An emitter switched thyristor structure providing on-state current saturation capability is disclosed herein. The thyristor structure includes anode and cathode electrodes, and a remote electrode connected to the cathode electrode. A multi-layer body of semiconductor material has a first surface and includes regenerative and non-regenerative portions each operatively coupled between the anode and cathode electrodes. The regenerative portion includes adjacent first, second, third and fourth regions of alternating conductivity type arranged respectively in series, wherein the remote electrode is in electrical contact with the second region and the anode electrode is in electrical contact with the fourth region. The emitter-switched thyristor is turned on by applying an enabling voltage to an insulated gate electrode disposed adjacent the first surface such that a conductive channel is created in the non-regenerative portion via modulation of the conductivity therein. The device may be operated in a saturation mode by reducing the applied gate voltage such that the conductive channel in the non-regenerative portion becomes pinched off. Termination of regenerative operation is initiated by applying a non-enabling voltage to the gate electrode so as to extinguish channel conductivity within the non-regenerative portion as well as within the third region of the regenerative portion. The remote electrode collects any charges remaining in the second region of the regenerative portion subsequent to application of the non-enabling voltage and thereby expedites turn-off of the thyristor device.

The development of power MOSFET's was at least in part motivated by the objective of reducing the control current required by power bipolar devices during forced turn-off. In bipolar devices the injection of minority carriers into their drift region reduces the resistance to forward current flow. These devices are capable of operation at appreciable current densities, but are relatively inefficient as a consequence of the large currents required during device turn-on and turn-off.
In contrast, the gate structure of the power MOSFET has a very high steady-state impedance. This allows control of the device by a voltage source, since only relatively small gate drive currents are required to charge and discharge the input gate capacitance. Unfortunately, the ease of gating the power MOSFET is offset by its high on-state resistance arising from the absence of minority carrier injection. Hence, a combination of low-resistance bipolar-type current conduction with MOS gate control would provide the desired features of high operating forward current density and low gate drive power.
Referring to the cross-sectional illustration of FIG. 1, a device known as an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) illustrates one approach to combining these features. In this type of structure most of the forward current flow occurs between the emitter and collector terminals of the vertical PNP bipolar transistor portion of the device. The on-state losses of the IGBT at high voltages are significantly less than those of power MOSFET's due to the injection of minority carriers (electrons) into the N-base drift region.
As shown in FIG. 2, a regenerative device known as MOS-controlled thyristor (MCT) exhibits less forward voltage drop than does the IGBT. This P-N-P-N structure can be regarded as two transistors--an upper NPN transistor and a lower PNP transistor--that are internally connected in such a fashion as to obtain regenerative feedback between each other. Specifically, a thyristor may be considered as a combination of PNP and NPN bipolar transistors connected such that the base of each is driven by the collector current of the other. Once the thyristor is turned on via the gate electrode such that the requisite transistor turn-on current is supplied each transistor then drives the other into saturation. At this juncture the thyristor is no longer under the control of its gate electrode and continues to operate even in the absence of gate drive current--a phenomenon known as regenerative latch-up. Although the large current flow characteristic of regenerative on-state operation may be extinguished by appropriate modification of the gate voltage, the current produced by the MCT may not be adjusted (i.e., "fine-tuned") during regenerative operation through modulation of the gate voltage.
Since thyristors are often used in high-power switching applications, the maximum turn-off current level is generally of considerable importance. The MCT device of FIG. 2 is turned off by reversing the polarity of the applied gate voltage so as to eliminate the accumulation layer at the surface of the N-region embedded between the P and P+ regions underlying the gate. In this way a p-channel field-effect transistor (FET) within the device forms an active short circuit between the N+ cathode and P-base regions. The device will cease regenerative operation when the short-circuit current increases to the extent that the voltage across the N+/P junction falls below 0.7 V. Unfortunately, the maximum current which can be switched off by the MCT markedly decreases with increasing anode voltages at elevated temperatures. As a consequence, the current handling capability of the MCT has proven to be inadequate for particular circuit applications.
FIG. 3 depicts a four-layer semiconductor structure, generally termed a MOS gated emitter switched thyristor (EST), also designed to operate in a regenerative mode. When the gate voltage is at the cathode potential the device is in a forward blocking mode with the anode voltage supported across junction J1. The device is turned on by applying a positive bias to the gate to create a channel at the surface of the P-base region. As shown in FIG. 3, the regenerative thyristor portion of the device latches up when the junction between the N+ floating emitter and the P-base becomes forward biased. Regenerative on-state operation is extinguished by reducing the gate bias to zero, effectively disconnecting the emitter from the cathode. Again, however, current flow during on-state operation can be fine-tuned by modulation of the voltage applied to the gate electrode only until the breakdown voltage of the lateral MOSFET is reached. Because the channels of the MOS devices inherent within conventional EST structures are relatively short, the breakdown voltages thereof are typically less than 20 volts.
In addition, the N+/P junction of the conventional EST shown in FIG. 3 does not become reverse biased until the regenerative action of the main thyristor is sufficiently attenuated. It follows that the lateral MOSFET at the surface of the structure is prone to break down during high-voltage device deactivation as a consequence of supporting the large junction voltage. Moreover, the elevated hole current through the cathode which arises during turn-off of the device may induce undesired regenerative operation within a parasitic thyristor (see FIG. 3).
Accordingly, a need in the art exists for an emitter switched thyristor which:
(i) is disposed to be turned off rapidly (i.e., in less than 1 microsecond) without accompanying parasitic latch-up, and which PA1 (ii) allows the current provided thereby to be fine-tuned under gate control during regenerative on-state operation.

MOS gated thyristor having on-state current saturation capability


Embodiments of the invention provide a disk drive that is capable of effectively controlling a side erase, which is one of the problems with the use of the perpendicular recording technology. In one embodiment, tracks on a recording medium are formed concentrically or spirally by overwriting a primary side track, which is either an inner track or outer track, onto part of a secondary side track, which is on the side away from the primary side track. A head unit is installed so that a magnetic head positioned at one end of the head unit relatively may move over the recording medium and that the yaw angle prevailing at an end track of the primary side on the recording medium may be substantially zero.

The present invention relates to a disk drive such as a hard disk drive.
In recent years, a perpendicular recording technology for recording information by magnetizing a recording medium in a direction perpendicular to a plane has been highlighted as a technology for increasing the hard disk recording density. When the perpendicular recording technology is used, the so-called side erase needs to be controlled in order to improve the magnetic head recording performance. The side erase is a phenomenon in which a magnetic head overwrites information not only onto a target track but also onto a neighboring track. One reason is that a magnetic field reaches the neighboring track when the head yaw angle is not zero.
A technology for controlling the occurrence of the above phenomenon is disclosed, for instance, by Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent JP-A No. 2004-94997). This technology changes the shape of a magnetic pole in a write head.
Meanwhile, a technology for increasing the recording density is disclosed, for instance, by Patent Document 2 (U.S. Pat. No. 6,185,063). This technology records tracks in a manner similar to shingling while sequentially performing a partial overwrite with a neighboring track, beginning, for instance, from an inner track and continuing with outer tracks. This ensures that the widths of the resultant tracks are smaller than the actual write widths of a magnetic head.

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.


A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device including the steps of: forming a hole having a predetermined depth in a semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type in correspondence with a drain region, the semiconductor layer being formed on a semiconductor substrate; forming a diffusion source layer containing impurities of a second conductivity type different from the first conductivity type in the hole; forming a source region of the first conductivity type in a region shallower than the depth of the hole in the semiconductor layer; forming a channel region of the second conductivity type to be disposed between the drain region and the source region in a region deeper than the depth of the source region in the semiconductor layer; and heating the semiconductor substrate to a first temperature after completing the diffusion source layer forming step to diffuse the impurities of the second conductivity type from the diffusion source layer into the channel region, thereby forming a low resistance region having a conductivity higher than that of the channel region.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device such as a MOS FET and a method for manufacturing the semiconductor device, and especially to a super-minute semiconductor device and a method for manufacturing the semiconductor device.
2. Description of Related Art
Relating to MOS FET, a number of cells each including a drain region, a channel region and a source region are formed on a semiconductor substrate sometimes to constitute a discrete part. Recently, in a MOS FET, a drain region, a channel region and a source region are arranged in the vertical direction, that is, in the direction perpendicular to a semiconductor substrate so as to make minute the cell (see, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,767,722 and 5,034,785). By arranging such minute cells close to one another, the channel forming region (region through which drain current flows) can be enlarged, so that ON-resistance can be reduced.
On the other hand, in a circuit including a MOS FET, when the MOS FET is turned from ON-state to Off-state, a back electromotive force from the inductance component of the circuit is applied to the MOS FET and current flows through a channel region. Thereby, the channel region generates heat and sometimes the device is broken (avalanche breakage). This is because, in a parasitic transistor including a drain region as a collector, a channel region as a base and a source region as an emitter, due to the base resistance of the channel region being high, the parasitic transistor is easily turned to ON-state and high current flows through the channel region.
In order to prevent this, between a source deriving electrode connected to a source region and a channel region in a MOS FET, provided is a region having conductivity higher than that of the channel region (low resistance region) so as to reduce the base resistance. In this case, if a back electromotive force is applied to the MOS FET, the parasitic transistor is not easily turned to ON-state, so that the device can be protected from avalanche breakage.
Such a low resistance region has been formed by using a mask having openings of predetermined pattern and ion-implanting impurities into regions between adjacent cells of the semiconductor substrate through the openings of the mask.
However, for obtaining a further minute (super-minute) semiconductor device, the space between cells becomes smaller and therefore the regions into which impurities are ion-implanted also become smaller. As a result, the openings through which impurities are ion-implanted are required to be minute. However, by ion-implanting through such minute openings, impurities cannot diffuse deep into the semiconductor substrate, so that a low resistance region capable of sufficiently reducing the base resistance cannot be formed.
For example, by conventional methods, a MOS FET provided with a low resistance region capable of sufficiently reducing the base resistance and having cell size of 1.35 μm cannot be manufactured. That is, a MOS FET having low ON-resistance and high tolerance against breakage due to a back electromotive force cannot be manufactured.

