To improve performance without increasing size, a sealing device comprises a seal body (6) sealing a clearance (5) between the periphery of the shaft hole (3) of a housing (2) and a shaft (4) inserted into the shaft hole (3) and the sound insulating seal (7) insulating sound transmitted through the clearance (5), the seal body (6) comprises a bellows part (10) between a mounting part (8) fitted to the housing (2) and a seal lip part (9) contacting with the shaft (4), the sound insulating seal (7) comprises a sound insulating member (20) disposed at the inner peripheral side of the mounting part (8), and the sound insulating member (20) is held to the seal body (6) in the state of contacting with the mounting part (8) at its outer peripheral part (20a) and with the seal lip part (9) at its inner peripheral part (20b).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sealing device suitably used in a shaft seal part having a large shaft eccentricity or a large mounting eccentricity, for example, a dust seal or the like of a steering shaft in a vehicle such as a motor vehicle or the like, and more particularly to a sealing device with a sound insulating seal having a sound insulating function in addition to a sealing function. The sealing device in accordance with the present invention is used in a general purpose machine or the like in addition to the vehicle mentioned above.
2. Description of the Conventional Art
Conventionally, there has been known a sealing device 51 with a sound insulating seal shown in FIG. 3, and it is structured as follows. The sealing device 51 in FIG. 3 is constituted as a steering dust seal for a vehicle (refer to FIG. 5 described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 9-242880, Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. 6-84068, FIG. 3 in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 11-82752, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 11-351385).
First, there is provided a seal body 56 sealing a clearance 55 between a peripheral surface 53a of a shaft hole 53 provided in a front dash panel 52 corresponding to a housing and a steering shaft 54 corresponding to a shaft inserted to the shaft hole 53, and a sound insulating seal 57 insulating a transmitted sound such as an engine sound transmitted to a passenger room inner side B from an engine room side A through the clearance 55, a traveling sound or the like is assembled in the seal body 56.
The seal body 56 has a mounting part 58 mounted to an inner periphery of the shaft hole 53 of the front dash panel 52, and a seal lip part 59 brought into contact with a peripheral surface of the steering shaft 54, and a bellows part 60 for responding to the shaft eccentricity or the like is integrally formed between the mounting part 58 and the seal lip part 59.
Further, the sound insulating seal 57 has a sound insulating member 61 fixed to an inner peripheral side of the mounting part 58 of the seal body 56, and the sound insulating member 61 is formed, for example, in an annular shape by an elastic body.
The sealing device 51 mentioned above is structured such that the sound insulating member 61 of the sound insulating seal 57 arranged at the passenger room inner side B achieves a sound insulating function with respect to the transmitted sound transmitted through the bellows part 60 of the seal body 56 formed in a thin shape by an elastic body, thereby reducing a noise level at the passenger room inner side A, however, the following problems are generated with respect to the sound insulating performance which can be achieved thereby.
The sound insulating member 61 of the sound insulating seal 57 mentioned above is fixed to an inner peripheral side of the mounting part 58 of the seal body 56 in accordance with a fixing means or the like, and a large clearance (a diametrical clearance) 62 is set at a further inner peripheral side thereof, with respect to the steering shaft 54. Accordingly, the transmitted sound through the bellows part 60 mentioned above passes through the clearance 62 (as shown by an arrow C), whereby the achievable sound insulating performance is limited.
In order to solve the problem mentioned above, the applicants of the present application have proposed a sealing device 61 in which two seal bodies 62 each having a mounting part 63, a seal lip part 64 and a bellows part 65 are arranged side by side so as to form a bellows double structure, as shown in FIG. 4. In accordance with the sealing device 61, since the seal lip part 64 of the seal body 62 at a passenger room inner side A is brought into contact with a steering shaft and the clearance in the diametrical direction is not formed at an inner peripheral side thereof, it is possible to increase the sound insulating performance (refer to FIG. 1 in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 9-242880, FIG. 1 in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 11-82752).
However, in accordance with this prior art, as a result of the double structure obtained by arranging two seal bodies 62 side by side, a length in an axial direction of the whole of the sealing device 61 (a width of a product) can not help being increased. Accordingly, there is room for further improvement in this point.

Sealing device with sound insulating seal


A cloud computing method and a computing apparatus and server using the same are provided. The cloud computing method includes a server generating a virtual disc for executing one or more applications when a computing apparatus is connected to the server, requesting execution of an application included in the virtual disc, and downloading and executing an execution file corresponding to the requested application. Therefore, it is possible for a user to remove time delay caused in a downloading and executing process when an application is initially executed.

1. Field
Apparatuses and methods consistent with exemplary embodiments relate to a cloud computing method, a computing apparatus and server using the same, and more particularly, to a method of providing an application using a cloud server which provides a cloud storage service, and a computing apparatus and server using the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, there is provided a cloud storage service which stores data and provides the data to users on a network. The cloud storage service enables the users to use various contents in the outside without separate storage devices (for example, a universal serial bus (USB) and an external hard disc).
The cloud storage service of the related art stores various types of files (for example, video files, photo files, music files, text files, and the like) including application files in a server and provides uniform resource locators (URLs) or real time streaming protocols (RTSPs) for download or streaming of stored various types of files.
To execute an application using the cloud storage service of the related art, the user selects, purchases, and downloads the application in a user terminal. Hereafter, after checking whether or not installation authority is present therein before installation, the user should install the application in the user terminal and then execute the installed application.
That is, various procedures are performed to execute an application using the cloud storage service of the related art and a lot of time is needed to download and install the application. In addition, separate applications stores should be constructed according to apparatus characteristics such as operating systems (OSs) and platforms for terminals or interfaces should be provided to download an application suitable to the user terminal. Further, it is cumbersome for a user to redownload and reinstall an updated application when an updated application is released.

Cloud computing method, computing apparatus and server using the same


A die of uniformly distributed material comprising a plurality of faces having a triangular shape and a plurality of numbers imprinted on the die. Each of the plurality of numbers imprinted on the die appear on a separate face, wherein each number appears on at least twice on the die. The dice are capable of generating random numbers, including negative and positive numbers, for use with board games, lotteries, stock market determinations, scientific work and other applications where random numbers are needed. For more complex random number generation, the system includes at least two dice having a distinct color and at least twenty faces, and a pattern of numbers imprinted on each dice, each number of the pattern appearing on a separate face of the dice, wherein the numbers have a different color than the dice.

Many games include a set of dice to generate random numbers. The random numbers are then used to determine the next play. Many games of chance, such as Craps, use dice to determine a win or loss of money or chips. Ideally the dice are shaken in the player's hand, or in a special cup, and thrown on a felt surface against a wall. The felt surface helps to ensure that the dice will be caught by the surface and tumble rather than slide. The impact against the wall adds a further spin to the dice, thus adding to the randomizing process. In practice not all of these conditions are always met, but dice still provide a reasonably good method of providing a random number. Other methods of generating random numbers exist such as computers, wheels with pointers, etc.; but none are as simple and inexpensive as dice which can be carried in the pocket or purse and used almost anywhere.
Conventional dice consist of a small cube of plastic with the six sides successively numbered from one to six. The numbering of the sides usually takes the form of black, white or colored dots embossed in sides of the dice; but sometimes arabic number characters are used. In professional dice used at gambling tables, great pains are taken to ensure that the dice are balanced so as to have an exactly equal chance of rolling any of the six numbers.
The problem with conventional dice is that the numbers they generate are limited to multiples of six; i.e. one die can be thrown to generate the numbers from one to six, two dice can be thrown to generate the numbers one to twelve, etc. Consequently, it would be awkward to use conventional dice to generate random numbers from zero to nine, or from 0 to 99, or for higher numbers of decimal digits. Most board games, like Monopoly, avoid this problem by designing their games to use the roll of two dice to generate the numbers from 1 to 12.
This limitation of conventional dice eliminates the possibility of designing more sophisticated games that take the advantage of being able to generate random decimal numbers. For example, our money system is based on the decimal number system; the inventors have recognized that dice capable of generating decimal numbers could directly specify the amount of a bet in a game of chance, or in a board game. Games could be devised which use decimal dice to specify the price of stocks, properties, or other gaming objects in a board game.
The inventors have further recognized that there is a need for dice that would provide a means for generating random lottery numbers. Lotteries usually require the players to select several numbers between one and some upper limit number; for example, Virginia Pick 6 Lotto players must pick six numbers between 1 and 44, the Ohio Super Lotto requires players to pick six numbers between 1 and 47. Dice able to generate decimal numbers could be used to play any of these lotteries. These decimal dice would be thrown for each required number; numbers that are out of range or repeated would simply be thrown out and a new roll would be made until a valid number was thrown. Lottery numbers can of course be chosen by a wide variety of methods; in fact, most numbers are probably chosen out of the players head, such as the selection of numbers of important dates or from numbers encountered in daily experience. But numbers chosen from one's head lack a random quality, and the same numbers get played over and over again with no results. Random numbers chosen by the lottery computer fail to give the player a sense of control over the process of playing the game. Other mechanical methods of choosing random numbers are generally awkward, and most of them are not very portable. Dice on the other hand can be carried in one's pocket or purse and played anywhere. Moreover, dice also give players a direct feeling of control.
Different types of dice that attempt to improve upon conventional dice may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. Des. 283,632 to Moore and 809,293 to Friedenthal which comprise ten faces with a number printed on each face. Although these die include more numbers and faces than conventional die, the designs and ability to create random numbers is still limited.
An improvement on the above-noted designs may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,208,754 to Sieve and 4,497,487 to Crippen which disclose icosahedron die having a plurality of numbers printed thereon. The Sieve design has a single digit printed on each face and is numbered from 1 to 20. The Crippen design includes two icosahedron dice with one die having numbers representing ten (10) odd numbers and ten (10) even numbers from 1 to 40 and the other die having numbers representing the remaining twenty (20) numbers from 1 to 40. The above dice patterns, however, are still limited in the variety of applications in which they may be used due to the numbering patterns and color schemes.
Further dice found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,735,419 to Koca, 4,892,319 to H Johnson II and 5,224,708 to Gathman also disclose various patterns of indicia printed on the faces of an icosahedron shaped dice. These pattern are similarly limited in application as those discussed above. In particular, the Koca and Johnson II dice are designed for use with a word game. The Gathman dice have playing card designed printed thereon and thus, are limited to a gambling application.
In view of the foregoing, the inventor have recognized a need for dice that are able to generate decimal numbers, such that, a user could produce a wide range of random numbers for a myriad of applications. In addition there is a need for an improved dice having a numbering system based on the number ten to provide a greater variety of generated random numbers.


