A measuring circuit with a biosensor utilizing ion sensitive field effect transistors having a simplified structure and is advantageous to integration. The measuring circuit comprises two ion sensitive FET input devices composed of an enzyme FET having an enzyme sensitive membrane on the gate and a reference FET, and a differential amplifier for amplifying the outputs of the enzyme FET and the reference FET. The drift phenomena of the ISFETs due to the use of a non-stable quasi-reference electrode as well as the temperature dependence thereof can be eliminated by the differential amplifier consisting of MOSFETs having the same channel as the ISFETs. The ISFET biosensor and the measuring circuit can be integrated into one chip.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a measuring circuit with a biosensor which utilizes ion sensitive field effect transistors (ISFETS).
2. Description of the Prior Art
Biosensors have been developed as a kind of chemical sensor for sensing biomaterials.
At present, biosensors are widely used in the fields of medical treatment, basic science and food engineering. As concerns for health are increased, the importance of these biosensors has also been increased.
Conventionally, for the measurement of the biomaterials such as urea, glucose and penicillin, etc., a biosensor utilizing an ion selective electrode or a gas sensing electrode has been widely and mainly used.
However, such type of biosensor has the disadvantages that it is very expensive, large in signal size, and slow in signal response as well as difficult to handle.
Since an ISFET is a semiconductor ion sensor and manufactured by an integrated circuit manufacturing process, it has numerous advantages such as: small size, easy standardization, rapid response, economic mass production, and relatively easy integration in a signal processing circuit.
The development potential of an ISFET biosensor is highly desirable and tremendously economical because as single metal such as platinum (Pt) wire can be used to substitute for a commercial reference electrode such as a reference FET (hereinafter referred to as REFET), which has been extremely difficult to be miniaturized and to be reduced in cost since the gate is not amenable to a sensing membrane even though it is capable of having the advantages as discussed above.
The conventional measuring circuit for an ISFET biosensor comprises a REFET which is not responsive to a specific biomaterial, an enzyme FET (hereinafter referred to as ENFET) which has an enzyme sensitive membrane on its gate and is responsive to the specific biomaterial, a sensed signal detecting circuit connected to the REFET and the ENFET, and a differential amplifier which amplifies differentially the output of the sensed signal detecting circuit.
However, such measuring circuit has many disadvantages because it has a complicated structure due to the numerous elements and it is difficult to miniaturize as an entire measuring system. Moreover, it is also difficult for the ISFETs and the measuring circuit to be integrated into one chip.

Measuring circuit with a biosensor utilizing ion sensitive field effect transistors


A motor-driven compressor includes a shell, an electric motor, a first conductor electrically connected to an external power source, a second conductor electrically connected to the electric motor, a connector connecting the first conductor and the second conductor and a connector case. The connector case has a first case member, a second case member, a first and a second seal members interposed between the first and the second case members, a hole through which the first conductor is inserted and a third seal member sealing between the first conductor and the connector case. A first main seal of the first seal member and a second main seal of the second seal member cooperate to form a cylindrical seal portion for sealing the second conductor that is inserted through the cylindrical seal portion when the first and the second seal members are joined.

The present invention relates to a motor-driven compressor having a shell receiving therein an electric motor that is electrically connected to a power source located outside the shell.
In such kind of compressor, a first conductor connected to the power supply extends through the shell, and a second conductor connected to the electric motor is connected to the first conductor in the shell.
When the compressor is left stopped for a long time, refrigerant gas existing in the compressor or within the shell may be cooled and liquefied, and such liquefied refrigerant may remain in the compressor. Although major part of the second conductor is covered by an insulator, immersion of the connection between the first and the second conductors in the liquid refrigerant may cause electrical leakage between the first and the second conductors.
In the compressor disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication NO. 05-256261, the second conductor or a motor lead wire is connected to a spring terminal, and part of the first conductor that is located in the shell is inserted in the spring terminal and electrically connected to the spring terminal. The spring terminal is covered by a heat-shrinkable tube in the shell. The tube shrinks when heated by operation of the compressor, thereby preventing contact between the conductors and liquid refrigerant in the shell.
However, sealing provided by the shrinkage of the tube is not enough to prevent electrical leakage in the shell. Good sealing may be accomplished, for example, by covering the spring terminal using thermosetting resin such as epoxy resin and then setting the resin by heating. However, this procedure is troublesome.
The present invention is directed to providing a motor-driven compressor that provides improved and simple sealing of electrical connection between a first and a second conductors in a shell of the compressor.


Discovery/layout software configures a general purpose computer system to act as a management station using an industry standard SNMP protocol. The discovery/layout software has a discovery mechanism and a layout mechanism which, in combination, permit the discovery/layout software to provide various submaps to a display for illustrating network topology, which includes devices and device interconnections of the network. The submaps correspond to various hierarchical views of the network. Significantly, a persistence specification mechanism is provided in the discovery/layout software for specifying a submap as either transient (generated upon demand) or persistent (exists whether demanded or not). An integrating application as well as the user can identify a submap as persistent. This feature enables better interfacing of the integrating application with the station, thereby providing more information to the user. This feature further minimizes memory requirements as well as requisite processing time due to the elimination of unnecessary submaps and the elimination of processing of topology changes relative to the unnecessary submaps.

A data communications network generally includes a group of devices, for instance, computers, repeaters, bridges, routers, etc., situated at network nodes and a collection of communication channels for interconnecting the various nodes. Hardware and software associated with the network and particularly the devices permit the devices to exchange data electronically via the communication channels.
The size of networks varies. A local area network (LAN) is a network of devices in close proximity, typically less than one mile, and usually connected by a single cable, for instance, a coaxial cable. A wide area network (WAN) is a network of devices which are separated by longer distances, often connected by, for example, telephone lines or satellite links. In fact, some WANs span the U.S. as well as the world. Furthermore, many of these networks are widely available for use by the public, including commonly universities and commercial industries.
A very popular industry standard protocol for data communication along the networks is the Internet Protocol (IP). This protocol was originally developed by the U.S. government's Department of Defense, and has been dedicated for public use by the U.S. government. In time, the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and the Unreliable Datagram Protocol (UDP) were developed for use with the IP. The former protocol (TCP/IP) is a protocol which guarantees transfer of data without errors, as it implements certain check functionality, and the latter protocol (UDP/IP) is a protocol which does not guarantee transfer of data, but requires much less overhead than the TCP/IP platform. Furthermore, in order to keep track of and manage the various devices situated on a network, the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) was eventually developed for use with a UDP/IP platform. The use of the foregoing protocols has become extensive in the industry, and numerous vendors now manufacture many types of network devices which can employ these protocols.
Many management software packages ("management platforms") are presently available for implementing "management stations" on a network, and particularly, in connection with the SNMP. Examples of commercially available SNMP management software packages include OpenView from the Hewlett-Packard Company (the assignee herein), NetView/6000 from IBM Corp., Spectrum from Cabletron Systems, Inc., NetLabs/Manager from NetLabs, Inc., and SunNet Manager from SunConnect, Inc. The nodes on a network and their interconnections, oftentimes referred to as the network "topology," are best displayed in a graphical format, and most, if not all, of the available management software packages provide for this feature. Typically, with these packages, a network can be viewed from different vantage points, depending on the scope of the view desired. For example, one view of the network could be a very wide encompassing view of all nodes on the entire network. A second view could be a view of those portions of a network within a local range, for example, within a particular site or building. A third view of a network, often called a segment, could be a view of the nodes attached to a particular LAN cable.
Hewlett-Packard's very successful OpenView has been the subject of several patents, including for instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,185,860 issued to J. C. Wu on Feb. 9, 1993, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,276,789 issued to Besaw et al. on Jan. 4, 1994, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. U.S. Pat. No. 5,185,860 describes an automatic discovery system for a management station for determining the network devices and interconnections of a network, or the topology. U.S. Pat. No. 5,276,789 describes a graphic display system for a management station for graphically displaying the topology of a network and provides for various views (including, internet, segment, and node views) that can be requested by a user.
Although the presently available SNMP management stations are meritorious to an extent, the art of SNMP management stations is still in a state of infancy, and the performance of these management stations can still be enhanced and optimized. A specific area where optimization is envisioned involves the integrating applications which are associated with the management stations and which can provide additional information about network devices, for example, routers. The additional information could include, for example, device configuration information, device status, performance parameters, additional topology information, etc. However, in prior art management stations, this additional information is oftentimes not made available to the user. One reason that this additional information is not made available is that these systems suffer from an inadequate interface between the integrating applications and the display map generator within these systems.
More specifically, many management stations have on-demand submap capabilities. One such example is Hewlett-Packard's OpenView. In on-demand submap systems, a submap corresponds with each view of the network to be displayed. The system map is the collection of all submaps. In these on-demand submap systems, and particularly, the OpenView system, the user specifies which submaps the user wishes to have available, and hence, specifies the submaps which are resident within the map. Moreover, the user can also open, or "explode," a submap during operation, even though it is not specified as resident in the map. In this case, the submap is generated immediately from topology data when the user prompts the management station to open the submap, hence the name on-demand. However, the foregoing design is problematic. First, if a submap is not resident in the map, and the user opens the submap, then an integrating application cannot adequately determine what additional information to provide to the management station, due to time constraints in opening the desired submap, and the user is therefore not advised of this additional information. In other words, the integrating applications need time to analyze the topology data and time to generate the additional information for display to the user.
Another problem with current designs is that for nonresident submaps, integrating applications are unable to alert the user of critical information until the user explodes the submap. It is desirable to alert the user as soon as an anomaly is detected.
Furthermore, in prior art management stations, once a submap has been created, it remains in the system's map from then on, even if the integrating applications no longer need the submap. This predicament undesirably uses valuable memory space. This situation also needlessly expends processor time, as some events, or changes in network topology, will unnecessarily be processed for updating some of the unnecessary resident submaps. Thus, a need exists in the industry for a system and method for better interfacing integrating applications to an on-demand submap system, for minimizing memory requirements thereof, and for optimizing performance (including speed) thereof.

