A process is described for production of a biaxially oriented film which comprises at one crystallizable thermoplastic as main constituent and comprises at least 500 ppm, based on the weight of thermoplastic, of a pigment. The production process uses at least 20% by weight, based on the weight of the film, of recycled material of the same type whose molecular weight has been increased by condensation processes.

Biaxially oriented films based on crystallizable thermoplastics are known and widely described. Production of almost all biaxially oriented films uses various proportions of inherent recycled material, and this inherent recycled material is generally produced from cut film inherently produced by the process. Especially in the case of film thicknesses below 4 μm, and also for films of thicknesses more than 300 μm, the use of large proportions of inherent recycled material is critical, because the production of these films often becomes unreliable. In the thickness range from 5 to 300 μm, the proportion of inherent recycled material is generally from 20 to 40%, based on the total weight of the thermoplastics.
In the case of very thin and very thick films, i.e. films which are produced with a proportion of inherent recycled material that is usually low, yields during film production are rather low, and this results in an excess of cut film and therefore of inherent recycled material. This sometimes makes the production of these films uneconomic.
EP-A 0 483 665 discloses a process which uses melt post-condensation to increase molar mass in the treatment of waste polyester materials with various molar masses and finishing specifications. However, the advice given is to avoid using treated polyester in biaxially oriented films which have the highest finishing specification.
EP-A 1 418 195 describes a process for production of a thermoplastic film using recycled material from plastics bottles. The use of these secondary raw materials (recycled material from plastics bottles) is in particular impossible in the case of films in medical applications (lack of traceability) and is subject to limitation in the case of white films. Furthermore, the use of these recycled materials in films intended for food-and-drink applications is not approved in some countries. The recycled materials or flakes based on PET bottles also often comprise other additives, such as isophthalic acid, which can impair the mechanical properties of the films. The use of these secondary raw materials is therefore subject to a limit of at most 50% by weight.

Process for production of biaxially oriented films based on crystallizable thermoplastics, using recycled material whose molecular weight has been increased by condensation processes


A power supply apparatus for an electric discharge machine configured to perform melt-removal on a workpiece by supplying pulse-like power to a machining gap between an electrode (1) and a workpiece (2). This power supply apparatus includes a second machining circuit configured to control a voltage to be applied to the machining gap and to cause a discharge in the machining gap, a first machining circuit adapted to operate to supply, when a discharge occurring in the machining gap in response to application of a voltage by the second machining circuit is detected in a first drive mode, a constant current to the machining gap, and also configured to operate to adapt a voltage source (14) in the second machining circuit to output a constant voltage in a second drive mode, and connection means (13) configured to close connection to a power supply (4) to supply electric power through the second machining circuit in the first mode and also configured to open the connection to the power supply (4) in the second mode so that the second machining circuit operates at a constant voltage supplied from the voltage source (14).

Electric discharge machines are operative to supply electric current pulses to a machining gap and to perform melt-removal and machining of workpieces by using discharge energy.
The conventional circuit configuration of a power supply apparatus therefor is disclosed in, for example, JP-UM-A-56-9890.
The power supply apparatus disclosed in this JP-UM-A-56-9890 has two modes of operations, which are a rough machining operation and a finish machining operation, as operations of this circuit. Between a circuit suited to the finish machining operation and a circuit suited to the rough machining operation is performed by changing over a switch. Switching elements respectively used in a charging circuit and a discharging circuit in the finish machining operation are utilized in a parallel circuit in the rough machining operation, and are thus effectively used. Consequently, the configuration of the power supply apparatus is compact and inexpensive.
Patent Document 1: JP-UM-A-56-9890 (pages 1 to 10, and FIG. 1)

Power supply apparatus for electric discharge machine and power supply control method


An improvement in a known type of display box having two complementary separable box halves arranged to display a wristwatch, comprising a rear box half of rigid material with a bottom wall, a rear wall and two spaced triangular side walls, a watch holder supported in the rear box half and adapted to display the wristwatch, and a front box half of rigid transparent material with a top wall, a front wall and two spaced substantially flat triangular side walls and adapted to nest with the rear box half. The improvement comprises a recessed pocket in the back of the rear box half, formed by a stepped contstruction in the rear wall and bottom wall, and a slot in the top wall of the front box half, the recess and the slot being so located as to cause the slot to be aligned with the recess when the box halves are nested, whereby the open box may be supported on a peg extending through the slot into the recess so as to display the wristwatch. The rear box half containing the watch may be removed temporarily, leaving the front box half hanging on the rack.

