely grown standard cultivar. If a single observation is inconclusive, replicated observations provide a better estimate of its genetic worth.
The goal of plant breeding is to develop new, unique and superior sunflower cultivars and hybrids. The breeder initially selects and crosses two or more parental lines, followed by repeated selfing and selection, producing many new genetic combinations. The breeder can theoretically generate billions of different genetic combinations via crossing, selfing and mutations. The breeder has no direct control at the cellular level. Therefore, two breeders will never develop the same line, or even very similar lines, having the same sunflower traits.
Each year, the plant breeder selects the germplasm to advance to the next generation. This germplasm is grown under unique and different geographical, climatic and soil conditions and further selections are then made, during and at the end of the growing season. The cultivars that are developed are unpredictable. This unpredictability is due to the breeder's selection, which occurs in unique environments, with no control at the DNA level (using conventional breeding procedures), and with millions of different possible genetic combinations being generated. A breeder of ordinary skill in the art cannot predict the final resulting lines he develops, except possibly in a very gross and general fashion. The same breeder cannot produce the same cultivar twice by using the exact same original parents and the same selection techniques. This unpredictability results in the expenditure of large amounts of research monies to develop superior new sunflower cultivars.
The development of new sunflower cultivars requires the development and selection of sunflower varieties, the crossing of these varieties, and selection of superior hybrid crosses. The hybrid seed is produced by manual crosses between selected male-fertile parents or by using male sterility systems. These hybrids are selected for certain single gene traits such as pod color, flower color, pubescence color, or herbicide resistance, which indicate that the seed is truly a hybrid. Additional data on parental lines, as well as the phenotype of the hybrid, influence the breeder's decision whether to continue with the specific hybrid cross.
Pedigree breeding and recurrent selection breeding methods are used to develop cultivars from breeding populations. Breeding programs combine desirable traits from two or more cultivars or various broad-based sources into breeding pools from which cultivars are developed by selfing and selection of desired phenotypes. The new cultivars are evaluated to determine which have commercial potential.
Pedigree breeding is used commonly for the improvement of self-pollinating crops. Two parents, which possess favorable, complementary traits are crossed to produce an F1. An F2 population is produced by selfing one or several F1s. Selection of the best individuals may begin in the F2 population; then, beginning in the F3, the best individuals in the best families are selected. Replicated testing of families can begin in the F4 generation to improve the effectiveness of selection for traits with low heritability. At an advanced stage of inbreeding (i.e., F6 and F7), the best lines or mixtures of phenotypically similar lines are tested for potential release as new cultivars.
Mass and recurrent selections can be used to improve populations of either self- or cross-pollinating crops. A genetically variable population of heterozygous individuals is either identified or created by intercrossing several different parents. The best plants are selected based on individual superiority, outstanding progeny, or excellent combining ability. The selected plants are intercrossed to produce a new population in which further cycles of selection are continued.
Backcross breeding has been used to transfer genes for a simply inherited, highly heritable trait into a desirable homozygous cultivar or inbred line, which is the recurrent parent. The source of the trait to be transferred is called the donor parent. The resulting plant is expected to have the attributes of the recurrent parent (e.g., cultivar) and the desirable trait transferred from the donor parent. After the initial cross, individuals possessing the phenotype of the donor parent are selected and repeatedly crossed (backcrossed) to the recurrent parent. The resulting plant is expected to have the attributes of the recurrent parent (e.g., cultivar) and the desirable trait transferred from the donor parent.
The single-seed descent procedure in the strict sense refers to planting a segregating population, harvesting a sample of one seed per plant, and using the one-seed sample to plant the next generation. When the population has been advanced from the F2 to the desired level of inbreeding, the plants from which lines are derived will each trace to different F2 individuals. The number of plants in a population declines each generation due to failure of some seeds to germinate or some plants to produce at least one seed. As a result, not all of the F2 plants originally sampled in the population will be represented by a progeny when generation advance is completed.
