Methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture to minimize command dynamics of a satellite are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a steering law module to calculate a first set of vectors to maneuver a space vehicle, and calculate a second set of vectors based on projecting the first set of vectors onto a fixed plane. The apparatus further includes an attitude controller to generate an attitude command based on the first and the second sets of vectors to prevent an unplanned rotation by the space vehicle.

Space vehicles such as satellites or resident space objects (RSO) typically utilize actuators such as thrusters and/or momentum devices to maintain an orbit around a celestial body. Typically, a satellite or an RSO orbiting the Earth employs deployable solar panels to power onboard electronics. The onboard electronics provide critical functionalities such as determining a position of a target of interest, determining a position of the satellite, etc. The onboard electronics control an ability of the satellite to simultaneously point to the target of interest while keeping the solar panels pointed toward a power source such as the Sun.
Typical satellites maintain an orbit around a celestial body by controlling thrusters and/or momentum devices using commands generated using attitude steering laws. Typically, attitude steering laws involve calculating two vectors to describe a full rotation representation for an orbit. As a satellite pursues an orbit, the two vectors may change with respect to each other, bringing the two vectors closer together in some instances, and pushing the two vectors farther apart in other instances. As the two vectors change with respect to each other, the attitude steering laws may generate commands that produce undesirable satellite behavior due to practical limitations of the satellite and various considerations that influence calculations of the two vectors.

Methods and apparatus to minimize command dynamics of a satellite


Complex process control and maintenance are performed utilizing a nonlinear regression analysis to determine optimal maintenance activities and process adjustments based on an urgency metric.

Process prediction and control is crucial to optimizing the outcome of complex multi-step production processes. For example, the production process for integrated circuits comprises hundreds of process steps (i.e., sub-processes). Each process step, in turn, may have several controllable parameters, or inputs, that affect the outcome of the process step, subsequent process steps, and/or the process as a whole. In addition, the impact of the controllable parameters and maintenance actions on the process outcome may vary from process run to process run, day to day, or hour to hour. The typical integrated circuit fabrication process thus has a thousand or more controllable inputs, any number of which may be cross-correlated and have a time varying, nonlinear relationship with the process outcome. As a result, process prediction and control is crucial to optimizing process parameters and to obtaining, or maintaining, acceptable outcomes.
Regression techniques have been used to model relationships between various process variables and characteristics of the process output (e.g., the quality, according to at least one metric of interest, of a finished product). The use of neural networks has facilitated successful modeling of processes having large numbers of variables whose interrelationship and contribution to the output metric of interest cannot easily be described.
Run-to-run controllers typically base analysis of the controlled process on metric values from a single output piece or a single lot of pieces, such as semiconductor wafers. A risk or cost function may be used to evaluate a set of metric values, permitting the process controller to reduce the risk associated with each wafer. The level of risk may be determined on a variable-by-variable basis and quantified, e.g., on a scale of 0 to 10.
Complex processes such as semiconductor manufacture, however, depend heavily on process and maintenance history. Such environments involve multivariable processes and production equipment vulnerable to gradual degradation but amenable to numerous different preventive maintenance procedures. As the system ages, it can be difficult to determine where to focus maintenance attention and resources. For example, it is often difficult to deduce from small, wafer-to-wafer changes that a particular maintenance action is urgently needed. To obtain a multivariate metric of the urgency of various corrective actions, it is desirable to place analysis of system variables in a time domain, rather than, for example, isolating an individual wafer from the process history.
For a process or system variable, the risk is higher the further the measured value diverges from a target metric for the variable. For some variables that represent the age of a part or the time since a particular maintenance activity was performed on a controlled tool, a decreasing risk may be assigned for a part or maintenance action as the time since the last maintenance activity was performed due to amortization of the initial cost of the part and/or labor to perform the action.

Intelligent control for process optimization and parts maintenance


Polyolefins are thermomechanically degraded in a twin-screw extruder without a downstream degradation apparatus, at from 300.degree. to 550.degree. C. and from 1 to 100 bar and in average residence times of the reaction mixture of from 0.5 to 10 minutes, by a process in which the pressure in the twin-screw extruder is changed periodically or aperiodically with a fluctuation of from 0.5 to 30 bar. The novel process is particularly suitable for the degradation of polypropylene.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for the thermomechanical degradation of polyolefins in a twin-screw extruder without a downstream degradation apparatus, at from 300.degree. to 550.degree. C. and from 1 to 100 bar and in average residence times of the reaction mixture of from 0.5 to 10 minutes.
The present invention also relates to low molecular weight polyolefin waxes obtainable by the novel process and to their use as materials in cosmetics, in the surface coatings sector, in the printing sector and for toners.
2. Description of the Related Art
The preparation of polyolefin waxes, in particular polypropylene waxes, in a broad molecular weight range in combination with a narrow molecular weight distribution by controlled polymerization by an economical method has not been possible to date. Such waxes are therefore predominantly obtained by thermal degradation of high molecular weight polyolefins ((U.S. Pat. No. 3,087,922, FR-A 1 289 767, FR-A 1 252 635, FR-A 1 425 695, U.S. Pat. No. 3,519,609, U.S. Pat. No. 3,562,788, CA-A 797 293, DD-A 50 113).
DE-C 3 003 768 discloses a process for the preparation of polyolefin wax, in which a mixture of polyethylene and polypropylene is thermally degraded inside a heated reactor, in particular a heated metal tube. The heated metal tube is divided into two different zones which differ in that the reaction media are present in them in one case in a homogeneous state and in the other case in a heterogeneous state. In this process, the heat energy required for the thermal degradation is applied to the reaction medium by heating the two zones to different extents.
Furthermore, DE-B 1 940 686 describes a process for the continuous preparation of waxy, low molecular weight polyethylene from solid high molecular weight polyethylene, the high molecular weight polyethylene melted in an extruder being transferred to a heated tube where it undergoes thermal degradation. In this patent, it is stated, inter alia, that an additional pressure can be established at the end of the heated tube by means of a valve or a nozzle, against which pressure the polyethylene is extruded.
EP-A 0 474 889 likewise discloses a process for the thermal decomposition of polymers, in particular polyolefins, in which the polymer is first melted in an extruder and the molten polymer thus obtainable is then subjected to thermal decomposition in a tube reactor. The tube reactor used may also be provided with a static mixer in order thus to achieve more effective decomposition of the polymer.
The literature furthermore describes a process for the thermomechanical degradation of polyisobutylene/polystyrene blends [F. P. La Mantia, M. A. Nocilla in Polymer Degradation and Stability 17 (1987), 279-286]. This publication reveals in particular that the degradation of plastics blends can be influenced both by the supply of heat energy and by the supply of mechanical energy.
However, the waxes obtained in this process frequently have a number of disadvantages, for example the yellow coloration of the end product or high contents of byproducts, for example soot particles. In addition, the formation of wall deposits and caking are often observed in this process, particularly during continuous operation. In the preparation of very low molecular weight polyolefin waxes, very long residence times also generally have to be accepted, giving rise to high costs. Moreover, an increasing residence time, ie. an increasing degree of degradation, leads to increasing discoloration. Furthermore, the processes known to date often cannot be exactly controlled and lead to high contents of soot particles, especially in the degradation of polypropylene. The low molecular weight polypropylenes thus obtained frequently contain many, generally aperiodically distributed soot particles, which are disadvantageous with regard to subsequent use, for example in masterbatches.

Thermomechanical degradation of polyolefins


A method of improving nitrogen use efficiency, abiotic stress tolerance, biomass, vigor or yield of a plant is provided by expressing within the plant an exogenous polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide having an amino acid sequence at least 80% homologous to SEQ ID NOs: 687-981, 992-1248, 1281-1310, 1389-1391, and 2806-3081. Also provided is a method of improving nitrogen use efficiency, abiotic stress tolerance, biomass, vigor or yield of a plan by expressing within the plant an exogenous polynucleotide which downregulates an activity or expression of a polypeptide having an amino acid sequence at least 80% homologous to SEQ ID NOs: 311-514, 2007-2436, 1311-1320, 982-991, 1249-1280, 1321-1388. Transgenic plants and constructs are provided as well.

