A method, apparatus, and computer instructions for processing packets in a network layer. A packet is received for transmission in which the packet includes a destination address. A routing entry for the destination address is identified. A determination is made as to whether a flag indicating the packet is to be broadcast has been set in the routing entry. Header information is placed in the packet in which the header information indicates that the packet is a broadcast packet in response to the flag being set.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to an improved data processing system, and in particular, to a method and apparatus for processing data. Still more particularly, the present invention provides a method and apparatus for processing outgoing Internet protocol packets.
2. Description of Related Art
The Internet, also referred to as an "internetwork", is a set of computer networks, possibly dissimilar, joined together by means of gateways that handle data transfer and the conversion of messages from a protocol of the sending network to a protocol used by the receiving network. When capitalized, the term "Internet" refers to the collection of networks and gateways that use the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) suite of protocols.
Currently, the most commonly employed method of transferring data over the Internet is to employ the World Wide Web environment, also called simply "the Web". Other Internet resources exist for transferring information, such as File Transfer Protocol (FTP) and Gopher, but have not achieved the popularity of the Web. In the Web environment, servers and clients effect data transaction using the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), a known protocol for handling the transfer of various data files (e.g., text, still graphic images, audio, motion video, etc.). The information in various data files is formatted for presentation to a user by a standard page description language, the Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). In addition to basic presentation formatting, HTML allows developers to specify "links" to other Web resources identified by a Uniform Resource Locator (URL). A URL is a special syntax identifier defining a communications path to specific information. Each logical block of information accessible to a client, called a "page" or a "Web page", is identified by a URL. The URL provides a universal, consistent method for finding and accessing this information, not necessarily for the user, but mostly for the user's Web "browser". A browser is a program capable of submitting a request for information identified by an identifier, such as, for example, a URL.
The protocol used in transferring data over the Internet is called Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). TCP provides transport functions, which ensures that the total amount of bytes sent is received correctly at the other end. TCP/IP is a routable protocol, and the IP part of TCP/IP provides this capability. In a routable protocol, all messages contain not only the address of the destination station, but the address of a destination network. This allows TCP/IP messages to be sent to multiple networks (subnets) within an organization or around the world, hence its use in the worldwide Internet. Every client and server in a TCP/IP network requires an IP address, which is either permanently assigned or dynamically assigned at startup. This protocol is also often used in other types of network data processing systems, such as, local area networks, wide area networks, and intranets, to direct messages between different data processing systems or nodes.
In some cases, messages may be broadcast to everyone on a network or network segment. These types of messages are also referred to as "broadcast traffic". In a network, broadcast traffic is the message traffic that is sent out to everybody on a network segment. Broadcasts are issued for address resolution when the location of a user or server is not known. This type of traffic may occur, for example, when clients and servers come online and identify themselves. Sometimes, network devices continually announce their presence. In all cases, the broadcast has to reach all possible networks and stations that might potentially respond.
Currently, the processing of packets to verify whether the destination IP address is a broadcast address occurs with every outgoing packet. Some of the steps involved in verifying whether a destination IP address is a broadcast address are expensive with respect to resources in a data processing system. Typically, the process involves checking to see whether the destination IP address is one of a set of different kinds of broadcast addresses, such as, for example, 255.255.255.255 or 0.0.0.0. Another check made is to determine whether the destination IP address is a subnet broadcast address, such as, for example, addresses in which the host part of the address is all zeros. The processing in which checks are made to see whether a destination IP address is a subnet broadcast address becomes expensive with respect to resources in a data processing system when the outgoing interface contains many IP aliases. Further, on a multiprocessor system, a lock on the interface is often required to perform the verification steps. In other words, all outgoing traffic must wait for the interface to be released before other packets can be verified. This lock may form a bottleneck for pseudo devices such as an Ether channel in which multiple adapters are assigned to a single IP interface.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to have an improved method, apparatus, and computer instructions for processing outgoing IP packets in a data processing system.

Method and apparatus for processing outgoing internet protocol packets


A pole cap for a battery pole of a battery has a sleeve-like contacting portion, which has an outer periphery widening conically in the direction of the battery pole and tapering conically in the direction of the battery pole. A terminal is formed as a double-walled terminal sleeve having an inner wall and an outer wall, both designed to be supported by a collar, where the walls form an annular gap for positively receiving the sleeve-like contacting portion of the pole cap and where the gap tapers in the direction of the collar.

The invention relates to an electrical contact unit for producing an electrical connection between a battery and an on-board electrical system of a vehicle, and a pole cap for a battery as well as a terminal for the connector on the pole cap.
A battery connection terminal for fixing an electric cable on the pole of an accumulator or similar is known from prior art, such as is described in DE 10 2013 005 962 A1. The battery connection terminal has a substantially cylindrical or conical clamping portion, with which the battery connection terminal is plugged onto the cylindrical or conical pole of the accumulator or similar in the plug-in direction. Furthermore, the battery connection terminal has a fastening portion which is fixed on the clamping portion for the electric cable, wherein the clamping portion is formed from two clamping brackets which are arranged opposite each other, curved in a flap-like manner with respect to each other and fit the shape of the pole of the accumulator, the clamping brackets engaging around the pole of the accumulator portionally on both sides, and the opposite ends of the clamping brackets which are curved in a flap-like manner form a gap between them.
Furthermore, in DE 20 2010 016 520 U1, a battery terminal for producing an electrical contact with a pole of a battery is disclosed. The battery terminal has an internal clip for producing the electrical contact with the pole of the battery and an external clip for fastening the internal clip to the pole as well as for mechanical stabilization of the internal clip. Here, the internal clip is designed for current transmission and the external clip is designed for receiving or positioning a fastening screw and for stabilizing, clamping or fixing the internal clip.
The object of the invention is to specify an electrical contact unit for producing an electrical connection between a battery and an on-board electrical system of a vehicle which is improved compared to the prior art, based on an improved pole cap or an improved battery and an improved terminal.
An electrical contact unit for producing an electrical connection between a battery and an on-board electrical system of a vehicle comprises a pole cap which can be arranged on the pole of a battery for providing a battery side contact surface, which can be connected to an on-board electrical system side contact surface in the form of a terminal.
The pole cap according to the invention is characterized in that it is formed as a sleeve-like cone in a portion which serves for contact connection with the terminal on the on-board electrical system side, the cone having an outer periphery widening conically in the direction of the fastening on the battery and an inner periphery tapering conically in the same direction. Due to this contacting portion of the pole cap being sleeve-like, the outer peripheral side contact surface is enlarged by the contact surface on the inner peripheral side. The functionality of the contact connection is improved by this surface which is thus enlarged for electrical contact connection. The pole cap according to the invention enables a contact surface which is enlarged compared to known pole caps for transmitting higher currents, such that an electrical connection between the battery, which is, in particular, a starter battery, and the on-board electrical system of the vehicle is improved compared to the prior art.
In order to be able to connect the pole cap—as a battery side contact element—to an on-board electrical system side terminal which provides an on-board electrical system side contact surface, a fastening portion having a recess is advantageously provided—centrally below the sleeve-like portion of the pole cap. An especially good and durable contact connection can be produced by the on-board electrical system side contact element being anchorable in the recess centrally below the sleeve-like portion, as the battery side contact element and the on-board electrical system side contact element can be effectively brought into contact with each other in this way. Here, various types of anchoring of the on-board electrical system side contact in the recess are conceivable: for example, by a self-cutting thread or by bracing.
If the central recess is provided in the fastening portion with an internal thread, the on-board electrical system side contact element can be connected to the pole cap by means of a screw in an especially simple, secure and repeatedly reliable manner.
The battery according to the invention has at least one pole cap according to the invention. The battery according to the invention thus necessarily demonstrates all properties and advantages of the pole cap according to the invention with regards to an improved contact connection to the on-board electrical system.
The terminal for providing an on-board electrical system side contact surface for connection to a battery pole, which is equipped with a pole cap as described above as a battery side contact surface, is formed according to the invention as a double-walled terminal sleeve having an inner and an outer wall which are supported by an annular collar, wherein the walls form an annular gap tapering towards the collar for positively receiving the sleeve-like portion of the pole cap described above.
Due to the terminal being sleeve-like, a larger on-board electrical system side surface is provided for the electrical contact connection, such that the enlarged contact surface on the sides of the sleeve-like portion of the pole cap can be optimally utilized during a contact connection. The terminal according to the invention thus also enables an improved electrical connection compared to the prior art, in particular for transmitting higher currents, between a battery and an on-board electrical system of a vehicle.
An especially good contact connection is enabled when the outer wall of the on-board electrical system side contact surface in the shape of the terminal is formed to fit the outer periphery of the pole cap exactly and the inner wall is formed to fit the inner periphery of the pole cap exactly. This embodiment ensures the tightest connection between the battery side and on-board electrical system side contact element and, thus, the best functionality with regards to the current flow.
An especially advantageous form of the connection of the terminal to the pole cap is achieved when the terminal can be frictionally connected by means of a centrally arranged fastening screw in the recess of the fastening portion fitted with an internal thread. If the battery side recess is also arranged centrally relative to the sleeve-like contacting portion, the respective contact surfaces will thus be simultaneously pressed against one another during the screw connection of terminal and pole, which serves for the durability and repeatability of the connection.
A further advantageous embodiment of the screw connection is if the annular collar of the terminal sleeve has an annular stop on its upper inside, with which stop the terminal is pressed against the sleeve-like contacting portion of the pole cap by a flange of the fastening screw during a fastening to the pole cap. Furthermore, the surface in which flange and stop come into contact with each other during the screw connection provides additional friction and thus a more fixed connection.
The electrical contact unit according to the invention for producing an electrical connection between a battery and the on-board electrical system of a vehicle is generated with the aid of a battery according to the invention, having a pole cap according to the invention as a battery side contact surface and a terminal according to the invention as an on-board electrical system side contact surface, whereby pole cap and terminal are connected to each other as described above. The electrical contact unit according to the invention thus has all properties and advantages which are described above with regards to the pole cap and the terminal.
The exemplary embodiments of the invention are illustrated in more detail below by means of drawings.

