A dispenser capable of forming a uniform material layer and a method of fabricating an organic light emitting display device using the same are disclosed. The dispenser includes a syringe including a coating material and provided with a nozzle for ejecting the coating material to a substrate and a syringe cap for controlling a coating amount from the nozzle, a pressing unit providing a pressure for ejecting the coating material, a transporting unit for moving the syringe above, and a cap-driving unit for driving the syringe cap to control the coating amount.

1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to a dispenser and a method of fabricating an organic light emitting display device using the same, and more particularly, to a dispenser capable of forming a uniform material layer and a method of fabricating an organic light emitting display device using the same.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Organic light emitting display devices are important for their potential application to flexible displays due to slim design, low power consumption, and high image quality thereof compared to other flat panel display devices. An organic light emitting display device may include an organic light emitting device formed by laminating an anode, an organic light emitting layer, and a cathode on a substrate and an encapsulation unit covering the organic light emitting device by capping.
Organic light emitting display devices readily deteriorate not only by internal factors, such as oxygen that causes deterioration of electrodes and light emitting layers and interfacial reaction between the light emitting layers, but also by external factors, such as moisture, oxygen, and UV light infiltration, resulting in performance degradation and malfunction. Accordingly, encapsulation of organic light emitting display devices is important to protect the organic light emitting devices from external moisture, oxygen, and UV light.
To this end, encapsulation is applied to organic light emitting display devices by forming a plurality of inorganic protective layers, and interposing an organic layer between the inorganic protective layers. By use of encapsulation, infiltration of external moisture and oxygen into organic light emitting display devices is prevented.
A dispenser is often used to form a relatively thick organic layer during encapsulation of organic light emitting display devices. The dispenser is used to coat an organic material used to form the organic layer in the organic light emitting display devices through an injector having a nozzle. Dispensers have been widely used to form organic layers since desired thickness and width of the organic layers may be efficiently obtained by continuous coating at a constant rate.
However, the thickness of the organic layer may not be uniform or coating may not be uniformly performed using conventional dispensers at a start point and an end point of the organic layer, and portions where the direction of the dispenser is changed. Furthermore, such coating defects may cause cracks during subsequent processes, resulting in defects.

Dispenser and method of fabricating organic light emitting display device using the same


The invention provides a manufacturing method of an insulating film having a plurality of pores, as well as a manufacturing method of a highly integrated semiconductor device with high yield. According to the invention, a porous insulating film is formed by forming a plurality of pores in an interlayer insulating film using a laser beam, which results in lower dielectric constant of the interlayer insulating film. In addition, a composition containing conductive particles is discharged onto the porous insulating film by a droplet discharge method typified by an ink jet printing method, and then baked to form a wire. As the laser beam, an ultrashort pulse laser beam is preferably used.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a manufacturing method of a porous insulating film by use of a laser, and a manufacturing method of a semiconductor device having a wiring board and a semiconductor element by use of a droplet discharge method typified by an ink jet printing method.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, the thickness of a film constituting each part of a semiconductor element has been reduced for high integration of LSI (Large Scale Integrated circuit), and thus signal delay between multilayers has interfered with high speed operation. Since the signal delay depends on wire resistance and wire capacitance, a higher performance LSI requires a wiring material with a lower resistance and an interlayer insulating film material with a lower dielectric constant.
In order to reduce the resistance of a wire, a copper (Cu) wire having a lower resistance has been properly studied instead of a conventional aluminum (Al) wire, and a wiring process has been performed by a Cu damascene method instead of a conventional Al gap fill method. In the Cu damascene method, a CMP (Chemical Mechanical Polishing) process is used, where excess Cu formed over a Cu wire is polished and removed by use of slurry and a pad while applying load to a substrate.
Meanwhile, in order to reduce wire capacitance, an organic material and an inorganic material that have a lower dielectric constant have been actively proposed and studied instead of a conventional silicon oxide (SiO2) film. Low polarizability and density are considered to be necessary for reduction in relative dielectric constant of an interlayer insulating film.
An organic material has a lower polarizability per unit volume than a silicon oxide film; therefore, it has a lower relative dielectric constant. It is thus suggested that an organic material or a hybrid material of siloxane and an organic molecule is used to reduce the relative dielectric constant of an interlayer insulating film. It is also suggested that perfluorocarbon polymer having a C—F bond (such as poly-tetrafluoroethylene) is used to reduce the relative dielectric constant of an interlayer insulating film, since this material has the smallest polarizability (see Non-Patent Document 1, for example).
In addition, a low density film, namely, a porous film has been studied to reduce the relative dielectric constant. The use of a porous film attracts attention as a method of achieving a relative dielectric constant of 2 or less.
The aforementioned interlayer insulating film with a low relative dielectric constant is manufactured by plasma CVD, spin coating or the like.
[Non-Patent Document 1] Nikkei Microdevices, Nikkei Business Publications, Inc., November 2004, pp. 58-65

Manufacturing method of insulating film and semiconductor device

Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.


Disclosed is a word line drive circuit of an LSI semiconductor memory device comprising a plurality of word lines, a plurality of memory cells connected each to the word line, a row decoder and drive circuit connected to said plurality of word lines for selecting and driving the word line from a first voltage level to a second voltage level in response to an input address signal in a memory cycle, and a negative voltage generating circuit connected to the plurality of word lines for generating a negative voltage in a non-memory cycle, wherein the word line drive circuit comprises a reset circuit for maintaining the selected word line at an intermediate voltage level between the first voltage level and the second voltage level at least in one point of an end point and an starting point of the memory cycle.

Generally a DRAM comprises a memory cell having an access transistor and a storage capacitor, wherein the word line and the capacitor are connected with a gate and a source of the transistor respectively, and a drain of the transistor is connected to the bit line. Information is stored in the memory cell by charging a voltage of the bit line to the capacitor by turning on the transistor. After an active cycle (read or write cycle), a word line voltage is reset to a ground voltage so as to turn off the access transistor and accordingly the charged voltage of the storage capacitor is maintained in a stand-by state.
In case of a density of memory of a DRAM being increased, width and length of a channel of the transistor are required to be reduced so as to minimize an area occupied by the transistors. Such a scale-down of design rule requires a design rule of sub-micron in manufacturing a DRAM of tens of mega-RAMs. Accordingly a using voltage should be lowered to an extent of a source voltage of about 3 volts in order to solve a problem of break down voltage of a drain of the transistor. Such a low voltage as well as a short channel of the transistor create a sub-threshold phenomenon, namely a current can flow through a drain-source of the transistor even if a gate-source voltage is lower than a threshold voltage. Therefore, there is occurred a problem that a voltage charged in the capacitor of the memory cell is discharged through the drain-source path of the access transistor even if the access transistor is turned off in the stand-by state and a refresh operation should be performed within a quicker time. A prior art for solving the above mentioned problems is disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,610,003.
With reference to FIG. 1 illustrating the prior art, a word line drive circuit comprises a storage capacitor 22, a memory cell 20 having an access transistor 24 of which a source and a drain are connected between the capacitor and a bit line 26, a word line 28 connected to a gate of the transistor 24, a drive circuit 10 for driving the word line 28 by a given voltage through a switching transistor 14 in a read, write or refresh operation, a control circuit 12 for turning on the switching transistor 14 in response to an output of the drive circuit 10 in driving the word line, an oscillator 34 for generating a pulse of square wave having a given width of pulse, a charge pump circuit 30 for charging a capacitor 32 by generating a negative voltage in response to a pulse of the oscillator, and a transistor 18 of which a drain-source path is connected between an output end of the charge pump circuit 30 and the word line 28 and a gate is connected to an output of an inverter 16 for inverting an output of the control circuit 12. All transistors illustrated in FIG. 1 are the N channel MOS IG FET's, and a source supply voltage Vc is 5 volts.
FIG. 2 shows a voltage supplied from the word line 28 to the transistor 24 of the memory cell 20 as illustrated in FIG. 1. When the drive circuit 10 is activated by an address signal designating the memory cell 20, the drive circuit is converted from a ground voltage state to a source voltage Vc. By the source voltage Vc, the control circuit 12 is activated and generates a voltage of more than Vc+Vth so as to turn on the switching transistor 14. By the voltage of more than Vc+Vth, an output voltage Vc of the drive circuit 10 is supplied to the word line 28, which turns on the access transistor 24 by being charged with a source voltage Vc. On one hand, the transistor 18 is turned off by an output of the control circuit 12 and the inverter 16. The storage capacitor 22 is connected to the bit line through the transistor 24 and an information voltage stored in the capacitor 22 is discharged into the bit line 26. In other words, the bit line 26 is charged with the information voltage. When the drive circuit 10 is turned off, a ground voltage is transmitted. Accordingly the control circuit 12 generates a ground voltage state, the switching transistor 14 is turned off and the transistor 18 is turned on. Consequently a negative voltage of -3 volts charged in the capacitor 32 is transmitted to the word line 28 through the transistor 18. As a result the access transistor 24 is blocked deeply so as to prevent a sub-threshold current. When the storage capacitor 22 is charged with the source voltage Vc of 5 volts and the word line 28 is charged with the negative voltage, the charged voltage of the storage capacitor 22 is prevented from leaking because a gate-source voltage of the access transistor 24 is much lower than its threshold voltage.
In a conventional art, however, there is occurred a problem that the charge pump circuit is loaded greatly because the word line voltage is increased suddenly from a non-selection voltage of -3 volts to a selection voltage of 5 volts in selecting a word line and reduced suddenly from a boosted voltage of 5 volts to a negative voltage of -3 volts in a read/write operation (memory cycle). Furthermore, such a sudden voltage change of the word line may cause a damage on a memory device by breaking a thin oxide insulated film of a gate of transistors connected with word lines.
Such a sudden voltage change may be transferred to an adjacent line through a parasitic capacitance such that a false operation of a memory device may be brought about. Also in an LSI DRAM, a bump phenomenon of a source voltage of an oscillator is occurred due to a sudden increase of load of a charge pump circuit such that an false operation of a memory device is caused.