Persistence specification system and method for producing persistent and transient submaps in a management station for a data communication network


A composite ceramic coating having abrasive properties for application to a metallic substrate is provided which includes a ceramic matrix and a plurality of ceramic abrasive particles disposed within said ceramic matrix. The abrasive particles have a shear strength substantially greater than that of the ceramic matrix and possess an angular geometry. A method for providing an abrasive coating on a metallic article is also provided.

1. Technical Field
This invention relates to the field of seals used in rotating machinery to prevent the leakage of fluids. This invention relates more specifically to the abrasive components used in abrasive/abradable seals which prevent interaction between moving components in the aforementioned rotating machinery.
2. Background Information
Turbine and compressor sections within an axial flow turbine engine generally include one or more rotor assemblies each having a plurality of rotor blades circumferentially disposed around a disk rotating within a cylindrical case. For efficiency sake, each rotor assembly includes seals for sealing between the rotating members and the stationary members. The seals increase the efficiency of the engine by preventing the leakage of air where little or no work can be either imparted or extracted. Abradable seals, which include a "hard" abrasive component designed to contact a "soft" abradable component, are a popular choice for such seals. The abradable component generally consists of a brittle, frangible material that in theory breaks cleanly away when contacted by an abrasive component. The abrasive component, on the other hand, consists of a hardened, tough material that in theory will not yield during contact with the abradable component. In the case of the blade outer air seal, the abrasive component is typically applied to the blade tips and the abradable component is applied to the inner diameter of the case. Disparate thermal and/or dynamic growth between the rotor assembly and the case causes the abrasive component to contact the abradable component and thereby seal between the two components. The softer abradable component yields to the abrasive component and thereby prevents mechanical damage to either the blade tips or the case.
A disadvantage of abradable seals is that some compatible abrasive and abradable components perform best at high incursion rates, while others perform best at low incursion rates. The incursion rate between a rotating member and a structure radially outside of the rotating member reflects the frequency at which the rotating member strikes the structure and the magnitude of interference between the two at each pass. Very few abrasive and abradable components provide optimum performance at both high and low incursion rates. For example, it is known that ceramic particulate matter dispersed within a metal matrix may be used as an abrasive component. At low incursion rates, the particulate matter favorably operates as a plurality of minute cutters to "machine" a path within the abradable component. At high incursion rates, however, elevated temperatures can compromise the metal matrix and cause it to release the ceramic particulate matter. The degradation of the abrasive component creates a greater than optimum gap between the rotor and the case and thereby decreases the efficiency of the engine.
What is needed is a abrasive component for an abradable seal for a gas turbine engine that performs favorably at high and low incursion rates.

Method for providing an abrasive coating on a metallic article


Engine systems and associated methods, including systems with semi-isothermal compression devices are disclosed. An engine system in accordance with a particular embodiment includes a compressor having a compressor inlet and outlet, a combustor having a combustor inlet coupled to the compressor outlet and further having a combustor outlet, a positive displacement expander having an expander inlet coupled to the combustor outlet, and further having an expander outlet and a work output device. A valve is coupled between the combustor and the expander to regulate a flow of hot combustion products passing from the combustor to the expander, and an exhaust energy recovery device is coupled to the expander outlet to extract energy from the combustion products exiting the expander.

In a world where energy efficiency has become a crucial industrial, economic and even household issue, it is important to take energy conversion efficiency into consideration in power and energy conversion systems and in engines in particular. The current state of the art for engines is dominated by internal combustion engines based upon open-loop Otto cycle, Diesel cycle, or Brayton thermodynamic power cycles. Engines based upon these cycles are sufficiently efficient for many applications, being typically represented by automobiles, heavy trucks and aircraft turbines respectively.
Otto Cycle and Diesel Cycle engines are used primarily for application in internal combustion engines for automobile and other low cost consumer applications. These types of engines are adequately efficient, lightweight, and relatively inexpensive to manufacture for wide use, with relatively low consequent unit costs resulting from the economy of scale.
Internal combustion engines typically employ air as a working fluid. Combustion heat is created by injecting and burning fuel with the air as a working fluid at suitable points and times in the thermodynamic cycle of the engine. This enables the working fluid to be expanded and to perform work. For a number of reasons these engines produce much less power than their theoretical limits. Much focus has therefore been on improving the designs and efficiencies for these types of engines as a means to convert power.
Problems associated with conventional internal combustion engines include: typical efficiencies of only approximately 20% to 40%; the need for specific fuel types for each type of engine; and significant emissions of green house gas and other air pollutants. Several of the reasons for the limitations in efficiency are founded in the fact that the compression, combustion and expansion all happen in the same volume. Given the vagaries of timing, fuel supply, ignition, and inherently incomplete expansion of the working fluid in these engines, the thermodynamic cycles of these systems are notoriously difficult to optimize within one volume.
The ideal thermodynamic model for an engine is the Carnot cycle, but its efficiencies are not achievable in practical engine systems. Thermodynamic engine cycles based on isothermal compression or expansion hold most promise of high efficiency. Unfortunately, suitable isothermal compression or expansion is difficult to achieve under practical conditions without resorting to complex and bulky heat exchangers, and/or injecting substantial volumes of direct contact heat exchange fluids into the process flow, which also adds complexity and can increase losses. True isothermal compression or expansion remains in the domain of theory, along with the Carnot cycle itself.
The present technology is addressed to the above challenges in respect of engines as they pertain to the field of power generation, storage and use.

Semi-isothermal compression engines with separate combustors and expanders, and associated systems and methods


A tilting and telescopic structure for steering columns. In the structure, one tilt lever performs the tilting and telescopic function of adjusting the tilting angle and the length of a steering column in accordance with the body size of a driver. In an embodiment, a serrated actuating lever is provided at the telescopic part cooperating with the tilt lever, thus simply operating the tilting and telescopic structure. In another embodiment, the structure has an adjusting nut and bolt cooperating with the tilt lever and has a slit at both the outer tube and the distance bracket, thus being simply operated by controlling the width of the slit by the tilt lever.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to a tilting and telescopic structure for steering columns and, more particularly, to a tilting and telescopic structure with one tilt lever performing the tilting and telescopic function of adjusting the tilting angle and the length of a steering column in accordance with the body size of a driver.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As well known to those skilled in the art, it is preferable to provide steering columns with a means for allowing a driver to selectively adjust the position of a steering column in accordance with his body size, thus allowing the driver to stably and safely handle a steering wheel without having any inconvenience while driving a car. Typical steering columns are thus individually and preferably provided with both a tilting means for the column's angle adjustment and a telescopic means for the column's length adjustment.
FIGS. 1 to 3 show the construction of typical tilting and telescopic structure for steering columns. As shown in the drawings, a typical tilting and telescopic structure has two levers: a tilt lever 100 and a telescopic lever 200 and is operated as follows.
In order to adjust the tilting angle of the steering column, the tilt lever 100 is loosened, allowing the angle of a telescopic tube 400 to be adjustable. After the angle of the tube 400 is adjusted, the tilt lever 100 is fully rotated in a tightening direction, thus fixing the adjusted position of the tube 400.
In order to adjust the length of the steering column, the telescopic lever 200 is rotated in a loosening direction, thus moving two block bodies of a telescopic block 300 in opposite directions. The two block bodies are received in a column housing and are commonly fitted over an actuating screw 500 of the lever 100 in such a manner that they are always moved in opposite directions in accordance with a rotating action of the lever 100. The block bodies in the above state form a gap between the block 300 and the tube 400 and allow the tube 400 to be movable in either direction relative to a driver. It is thus possible to adjust the length of the steering column in accordance with the body size of the driver.
After the column's length is adjusted, the position of the column is fixed by rotating the lever 200 in an opposite direction or a tightening direction. In such a case, the two block bodies of the telescopic block 300 come into frictional contact with the outside surface 401 of the tube 400 at their rounded surfaces 301, thus fixing the tube 400. In the above structure, the actuating screw 500 is fixed to the lever 200 by a nut 600. The column housing is provided with a guide bracket 700 for preventing the block 300 from being unexpectedly separated from the housing.
However, the above tilting and telescopic structure is problematic in that it has two levers respectively performing tilting and telescopic functions, thus having a complex construction and increasing the manufacturing cost of the steering columns.