In a multiple-seed procedure, sunflower breeders commonly harvest seeds from each plant in a population and thresh them together to form a bulk. Part of the bulk is used to plant the next generation and part is put in reserve. The procedure has been referred to as modified single-seed descent.
The multiple-seed procedure has been used to save labor at harvest. It is considerably faster to remove seeds with a machine than to remove one seed from each by hand for the single-seed procedure. The multiple-seed procedure also makes it possible to plant the same number of seeds of a population each generation of inbreeding. Enough seeds are harvested to make up for those plants that did not germinate or produce seed.
Descriptions of other breeding methods that are commonly used for different traits and crops can be found in one of several reference books (e.g., Allard, 1960; Simmonds, 1979; Sneep et al., 1979; Fehr, 1987).
Proper testing should detect any major faults and establish the level of superiority or improvement over current cultivars. In addition to showing superior performance, there must be a demand for a new cultivar that is compatible with industry standards or creates a new market. The introduction of a new cultivar can incur additional costs to the seed producer, the grower, processor and consumer due to special advertising and marketing, altered seed and commercial production practices, and new product utilization. The testing preceding release of a new cultivar should take into consideration research and development costs as well as technical superiority of the final cultivar. For seed-propagated cultivars, it must be feasible to produce seed easily and economically.
Sunflower, Helianthus annuus L., is an important and valuable field crop. Thus, a continuing goal of plant breeders is to develop stable, high yielding sunflower cultivars that are agronomically sound. A current goal is to maximize the amount of grain produced on the land used and to supply food for both animals and humans. To accomplish this goal, the sunflower breeder must select and develop sunflower plants that have traits that result in superior cultivars.
The foregoing examples of the related art and limitations related therewith are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of the related art will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon a reading of the specification.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Low saturated-fat sunflower and associated methods


An improvement for a smart, highside, high current, power switch module formed in an integrated circuit having at least one composite MOS/FET transistor switch connected to controlling and protection circuits. The power switch module has a load terminal (L), a battery input terminal (B), a control input terminal (C) and a diagnostic feedback terminal (M). The improvement provides overcurrent protection from a substantially instantaneous short circuit across an electrical load connected to the load terminal of the power switch module. The improvement is a capacitive circuit element connected between the battery input terminal (B) and the diagnostic feedback terminal (M). The capacitance of the capacitive circuit element should be at least large enough that the capacitive circuit element applies a power supply voltage to the controlling and protection circuits for a time interval that maintains the protection circuits operative and able to turn OFF the MOS/FET transistor switch in the event of the short circuit.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to electronic circuits for the controlled switching of high current loads and more particularly relates to protecting solid state, smart, highside, high current, power switches from damage caused by excessively high currents that begin essentially instantaneously, such as from a short across the load terminals, and destroy the smart power switches, despite their associated protection circuits.
2. Description of the Related Art
Convenient energy efficient operation of electrical equipment, appliances and other electrical devices often requires a switch for turning the device on and off. This is particularly important when multiple different devices are powered by a vehicle battery in order to minimize drain on the battery by permitting selected operation of only those devices that are currently being used. Some electrical devices are high power devices that draw large currents. For those, it is often desirable to control the switch that switches the high current from a low power electrical signal. For this purpose, relays or power contactors were traditionally used. However, such devices have mechanical electrical contacts which are subject to corrosion and the possibility of having the contacts welded together and suffer from numerous other failure modes.
When solid state technology appeared, it was first applied to develop solid state switches that could be used for switching low currents associated with low power applications but the available solid state switching devices could not tolerate higher currents. However, MOS/FET devices have more recently been developed that can switch currents on the order of a hundred amperes or more. These switching devices have thousands of MOS/FETs formed in an integrated circuit and connected in parallel so they each carry a small portion of the current and operate together as a high current, composite MOS/FET. Additionally, modern integrated circuit technology also permits a variety of other circuits to be formed in the same integrated circuit to provide for operating, controlling and protecting the MOS/FETs. Because these associated circuits include logic and sensing circuits and can detect a variety of fault conditions and turn off the MOS/FETs in order to protect the integrated circuit module, the modules are called "smart". Consequently, the combination of the current switching MOS/FETs and their associated circuits provide high power switch modules that manufacturers can use to construct high power switches for applications in their field. In addition to the relatively high currents that each integrated circuit module can switch, manufacturers of high power switches can connect multiples of these integrated circuit modules in parallel to increase the maximum current their products can switch by a multiplier equal to the number of parallel modules.