A semiconductor substrate made of silicon or the like and having an active region is used as part of a package. Bumps are formed on a major surface of the semiconductor substrate. One end of each lead is connected to a corresponding bump, and the other end of the lead is located outside the major surface of the semiconductor substrate. An adhesive such as a thermoplastic resin is applied to the major surface of the semiconductor substrate. An upper substrate is located on the adhesive. The upper substrate is made of a metal plate, an insulating plate, or a semiconductor substrate. The upper substrate covers at least the active region of the semiconductor substrate, the bumps, and the lead portions on the semiconductor substrate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a high-integration low-profile package.
2. Description of the Related Art
A semiconductor device such as an IC or LSI is packaged into a package to protect a semiconductor substrate (chip) having semiconductor elements thereon from contamination sources (e.g., dust, chemicals, gases, and humidity) and a mechanical impact. This package requires characteristics such as excellent hermetic sealing, high resistance to high temperatures during assembly, high mechanical strength, high chemical stability, excellent insulating properties, and excellent high-frequency characteristics.
The package is made of a resin material, a ceramic material, or the like. A resin package is exemplified by a DIP (Dual Inline Package) shown in FIG. 1.
This DIP will be described below.
A chip 10 is fixed on a chip mount portion 20 of a lead frame by a conductive adhesive 30. Semiconductor elements are formed in the chip 10. The chip 10 has electrode pads 60. The leads 40 are formed by part of the lead frame. One end of each bonding wire 70 is connected to a bonding portion 50 of one lead 40. The other end of the bonding wire 70 is connected to one electrode pad 60 of the chip 10. The bonding wires 70 are made of Al or Au. The chip 10, the chip mount portion 20, the bonding wires 70, and parts of the leads 40 are covered with a molding resin 80 by, e.g., a transfer mold method.
A ceramic package is exemplified by a package using a stacking method and a package using a pressure molding. The ceramic packages have an advantage in excellent hermetic sealing.
Recent packages incorporating chips are required to be compact, low-profile packages.
A memory card having a thickness of 3.3 mm, for example, must have a smaller thickness and a higher packing density in a near future. The chip size gradually increases along with the development of semiconductor devices having a higher packing density and a high integration density. Therefore, a conventional packaging method is difficult to cope with demands for compact, low-profile packages.
In the DIP shown in FIG. 1, when the thickness of the chip 10 is given to be about 0.35 mm, the minimum value of distance (i.e., the height of a semiconductor device) from the distal end (i.e., a contact portion with a circuit substrate) H of each lead 40 to the uppermost portion of the molding resin 80 which covers the chip 10 is about 1.25 mm. A thickness T of the semiconductor device is about 1.0 mm. A distance D from the chip 10 to the proximal end (i.e., a lead portion exposed from the molding resin 80) of each lead 40 is at least 1.0 mm. A length of a package is determined by adding the length of the chip 10 to a length which is twice distance D. The shortest distance from the edge of the chip 10 to each electrode pad 60 is about 0.2 mm.
It is difficult to obtain a compact, low-profile package due to the following reason.
Each bonding wire 70 which connects a bonding portion 50 of a lead 40 and a corresponding pad 60 of the chip 10 is curved having a large radius of curvature. This bonding wire 70 must be protected with the molding resin 80. In addition, the molding resin 80 must have a thickness enough to fix the leads 40. In this case, when the package size comes close to the chip size, the molding resin 80 cannot fix the leads 40, and the leads 40 may be removed from the package.

Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same


Provided is a technique for achieving simultaneous communication with a plurality of wireless communication systems using different radio access techniques.

In recent years, a fifth-generation (5G) communication standard has been discussed as a next generation communication standard of Long Term Evolution (LTE) and LTE-Advanced. One object of a new radio access technique (NR) in the fifth-generation communication standard is to achieve tight interworking between an NR system, and an LTE system and an LTE-Advanced system. Dual connectivity (LTE-NR dual connectivity) configured by the LTE system or the LTE-Advanced system (hereinafter, referred to as an LTE system) and the NR system is considered as a candidate of the technique for achieving the tight interworking.
In LTE-NR dual connectivity, as illustrated in FIG. 1, a user equipment (UE) performs simultaneous communication with a base station (evolved NodeB (eNB)) in the LTE system and a base station in the NR system. Specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the user equipment performs the simultaneous communication, using an LTE carrier CC #1 provided by the LTE base station and an NR carrier CC #2 provided by the NR base station at the same time.

Abstract: An aspect of the invention relates to a user equipment that supports simultaneous communication with a first wireless communication system and a second wireless communication system using different radio access techniques. The user equipment includes a transmitting and receiving unit that transmits and receives radio signals to and from a first base station in the first wireless communication system and a second base station in the second wireless communication system and a capability information notification unit that transmits, to the first base station or the second base station, capability information related to the simultaneous communication with the first wireless communication system and the second wireless communication system.


An ice skate comprising a blade holder having U-shaped inner and outer members that are spaced apart to define a hollow space therebetween. The U-shaped outer member has an elongated blade-supporting base and front and rear pillars that are spaced apart in a longitudinal direction of the blade holder. At least part of the elongated blade-supporting base, front pillar and rear pillar is made of a composite material such as a fiber-matrix composite material. The ice skate also has a blade comprising a runner and a body made of composite material with a matrix and a plurality of fibers embedded in the matrix.

Ice skates include a skate boot for receiving a skater's foot and a blade holder connecting a blade to the skate boot. Many different types of skate boots, blade holders and blades have been developed in order to provide skates which can accommodate different skating maneuvers as well as to provide general advantages to skaters.
It is typically desirable from a skater's perspective to have a skate which is relatively lightweight. This is because heavier skates impose a larger physical burden during use and can incrementally result in tiring the skater. From a manufacturer's perspective, it is important to be able to provide such advantages at a reduced cost.
While changes can be made to the skate boot itself, the skate boot can only be optimized to a certain point before reaching a substantial "plateau" in comfort, performance, production cost, etc. As such, it is important to also consider the design of the blade holder and the blade which can largely affect a skater's performance depending on the materials and design employed.
There is therefore an ongoing need in the industry to improve an ice skate, including its blade holder and its blade.


A method is described for etching contact openings through first and second interlevel dielectric layers covering the peripheral circuits of a DRAM integrated circuit to be electrically contacted in a semiconductor wafer is described. There is provided within and over the semiconductor wafer DRAM integrated circuit including peripheral circuits to be electrically contacted. A first conductive layer is formed over the DRAM integrated circuit and the layer is patterned. A first interlevel dielectric layer is formed over the first conductive layer which has been patterned. The first interlevel layer is composed of in the order from the first conductive layer of a silicon oxide layer and a borophosphosilicate layer. A second conductive layer is formed over the first interlevel dielectric layer and the second conductive layer is patterning said second conductive layer. A second interlevel dielectric layer is formed over the exposed second conductive layer and first interlevel dielectric. The second interlevel layer is composed of in the order from the second conductive layer of a borophosphosilicate layer and a silicon oxide layer. The openings through the first and second interlevel dielectric layers are etched to electrically contact regions in the peripheral circuits. The result due to the order of the interlevel dielectric layers the openings have an improved and positive slope characteristic.

