Embodiments of the present invention, relating to the communications field, provide methods for establishing and using a public path, an M2M communication method, and systems thereof. To reduce occupied network resources and improve service processing efficiency of a network, an embodiment of the present invention provides the following technical solution: obtaining characteristic information of a public path, where the public path is corresponding to an MTC device in a one-line transmission group; establishing the public path according to the characteristic information; performing, by the MTC device in the one-line transmission group, data transmission with an MTC server by using the public path; and releasing the public path when the data transmission between the MTC device in the one-line transmission group and the MTC server is completed. The present invention is applicable to M2M communication.

M2M (machine to machine) communication services will account for a larger share in the market of future communications technologies. M2M is an integration of the wireless communication and information technology, and capable of implementing one-way communication and two-way communication, which is applicable to scenarios such as security detection, automatic vending machines, and cargo tracking
In the M2M technology, MTC (Machine Type Communications, machine type communications) application architecture mainly includes an MTC Device (MTC device), an MTC Server (MTC server), a network part (including logical function entities such as a network element of an access network, a network element of a core network, and an HSS). The MTC Server stores related data information of M2M devices or groups for providing MTC services. For example, the MTC Device is a water or electricity meter, and the MTC Server is a reading and processing server for the water or electricity meter, which stores the configuration information of the water or electricity meter and processes the data read on the meter accordingly.
During implementation of the present invention, the inventors find that the prior art has at least the following problems: During data transmission between a large number of MTC Devices and the same MTC Server, even though data is transmitted between the MTC Devices and the MTC Server by using the same path, each MTC Device still needs to perform operations such as establishing and releasing a bearer connection with the MTC Server, respectively. In addition, each operation for establishing or releasing a bearer connection involves signaling transmission between a plurality of network element devices. Therefore, lots of network resources are occupied, thereby reducing service processing efficiency of the network.

Methods for establishing and using public path, M2M communication method, and systems thereof


Polycrystals with a MgO purity of at least 99.0%, a relative density of at least 90.0%, a sulfur S content of 0.01 to 50 ppm, a chlorine Cl content of 0.01 to 50 ppm, a nitrogen N content of 0.01 to 200 ppm, and a phosphorus P content of 0.01 to 30 ppm. Even when vapor deposition is conducted using electron beam deposition, almost no splash occurs, and the film characteristics of the product MgO film can also be improved.

Because MgO displays excellent heat resistance, conventionally it has been used mainly as a heat resistant material for crucibles and fire bricks and the like, and various techniques have been proposed for improving the mechanical strength, including the addition of sintering assistants. Examples of known techniques include those disclosed in the patent references 1 to 3.
As follows is a list of references.    Patent Reference 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. Hei 07-133149    Patent Reference 2: Japanese Patent No. 2,961,389    Patent Reference 3: Japanese Examined Patent Application, Second Publication No. Hei 07-102988    Patent Reference 4: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. Hei 11-213875    Patent Reference 5: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. Hei 05-311412    Patent Reference 6: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. Hei 10-291854    Patent Reference 7: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. Hei 10-297955    Patent Reference 8: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. Hei 10-297956    Patent Reference 9: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. Hei 11-29857    Patent Reference 10: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. Hei 11-29355    Patent Reference 11: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2000-63171    Patent Reference 12: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. Hei 09-235667    Non-Patent Reference 1: IEICE Trans. Electron., vol. E82-C, No. 10, p. 1804–1807 (1999).
In recent years, the research, development, and implementation of flat panel displays, including liquid crystal displays (LCD) has been remarkable, and the production of these displays is increasing rapidly. The development and introduction of color plasma display panels (PDP) has also surged recently. PDPs can be easily produced in very large sizes, and represent the most promising technology for producing a high definition, wall-mounted large screen television. Tests and production of PDPs with a diagonal size in the 60 inch range are already in progress, and of the different PDP technologies, AC type display panels in which the electrode construction utilizes a metal electrode covered with a glass dielectric material are the most common.
In these AC type PDPs, the surface of the glass dielectric layer is coated with a protective film that displays a high heat of sublimation in order to prevent the ion bombardment sputtering from altering the surface of the glass dielectric layer and raising the breakdown voltage. Because it contacts the discharge gas directly, this protective film must not only be resistant to sputtering, but must also perform a plurality of other important roles. Namely, the properties required of this protective film include resistance to sputtering during discharge, a high secondary emission capability (a low discharge voltage), as well as good insulation and light transmittance. MgO films produced by either electron beam deposition or ion plating using MgO as the vapor deposition material are typically used as the material for satisfying these property requirements. As described above, these MgO protective films perform an important role in extending the life of the PDP by protecting the surface of the dielectric layer from the sputtering during discharge, and it is known that increasing the film density of this protective film enables an improvement in the sputtering resistance (non-patent reference 1).
In addition, both single crystal MgO and polycrystalline MgO have been used for this protective film (vapor deposition material). Technology relating to this protective film includes that disclosed in the patent references 6 to 11 listed above.
Furthermore, in a technique disclosed in the patent reference 4, the secondary emission efficiency of the protective film is improved, and display performance problems such as breakdown delay within the light emitting cells and faults within the write operation can be improved, by reducing the electronegative element component such as sulfur within the protective film.
The method used for removing the electronegative element component such as sulfur requires a heat treatment at a temperature of at least 1400° C. in either a vacuum with a pressure of no more than 1.33×10−1 Pa (10−3 Torr) or in an oxygen containing atmosphere, which is performed following crystal growth (pellet preparation) and prior to formation of the protective film, although in the case of polycrystals or single crystals produced using an electromelting method with a relative density of at least 90%, the efficiency of the sulfur removal was poor.
The polycrystalline MgO described above is typically produced by granulating, molding and baking an MgO powder of arbitrary purity and with an arbitrary impurities composition produced by either a sea water method or a vapor phase method. In contrast, single crystal MgO is typically produced by melting MgO clinker or light burned MgO (baked at a temperature of no more than 1000° C.) with a purity of at least 98% in an electric arc furnace, that is forming an ingot by electromelting, and then extracting single crystal portions from this ingot and crushing the product. The MgO powder, MgO clinker, or light burned MgO used as the raw material for producing these products typically comprises a sulfur S component, a chlorine Cl component, a nitrogen N component and a phosphorus P component and the like as impurities, due to the production methods employed and the intrinsic reactivity of MgO.
It is known that during film formation using either an electron beam deposition method or an ion plating method, the quantities of sulfur S, chlorine Cl, nitrogen N and phosphorus P discharged from the MgO vapor deposition material as impurities has a deleterious effect on the level of splash associated with that vapor deposition material. In other words, as the quantities of sulfur S, chlorine Cl, nitrogen N and phosphorus P impurities increase, the level of splash also increases, and if the level of splash is high, then the degree of efficiency with which the quantity of vapor deposition material can be used in the film formation process decreases, resulting in an increase in material costs.
In addition, if the quantities of sulfur S, chlorine Cl, nitrogen N and phosphorus P impurities are high, then control of the crystal orientation and microstructure of the product film becomes difficult, and compact deposition of the MgO film onto the substrate is inhibited, meaning the film density tends to decrease. If the density of the MgO film decreases, then various problems can arise including a reduction in the refractive index, a deterioration in the sputtering resistance, and deterioration in both the discharge characteristics and the insulating characteristics.
In terms of the target material used in the sputtering method, the type of technology disclosed in the patent reference 12 described above is already known.
When preparing a target material for use in a sputtering method, this target material must be produced with as high a density as possible. In contrast, the inventors of the present invention have confirmed that when preparing a vapor deposition material for use in an electron beam deposition method, the density required of the vapor deposition material need not be as precise in terms of the measurement of degassing from the vapor deposition material and the evaluation of the film formation, and the allowable density range for the vapor deposition material is comparatively broad.
Furthermore, the target material and the vapor deposition material are not significantly different in terms of their microstructures, but are very different in macro terms.
Namely, in a sputtering method, the target material is formed as a comparatively large plate such as a circular or angular plate, whereas in an electron beam deposition method, the vapor deposition material is formed as small pellets. In a sputtering method, in which positive ions such as argon cause knock-on at the atomic level of the target material, which functions as the film formation material, thereby depositing this film formation material on a substrate, the reason that the target material is formed as a plate that is comparatively larger than the substrate or the like on which the film is to be formed, is to ensure a more uniform distribution of the thickness of the film produced from the target material.
In contrast, in an electron beam deposition method, in which a material is deposited on a substrate by heating and subsequent conversion to a vapor state using an electron beam, the reason that the vapor deposition material is formed as small pellets is to enable the vapor deposition material to be supplied sequentially to the crucible of the electron beam deposition apparatus. Furthermore, in an electron beam deposition method, because of the so-called splash phenomenon peculiar to electron beam deposition and from the viewpoint of film formation speed, an optimum size exists for the vapor deposition process.
Because the film formation mechanisms for sputtering methods and electron beam deposition methods differ in this manner, the film formation conditions are completely different, and the quality of the product films is also different. Namely, in a sputtering method the composition of the product film varies depending on how easily the target material undergoes sputtering (the sputtering resistance), whereas in an electron beam deposition method the composition of the product film varies depending on how easily the vapor deposition material can be converted to a vapor state (the vapor pressure). As a result, the compositions of films formed from a target material and a vapor deposition material of exactly the same composition will differ, and the quantity of impurities incorporated within each film will also be different.
In addition, in the case of a target material, following formation of a plate-like material by sintering or the like, usually the surface must be polished using a surface grinder or the like to achieve a surface roughness of no more than approximately 1 μm. The reason for this requirement is that if sharp sections exist on the target material, then electrons tend to accumulate at those sections, meaning the argon ion bombardment is also concentrated on those sections, causing a phenomenon known as arcing, which causes non-uniformity in the product film, and consequently these sharp sections must be removed. In contrast in the case of a vapor deposition material, the film formation speed can be increased by ensuring as large a surface roughness as possible. The mechanism behind this finding is unclear, although it is thought that the increase in the evaporation surface area of the vapor deposition material is a significant factor.
Accordingly, a target material and a vapor deposition material only appear to be similar, and just because the compositions and/or forms of the two may be similar does not mean that either one may be appropriately applied within the other field.