A particularly useful type of power switching module is a smart, high side, high current power switch. High side means that their power switching terminals are connected between the high side of the power source, such as the positive terminal of a battery, and the load being switched. The load is connected between the switch module and a common power ground. There are a few manufacturers who supply such modules and FIG. 1 illustrates an example module 10, which is a PROFET® BTS555 offered by Infineon Technologies. This first generation high current power switch module was designed to control a starting motor on a vehicle.
Referring to FIG. 1, The power switch module 10 is an integrated circuit that has a composite MOS/FET 12 and several associated circuits for operating, controlling and protecting the MOS/FET. Typically, such modules have four terminals to which other, external circuit elements are connected. One terminal is a load terminal L that is connected to one terminal of the load being controlled by the smart switch. The other terminal of the load itself is connected to the power circuit ground. The power source, such as a 12 or 24 volt vehicle battery, is connected to a battery terminal B and the other power source terminal is connected to the power circuit ground. Control of the switching module for turning it ON and OFF is accomplished by grounding a third, control input terminal C to turn it ON and disconnecting that ground connection to turn it OFF.
The fourth terminal M is a sensing or diagnostic terminal that is an output of a current mirror circuit. The current mirror circuit utilizes a few of the large number of individual MOS/FETs formed in the integrated circuit of the switch module. A current mirror circuit is well known in the art and, as applied to the switch module, the drains of all the individual MOS/FETs are connected together and most of the sources of the individual MOS/FETs are connected to the main output load terminal L for switching the high load current. A few of the sources, however, are instead used for the current mirror circuit and connected to the sensing terminal M. As known in the art, a current minor circuit provides a current through the terminal M that is proportional to the load current through the majority of MOS/FETs that conduct the load current through the module 10. Preferably, the terminal M is connected to the power circuit ground through a resistor RIS having a resistance, for example, of 1000 ohms. However, the current will have the current proportionality property as described above if a conductor is substituted for the resistor RIS.
Among the protection circuits that manufacturers have integrated into the power switch modules is a circuit that senses module temperature and shorts the MOS/FET gate to ground and thereby open the MOS/FETs to a non-conductive, high resistance state in the event a temperature above a selected maximum operating temperature is sensed. Consequently, if a power switch module gets too hot, it is shut down by its own associated, internal circuitry before the module is damaged. Another protection circuit that is commonly included among the associated protection circuits is a circuit that senses load current and opens the MOS/FETs to a non-conductive, high resistance state in the event a selected maximum operating current is sensed. Yet another associated protection circuit typically integrated in the smart power switch module is a circuit that modulates the conduction of the power switch module. For example, if a reverse voltage is applied to the power switch module, such as from an inductive load immediately after it has been shut off, the power switch module modulates the current so that the dissipation of heat energy from the power switch module can be extended and distributed over a longer time interval. Still another protection circuit ordinarily provided among the control and protection circuits of the power switch module is an undervoltage protection circuit. This circuit senses the output voltage and, if the battery slowly discharges to a level that the control and protection circuits have an insufficient supply voltage to power them, the undervoltage circuit will operate and turn OFF the power switch. The variety of protection circuits in the power switch module include both digital logic and analog circuits.
In addition to protection circuits, there are also control circuits associated with the MOS/FETs in the integrated circuit. It is necessary to develop a charge that is positive to negative between the gate and the source to turn on the MOS/FETs. To do this, since the device is floating, a charge pump circuit is used. The charge pump circuit is well known in the art and gets its power from a drain connection. The MOS/FETs are controlled by supplying a controllable ground connection through module terminal C. When terminal C is not grounded, the internal electronics cause the gate to be shorted to the source turning the MOS/FETs OFF. When terminal C is grounded, the charge pump is turned ON and supplies a high enough voltage between the source and the gate to turn ON the MOS/FETs to their conducting state.