Word line drive circuit of semiconductor memory device


A printing system for printing on recording media first by a first printer and then by a second printer provides that print data is supplied in a page by page manner to the first and second printers from a print data source. Page information is sent to the printers using the print data and corresponding page information is sent to a buffer storage by the first printer. The page information in the buffer storage and the page information sent to the second printer are verified in a page by page manner by determining adherence to a predetermined rule. A synchronization mark is generated on the recording media by the first printer and is read by the second printer, which is used to control the printing process.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a printing system, whereby a recording medium is printed first by a first printer and then by a second printer, and is also directed to a method for printing with such a printing system.
2. Description of the Related Art
In printing systems of this type, the recording medium is printed by a first printer and is then supplied to a second printer that is of the essentially same type as the first printer. The recording medium can thereby be present in the form of individual sheets or as a web-shaped recording medium. As needed, it can be composed of paper, plastic film material or of other materials as well. Dependent on the embodiment of the printer devices, fanfold material, roll material with margin perforation or roll material without margin perforation can be printed.
European Patent Document EP 154 695 B1 discloses a tandem printing system. For the drive of such a printing system, European Patent Document EP 0 239 845 B1 provides that the main control devices of the two printers be connected, on the one hand, via a host computer on a data control level and, on the other hand, via a second connection on a device control level.
Margin-perforated, web-shaped paper is often employed as a recording medium in electrographic high-performance printers having printer performances of more than 40 pages per minute. This paper has lateral holes at its longitudinal edge sides for the margin transport and for monitoring the position of the paper. It is thereby transported with caterpullars that engage into the lateral transport holes of the paper. The margin perforation is used for the drive control, particularly when processing pre-printed paper. Given such applications, the information applied in the electrographic printer should be fitted into the pre-print as exactly as possible. For such positionally exact printing, the position of the paper in transport direction must exactly adjusted to or, respectively, synchronized with the drive thereof or, respectively, the movement of the photoconductor drum employed for the recording.
Pre-printed paper is also present in the second printer of a tandem printing system when the paper is printed by the first printer and subsequently supplied to the second printer. This, for example, can be the case when the first printer prints in a first color and the second printer prints on the same page in a second color.
German Patent Document DE-A-195 00 169 A discloses a method for the control of the printing process in a tandem printing system, whereby continuous stock for the double-sided printing is first supplied to the first printer and printed thereat on one side, and, finally, the paper web is supplied to the second printer for printing the back side. Even-numbered pages are thereby printed by the first printer and odd-numbered pages by the second printer.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,526,107 discloses a color printer device wherein the various color separations are printed in different printer units that follow one another in the paper transport path. The printing events of the respectively following printer units are thereby controlled with marks in order to achieve an exactly registered printing.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,208,640 discloses a system wherein print data for a plurality of laser printers are synchronized. Print data are deposited in a FIFO memory and in turn fetched therefrom. However, no teaching can be found in this document that one of the printers provides the other with control data.
In a tandem printing system, an object of the invention is to assure the correct allocation of the printed pages printed on the recording medium by the two printers with optimally high dependability.
This object is achieved by the method for printing in a printing system, whereby a recording medium is printed first by a first printer and then by a second printer, including: a synchronization procedure is implemented at the beginning of the printing event, whereby both printers are matched to one another upon employment of a synchronization mark applied on the recording medium; the print data are supplied page-by-page from a print data source to the first and to the second printer; information about the page numbers are communicated to the printers together with the respective print data; the first printer deposits at least an information about the page number of a page printed by it into a buffer memory during the course of its printing event; and a checking step is carried out page-by-page to see whether the information communicated to the second printer from the print data source and the information stored in the buffer memory conform to a rule predetermined dependent on the printing mode; and whereby, given a positive check result, the second printer implements the printing event and, given a negative check result, an error is reported.
The object of the invention is also met by a printing system, whereby a recording medium is printed first by a first printer and then by a second printer, including: a synchronization procedure is implemented at the beginning of the printing event, whereby both printers are matched to one another upon employment of a synchronization mark applied on the recording medium; print data are supplied page-by-page from a print data source to the first and to the second printer; information about the page numbers are communicated to the printers together with the respective print data; whereby the first printer deposits at least an information about the page number of a page printed by it into a buffer memory during the course of its printing event; and a comparison unit is provided that checks page-by-page to see whether the information communicated to the second printer from the print data source and the information stored in the buffer memory conform to a rule predetermined dependent on the printing mode; and whereby given a positive check result, the second printer implements the printing event and, given a negative check result, an error is reported. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are further provided by the method wherein the step of checking of the two information ensues at a point in time that is defined such by the feed of the recording medium that the print data are reproduced page-exactly on the recording medium. In a preferred embodiment, the method provides for utilizing a FIFO memory as a buffer memory. The length of the FIFO memory corresponds to the number of pages of the recording medium present between the printers, and the readout of the FIFO memory is controlled by the feed of the recording medium carrier. The check is implemented in the second printer. As a further aspect, the page information together with a communication protocol is communicated from the device controller of the first printer to the device controller of the second printer. In the method, a synchronization mark is generated on the recording medium by the first printer for the positionally exact registration of the print image, the synchronization mark being read by a sensor arrangement in the second printer, whereby the sensor signal is employed for the positionally exact printing in the second printer. The synchronization mark is, for example, printed onto the recording medium as an optical mark.
In the preferred printing system, the recording medium is web-shaped. The buffer memory may be a FIFO memory. The comparison unit may be connected at least to a drive control of the second printer so that the point in time of the check for the two page information can be controlled dependent on the feed of the recording medium. The synchronization mark is generated on the recording medium by the first printer for the positionally exact registration of the print image, and a sensor arrangement that reads the synchronization mark is provided in the second printer, and the sensor signal thereby generated is supplied to the device controller of the second printer for the control of the printing event in the second printer. Preferably, exactly one synchronization mark is printed per print job, and the synchronization mark precedes the first printed page of the print job. More specifically, a plurality of synchronization marks are printed onto the recording medium per print job. The synchronization mark may be a component part of a bar code.
Inventively, the print data from a print data source are respectively supplied to the first and to the second printer page-by-page. The page data can thereby be respectively supplied to the first and to the second printer in alternation or by color separations, for example the allocated color page (of, for example, the color black) to the first printer in what is referred to as a highlight color mode and, correspondingly, the allocated print data (of, for example, the color blue) to the other printer. Correspondingly, a front side allocation and back side allocation can be defined for a duplex print, for example that the first printer prints onto the front side of the recording medium and the second onto the back side. Respective page information data are communicated from the print data source to the two printers together with the respective print data. During the course of its printing event, the first printer deposits the page information data or another page information generated by it into a buffer memory. At a predetermined point in timexe2x80x94particularly as soon as the page printed by the first printer pends for printing in the second printerxe2x80x94, a check is then carried out to see whether the page information communicated to the second printer from the print data source corresponds to the page information of a predetermined rule stored in the buffer memory. The content of the rule is dependent on the printing mode that, for example, can be simplex, duplex or highlight color. It can be selected at the tandem printing system or can already be contained in the print data.
What this form of synchronization monitoring achieves is that the print data that were transferred onto the recording medium in the first printer agrees page-exactly with the print data that were transferred onto the recording medium in the second printer. The rule employed in the comparison can thereby be adapted without further ado to the respective print data or, respectively, to the respective printing mode. For example, whether print data of different colors are present for the two printers (highlight color mode) or whether, in a duplex mode, printing should be carried out on the front side in the first printer and on the back side of the same sheet in the second printer can already be stored at the identifier information in the print data.
One advantage of the invention particularly derives when the printing system is restarted following a stop. The page information stored in the inventive memory are thereby preserved and can be reemployed when the printing system is restarted, so that a re-synchronization of the two printers is no longer necessary in many instances.
In one embodiment of the invention, for example, a page number is checked as page information. In particular, a check can be carried out in a highlight color printing mode as to whether the page number stored by the first printer agrees with the current page number of the second printer andxe2x80x94in the duplex printing modexe2x80x94whether the page number in the second printer is one higher or lower compared to the page number from the buffer memory. A page number as a result of the print job, i.e. as a result of the print data received from the printing system and prescribed by these, or some other page number, for example generated arbitrarily consecutively and internally in the printing system, can be employed as page number.
The invention achieves an electronic page-by-page synchronization monitoring for the two printers that requires no optical marks on the recording medium. It can nonetheless be advantageous to print one or more synchronization pages upon initial commissioning or before a print job, whereby physical marks are generated on the recording medium, for example optical marks are printed onto the paper. Such synchronization pages serve the purpose of adjusting the first data page to be printed by the second printer with high precision relative to the first printed page of the first printer. To this end, it can be advantageous to provide an optical sensor in the second printer, whereby an assignment of numbers can also be advantageous here. For example, it can be achieved by an encoding with bar codes. The first printer then sends the second printer an information for the synchronization in an electronic way. When the second printer has read the anticipated mark with the optoelectronic sensor, then the printing system has been synchronized or, respectively, adjusted with millimeter precision. On the basis of the mark position, the second printer now recognizes where the first data page begins. The synchronization pages can be separated out by post-processing devices that follow the second printer.
A page information or, respectively, mark number of each data page is employed in the inventive, electronic page-by-page synchronization. The first printer thereby initiates the generation and/or intermediate storing of the page information in a memory in the first or second printer. In particular, the memory can be a first-in-first-out register memory (FIFO). As soon as the second printer receives the print data intended for it together with the corresponding page numbers from the print data source, i.e. from the host computer or print server, the page number or, respectively, page marking is compared to the page information deposited in the memory by the first printer. When this comparison conforms to a predetermined rule belonging to the current printing mode, then the printing event is implemented in the second printer. When, in contrast, departures from the rule derive in the comparison, the printing process is stopped and an error is reported.
With the invention, in particular, it is possible to use the entire width of the recording medium for printing paper without margin perforation without having to print optical marks thereon. Further, the synchronization becomes significantly more dependable as a result of the invention because potential read errors of optical marks in the ongoing synchronism monitoring can no longer occur. This is especially advantageous in high-performance printing systems wherein a faulty synchronization is only noticed later under certain circumstances, and a device outage leads to a considerable disturbance in the overall printing or, respectively, production sequence.
For defining the point in time of the comparison, it is especially advantageous to place the drive of the recording medium in the first and/or in the second printer into an interactive connection with the comparison element. In particular, this can ensue with a shared clock generator in a clock-controlled electronic printing system. It is also advantageous to communicate the page information from the first printer to the second printer together with a communication protocol. The control dependability is enhanced further as a result thereof.
It is provided in a further aspect of the invention that the first printer prints a synchronization mark on the recording medium, and that this synchronization mark is read by a sensor in the second printer and employed for the control of the printing event thereat. A high-precision allocation of the print images effected on the recording medium by the two printers can be therewith achieved.