MgO vapor deposition material and method for preparation thereof


Systems, methods and computer program products facilitating real-time service transactions between two or more users, including at least one client and at least one service provider. Service providers complete project profiles identifying projects they wish to work on, and clients complete project profiles identifying projects they would like to pay service providers to complete. The project profiles including identifying parameters such as the type of service or project, start date, completion date, skills required for completion, and the like. Both the clients and service providers may then purchase lead options to identify their desire for obtaining a matching user. The lead options can be a sum of money a user wishes to pay for a lead. The systems, methods and computer products then determine matching clients and service providers based upon the project profiles, and identifies to one or more lead option submitting users the immediately available users that match the project profile submitted by the user. In this manner, clients and service providers can utilize the present invention to locate immediately appropriate and available users with which to transact with.

With the advent of the Internet, electronic commerce has become one of the fastest growing segments of the economy, due to the fact that the Internet is an easily accessible platform allowing individuals to transact with each other regardless of geographical boundaries or pre-existing relationships. As a result, this forum has lead to unparalleled opportunities for businesses and consumers. Currently, thousands of businesses and individuals offer virtually every type of product and service for purchase online, facilitating the exchange of over a billion dollars in goods each year. Moreover, as the Internet becomes more prolific in society, the number of transactions are expected to increase dramatically.
However, despite the Internet's success in facilitating commerce, hurdles still exist that prevent many businesses and consumers from successfully utilizing the Internet to facilitate business. One significant area this is readily apparent is in the sale and purchase of services, such as project work. For instance, due to the remote nature of Internet business transactions, services are difficult to market, especially as compared to goods, which are often uniform and can be more easily represented with present day technology. For instance, a consumer concerned about the quality of goods can purchase a well known brand name to reassure themselves that they are going to receive consistent quality even while purchasing site unseen, possibly from a vendor the consumer hasn't previously transacted with. Furthermore, consumers can often view goods online. On the contrary, services are difficult to market over the Internet using conventional websites because these services are not consistent, inventoried items, or items that are ready for exchange in a matter of a few days. Often, services take considerable amount of time to complete and require special skills. Furthermore, depending upon the work to be completed, a service must often be tailored to a customer, and the customer must know the service provider has the skill set to complete the service to the consumer's satisfaction. Conventional models based on the buying and selling goods do not offer a structured process to allow the buyer or seller to ensure all proper questions are asked and documented that will allow for a good transaction.
Currently, a significant amount of project work is marketed via advertising, including print ads, door to door advertising, mass mailings, and commercial advertising. Additionally, most project work is not facilitated by an electronic marketplace. Consumers who seek service providers to perform such work must often contact one company at a time, by telephone, mail, fax, or e-mail, in an attempt to determine what providers have the necessary skills, experience and capacity to complete a project. This process is often time consuming, as each company must obtain project specifications, and then make a bid for the project. Sometimes consumers are not offered any defined expectations as to when a bid will be completed, or as to the kind of bid expected. Moreover, there remains a great dependency on word of mouth contacts via friends and associates, which limits the buyers' and service providers' options and marketplace size. Finally, it is often very difficult to assess a service provider's or buyer's quality and reputation.
Furthermore, both customers and service providers typically incur significant expenses in locating each other. For service providers, these expenses are often in the form of advertising, and in the time and effort spent to convince consumers to purchase their services. Likewise, consumers incur expenses in the spending time to locate a suitable service provider. Additionally, where a need is immediate, clients can incur significant irreparable harm where they cannot locate a suitable service provider quickly.
Therefore, it will be appreciated that current Internet marketplace solutions are not readily scalable to facilitate a marketplace in which consumers and service providers can locate each other, and conventional methods of locating service providers and consumers is inefficient and often results in poorly informed choices. Therefore, what is needed are methods, systems and computer program products that enable consumers and service providers to locate each other in an efficient manner, with minimal delay, and with minimal cost. It would also be advantageous for these methods, systems and computer program products to facilitate project work transactions between clients and service providers. Furthermore, it would also be advantageous to allow service providers or customers to purchase lead options to express their desire to receive a match, which would otherwise take great time and expense.

Systems, methods, and computer program products facilitating real-time transactions through the purchase of lead options


A testing device allows a test engine (such as a single-cylinder test engine) to experience the air exchange characteristics of a multi-cylinder test engine having a greater number of cylinders. The test engine receives air from an air source (such as the atmosphere) through the interior passage of an air intake adapter, wherein valves on the passage walls separate the interior passage from a negative or positive pressure source. A processor (such as a computer) may actuate the valves to allow air to be pulled from the passage to simulate the effect of air intake into additional virtual cylinders (i.e., cylinders that would operate in tandem with the cylinder(s) of the test engine if the test engine had a greater number of cylinders), and/or to simulate the effect of forced air induction (i.e., turbocharging or supercharging).

As discussed in (for example) U.S. Pat. No. 6,708,557 to Moskwa et al. (which is incorporated by reference herein, and thus should be regarded as a part of this document), the single-cylinder test engine (1CTE) has long been an important and widely-used tool in engineering and development of internal combustion engines. The 1CTE is typically a single cylinder, piston and head taken from a multi-cylinder engine (MCE), or having a design adapted from a MCE, and which is used to simulate performance of an MCE on a smaller and simpler scale. Since the 1CTE has only a single cylinder, it is generally much easier to install and use measurement instrumentation in a 1CTE than an MCE, thereby allowing more complete data collection regarding a cylinder's fluid dynamics, heat transfer, thermodynamics, emissions and other characteristics. Additionally, owing to the simpler design of 1CTEs, they are much less expensive and time-consuming to build and modify when working out design challenges associated with combustion chamber shape, timing, or other geometric and thermodynamic issues, or to experimentally validate theoretical/computational performance predictions.
However, 1CTEs also carry numerous drawbacks. The contributions of the missing cylinders are sometimes critical to accurate simulation of MCE performance. U.S. Pat. No. 6,708,557 describes the use of a high-bandwidth transient dynamometer wherein a processor (e.g, a computer, application specific integrated circuit, or other calculating device) simulates the inertial contribution of additional "virtual" cylinders added to a 1CTE, and causes the dynamometer to apply appropriate loads or energy inputs to the 1CTE such that the 1CTE behaves as if the virtual cylinders were physically present within the 1CTE (i.e., as if the 1CTE was a MCE).
However, while this system is extremely useful for adapting a 1CTE to simulate the inertial dynamics of an MCE, it has been found that the "missing cylinders" of the 1CTE also have other performance contributions that are usefully taken into account if the 1CTE is to fully represent MCE performance—in particular, the gas exchange characteristics of the 1CTE versus those of an MCE (i.e., the "breathing" of an engine, particularly during its intake and exhaust cycles). To illustrate, if a 1CTE is mounted on a production manifold (a manifold of a type that would actually be used with the MCE which the 1CTE is to represent), the intake valves of the 1CTE draw air from the manifold without experiencing any effects from the intake valves of other cylinders: the airflow dynamics of the manifold are almost entirely dependent on the intake of the 1CTE. In contrast, in an MCE, air is usually drawn into the intake ports of several cylinders at the same time, and thus the pressure, volumetric flow, etc. at the intake port of one of the cylinders is affected by the conditions at the intake ports of the other cylinders. The interaction between the intake ports has a substantial effect on the performance of each cylinder of the MCE, particularly during transient operation of the engine (i.e., at non-constant speed/load conditions). It would therefore be extremely useful to have available some means of modifying a 1CTE to experience the same gas exchange characteristics that the 1CTE would experience if the 1CTE was actually present as a part of an MCE, so that a 1CTE could more accurately simulate MCE performance.

