The ability of an automotive computer for controlling an engine is enhanced by allowing the automotive computer to be controlled by an arbitrarily selected one of a plurality of engine control programs according to arbitrary driver discretion. The bus connecting the computer and memory of a conventional automotive computer is connected to a computer controlled operator interactive control module and an expanded memory. The operator interactive control module allows a human operator to select one of a plurality of memories for coupling to the automotive computer to control engine performance. User on-site customization of the engine control program is permitted by allowing direct downloading of an engine control program into the automotive computer through the operator interactive control.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of automotive controls and more generally to controls of apparatus of any type which is operated by or must be responsive to human interactive control.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Most automobiles have the engine functions controlled by onboard computer chips. Fuel injection, timing, temperature and RPM are input into an onboard computer which then calculates the desired engine timing according to a prestored fixed program.
Advances in the prior art have been directed to increasing levels of sophistication or intelligence typically manifested by more varied types of engine or vehicle data inputs and use of increasingly sophisticated engine control output programs. For example, Stevenson et al., "Engine Control System", U.S. Pat. No. 4,368,705 (1983), describes an engine control system utilizing a digital microprocessor for controlling the timing mechanism and fuel pump rack limit to set engine timing of and maximum allowable rate of fuel delivery to the engine for maximum engine performance within smoke and emissions as set by EPA levels. Holmes, "Adaptive Control for an Internal Combustion Engine", U.S. Pat. 4,893,600 (1990), is directly generally to a digital computer system for establishing values for control parameters which will be continuously varied in accordance with one or more operating input parameters on the engine. Quigley et al., "Engine Control System with Adaptive Air Charge Control", U.S. Pat. No. 4,879,656 (1989), describes another onboard computer system in which the fuel charge and ignition spark timing of the operating engine is controlled as a function of stored tables based on engine speed and air charge. McHale et al., "Adaptive Control System for an Internal Combustion Engine", U.S. Pat. No. 4,841,933 (1989), is also directed to a computer control system in which an engine control parameter is continuously monitored and dynamically directed. Control is implemented in different modes depending upon the speed range. Takasu et al., "Method and Apparatus for Controlling Ignition Timing in a Multicylinder Internal Combustion Engine", U.S. Pat. No. 4,453,521 (1984), describes a system in which a plurality of prestored ignition timing combinations are utilized to continuously search and find an optimum ignition timing combination. Willis et al., "Adaptive Strategy to Control Internal Combustion Engine", U.S. Pat. No. 4,438,497 (1984), discloses a method for adaptively controlling engine calibration control values. A driving pattern is perfected based on analysis of recent past driving patterns and engine control values appropriate for the predicted driving pattern and desired emission constraint are then generated. Driving cycles are analyzed to generate a table of engine calibration control values. Suzuki et al., "Method and Apparatus for Optimum Control for Internal Combustion Engines", U.S. Pat. No. 4,403,584 (1983), discloses a computer system for optimum control of an engine in which values of ignition time and an air/fuel ratio of the engine are prestored in the form of maps in accordance with parameters indicative of operating conditions of the engine. Kamifuji et al., "Engine Control Apparatus and Control Method", U.S. Pat. No. 4,547,852 (1985), describes a method of controlling an engine based upon continuous updating of parameters relating to engine temperature as applied to a prestored control program. Goldenberg et al., "Automotive Regulating Process and Device for Multifuel Internal Combustion Engines", U.S. Pat. No. 4,682,293 (1987), describes an automotive computer system for automatically regulating the running condition of an engine fed with different fuels. The regulator monitors the data processing unit delivering signals representative of the amount and type of fuel being contained in the tank before and after a new fuel supply is provided and controlling the engine correspondingly.
What each of the examples of prior art engine control technology illustrates is that control of the engine and response to some change in the operating characteristics is automatically effectuated through a prestored program or at least through a prestored algorithm which continuously generates control numbers used to modify prestored operating programs, maps or tables. In all cases, the human operator of the vehicle cannot actively intervene to alter engine operating protocol other than through the manipulation of normal controls and then only subject to the constraints provided by the onboard computer.
Therefore, what is needed is some means whereby computer operator control of an engine can be made more responsive to the human operator.
In order to change the operating program in a conventional automotive computer system the battery is disconnected from the vehicle while the transmission is in park, and the engine turned off. The glove compartment is removed to allow access to the automotive computer. The computer module is then dislodged from its mounting and its wiring harness is removed. Typically, a face plate on the computer module must be unscrewed to allow access to an Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EPROM) which contains the operating parameters. The EPROM is then removed from the socket and replaced with a new EPROM, there being socket space for only one memory chip. The whole procedure is then reversed to restore the vehicle to an operating condition.
Furthermore, means is required in order to inexpensively and conveniently retrofit prior art computer controlled vehicles to permit greater operator interactive control.
Still further, when retrofitting an automobile with an automotive alarm, it is often necessary to cut or splice into the wiring harness of the automobile in order to disable the automobile upon an alarm condition. Since practical access to the automotive computer is not possible, it cannot be disabled. Therefore, only interruption of the powering harness is available as a means of selective engine disablement.

Automotive multiple memory selector apparatus


Embodiments of an interrupt mailbox in host memory are described herein. In an implementation, a device connected to a host writes interrupt data corresponding to an interrupt generated by the device to host memory. Then, the host, when processing the interrupt, accesses the interrupt data from the host memory.

In a host computing system a variety of interconnects may be used to interconnect components, one to another. Therefore, a variety of communications may occur between components via the interconnects. When a component device needs attention of the host or when an error occurs, for instance, interrupt messages may be communicated via the interconnects to signal to the host to attend to the device, such as by providing processing time or other resources. One traditional technique to process these interrupt messages is for the host, when the interrupt is due to be processed, to access data regarding the interrupts from memory of the component generating the interrupt. However, this access of interrupt data from a component via the interconnect may be relatively slow, which often results in delays and "ties up" the resources of the host.


A system for removing biomass from a stem includes a frame, a conveyor mechanism which moves the stem in a horizontal conveying direction, a pair of rollers which exert a rubbing force between each other for removing the biomass from the stem, and a tensioning system arranged to exert a force which holds the stem to the conveyor mechanism. A first axial end of each roller is connected to an inlet end side of the conveyor mechanism, and a second axial end of each roller is connected to a transmission such that the rollers are angled downward from the first axial ends to the second axial ends. The conveyor mechanism moves the stem so as to pass between the rollers such that the rubbing force removes the biomass from the stem, and such that the rubbing force moves downward along the stem as the stem moves in the conveying direction.

In light of the increasing demand for crops such as cannabidiol (CBD)-bearing hemp plants due to their myriad of uses, there is an equally increasing need for more efficient systems for harvesting such crops faster and more effectively.
Methods for removing the biomass of a CBD-bearing hemp plant from the stem, such as pulling the stem through a hole in a draw plate, can be simple and relatively inexpensive, but are nevertheless highly inefficient. In particular, such draw plates are limited to only processing one stem at a time, and the stem cannot have knots. In other words, stems with knots must be prepared ahead of time before being pulled through the draw plate, and thus processing such plants through the use of a draw plate is extremely time consuming and inefficient.

System and method for removing biomass from stem


To reduce the air exhausted to outside a main body after cooling a heat generating component from being taken in again from an intake port. The flow of cooling wind cooled the heat generating component is discharged from an exhaust port at other than a first peripheral wall with the flow bent inside the main body. When rectified inside the main body and discharged from the exhaust port, the cooling wind grows to a flow speed of a certain extent to become an exhaust air that a flowing direction is clearly defined, so that it is less likely to be taken in again from the intake port, it is less likely to be subjected to the influence of obstacles of the exhaust port, use can be made in a kitchen cabinet of the intake and exhaust air at the back side, and it is satisfactory and is less likely to be damaged without involving sense of unpleasantness by the exhaust air to the user.