(1) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method of etching improved contact openings to DRAM peripheral circuits and more particularly to the formation of the dielectric interlevel layers in such a way to allow the etching of contact openings having superior slope characteristics.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
It is recognized in the integrated circuit technology that contact openings must have a satisfactory slope which allows the subsequent complete filling of the openings with metal for proper electrical contact of the regions in the semiconductor wafer. The problem is becoming increasingly more difficult as the feature size, that is the width of the openings is getting smaller.
There has been great progress in the development of DRAM integrated circuits over the recent years. The stacked capacitor has been particularly improved so as to maintain the desired capacitance while still reducing the dimensions of the cell array. Examples of improvements in stacked capacitors can be understood by reference to U.S. Pat. No. 5,110,752 by C. Y. Lu and to U.S. Pat. No. 5,126,916 to H. H. Tseng.
However, with this important DRAM progress in the cell array portion of the integrated circuit there have resulted problems, particularly in the peripheral circuits wherein the needs of the cell array for interlevel dielectric compositions between the metallurgy levels have impacted the etching of electrical contact openings. The preferred interlevel dielectric has become a first layer of silicon oxide and a second layer of borophosphosilicate glass (BPSG). The BPSG is used so that it can be flowed at reasonably high temperatures for planarization and to round sharp corners at, for example contact openings. Where there are two levels of interlevel dielectric layer, as is common over the peripheral circuits etching of contact openings at smaller feature sizes have become unsatisfactory due to surface tension bulges of the BPSG layers. This results in negative slope in the etched openings which in turn makes it nearly impossible to completely fill the openings with metal conductor material using the simple and preferred metal deposition processes, such as sputtering.
It is an object of this invention to provide methods to overcome the DRAM peripheral circuit contact opening negative slope problem without using complex metallurgy or etching processes.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a method which improves the etching of electrical contact openings in the peripheral circuits of a DRAM structure by critically specifying the order of layers within the two interlevel dielectric layers through which the contact openings are to be etched.

Method for etching improved contact openings to peripheral circuit regions of a dram integrated circuit

Industrial Technology Research Institute


A system for determining an opening price for products traded over a distributed, networked computer system is described. The system includes a plurality of workstations for entering orders for financial products into the distributed, networked computer system, said orders specifying a quantity of the financial product. A plurality of workstations for entering orders and a server computer coupled to the workstations, said server computer executing a server process that determines an opening price for the product. The opening price process posting an allocation message to market maker participants to communicate an expected allocation of the imbalance for execution at an initial opening of the market in the event that the imbalance exists at the opening.

This invention relates to determining an opening price in an automated trading system for trading products such as equity securities.
In any trading system or market, there exists the possibility that at the opening of trading, the volume of buy orders will not balance the volume of sell orders. This could occur for many reasons or for no apparent reason. For example, events may trigger buying or selling pressure in a particular security or the market in general. Also simple fluctuations in supply/demand could produce an imbalance at the opening.

Opening price process for trading system


An improved detergent pouch that is prepared from at least two water-soluble polymeric films, which are sealed together to contain a detergent composition therein, wherein at least one flexibility-imparting agent is mixed with the detergent composition, or coated onto the pouch to prevent leakage and cracking under stress or unfavorable environmental conditions.

Pouch compositions are known in the art. These compositions have an advantage in that they are easy to dose, handle, transport and store. Recently, water-soluble pouches that contain cleaning or fabric care compositions have become popular.
Typically, the film material that is used to prepare water-soluble pouches is relatively fragile, thin, and must have a high water-reactivity, so that the pouches can release the contained product quickly and completely without leaving residue. However, when the pouches are under stresses from production, packing, transportation, or have been exposed to a moist environment, the thin film material often leads to a premature release of the contained product. Furthermore, when the film material is exposed to low temperature conditions, the pouches may become susceptible to cold shock cracking and failure. Pouched commercial products currently on the market often encounter the above-mentioned difficulties.
Meanwhile, the packaging of additives and the dispensing of compositions into the pouches can also be problematic. For example, additives such as auxiliary agents are typically incorporated within pouched cleaning products as moisture sinkers, but they are often contained separately from the detergent in the same unit dose (i.e. pouch), so that each component can retain its stability prior to consumer usage. Furthermore, it is important to have the detergent in a free-flow, solid particulate form prior to its dispensing into a unit dose, so that a filling machine that packages the pouch can meter and dispense a precise amount of the detergent. Precision in metering and packaging is critical to ensure safety for consumer handling, to reduce the environmental impact caused by excessive cleaning products, and to reduce material cost. Currently, industry practices known in the art have not optimized the packaging of additives with detergent in the same unit dose, so that that the pouch is made to minimize cracks and leakage, and that the detergent composition remains free flowing to be packaged.
Various methods and compositions are known in the prior art, to treat water-soluble films or to reduce moisture within water-soluble pouches. One example is U.S. Pat. No. 7,259,134 to Beckholt et al., which discloses a multi-compartmented pouch that contains one compartment that has a liquid composition. The liquid composition comprises a moisture regulator system made from a mixture of C2-C6 monoalkylene polyol and C2-C3 monoalkylene polyol. While another compartment has a hygroscopic powder to absorb the moisture.
Another example is U.S. Patent Application Number 2008/0020220 to Maurer et al., which discloses a PVOH film that has been pretreated exteriorly with a salt solution, to provide resistance to an accidental exposure to water.
Another example is U.S. Pat. No. 7,648,951 to Sharma et al, which discloses a multi-compartment pouch that contains a moisture-sensitive detergent active, and a humectant in a separate compartment to act as a moisture sink for the detergent.
Another example is U.S. Patent Application Number 2004/0182049 to Duffield, which discloses a PVOH film that has been pre-treated on both sides with a mixture of water, salt, and a water-soluble polymer prior to heat sealing. The film treatment increases the dissolution rate of the sealed area.
Another example is U.S. Pat. No. 7,201,819 to Wiedemann et al., which discloses the incorporation of a detergent in liquid, gel or paste form in a sealed package made of a film, wherein the film was pre-treated with glycerol and heat to avoid crumbling and wrinkle formation.
Finally, U.S. Patent Application 2009/0312220 to Boutoille et al. discloses the formation of a multi-compartmented PVA pouch, which contains a powder detergent therein. The PVA film has been pretreated with a wetting agent such as a plasticizer, to increase its malleability prior to pouching.
However, the above-mentioned references neither mention or address the technical problems that are related to pouch-handling under stress conditions, such as cold shock and cracking, or the difficulties of simultaneously flexing the pouch and maintaining the free-flow characteristic of the solid particulate detergent composition.
Thus, an objective of the present invention is to provide a flexible detergent pouch that contains a detergent composition therein. Another objective is to incorporate at least one flexibility-imparting agent within the detergent composition, so that the pouch subsequently becomes flexible and that the detergent composition remains free flowing. A further objective is to provide a detergent pouch whose flexibility does not decrease considerably with time.

Detergent pouch with improved properties


A jig and bait fishing system is provided which includes various fanciful and realistic shapes for attracting and capturing fish. The system includes a body connected to a neck and a bait keeper; the neck being adapted for securing skirt material for avoiding underwater obstructions. The bait keeper secures bait and in particular internally reinforced artificial bait at the reinforced area in combination with the reinforcing material. The system also provides for a fishhook for capturing the fish and hooking the bait. The system includes a latch which prevents the fish from spitting-out the hook after capture.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to fishing jigs and lures and in particular to jigs or hooks for mounting bait.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various fishing bait devices are available within the fishing industry to attract fish and allow the reuse of the bait. The devices which are used include fishhooks with barbs or burrs that flare from the shank of the hook. These barbs are formed by peeling or shaving a portion of the shank to extend at a preferred angle. The barbs are formed to resist withdrawal of the lure or live bait that is mounted around the barbs. However, the barbs do not prevent the withdrawal of the lure or live bait. Often a fish will open its mouth and shake its head back and forth upon striking the barbed hook causing the fishhook to be withdrawn. Also, the barbs do not prevent the bait from sliding down the fishhook and obstructing the pointed end of the fishhook. It would be beneficial to have a lure or bait device that prevents the hook from being withdrawn or "spit out" by the fish and prevents the bait from sliding down the hook. In addition to spitting out the hook, fish can sometimes remove the bait from the hook without being captured.
Realistic lures and live bait are often utilized to attract fish onto a hook. Because of the realistic nature of many of these lures or live bait systems, fish can often remove the lure or bait from the line without being hooked. Some systems attempt to prevent the removal of the bait by utilizing an external locking member that has to be added to and fixedly secured to jigs and lures. These external locking members can detract from the realistic nature of the bait. In addition, barbs, the pointed-end of the fishhook or external locking members can become entangled in the weeds or embedded in the rocky ground. Some attempts to address this problem include incorporating a weedguard into the head of the jig. However, the addition of the weedguard created additional problems, including interfering with the fishhook or causing the jig to rotate horizontally allowing the fishhook to be removed from a fish's mouth. Other attempts to solve this problem included utilizing a "Texas rig" configuration, which uses jig configured with a fishhook point embedded in the body of the bait. However, these Texas rigs as well as conventional jigs allow the bait to slide down the hookshank and obstruct the hookpoint. It would be an advantage to use an internal reinforcing mechanism for bait systems which prevented removal of the bait, snagging of the jig or unwanted obstruction of the fishhook point.
Another problem with current bait systems is that it can be difficult and time consuming to change the attracting element. In some conditions, one type of bait can be more effective for attracting fish than another type of bait. This can be based on the type of fish, the environmental conditions and the underwater conditions. The fisher who begins the day under certain conditions may find that they change throughout the day and the lure or live bait system they began the day with is no longer effective. In this situation, the fisher may want to change the lure or bait being used. However, the time needed to change the bait system consumes valuable fishing time at a time when the fish may be striking. It would be advantageous to have an internally reinforced bait system which is easily changeable, producing the effectiveness of the jig at catching fish with the features of a weedguard system while preventing unwanted movement of the bait.
Prior part attempts to address these problems include the device shown in Huppert U.S. Pat. No. 6,405,477, which discloses a barbed stem which can be used to support live bait or artificial dressing. Peddycoart U.S. Pat. No. 5,548,920 discloses a locking mechanism for quick interchange. However, heretofore there has not been available a jig and bait system with the advantages and features of the present invention.