The present invention, in some embodiments thereof, relates to nucleic acid agents for overexpressing or downregulating RNA interference targets and uses of same in improving nitrogen use efficiency, abiotic stress tolerance, biomass, vigor or yield of a plant.
Plant growth is reliant on a number of basic factors: light, air, water, nutrients, and physical support. All these factors, with the exception of light, are controlled by soil to some extent, which integrates non-living substances (minerals, organic matter, gases and liquids) and living organisms (bacteria, fungi, insects, worms, etc.). The soil's volume is almost equally divided between solids and water/gases. An adequate nutrition in the form of natural as well as synthetic fertilizers, may affect crop yield and quality, and its response to stress factors such as disease and adverse weather. The great importance of fertilizers can best be appreciated when considering the direct increase in crop yields over the last 40 years, and the fact that they account for most of the overhead expense in agriculture. Sixteen natural nutrients are essential for plant growth, three of which, carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, are retrieved from air and water. The soil provides the remaining 13 nutrients.
Nutrients are naturally recycled within a self-sufficient environment, such as a rainforest. However, when grown in a commercial situation, plants consume nutrients for their growth and these nutrients need to be replenished in the system. Several nutrients are consumed by plants in large quantities and are referred to as macronutrients. Three macronutrients are considered the basic building blocks of plant growth, and are provided as main fertilizers; Nitrogen (N), Phosphate (P) and Potassium (K). Yet, only nitrogen needs to be replenished every year since plants only absorb approximately half of the nitrogen fertilizer applied. A proper balance of nutrients is crucial; when too much of an essential nutrient is available, it may become toxic to plant growth. Utilization efficiencies of macronutrients directly correlate with yield and general plant tolerance, and increasing them will benefit the plants themselves and the environment by decreasing seepage to ground water.
Nitrogen is responsible for biosynthesis of amino and nucleic acids, prosthetic groups, plant hormones, plant chemical defenses, etc, and thus is utterly essential for the plant. For this reason, plants store nitrogen throughout their developmental stages, in the specific case of corn during the period of grain germination, mostly in the leaves and stalk. However, due to the low nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of the main crops (e.g., in the range of only 30-70%), nitrogen supply needs to be replenished at least twice during the growing season. This requirement for fertilizer refill may become the rate-limiting element in plant growth and increase fertilizer expenses for the farmer. Limited land resources combined with rapid population growth will inevitably lead to added increase in fertilizer use. In light of this prediction, advanced, biotechnology-based solutions to allow stable high yields with an added potential to reduce fertilizer costs are highly desirable. Subsequently, developing plants with increased NUE will lower fertilizer input in crop cultivation, and allow growth on lower-quality soils.
The major agricultural crops (corn, rice, wheat, canola and soybean) account for over half of total human caloric intake, giving their yield and quality vast importance. They can be consumed either directly (eating their seeds which are also used as a source of sugars, oils and metabolites), or indirectly (eating meat products raised on processed seeds or forage). Various factors may influence a crop's yield, including but not limited to, quantity and size of the plant organs, plant architecture, vigor (e.g. seedling), growth rate, root development, utilization of water and nutrients (e.g., nitrogen), and stress tolerance. Plant yield may be amplified through multiple approaches; (1) enhancement of innate traits (e.g., dry matter accumulation rate, cellulose/lignin composition), (2) improvement of structural features (e.g., stalk strength, meristem size, plant branching pattern), and (3) amplification of seed yield and quality (e.g., fertilization efficiency, seed development, seed filling or content of oil, starch or protein). Increasing plant yield through any of the above methods would ultimately have many applications in agriculture and additional fields such as in the biotechnology industry.
Two main adverse environmental conditions, malnutrition (nutrient deficiency) and drought, elicit a response in the plant that mainly affects root architecture (Jiang and Huang (2001), Crop Sci 41:1168-1173; Lopez-Bucio et al. (2003), Curr Opin Plant Biol, 6:280-287; Morgan and Condon (1986), Aust J Plant Physiol 13:523-532), causing activation of plant metabolic pathways to maximize water assimilation. Improvement of root architecture, i.e. making branched and longer roots, allows the plant to reach water and nutrient/fertilizer deposits located deeper in the soil by an increase in soil coverage. Root morphogenesis has already shown to increase tolerance to low phosphorus availability in soybean (Miller et al., (2003), Funct Plant Biol 30:973-985) and maize (Zhu and Lynch (2004), Funct Plant Biol 31:949-958). Thus, genes governing enhancement of root architecture may be used to improve NUE and drought tolerance. An example for a gene associated with root developmental changes is ANR1, a putative transcription factor with a role in nitrate (NO3−) signaling. When expression of ANR1 is down-regulated, the resulting transgenic lines are defective in their root response to localized supplies of nitrate (Zhang and Forde (1998), Science 270:407). Enhanced root system and/or increased storage capabilities, which are seen in responses to different environmental stresses, are strongly favorable at normal or optimal growing conditions as well.
Abiotic stress refers to a range of suboptimal conditions as water deficit or drought, extreme temperatures and salt levels, and high or low light levels. High or low nutrient level also falls into the category of abiotic stress. The response to any stress may involve both stress specific and common stress pathways (Pastori and Foyer (2002), Plant Physiol, 129: 460-468), and drains energy from the plant, eventually resulting in lowered yield. Thus, distinguishing between the genes activated in each pathway and subsequent manipulation of only specific relevant genes could lead to a partial stress response without the parallel loss in yield. Contrary to the complex polygenic nature of plant traits responsible for adaptations to adverse environmental stresses, information on miRNAs involved in these responses is very limited. The most common approach for crop and horticultural improvements is through cross breeding, which is relatively slow, inefficient, and limited in the degree of variability achieved because it can only manipulate the naturally existing genetic diversity. Taken together with the limited genetic resources (i.e., compatible plant species) for crop improvement, conventional breeding is evidently unfavorable. By creating a pool of genetically modified plants, one broadens the possibilities for producing crops with improved economic or horticultural traits.

Nucleic acid agents for overexpressing or downregulating RNA interference targets and uses of same in improving nitrogen use efficiency, abiotic stress tolerance, biomass, vigor or yield of a plant


A fuel filler housing and quarter inner panel for a vehicle may include a quarter inner panel portion including an opening hole for filling fuel and at least an inserting hole formed to be spaced outwardly from the opening hole, and a fuel filler housing portion including a filling hole communicating with the opening hole of the quarter inner panel portion and at least a latching port formed to be spaced outwardly from the filling hole to be inserted into the corresponding inserting holes of the quarter inner panel portion, wherein the fuel filler housing portion can be guided and fixed to the quarter inner panel portion by the inserting holes and the latching ports thereof when mounted.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fuel filler housing and quarter inner panel for a vehicle, wherein structures of a fuel filler housing portion and a quarter inner panel portion are modified to allow the fuel filler housing portion to be stably mounted on the quarter inner panel portion without quality deviation.
2. Description of Related Art
In general, a vehicle is provided with a fuel tank so as to store fuel to be consumed for operating engine and all kinds of fuel hoses and pipes so as to transfer fuel pumped by a fuel pump to the engine at the lower portion and one side thereof.
Currently, the capacity and shape of the fuel tank are appropriately designed in accordance with each vehicle, and a lubricator hose is inserted into an opening hole of a fuel filler housing welded to a quarter inner panel for a vehicle to fill fuel into the fuel tank.
In addition, when the conventional fuel filler housing is mounted on the quarter inner panel by an operator, the fuel filler housing has been installed to be spaced from the quarter inner panel side by forceful contact to cause quality deviation. Therefore, a separate packing material formed of rubber for preventing the quality deviation has been installed therein to minimize such deviation.
However, the conventional method has a few problems such as an increasing cost and a slow working speed due to the additional installation of the packing material, and needs measures to prevent the quality deviation.
The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.

Fuel filler housing and quarter inner panel for vehicle


An integrated position and direction system is disclosed that includes a digital compass, a communication module, and a satellite positioning system having a receiver adapted to receive satellite position determining signals. Signals that are received from satellites are used to determine position of the integrated position and direction system. A method for updating data is disclosed in which the integrated position and direction system communicates with a remote site and sends a determined position to the remote site. A response is generated and is transmitted to the integrated position and direction system that includes data relating to features located near the determined position. The received data is used to generate a display that indicates the position and the orientation of the features relative to the integrated position and direction system.

