Microbolometer infrared detector elements that may be formed and implemented by varying type/s of precursors used to form amorphous silicon-based microbolometer membrane material/s and/or by varying composition of the final amorphous silicon-based microbolometer membrane material/s (e.g., by adjusting alloy composition) to vary the material properties such as activation energy and carrier mobility. The amorphous silicon-based microbolometer membrane material/s materials may include varying amounts of one or more additional and optional materials, including hydrogen, fluorine, germanium, n-type dopants and p-type dopants.

Infrared (IR) detectors are often utilized to detect fires, overheating machinery, planes, vehicles, people, and any other objects that emit thermal radiation. Infrared detectors are unaffected by ambient light conditions or particulate matter in the air such as smoke or fog. Thus, infrared detectors have potential use in night vision and when poor vision conditions exist, such as when normal vision is obscured by smoke or fog. IR detectors are also used in non-imaging applications such as radiometers, gas detectors, and other IR sensors.
Infrared detectors generally operate by detecting the differences in thermal radiance of various objects in a scene. That difference is converted into an electrical signal which is then processed. Microbolometers are infrared radiation detector elements that are fabricated on a substrate material using traditional integrated circuit fabrication techniques. Microbolometer detector arrays consist of thin, low thermal mass, thermally isolated, temperature-dependent resistive membrane structures. They are suspended over silicon readout integrated circuit (ROIC) wafers by long thermal isolation legs in a resonant absorbing quarter-wave cavity design.
Conventional infrared detector arrays and imagers operating at ambient temperature include microbolometer arrays made of thin films of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) or amorphous vandium oxide (VOx). Other materials used for microbolometer arrays include films of various metal (e.g., titanium) and high temperature superconductors. For an array based on amorphous silicon, the detector pixel membrane is generally comprised of an ultra-thin (˜2000 Å) a-SiNx/a-Si:H/a-SiNx structure. The membrane is deposited at a low temperature nominally below 400° C. using silane (SiH4) and ammonia (NH3) precursors for the amorphous silicon nitride (a-SiNx) layers, and using silane for the hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) layer. Hydrogen atoms from silane (SiH4) molecules are the source of hydrogen content in the a-Si:H layer. A thin absorbing metal layer such as Titanium (Ti), Titanium-Aluminum alloy (TiAl), Nichrome (NiCr), black gold, or other material absorbing in the infrared band of interest, (e.g., at wavelength range of 1 micron to 14 micron), is inserted in the membrane to enhance infrared absorptance. Contact between the a-Si:H detector electrodes and the interconnect pads on a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) signal processor of the ROIC is accomplished by thick aluminum tab metal interconnects.
After fabrication, microbolometers are generally placed in vacuum packages to provide an optimal environment for the sensing device. Conventional microbolometers measure the change in resistance of a detector element after the microbolometer is exposed to thermal radiation. Microbolometers have applications in gas detectors, night vision, and many other situations.
The primary factors affecting response time and sensitivity of microbolometers are thermal mass and thermal isolation. Microbolometer response time is the time necessary for a detector element to absorb sufficient infrared radiation to alter an electrical property, such as resistance, of the detector element and to dissipate the heat resulting from the absorption of the infrared radiation. Microbolometer sensitivity is determined by the amount of infrared radiation required to cause a sufficient change in an electrical property of the microbolometer detector element. Microbolometer response time is inversely proportional to both thermal mass and thermal isolation. Thus, as thermal mass increases, response time becomes slower since more infrared energy is needed to sufficiently heat the additional thermal mass in order to obtain a measurable change in an electrical property of the microbolometer detector element. As thermal isolation increases, response time becomes slower since a longer period of time is necessary to dissipate the heat resulting from the absorption of the infrared radiation. Microbolometer operating frequency is inversely proportional to response time. However, microbolometer sensitivity is proportional to thermal isolation. Therefore, if a specific application requires high sensitivity and does not require high operating frequency, the microbolometer would have maximum thermal isolation and minimal thermal mass. If an application requires a higher operating frequency, a faster microbolometer may be obtained by reducing the thermal isolation which will also result in a reduction in sensitivity.

Microbolometer infrared detector elements and methods for forming same


A liquid cooling device includes a heat-dissipating unit (1) and a heat-absorbing unit (2). The heat-dissipating unit (1) connects with the heat-absorbing unit (2) by an inlet pipe (4) and an outlet pipe (3) to form a closed circulation loop. The heat-dissipating unit (1) includes a base (10), a tank (20), a heat-dissipating body (30) beside the tank (20) and a cover (40), which are assembled together as a single unit. A pump (23) is placed in the tank (20) and operated to pump liquid coolant to flow in the circulation loop. During flowing through the base (10) and the cover (40), the liquid coolant transfers heat to the heat-dissipating body (30).

1. Field
The present invention relates to a cooling device, and more particularly to a cooling device utilizing liquid for cooling a heat-generating electronic device.
2. Related Art
Liquid cooling devices were commonly utilized to cool huge heat-generating systems such as furnaces. Today, liquid cooling devices are also used to cool electronic components, such as chipsets, power chips or computer central processing units (CPUs), by circulating the liquid coolant in a channel to take heat away from the electronic components.
Usually, a conventional liquid cooling device is made of a series of units deposited dispersedly. The liquid cooling device includes a plurality of cooling bodies, a heat absorbing body defining a chamber therein for containing liquid coolant and cooling pipes connecting with the cooling bodies and the heat absorbing body. The heat absorbing body used to absorb heat from an electronic component to be cooled is communicated with the cooling bodies via the cooling pipes to form a closed circulation loop for the liquid coolant. Due to a long distance between the cooling bodies and the cooling pipes, space occupied by the liquid cooling device is large. It is in contradiction with the trend that electronic equipments become smaller and smaller today.

Bao'an District, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province

Fu Zhun Precision Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.


A semiconductor device has a semiconductor substrate, and a multi-layered wiring arrangement provided thereon. The multi-layered wring arrangement includes at least one insulating layer structure having a metal wiring pattern formed therein. The insulating layer structure includes a first SiOCH layer, a second SiOCH layer formed on the first SiOCH layer, and a silicon dioxide (SiO2) layer formed on the second SiOCH layer. The second SiOCH layer features a carbon (C) density lower than that of the first SiOCH layer, a hydrogen (H) density lower than that of the first SiOCH layer, and an oxygen (O) density higher than that of the first SiOCH layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device having a multi-layered wiring arrangement produced by using a damascene process, and a production method for manufacturing such a semiconductor device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a representative process of producing a plurality of semiconductor devices, for example, a silicon wafer is prepared, and a surface of the silicon wafer is sectioned into a plurality of semiconductor chip areas by forming grid-like fine grooves (i.e. scribe lines) in the silicon wafer. Then, the silicon wafer is processed by various well-known methods such that each of the semiconductor chip areas is produced as a semiconductor device, and an insulating layer is formed as an underlayer on the semiconductor devices produced in the silicon wafer. A plurality of metal plugs are formed in an area of the insulating underlayer, which corresponds to each of the semiconductor devices, with the metal plugs being electrically connected to a corresponding semiconductor device.
Subsequently, a multi-layered wiring arrangement is formed on the insulating underlayer of the silicon wafer, using various processes, for example, a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process, a photolithography process, an etching process, a sputtering process, an electroplating process, and so on. The multi-layered wiring arrangement includes a lowermost insulating layer structure formed on the insulating underlayer of the silicon wafer and having a plurality of metal wiring patterns formed therein, an uppermost insulating layer structure having a plurality of metal wiring patterns formed therein, and at least one intermediate insulating layer structure or insulating interlayer structure provided between the lowermost and uppermost insulating layer structures and having a plurality of metal wiring patterns. Conventionally, each of the lowermost and uppermost insulating layer structures is formed as a silicon dioxide layer by the CVD process, and the insulating interlayer structure is also formed as a silicon dioxide layer by the CVD process.
Each of the metal wiring patterns included in the lowermost insulating layer structure is electrically connected to the metal plugs provided for a corresponding semiconductor device. Also, each of the metal wiring patterns included in the insulating interlayer structure is electrically connected to a corresponding metal wiring pattern of the lowermost insulating layer structure through the intermediary of via-plugs formed in the insulating interlayer structure. Further, each of the metal wiring patterns included in the uppermost insulating layer structure is electrically connected to a corresponding metal wiring pattern of the insulating interlayer structure through the intermediary of via-plugs formed in the uppermost insulating layer structure.
With the recent advance of miniaturization of semiconductor devices, a signal-transmission path included in each metal wiring pattern becomes narrower. Of course, the narrower the signal-transmission path, the larger resistance of the signal-transmission path, resulting in delay of signal transmission in the signal-transmission path. Conventionally, in general, although the metal wiring patterns are formed of aluminum, there is a recent trend toward use of copper, exhibiting a smaller specific resistance than that of aluminum, for the metal wiring pattern, whereby the signal transmission can be facilitated in the signal-transmission paths of the metal wiring pattern.
Also, the signal-transmission paths included in each metal wiring pattern become closer to each other for the miniaturization of semiconductor devices, and thus a parasitic capacitance is produced between adjacent signal-transmission paths because the silicon dioxide layer serves as a dielectric therebetween. Of course, the production of the parasitic capacitance results in delay of signal transmission in the signal-transmission paths. In short, the miniaturization of the semiconductor devices has advanced to a degree in which a magnitude of a dielectric constant of the silicon dioxide layer cannot be neglected.
Thus, in the production of the semiconductor devices, it has been proposed that an insulating layer, composed of a low-k material having a smaller dielectric constant than that of silicon dioxide, be substituted for the silicon dioxide insulating layer, to thereby suppress the production of the parasitic capacitance. Note, for the low-k material, SiOCH is representatively used.
In general, since it is difficult to minutely process a copper layer by using a dry etching process to thereby produce a copper wiring pattern, a damascene process is used for the production of the minute copper wiring pattern, as disclosed in, for example, JP-A-2002-026121 and JP-A-2003-017561.
In the production of the aforesaid multi-layered wiring arrangement by using the damascene process, a SiOCH insulating layer is exposed to an oxidizing atmosphere, and thus it is difficult to completely substitute the SiOCH insulating layer for the silicon dioxide insulating layer, because the SiOCH insulating layer exhibits an oxidation resistance property which is inferior to that of the silicon dioxide insulating layer. Namely, the SiOCH insulating layer is liable to be oxidized due to a carbon component (C) contained therein.
Accordingly, in the damascene process, after the SiOCH insulating layer is formed, a thin silicon dioxide insulating layer is further formed as a protective layer over the SiOCH insulating layer. However, an adhesion strength is relatively low in an interface between the SiOCH insulating layer and the thin silicon dioxide insulating layer, due to existence of Si—CH3 bonds on the interfacial surface of the SiOCH insulating layer, and thus both the layers are liable to be separated from each other. Further, when the SiOCH insulating layer and the silicon dioxide insulating layer are formed by a plasma chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process, a tensile stress is produced in the SiOCH insulating layer, whereas a compression stress is produced in the silicon dioxide insulating layer. Thus, both the layers are further liable to be separated from each other.
In order to improve the oxidation resistance property of the SiOCH insulating layer and the adhesion property in the interface between SiOCH insulating layer and the thin silicon dioxide insulating layer, it has been proposed that the surface of the SiOCH insulating layer be subjected to a plasma treatment using a plasma gas containing oxygen (O), to thereby reform and modify the surface of the SiOCH insulating layer before the formation of the thin silicon dioxide insulating layer, as disclosed in the aforesaid JP-A-2002-026121. However, this plasma treatment is unsatisfactory in that it is difficult to reform and modify only a surface section of the SiOCH insulating layer. Namely, when the SiOCH insulating layer is treated with the plasma gas containing oxygen (O), it can be wholly reformed and modified, due to the poor oxidation resistance property of the SiOCH insulating layer. In other words, it is very difficult to control the plasma treatment such that only the surface section of the SiOCH insulating layer is reformed and modified.
On the other hand, the aforesaid JP-A-2003-017561 discloses a plasma treatment using a reducing gas for reforming and modifying the surface section of the SiOCH insulating layer. When a gas containing nitrogen (N), such as an N2 gas, an NH3 gas or the like, is used as the reducing gas, the SiOCH insulating layer is nitrided, resulting in a rise in the dielectric constant of the SiOCH insulating layer.
Also, when a hydrogen (H2) gas is used as the reducing gas, it is possible to increase desirable Si—H bonds in the surface section of the SiOCH insulating layer. Nevertheless, the hydrogen atoms (H) are liable to be separated from the Si—H bonds in a post-treatment, because the Si—H bonds are thermally unstable. Further, since the hydrogen atoms (H) can be easily diffused in the SiOCH insulating layer, it is very difficult to reform and modify only the surface section of the SiOCH insulating layer. In addition, since the methyl radicals (CH3—) are decreased from the reformed and modified surface section of the SiOCH insulating layer, it exhibits a high moisture-absorption characteristic. Of course, it is undesirable that the reformed and modified surface section of the SiOCH insulating layer contains moisture.