Battery pole and electrical contact unit for producing an electrical connection between a battery pole and an on-board electrical system of a vehicle


A method and system for priority access channel allocation within a telecommunication subsystem in which channel access requests are categorized within a prioritization system that includes a first priority level, and a second priority level which is lower than in priority with respect to the first priority level. A targeted blocking rate is first assigned to the first priority level. During active operation of the telecommunication subsystem, a statistical estimation of an actual traffic intensity for the first priority level is performed. Thereafter, the targeted blocking rate and estimated traffic intensity are utilized in computing a blocking threshold for the first priority level. This blocking threshold defines a number of channels, n, to which access by the second priority level will be blocked, such that the first priority level may achieve its assigned targeted blocking rate.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to an improved telecommunications system, and in particular to a method and system for prioritizing traffic channel allocation in a channel reservation system. More particularly, the present invention relates to reserving traffic channels by computing and periodically adjusting blocking thresholds. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a method and system in which pre-assigned blocking rates are utilized in conjunction with statistically estimated traffic fluctuations to guide blocking threshold adjustments.
2. Description of the Related Art
Corresponding to the explosive growth in cellular subscriber density, radio frequency (RF) related techniques providing more efficient allocation of limited traffic channels available within a limited RF spectrum are urgently required. Priority Access Channel Assignment (PACA) is a recently conceived methodology that provides multiple level priority access to voice channels based on the designated priority level of the user. PACA is particularly useful during periods when few or no idle or unused traffic channels are available.
Channel reservation within a wireless communications subsystem is becoming increasingly necessary to alleviate problems that arise due to all mobile subscribers having equal opportunity to access available channels. An example of such a problem is that which occurs when high value subscribers require channels during periods of high blocking (during periods of free or low cost airtime, for example). A more urgent example such problems occur during emergencies, when emergency services (911 type calls, for example) are invoked.
A PACA queuing technique for providing priority access to voice channels has recently been defined in TIA-664 and in some air interface standards. PACA queuing provides a method to queue call origination requests based on priority, when there are no traffic channels (sometimes referred to as xe2x80x9cvoice channelsxe2x80x9d) available. This method often includes delivering a reply message to the user indicating that the request is queued and its queue position.
There are several problems with current implementations of PACA. First, PACA addresses and implements prioritization only after all voice channels have been assigned, thus causing a delay in service to a potentially high priority user. Another problem with PACA is that is does not provide the ability to queue termination access requests nor does it address handling of intersystem handoff of calls queued. In addition, implementation of PACA often results in increased control channel messaging (especially on the forward control channel), potentially impacting other telecommunications services.
The demand for a workable solution to the shortcomings of conventional traffic channel priority allocation may increase for many reasons including: government regulations and recommendations for providing enhanced emergency services, especially during crisis situations; promotional and competitive offers by Service Providers to offer low or free air time; increased number of mobile subscribers; and, competition among Service Providers that offer some form of priority service.
It can therefore be appreciated that a need exists to address the problem of all mobile subscribers having equal access to traffic channels regardless of congestion or priority. Providing different levels of access to voice channels based on a priority pre-assigned to the subscriber would permit subscribers/users to receive the benefit of a multilevel prioritization in a wireless communications network.
It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide a method and system for prioritizing traffic channel allocation in a channel reservation system.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method and system for reserving traffic channels by computing and dynamically adjusting blocking thresholds.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a method and system in which pre-assigned blocking rates are utilized in conjunction with statistically estimated traffic fluctuations to guide blocking threshold adjustments.
The above and other objects are achieved as is now described. A method and system are disclosed for providing priority access channel allocation within a telecommunication subsystem in which channel access requests are categorized within a prioritization system that includes a first priority level, and a second priority level which is lower in priority with respect to the first priority level. A targeted blocking rate is first assigned to the first priority level. During active operation of the telecommunication subsystem, a statistical estimation of actual traffic intensity experienced by the first priority level is performed. Thereafter, the targeted blocking rate and estimated traffic intensity are utilized in computing a blocking threshold for the first priority level. This blocking threshold defines a number of channels, n, to which access by the second priority level will be blocked, such that the first priority level may achieve its assigned targeted blocking rate.


This invention relates to a carbide wire blade that is suitable for use in sawing through subsea structures. The carbide wire blade employs a tungsten carbide cutter, a vibration dampening member, and the first cylindrical spacer, slideably mounted on a solid cylindrical body.

Diamond wire saws have been used to cut through subsea structures such as fixed platform legs. A prior art diamond wire saw is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,036,599 to Matteucci. Subsea structures are made of a variety of materials, including metallic and nonmetallic materials. Nonmetallic materials used in subsea structures include various polymer compounds.
A drawback of diamond wire saws is that their diamond wire blades become clogged and thereby lose their cutting efficiency when used to cut certain polymer based materials. An invention comprising a carbide wire blade, of the type disclosed herein maintains its cutting efficiency when used to cut structures having a polymer composition.


A punching die for punching out a seal member from a sheet of an inorganic fiber mat having a contour. The punching die includes a base plate. A first blade is supported on the base plate and has a cutting edge extending to form a loop. The first blade punches out a frame-shaped unnecessary portion, which includes the contour, and a seal member formation portion, which includes the seal member, from the inorganic fiber mat. A second blade, which is supported on the base plate at an outer side of the first blade, partially cuts the frame-shaped unnecessary portion. The at least one second blade forms a perforation in the frame-shaped unnecessary portion to separate the unnecessary portion into a plurality of unnecessary fragments. This improves productivity for production of the seal members.

The present invention relates to a punching die used in the manufacture of a seal member that is wound around an exhaust gas purifier, and a method for manufacturing a seal member using a punching die.
In the prior art, an exhaust gas purification apparatus includes a filter member for trapping particulate matter (PM) suspended in the exhaust gas, a casing for accommodating the filter member, and a sheet-like seal member arranged between the filter member and the casing. The seal member is wound around the filter member, and the filter member around which the seal member is wound, is pressed into the casing (refer to JP-A-2001-316965).
The seal member is required to have the properties described below. First, the seal member must have high heat resistance to withstand high-temperature exhaust gas. Next, the seal member must prevent leakage of exhaust gas from between the filter member and the casing. Further, the seal member must prevent the filter member from falling out of the casing or from moving in the casing.
The seal member may be manufactured by processing a sheet of inorganic fibers having a predetermined shape in accordance with the size and shape of the filter member. The manufacturing processes for the seal member may include a punching process for cutting a rolled mat of inorganic fibers to a predetermined length. The punching enables a plurality of seal members to be simultaneously produced. There is a demand for further improving the productivity of seal members.

Punching die for manufacturing seal member and method for manufacturing seal member


One aspect of the present invention provides an electrochemical cell system comprising at least one electrochemical cell configured to be selectively connected to a load to discharge the cell by generating electrical current using a fuel and an oxidant. The electrochemical cell system may alternatively be connected to a power supply to recharge the cell. The electrochemical cell system comprises a plurality of electrodes and electrode bodies therein. The electrochemical cell system further comprises a switching system configured to permit progressive movement of the anodes used for charging each electrochemical cell, maintaining a minimum distance from a progressively moving cathode that is the site of fuel growth.