This invention relates to position determination systems. Specifically, the present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for updating data.
Satellite positioning system (SATPOS) devices that determine position using the satellites of the US Global Positioning System (GPS) are commonly used for navigation of vessels, vehicles, airplanes, and other conveyances. SATPOS devices are also used for surveying, construction site planning and management, mining, oil and gas exploration and development, etc. Also, handheld SATPOS devices are used for personal navigation, data collection, data maintenance, etc.
SATPOS devices are quite effective for indicating the position of the SATPOS device. Position is typically indicated using either an alphanumeric indication of position or by displaying a map that indicates position. Alphanumeric indications of position typically include coordinates such as, for example, Latitude and Longitude, World Geodetic Survey (WGS) Coordinates, etc.
Map displays typically indicate position by an icon or other indicator visible on a map. One such map display, typically referred to as a moving map display, displays the position of the SATPOS in the center of the displayed map. Such map displays typically are oriented such that the top of the SATPOS device""s display indicates North (either magnetic North or true North). That is, irrespective of the direction in which the SATPOS device is actually oriented, North is shown at the top of the display. For users that intuitively know which direction is North, such maps are adequate for locating features displayed on the map. However, for users that do not know where North is, or when visibility is obscured such that the user cannot determine where North is, such maps are inadequate for guiding the user to a destination or to a feature displayed on the map.
For many commercial applications of SATPOS systems, such as construction site planning and management, surveying, navigation, etc., it is essential that an operator be able to locate features displayed on the map. Such users typically operate a separate device for indicating direction such as a conventional magnetic compass.
Some SATPOS devices indicate the direction of movement of the SATPOS device, typically referred to as xe2x80x9cheading.xe2x80x9d Typically, heading is determined by analysis of determined position in relation to prior determinations of position as the SATPOS moves. Typically, SATPOS devices that indicate heading use a map display oriented such that the top of the SATPOS unit (e.g., the top of the unit""s display) corresponds to North (either magnetic North or true North).
Some prior art SATPOS devices orient the displayed map such that the top of the SATPOS unit (e.g., the top of the unit""s display) corresponds to the direction of movement calculated by the SATPOS device. This gives a good approximation of the user""s heading as long as the user continues to move and as long as the SATPOS unit is oriented in the direction of movement, allowing a user to easily determine the location of features visible on the display. However, when the SATPOS device stops moving, determination of heading can no longer be made. Some SATPOS systems maintain the previous heading for orienting the moving map display for a given time interval. Other prior art SATPOS systems default to positioning North at the top of the map. This can be quite confusing to the user.
Recently, digital compasses have been developed that can indicate direction. However, digital compasses must be calibrated to properly align the digital compass prior to use. Also, each time that magnetic environment around the compass changes, the digital compass must be recalibrated. Digital compasses are typically calibrated by moving the digital compass in a full horizontal arc. The calibration process takes time and is prone to operator error. Also, calibration error can occur as a result local magnetic anomalies.
Some applications such as Graphical Information System (GIS) applications, data maintenance applications, etc. require updates to a remote database. In addition, the user needs to be able to determine the location of nearby features for updating information relating to the feature. Some prior art SATPOS devices used in GIS and data maintenance applications store mapping data for an entire geographic region in the memory of the SATPOS device. However, the storage of such large amounts of mapping data on each SATPOS device requires each SATPOS device to have extensive memory storage, adding to the cost of the SATPOS device.
What is needed is a method and apparatus for providing an accurate indication of heading to a user of a SATPOS device. Also, a method and apparatus is needed that meets the above needs and that accurately indicates direction when the SATPOS is not moving. Also, a method and apparatus is needed that can communicate with remote sites and that is easy to use. Moreover, a method and apparatus is needed that allows for updating data in a remote database and allows for easily determining of the location of features located near the SATPOS. The present invention meets the above needs.
The present invention provides an integrated position and direction system that that accurately indicates direction and heading. The integrated position and direction system includes a digital compass for indicating direction when the integrated position and direction system is not moving. In addition, the integrated position and direction system of the present invention includes a communication module for communicating with remote sites. Moreover, the method and apparatus of the present invention allows for updating data in a remote database. Furthermore, the location of nearby features are easily determined.
An integrated position and direction system is disclosed that includes a SATPOS having a receiver adapted to receive satellite position determining signals. The integrated position and direction system of the present invention also includes a digital compass that is adapted to determine direction. In one embodiment, a controller is used to control the operations of the integrated position and direction system.
In one embodiment of the present invention, when the SATPOS is moving, the direction of movement or xe2x80x9cheadingxe2x80x9d determined by the SATPOS is indicated on the display. When the SATPOS is not moving, the direction given by the digital compass is indicated on the display. Therefore, while the SATPOS is moving, the heading is indicated, and when the SATPOS is not moving, direction is indicated using the digital compass. Thus, the present invention provides a method and apparatus for providing an accurate indication of both heading and direction to a user of a SATPOS device.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the integrated position and direction system includes a radio communication module. The radio communication module allows for communication with remote devices and remote sites using wireless communication methods. In the present embodiment, the radio communication module communicates through radio transmissions with a cellular communication system.
Methods for updating data are disclosed in which the integrated position and direction system communicates with a remote site for both uploading and downloading data. Data is downloaded to the integrated position and direction system and is updated such that only data relating to features located near the current position of the position and direction system is downloaded. The received data is then used to generate a display that indicates features located near the integrated position and direction system. The display indicates the orientation and position of the features relative to the integrated position and direction system.
Data in a remote database is updated with user input that is received at the integrated position and direction system. The user input and a determination of position (that represents the position at which the user input was received) are sent to a remote computing device. The user input and the determined position are then used to update the remote database.
Because the display indicates the correct orientation of features, the features are easy to find. Also because the integrated position and direction system of the present invention only downloads data that relates to features located near the current position of the integrated position and direction system, there is no need to store extensive amounts of data on the integrated position and direction system. Thereby, significant cost savings are realized
The methods and apparatus of the present invention provide for easily updating data (both data stored on the integrated position and direction system and data stored in a remote database) using a radio communication module that communicates with a remote computing device. The apparatus and methods of the present invention allow for easily updating data in a remote database and allow for easily determining the location of features.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after having read the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments that are illustrated in the various drawing figures.

Integrated position and direction system with radio communication for updating data


A compressor includes a first stage of stator vanes having a first position and a second group of stator vanes arranged in two or more stages downstream from the first stage of stator vanes, each stage having a respective second position. A first actuator is engaged with the first stage of stator vanes, and a second actuator is engaged with a bar connecting the second group of stator vanes. A method for operating a compressor includes adjusting a first position of a first plurality of stator vanes and adjusting the respective second positions of a second group of stator vanes separately from the first position of the first stage of stator vanes.

Gas turbines are widely used in industrial and commercial operations. A typical gas turbine includes an axial compressor at the front, one or more combustors around the middle, and a turbine at the rear. The compressor generally includes alternating stages of circumferentially mounted stator vanes and rotating blades. The stator vanes typically attach to a casing surrounding the compressor, and the rotating blades typically attach to a rotor inside the compressor. Ambient air enters the compressor, and each stage of stator vanes directs the airflow onto the following stage of rotating blades to progressively impart kinetic energy to the working fluid (air) to bring it to a highly energized state. The working fluid exits the compressor and flows to the combustors where it mixes with fuel and ignites to generate combustion gases having a high temperature, pressure, and velocity. The combustion gases exit the combustors and flow to the turbine where they expand to produce work. For example, expansion of the combustion gases in the turbine may rotate a shaft connected to a generator to produce electricity.
During various operating conditions, it may be desirable to adjust the angle of the stator vanes with respect to an axial centerline of the compressor. For example, the stator vanes may be aligned further from the axial centerline of the compressor to suppress the onset of compressor stall at lower rotational speeds associated with start up or shutdown of the compressor. Conversely, the stator vanes may be aligned closer to the axial centerline of the compressor to allow more working fluid to flow through the compressor and increase the power output of the gas turbine during heavy or sudden increases in electrical demand on the generator.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,281,087; 6,551,057; and 6,794,766, assigned to the same assignee as the present application, disclose an electromechanical or hydraulic system for varying the position of stator vanes. In each patent, a single actuator connects to multiple stages of stator vanes to vary the position of the stator vanes with respect to the axial centerline of the compressor. However, the length and width of the stator vanes generally decreases along the axial length of the compressor. As a result, the length of travel for both the actuator and the stator vanes varies by stage. In addition, the cumulative manufacturing tolerances associated with both the actuator and the stator vanes increases proportionally as the size of the stator vanes increases. Therefore, the ability to precisely position stator vanes in different stages using a single actuator is difficult, and a system and method for independently varying the position of stator vanes in different stages would be useful.

System and method for operating a compressor


There is disclosed herein a device and method for clamping and cutting an umbilical cord so as to enable blood samples to be collected. Clamps are provided as either part of the device or separate therefrom to clamp off a section of the umbilical cord for the cutting and sampling process. The device includes a housing which accommodates vials for receiving the blood samples.

The current process in the delivery of babies requires that the umbilical cord is cut shortly after the moment of birth. The function of the cord is the transmission, between mother and baby, of nutrients and oxygen through the blood flowing in the cord. The cord is thus engorged with blood at birth when severed by the obstetrician to free the baby from the mother. Samples of the blood in the cord are commonly collected at birth for chemical and biological assay to determine if the newborn is subject to possible genetically transmitted diseases.
Currently, the procedure calls for the placement of a small clamp close to the newborn to stop the flow of blood in the cord. At the moment of birth there is a great deal of fluid present, including blood and amniotic fluid from the mother, making the physician's gloved hands slippery. The combination of the small clamp size and the fluid on the gloves creates difficulty in applying the clamp. A second, typically reusable, metal clamp is then applied a short distance from the small clamp toward the mother creating a segregated pocket for cutting. A scissors cut is then made in the center of the pocket by the physician to separate the baby. This formed pocket is under high pressure created by the placement of the two clamps and, upon cutting, the trapped blood within spurts, spraying the general area to as much as ten feet away. Because of the possibility of blood carried diseases this spurting endangers medical personnel. After the baby is removed from the area an attempt is made to obtain a specimen of blood from the section of cord attached to the placenta.
Common practices to obtain this blood include the draining of the cord segment directly into an open vial or direct extraction from the cord by syringe and needle. The draining method requires one person to hold an open ended sample vial below the cord opening while a second person opens the metal clamp and attempts to direct the blood flow into the opening. In most cases the cord segment must be hand "milked" by squeezing the segment toward the vial, probably causing many contaminants to flow into the vial including mother's vaginal blood, amniotic fluids and Wharton's gel which may affect the blood testing. When a syringe and needle is used to extract the blood directly from the cord, care must be taken to prevent inadvertent needle sticks. The contents from the syringe must then be transferred into appropriate vials requiring further manipulation of needles and syringes along with the associated risk. Either blood collection method leaves contamination from blood on the external portions of the vials making it difficult to apply or retrieve patient labels.