Semiconductor device having two distinct sioch layers


Systems and methods are provided for avoiding in-device coexistence interference on a user equipment. A first wireless communication circuitry and a second wireless communication circuitry operate concurrently on the user equipment. The second wireless communication circuitry detects an operational status of the first wireless communication circuitry, and determines if the operational status is transmission or reception. In response to determining that the operational status is transmission, the second wireless communication circuitry avoids receiving data. In response to determining that the operational status is reception, the second wireless communication circuitry avoids transmitting data.

The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the inventors hereof, to the extent the work is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.
Electronic communication equipment today usually contains two or more radio transceivers that can operate concurrently. A long-term evolution (LTE) smart phone or an LTE mobile hotspot can be equipped with an LTE radio, a wireless fidelity (WIFI) radio, a Bluetooth (BT) radio, and a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) radio, all in the same device. When the LTE working frequency is close to the WIFI/BT frequency on the same LTE smart phone, for instance, IDC interference may occur. More specifically, LTE radio transceivers can operate under Band 40 (2300 MHz-2400 MHz) and Band 7 (2500 MHz-2570 MHz). These two LTE bands are adjacent to the industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) band (2400 MHz-2500 MHz) under which the WIFI/BT radio transceivers typically operate. As a result, the LTE radio transceivers and the WIFI/BT radio transceivers on the same device may cause serious IDC interference for each other.
Traditionally, IDC interference is mitigated by radio frequency (RF) techniques, such as filtering or isolation. However, analyses made by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) showed that current state-of-the-art RF filtering technology cannot provide sufficient interference rejection for certain IDC scenarios. There have also been attempts to address the IDC interference problem by time-division multiplexing (TDM) techniques, such as the Wireless Coexistence Interface (WCI) proposed by the Bluetooth standard group. However, the transmission and signaling protocols defined by WCI is complicated, often requiring complete hardware and software redesign of existing radios. The research and development cost for implementing such a system can be extremely high.

Systems and methods for reducing in-device coexistence (IDC) interference


Provided are an information processing device, etc. that is capable of extracting information specific to a user from speech data. This information processing device is provided with: speech recognition means for generating a character string based on speech data; filtering means for filtering one or more keywords extracted from the character string generated by the speech recognition means, based on one or more words which are relevant to a speaker of the speech data and stored in advance; and output means for outputting a result of the filtering performed by the filtering means.

Today, a great number of voice calls are made using communication terminals such as cellular phones and smartphones. There may occur a situation during a voice call where note taking is desired to be performed in order not to forget an important word having appeared in the voice call. However, there may be a case where some inconvenience occurs with regard to taking a note during a voice call on a communication terminal. For example, it is difficult for a user usually using a note-taking function of a communication terminal as a substitute for a note pad, to take a note while the user is using the communication terminal for a voice call. Further, places where the user makes a voice call on a communication terminal are not fixed. Accordingly, in such as a case of receiving a phone call when the recipient is outdoors, it is often the case that the recipient is not prepared to take a note, and it accordingly is difficult for the recipient to take a note during the voice call.
Relating to these difficulties, technology of extracting and displaying information suited to user needs on the basis of speech information, text information and the like is widely known.
For example, Patent Literature 1 (PTL 1) discloses a technology which automatically generates, from text information inputted by a user, a keyword list for identifying an important word, and extracts from input speech information a word matching any of the keywords as an important word, which is subsequently displayed.
Patent Literature 2 (PTL 2) discloses a technology which performs a program selection process on the basis of a profile including personal program preference registered by a user in advance via video equipment, feedback information collected through actual program viewing, and the like. In PTL 2, the program selection process is performed by extracting a keyword from a program guide or speech information and comparing the extracted keyword with the profile.
Patent Literature 3 (PTL 3) discloses a technology which presents a user with program information relating to a keyword having been input by the user, by searching an electronic program guide for program information which matches the keyword and, if no such matching program information is found, performing search on the internet according to the input keyword.
Patent Literature 4 (PTL 4) discloses a technology which detects keywords from the subject or body of an e-mail and, when there is any keyword matching a search word having been input by a searcher, displays an important person in the e-mail exchange. PTL 4 discloses also a technology which converts speech content for each attendee in a conference into text by speech recognition and, from the generated text, extracts a keyword according to the number of appearances.
Patent Literature 5 (PTL 5) discloses a technology which, using Cookie, collects information reference tendency of each visitor on a site and, when returning a response of a service, performs the returning after automatically adding additional information prepared in advance which is considered to be effective according to the information reference tendency.