Tilting and telescopic structure for steering columns


A computer system and method may be used to generate a product catalog from one or more websites. One or more product pages on the websites may be identified and parsed. Attribute information may be identified in each page. Moreover, one or more automated interactions may be performed to generate page variations and identify attribute values. The attribute information and attribute values may be stored as structured data in a database.

E-commerce websites host a large variety of products that can be purchased. Some of the products have multiple attributes that may apply to a single product, such as size and color. It would be desirable to be able to collect information about products and their attributes on the web in an automated fashion to develop an advantageous dataset containing information about the many products in the world.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Artificial intelligence for product data extraction


The present invention provides a technique for making it easy to operate an operator interface displayed on a touch panel display. A tilt detector detects the position of the apparatus. The touch panel display displays an image of the operator interface and senses touch by a touching object, where a predetermined process is performed in response to a touch action on the operator interface. A controller moves a display position of the image of the operator interface on the touch panel display in a direction in which an information processing apparatus tilts, according to changes in the apparatus posture detected by the tilt detector.

In recent years, portable electronic devices, such as cell phones, smartphones, and portable multifunction devices, equipped with a touch panel display have spread worldwide. The trend of the display of these devices is towards increased size and many products having large 5 inch to 10 inch sized displays have appeared on the market.
On this type of portable electronic device, display sizes of objects such as icons depend on screen size, and consequently a portable electronic device equipped with a large-screen touch panel display displays objects in large size.
Patent Literature 1 proposes a technique for moving display the position of an object by tilting a device as well as a technique for changing the display size of the object as the display position of the object is moved.

Information processing apparatus touch panel display and control method therefor


An isolated DNA having a sequence encoding a polypeptide possessing endo-.beta.-N-acetylglucosaminidase A activity or functionally equivalent variants thereof; and a method for producing a polypeptide possessing endo-.beta.-N-acetylglucosaminidase A activity or functionally equivalent variants thereof using the isolated DNA by recombinant DNA technology.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a DNA encoding a polypeptide possessing endo-.beta.-N-acetylglucosaminidase A activity, and to a method for producing a polypeptide possessing endo-.beta.-N-acetylglucosaminidase A activity by the use of the DNA.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
In recent years, various physiological functions of the sugar chain moieties of molecules known as complex carbohydrates, such as glycoproteins and glycolipids, have drawn attention. At present, carbohydrate-decomposing enzymes serve as very useful tools for elucidation of the structure and biological activity of sugar chains. Endo-.beta.-N-acetylglucosaminidase, in particular, catalyzes the reaction in which the GlcNAc.beta.1-4GlcNAc bond of di-N-acetylchitobiose at the reduction end of the N-linked sugar chain of glycoproteins is broken to cut off the sugar chain from the protein and leave N-acetylglucosamine on the protein side. Endo-.beta.-N-acetylglucosaminidase has further been used for structural or functional analysis of glycoproteins.
In addition, some forms of endo-.beta.-N-acetylglucosaminidase are known to catalyze sugar chain rearrangement reactions; endo-.beta.-N-acetylglucosaminidase A from the Arthrobacter protoformiae AKU 0647 strain (hereinafter also referred to as Endo-A), in particular, has been reported to possess very potent sugar chain rearrangement activity (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-64594). Specifically, Endo-A efficiently catalyzes the reaction in which the N-binding oligomannose type sugar chain of glycoproteins is cut out and transferred to an acceptor carbohydrate or complex carbohydrate. The Endo-A enzyme is therefore very useful not only for the structural analysis of sugar chains of glycoproteins but also for other purposes such as modification of sugar chains of complex carbohydrates, and preparation of neoglycoproteins.
A known form of Endo-A is derived from Arthrobacter protoformiae [Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 55, 3107-3112 (1989)].
However, in the method in which Arthrobacter protoformiae is cultured to obtain Endo-A, proteases and other glycosidases are also produced. It has been difficult to separate and purify these co-present enzymes from Endo-A. Also, to induce Endo-A enzyme production, ovalbumin or a sugar peptide thereof must be added to the culture medium. There has therefore been a need for the development of a method enabling the production of highly pure Endo-A at low cost.
Although purification of Endo-A from Arthrobacter protoformiae is already known [Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 55, 3107-3112 (1989)], there has been no knowledge regarding the amino acid sequence or gene structure of Endo-A, and hence there is no method of Endo-A production by gene engineering.

Gene encoding endo-.beta.-N-acetylglucosaminidase A


A fuel control system for a diesel engine includes a first module that calculates a block learn multiplier (BLM) based on a feedback signal during a closed-loop fuel control period. A second module adjusts a base fueling rate of the diesel engine based on the BLM during an open-loop fuel control period.

Diesel engines generate drive torque by drawing in and compressing air. Fuel is injected into the compressed air and the heat of compression induces auto-ignition of the air/fuel mixture. As a result, diesel engines do not include spark plugs to induce ignition of the air/fuel mixture. The air to fuel (A/F) ratio is regulated using open-loop control (i.e., no feedback). Combustion of the air/fuel mixture drives pistons within cylinders. In turn, the pistons drive a crankshaft that transfers drive torque to a drivetrain.
The torque output of a diesel engine is regulated based on a fueling rate and injection timing. The fueling rate and injection timing for a particular diesel engine is developed on an engine dynamometer. More specifically, dynamometer data is used to develop look-up tables for fueling rate and injection timing based on engine speed (RPM) and engine load. The look-up tables are programmed into the memory of the control module of each diesel engine.
Because the look-up tables are developed from dynamometer data for a particular diesel engine type, they are not calibrated or otherwise adjusted for each particular diesel engine. As a result, accuracy in the A/F ratio control is dependent on the extent that engine components and operation thereof (e.g., injector flow, mass air flow meter, engine volumetric efficiency) deviate from the diesel engine system used on the dynamometer.

Closed loop A/F ratio control for diesel engines using an oxygen sensor


An integrated circuit including functional circuitry; test circuitry connected to the functional circuitry, wherein the test circuitry is arranged to control the testing of the functional circuitry; and clock signal generating circuitry connected to both the functional circuitry and the test circuitry. The test circuitry is arranged to use the clock signal for testing the functional circuitry.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to test circuitry and, in particular, but not exclusively to test circuitry for incorporation in integrated circuits.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
In all but the smallest and simplest of integrated circuits the probability of an error or flaw is such that there is a commercial requirement to perform a test upon the integrated circuit to determine the integrated circuits performance prior to selling the circuit to the end user.
This testing process is automated and features as a step in the production of an integrated circuit. Many different automatic testing protocols have been formulated such as functional tests, scan tests, transition fault tests, and built in self-tests (BIST).
Scan tests and transition fault tests are generally considered to be efficient and are capable of performing extensive testing on the integrated circuit, with scan tests capable of detecting static 'stuck-at' faults and the transition fault tests detecting 'slow-to-rise' or 'slow-to-fall' faults in the circuitry.
'stuck-at' faults are faults where a node of the circuit is incorrectly fabricated and retains a constant potential level. 'slow-to-rise' and 'slow-to-fall' faults are faults where a node is unable to switch between voltage levels within the required time period.
One of the disadvantages of using automatic test equipment and scan testing is that the automatic test equipment clock frequency is limited in speed. These frequency limitations are due to several factors, which include test lead and probe length, the integrated circuit connection pads electrical properties and the test equipment clock switching speeds.
Due to these limitations and the advances in high clock speed integrated circuits it is becoming more common that automatic test equipment clocks are slower than the functional clock rate of the integrated circuit.
This limitation although not affecting the detection of 'stuck-at' faults prevents the detection of 'slow-to-rise' or 'slow-to-fall' faults at the operational frequency of the integrated circuit.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,430,720 describes a ring oscillator on the integrated circuit. This oscillator is used to provide an operational test clock frequency for testing at higher frequencies than provided by the ATE.
"High-Frequency, at-speed Scan Testing", Lin et al, IEEE Design and Test of Computers, September-October 2003, p 17-25, describes a method for performing an at-speed scan test wherein the circuit at test is supplied by an at-speed on board clock signal created by using PLL circuit controlled by the off-board clock.
The oscillator though has the disadvantage that the ring oscillator is not the functional clock used in operating the circuitry and thus the results produced by the test may not detect all faults exposed during the operation of the circuitry.
Further problems in using the solution from U.S. Pat. No. 64,300,720 occur as the automatic test equipment clock and the test clock are not synchronized. The switching between unsynchronized clock signals can cause glitches in the output clock where cycles are missed or switched in the middle of a clock cycle.
The operating speed of the Automatic Test Equipment is dependent on the standardization of test routines. Test routines are currently modified by hand in order to carry out a wider range of tests. This increases test time which has an impact on the integrated circuit cost. This test routine inflexibility is especially visible in variable capture count testing.