A laser diode 11 irradiates an object 3 with beam light modulated in an appropriate cycle. A position detection element 21 outputs a pair of position signals responsive to the position of a light reception spot and a processing section finds a distance to the object 3 based on the position signals. The processing section comprises a modulation control circuit 34 for irradiating the object 3 with beam light as many times as appropriate for performing distance measurement operation, then stopping the distance measurement operation and generating modulation control output indicating the operation stop, and upon reception of modulation control input indicating the operation start from the outside, again starting the distance measurement operation. Therefore, if the modulation control output of one of the two optical displacement measurement devices is directed to the modulation control input of the other, both the optical displacement measurement devices operate alternately, thus do not interfere with each other.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an optical displacement measurement device and an optical displacement measurement system for irradiating an object with beam light and detecting reflected light from the object, thereby detecting the distance to the object and displacement from the reference position of the object by triangulation.
2. Related Art
Hitherto, an optical displacement measurement device has been known which irradiates an object 3 with beam light provided by passing infrared light emitted from a laser diode 11 through a light transmission lens and receiving diffused reflected light from the object 3 at a position detection element 21 through a light reception lens 22 of a light reception optical system, thereby finding the distance to the object 3 (or displacement from the reference position of the object 3) by applying the triangulation principle, as shown in FIG. 29. That is, the image of a light transmission spot formed on the surface of the object 3 by irradiating the object 3 with beam light is formed on the light reception face of the position detection element 21 through the light reception lens 22 for forming a light reception spot and as the distance to the object 3 changes, the light reception spot formation position changes, the fact of which is used to find the distance to the object 3.
The laser diode 11 is driven by a drive signal having frequency fA output by an oscillator 13 and passed through an LD drive circuit and outputs laser light modulated so that light output is changed like a sine wave.
The position detection element 21 uses a PSD (position sensitive device) placed so as to match the length direction with the light reception spot move direction or two diodes placed in the light reception spot move direction. The PSD, which is a semiconductor device having a pin structure, comprises a pair of electrodes provided at both ends of the length direction of the light reception face and a common electrode. When a light spot is formed on the light reception face, resistance between the electrodes at both ends is divided at the light spot position in response to the light spot position. That is, a constant current is supplied from the common electrode, whereby position signals 11A and 12A having a current value at the ratio responsive to the light spot position are output from the electrodes at both ends. Since the light spot position is relative to the ratio between the position signals 11A and 12A, the position of the light spot formed on the reception face of the PSD becomes a function of (11A-12A)/(11A+12A) or corrected value thereof.
The position signals 11A and 12A of electric signals output by the position detection element 21 are converted into voltage signals by I/V conversion circuits 23a and 23b and the voltage signals are amplified by amplifiers 24a and 24b, then synchronously detected by detection circuits 25a and 25b, whereby only signal components Vd1A and Vd2A are extracted. The detection circuits 25a and 25b are controlled in detection timing by a timing signal generated by a timing circuit 28 based on output of the oscillator 13. Since the signal components Vd1A and Vd2A thus extracted are like pulsation waveforms (as the laser light is modulated), position information signals V1A and V2A provided by averaging output values of the detection circuits 25a and 25b through low-pass filters 26a and 26b are found to extract the signal levels.
Since the position information signals V1A and V2A are electric signals having signal values proportional to the signal values of the position signals 11A and 12A, if an operation section 27 finds (V1A-V2A)/(V1A+V2A), information equivalent to the distance to the object 3 can be provided. That is, the operation section 27 consists of a difference calculation section 27a for finding (V1A-V2A), a sum calculation section 27b for finding (V1A+V2A), and a division section 27c for dividing the output value of the difference calculation section 27a by the output value of the sum calculation section 27b. Since (V1A+V2A) found by the sum calculation section 27b is a value equivalent to all currents of the position detection element 21 (11A+12A) and corresponds to the light reception amount, the analog output value is normalized so that light reception amount change caused by the reflection factor difference on the surface of the object 3 or the laser light strength difference produced by the laser diode 11 is not affected by the value output by the operation section 27. This means that ideally the distance to the object 3 can be found even if the light reception amount changes.
By the way, an art is proposed for placing two optical displacement measurement devices, which will be hereinafter abbreviated to displacement sensors, 1A and 1B, placed so as to face each other for measuring the distance to both faces of an object 3 to measure the thickness thereof. That is, the two displacement sensors 1A and 1B are placed so that light beams are formed in opposed directions to each other in line, and the measurement values at the displacement sensors are subtracted from the distance therebetween for finding the thickness of the object 3. In fact, to the addition value of the measurement results with the displacement sensors 1A and 1B about a reference gage having a known thickness, the thickness of the reference gage is added to generate a correction constant .alpha., which is equivalent to the substantial distance between the two displacement sensors 1A and 1B. The sum of the distances LA and LB measured with the displacement sensors 1A and 1B for the object 3 to be measured is subtracted from the correction constant .alpha. (.alpha.-(LA+LB)), whereby the thickness of the object 3 can be found.
By the way, when the two displacement sensors 1A and 1B are used to measure the thickness of the object 3 as described above, if the object 3 is nontranslucent, the two displacement sensors 1A and 1B measure the thickness separately and no problem arises. If the object 3 is translucent, both the displacement sensors 1A and 1B interfere with each other and cannot measure the thickness with good accuracy. For example, when the object 3 is paper, ceramic, etc., beam light reaches the inside of the object 3. Thus, when the thickness is small, a part of the beam light leaks to the rear face and is received at the opposed displacement sensor 1A, 1B. Here, the beams are modulated as described above and normally a phase difference exists therebetween. Moreover, it is difficult to make the characteristics of the two displacement sensors 1A and 1B match completely. Thus, normally there is also a difference between frequencies fA and fB modulating the beams. Therefore, the length of light received at the displacement sensor 1A, 1B changes with time at the beat frequency equivalent to the difference between the frequencies fA and fB, as shown in FIG. 30. The time change amplitude changes with the ratio between the reflected light and transmitted light. The difference between frequencies fA and fB is caused for various reasons; it is also caused by circuit constant variations, temperature characteristic variations, etc. The received light amplitude and frequency cannot be determined uniquely.
Therefore, it is difficult to remove such a beat component and the beat component is contained in input to the operation section 27. That is, the position information signals V1A and V2A input to the operation section 27 (V1B and V2B to the operation section 27 of the displacement sensor 1B) change in amplitude at beat frequency, thus the denominator when the distance is found ((V1A-V2A), (V1B-V2B)) varies; resultantly, the measurement accuracy or resolution always changes with time.
Ideally, the distances match even if the light reception amount varies. In fact, the processing of the position detection section 21 to the operation section 27 contains a nonlinear portion. Thus, if the time change amplitude of the light reception amount is large, the found distance varies. Some of the member circuits may be saturated; distance measurement is made impossible or a large error occurs.
We have discussed the example wherein the beams of the two displacement sensors 1A and 1B interfere with each other to measure the thickness of the object 3. If a plurality of the displacement sensors 1A and 1B are provided in positional relationship such that they are placed with light beams interfering with each other, for example, such that the displacement sensors 1A and 1B are placed side by side and a light transmission spot is formed within the view field of the position detection element 21, there is also a possibility that interference may occur.

Optical displacement measurement device and optical displacement measurement system


A safety and default valve in which a protective cup-shaped cap (11) incorporating a fixed lock (17) is housed freely rotatably on a control cap (16) with at least one engagement zone (17, 17A) for an ordinary operating wrench. A releasable engagement is provided between the bolt (19) of the lock (12) and a groove-like annular seat (18) in the control cap (16).