Information processing device, information processing method and program recording medium


A liquid crystal compound selected from a group of compounds represented by formula (a):

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a liquid crystal compound, a liquid crystal composition and a liquid crystal display device. More specifically, it relates to a chlorofluorobenzene derivative, which is a liquid crystal compound, a liquid crystal composition having a nematic phase and containing the compound, and a liquid crystal display device containing the composition.
2. Related Art
A liquid crystal display device, which is represented by a liquid crystal display panel and a liquid crystal display module, utilizes optical anisotropy and dielectric anisotropy of a liquid crystal compound (which is a generic term for a compound having a liquid crystal phase, such as a nematic phase, a smectic phase and so forth, and also for a compound having no liquid crystal phase but being useful as a component of a composition), and as an operation mode of a liquid crystal display device, various modes have been known, such as a phase change (PC) mode, a twisted nematic (TN) mode, a super twisted nematic (STN) mode, a bistable twisted nematic (BTN) mode, an electrically controlled birefringence (ECB) mode, an optically compensated bend (OCB) mode, an in-plane switching (OPS) mode, a vertical alignment (VA) mode, and so forth.
Among these modes, an ECB mode, an IPS mode, a VA mode and so forth are operation modes utilizing vertical orientation property of a liquid crystal molecule. In particular, it has been known that an IPS mode and a VA mode can eliminate a narrow viewing angle, which is a defect of the conventional modes, such as a TN mode and an STN mode.
As a component of a liquid crystal composition having a negative dielectric anisotropy, which can be used in a liquid crystal display device of these modes, various kinds of liquid crystal compounds, in which hydrogen on a benzene ring is replaced by fluorine, have been investigated (as described, for example, in WO 98/23561, JP H10-158652 A/1998, JP H02-4723 A/1990, JP 2002-193853 A, JP H10-237075 A/1998, JP H02-4725 A/1990, WO 89/08633, WO 89/08687 and EP 1333017).
For example, a compound (A) represented by the following structural formula has been investigated (as described in WO 98/23561). A compound, in which hydrogen on a benzene ring is replaced by chlorine and fluorine, represented by the compound (A) does not have a high clearing point and has a high viscosity. The compound is poor in stability to an ultraviolet ray.
As a dopant for a liquid crystal medium used in an electrochemical display, a compound (B), in which hydrogen on a benzene ring is replaced by chlorine and fluorine, and a terminal group has a branched structure, has been disclosed (for example, in JP H10-158652A/1998). The mesophase range where the compound exhibits liquid crystallinity is significantly narrow.
As a compound having cyclohexenylene, in which hydrogen on a benzene ring is replaced by fluorine, a compound (C) and a compound (D) have been reported (as described, for example, in JP H02-4723 A/1990 and JP 2002-193853 A). However, the compound (C) and the compound (D) are poor in compatibility in a low temperature range as compared to the other liquid crystal compounds.
Compounds having cyclohexenylene, in which hydrogen on a benzene ring is replaced by fluorine, have been reported as intermediates in, for example, WO 89/08633, WO 89/08687 and EP 1333017.

Accordingly, a liquid crystal display device having an operation mode, such as an IPS mode or a VA mode, still has problems as a display device compared to CRT, and for example, need improved response time and contrast, and decreased driving voltage.
The display device driven in an IPS mode or a VA mode is constituted mainly by a liquid crystal composition having a negative dielectric anisotropy, and in order to improve the aforementioned properties, a liquid crystal compound contained in the liquid crystal composition necessarily has the following properties (1) to (8):
(1) The compound is chemically stable and physically stable;
(2) The compound has a high clearing point (transition temperature from a liquid crystal phase to an isotropic phase);
(3) The compound has a low minimum temperature of a liquid crystal phase (such as a nematic phase and a smectic phase), particularly has a low minimum temperature of a nematic phase;
(4) The compound has a low viscosity;
(5) The compound has a suitable optical anisotropy;
(6) The compound has a suitable negative dielectric anisotropy;
(7) The compound has suitable elastic constants K33 and K11 (K33: bend elastic constant, K11: splay elastic constant); and
(8) The compound is excellent in compatibility with other liquid crystal compounds.
In the case where a composition containing a liquid crystal compound that is chemically and physically stable as in (1) is used in a display device, the voltage holding ratio can be increased.
In the case where a composition containing a liquid crystal compound having a high clearing point or a low minimum temperature of a liquid crystal phase as in (2) and (3) is used, the temperature range of a nematic phase can be enhanced, and a display device can be used in a wide temperature range.
In the case where a composition containing a compound having a small viscosity as in (4) or a large elastic constant K33 as in (7) is used in a display device, the response time can be improved. In the case where a composition containing a compound having a suitable optical anisotropy as in (5) is used in a display device, a contrast of the display device can be improved. Liquid crystal compounds having optical anisotropy varying over a wide range are necessary depending on design of a display device. In recent years, there is a tendency that the cell thickness is decreased for improving the response time, and accordingly, a composition having a large optical anisotropy is demanded.
Furthermore, in the case where a liquid crystal compound has a negatively large dielectric anisotropy, a liquid crystal composition containing the compound can have a low threshold voltage, and accordingly, a display device using a composition containing a suitable negative dielectric anisotropy as in (6) can have a low driving voltage and a small electric power consumption. In the case where a composition containing a compound having a suitable elastic constant K33 as in (7) is used in a display device, the driving voltage of the display device can be controlled, and the electric power consumption can also be controlled.
A liquid crystal compound is generally used as a composition by mixing with other various liquid crystal compounds for obtaining properties that cannot be exhibited with a sole compound. Accordingly, a liquid crystal compound used in a display device preferably has good compatibility with other liquid crystal compounds as in (8). Furthermore, a display device may be used over a wide temperature range including a temperature below freezing point, and therefore, the compound preferably exhibits good compatibility from a low temperature range.

Chlorofluorobenzene liquid crystal compound, liquid crystal composition and liquid crystal display device

Abstract: wherein Ra and Rb are each independently alkyl having 1 to 10 carbons, alkoxy having 1 to 9 carbons, alkoxyalkyl having 2 to 9 carbons, alkenyl having 2 to 10 carbons, alkenyloxy having 2 to 9 carbons, fluoroalkyl having 1 to 10 carbons or fluoroalkoxy having 1 to 9 carbons; ring A1, ring A2 and ring A3 are each independently trans-1,4-cyclohexylene, trans-1,3-dioxane-2,5-diyl, trans-tetrahydropyran-2,5-diyl, 1,4-phenylene, 2-fluoro-1,4-phenylene, 2,3-difluoro-1,4-phenylene, 2,5-difluoro-1,4-phenylene, 2,6-difluoro-1,4-phenylene, pyridine-2,5-diyl, 6-fluoropyridine-2,5-diyl or pyridazine-2,5-diyl; Z1, Z2 and Z3 are each independently a single bond, —(CH2)2—, —CH═CH—, —C≡C—, —CH2O, —OCH2—, —COO—, —OCO—, —OCF2—, —CF2O—, —CH2CH2OCF2— or —CF2OCH2CH2—; l, m and n are each independently 0, 1 or 2, provided that l+m+n is 0, 1, 2 or 3; one of X1 and X2 is fluorine, and the other is chlorine; Q is

Abstract: and atoms comprising the compound each may be an isotope thereof.


The invention relates to an arm exoskeleton comprising a moving system of joints placed in parallel with the joints of the human arm, the exoskeleton comprising a shoulder exoskeleton, an elbow exoskeleton, and a wrist exoskeleton. In all, the exoskeleton has sixteen joints providing sixteen degrees of freedom. A support worn on the torso of a human operator comprises a rigid front plate and a rigid back plate. The shoulder exoskeleton has its proximal end fixed to the front plate, whereby the front plate provides a fixed reference for all movements of the exoskeleton, and the wrist exoskeleton is fixed to a rigid glove worn on the hand of the operator. Active joints are controlled by flexible cable tendons bridging the exoskeleton, said tendons themselves being actuated by control units disposed on the rigid back plate. Inflatable cushions prevent the wrist exoskeleton and the shoulder exoskeleton from moving relative to the arm of the operator. The invention is applicable in particular to remotely controlling a robot in space.