A method of making a wiring substrate includes forming a first metal layer on a surface of a support member, the first metal layer having at least one columnar through hole that exposes the surface of the support member, forming a columnar metal layer that fills the columnar through hole, forming an insulating layer on the columnar metal layer and on the first metal layer, forming an interconnection layer on a first surface of the insulating layer such that the interconnection layer is electrically connected to the columnar metal layer through the insulating layer, and forming a protruding part including at least part of the columnar metal layer by removing at least the support member and the first metal layer, the protruding part protruding from a second surface of the insulating layer opposite the first surface and serving as at least part of a connection terminal of the wiring substrate.

1. Field of the Invention
The disclosures herein relate to a wiring substrate having a projection projecting from a surface of the wiring substrate, a semiconductor package having such a wiring substrate, and methods of making the wiring substrate and the semiconductor package.
2. Description of the Related Art
A semiconductor package having a semiconductor chip mounted on a wiring substrate via solder bumps or the like is known to those skilled in the art. For this type of semiconductor package, it is important to improve the reliability of connection between the wiring substrate and the semiconductor chip. In related-art semiconductor packages, metal layer portions are formed on a wiring substrate to protrude from a surface of the wiring substrate, and solder bumps are formed on these metal layer protruding portions for the purpose of improving the reliability of connection between the wiring substrate and the semiconductor chip. In the following, a description will be given of an example of a related-art wiring substrate on which metal layer portions projecting from a surface of the wiring substrate are formed.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example of a related-art wiring substrate. In FIG. 1, a wiring substrate 100 includes a first insulating layer 130a, a second insulating layer 130b, a third insulating layer 130c, a first interconnection layer 140a, a second interconnection layer 140b, a protruding metal layer 160, and solder bumps 170.
In the wiring substrate 100, the first interconnection layer 140a formed in the first insulating layer 130a and the second interconnection layer 140b formed in the second insulating layer 130b are electrically connected to each other through first via holes 150a. The first insulating layer 130a is formed on a surface of the second insulating layer 130b and on the first interconnection layer 140a, and has openings 130x that expose part of the first interconnection layer 140a.
The third insulating layer 130c is formed on the other surface of the second insulating layer 130b to cover the second interconnection layer 140b. The protruding metal layer 160 is formed in openings 130y of the third insulating layer 130c to partly project from a surface 100a of the wiring substrate 100. The protruding metal layer 160 includes a Cu layer 161 and an Ni layer 162. The Cu layer 161 protrudes approximately 30 μm from the surface 100a of the wiring substrate 100. The Ni layer 162 having a thickness of approximately 5 μm is formed on the surface of the Cu layer 161. The Cu layer 161 and the second interconnection layer 140b are electrically connected to each other through second via holes 150b. The solder bumps 170 are formed on the protruding metal layer 160.
In the following, a method of making the wiring substrate 100 will be described. FIGS. 2 through 6 are drawings illustrating an example of a related-art method of making a wiring substrate. In FIGS. 2 through 6, the same elements as those of FIG. 1 are referred to by the same numerals, and a description thereof may be omitted.
In the process step illustrated in FIG. 2, a carrier metal (i.e., metal plate) 110 comprised of SUS (Stainless Used Steel) having a thickness of approximately 500 μm is provided. On a surface 110a of the carrier metal 110, an etching resist layer 120a having a predetermined pattern is formed, and openings 120x are farmed through the photolithography method at positions corresponding to the positions where the protruding metal layer 160 is to be formed in the wiring substrate 100. Further, an etching resist layer 120b is formed to cover a back surface 110b of the carrier metal 110.
In the process step illustrated in FIG. 3, etching solution to dissolve SUS is sprayed to etch the exposed areas of the surface 110a of the carrier metal 110 in the openings 120x of the etching resist layer 120a. As a result, holes 110x having a depth of approximately 20 μm and having a substantially circular plan shape are formed in the surface 110a of the carrier metal 110.
In the process step illustrated in FIG. 4, a protruding metal layer 160a protruding beyond the surface 110a of the carrier metal 110 is formed in the holes 110x. Specifically, an Au electroplating process is performed to form an electrolytic Au plate, thereby forming an Au plate layer 163 having a thickness of approximately 0.5 μm on the inner wall surfaces of the openings 110x. An Ni electroplating process is then performed to form an electrolytic Ni plate, thereby forming an Ni plate layer 162 having a thickness of approximately 5 μm on the Au plate layer 163.
Further, a Cu electroplating process is performed to form a Cu layer 161 having a thickness (height) of approximately 30 μm on the Ni layer 162, thereby filling holes formed by the Ni layer 162 with the Cu layer 161. In this process step, it is preferable to use a Cu electrolytic plating solution for use in filled-via formation in order to readily fill the holes formed by the Ni layer 162. Through the three electroplating steps described above, the protruding metal layer 160a including the Cu layer 161, Ni layer 162, and Au layer 163 is formed. The protruding metal layer 160a has the Au layer 163 added to the protruding metal layer 160.
In the process step illustrated in FIG. 5, upon removal of the etching resist layer 120a and 120b illustrated in FIG. 4, a third insulating layer 130c having second via holes 150b and openings 130y at the positions of the protruding metal layer 160a is formed on the surface 110a of the carrier metal 110 and on the protruding metal layer 160a. Further, a second interconnection layer 140b electrically connected through the second via holes 150b to the Cu layer 161 of the protruding metal layer 160a is formed on the third insulating layer 130c.
After this, a second insulating layer 130b having the first via holes 150a is formed on the third insulating layer 130c to cover the second interconnection layer 140b. Moreover, a first interconnection layer 140a electrically connected through the first via holes 150a to the second interconnection layer 140b is formed on the second insulating layer 130b. Further, the first insulating layer 130a having openings 130x to expose part of the first interconnection layer 140a is formed on the second insulating layer 130b to partly cover the first interconnection layer 140a.
In the process step illustrated in FIG. 6, etching is performed to remove the entirety of the carrier metal 110 illustrated in FIG. 5, thereby exposing the entirety of the surface 100a of the wiring substrate 100 and the protruding metal layer 160a. After this, the solder bumps 170 are formed on the protruding metal layer 160a (see FIG. 1). In this process, the Au layer 163 would diffuse into the solder. In consideration of this, the solder bumps 170 are formed on the Ni layer 162 (i.e., on the protruding metal layer 160). In this manner, the wiring substrate 100 illustrated in FIG. 1 is manufactured.
The wiring substrate 100 has the protruding metal layer 160 protruding beyond the surface 100a of the wiring substrate 100 from inside the opening 130y of the third insulating layer 130c. The solder bumps 170 are formed on the protruding metal layer 160.
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view illustrating another example of a related-art wiring substrate. In FIG. 7, a wiring substrate 200 includes an etching stop layer 210b, a first interconnection layer 220, a CU layer 240, a second interconnection layer 250, an Ni layer 260, a first insulating layer 270, a second insulating layer 270a, a protruding metal layer 280, a reinforcement part 290, and solder bumps 300.
In the wiring substrate 200, the first interconnection layer 220 formed in the first insulating layer 270 and the second interconnection layer 250 formed in the second insulating layer 270a are electrically connected to each other through the CU layer 240 and the Ni layer 260. The etching stop layer 210b is formed on the first interconnection layer 220. The protruding metal layer 280 is formed on the etching stop layer 210b to project from a surface 200a of the wiring substrate 200. The solder bumps 280 are formed on the protruding metal layer 280. The second insulating layer 270a is formed on the first insulating layer 270 and on the second interconnection layer 250, and has openings 270x that expose part of the second interconnection layer 250.
In the following, a method of making the wiring substrate 200 will be described. FIGS. 8 through 12 are drawings illustrating another example of a related-art method of making a wiring substrate. In FIGS. 8 through 12, the same elements as those of FIG. 7 are referred to by the same numerals, and a description thereof may be omitted.
In the process step illustrated in FIG. 8, a metal substrate 210 having three layers is provided. The metal substrate 210 includes a metal layer 210a, the etching stop layer 210b, and a metal layer 210c. The metal substrate 210a is made of copper or copper alloy, and is formed in a film shape having a thickness of about 80 to 150 μm, for example. The etching stop layer 210b is made of a material having a sufficient etching selectivity ratio relative to copper or copper alloy when etching (e.g., etching using a hydrochloric-acid-based etching solution) is performed with respect to the copper or copper alloy. The metal layer 210c is a thin metal film made of copper stacked on the surface of the etching stop layer 210b. This metal layer 210c is to turn into the first interconnection layer 220.
In the process step illustrated in FIG. 9, the metal layer 210c of the metal substrate 210 having the three layer structure is patterned by photo-etching to form the first interconnection layer 220. A circuitry substrate 230 is then positioned relative to the metal substrate 210. The circuitry substrate 230 includes a metal layer 210d, the Ni layer 260, and the CU layer 240 stacked one over another in this order, with the first insulating layer 270 covering the surface thereof. It should be noted, however, the CU layer 240 is exposed through the first insulating layer 270. The metal layer 210d is to turn into the second interconnection layer 250.
In the process step illustrated in FIG. 10, the circuitry substrate 230 is stacked on the metal substrate 210. Specifically, the CU layer 240 of the circuitry substrate 230 is thermal-compression-bonded to the first interconnection layer 220 of the metal substrate 210 via the first insulating layer 270. At positions other than the positions of the CU layer 240, the circuitry substrate 230 and the metal substrate 210 are bonded to each other via the first insulating layer 270.
In the process step illustrated in FIG. 11, the metal layer 210d of the circuitry substrate 230 is patterned by photo-etching to form the second interconnection layer 250. The second insulating layer 270a is formed on the first insulating layer 270 and on the second interconnection layer 250, and has the openings 270x that expose part of the second interconnection layer 250. Ni plating or Au plating may be applied to the second interconnection layer 250 exposed through the opening 270x.
In the process step illustrated in FIG. 12, the metal layer 210a made of copper illustrated in FIG. 11 is selectively etched from the back side to form the protruding metal layer 280 and the reinforcement part 290. A solder film (e.g., 10-to-50-μm thick) 300 is an etching mask used for the selective etching, and is formed by plating. The solder film 300 may be patterned through selective removal by alkali etching using a resist layer or the like as a mask. The solder film 300 is then used as an etching mask in the etching process that forms the protruding metal layer 280 and the reinforcement part 290. A reflow process is then applied to the solder film 300 to form the solder bumps 300, thereby forming the wiring substrate 200 illustrated in FIG. 7.
As described above, the wiring substrate 200 has the protruding metal layer 280 protruding from the surface 200a of the wiring substrate 200. The solder bumps 300 are formed on the protruding metal layer 280.
A metal protruding layer formed on a related-art wiring substrate serves as a reliable connection terminal that has a sufficient height. While this is the case, it is difficult to maintain this reliability when shortening the interval between adjacent portions of the metal protruding layer. This problem will be described in the following by referring to the relevant drawings.
In FIG. 3 and the like, the holes 110x formed by etching the carrier metal 110 are illustrated as having a rectangular cross-sectional shape. It is known, however, that their actual cross-sectional shape is not a rectangle. FIG. 13 is a drawing illustrating an example of the actual shape of holes formed by etching. As illustrated in FIG. 13, the holes 110y formed by etching do not have a rectangular cross-section taken on a plane parallel to the XZ plane as do the holes 110x, but have a round cross-section.
Since etching advances not only in the Z direction but also in the X direction and in the Y direction, a maximum diameter φ1 of the holes 110y at the etching resist layer 120a is larger than a maximum diameter φ2 of the openings 120x, assuming that the openings 120x has a circular plan shape (as viewed in the Z direction). Further, the maximum diameter φ1 of the holes 110y increases as a maximum depth D1 of the holes 110y increases. This gives rise to a problem especially when the pitch between the adjacent holes 110y shortens. This will be described by referring to FIG. 14.
FIG. 14 is a drawing illustrating an example of shortened pitches between adjacent holes illustrated in FIG. 13. As illustrated in FIG. 14, the shorter the pitch P1 between adjacent holes 110y, the higher the risk of having the adjacent holes 110y coming in contact with each other. In order for the adjacent holes 110y not to come in contact with each other, the maximum depth D1 may be required to be shallow. Because of this, it is difficult to provide the holes 110y formed by etching with a large aspect ratio (D1/φ1). Since the protruding metal layer 160 is formed in the holes 110y, it is difficult to form the protruding metal layer 160 having a large aspect ratio.
Further, the protruding metal layer 280 of the wiring substrate 200 is formed by etching as are the holes 110x of the wiring substrate 100, so that its cross-sectional shape is not rectangular as illustrated in FIG. 7 and the like. As illustrated in FIG. 7 and the like, the diameter of the top end surface of the protruding metal layer 280 is smaller than the diameter of its bottom surface on the etching stop layer 210b. Accordingly, an attempt to increase the area size of the top end surface of the protruding metal layer 280 for the purpose of improving the reliability of connection may increase the risk of having the adjacent portions of the protruding metal layer 280 coming in contact with each other. In order for the adjacent portions of the protruding metal layer 280 not to come in contact with each other, the height of the protruding metal layer 280 may be required to be small. Because of this, it is difficult to provide each piece of the protruding metal layer 280 formed by etching with a large aspect ratio.
As described above, the related-art methods of manufacturing a wiring substrate use an etching process to form a protruding metal layer, which prevents the cross-sectional shape of the protruding metal layer from being a rectangular shape, thereby failing to provide a large aspect ratio. As a result, pitches between adjacent portions of the protruding metal layer cannot be shortened while ensuring that the protruding metal layer serves as reliable connection terminals having a sufficient height. Conversely, if pitches between adjacent portions of the protruding metal layer are to be shortened, the height of the protruding metal layer needs to be lowered, which results in the reliability of connection being reduced.    [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-218286    [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-43506    [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-177010