Method for manufacturing semiconductor with low resistance region


A method for providing a combined TV/PC video stream for TV display is provided. A TV video chip having a video input port for receiving a PC monitor display signal and an input for receiving a TV broadcast signal is provided, as well as a PC graphics chip. A PC monitor display signal is sent from the PC graphics chip to the TV video chip. The TV video chip mixing the PC monitor display signal with the TV broadcast signal to generate a combined TV/PC video stream in a format for TV display. A method for generating a combined TV/PC video stream in a format for TV display is further provided. A stream of encoded TV frames is received and the encoded frames are decoded to provide a stream of decoded TV frames. The stream of decoded TV frames is stored into a memory. A PC monitor display signal is provided and is converted into a stream of PC frames. The stream of PC frames are stored into the memory. At least a part of the TV frames and at least a part of the PC frames are read from the memory to output a combined TV/PC video stream and serializing the combined TV/PC video stream, the TV/PC video stream being in a format for TV display.

Convergence of Standard Definition/High Definition Television (SDTV/HDTV) and personal computer (PC) systems is a new promising category of products for emerging home and business multimedia markets.
Generally a HDTV Set Top Box (STB) has the same architecture as a PC specialized for HDTV viewing and uses the same or similar components to the PC, such as I/O devices, a TV tuner, connectors, cables, etc. An STB unit typically contains a TV tuner, a TV video chip containing a microprocessor, MPEG video and audio decoding and processing subsystems, a large high-speed video memory buffer and optionally a hard disk, a LAN interface, extensive I/O, etc.
The STB software architecture is similar to that of a PC with an operating system and a suite of video applications, as well as standard PC applications. A full-function STB unit can also run an operating system (usually Linux™ or Windows CET™), and additional specialized software applications controlling HDTV video and audio functions, etc.
HDTV video is generated from the signal received from a video source (satellite, over the air, cable, DVD, Hard Disk, Internet, etc.) by an HDTV video subsystem in order to generate images on TV screens.
HDTV Copy Protected Video (CPV) content is relatively easy to protect against copying in a closed STB environment by not allowing any user access to decompressed and decrypted HDTV video data. On the other hand, in an open PC environment it is much more difficult to protect against CPV copying. For that reason PC-based HDTV systems are difficult to be certified to receive CPV content over cable.
Both HDTV and PC digital video subsystems have very similar architecture, consisting of a video chip and video memory. While the HDTV and PC video chip each support particular features, they are very similar in overall function.
Users want convergence of PC graphics processing and HDTV graphics processing in a single unit so that PC and TV information can be viewed on a same screen. For example, with the advent of picture-in-picture functionality of TV sets, it is possible to consult statistics and results for a given sports competition, while watching live another sports competition. It would then be desirable that a single unit be able to access the Internet and download the latest statistics and results for the given competition and display them on the same screen on which a TV program is being displayed.
Similarly, PC units connected to the Internet can obtain Electronic TV Program Guide (EPG) data via an EPG web server site. It would be desirable for a user to be able to view the EPG data displayed on an HDTV displaying while watching some other TV programming.
Alternatively, it would be desirable that a user may receive and view a TV program, such as the national news, on a PC monitor display while, simultaneously writing an email or surfing the web in another window on the PC monitor display.

HDTV set-top box/PC client/server secure video system


A capacitor structure includes a first conductive layer, a first insulating layer disposed on a substrate in sequence, a second conductive layer disposed on portions of the first insulating layer, a second insulating layer disposed on the second conductive layer and the first insulating layer, a third conductive layer disposed on portions of the second insulating layer, a third insulating layer disposed on the third conductive layer and the second insulating layer, and a fourth conductive layer disposed on the third insulating layer. The third conductive layer and the fourth conductive layer are electrically connected to the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer through at least one first contact hole adjacent to the second conductive layer and at least one second contact hole, respectively.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a capacitor structure, and more particularly, to a capacitor structure applied to a thin film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) to improve contrast of the display by increasing capacitance value and aperture ratio.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Currently, liquid crystal displays(LCDs)area mature flat panel display technology. Applications for liquid crystal displays are extensive and include mobile phones, digital cameras, video cameras, notebooks, and monitors. Due to high quality display requirements and the expansion of new application fields, the LCD has developed toward high quality, high resolution, high brightness, and low price. A low temperature polysilicon thin film transistor liquid crystal display (LTPS-TFTLCD) is one type of thin film transistor liquid crystal display. The low temperature polysilicon thin film transistor liquid crystal display, being actively driven, is a break-through in achieving the above objectives. Furthermore, the metal-oxide-semiconductors and the low temperature polysilicon thin film transistorsused in this technique are integrated in the same manufacturing process to fabricate a system on panel (SOP). Therefore, technological innovation based on this concept has become an important subject for further development.
A thin film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) utilizes thin film transistors (TFTs) as switches of active matrix to control the charges of pixel electrodes. By rotating the liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal unit in the pixel to expected angles, the amount of light passing through the pixel is controlled. Referring to FIG. 1, FIG. 1 is an equivalent circuit diagram of a pixel 20 in a TFT-LCD. As shown in FIG. 1, the pixel 20 comprises a liquid crystal unit (LC) electrically connected to a common counter electrode (CE) and a thin film transistor 22. A gate electrode 24 of the thin film transistor 22 is electrically connected to a scan line G0, a drain electrode 26 of the thin film transistor 22 is electrically connected to a signal line D0, and a source electrode 28 of the thin film transistor 22 is electrically connected to a pixel electrode (not shown) of the LC. The pixel 20 further comprises a storage capacitor (SC) electrically connected between the LC and a scan line G1. Since the capacitor can increase or decrease the amount of charge by charging or discharging depending on the variation of voltage, the storage capacitor SC is not only used to reduce the voltage variation of the LC due to leakage current, but also is used to assist the LC with storing electric charges. The turned-on time for the pixel 20 is thus lengthened.
Referring to FIG. 2, FIG. 2 is a structural schematic diagram of a thin film transistor liquid crystal display 30 according to the prior art. As shown in FIG. 2, the prior art thin film transistor liquid crystal display 30 comprises a substrate 32. The substrate 32, composed of transparent materials, is an insulating substrate, and the substrate 32 comprises a glass substrate, a quartz substrate, or a plastic substrate. A pixel array area 33 and a periphery circuit area 34 are included on a surface of the substrate 32. A thin film transistor area (TFT area) 35, a capacitor area 36, and an aperture region 37 are included in the pixel array area 33. The thin film transistor area 35 is used for disposing a thin film transistor 38, and the capacitor area 36 is used for disposing a storage capacitor 42. Since a gate 44 of the thin film transistor 38 is composed of a low temperature polysilicon material, the thin film transistor 38 is a low temperature polysilicon thin film transistor.
The storage capacitor 42 comprises a first insulating layer 46 disposed on the substrate 32, a first metal layer 48 disposed on the first insulating layer 46, a second insulating layer 52 disposed on the first metal layer 48, a second metal layer 54 disposed on the second insulating layer 52, a third insulating layer 56 disposed on the second metal layer 54, and an organic coating 58 disposed on the third insulating layer 56. A contact hole 62 is included in the organic layer 58 and the third insulating layer 56 to expose portions of the second metal layer 54. A transparent conductive layer 64, extending into the contact hole 62, is disposed on the organic layer 58 and connected to the second metal layer 54.
Both the first insulating layer 46 and the second insulating layer 52 are silicon oxide layers. The first metal layer 48 and the second metal layer 54 may each be a tungsten layer (W layer) or a chrome layer (Cr layer). The third insulating layer 56 is a silicon nitride layer. The organic layer 58, formed by a spin coating method, is an organic material layer. The transparent conductive layer 64 comprises an indium tin oxide layer (ITO layer) or an indium zinc oxide layer (IZO layer). The first metal layer 48 is used as the bottom electrode plate of the storage capacitor 42, the second metal layer 54 is used as the top electrode plate of the storage capacitor 42, and the second insulating layer 52 is used as the capacitor dielectric layer of the storage capacitor 42.
However, the prior art capacitor 42 applied to the thin film transistor liquid crystal display 30 is essential barring any break though. The capacitance value of a capacitor directly reflects its charge storage ability. The larger the area of the electrode plate is, the higher the capacitance value is. In other words, the number of charges stored by the capacitor is proportional to the area of the electrode plate. Although the capacitor has a large area electrode plate and can store more charges to lengthen the turned-on time for the pixel, a large area is occupied by the capacitor to reduce the aperture ratio. Therefore, not only is the maximum brightness of the liquid crystal display limited, the overall contrast is reduced. Under the limitation of insufficient aperture ratio in the pixel, special processing or consideration is required when designing or producing products to result in raised cost, leading to uncompetitive products.
Therefore, it is very important to develop a new capacitor structure having a small area to store a specific number of charges so as to improve the contrast of the liquid crystal display when applied to the thin film transistor liquid crystal display. Furthermore, current processing should not need to be changed when fabricating the capacitor structure to produce competitive products.