As a preliminary point, it is appropriate to recall the meaning of the term "exoskeleton", particularly as used in the context of the invention.
The term "exoskeleton" was originally used in biology for designating the outer supporting shell of an animal. For example, arthropods have an outer shell of chitin instead of an internal skeleton. More recently, the term has also been associated with structural devices designed to be attached around the limbs of people.
Still more recently, a new category of devices has been added to the family of exoskeletons: these are mechanisms used, for example, for the purpose of increasing the performance that can be delivered by a human, a robot, or indeed while interaction with virtual reality. Other possible applications for such mechanisms are described below.
By way of concrete example, the text below relates to the preferred application of the invention, specifically to its application to space technologies. Still more precisely, consideration is given to remotely controlling a humanoid type robot working outside a space station, for example the international space station. In the context of this application, the robot could be the robot known as "Eurobot" which is intended to provide highly accurate and dextrous means for performing inspection, maintenance, and repair actions on equipment in the highly hostile environment of space. The robot is fitted with three moving arms similar to human arms (i.e. in particular having seven degrees of freedom). Most of the time, the robot is programmed to perform pre-established tasks, but in some circumstances the robot needs to be remotely controlled:                either by astronauts inside the space station; or        else directly by operators who have remained on the earth.
In both cases, the need to perform very precise manipulations makes it necessary to use so-called "immersion" techniques. For this purpose, the operator wears video goggles, force feedback gloves, and one or more arm exoskeletons so as to be able to feel the same sensations as the robot, i.e. the sensations which the operator would feel when performing the tasks that are being executed by the robot.
The need to create an exoskeleton compatible with operators on earth or with astronauts leads to various constraints. It is necessary for the system to be light in weight (typically less than 5 kilograms (kg)), compact, and easy to wear.
Exoskeletons in the state of the art generally suffer from various drawbacks and/or insufficiencies, such as the following:                it is not possible to feel all of the movements of the human arm and to obtain feedback forces and torques, without limiting the normal range of movements available to the human arm; it is in particular necessary to obtain information concerning the position of the shoulder, of the elbow, and of the wrist;        it is difficult to produce a system that is genuinely "portable", which means that the movements of the operator should not be limited while the device is in use (turning around an article, leaning over, walking, etc.); and        limited ability to be fitted, which means, for example, that a given exoskeleton is not suitable for use with a high percentage of the male population, typically the 5th to 95th percentile range, without itself being significantly modified.
More precisely, human arm exoskeletons need to overcome a major problem, namely that of imitating the movements of the complex human joints that are constituted by the shoulder, the elbow, and the wrist. Imitation is difficult because these joints are closely covered, with their axes of rotation moving with changing posture of the arm. In the state of the art, exoskeletons have attempted to deal with the problem of the shoulder by implementing a mechanism that rests on the human shoulder from above and behind. The imperfections of that approach can be found in the bulk and the weight of the mechanism. It also weighs down the arm. Similarly massive solutions have also been used for the wrist.
In general, it is also found that in known exoskeleton mechanisms, the complex movements of the joints of the human arm are simplified and reduced to joints having respective single degrees of freedom, or "DOF" in order to simplify description. The drawback of that solution is that normal movements of the "master" arm (i.e. the arm that imposes actions) is disturbed and it is not possible to achieve a sensation of comfort while the "slave" arm is in operation (force feedback).
Without being exhaustive, there follows a brief description of various known solutions, pointing out their limitations.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,575,297 A (Hans Richter) describes a robot having a chest plate, an upper arm member, and a lower arm member having finger and thumb units into which the human limbs are inserted. A human operator to whom the robot members are attached sits on a support structure such as a moving chair. The robot members, their lengths, the joints between them, and the joint axes correspond to those of the human operator. Each joint is associated with a hydraulic motor sensor device. The shoulder portion of the robot is restricted to movements about two axes. Another axis allows the elbow to flexed or to be extended. An axis parallel to the axis of the forearm allows the forearm to turn. On the wrist, a knuckle joint parallel to the swivel joint of the elbow provides means to enable the wrist to move in human manner.
The exoskeleton mechanism taught by the above-specified patent copies the normal movements of a human arm. Each actuated joint is controlled by hydraulic actuators, which are directly mounted beside the joints. The range of possible movements is relatively limited. In particular movement without backlash is not possible.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,967,580 A (Mark E. Rosheim) relates to a pair of connected-together joints and to force-generator means for using them in slave robot systems. The patent relates to an anthropomorphic mechanical manipulator providing some of the capabilities of a human torso and it can move in ways similar to the chest, the shoulder, the arm, the wrist, and the hands of a human. Again, the moving structure of the robot described in the above-specified patent resembles the moving structure of a human arm. It follows that it is desired to provide a mechanical manipulator resembling the upper human torso and the arm, and capable of being provided with movement options substantially equivalent to those available to the upper arm and torso of a human. A mechanical structure provides means for engaging the hands of an operator.
A counterpart mechanism can be used as an exoskeleton for controlling the slave robot, but it is not optimized for that use per se. It is possible to provide force feedback only in the portion of the exoskeleton that is equivalent to the hand. The two mechanisms are equivalent to the upper structure of a human limb in terms of movement (parameters of the limbs and the joints). Each axis of rotation is directly controlled by direct current (DC) linear motors. Only a very limited range of normal human movements of the arm can be covered with the exoskeleton mechanism as described. As mentioned above, force feedback is possible only for the human hand, with this characteristic being the main object of the patent.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,301,526 A (mun Sang Kim et al.) relates mainly to a device having a force feedback function and which is mounted on a human arm. This can return feedback information concerning operating limits by using motor brakes. The main device is a series type chain configuration fixed on the back of an operator. Second and third combining means are fixed above and below the elbow, and fourth combining means are fixed to a back portion of the hand. Seven axes of the exoskeleton include electric brake units for generating torque. Position-determining units and gear units for amplifying torque are associated with the actuator units.
The base of the moving system is fixed to the operator's back and not to the chest. The movement of the exoskeleton can be influenced only by passive electric brakes, which can be used only to damp the natural movements of the human arm.
International patent application WO 95/32842 A2 (AN, Bin) relates to a system having the same degrees of freedom as the human arm, and which therefore needs to be attached closely to the human arm. The system also moves in a manner equivalent to the arm of an operator. The exoskeleton is fixed on the operator's back and all the components that form an interface with the human body are adjustable. As a result, any misalignment between the operator and the system imparts movement constraints on the human joints and is very uncomfortable, impeding natural anatomic movements. That invention relates mainly to the problem of attaching the exoskeleton to the operator, which problem is solved by means of special design features.
Movements are restricted to only five degrees of freedom. Movements of the shoulder girdle, and movements of the wrist are neither detectable nor controllable. Each axis is actuated directly by a DC motor device, which is mounted close to an appropriate joint axis. Because of its highly simplified moving structure, many of the components need to be designed to be adjustable. The base of the exoskeleton is fixed on the upper portion of the operator's back.
It can be seen that prior art exoskeletons, some of which are described above, present major limitations and do not make it possible to satisfy fully the needs that are felt, in particular in space applications. Prior art exoskeletons are for the most part based on a mechanism which seeks to imitate or to approximate as closely as possible the movements of human limbs. Finally, as can be seen from the description below of the invention, prior art exoskeleton mechanisms present major structural differences compared with the mechanism implemented in the invention.