This invention relates for containers for displaying sales objects, such as wristwatches, on racks in retail stores. More particularly, the invention relates to improvements in containers for wristwatches and the like which are adapted to separate into two complementary box halves.
Rack or counter displays for sales objects such as wristwatches, jewelry, and the like are arranged to hold and display the sales objects in their individual containers. Often the containers have a transparent flexible covering or a rigid transparent cover so that the sales object may be seen by the prospective purchaser without removing it from its container.
In order to get a better view of the sales object, there is a known type of nesting container, wherein the transparent cover may be removed and reversed so as to nest with the other container half, so that the sales object may be seen more clearly. While some display racks have shelves on which the container may rest, other display racks are adapted in various ways to hold the containers on hooks or pegs. Existing designs of nesting containers do not readily permit hanging the open containers from display racks.
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide an improvement in a hanging display container for a sales object, such as a wristwatch.
Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved hanging display for nesting containers.

Hanging display improvement for nesting containers


A Y selection line for write for controlling operations of a column selection switch within a write amplifier and a Y selection line for read for controlling operations of a column selection switch within a read amplifier are provided individually and the column selection switch within the read amplifier is set to the non-operating condition during the write operation. Accordingly, a through-current during the write operation may be reduced. In this case, the write IO line and read IO line are allocated crossing sense amplifier columns, while the column selection line for write and column selection line for read are allocated in parallel to the sense amplifier columns.

The present invention relates to a semiconductor memory device and more particularly to a technical means to reduce a through-current flowing in the same device and a technical means to optimize the column selection timing.
As an example of a semiconductor memory device, a dynamic random access memory (hereinafter, abbreviated as "DRAM") has been proposed. This DRAM is comprised of a plurality of dynamic memory cells which are allocated in the structure of an array. Regarding such semiconductor memory device, a technical means has been proposed to utilize a column selection signal in a write execution section and a read execution section of the semiconductor memory device wherein a column change-over switch is provided and a write control section and a read control section are respectively provided with the write execution section and the read execution section for every column (Japanese Patent Application Publication Nos. Hei 4(1992)-85793, Hei 5(1993)-258567, Hei 9(1997)-161483 (corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 5,724,291) and 2000-132969 (corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 6,359,825B1)).
Moreover, a technical means to control a read column switch and a write column switch with independent signal lines in the semiconductor memory device has also been proposed (Japanese Patent Application Publication No. Hei 5(1993)-62463).

Semiconductor memory device provided with a write column selection switch and a read column selection switch separately


A self-supporting pocket molding device for lacrosse sticks includes a weight ballasted hollow base, a support portion atop the base, and at least a hemisphere approximately the size of lacrosse ball at the top distal end. The base is preferably of a conical shape and the end sphere is attached up from the ground for ergonomic considerations of ease of use in a standing or sitting position. The shape of the self-supporting pocket molding device insures totally unencumbered access to the top surface of the sphere where the netting is easily forced down at the desired location to stretch the net forming a pocket. Both hands of the user are free to be used to hold the lacrosse stick or head; which also affords the ability to tilt the head as desired to stretch the netting in any sideways direction to correct any local deformation of the netting.