Printing system for printing a recording medium using two printers, and a method for operating such a printing system


An apparatus for removing the dross ridges which are formed on the lower surface of a metal workpiece during torch cutting of the workpiece. The apparatus includes a support beam having generally flat upper and lower surfaces, and a cutting edge extending longitudinally along each of its four corners. The beam is positioned to extend across and below the workpiece path of travel, and the beam is rotatable between a neutral position wherein one of the upper and lower surfaces is just below the pass line of the workpiece, and opposite tilted positions in which one of the cutting edges engages and removes a dross ridge on the lower surface of the workpiece. Each of the cutting edges comprises a plurality of separately pivotable cutting blades, so that the cutting edge formed by the blades is able to closely conform to a non-linear surface contour of the workpiece.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for removing dross ridges from metal workpieces, such as slabs, blooms, billets, or the like.
In the production of steel by, for example, the continuous casting process, the continuous cast length emerging from the caster is cut into desired lengths to form separate metal workpieces, which are commonly referred to as slabs, blooms, or billets. The separate workpieces are then subjected to subsequent processing, as by rolling, to form a finished steel product.
The cutting operation as described above is conventionally performed by means of a flame or torch, wherein a jet of high purity oxygen is directed against the workpiece while it is heated to the oxygen ignition temperature. The resulting exothermic chemical reaction between the iron and oxygen produces slag or waste, which consists of iron oxide, metallic iron and other alloy elements. This slag or waste is in the molten state, and it is displaced during the cutting operation and a portion thereof forms a ridge of the material along the lower edge of the cut end. Upon cooling, the material solidifies and adheres to the workpiece surface along the bottom surface adjacent the cut end, and forms what is commonly called a "dross ridge".
The formation of the dross ridges on the workpiece presents problems in the further processing thereof. For example, a dross ridge may drop off in the reheat furnace, which requires that it then be removed, thus involving additional labor. Also, in the event the dross ridge remains adhered to the workpiece during reheating, it is laminated into the steel during rolling of the workpiece, resulting in an inferior product.
Heretofore, the dross ridges resulting from a torch cutting operation have been removed by a process involving inverting the workpiece and removing the dross ridges with scarfing torches. However, the required additional handling of the workpiece entails additional equipment and labor. Mechanical chippers or chisels have been employed for this purpose, but this also is a labor intensive process.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,859,126 discloses an apparatus for efficiently removing dross ridges immediately after the workpiece has been cut, and which comprises a dross removal beam having a generally flat outer surface and a cutting edge along each of its two opposite sides. The blade is positioned to extend across and below the workpiece path of travel, and the blade is rotatable between a neutral position wherein the blade is below the pass line of the workpiece, and opposite tilted positions in which one or the other of the cutting edges engages the lower dross carrying surface of the workpiece, and so that each cutting edge is adapted to engage and "deburr" a dross ridge on the workpiece.
The dross removal beam as disclosed in the above-referenced patent is primarily used to deburr rectangular steel slabs that are formed by the most widely used steel solidifying process, i.e. continuous casting. Inherent in the continuous casting process is the fact that the broad surface of the slab to which the dross ridge adheres may be bulged, resulting in a slightly convex or concave surface profile. The amount of the bulge will vary based on size of the slab and other factors, and it can sometimes be severe enough to prevent continuous contact between the cutting edge of the dross removal beam along the entire surface of the slab. In addition to bulging, there may be other profile distortions in the slab caused by mechanical or thermal influences which can also prevent adequate contact of the cutting edge with the surface of the slab. These conditions can adversely affect the performance of the dross removal beam, lowering its overall reliability.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a dross removal beam of the described type which effectively overcomes the above noted limitations of the prior beam.
It is a more particular object of the present invention to provide a dross removal beam which is able to effectively remove a dross ridge along a convex or concave surface of the slab.

Apparatus for removing dross ridges from a metal workpiece


A seat belt assembly includes a tongue, a buckle, a frame mountable to a vehicle seat, linking articles for linking the tongue and buckle to the frame, a retractor assembly operable to pay out and retract linking articles connected with said tongue, the tongue thereby extendable from a retracted position to an extended position lockingly engaged with said buckle. The tongue, buckle, linking articles and retractor assembly are all mounted in operable combination to the frame, the resulting frame means combination being mountable as a unit to a vehicle seat. The seat belt assembly also includes tongue and buckle sleeve assemblies which are mountable to the frame and which cover the linking articles in the retracted position, and which support the tongue and the buckle in a desired user access position.

Seat belts in present day vehicles typically comprise a number of individual components which are separately mounted to the vehicle in different locations. For example, a buckle assembly may be mounted on the right-hand side of a vehicle seat, while the retractor for the tongue assembly may be mounted on the left side of the seat to the vehicle's floor, side or door. Additional guides or limit mechanisms may be mounted to the tongue assembly or separately thereof for engagement with the webbing of the tongue to limit, control or position the webbing as most comfortable for the wearer. Such system therefore generally require mounting of several individual pieces to the vehicle's seat, body or door.
What is needed is a seat belt assembly which streamlines and simplifies the seat belt mounting, repair and replacement procedure.