Method and apparatus for testing a functional circuit at speed


A cartridge for storing and retaining a plurality of medical ligating devices such as hemostatic clips and surgical staples, the cartridge having a movable device retaining member situated in each device chamber. The retaining member is adapted to frictionally engage the legs of an open C-shaped device and is further adapted to be displaced away from engagement with the device when it is engaged in the jaws of a forceps-type applier. In one embodiment, the retaining member is adapted to fit between the legs of an open hemostatic clip and is further adapted to be displaced downwardly away from the clip when the clip is engaged by a clip applier. The disclosure further includes a method of storing hemostatic clips in a cartridge, the method incorporating retaining the clip within the cartridge by a separable member which is displaceable from engagement with a clip when the clip is engaged by a clip applier.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to holders for storing and retaining ligating devices such as surgical staples and hemostatic clips prior to use. More particularly, the invention relates to cartridges which facilitate the storage and retention of a plurality of ligating devices within a corresponding plurality of individual chambers of the cartridge prior to withdrawal of the devices by a forceps-type applier.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Hemostatic or ligating clips have long been used to ligate or clamp blood vessels during surgical procedures. The terms "hemostatic" and "ligating" are interchangeably used herein to mean any clips which squeeze tissue to effect a blockage. While the clips are usually integrally formed, in some applications such as aneurysm clips the devices are formed of more than one piece. The clips are generally made of either a biocompatible metallic material or of a polymeric or non-metallic material. While it is convenient to describe the invention in terms of hemostatic clips, to the extent that staples and clips are similar medical devices it will be understood that the present invention is adaptable for use with ligating devices such as surgical staples. For ease of explanation, the term "clips" will be used herein but this should be understood to encompass "staples" as well.
In general, the clips are C-shaped, U-shaped or V-shaped when in their open configuration and are designed such that the opposing legs of the open clip are able to be closed together by being compressed by the jaws of a forceps-type clip applier. In the case of surgical staples the staple profile may be a slight variation of an open "C", "V" or "U". For example, one type of staple adaptable for use with the present invention is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,375,866 (Giersch et al.), assigned to the assignee hereof and incorporated by reference herein. In the case of metallic clips, the material is sufficiently strong such that the clips remain in their crimped, closed position merely by squeezing the legs together. In the case of plastic-type clips, the material is not as strong and requires some auxiliary latching mechanism to keep the clips closed. For the foregoing reasons, metallic clips are generally symmetrical while plastic clips are not. The latching mechanism of the latter generally comprises a hook-type arrangement molded with or otherwise secured to the plastic clip. One example of such a plastic ligating clip is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,834,096 (Oh et al.) assigned to the assignee hereof.
Because hemostatic clips are small and because many clips are usually used in a surgical procedure, holding devices or cartridges are used to store and retain the clips--whether metallic or plastic--between the time of their manufacture and their ultimate use in a surgical procedure. While numerous clip cartridges are known, they all serve to prevent the clips from becoming loosened during shipment and handling and from becoming completely dislodged. A distinction should be made between clip cartridges intended for use with "manual" clip appliers and those intended for use with "automatic" clip appliers. As used herein, the term "automatic" means those clip appliers which retain a plurality of hemostatic clips adjacent the jaws of a clip applier in a way such that a new clip is automatically fed to the jaws after the previous clip has been crimped into place. As used herein, the term "manual" means clip appliers which receive one clip at a time between the jaws and which have to be reloaded manually after the previous clip is crimped. The reloading operation is generally accomplished by inserting the jaws of the applier into a clip holder or cartridge which is generally provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced, clip retaining chambers. A single clip is retained in each chamber by a variety of means, legs facing downwardly, and is removed from its chamber by a forceps-type clip applier which is inserted into each clip chamber and secured to the clip sufficiently to overcome whatever clip retention means is utilized to enable the clip to be removed from the clip chamber. The jaws of the clip applier generally have longitudinal grooves to receive the clip legs and may have end-dams at the distal end of each groove to limit distal movement of the clip. The clip is secured in the jaws by the natural resiliency of the clip legs and by the end-dams if they are present.
Various mechanisms are known by which clips may be retained within the chambers of clip cartridges for use with manual clip appliers. In all instances, a desirable goal of such cartridges is to minimize the forces required to load the clip into the applier and to then remove it from the cartridge while maximizing the security with which the clip is held in the cartridge and, subsequently, the applier jaws prior to use. With respect to metallic clips in manual clip cartridges, friction between the clip and other surfaces within its individual chamber is generally sufficient to retain the clip. Cartridges may be categorized according to the surfaces by which the frictional forces are applied to the clip: side wall, end wall or central post.
The clip cartridges are generally made of molded plastic material (for example, polycarbonate or polyphenoline oxide) such that the walls of each clip chamber are somewhat resilient. Consequently, with respect to side wall type cartridges designed to hold clips by frictional engagement with the side walls, the latter are sometimes able to be pushed away from each other (longitudinally) when the clip applier jaws are inserted into the chamber to retrieve the clip. Examples of cartridges holding the clips in their respective clip chambers by means of frictional engagement with the side walls of each chamber is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,076,120 (Carroll et al.) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,961,499 (Kulp). Another type of known prior art side wall cartridge has a plurality of ribs extending longitudinally from each side wall of each clip chamber inwardly toward the clip to retain the clip by frictional engagement with the ribs (U.S. Pat. No. 4,696,396, Samuels). However, such configurations result in frictional contact between the side walls and the applier, thus resulting in some force being required to remove the loaded applier. Prior to the subject invention, all side wall type cartridges required some force to be applied to the applier to remove it and the clip from the cartridge.
In some prior art clip cartridges, each individual clip chamber is provided with a central post generally conforming to the shape of the open clip although being slightly larger so that when the clip is pushed onto the central post the legs are spread slightly so that frictional contact between the legs of the clip and the central post retains the clip within its chamber. Cartridges of this "central post" type are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,270,745, 3,326,216, 3,363,628, 3,439,522 and 3,439,523, all issued to E. C. Wood. While such cartridges serve to securely retain clips, the friction required to retain the clips in the cartridges also makes it more difficult to load the clips into the jaws of a clip applier and to then remove the clip from the cartridge. As the jaws are pushed down onto the clip the central post keeps the clip legs from closing, thereby forcing the jaws away from each other. If the jaws merely have a groove to receive the clip legs, the frictional force between the jaws and the clip must be greater than that between the clip legs and the post in order for the clip to be removed. If the jaws have an end-dam at the distal tip of each groove, the clip may be more easily removed from central-post type cartridges (and others) because the end-dams act directly on the clip legs with whatever upward removal force is applied to the applier. However, in situations where the clip is roughened or coated to enhance its tissue gripping ability, the frictional contact between the clip legs and the post is even greater than normal and, consequently, an even greater removal force is required. An example of such clips is disclosed in copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/790,104 assigned to the assignee hereof and incorporated by reference herein. Even if the clips are not coated or roughened, the frictional contact between the post and the clip may be sufficient to leave a residue of particulate matter caused by the clip shaving the post. Minimizing the amount of this particulate is an object of this invention.
In order to minimize the forces associated with clip removal some prior art cartridges retain unformed clips (i.e. clips in a partially straightened state) by maintaining each clip under tension within its chamber by the interaction between the central post in the chamber, the central (hinge) part of the clip and protrusions extending transversely into each chamber toward the central post. These are termed end-wall type cartridges. Each clip is retained in its chamber by having its central hinge part pushed upwardly by the central post and its ends pushed downwardly by the protrusions. Such a cartridge is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,713,533 (Reimels) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,146,130 (Samuels et al.)
The aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 4,146,130 (Samuels et al.) shows an alternative embodiment for the situation where clips ar intended to be loosely maintained in the cartridge without frictional engagement between it and the chamber, the clips in such an event being retained in each cartridge by a covering tape which may be easily severed by the applier as desired. However, it is generally not desirable to have metallic clips too loosely held within clip cartridges since the orientation of the clips is then subject to change. If the clips are not consistently held in a certain orientation, it is difficult to load the clips into clip appliers because the clip legs are not consistently aligned with the grooves of the applier jaws. Consequently, a force-balancing process has to be considered to produce a cartridge having sufficient clip holding or storage force and minimal (or zero) clip removing force.
Another end-wall type prior art clip cartridge is shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,936,447 (Peiffer) and 4,972,949 (Peiffer) which shows a formed metallic clip being held within a clip compartment by being supported on a central post by a pair of inwardly extending transverse resilient fingers. The fingers are pushed downwardly by the distal tips of clip appliers so that as the clip legs are received in the grooves in the jaws in the clip applier the resilient fingers are pushed out of the way. With this device, since the grooves in the applier jaws do not have any end-dams, the clip must be slightly compressed as it is loaded into the jaws of the applier in order to produce enough frictional contact between the clip and jaws to prevent the clip from falling out. The Peiffer cartridge, however, is not suitable for use with clip appliers having end-dams since the end-dams would necessarily cause the clip legs to be compressed inwardly too much because there is nothing to support the legs to prevent closure. Therefore, when the dams clear the end of the clip leg the clip, having been compressed to a point where it does not have sufficient resiliency to firmly occupy the space between the grooves in the jaws, would not be securely retained within the jaws. While this device does offer low, desirable clip removal forces, the absence of end-dams in the jaws of the applier mandated by this device results in compromised clip security in the jaws.
It is an object of this invention to produce a clip cartridge for supporting metallic clips in a manner which minimizes the force with which the clip may be loaded into a forceps-type clip applier, minimizes the force with which the clip may be removed from the cartridge and is suitable for use with a clip applier having end-dams in the clip jaws or not having such end-dams.
It is an object of this invention to produce a hemostatic clip cartridge which minimizes the forces associated with the loading of clips into a forceps-type clip applier.
It is another object of this invention to provide a hemostatic clip cartridge for retaining clips during shipping and handling while enabling the withdrawal of the clips by clip appliers in preparation for use.
It is a further object of this invention to produce a hemostatic clip cartridge for storing and retaining a plurality of metallic hemostatic clips, prior to their subsequent removal by an associated clip applier, in a manner which minimizes the inward displacement of the clip legs during the loading of the clip into a forceps-type clip applier.
It is also an object of this invention to produce a clip cartridge for storing and retaining a plurality of hemostatic clips and for minimizing forces associated with the subsequent removal of a clip by an associated clip applier.
It is an additional object of this invention to produce a hemostatic clip cartridge of the side wall type in which frictional forces between the clip applier and the side walls are substantially reduced (if not eliminated) after the clip has been engaged in the applier jaws.
It is also an object of this invention to produce a clip cartridge for storing and retaining a plurality of hemostatic clips and for minimizing forces associated with the subsequent removal of a clip by an associated clip applier to such an extent that the loaded applier may be lifted from the cartridge without holding the cartridge down.
It is another object of this invention to produce a hemostatic clip cartridge suitable for storing and retaining a plurality of hemostatic clips which have been coated with a grip enhancing material and for minimizing forces associated with the subsequent removal of a clip by an associated clip applier.
It is yet another object of this invention to produce a cartridge for storing and retaining a plurality of generally C-shaped ligating devices (such as clips and staples) and for minimizing the forces required to remove the ligating devices by associated appliers.