Stacked capacitor having parallel interdigitized structure for use in thin film transistor liquid crystal display


A control system selectively controls the operation of at least one lamp and at least one garage door opener. The control system includes a control module. The control module includes connectors adapted to be coupled to at least one lamp through household AC power conductors. The control module also includes terminals adapted to be connected to a garage door opener mechanism. A circuit positioned in the control module receives and identifies radio frequency signals, stores control information associated with a plurality of received signals from a remote control in a training mode and outputs control signals for communication over the AC power line and the garage door mechanism in accordance with the stored control signals when one of said remote control signals is received in an operating mode. The control module also includes a selector used to select garage door and/or light control operations to be associated with a signal received by the control module in a training mode.

This invention relates to systems for a home which are responsive to a remote control, and more particularly, to a system for remote control of household appliances and a garage door opener mechanism.
Garage door opener mechanisms are well known which selectively open and close a garage door responsive to radio frequency control signals. These mechanisms are sold with an associated remote control which generates and transmits a predetermined radio frequency control signal. The control signal has a preset carrier frequency and control code so that the garage door opener mechanism will only respond to the associated remote control.
The garage door opener mechanism may be connected via conductors to a receiver which controls operation of the garage door opener mechanism. The receiver is associated with a remote control having a predetermined signalling frequency and format. Responsive to radio frequency control signals from the associated remote control, the receiver outputs control signals over the conductors which actuate the garage door opener mechanism.
Systems are also known which control lights or household appliances responsive to a radio frequency control signal. These systems include a receiver module which is plugged into a standard AC power outlet and a remote control associated with the receiver module. These modules also include a module outlet for receipt of a standard male connector of the type used to connect lamps, radios, and other electric appliances to standard AC power outlets. The receiver module is responsive to a control signal transmitted from the associated remote control to connect the module outlet with the AC power outlet or disconnect the module outlet from the AC power outlet. However, the receiver module is only responsive to an associated remote control having a predetermined carrier frequency and control code.
These systems for controlling power supplied to appliances may include remote modules coupled to the receiver module through conventional household AC power conductors. In such a system, the remote module is responsive to control signals from the receiver module. The receiver module is in turn responsive to control signals received from an associated remote control having a predetermined carrier frequency and control code. Thus, the control module is responsive to receipt of a particular predetermined radio frequency control signal to transmit a control signal over the AC power conductors to the remote module. The remote module is responsive to the control signals to effect connection or disconnection of the remote module power outlet to the AC power outlet to which the remote module is connected. In this manner, appliances, such as lamps, connected to the remote modules, may be remotely controlled.
It is also known to provide a garage door opener mechanism that transmits a control signal to a remote module over AC power conductors. The remote module is compatible with a transceiver in the garage door opener mechanism and is connected to a wall outlet to receive control signals therethrough. The garage door opener mechanism outputs a control signal to the remote module responsive to a predetermined signal from a remote control associated with the garage door opener mechanism. In this manner, a light remote from the garage door opener may be turned on or off when the garage door is opened or closed.
A problem with these systems is the garage door opener mechanism must receive a specific predetermined control signal to open or close the garage door. Further, each appliance control module requires that a specific predetermined control signal be received to turn the associated appliance on or off. A homeowner wishing to control both the garage door opener and the appliances is required to carry two remote controls in their vehicle. Alternatively, the homeowner may purchase a garage door opener mechanism which also communicates with remote modules. However, this is costly for homeowners who do not need a new garage door opener mechanism.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an inexpensive remote control system which controls a garage door opener mechanism and household appliances from a single remote control. It is further desirable that such remote control systems be operable with garage door opener mechanisms and light control systems having different signaling formats. Such system should be inexpensive to retrofit.

Trainable RF system for remotely controlling household appliances


A hydraulic composition including: a ground burned product A having a hydraulic modulus (H.M.) of 1.8 to 2.3, a silica modulus (S.M.) of 1.3 to 2.3 and an iron modulus (I.M.) of 1.3 to 2.8; and a gypsum. The hydraulic composition is capable of reducing heat of hydration and producing a mortar or a concrete excellent in flowability and strength development.

In Japan, the total volume of industrial wastes and non-industrial wastes is rapidly increasing because of the economic growth, and because of the massive movement of population into urban areas. In most cases, such wastes have traditionally been reduced to one tenth in volume by incineration and then discarded by landfill. In recent years, however, there has been urgent need for the development of a method for treating waste as the capacity of landfill sites becomes extremely tight.
In order to solve such problems, the cement industry is reusing most of the industrial wastes and non-industrial wastes as cement raw materials (e.g. Patent Document 1, etc.).
However, the waste, when hugely used as a cement raw material, poses the problem that the amount of 3CaO.Al2O3 increases and thereby heightens the hydration heat of cement. Furthermore, the mortar and concrete produced using such a cement and an admixture have the problem that a mortal flow or slump decreases and a flow loss or slump loss increases.
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 56-120552


The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for improving interference suppression processing and control in hearing aids communicating with a mobile station over a short-range wireless network. The hearing aid includes an acoustic echo canceller to suppress acoustic echo from the input audio signals. The mobile station also includes an echo canceller, and may include one or more switching circuits to bypass the echo canceller when the mobile station communicates with the hearing aid via the short-range wireless network. Typically, when the short-range wireless network between the hearing aid and the mobile station is established, the hearing aid and the mobile station negotiate one or more short-range wireless network profiles to determine the properties of the echo cancellers.

The present invention relates generally to a local wireless device that communicates with a mobile station, and more particularly to a hearing aid that communicates with the mobile station via a short-range ad hoc wireless network.
The popularity of mobile stations, such as cellular telephones, personal data assistants (PDAs), etc., continues to increase each year. To maintain this trend, manufacturers continue to explore ways to make mobile stations appeal to a larger percentage of the population. One area of focus involves the use of local wireless devices, such as wireless headsets, with near-end mobile stations.
Current wireless headsets convert microphone signals to signals compatible with the short-range wireless network and transmit the processed signals to a near-end mobile station via the short-range wireless network. Similarly, the wireless headsets convert signals received from the near-end mobile station to signals compatible with a speaker in the wireless headset. Current wireless headsets do not include any additional processing. As a result, the near-end mobile station performs all interference processing, such as acoustic echo and/or environmental noise suppression. Because the sources of the acoustic echo and the environmental noise are in the wireless headset, the noise suppression performed by the near-end mobile station may be insufficient, causing undesirable noise to transmit to a far-end user.
Another area of focus involves the use of mobile stations by the hearing impaired. Current hearing aids comprise low power receivers that typically pick up background noise and radiated electromagnetic interference (EMI) from mobile stations, particularly when the mobile station is in close proximity to the hearing aid. These problems are particularly problematic for high gain hearing aids because the higher the hearing aid gain, the more susceptible the hearing aid is to interference. Interference problems between hearing aids and mobile stations are well known and discussed in further detail in U.S. Pat. No. 6,122,500 to Paul Dent et al., the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. As a result, it is desirable to provide a hearing aid that is also capable of interacting with one or more mobile stations without producing undesirable interference.
One approach to this problem uses a short-range wireless network, such as a Bluetooth® network, to provide a short-range communication link between a hearing aid and a mobile station. Bluetooth® is a universal radio interface that enables two or more wireless devices to communicate wirelessly via short-range ad hoc networks. Bluetooth® uses a polling based communication infrastructure to transmit digital data between the wireless devices. Jaap Haartsen in Ericsson Review No. 3, 1998, provides further details regarding Bluetooth® technology in "Bluetooth® —The universal radio interface for ad hoc, wireless connectivity," which is herein incorporated by reference. Because Bluetooth® enables communication between a hearing aid and a mobile station while providing a physical distance between the two wireless devices, the undesirable interference between the hearing aid and the mobile station is diminished and/or prevented.
Accordingly, one embodiment of the present invention incorporates additional processing in a wireless headset to improve noise suppression between wireless devices communicating in a short-range wireless network. One embodiment of the wireless headset may comprise a hearing aid to enable hearing-impaired individuals to utilize wireless devices without experiencing undesirable interference.


Harmonics in the AC output power of an inverter are sensed and are compared to corresponding references to produce a plurality of errors. These errors are used to produce a harmonic waveform which is in turn used in a triangular waveform PWM pulse generator to generate PWM pulses. The PWM pulses control the inverter so as to convert DC power into AC power and so as to reduce harmonics in the AC power.