Exoskeleton for the human arm, in particular for space applications

Organisation Intergouvernementale Dite Agence Spatiale Europeenne


The invention's object generator utilizes two frames, a y-frame that is atop an x-frame. The y-frame (or the x-frame) is divided into two halves. Each half of the y-frame (or the x-frame) contains a number of needles and latches. The needles in one half of the y-frame are opposed by the needles in the other half of the y-frame. Similarly, The needles in one half of the x-frame are opposed by the needles in the other half of the x-frame. The invention also includes a "head" which comprises a bobbin/tensioning mechanism along with other components. The object generator's head is movable to any location on a grid formed by the y-frame and x-frame. The head dispenses yarn under direction of a custom control software. A computer operating the invention's object generator has stored therein a three dimensional image of the object to be generated. The computer dissects the three dimensional image into two dimensional layer data. The computer and the custom control software feed the two dimensional layer data, layer by layer, to the invention's object generator. The needles of the invention's object generator perform various knitting actions on the yarn that is dispensed by the object generator's head. The needles generate two dimensional layers corresponding to the two dimensional layer data received from the computer. The two dimensional layers are built upon one another and gradually form a three dimensional object.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of computer driven apparatuses used for fabricating three dimensional objects.
2. Background Art
Various techniques for automatically producing patterns of knit or woven ware are presently known. By way of example, a computerized machine called "SYSTEMKNIT" has been developed by the Fibrous High Molecular Material Laboratory of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry of Japan. The pattern information for SYSTEMKNIT is derived from a design developed by an artist using a pattern analyzing device. To operate the SYSTEMKNIT machine, the patterns are scanned and fed to a knitting machine. However, the knitting machine can produce only two dimensional patterns with a negligible third dimension. In other words, the machine can only produce textile with very small thickness. The machine cannot produce truly three dimensional objects (either solid or hollow) of an arbitrary shape.
With recent technological advances, computerized representation of three dimensional models have become possible. Computers are now used to display a three dimensional model from various perspectives. Computers can also dissect a virtual three dimensional model (i.e., the three dimensional image of the three dimensional model) and display the various cross sections of the virtual model. Thus, creation, manipulation, and dissection of three-dimensional virtual models have become possible.
In great contrast, the present technology to translate such three dimensional images into physical three dimensional objects is very limited. Presently there exist computer driven devices that make solid prototypes using a single material. However, these computer driven devices are very limited in their application and versatility. For example, these devices can merely produce simple solid prototypes composed of a single material. The objects produced by these devices are simply prototypes and cannot be mass-manufactured. These computerized devices merely replace the manual process of making a prototype. Moreover, these devices lack versatility from other respects. For example, these computerized devices can only make an entirely solid prototype with no internal structures. In other words, these computerized devices cannot make hollow structures (such as a hollow cube, or an otherwise hollow cube that has internal pillars). Thus, these devices lack the critical element of arbitrariness. Moreover, the three dimensional solid prototypes made by these computerized devices comprise only a single material and not a composite of different materials. For example, the prototype cannot be made from a combination of metal, plastic, and fiber.
A more recent example of such computerized prototyping technology is a technology called "Rapid Prototyping" (or "RP"). Rapid Prototyping is a technology that produces prototypes from three dimensional computer-aided design ("CAD") model data. Rapid Prototyping systems join together liquid, powder, and sheet materials to form prototype parts. These systems fabricate objects using thin horizontal cross sections directly from a computer generated model. RP systems use only one material which can be plastic, wood, paper, or metal.
Some RP systems use laser to cut and shape soft material such as liquid polymers or waxes. Soft material such as liquid polymers are photo sensitive and after being shaped by the laser beam are hardened by a flood of light directed onto the surface of the material. Other RP systems use laser to cut sheet material such as paper. Thin layers of paper are cut into the shape of thin horizontal cross sections according to the CAD model data. The thin layers of paper are then pressed together and bonded by a heated roller. An RP part usually costs a few thousand dollars and takes a week or longer to produce and finish.
Some simpler, less expensive, RP systems that make more temporary prototypes are called 3D Printers. Some 3D Printers are machines that deposit layers of thermoplastic material using ink jet technology. Other 3D Printers create plastic models one droplet at a time using ink jet technology. While the life of an RP part is often days or weeks, the life of a 3D printed part may be only minutes or hours. The RP machines and 3D Printing machines suffer from similar disadvantages discussed above. Namely, these machines cannot create hollow three dimensional objects of arbitrary shapes. Moreover, these machines cannot produce objects that are made of composite material. Also, the primary material that these machines can use are soft, malleable, and/or easily cut which severely limits the practical use of such machines.
Conventional knitting machines offer some arbitrariness in the structure and configuration of the knitted object and are capable of knitting materials of different types. However, conventional knitting machines produce only textile which is practically two dimensional. Although, from a technical point of view, the textile has a small thickness (which makes up its third dimension), the textile is not truly three dimensional; it is merely technically three dimensional. In fact, the Textile Institute's Terms and Definitions Glossary defines the term "textile" as "any manufacture from fibers, filaments, or yarns characterized by flexibility, fineness and a high ratio of length to thickness." The differences between textile and a "real" three dimensional object are many. First, a real three dimensional object can have a thickness equal to, or even greater than, its length or width. Second, a real three dimensional object can be solid or hollow. Textile, although of very small thickness, is manifestly a solid object. Third, a real three dimensional object can have internal support structures that are themselves real three dimensional objects. For example, a hollow cube with internal pillars where each pillar has substantial length, width, and thickness is a "real" three dimensional object that can never be produced by existing textile knitting machines. Therefore, conventional knitting machines cannot produce truly three dimensional objects.
Another shortcoming of all of the known art discussed above is lack of a software application specifically tailored to dissecting a three dimensional virtual model and translating the data to run a machine for fabrication of arbitrary composite three dimensional objects. To be sure, some conventional knitting machines are controlled by electronic pattern control systems. However, the pattern control systems can only generate two dimensional knitted textile.
The patents and an article discussed below demonstrate the present day status of related art. As shown by these patents and the article, the present day technology does not offer a solution to the shortcomings of the related art in fabricating composite, arbitrary, and truly three dimensional objects.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,631,931 to Banos ("Banos '931") discloses a device for knitting a "section element" of a composite material. Banos '931 uses two knitting heads to define the outer shape of a desired section element. Threads are knitted around rods in two orthogonal planes to fabricate the cross-sectional shape of the desired section element.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,779,429 to Banos ("Banos '429") discloses a method for knitting a section element of a composite material. Each cross section of the knitted section element consists of several rectangular surfaces connected together. Each rectangular area corresponds to a series of needles in a knitting head.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,183,232 to Banos et al ("Banos '232") discloses a machine for three dimensional weaving of reinforcements. Banos '232 discloses making a three dimensional weave with a triple set of rods and yarns woven with these rods at a fixed point in front of which the rods move while turning around the axis of rotation. Banos '232 discloses fabrication of reinforcements of cylindrical, conical, or cylindro-conical ones.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,019,036 to Hiramatsu et al ("Hiramatsu") discloses an apparatus for applying patterning signals to an electrical patterning device.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,078,253 to Kajiura et al ("Kajiura") discloses a pattern generating system. Kajiura discloses conversion of a pattern drawn on a sheet into digital signals and applying the digital signals to a knitting machine.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,246,039 to Fredriksson ("Frediiksson") discloses a textile machine control system. FIGS. 9 through 11 of Fredriksson along with column 11, line 19 through column 15, line 23 disclose examples of flat knitting apparatus that interface with the textile machine control system.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,292,820 to Ragoza et al ("Ragoza") discloses an apparatus for knitting the heel of a hosiery article. U.S. Pat. No. 4,393,669 to Cahuzac ("Cahuzac '669") discloses a lacing machine for making pieces with multidirectional woven reinforcement. U.S. Pat. No. 4,505,134 to Essig ("Essig '134") discloses a knitting machine having two flat needle beds. U.S. Pat. No. 4,555,918 to Cahuzac ("Cahuzac '918") discloses a needle used in knitting yarns where the needle has an openable eye. U.S. Pat. No. 5,524,461 to Nielsen et al ("Nielsen") discloses a control system for yarn feed gearbox. U.S. Pat. No. 5,484,983 to Roell ("Roell") discloses an electric heating element in a knitted fabric. U.S. Pat. No. 5,553,470 to Hohne et al ("Hohne") discloses a wrap knitting machine.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,162 to Gray et al ("Gray") discloses an apparatus for controlling twist in a knitted fabric. U.S. Pat. No. 5,626,037 to Jeffcoat ("Jeffcoat") discloses a method for determining the shape of a knitting pattern. U.S. Pat. No. 5,682,771 to Forest et al ("Forest") discloses a knitted cover for vehicle seat. U.S. Pat. No. 5,692,399 to Takahashi et al ("Takahashi") discloses a method for knitting fabric. U.S. Pat. No. 3,772,647 to Christiansen ("Christiansen") discloses a method for data verification for electronic knitting machine. U.S. Pat. No. 3,790,704 to Collomosse et al ("Collomosse") discloses a pattern control system for controlling textile machinery. U.S. Pat. No. 3,818,724 to Bourgeois ("Bourgeois") discloses a data programming device for control of knitting machines.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,018,064 to Doslik ("Doslik") discloses an electronic control of knitting machines. U.S. Pat. No. 4,199,965 to Wilson ("Wilson") discloses a yarn feed control system. U.S. Pat. No. 4,114,405 to Bartels ("Bartels") discloses a control unit for a hand knitter. U.S. Pat. No. 4,890,462 to Essig ("Essig '462") discloses a knitted fabric.
An article entitled "New Technique For Knitting Solid 3-D Structures" authored by E. Sheffer and T. Dias and published in the United Kingdom discusses use of textile structures as reinforcement structures in a three dimensional matrix and placement of such textile structures in a predefined orientation within the three dimensional matrix. This articles recommends vertical displacement between a great number of needle bars to ensure sufficient space for the knitted layers to be formed at the back side of the needles without interference from neighboring needle bars. The article also recommends guide bars that are placed between the needle bars where the guide bars have a spatial compound movement to allow their tips to deposit yarn on the front and back sides of the needles and also connect a knitted layer to the neighboring ones.
Therefore, there is serious need in the art for a computer driven method and apparatus for fabrication of real three dimensional objects which can have a thickness equal to, or greater than, their respective lengths or widths. There is also serious need in the art for a computer driven method and apparatus for fabrication of real three dimensional objects where the objects can be solid or hollow and where the objects can have internal support structures which are themselves real three dimensional objects. There is further need in the art for software that is specifically tailored to dissect a three dimensional virtual model and translate the data to run a machine for fabrication of arbitrary composite three dimensional objects. Moreover, there is need in the art for fabrication of arbitrary composite objects of composite (i.e. more than one) material. Also, there is serious need in the art for a machine that can mass manufacture arbitrary three dimensional objects.

Method and apparatus for fabrication of composite and arbitrary three dimensional objects


A heavy attachment for attaching to an end of a drain hose of a recreational vehicle is disclosed. The attachment being made up of two half cylindrical shaped halves hinged together which can be pinned in a clamping position around the drain hose adjacent its outlet end with an inch or so of said hose projecting thereby providing an anchor for holding the drain hose in place.

The sewage stored in recreational vehicle (RV) holding tanks are sometimes emptied into dump stations which generally have a four-inch PVC pipe (cemented in a platform) connected to a sewer or a septic system.
When emptying RV holding tanks into a dump station, a three-and-one-half inch vinyl expandable hose is connected to the RV tank outlet. The other end of the hose is inserted loosely into the four-inch PVC pipe. A valve on the RV discharges the sewage through the hose and into the sewage system of the dump station.
A similar application is provided at RV parks. An RV operator pays a fee to park and is provided "full hookup" service. This hookup consists of electrical service, water service and sewer service. The RV operator connects the sewer hose to the sewer system of the RV Park in a similar manner as described for a dump station.
The apprehension of the RV operator, whether hooking up to a dump station or an RV Park facility, is the fear that the sewer hose will disengage from the loose fitting sewer connection and discharge sewage on the ground. There are many systems used for circumventing the disastrous occurrence aforesaid. Some people seek heavy stones to place on top of the hose. Others carry fire logs, cement blocks and bricks to place on top of the hose. There is available a soft rubber adapter cone into which the RV sewer hose is inserted. The device is then inserted into the dump station pipe. However, dumping sewage is a universal problem to everyone employing current methods of holding the sewer hose in the sewer pipe.
Applicant is aware of the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: 3,730,228 to Gibbs for a hose-case assembly. U.S. Pat. No. 4,082,242 to Smith for an omnidirectional sewer hose support. U.S. Pat. No. 4,133,347 to Mercer for a waste evacuation attachment for recreational vehicles. U.S. Pat. No. 4,151,864 to Thurman for a drain adapter for corrugated hose. U.S. Pat. No. 4,223,702 to Cook for a drain line for recreational vehicles. U.S. Pat. No. 4,228,978 to Rand for a recreational vehicle sewer hose support. U.S. Pat. No. 4,796,926 to Rapsilver for a dump fitting for sewer hose. U.S. Pat. No. 5,023,959 to Mercer for an extendable waste hose system. None of the known prior art shows a heavy collar for a hose to hold it in place.