An electrosurgical generator is disclosed capable of controlling the output crest factor, as well as the output power of the electrosurgical generator across a range of tissue impedances during electrosurgery. The control occurs automatically, in real time and continuously during the duration of electrosurgical activation of the electrosurgical generator by varying both the output crest factor and output power based on the changing impedance of the tissue. The electrosurgical generator also includes controls for allowing a surgeon to manually select the appropriate crest factor value and power output value for a particular surgical procedure. By automatically adjusting the output crest factor and by giving the surgeon the ability to manually “tailor” the output crest factor across a range of tissue impedance, the electrosurgical generator enhances the ultimate surgical effect and desirable surgical results.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure is directed to electrosurgery and, in particular, to an electrosurgical generator capable of controlling its output crest factor, as well as the output power, across a range of tissue impedances during electrosurgery.
2. Description of the Related Art
Tissue heating is proportional to the square of the amount of current being generated through the tissue and tissue vaporization is, in turn, generally proportional to current. Vaporization of tissue is proportional to the amount of energy in an arc. This energy in combination with the Cathode Fall Voltage, derives the power of vaporization. Thermal spread is dependent on the amount of heat generated within the tissue which is dependent on tissue resistivity and the arc energy squared. As can be appreciated, by not controlling the thermal spread the depth of ablation is difficult to predict and control.
Therefore, during electrosurgery, an increase or decrease in the amount of current provides a different tissue effect. This phenomenon is due to a variable referred to as the crest factor (CF). The crest factor can be calculated using the formula: CF=VPEAK/VRMS, where VPEAK is the positive peak of the waveform and VRMS is the RMS value of the waveform. The crest factor can also be calculated using the formula: CF=[(1−D)/D]1/2, where D is the duty cycle of the waveform and is defined as D=T1/(T1+T2).
Based on the above formulas, it is evident that when operating an electrosurgical generator in either the "cut", "blend" or "coagulate" mode, the range of the crest factor varies from one mode to another. For example, the "cutting" mode typically entails generating an uninterrupted sinusoidal waveform in the frequency range of 100 kHz to 4 MHz with a crest factor in the range of 1.4 to 2.0. The "blend" mode typically entails generating an uninterrupted cut waveform with a duty cycle in the range of 25% to 75% and a crest factor in the range of 2.0 to 5.0. The "coagulate" mode typically entails generating an uninterrupted waveform with a duty cycle of approximately 10% or less and a crest factor in the range of 5.0 to 12.0. For the purposes herein, "coagulation" is defined as a process of desiccating tissue wherein the tissue cells are ruptured and dried. "Vessel sealing" is defined as the process of liquefying the collagen in the tissue so that it reforms into a fused mass with significantly-reduced demarcation between the opposing tissue structures (opposing walls of the lumen). Coagulation of small vessels is usually sufficient to permanently close them. Larger vessels need to be sealed to assure permanent closure.
An increase in the crest factor results in more current per arc at a given power setting. Further, since tissue heating is proportional to the amount of current through the tissue squared and tissue vaporization is proportional to the amount of current being generated through the tissue, a doubling of current per arc results in four times as much tissue heating and twice the amount of tissue vaporization. Known electrosurgical generators do not control the crest factor of the electrosurgical output current. Such electrosurgical generators produce the same crest factor waveform across a range of tissue impedance. Some electrosurgical generators reduce or otherwise change the output power to achieve a surgical effect. However, no known electrosurgical generators alter both the output crest factor and output power across a range of tissue impedance to achieve a particular surgical effect. Accordingly, such electrosurgical generators do not have the ability to manipulate or control the proportion of tissue vaporization to tissue heating, in order to achieve more controllable and desirable surgical effects.
Therefore, it is an aspect of the present disclosure to provide an electrosurgical generator capable of regulating the output crest factor of the electrosurgical generator, as well as the output power, across a range of tissue impedance for controlling both tissue heating and tissue vaporization.

Variable output crest factor electrosurgical generator


A three-dimensional logic puzzle game made in the form of a sphere comprising game-playing elements of two types formed by dissection of the sphere by three planes perpendicular to the vertical axis thereof, and connecting elements, each of them connecting two adjacent game-playing elements of the same type, differing in the game-playing elements being formed by additional dissection of the sphere by three planes perpendicular to its one horizontal axis and by three planes perpendicular to its other horizontal axis perpendicular to the first one, three planes dissecting the sphere being center planes and six planes cutting off six osculating spherical segments having the same geometrical dimensions, the game-playing elements of the first type being limited by two rectangular and one convex arc-like sides provided with shaped grooves made therein.

Known in the art is a three-dimensional logic puzzle game (see the USSR I. C. No. 1452535, M. . A63F 9/08 of Nov. 3, 1986, published Jan. 23, 1989) made as a sphere comprising game-playing elements of two types which are formed by dissecting the sphere by three planes perpendicular to the vertical axis thereof.
In the known puzzle game the sphere is also dissected by meridian planes. To connect the two types of game-playing elements formed by this dissection of the sphere, the game-playing elements of one type are provided with grooves, while the game-playing elements of the second type are provided with projections. The known three-dimensional logic puzzle game incorporates a hinging unit allowing the game-playing hemispheres to turn in the meridian plane and featuring a shroud ring with a guiding closed groove made on the interior surface. The game-playing elements adjoining the poles have projections which form, when matched, central locating cylinders to interact with the guiding groove of the shroud ring.
Because of its complex design the known three-dimensional logic puzzle game is difficult in fabrication and insufficiently interesting.
The low fabricability is accounted for by the fact that the process of assembly of the known puzzle game is complicated by presence of the shroud ring. Moreover, the shroud ring that envelopes the sphere covers the game-playing elements, while the game-playing elements can only move in layers about the vertical axis or revolve hemi-spherically in the meridian planes, which requires no high mental strain on the part of the player. This reduces the entertaining potential of the game.
As regards its technical substance and technical result achieved, the closest analog of the claimed three-dimensional logic game is the one described in RF Patent No. 2064315, M. . A63F9/08 of Jun. 2, 1993, published Jul. 27, 1996 and featuring a sphere comprising game-playing elements of two types formed by dissecting the sphere by three planes perpendicular to the vertical axis thereof, and connecting elements, each of which connecting two adjacent playing elements of the same type.
In the known three-dimensional logic game puzzle, the sphere is also dissected by meridian planes. To connect the two types of game-playing elements formed by such a dissection of the sphere, use is made of arc-like connecting elements of two types. Placed on the vertical axis of the sphere, at the polar points, in the grooves of the game-playing elements of the first type having a shape of a spherical triangle, are washers one of which is rigidly fixed by pins to the game-playing element of the first type, while the other moves freely being non-attached to anything. The adjacent game-playing elements of the first type are interconnected with the aid of connecting elements of the first type, while the connecting elements of the other type are designed to interconnect the adjacent game-playing elements of the second type shaped as spherical parallelograms at the point where these are dissected by a center plane, one such connecting element being rigidly attached with pins to a game-playing element of the second type. The game-playing elements of the second type have three types of grooves to connect to the game-playing elements of the first type and to one another, while the geometrical dimensions of these grooves in one hemisphere differ from the geometrical dimensions of the grooves in the other hemisphere. The game-playing element of the first type has a T-shaped projection to engage the adjacent game-playing elements of the second type, while the connecting element has two projections, on its one side the T-shaped projection extending through its entire length, while on the other side a narrow projection is provided extending through more than half the element's length and then passing into a T-shaped projection. The game-playing elements of the known puzzle game can move in layers with respect to the sphere's vertical axis or rotate hemi-spherically in the meridian planes through an angle of 180° and angles multiple thereof.
The known three-dimensional logic puzzle game has a complex design, which complicates its fabrication and makes it insufficiently entertaining.
The above is due to the fact that the known puzzle game has a large number of various assembly units and fasteners. Considering that the diameter of such puzzle games never exceeds 120 mm, the assembly units and, especially, the fasteners are made rather small in size. At the same time, different kinds of grooves and projections provided on the assembly units render them non-exchangeable while requiring high precision of fabrication thereof. Even a smallest deviation from the established dimensions may result in sticking of the game-playing elements. Besides, the use of fasteners, such as pins, and washers impairs reliability of the puzzle game in work and increases consumption of labor on its production. The puzzle game thus becomes insufficiently interesting, because the game-playing elements can only be moved layer by layer about the vertical axis or can be rotated hemi-spherically in the meridian planes, which does not require much mental work on the part of the player.


Sulfur-containing boroester compounds useful as antiwear additives for oleaginous compositions including alicyclic borate thioesters having the general formula (I): ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 is a hydrocarbyl radical having 4 to 12 carbon atoms, R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 are independently selected from --(OR.sub.4).sub.n SR.sub.1 and --(OR.sub.4).sub.n SR.sub.1 OH; R.sub.4 is a hydrocarbyl radical having 1 to 6 carbon atoms; n is an integer of from 1 to 4; and l and m are independently 0, 1 or 2; thioalkyl-substituted cyclic meta borate esters having the general formula (II): ##STR2## wherein n, R.sub.1 and R.sub.4 are defined as in formula (I); and mixtures of the alicyclic compounds of formula (I) and the cyclic compounds of formula (II).

Boron-containing compounds, and particularly borate esters are known to act as antiwear agents when added to lubricating oils. EP-A-0216909 discloses antiwear agents that are esters of metaboric acid, and have the following formula: ##STR3## wherein each R is independently hydrogen or a hydrocarbyl group containing from 1 to 18 carbon atoms and each R' is independently an alkylene group containing from 2 to 4 carbon atoms.
It is further well known that sulfur-containing compounds act as anti-oxidants in lubricating compositions and can further enhance the effect of boron-based antiwear agents. The above described European Patent Specification discloses the use of the defined metaboric acid ester in combination with an oil soluble sulfurized organic compound in relative amounts sufficient to provide a weight ratio of sulfur to boron of from 0.5:1 to 20:1.
Antiwear agents providing both boron and sulfur are disclosed, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,303,130 describes an organo thioalkyl borate antiwear agent of the general formula: ##STR4## wherein R is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, aryl, alkaryl, aralkyl and cycloalkyl radicals containing 1 to 16 carbon atoms and n is an integer of 2 to 16, inclusive. These compounds are formed by reacting a thioalcohol with boric acid in a molar ratio of at least 3:1, and provide an antiwear additive having a weight ratio of sulfur to boron of 3.33:1. Similar compounds formed by reacting an alcohol, a hydroxysulfide and a boron compound, and the use thereof as a friction reducer in lubricating oil compositions are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,492,640.
Because of increased demand for lubricating oil additives and fierce competition between manufacturers, there has been a continued need for improved antiwear additives. The present inventors have developed an improved antiwear additive for lubricating oils which comprises a single compound that provides a relatively high weight ratio of boron to sulfur, while simultaneously providing antioxidant and friction modifier properties.
Other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will be understood by reference to the following specification.