In recent years, an induction cooking appliance is becoming commonplace in the kitchen of a general household as a safe and clean heat source that does not use fire and that does not discharge combustion gas. In the induction cooking appliance used in the kitchen, a built-in type induction cooking appliance in which a main body portion of the induction cooking appliance is fitted to an open portion formed at an upper surface of a box-shaped kitchen cabinet to arrange the main body portion of the induction cooking appliance inside the kitchen cabinet, and a cooking top plate configuring an upper surface of the induction cooking appliance is arranged so as to be exposed at the upper surface of the kitchen cabinet is known.
This type of induction cooking appliance is conventionally configured to include a heating coil for induction heating, an inverter circuit for supplying a high frequency current to the heating coil, a drive portion for driving the inverter circuit, a control portion for controlling the drive portion, and the like. Various electronic components are mounted on a substrate of the control circuit, or the like including the inverter circuit, the drive portion, and the control portion inside the main body portion of the induction cooking appliance.
In induction heating, the heating efficiency differs depending on the magnetic permeability and the resistivity by the material of the cooking container or the like, which is a to-be heated object. Therefore, in the induction cooking appliance, the heat loss increases under a condition of relatively low heat efficiency, and the heat generation of the component such as the heating coil increases by that much.
An electronic component having a very large amount of heat generation at the time of the operation such as an IGBT or a diode bridge, and an electronic component such as a capacitor having a relatively small amount of heat generation coexist in the electronic components on the substrate of the control circuit. A heat sink is attached to the electronic component having a large amount of heat generation to enhance the cooling effect on the electronic component. The heating coil and the electronic component can operate normally by being cooled by a cooling wind from a blower device.
The conventional built-in type induction cooking appliance is used by being incorporated in the kitchen cabinet, and thus an intake port and an exhaust port of the induction cooking appliance are arranged in an internal space of the kitchen cabinet (for example, refer to Patent Literature 1).
If the intake port and the exhaust port are both arranged in a closed space or the internal space of the kitchen cabinet, the exhaust heat after cooling the heating coil and the electronic component may accumulate inside the kitchen cabinet thus raising the temperature of the internal space of the kitchen cabinet. If the temperature-raised exhaust air is again taken in, in the internal space of the kitchen cabinet, the intake air temperature of the induction cooking appliance may rise and the heating coil and the electronic component arranged inside the main body portion of the induction cooking appliance may not be sufficiently cooled.
In the conventional built-in type induction cooking appliance, the following configuration is proposed to avoid the heating coil and the electronic component from not being sufficiently cooled.
FIG. 26 is a plan view showing an internal configuration of a conventional built-in type induction cooking appliance described in Patent Literature 1. As shown in FIG. 26, an intake port 55 and an exhaust port 57 of a kitchen cabinet 50 are arranged by forming a large open portion on a near side (side on which user exists) of the kitchen cabinet 50. An intake port 54 of an induction cooking appliance 51 arranged inside the kitchen cabinet 50 is formed facing a cooling fan 53 for cooling a heating coil etc. 52, and the like, and is arranged on a near side of a bottom surface of the induction cooking appliance 53. Exhaust ports 58, 59 of the induction cooking appliance 51, on the other hand, are arranged on a rear surface side (back side of induction cooking appliance 51), and a side surface side (right side surface side of induction cooking appliance 51). The exhaust port 59 on the rear surface side and the exhaust port 58 on the side surface side are arranged on a right side region of the two regions divided by a center axis extending in a front and back direction of the induction cooking appliance shown in FIG. 26, and are arranged in a region on an opposite side of a left side region in which the intake port 54 of the induction cooking appliance 51 is formed.
In the conventional induction cooking appliance shown in FIG. 26, the cooling wind from the intake port 55 formed in the left side region of the kitchen cabinet 50 is taken in from the intake port 54 in the left side region of the induction cooking appliance 51, and exhausted from the exhaust ports 58, 59 of the induction cooking appliance 51 in the right side region through the exhaust port 57 of the kitchen cabinet 50. In this case, a separation plate 56 arranged along the center axis extending in the front and back direction of the induction cooking appliance 51 is provided to separate the intake air and the exhaust air inside the kitchen cabinet.    Patent Literature 1: Gazette of Japanese Patent No. 3006175

PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.


A system and method are disclosed for generating a submap for nodes located within a flat network without reproducing the entire flat network in the submap. One method for implementing a flat network in a hierarchical network management system includes the steps of selecting a node of the flat network to create a submap having a node symbol, wherein the node symbol corresponds to the node, and generating a temporary symbol, in accordance with a predetermined criterion, for a link originating from the node symbol and terminating at the temporary symbol to represent a connection between the node and a second node of the flat network, wherein the temporary symbol maintains a characteristic of the second node. One system for establishing a submap for a flat network includes a processing unit coupled to a network processor and a storage unit coupled to the processing unit for storing data. The processing unit includes a graphics user interface for accepting commands from and displaying information to the operator and an application unit coupled to the graphics user interface and the network processor for displaying the flat network using the submap.

Communication networks, such as a data network or a telecommunications network, often become extremely complex in size and number of components. Considering for example a telecommunications network that covers the entire United States, such a network would contain many nodes (e.g., switches) interconnected by numerous links (e.g., trunks or lines). To analyze, monitor, or otherwise work with such a network, the network can be mapped in different ways, depending on the type of network.
One type of network is a hierarchical network. Hierarchical networks have a parent-child relationship between nodes. A parent node in a hierarchical network connects to several other sublevel nodes, each called a child. Therefore, the hierarchical network can be mapped at a desired level, showing only the parent nodes that exist at that level. Furthermore, a submap can be created by selecting one or more parent nodes and all sublevel nodes connected to the parent nodes.
Another type of network is a flat network. The above-described mapping techniques can not accommodate flat networks because flat networks do not have the parent-child relation. In a flat network, all nodes are interconnected to one another without a parent-child relation and some nodes may have links directly to every other node in the flat network. Therefore, selecting one node from the flat network to create a submap is not practical because of the interconnection between the selected node and other nodes, which can result in reproducing the entire network in the submap. Reproduction of the entire network in the submap is impractical because a single node can not be isolated and monitored. Furthermore, system resources would not be used efficiently and in the case of large networks, the system resources would be exhausted.
Therefore, what is needed is a system and method to generate a submap for nodes in flat networks without reproducing the entire flat network in the submap.

Implementation of flat networks in hierarchical network management systems


The present invention is aimed at providing a method of connecting base materials capable of forming metal terminals having a uniform height and smooth surface with a low cost, and of realizing a low-damage mounting, in which a work is planarized while keeping the temperature of the insulating film, possibly elevated due to frictional heat generated during cutting using a cutting tool, lower than 80° C., and keeping the temperature range lower than 80° C. throughout the entire period of the cutting, the electrodes and electrodes are opposed and brought into contact at a temperature of 80° C. or above but lower than the curing temperature of the insulating film, the insulating film is liquefied and a space between the electrodes and electrodes is filled with an insulating resin composing the insulating film, and the insulating resin is cured at the curing temperature or above.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of connecting base materials in which a pair of base materials (combination of a circuit board and a semiconductor chip, combination of a semiconductor chip and a semiconductor chip, etc.) are connected via electrodes.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is a growing demand for high-density mounting of electronic components with recent progress in down-sizing and thinning of electronic instruments, wherein flip chip bonding has been adopted, by which electronic components such as semiconductor chips in a uncovered form are directly mounted on a substrate. Electrodes of semiconductor chips used for the flip chip bonding have bump electrodes formed thereon, and the bump electrodes and wirings on a circuit board are electrically connected.
Representative methods of forming metal terminals include electroplating process, electroless plating process, solder dipping process and solder printing process.
In the electroplating process, a work is placed in a plating solution, and the metal terminals are formed en bloc on electrode pads patterned by a photolithographic process, while supplying current through seed electrodes connected to the electrode pads. The process is characterized in that use of a high-resolution photoresist makes it possible to form the metal terminals having a large aspect ratio in several micrometers to several tens of micrometers pitch. Materials available for forming the metal electrodes by the electroplating process include gold, solder and so forth.
The electroless plating process makes it possible to form the electrode pads en bloc on arbitrary electrode pads. The process is characterized in causing anisotropic growth of a plated film, and disusing the photolithographic process.
In the solder dipping process, a work having electrode pads formed thereon is dipped in and pulled up from a molten low-melting-point metal mainly composed of Sn and Pb, so as to allow the low-melting point metal to wet on the electrode pads with the aid of the surface tension, and then to cool and solidify thereon so as to form the metal terminals.
In the solder printing process, a low-melting-point metal mainly composed of Sn and Pb in a paste form is coated by printing to recessed portions preliminarily formed on a metal plate so as to correspond with position of the electrode pads, the metal is allowed to re-flow so as to form spherical electrodes, and the spherical electrodes are then transferred en bloc onto the electrode pads on a work.
On the other hand, there are known various bonding methods of electronic components such as LSI, which include diffusion bonding using a molten solder, solid phase bonding of metals, and bump-to-bump bonding via an insulating adhesive film. All of these methods effect bonding while applying some stress, such as load, heat or ultrasonic wave to the bumps.
There is also a recent trial in which the surface of a semiconductor chip having the above-described metal terminals formed thereon is covered with an insulating resin having adhesiveness, the chip is placed on a circuit board so as to oppose the metal terminals of the both, and the insulating resin is then allowed to cure to thereby bond the metal terminals.
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 11-274241
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-298146
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-258034
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-252245
The above-described conventional processes, however, raised the problems as described below, when applied to formation of the metal terminals of electronic components such as LSI, and to mounting of these components.
The electroplating process needs a mask used for patterning, a photolithographic process, formation and removal processes of the seed electrodes, and is causative of a large increase in the process cost.
The electroless plating and solder dipping processes are causative of non-uniformity in height of the metal terminals as large as several micrometers to several tens of micrometers depending on geometry and area of the electrode pads, presence or absence of connection to a wiring pattern, and non-uniformity in conditions of the plating or dipping.
The solder printing process encounters limitation in micronization of the metal terminals because a paste is printed using a squeegee.
The method of covering the metal terminals with an insulating resin raises a problem in that the resin which remains between the metal terminals undesirably elevate electric resistance.
In the mounting of LSI components, a certain amount of external energies such as load and heat are required due non-uniformity in the height, and this inevitably results in some damage on the mounted LSI components.
It is therefore an object of the present invention, aimed at solving the above-described problems, to provide a method of connecting base materials capable of forming the metal terminals with uniform height and smooth surface at low costs, and of realizing low-damage mounting.