Electrochemical cells are well known. An electrochemical cell includes an anode or fuel electrode at which a fuel oxidation reaction takes place, a cathode or oxidant electrode at which an oxidant reduction reaction takes place, and an ionically conductive medium for supporting the transport of ions. In some metal-air cells, such as those disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2009/0284229, 2011/0086278, and 2011/0189551, as well as in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/028,496, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties, the fuel electrode comprises a plurality of scaffolded electrode bodies, on which metal fuel is reduced and electrodeposited.
Electrochemical cell systems may comprise a plurality of electrochemical cells. In some such electrochemical cell systems, the fuel electrode of the first cell may be coupled to a first terminal, the oxidant electrode of each cell within the cell system may be connected to the fuel electrode of the subsequent cell, and the oxidant electrode of the last cell in the series may be connected to a second terminal. Thus, a potential difference is created within each individual cell, and because these cells are coupled in series, a cumulative potential difference is generated between the first and second terminals. These terminals connect to a load L, creating a potential difference that drives current.
Among other things, the present application endeavors to provide a more efficient and effective architecture for recharging and discharging electrochemical cells and electrochemical cell systems.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Electrochemical cell system with a progressive oxygen evolving electrode / fuel electrode


A load driving device according to an aspect of the invention may includes an output transistor connected between a power supply line and an output terminal, a load connected between the output terminal and a first ground line, a control circuit connected between a gate of the output transistor and a second ground line, the control circuit controlling turning on/off of the output transistor, and a compensation transistor that turns on when a potential of the second ground line assumes a predetermined value or higher, thereby maintaining an off state of the output transistor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a load driving device. More specifically, the invention relates to a load driving device including an output transistor that controls power supply to a load.
2. Description of Related Art
In order to supply power from a power supply to a load such as a functional circuit or a power device, a lot of load driving devices are employed. This type of load driving device includes an output transistor which is connected between the power supply and the load and serves as a switch. The load driving device supplies the power to the load or shuts off the power, according to a conduction state of the output transistor. The load driving device may be referred to as a high-side switch. An example of such a load driving device is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-19812.
A circuit diagram of a load driving device 100 disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-19812 will be shown in FIG. 10. As shown in FIG. 10, the load driving circuit 100 includes a driver circuit 102, a switching N-type MOSFET (T101), and a controlling N-type MOSFET (T102). The controlling N-type MOSFET (T102) is provided between a gate of the switching N-type MOSFET (T101) and the ground. Then, the controlling N-type MOSFET (T102) is turned on or off, according to a driving signal s2 output from the driver circuit 102. When the controlling N-type MOSFET (T102) is turned off, a driving signal s1 output from the driver circuit 102 outputs a high-level signal. The switching N-type MOSFET (T101) is thereby turned on, so that power is supplied to the load 101. On the other hand, when the controlling N-type MOSFET (T102) is turned on, the gate of the switching N-type MOSFET (T101) is grounded to the ground. Thus, the switching N-type MOSFET (T101) is controlled to be turned off, so that power supply to the load 101 is shut off.
The controlling N-type MOSFET (T102) has a parasitic diode D102. An anode of the parasitic diode D102 is connected to the ground side, and a cathode of the parasitic diode D102 is connected to the gate side of the switching N-type MOSFET (T101) Thus, even when a dc power supply 103 is reversely connected, voltage is applied to the gate of the switching N-type MOSFET (T101) from the power supply 103 due to presence of the diode D102. Accordingly, the switching N-type MOSFET (T101) is turned on. For this reason, reverse connection current will not flow through a parasitic diode D101 of the switching N-type MOSFET (T101). Heat generation of the parasitic diode D101 may be thereby prevented. It means that in the load driving device 100, even when the power supply 103 is reversely connected, the switching N-type MOSFET (T101) and other circuit component may be prevented from being damaged.


A CMOS image sensor and a method for fabricating the same is disclosed, to improve reliability of a driving part transistor and to improve an output voltage of a photodiode, which includes a semiconductor substrate defined as a photodiode transistor region and a driving part transistor region; a first gate insulating layer on the photodiode transistor region of the semiconductor substrate; a second gate insulating layer on the driving part transistor region of the semiconductor substrate, wherein the second gate insulating layer is thicker than the first gate insulating layer; and gate electrodes on the respective first and second gate insulating layers.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a CMOS image sensor and a method for fabricating the same, and more particularly, to a CMOS image sensor and a method for fabricating the same, to improve reliability of a transistor for a driving part, and to improve a voltage of a photodiode.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Generally, an image sensor is a semiconductor device for converting an optical image into an electric signal. The image sensor can be broadly categorized into a charge coupled device (CCD) and a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor.
The charge coupled device (CCD) includes a plurality of photodiodes (PD) aligned in a matrix-type configuration and converting light signals into electric signals, a plurality of vertical charge coupled devices (VCCD) formed between each vertical photodiode aligned in a matrix-type configuration and vertically transmitting electric charges generated from each photodiode, a horizontal charge coupled device (HCCD) horizontally transmitting the electric charges transmitted by each of the vertical charge coupled devices (VCCD), and a sense amplifier sensing and outputting the horizontally transmitted electric charges.
However, the charge coupled device (CCD) has disadvantages of a complicated driving method, high power consumption, and a complicated fabrication process requiring a multi-phased photo process. In the charge coupled device (CCD), a control circuit, a signal processing circuit, an analog to digital (A/D) converter circuit, and so on cannot be easily integrated into a charge coupled device chip, thereby having the problem of forming compact-size products.
Recently, the complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor has been considered to be the next generation image sensor that can resolve the problems and disadvantages of the charge coupled device (CCD). The CMOS image sensor is a device adopting a CMOS technology using the control circuit, the signal processing circuit, and so on as a peripheral circuit, so as to form MOS transistors corresponding to the number of unit pixels on a semiconductor substrate, in order to sequentially detect the electric signals of each unit pixel by using a switching method, thereby representing an image.
Since the CMOS image sensor uses a CMOS fabrication technology, the CMOS image sensor is advantageous in that it has low power consumption and has a simple fabrication method through less photo process steps. In the CMOS image sensor, a control circuit, a signal processing circuit, an A/D converter circuit, and so on can be integrated in a CMOS image sensor chip, thereby enabling the product to be fabricated in a compact size. Accordingly, the CMOS image sensor is currently being extensively used in various applied technologies, such as digital still cameras and digital video cameras.
Meanwhile, the CMOS image sensor is categorized into 3T-type, 4T-type, and 5T-type according to the number of transistors, wherein the 3T-type CMOS image sensor is comprised of one photodiode and three transistors, and the 4T-type CMOS image sensor is comprised of one photodiode and four transistors. A layout of a unit pixel in the 3T-type and 4T-type CMOS image sensors will be described as follows.
FIG. 1 is a layout of a unit pixel in a 3T-type CMOS image sensor. FIG. 2 is a layout of a unit pixel in a 4T-type CMOS image sensor. FIG. 3 is an equivalent circuit diagram of a unit pixel in a general 3T-type image sensor. FIG. 4 is an equivalent circuit diagram of a unit pixel in a general 4T-type image sensor.
In a unit pixel of a general 3T-type image sensor, as shown in FIG. 1, an active area 10 is defined. Then, one photodiode 20 is formed in a large sized portion of the active area 10, and respective gate electrodes 120, 130, and 140 of three transistors are overlapped with the remaining portion of the active area 10. That is, a reset transistor Rx is formed by the gate electrode 120, a drive transistor Dx is formed by the gate electrode 130, and a select transistor Sx is formed by the gate electrode 140. In this case, impurity ions are implanted to the active area 10 of the respective transistors except portions below the gate electrodes 120, 130, and 140, thereby forming source/drain regions in the respective transistors. Accordingly, a power voltage Vdd is applied to the source/drain regions between the reset transistor Rx and the drive transistor Dx, and a power voltage Vss is applied to the source/drain regions at one side of the select transistor Sx.
Also, as shown in FIG. 2, in a unit pixel of a general 4T-type image sensor, an active area 10 is defined. Then, one photodiode 20 is formed in a large sized portion of the active area 10, and respective gate electrodes 110, 120, 130, and 140 of four transistors are overlapped with the remaining portion of the active area 10. That is, a transfer transistor Tx is formed by the gate electrode 110, a reset transistor Rx is formed by the gate electrode 120, a drive transistor Dx is formed by the gate electrode 130, and a select transistor Sx is formed by the gate electrode 140. At this time, impurity ions are implanted to the active area 10 of the respective transistors except portions below the gate electrodes 110, 120, 130, and 140, thereby forming source/drain regions in the respective transistors. Accordingly, a power voltage Vdd is applied to the source/drain regions between the reset transistor Rx and the drive transistor Dx, and a power voltage Vss is applied to the source/drain regions at one side of the select transistor Sx.
That is, as shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 4, in case of both 3T-type and 4T-type image sensors, a contact region is formed in the active area between the reset transistor Rx and the drive transistor Dx, whereby the power voltage Vdd is applied to the photodiode, and the power voltage Vss is applied to the select transistor Sx.
Also, the transistors comprising of the 3T-type and 4T-type image sensors are divided into a photodiode transistor and a driving part transistor according to their functional characteristics. In this state, the photodiode transistor functions as a switching transistor for inputting/outputting data to/from the photodiode. For example, in case of the 3T-type image sensor, the reset transistor is corresponding to the photodiode transistor of the switching transistor. In case of the 4T-type image sensor, the reset transistor and the transfer transistor are corresponding to the photodiode transistor of the switching transistor. Also, the driving part transistor functions as a transistor for outputting data (optical electric charge) outputted from the photodiode through a column line to the external. For example, in case of the 3T-type and 4T-type image sensors, the drive transistor and the select transistor function as the driving part transistor. When dividing the photodiode transistor and the driving part transistor in the unit pixel, the photodiode transistor is positioned between the photodiode and the power voltage Vdd, and the driving part transistor is positioned between the power voltage Vdd and Vss.
A photodiode transistor and a driving part transistor of a related art CMOS image sensor will be described as follows.
FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of the related art CMOS image sensor along I–I′ of FIG. 5. As shown in FIG. 5, a p-type epitaxial layer 101 is formed on a p-type semiconductor substrate 100, to form a large and deep depletion region in a photodiode of the p-type semiconductor substrate 100. Then, after defining an active area ('10' of FIG. 1 or FIG. 2), a gate insulating layer 11 and respective gate electrodes 120, 130, and 140 of a reset transistor Rx, a drive transistor Dx, and a select transistor Sx are formed on the p-type epitaxial layer 101. At this time, the gate insulating layer 11 corresponding to the respective gate electrodes 120, 130, and 140 of the reset transistor Rx, the drive transistor Dx, and the select transistor Sx has the same thickness. After that, source/drain regions 10a, 10b, 10c, and 10d are formed in the active area ('10' of FIG. 1 or FIG. 2) between each gate electrode 120, 130, and 140.
An operation of the related art CMOS image sensor will be described as follows.
First, the power voltage Vdd is applied to the photodiode 20 through the photodiode transistor (reset transistor or transfer transistor). After a predetermined time period, the optical electric charge generated in the photodiode 20 is outputted through the photodiode transistor. In this case, to generate a great amount of optical electric charges in the photodiode, it is required to obtain a high voltage applied to the photodiode through the photodiode transistor.
The voltage applied to the photodiode is a threshold voltage (Vdd−Vth) of the power voltage Vdd-photodiode transistor Vth.
That is, to make the high voltage of the photodiode, it is required to obtain the high power voltage Vdd, and to lower the threshold voltage. Furthermore, in order to lower the threshold voltage of the reset transistor or the transfer transistor, it is necessary to decrease the thickness of the gate insulating layer provided in each transistor.
However, in case of lowering the threshold voltage of the transistor, it may have the problem of reliability in the driving part transistor of the drive transistor and the select transistor. The driving part transistor is positioned between the Vdd and Vss terminals, whereby a great amount of positive electric charges flow in the driving part transistor as compared with that in the photodiode transistor. As a result, as the power voltage Vdd becomes high, the reliability of the driving part transistor is deteriorated.
The thickness of the gate insulating layer is correlated with the reliability of the driving part transistor, whereby the operation reliability of the CMOS image sensor is very sensitive to the thickness control of the gate insulating layer.
Accordingly, in the related art CMOS image sensor, the gate insulating layers corresponding to the photodiode transistor and the driving part transistor have the same thickness. To improve the output voltage of the photodiode, it is necessary to decrease the thickness of the gate insulating layer comprising the photodiode transistor, as well as to apply the high power voltage Vdd. In this case, if decreasing the thickness of the gate insulating layer, it has a bad influence to the reliability of the driving part transistor.