An inverter is employed to invert direct current power into alternating current power. In one form of such an inverter, a plurality of inverter switches are connected to a DC link and are controlled by pulse-width modulated (PWM) pulses. The inverter switches produce output PWM pulses which are supplied to a filter. The filter reduces or removes harmonics of an inverter fundamental frequency so that an AC output approximating an AC sinusoidal waveform is produced.
A common prior art PWM inverter control includes a comparator which compares a triangular waveform to a reference sinusoidal waveform. The reference sinusoidal waveform has the desired shape of the AC output from the inverter. The output of the comparator comprises a PWM waveform having a substantial frequency component at the desired inverter fundamental frequency.
Filters, particularly those which are arranged to filter out the lower frequency harmonics such as the fifth and seventh harmonics, are expensive, heavy and large. Many inverter systems control the inverter switches so as to reduce or eliminate a preselected number of the lower frequency harmonics in the inverter AC output. Thus, the filter is instead arranged to filter out higher frequency harmonics so that the expense, weight and size of the filter are accordingly reduced.
One system for supplying PWM pulses to the switches of an inverter is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,527,226 to Glennon In this system, a memory stores a plurality of PWM pulse patterns (or "angle sets") each having a unique set of switching angles. The switching angles of the stored angle sets are predetermined analytically so that selected harmonics in the inverter output can be minimized. A set of switching angles is selected from the memory based in part upon the power factor at the inverter output. This selected set of switching angles is supplied to the inverter switches so that the harmonic content in the output of the inverter is reduced.
Inverter systems utilizing stored patterns have limited harmonic reduction capability because only a limited number of angle sets are available for use. In such systems, if a power factor is sensed for which there is no stored angle set, the stored angle set associated with the power factor closest to the sensed power factor is selected. However, use of this angle set does not result in minimum harmonic content. Also, many prior art inverter systems assume that the DC voltage on the DC link is stiff, i.e., has no ripple. However, an inverter is bidirectional in the sense that any harmonic ripple in the output of the inverter passes back through the inverter to the DC link. This ripple on the DC link modulates the output of the inverter to produce further harmonic content in the inverter output. Inverter systems utilizing stored angled sets are typically not arranged to compensate for this additional harmonic content. Furthermore, many stored angle set systems do not directly measure harmonic content in the inverter output, but develop an approximation thereof, and hence cannot completely eliminate controlled harmonics.
A system in which the DC link is not assumed to be stiff and which senses the harmonic content in the output of an inverter is disclosed in Kirchberg, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,994,956. In this system, parameters of the inverter output are used to select an initial angle set from a memory storing a plurality of such angle sets. The Fourier coefficients of selected harmonics in the inverter output are determined and these Fourier coefficients are used to adjust the switching angles of the selected angle set in order to reduce the harmonic content in the inverter output regardless of whether this harmonic content arises from the PWM switching of the inverter switches or from harmonics passed back through the inverter to the DC link. This system has the further advantage in that harmonic reduction is not limited by the number of stored angle sets.

Harmonic feedback control for an inverter


The catheter apparatus may be used to assist in creating a fistula between two adjacent blood vessels. The apparatus includes a catheter for inserting into a first blood vessel which lies adjacent to a second blood vessel, the catheter having a plurality of openings through which a physician may navigate a piercing tool. The physician maneuvers the tip of the catheter to a position within the first blood vessel adjacent to a portion of the first blood vessel wall in which the physician intends to create an opening. The physician may then rotate the piercing tool within the catheter and extend the piercing tool through one opening at a time, without rotating the catheter, until the physician chooses an opening that is properly aimed at the second blood vessel. Such a configuration allows for a wide arc of potential firing space.

This disclosure relates generally to a catheter system for connecting adjacent blood vessels, e.g, an artery and an adjacent vein to adapt the vein for arterial blood flow. More particularly the invention concerns a system of two catheters with mating, magnetic tips for creating openings in the artery wall and vein wall to form a fistula connecting the blood vessels. Further, the disclosure relates to a ratchetable catheter having a wide arc of potential space through which a piercing tool may be fired from a first blood vessel to a second blood vessel.
A catheter apparatus and method for arterializing a section of a vein to bypass a clogged artery are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,464,665, which is hereby incorporated by reference. The method is used to bypass a stenosis in the artery that obstructs blood flow in a portion of the artery. If the obstructed portion of the artery can be bypassed, blood flow will be restored downstream from the stenosis. A vein running alongside the artery in the obstructed portion of the artery can be used for the bypass.
The catheter apparatus includes one catheter for inserting into the artery and another catheter for inserting into the adjacent vein. The physician maneuvers the tips of both catheters to coincident positions within each blood vessel adjacent one end of the obstructed portion of the artery. The physician then creates an opening from the inside of one blood vessel through the vessel wall and then through the wall of the other blood vessel.
An issue arises in co-locating the openings in the two blood vessels and holding the vessel walls in place to ensure that a channel will be created between the vessels so that blood will flow from one vessel to the other. A further issue arises in aiming and maintaining the position of the catheters inside the vessels. In particular, veins often have diameters much larger than arteries, making hitting a smaller artery from a larger vein difficult. Additionally, larger veins often allow a catheter too much freedom of movement inside the vein.

Catheter system for connecting adjacent blood vessels


A method for managing substances in a plant root zone, including the steps of providing a fluid distribution system, controlling the fluid distribution system, modeling the plant root zone, and distributing the substances thereto. The fluid distribution system is associated with an agricultural area. The fluid distribution system is controlled by way of a controller. The plant root zone is modeled for a plurality of locations in the agricultural area. The modeling step incorporates a desired three-dimensional distribution of the substances for each of the plurality of locations for a future time period. Substances are distributed to the plurality of locations by way of the fluid distribution system under control of the controller. The controller is dependent upon the desired three-dimensional distribution and the future time.

Irrigation has been practiced for thousands of years and not much has changed in how it is practiced. Irrigation had been limited to water movement by gravity, animal and human power, and then later windmills and steam engines were employed to move water as those technologies developed. The development of the internal combustion engine enabled by the use of steel and large dams having been enabled by the use of concrete has provided the reservoirs and the devices to move stored water great distances to be applied to fields. These technologies also enabled deep wells and pumps to draw water up from the depths of aquifers such as the Ogallala aquifer in the south central United States. Steel pipes carry the water to the ends of the fields for furrow irrigation or above the fields for pivot irrigation. These technologies have been in place since the 1960's. Water movement under human control was supplemented by automatic control in the 1970's and 1980's which is further enabled by developments in microprocessors and sensors which can provide a signal that a measured amount of water has been delivered to a certain point in the field or that a certain amount of water had been applied to the field.
Water control has evolved into field water management in the 1990's and early 2000's. Point monitoring and control of water became distributed control thanks to the development of wired and wireless networks and global positioning systems (GPS). Field data collection, weather data collection and site specific irrigation control could be performed at different locations.
What is needed in the art is a new and cost efficient method and apparatus for managing water.

System and method of managing substances in a plant root zone


A hermetically sealed feedthrough assembly for an active implantable medical device having an oxide-resistant electrical attachment for connection to an EMI filter, an EMI filter circuit board, an AIMD circuit board, or AIMD electronics. The oxide-resistant electrical attachment, including an oxide-resistant sputter layer 165 is disposed on the device side surface of the hermetic seal ferrule over which an ECA stripe is provided. The ECA stripe may comprise one of a thermal-setting electrically conductive adhesive, an electrically conductive polymer, an electrically conductive epoxy, an electrically conductive silicone, an electrically conductive polyimide, or a thermal-setting electrically conductive polyimide, such as those manufactured by Ablestick Corporation. The oxide-free electrical attachment between the ECA stripe and the filter or AIMD circuits may comprise one of gold, platinum, palladium, silver, iridium, rhenium, rhodium, tantalum, tungsten, niobium, zirconium, vanadium, and combinations or alloys thereof.