A method, system, and program for automatically building a locally managed virtual node grouping to handle a grid job requiring a degree of resource parallelism for execution within a grid environment are provided. The grid environment includes multiple resource nodes which are identified by physical location as physically disparate groups each managed by a grid manager. The grid managers include a grid virtual node grouping subsystem that enables a particular grid manager receiving a grid job that requires a particular degree of resource parallelism for execution to build a virtual node grouping of resources from across the grid environment and locally manage the resources included in the virtual node grouping. In particular, the particular grid manager accesses, from the other grid managers, a current availability and workload of each of the physically disparate resource nodes. The particular grid manager selects a selection of resource nodes to build into a virtual node grouping for executing the grid job. The virtual node grouping is built by the other grid managers enabling the particular grid manager to acquire temporary management control over the selection of resource nodes for a duration of the execution of the grid job within the virtual node grouping.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to improved grid computing and in particular to constructing virtual node groupings to handle a grid job. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to providing automated building of a locally managed virtual node grouping to handle a grid job requiring a degree of resource parallelism for execution within a grid environment.
2. Description of the Related Art
Ever since the first connection was made between two computer systems, new ways of transferring data, resources, and other information between two computer systems via a connection continue to develop. In typical network architectures, when two computer systems are exchanging data via a connection, one of the computer systems is considered a client sending requests and the other is considered a server processing the requests and returning results. In an effort to increase the speed at which requests are handled, server systems continue to expand in size and speed. Further, in an effort to handle peak periods when multiple requests are arriving every second, server systems are often joined together as a group and requests are distributed among the grouped servers. Multiple methods of grouping servers have developed such as clustering, multi-system shared data (sysplex) environments, and enterprise systems. With a cluster of servers, one server is typically designated to manage distribution of incoming requests and outgoing responses. The other servers typically operate in parallel to handle the distributed requests from clients. Thus, one of multiple servers in a cluster may service a client request without the client detecting that a cluster of servers is processing the request.
Typically, servers or groups of servers operate on a particular network platform, such as Unix or some variation of Unix, and provide a hosting environment for running applications. Each network platform may provide functions ranging from database integration, clustering services, and security to workload management and problem determination. Each network platform typically offers different implementations, semantic behaviors, and application programming interfaces (APIs).
Merely grouping servers together to expand processing power, however, is a limited method of improving efficiency of response times in a network. Thus, increasingly, within a company network, rather than just grouping servers, servers and groups of server systems are organized as distributed resources. There is an increased effort to collaborate, share data, share cycles, and improve other modes of interaction among servers within a company network and outside the company network. Further, there is an increased effort to outsource nonessential elements from one company network to that of a service provider network. Moreover, there is a movement to coordinate resource sharing between resources that are not subject to the same management system, but still address issues of security, policy, payment, and membership. For example, resources on an individual's desktop are not typically subject to the same management system as resources of a company server cluster. Even different administrative groups within a company network may implement distinct management systems.
The problems with decentralizing the resources available from servers and other computing systems operating on different network platforms, located in different regions, with different security protocols and each controlled by a different management system, has led to the development of Grid technologies using open standards for operating a grid environment. Grid environments support the sharing and coordinated use of diverse resources in dynamic, distributed, virtual organizations. A virtual organization is created within a grid environment when a selection of resources, from geographically distributed systems operated by different organizations with differing policies and management systems, is organized to handle a job request.
While the open standards defining grid technology facilitate sharing and coordination of diverse resources in dynamic, distributed, virtual organizations, grid standards do not solve all of the problems associated with actually determining how to group resources into virtual organizations. This problem is further compounded when a grid job requires groups of resources that are dedicated to processing the grid job in parallel. In some cases, a system administrator may decide to build a group of grid resource nodes dedicated to highly parallel job processing, but dedicating a group of grid resource nodes to provide a particular degree of parallelism limits the use of those resources. In addition, even if a system administrator dedicates a group of resources to highly parallel job processing, that group of resources may be insufficient for the degree of parallelism required for processing a particular job, requiring the grid environment to send the grid job to an external grid environment to handle the grid job. Sending a grid job to an external grid environment with groupings of resource nodes is also limited because use of the external grid environment may be expensive and may not be appropriate or desirable depending on the confidentiality required for the grid job. Further, sending a grid job to an external grid environment with designated groupings of resource nodes is also limited because a company or organization may maintain a grid environment that when viewed as a whole includes sufficient resource nodes to provide the degree of parallelism, but current grid technology does not provide a mechanism for automatically grouping grid nodes from physically disparate locations within a company or organization to process jobs requiring a high degree of parallelism.
Therefore, in view of the foregoing, there is a need for a computer automated method, system, and program for creating virtual, temporary grid node groupings of sufficient capacity to provide the degree of parallelism required for a particular job. In particular, there is a need for a computer automated method, system, and program for creating cost effective virtual node groupings using locally available resources and external resources accessed from trusted grid vendors with local management within the company or organization controlling the grid environment.

Automatically building a locally managed virtual node grouping to handle a grid job requiring a degree of resource parallelism within a grid environment

International Business Machines Corporation


This invention relates to a method and system for determining the composition of an unknown sample. The present invention is directed to a method of calibrating an x-ray spectrometer that does not require measuring all possible elements under the operating conditions used to measure the unknown sample to be analyzed. According to a preferred embodiment, the local instrument can be calibrated from an x-ray spectrum of a single elemental standard. The instrument will have a stored library containing high quality spectra for all elements being analyzed. The analysis of the single element is compared to the library spectra for that element to define a transformation that is used to create a calibrated spectra library that includes a calibrated spectrum for each spectrum in the original library. The spectra generated by the local instrument can be compared to the calibrated library spectra to determine the elements in an unknown mineral.

Mineral analysis systems, such as the QEMSCAN® (Quantitative Evaluation of Minerals by Scanning electron microscopy) and MLA (Mineral Liberation Analyzer) from FEI Company, the assignee of the present invention, have been used for many years to determine the presence of valuable minerals in mines. Such systems direct an electron beam toward the sample and measure the energy of x-rays coming from the material in response to the electron beam. One such process is called "energy dispersive x-ray analysis" or "EDS," which can be used for elemental analysis or chemical characterization of a sample. Determining the elements present in a mineral sample is referred to as "elemental decomposition."
EDS systems rely on the emission of x-rays from a sample to perform elemental analysis. Each element has a unique atomic structure, so x-rays that are characteristic of an element's atomic structure are unique to that element. To stimulate the emission of x-rays from a sample, a beam of charged particles is focused onto the sample, which causes electrons from inner shells to be ejected. Electrons from outer shells seek to fill this electron void, and the difference in energy between the higher energy shell and the lower energy shell is released as an x-ray, which can be detected by an EDS detector.
By measuring the number and energy of the x-rays emitted from a specimen using an energy-dispersive spectrometer and comparing the measured spectra to a library of reference spectra of known compositions, the unknown elemental composition of the specimen can be determined. EDS analysis, especially when coupled with back-scattered electron (BSE) analysis, can be used to quantify a wide range of mineral characteristics, such as mineral abundance, grain size, and liberation, that is, how easy it is to separate a desired mineral from background materials. Existing EDS analysis systems include QEM*SEM technology, which is assigned to FEI Company, Inc, the assignee of the present invention.
A mineral classification system must be capable of comparing each unknown measured spectrum to a library of known mineral spectrums, and then making a selection based on which known mineral is most similar to the measured spectrum. Typically, to find the most similar spectrum requires the use of a metric that represents the degree of similarity between the measured data and the known material.
Mineral analysis systems of this type are also used in the oil and gas industry. Drill cuttings (drill bit-induced rock chips) and diamond drill cores can be analyzed to allow geologists to determine the exact nature of the material encountered during drilling, which in turn allows more accurate predictions as to the material still ahead of the drill, thus reducing risk in exploration and production. During drilling, a liquid referred to as "mud" is injected into the well to lubricate the drill and return the cuttings out of the well. A sample can be taken from the mud that includes cuttings from the drill. Documenting cuttings and cores as accurately as possible, both at the time of drilling and post-drilling, is an important facet of analyzing the drilling process. The information obtained from cutting and coring samples allows characterization of down-hole lithological variation in a reservoir sequence, a critical requirement in exploration and production wells, and mineralogical and petrographic studies underpin the fundamental understanding of reservoir and seal characteristics. Traditional optical, scanning electron microscope (SEM), electron probe micro-analyzer (EPMA) and x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis methods are well established and widely used within the industry.
Mineral analysis attempts to identify the minerals present and their relative proportions at any point to which the electron beam is directed. An analysis instrument typically measures an x-ray signal, determines what elements are present, and then translates that list of elements into a mineral identification using a database of mineral definitions.
A particular mineral always has peaks at certain energies in the x-ray spectrum. To accurately determine which peaks correspond to which minerals, it is necessary to calibrate the instrument being utilized before it can identify the unknown minerals. For this reason, instrument calibration techniques are particularly important for meaningful analysis.
An EDS instrument is typically calibrated using either a standards-based calibration or a standards-less calibration. In standards-based calibration, known materials, referred to as "standards," are analyzed and the results are used to establish a spectra library. Unknown samples are then compared to the calibration database to determine what elements are present. The spectrum of the calibration standards must be obtained under identical conditions as the conditions used to obtain the spectrum of the unknown material. Because conditions in the measuring instrument depend on a number of factors, conventional standards-based calibration requires measurement of the full set of standards each day when the machine is used. For example, the QemScan instrument described above currently identifies a maximum of 72 different elements found in mineral samples. Conventional standards-based calibration would require that each instrument have a set of 72 elemental/mineral standards to generate a full set of x-ray spectra for the decomposition. This type of calibration is prohibitively expensive, both in terms of the cost to supply a standard block containing the full set of elemental and mineral standards, and in terms of the operator time required and reduced instrument through-put. In addition, as there are several elements that only exist in minerals and can't be measured individually, it is not possible to perform this calibration for those elements.
Factory calibration using prior art methods is not practical because conventional standards-based decomposition requires that the x-ray spectra of all the elemental standards be acquired on the same machine under the same conditions as the x-ray spectrum of the mineral being analyzed. Prior art suggests that standards based elemental analysis requires that the elemental x-ray spectra need to be measured on the same machine and cannot be taken from another machine. This is because variations in the way a user sets up a particular instrument, including, for example, particular sample geometries, heights, etc., will alter the properties of the x-ray spectrum and affect the calibration.
Using standards-less EDS analysis, an analysis of a particular mineral sample is made without comparing to known standards. Based on characteristics of the spectrum collected, such as peaks and emissions at certain energies, the element list is narrowed and ultimately an element is selected. Standards-less analysis is far more complex and subject to greater inaccuracies than standards-based analysis, but it provides for easy setup for the user because it does not require calibrating the instrument using certain parameters for all possible elements.
Accordingly, what is needed is an efficient calibration method and apparatus that is less costly, simpler and easier to implement, and that allows samples to be measured much more rapidly.