Sulfur boron antiwear agents for lubricating compositions


A method is disclosed for forming a flexible connector. An outer die is formed having a mold surface defining an outer surface of the connector. An inner die is formed to have an outer surface defining an inner surface of the connector. A plurality of sheets is inserted into the mold surface with the inner die to form a compact assembly. The assembly is milled to align the sheet edges, and the aligned edges are joined in predetermined sections to form the flexible connector.

This application is related to copending applications Ser. No. 833,225, filed Feb. 10, 1992, Ser. No. 833,194, filed Feb. 10, 1992, and Ser. No. 000,303, filed Jan. 4, 1993.
This invention relates to a method of forming a flexible connector from a plurality of sheets.
Flexible connectors formed from a plurality of metallic sheets are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,232. The connectors are configured to flex to provide vibration isolation and damping between components, for example, in a cryocooled superconducting magnet. The connectors are formed from a plurality of metallic sheets configured to behave independently of each other to provide flexibility with minimized stiffness. The metallic sheets are joined together to act as a coordinated body by welding preselect sections of the sheet edges together.
For example, in the '232 patent a stack of about 25 copper sheets, each about 0.005 inch thick, is formed into a U or V shaped connector. The stack of sheets is bent around a thin steel plate, and the upper ends of the U or V shaped laminated body are welded together to form the flexible connector.
An aspect of this invention is to provide a simple method for forming such flexible connectors with a high degree of alignment of the sheet edges for forming a strong joint.


A semiconductor device 1 includes a semiconductor chip 10. Each of the semiconductor chips 10 includes a semiconductor substrate 12, a semiconductor layer 14 and an interconnect layer 16. The semiconductor substrate 12 has a specific resistance ρ1 (first specific resistance). A semiconductor layer 14 is provided on the semiconductor substrate 12. Such semiconductor layer 14 exhibits a specific resistance ρ2 (second specific resistance). The relationship of these specific resistances is: ρ2<ρ1. The interconnect layer 16 is provided on the semiconductor layer 14. An inductor 18 for transmitting and receiving signals with an external element outside the semiconductor chip 10 is provided in the interconnect layer 16.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device.
2. Related Art
A plurality of semiconductor chip are deposited in a semiconductor device disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-228,981. Each of the semiconductor chips is provided with an inductor for a communication. Each of the inductors are configured of an interconnect in an interconnect layer provided on the semiconductor substrate such as a silicon substrate and the like. The inductors are mutually inductively-coupled, which allows transmitting and receiving a signal between the chips.
The present inventor has recognized as follows. In the above-described semiconductor device, an eddy current is generated in the semiconductor substrate by a magnetic field of the inductors. Then, according to Lenz's law, a new magnetic field, which is oriented to neutralize the above-described magnetic field, is generated due to the eddy current, leading to a reduced strength of the magnetic field. The reduced strength of the magnetic field may cause a reduced available communication distance for transmitting and receiving a signal.


A method for installing a stent in a vessel utilizes a single balloon catheter for both low pressure predilation at a relatively small diameter to open the lesion sufficiently to allow insertion and deployment of the stent across the lesion and for subsequent high pressure embedding of the stent in the vessel wall. The same balloon catheter may also be employed to insert and deploy the stent. The balloons utilized in the method have a stepped compliance curve which allows for predilation at a low pressure and predetermined diameter and for high pressure embedding at a substantially larger diameter. The balloons may be provided with a configuration in which only a portion of the balloon has a stepped compliance curve while a further portion has a generally linear compliance profile. With such balloons high pressure treatment of the vessel wall areas not reinforced by the stent can be avoided despite the occurence of longitudinal shrinkage of the stent during expansion thereof.

The present invention relates generally to a method of installing a stent utilizing a balloon catheter to perform an initial angioplasty and to seat the stent after it has been located in the vessel. The invention also relates to novel balloon structures which have particular use in the method of the invention.
Angioplasty, an accepted and well known medical practice involves inserting a balloon catheter into the blood vessel of a patient, maneuvering and steering the catheter through the patient's vessels to the site of the lesion with the balloon in an uninflated form. The uninflated balloon portion of the catheter is located within the blood vessel such that it crosses the lesion or reduced area. Pressurized inflation fluid is metered to the inflatable balloon through a lumen formed in the catheter to thus dilate the restricted area. The inflation fluid is generally a liquid and is applied at relatively high pressures, usually in the area of six to twenty atmospheres. As the balloon is inflated it expands and forces open the previously closed area of the blood vessel. Balloons used in angioplasty procedures such as this are generally fabricated by molding and have predetermined design dimensions such as length, wall thickness and nominal diameter. Balloon catheters are also used in other systems of the body for example the prostate and the urethra. Balloon catheters come in a large range of sizes and must be suitably dimensioned for their intended use.
Recently the use of a catheter delivered stent to prevent an opened lesion from reclosing or to reinforce a weakened vessel segment, such as an ancurism, has become a common procedure. A typical procedure for stent installation involves performing an initial angioplasty to open the vessel to a predetermined diameter sufficient to permit passage of a stent delivery catheter across the lesion, removal of the angioplasty balloon catheter, insertion of a delivery catheter carrying the stent and a stent deploying mechanism, deploying the stent across the opened lesion so as to seperate the stent from the catheter and bring it into contact with the vessel wall, usually with dilation to a lager diameter using a balloon larger than the balloon of the predilation catheter, and then removing the delivery catheter (after deflating the balloon if used). In many cases it has become the practice to then "retouch" the dilation by deploying a third catheter carrying a balloon capable of dilating at a substantially higher pressure to drive the stent into the vessel wall, thereby to assure that there is no risk of the stent later shifting its position and to reduce occurance of restenosis or thrombus formation. This third "retouch" dilation is often considered necessary when the balloon used to seat the stent is made of a compliant material because such balloons generally cannot be safely pressurized above 9-12 atm., and higher pressures are generally considered necessary to assure full uniform lesion dilation and seating of the stent.
A wide variety of stent configurations and deployment methods are known. For instance, stent configurations include various forms of bent wire devices, self-expanding stents; stents which unroll from a wrapped configuration on the catheter; and stents which are made of a deformable material so that the device may be deformed on deployment from a small diameter to a larger diameter configuration. References disclosing stent devices and deployment catheters include:
______________________________________ US 4733665 Palmaz US 4681110 Wiktor US 4776337 Palmaz GianturcoUS 4800882 US 5195984 Schatz Wolff et al 4830003 US 5234457 Andersen Hillstead 4856516 US 5116360 Pinchuck et al Strecker905 US 5116318 Hillstead WiktorUS 4886062 US 4649922 Wiktor GianturcoUS 4907336 US 4655771 Wallsten Hillstead 4913141 US 5089006 Stiles Pinchuk US 5092877 US 5007926 Derbyshire Lee US 5123917 US 4705517 DiPisa, Jr. CollUS 5116309 US 4740207 Kreamer Rhodes US 5122154 US 4877030 Beck et al WiktorS 5133732 US 5108417 Sawyer HillsteadUS 5135536 US 4923464 DiPisa, Jr Gianturco282824 US 5078726 Kreamer Boneau US 5292331 US 5171262 MacGregor Gianturco et al6 US 5059211 Stack et al Gianturco41126 US 5104399 Lazarus Wallsten et al1275 US 5104404 Wolff Porter US 5064435 US 5019090 Pinchuk Spears US 5092841 US 4954126 Wallsten Ryan et al5108416 US 4994071 MacGregor Wallsten 4990151 US 4580568 Gianturco WilkoffS 4990155 US 4969890 Sugita et al Beck et al385 US 4795458 Regan Froix US 5163952 US 4760849 Kropf US 5192297 Hull ______________________________________
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,348,538, incorporated herein by reference, there is described a single layer balloon which follows a stepped compliance curve. The stepped compliance curves of these balloons has a lower pressure segment following a first generally linear profile, a transition region, typically in the 8-14 atm range, during which the balloon rapidly expands yielding in elastically, and a higher pressure region in which the balloon expands along a generally linear, low compliance curve. The stepped compliance curve allows a physician to dilate different sized lesions without using multiple balloon catheters.
Stepped compliance curve catheter balloon devices using two different coextensively mounted balloon portions of different initial inflated diameter, are also described in co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 08/243,473, filed May 16, 1994 as a continuation of now abandoned U.S. application Ser. No. 07/927,062, filed Aug. 8, 1992, and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,358,487 to Miller. These dual layer balloons are designed with the outer balloon portion larger than the inner portion so that the compliance curve follows the inner balloon portion until it reaches burst diameter and then, after the inner balloon bursts, the outer balloon becomes inflated and can be expanded to a larger diameter than the burst diameter of the inner balloon.
A polyethylene ionomer balloon with a stepped compliance curve is disclosed in EP 540 858. The reference suggests that the balloon can be used on stent delivery catheters. The disclosed balloon material of this reference, however, yields a compliant balloon and therefore a stent delivered with such a balloon would typically require "retouch."