Most present day active implantable medical devices (AIMDs) have one or more electronic circuits enclosed in a hermetically sealed conductive housing or casing. Common prior art AIMDs, including cardiac pacemakers and implantable defibrillators, have a housing that is made of titanium. Titanium, and two of its alloys, titanium-niobium and titanium-tantalum, are biocompatible and they exhibit physical and mechanical properties superior to many other metals. For example, titanium exhibits excellent corrosion resistance because, when titanium comes in contact oxygen or water, instead of corroding, titanium produces an oxide on its surface, which gets stronger over time, which constantly enhances its resilience against corrosive agents. Few substances can breach or even damage this protective oxide film, and even if the oxide film is mechanically fractured, the oxide film almost immediately regenerates. Hence, titanium is the material of choice for applications requiring biocompatibility and biostability, such as AIMDs.
For electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) and resistance to electromagnetic interference (EMI), it is typical that AIMDs comprise one or more filters at or near leadwire ingress or egress into an AIMD housing. A hermetically sealed feedthrough or a or feedthrough subassembly is typically located at the point of ingress into the AIMD housing. This hermetically sealed feedthrough typically comprises a metallic ferrule, such as titanium, and an insulator, such as an alumina ceramic, a glass, or a glass-ceramic. One or more electrical conductors pass through the insulator in non-conductive relationship with the ferrule, which are hermetically sealed to the insulator. The insulator is also hermetically sealed to the ferrule. The AIMD EMI (or MRI) filters divert undesirable EMI signals that are coupled to an implanted lead to the AIMD housing where such signals are harmlessly dissipated as a few milliwatts of heat energy. Thus, dangerous EMI is prevented from entering into the housing of the AIMD where it may disrupt the proper operation of biological sensing circuits or therapy delivery circuits. The ferrule of the hermetically sealed feedthrough is typically laser welded into the opening of the housing or casing of the AIMD. The laser welding process generates a great deal of localized heat, which leads to thickening of the surface titanium oxides, particularly the titanium oxides on the ferrule of the hermetically sealed feedthrough. This makes electrical connection of a filter, a filter circuit board, an AIMD active filter, or an AIMD active circuit board to the ferrule very challenging. For an EMI or MRI filter to work properly, the electrical connection of the filter to the ferrule must have a very low equivalent series resistance (ESR) so that a maximum amount of EMI energy is dissipated (filtered) to the AIMD housing thereby preventing the EMI energy from entering into the inside of the AIMD housing, where the EMI energy can cause undesirable, even dangerous life-threatening, device therapy delivery issues [a particular concern for cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs)]. The AIMD housing, which is thermally and electrically conductive and generally of titanium, provides both an EMI shield and a hermetic seal to the AIMD. High frequency energy, such as that from microwave ovens, is reflected and absorbed by this titanium housing or shield. In addition, EMI filters intercept undesirable signals that are coupled to or radiated onto AIMD implanted leads (which act as antennas) and divert such undesirable signals to the titanium housing, thereby preventing entry into the AIMD electronics.
Referring once again to titanium and EMI diversion, it is the excellent corrosion resistance and biocompatibility of titanium that causes concern regarding the efficacy of EMI filter electrical connections. As previously noted, titanium's excellent corrosion resistance is due to the formation of a thermodynamically stable, continuous, highly adherent, and protective surface oxide film. Since titanium metal is highly reactive and has an extremely high affinity for oxygen, this surface oxide film is formed spontaneously and instantly when a fresh titanium metal surface is exposed to air and/or moisture. In fact, a damaged titanium oxide film can generally re-heal itself instantaneously if even at least traces (that is, a few parts per million) of oxygen or water are present in the environment. Researchers have proven that within a millisecond of exposure of titanium to air, a 10 nm titanium oxide layer will be formed on the cut surface of the exposed titanium metal. This titanium oxide layer will grow to about 100 nm thick within a minute. While a titanium oxide layer on the highly reactive titanium metal surface imparts good corrosion resistance and provides high biocompatibility and biostability as noted, such a titanium oxide layer can and does undesirably impact AIMD EMI filter performance. It is further noted that, besides affecting EMI filters, the undesirable impact is even more observable at higher frequency applications, such as switching applications, coupling applications, and bypass applications.
Prior art addresses oxidation layers on metals, such as a titanium oxide layer, by cleaning the surface of a metal component, for example, a titanium ferrule or a titanium casing of an AIMD, and then disposing a stripe of a thermal-setting conductive adhesive, in other words, an electrically conductive adhesive (ECA) stripe, atop the "cleaned" metal surface. The problem with this approach is that (1) the ECA stripe must be cured at an elevated temperature of between 200° C. and 300° C.; and (2) the casing must be laser welded to hermetically seal the AIMD. During curing of the ECA stripe, which is conducted in air, the titanium oxide, which is initially cleaned from the titanium surface of the exemplary ferrule of the feedthrough, almost immediately reforms. In other words, a titanium oxide layer is now present between the ECA stripe and the cleaned titanium ferrule surface. Similarly, when the casing of the pulse generator of the AIMD is laser welded, a temperature rise to the surrounding area results. The laser weld, which is typically in close proximity of the ECA stripe, can thereby directly cause additional titanium oxide formation at the attachment point between the ECA stripe and the initially cleaned but subsequently oxidized titanium post ECA cure, as elevated temperature exposure of an ECA, such as an epoxy or a polymer, typically allows the release or outgassing of oxygen and/or oxygen-containing constituents or residues that are often present within the ECA material itself. More importantly, this additional exposure to oxygen or oxygen-containing constituents causes potentially harmful thickening of the titanium oxide layer that was previously created during the ECA curing process. Hence, during AIMD manufacturing, the equivalent series resistance (ESR) of the EMI filter can dangerously increase such that EMI filtering is significantly compromised or even fails. Such potentially unsafe ESR increases are particularly observable at frequencies above 10 MHz. More importantly, and of most concern, is that the unsafe ESR increases (in other words, EMI capacitor ohmic losses) are often masked (essentially, totally hidden/indistinguishable) at low frequencies by an EMI filter's dielectric losses. Such masking is particularly egregious to present day CIEDs, such as pacemakers and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators, which are considered/labelled MRI conditionally approved, as in an MRI environment, EMI filters divert substantial, potentially dangerous, RF current generated in implanted therapy delivery leads of an AIMD during MRI to the AIMD casing for dissipation. Hence, reliance solely on ECA stripe attachment to an oxidizable metal surface, such as a titanium surface, is considered to be dangerous and of poor practice by the inventors. It is, known to one skilled in the art that electrical connection of AIMD passive EMI filters to a system ground must be a very low impedance connection, which means that no significant titanium oxides are allowable on any connection surface of said system ground.
For AIMDs, there are two types of electronic components. These are passive components or active components. Passive components do not require a source of energy and include capacitors, resistors and inductors. Active components do require an energy source and include microelectronic chips, microprocessors, ASIC electronics and the like. For ANDs, energy sources are typically either a primary or a secondary battery. However, AIMD energy sources can be coupled energy sources through either inductive or wireless charging, energy harvesting (for example, by motion of the myocardium) or even ultrasonic induced energy that is captured.
Accordingly, there is a need for a low resistance and low impedance electrical connection having an electrically conductive adhesive stripe and an oxide-resistant layer for attachment of an EMI of active implantable medical device.

ECA oxide-resistant connection to a hermetic seal ferrule for an active implantable medical device


A press for forming a container with a bottom profile is provided. The press may have a profile pad that is secured within a base of the press or is secured to a die core riser that is axially movable up and down. The press may have one or more biasing members that accommodate expansion in certain tooling components during operation of the press. The press may have a tool pack of tool components located within a part of the fixed base wherein the tool pack is removable from a top surface of the base. The press may have a punch and a profile pad with an annular projection or an annular shoulder wherein the projection and the shoulder clamp material between the projection and the shoulder and allow the material to roll up a preselected height into the container to form the bottom profile of the container.

In the container industry, in general, and in the food container industry, in particular, it is desirable to produce containers having a bottom profile that imparts strength to the container. Typically, these profiles include one or more annular rings or recesses formed in the bottom of the container to improve the buckling strength of the container.
Early presses formed such profiles by preforming the profile in a first station by pressing the material against a die having a profile pad that defines the desired profile. After preforming, the container was then moved to a second station either in the same press or a separate press, where the container is hit again to "reform" or deepen the profile to its final depth. By transferring the container from the first station to the second station, tension within the side walls created during the reform operation is relieved. In other words, during the reforming or resetting of the bottom profile, it is desirable to minimize the distance that the metal has to be pulled from the side wall to finally form the bottom profile. In this way, the severe stresses in forming a final profile in one stoke are relieved avoiding damage to the container that would cause it to be scrapped. While the two station method is effective in minimzing the stresses of forming a profile, based on this method's disadvantages of having to handle the container two times and the additional time needed to transfer the container between stations, presses have been developed to perform the preform and reform steps in a single press.
In one example in the industry, the press includes a punch assembly and die assembly located axially opposite of each other, where the punch assembly descends to first blank the material and then wipe the material over the outer perimeter of the die assembly to form an inverted container. As the inverted container is completed, the core of the punch contacts the core of the die to impart an initial profile to the bottom of the container. The core of the punch continues downward drawing the container inside out to form an upright container. At the bottom of the punch core's stroke, both the punch core and die core bottom out causing the punch core to press the material into a profile pad carried on the die assembly to impart the finished profile to the bottom of the container.
A pressure cylinder is formed beneath the profile pad such that the descending blow of the punch builds pressure behind the pressure pad causing it to fire upward as the punch assembly is withdrawn. It has been discovered that the pressure created behind the profile pad causes it to overtake the punch as it is withdrawn causing the profile to be too deep. As will be appreciated, given the small thicknesses involved, such deepening can significantly weaken the container. In some cases, this may lead to the bottom of the container being torn out during subsequent processing or in use. Consequently, a need exists in the art for a press for forming a container with a bottom profile that selectively controls movement of the profile pad up and down through movement of a die core riser up and down for the profile pad to selectively form the bottom profile in the container in cooperation with the punch.
It has also been found that in operating prior presses for forming containers with profiled bottoms, the tooling, and, particularly, the profile pad or the profile pad and the punch and the redraw die or the redraw die and the pressure sleeve, expand, as the press heats up. This expansion causes the tolerances between the punch and the profile pad, the pressure sleeve and the redraw die to fall outside of specification, which often results in variations in the height of the bottom profile and the height of the sidewall of the container. One variation that can occur is a deepening of the bottom profile and the sidewall. As will be appreciated, such a deepening can result in a weakened container that must be scrapped. Consequently, a need exists in the art for a press for forming a container with a bottom profile that has one or more biasing members that accommodate expansion in certain tooling components during operation of the press.
It has also been found that operators of presses for forming containers with profiled bottoms had to remove tooling components from a bottom surface of a fixed base of the press. As can be appreciated, a mechanic had to climb under the press in order to remove certain tooling components in an inefficient, potentially hazardous and time consuming process. Consequently, a need exists in the art for a press for forming a container with a bottom profile that allows for the simplified removal of a tool pack of tool components located within a part of the fixed base wherein the tool pack is removable from a top surface of the base.
It has also been found that in operating prior presses for forming containers with profiled bottoms, the tooling, and, particularly, the punch and the profile pad can impart a deepened profile in the container. As will be appreciated, such deepening can result in a weakened container that must be scrapped. Consequently, a need exists in the art for a press for forming a container with a bottom profile that has a punch and a profile pad with an annular projection or an annular shoulder wherein the projection and the shoulder clamp material between the projection and the shoulder and allow the material to roll up a preselected height into the container to form the bottom profile of the container.