An intervertebral device comprises a plurality of struts that are rotatably associated with each adjacent strut to form a modifiable inner volume V for bone graft containment.

Vertebrae are the individual irregular bones that make up the spinal column (aka ischis) a flexuous and flexible column. There are normally thirty-three vertebrae in humans, including the five that are fused to form the sacrum (the others are separated by intervertebral discs) and the four coccygeal bones which form the tailbone. The upper three regions comprise the remaining 24, and are grouped under the names cervical (7 vertebrae), thoracic (12 vertebrae) and lumbar (5 vertebrae), according to the regions they occupy. This number is sometimes increased by an additional vertebra in one region, or it may be diminished in one region, the deficiency often being supplied by an additional vertebra in another. The number of cervical vertebrae is, however, very rarely increased or diminished.
A typical vertebra consists of two essential parts: an anterior (front) segment, which is the vertebral body; and a posterior part-the vertebral (neural) arch—which encloses the vertebral foramen. The vertebral arch is formed by a pair of pedicles and a pair of laminae, and supports seven processes, four articular, two transverse, and one spinous, the latter also being known as the neural spine.
When the vertebrae are articulated with each other, the bodies form a strong pillar for the support of the head and trunk, and the vertebral foramina constitute a canal for the protection of the medulla spinalis (spinal cord), while between every pair of vertebrae are two apertures, the intervertebral foramina, one on either side, for the transmission of the spinal nerves and vessels.
Conventional spinal spacer assemblies are used in spinal fusion procedures to repair damaged or incorrectly articulating vertebrae. Spinal fusion employs the use of spacer assemblies having a hollow mesh spacer tube and end caps that space apart and fuse together adjacent vertebrae. These mesh spacer tubes are often formed of titanium and are available in varying shapes and sizes. In addition, they can be trimmed on site by the surgeon to provide a better individual fit for each patient. Conventional spinal spacer assemblies come in different cross sections. These spacer assemblies are generally hollow and include openings in the side thereof to provide access for bone to grow and fuse within the mesh tube. The current intervertebral or interbody devices are designed using 3 major principles; the anatomical limitations of the surgical approach, optimization of bone graft volume to promote bony fusion, and optimization of the device contact with the vertebral endplates to resist subsidence. The current devices are generally static in that they cannot change shape or volume, thus they are limited by the anatomy and technique, and therefore they do not provide optimal bone graft volume or surface contact. The present invention attempts to solve these problems as well as others.

Intervertebral device and methods of use


Communication devices are disclosed. In an example embodiment, a communication device may include a communication module including an illumination source and a body element. The body element may be configured to allow illumination generated by the illumination source to propagate within and illuminate at least a portion of an outer surface of the body element.

1. Field
Embodiments relate generally to communication devices. Example embodiments relate to illuminable visual indicators for communication devices that may be used in data center port management, digital diagnostics, and other similar applications. Further embodiments relate to communication devices including sensors configured to detect physical input at the communication device.
2. Relevant Technology
Data centers play an integral role in providing many computing services. Data centers may include thousands of host devices, such as host computers, switching hubs, network routers, or switch boxes. Communication modules, such as electronic or optoelectronic transceiver or transponder modules, may be connected to these host devices. Some host devices include multiple cages and can, therefore, accommodate multiple communication modules simultaneously. Many communication modules are pluggable, which permits the modules to be inserted into and removed from a cage or a port of the host devices. Cages of the host devices may include latches for engaging the module to prevent accidental release. Some communication modules include a handle, which will allow the modules to be inserted into and/or removed from the host device cage or port by way of the handle. Where the module is engaged by a latch, the handle may allow a user to disengage the latch by pulling the handle.
Each communication module typically communicates with a printed circuit board (PCB) of the host device by transmitting and/or receiving electrical data signals to and/or from the host device PCB. Data signals can also be transmitted by the communication modules outside the host device as optical and/or electrical data signals. Transmitting data signals outside the host device may be done via cables plugged into a port of the communication module.
In a data center, thousands of cables may be employed to interconnect the host devices. Some cable connections may be made using active communication devices such as active cables. Active cables include communication cables with communication modules at one or both ends of the communication cables. One particular active cable may include optoelectronic modules connected to one or both ends of an optical cable. The communication modules at one or both ends of the communication cables may be plugged into ports of the host devices. The communication modules of some active cables include handles, which are often described as "pull tabs." The communication modules of such active cables may be inserted into and/or removed from ports of host devices by way of the handle.
Frequently, data centers do not have accurate maps of the thousands of cable connections between ports of the host devices. In some instances, if a host device or communication module issues an alarm that something has gone wrong, finding an exact port on an exact host device may be a time-consuming process. Furthermore, cables are often kept in large bundles of like-colored cables that may be difficult for a person to follow from one end to another.
The subject matter claimed herein is not limited to embodiments that solve any disadvantages or that operate only in environments such as those described above. Rather, this background is only provided to illustrate one exemplary technology area where some embodiments described herein may be practiced.

Communication devices including a sensor configured to detect physical input


A new cultivar of hybrid Brassica, ‘Kaleidoscope’, characterized by its dark purple-green foliage with highly ruffled edges, its magenta pink veins and its margins that are magenta pink in color when grown under cool temperature and lavender in color when grown under warm temperatures such as early season growth.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of hybrid Ornamental Kale, botanically known as Brassica oleracea 'Kaleidoscope' and will be referred to hereafter by its cultivar name, 'Kaleidoscope'. The new cultivar represents a new Ornamental Kale, a plant grown as an annual for fall landscape use as a container and bedding plant.
The Inventor discovered the new cultivar, 'Kaleidoscope', in his nursery in Dahlonega, Ga. in the autumn of 2007. 'Kaleidoscope' was discovered as a single unique plant in a one-gallon container in a block of containers planted with seed of Brassica oleracea 'Redbor Kale' (not patented).
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was first accomplished by the Inventor using stem cuttings in Dahlonega, Ga., in November of 2007. The characteristics of this cultivar have been determined to be stable and are reproduced true to type by both in-vitro propagation and cutting production in successive generations.


Apparatus and associated methods relate to using an additive (material deposition) process to incrementally form a closed-cell lattice structure formed as a unitary body in the shape of a marine hull cavity, the unit cells of the closed-cell lattice structure are substantially hollow. In an illustrative example, a method may include (a) forming a closed-cell lattice structure through additive manufacture, the hull cavity material may be bonded to an upper manufactured liner and a lower manufactured liner through lamination or mechanical connection. Unit cells of the closed-cell lattice structure may include hollow voids filled with gases. Providing the additive manufactured closed-cell lattice structure with a unitary body and hollow voids to trap gases may further advantageously promote the buoyancy and reduce the degeneration of a marine hull.