Engine testing device which simulates dynamic gas exchange


A plasma processing apparatus includes a radio frequency generator capable of adjusting a target output power level based on the set power level and the offset level to output radio frequency power; a chamber in which a plasma process is performed; and a power detection unit for measuring radio frequency power level fed to the matching unit. The plasma processing apparatus further includes a generator control unit for controlling the radio frequency power such that the radio frequency power level fed to the matching unit reaches the set power level by calculating the offset level based on the difference between the set power level and the power level measured by the power detection unit and transmitting the set power level and the offset level in digital form to the data input terminal of the radio frequency generator.

In a manufacturing process of semiconductor devices, a plasma processing apparatus for performing an etching process or a film forming process on a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter, referred to as a "wafer") by high density plasma generated at a relatively low pressure atmosphere conventionally has been used. For example, in case of a parallel plate type plasma processing apparatus, a pair of parallel plate type electrodes, i.e., an upper electrode and a lower electrode, are disposed in a processing chamber, a processing gas is introduced into the processing chamber and at the same time radio frequency power is supplied to either or both electrodes from a radio frequency generator to generate a radio frequency electric field between the electrodes. The radio frequency electric field forms plasma of the processing gas to thereby perform specified processes such as an etching process and the like on the wafer.
To achieve a desired process result by the plasma processing apparatus described above, it is important to maintain the radio frequency power applied to the electrodes at a specified level during the processing so that the plasma generated in the processing chamber can be stabilized. However, if several plasma processing apparatuses are operating, a power loss of the radio frequency power incurred by a transmission line extending from the radio frequency generator to the electrodes in the processing chamber varies depending on each apparatus even though the output power of the radio frequency generator coupled to each processing apparatus is the same. Therefore, the real radio frequency power applied to the electrodes is not necessarily constant. The different length of the power cable forming the transmission line or the peripheral environment with different electrical characteristics of the plasma processing apparatuses contributes to a variation of the power loss.
If the real radio frequency power applied to the electrodes of the processing chamber varies depending on each plasma processing apparatus, the plasma state in the processing chamber of each apparatus varies, which may result in a variation of accuracy of the processing result of each plasma processing apparatus. Due to this, the radio frequency generator was conventionally calibrated when it is added or replaced so that the output power of the radio frequency generator was adjusted to compensate for a power loss by the transmission line.
The conventional calibration method of the radio frequency generator will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 8 shows a block diagram showing a configuration of a conventional radio frequency generator system for calibrating a radio frequency generator. As shown in FIG. 8, a radio frequency generator 10 is connected to a dummy load (virtual load) 30 via a coaxial cable 20 coupled to a power output terminal 12 for conventional calibration. The dummy load 30 has the same impedance as the combined impedance, e.g., 50Ω, of a real matching unit, to which the radio frequency generator 10 is connected, and the plasma processing apparatus. That is, by connecting the dummy load 30 instead of the real matching unit and plasma processing apparatus, the calibration of the radio frequency generator 10 can be performed efficiently. Further, since the impedance of the load does not change during the calibration process, the calibration result is more reliable.
On the other hand, a power meter 40 is interposed between the end portion of the coaxial cable 20 and the dummy load 30. The power meter 40 measures radio frequency power fed to the dummy load 30.
Connected to the radio frequency generator 10 is a generator control unit 50 for controlling the output power thereof. For example, the generator control unit 50 is included in a controller for controlling the plasma processing apparatus. The generator control unit 50 transmits a power-setting voltage signal 60 to the radio frequency generator 10. The power-setting voltage signal 60 is an analog signal, e.g., having a voltage ranging from 0 V to 10 V. The radio frequency generator 10 generates radio frequency power corresponding to the voltage of the power-setting voltage signal 60 through the power output terminal 12.
Further, the radio frequency generator 10 transmits a power-monitoring voltage signal 62 indicating a voltage of the radio frequency power actually sent from the power output terminal 12 (e.g., a voltage of traveling and reflection waves) to the generator control unit 50. The power-monitoring voltage signal 62 is an analog signal having a voltage ranging, e.g., from 0 V to 10 V. That is, the radio frequency generator 10 outputs the power-monitoring voltage signal 62 corresponding to the voltage of the radio frequency power sent from the power output terminal 12.
The generator control unit 50 includes a display unit (not shown) where the real radio frequency power outputted from the power output terminal 12 (output power level) and set power level according to the voltage level of the power-monitoring voltage signal 62 transmitted from the radio frequency generator 10 are displayed. In this case, the set power level is constant since a specified value is displayed. However, the radio frequency power actually outputted from the power output terminal 12 changes if the output power is changed in calibration of the output power. Due to this, the displayed set power level and the displayed radio frequency power actually outputted are not equal to each other after the output power has been calibrated. Therefore, in this case, it is necessary to adjust the displayed radio frequency power to become the set power level.
A method for calibrating the radio frequency generator 10 using such a radio frequency power system will be described hereinafter. According to this method, the output power of the radio frequency generator 10 is adjusted by the power-setting voltage signal 60 which is an analog signal so that the power actually inputted to the dummy load 30 reaches the set power level of radio frequency power.
First, if an operator enters a power-setting voltage level for the set power level of radio frequency power to an input unit (not shown) of the generator control unit 50, the generator control unit 50 transmits a power-setting voltage signal 60 indicating the power-setting voltage level set in the input unit to the radio frequency generator 10.
FIG. 9 is a graph showing a relationship between the power-setting voltage level to determine the output power of the radio frequency generator 10 and the radio frequency power actually outputted from the power output terminal 12 (output power level) before the output power is calibrated. As shown in FIG. 9, if the radio frequency generator 10 has a rated output of 3000 W, the power-setting voltage level ranging from 0 V to 10 V corresponds to the radio frequency power ranging from 0 W to 3000 W generated from the radio frequency generator 10. That is, when radio frequency power of 1700 W is generated from the radio frequency generator 10, it is noted that a power-setting voltage signal 60 of 5.67 V (≈1700÷3000×10) is fed to the radio frequency generator 10.
The radio frequency generator 10 transmits radio frequency power of 1700 W corresponding to the power-setting voltage signal 60 to the dummy load 30 via the coaxial cable 20. However, due to a power transmission loss caused by the coaxial cable 20, the radio frequency power actually supplied to the dummy load 30 is smaller than 1700 W, the radio frequency power generated from the radio frequency generator 10.
Therefore, the operator adjusts the output power level of the power output terminal 12 by changing the power-setting voltage level inputted to the input unit of the generator control unit 50 so that the radio frequency power actually supplied to the dummy load 30, i.e., the radio frequency power measured by the power meter 40, reaches the set power level. By calibrating the radio frequency generator 10 in this manner, the radio frequency power calibrated to the set power level is fed to the dummy load 30. Then, if the dummy load 30 is disconnected and the matching unit is reconnected to the coaxial cable 20, the radio frequency power calibrated to the set power level is supplied to the matching unit.
(Patent Document 1) Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 5-205898
(Patent Document 2) Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-149996
(Patent Document 3) Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-224112
(Patent Document 4) Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-032064
However, according to the conventional correction method of the radio frequency generator 10, the operator has to adjust the power-setting voltage level fed to the input unit of the generator control unit 50 until the radio frequency power supplied to the dummy load 30 reaches the set power level. Further, since an overshoot occurs if the power-setting voltage level is changed too much, the operator has to gradually change the power-setting voltage level several times while monitoring the power meter 40. Accordingly, the calibration process takes a long time.
Furthermore, as described above, since the radio frequency power actually outputted from the power output terminal 12 (output power level) is displayed on the display unit of the power control unit 50, the display of the radio frequency power changes while the output power is being adjusted. Therefore, while the output power is being adjusted, the display of the radio frequency power should be constantly changed to follow the displayed set power level. This process is troublesome in that the calibration process takes more time.
Further, since the power-setting voltage signal 60 transmitted to the radio frequency generator 10 from the generator control unit 50 is an analog signal, it is easily affected by noise. Particular when the set power level of radio frequency power becomes smaller, the power-setting voltage level for adjusting the output power becomes accordingly smaller, which aggravates the noise problem.
In case of the example shown in FIG. 9, if the power-setting voltage signal 60 is overlapped with noise of 10 mV, the radio frequency generator 10 generates the normal radio frequency power added with radio frequency power of 30 W corresponding to the power-setting voltage level of 10 mV. For example, if the normal radio frequency power is 1700 W, noise of 30 W corresponds to approximately 1.8% of 1700 W. However, if the normal radio frequency power is within a low power output range (e.g., if it is 100 W), the noise of 30 W corresponds to 30% of 100 W.
That is, if the target radio frequency power is low, the power-setting voltage signal 60 is significantly affected by the overlapped noise and therefore it may be difficult to accurately control the output power level of the radio frequency generator 10.
Conventionally, techniques for controlling a radio frequency generator during plasma processing such that radio frequency power actually applied to an electrode in a processing chamber reaches a specified value have been proposed to compensate for a power loss by a transmission line. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for performing plasma processing by supplying radio frequency power to an electrode in a processing chamber from a radio frequency generator via a cable and a matching unit and then controlling the radio frequency generator during plasma processing so that measured radio frequency power actually applied to the electrode reaches a specified value.
Further, Patent Document 2 discloses a technique for performing plasma processing by supplying radio frequency power to an electrode of a plasma reactor from a radio frequency generator via a cable and a matching unit and outputting power added with reflection wave power from the radio frequency generator during plasma processing by measuring the radio frequency power (reflection wave power) actually reflected from the electrode.
In addition, techniques for maintaining real radio frequency power applied to an electrode in a processing chamber at a specified level by controlling a matching circuit disposed between a radio frequency generator and the electrode have been proposed. For example, Patent Document 3 discloses a technique for maintaining real radio frequency power applied to an electrode at a specified level by measuring a current actually flowing to the electrode during plasma processing and by controlling a radio frequency generator or a matching circuit based on the measured current. Further, Patent Document 4 discloses an impedance matching device where power actually supplied to a load is maintained at a specified level by maintaining a circuit passing power loss of a short-circuit resistance at a set power level by controlling the power consumption of the built-in secondary inductance circuit according to power actually supplied to the load during plasma processing.
According to these techniques, the radio frequency power actually applied to the electrode is controlled during plasma processing. Herein, the techniques have been conceived to maintain a constant value of the radio frequency power at the point closest to the electrode to which radio frequency power is finally supplied (i.e., at the point near the electrode seen from the matching unit). Therefore, this is different from the above-described method for calibrating the radio frequency generator by adjusting the output power so that the power fed to the matching unit reaches the set power level when the radio frequency generator is replaced.
Furthermore, attenuation characteristics of the radio frequency power during the transmission thereof from the radio frequency generator to the electrode in the processing chamber are not uniform. For example, if radio frequency power from a radio frequency generator is transmitted to a matching unit via a coaxial cable and then supplied from the matching unit to an electrode in a processing chamber, attenuation characteristics of the radio frequency power in the matching unit and front stage are affected by many parameters unlike the coaxial cable. To be specific, attenuation characteristics for the coaxial cable are largely irrelevant to the size of the radio frequency power and therefore the radio frequency power of any value is attenuated at a constant rate. On the contrary, since attenuation characteristics of the matching unit are depending on the size of the radio frequency power, if the radio frequency power changes, it is likely that its attenuation rate is significantly changed.
Due to this, in case of using only the above-described techniques for adjusting the output power during plasma processing, it is difficult to maintain the radio frequency power applied to the electrode of the processing chamber at a specific value. Further, when the radio frequency generator is added or replaced, the radio frequency power fed to the matching unit should be accurately adjusted by completing the calibration of the radio frequency generator and, after that, the power adjustment of the matching unit and front stage should be performed. Otherwise, it is very difficult to adjust the radio frequency power actually supplied to the electrode in the processing chamber with high accuracy.
Therefore, it is more effective to use the above techniques for adjusting the output power during plasma processing after calibrating the radio frequency generator such that the radio frequency power fed to the matching unit from the radio frequency generator via the transmission line reaches the set power level.