CMOS image sensor and method for fabricating the same


A method for configuring a forwarding table for user equipment, an apparatus, and a system, where an operator server receives a service access request of user equipment, establishes a correspondence for the user equipment, and sends the correspondence to an access node (AN) controller. The correspondence includes a media access control (MAC) address of the user equipment and an identifier of an operator to which the user equipment belongs. The AN controller generates a first forwarding table according to the correspondence, and sends the first forwarding table to an AN. The AN forwards, using the first forwarding table, service data of the user equipment to the operator to which the user equipment belongs.

In an access network based on a cable, a cable media converter (CMC) and an optical line terminal (OLT) may be regarded as an access node (AN) in the access network. The AN may be logically divided into multiple network slices. One network slice may be regarded as a set of multiple service transmission channels, and each service transmission channel is used for transmitting one type of service data. However, one network slice is used for transmitting only service data belonging to a same retailer, and service data transmitted using different network slices is independent of each other. A network resource wholesaler may allocate different network slices to different retailers such that user equipments of the different retailers share the AN.
To enable service transmission between the different retailers not to affect each other, the AN of the network resource wholesaler needs to identify user equipment using a retailer service in order to transmit, to a server of the retailer using a network slice corresponding to the retailer to which the user equipment belongs, service data sent by the user equipment. For example, one end of the AN accesses N cable modems (CMs), and the other end accesses N service routers. N is an integer greater than or equal to 1. As shown in FIG. 1, a CM1 belongs to a first retailer server, and a CMm belongs to an mth retailer server, where m is an integer greater than 1. A CM1 of first user equipment accesses the AN, the AN forwards service data of the CM1 to a router1 of the first retailer server, a CMm of mth user equipment accesses the AN, and the AN forwards service data of the CMm to a routerm of the mth retailer server. The router1 and the routerm are service routers of different retailer servers, and each router corresponds to one retailer server. On the AN, one forwarding table is configured for each CM that accesses the AN, and the forwarding table is used for indicating a network slice allocated to the CM. The AN may forward service data received by the CM1 to the router1 using a forwarding table configured for the CM1. The AN may forward service data received by a CM2 to a router2 using a forwarding table configured for the CM2. The AN may forward service data received by the CMm to the routerm using a forwarding table configured for the CMm.
Currently, in an access network based on a cable, multiple user equipments of different retailers share a same AN. When each user equipment accesses a network, a staff member of the network resource wholesaler needs to manually configure one forwarding table on the AN to indicate a forwarding path of service data of the user equipment that accesses the AN such that the AN forwards the service data to a retailer to which the user equipment belongs. However, with development of network technologies, a quantity of user equipments that access ANs enormously increases. Consequently, it takes a long time and high maintenance and operation costs to manually configure a forwarding table for each user equipment that accesses an AN.

Method for configuring forwarding table for user equipment, apparatus, and system


Compounds of formula (I), and pharmaceutically acceptable salts and esters thereof: (I); wherein Q, R2, X, Y and Z are as defined herein; are inhibitors of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS3 protease

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the major causative agent of parenterally-transmitted and sporadic non-A, non-B hepatitis (NANB-H). Some 1% of the human population of the planet is believed to be affected. Infection by the virus can result in chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis of the liver, and may lead to hepatocellular carcinoma. Currently no vaccine nor established, therapy exists, although partial success has been achieved in a minority of cases by treatment with recombinant interferon-α, either alone or in combination with ribavirin. There is therefore a pressing need for new and broadly-effective therapeutics.
Several virally-encoded enzymes are putative targets for therapeutic intervention, including a metalloprotease (NS2-3), a serine protease (NS3), a helicase (NS3), and an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (NS5B). The NS3 protease is located in the N-terminal domain of the NS3 protein, and is considered a prime drug target since it is responsible for an intramolecular cleavage at the NS3/4A site and for downstream intermolecular processing at the NS4A/4B, NS4B/5A and NS5A/5B junctions.
Previous research has identified classes of peptides, in particular hexapeptides, showing degrees of activity in inhibiting the NS3 protease. The aim of the present invention is to provide further compounds which exhibit similar, and if possible improved, activity.
Llinàs-Brunet et al (Bioorganic Medicinal Chemistry Letters 8 (1998) 2719–2724) described hexapeptide inhibitors of HCV. The activity of their inhibitors could be improved when the C-terminal carboxylic acid group was "activated" as an amide. Notably, benzylamides are exemplified in this document. However, derivatization as an amide was associated with loss of specificity of inhibition. The authors of this reference made no suggestion that peptides shorter than six amino acids long could be of any utility.

Peptides and their use as inhibitors of hepatitis C virus ns3 protease

Istituto Di Ricerche Di Biologia Molecolare P. Angeletti SpA


A method and apparatus for displaying line rotation on a raster computer graphics display, so that substantially rotated versions of original lines maintain a line style pattern that is identical to a line style pattern of the original lines. The invention includes controlling the line style of the substantially rotated version based upon rotation of the substantially rotated version. A line style array is stored in a computer memory for storing consecutive line style pattern features of the substantially rotated version of the first line and assigning a respective length value to each of the pattern features. A line style feature pixel counter is used for counting the pixels of each line style pattern feature. A comparator is used for comparing the incremented pixel counter to the respective length value. A pixel step value is scaled based upon a trigonometric function of the rotation of the substantially rotated version so as to generate a scaled pixel step value. An incrementer is used for incrementing the pixel counter by the scaled pixel step value.