However, unfortunately I have discovered that, despite all the protection and control circuits on board such power switching modules, the switching module are still subject to destruction by a high surge current, such as is caused by a sudden, very low resistance, short across the load terminals. An essentially instantaneous short, such as can be caused by a mechanic inadvertently inserting a metallic tool between the load terminals, causes the destruction of such power switches. I have experimentally replicated the destruction of the power switch modules in a laboratory by such an instantaneous short circuit.
It is therefore an object and feature of the present invention to provide a manner of protecting such integrated power switch modules by means of a circuit that is, of necessity, restricted to connection to two or more of the only four terminals that are externally accessible on the power switch modules. This permits manufacturers, who utilize existing smart, highside, high current, power switch module designs in their products, to protect the power switch modules from destruction by such instantaneous very low resistance short circuits.

Surge overcurrent protection for solid state, smart, highside, high current, power switch


A coordinating push and user-initiated synchronization method and system. Initially, changes to a local application data store are detected and records affected by the change are identified. At some point, a record affected by a detected change is pushed to a remote system where it is ascertained whether the pushed record, in its current form as affected by the detected change, has already been replicated in or deleted from a remote application data store through user-initiated synchronization. If not, the pushed record is used to update the remote application data store. Instead, at some point it may be ascertained whether the identified record, in its current form as affected by the detected change, has been replicated in or deleted from the remote application data store through push synchronization as just described. If not, the remote application data store is synchronized with the local application data store.

In today's computer networks, sharing data among devices has become desirable if not essential. Not only does the shared data need to be replicated on each device, but the set of replicated data must be synchronized so that changes made to one replica are reflected in all the others. Synchronization enables many users to work with their own local copy of shared data but have the shared data updated as if they were working on a single, centralized database. For shared data applications where users are geographically widely distributed, replication and synchronization are often the most efficient methods for effectively utilizing shared data.
In addition to desktop computers, workstations, and servers, modern computing environments often include lightweight handheld computing devices that fit into a pocket, purse, or day planner. Modern computing environments range from private networks to the Internet. Although a wide range of application programs can be executed on handheld computers, shared data applications are particularly popular and well suited for these devices. Shared data applications include, among many others, electronic calendars and task lists, electronic mail organizers, and electronic address books. A device running one or more of these applications stores electronic data that is or can be replicated and shared with other devices. It is desirable, if not essential, then to at least periodically synchronize data stored on each device. For example, many calendaring applications allow devices to share data or records concerning each user's appointments. It is important that when a new appointment is added or an existing appointment is modified on one device that the addition or change is reflected on all devices providing calendaring.
Synchronization schemes typically fall under one of two generic categories—"user-initiated" synchronization and "push" synchronization. User-initiated synchronization is commonly employed in "wired" computer networks where computing devices such as server, desktop computers, laptop computers, and personal digital assistants (PDA's) are at least periodically physically interconnected. As its label suggests, this scheme requires a user to commence the synchronization process by, for example, initiating synchronization software. The software analyzes and compares electronic records found on two or more devices and updates each device with new or modified records found on the other devices.
Push synchronization is commonly employed in "wireless" computer networks where the computing devices are able to transmit and receive electronic data via radio frequency, infrared, or any other technology not requiring a physical connection such as a cable between the devices. Typically, for wireless networks, connection speeds between devices are relatively slow and less reliable in comparison to wired networks. This scheme requires no user intervention. Synchronization software monitoring electronic records on one device, typically a server, detects modifications or additions to the records on that device. Upon detection, the synchronization software takes the modified or added records and updates the records located on a remote device such as a pager, cellular telephone, or other wireless device. Push synchronization requires minimal communication between devices, and as a consequence, works well for slower and less reliable networks such as wireless networks.