Plasma processing apparatus, radio frequency generator and correction method therefor


The invention provides a transgenic pig having incorporated into its genome a HSP70 gene or fragment thereof, whereby the transgenic pig overexpresses HSP70. The transgenic pig of the invention can be used in the production of HSP in large quantities, as a xenograft source for transplation and as an animal model close to human for illustrating the protective roles of HSP. Furthermore, the transgenic pig of the invention has a better meat quality and exhibits an increased growth rate and a reduced backfat thickness.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a transgenic pig for overexpressing heat shock protein 70.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When exposed to nonlethal heat shock, a variety of organisms and cells acquire transient resistance to subsequent exposures to elevated temperatures. This phenomenon has been termed thermotolerance. Heat shock protein (hereafter HSP) 70 has been described as playing an important role in thermoresistance. HSP70 also is closely related to food intake, growth rate and backfat thickness of pigs. HSP is synthesized in cells in response to an increase of temperature above normal physiological levels, or following exposure to a variety of toxic agents. Recently, elevated expression of HSP70 and other HSPs has been observed in cells and tissues under conditions representative of human diseases, including ischemia, oxidant injury, immunology and infectious diseases (Marber, et al., 1995, J. Clin. Invest. 95:1446-1456 and Kiang et al., 1998, Pharmacal. Ther. 80:183-201). The increased expression of these stress proteins could represent an acute response to altered physiological states, as well as chronic adaption to some diseases. The primary function of these stress responses is thought to be cytoprotective. For example, overexpression of HSP70 alone was demonstrated to protect cells from thermal injury and to increase cell survival. By overexpressing rat inducible HSP70, postimplantation murine embryos were protected from heat treatment (Mirkes et al., 1999, Developmental Dynamics, 214:159-170). The protective role of HSP70 was demonstrated clearly by recent studies with transgenic mice in which overexpression of human or rat inducible HSP70 protected myocardium from ischemia reperfusion injury (Marber, et al., 1995, J. Clin. Invest. 95:1446-1456; and Plumier, et al., 1995, J. Clin. Invest., 95:1854-1860).
Most studies concerning HSP70 were performed in vitro or in mice or rat models. However, since the in vitro model and the rat model are far from the human, they cannot be successfully applied in human. There is still a need to develop an animal model close to human for determining the effect of the HSP.

Nucleic acid encoding a pig heat shock protein 70


An alarm display system for automatic test handling of electric devices such as integrated circuits ("ICs"), semiconductor chips and the like, is capable of notifying and displaying an occurrence of an error or other inadequacies in the automatic test handler, a generic position and a specific position of the error in the test handler. The test handler wherein the alarm display system of the present invention is to be included has improved IC transfer, test sequence and sorting capabilities in order to provide enhanced productivity and reliability for the testing of integrated circuits. The alarm display system is capable of showing an error and its position, and at the same time, when there is no error, controlling and displaying a general procedure of the test handler. The alarm display comprises a controller for controlling a total operational procedure for detecting and displaying an error in the test handler based on signals from various sensors in addition to an over all handling and testing operation, a general purpose display such as a cathode ray tube or a plasma display panel for showing an occurrence of error or erroneous operation in the test handler and a general position and specific position of the error, and a plurality of sensors for monitoring and sensing the movement of the electronic devices to be tested and other parameters such as temperature in a temperature chamber, air pressure in a compressed air system and the like in the test handler.