The leather or plastic netting fibers of a lacrosse stick head often tighten up, especially in wet weather conditions. The netting pocket then loses its elasticity and concavity.
Prior art has addressed this problem or similar ones for other sports with devices for stretching the netting.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,425,541 of Ambros shows a hand-held lacrosse stick pocket former that uses a hemispheric form of similar radius to a lacrosse ball attached to one end of a threaded rod which is also engaged with a threaded bracing crosspiece which braces across the frame of the head. Once the desired location for the ball pocket is selected by placing the hemisphere over the spot, the threaded rod is turned by a knob at the distal end thereby driving the hemisphere into the net. Upon information and belief, this product is sold as the "Brine Pocket Stretcher", item number MS 1031204 at sporting goods stores.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,138,897 of Breuner describes a mallet tool and method whereby the tool with a spherical shape and size as the ball used in the sport at one end is used to pound a sports glove repeatedly to break it in. This was designed for the sports of baseball or softball, but subsequently a similar device has been commercialized for use with lacrosse heads in the "Warrior Lacrosse Pocket Pounder", sold at Dicks Sporting Goods® and other sporting goods establishments.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,244,200 of Goldberg reveals a hand-held lacrosse stick pocket creator using a short stick with a ball at one end and a cross rod that is inserted transversely under the lacrosse head frame. By employing a lever action using the cross rod as a fulcrum, the ball end is driven into the mesh of the net to stretch it and form a pocket.
No prior art noted above describes a self-supporting pocket molding device for lacrosse sticks.

Self-supporting pocket molding device for lacrosse sticks

Robert Laurie, Joseph Gabrysiak and Roy Ragusa, a partnership


An image capture control method and apparatus thereof is provided. The method includes capturing automatic exposure environmental data by an image capture unit, calculating initial shutter exposure period and initial sensitivity in accordance with the environmental data, and determining in accordance with the specific mode. Under the specific mode, capturing the image based on the initial shutter exposure period and initial sensitivity when the initial shutter exposure period is less than or equal to the predetermined period. Modify parameters for image capture to obtain final shutter exposure period and final sensitivity when the initial shutter exposure period exceeds the predetermined period. Capturing the image with the final shutter exposure period (t′) and processing the captured image with the final sensitivity (ISO′).

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an image capture apparatus, and more particularly, to a control method for improving captured image quality by applying electronic signals and apparatus thereto.
2. Description of the Related Art
Image capture devices, such as digital cameras or camera mobile phones, in order to meet user demands have become lighter and smaller.
One major problem in image capture devices is device movement during operation, especially for smaller, lighter less stable devices, which can seriously affect image capture quality.
Therefore, an image stabilizer or a vibration reducing device is provided in conventional image capture devices, for example, a sensor, such as a gyroscopic sensor, detecting the angle and speed of movement, calculates the amount of movement needed to compensate, and compensates for vibration accordingly utilizing a compensation lens group to maintain a stable image. However, such sensors are often apt to produce errors because of the effect of the environment parameters, such as temperature and humidity.
Furthermore, in conventional image stabilization in digital cameras, the image capture apparatus utilizes a processing unit to calculate the value needed to compensate with the data detected by the sensor and to drive the compensate lens group to compensate with the calculated value for image quality. Compensating with the calculated value by the compensate lens group, however, may cause mutual collision among the lenses if the movement thereof is too large.
Moreover, if a conventional optics method is used, to detect motion by the sensor and to compensate by the compensation lens group or the image capture unit according to the detected motion, the image capture device must add hardware elements such as sensor and driving system, increasing volume thereof.
What is called for is an electronic compensation method to stabilize images captured without increasing hardware architecture and the volume of the image capture apparatus.

Image capture control method and apparatus thereof


An apparatus and method for filling a ball grid array template and a method for transferring a plurality of balls are disclosed. The apparatus includes a flat base, a plate and a stationary ball supply bin. The plate is mounted on the base and configured to be rotatable about a first axis perpendicular to the base. An upper surface of the plate includes a plurality of holes forming the ball grid array template. The stationary ball supply bin is mounted to the base. The base is configured to be inclined at an angle relative to a horizontal plane. The ball supply bin is configured in use to dispense a plurality of balls onto the corresponding plurality of holes forming the ball grid array template as the plate is rotated about the first axis.