Various computer graphics methods are known for drawing lines on raster computer graphics displays. For example, a well known computationally efficient method named after J. E. Bresenham. In accordance with the Bresenham method lines are drawn on a raster computer graphics display using pixels that are assigned integral coordinates relative to a notional rectangular coordinate system having a horizontal X major axis and having a vertical Y major axis. For each consecutive unit step along the horizontal X major axis, the Bresenham method is used to select a pixel from a respective vertical column of pixels corresponding to that unit step. The Bresenham method is discussed in his seminal paper published in the IBM Systems Journal, Vol. 4, No. 1 (1965), pg. 25-30. Similarly, other well known line drawing methods select pixels based on consecutive unit steps along the horizontal X major axis. The Digital Differential Analyzer (DDA) method is described in "Procedural Elements For Computer Graphics" by David F. Rogers 1985. ISBN:0-07-53534-5. pages 30-34.
Since a raster computer graphics display may show a large number lines, the many lines are advantageously distinguished by drawing lines using complex line styles (also known as a line type). For example, on the raster computer graphics display a first line may be easily distinguished from a second line if the first line is drawn using a first stippled pattern, and the second line is drawn using a second stippled pattern that is different than the first stippled pattern. As another example, the first line may be easily distinguished from the second line if the first line is drawn using a first colored pattern, and the second line is drawn using a second colored pattern that is different than the first colored pattern.
Various computer graphics methods, libraries, primitives, and the like are known for drawing lines with various line styles, line types, stippled patterns, colored patterns, and the like. Appendix A shows illustrative pseudocode for drawing lines with a stippled line style using X window system high performance graphics. Appendix B shows illustrative pseudocode for drawing lines with a stippled line style using OpenGL high performance graphics. In previously known computer graphics methods, as the line is drawn by selecting pixels based on consecutive unit steps along the horizontal X major axis, the unit step is also used to control the style of the line such as it is being drawn.
High performance computer graphics advantageously provide for computer users interacting with lines on a computer display in real time, just as if the lines were physical objects in the real world. For a three dimensional object depicted in isometric view by an arrangement of lines on the raster computer graphics display, a computer user may use computer controls to rotate the depiction in real time, just as the user would rotate physical objects in the real world. Accordingly a user who initiates rotation of such lines unconsciously expects line style patterns to remain identical as they are rotated in real time, just as features of objects in the real world remain identical when they are rotated.
Unfortunately, using previously known real time computer graphics drawing methods, line style patterns appear to shift and change as lines are substantially rotated. Unconsciously, the computer user experiences feelings of annoyance and confusion as the line style patterns appear to shift and change, since this is contrary to the user's expectations. This is particularly true for substantially rotating the depiction of the three dimensional object in real time, since the depiction of the object includes multiple lines and exhibits a distracting shimmering effect as the line style patterns of the lines of the depiction shift and change.
FIG. 1A is an overlay showing lines drawn using real time graphics drawing methods typical of the prior art. For example first line 101 has a complex stippled pattern as follows:
16 pixels-on PA1 16 pixels-off PA1 8 pixels-on PA1 8 pixels-off PA1 16 pixels-on PA1 16 pixels-on PA1 16 pixels-off PA1 8 pixels-on PA1 8 pixels-off PA1 16 pixels-on PA1 16 pixels-on PA1 16 pixels-off PA1 8 pixels-on PA1 8 pixels-off PA1 16 pixels-on
Accordingly, this pattern is repeated as follows along the length of the line:
Therefore, it should be understood that a long section of 32 pixels-on is repeated once per pattern repeat, so as to provide the 16 pixels-on section at the beginning, and then the longer 32 pixels-on sections at the pattern junctions.
As shown in overlay in FIG. 1A, each of seventeen successive substantially rotated versions of the first line include a respective stippled pattern in the substantially rotated versions that is shifted and changed in comparison with the stippled pattern of the first line.
In general, increased shift and change in the stippled pattern correspond to increased rotation. For example, in FIG. 1A increased shift and change is shown in the seventeenth substantially rotated version of the first line, which is rotated approximately forty-five degrees with respect to the horizontal X major axis. It is theorized by the present inventor that root causes of these limitations in the previously known graphics methods are that consecutive unit steps along the horizontal X major axis are used to control the style of the line such as it is being drawn (regardless of the rotation of the substantially rotated versions of the first line), and that drawing of the line style is not corrected based on the rotation.
It is theorized by the present inventor that the amount of change in line segment length between two lines is computed by the equation. EQU cos(a0)-cos(a1)
where a0 is the angle of rotation of a first line (with respect to one of the axis), and a1 is the angle of rotation of a second line (with respect to the axis) that is rotated with respect to the first line.
Thus, for a change from 0 to 2 degrees the change in line segment length is : EQU cos(0)-cos(2)=1.0-0.99939=0.000609
and for a change from 43 to 45 degrees the change in line segment length is :
cos(43)-cos(45)=0.73135-0.7071=0.02424
Accordingly, the percent change in line segment length is related to the angle of rotation, not just the difference in angle. To illustrate this relationship, the change in line segment length is normalized by the change in angle and the result is plotted as versus rotation angle as shown in FIG. 1B. In the limit as the delta, a0-a1, becomes arbitrarily small, this becomes the derivative of the cosine function, which is just the sine function. This is expressed as the following ratio: ##EQU1## as the delta, a0-a1, becomes arbitrarily small.
The present inventor particularly points out that the sine function starts with a function value of 0 at an angle of 0. This is why an insubstantially rotated version of the line near the axis does not result in shifts and changes in the stippled pattern of more than half of a pixel (unless the line is very long). Accordingly a substantially rotated version of the original line is defined as a version of the original line that is rotated by a sufficient amount so that the stippled pattern of the substantially rotated version of the line would have shifted and changed by more than half of a pixel with respect to the original line if the substantially rotated version of the line were drawn using the methods of the prior art, as illustrated for example in FIG. 1A.
What is needed is an efficient method and apparatus for displaying line rotation in real time on the raster computer graphics display so that substantially rotated versions of original lines maintain a complex line style pattern that is identical to a complex line style pattern of the original lines.

Method and apparatus for raster computer graphics display of rotation invariant line styles


The system includes a computer (20), a detector (40) for detecting and tracking head orientation and head movement of an individual, a pair of tactile gloves (42, 44) which are donned by the individual (51) for detecting and transmitting to the computer (20) as input data orientation and movements of the hands of the individual inserted in the tactile gloves (42, 44), a stereoscopic, head-mounted display (31), a subsystem for enabling the computer to generate a stereoscopic image of the training environment, a subsystem for causing the stereoscopic image of the training environment to be displayed and changed by the computer relative to input data received by the computer relating to the head orientation and head movement of the individual, relative to input data received by the computer relating to orientation and movement of the hands of the individual inserted in the tactile gloves, and relative to input data reflecting realistic changes in the training environment that would be perceived by the individual if interacting with an identical, non-simulated, training environment. An object (43) representative of a tool is adapted for transmitting tactile information to the computer (20). Sounds representative of the environment are transmitted to the individual (51) through the earphones (33). Vocal emanations of the individual are detected by a microphone (48). System peripheral items (31, 33, 40, 42, 43, 44, 48) are connected to the computer (20) by means of wires (60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65). The computer (20) interfaces and incorporates an environment simulation and modeling subsystem (22), an image generation component (24), a user interface management component (26), and a component for formulating and transmitting instructional input (28).

To enhance the ability of an individual to perform a task it is helpful, and sometimes essential, to train the individual in an environment that resembles the real-life environment in which the task would be performed. Examples of tasks for which individuals may be effectively trained through the use of a training environment representing the real-life environment include piloting an aircraft, performing repair and maintenance work upon an aircraft or motor vehicle, manufacturing items, and performing military maneuvers.
A commonly-used method of training incorporates the physical recreation of a real-life environment such as an aircraft cockpit, aircraft or motor vehicle segments, a manufacturing facility or work station, or a military target, using sophisticated computer-generated imagery with complex training devices or simulation hardware. There are several disadvantages inherent in these prior art approaches. One disadvantage is the cost of physically recreating the environment. For example, it is very costly to recreate elements of an aircraft or other complex mechanical device. It also is very costly to recreate a geographic area which would be the subject of military maneuvers. The elements of cost include not only the acquisition costs of the recreated environment but also the cost of continued operation and support.
Another disadvantage in utilizing a physical recreation of an environment is that it is difficult to reconfigure the environment to provide different training experiences. For example, if the elements of an aircraft cockpit or vehicle machinery change substantially, it may be necessary to completely rebuild the mechanical environment rather than modify the existing physical structure.
Still another disadvantage of utilizing the prior art environments is that the physical structure may be difficult, or impossible, to move to a different training location or to disassemble and reassemble in a new location. For example, a flight stimulator may be too cumbersome to move to a training site at different geographic location or to place upon a naval vessel. There may often be a need to move the training environment in order to train new individuals or for refresher or upgrade training of previously trained individuals. In addition to the difficulty in moving the physical recreation of an environment, there may be also be a problem in re-locating the physical structure in an area where space is limited.
A further disadvantage of utilizing prior art systems is that training opportunities ma be limited due to constraints that naturally limit access to the recreated environment. For example, only one pilot trainee may use the physical recreation of an aircraft cockpit at a time. Constraints of an environment may also cause difficulties in recreating certain aspects of the environment or recreating certain aspects accurately. For example, in combat training, it may not be possible to recreate climatic and other environmental conditions of an environment. As another example, it would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to recreate certain climatic or environmental conditions such as exposure to nuclear radiation or hazardous waste materials. It would likewise be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to create a structure wherein features of an environment, such as a landscape terrain, change during an exercise. This difficulty is particularly acute when the change that occurs in the environment is damage to the environment. The difficulty encountered is in accurately portraying the occurrence of and effect of damage and then subsequently portraying the undamaged environment for additional exercises.
In a more general sense, the physical constraints of an environment often limit the effectiveness of training through the use of a recreated environment because it is very difficult to create a model or structure that accurately depicts the real-life environment. It is important that the training environment resemble the real-life environment as closely as possible so that the individual performing tasks in the training environment will become accustomed to performing in a real-life manner. To optimize training, it is important that the training environment be realistically perceived in as many aspects as possible. Better training may be achieved if the environment is visually realistic. Training may be further optimized if elements of the environment may be interacted with in a realistic manner.
Thus it can be seen that prior art methods involve a number of physical and cost problems due to the size and complexity of these methods. As an alternative, another simpler method of training incorporates a graphic or pictorial recreation of an environment. For example, the pictorial recreation may be by means of a CRT monitor wherein a static or moving picture purports to recreate an environment. Training in this manner is undesirable because the recreated environment lacks realism and does not typically permit interaction therewith.