Stent installation method using balloon catheter having stepped compliance curve


A user requests installation of a software package on a server. The server identifies an artifact for the software package installed on a first layer of an overlay file system. Based on dependency information for the artifact, the server identifies one or more additional artifacts that the artifact depends on, installed on additional layers of the overlay file system. Instead of duplicating the software package and its dependencies in storage for the user, the server updates a layer strategy for the user. A layer strategy indicates a set of layers to be used by an overlay file system in generating a logical file system. The updated layer strategy for the user includes both the layer for the artifact of the requested software package and the layers for the additional artifacts that the software package depends on.

An overlay file system provides a logical file system that merges two or more physical file systems. Any files that are present in exactly one of the merged file systems are presented unchanged in the resulting logical file system. For files that are present in more than one of the merged file systems, one of the files is selected by the overlay file system to be presented in the logical file system.
An artifact is a file, such as a Java archive (JAR) file, that includes one or more files for an application. The files within the artifact may be source files, executable files, and description files. A software package comprises one or more artifacts. The source files and executable files of the artifacts are used to execute the software package itself. A description file includes information about the artifact, including dependencies of the artifact. A first artifact is dependent on a second artifact if the first artifact requires the second artifact in order to be used.

Software installation through an overlay file system


A keyboard provides an analog sound signal for a sound producing device. The keyboard includes an interface circuit that couples the keyboard to a digital sound source through a universal serial bus (USB) cable. The keyboard further includes an audio rendering circuit that receives digital sound samples from the interface circuit and converts the digital sound samples to an analog sound signal and a connector coupled to the audio rendering circuit that is configured to couple the analog sound signal to a sound producing device.

Computers are well known that provide multi-media outputs. One such output is an analog audio output provided by a computer audio card.
If a set of headphones is to be connected to the computer to receive the audio output, it is necessary for the headphones to have an audio cable of sufficient length to reach from the operator's position to the computer. If the operator is working at the computer system keyboard, it is necessary for the audio cable to have a length longer than the keyboard cable length. Further, audio connections are generally provided on the backs of computer cabinets. Hence, computers on a floor, under a desk, or in a cabinet provide difficult connection challenges. Obviously, such situations are cumbersome at best.
One solution has been to provide the computer system keyboard with an audio headphone jack. A separate cable is then used to connect the keyboard headphone jack to the computer. While this would seemingly solve the problem, it still requires extra cabling from the keyboard to the computer. This can also make initial setup more complicated. Further, there is no standard requiring a computer to have an audio card or output capable of driving headphones at all. The present invention addresses these issues.

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A system for controlling an attitude of a marine vessel having first and second trim tabs includes a controller having vessel roll and pitch control sections. The pitch control section compares an actual vessel pitch angle to a predetermined desired vessel pitch angle and outputs a deployment setpoint that is calculated to achieve the desired pitch angle. The roll control section compares an actual vessel roll angle to a predetermined desired vessel roll angle, and outputs a desired differential between the first and second deployments that is calculated to maintain the vessel at the desired vessel roll angle. When the controller determines that the magnitude of a requested vessel turn is greater than a first predetermined threshold, the controller decreases the desired differential between the first and second deployments, and accounts for the decreased desired differential deployment in its calculation of the first and second deployments.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,354,237 discloses a trim tab control system in which four buttons or switches are provided for the marine operator in which the operator can select to raise the bow, raise the stern, raise the port side of the boat, or raise the stern side of the boat in relative terms, and the system will automatically position the trim tabs to most efficiently achieve the operator's demanded change in position of the marine vessel.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,583,728 discloses a trim tab monitoring circuit which receives a signal that is representative of a voltage potential across a stator winding of a motor which is attached to the trim tab. This signal is passed through a high pass filter to remove the DC component of the signal, amplified, and passed through a low pass filter to remove certain high frequencies components of the signal. A zero crossing detector is used to discern individual pulses which are then received by a counter that provides a single output pulse for a predetermined number of input pulses. The series of output pulses from the counter are conditioned and, in conjunction with a direction sensor, provided to an up/down counter controller that provides digital signals to a signal output circuit. The signal output circuit provides a DC voltage output to a display and the DC output voltage is representative of the position of the trim tab.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,188,581 discloses a marine drive and a marine vessel and drive combination having a trim tab with a forward end pivotally mounted to a marine propulsion device.
Each of the above patents is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

System and method for controlling attitude of a marine vessel having trim tabs


An echo cancellation method includes steps of (a) extracting phase-distortion estimates, (b) reconstructing an echo signal, (c) generating a clean signal, and (d) producing a primary signal. Step (a) includes extracting, from a first phase signal, a plurality of phase-distortion estimates, the first phase signal having been estimated from an echo-corrupted signal received at a first coherent transceiver of a coherent optical network. Step (b) includes reconstructing an echo signal from the plurality of phase-distortion estimates and a transmitted signal transmitted by the first coherent transceiver. Step (c) includes generating a clean signal as a difference between the reconstructed echo signal and the first phase signal. Step (d) includes producing a primary signal by mapping each of a plurality of clean-phase estimates of the clean signal to one of a plurality of constellation symbols associated with a modulation scheme of the primary signal.

Coherent optical technology, widely used in long haul and metro as well as data center interconnections, is migrating closer to access networks to support growing demand for higher communication speed and better quality of service. Coherent detection for access networks enables superior receiver sensitivity that allows for extended power budget and more efficient utilization of spectral resources, which benefits future network upgrades. To reduce the power consumption and thereby meet the size and cost requirements for access applications, the optical industry is investing to develop low-complexity and cost-effective photonic systems.
Besides these efforts, there is also a growing need for bidirectional transmission over a single fiber in most existing operators' optical infrastructures to support single-fiber topologies, contain costs, and facilitate the redundancy for protecting optical links. These needs stimulate the study of full duplex coherent optics, which not only double the capacity of fiber in access networks but also reduce the requirements in the number of ports for bi-directionally operated devices.
Due to higher receiver sensitivity, coherent systems have increased tolerance for small-amplitude reflections and backscattering that result in echo signals, which corrupt the detection of primary signals detected concurrently with the echo signal. However, such small amplitudes can be assumed only in healthy optical distribution networks with angle-polished connectors. Causes of strong reflections include damaged fiber connections, aged devices, free-space wavelength-selective switches, and optical circulators operating at low-temperature. The influence becomes stronger when the back reflections occur where the received signals are relatively weak, such as the input/output ports of the transceivers. Mitigating optical reflections is important for extending the use case scenarios and relaxing link requirements for full-duplex coherent optics.