Wiring substrate having columnar protruding part


A cleaning system includes a vehicle with a drive subsystem comprising a fluid-powered drive motor drivingly connected to a pair of drive wheels. A brush/air jet boom assembly is removably mounted on the vehicle and includes a fluid-powered brush subassembly drivingly connected to a brush including a plurality of radially-extending flexible line segments. The brush/air jet boom assembly also includes an air jet subassembly with inboard and outboard nozzles. A spray boom assembly is mountable on the vehicle interchangeably with the brush/air jet boom assembly and includes a spray head for spraying a liquid spray material. A cleaning method includes the steps of providing compressed air and liquid spray material sources; pneumatically coupling a vehicle to the compressed air source; advancing the vehicle by pneumatically driving drive wheels thereof; pneumatically driving a rotating brush subassembly; brushing an object to be cleaned; pneumatically sweeping the object to be cleaned; interchanging a spray boom assembly with a brush/air jet assembly; coupling the spray boom assembly to the compressed air and liquid spray material sources; and pneumatically spraying the liquid spray material on the object to be cleaned.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to cleaning systems and in particular to a system and method for cleaning and servicing ducts.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various cleaning devices and systems have heretofore been proposed to meet the requirements of particular cleaning tasks and operations. In addition to hand operated cleaning tools of various sizes and configurations, powered cleaning devices and systems have been designed to reduce the manual labor and time requirements for many cleaning operations, and to improve their thoroughness and efficiency. For example, brushes can be drivingly connected to motors to provide a variety of devices for automated sweeping and brush cleaning functions. Fluid media, such as air and various liquids, can also be used for cleaning. Pneumatic systems are well known and use pressurized or forced air for dislodging dirt, debris and other matter. Power-driven brush and pneumatic cleaning systems can be combined in devices such as vacuum cleaners and sweepers.
Air handling ducts in commercial, institutional and residential structures can pose particular cleaning and maintenance problems. The passages in such ducts often become coated with dust particles and other foreign matter, which can support bacterial and fungal activity. Such biological activity can adversely effect the health of the structure's occupants. Various bacteria, microbes and spores which can cause disease or contribute to allergic reactions can be transmitted by air currents flowing through the ducts.
The buildup of such dirt and debris, which can provide a breeding ground for various microorganisms, can be somewhat controlled by providing the air handling equipment with filters for entrapping particulate matter in the air stream. However, even heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems equipped with air filters are susceptible to the accumulation of dirt and other debris over extended periods of use. Such accumulations present problems associated with exposure to airborne microbes and other problems related to loss of HVAC system efficiency as the duct passages become more and more restricted. In extreme cases the accumulation of dirt and other debris could pose a fire hazard. In addition to air-borne dust particles, various other types of debris and even vermin can collect in the enclosed ductwork. Previous systems and methods for cleaning such duct passage inner surfaces have tended to be time consuming, expensive and/or relatively ineffective. Heretofore there has not been available a cleaning system and method with the advantages and features of the present invention.