A semiconductor memory device having an excellent data holding characteristics because of a small leak current from a trench and a process for producing the same are disclosed. An SiO.sub.2 film 12 having an appropriate pattern is formed on a P type silicon substrate 11. Trenches 14 are relatively formed on the SiO.sub.2 film 12 by selectively growing a P type epitaxial layer 13 on the silicon substrate 11 using the SiO.sub.2 film 12 as a mask. An N type layer 23 acting as an electrode of a capacitor 27 is formed on the inner wall of the trench 14 by the oblique ion implantation of impurities 22 thereto. A polycrystalline silicon film 25 acting as an opposite electrode of the capacitor 27 is formed on an ONO film 24 so that the ONO film 24 is disposed between the polysilicon film 25 and the SiO.sub.2 film. The semiconductor memory device which is produced by this method without etching to form the trenches 14 has a fewer crystal defects in the epitaxial layer 13 around the trenches 14. Accordingly, the data holding characteristics are improved since the leak current from the trenches 14 becomes less. As a result of this, higher density integration is possible since the device can be made with less capacitance of capacitors.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor memory device such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM) and a process for producing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
A memory cell of DRAM usually comprises a metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) transistor or metal insulator semiconductor (MIS) transistor and a capacitor. The cell capacitance is determined by the amount of charge stored in the capacitor. Accordingly, in order to provide a sufficient memory cell capacitance even if the memory cell area of the DRAM is reduced, formation of capacitors in grooves which are referred to as trenches in a semiconductor substrate has been recently conducted. Formation of capacitors around pillars which are left in the subsurface of the semiconductor substrate after etching has been proposed.
The memory cells including the trenches are classified into a trench capacitor structure type in which an inner surface portion of the trench acts as a charge storage node and a polysilicon portion embedded in the trench with an insulator film being intermediate therebetween acts as an opposite electrode and a so-called stacked trench structure type in which a charge storage electrode which is a storage node is formed on an insulator film within the trench and a opposite electrode is formed with a dielectric film disposed on the charge storage electrode.
For example, an improved stacked trench structure is disclosed in Tsukamoto et al. "Double Stacked Capacitor with Self-aligned Poly Source/Drain Transistor (DSP) Cell for Megabit DRAM", PP328-331 IEDM 87 IEEE 1987.
The above mentioned trenches have heretofore formed by etching a semiconductor substrate.
Processes for producing a memory cell having a trench structure is disclosed in JP-A-02-111062 (Yamada et al) and JP-A-63-253660 (Kiyosumi). A method of forming trenches for trench capacitors is disclosed in JP-A-01-105567 (Motoyama et al).
If trenches are formed in a semiconductor substrate by etching, a number of crystal defects are generated in the semiconductor substrate around the trenches due to damages by etching. In the trench capacitor structure in which a charge storage node is defined in the inner surface region of the trench, a leak current may easily conduct, resulting in deterioration of data holding characteristics.
If a device having a reduced memory cell area is formed in order to overcome the problems due to etching damages or the leak current, the data holding capability is further lowered, resulting in that integration degree of devices can not be increased above a predetermined value.
If an etching method having a high fabrication accuracy is adopted to form a finer pattern, etching damages become more serious since a high energy ion assist is needed.

Process for producing a semiconductor memory device having memory cells including transistors and capacitors


An apparatus for adjusting phase relation of a plurality of clock signals in a processor. The apparatus contains a phase detection circuit that receives a plurality of clock signals and generates a first output based on a phase relation between those clock signals. A controller then adjusts the delay of the clock signals based on the first output of the phase detection circuit and a bit of a delay shift register to synchronize the clock signals within a predefined range. The controller generates a second output if the phase relation between the plurality of clock signals has changed before the adjusting of the delay of the clock signals has occurred. A noise band circuit is configured to receive the second output of the controller and adjust the predefined range in response to the receiving of the second output.

Early microprocessor designs use a single clock distribution line, or spine, located in the center of the microprocessor to distribute a clock signal throughout the microprocessor. Grided power distribution within microprocessors create non-uniform thermal and voltage gradients across the die creating skew in the distributed clock signal. Some microprocessor designs use two clock distribution lines along the periphery of the die to reduce this effect. This method, however, still results in skew between clock distribution lines. As clock frequency in microprocessor designs increases, skew management in the clock distribution network becomes more important. Clock skew affects the microprocessor input/output ("I/O") and internal circuit timing. In maximum delay paths, clock skew limits the maximum operating frequency. In minimum delay paths, clock skew causes the microprocessor to fail at any frequency.
Clock skew is a function of load, network distribution, and device mismatch as well as temperature and voltage gradients. In addition, clock skew can be affected by AC voltage noise residing within network. As a result, deskewing circuits are designed in order to reduce the clock skew encountered in processor designs.
Prior art systems use a digital signal processing to filter out system noise. One disadvantage of this approach is that it adds more latency, hardware, and complexity to the system.

Adaptive filtering scheme for sampling phase relations of clock networks


Compositions and methods are provided in embodiments directed to maintaining a desired concentration range of one or more drugs in a subject, and in particular embodiments to maintaining a desired drug concentration in a body compartment in a subject, based on the surprising discovery that antibodies persist in solution in body compartments such that antibody-antigen equilibrium principles can counteract drug clearance mechanisms. One or more antibodies are selected that have a dissociation constant KD that is similar to the desired drug concentration, wherein KD is independent of the affinity of the drug for a specific drug target (receptor) in the subject.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the use of antibodies as biopharmacological buffers for regulating drug concentration, half-life, bioactivity and/or bioavailability. More specifically, invention embodiments as disclosed herein relate to regionally administering a drug and a specific anti-drug antibody, to treat a disease or disorder in a selected body compartment.
2. Description of the Related Art
Despite the fact that a vast number of diseases in humans and animals are characterized by adverse pathophysiological effects that are localized to particular sites, tissues or organs in an afflicted individual, the majority of therapeutic treatment regimens for such conditions involve systemic or global administration of a therapeutic drug, for example, via oral or intravenous routes. (See, e.g., Rang, H. P. et al. (Eds.), Pharmacology, 2003 Churchill Livingstone, New York, Ch. 7, pp. 91-105.) Consequently, pharmacologic or suprapharmacologic levels of a drug are often achieved in clinically irrelevant, inappropriate and/or undesirable anatomical locations within the recipient (including circulating plasma concentrations), as the by-product of efforts to attain a therapeutically effective level of such drug at a relatively restricted site. Drug clearance and degradation activities in the body often necessitate repeated administration of the drug, which can often lead to recurring wide fluctuations in the actual circulating drug concentration.
For instance, chemotherapy plays a significant role in the current treatment regime for young children with brain tumors because radiation often leads to developmental delay and neuroendocrine deficiencies in these patients (Zalutsky, 2004 Br. J. Canc. 90:1469). Tumors of the central nervous system (CNS) represent the second most frequent malignancy in children under the age of 15 years (Heideman et al., 1997 Cancer 80:497). Forty-five percent of these children will die of their disease, but not well recorded is the morbidity of the survivors, a result of the motor and intellectual deficits associated with the aggressive chemotherapeutic protocols currently used, as well as with the tumors themselves. Given that many brain-intrinsic neoplasms are characterized by relentless tumor cell infiltration of normal brain parenchyma, strategies for targeting therapeutic agents to tumors often feature drugs having diffusive properties, in order for them to reach invading tumor cell clusters that migrate along vascular clefts and axonal pathways (Merlo et al., 2003 Acta Neurochir. Suppl. 88:83).
Despite their widespread application, the use of chemotherapeutic agents in treatment of solid tumors involving the brain parenchyma has not been very successful (Castro et al., 2003 Pharmacol. Ther. 98:71). Tumors of the CNS are usually slow-growing, so treatment regimens with the cell cycle-inhibiting drugs currently available typically call for these agents to remain at an effective concentration for a lengthy period of time. Achieving this effective drug concentration at the tumor site for such time periods represents a major technical obstacle (Blasberg, 1975 J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 195:73). Further drawbacks to the use of chemotherapy are the development of chemoresistant cells, and inadequate drug delivery methods (Castro et al., 2003). Also troubling is that although anticancer drugs may kill tumor cells, useful dosage ranges for such drugs are limited by global drug toxicity to hematopoietic cells, leading to undesirable myelosuppression.
The problem of effective drug delivery to a restricted site, whether in the CNS or elsewhere, is compounded by a variety of factors such as drug absorption and stability in vivo (e.g., Bialer, 1992 Clin. Pharmacokinet. 22:11), physiological drug clearance and elimination mechanisms (e.g., Anderson et al., 1994 Clin. Pharmacokinet. 27:191), drug inactivation by binding to plasma proteins in the circulation and/or to proteins in interstitial fluids (e.g., Koch-Weser et al., 1976 N. Engl. J. Med. 294:311; Kremer et al., 1988 Pharmacol. Rev. 40:1; Sparreboom et al., 2001 Neth. J. Med. 59:196), and drug accessibility to specific drug target molecules in affected cells and tissues (e.g., Begley, 2004 Pharmacol. Therapeut. 104:29). In particular, impediments to the effective delivery of a systemically administered drug to a restricted site arise as a result of physical, anatomical, pharmacokinetic and/or physiological barriers that separate a number of body compartments.
The CNS, for example, is rendered a discrete body compartment by the blood-brain barrier (BBB; e.g., Begley, 2004). As other examples, the eye, the joint capsule including the relatively avascular articular cartilage (e.g., WO 01/20018 and references cited therein), the pleural sac, the peritoneum and the pericardium represent additional body compartments into which effective, localized drug delivery can be problematic.
Multiple strategies have been devised in efforts to deliver effective amounts of therapeutic drugs to such body compartments using global administration such as oral or intravenous routes. These strategies include formulation of drugs for delivery as polymers, gels, microcarriers, liposomes, aggregates, affinity-targeted conjugates, inhalants, microspheres, viral vectors, iontophoresis agents, chemically modified derivatives, sustained release formulations, and other formats (e.g., Cheng et al., 2004 Mol. Pharm. 1:183; Goyal et al., 2005 Acta Pharm. 55:1; Agu et al., 2004 Endocr. Res. 30:455; Siashin et al., 2003 Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 44:4989; Goskonda et al., 2001 J. Pharm. Sci. 90:12; Pettit et al., 1998 Trends Biotechnol. 16:343; Groothuis et al., 1997 J. Neurovirol. 3:387; Langner et al., 200 Cell. Molec. Biol. Lett. 5:433; Ohning 1995 Neonatal Netw. 14:7; Ohning 1995 Neonatal Netw. 14:15; Sood et al., 2003 Int J. Pharmaceut. 261:27; Olivier, 2005 NeuroRx 2:108). With regard to specific delivery to a desired body compartment, however, these approaches are plagued by one or more shortcomings that include, for example, difficulties in achieving desired local drug levels, difficulties in maintaining desired local drug levels over time, non-specific passive diffusion and/or active transport of drug to undesired compartments, premature clearance and/or elimination of the drug, adverse collateral effects on adjacent tissues that result from drug delivery, inadequate accessibility of the compartment to drug, unsuitability of the active ingredient to the delivery modification, and other problems. (e.g., Baker, 1987 Controlled Release of Biologically Active Agents, John Wiley & Sons, NY; Dash et al., 1998 J. Pharmacol. Toxicol. Meths. 40:1; Huang et al., 2001 J. Control Release 73:121; Gordon et al., 1995 Cancer 75:2169; Lotem et al., 2000 Arch. Dermatol. 136:1475; Lyass et al., 2000 Cancer 89:1037.
In certain cases, alternative attempts to achieve specific and effective delivery of a therapeutic drug to a body compartment have involved direct injection of the drug to the afflicted area (Rang, H. P. et al. (Eds.), In Pharmacology, 2003, pp. 91-105; Begley, 2004 Pharmacol. Therap. 104:29; Anderson et al., 1994 Clin. Pharmacokinet. 27:191; Dedrick et al., 1978 Canc. Treat. Rep. 62:1; Clay et al., 1992 Hematol. Oncol. Clin. N. Am. 6:915; Oh et al., 1995 Pharm. Res. 12:433; Hopkins et al., 1993 J. Drug Target 1:175). Such approaches have, however, been plagued by issues of safety, efficacy, cost, convenience and other factors, and not all body compartments are amenable to multiple direct interventions over a therapeutic timeframe. For example, direct injection to the CNS is accompanied by risks associated with irreversible damage to CNS tissue and the potential for microbial infection associated with repeated access to a site, and the CNS as well as other compartments may only be directly accessible through skill- and labor-intensive surgical procedures. Additionally, therapeutic drugs administered directly to the CNS may not persist there, being released instead from the CNS to the general circulation as a consequence of the directional bulk flow of CNS interstitial fluid (e.g., Bergsneider 2001 Neurosurg. Clin. N. Amer. 12:631). As another example, cancer therapy involving direct intraperitoneal injection of an anti-cancer drug has resulted in leakage of significant and potentially toxic levels of the drug out of the peritoneal compartment and into the general circulation (e.g., Balthasar et al., 1994 J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 268:734; Balthasar et al., 1996 J. Pharm. Sci. 85:1035; Lobo et al., 2003 J. Pharm. Sci. 92:1665).
Clearly there is a need for improved methods and compositions for administering and delivering drugs without repeated direct intervention, and in a manner that permits maintenance of a desired level of the drug in a selected body compartment. New approaches would also desirably avoid unwanted consequences of non-specific drug delivery, such as wide fluctuations in local drug concentrations or other clinically detrimental effects. The present invention fulfills such needs and offers other related advantages.