In the electronics industry, there is a constant demand for electronic devices, such as integrated circuits (ICs) or semiconductor chips, to be produced less expensively and in smaller dimensions. One way to increase productivity of such electronic devices, and thereby reduce their unit cost, is to increase the test speed of the devices by testing a plurality of them at the same time.
Such an electronic device test system (IC tester, for example) comprises a master unit for generating various test signals and for evaluating the resulting output signals and an automatic test handler for automatically transferring the devices to be tested to test heads and sorting the tested devices based on the test results. Unfortunately, in a complicated test system for testing a large number of devices at the same time, the test system is not free form errors even when the system utilizes the state of the art technology. For example, this type of mechanical system is subjected to an error referred to as "jamming," wherein two or more electronic devices, or carrier modules and the like, stick together or stick to passages of the test system and cannot separate from one another. If such jamming occurs, it is usually necessary to stop the operation of the test system to clear the jam, thus causing a serious loss of time and decrease of efficiency. The other type of error is a mechanical error which is not directly caused by the devices to be tested but rather the test system itself, such as, for example, mechanical inaccuracy, errors in sensors, temperature control errors, or sorting errors.
Therefore, it is important, in such device testing, or in the automatic test handler to indicate an error in the test system and to accurately identify a position where an error exists as fast as possible so that such errors can be corrected. The faster the identification of the position of errors and the restoration of the normal operating condition, the more efficient the device testing becomes, thus increasing the productivity of the devices. The present invention deals with such an alarm display system for use in an automatic test handler in an electronic device test system to increase the test efficiency and thus to increase the productivity by decreasing the overall time required for the device testing.
In an automatic test handler, it has become a test technology standard to place a number of electronic devices to be tested on a test tray and position them to be engaged by a test head plate having a number of corresponding test contactors. An example of the test system for testing a plurality of electronic devices in a test tray is shown in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,926,118 to O'Connor et al.
In the O'Connor patent, one electronic device is placed on a seat of carrier module, and each carrier module is provided with one or more device seats. A number of modules are then positioned by column and row on the test tray. The test tray, having a number of such carrier modules, is arranged so as to be in vertical alignment (either above or below) with a test fixture.
The test fixture includes test contactors (test pins) for contact with the pins of each electronic device to be tested for supplying and receiving the test signals from the device. Each module is aligned with a corresponding test contactor so that when either the test tray or the test fixture are moved in a vertical direction toward the other, the contactor engages the electronic device positioned within the carrier module.
The contactor is provided with a number of test pins or leads which come into electrical communication with the leads of the electronic devices to be tested. The automatic test handler is electrically connected to a master unit of electronic device test system which includes a test signal generator for supplying a test signal to the device, and with a signal comparator for analyzing the results of the test. Based on such results, the electronic devices are transferred to another location in the test process and sorted for proper handling.
The O'Connor patent does not show how to monitor each operation stage of the test system and identify error positions, such as locations of jamming of the devices to be tested or jamming of the tested devices, or the temperature of the devices during the course of the test processes. Therefore, it requires a considerable amount of time to discover an error position and recover the test system from such errors since there is not an effective means for monitoring and indicating by alarm sounds and an alarm display of such error positions.
In a further conventional test handler, there was an example of alarm display devices to indicate an error position in the test system. An example of such a test handler is shown in FIG. 1. In the test handler 10 of FIG. 1, electronic devices to be tested are removed from their container, usually called a "magazine," and separated from one another by the force of gravity. That is, the electronic device to be tested is positioned in the magazines 14 initially at a vertically higher position of the housing 13 than the test head 19 and, by its own weight, is separated from the other devices such that it slidably descends to the test head 19. After the test, the electronic device descends further, due to gravity, to a lower position of the housing 12 than the test head so as to be sorted in the unloader section 16 into the unloader magazines 18a-18g depending on the test results.
Such conventional device test system, which utilizes the force of gravity to separate and transfer the electronic devices, has a relatively simple structure since the driving force for the device movement is based on the gravity and the number of devices to be simultaneously tested is limited, i.e., two or four. Therefore, the conventional test system 10 shown in FIG. 1 usually employs a display device 11 for showing locations wherein a device jamming had occurred.
An example of such display devices 11 is illustrated in FIG. 2. The display device of FIG. 2 typically employs a printed display plate made of, for example, plastic and light emitting diodes (LEDs) or plasma display panels for showing an error position in the test system. For example, the display panel is illustrated in FIG. 2 as a flow diagram that includes each of the function blocks in the test system. Such function blocks are, for example, loader, distributer, transfer, contactor, sorter and unloader. Each functional block is accompanied by a alarm point comprising an LED, for example, which emits light or blinks when an error occurs in the corresponding function block as shown by pilot lamps PL1-PL6 in FIG. 2. Therefore, the user of the test system is notified by the alarm display and also by the alarm sound that an error exists, and the general position or the function block where the error occurred is indicated.
However, the error display device of this kind has three inherent disadvantages. First, since such display is formed of a single layer of fixed display which only shows each function block of the system, one can tell from such display only a general position or a functional block of the tester which involves an error. Thus, although the alarm display can show that there is an error in the test system and indicate the appropriate position of such error, it is not possible to show a specific or more detailed position or kinds of the error in each of the function blocks. As a result, the alarm display of this kind is not adequate for a more complicated test system.
Second, since such an alarm display system in the conventional test system is a specifically made system for a specific test system with only a single layer of display, it is not possible to show a detailed position with respect to each device or test tray to be tested in a more complicated test system wherein a large number of electric devices are loaded, temperature controlled, transferred and tested, and unloaded in parallel at the same time. Although it may be possible for the conventional alarm display system to be arranged to show more detailed error positions in the test system by increasing the size of the display, it would be necessary to have a display which is impractically large. Therefore, it is impractical in the conventional test handler to install an alarm display system which is capable of showing the detailed information of an error.
Third, since such an alarm display system in the conventional test system is a specifically made system for a specific test system, when a different type of test system is employed, the alarm display system has also to be replaced with the one specifically designed for the type of test system. Therefore, the alarm display system in the conventional test handler is inflexible and cannot be employed in a different type of test handler.
Thus, in summary, an alarm display system for an automatic test handler is necessary which can immediately notify and indicate any errors in the test system for testing a large number of electronic devices at the same time in parallel. At the same time, there is an increasing demand for greater test productivity so as to reduce the cost of IC devices. Moreover, with the increase of the test productivity, the test system becomes more complicated, and thus, it is necessary to indicate a specific position where an error happens to correct the error within a short period of time.
Thus, there is a serious need in the electronic device industry such as in the integrated circuit manufacturers and the like for an alarm display system for automatic test handler which can overcome the problems and disadvantages described above.

Alarm display system for automatic test handler


A crimper assembly includes upper and lower crimper bars which are rotated relative to a sheet of packaging material. A pair of upper crimpers are secured to opposite sides of the upper crimper bar, while a pair of lower crimpers are secured to opposite sides of the lower crimper bars. Each of the upper crimpers includes a metallic base having an outwardly facing portion with an undulating cross sectional shape. A slot is formed in the outwardly facing portion of the upper crimper, and a cutting blade is retained therein. In a first embodiment, an insert is secured to the base of each of the upper crimpers. The insert includes a rigid shank having a lip portion extending therefrom. Portions of the outer surface of the shank are covered by a layer of a relatively resilient material. The layer is formed from a material which is suitable for compressing overlapping portions of the folded sheet of packaging material to form an intermeshing seal patter. The outwardly facing portion of the layer of resilient material includes a longitudinally extending, outwardly facing resilient crimping surface with an undulating cross sectional shape. The lower crimpers are formed in a similar manner, except that an anvil is retained within the slot. During operation, the crimpers are rotated such that the folded sheet of packaging material is compressed between the downwardly facing undulating surface of the upper resilient layer and the upwardly facing undulating surface of the lower base.

This invention relates in general to form, fill, and seal packaging machinery of the type in which a continuous sheet of a packaging material is sequentially folded about a series of articles to be packaged, hot or cold sealed about the articles, and cut into individually sealed packages. More specifically, this invention pertains to an improved crimper assembly for forming end seals in overlapping portions of the sheet of packaging material after being folded about an article.
The formation of a plurality of individually sealed packages of articles using a single continuous sheet of a packaging material is well known in the art. Briefly, the sheet of packaging material is initially passed through a folding mechanism, which continuously folds the film over on itself to form an enclosure for a series of spaces apart articles. The overlapping portions of the film are then sealed along a continuous longitudinal seal. Next, the folded sheet of packaging material is fed to a sealing and cutting assembly, which seals the leading and trailing edges of the package to be formed about the enclosed article and cuts the tube into a plurality of individually sealed packages. In some instances, it may be desirable to apply heat during the process of sealing the overlapping portions of packaging material. Packages produced by this form, fill, and seal process are commonly used for snack bars, candy, cereals, and the like, as well as for other non-food articles.
The sealing of the overlapping end portions of the sheet of packaging material is frequently accomplished by a mechanical crimper assembly. A conventional mechanical crimper assembly includes a pair of opposed crimpers which are disposed on opposite sides of the overlapping portions of the sheet of packaging material. The crimpers are provided with respective undulating or serrated crimping surfaces defined by adjacent peaks and valleys. When the opposed crimpers are moved into engagement with the overlapping portions of the sheet of packaging material, the peaks of the first crimping surface are aligned with the valleys of the second crimping surface, and vice versa. Such engagement compresses the overlapping portions of the sheet of packaging material to form an inteimeshing seal pattern. In some instances, the sheet of packaging material is provided with a cohesive coating for accomplishing the seal when compressed. In other instances, an intermediate seal layer of a coating or other bonding material is provided.
During the crimping and sealing process, it is important that the crimpers exert a sufficient amount of force to compress the overlapping portions of the sheet of packaging material. If an insufficient amount of force is exerted by the crimpers, then the overlapping portions of the sheet of packaging material will not be compressed sufficiently to form a complete seal. At the same time, however, it is equally important that the amount of force exerted by the crimpers not exceed the strength of the sheet of packaging material. If an excessive amount of force is exerted by the crimpers, the sheet of packaging material will tear or break. Thus, it is desirable that the amount of force which can be exerted by the crimpers against the overlapping portions of the sheet of packaging material remain within a predetermined range to insure a complete and secure seal.
In a conventional crimper assembly, the crimpers and the crimping surfaces have been formed from a strong, rigid material, such as high strength steel. Although such crimpers have functioned satisfactorily in the past, several drawbacks have been noted. First, in order to insure that the amount of force exerted by the crimpers against the overlapping portions of the sheet of packaging material remains within the predetermined desired range, the initial set-up of the crimpers on the crimping assembly must be performed very carefully. This time consuming operation must be repeated whenever it is desired to change from one film thickness to another and, therefore, is inefficient. Second, wrinkles which are occasionally present in the sheet of packaging material can cause additional overlapping portions to be compressed between the opposed crimpers. Because of the rigid nature of the crimpers, the presence of the wrinkles resulted in an excessive amount of force being applied to the overlapping portions of the sheet of packaging material. Third, in some packages, the number of overlapping layers of the sheet of packaging material varies from side to side. This can occur when the package being formed includes a longitudinally extending fin seal which is folded to one side. Each of the two end seals of the package would thus include a smaller thickness region (composed of only two overlapping portions of the sheet of packaging material) and a larger thickness region (composed of four overlapping portions of the sheet of packaging material). Similar varying thickness regions are found in packages containing conventional gusset folds and fin seals. It has been found to be quite difficult to set-up the two crimpers so as to exert a proper amount of force against these different thickness regions of the end seals. Although it is known to form the crimpers with bowed or recessed areas to accommodate the larger thickness region, such crimpers are more expensive and still suffer from the other drawbacks mentioned above. Thus, it would be desirable to provide an improved structure for a crimper assembly which addresses all of these drawbacks.