As is known, safety valves and default valves are generally used in civil or residential and industrial water and gas user installations. Another case in which these valves are used is represented for example by public installations where water is made available to the public, such as in greens, parks and the like. The purpose of safety valves is principally to enable the shut-off member to be fixed and maintained securely in a predetermined position, namely open, closed or an intermediate position. The position in which the shut-off member is set must if possible be maintained even if the valve control means is tampered with or vandalized, as often happens with public installations. The incorporation of a lock in the handle of such safety valves, having a ball shut-off member, for example, is therefore known.
Default valves, on the other hand, are usually used at the inlet of the above-mentioned user installations and their purpose is to enable the water or gas supply company to cut off the supply of water or gas, that is to say, to lock the valve shut-off member in the closed position, if payment has not been made for previous supplies or in other particular situations. The locking of the shut-off member in the closed position is usually done by means of a sealing wire whose ends are crimped into a lead seal, or by means of a padlock, or by a lock incorporated in the valve control handle, in the same way as with safety valves. To enable the sealing wire or padlock to be fitted, known valves include two eyelets for the sealing wire or the staple of the padlock, that is one eyelet in the valve body and the other eyelet in the shut-off member control means. Known safety and default valves have many disadvantages.
A sharp jerk or blow on the handle of a safety valve may break the lock bolt, open the shut-off member and cause an unauthorized release of water or gas. While such acts of vandalism carried out on, say, safety valves fitted to sprinkler installations in public parks may result in damages and unauthorized releases of water or even flooding, in the case of valves on gas pipes, e.g. in unfinished buildings, or in the case of valves situated close to meters installed on the outside of buildings, such vandalism may cause explosions and considerable damages to people and structures.
The acts of vandalism, tampering, and the cutting of the leaded or sealing wires and padlock staples in default valves can lead to an unauthorized release of water, or gas, with a consequent detriment of the supply company, where a new sealing wire as well as a new padlock can then easily be fitted by the user himself, as has been discovered in many cases.
Another problem common to known safety and default valves is that the valve control handles housing the lock, or comprising the abovementioned eyelets for the sealing wires and padlocks, must be made in a variety of different shapes and sizes. This requires an increased expenditure on production and the holding of stocks of these components.
British patent application GB 2,227,811 A discloses a ball valve with a control cap fitted with geometrical engagement and with a fixing screw on the control spindle of the shut-off ball. The cap terminates at the top with a tapered end with a recessed hexagon to take a hexagonal control key. A protective outer cap of plastic is fitted with a snap action over the control cap in such a way as to be rotatable. The protective cap has an opening on its top to allow direct access to said recessed hexagon in the control cap so as to control or turn the shut-off member. The purpose of the protective cap is to prevent the control cap from being rotated by acting on it circumferentially with a gripping tool. Quite apart from the ease with which said plastic protective cap can be tampered with, it actually allows normal operation or turning of the valve with an ordinary hexagonal key.
French patent FR 2,717,552 A discloses a safety valve having a protective cylindrical metal cap which locks onto the control spindle of the shut-off member and onto the valve body in such a way that it cannot be rotated because of its geometrical engagement with corresponding projections on the valve body. A lock is housed removably on the opposite end of said cap from the valve and its bolt means engages with locking abutments provided in the cap. If the lock is opened and removed from the cap, the cap allows access to the control spindle of the shut-off member, which can be controlled with an appropriate socket wrench. On the other hand, if the lock is fitted to the protective cap, such access is prevented and the valve is made secure.
This patent FR 2,717,552 A represents the closest prior art and is considered in the preamble of claim 1.
However, this kind of valve has many drawbacks. Structurally, the protective cap is formed by an outer sleeve and an inner skirt and by numerous other components, making it expensive to produce, on the one hand, and laborious to assemble, on the other. The necessary geometrical engagement between the protective cap and the valve body requires the preparation of many different caps according to the dimensions of whichever valve is used.
Functionally, the protective cap fastened to the valve greatly restricts access to the shut-off member turning spindle. This is aggravated by the fact that, in order to house the lock, the protective sleeve must necessarily project a considerable amount from the free end of said turning spindle. This poor access to the ball turning spindle is also unfavorable because said turning spindle can only be operated with a special key which must necessarily be inserted into the protective cap. This creates even greater difficulties if the safety valve is installed in underground manholes, making access somewhat difficult. Another disadvantage is that the rigidity of the cap relative to the valve body makes it possible to exert a force action onto the protective cap, for example with a gripping or lever type of tool.


A method is provided for fabricating an interconnection structure. The method includes providing a substrate having certain semiconductor devices, a metal layer electrically connecting with the semiconductor devices, and a barrier layer on the metal layer. The method also includes forming a dielectric layer on the substrate; and forming an antireflective coating on the dielectric layer. Further, the method includes forming a second mask having a first pattern corresponding to a through hole in the dielectric layer, wherein the antireflective coating significantly reduces lithographic light reflection to avoid photoresist residue in the first pattern; and forming a through hole by etching the dielectric layer and the antireflective coating covering the dielectric layer using the second mask as an etching mask. Further, the method also includes forming a via by filling the through hole with a conductive material.

A current challenge of the field of integrated circuit (IC) design and manufacturing is how to reduce resistive capacitive delays of signal transmissions. A plurality of methods have been developed. One is substituting aluminum metal layers with copper metal layers to reduce serial resistances between the metal layers. Another is reducing parasite capacitances between metal layers, which may be achieved by forming porous low dielectric constant (low-K) materials or air gaps in dielectric layers between the metal layers.
FIG. 1 illustrates an excising interconnection structure. The interconnection structure includes: a substrate 5 having semiconductor devices (not shown) inside; a low-K dielectric layer 4 on the semiconductor substrate 5; a mask layer 6 on the low-K dielectric layer 4; through holes (not shown) formed by patterning the low-K dielectric layer 4 through the mask layer 6; and connection vias (not shown) electrically connected with the semiconductor devices formed by filling the through holes with metal materials.
However, a via miss defect may be easily formed when the low-K dielectric layer 4 is patterned using the mask layer 6 as a patterning mask. The via miss defect may refer to the structure where the vias are not able to completely penetrate through the low-K dielectric layer 4, or even worse, no via is formed.
The via miss defect may affect a yield of the interconnection structure, and may also affect the reliability of an electrical connection of the interconnection structure. The disclosed methods and systems are directed to solve one or more problems set forth above and other problems.

Interconnection structures and fabrication method thereof

SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING INTERNATIONAL (SHANGHAI) CORPORATION


A radio communications system comprising a plurality of cells, each containing a base station and mobile terminals. Said system is able to manage group communications between different mobile terminals, allocating during the establishment of a group communication for each cell an uplink channel contained in an uplink carrier frequency and a downlink channel contained in a downlink carrier frequency. The system is able to manage a number of downlink channels per downlink carrier frequency strictly greater than a number of uplink channels per uplink carrier frequency.

Generally, cellular radio communications networks comprise several cells each including a base station and mobile terminals. A communication between a base station and a mobile terminal is carried out by means of two communication channels: a communication channel in the uplink direction so that the terminal communicates to the base station and a communication channel in the downlink direction so that the base station communicates with the terminal. In a cell, a communication channel in the uplink direction and a communication channel in the downlink direction for a same communication are generally symmetrical. In fact, these communication channels have a same pass band width, a same modulation and thus have consequently a same data rate. In addition, the communication channels are matched initially, in other words for a communication channel in the uplink direction corresponds a communication channel in the downlink direction, the carrier frequencies comprising respectively said channels being separated by a duplex gap generally fixed in the frequency band dedicated to the network.
Cellular radio communications networks are subdivided into public networks and private networks using different technologies.
A large part of voice communications in public networks are simultaneous communications from one subscriber to another subscriber. Such a communication may be divided into two sub-communications, a sub-communication corresponding to a communication in a same cell between a terminal of a subscriber and a base station.
In a different manner, voice communications in private networks are mainly group communications in which each member of the group via his mobile terminal speaks in turn in addressing the other members of the group. The different members of the group may be spread out over a geographic area including several cells, in general adjacent. In each cell, is allocated for a communication, a pair of communication channels comprising an uplink communication channel and a downlink communication channel that are matched and symmetrical. A member of the group who speaks, uses his mobile terminal to communicate his message to the base station of the cell in which it is located, by means of an uplink communication channel. The base station of the cell and the other base stations of the cells covering the communication group retransmit the message to the other mobile terminals of the group by means respectively of downlink communication channels. In a group communication covering several cells, the uplink communication channels are statistically less used than the downlink communication channels, by a factor approximately equal to the number of cells covering the group communication, implying as a result an asymmetric communication traffic. The asymmetry of the communication traffic of private communication networks using pairs of matched and symmetrical uplink and downlink communication channels do not make it possible to optimise the spectral efficiency of the network. In fact, in certain communication technologies, such as the technology linked to the TETRA ("TErrestrial Trunked Radio") standard, for a transmission of a message a single uplink communication channel is used, the other uplink communication channels not used allocated to the same group communication are reserved because matched to the downlink channels also allocated to the same group communication, preventing the use of said uplink channels by other group communications.

Management of asymmetric communication frequency channels in a radio communication system


A street lamp system includes an illumination device, a display unit and a control module. The display unit is configured for displaying oncoming traffic information. The control module is communicatively coupled to the illumination device and the display unit, for sending a first signal to the display unit for displaying the traffic information, and sending a second signal to the illumination device to increase illumination brightness of the illumination device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to street lamp systems, and particularly to a street lamp system capable of displaying traffic information.
2. Description of Related Art
A good traffic system provides great convenience to citizens, so a lot of effort goes into the development of traffic system technology.
To ensure traffic safety, transportation information displays are usually applied on roads for displaying traffic information. However, the transportation information displays are only installed at certain road sections, thus traffic information, such as accident information may not be visible at all times.
What is needed, therefore, is an improved street lamp system which can overcome the above shortcomings.


Compounds containing two cyclic hydrocarbon moieties which are substituted to provide crosslinking functionality and which are linked to each other by secondary or tertiary oxycarbonyl containing moiety are basis for compositions which are cured to provide cured thermosets for encapsulation and underfill for electronic components that are thermally decomposable to allow repair, replacement, recovery or recycling of operative electronic components from assemblies that are inoperative.