A ball grid array (BGA) is a type of surface-mount packaging (a chip carrier) used for integrated circuits. BGA packages are used to permanently mount devices such as microprocessors. A BGA can provide more interconnection pins than can be put on a dual in-line or flat package.
Typically, in filling a ball grid array template, solder balls are moved into cavities of the template by tilting the template in one direction at a first instance and the template is tilted in the opposite direction in the next instant. The solder balls are moved into the cavities by the action of gravity from the inclination of the template. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,390,351 describes a method whereby solder balls are moved by the tilting of platform in a clockwise direction in one instance and then in the reverse direction in the next instance. In the process, the solder balls are moved from cavity to cavity by a blade in coordination with an inclination by a platform. Similarly, in US Patent publication No. US20030127501 A1, solder balls within a bin are moved over a hole array in coordination with the tilting of template. The mechanism is 'rocked' multiple times to enhanced the filling of solder ball into hole array.
In the above examples, solder balls are continually moved together across the surface of the template in different directions. The rubbing between the solder balls and across the template causes a build-up of static charges. The built-up static charges may cause the solder balls to clump together and increase stiction to surfaces of template and blade. Further, the build-up of static charges may cause frequent static discharges through sparking. This increases the rate of oxidation of the solder balls, resulting in poor solderability and electrical connectivity. Therefore, a lower production yield may be possible during operation and also because of the increased risk of damage to solder balls due to pushing 'sticky' balls over the template. Damaged solder balls can cause unequal solder joints which are normally not acceptable during soldering of integrated circuits.
In another example, such as U.S. Pat. No. 8,387,236 B2, a spinning mechanism is used to move solder balls over a template or stencil in various possible paths. These solder balls are continuously being brushed, pushed and moved, causing a lot of rubbing among the solder balls and with the spinning mechanisms and stencil. Static charges will cause stiction of the solder balls to the brushes and stencil surface. This may cause damage to the solder balls especially with smaller ball diameters. With the spinning mechanism comprising multiple brushes, the solder balls are easily trapped either physically or by stiction within this mechanism. This increases the risk of mixing solder balls when it is necessary to change different types of solder balls frequently as needed in semiconductor manufacturing. Mixed solder balls either in diameter or in alloy is not allowed in semiconductor manufacturing as it is considered yield loss. Poor filling of the array of holes in the template may lead to low manufacturing productivity as higher operator intervention is required to rectify malfunctions in the manufacturing process.
Accordingly, a need exists to provide an apparatus that seeks to address some of the above problems.

Apparatus and method for filling a ball grid array


A parent-child type boat having an electric power generating device, such as a fuel cell. The boat includes a parent boat and at least one child boat which is smaller than the parent boat. The parent boat is equipped with a generating device. The child boat is equipped with a battery and an electric propulsion device. When the child boat is docked with the parent boat and electrically connected thereto, power can be supplied to at least one of the battery and the electric propulsion device of the child boat from the generating device of the parent boat.

1. Field of the Inventions
The present inventions relate to parent-child type boats with a generator capable of being used, for example, for an excursion on water.
2. Description of the Related Art
Small boats, including personal watercraft, have become more popular in recent years. Personal watercraft are quite sporting in nature and typically hold one to four or five passengers.
It has also become more popular to take longer trips on small watercraft, including personal watercraft, and riding with larger groups of people. When taking a longer trip on a small watercraft and/or when riding with larger groups of people, it can be enjoyable to allow operators and riders to switch watercraft, and/or let some riders take breaks. However, often times, it can be inconvenient to find a place that is appropriate to dock the watercraft. For example, in many places, "beaching" watercraft is prohibited. Additionally, marinas and boat ramps can be crowded. Further, personal and other types of small watercraft have limited storage space. Thus, it can be difficult to carry all of the supplies one may desire on a longer excursion, particularly for overnight or multiple-day trips.
Other boat designs have been proposed in which a large "base boat" can be used as a base for other pleasure boats while on the water. Such a base boat is propelled by a jet propulsion boat docked with the base boat. For example, Japanese Patent Document JP-B-3053195, at pages 1 to 9 and FIGS. 1 to 24, discloses such a boat.


A bandage encapsulated in a protective sterile covering is disclosed, whereby the bandage may be removed from its sterile covering and applied with one hand without contaminating any portion of the bandage. The apparatus and method to manufacture the unique bandage is also disclosed.

I. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to an apparatus for enclosing a sterile device. More particularly, this invention relates to a sterile adhesive bandage, encapsulated in a protective covering. The protective covering may be removed and the sterile bandage may be applied by a user with just one hand without contaminating any portion of the sterile bandage. This invention also relates to the method and apparatus for producing the sterile adhesive bandage contained in the protective covering, wherein the bandage may be removed from the protective covering and applied by the user with one hand.
II. Discussion of the Related Art
Over the years, continued refinements have been made to dispensing bandages and other sterile devices. A plurality of sterile devices are commonly contained in an interconnected series of sterile packages. Removing each sterile device from the package requires contact by the user. Protective gloves may be worn during the removal and handling of the sterile device thereby avoiding contamination, however, the use of sterile gloves is often times neither economical nor efficient.
Various delivery systems have been described that assist the user in removing an individual sterile device from the package with only one hand. The following patents describe a delivery system that dispense the sterile device, requiring only one hand by the user: Haber, U.S. Pat. No. 4,733,797 (the '797 patent); Goldstein, U.S. Pat. No. 4,807,753 (the '753 patent); Moshel, U.S. Pat. No. 3,520,403 (the '403 patent); and Cooper U.S. Pat. No. 1,827,354 (the '354 patent). Although these disclosed delivery systems dispense the sterile device, requiring only one hand, the user must use two hands in the later application of the sterile device. Hence, there is a need for a packaged sterile device that may be dispensed and applied with only one hand.
A commonly packaged sterile device is an adhesive bandage. The conventional bandage includes a gauze pad attached to an adhesive coated bandage strip. When applying the bandage to the desired surface, the user removes the adhesive bandage from the sterile package, contacting either the sterile gauze or a portion of the adhesive strip. This contact either contaminates the gauze pad or reduces the tactile adhesion of the adhesive strip.
Taulbee, deceased et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 4,993,586 (the '586 patent), and Adams IV, U.S. Pat. No. 3,835,992 (the '992 patent) both disclose an adhesive bandage dispensing package. Taulbee discloses an adhesive bandage sandwiched between an upper and lower protective strip. The adhesive side of the bandage is mounted facing downward on the lower protective strip. One end of the adhesive strip preferably attaches to a mounting pad. The mounting pad facilitates removal of the bandage from the lower protective strip, however, two hands are required to remove the mounting pad from the adhesive strip, and a portion of the sterile bandage must be contacted by the user. Therefore, a need exists for a sterile device, such as a bandage that may be dispensed and applied with one hand without contaminating any portion of the sterile device.
Adams, IV, discloses a bandage dispensing package similar to Taulbee, which dispenses a bandage from a continuous roll. A similar mounting pad separates one end of the adhesive strip from the lower protective strip. In use, the user must use two hands to separate the mounting pad from the adhesive strip. Hence, there is a need for a bandage that may be dispensed and applied with only one hand. The present invention overcomes these and other disadvantages.

Sterile adhesive bandage and associated methods


A method for visualizing record data with a mobile forensic device for collecting and managing the record data including partner information when an event, such as a call or text service, occurs, includes: calculating an event occurrence frequency for each partner information using the collected record data; and classifying the partner information on the basis of a grade according to the calculated event occurrence frequency. Further, the method includes generating graphic data showing a relation between the partner information and user information of a mobile terminal on the basis of the classified grade; and displaying the graphic data.

A mobile forensic tool functions to collect and analyze data, such as call record, SMS use record, map use record, SNS use record, etc., from a mobile device including a smartphone.
In general, the mobile forensic tool has focused on data collection and analysis and thus does not provide a method of meaningfully representing data. That is, the 32521mobile forensic tool just arranges call record data and SMS use record data in the occurrence order to display the data to a user in a text form. The displayed data includes a call/SMS use time, a call partner's number, SMS content, etc.
However, recently users may desire a specialized service such as finding a call person with whom a user has made a phone call most frequently and separately viewing a call record and an SNS history. In this case, a conventional mobile forensic tool cannot efficiently present the service to the user.
Accordingly, in order to deliver information to a user more efficiently, forensic data needs to be shaped to have a meaning as information, using a data visualization technique.
Also, when simultaneously representing calling/SMS record data of two persons, a typical method simply arranges and then each record data on a screen. In particular, in order to find out a telephone number commonly used by two persons, a user has a difficulty in that the user should directly search data in a form of each text and find out the common information.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2009/0013281 discloses a technology of a data visualization method for representing multiple data in a hierarchy structure data set.