Machine-readable symbol reader systems including one or more shields are provided. One example machine-readable symbol reader system includes a conveyor system to convey objects bearing one or more machine-readable symbols past a first region that is transmissive to light. The system includes a machine-readable symbol reader having a housing, a window formed in the housing, and at least one optical sensor received in the housing and having a field of view that extends outward of the window, at least the window of the machine-readable symbol reader positioned relatively below the conveyor system with the field of view aligned with the first region of the conveyor system. The system can further include a shield having a frame with a plurality of apertures that are transmissive to light, the shield positioned relatively below the first region and positioned relatively above the window of the machine-readable symbol reader.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure generally relates to machine-readable symbol readers and systems employing such readers, and in particular relates to shields to protect a window of a machine-readable symbol reader.
2. Description of the Related Art
Machine-readable symbols encode information in a form that can be optically read via an appropriately configured machine-readable symbol reader or scanner. Machine-readable symbols take a variety of forms, the most commonly recognized form being the linear or one-dimensional barcode symbol. Other forms include two-dimensional machine-readable symbols such as stacked code symbols, and area or matrix code symbols. These machine-readable symbols are typically composed on patterns of high and low reflectance areas. For instance, a barcode symbol may comprise a pattern of black bars on a white background. Also for instance, a two-dimensional symbol may comprise a pattern of black marks (e.g., bars, squares or hexagons) on a white background. Machine-readable symbols are not limited to being black and white, but may comprise two other colors, and/or may include more than two colors (e.g., more than black and white).
Machine-readable symbols are typically composed of elements (e.g., symbol characters) which are selected from a particular machine-readable symbology. Information is encoded in the particular sequence of shapes (e.g., bars) and spaces which may have varying dimensions. The machine-readable symbology provides a mapping between machine-readable symbols or symbol characters and human-readable symbols (e.g., alpha, numeric, punctuation, commands). A large number of symbologies have been developed and are in use, for example Universal Product Code (UPC), European Article Number (EAN), Code 39, Code 128, Data Matrix, PDF417, etc.
Machine-readable symbols have widespread and varied applications. For example, machine-readable symbols can be used to identify a class of objects (e.g., merchandise) or unique items (e.g., patents). As a result, machine-readable symbols are found on a wide variety of objects, such as retail goods, company assets, and documents, and help track production at manufacturing facilities and inventory at warehouses or in stores (e.g., by scanning items as they arrive and as they are sold). In addition, machine-readable symbols may appear on a display of a portable electronic device, such as a mobile telephone, personal digital assistant, tablet computer, laptop computer, or other device having an electronic display. For example, a customer, such as a shopper, airline passenger, or person attending a sporting event or theater event, may cause a machine-readable symbol to be displayed on their portable electronic device so that an employee (e.g., merchant-employee) can read the machine-readable symbol via a data reader to allow the customer to redeem a coupon or to verify that the customer has purchased a ticket for the event.
Machine-readable symbol readers or data readers are used to capture images or representations of machine-readable symbols appearing on various surfaces to read the information encoded in the machine-readable symbol. One commonly used machine-readable symbol reader is an imager- or imaging-based machine-readable symbol reader. Imaging-based machine-readable symbol readers typically employ flood illumination to simultaneously illuminate the entire machine-readable symbol, either from dedicated light sources, or in some instances using ambient light. Such is in contrast to scanning or laser-based (i.e., flying spot) type machine-readable symbol readers, which scan a relative narrow beam or spot of light sequentially across the machine-readable symbol.
Imaging-based machine-readable symbol readers typically include solid-state image circuitry, such as charge-coupled devices (CCDs) or complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) devices, and may be implemented using a one-dimensional or two-dimensional imaging array of photosensors (or pixels) to capture an image of the machine-readable symbol. One-dimensional CCD or CMOS readers capture a linear cross-section of the machine-readable symbol, producing an analog waveform whose amplitude represents the relative darkness and lightness of the machine-readable symbol. Two-dimensional CCD or CMOS readers may capture an entire two-dimensional image. The image is then processed to find and decode a machine-readable symbol. For example, virtual scan line techniques for digitally processing an image containing a machine-readable symbol sample across an image along a plurality of lines, typically spaced apart and at various angles, somewhat like a scan pattern of a laser beam in a scanning or laser-based scanner.
Reading a symbol typically employs generating an electrical signal having an amplitude determined by the intensity of the collected light. Relatively less reflective or darker regions (e.g., bars or other marks) may, for example, be characterized or represented in the electrical signal by an amplitude below a threshold amplitude, while relatively more reflective or lighter regions (e.g., white spaces) may be characterized or represented in the electrical signal an amplitude above the threshold amplitude. When the machine-readable symbol is imaged, positive-going and negative-going transitions in the electrical signal occur, signifying transitions between darker regions and lighter regions. Techniques may be used for detecting edges of darker regions and lighter regions by detecting the transitions of the electrical signal. Techniques may also be used to determine the dimensions (e.g., width) of darker regions and lighter regions based on the relative location of the detected edges and decoding the information represented by the machine-readable symbol.
Some implementations employ a conveyor system (e.g., driven conveyor belt) to move objects bearing machine-readable symbols past a field of view of a machine-readable symbol reader. Such implementations are commonly found at retail checkout or point of sales locations (e.g., grocery store or supermarket checkout counters) and in package sorting systems (e.g., postal or courier distribution centers).

System, device and method employing machine-readable symbol reader and shield


A system and method for isolating one or more code changes which are suspected of causing a code failure are disclosed. An example system may include a backend, a frontend, and a datastore. A list of changes to a codebase may be received along with a list of test targets in the codebase that are failing and a snapshot of the codebase at the time when one or more of the codebase's tests started failing. A heuristic may be used to find the code changes causing the one or more code failures.

Engineering organizations may build large projects with huge codebases. Given the speed at which programmers add new code and change existing code in codebases, it is necessary to ensure that no code that causes errors, bad code, is checked in to the codebases. If bad code is checked in, it must be fixed as soon as possible. Typically each project has multiple tests that verify whether the project's codebase is functioning properly or if the code has errors. When tests pass, the code is assumed to be running normally. When tests fail, it is assumed that recent changes to the codebase caused errors in the code.
Automatic test platforms may continually run a project's tests using the latest versions of the project's codebase. These automatic test platforms are commonly used and can indicate when a project's codebase contains bad code. However, most test platforms are unable to provide information about which change to the project's codebase caused tests to fail and created errors in the codebase. Instead, programmers must monitor code health and notice failed tests. The programmers must investigate the causes of test failures manually and then fix the code problems. Such manual investigation is complicated by large number of code changes that may be submitted to the codebases in a short amount of time. Finding culprit code changes that create test failures can be extremely time-consuming and difficult.

Heuristics for automated culprit finding


A method for recovering the clock in an ADSL (asymmetric digital subscriber line) communication system at the receiver to match the frequency of the transmitted signal. A digital phase locked loop (DPLL) based clock is used to adjust the frequency of data read accesses from a FIFO (first-in first-out) memory (26) in a transceiver unit. The frequency is adjusted according to a predetermined offset value, where the offset value indicates the relative difference between a read location in the FIFO memory (26) and a write location. The predetermined offset value defines an operating point or nominal data location in the FIFO memory (26). A FIFO phase detector (31) determines and affects the frequency adjustment to maintain the FIFO memory at approximately the operating point. One embodiment provides clock recovery for a received ADSL subchannel and a means to recover a 16 kHz clock for a channel control.

As the complexity of communication systems increases, there is more and more need for additional ways of transmitting information. One method of communication is called Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) and is a transmission scheme that allows for the provision of plain old telephone service (POTS) and a variety of digital channels on two/wire twisted metallic wire pair with mixed gauges. It is desirable to use such twisted wire as there is an existing infrastructure, the use of which will reduce installation costs. ADSL standards are proposed in the draft American National Standard for Telecommunication--Network and Customer Interfaces--Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) metallic interface, T1, E1.4/95-007R2, ADSL coding standard, draft, Aug. 15, 1995.
One of the advantages of ADSL transmission is that it may be used to provide high quality, multiple and simultaneous interactive video services. This is possible communicating over an ordinary telephone line without disruption of the standard telephone service. In traditional data communication systems, the transmission of clocking information is embedded in the data stream and may be implemented in a variety of ways, depending on line code technique. However, according to the ADSL standards, no such clocking information is permitted to be included in the transmission of ADSL data.
The prohibition of including clocking information in the transmission flow presents a problem in an ADSL system where an external network may provide input data streams driven at varying frequency which are independent of each other, and which are additionally independent of the ADSL transmission system clock. Under such conditions channel synchronization will be required between transmitting and receiving transceivers. Here the transmitter is referred to as a far end transceiver and the receiver is referred to as a near end transceiver.
In order to synchronize between far end and near end transceivers, the near end transceiver will require some method of tracking the far end data clock and adjust its data clock accordingly. Typically, a digital phase lock loop (DPLL) will be used for such a purpose.
According to ADSL standards, all input ports must be designed to tolerate a digital signal having electrical characteristics in accordance with the requirements of recommendation G.703. Additionally, recommendations G.823 and G.824 define further clock requirements regarding sinusoidal wander and jitter effects. Typically, wander effects are considered to be predominant at frequencies below 20 hertz, and for the most part, will influence the size of an input port first in first out (FIFO) logic.
To further satisfy ADSL standards, it is necessary to accommodate an ADSL byte stuff/delete operation performed at the far end, which causes a data arrival rate variation from the expected data arrival rate. This requires that a near end DPLL be a function of the expected data arrival rate adjusted by a far end byte stuff or byte delete operation due to far end data clock phase variations.
The ADSL standards specify transmission of data at frequencies equal to or above 32 kHz. This leaves the problem of transmitting 16 kHz control channel information on an ADSL system.
To solve these problems, it is desirable to have a near end transceiver capable of synchronization with a far end transceiver, which will be able to independently track the far end data clock and adjust its clock accordingly. Obviously, to operate within the ADSL domain requires conformity to regulations referred to in the ADSL standards mentioned here above.

Apparatus and method for clock recovery in a communication system


Embodiments of a magneto-optic crystal assembly for use in polarization rotation applications are disclosed. In one aspect, a magneto-optic crystal assembly includes two or more magneto-optic crystals. The temperature and wavelength dependencies of Faraday rotation of these crystals are compensated so that the crystal assembly has both reduced temperature and wavelength dependencies of the polarization rotation angle over broad temperature and wavelength ranges.

Magneto-optic polarization rotation devices have been used for various purposes in optical systems, especially in fiber optic communication, optical image processing, and sensor applications due to the non-reciprocal nature of the polarization rotation. The capability of these devices is demonstrated in FIG. 1. Faraday rotation, or the Faraday effect, is a known method for creating a non-reciprocal system. The Faraday effect allows for the realization of devices such as fiber optic isolators, circulators, and Faraday rotating mirrors. In a reciprocal system light traveling in the forward direction encounters the same system as light traveling in the reverse direction. A non-reciprocal system induced by the Faraday effect allows light traveling in the forward direction to experience a system with a magnetic field and light traveling in the reverse direction to experience a system with an opposite magnetic field, and thus a different system. In other words, in the non-reciprocal system, light traveling in the forward direction will have a polarization rotation counterclockwise or clockwise according to the magnetic field in or applied to the material of the system. Light traveling in the reverse direction will experience an opposite magnetic field and thus undergo a polarization rotation in the same direction. This will result in an additive rotation angle, as opposed to reverting to the original polarization as in a reciprocal system.
The strength of the Faraday effect for a particular material is often indicated by the Verdet constant. Depending on the material used, the Verdet constant can be positive or negative, with a positive Verdet constant corresponding to a counterclockwise rotation when the direction of propagation is parallel to the magnetic field. The Verdet constant is highly dependent on material, wavelength, and temperature.
Typically magneto-optic polarization rotation is achieved through the use of a single crystal with or without an external magnetic field. Additional optical elements may be added to create the desired effect. For example, propagation in the backward direction may be blocked as with an isolator through the use of a polarizer/analyzer set or the more currently used set of birefringent non-magneto-optic crystals that allow for an input polarization independent system. Propagation may also be redirected to a different port as with a circulator through the additional optics of a polarizing beam splitter or, in an input polarization independent system, a beam displacer. Alternatively, polarization tracking in optical systems may be achieved through the conjugate nature of the system as with a Faraday rotating mirror.
However, the temperature and wavelength-dependent nature of conventional single crystals for magneto-optic polarization rotation limits the use of magneto-optic crystal devices over broad temperature and wavelength ranges. These conventional means thus only provide the desired polarization rotation at a single wavelength and at a certain temperature. Advances in optical communication, sensors, and image processing require broadband, multi-wavelength capacities such as WDM, CWDM, DWDM, in central offices and uncontrolled field environment. Therefore, there remains a need to develop magneto-optic materials with reduced temperature and wavelength dependencies of the Faraday rotation angle over broad temperature and wavelength ranges.