Interactive aircraft training system and method


Described herein are systems for manipulating a flowable substance, comprising: a flowable substance; a heating means; a cooling means; and a composition comprising chemically inert particles coated with a stimuli-responsive material. Compositions and methods for using the compositions are also described herein.

Engineered soils are geo-materials designed to address intricate practical problems in geotechnical and geo-environmental applications. One of the key issues for geo-engineers has been to improve soil properties to mitigate indiscriminate geo-hazards, such as contaminant migration in subsurface. The common approaches include physical modification of soil minerals, chemical treatments of soil solids and pore fluids, introduction of anomalous materials, and mixing of several granular materials to achieve desired functionalities.
Advances in material science and surface chemistry permit modifying the surfaces controlled by chemical composition and conformational structure of surface coating. For instance, the surface modification with organosilanes, polymers and carbon nanotube dramatically increases hydrophobicity. Granular materials and membranes coated with functional polymers and organo-silanes can be used for separating immiscible fluids, removing oil from the surface, and sieving hazardous compounds. These approaches render permanent or stationary changes to soil properties, which are often irreversible, hence may be limited in a dynamic environment.
Further, land operations in the petroleum industry cause oil pollution by drilling, leakage from wellheads and pipelines, and overflow at gathering stations. The chemical methods that use dispersants, sorbents or solidifiers for cleanup still introduce toxic materials into the environment. Bioremediation can degrade residual hydrocarbon in secondary phase after the first cleanup, yet it can take a long time with changing nutrient and oxygen supplies. Thermal treatment is only effective to volatile compounds and complete sediment removal is often required for heavily contaminated soil. There are major challenges that remain in our capabilities to govern the fate and migration of spilled oils and oily wastes in subsurface, one of which is efficient fluid separation. Other separation methods include air sparging of non-aqueous phase liquids in contaminated soils and groundwater; liquid water transport in a gas diffusion layer (GDL) in fuel cell applications, and methane hydrate dissociation in deep marine formations. These active separation processes are costly and there are no known methods that have been demonstrated to provide sustainable treatment.
Embodiments of the present invention are directed, inter alia, to solving some of the challenges associated with existing bioremediation processes.

Polymer coated sand and methods of manufacture and use


There is provided an improved magnetic resonance imaging procedure which essentially combines electron spin resonance enhanced MRI with echo planar imaging MRI.

The present invention relates to improvements in and relating to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and in particular to apparatus for and methods of electron spin resonance enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (ESREMRI).
ESREMRI, described by us in EP-A-296833 (Leunbach), is a method of magnetic resonance imaging in which amplification of the nuclear magnetic resonance signal, the free induction decay (FID) signal, is achieved by stimulating an electron spin resonance transition of a paramagnetic species present in the subject being imaged. Stimulation of the ESR transition leads to a polarization of the nuclear spin system responsible for the FID signals from which the magnetic resonance (MR) image of the subject is generated. This so called dynamic nuclear polarization is in effect an overpopulation, relative to equilibrium values, of the excited nuclear spin state and can be so large that the FID signal may be amplified by a factor of well over 100.
Using this technique, MR images may be generated by conventional imaging procedures, such as for example two and three dimensional Fourier transform, with enhanced signal to noise (SN) ratios (due to the amplification of the FID signal) and/or with shorter image acquisition times (since the nuclear spin system does not have to be allowed to relax towards equilibrium over a period comparable with T.sub.1, the spin-lattice relaxation time, for example about 1 second, between each excitation /FID signal detection cycle) and/or at lower strength primary magnetic fields than are conventionally utilized in MRI, e.g. 0.002 to 0.1 T or lower.
ESREMRI involves exposing the subject being imaged to pulses of electromagnetic radiation of frequencies selected such that ESR and NMR transitions are stimulated.
These frequencies are of course dependent on the strength of the primary magnetic field of the imaging apparatus; however, since, at the field strengths conventionally used in MRI, the ESR and NMR stimulating radiations are generally microwave (MW) and radiofrequency (RF) radiations, for the sake of convenience the ESR and NMR stimulating radiations will be referred to hereinafter as being MW and RF radiations respectively.
To maximize the FID signal enhancement in ESREMRI, the ESR transition(s) of the paramagnetic species, which may be naturally present in the subject being imaged but more generally will be administered to the subject as a contrast agent, should be stimulated at or near saturation level for a period leading up to the initial RF pulse of the RF pulse/FID signal detection cycle of the MR image acquisition procedure.
Exposure of live subjects to electromagnetic radiation of RF or MW frequencies (including the radiations of lower frequencies than are conventionally considered to be MW or RF but which are encompassed herein by those terms by virtue of the definition given above) may cause undesirable heating of the subject's tissues to occur and clearly it is essential for a diagnostic technique such as MRI (and ESREMRI) that the temperature increases in the tissue be kept down to an acceptable level.
To avoid excessive RF heating, there are recommendations for conventional MRI that the maximum radiation exposure, the specific absorption rate (SAR), should be about 1-8 W/kg bodyweight during the imaging procedure. If MRI is conducted in accordance with these recommendations, any tissue temperature rises should be acceptably low, e.g. less than about 1.degree. C., even for extended imaging periods.
Irradiation at power levels well above those recommended values however can be tolerated as long as the pulse duration of such radiation is short. Indeed, where pulsed RF or MW radiation is applied its heating effect may be lower than that of continuous wave radiation even where the SAR averaged over the whole exposure period may be much higher. Thus, some MR imagers operate using pulsed RF radiation where the SAR calculated for each pulse far exceeds the recommended maximum but where the SAR averaged over the exposure period is below that maximum.
As mentioned above, ESREMRI involves exposing the subject being imaged not just to the nuclear magnetic resonance stimulating RF radiation that is conventional within MRI, but also to electron spin resonance stimulating MW radiation. Accordingly, it is particularly important in in vivo ESREMRI to avoid undue exposure of the subject to MW radiation whereby to avoid undue heating of the subject's tissues.
In order that MW exposure be kept to an acceptable level we suggested in EP-A-296833 that any paramagnetic contrast agent used as the source of the MW stimulated ESR transitions should have an ESR spectrum in which the stimulated transition(s) should have a linewidth of less than 1 gauss. This effectively excluded from consideration the paramagnetic metal compounds, e.g. chelates, salts, etc., that have been found in conventional MRI to be effective T.sub.1 contrast agents. Instead EP-A-296833 focused attention on the suitability as ESREMRI contrast agents of various stable free radicals, such as for example nitroxides. However, those nitroxide stable free radicals which have ESR linewidths of less than 1 gauss generally are less efficient as T.sub.1 contrast agents in MRI--more specifically they generally have lower relaxivities or specific relaxation rate (1/T.sub.1) enhancement values than do the paramagnetic metal species--containing T.sub.1 contrast agents. Accordingly, up to now, choice of ESREMRI as an imaging technique has meant that a relatively low relaxivity contrast agent had to be used and that contrast agent dosages have had to be relatively high.
We have now found that MW exposure may be reduced or maintained within acceptable levels and that the choice of suitable contrast agents may be expanded by performing ESREMRI using the Echo Planar Imaging (EPI) technique developed by Mansfield for conventional MRI (see Mansfield P, J.Phys.C.10:L55-58 (1977)). The new technique according to the invention moreover represents an improvement in the performance of EPI since ESREMRI may be performed using primary magnetic fields lower in field strength than those primary fields generally used in MRI and may thus benefit from all the advantages of operating at lower primary field strengths.
Thus, whereas in MRI techniques such as back projection and two- and three-dimensional Fourier transform generation of a single image requires many RF excitation/FID signal detection cycles, in EPI a single RF excitation/FID signal detection cycle may be all that is required. This is made possible by echo regeneration of FID signals by rapid and repeated switching of the polarity of the read gradient. As a result of this rapid switching, the magnetic field variation (dG/dt) experienced by the subject being imaged can be high. Rapid magnetic field changes are considered undesirable for live subjects, but by operating at the low primary field strengths of for example 500 gauss or below, especially 200 gauss or below, that are utilizable for ESREMRI, smaller magnitude magnetic field gradients than are conventional in MRI may be used and as a result the magnetic field variation dG/dt in EPI may be reduced, or the FID signal utilization may be enhanced by switching the gradient polarity more rapidly.

Electron spin resonance enhanced MRI using an echo planar imaging technique


A method of presenting product information in a vending machine may include detecting audio information from a consumer and converting the audio information to a text string. The method may include identifying a keyword in the text string, and determining products from a product database associated with the keyword. The method may include returning a list of the products that correspond to the keyword.