Crimper assembly for sealing overlapping portions of a sheet of packaging material


A paint-stripping composition comprises, on a weight basis, at least 20% of a benzyl alcohol, together with 5-30% of methylene chloride, 1-10% of hydrogen peroxide and 10-60% of water. The composition may also include auxiliary ingredients such as thickeners, evaporation retardants, surfactants, pH control agents, accelerators, corrosion inhibitors, preservatives, coloring agents, and fragrances.

Paint strippers are important industrial chemicals, and are used both in the finishing and refinishing of manufactured articles and in the clean-up of painting facilities. Large amounts of paint-stripping compositions are used in connection with the refinishing of commercial and military aircraft, as well as in the manufacture of motor vehicles.
A threshold requirement for a good paint-stripping composition is that it efficiently and effectively remove a variety of paints without harming the underlying workpiece. This requirement is particularly important in connection with the aircraft industry, since aircraft are frequently fabricated from aluminum or magnesium based alloys which are easily corroded by acidic or alkaline materials.
It is also most important that paint-stripping compositions be of relatively low toxicity. There is an ever growing concern about the release of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) into the atmosphere, because such compounds can be toxic to plant and animal life, and impose serious problems of atmospheric pollution. As a consequence, governmental regulations have strictly curtailed the amounts of VOCs and HAPs which an industry can release. As a consequence, industry must avoid the use of volatile organic compounds, or install expensive recovery systems. Since paint-stripping compositions are typically employed in large volumes, and distributed over relatively large areas, the escape of VOCs and HAPs therefrom can be significant. As a consequence, there is need for paint-stripping compositions which have a low content of volatile and/or hazardous organic compounds. Finally, since cost is always a significant concern with regard to chemicals such as paint-strippers which are used in large volumes, there is a need for a low-cost stripping composition which meets the foregoing criteria.
The foregoing requirements are often mutually exclusive, making it difficult for industry to develop paint-strippers which are highly effective against a broad spectrum of paints, that do not corrode relatively reactive aircraft alloys, and which are low in toxicity, low in cost, and have a low concentration of volatile and/or hazardous organic compounds. Caustic materials such as inorganic alkalis are highly effective for removing a variety of paints, but are also highly corrosive to many alloys, in addition to being dangerous and toxic. Organic compounds such as phenols are quite effective strippers for a variety of paints, and are generally non-corrosive, but these materials are highly toxic, and relatively expensive. Solvents such as benzene, toluene, and halocarbons are effective strippers for many commonly employed paints, but such materials are highly volatile, and in some instances, toxic and/or flammable.
A number of paint-stripping compositions are known in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,454,985 discloses paint-stripping compositions based upon a mixture of benzyl alcohol and water, which compositions may also include acidic or alkaline accelerators. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/610,155 discloses paint strippers based upon benzyl alcohol and water which further include peroxide activators. U.S. Pat. No. 3,355,385 discloses paint-stripping compositions based upon aqueous hydrogen peroxide in combination with various organic solvents, including methylene chloride, and other halocarbons. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,518,661 and 4,445,939 both show paint-stripping compositions based upon specific mixtures of benzyl alcohol and methylene chloride. As can be seen, the prior art has made many attempts at fabricating paint-stripping compositions, but to date, there is still a need for a highly effective, non-corrosive, low-toxicity paint-stripping composition having a low concentration of VOCs and HAPs.
In accord with the present invention, and as will be explained in greater detail hereinbelow, it has been found that paint-stripping compositions which are highly effective against a variety of paint formulations, and which are capable of operating at a neutral or near neutral pH (typically in the range of 4-8) can be prepared so as to include a relatively small amount of VOC or HAP materials therein. These and other advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the discussion, description and examples which follow.


A method for automatically assigning individual topological addresses to network switches includes obtaining first individual topological addresses each of which includes one identifier of a hierarchical level and N−1 non-hierarchical identifier(s) of the network switch with which it is associated, N≥2. It further includes the transcoding of each first individual topological address by subdividing the N−1 non-hierarchical switch identifier(s) as a function of a value of the hierarchical level identifier into one or more sub-topology identifiers separated from one another by at least one first separator character, forming a first character string, and into one or more switch identifier(s) separated from one another by at least one second separator character, forming a second character string. A second hierarchical individual topological address is thus constituted by concatenation including the first and second character strings, as well as a third separator character therebetween.

It applies to complex networks such as server clusters, however is not limited thereto. It is true that for clusters of servers, often comprising a high number of compute and service nodes interconnected to one another by at least one signal and data transmission network, via a set of switches forming the transmission nodes of the network, the addressing of the switches is a delicate issue that can be complex depending on the network topology. The clusters of servers are computer facilities that generally comprise a plurality of powerful networked computers with a shared storage device made up of storage bays, which will appear from the outside as a computer with a very high computing power, referred to as a High Performance Computer or HPC. These optimized facilities allow complex processing operations and/or parallel computations to be distributed over at least one portion of the compute nodes. The switches are beneficially assigned addresses which reflect the topology of these networks.
However, the topologies of networks of compute and service nodes, in particular HPCs, are extremely varied and can be structured according to a certain mathematical formalism, such as for networks with a hierarchical topology in the form of Fat-Trees such as for XGFT networks (for "eXtended Generalized Fat-Trees") and PGFT networks (for "Parallel ports Generalised Fat-Trees"), or such as for mesh networks or 3D-torus networks. They can also be unstructured when no predetermined mathematical formalism is capable of describing the organization thereof.
According to another feature, the topologies of these networks can be qualified as direct, when each switch has at least one port connected to at least one compute or service node, or indirect, when only certain switches have at least one port connected to at least one compute or service node. In an indirect topology, the fact that access to the compute or service nodes is obtained from the switches according to unequal distances in terms of the switches to be passed in order to reach these nodes establishes at least implicitly a hierarchy and level differences between the switches. However, even in a direct topology, level differences can be defined, for example as a function of a geographical distribution of the switches (in planes, rows, columns, etc.) or of any other possible switch hierarchy.
In this context, assigning a topological address to each switch of the network, not only as a function of identifiers specific thereto, but also as a function of a level identifier identifying the level in which it is situated in the network, is beneficial.
The invention thus more specifically applies to a method for automatically assigning individual topological addresses of the aforementioned type, wherein first individual topological addresses expressed in a non-hierarchical addressing system are obtained for all of the network switches, each individual topological address comprising N identifiers, N≥2, including:                one identifier of a hierarchical level of the network switch with which it is associated in the network, and        N−1 non-hierarchical identifier(s) of the network switch with which it is associated in the network.

Method and server for assigning topological addresses to network switches, corresponding computer program and server cluster


According to an aspect of the disclosure, an example microelectronic device assembly includes a substrate, a microelectronic element electrically connected to the substrate, a stiffener element overlying the substrate, and a heat distribution device overlying the rear surface of the microelectronic element. The stiffener element may extend around the microelectronic element. The stiffener element may include a first material that has a first coefficient of thermal expansion (“CTE”). A surface of the stiffener element may face toward the heat distribution device. The heat distribution device may include a second material that has a second CTE. The first material may be different than the second material. The first CTE of the first material of the stiffener element may be greater than the second CTE of the second material of the heat distribution device.

This application relates to the field of electronics, and particularly thermal management and cooling of chip assemblies utilizing heat distribution devices, such as cold plates. Such heat distribution devices can be utilized within a microelectronic assembly to aid in the reduction of heat generated by microelectronic elements with the assembly, as well as heat generated by components external to the assembly.
In addition to industry standard chip packages, the exploration of special purpose silicon is expected to result in high power heat sources in servers. This technology may also be applied to graphics processing units ("GPUs") and custom application-specific integrated circuits ("ASICs"). Further, services such as imaging and artificial intelligence ("AI") will likely require large computer resources at a high density, with many servers in close proximity to one another. Data centers around the globe are being mandated to simultaneously increase energy efficiency, consolidate operations and reduce costs. These trends indicate that high performance cooling technologies that scale well with cooling cost and energy are needed, while enabling cooling for high density electronics.
Heat distribution devices are commonly used to cool and regulate the temperature of microelectronic elements, in a microelectronic assembly. Such heat distribution devices can include heat sinks, water blocks, cold plates, and the combination of one or more of these and other devices.
The coefficient of thermal expansion ("CTE") mismatch between the heat distribution device and other components in the chip assembly can stress the assembly when any one of these components expands at a different rate than other components due to temperature changes that occur during manufacture or use of the chip assembly. In typical assemblies, a one piece heat distribution device comprised of a single thermally conductive material can overlie the rear surface of the chip and also extend toward and be attached to the substrate. Due to the CTE mismatches between the substrate, the heat distribution device, and chip, cycling of the chip assembly through one or more reflow processes and operation of the chip assembly can further cause warpage of the substrate and/or chip, as well as other mechanical failure within the assembly.