Magneto-optical crystal assembly for broadband temperature stable polarization rotation


An improved multi-terminal connector for connecting wire harnesses in automobiles, for example. The connector includes a first connector housing having a plurality of terminal receiving chambers arranged in a transverse direction and a plurality of first metal terminals received in respective terminal receiving chambers, a second connector housing adapted to be mated with the first connector housing and having a plurality of second metal terminals adapted to be electrically connected to respective first metal terminals and connecting force applying and receiving members respectively provided in the first and second connector housings at central portions for mating the first connector housing with the second connector housing and electrically connecting the first metal terminals to the second metal terminals. According to the invention, the terminal receiving chambers gradually project forwardly so that one of the first metal terminals is displaced to slightly project forward in comparison with an adjacent one of the first metal terminals which is located closer to the central portion of the first connector housing in the transverse direction.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multi-terminal connector which is used, for instance, for connecting wire harnesses in an automotive vehicle.
2. Background
Japanese Utility Model Unexamined Publication No. Sho. 62-160471 discloses a conventional multi-terminal connector including a female connector housing made of reinforced synthetic resins and a male connector housing made of normal (not reinforced) synthetic resins.
The female connector housing extends in a transverse direction so as to have a relatively large width. A nut is embedded in a central, reinforced portion of the female connector housing within a surrounding wall. A large number of male metal terminals are pressure-inserted into respective through-holes formed in a main plate portion to be fixedly held on the female connector housing.
On the other hand, a large number of terminal receiving chambers are transversely arranged in the male connector housing in parallel relation to each other. Female metal terminals, each connected to an electric wire prior to insertion, are inserted into the terminal receiving chambers and respectively retained therein by well-known terminal retaining pieces (not shown). A tightening bolt is rotatably supported by a central, reinforced portion of the male connector housing. Male and female connector housings are connected together by threadingly engaging the tightening bolt with the nut.
In the connector thus constructed, the threading engagement between the tightening bolt and the nut allows for sufficient connection at the central portions of the connector housings. However, the non-reinforced male connector housing is inevitably bent or flexured about the central portion, so that a gap is formed, the size of the gap progressively increasing along the width direction from the central portion to the right and left sides of the male connector housing. As a result, the electrical connection between the male and female metal terminals, particularly at the right and left sides, is insufficient.


The application relates to a double acting demolition device according to one embodiment for demolishing structures. The device includes a first crushing jaw for crushing operation, a first cutting jaw for cutting operation, and a combination jaw. The first jaws are separate jaws. The combination jaw is attachable to the first cutting jaw for constructing a second crushing jaw and to the first crushing jaw for constructing a second cutting jaw. The second crushing jaw is used jointly with the first crushing jaw in crushing operation and the second cutting jaw is used jointly with the first cutting jaw in cutting operation. In crushing operation, the first crushing jaw rotates around a fulcrum other than that of the second cutting jaw in cutting operation.

Concrete structures have generally steel rebars embedded in concrete and special tools are required for the demolition thereof.
FIG. 0a shows a pair of concrete shears 000 mountable on an excavator and intended for crushing and pulverizing concrete structures.
The shears 000 include a frame 001, a jaw 004 movable in rotary motion relative to a shaft 002, and a second jaw 005 made up by the frame 001. Each jaw 004, 005 is provided successively with teeth 006, 007 intended for crushing concrete and with blades 010, 011 intended for cutting metal. The jaw 004 is pressed against the jaw 005 by means of a cylinder 028.
Concrete is crushed with tips of the jaws 004, 005 and metal is sheared with the blades 010, 011 present at the base thereof.
It is important in concrete crushing to provide a maximum crushing force with the jaws 004, 005 fully open, thus enabling a placement of the largest possible object between the jaws. Conventionally, the jaws 004, 005 are provided with a maximum crushing force when an angle of 90° is established by the cylinder 028 operating the jaw 004 as well as by a line between fulcrums 021 and 002. Generally, the cylinder 028 and the fulcrum 021 of the shears 000 are located in such a way that the maximum crushing force occurs when the jaws 004, 005 are fully or almost fully open.
It is unavoidable that some concrete intended for crushing finds its way between the metal blades 010, 011, whereby the blades 010, 011 become dull and need replacement.
In addition, the successive teeth and blades 006, 007, 010, 011 of the shears 000 are inconvenient in terms of cutting large metal profiles as the bringing thereof into a coverage range of the short metal blades 010, 011 is difficult even if the cutting force were sufficient for shearing the profile.
With a change of material to be treated, the end of an excavator boom must be refitted with an implement suitable for working the new material.
FIG. 0b shows a pair of shears 070 intended for cutting metal structures.
The shears 070 include a frame 071, a metal jaw 074 movable in rotary motion relative to a shaft 072, and a second metal jaw 075 made up by the frame 071. The jaw 074 is pressed against the jaw 075 by means of a cylinder 078.
The maximum cutting force of the jaws 074, 075 is timed to occur at a point when the cylinder 078, as well as a straight line drawn between its connecting point 079 and the shaft 072, are perpendicular to each other at a final stage of the cutting motion.
Depending on the situation, the time required for an implement replacement process is from tens of minutes to a few hours. The replacement process to be performed several times a day hinders the fluency of demolition work as well as impairs considerably its productivity.

Double acting demolition device and utility machine for demolishing structures


Heat activated, translucent marking films are disclosed. The translucent, heat activated marking film has a transferable, translucent, plastic film and field of a heat activated, translucent adhesive adhered to the plastic film. The marking film is prepared and stored on a polymeric liner until transfer by heat to a substrate, such as a back-lit sign or an awning. The film can be cut into images prior to heat transfer to the substrate according to commercial graphics techniques.

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company ("3M") markets a variety of marking films for the application of color graphics to durable, flexible substrates.
One example of the marking films is a Panaflex.TM. Paint-On-Paper Series 820 marking film marketed by 3M comprising a heat-activatable, vinyl-containing screen printing ink on a paper liner for use with translucent substrates as commercial graphics, such as back-lit signs and awnings. Further details about this type of marking film are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,513,107; 4,542,078; 4,565,842; and 4,737,224.
Another example of the marking films is a series of heat activated films comprising a durable, glossy, plastic film having an opaque, heat activated adhesive for transfer to the durable, flexible substrate. These films are marketed by 3M as Scotchcal.TM. 605 Film, Scotchcal.TM. Series 650 Films, Scotchlite.TM. 2200 and 2800 films. Each of these films is useful for reflective signs, i.e., opaque substrates, because the heat activated adhesives on the films are opaque.

Heat activated translucent marking films

Minnesota Mining and manufacturing Company


The invention relates to the update, correction or upgrade of a software system through an update file. Firstly, objects included in or modified by the update file can be displayed to the user. Secondly, checks of the software system to be updated are made to look for related objects which are associated with the objects included in the update file. This helps reduce inconsistencies in the software system and accordingly smooths the updating process.

A software provider is regularly required to provide updates or modifications to their software system. These updates may, for example, provide the software system with additional functionality requested by users, or the updates may correct errors contained in previous releases of the software. In an object oriented software system, there may be a requirement to deliver a complete function group or package, or to provide DDIC (data dictionary) objects.
This update process may be accomplished by means of update files, which can often simply be downloaded via a computer network. These update files will typically be compressions of the objects necessary for implementing the update, and each object may be a list of programs, tables, function modules, function groups or other elements. The user can simply download the update file and implement the update, usually with just a few mouse-clicks. This creates or modifies the relevant objects in the software system, without requiring the user to know or understand all of the details of the update.
However, this approach does pose some difficulties, as often a user does not implement all updates immediately, does not implement them in the order that they issue, or sometimes does not even implement certain updates at all. Unfortunately, in some cases, a new update will not function as intended unless a previous update has been implemented. This can lead to scenarios wherein an update that may have been intended to improve system performance actually causes more errors and lowers system performance.
The present invention aims to reduce or eliminate some or all of the disadvantages of prior software updating methods.

Managing updates in an object oriented software system