A boat is a watercraft of a large range of type and size. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on their larger size, shape, and cargo or passenger capacity, and the ability to carry boats. Boats have served as transportation since the earliest times. Small boats are typically found on inland waterways such as rivers and lakes, or in protected coastal areas. Some boats, such as the whaleboat, were intended for use in an offshore environment. In modern naval terms, a boat may be small enough to be carried aboard a ship. Boats vary in proportion and construction methods due to their intended purpose, available materials, or local traditions. Canoes have been used since prehistoric times and remain in use throughout the world for transportation, fishing, and sport. Fishing boats vary widely in style partly to match local conditions. Pleasure crafts used in recreational boating include ski boats, pontoon boats, and sailboats. House boats may be used for vacationing or long-term residence.

Additive manufactured water resistant closed-cell lattice structure for marine hull cavities


Provided is a method of manufacturing an imaging apparatus. The imaging apparatus is formed on a substrate and includes a pixel region and a peripheral circuit region that is arranged on a periphery of the pixel region. The method includes: forming an insulating layer in the pixel region and the peripheral circuit region; etching the insulating layer formed in the pixel region in a state in which the peripheral circuit region is protected; planarizing a surface of the insulating layer; and forming a waveguide in the pixel region. After the forming an insulating layer and before the etching the insulating layer, an average value of heights of a top surface of the insulating layer in the pixel region is larger than an average value of heights of a top surface of the insulating layer in the peripheral circuit region.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing an imaging apparatus.
Description of the Related Art
In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-098373, there is disclosed a technology for an imaging apparatus, aimed at reducing a global step height of an interlayer insulating layer, which is a height difference on a surface of the interlayer insulating layer in an entire chip region.
The imaging apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-098373 includes a pixel region in which a plurality of pixels are arranged, a peripheral circuit region arranged on the periphery of the pixel region, and a scribe-lane region that is a chip peripheral portion. An interlayer insulating layer is formed in each of the regions. The interlayer insulating layer thus formed in each of the regions is planarized by chemical mechanical polishing (CMP).
In the pixel region, protective films for protecting photodiodes are formed, and pattern density of gate electrodes is high. The interlayer insulating layer is formed so as to cover the protective films and the gate electrodes, and hence an average height of the surface of the interlayer insulating layer in the pixel region immediately after film formation is higher than that in the peripheral circuit region. Specifically, the area of the pixel region to be polished in a CMP step is larger than that of the peripheral circuit region, and hence the polishing rate has a gradient over the entire chip. Thus, the surface of the interlayer insulating layer after the CMP step may have a global step height.
In order to reduce the global step height that may be generated in this manner, in the imaging apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-098373, a dummy pattern is formed in each of the peripheral circuit region and the scribe-lane region. Accordingly, an average height of the surface of the interlayer insulating layer in the peripheral circuit region and the scribe-lane region before the CMP step is made closer to an average height of the surface of the interlayer insulating layer in the pixel region, with the result that the global step height is reduced.
In the configuration disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-098373, a circuit for scanning the pixels, a circuit for processing signals, and the like are formed in the peripheral circuit region. The dummy pattern needs to be arranged so as not to affect the characteristics of the circuits as much as possible, and hence the peripheral circuit region has a limited area in which the dummy pattern can be formed. Thus, the amount of reducing the difference in average height before planarization may be insufficient when the method involving forming the dummy pattern is employed alone.

Method of manufacturing imaging apparatus having etched and planarized insulating layer


The tone pitch of a given tone waveform is detected by forming an envelope waveform of the given tone waveform, holding the level of the envelope waveform at each of the zero cross times of the given tone waveform and releasing such holding starting new holding when the level of the given tone waveform exceeds the held level of the envelope waveform, and determining the pitch of the given tone waveform based on the period between the adjacent zero cross times, A correction target note pitch is provided, to which the detected tone pitch of the given tone waveform is corrected. The detected tone pitch, the correction target note pitch and the amount of correction are exhibited for the user to visually understand the pitch correction.

An apparatus which corrects tone pitches of a given tone waveform is known in the art such as a pitch corrector or a pitch changer which corrects the tone pitches of a given tone waveform to arbitrarily designated note pitches (i.e. tone frequencies) in a musical scale. See, for example, unexamined Japanese patent publication No. H1O-78791 (now issued U.S. Pat. No. 3,379,348). Such an apparatus is used mainly for correcting unstable or incorrect musical instrument tones or singer's voices fluctuating or deviating in tone pitch to produce a refined musical performance. For example, the apparatus may be used to adjust the singer's vocal tone pitches to the correct pitches of the accompaniment at a karaoke place. Or alternatively, the apparatus may be used to emphasize the characteristic features of the performed tones or voices by intentionally fluctuating or deviating the pitches in order to highlight the performers performance. A pitch corrector is capable of processing musical tone wave signals in real time. Some devices are provided in the form of a function expanding plug-in software for an automatic music performing apparatus. For example, a pitch corrector may be useful in the case of recording vocal tones (i.e. human voices of a singer) accompanied by an automatic musical performance so that the pitches of the vocal tones should be corrected to the predetermined melody note pitches (or to the accurate note pitches in the predetermined musical scale) to realize voices singing in accurate note pitches to match the accompaniment.
Such an apparatus or software product like a pitch corrector or pitch changer for correcting the pitches of the given tone waveform should have a function of detecting the note pitches of the given or inputted tone waveform. A typical pitch detecting procedure is to form an envelop waveform from the given tone waveform data, to detect the zero crossing points (the points where the wave shape crosses the zero level from a positive area to a negative area or from a negative area to a positive area) of the envelope waveform, and then to recognize the period (time span) between each adjacent zero cross points to determine the period of the given tone waveform.
A conventionally known pitch correcting apparatus or software product, however, did not include a device for visually recognizing how each tone pitch was corrected, and so forth. Further, a conventional apparatus which forms an envelope waveform of the input tone waveform and merely measures periods (time span) between respective zero cross points would inevitably involve errors due to noise vibrations or higher harmonics vibrations contained in the input tone waveform in the vicinity of the zero level.

Apparatus and computer program for detecting and correcting tone pitches


Method for producing a silicon ingot, comprising the following steps: providing a container to receive a silicon melt, providing a temperature control device to control the temperature of the silicon melt in the container, arranging raw material in the container comprising silicon and at least one nucleation agent to assist a heterogeneous nucleation in the silicon melt, and control of the temperature in the container for the directed solidification of the silicon melt, the nucleation agent comprising nanoscale particles.