Vending machines generally require a consumer to make a payment, select a product available for purchase, and wait for the product to be dispensed. Some vending machines allow the consumer to make a product selection by pressing a button having an image of the desired product. Some vending machines include a storage compartment that is visible from the exterior of the vending machine so that the consumer may view the available products. The consumer may then enter a code into a keypad to cause the desired product to be dispensed. Such vending machines may not help a consumer make a product selection and may provide limited or no information about the products available for purchase.


An optical disc drive includes an electro-conductive chassis, a tray, a bezel and an electro-conductive sheet. Wherein, the electro-conductive chassis has an opening portion. The tray is disposed inside the electro-conductive chassis for carrying an information storage medium and can move into and from the electro-conductive chassis, and the bezel is disposed at a front edge of the tray. In addition, the electro-conductive sheet is disposed between the front edge of the tray and the bezel, and substantively covers the opening portion of the electro-conductive chassis. As the tray stays inside the electro-conductive chassis, the electro-conductive sheet is in contact with the electro-conductive chassis. Consequently, the electro-conductive sheet is able to reduce the electromagnetic interference (EMI) generated during the operating of the optical disc drive. Further, the electromagnetic wave leakage damaging human health is also prevented.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to an optical disc drive, and particularly to a optical disc drive having a structure for reducing electromagnetic interference (EMI).
2. Description of the Related Art
As a storage medium, optical discs have the advantages such as cheap, portable, capable of storing enormous memory, convenient to maintain, long-lasting, low cost and durable. Along with such advantages, at present optical discs are gradually replacing the conventional magnetic storage medium and have become an indispensable optical storage medium for modern life. Due to broad applications of optical discs, optical disc drives for reading data recorded on optical discs have become a common electronic product in our daily life.
Referring to FIG. 1, it is a schematic three-dimensional drawing of a conventional optical disc drive. The conventional optical disc drive 100 comprises an electro-conductive chassis 110, a tray 120, a bezel 130, an optical disc reading mechanism 140 and a slide rail 150. Wherein, the electro-conductive chassis 110 has an opening portion 112 for the tray 120 to move in to and out from the inner space of the electro-conductive chassis 110 along the slide rail 150. The optical disc reading mechanism 140 comprises a turntable 142 and an optical pick-up 144 disposed on the tray 120. The bezel 130 is attached to the tray 120. When the tray 120 slips into the electro-conductive chassis 110, the bezel 130 covers the opening portion 112 for preventing the optical disc drive 100 from getting outside dust.
While the optical pick-up 144 of the optical disc drive 100 is reading an optical disc (not shown in FIG. 1), the optical disc drive 100 produces an electromagnetic wave with high frequency and high energy. Since the bezel 130 of the optical disc drive 100 is made of plastic material, the electromagnetic wave is very easy to penetrate through the bezel 130 out of the optical disc drive 100. The leaked electromagnetic wave will cause an electromagnetic interference (EMI) to the surrounding electronic apparatuses.
The EMI produced by a conventional optical disc drive makes negative impact not only on other electronic devices in the computer, but also on human health. This is the reason why most countries have established strict regulations on the electromagnetic wave intensity generated by electronic products. How to reduce the EMI produced by the optical disc drive in operation and how to prevent the electromagnetic wave from leaking that results in harming human health are consequently a significant project.


A camera module includes an imaging sensor, a conductive member, a plate-like member, and a sealing member. The imaging sensor includes a light-receiving surface configured to receive light gathered by a lens unit, the lens unit including a lens and a drive section driving the lens. The conductive member is connected to the drive section for supply of power to the drive section. The plate-like member is provided with the imaging sensor and the conductive member. The sealing member is formed by sealing the imaging sensor and the conductive member, the conductive member being exposed at a connection part for connection to the drive section, the imaging sensor being exposed at the light-receiving surface.

The present disclosure relates to a camera module, a manufacturing apparatus, and a manufacturing method and, more specifically, to a camera module, a manufacturing apparatus, and a manufacturing method that realize space-saving connection between an actuator that operates to drive a camera lens and a printed circuit board, for example.
There has been proposed a fixed-focus camera module in which a printed circuit board is sealed (hermetically sealed) by resin with an image sensor attached thereon to expose only the light-receiving surface of the image sensor, for example. As an example, see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2004-296453 (hereinafter, referred to as Patent Document 1).

Camera module, manufacturing apparatus, and manufacturing method


Peptide analogs of glucagon and peptide analogs of GLP1 are provided herein. Also provided herein are pharmaceutical compositions comprising the analogs, and methods of using the analogs for the treatment and/or prevention of conditions such as obesity and diabetes.

According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III, 1988 to 1994), between one third and one half of men and women in the United States are overweight. In the United States, sixty percent of men and fifty-one percent of women, of the age of 20 or older, are either overweight or obese. In addition, a large percentage of children in the United States are overweight or obese.
The cause of obesity is complex and multi-factorial. Increasing evidence suggests that obesity is not a simple problem of self-control but is a complex disorder involving appetite regulation and energy metabolism. In addition, obesity is associated with a variety of conditions associated with increased morbidity and mortality in a population. Although the etiology of obesity is not definitively established, genetic, metabolic, biochemical, cultural and psychosocial factors are believed to contribute. In general, obesity has been described as a condition in which excess body fat puts an individual at a health risk.
There is strong evidence that obesity is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Disease risk, such as cardiovascular disease risk and type 2 diabetes disease risk, increases independently with increased body mass index (BMI). Indeed, this risk has been quantified as a five percent increase in the risk of cardiac disease for females, and a seven percent increase in the risk of cardiac disease for males, for each point of a BMI greater than 24.9 (see Kenchaiah et al., N. Engl. J. Med. 347:305, 2002; Massie, N. Engl. J. Med. 347:358, 2002). In addition, there is substantial evidence that weight loss in obese persons reduces important disease risk factors. Even a small weight loss, such as 10% of the initial body weight in both overweight and obese adults has been associated with a decrease in risk factors such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and hyperglycemia. Recently it has been shown that considerable weight loss can effectively cure type 2 diabetes (Lim et al, Diabetologia June 2011).
Although diet and exercise provide a simple process to decrease weight gain, overweight and obese individuals often cannot sufficiently control these factors to effectively lose weight. Pharmacotherapy is available; several weight loss drugs have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration that can be used as part of a comprehensive weight loss program. However, many of these drugs have proven to have serious adverse side effects, and have had to be withdrawn. When less invasive methods have failed, and the patient is at high risk for obesity related morbidity or mortality, weight loss surgery is an option in carefully selected patients with clinically severe obesity. However, these treatments are high-risk, and suitable for use in only a limited number of patients. It is not only obese subjects who wish to lose weight. People with weight within the recommended range, for example, in the upper part of the recommended range, may wish to reduce their weight, to bring it closer to the ideal weight. Thus, a need remains for agents that can be used to effect weight loss in overweight and obese subjects as well as subjects who are of normal weight.
A number of derivatives of peptides deriving from the pro-glucagon molecule have been proposed for use in treatment of obesity and/or diabetes. Pro-glucagon is a precursor peptide of glucagon, as well as other hormones including oxyntomodulin (OXM) and GLP1 (glucagon-like peptide 1). Glucagon is released in vivo when blood glucose levels fall low and has the activity of causing the liver to convert stored glycogen into glucose which is released into the bloodstream raising blood glucose levels. GLP1 is produced in vivo in the intestinal L cell in response to the presence of nutrients in the lumen of the gut. Once in the circulation, native GLP1 has a half-life of only a few minutes in humans due to rapid degradation by the enzyme dipeptidyl peptidase. GLP1 possesses a number of physiological functions including increasing insulin secretion from the pancreas in a glucose-dependent manner, decreasing glucagon secretion from the pancreas, inhibiting gastric emptying and decreasing food intake by increasing satiety. Increased insulin secretion leads to a decrease in circulating glucose concentration.
WO2008/086086 (Indiana University Research and Technology Corporation) discloses certain glucagon peptides which have been modified by the incorporation of charged amino acids at the carboxy terminus of the peptide. The peptides are disclosed as having enhanced aqueous solubility at a pH ranging from about 5.5 to about 8.
WO2011/075393 (Indiana University Research and Technology Corporation) discloses certain peptides having activity at the GLP1 and/or glucagon receptors, including peptides which are based on the sequence of glucagon but which are modified such that the glucagon residues at positions 18 to 24 are substituted for exendin-4 residues. Exendin-4 is a lizard venom peptide which is a structural homolog of GLP1 (50% amino acid identity) and which also has activity at the GLP-1 receptor. WO2011/075393 teaches that, in order to achieve prolonged half-life/extended duration of action, the peptides may contain acylated or alkylated amino acids.
Despite significant advances, the process of identifying substances useful as drugs remains a complex and, in many cases, unpredictable field. Compounds must possess a suitable balance of properties, for example in addition to having efficacy at the biological target of interest, they must have good in vivo pharmacokinetic properties as well as low toxicity.
The present invention is based on the discovery that analogues of glucagon containing His residues at specified positions can be administered to a subject in order to cause an alteration in energy metabolism, so as to promote weight loss. In many case the glucagon analogues of the present invention have an improved pharmacokinetic profile, having a longer duration of action than native glucagon. In particular, glucagon analogues may have an improved pharmacokinetic profile characterised by a slower increase of plasma levels following administration, a lower Cmax and/or a more stable plateau. Such a pharmacokinetic profile may be associated with a decrease in side effects such as nausea, which are associated with a rapid onset of high plasma levels. Glucagon analogues of the invention may display improved potency and/or fewer side effects compared with native glucagon. Increased potency at the glucagon receptor results in lower doses being required to decrease food intake, thereby decreasing the side effects associated with high doses.
The present invention is also based on the discovery that analogues of GLP1 containing His residues at specified positions can be administered to a subject in order to cause prolonged reduction in appetite and hence food intake, so as to promote weight loss. In many cases the GLP1 analogues of the present invention exhibit improved pharmacokinetic properties (e.g. longer duration of action) compared with native GLP1. In particular, GLP1 analogues may have an improved pharmacokinetic profile characterised by a slower increase of plasma levels following administration, a lower Cmax and/or a more stable plateau. Such a pharmacokinetic profile may be associated with a decrease in side effects such as nausea, which are associated with a rapid onset of high plasma levels. GLP1 analogues of the invention may display improved potency and/or fewer side effects compared with native GLP1. Increased potency at the GLP-1 receptor results in lower doses being required to decrease food intake, thereby decreasing the side effects associated with high doses.