A thermal decomposition apparatus for plastics wherein plastics are melted and thermally decomposed, and the resulting decomposition gas is cooled for condensation and recovered in the form of a thermal decomposition oil. The apparatus comprises a thermal decomposition reactor for melting and thermally decomposing the plastics therein, an extraneous matter discharge duct having one end opened in a melt of plastics within the reactor, an extraneous matter collecting container connected to the other end of the discharge duct, and an aspirator for aspirating extraneous matter within the reactor together with the melt through the discharge duct into the container.

The present invention relates to apparatus for melting and thermally decomposing, for example, waste plastics and cooling the resulting thermal decomposition gas for condensation to thermal decomposition oil for recovery, and a process for melting and thermally decomposing waste plastics including polyvinyl chloride and cooling the resulting thermal decomposition gas for condensation to thermal decomposition oil for recovery.
Throughout the specification and the claims appended thereto, a treatment for removing HCl gas resulting from thermal decomposition from the system will be referred to as "desalting," and a chemical agent to be reacted with the HCl gas for the purpose of desalting and a device therefor will be referred to as a "desalting agent" and a "desalting column," respectively.
As one of such processes for thermally decomposing plastics, a process has been practiced which comprises melting and thermally decomposing plastics in a thermal decomposition reactor, feeding the resulting gas to a catalyst layer to decompose the gas into hydrocarbons of low carbon chain and thereafter condensing the hydrocarbons in a cooling-condensation unit to recover a light oil.
The plastics to be treated by such a process are generally those delivered by plastics manufacturers as industrial wastes and those discharged as classified refuse. Accordingly, these plastics, i.e., the material to be treated, includes metals, glasses and like extraneous matter as mixed therewith. During melting in the above process, the extraneous matter is released into time melt and therefore poses the problem that if plastics are continuously treated for thermal decomposition, the extraneous matter accumulates in the melt to fill up the reactor for melting and thermally decomposing plastics.
To solve this problem, accordingly, the apparatus is conventionally brought out of operation intermittently and cooled nearly to ambient temperature, and the accumulated extraneous matter is thereafter removed from the reactor.
However, the process involves a great energy loss in cooling the apparatus nearly to ambient temperature for the removal of extraneous matter and also a great energy loss as needed for heating to resume the operation after the removal, hence the problem exists of increased fuel consumption for the thermal decomposition.
The waste plastics delivered by plastics manufacturers as industrial wastes and the waste plastics discharged as separated refuse contain large quantities of waste polyvinyl chloride, so that if the waste plastics are collectively treated for thermal decomposition, decomposition of the polyvinyl chloride present produces HCl gas, which is likely to cause corrosion to the decomposition reactor, and the condenser and recovery unit which are subsequent to the reactor, further contributing to occurrence of pollution. Usually, polyvinyl chloride wastes are selectively removed roughly before thermal decomposition but invariably partly remain unremoved.
Already known among techniques for converting waste plastics into oil by thermal decomposition is a process for treating waste plastics including polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyurethane, ABS resin, etc. by thermally decomposing these resins batchwise with addition of an alkali aqueous solution of high concentration under pressure of 10 kg/cm.sup.2 at a decomposition temperature of 400.degree. C. to 500.degree. C., and a batchwise two-stage thermal decomposition process involving a fixed catalyst phase-gas catalytic reaction for treating waste plastics as separated from motor vehicle shredder dust and common wastes and including polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, ABS resin, etc., waste plastics being melted and dechlorinated in the first stage, and converted into oil by thermal decomposition in the second stage. The former process is practiced at a high pressure so as to hold water within the decomposition reactor and to recover low-boiling decomposition products only. The addition of the alkali aqueous solution results in expedited thermal decomposition but entails the drawback of giving an increased heavy oil fraction. With the latter process, the thermal decomposition oil is free from HCl gas produced, whereas measures need to be taken for preventing the decomposition gas recovery unit from corrosion with HCl gas.
The two processes described, however, are in the stage of basic experiments and have not been placed into actual use.

Apparatus for thermally decomposing plastics and process for converting plastics into oil by thermal decomposition


A lotto type online game for use in state sponsored lottery applications, commercial game applications, newspaper circulation builder promotional games, and others. The method of playing allows the player a choice in selecting, at the point of purchase, the price point level to be wagered and the degree of participation desired. The method of playing lottery game includes the step of selecting a first set of numbers from a predetermined group of numbers identified by a lottery sponsor. Winning of a prize is determined by matching a plurality of the numbers of said first set of selected numbers with at least some from a first set of drawn numbers and matching a plurality of the numbers of said first set of selected numbers with at least some from a second set of drawn numbers. The first and second sets of drawn numbers are determined by the lottery sponsor. The game can incorporate the existing equipment of the lottery sponsor for selecting numbers, printing tickets and drawing numbers. The ticket is printed in a format that facilitates multiple plays and prizes and includes play dates and may also include security features thereon.

This invention is directed to a lottery game in which numbers are selected from a group of numbers provided by a lottery sponsor and the selected numbers are matched against numbers drawn from multiple drawings.
Lottery games are currently in use in many states and countries and are administered by a lottery sponsor which is affiliated with those entities. Typically, the lottery games include smaller payoff games such as PICK 3 and PICK 4 as well as large jackpot games commonly called LOTTO and POWERBALL. Current jackpot games include matching six or seven numbers selected from a set of 40 or 50 or more against numbers drawn in a weekly or biweekly drawing, while the PICK 3 and PICK 4 games involve a selection of 3 and 4 numbers respectively from a group of usually 10 and matching those numbers against daily drawings held by the lottery sponsor.
In an effort to add to the excitement of jackpot games, a daily version of the lotto game was developed as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,232,221 and 5,116,049. The game described in these patents includes multiple ways to win by matching numbers on the ticket both vertically and horizontally from a daily single digit drawing and a single play is over a seven day time span. In these patents, seven games are in process each day, with a single winning number drawn daily for each of the seven games. Since one number is drawn each day, it takes from seven days (single play) to thirteen days (seven plays) to draw the winning numbers. The numbered balls in the drawing equipment are not reloaded in their respective drawing machines until after the seventh ball has been drawn. This process and procedure requires special drawing equipment and requires players to select seven different numbers. This is cumbersome and costly to the lottery sponsor, and may be confusing to the players, in view of some lotteries currently drawing 42 numbers involving up to six lottery products.
In the game and method of play described herein, all seven winning numbers are drawn by the lottery sponsor each day, and winning tickets are determined on a daily basis. Also, the restriction for the player to select different numbers is eliminated; no specialized drawing equipment is required; and operation is simplified.
In view of the foregoing, it can be seen that there is a need for a new lotto type game which can provide the excitement of lottomania on a daily basis and yet employ the same basic infrastructure of the PICK 3 and PICK 4 games, without adding complexity, cost and/or confusion with current games, drawings and procedures.
It is an object of the invention to provide a game having multiple prize structures with different odds depending on the numbers matched.
It is another object of the invention to integrate the existing winning numbers drawing procedure and equipment into a single game having a variable prize structure.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a game having a daily drawing with the possibility of a jackpot prize every day as well as lower monetary value prizes with improved odds of winning.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a game based on multiple drawings of a plurality of numbers.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a game wherein the jackpot winner is determined by matching all of the numbers selected by the player with all of the numbers drawn by the lottery sponsor in multiple drawings of a plurality of numbers.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a game having a ticket with numbers arranged thereon so that the matching of numbers drawn from the plurality of drawings can be accomplished either vertically or horizontally.
Another object of this invention is to provide a multi price point lotto type game which offers players better odds, more ways of winning, more prizes, greater involvement with extended interest, and permits play for a single day, or for a series of consecutive daily plays up to seven on a single ticket.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a game that progressively adds value as the amount wagered increases, by offering higher price point players better odds, more ways of winning, more prizes, multiple jackpots and more plays.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a game which plays on the lottery sponsor""s existing online equipment, and with proprietary or open architecture software systems, whether mainframe or PC based, thereby simplifying implementation and operation.
In summary, this invention is directed to a lotto type online game for use in state sponsored lottery applications, commercial game applications, newspaper circulation builder promotional games, and others. The method of playing allows the player a choice in selecting, at the point of purchase, the price point level to be wagered and the degree of participation desired. The method of playing the lottery game includes the step of selecting a first set of numbers from a predetermined group of numbers identified by a lottery sponsor. Winning of a prize is determined by matching a plurality of the numbers of said first set of selected numbers with at least some from a first set of drawn numbers and matching a plurality of the numbers of said first set of selected numbers with at least some from a second set of drawn numbers. The first and second sets of drawn numbers are determined by the lottery sponsor. The game can incorporate the existing equipment of the lottery sponsor for selecting numbers, printing tickets and drawing numbers. The ticket is printed in a format that facilitates multiple plays and prizes and includes play dates and may also include security features thereon.