Ligating device cartridge with separable retainer


A method for transmitting and receiving data between a plurality of nodes, each performing a periodical standby operation at a specific interval, includes: a step of detecting another communicable node performed by one node; a step of consecutively transmitting notice information representing data transmission timing to another node for a plurality of number of times at a predetermined interval by using the one node; a step of performing a standby operation for data according to the data transmission timing represented in the notice information performed by the another node receiving the notice information within the periodical standby operation; a step of transmitting the notice information to the another node according to the data transmission timing performed by the one node; and a step of receiving the transmission data transmitted from the one node according to the notified data transmission timing performed by the another node.

A wireless personal area network is a local area network that enables a device under a work environment of a person and devices present on the periphery thereof to be mutually interconnected.
In recent years, in such a wireless personal area network, communication devices, which are compliant with the specification of IEEE 802.15.4, that are small-sized and low-priced and are capable of performing low-output digital radio communication are used.
A network that is compliant with the specification of IEEE 802.15.4 is configured by two types of devices including an FFD (Full Function Device) and an RFD (Reduced Function Device) when the devices are broadly classified.
The FFD is a full-function built-in device having a function for approving the participation of a new device to participate in a personal area network (PAN) to which the FFD belongs and a function for defining a superframe used in communication with the other devices. Among such FFDs, a device that is present solely in each network and further has a function for determining an ID of the whole network is called a PAN coordinator.
On the other hand, the RFD is a device that does not have the participation approval function and the superframe defining function described above, which are included in the FFD, and is a function-limited-type device that has the same functions as those of the FFD except for such functions.
FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram that illustrates topologies of conventional networks configured by FFDs and RFDs. As illustrated in FIG. 8, as topologies of such a network, there are topologies of a star-type network (FIG. 8(A)), a peer-to-peer network (FIG. 8(B)), and the like.
The star-type network is configured by a PAN coordinator and a plurality of FFDs or RFDs. Among all the devices, master-slave relations are formed (see Patent Literature 1). By periodically transmitting a synchronization signal (beacon) from an FFD that is a master positioned at a higher level to the FFDs or RFDs that are slaves positioned at a lower level, synchronization between the master and each slave is established, and information is transmitted and received using a TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access) system.
On the other hand, the peer-to-peer network is similar to the star-type network described above in that the network is configured by a PAN coordinator and a plurality of FFDs or RFDs but has a difference from the star-type network in that all the devices are equal, in other words, the master-slave relation is not formed between devices. Between the devices configuring the peer-to-peer network, information is transmitted and received using a CSMA (Carrier Sense Multiple Access) system.

Method for transmitting and receiving data

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY


An ECL circuit with power control is disclosed. The ECL circuit comprises a pair of emitter-coupled transistors with a current source transistor having its collector coupled to the coupled-emitters of the pair. Coupled in series with the base of the current source transistor is a first MOS transistor with its gate receiving an enable signal to control the first MOS transistor. As such, an activated first MOS transistor switches on the ECL circuit, and a de-activated first MOS transistor switches off the ECL circuit with no current through the current source transistor to provide a true power down of the ECL circuit. An ECL circuit for translating from CMOS to ECL levels is also disclosed. The ECL circuit comprises a pair of emitter-coupled transistors and first MOS transistor coupled in series with a first base of the pair at one end of the source/drain current path of the first MOS transistor. Another end of the source/drain current path of the first MOS transistor is coupled to a current-source voltage, while its gate receives an enable signal. Coupled in series with a second base of the pair at one end of the source/drain current path of the second MOS transistor is a second MOS transistor. Another end of the source/drain current path of the second MOS transistor is also coupled to the current-source voltage, while its gate receives an inverted enable signal. Thus, the pair has its two emitter-coupled transistors alternately switched on by the enable and inverted enable signals. An ECL circuit for multiplexing ECL inputs with CMOS select signals is further disclosed. The ECL circuit comprises the top portion of a conventional ECL multiplexer connected to a pair of Vcs current sources. The current sources are alternately selected by the N-channel MOS transistor coupled between the Vcs current source and one base of the n-p-n transistors.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to emitter-coupled logic ("ECL") circuits and more specifically to controlling the output signals of such ECL circuits using CMOS compatible signals.
2. Art Background
FIG. 1 illustrates a typical ECL output buffer 10 without a current source control. As shown in FIG. 1, ECL output buffers are not normally turned off because of the difficulty in controlling the current source 11 that supplies the gate while maintaining DC and AC performance of the gate. While it is possible to shunt the power away from the differential stage (with another switch at the second level, for instance) of the ECL output 12, current is still flowing and contributes to chip power dissipation.
The conventional ECL output buffers as shown in FIG. 1 have their drawbacks and disadvantages. Products with application optional ECL outputs are burdened by the extra power supply currents that serve the unused outputs. The current of any particular application is typically never less than that of the application that uses the full complement of outputs. This current is small, but not negligible (often 3-10 mA per output or 15-50 mW) and will cause the application to run hotter than actually required. Therefore, it becomes desirable to be able to control the current source in ECL circuits.
An ECL gate, such as the one shown in FIG. 1, is often used in connection with signals in the CMOS logic levels. Translations between the logic levels of CMOS logic and the logic levels of CML ("current mode logic") or ECL logic are typically done using a differential amplifier with a "mid-swing" reference. FIG. 2 illustrates a typical ECL (CML) translator 20. Translator 20 can be an efficient translator if a mid-swing reference 21 is available, but for logic levels with non standard swings, or for mixed power supply voltage systems, this reference is often less than ideal.
The conventional translators as shown in FIG. 2 have their drawbacks and disadvantages. The voltage defined a "mid-swing" must be developed with either resistive or matched transistor voltage dividers. These circuits take up significant area and power that is not required for the intrinsic logic function being performed. Errors in the levels set by the reference voltage generators also contribute to variations in the propagation delay of the gate. Further, the conventional methods of translating between CMOS and CML levels use referenced generators which require some additional circuitry and power dissipation that is not used by the intrinsic logic function. Therefore, it is also desirable to be able to translate CMOS signals to levels compatible with CML cells.
Furthermore, in high performance digital logic, the high speed signals are typically ECL or CML, which must be routed and logically manipulated in bipolar circuitry. The lower speed logic may be CMOS for a reduction in power. The interface between these logic levels also requires a translator to convert the large swing CMOS levels to the small ECL/CML logic levels used in the high speed gates.
The addition of a level translator requires an increase in both speed and power, over what is required for the intrinsic logic function. In the typical CML multiplexer circuit 30 shown in FIG. 3, the high speed data channels would be connected to inputs A+and A-32 and B+and B-33 as the select input 34 is driven by a CMOS/CML translator 31. The translator 31 adds delay and power to the circuit 30 and performs no logic function in this configuration. Thus, it is further desirable to be able to multiplex CML compatible data signals using CMOS compatible signals to switch between channels without the added delay and power.
As will be described in the following, the present invention will disclose an ECL circuit with a power supply current control to allow the output to shut off to reduce system power supply load. The following description will also disclose an ECL circuit capable of translating CMOS signals to levels compatible with CML cells. Further, the following description will disclose an ECL circuit capable of multiplexing CML compatible data signal levels while using CMOS compatible signals to switch between channels.