A method for producing a silicon ingot is known from DE 10 2005 013 410 B4. As the crystal structure of a silicon ingot of this type has a substantial effect on the properties of the components subsequently produced therefrom, there is a continuous need to improve a method of this type.
The invention is therefore based on the object of improving a method for producing a silicon ingot.
This object is achieved by a method for producing a silicon ingot comprising the following steps of providing a container to receive a silicon melt, providing a temperature control device to control the temperature of the silicon melt in the container, arranging raw material in the container comprising silicon and at least one nucleation agent to assist a heterogeneous nucleation in the silicon melt, and control of the temperature in the container in such a way that the raw material is present, during a specific method portion, as silicon melt in the container, which is solidified in a directed manner during a subsequent method portion, wherein the nucleation agent comprises nanoscale particles.
The core of the invention is to add a nucleation agent to the silicon for producing a silicon ingot to assist a heterogeneous nucleation in the silicon melt. Owing to the heterogeneous nucleation a grain refinement occurs in the volume of the silicon ingot, the grain refinement being able to occur in an increased extent in the lower volume close to the base. The heterogeneous nucleation is furthermore a prerequisite for a growth-induced grain selection, in which crystallites rich in defects are overgrown by those low in defects. As a result, the defect density, in particular the dislocation density, is significantly reduced in the silicon crystal.
The structure close to the base firstly consists both of crystallites that are rich in defects as well as those free of defects. It was recognised according to the invention that the crystallites rich in defects are overgrown by crystallites free of defects with suitable control of the crystallisation process. The method according to the invention therefore leads to the production of a silicon ingot with a particularly low defect density over the entire ingot height. In particular, a dislocation multiplication is suppressed by the method according to the invention, so that theoretically ingots of any height can be produced.
According to the invention, it was further recognised that it is advantageous for the configuration of a crystal structure low in defects if the crystallites that are rich in defects have a large number of neighbours low in defects. This can be achieved in particular, in that the nucleation agent comprises nanoscale particles. Nanoscale particles are taken to mean here particles, the diameters of which are in the range from 10 nm to 10 μm, in particular in the range from 10 nm to 1 μm, in particular in the range from 10 nm to 500 nm, in particular in the range from 20 nm to 100 nm. In particular, the mean grain size of the particles is less than 1 μm, in particular less than 200 nm.
The nanoscale particles can be mixed with the raw material as a solid material, called an addition below. Alternatively, particles can also be advantageously formed by melt synthesis in the silicon melt, called precipitation below. The effect is utilised here that with an adequate concentration of the nucleation agent components in the silicon melt, a supersaturation precipitation of the nucleation agents occurs during the solidification or further cooling. Advantageously, the size of the nucleation agent particles precipitated here can be controlled in a targeted manner by a targeted conduct of the process, in particular by suitable control of the temperature course during the solidification of the silicon melt.
The chemical nature of the particles used as nucleation agents primarily consist of the quaternary system Si—O—N—C. At least 90% by weight of the particles preferably originate from this substance system.
The composition can be defined by Si1CxOyNz, wherein there applies: X: 0-2, Y: 0-3, Z: 0-4, wherein X, Y, Z does not necessarily have to be integral. In particular, the known stoichiometric compounds SiC, SiO2, Si3N4, Si2N2O are contained in this quaternary system.
The particles preferably form getter centres for movable metal atoms in the silicon ingot. This effect is based on the fact that movable metal atoms in the silicon ingot have a greater affinity to specific precipitations. The nucleation agent particles can, in particular, hinder the diffusion of harmful metal atoms into the ingot.
Addition variant: in an advantageous embodiment, the finely dispersed nucleation agent of the Si1CxOyNz system is added to the raw material during the filling of the mould. It was surprisingly established that the particles survive the melt process although at least individual ones of the dissolved O-, C- and/or N-concentrations are below the equilibrium concentrations known in the literature. These particles develop their nucleation agent effect during the subsequent solidification process.
Precipitation variant: in a further advantageous embodiment, the nucleation agent, in particular the nucleus components, during one method portion, is/are completely, or at least partially, dissolved in the silicon melt. This allows a particularly uniform distribution of the precipitating nucleation agent.
The precipitation agent is preferably arranged in the crucible in such a way that it, in particular at least one, preferably more or all its components in the dissolved state, has/have a concentration in the silicon melt, which is greater, at least in regions, than a saturation concentration of the respective component or the respective components in the silicon melt. This leads to a supersaturation precipitation of the nucleation agent occurring while the melt is being cooled. According to the invention, the precipitation of the nucleation agent substantially occurs before the solidification of the melt.
By suitable control of the temperature field in the melt crucible, in particular by suitable control of the convection in the crucible, the supersaturation precipitation can be limited to specific regions in the melt, in particular to the region close to the crucible base. Moreover, the size of the precipitation can be influenced by controlling the temperature field and the temperature course in the crucible. It was determined in this regard that a stronger convection leads to a smaller size of the precipitated particles. The convection in the crucible is therefore advantageously controlled in a targeted manner at least during a predetermined method portion, in particular before the beginning of the solidification of the silicon melt by means of the temperature control device.
The nucleation agent can preferably be arranged in the container in such a way that a concentration gradient thereof occurs in the silicon melt. The concentration of the nucleation agent, in particular in a volume region close to the base, is higher here than in the remainder of the silicon melt. As a result, the crystallites rich in defects can be concentrated to the region of the silicon ingot close to the base. This region, i.e. the ingot base, is separated in any case from the silicon ingot in the further process. The remainder of the ingot has a correspondingly improved crystal structure.
The nucleation agent particles, at least in a specific region in the silicon melt, in particular in the region of the crucible close to the base, preferably have a density (particles per volume unit) of at least 102 cm−3, in particular at least 104 cm−3, in particular at least 107 cm−3.
A further object of the invention consists in providing an improved silicon ingot.
This object is achieved by a silicon ingot comprising a longitudinal axis, a first end in the direction of the longitudinal axis, a second end in the direction of the longitudinal axis, a length in the direction of the longitudinal axis, a multi-crystalline structure and a grain density, which, in the region of the first end, is at least 400 dm−2, in particular at least 600 dm−2, in particular at least 800 dm−2.
The core of the invention consists in providing a silicon ingot with a high grain density at the end, in particular on the base side. The advantages of the ingot according to the invention emerge from those which were already described in relation to the production method thereof
A further object of the invention consists in providing a silicon wafer with a small defect density and low metal content. This object is achieved by a silicon wafer made of multi-crystalline silicon with a wafer surface and with particles, wherein at least 90% of the particles have a diameter of at most 1 μm, and the particles have a fraction of a compound of silicon and at least one of the elements selected from the group of carbon, oxygen and nitrogen.
Further advantages, features and details of the invention emerge from the description of embodiments.

Method for producing a silicon ingot by solidification of a melt comprising a nucleation agent including nanoscale particles


A medical device for treating a vein, including component parts thereof, wherein the device comprises a vein stretching member; a vein stretching member for use with the device; a kit of parts including the device and one or more vein stretching member and a method for treating a vein including use of the device.