Multi price point on-line game and method of playing


An array block has at least two sub-array blocks and a first interconnect routing channel through which a first group of local interconnect lines extend. Each of the two sub-array blocks includes at least two lower-level sub-array blocks and a second interconnect routing channel through which a second group of local interconnect lines extend. The first group of local interconnect lines are configured to carry input information for accessing memory locations in which to store data or from which to retrieve data, and the second group of local interconnect lines are configured to carry a subset of the input information.

FIG. 1A shows a block diagram of a conventional semiconductor memory architecture 10 commonly used in implementing different types of memories such as volatile memories (e.g., static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM)) and nonvolatile memories (e.g., read only memory (ROM), erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), electrically erasable program ROM (EEPROM), Flash EPROM). Such memories, as shown in FIG. 1A, typically include an array 12 of 2N rows of cells by 2M columns of cells, where N and M represent the number of row and column addresses, respectively. A cell is selected from array 12 via row decoder 14 and column decoder 16. Row decoder 14 receives row addresses A0-AN for selecting one of the 2N rows, and simultaneously, column decoder 16 receives column addresses AN+1-AN+M for selecting one of the 2M columns. The selected cell is located at the intersection of the selected row (wordline) and column (bitline).
In a read operation, a signal representing the stored data is transferred from the selected cell to a sense amplifier in block 18 via column decoder 16. The sense amplifier amplifies the cell signal, and transfers it to an output buffer (not shown) which in turn transfers it to IO pad 19 for external use. In a write operation, programming data is externally provided on IO pad 19, and is then transferred to the selected cell via a data IO circuit in block 18 and column decoder 16. Blocks 12, 16, 18 and IO pad 19 may be repeated a number of times depending upon the desired IO data configuration (e.g., byxe2x88x9216 or byxe2x88x9232 data).
The address access time in a read operation (and a write operation for SRAMs and DRAMs) typically consists of time delays through an address buffer (not shown), row decoder 14, memory array 12, column decoder 16, sense amplifier 18, and output buffer (not shown). Of these delays, depending on the memory density, the delay through the memory array typically represents the largest portion of the total time delay because of the RC time constant associated with the long wordlines and the high capacitance associated with the long bitlines. Thus, in a given process technology (e.g., 0.13xcexcm), to achieve high speed, array 12 is typically divided into two or more sub-arrays, thereby reducing the length of wordlines and/or bitlines. An example of such memory configuration is shown in FIG. 1B.
In FIG. 1B, the memory array is divided into four sub-arrays 12-1, 12-2, 12-3, and 12-4 thus reducing the length of each wordline by a factor of four. However, such division of the array requires the duplication of some of the circuit blocks interfacing with the array. For example, four sets of row decoders 14-1, 14-2, and 14-3 are needed as shown. To reduce the bitline length by one half, each sub-array 12-1 through 12-4 would need to be divided into two, with the column decoder block 16 and block 18 (which includes the sense amplifiers and data I/O circuits) being duplicated. Such duplication can result in unnecessary die size increase if not properly implemented. Further, for very high-performance (e.g., high speed, low power), high-density memories wherein a large number of array divisions is used to achieve the speed targets, there may be diminishing returns on the speed after a certain number of array divisions, and there certainly would be a large power penalty associated with every level of array division. This is due to the large amount of duplication of the array-interface circuitry which leads to highly capacitive nodes in speed-sensitive circuit paths. To quickly switch such high-capacitance nodes, large drivers are required which consume substantial dynamic power. This has substantially hindered the cost-effective development of high-speed, low-power, high-density memories for such popular memory applications as portable devices.
The conventional memory configurations of FIGS. 1A and 1B suffer from a number of other drawbacks. First, the address access time is non-uniform across the array depending on both the access path (i.e., row or column) and the physical location of the cell in the array. Typically, the row access path is slower than the column access path because of the presence of the wordline RC delay in the row access path. Also, within the row access path, the cells have different access times depending on the location of the selected cell along the row. For example, the cell located closest to the wordline driver has a faster access time than the cell located furthest from the wordline driver. These non-uniformities in address access time result in complications in both the use of memories as well as their design.
Another drawback is the inefficient use of redundancy. Commonly, redundant blocks of rows and/or columns of cells are added in the array to enable replacement of defective cells with redundant cells. However, often, due to design constraints, a redundant block of rows or columns is used to replace a row or column having only one or few defective cells, thus resulting in inefficient use of the available redundant cells.
Thus, a memory configuration which yields high speed and low power, results in a more efficient use of redundancy, enjoys a relatively uniform address access time for all memory cells, is easily scalable to higher memory densities with minimal speed and power penalties, and is memory-type independent, is desirable.
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention a semiconductor memory includes a first array block having at least two sub-array blocks and a first interconnect routing channel through which a first group of local interconnect lines extend. Each of the two sub-array blocks includes at least two lower-level sub-array blocks and a second interconnect routing channel through which a second group of local interconnect lines extend. The first group of local interconnect lines are configured to carry input information for accessing memory locations in which to store data or from which to retrieve data. The second group of local interconnect lines are configured to carry a subset of the input information.
In another embodiment, the semiconductor memory further includes a first higher-level array block including at least said first array block and a second substantially similar array block and a third interconnect routing channel through which a third group of local interconnect lines extend. The third group of local interconnect lines are configured to carry a superset of the input information.
In another embodiment, the first group of local interconnect lines extends orthogonally to the second group of local interconnect lines.
In another embodiment, the first interconnect routing channel extends a longer distance than the second interconnect routing channel.
In another embodiment, the first interconnect routing channel is located between the two sub-array blocks, and the second interconnect routing channel in each of the two sub-array blocks is located between the corresponding two lower-level sub-array blocks.
In another embodiment, each lower-level sub-array block comprises a plurality of memory cell array blocks each having a plurality of memory cells arranged along a predesignated number of rows and columns. First and second adjacent memory cell array blocks in each lower-level sub-array block are coupled to a data transfer block configured to selectively transfer data to or from selected ones of the plurality of memory cells in one or both of the first and second adjacent memory cell array blocks.
In another embodiment, each lower-level sub-array block further comprises a plurality of data lines extending over the corresponding memory cell array blocks, the data lines being coupled to the data transfer block so that in a memory access operation data is transferred between the data lines and one or both of the first and second memory cell array blocks via the data transfer block.
In another embodiment, the data transfer block includes a plurality of sense amplifiers and a column multiplexer configured to selectively transfer data from selected ones of the plurality of memory cells in one or both of the first and second adjacent memory cell array blocks to the plurality of sense amplifiers. The plurality of sense amplifiers are coupled between the column multiplexer and the data lines.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a method of forming a semiconductor memory having a plurality of memory cells includes the following acts. A first array block is formed, which includes at least two first-lower-level (1LL) blocks separated by a first interconnect routing channel through which a first group of local interconnect lines extend. At least two second-lower-level (2LL) blocks are formed in each of the at least two 1LL blocks. The two 2LL blocks are separated by a second interconnect routing channel through which a second group of local interconnect lines extend orthogonally to the first group of interconnect lines. At least two third-lower-level (3LL) blocks is formed in each of the at least two 2LL blocks. The two 3LL blocks are separated by a third interconnect routing channel through which a third group of local interconnect lines extend orthogonally to the second group of interconnect lines. The first group of local interconnect lines are configured to carry input information for accessing one or more of the plurality of memory cells. The second group of local interconnect lines are configured to carry a subset S1 of the input information. The third group of local interconnect lines are configured to carry a subset S2 of the subset S1 of the input information.
In another embodiment, the method further includes forming a first higher-level array block. The first higher-level block includes at least the first array block and a second array block. The second array block is substantially similar to the first array block. The first and second array blocks are separated by a fourth interconnect routing channel through which a fourth group of local interconnect lines extend orthogonally to the third group of local interconnect lines. The fourth group of local interconnect lines are configured to carry a superset of the input information.
In another embodiment, the method further includes forming a plurality of memory cell array blocks in each of the at least two 3LL blocks. Each memory cell array block has a plurality of memory cells arranged along a predesignated number of rows and columns. A first and a second adjacent memory cell array blocks in each of the at least two 3LL blocks are coupled to a data transfer block configured to selectively transfer data to or from selected ones of the plurality of memory cells in one or both of the first and second adjacent memory cell array blocks.
In accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention, a method of forming a semiconductor memory includes the following acts. A first array block is formed which has a plurality of memory cell array blocks each having a plurality of memory cells arranged along a predesignated number of rows and columns. A first higher-level-1 (HL1) block is formed. The first HL1 block includes at least the first array block and a second array block. The first and second array blocks are substantially similar. The first and second array blocks are separated by a first interconnect routing channel through which a first group of local interconnect lines extend. A first higher-level-2 (HL2) block is formed. The first HL2 includes at least the first HL1 block and a second HL1 block. The second HL2 block being substantially similar to the first HL1 block. The first and second HL1 blocks are separated by a second interconnect routing channel through which a second group of local interconnect lines extend orthogonally to the first group of local interconnect lines. A first higher-level-3 (HL3) block is formed. The first HL3 includes at least the first HL2 block and a second HL2 block. The second HL2 block is substantially similar the first HL2 block. The first and second HL2 blocks are separated by a third interconnect routing channel through which a third group of local interconnect lines extend orthogonally to the second group of local interconnect lines. The third group of local interconnect lines are configured to carry input information for accessing one or more of said plurality of memory cells. The second group of local interconnect lines are configured to carry a subset S1 of the input information. The first group of local interconnect lines are configured to carry a subset S2 of the subset S1 of the input information.
Further features and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent form the following detailed description of the invention, the appended claims, and the accompanying drawings.