The compounds of choice, before the invention herein, for providing curable thermosets, have been cycloaliphatic diepoxides containing a primary oxycarbonyl linkage and these have been generally formulated with anhydride curing agent, initiator and catalyst for thermal curing to provide an insoluble, infusible cured thermoset. The compounds have low viscosity and are therefore easily manipulated in the uncured state. The cured compositions adhere well to electronic components, have good durability, provide good insulation of adjacent metal lines from each other, provide good vibration and shock resistance, and have low moisture absorption characteristic. The disadvantage of the cured compositions is their intractability. They are very difficult or impossible to remove from microelectronic assemblies. Their decomposition temperatures are very high.
With the increase in chip size and the common employment of multiple chip modules and the increased cost of the electronic packaging, it has become desirable to recover operative components from assemblies which are inoperative. This is not practical where the compounds now in commercial usage are the basis for the cured compositions which provide encapsulation and underfill for the components. The very high decomposition temperatures of the cured compositions exclude thermal decomposition as a practical method for removing encapsulation and underfill composed of the cured compositions.
Thus, there has been an ongoing search for resins for providing cured thermosets for encapsulation and underfill for electronic components that will allow repair, replacement, recovery or recycling of operative electronic components from assemblies which have become inoperative. The cured thermoset which is being sought is referred to in the art as being "reworkable."

Compounds with substituted cyclic hydrocarbon moieties linked by secondary or tertiary oxycarbonyl containing moiety providing reworkable cured thermosets


The present invention is directed to a film deposition method, which performs one series of processing from formation of the barrier metal up to and including formation of the metal layer in an environment cut off from air. Specifically, the performing of the barrier metal layer formation in a first device and the metal layer formation in a second device; and the transport of a semiconductor wafer from the first device to the second device is performed through a transport pathway that is cut off from air. As a result, the barrier metal layer that is formed is not affected by, for example, natural oxidation and layer quality is improved.

The present invention relates to the process of manufacturing a semiconductor device. In particular, it relates to techniques of forming a metal film onto a to-be-processed body such as a semiconductor wafer.
In recent years, the demand for increased integration and miniaturization of semiconductor devices in semiconductor device manufacturing processes has become stronger, and in order to respond to those demands, there has been a considerable shift from using aluminum as the interconnect material or line material in film deposition processes to using copper or gold, which have lower resistance.
Currently with the metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) processes have been put into use, an organic metal that is liquid at room temperature and under normal pressure such as (hfac)Cu+1(tmvs) is vaporized and introduced into a process chamber, and a copper film is deposited while causing a pyrolytic decomposition reaction to occur on the wafer that is being held inside the process chamber.
Processes that are also given consideration involve applying the organic metal as it is or mixed with an organic solvent (an organometallic fluid) onto the wafer while heating the wafer that has been placed in the process chamber, and then causing a pyrolytic decomposition reaction to occur in order to form the metallic film.
Incidentally, when forming a metallic film such as copper, since there is a possibility that some atoms of the metal may disperse to the under layer, a barrier metal layer such as tantalum or tantalum nitride has conventionally been formed before depositing the metal film.
However, even if this type of barrier metal layer has been formed, problems tend to develop such as either the ohmic value of the metal film showing a value that is higher than the desired value, or the adhesion of the metal film being low.
The object of the present invention is to provide a method of film deposition, and an apparatus thereof, that can perform film deposition of a metallic film without having the problems described above.
In order to reach this objective, the inventors considered many variables. As a result, they concluded that the barrier metal layer might be affected by factors such as natural evaporation since the wafer is conventionally exposed to air after the barrier metal layer is formed.
Accordingly, the present invention is a film deposition method that forms a metal layer after forming a barrier metal layer on a to-be-processed body; wherein one series of processing from formation of the barrier metal up to and including formation of the metal layer is performed in an environment cut off from air.
More specifically, the performing of the barrier metal layer formation in a first device and the metal layer formation in a second device; and the transport of a to-be-processed body from the first device to the second device is performed through a transport pathway that is cut off from air.
In addition, it is preferable that the metal layer formation comprise a first step of preparing an organometallic fluid, which contains an organic metal such as (hfac)Cu+1(tmvs) as its main component and which precipitates a metal layer material through a pyrolytic decomposition reaction, and then applying the organometallic fluid onto the to-be-processed body at a temperature within the non-reactive range of the organic metal; and a second step of heating the to-be-processed body to a predetermined temperature after the first step, and causing a pyrolytic decomposition reaction of the organic metal within the fluid that is applied to the to-be-processed body. In this manner, by performing application and heating separately, it is possible to apply a film having even layer thickness and quality; and in addition since it is possible to cause a pyrolytic decomposition reaction to occur throughout the surface, a metal layer may be obtained having superb layer thickness and quality throughout its surface.
Moreover, it is preferable that, after formation of barrier metal layer, a thin film of the same metal material as that of the metal layer be formed on the barrier metal layer as a seed layer.
The film deposition apparatus that embodies the film deposition method of the present invention is most effective when it comprises a first device, which forms a barrier metal layer in an environment that is cut off from air; a second device, which forms a metal layer in an environment that is cut off from air; and a transport pathway, which connects the first device and the second device, and is cut off from air.
It is preferred that this film deposition apparatus further comprise a third device that forms a thin layer made of the same metal material as that of the metal layer, as a seed layer in an environment cut off from air.
The above and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description to those skilled in the art, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


A motor controller for simultaneously controlling operations of at least two system motors by pulse-width modulation. The motor controller includes a pair of switches, a pair of pulse signal generators, and a phase shifter. The switches are used for supplying driving power to the two system motors. The pulse signal generators are used for generating a pair of pulse signals respectively having predetermined duty ratios at predetermined cycles, and outputting the pulse signals to the pair of switches to turn on or off the pair of switches. The phase shifter is used for inverting, with respect to the phase of one of the two pulse signals that is generated and output by one of the two pulse signal generators, the phase of the other of the two pulse signals, which is generated and output by the other of the two pulse signal generators, by 180 degrees.