Press for forming containers with profiled bottoms


In examples, a semiconductor device comprises a semiconductor die, an opaque mold compound housing covering the semiconductor die, a conductive terminal extending from the mold compound housing, and an insulative coat covering the mold compound housing and at least a portion of the conductive terminal.

Semiconductor chips (also commonly referred to as "dies") are commonly mounted on die pads and are wire-bonded, clipped, or otherwise coupled to conductive terminals. The resulting assembly is subsequently covered in a mold compound housing, such as a plastic housing, to protect the assembly from potentially damaging heat, physical trauma, moisture, and other deleterious factors. The conductive terminals are accessible from an exterior of the housing. The covered assembly is called a semiconductor package or, more simply, a package.


A decoloring apparatus includes a reading section that reads the image formed on a sheet and generates image data corresponding to the read image. A decoloring section decolors the image formed on the sheet by heating. If the reading section reads only a portion of the image formed on the sheet due to an error, the image data corresponding to the read portion of the image is stored. After the error is resolved, the sheet is conveyed to the reading section again to read a remainder portion of the image that was not initially read in the reading section and to generate image data corresponding to the remainder portion of the image. The image data corresponding to the read portion of the image is combined with the image data corresponding to the remainder portion of the image.

Conventionally, paper on which an image is formed with decolorable toner is heated and subjected to decoloring processing in a decoloring apparatus to decolor the image thereon. In addition to a heat source for carrying out the decoloring processing, the decoloring apparatus also includes with a reading device which reads the image formed on the paper before the paper is subjected to the decoloring processing. The reading device may also determine whether or not the image on the paper is decolored after the decoloring processing.
However, there is a problem with such an arrangement. In a case in which the reading operation is stopped due to an error and the like before the paper which is not yet subjected to decoloring processing is read completely, part of the paper is decolored due to the relation between the length of the conveyance path and the paper position, and the paper cannot be stored correctly.


An optical system of an optical information recording/reproducing apparatus including a light source for emitting a generally parallel luminous flux; an objective optical system for converging the luminous flux emitted from the light source onto a medium; a beam splitter for splitting the luminous flux reflected by the medium from a light path directed to the light source and guiding the same to a light receiving system; a chromatic aberration correcting element having almost no power disposed between the objective lens and the beam splitter and adapted to correct a chromatic aberration of the objective lens; and means for independently actuating the objective lens at least in an optical axis direction thereof.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an optical system of an optical information recording/reproducing apparatus in which a semiconductor laser is used as a light source, and further relates an objective optical system and a chromatic aberration correcting element suitable to the optical system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An optical system of an optical information recording/reproducing apparatus such as optical disk apparatus, etc. comprises, as generally shown in FIG. 52, a light source portion 10 for emitting a generally parallel luminous flux, an objective optical system 20 for converging (focusing) the luminous flux emitted from the light source 10 onto an optical disk OD, a beam splitter 30 for splitting the luminous flux disposed between the light source 10 and the objective optical system 20 and adapted to split the luminous flux reflected by the disk, and a signal detecting optical system 40 for receiving such split luminous flux.
The light source portion 10 has a semiconductor laser 11, a collimator lens 12, and a beam shaping element 13.
The objective optical system 20 includes an objective lens 21, and a mirror 22, and disposed within a head 50 which is slided in the radial direction of the optical disk. Also, the objective lens 21 is mounted on an actuator (not shown) disposed within the head 50 and designed such that the objective lens 21 can be finely moved at least in the optical axis direction thereof so that a out of focus caused by warping of the disk, etc. can be corrected.
The signal detecting optical system 40 has a beam splitter 41, a tracking signal detecting system 42, and a focusing signal detecting system 43, and is adapted to reads information recorded in the disk and error signals of the trucks by reflected light from an optical disk OD.
By the way, an emitting light wavelength of the semiconductor laser used as a light source is shifted by changing of output power power and/or temperature. Because of the foregoing reason, when the chromatic aberration of the optical system is not corrected yet, the position of a light converging point is varied by shifting the wavelength.
When the light converging position is not coincident with the recording surface of the disk, there is a high possibility that incorrect writing and reading are effected.
However, out of focus due to comparatively gentle change of a wavelength caused by change of temperature or the like is automatically corrected by the afore-mentioned focusing servo when the collimator lens is corrected in chromatic aberration and change of temperature.
However, at the time when a data is written, an oscillation wavelength of a semiconductor laser is instantaneously shifted by several nm between a region where the temperature is increased and a region where the temperature is not increased. And the out of focus caused by such radical shift cannot be corrected by the above-mentioned focusing servo.
Therefore, especially when writing is effected, correction of the chromatic aberration of the objective optical system is important.
An optical system in which the objective lens itself is corrected in chromatic aberration is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Early Laid-open Publication No. Sho 63-10118, Japanese Patent Early Laid-open Publication No. Sho 60-232519 and Japanese Patent Early Laid-open Publication No. Sho 58-72114.
However, the lens of the Japanese Patent Early Laid-open Publication No. Sho 63-10118 is of three pieces structure including an aspherical lens, while the lenses of the Japanese Patent Early Laid-open Publication No. Sho 60-232519 and the Japanese Patent Early Laid-open Publication No. Sho 58-72114 are of four pieces structure of glass lenses. Accordingly, there are such problems as that these lenses are heavy in weight compared with lenses which are not corrected in chromatic aberration, and a load incurred to a movable actuator is large.
As an objective lens for an optical disk apparatus is moved at a high frequency for the purposes of focusing and trucking, it is strongly demanded that the objective lens is made compact in size and light in weight in order to reduce the burden to the actuator.
Also, Japanese Patent Early Laid-open Publication No. Sho 62-269922 discloses an optical system for correcting the chromatic aberration of an objective lens by excessively correcting the chromatic aberration of a collimator lens. With this construction, it is necessary to excessively correct even a focusing error detecting optical system because otherwise out of focus is generated caused by a focusing servo.
However, the correcting amount of the chromatic aberration of the focusing error detecting optical system is proportional to a second raised power of the ratio M between a focal length of a condenser lens of this optical system and a focal length of the objective lens. Therefore, in an ordinary optical disk apparatus taking a value of about M=10 in view of the size of a light receiving element, it is difficult to design as such that the condenser lens has a sufficient correcting amount of chromatic aberration.