Methods and heat distribution devices for thermal management of chip assemblies


The present invention is a liquid-repellent film or sheet that exhibits an excellent liquid repellency, and a packaging material using the same. The liquid-repellent film or sheet comprises:                a substrate layer (2);        an adhesive layer (3) that comprises a thermoplastic resin, and is formed on at least one plane of the substrate layer (2); and        a liquid-repellent layer (4) that comprises a resin (6) having a liquid-repellent moiety, and hydrophilic particles (5), and is formed on the surface of the adhesive layer (3).

Various functions are demanded for films or sheets for packaging daily necessities such as food products, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, household essentials, or the like, and particularly those which contents such as highly viscous liquids, semi-solids, and gel substances hardly adhere to, and hardly remain on the part in contact are strongly demanded. When films or sheets for packaging materials that are poor in adhesion preventability are used for food products that contain creams of cakes, yoghurts, puddings, jellies, syrups, and sources for Japanese dumplings, for example, as their contents, food products will be disposed in the state of adhering to/remaining on the films or sheets for packaging material; and problems of food waste, or problems of inhibiting promotion of recycling plastics arise. Moreover, when taking out the contents, there are also problems of dirtying hands, clothes, or other things nearby with the contents adhered to films or sheets for packaging. Furthermore, when films or sheets for packaging material are left with the remaining contents, various adverse effects such as occurrence of decay or odor, or gathering of insects may occur. The technique of reducing the amount of the contents adhering to films or sheets for packaging material as much as possible is very important.
It is described in Patent Literature 1, for example, that a polyolefin-based resin sheet is processed into protruding shapes, and a liquid-repellent coating is applied thereon to obtain a film or sheet for packaging material having adhesion preventability. Moreover, it is described that the contact angle or falling angle of water, vegetable oils, or hand soaps meets a certain standard.

Liquid repellent film or sheet, and packaging matertal, using same


The grids (14) of a nuclear fuel assembly (10) include an outer strip, or perimeter plate (100), having outwardly projecting formations (104,106) spaced from the side edges (110) of the internal grid strips (108), for resiliently absorbing lateral forces before such forces are transferred directly to the internal strips. The load dissipating feature of the present invention can be enhanced by providing orifices (552) in the substantially flat, central region (502) of each perimeter plate. This produces an hydraulic damping effect that can be pre-established by selecting the orifice sizes for a given set of impact load conditions.

The present invention relates to nuclear fuel assemblies, and more particularly, to lateral load-resistant grids for supporting fuel rods within nuclear fuel assemblies of light water nuclear reactors.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,897,241 issued Jan. 30, 1990 to Anthony, entitled "Anti-Bow Grid For Nuclear Fuel Assembly", discloses an improved grid having a plurality of externally projecting, integrally formed anti-bowing springs spaced about the grid perimeter plate, for interacting with flat surfaces on opposed grids of adjacent fuel assemblies in the reactor core. The anti-bowing springs are horizontally separated along each grid in periodic alternation with substantially flat portions of the perimeter plate. Preferably, each grid has a plurality of primary anti-bowing springs that project a distance at least equal to the nominal gap between assemblies, and a plurality of secondary anti-bowing springs that are stiffer but project less than the primary springs. Further, back-up springs may optionally be provided. The interaction of each grid with its neighbor "tightens" the core during power operation and thereby inhibits bowing of one or more fuel assemblies in the core.
Resistance to bowing, however, is but one of a number of desirable performance characteristics of nuclear fuel assemblies relative to externally imposed lateral forces or loads. Such loads can arise during postulated seismic disturbances or loss of coolant accidents. Furthermore, localized contact between assemblies during normal operation can induce friction-induced wear.
Although vendors of nuclear steam supply systems have the opportunity to select materials and configurations for fuel assemblies by taking advantage of trade-offs with available margins in other core internals and performance parameters, such flexibility is not always available for suppliers of aftermarket reload fuel assemblies to be used with core internals and performance parameters originally designed by others. In designing reload fuel assemblies, it is usually preferable, if not necessary, to match or exceed coolant flow rates and strength characteristics of the grids on the original vendor's fuel assemblies. This objective is more difficult to achieve when the grids on the reload fuel assemblies are to be made of a material different from the grids of the original assemblies. In particular, if a reload fuel supplier desires to utilize grids made of Zircaloy, which has the advantage of relatively low parasitic absorption of neutrons in the core, the designer must compensate for the relatively weak structural strength of Zircaloy as compared to Inconel-718, which in the past has often been used as grid material in original fuel assemblies. Therefore, in order to match grid strength, conventional thinking dictates that the Zircaloy grid strips must be thicker or the intersection strip welds must be larger, both of which would cause higher pressure drops and mis-matched flow characteristics. Mis-matched flow characteristics may cause flow induced vibrations which could lead to mechanical failure due to fuel rod fretting, or thermal or heat transfer distribution problems.
Although Zircaloy grids with the optional back up springs described in the Anthony patent mentioned above can help prevent fuel assembly damage during a seismic event, the back up springs are disclosed only in the context of primary and secondary springs which have first "tightened up" the core.


A multi-color multi-ply note pad includes a plurality of note sheets, each of which has a perforated tear line that divides the note sheet into a stub portion and an inscribing portion, a binding member that binds the stub portions of the note sheets in a stack, and a repositionable adhesive layer provided on each of the note sheets at the inscribing portion of each of the note sheets and disposed adjacent to the tear line. The stub portions of the note sheets remain intact in the stack through the binding member when the inscribing portions of middle ones of the note sheets are removed from the stack.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a note pad, more particularly to a multi-color multi-ply note pad having stacked repositionable note sheets that are divided into a plurality of plies which differ from each other in color.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional note pad 1 that includes a plurality of colored note sheets 11 and an adhesive film 12 coated on one side of each of the note sheets 11 for securing the note sheets 11 in a stack and for permitting removal of the note sheets 11 from the stack. The note sheets 11 are divided into a plurality of plies, which differ from each other in color. Since the side of each note sheet 11 is bonded to a portion of the adhesive film 12, removal of middle ones of the note sheets 11 from the stack will weaken parts of the adhesive film 12 corresponding to the removed middle note sheets 11, which, in turn, can result in separation of the note pad 1 into a number of parts or deformation of the adhesive film 12 (see FIG. 2).


Method for the wet dynamic separation of a suspension in liquid phase, comprising microparticles comprising a magnetic material and a liquid medium in which said microparticles are in suspension, in which method:                a) the suspension is confined in a chamber having a volume defined by at least two dimensions, for example length and depth;        b) at least one plurality of elementary magnetic fields is set up, these magnetic fields being distributed in a “Halbach semi-configuration”, whose respective ends facing the chamber generate a vector sum of said elementary magnetic fields, corresponding to a magnetic capture field passing through said chamber and exerting a magnetic attraction on the microparticles, and whose opposite respective ends generate no magnetic field; and        c) said capture magnetic field is generated, whereby a solid phase enriched with microparticles is captured in said chamber, and a liquid phase depleted in microparticles is extracted from said chamber.

The present invention relates in general to wet dynamic separation of a suspension in liquid phase, comprising, on the one hand, magnetic particles, that is to say ones comprising a magnetic material, and, on the other hand, a liquid medium in which said particles are suspended.
The term "microparticles" is understood to mean particles whose size does not exceed a few microns. According to the present invention, the microparticles in question each comprise, for example, a particle made of a magnetic material and coated with a polymeric material.
The magnetic material may be of two main compositions, namely:                a permanently magnetized material, or hard ferromagnetic material, for example hard ferrite, in which case the particles have a size of at least a few μm; or        a material that can be magnetized in any magnetic field, or superparamagnetic material, in which case the particles have a size of at most a few tens of nm.

Method, device and apparatus for the wet separation of magnetic microparticles


Provided is a welding apparatus by which a worker can work in a comfortable posture, with which a space can be effectively utilized at a low cost, and which can reliably weld workpieces. Specifically, a pair of jigs are circumferentially provided on the upper surface of a circular rotating table around its outer circumference at intervals, and positions workpieces such that orientations of the workpieces are changeable. A welding robot is provided in a workpiece welded region. A control board outputs an operation signal to the rotating table such that the jigs respectively move into a workpiece set region and the workpiece welded region, and outputs an operation signal to the respective jigs such that the jig in the workpiece set region is inclined toward a side closer to the worker and the jig in the workpiece welded region is inclined according to welded parts of the workpieces.