1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technique for digitally controlling operations of at least two system DC motors by pulse-width modulation (PWM). More particularly, the invention relates to a technique suitable for driving and controlling the motors of a conveyance robot (access mechanism) that conveys cartridges within a library apparatus and to a conveyance robot and library apparatus employing the technique.
2) Description of the Related Art
A typical library apparatus serves as a large-capacity external storage and has shelves in which numerous cartridges with magnetic tape as a storage medium are achieved. The storage medium in each cartridge can be automatically accessed to read or write data.
The library apparatus, in addition to the shelves for storing cartridges, is equipped with a plurality of decks for accessing the storage medium (magnetic tape) of each cartridge to read or write data, and a conveyance robot (access mechanism) for conveying cartridges between the shelves and decks.
In the above-described library apparatus, if a request to access a cartridge is accepted from a host, the access mechanism moves to a shelf housing the cartridge, then grasps that cartridge with the hand mechanism of the access mechanism and conveys it to a deck, and inserts the cartridge into the deck. In the deck, data is read from or written to the storage medium (magnetic tape). After the data processing, the cartridge removed from the deck is grasped again by the hand mechanism of the access mechanism, and with this access mechanism, it is conveyed to a housing shelf and housed at a predetermined position.
The access mechanism in a typical library apparatus is shown in FIG. 5 by way of example. The access mechanism 100 shown in the figure is made up of a hand mechanism 110, a horizontal moving mechanism 120, and a vertical moving mechanism 130, in order to convey a cartridge 200 within the library apparatus in the above-described manner.
The hand mechanism 110 consists of a gripping mechanism 111 for grasping a cartridge 200 and inserting and removing the cartridge 200 with respect to a deck or housing shelf, and a swivel mechanism 112 for swiveling the gripping mechanism 111.
The horizontal moving mechanism 120 is used for moving the hand mechanism 110 in a horizontal direction (X-axis direction), while the vertical moving mechanism 130 is used for moving both the hand mechanism 110 and horizontal moving mechanism 120 in a vertical direction (Y-axis direction). The moving mechanisms 120 and 130 are equipped with two system motors 51 and 52 (see FIG. 6), which are driven by pulse-width modulation (PWM).
The above-described access mechanism 100 is constructed so that the requested cartridge 200 grasped by the gripping mechanism 111 of the hand mechanism 110 is conveyed from a certain coordinate point (X0, Y0) to a target coordinate point (XP, YP) by the moving mechanisms 120 and 130 (e.g., it is conveyed from a housing shelf to a deck, or from a deck to a housing shelf).
Normally, the moving mechanisms 120 and 130 are operated simultaneously at the highest speed in order to move the cartridge 200 as fast as possible. That is, the two system motors 51 and 52, for operating the moving mechanisms 120 and 130, are digitally controlled by PWM so that they are driven simultaneously at peak power.
Referring to FIG. 6, there is shown a typical circuit that causes two system motors 51 and 52 to operate by PWM. As shown in the figure, the two system DC motors 51 and 52 are connected in parallel with the power supply 71 of a power supply module 70. These DC motors 51 and 52 are also connected in series with switches 61 and 62 so that they are driven by PWM. The power supply module 70, in addition to the power supply 71, is equipped with a smoothing circuit (LPF: Low-Pass Filter) 72.
The PWM signals S1 and S2 from a PWM-signal generation circuit 80 to be described later are supplied to the switches 61 and 62, which are turned on or off according to the states (high or low) of the PWM signals S1 and S2. For example, if the PWM signals S1 and S2 are high (H), the switches 61 and 62 are turned on so that power is supplied to the DC motors 51 and 52. Conversely, if the PWM signals S1 and S2 are low (L), the switches 61 and 62 are turned off so that power to the DC motors 51 and 52 is stopped.
Referring to FIG. 7, there is shown a conventional PWM-signal generation circuit 80 for supplying PWM signals S1 and S2 to switches 61 and 62. As shown in the figure, the PWM-signal generation circuit 80 is made up of a first PWM-signal generator (comparator; CMP) 81, a second PWM-signal generator (comparator; CMP) 82, and a counter 83.
In the PWM-signal generation circuit 80, a cycle set value T0 for determining the cycles T (see FIG. 8) of the PWM signals S1 and S2 is set and it is input to the counter 83. Also, a first duty set value d1 for determining a duty ratio for the PWM signal S1, and a second duty set value d2 for determining a duty ratio for the PWM signal S2, are set at cycles of T. The first and second duty set values d1 and d2 are input to the first and second comparators 81 and 82, respectively. The duty ratio for the PWM signal S1 or S2 is a ratio of the high state to the cycle T. As shown in FIG. 8, the duty ratio of the first PWM signal S1 is t1/T, t1′/T, and t1″/T, and the duty ratio of the second PWM signal S2 is t2/T, t2′/T, and t2″/T.
The counter 83 counts the number of clocks and outputs the count to the comparators 81 and 82 and is reset if it counts to the cycle set value T0. For instance, if the cycle set value T0 is 100, the counter 83 is reset if it counts clocks from 1 to 100. The counts that are output from the counter 83 to the comparators 81 and 82 are 1, 2, 3, . . . , and 100, which are repeated.
The comparators 81 and 82 compare the count from the counter 83 with the duty set values d1 and d2, and switch, according to the result of comparison, the PWM signals S1 and S2 from a high state to a low state, or from a low state to a high state. For example, the comparators 81 and 82 switch the PWM signals S1 and S2 from a high state to a low state when the count from the counter 83 exceeds the duty set values d1 and d2. More specifically, if the duty set values d1 and d2 are 50 (i.e., a duty ratio of 50%), the PWM signals S1 and S2 are in a high state when the count from the counter 83 is between 1 and 50 and are in a low state when the count is between 51 and 100. Also, if the duty set values d1 and d2 are 0 (a duty ratio of 100%), the PWM signals S1 and S2 are always in a high state. If the duty set values d1 and d2 are 100 (a duty ratio of 0%), the PWM signals S1 and S2 are always in a low state.
In this way, in the PWM-signal generation circuit 80, by suitably setting the cycle set value T0 and duty set values d1 and d2, the PWM signals S1 and S2 are generated at desired cycles T so the above-described two system motors 51 and 52 can be driven simultaneously at peak power.
The waveforms and temporal overlap of the PWM signals S1 and S2 generated by the PWM-signal generation circuit 80 shown in FIG. 7 are shown in FIG. 8. As shown in the figure, the PWM signals S1 and S2 generated by the PWM-signal generation circuit 80 shown in FIG. 7 rise simultaneously at predetermined cycles T and hold a high state at the duty ratios determined by the duty set values d1 and d2.
The periods that the PWM signals S1 and S2 rise simultaneously (i.e., the periods that the switches 61 and 62 are simultaneously turned on so that power is simultaneously supplied to the motors 51 and 52) are shown on the bottom row of FIG. 8. During the period the PWM signals S1 and S2 of two systems are simultaneously in a high state, load current of two systems will flow. However, since the temporal overlap of the PWM signals S1 and S2 is very short, it is common practice to suppress an adverse influence due to an instantaneous fluctuation in load by employing a bypass capacitor (not shown) in the power supply module 70. In such a case, the bypass capacitor can employ aluminum electrolytic capacitors that are low-cost and have large capacity.
Note that the technique of adjusting electric current when controlling motors used in a plurality of systems is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication Nos. HEI 6-094342, HEI 8-105270, HEI 6-326908, and HEI 3-089256.
However, the above-described motor control methods have the following problems (1) to (3):
(1) Noise Radiation from a Power Supply
By turning on and off the switches 61 and 62, as set forth above, electric energy to be supplied to loads (motors 51 and 52) is temporally controlled, whereby the speed and torque of the motors 51 and 52 are controlled. However, since the switches 61 and 62 are repeatedly turned on and off, a fluctuation in load viewed from the power supply 71 is temporally great and therefore switching noise (electromagnetic compatibility noise) can readily occur.
(2) Life of Aluminum Electrolytic Capacitors for Smoothing a Power Supply
To prevent switching noise such as that mentioned above, the power supply module 70 contains the smoothing circuit 72 consisting of inductive/capacitive elements, as shown in FIG. 6. Note that not only the smoothing circuit 72 within the power supply module 70 but bypass capacitors on a printed board are considered part of the smoothing circuit 72. As shown in FIG. 8, if the high states of the PWM signals S1 and S2 overlap temporally, the two system motors 51 and 52 (loads) become the load on the power supply 71 instantaneously.
To suppress this instantaneous fluctuation in current, high-frequency components are suppressed by forming the smoothing circuit 72 (which consists of a capacitor, etc.) on a power supply path. As a bypass capacitor for a power supply system, it is common practice to employ an aluminum electrolytic capacitor from the standpoint of capacity and cost. The load to suppress instantaneous current fluctuation will be borne by an aluminum electrolytic capacitor itself. Since an aluminum electrolytic capacitor is a capacitor consisting of two aluminum electrodes separated by an electrolyte, the electrolyte will evaporate gradually if it is used at high temperature for a long period of time. The life depends on the operating environment, but is typically 5 to 10 years. Part of instantaneous current fluctuation energy is converted to heat by the equivalent series resistance (ESR) component of a capacitor. FIG. 9 shows a circuit equivalent to a capacitor. The converted heat accelerates the evaporation of the electrolyte of an aluminum electrolytic capacitor and raises the failure rate of a printed board. In FIG. 9, "ESL" represents an equivalent series inductance and "CAPACITOR" represents a capacitor main body.
(3) Increase in the Required Maximum Current-Carrying Capacity of the Power Supply Due to Simultaneous Operations of Two System Motors
The motors 51 and 52 consume much current during acceleration or deceleration, while during constant-speed operation, they consume only a small amount of current to compensate for friction losses. In order for the two system motors 51 and 52 to perform acceleration or deceleration, the power supply 71 must have enough current-carrying capacity to stand simultaneous acceleration or deceleration. Such an increase in the current-carrying capacity of the power supply 71 adds to costs.
In addition to the above-described problems (1) to (3), there are the following demands:
One important factor that determines the performance of a library apparatus is the speed at which the cartridge (storage medium) 200 is conveyed. To enhance the conveyance speed, it is necessary to simultaneously operate a plurality of motors (motors 51 and 52 in this example) that are equal to or greater than the number of dimensions in the conveying direction. Of course, if the motors 51 and 52 operate simultaneously at the maximum power that the specification of a library apparatus can allow, they can convey the cartridge 200 fastest.
However, when the moving mechanisms in the X-axis and Y-axis directions (horizontal moving mechanism 120 and vertical moving mechanism 130) operate at peak power to convey the cartridge 200 to a target coordinate point (Xp, Yp), that is, as described above, when the two system motors 51 and 52 are digitally controlled by PWM so that they operate simultaneously at peak power, there is little possibility that because there is a difference between the loads of the two moving mechanisms, the cartridge 200 will reach the target X-axis position Xp and target Y-axis position Yp at the same time. That is, there is little possibility that the operations of the two system motors 51 and 52 will finish at the same time.
Therefore, one of the two motors will finish operation earlier and wait for the other motor to finish operation. Since this state is not efficient, it is desirable to increase the consumption efficiency of the power supply and reduce loads, without sacrificing conveyance time (performance), by controlling operations of two system motors so that they end at the same time. Such a technique is not disclosed in any of the aforementioned four patent documents.

Motor controller, library apparatus, conveyance robot for the library apparatus, and computer-readable storage medium with motor control programs


An ink cartridge includes a single insertion key having a combined datum and keying feature, said insertion key being located on a back edge portion of the ink cartridge, the insertion key being configured to provide a pivotal reference point for insertion of the ink cartridge into the carriage. The ink cartridge also includes a single insertion slot in a bottom surface of said ink cartridge, said insertion slot configured to receive an alignment post.