Optical system of optical information recording/reproducing apparatus


A lamp base having upper and lower ends and a recess hole being provided on said upper end downward for receiving a lamp bulb which has two lead wires threading through out of the two sides of said lower end; and a lamp socket having upper and lower ends and an inner through hole to receive said lamp base, two power sources wires being inserted into said through hole from said lower end thereof to connect respectively with two contact plates fixed on the inner opposite walls of said through hole for making contact with said lead wires of said lamp bulb, characterized in that said lamp base has an end of a long friction stub connected on the lower end surface thereof, while another end of the friction stub is a free end, and in said through hole of said lamp socket, two inner side walls having no contact plates, form a recess on each said inner wall and these two recesses surrounding a space which has a sectional shape to be tightly fitted with that of said friction stub, when said friction stub plugs into the space surrounded by said two recesses, said another end of said friction stub can extend out of the lower end surface of said lamp socket.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a combining structure between a lamp socket and a lamp base of Christmas lights for improving the stable combination between the lamp socket and the lamp base.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional Christmas light generally comprises of a lamp bulb, a lamp base and a lamp socket, therein the lamp base is first combined together with the lamp bulb and then inserted into the lamp socket so as to maintain the combined relationship between the lamp base and the lamp socket by the friction force between their surfaces. However, in a case that the lamp base and the lamp socket are made of the recycled plastic materials, it is difficult to control the dimensional tolerance of tight fit between them; therefore, it results a very unstable friction force. Often, there are defeats either too tight or too loose between the lamp base and the lamp socket. If it is too loose, they are easy to be dislodged from each other and the contact resistance becomes high enough to cause a latent hazard of fire. On the contrary, if it is too tight, it will affect the assembling speed and thereafter the advantages of replacing burned out lamps.
In view of the fact that the existing structure between the conventional lamp base and lamp socket is controlled by the dimensional tolerance, it is difficult to achieve tight fit because the materials used in every batch are different. Furthermore, due to the purpose of reducing the production costs, the plastic materials generally used are recycled materials, of which the quality is variable, so as to cause the appropriate friction force obtained from the controlling dimensional tolerance becomes meaningless.
Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide an innovated structure between a lamp socket and a lamp base of Christmas lights for supporting a stable combination between them.
According to the present invention, the lamp base is integrally formed at its end a long friction stub which has an expanded forehead, and the lamp socket is formed at its end inserted with lead wires a positioning hole. When the lamp base and the lamp socket are combined together, it is required to first make the friction stub positioned toward the positioning hole, then it is easy and convenient to press the lamp base and the lamp socket together owing to the fitness between the two elements. Due to the frictional force between the expanded end of the friction stub and the positioning hole, it can be assured that the stable condition between them will be sustained without being affected by external nature forces or other factors after assembled. On the other hand, if the lamp base and the lamp socket have to be separated, it is only necessary to push on the fore end of the friction stub which is exposed out of the lamp socket, to make the lamp base slightly dislodged from the lamp socket, thus it is easy to apply a force on the lamp base to extract it out of the lamp socket for replacing a new lamp base.
It is therefore another object of the present invention to provide, in addition to the stable combining relationship resulted between the lamp socket and the lamp base, a lamp socket and a lamp base which can be slightly separated from each other for easily applying a force on the lamp base.
It is yet another object of the present invention, in which the structure, according to the present invention, can be applied to the stable combination between a conglomeration of twin or multiple lamp bases and a corresponding shaped conglomeration of lamp sockets, subsequently to solve the defeats of not easily connected to each other due to the dimensional interference between each lamp base and the correspondent lamp socket of the combination of the conventional multiple lamp bases and multiple lamp sockets.
It is yet further another object of the present invention to provide a combining structure of multiple twin lamp bases and multiple lamp sockets, in which two vertical grooves are respectively formed in the middle portions of two outer surface of the multiple lamp sockets, and an additional inverted U shaped clip made of plastic has a lobe on each of the tips of its two branch legs. Thus, by using the present invention, after the twin lamp bases and the twin lamp sockets are pressed together, the inverted U shaped clip can bridge across the middle portion of the two lamp bases to make the lobes of the two branch legs sliding along the vertical grooves on the two outer surface of the lamp sockets until they arrive at the bottom of the lamp sockets. Then the separated branch legs come to close again, so that the two lobes are attached against the bottom surface of the lamp sockets and the lamp bases and the lamp sockets are tightly combined together by this inverted U shaped clip. On the other hand, such two lobes can be pull off the bottom surface of the lamp sockets and dismounted from the lamp bases and lamp sockets, then the lamp bases can be pull out from the lamp sockets by an appropriate force.

Combining structure between a lamp socket and a lamp base of Christmas lights


The present invention provides a mobile terminal apparatus, a base station apparatus, and a communication control method, which allow control suitable for interference reduction in a layered network such as HetNet, and which support a next-generation mobile communication system. A mobile terminal apparatus has a receiving section (103) that receives radio frames of a pico cell, in which a protected subframe, the transmission of which by a macro cell is suppressed, and a non-protected subframe, the transmission of which by the macro cell is not suppressed, coexist, a measurement section (112) that measures reception quality from the reference signals multiplexed individually on the protected subframe and the non-protected subframe, and a transmission section (103) that notifies two types of reception quality information of the protected subframe and the non-protected subframe, measured in the measurement section (112), to a base station apparatus (20B).

In a UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) network, for the purposes of improving spectral efficiency and improving data rates, system features based on W-CDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access) are maximized by adopting HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) and HSUPA (High Speed Uplink Packet Access). For this UMTS network, for the purposes of further increasing high-speed data rates, providing low delay and so on, long-term evolution (LTE) has been under study (non-patent literature 1). Unlike W-CDMA, LTE uses, as multiplexing schemes, OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access) on downlink channels (downlink) and SC-FDMA (Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access) on uplink channels (uplink).
In the third-generation mobile communication system, it is possible to achieve a transmission rate of maximum approximately 2 Mbps on the downlink by using a fixed band of approximately 5 MHz. Meanwhile, in the LTE system, it is possible to achieve a transmission rate of about maximum 300 Mbps on the downlink and about 75 Mbps on the uplink by using a variable band which ranges from 1.4 MHz to 20 MHz. Furthermore, in the UMTS network, for the purpose of achieving further broadbandization and higher speed, successor systems of LTE have been under study (for example, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A)). In LTE-A (LTE Release 10), a heterogeneous network (HetNet), which places significance on the local area environment, in addition to the conventional cellular environment, is under study.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Mobile terminal apparatus, base station apparatus and communication control method


A monostable multivibrating circuit includes: a time constant setting circuit responsive to an input pulse signal, for outputting at least one signal having a time constant different from that of the input pulse signal; and an emitter-coupled logic circuit including a first pair of transistors, one base receiving the input pulse signal and another base receiving a first reference signal, and a second pair of transistors, one base receiving an output signal of the time constant setting circuit and another base receiving a second reference signal. The monostable multivibrating circuit outputs a one-shot pulse defined by a pulse starting time corresponding to a change in level of the one base input of the first pair of transistors and a pulse stopping time corresponding to a change in level of the one base input of the second pair of transistors. The one-shot pulse presents "H" level only when the base input of the first pair of transistors is at "L" level and the one base input of the second pair of transistors is at "H" level. By this constitution, it is possible to determine the number of stages of circuits regardless of the duration of the one-shot pulse and thus facilitate a standardization of the circuit designing. Also, it is possible to reduce an occupation area thereof and decrease a power dissipation thereby.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a monostable multivibrating circuit which is also referred to as a one-shot pulse generating circuit. More particularly, it relates to a monostable multivibrating circuit in which the number of circuit elements can be determined regardless of a length of duration of the one-shot pulse.
One-shot pulses are generally pulses each having a relatively short duration and employed in various uses, for example, as a reset signal or a timing signal in semiconductor memory devices. To this end, a one-shot pulse generating circuit (i.e., monostable multivibrating circuit) is incorporated into various semiconductor devices and thus widely utilized.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a known example of the monostable multivibrating circuit, a plurality of gate circuits each having a predetermined operation delay time are employed in combination to generate a one-shot pulse. In this case, the duration of the one-shot pulse is determined by the respective operation delay times in each gate circuit or the differences therebetween. In other words, the number of gate circuits to be required is determined in accordance with the duration of the one-shot pulse. This results in a problem in that, where a one-shot pulse having a relatively long duration is generated, the number of stages of gate circuits to be used is accordingly increased.
Also, due to the increase in the number of the gate circuits, a problem occurs in that an occupation area of the circuits in a semiconductor device is relatively increased and a power dissipation thereby also becomes increased. Furthermore, where a plurality of one-shot pulses each having a duration different from each other are generated, the corresponding plurality of monostable multivibrating circuits must be prepared. In this case, the respective circuit constitutions are different from each other. As a result, a drawback occurs in that it is difficult to standardize a circuit designing of a semiconductor device provided with one-shot pulse generating circuits
Another example of the monostable multivibrating circuit is known in Japanese unexamined Patant Publication No. 2-134912. The circuit constitution includes an exclusive-OR circuit constituted in the form of an emitter-coupled logic (ECL), which includes two pairs of transistors each pair having emitters commonly connected to each other and receiving an identical input signal and an identical reference voltage, and one pair of transistors each having an emitter commonly connected to each other and receiving another input signal and another reference voltage. According to the circuit constitution, a one-shot pulse is output when the two input signals are at an inverse logic level to each other. There is posed, however, a problem in that the constitution of the ECL circuit relatively becomes complicated.
Note, the problems in the prior art will be explained later in detail in contrast with the preferred embodiments of the present invention.


According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a substrate, first stacked components, second stacked components, and a coating resin. The first stacked components include first chips and are stacked on a surface of the substrate. The second stacked components include second chips and are stacked on the surface. The coating resin covers the surface, the first stacked components, and the second stacked components. A first top surface of a second farthest one of the first chips away from the surface differs in position in a first direction from a second top surface of second farthest one of the second chips away from the surface.

The semiconductor device includes a substrate and a plurality of semiconductor chips stacked on the substrate. The stacked chips are connected by, for example, bonding wires to each other and to the substrate.
In one semiconductor device, a plurality of chips stacked on a substrate and another plurality of chips stacked on the substrate may be arranged side by side. In this case, the semiconductor device may increase in size in a direction intersecting with a stacking direction.


A gearing arrangement for driving a photosensitive drum of an electrophotography process unit including a first drum gear mounted on one end of a shaft of a photosensitive drum for receiving the motion of a drive gear of a motor, a second drum gear mounted on the other end of the shaft of the photosensitive drum, a first gearing assembly connected with the first drum gear, and a second gearing assembly connected with the second drum gear, wherein the first and second gearing assemblies serve to uniformly distribute the torque of the drive gear.