Method and apparatus for visualizing record data

Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute


A kneeler is used by a person for comfortably working while in a kneeling position and is comprised of a generally rectangular base having a pair of coextensive troughs with optional knee wells located at the end thereof. A pair of runners are removably secured to the bottom of the device. A seat is removably secured and selectively positioned onto the device with the optional usage of height-raising risers. An opening is located on the base and acts as a receptacle for objects used while working.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for providing user comfort in a kneeling position.
2. Background of the Prior Art
Working on cars, washing children in a bath tub, and working in the garden are but a few examples of endeavors that require a person to be in a kneeling position, sometimes for extended periods of time. Kneeling, especially prolonged kneeling, can result in pressure buildup and subsequent pain and stiffness in the knees, legs, thighs and back. In extreme situations, medical attention is required. As a result of the discomfort in the knees, legs, thighs and back, individuals will refrain from activities that place pressure and stress onto these areas, resulting in necessary chores being avoided.
Devices have been proposed for assisting individuals whose activities involve kneeling. These devices either cushion the knees or legs, or remove pressure from the knees altogether. Although the devices found in the art working with varying degrees of success, they suffer from one of two major maladies.
First, many devices, although greatly reliving or completely eliminating pressure on the knees, give the user limited mobility and thus limited utility. Second, other devices, although providing a high level of user comfort and mobility, are relatively complex to manufacture and, as a result, are expensive to buy and maintain.
Furthermore, none of these devices give the user the ability to sit while in a kneeling position, thereby reducing or eliminating unwanted stress on the lower body.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a device for relieving pressure from an individual's knees, legs, thighs and back whenever the individual is performing a task in a kneeling position. Such as device must provide a high degree of user comfort by placing the user's weight onto the buttocks, yet must give the user a high level of mobility and versatility. This must be accomplished irrespective of a person's size. Such a device must be of simple and straightforward construction.


An indication is received to relocate leakage in a transmission signal to be transmitted. A frequency change associated with relocating the leakage in the transmission signal is obtained. The leakage in the transmission signal is relocated based at least in part on the frequency change.

Ultra wideband (UWB) is a type of wireless system that uses a significant amount of frequency spectrum. For example, bands described in the WiMedia UWB specification have bandwidths of 508 MHz. Sometimes a UWB system shares the wireless medium with other (e.g., narrowband) wireless systems by creating a notch in the UWB transmission signal where the other wireless system is operating. For example, some narrowband wireless systems have bandwidths on the order of 1 to 20 MHz and in some cases a notch (e.g., approximately 10 or 30 MHz wide) is created by a UWB system at the frequency spectrum where the other wireless system is operating.
One issue associated with creating a notch is leakage from a local oscillator operating at the UWB carrier frequency (e.g., center frequency of a band). Some regulatory agencies in Europe and/or Japan are discussing levels of suppression for UWB systems that are lower than previously required for other systems. Although there may exist some techniques for removing or suppressing local oscillator leakage (e.g., developed for narrowband systems), these techniques may not necessarily be able to remove or suppress local oscillator leakage to a degree sufficient for some proposed requirements. For example, the notch (which is often added in the digital domain) may not be able to reduce or remove local oscillator leakage since it is added afterwards. In the analog domain, using a filter to remove local oscillator leakage may be undesirable since such a filter would have to be operated at very high frequencies (e.g., in the range of 3.96 GHz if a 3.96 GHz carrier frequency is used) and would need to be quite narrow so that information in adjacent frequencies is not removed. It would be desirable to develop new techniques for dealing with local oscillator leakage.