A computer-implemented method is described, comprising receiving data that represents a workpiece part type to be produced on a machine tool for machining flat starting materials. The method includes preparing a first numerical control program which is adapted for producing the workpiece part type from a flat starting material on the machine tool, and attaching one or more extractable data sets prepared from the received data to the first numerical control program, wherein the extractable data sets represent one or more parameters including the tools, tool steps and associated machining parameters for producing a single workpiece the workpiece part type on the machine tool. The method further includes extracting the extractable data sets from the attached first numerical control program for adjusting the one or more parameters, integrating the adjusted one or more parameters into a second numerical control program; and providing the second numerical control program to the machine tool.

The control of machine tools is often carried out with the aid of numerical controls, which are generally divided into three control units, an MMC operating system (Man Machine Communication) as data input and visualization unit, an SPC control unit (stored program control) and an NC (Numerical Control) control unit. Data and control commands are entered via the MMC operating system, forwarded to the NC control unit, decoded in the NC control unit, and processed further separated according to geometrical and technological data (NC control unit) and switch commands (SPC control unit). The NC and SPC control units transmit the current machine status to the MMC control unit for visualization.
Shop-floor programming and reproduction have played a major role in the machine tool field for a long time. Owing to the complexity of machining by means of machine tools, errors in the production sequence repeatedly occur. For example, during laser machining, poorly or incompletely cut workpiece parts can be produced as a result of an incorrect focal position, or, when using signing or punching tools, the imprinted signature may be too weak or too strong owing to an incorrect vertical adjustment. In that case it is necessary to produce the defective parts again in good quality once the error has been eliminated, in order to enable the machining task to be completed correctly. It is also possible for the customer to increase the required number of workpiece parts after the NC program for the machining has already been forwarded from the CAD/CAM (Computer Aided Design and Computer Aided Manufacturing) programming system to the machine tool. In order to produce these outstanding workpiece parts, the software engineer of the CAD/CAM programming system can be given the task of inserting the missing workpiece parts into a later machining task. Because machine tools often have a large number of machining tasks in the queue, it is possible that completion of the customer's order will be delayed. It is therefore important for the operator to have the possibility of shop-floor programming so that he can program and start immediate reproduction himself.
It is known from the prior art that the operator of a machine tool, in particular of a laser machine, a punching machine or a combined laser/punching machine, accesses a computer with an installed CAD/CAM programming system via a network connection and there again executes all the steps for programming a new sheet-metal plate with workpiece parts.
The operator first opens, for example, a remote desktop connection to the network computer and there starts the CAD/CAM programming system. He then indicates the type of sheet-metal plate he would like to use for the machining, that is to say the material and the thickness, and subsequently searches for the data with the geometries of the individual parts that are to be produced again. He must ensure, especially when producing very similar parts, that he selects the part with the correct dimensions. As soon as he has found the parts, he indicates how many of them he would like to produce again and nests them on the plate, that is to say arranges them on the sheet-metal plate, either manually or automatically with the aid of a nesting program in as space-saving a manner as possible. The machining steps for producing the good parts and their mode of discharge can subsequently likewise be chosen manually or automatically, that is to say it is chosen which tools, for example differently shaped punching tools and/or lasers, are used for machining the metal sheet. In the case of punching in particular, a large number of differently shaped tools can be used to produce the same good part.
The sequence of the machining is also critical, because it determines whether automatic discharge is possible or not. For example, it must be ensured that, in the last machining step, the separation of the workpiece part, that part comes to lie on a discharge flap or beneath the punching or laser head so that it can be reached by the operator or a discharge device.
When the machining sequence and the mode of discharge have been established for all the good parts, the CAD/CAM programming system generates a new NC program for reproduction. This NC reproduction program must then be transferred via the network connection from the computer of the CAD/CAM programming system to the control computer of the machine tool and started for renewed execution.
For a machine operator at the machine tool, this process can be carried out only with difficulty, because the operator in some cases has only limited operating possibilities, for example by a touch screen instead of a mouse and keyboard, and such a MMC (man-machine communication) operating system is generally also not designed for carrying out lengthy office work.
It is known from the prior art (e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 7,661,073 B2) to adapt the operating elements of the MMC operating system in order to simplify the operating modes, which are limited or executed differently than in an office computer, in their application. In EP 0642066 A1, a programming system for a machine tool was improved in that the construction of the programming system was dialogue-oriented. This simplifies the work of the operator if, for example, only a touch screen is available for inputting, or the operator is not very familiar with the complex programming system. Despite these improvements, however, an operator has for decades had to repeat substantially the complete working sequence for programming a sheet-metal plate if he wanted to prepare a new NC program for reproduction.
The system and methods described herein can advantageously make the preparation of new NC reproduction programs immediately after the actual production quicker for the operator and can reduce sources of error.

Numerical control (NC) program and process for simplified reproduction on a machine tool


An address counter cell for use in burst mode operation in a synchronous DRAM is described which, in response to a falling edge of a system clock, simultaneously loads address inputs into an external address master latch and an internal address master latch, and further enables a multiplexer to select between the external and internal address inputs. In response to a subsequent rising edge of the system clock, the selected address input is then loaded into a low-output-load capacitance slave latch and is further provided to complementary output nodes. The signal from one of the output nodes is also fedback to circuitry for incrementing the selected address internally for subsequent clock cycles remaining in the burst mode operation. Once the initial address of the burst operation has thusly been entered, for the remainder of the burst mode, the multiplexer selects the address loaded into the internal address master latch and operates as an edge-triggered flip/flop with the master latch accepting an incremented address in response to the falling edge of the system clock and with the slave latch loading and outputting the incremented address in response to the rising edge of the system clock. During a standby mode, circuitry is provided for disabling the counter cell and ensuring that the output nodes are stable and disabled.