Veins are an aspect of the vascular system, a network of blood vessels that function to distribute blood around the body. Their primary function is to return blood back to the heart, with the exception of the portal veins that distribute blood between capillary beds. Veins are essentially hollow tubes that typically comprise three distinct cell layers which collapse in the absence of blood. Importantly, veins possess one-way valves periodically distributed along their length to ensure the uni-directional flow of blood to the heart. This process of blood flow is assisted by the thoracic pump action of breathing during respiration, and the skeletal-muscle pump, a collection of skeletal muscles that upon contraction increase venous return to the heart. In between muscle contractions, intramuscular pressure transiently returns to a level below the venous blood pressure. This results in blood from the capillary system refilling the veins until the next contraction.
Veins are classified in a number of ways, such as according to their size, location, and the aspect of the circulatory system to which they belong. In the legs there are three main categories: superficial veins, communicating veins, and deep veins. Superficial veins lie close to the body surface with no corresponding arteries, and, in the legs, carry about 10 to 15 percent of the blood. Superficial veins drain into communicating veins, which themselves drain into deep veins. Deep veins are intra-muscular and carry 85 to 90 percent of the blood back to the heart.
If the walls of the veins become weakened or damaged as a consequence of age or injury, or the valves become stretched or fail due to genetic or familial factors, blood may begin to leak backward or flow in both directions. This reverse flow creates abnormal flow and pressure profiles in the veins, resulting in pathological stretching and dilating. The resulting abnormal veins and distended veins are one form of venous disease called "varicose veins".
Venous diseases are most commonly manifested as venous insufficiency, or varicose veins. Venous reflux disease leading to varicose veins or other signs and symptoms of chronic venous incompetence (CVI) affect some 30 to 40% of the adult population in Western societies. Varicose veins are most common in the superficial veins of the leg. Spider veins are a small unsightly type of abnormal vein, which are often painless and only a cosmetic concern as their function is not essential to the venous system. However, if larger or more important veins become dysfunctional this can have more serious consequences. As these vessels enlarge, they often become more dilated and tortuous leading to discomfort, aching, and itching. Occasionally burning and throbbing occurs in the muscles as blood pools or backs up in the tissue. As the veins become more abnormal they may begin to leak into the surrounding tissue resulting in oedema. Prolonged disease can often result in chronic venous insufficiency, due to blood pooling, clot formation and repeated inflammation. As this condition worsens, skin damage and inflammation ensues and the skin eventually turns a reddish brown and is accompanied by a hard and itchy epidermis. When venous disease becomes severe, venous stasis ulcers occur on the skin where a reduction in venous blood flow causes changes in skin pressure and tissue oxygen levels. Furthermore, thrombophlebitis may result where formation of a blood clot results in inflammation. These changes may occur in the superficial veins, where they are painful, or more seriously in deep veins (deep vein thrombosis or DVT) where the clot can dislodge resulting in a distal embolism elsewhere in the body, often with fatal consequences (pulmonary embolism or PE).
Several surgical and nonsurgical treatment options, or combinations of options, are available for the various types of venous diseases all aimed at reducing symptoms and the risk of further complications.
Non-surgically, the discomfort of both leg swelling and leg pain can be improved with compression stockings, and often also involves combinational therapy with prescription drugs (e.g. anticoagulants if there are clots present) and anti-inflammatory medication. Other nonsurgical techniques for the treatment of patients with CVI, with or without visible varicose veins, is that of endovenous surgery. As the name implies, it involves treating incompetent veins from within such as by sclerotherapy and endovenous thermal ablation. Endovenous surgery with thermal ablation to ablate incompetent venous trunks has now become the preferred treatment for varicose veins and other conditions caused by venous reflux in the leg (NICE CG 168, July 2013). In the leg, these veins include: the Great Saphenous Vein (GSV); Small Saphenous Vein (SSV); and the Anterior Accessory Saphenous Vein (AASV). In pelvic venous reflux disease, veins that require ablation include: the Gonadal Veins; and Internal Iliac Veins and some of their tributaries including the obturator veins and rectal veins. In the arms and hands, increasingly patients are requesting treatment of prominent veins including: Cephalic Veins; Basilic Veins; and Veins on the dorsum of the hands
Endovenous thermal ablation (laser and radiofrequency treatment or ablation) is a minimally invasive ultrasound-guided technique for treating varicose veins using laser energy (laser) or electrical current alternating at radiofrequency rates (radiofrequency). The process for endovenous laser treatment involves passing an optical fibre into a diseased vein, shining laser light into the interior of the vein which destroys the vein and it is removed by a process of fibrosis. Similarly, radiofrequency ablation of veins involves using heat generated by a high frequency alternating current to shrink and destroy veins. When sufficient heat has passed into the vein the whole of the vein wall is ablated. In essence this means that all the cells of the vein wall are destroyed by the heat as the proteins coagulate and the protein structure of the vein wall is denatured. It is important that carbonisation is avoided as if too much heat is passed too quickly into the vein wall, the inner aspect may change from coagulated protein to carbon, destroying the integrity of the inside of the vein and creating a thrombogenic surface. This, in addition to damage to living cells deeper in the vein wall, can also result in a thrombus that can re-cannulate and cause recurrent varicose veins.
Endovenous thermal ablation requires the use of tumescence (or "tumescent anaesthesia"). This entails injecting a fluid around the outside of the vein to be treated and separating the vein from surrounding tissue. It provides three main actions. The first is to use the volume of the fluid as a thermal barrier, preventing heat that is being used to ablate the vein wall from damaging the surrounding tissues. The second is to anaesthetise the vein wall and surrounding tissues. The third is to cause venospasm, making the vein constrict tightly onto the endovenous device thus increasing contact between the vein and device and expelling any blood surrounding the endovenous device.
In view of the success of the endovenous approach, both in terms of the minimally invasive nature, low post-operative pain, minimal scars as well as permanent ablation when performed correctly, focus has turned on trying to develop alternative endovenous techniques that provide the same advantages and results as the catheter based endovenous thermoablation but without the need for tumescence.
The first of these, and pre-dating the thermoablation techniques, is sclerotherapy and in particular foam sclerotherapy. Sclerotherapy is the injection of a liquid into a vein that causes the vein to become inflamed and destroyed. The most commonly used sclerosants are detergent sclerosants such as sodium tetradecyl sulphate (STS) and polidocanol (POL). Other sclerosants used are hypertonic saline, glycine and chromate, although the numbers of patients treated with these in most practices is exceptionally small. Sclerotherapy is often the treatment of choice for telangiectasiae (spider veins) or other veins following surgery.
Other non-tumescent techniques include mechanochemical ablation (MOCA) and glue. MOCA is a combination of a mechanical device and sclerotherapy. The mechanical component involves a rotating wire that damages the inner aspect of the vein wall in order to make the sclerosant more effective in ablating the target vein. Initially this was thought to be due to an increased damage profile to the inner surface of the vein, although more recent research has suggested that it works by increasing the penetration of the sclerosant into the vein wall. The glue device involves the injection of a cyanoacrylate glue into the lumen of the target vein. In the short term, the vein wall is stuck together ablating the vein. In the longer term, histological studies have suggested that as the glue is broken down a foreign body reaction results and fibrose healing occurs in the vein lumen.
In summary, current techniques involve the delivery of ablation energy, sclerosants or glue to the lumen and internal wall of a blood vessel. Research has suggested that to achieve permanent ablation of a vein wall, each of the 3 layers of the vein wall must be ablated (FIG. 1). However, using all existing techniques we have observed an inherent physiological problem when undertaking ablation.
In the context of endovenous thermoablation, when a tumescent fluid is injected around the vein it acts as vasoconstrictor, typically causing constriction of the vein onto the endovenous device (FIG. 2). Whilst this constriction ensures optimal contact between the vein wall and the endovenous device and also excludes blood, allowing maximum transfer of energy from the endovenous device and into the vein wall, constriction of the vein causes the vein wall to thicken. This causes heat conduction problems through the vein wall and one has to be careful not to carbonise the inner layer of the vein (intima).
Likewise in sclerotherapy treatment, the sclerosant causes intense venospasm (FIG. 2). Research suggests that this thickening of the vein wall reduces penetration of the sclerosant thus reducing its efficacy in thick walled veins.
Devices are known that dilate the vein radially (e.g. the "Tulip Tipped" laser) and so reduce the thickness of the vein wall during treatment. However these devices have the disadvantage of increasing the venous lumen, thus filling the vein with blood or tumescence which can then impede the ablative energy or chemical from reaching the vein wall (FIG. 3). Further, increased blood flow to the treatment site also has the potential disadvantage of the treatment agent entering the circulation and having detrimental physiological effects. Indeed, leakage of sclerosants or gas into the circulation should be avoided to reduce the risks of free sclerosant reaching the lungs and gas bubbles reaching the brain leading to potential harmful side effects.
Therefore, herein we disclose an Endovenous (catheter) device for treating a vein that equips the user with the ability to selectively dilate and stretch the lumen of the vessel along one axis only. This, advantageously, counteracts any contraction and thickening of the vessel wall and permits improved delivery of ablating energy or sclerosant into all layers of the vein wall rather than just the adjacent lumen. Without wishing to be bound by theory, we consider it is not only the size of the vein that is important in treatment but also the thickness of the vein wall. Thus by stretching the vein maximally along one axis the vein wall is thinned, improving the efficacy of any ablative therapy by making a transmural effect as easy to achieve as possible.
Additionally, the surface area of the vein wall is also maximised, facilitating any ablative or gluing process. Moreover, despite stretching, the lumen of the vessel is kept as small as possible, thus reducing the volume of blood or any other fluid that might act as a barrier to treatment of the vein wall. This also reduces the volume of sclerosant, glue or other substance needed to fill the lumen during treatment. It also safeguards against leakage of sclerosants or gas into the circulation, reducing the risks of free sclerosant reaching the lungs and gas bubbles reaching the brain with their potential harmful effects. In a similar way, stretching the vessel wall along a single axis whilst minimising the corresponding size of the lumen volume, facilitates the introduction and penetration of local anaesthetic into the stretched vessel thus ensuring the lowest volume of anaesthetic is used to achieve its effect and minimising the risk of any escaping into the circulation.


Test circuit for testing a synchronous memory circuit having a frequency multiplication circuit which multiplies a clock frequency of a low-frequency clock signal received from an external test unit by a particular frequency multiplication factor a test data generator which produces test data on the basis of data control signals received from the external test unit and outputs them to a data output driver a first signal delay circuit for delaying the test data which are output by the test data generator by an adjustable first delay time, a second signal delay circuit for delaying data which are read out of the synchronous memory circuit and are received by a data input driver in the test circuit by an adjustable second delay time, and having a data comparison circuit which compares the test data produced by the test data generator with the data read out of the memory circuit and, on the basis of the comparison result, outputs an indicator signal to the external test unit which indicates whether the synchronous memory circuit to be tested is operable.

Synchronous memory circuits contain a multiplicity of addressable memory cells for storing data. Following the manufacturing process, the memory circuits produced are tested for operability by a test arrangement before they are delivered.
FIG. 1 shows a teat arrangement based on the prior art. The circuit to be tested DUT (DUT: Device Under Test) is clocked with a clock signal CLK via a clock signal line by the external test unit and receives test control signals via a control bus for the purpose of testing a synchronous memory circuit. The test unit uses a data bus to write test data patterns to the memory cells addressed via the address bus and to read them out of the memory cells again. The test unit compares the applied test data with the data which are read out and, on the basis of the data discrepancies established, establishes which memory cells within the synchronous memory are faulty. These memory cells are generally replaced with redundant memory cells by means of readdressing. If the number of faulty memory cells within the synchronous memory circuit is too high, the memory to be rested DUT is disposed of as being irreparable. Testing the synchronous memory DUT involves data being written to the memory and then being read out again.
FIG. 2 shows signal diagrams to illustrate the writing of data to the synchronous memory chip. The memory chip is clocked with a clock signal CLK by the test unit and receives via the control bus a command to write data to the addressed memory cell, After a latency LWR, the data to be written Dln are applied to the data connection of the synchronous memory chip. For critical testing of the memory chip DUT, the latencies can be adjusted by the external lest unit.
FIG. 3 shows flow diagrams to illustrate the read operation for data from the synchronous memory chip. The memory cells contained in the memory chip are arranged in the form of a matrix and are addressed by means of a row address strobe signal (RAS) and a column address strobe signal (CAS). The RAS control signal, which the test unit applies to the synchronous memory chip via the control bus, indicates that the address present on the address bus is a row address, while a CAS control signal indicates that the address present on the address bus is a column address. Successive application of a column address and a row address allows a specific memory cell to be addressed. The use of an RAS control signal and a CAS control signal allows the width of the address bus to be kept down.
As FIG. 3 reveals, the test unit applies a read command to the synchronous memory chip via the control bus, and the data on the data connections DQ are read out after a CAS latency. In this case, FIG. 3 shows various CAS latencies which can be adjusted by the external test unit.
The synchronous memory chip DUT operates at a particular operating clock frequency CLK. In modern memory chips, the operating clock frequencies are becoming higher and higher and are already in the region of a few hundred megahertz. Conventional test units operate at operating clock frequencies of, by way of example, 100 megahertz and are not able to test such high-frequency memory chips reliably.