The present invention relates to a gearing arrangement for driving a photosensitive drum of an electrophotography process unit.
Referring to FIG. 1 for illustrating a conventional electrophotography process unit, the surface of a photosensitive drum 28 is uniformly charged with a constant voltage by an electric charger 25 and then exposed to the light of a lamp 22 reflected from an original document placed on a platen glass 21, so that an electrostatic latent image is formed on the photosensitive drum 28 corresponding to the image of the document. The light source may be a laser scanning unit, light emitting diode, etc. Thereafter, as the photosensitive drum 28 is rotated, the toner of a developer 27 is attracted to the surface of the photosensitive drum 28 so as to develop the latent image transferred by a transfer means 32 to a sheet of paper supplied by a supply roll 20.
The paper adhering to the photosensitive drum 28 by the electrostatic force is separated by a separator 33 therefrom. Then the paper is conveyed by a conveyor belt 30 to a fixing means 40, where the paper is heated and pressed between a heat roll 35 and pressure roll 34 to fix the toner, conveyed to a discharging tray 39.
The residual toner on the photosensitive drum 28 is removed by a cleaning blade 29 and the latent image is canceled by the light supplied from a pre-erase lamp array 37.
Referring to FIGS. 3A and 3B, the rotation of the drum 28 is made by the rotational force of the drive gear 22 of a motor, which rotational force is transmitted to the drum 28 by means of a pulley 22a attached to the shaft of the drive gear 22, a pulley 44 attached to the shaft of an idle gear 43, and a timing belt 45 connecting the pulleys 22a and 44. The idle gear 43 is engaged with a first drum gear 28a mounted on one end of the shaft of the drum 28. The drive gear 22 is engaged with an idle gear 41 of different pitch. An idle gear 42 is engaged with the idle gears 41 and 43. A magnet roll drive gear 27a mounted on one end of the shaft of a magnet roll 27b is engaged with an idle gear 46 which in turn is engaged with the idle gear 43. The magnet roll 29b is installed in the developer 27.
Such conventional gearing arrangement for transmitting the torque of a servo motor to the drum and developer is very complicated requiring the timing belt. Moreover all the driving components are positioned only in one side of the drum, so that the torque is concentrated in that side of the drum to make unstable the gap between the drum and developer, thereby degrading the picture quality of document reproduction.

Gearing arrangement for driving a photo-sensitive drum of an electro-photography process unit


A drill set for adjusting an implant hole for a self-tap dental screw implant fixture comprises with a diameter d2 at the point of a cutting blade equivalent to a diameter D3 of the tip end of the fixture, a diameter d1 at the back end of the blade equivalent to the maximum root diameter of a first male screw 1e or smaller, and a length l1 of the blade larger than the entire length L1 of the fixture 1, and the second drill 3 with a diameter d5 at the point of a tapered tip end cutting blade 3b equivalent to the diameter D3, and a diameter d3 at the back end of a tapered back end cutting blade 3a equivalent to the maximum root diameter of the first male screw 1e and smaller than the maximum crest diameter thereof, both the blades 3a, 3b forming two-step taper shape.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a drill set for a dental screw implant fixture with a self-tap. When treating a lost tooth part to recover lost function, the drill set is used for forming and finally adjusting an implant hole in a jawbone at the lost tooth location. A dental screw implant fixture having a self-tapping function at a tip end thereof is implanted where the tooth was lost.
2. Description of the Conventional Art
To treat lost teeth, a technique using a bridge and a technique using a denture has been generally practiced.
However, in the technique using a bridge, healthy natural teeth on both sides of the lost tooth are cut to form piers, and a dental prosthesis positioned at the lost tooth area is fixed between metallic members engaged and fixed on the piers. Therefore, not only healthy natural teeth must be cut for providing the piers, but also the process has a disadvantage in that an occlusion pressure is not directly applied to the inside of the oral cavity at the dental prosthesis positioned at the lost tooth area. Thus, bone resorption occurs in that area.
In the technique using a denture, a dental prosthesis is used that is formed by fixing an artificial tooth on a denture plate formed with a synthetic resin or the like. In this technique, because occlusion pressure is applied to the dental prosthesis bore by remaining natural teeth and/or the oral mucosa adjacent to the denture, there are some cases where uncomfortable feeling is caused during use. Accordingly, gustatory acceptors scattered in the tissue of the oral mucosa are covered with the denture plate to blunt gustation. Another disadvantage is that resorption of an alveolar ridge occurs upon using a prolonged period.
As a result of finding that metallic titanium is favorably bonded to bone, the following dental implant technique has been developed and practiced as a therapy for solving the problems. That is, as employing the "osseointegration", a dental implant fixture formed with metallic titanium to be a pier of a dental prosthesis is implanted in an implant hole formed at the lost tooth location to exert the function of a dental root of a natural tooth. A dental prosthesis is connected and fixed on the oral cavity side of the dental implant fixture.
In the remedy using the dental implant, because a dental prosthesis can be fixed without covering the oral mucosa, a natural tooth feel can be obtained without occurrence of unfavorable feeling and blunting of gustation upon wearing the dental prosthesis. Furthermore, an advantage is also obtained in that an appropriate occlusion force is applied to the jawbone, so as to suppress to a minimum level the bone resorption which might occur assuming that no dental implant fixture is implanted. Therefore, remedies using a dental implant are being rapidly developed and are being applied to loss of a sole tooth, local loss of two or more teeth, and an anodont jawbone (whole teeth loss).
The part of the dental implant fixture, which is implanted in the implant hole formed in the jawbone at the lost tooth location assuming the osseointegration, used in the dental implant remedy is generally formed into such a shape that is substantially equivalent to a tooth root. The surface shape thereof is, for example, a cylindrical shape (disclosed, for example, in FIGS. 1 and 3 of JP-A-7-80002) and a screw shape formed by providing a male screw on a cylindrical part of a body of a straight dental implant fixture (disclosed, for example, in FIG. 1 of JP-A-10-211218). Upon implanting the cylindrical dental implant fixture into a jawbone, an implant hole having a diameter equivalent to or slightly smaller than the diameter of the cylindrical part of the body of the cylindrical dental implant fixture is formed in the jawbone. The cylindrical dental implant fixture is pressed into the implant hole by hitting. However, there are disadvantages in that it is difficult to ensure stable fixation upon implanting due to difficulty in forming an accurate implant hole and difficulty in adjustment of an allowance for press fitness corresponding to the property of the bone. Additionally, a large burden is applied to a patient.
On the other hand, upon implanting the screw dental implant fixture in a jawbone, an implant hole having a diameter that is substantially equivalent to a root diameter of the male screw provided on the dental implant fixture is provided in the jawbone, and in general, a female screw capable of being screwed with the male screw provided on the screw dental implant fixture is provided on the implant hole with a tap. This is followed by screwing the screw dental implant fixture thereinto. Accordingly, there are some cases, depending on property of the bone, where difficulty occurs upon providing such a female thread on the implant hole that enables stable fixation upon implanting. Therefore, a prolonged period of time is required to form the female screw in the implant hole. This can apply a large burden to a patient.
In order to solve the problems, several screw dental implant fixtures have been proposed (for example, in FIGS. 1 and 2 of JP-A-2001-321392, and JP-A-2001-512348) in which a self-tapping function is previously provided to the dental implant fixture, whereby it can be implanted while forming a female thread in the implant hole formed in the jawbone at the lost tooth part. The screw dental implant fixture with a self-tap has improved fixation after implanting, and simpler in operation owing to the formation of the female thread attained simultaneously with the implantation. Further, in order to provide, a space for housing cut chips of the jawbone upon cutting the female thread, and to improve the fixation by providing a taper shape similar to a tooth root on the tip end part of the male screw implanted in the implant hole. Such a dental implant fixture is being widely used that has a taper shape on the tip end of the male screw and has on the tip end a cutting blade and a concave part provided continuously with the cutting blade.
As a result, the stability of the dental implant fixture immediately after implanting into the implant hole formed in the jawbone at the lost tooth location (initial fixing property) is improved. Thus, such a remedy receives attention in that an occlusion pressure can be applied to the dental implant fixture immediately after the implantation of the dental implant fixture in the implant hole formed in the jawbone or in an earlier stage after the implantation.
However, a drill for forming and finally adjusting the implant hole in the jawbone at the lost tooth part for screw dental implant fixture with a self-tap has a chevron tip end and a cutting blade formed continuously thereto capable of forming a circular hole having a diameter that is substantially equivalent to the maximum root diameter of the screw dental implant fixture with a self-tap. Therefore, in the case where the implant hole is formed by using the drill to such a depth that is substantially equivalent to the length, with which the screw dental implant fixture with a self-tap is implanted, the taper part at the tip end of the screw dental implant fixture with a self-tap is not in contact with the jawbone. Thus the tip may be less stable upon fixation. In the case where, on the other hand, the implant hole is provided to such a length that corresponds to the starting point of the taper part at the tip end of the screw dental implant fixture with a self-tap, there are such disadvantages in that the cut amount of the jawbone with the cutting blade provided on the taper part at the tip end of the screw dental implant fixture with a self-tap is increased. Therefore, the cut chips of the jawbone cannot be housed in the concave part provided continuously with the cutting blade. Also, it fails to ensure the stability upon fixation by applying a suitable load to the ostein of the jawbone.

Drill set for dental screw implant fixture with self-tap