Where a given computing environment employs one of the above schemes, synchronization is a relatively simple process. However, in modern computing environments, wired and wireless network technologies are often combined making it desirable to simultaneously employ both synchronization schemes. Unfortunately, combining a conventional user-initiated synchronization scheme with a conventional push synchronization scheme inevitably results in unwanted data duplication and/or data loss. Employing wireless networks increases the risk of "trapped" data. Because of the relatively slow connections, sudden unplanned network downtime, and the possibility of the remote device being disconnected from the wireless network connection at any time, it is possible that a pushed record can become "trapped." While the pushed record is trapped, the device could be synchronized conventionally with the server over a wired connection. When wireless connection is later reestablished the pushed and trapped record is then duplicated.


A splitter is produced by ion diffusion in a glass substrate and it is designed to assure the transmission of an optical signal toward two outputs with a predetermined ratio of the signal power appearing at these 2 outputs. In accordance with the invention, it comprises an X-junction of two rectilinear waveguides defining at their intersection a half-angle .alpha., the angle and the geometry of the central region being chosen in such a way as to establish the predetermined power ratio and the relative achromaticity of the device.

The present invention relates to an integrated optics achromatic splitter with two inputs, and with M.times.N couplers incorporating such splitters. More particularly, the present invention relates to such a splitter which has been designed to assure a division of the light power in accordance with a predetermined power ratio. More particularly still, the present invention relates to such a splitter which is capable of being used in single mode fiber optic telecommunications networks.
It is known to divide light power which is transmitted by a waveguide, through the technology of integrated optics proximity couplers formed by two waveguides integrated in a single substrate, these two waveguides including two sections of identical and generally parallel guides, through which a fraction of the light power transmitted by one of the guides is injected into the other guide.
Such a proximity coupler is not, however, achromatic; that is to say the ratio of the output powers of the guides varies with the wavelength of the utilized light.
This chromaticity of proximity couplers renders the latter scarcely useable in optical fiber telecommunications networks which contain such splitters. In practice, it is desirable that such splitters be associated with sources of light energy of diverse wavelengths, located for example in the 1260-1550 nm wavelength region, without the ratio of power division being affected.
To resolve this difficulty it is known to provide couplers called ".DELTA..beta." with two parallel waveguides having different propagation constants. By correctly adjusting the difference, on can obtain a reduced chromatic dependence compared with that which is observed for proximity couplers. Unfortunately these .DELTA..beta. couplers are difficult to manufacture and have characteristics which are not very reproducible, and which are latent drawbacks for applications requiring mass production such as telecommunications.
In order to obtain a satisfactory achromaticity it is known further to provide a coupler which is formed of two Y-junctions arranged end to end. Such a coupler unfortunately experiences substantial losses. The Y-junction at the input in practice experiences a loss of 3 dB at each output guide, due to the division into one-half generated by the Y-junction at the output.
One can avoid this loss by utilizing an "X"-splitter with two crossed rectilinear waveguides. Such a splitter is described in the article entitled "Low crosstalk passive polarization splitters using Ti:LiNbo.sub.3 Waveguide Crossings" by A. Neyer, published in the USA journal "Applied Physics Letters" of 4 Sep. 1989, pages 927-929. The substrate which is utilized is made of lithium niobate. The variation of refractive index is obtained by the diffusion of Ti.sup.+ ions. The splitter, as this publication indicates, is very sensitive to polarization. Further, it is not achromatic since the publication mentions a variation of .+-.0.3 dB of the output power within the limited band of the wavelengths situated between 1500 and 1600 nm. Therefore, these characteristics are latent defects for the telecommunications application envisaged above. In practice the fibers utilized do not maintain the polarization and this can be risky for the input of a component. Further, the components of the type "power splitter" must behave achromatically in the two utilization windows: 1310.+-.50 nm and 1550.+-.50 nm.