The present disclosure provides an array substrate and liquid crystal display panel, and a driving method thereof, wherein each pixel unit of the array substrate includes a compensation circuit unit. When proceeding in the direction of scanning and when there is a scanning signal on a scanning line related to a pixel unit in the next row of a present pixel unit, the compensation circuit of the present pixel unit works on a sub electrode of the present pixel unit, such that a ratio of the voltage difference between the sub electrode and a common electrode to the voltage difference between a main electrode and the common electrode during a positive polarity inversion driving period equals a ratio of the voltage difference between the sub electrode and the common electrode to the voltage difference between the main electrode and the common electrode during a negative polarity inversion driving period. By means of the above, the liquid crystal display panel according to the present disclosure can obtain the effect of reduced color shift.

Recently, a thin film transistor liquid crystal display panel (TFT LCD) has already become the mainstream product in the market with its outstanding performance. The thin film transistor liquid crystal display panel is mainly composed of an array substrate, a color filter substrate, and a liquid crystal layer. On the array substrate, there are a plurality of thin film transistors arranged in the form an array and pixel units configured to correspond to said thin film transistors. The thin film transistor, as a switch element to actuate the pixel unit's execution, receives a scanning signal from a scan driving circuit via a scanning line, and a data signal from a data driving circuit via a data line, and writes the data signal into the pixel unit under the action of the scanning signal, such that respective liquid crystal molecules of the pixel unit occur corresponding deflection under the influence of the data signal, which causes a certain amount of light to get through.
With respect to the thin film transistor liquid crystal panel of a type of vertical alignment (VA), there is prevalence of the color shift problem. This is because the effective refractive index of the liquid crystal molecules varies with different viewing angles, which thereby causes the change in the intensity of transmitted light. It is specifically manifested in that, light transmission capability reduces under an oblique viewing angle, and color inconsistency is presented in the directions from the oblique viewing angle to the front viewing angle, and especially, a significant color distortion may be observed over a wide viewing angle. Accordingly, one of the important research and development topics of the LCD panel technology is how to achieve a lower color shift.
So far, the mainstream LCD panel manufacturers have generally applied a charge sharing technology to solve these problems. FIG. 1 is a diagram of an equivalent circuit of one unit pixel in the liquid crystal panel display using said charge sharing technique. The pixel electrodes of each pixel unit include two portions, i.e., a main-area electrode and a sub-area electrode, wherein the main-area electrode is driven by a thin film transistor TFT_A; and the sub-area electrode is driven by a thin film transistor TFT_B. The main and sub area electrodes are respectively applied with different voltage levels while they are driven by a voltage of the same gray scale, such that a gray scale curve to be combined with both areas over a wide viewing angle presents a decreased difference from that over the front viewing angle, whereby the color shift problem caused by different viewing angles can be relieved.
Specifically, as the liquid crystal display panel performs the progressive scan driving, when line n is scanned, the voltage level of a scanning signal on the scanning line Gn presents to be high while that of the scanning line Gn+1 is low, and thereby the thin film transistors TFT_A and TFT_B both turn on, and transistors TFT_C1 turns off. As such, under the action of a data signal on the data line Data, a liquid crystal capacitor Clc_A and a storage capacitor Cst_A of the main-area electrode, and a liquid crystal capacitor Clc_B and a storage capacitor Cst_B of the sub-area electrode all proceed to charge until the data signal voltage level is reached, such that both voltages of the main and sub area electrodes reach to a voltage level of the data signal. When line n+1 is scanned, the level of the scanning signal on the scanning line Gn turns to be low while that of the scanning line Gn+1 turns to be high, and the thin film transistors TFT_A and TFT_B thus both turn off while transistors TFT_C1 turns on. As such, the voltage of the sub-area electrode begins to change by means of a charge capacitance Cs1 so as to obtain a certain degree of difference from the voltage level of the main-area electrode. By means of such voltage difference, a lower color shift is accomplished.
In the method described above, the role of the charge capacitance Cs1 is critical, and the magnitude of the capacitance value determines the degree of the voltage difference between the main-area electrode and the sub-area electrode. It is set that ΔV_B is the voltage difference between the main-area electrode and a common electrode, and ΔV_A is the voltage difference between the sub-area electrode and the common electrode, the ratio wherebetween is below:ΔV—B/ΔV—A=(Cst—B+Clc—B)/(Cst—B+Clc—B+2Cs1).
This ratio is a highly crucial parameter in the design, and it depends on the capacitance value of the charge capacitance Cs1. In the practical preparation, the structure of the capacitance Cs1 is generally as shown in FIG. 2a, wherein metal layers M1 and M2 act as both pole plates of the capacitance Cs1, and an SiN insulating layer and an a-Si amorphous silicon semiconductor layer are disposed therebetween. The metal layer M2 is connected to the thin film transistor TFT_C1, and the metal layer M1 is to the common electrode. The C-V characteristic curve of this capacitance is shown in FIG. 2b, which is characterized by that a capacitance value of the positive half cycle (under the positive polarity inversion driving period) is greater than that of the negative half cycle (under the negative polarity inversion driving period). An ideal solution of color shift is that the ratio in the positive polarity inversion driving period (the voltage level of the data signal is greater than that of the common electrode) is consistent with that of the negative inversion driving period (the voltage level in the data signal is lower than the common electrode voltage). However, since the capacitance value of the capacitance Cs1 in the positive half cycle is greater than that in the negative half cycle, the ratio during the positive polarity inversion driving period is thus less than the ratio during the negative inversion driving period, i.e., the ratios during the positive and negative polarity inversion driving periods are different. Such asymmetry may not only degrade the effect of decreased color shift over a wide angle gap, but also bring in, such as, the afterimage phenomenon.

Array substrate and liquid crystal display panel and driving method thereof

SHENZHEN CHINA STAR OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


Processing metallic materials, such as copper, from waste materials. The systems and methods employ a dynamic sensor, which measures the rate of change of current generated by metallic objects that pass by the sensor to identify metallic objects in a waste stream. The dynamic sensor may be coupled to a computer system that controls a material diverter unit, which diverts the detected metallic objects for collection and possible further processing. The systems or methods may employ stages of sensors for sequential recovery of materials.