High-speed low-power semiconductor memory architecture


A method of processing electric arc furnace (EAF) dust which involves processing the EAF dust through a basic oxygen furnace (BOF). The method encompasses recovery of iron value from the EAF dust and the concentration of zinc into a material that has more flexible opportunities for its use as a feed to zinc manufacturing processes. The iron and zinc values in the EAF dust can be added to existing iron oxide recovery processes. This allows the EAF dust to be used as a substitute iron feed for BOF""s. The method of processing EAF dust and the components thereof results in the reduction of the burden for the regulatory tracking of EAF dust. In addition, the method of processing EAF dust provides economic savings which result from the reduction of processing fees and the recovery of the value of iron and zinc materials.

The present invention relates to electric arc furnace dust, and more particularly to a method of managing the industrial handling of electric arc furnace dust.
Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) dust is a waste material that is generated during the production of steel in electric arc furnaces. During the production of steel, EAF dust is captured and collected for either disposal or recycle.
The major components in EAF dust are iron (up to 50 wt %) and zinc (up to 30 wt %), usually in the oxide form. In addition, EAF dust contains smaller quantities of calcium, magnesium, manganese, chloride, lead, cadmium and other trace elements. The steel industry generates about 30 to 40 pounds of EAF dust for each ton of steel produced in electric arc furnace facilities. The estimated generation of EAF dust in the United States in 1997 was approximately 900,000 tons with about 40% being disposed in landfills.
EAF dust is a listed hazardous waste (K061) under United States environmental regulations. Under this regulatory program, EAF dust is subject to specific record keeping, handling requirements and processing costs when it is recycled or disposed.
However, EAF dust contains significant quantities of iron that make it valuable for use directly in steel making processes as a substitute for other iron containing materials such as scrap steel, hot metal, sinter dust, basic oxygen furnace (xe2x80x9cBOFxe2x80x9d) sludge and other iron oxides present at steel making facilities. In addition, EAF dust also contains significant quantities of zinc which makes it valuable as a feed for zinc manufacturing processes.
Present methods for handling EAF dust include processing it in Waelz Kilns, rotary hearth furnaces, and flame reactor processes to recover zinc. EAF dust is also subject to stabilization processes followed by landfill disposal.
Generally, it can be economical to subject EAF dust having a high zinc content to existing zinc recovery procedures, and send EAF dust having a low zinc content to landfills for disposal as a waste.
Other process methods for recovering zinc and/or iron from EAF dust have been attempted with limited success. Such processes include thermal processes, hydrometallurgical processes or combinations thereof. In most cases these processes were not successful because they are expensive to build, expensive to operate and/or they cannot be used to process all of the EAF dust material, so that waste material remains that still must be disposed.
In addition, all processes are subject to significant environmental regulatory requirements under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (xe2x80x9cRCRAxe2x80x9d). This is due to the fact that current processes have been specifically developed for the sole purpose of processing EAF dust as a hazardous waste. To date, those in the steel industry view EAF dust as a listed hazardous waste, and accordingly conclude that using EAF dust as any type of feed or reactant will necessarily result in the formation, generation or preservation of a hazardous material.
Southwick, xe2x80x9cRecovery of Iron and Zinc From Steel Mill Wastes,xe2x80x9d a presentation from a Conference Organized by Gorham/Inertech in Pittsburgh. Pa. on May 17-19, 1999 provides a summary of various processes proposed to recover iron and zinc from mill wastes. In addition, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,605,435, 5,013,532, 5,082,493, 5,435,835, 5,439,505, 5,493,580, 5,538,532, 5,667,553, 5,879,617, 5,993,512, 6,102,982, 6,120,577, and 6,221,124 are directed to various methods and apparatus for processing EAF dust.
The present invention is directed to a method of managing the industrial handling of electric arc furnace dust which involves the use of a BOF.
According to various features, characteristics and embodiments of the present invention which will become apparent as the description thereof proceeds, the present invention provides a method of managing the handling of electric arc furnace dust which involves:
identifying a source of electric arc furnace dust;
obtaining electric arc furnace dust from the source of electric arc furnace dust;
providing facility having a basic oxygen furnace, which basic oxygen furnace receives an iron containing feed and produces an iron product and a sludge/dust byproduct; and
feeding the obtained electric arc furnace dust into the basic oxygen furnace as a feedstock to recover iron from the electric arc furnace dust.
The present invention further provides a method of operating a basic oxygen furnace which involves:
providing a facility having a basic oxygen furnace, which basic oxygen furnace receives an iron containing feed and produces an iron product and a sludge/dust byproduct;
receiving electric arc furnace dust from at least one source of electric arc furnace dust;
feeding the electric arc furnace dust into the basic oxygen furnace as a feedstock to recover iron from the electric arc furnace dust and to concentrate a zinc component of the electric arc furnace dust in the saleable byproduct, formerly the sludge/dust.

Management of electric arc furnace dust through a basic oxygen furnace


A sealed, through partition terminal for an electrochemical cell is disclosed featuring a high conductivity terminal member embedded in a lead strap current collector, penetrating a through hole in the partition wall. A cup-like well is formed around the hole to receive the terminal which is located and immobilized by the combination of a fastening member which grips the outer surface of the terminal, and by an epoxy contained within the cup-like well which embeds the fastening member and surrounds the terminal. An elastomeric sealing member is preferably compressed between the strap and the underside of the cup-like well.

This invention relates to sealed, through partition terminals for electrochemical cells, and more particularly to such terminals for lead-acid batteries.
A prevalent problem with terminal seals in lead-acid batteries is corrosion at the terminal, allowing acid to propagate past the seal interface. A standard design approach in the past has been to extend the terminal seal life by making the seal interface between the lead component or terminal and the battery container as long as possible. The configuration most used in the industry is a lead terminal provided with a ribbed outer surface that is insert molded into the plastic battery container. This engineering approach has been generally successful but suffers from the drawback of inherent expense stemming from the complicated container molding process and the added assembly cost of the battery.
An improvement in this known terminal system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,182,178 (Brizendine et al.) which discloses the use of an elastic adhesive material bonded to the ribbed lead insert and making sealing contact with the enshrouding plastic molding. Furthermore, a harder, higher conductivity brass insert connector is insert molded in one end of the lead connector to improve the terminal connection and current carrying capability. Nevertheless, this system still suffers from being relatively expensive to produce.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a sealed, through partition terminal for an electrochemical cell which is relatively inexpensive to produce and has high sealing reliability.
It is a further object to produce a sealed, through partition terminal for a lead-acid cell having a high current carrying capability, and which is easy to assemble in a continuous production process.


An exhaust liner assembly for a gas turbine engine contains a unitary liner sheet and an impingement sheet, which contain holes for cooling air to enter chambers that are defined by chemically milled areas in the liner. The chambers are in an isogrid pattern, with the chambers having a polygon shape defined by walls that are left after the liner is milled. The walls intersect at nodes and fasteners are attached to the nodes to attach the impingement sheet to the liner.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,938,333 shows a typical gas turbine engine that is used for aircraft propulsion and includes a hot gas flow section, following the turbine, that is contained in an air cooled liner "assembly" having an impingement sheet surrounding a liner sheet. The hot engine exhaust is constrained within the liner, and air is forced through the the impingement sheet and the liner, cooling the liner. The cooling air exits at the exhaust end of the engine.
The liner assembly is exposed to considerable heating, and, as would be expected, liner heating can be very uneven, creating local thermal stresses. For one thing, the upstream area is much hotter than the down stream area. The liner, which must be as light as possible, is supported on the engine, but in such a way that buckling is minimized, as buckling can lead to local stresses and premature liner fatigue. Support is typically provided by brackets, as demonstrated in U.S. Pat. No. 2,938,333.
The conventional liner, such as the liner in U.S. Pat. No. 2,938,333, is made of sheet metal and the impingement and liner sheets are attached by welding or by fasteners, a design, though common, is not particularly rigid, increasing the tendency for temperature induced liner warpage. These designs also do not lend themselves to modulating cooling airflow so that the hotter areas receive more airflow than the cooler areas. Additionally, the flexible cupped membrane configuration used in such liners, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,938,333, is not compatible with the smoothness and coating retention requirements for low observable advanced military engine exhaust systems.

Gas turbine exhaust liner with milled air chambers