A high-resolution substrate having an area of at least 100 square centimeters and selected traces having a line/space dimension of 2 micrometers or less is employed to integrate multiple independently operable clusters of flip chip mounted components, thereby creating a circuit assembly. Each independently operable cluster of components preferably includes a power distribution chip, a test/monitor chip, and at least one redundant chip for each type of logic device and for each type of memory device. The components in at least one of the independently operable clusters of components may include the components provided in a commercially available chiplet assembly. An electronic system may comprise multiple substrates comprising independently operable clusters of components, plus a motherboard, a system controller, and a system input/output connector.

For several decades, organic printed circuit boards have serviced the electronics industry with effective substrates comprising epoxy glass layers interposed with patterned copper layers. The use of polymer masks has enabled typical line and space dimensions of 0.004 inches or 100 microns.
Electronic packaging technology has advanced to the point where package substrates require a line and space dimension (half-pitch) of around 2 microns. The package substrate has been positioned intermediate between mounted circuit components and printed circuit boards. The mounted circuit components have employed pad pitches of 40 microns or less, leading to the 2-micron line and space requirement. This fine resolution interconnect has generally required damascene processing. To meet the masking requirements for damascene processing, reticle imaging has been employed. The useful image size using reticle imaging has been 26 mm×14 mm for example.
There is a need in the art for a new substrate technology that provides fine resolution interconnect in large panel sizes. Availability of this new technology would help to obviate the need for intermediate package substrates, enabling improved performance as well as space and cost savings.
Typically, around 5% of the "known good die" created during wafer sort testing turn out to be defective during subsequent testing in packaged form. This is often referred to as the "known good die (KGD) problem". For electronic systems that incorporate bare dice, there is a need in the art for methods to overcome this problem.
Chiplet assemblies have been described having a set of components integrated together in a single package. They have typically required substrates in the form of silicon interposers, and these substrates have contributed substantially to the cost of a chiplet assembly. There is a need in the art to reduce this cost.


A servo track writing apparatus for recording servo information or patterns on a disc or discs for a data storage device is disclosed. The servo track writing apparatus includes a shroud proximate to and downstream of a cantilevered head assembly to limit DC wander for writing servo information to disc or discs. In particular, the shroud is position in an operating zone or sector of the cantilevered head assembly or between an air dam and stripper of a servo track writing apparatus.

Data storage devices store digitally encoded information on discs. Heads read from or write data to discs which are supported for rotation relative to a base chassis by a spindle motor or drive. Heads include transducer elements, such as magnetoresistive, magneto-optical or inductive elements for read or write operations. An actuator assembly moves the head relative to select data tracks on the disc to read or write data to the disc surface or media. The head is positioned relative to tracks via a servo control system based upon servo information or patterns on a rotating disc or discs. For example, servo patterns or information can be encoded on a disc or discs between data sectors of each track of a disc "embedded servo information" or on a surface of a dedicated disc or "dedicated servo".
Servo information or patterns are pre-recorded or written during manufacture of the data storage device for example, via a dedicated servo track writing apparatus. Multi-disc servo track writers are used to prerecord servo patterns or information to a plurality of discs for high-density recording. Recording density is increasing requiring more accurate servo control feedback which is limited by alignment of the recorded servo patterns or information on the disc or discs. Embodiments of the present invention provide solutions to these and other problems, and offer other advantages over the prior art.

Servo track writing apparatus with a head assembly shroud


A method for removing at least one molten or solid structure from a surface including: placing the surface with the at least one molten or solid structure in a fixture; disposing said wiper assembly acted on by a bias proximate the at least one molten or solid structure; retaining the wiper assembly in a first position with a device having a first temperature point level equivalent to or higher than a second melting point level of the at least one molten or solid structure; and raising the temperature of the fixture to the first temperature point level; wherein the at least one molten or solid structure is wiped from the surface when the device reaches the first temperature point level. An apparatus for removing at least one molten or solid structure from a substrate for rework, the apparatus comprising: a fixture for sustaining and biasing the substrate against a wiper assembly; the wiper assembly configured and positioned to slidably engage at least a portion of the substrate; a bias for translating the wiper assembly along a surface of the substrate having the at least one molten or solid structure to be removed; and a guide block assembly capable of guiding and locking the wiper assembly.

Ball Grid Arrays (BGA) and Column Grid Arrays (CGA) are widely used to electrically and mechanically connect substrates (typically ceramic) having semiconductor chips to a card. The BGA commonly comprises an array of metal balls that are soldered to the substrate utilizing a solder fillet material. The solder fillet material typically has a lower melting temperature (183xc2x0 C. for eutectic Pb/Sn) than the solder ball (300xc2x0 C.) to which it joins to, enabling the solder ball to be joined with the substrate without melting. In some instances, however, the solder ball and solder fillet material are of the same composition, thus causing the entire interconnect to become liquidous during the reflow. During the above manufacturing process to form a module, a defect may occur to one or more balls which requires the array of balls to be removed and replaced with a new array of balls.
After the module is populated with interconnects, such as a BGA, the module is typically joined to a card, often with the same solder alloy used initially to join the BGA to the substrate forming the module. Should a defect occur when joining a module to a card or later testing of the card mounted module, the module is removed from the card. When a module is removed from a card, it is necessary to remove the remaining balls and repopulate the substrate with a new array of balls if the module is to be used again.
Not only must the solder balls (or interconnects) be removed if a defect occurs during manufacturing, mounting, or testing a module, but the fillet solder that mechanically retains the interconnects in place must be dressed off in such a manner that new fillet material can be applied.
A conventional method to remove and dress BGA""s from substrates is known as hot oil rework. A module is placed vertically into a chuck and lowered into a bath of oil heated to approximately 220xc2x0 C. The hot oil melts the fillet material holding the balls (interconnects). A wiper blade then pushes against the substrate and wipes off the BGA""s and the fillet material as the wiper is lifted out of the bath. The problems with the above method are twofold. First, the entire substrate must be subjected to the hot oil. The hot oil is detrimental to certain microelectronic components and packaging. Secondly, the use of hot oil to remove components disposed on the top surface that are joined with substantially the same solder alloys as the BGA""s on the bottom surface cause the top surface components to fall off when subjected to a liquidous temperature in the hot oil bath meant only to remove the bottom surface BGA""s. Furthermore, the conventional hot oil process is conducted in a batch mode, as opposed to a more desirable mode of continuously feeding a tool with individual modules needed to be reworked Therefore, the conventional hot oil process cannot ensure the effectiveness of rework, results in undesirable damage to certain microelectronic components and organic carriers, and enables top surface metallurgy components to fall off and must then be repopulated. There thus remains a need for an improved method and apparatus to remove BGA interconnects for rework from substrates and interposers.
The above-described circumstances are overcome and alleviated by the present apparatus and method for removing molten and solid material from a substrate, such as, for example solder and BGA interconnects for rework. One embodiment is a method for removing at least one molten or solid structure from a surface comprising: placing the surface with the at least one molten or solid structure in a fixture; disposing said wiper assembly acted on by a bias proximate the at least one molten or solid structure; retaining the wiper assembly in a first position with a device having a first temperature point level equivalent to or higher than a second melting point level of the at least one molten or solid structure; and raising the temperature of the fixture to the first temperature point level; wherein the at least one molten or solid structure is wiped from the surface when the device reaches the first temperature point level. Another embodiment is an apparatus for removing at least one molten or solid structure from a substrate for rework, the apparatus comprising: a fixture for sustaining and biasing the substrate against a wiper assembly; the wiper assembly configured and positioned to slidably engage at least a portion of the substrate; a heat source to raise the temperature to a melting point level of the at least one molten or solid structure; a bias for translating the wiper assembly along a surface of the substrate having the at least one molten or solid structure to be removed; and a guide block assembly capable of guiding and locking the wiper assembly.

Apparatus and method for removing interconnections

International Business Machines Corporation