Recycling of waste materials is highly desirable from many viewpoints, not the least of which are financial and ecological. Properly sorted recyclable materials can often be sold for significant revenue. Many of the more valuable recyclable materials do not biodegrade within a short period, and so their recycling significantly reduces the strain on local landfills and ultimately the environment.
Typically, waste streams are composed of a variety of types of waste materials. One such waste stream is generated from the recovery and recycling of automobiles or other large machinery and appliances. For examples, at the end of its useful life, an automobile is shredded. This shredded material is processed to recover some ferrous and non-ferrous metals. The remaining materials, referred to as automobile shredder residue (ASR), which may include ferrous and non-ferrous metals, including copper wire and other recyclable materials, is typically disposed of in a landfill. Recently, efforts have been made to further recover materials, such as non-ferrous metals including copper from copper wiring. Similar efforts have been made to recover materials from whitegood shredder residue (WSR), which are the waste materials left over after recovering ferrous metals from shredded machinery or large appliances. Other waste streams may include electronic components, building components, retrieved landfill material, or other industrial waste streams. These materials are generally of value only when they have been separated into like-type materials, that is, when you concentrate the copper, plastic, or other valuable materials. However, in many instances, no cost-effective methods are available to effectively sort waste streams that contain diverse materials. This deficiency has been particularly true for non-ferrous metals, including copper wiring and non-ferrous materials, such as high density plastics. For example, one approach to recycling plastics has been to station a number of laborers along a sorting line, each of whom manually sorts through shredded waste and manually selects the desired recyclables from the sorting line. This approach is not sustainable in most economics since the labor cost component is too high. Because of the cost of labor, many of these manual processes are conducted in other countries and transporting the materials to and from these countries adds to the cost.
While ferrous and non-ferrous recycling has been automated for some time, mainly through the use of magnets, eddy current separators, induction sensors, and density separators, these techniques are ineffective for sorting copper wire. Copper wiring is a non-ferrous metal that is non-magnetic and cannot be separated by magnets.
Eddy current separators create a field of energy around non-ferrous metals, which repels the non-ferrous metal. The performance of an eddy current separator depends upon the conductivity and density of the materials as well as its shape and size. An eddy current separator will perform well on a large piece of flat aluminum, but will perform poorly on small and irregularly shaped heavier metals such as copper wire.
Density separation processes typically involve expensive chemicals or other separation media and are almost always a "wet" process. These wet processes are inefficient for a number of reasons. After separation, often the separation medium must be collected, so it can be reused. Also, these wet processes are typically batch processes, such that you cannot process a continuous flow of material.
One system that can be used to identify non-ferrous metals employs standard inductive sensors. An inductive sensor consists of an induction loop. The inductance of the loop changes according to the types of material that pass inside it. Metallic materials are greater inductors than wood, plastic, or other materials typically found in a recycle waste stream. As such, the presence of metallic materials increases the current flowing through the loop. This change in current is detected by sensing circuitry, which can signal to some other device whenever metal is detected. However, inductive sensors have limitations, both in the speed that material may move passed the detector and still be detected and sensitivity to varying sizes of metallic materials.
In view of the foregoing, a need exists for cost-effective, efficient methods and systems for sorting copper wiring and other non-ferrous metals from recycle waste streams. Such methods and systems may employ sensing technology that overcomes the limitations and inefficiencies of magnets, eddy current systems, wet processes or inductive sensors.

System and method for sorting dissimilar materials using a dynamic sensor


The invention relates to a shell, the base of which acts as the parachute can of a sub-munition. The shell contains sub-munitions stacked one behind the other and is closed at the rear by a base. The submunitions are each equipped with a parachute and a can containing the folded parachute, the separation of each sub-munition from its can permitting the deployment of the parachute. The can of the sub-munition situated at the rear of the shell is constituted by the base of the shell.

The present invention concerns a cargo shell, the base of which acts as the parachute can of a sub-munition. It applies notably to shells containing sub-munitions equipped with parachutes and destined to be released by these shells.
Certain shells can contain several sub-munitions stacked one on top of the other. These sub-munitions are generally equipped with a parachute braking their fall towards the ground. Each sub-munition is therefore equipped at the rear with a container or can containing the folded parachute. The sub-munitions ejected from the shell by its rear following the combustion of a chronometrically controlled pyrometric ejection charge at the front of the shell. Even though they are ejected out of the rear of the shell, the sub-munitions nevertheless continue their course along the trajectory of the shell at the time of the ejection. At this moment, the sub-munitions remain stacked as they were in the shell. Having been ejected from the rear, which contributes advantageously to slowing them down, it follows that the base of the shell accompanies them in their flight, still located behind them. In general, before the opening of their parachutes, the sub-munitions must be slowed down. For this purpose, they each possess their own braking means, a small parachute or flexible, laterally deploying flaps, for example. These sub-munitions can be equipped with fragile components, notably sensors, sensitive to mechanical shocks. It is therefore necessary, that the sub-munitions do not collide with each other during the braking phase. In particular the base must be braked more strongly than the sub-munitions so that it doesn't strike them. This makes it necessary to equip it with braking means, more powerful than those of the sub-munitions, which are therefore relatively cumbersome.
In order to increase shells' efficiencies, it is desirable to increase the number of sub-munitions that they contain. The shell dimensions being imposed and standardized, it is necessary to try to optimize their internal layout. In particular, the internal space available is in part reduced by the means of braking the shell's base which can limit the number of sub-munitions contained in it.
The purpose of the invention is to overcome these disadvantages.

Shell whose base serves as the parachute can of a submunition


A disclosed embodiment is a range checking CAM array comprising a plurality of words, where each of the plurality of words comprises a plurality of bound check cells. Each of the plurality of bound check cells outputs a corresponding plurality of match signals and a corresponding plurality of bound check signals. The corresponding plurality of match signals and corresponding plurality of bound check signals are combined to produce a range check output indicating whether data on a data input bus is within a target range. The plurality of bound check cells may be coupled to form at least one cascade of bound check cells, where each cascade of bound check cells may be terminated at a ripple logic. The CAM array produces a final range check output based on the corresponding plurality of match signals and the corresponding plurality of bound check signals.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is generally in the field of memory arrays. More particularly, the present invention relates to content addressable memory arrays.
2. Background Art
A conventional CAM (content addressable memory) array typically operates by comparing data on an input data bus (the "compare data") to data in every word (the "stored data") in the CAM array quickly, e.g. in one hardware operation, and outputting the address of a word storing matching data, if such a word exists. Conventional CAM arrays are thus useful in certain high-speed applications that search for equality between compare data and stored data. By reconfiguring a conventional CAM array, the CAM array can alternatively be utilized for range checking applications.
CAM arrays configured for range checking applications do not search for equality between compare data and stored data, but instead determine whether compare data has a value in a target range between two values represented by stored data. Utilizing a conventional CAM array to perform range checking operations has several drawbacks. A conventional CAM array can be configured for a range checking application by storing every value in the range in the conventional CAM array and adding additional range checking circuits. If compare data is equal to any value in the range stored in the conventional CAM array, the additional range checking circuits can signal a range-match condition on a range check output. Configuring the conventional CAM array to perform a range checking operation as described has a high area cost associated with storing the entire range, and the width of the range is limited by the number of words in the conventional CAM array, thereby limiting flexibility.
Thus, there is a need in the art for a CAM array that overcomes disadvantages associated with using conventional CAM arrays for range checking and bound checking applications.

Range checking content addressable memory array


This disclosure describes systems, methods, and apparatus for ensuring desirable ignition of plasma in a plasma processing chamber via providing increased instantaneous power during an ignition period for both continuous wave (CW) and pulsed power delivery. The systems, methods, and apparatus can be applied to both initial ignition of a plasma and reignition of a plasma where pulsed power delivery leads to periodic extinction of the plasma.

Balanced amplifiers, as described for instance by K. Kurokawa, "Design theory of balanced transistor amplifiers", Bell System Technical Journal, October 1965, are often used in power supply systems for plasma processing chambers. Unlike traditional single amplifiers, balanced amplifiers provide more desirable pulse shapes when using pulsed power to sustain a plasma. Balanced amplifiers also provide better plasma stability and further produce forward power independent of load impedance. In other words, for a given control input to the power amplifier, forward power does not change as a result of load impedance changes (e.g., due to changes in the plasma density or other plasma characteristics).
Yet, balanced amplifiers also create and amplify problems associated with traditional single amplifiers. For instance, when there is a load mismatch (e.g., during ignition or reignition of the plasma where impedance changes drastically), power dissipation becomes unevenly distributed between the two amplifiers making up the balanced amplifier, which can damage the one dissipating more power. The traditional solution to this problem is to reduce the balanced amplifier's power profile (e.g., reduce load power at high load reflection coefficient magnitude) such that the amplifier dissipating more power is not damaged. In plasma ignition applications this is a major drawback since plasma ignition normally requires an amplifier delivering substantial power into a non-matched load.
There is therefore a need in the art for systems and methods of operating balanced amplifiers that provide levels of delivered power to the plasma that approach levels achievable with a traditional single amplifier during plasma ignition and reignition.