The publication of Nakajima et al. entitled "Crosstalk characteristics of Ti--LiNbO.sub.3 " published in the American journal "Journal of Quantum Electronics", volume QE-18, No. 4, Apr. 1982, considers X-junctions and the division ratio of the light powers which are transmitted in the two output branches of the junction. There again the substrate utilized is a crystal of lithium niobate which implies a variation of the division ratio of the junction as a function of the polarization of the light utilized. The junction described is applied elsewhere only in the realization of a polarization separator and not a splitter or coupler such as is intended by the present invention. Further, this publication envisages only multimode guides which cannot be contemplated for components intended for long distance telecommunications.
The publication of Hussel et al. entitled "Single mode 3 dB cross-coupler power dividers by ion exchange" in the "Technical Digest", Second Microptic Conference/Eighth Gradient Index (MOC/GRIN), Tokyo 07/1989, Paper D3, pages 70-73, relates to an integrated optics half-divider obtained by ion exchange in a glass substrate. The input branches of the X-coupler which is proposed are of necessity asymmetrical, which renders them difficult to manufacture. In addition, the publication does not indicate anything with respect to splitter manufacture capable of establishing splitting ratios other than the ratio 1/2. The complexity of the central region of Hussel makes the photolithographic step very difficult.
Hernandez-Gil et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,961,619 is directed to an optical waveguide intersection with reduced loss utilizing an axial variation in the transverse index of refraction distribution as the waveguides approach the intersection. Hernandez-Gil et al. states: "intersection angles of less than 5 degrees are usually not practical" (col. 3, lines 20-21). As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the flat intersection is not formed by cutting off the vertex of the angle of intersection, but by "down-tapering" the waveguides as they approach the intersection region (see, e.g., col. 3, lines 44-52).
The present invention has thus as its goal the manufacture of an X-splitter in integrated optics, free of the defects or inadequacies of splitters of the prior art technology described above.
In particular, the present invention has as its goal the manufacture of such a splitter which permits the assurance of a predetermined ratio of power while being achromatic and insensitive to the polarization of the transmitted light.
The present invention also has as its goal the manufacture of such a splitter which should be easy to fabricate and thus not costly.
The present invention also has a goal of furnishing M.times.N couplers in integrated optics including such splitters.
These as well as other goals of the invention which will appear in the reading of the present description are achieved with an integrated optics achromatic splitter having two inputs for the transmission of an optical signal entering one input, to two outputs with a predetermined ratio of the signal powers at the two outputs, this splitter being remarkable in that it includes a symmetrical X-junction of two identical rectilinear waveguides, single mode at the utilized wavelength, defining at their intersection a half-angle greater than an angular value which is a function of the size of the fundamental mode of the waveguides (and therefore a function of the design and manufacture of the waveguides), the angle being selected to establish the predetermined power ratio. Another feature of the junction of the present invention which is particularly useful for the industrial realization of these devices is the fact that the index profile need not be carefully controlled in the central region. As described below, the maximum profile index is between .DELTA.n and 1.5 .DELTA.n where .DELTA.n is the maximum profile index for any of the waveguides.
In accordance with the invention, in effect, one can establish experimentally a rule which links the angle of the waveguides for a given index profile and the power ratio obtained for each angle, and then this rule may be utilized for choosing the angle corresponding with a predetermined power ratio. It is also possible to vary the power ratio for a fixed angle by proper selection of the waveguide index profile (by changing the mask aperture, for example, when using the ion exchange technique), the only requirement being to maintain the single mode behavior of the waveguides in the wavelength range of interest.
Still following the invention, the waveguides of the splitter are formed for example by the ion exchange in a glass substrate in such a way as to provide substantially cylindrical shapes. One obtains thus the desired insensitivity to polarization of light. Other substrates and other manufacturing processes are possible. Thus, the waveguides could be produced by depositing doped silica on a substrate of silica or silicon, for example.
The invention further permits the production of 2.times.N couplers comprising a splitter in accordance with the invention and additional splitting means connected to the two outputs of the splitter. Advantageously the half-angle of the waveguides of the splitter is of the order of 1.degree., in order to split the power in half as will be seen below.
The invention permits further the production of M.times.N couplers comprising at least two successive stages of splitters in accordance with the invention.

Integrated optics achromatic splitter and an MxN coupler incorporating such a splitter