The present disclosure relates to welding apparatuses for use in, for example, automobile production lines.
Conventionally, a body of an automobile is produced by positioning a plurality of press-molded workpieces in a jig, and welding the workpieces in various manners to assemble them together.
For example, a welding apparatus, for automobile bodies, disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. H07-185827 (paragraphs [0008]-[0016] and FIG. 1) includes a rotating table rotatable around a vertically extending rotation axis, two jigs are placed on the upper surface of the rotating table around its outer circumference at 180° intervals in its circumferential direction. The jigs are placed such that, in a non-operating state of the rotating table, one of the jigs is placed in a region where workpieces are welded (hereinafter referred to as "workpiece welded region") and the other of the jigs is placed in a region where workpieces are set (hereinafter referred to as "workpiece set region"), and in the workpiece welded region, one welding robot whose arm end has a welding gun is placed.
When the workpieces positioned in the one jig are welded by the welding robot, other workpieces that will be succeedingly assembled are set and positioned in the other jig in advance, and after a welding operation in the one jig is finished, the rotating table is rotated by 180° to allow the one jig to move into the workpiece set region and the other jig to move into the workpiece welded region. Then, the workpieces in the other jig are welded by the welding robot while the assembly of the workpieces is taken out of the one jig that has moved into the workpiece set region and other workpieces that will be succeedingly assembled are set and positioned in the one jig, thereby improving productivity.


A topology for a three-phase, wye-connected H-bridge converter allowing continued operation when one H-bridge phase has failed by bypassing the failed H-bridge, increasing dc-bus voltage to provide the required output load voltage, and decreasing switching frequency to reduce power losses in semiconductor switches. In normal operation, the dc-bus voltage is operated at a lower voltage, improving the reliability of power semiconductor devices. When an H-bridge is bypassed, the dc-bus is operated at a higher voltage but lower effective switching frequency, reducing semiconductor losses, allowing the converter to put out more current with the same temperature rise in the power switches.

The present invention is related to the following GE applications Ser. No. 11/809,122, filed on May 31, 2007, respectively.
The invention relates generally to a topology for a three-phase, wye-connected H-bridge converter that allows continued operation when one H-bridge phase has failed and more particularly to a topology that reduces power losses in semiconductor switches, allowing the wye-connected H-Bridge converter to put out more current with the same temperature rise in the power switches.
High-speed, high-power electric motors (HSEM) that operate at variable speed are increasingly required in a range of industrial, mining and drilling activities. Further, the activities often require a high-degree of reliability. In operations such as crude oil pumping from remote global locations where access to pumping stations is difficult and time-consuming, reliability of motor operation is necessary to prevent dangerous, costly and extended outages. Simple, sturdy and reliable power converters are requisites for such high-speed, high-power motor operations. It is well known that providing multiple individual components, such as series or parallel semiconductor switches, may increase the likelihood that any one individual component switch may randomly fail. Added elements such as snubber circuits for semiconductor switches, further increases the number of components that can fail. It is desirable to arrange the power converter in a simple configuration, with as low a part component count as is possible. However, individual components such as the semiconductor switches for the power converted must be operated with satisfactory margin to thermal and other functional limits to prevent failures in the simplified configuration.
A simplified three-phase, wye-connected H-bridge converter 10 configuration is illustrated in FIG. 1. Each phase of the converter includes a power source/sink 20 with a dc power shaping circuit, represented by capacitor 30. The power source/sink/20 and dc power shaping circuit, represented by capacitor 30, establish a dc-bus voltage input to the semiconductor switches of the bridge. Insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) 40 with built-in diodes 45 may form each leg of the H-bridges 50, for example, but other power semiconductor switches such as integrated-gate commutated thyristors (IGCTs) or metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) could be used instead. The type of power semiconductor switch is not important to the analysis. Each H-bridge includes two legs, an output leg 60 and a neutral leg 65. Each phase output, phase A 70, phase B 75 and phase C 80, is connected to the midpoint 85 of the respective output bridge leg 60. Each neutral connection to wye-point 90 is tied to the midpoint 95 of the respective neutral output leg 65.
Gating controls 115 may provide control signals 116, 117, 118 for switching semiconductor switches 40 of Phases A, B and C of the H-bridge converter 10, according to predetermined switching patterns. Gating controls may provide for synchronous switching or asynchronous switching to the semiconductor switches 40 of the H-bridges 50.
While the above-described three-phase, wye-connected H-bridge converter provides simplicity, should failure occur in one of the phase H-bridges, operation of large high-speed electric motors (HSEMs) loads will be interrupted.
Accordingly, to assure availability of operation of the motor loads, it is desirable to provide a converter topology that can survive failure of any one phase of the H-bridge circuit, but at the same time reduce switching losses and harmonic distortion.

Dual voltage wye-connected H-bridge converter topology for powering a high-speed electric motor


The technology disclosed corrects inter-cluster intensity profile variation for improved base calling on a cluster-by-cluster basis. The technology disclosed accesses current intensity data and historic intensity data of a target cluster, where the current intensity data is for a current sequencing cycle and the historic intensity data is for one or more preceding sequencing cycles. A first accumulated intensity correction parameter is determined by accumulating distribution intensities measured for the target cluster at the current and preceding sequencing cycles. A second accumulated intensity correction parameter is determined by accumulating intensity errors measured for the target cluster at the current and preceding sequencing cycles. Based on the first and second accumulated intensity correction parameters, next intensity data for a next sequencing cycle is corrected to generate corrected next intensity data, which is used to base call the target cluster at the next sequencing cycle.

The subject matter discussed in this section should not be assumed to be prior art merely as a result of its mention in this section. Similarly, a problem mentioned in this section or associated with the subject matter provided as background should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in this section merely represents different approaches, which in and of themselves can also correspond to implementations of the claimed technology.
This disclosure relates to analyzing image data to base call clusters during a sequencing run. One challenge with the analysis of image data is variation in intensity profiles of clusters in a cluster population being base called. This causes a drop in data throughput and an increase in error rate during the sequencing run.
There are many potential reasons for the inter-cluster intensity profile variation. It may result from differences in cluster brightness, caused by fragment length distribution in the cluster population. It may result from phase error, which occurs when a molecule in a cluster does not incorporate a nucleotide in some sequencing cycle and lags behind other molecules, or when a molecule incorporates more than one nucleotide in a single sequencing cycle. It may result from fading, i.e., an exponential decay in signal intensity of clusters as a function of sequencing cycle number due to excessive washing and laser exposure as the sequencing run progresses. It may result from underdeveloped cluster colonies, i.e., small cluster sizes that produce empty or partially filled wells on a patterned flow cell. It may result from overlapping cluster colonies caused by unexclusive amplification. It may result from under-illumination or uneven-illumination, for example, due to clusters being located on edges of a flow cell. It may result from impurities on a flow cell that obfuscate emitted signal. It may result from polyclonal clusters, i.e., when multiple clusters are deposited in the same well.
An opportunity arises to correct the inter-cluster intensity profile variation. Improved base calling throughput and reduced base calling error rate during the sequencing run may result.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Inter-cluster intensity variation correction and base calling


A dermatoglyphics data acquisition device, an acquisition method thereof and a display device are disclosed. The acquisition method of dermatoglyphics data includes: detecting a touch region of a dermatoglyphics on a touch device by a capacitive touch control circuit; selecting a touch center region in the touch region and selecting a characteristic region in the touch center region by a controller, according to a signal amount distribution of a touch signal generated by dermatoglyphics contact in the touch region, and determining the characteristic region as a dermatoglyphics scan region by the controller; and scanning a dermatoglyphics in the dermatoglyphics scan region and generating the dermatoglyphics data by a dermatoglyphics identification circuit.

Human skin comprises an epidermis layer and a dermis layer. Epidermis nipples protrude toward to the surface of skin and form a plurality of nipple lines which are arranged orderly. The nipple lines are called ridges, and recessed portions between the ridges are called furrows. The epidermis layer of the skin of palm or finger forms various dermatoglyphics due to different arrangements of the ridges and the furrows. The term "dermatoglyphics" refers to texture pattern of particular portions of human skin.
Human dermatoglyphics is of individual characteristics. Dermatoglyphics is formed at the 14th week in embryonic development period, and will not be changed and is of high stability. In some case, such as chromosomal abnormalities, congenital diseases and so on, dermatoglyphics will be changed and can be taken as circumstantial evidence for diagnosis or a basis for preliminary selection.
Due to individual characteristics of dermatoglyphics and its change as diagnosis basis, recognition of dermatoglyphics can be adopted in identification system or in medical diagnosis system.
With rapid development of display technologies, touch screen panels have been used widely in daily life of people. Currently, touch screen panels can be classified into following categories according to their operation principles: resistive type, capacitive type, infrared type, surface acoustic wave type, electromagnetic type, vibration wave sensing type, frustrated total internal reflection optical sensitive type, or the like. Capacitive-type touch screen panel among these touch screen panels has become most popular and attractive in the industry due to its particular touch control principle, high sensitivity, long lifetime, high transmittance etc.

Dermatoglyphics data acquisition device, acquisition method thereof and display device

BEIJING BOE OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.