Coated sodium percarbonate particles contain, in the coating, sodium carbonate and also one or more magnesium compounds, preferably magnesium sulfate, optionally in a partially hydrated form, in a single layer or in separate layers in the coating. Preferred coated sodium percarbonate particles contain two layers. Particles are prepared by spraying aqueous solutions containing the coating components onto sodium percarbonate in a fluidized bed with simultaneous evaporation of the water. The particles are suitable for use in detergents, bleaches and cleansing agents.

The invention relates to coated sodium percarbonate particles consisting of a core of sodium percarbonate and a coating which contains sodium carbonate, which constitutes from 1 to 25 wt. % of the sodium percarbonate. The coated sodium percarbonate particles, which also contain a magnesium compound as a coating component, are characterized by high storage stability in the presence of washing powders in a moist and warm environment. The invention further relates to a process for preparing the coated sodium percarbonate particles by applying a mono or multi-layered coating in a fluidized bed. The invention also relates to the use of the coated sodium percarbonate particles as bleaching components in detergent, cleansing agent and bleaching agent formulations.
Sodium percarbonate (2Na.sub.2 CO.sub.3.3H.sub.2 O.sub.2) is used as an active oxygen component in detergents, bleaches and cleansing agents. Due to the unsatisfactory storage stability of sodium percarbonate in a warm and moist environment and in the presence of various components in detergents and cleansing agents, sodium percarbonate has to be stabilized against the loss of active oxygen (O.sub.a). An essential principle for stabilization involves surrounding the sodium percarbonate particles with a coating of stabilizing components.
GB 174 891 has already disclosed spraying active oxygen-containing compounds with a sodium waterglass solution and then drying, in order to increase the storage stability. Sodium percarbonate is also stabilized by applying an adequate amount of silicate to sodium percarbonate particles, obtained by crystallization, in the process in DE-OS 26 52 776. A satisfactory stabilizing effect, especially in the presence of detergents and cleansing agents, is not produced by the previously mentioned methods.
Processes for stabilizing particulate sodium percarbonate are known from DE-OS 24 17 572 and DE-PS 26 22 610, wherein either a mixed compound which is formed by crystallizing a sodium carbonate with other inorganic salts such as sodium bicarbonate and/or sodium sulphate, or a mixture of sodium carbonate, sodium sulfate and a sodium silicate is used as a coating substance. In these processes, an aqueous solution of the constituents for the coating material is sprayed onto sodium percarbonate particles in a fluidized bed while maintaining a fluidized bed temperature of between 30 and 80.degree. C., wherein a solid coating is built up by evaporation of the water which is introduced. Despite the greatly improved stability of sodium percarbonate particles coated in this way, the active oxygen content still decreases too rapidly during long-term storage in the presence of a washing powder.
Numerous methods for the effective stabilization of sodium percarbonate by using boron compounds, such as boric acids (DE-PS 28 00 916), borates (DE-OS 33 21 082) and perborates (DE-PS 26 51 442 and DE-PS 28 10 379) are known. Despite a sometimes very good stabilizing effect, the market is increasingly interested in coated sodium percarbonate which does not contain boron compounds.
Another type of coating component is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,325,933. According to this, stabilization is achieved by treating the sodium percarbonate with an aqueous solution of an alkaline earth metal salt, either magnesium sulfate or magnesium chloride. When treating the sodium percarbonate particles, a layer made of an alkaline earth carbonate is formed on the surface of the particles, which reduces the hygroscopic character of the sodium percarbonate and increases the stability. However, it has been shown that this type of stabilized product does not possess satisfactory storage stability.
EP-A 0 405 797 discloses sodium percarbonate compositions which are more reliable. According to one embodiment, the composition contains a compound from the group of inorganic magnesium compounds in addition to an alkali metal carbonate. The composition mentioned does not comprise sodium percarbonate particles with a uniform coating which adheres firmly to the sodium percarbonate core, but a mixture of substances which can also be granulated. During the finishing operations in the process given in the document mentioned, it was established that the storage stability of this type of composition, in the presence of a washing powder in a warm and moist environment, is not satisfactory; see comparison examples CE 2 to CE 4.
Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide new, coated, sodium percarbonate particles with high storage stability in the presence of washing powders, wherein the coating should not contain boron compounds. The storage stability of the new coated sodium percarbonate particles is intended preferably to surpass that which has been obtainable using hitherto known, boron-free, coated sodium percarbonate particles. A further object of the invention relates to the provision of a suitable process for preparing storage-stable, boron-free, coated, sodium percarbonate particles.

Coated sodium percarbonate particles, a process for their preparation and their use


Whether an optically writable label surface of an optical disc is suitable for having an image formed thereon is determined. A detectable number of encoder spokes on a control feature area of the optical disc is counted as the optical disc is rotated. Where the detectable number of encoder spokes is other than a predetermined value, an error condition with respect to the optically writable label surface of the optical disc is indicated.

Some types of optical discs permit end users to optically write data on optically writable data surfaces of the optical discs. For example, users may be able to store data on the optical discs for later retrieval. Such data may include computer files, images, music, and other types of data. However, historically, users have had to label the optical discs using markers, which yields unprofessional results, or affix labels to the label sides of the optical discs, which can be laborious.
More recently, users have been able to form images directly on the label sides of optical discs, using optical discs that have optically writable label surfaces. The users employ optical disc devices that are able to optically write to such label surfaces of optical discs. For example, the previously filed patent application entitled "Integrated CD/DVD Recording and Label", filed on Oct. 11, 2001, assigned Ser. No. 09/976,877, and published as US published patent application no. 2003/0108708, describes an optical disc having such an optically writable label surface.
Some types of optical discs having optically writable label surfaces have preformed or pre-imaged encoder spokes on areas of the optical discs. While such an optical disc is being rotated, the encoder spokes are detected so that the relative angular position of the optical disc currently incident to an optical mechanism that forms an image on the optically writable label surface of the optical disc is known. However, if these encoder spokes are not able to be detected, the resulting image on the optically writable label surface of the optical disc may be skewed, or suffer from other defects.
This can be frustrating to the end user, since forming an image on the optically writable label surface of an optical disc can take quite some time. Thus, the user may have to wait a relatively long length of time for an image to be formed on the optically writable label surface of the optical disc. Only upon completion of the image formation process may the user then learn that the image was not properly formed on the optically writable label surface of the optical disc.

Encoder spokes detection prior to forming image on optically writable label surface of optical disc

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


An apparatus includes a clock generator configured to generate a series of new clock pulses, the clock generator having an input port for receiving input clock pulses, an output port for delivering the new clock pulses to a target circuit that uses the new clock pulses to determine at least a start time or a stop time of a signal generated by the target circuit, and, a pulse delay for governing the width of the new clock pulses, the delay including circuits that produces longer delays for faster corners.

This invention relates to clock reshaping.
Digital electronics systems, such as computers, must move data among their component devices at increasing rates to take full advantage of the higher speeds at which these component devices operate. For example, a computer may include one or more processors that operate at frequencies of a gigahertz (GHz) or more. The data throughput of these processors outstrips the data delivery bandwidth of conventional systems by significant margins.
The digital bandwidth (BW) of a communication channel may be represented as:
BW=FsNs.
Here, Fs is the frequency at which symbols are transmitted on a channel and Ns is the number of bits transmitted per symbol per clock cycle (xe2x80x9csymbol densityxe2x80x9d). Channel refers to a basic unit of communication, for example a board trace in single ended signaling or the two complementary traces in differential signaling.
Conventional strategies for improving BW have focused on increasing one or both of the parameters Fs and Ns. However, these parameters cannot be increased without limit. For example, a bus trace behaves like a transmission line for frequencies at which the signal wavelength becomes comparable to the bus dimensions. In this high frequency regime, the electrical properties of the bus must be carefully managed. This is particularly true in standard multi-drop bus systems, which include three or more devices that are electrically connected to each bus trace through parallel stubs.
Practical BW limits are also created by interactions between the BW parameters, particularly at high frequencies. For example, the greater self-induced noise associated with high frequency signaling limits the reliability with which signals can be resolved. This limits the opportunity for employing higher symbol densities.
Modulation techniques have been employed in some digital systems to encode multiple bits in each transmitted symbol, thereby increasing Ns. Use of these techniques has been largely limited to point-to-point communication systems, particularly at high signaling frequencies. Because of their higher data densities, encoded symbols can be reliably resolved only in relatively low noise environments. Transmission line effects limit the use of modulation in high frequency communications, especially in multi-drop environments.
The shape of clock pulses used to control the modulation of a transmitted symbol by a modulator circuit may have to be carefully controlled.