Ink jet printers operate by ejecting tiny drops of ink from a printhead onto a printing medium, such as paper. The printhead generally includes a nozzle plate having a plurality of nozzles through which tiny ink droplets are ejected onto the paper to collectively create an image. To deliver ink to the nozzles, the printhead includes a plurality of ink firing chambers, each fluidically connected to an associated nozzle through a bore. Within each firing chamber is a heat-generating resistor that is selectively energized to heat the ink in the chamber, which creates a bubble. As the bubble expands, some of the ink is forced through the bore out of the nozzle and onto the paper. Though specific printer configurations may vary, the printhead and nozzles are often incorporated into a printer carriage inside the printer. The printhead may be integrated into the carriage, or may be a removably detached insert. In any case, the ink is supplied to the printhead by a cartridge that is inserted into, and detachably mounted, within the printhead and carriage. The cartridge is fluidically and electrically connected to the printhead and carriage through fluidic and electrical interfaces. The reliability of the cartridge and printhead assembly, and ultimately the quality of the printed image, depends in part on the proper alignment and engagement of the fluidic and electrical interfaces. Rough operation during insertion or removal of the cartridge by a user, or play between the cartridge and the printhead or carriage, can cause communication loss (e.g., print command signal loss) or a loss in print quality due to a poor fluidic connection. To secure the alignment and positioning of the cartridge within the carriage, known cartridge designs have an incorporated datum feature that provides a point of reference for insertion of the ink cartridge. In this way, the cartridge is properly positioned and engaged within the carriage and/or printhead assembly to provide adequate fluidic and electrical interconnects.
In addition to datum features, known ink jet cartridges may include a keying feature to prevent the insertion of an incompatible ink cartridge. In some cases, ink cartridges are universal and can be used on a number of different printer families. Some ink cartridges, however, contain inks that may be chemically incompatible with other ink types. If incompatible inks come into contact with one another, they could congeal and damage the printhead and nozzle assembly.
Although ink jet cartridges may vary with respect to size and shape, they have historically been large enough in width and surface area to accommodate both datum and keying features. However, it has become increasingly important to design ink jet cartridges as narrow as possible because the overall width of the cartridge influences the width of the printer. With the onset of narrower ink cartridges there is no longer the width available for both the datum and keying features.
The embodiments described hereinafter were developed in light of these and other drawbacks associated with the implementation of incorporating both datum and keying features on narrow width ink jet cartridges.

Combined ink family keying for an ink cartridge

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A laundry treatment system includes a carton holding a freestanding fragrance spray bottle of fragrance together with unscented laundry treatment sheets. The fragrance spray bottle may be used to apply fragrance to the sheets immediately before use by the consumer so as to enable dispersion of the fragrance among the clothing during a laundry cycle. The box may include apertures for supporting multiple bottles to allow the consumer to change or mix fragrances or apply no fragrance at the time of drying.

The present invention relates to systems for the dispersion of fragrance in laundry during the drying cycle of a dryer and in particular to a dispersion system using tumble sheets such as fabric softener sheets to facilitate the dispersion of the fragrance.
A wide variety of laundry products include perfumes for imparting a pleasant fragrance to clothing and/or other textiles, such as towels, sheets, etc. Such perfumes may be carried in laundry detergents, bleaches, or softeners to be dispersed during the washing process of a washing machine or added to "tumble sheets" during the drying cycle of a dryer. Tumble sheets are fabric-like sheets that readily intermingle with clothing to disperse laundry treatment materials including antistatic agents, wrinkle reducing agents, stain repellents, odor neutralizers, softening agents, fabric refreshers, soil shielding/soil releasing agents, ultraviolet light protection agents, water repellency agents, insect repellency agents, and dye transfer inhibitors. These laundry treatment materials often have a waxy consistency that helps retain the treatment materials on the tumble sheets for a period of time to ensure good dispersion of these materials on the laundry items during the drying cycle.
Some perfume agents including those associated with freshness are highly volatile and thus may be easily lost during the high temperature manufacture of the tumble sheet. U.S. Pat. No. 6,352,969 recognizes that the loss of these "high note" fragrance components may be reduced by altering the normal manufacturing process in which the perfumes are mixed with other laundry treatment components and applied at high temperature to the tumble sheet. Instead, the teachings of this patent are to apply the perfume after the tumble sheet is coated with other laundry treatment components immediately before it is cut and packaged. It was unexpectedly found that the later-added perfume is well absorbed by the tumble sheet when added at a later point in the manufacturing process.

Laundry fragrance dispersion system using tumble sheets


A method uses patches fixed to a surface of a body, the patches including respective electrodes in contact with the surface, and at least one of the patches configured to output a signal in response to a magnetic field applied to the body. Initially, the signal is processed to compute first magnetic locations and first electrical locations of the at least one of the patches. Subsequently, the signal is processed to compute second magnetic locations and second electrical locations of the at least one of the patches. A first relation is computed between the first magnetic and the first electrical locations, a second relation is computed between the second magnetic and the second electrical locations, and upon detecting a difference between the second and the first relations, a magnetic location correction is computed and then applied to track a position of a magnetic sensor inside the body.

A wide range of medical procedures involve placing objects, such as sensors, tubes, catheters, dispensing devices, and implants, within the body. Real-time imaging methods are often used to assist doctors in visualizing the object and its surroundings during these procedures. In most situations, however, real-time three-dimensional imaging is not possible or desirable. Instead, systems for obtaining real-time spatial coordinates of the internal object are often utilized.
U.S. Patent Application 2007/0016007, to Govari et al., whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describes a hybrid field-based and impedance-based position sensing system. The system includes a probe adapted to be introduced into a body cavity of a subject.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,574,498, to Gilboa, whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describes a system for determining the position of a work piece within a cavity of an opaque body. The system claims to use a transducer that interacts with a primary field, and several transducers that interact with a secondary field.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,899,860, to Pfeiffer, et al., whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describes a system for determining the position of a catheter inside the body of a patient. A correction function is determined from the difference between calibration positions derived from received location signals and known, true calibration positions, whereupon catheter positions, derived from received position signals, are corrected in subsequent measurement stages according to the correction function.
Documents incorporated by reference in the present patent application are to be considered an integral part of the application except that to the extent any terms are defined in these incorporated documents in a manner that conflicts with the definitions made explicitly or implicitly in the present specification, only the definitions in the present specification should be considered.
The description above is presented as a general overview of related art in this field and should not be construed as an admission that any of the information it contains constitutes prior art against the present patent application.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Field-based location coordinate correction


A three-dimensional rear projection screen that has substantially improved contrast by using a tinted layer disposed between the source of the projected light and the light diffusion layer. This tinted attenuation layer diminishes the back-scattered light more than it diminishes the desired forward-scattered light which makes up the image on the screen. The contrast of the image is thus improved because the reduction of the back-scattered light relative to the forward-scattered light diminishes the degradation of contrast caused by the impingement of spurious light onto opposite portions of the rear projection screen.

Rear projection is an arrangement in which the viewer sees an image on a screen, the image of which is provided by projecting light from behind the screen through means such as a source projector located behind the screen. The light from the source projector is thus directed toward the audience, and the screen material serves to scatter the light so that it appears to come from all points on the screen and not directly from the projector. When projecting onto a three-dimensional wrap-around screen, the image is formed on the surface of a translucent diffusion layer which may be bonded to a rigid transparent substrate. Rear projection screens are available in rigid and nonrigid configurations. Suitable materials for the substrate material used in rigid screens include acrylic, polyethylene terephthalate, and polycarbonate plastics, as well as glass.
The light scattered from the screen towards the viewer is referred to as forward-scattered light. However, with any rear screen material some portion of the light will also be scattered back in the direction towards the projector. This is referred to as back-scattered light. The back-scattered light contributes nothing to the image formed on the screen, and a good rear projection screen is designed to minimize this waste of light.
In the case of three-dimensional wrap-around screens, the back-scattered light creates an additional problem. For example, a spherical or cylindrical screen may have wrap-around projection provided by a source projector utilizing a simple fisheye lens, although other optical elements can be employed to provide wide-angle image distribution. The back-scattered light from one portion of the screen will impinge on opposite portions of the screen and degrade the desired image with spurious diffuse light. The result is a loss of contrast, where contrast is the ability to accurately reproduce and differentiate light and dark areas of an image. Ambient light can also pass through the viewing side of a wrap-around screen and impinge on the opposite portions and impair the ability of the screen to perform well under lighting conditions typical to audience areas in places such as museums, office lobbies, and visitor centers.
The image displayed on a screen by a source projector will always be limited in contrast because a fully black portion of the image will have some small illumination under the best of conditions due to the nature of the source projector technology. Nonetheless, the contrast of images transmitted by the source projector can be very high. For example, a fully lit portion of the image can be 1000 times brighter than a nominally-unilluminated portion of the image, providing a contrast ratio of 1000:1. If a source projector transmits an image onto a rear screen in a totally dark room, and 20 percent of the light is back-scattered on to other portions of the screen, the contrast on the screen could be degraded to a ratio of about 4:1, depending upon the distribution of light in the image. Ambient light contributed by rooms that are not totally dark will further reduce contrast by illuminating the screen image from the audience side as well as adding to the spurious light inside the screen.
Generally, three-dimensional rear projection screens encompass a thin rear screen material that is supported by a rigid transparent substrate such as clear acrylic. In practice, screen contrast is often improved by darkening the rear screen material with a neutral gray dye or pigment. In such arrangements, the forward-scattered light passes completely through the darkened film and is reduced in intensity by a certain amount while the back-scattered light has, on the average, passed through half of the film thickness, and is reduced by about half of the same amount (the differences being attributable to light scattering within the film). Therefore, this kind of arrangement still suffers significantly from a loss of contrast caused by the impingement of back-scattered light on opposite portions of the screen.

Contrast rear projection screen and method for manufacturing the same