A phase shift mask including two phase shift film patterns formed on one or both surfaces of a transparent substrate such that their optical paths overlap with each other. On one of the phase shift film patterns, a phase shift film pattern having a space size smaller than that of the associated phase shift film pattern is formed, so that three phase shifts of light can be generated with reference to the phase shift film pattern, thereby causing an interference among adjacent light beams. Such a light interference results in an improvement in the image contrast and an increase in the gradient of the light intensity graph. As a result, it is possible to achieve an easy fabrication of micro patterns and an improvement in the process margin, operation reliability and process yield. The invention also provides a method for fabricating such a phase shift mask.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a phase shift mask and a method for fabricating the same, and more particularly to a phase shift mask capable of sequentially phase-shifting the incident light three times near its light shield film pattern, thereby utilizing an interference effect between two electric fields.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The recent trend to fabricate semiconductor devices having a light, thin, simple and compact structure results in a reduced distance between adjacent wirings, an increased topology and a reduced size of unit elements such as transistors or capacitors. For this reason, the requirement to form photoresist film patterns with a micro dimension has been increased.
Generally, light exposure masks, which are used in the light exposure process for forming photoresist film patterns, are fabricated by coating a light shield film comprised of a chromium layer or aluminum layer over a quartz substrate, and then etching the light shield film in accordance with an ion beam etching method, thereby forming a light shield film pattern. However, with such general light exposure masks it is difficult to form patterns with a micro dimension smaller than the limit of the light resolution of steppers. Furthermore, with conventional photoresist solutions and steppers, for example, G-line steppers with the wavelength of 436 nm or I-line steppers with the wavelength of 365 nm, it is difficult to form patterns having a micro dimension of 0.5 .mu.m or below.
On the other hand, semiconductor devices having a high integration degree of 64 Mega DRAM grade or greater need a micro pattern with a dimension of 0.5 .mu.m or below. In order to form such a micro pattern, phase shift masks capable of forming photoresist film patterns exhibiting a high resolution have been used.
Typically, such phase shift masks have a phase shift film pattern adapted to shift the phase of light through an angle of 180.degree. to 90.degree. along with light shield film patterns so as to uniformly maintain the amplitude of light irradiated onto a wafer in the light exposure process. In other words, such a phase shift mask utilizes the principle of minimizing the light exposure effect resulting from the interference between the light passing through the phase shift film pattern and the light passing through a pattern disposed adjacent to the phase shift film pattern, thereby improving the resolution of a photoresist film pattern finally formed.
The phase shift film pattern is made of a phase shift material exhibiting a refractivity of n to have a thickness capable of shifting the phase of light with a wavelength of .lambda. through an angle of 160 to 200.degree. so that the light irradiated onto a photoresist film can exhibit an increased contrast ratio. For example, for G-line or i-line incident light, the phase shift mask may have 3,400 to 4,000 .ANG. when it is comprised of a spin-on-glass (SOG) film, oxide film or nitride film.
Where such phase shift masks are used, it is possible to form micro patterns having a dimension of 0.5 .mu.m or below using conventional photoresist solution and steppers. Such phase shift masks are classified into the Levenson type and the edge emphasis type.
An example of a conventional phase shift mask will now be described in conjunction with FIGS. 1 to 3.
Referring to FIG. 1, a phase shift mask 2 is shown, which includes a transparent substrate 3 made of glass or quartz and a phase shift film pattern 4 formed on the transparent substrate 3. The phase shift film pattern 4 has alternately arranged lines and spaces respectively. On the phase shift film pattern 4, a light shield film pattern 5 comprised of a chromium film is formed. The light shield film pattern 5 has alternately arranged lines and spaces. The line width of the light shield film pattern 5 is smaller than that of the phase shift film pattern 4.
In the phase shift mask 2 having the above-mentioned structure, a 180.degree. phase difference is exhibited between light 1 passing through the phase shift mask pattern 4 and light directly passing through the transparent substrate 3. In other words, electric fields 6 and 7 respectively established by the light passing the phase shift mask pattern 4 and the light directly passing through the transparent substrate 3 exhibit a 180.degree. phase difference, as shown in FIG. 2.
As a result, the light beams reaching a wafer to be patterned interfere with each other as shown in FIG. 3, thereby improving the image contrast. In this case, however, there is a limitation on the depth of focus or the fineness of the pattern when the wavelength of light is constant. It, therefore, is difficult to increase the integration degree of semiconductor devices to a desired level.

Phase shift mask and method for fabricating the same


A method and apparatus for directing energy in a plurality of azimuth directions. The amount of energy directed in the azimuth direction of a mobile terminal is a function of the location and acceptable receive strength of at least two mobile terminals. The function is such that the strength of an EM field at the location of any of these two mobile terminals is at least as large as, but not significantly larger than, needed for that mobile terminal to acceptably receive the signal carried by the EM field. The amount of energy to be directed in the azimuth direction of a mobile terminal is arrived at by first determining for each one of the mobile terminals an EM field that would have to be generated for the mobile terminal in order to provide an acceptable receive strength thereat, the determining taking into account the strength, at the location of the mobile terminal, of EM fields previously determined for others of the mobile terminals. This determining is repeated until the EM fields determined for at least two of the mobile terminals provide an EM field strength for each of these two mobile terminals that is substantially equal to its adequate receive strength. This determining is repeated until the EM fields converge. The amount of energy is then determined based on the EM fields thus determined. After the EM fields converge, the composite EM field that has thus been arrived at is the aforementioned composite EM field whose strength at the location of any of the at least two mobile terminals is at least as large as, but not significantly larger than, needed for that mobile terminal to acceptably receive the signal. This saves system resources, reduces interference with other signals, and increases the number of signals that can be transmitted simultaneously, which results in an increase in capacity, and therefore in profitability of the wireless communication system.

This invention is related to communication systems, and more particularly to wireless communication systems.
A transmitter uses an antenna to transmit a signal to a receiver. For example, a transmitter in a so-called base station of a wireless communication system uses an antenna to transmit a signal to a mobile terminal. The antenna emits energy to generate an electromagnetic field (EM field) that carries the signal to the mobile terminal. A phased-array antenna, in particular, generates an EM field that is typically more focused than the EM field generated by a non-phased-array antenna. By a "more focused EM field" is meant an EM field where 1) the largest amount of energy is directed in a particular azimuth direction—for example, the azimuth direction of the mobile terminal to which the signal is being transmitted—, and 2) as the angle from the azimuth direction increases, the strength of this EM field drops off more sharply than the strength of the EM field that is not focused, such as an EM field generated by a non-phased array antenna. The azimuth direction is the angle of the mobile terminal from the broadside, the vertical plane perpendicular to the front face, of the phased-array antenna. Although it is actually the electromagnetic energy that is directed in a particular azimuth direction, for ease of reference it is the EM field that is referred to herein as being directed in the azimuth direction in which the largest amount of energy is directed.
Because the EM field generated by the phased-array antenna is more focused (also sometimes referred to in the art as being "narrower") than the EM field that would be generated by a non-phased array antenna, then, the signal carried by the EM field directed by the phased-array antenna to a particular mobile terminal interferes less with signals to other mobile terminals in the same, or other, so-called sectors of the cells of the wireless communication system than the signal carried by the EM field that would be generated by the non-phased-array antenna. This allows an increase in the number of mobile terminals in the wireless communication system, and therefore an increase in the capacity of the wireless communication system. (The capacity of the wireless communication system is the number of calls that can be carried simultaneously by the wireless communication system.)
The phased-array antenna should generate the EM field so that an acceptable receive voltage—the voltage received by the mobile terminal—is induced at the location of the mobile terminal. The acceptable receive voltage is that voltage necessary for the mobile terminal to receive the signal with an acceptable level of signal performance. Typically, power control information or quality-of-signal information, such as error information bits, received from the mobile terminal is used at the base station to adjust the EM field so that an acceptable receive voltage is induced at the location of the mobile terminal.
In a typical wireless communication system, signals transmitted for a number of mobile terminals are all transmitted at the same frequency. (For example, in a so-called TDMA wireless communication system, signals to three mobile terminals are transmitted on the same frequency.) Using a phased array antenna to transmit a signal on the same frequency to several mobile terminals could result in destructive interference of the EM fields directed to the several mobile terminals. Destructive interference occurs when an EM field directed to a first mobile terminal induces a secondary voltage at the location of a second mobile terminal, where this secondary voltage is out of phase with the primary voltage induced by the EM field directed to the second mobile terminal. In this case, the secondary voltage will reduce the magnitude of the primary voltage. This reduction in magnitude may be large enough so that the second mobile terminal may not receive an acceptable receive voltage, and therefore may not receive the signal with an acceptable level of signal quality.
It has been proposed to minimize the problems due to destructive interference by using focused EM fields having alternating orthogonal polarization, each EM field being directed in a fixed direction. The voltage induced at the location of a mobile terminal is induced by both the EM field whose direction is closest to the direction of the mobile terminal and by the all the other EM fields. However, since adjacent EM fields have orthogonal polarization, the possibility of destructive interference is reduced. This reduces the possibility that one of the mobile terminals will not acceptably receive the signal—receive the signal with an acceptable level of signal performance.

Shaping of EM field for transmission to multiple terminals