As demand increases for higher density and speed in dynamic random access memories, various approaches have been used to increase the speed of data access. Conventional DRAMs are currently operating in extended data output mode (EDO) in which data lines are not tri-stated between read cycles. Instead, data is held valid after /CAS, or until /RAS is brought high. Complex timing is required to properly time the arrival of valid data at output pins from the input of column addresses.
In synchronous DRAMs (SDRAMs), a system clock is used to synchronize a burst mode operation which essentially consists of inputting an initial start address and then incrementing the subsequent column addresses internally, in response to the system clock cycles. SDRAMs however, require several additional pins compared to conventional DRAMs and as such, are more difficult to fit in within standard memory modules SIMMs. Furthermore, the synchronization of all signals with the system clock requires an additional level of design complexity not required in conventional DRAMs.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,675,549 issued to Ong et al on Oct. 7, 1997 describes a burst EDO memory address counter which consists of two flip/flops and a multiplexer and which can be implemented in EDO DRAM having a standard pin-out compatible with SIMM memory modules. The counter structure provides for linear or interleaved addressing sequences. The counter cell implementation is in fact a 2 bit burst address counter which simply counts the number of addresses required in the burst operation. The multiplexer is used to provide the toggle condition for the next counter bit.
In SRAMs employing burst mode operation, the internal counter used to generate column addresses must be loadable with both external and internal addresses. Typical implementations receiving internal and external address select input signals suffer from a high setup time requirement between these address select signals and the system clock. As a result, the system clock must be delayed significantly to meet the set up time requirements. To reduce this setup time, gated clocks may be employed which reduce the setup time, but carry inherent dangers of flitches which can result by latching spurious column addresses.
A need therefore arises for a counter cell which has minimal setup time, fast propagation delay and ensures robustness of the latched column address.


The invention is an inserter for a staple having a bridge member and opposing open legs and the inserter holds the staple between a pair of cylindrical expanders which splay apart in response to a camming mechanism having a pair of followers that carry the expanders. The followers are activated as they are drawn over the camming ramp in response to a trigger action. The ramp also includes a detent which alerts the user that the staple is engaged in an activated position, and a safety that keeps the followers from returning to the un-loaded position.

Over 1.8 million orthopaedic trauma fixation procedures were performed in the US in 2016, and the market is expected to reach over $4 billion by 2025. The fastest growing part of the market is the staple fixation segment, which is also expected to remain the fastest growing through to 2025. The primary drivers for growth are reportedly a reduced operating time as compared to screws, and plates.
While the state of the art has advanced the use of bone staples, there remain issues in the use and design of the deployment instrument or inserter. In particular, the inserter needs to be capable of single handed use, and needs to be able to deform the staple to cause the superelastic deformation, while permitting easy and reliable deployment of the staple in bone. The design is intended for single use so that cost consideration, drawing in materials and manufacturing methods that meet economic requirements while presenting a design that is sufficiently strong to reliably accomplish the job. This means that the inserter provides that the staple can be deformed, inserted into pre-drilled pilot holes and tamped into position across a bone divide, all in a design that is quick, reliable, and easy to use, and advantageously single-handedly.


A safety indicator monitors environment conditions detrimental to humans e.g., hazardous gases, air pollutants, low oxygen, radiation levels of EMF or RF and microwave, temperature, humidity and air pressure retaining a three month history to upload to a PC via infra red data interface or phone link. Contaminants are analyzed and compared to stored profiles to determine its classification and notify user of an adversity by stored voice messages from, via alarm tones and associated flashing LED, via vibrator for silent operation or via LCD. Environmental radiation sources are monitored and auto-scaled. Instantaneous radiation exposure level and exposure duration data are stored for later readout as a detector and dosimeter. Scans for EMF allow detection with auto scaling of radiation levels and exposure durations are stored for subsequent readout. Electronic bugs can be found with a high sensitivity EMF range setting. Ambient temperature measurements or humidity and barometric pressure can be made over time to predict weather changes. A PCS RF link provides wireless remote communications in a first responder military use by upload of alarm conditions, field measurements and with download of command instructions. The link supports reception of telemetry data for real time remote monitoring of personnel via the wrist band for blood pressure, temperature, pulse rate and blood oxygen levels are transmitted. Commercial uses include remote environmental data collection and employee assignment tasking. GPS locates personnel and reporting coordinates associated with alarm occurrences and associated environmental measurements.

This is most like United States Patent application disclosure #20030234725 of an intelligent alarm system for detecting hazardous situations in a building, informing building occupants of optimal escape routes or survival strategies and assisting emergency personnel in rescuing people inside the building. Building hazards, including fire, earthquakes, intruders, etc., have the potential for large numbers of casualties. Effective building alarm systems must have the capability to process a plurality of input sensor types to determine the nature of the situation involving danger to persons in the building. The building alarm system must also have more than simple audio/visual outputs for helping people in the building find safe escape routes.
Detection and warning of hazards that may exist in a surrounding environment is crucial to the safety of each individual. Sensor technology allows for the monitoring of many parameters including, but not limited to, carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons, temperature, vibration, etc. Portable personal sensor devices designed to protect the individual are not common or reasonably affordable. Sophisticated sensor technology can minimize exposure to hazardous or unsafe conditions or environs.
Many dangers to which a human might be exposed and be unaware are not apparent until it is too late. Such unappreciated hazards can result is immediate injuries minor or sever. In the complex modern world man made and natural perils can without warning be unrecognized and injury will result. Dangers of terrorism, climatic conditions, industrial mishaps and misuse of products or improperly made equipment can lead to exposures that should be avoided to preserve one health and well being. The possibilities for hazards, and dealing with them, must be determined, analyzed recorded in order to adequately alert persons within the environs of dangerous situations. A portable personal safety system designed to use of stored parameters based on the knowledge and resources of experienced technical experts in diverse fields relating to emergency situations including, but not limited to, fire fighting, toxic fume detection, earthquake physics, human tolerance to radiation, gases, temperature and medical problems detectable from changes in surrounding conditions and/or monitored bodily physiology will aid in protecting the individual.
Now, most individuals are limited to their own senses; that is environmental ambiance which they can perceive. Often hazards unsusceptible to recognition by the human senses cause damage over a long period of exposure. In the 1940's before radiation badges appeared it was thought odd that the danger could not be perceived until the individual was harmed. Today man made environmental dangers, hazards and conditions are appreciated and understood but not monitored and recorded over time. Even noise levels are recognized by OSHA and legislation exists to control and limit human exposure but recreation activities result in injuries, e.g., hearing is still damaged at rock concerts, during hunting, around auto races, etc. No portable personal safety monitor is available or known to check, record and warn of any potential for harm. We now can measure hazards, are aware of dangers and understand the risks of our civilization and know the need to protect against them but a device to advise each individual of a need to safeguard oneself has not been available. Terrorism and catastrophic weather conditions add new needs for a portable personal safety monitor and most certainly the measurement of dangers associated with those current dangers can to some extent be followed.
Communication during situations of calamity via existing land based networks has failed when natural and man induced disasters happen so a portable personal safety monitor that affords two way communication not subject to local infrastructure is essential for the safety and well being of the individual. Even cell phone technology has been shown to have its limitations when a catastrophe occurs. Transcending such limited communication systems with a portable personal safety monitor is needed. Moreover the ability to monitor vital signs of the individual and transmit them to a central station for monitoring recording exposure levels and stress received by the individuals is important to protecting the well being. While location determination is of value to the employer of the individual, the concept without including protecting the individual's safety is less than ideal and not particularly useful. The need exist to monitor vital signs and location so that informed decisions about directing the endangered party from the hazard can be made.


Methods, computer-readable media, software, and apparatuses provide a system for forming and managing a caravan of vehicles. The system may include computing devices in a plurality of vehicles belonging to a caravan. The computing devices participating in the caravan may communicate various information to each other. This information may be used to generate and manage a route for the caravan. The system may also be used to select a leader and/or order of the caravan for a particular trip. During the trip, the system may monitor the caravan and analyze inputs from participants and vehicles. Further, the system may modify the route based on such inputs and distribute the modified route to participating computing devices so that the caravan may be maintained.

At times, a group of individuals may choose to travel together in multiple vehicles. This group of vehicles is sometimes referred to as a caravan. Caravans may be formed for a variety of reasons. In one known example, parents of children on a youth sports team (e.g., baseball team, soccer team, etc.) may form a caravan when driving their respective vehicles to a game. In this case, one parent may be chosen to lead the caravan and the other vehicles simply follow the lead vehicle. The following vehicles might not have any control over the route the lead vehicle takes. Therefore, if the lead vehicle gets lost or takes a longer (or more inefficient) route, following vehicles may suffer the same fate, get separated from the caravan, or opt to leave the caravan. Moreover, if a passenger in a following vehicle wants to stop, he or she may communicate with others in the caravan by individually calling or texting the mobile phones of others (assuming they have the mobile phone numbers of others) to inform them of the desire to stop. Otherwise, a following vehicle may choose to stop and risk losing the rest of the vehicles in the caravan.
The more vehicles and/or passengers in the caravan, the greater the difficulty in organizing the trip to meet the group's desires. Also, desires may change during a trip and it may be difficult to modify the route of the caravan to meet the changing desires. Other factors, such as traffic, traffic lights, weather, road conditions, destination changes, etc., can also make it difficult to successfully carry-out a caravan. Caravans can be particularly difficult to maintain when a destination is not set prior to departure. For example, a group of motorcyclists (or cyclists) on a joy ride might not have chosen a destination and followers may be frustrated with their limited control over the route being taken.
Accordingly, new systems, devices, methodologies, and software are desired to facilitate formation and coordination of a group of vehicles in a caravan and sharing of information between vehicles of a caravan during a trip.