A clip (50) for securing a heat dissipating device to a heat source comprises a spring arm (510) and an ear (530). The spring arm comprises two wires (512) substantially parallel to each other, a hook (514) formed at one end of the spring arm to connect ends of the wires and two barbs (516) each formed at another end of each of the wires. A central portion of each of the wires projects downwardly. The ear comprises a main body (530a), two notches (532) in an upside of the main body and a clamping unit (537) at a downside of the main body. Each of the notches comprises from above to below an insertion slot (5321), an elongated sliding slot (5323) and a retaining slot (5325). The spring arm engages with the ear with the barbs extending into the insertion slots, and the wires are slideable downwardly along the sliding slots to be fixed in the retaining slots.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to fastening devices, and more particularly to a clip and a heat dissipation assembly using the clip.
2. Description of Related Art
Electronic components, such as integrated circuit packages, can generate large amounts of heat when operating. Unless removed in time, accumulated heat may reduce the operational efficiency of the electronic component. Nowadays, most electronic components are provided with a heat sink to disperse heat from the component in order to prevent the accumulation of heat. A clip is provided to firmly attach the heat sink to the electronic component. U.S. Pat. No. 6,229,705 B1 discloses a typical clip for securing a heat sink. The clip comprises a flake-shaped body and two arms extending from opposite ends of the body. The clip engages with two protrusions of a socket on a printed circuit board to fasten the heat sink to an electronic component mounted in the socket. The body is made of metal material and a cost of the clip with the flake-shaped body is high.
Accordingly, what is needed is a heat dissipation assembly including a clip which is simple and cost-effective.

Clip and heat dissipation assembly using the same

Fu Zhun Precision Industry (Shen Zhen) Co., Ltd.


A thin film magnetic head with a sufficient over write characteristic and a small magnetic pole width. A sub-pole tip is formed to cover the edge opposite to the air-bearing surface of a pole tip. The part where the sub-pole tip and the pole tip are overlapped is used as a sub-magnetic pole portion. The volume of the sub-magnetic pole portion is larger than that of a magnetic pole portion which consists of only the pole tip. Thereby, the saturation of the flux in a region in vicinity of the position of throat height 0 is suppressed and thus a sufficient over write characteristic is achieved.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a thin film magnetic head having at least an inductive-type magnetic transducer for writing and a method of manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, performance improvement in thin film magnetic heads has been sought in accordance with an increase in surface recording density of a hard disk drive. A composite thin film magnetic head, which has a layered structure including a recording head having an inductive-type magnetic transducer for writing and a reproducing head having magneto resistive (MR) elements for reading, has been widely used as a thin film magnetic head.
The performance of the reproducing head can be improved in several ways. One way is to form an MR film from a material which has good magnetic resistive sensitivity such as a GMR film instead of an AMR film; another is to adjust a pattern width of the MR film, especially an MR height. The MR height is the length (height) between one end of the MR element closer to an air-bearing surface and the other end thereof. The MR height is originally determined by an amount of grinding when the air-bearing surface is processed. The air-bearing surface as used herein refers to a surface of a thin film magnetic head that faces a magnetic recording medium and is also called a track surface.
Performance improvement in a recording head has also been expected in accordance with the performance improvement in a reproducing head. A factor determining the performance of a recording head is the throat height (TH). The throat height is the length (height) of a portion (magnetic pole portion) spreading from the air-bearing surface to an edge of an insulating layer for electrically isolating a thin film coil for causing magnetic flux. Reducing the throat height is desirable in order to improve the performance of a recording head. The throat height is determined as well by an amount of grinding when the air-bearing surface is processed.
It is required to increase the track density of a magnetic recording medium in order to increase the recording density among the performance of a recording head. This requires a recording head having a narrow track structure in which the width of a bottom pole and a top pole sandwiching a write gap layer on the air-bearing surface is reduced to the order of some microns to submicron. Semiconductor process technique is used to achieve this narrow track structure.
FIGS. 21A and 21B show a structure of a composite thin film magnetic head as an example of a thin film magnetic head of a related art. FIG. 21A shows a cross section perpendicular to the air-bearing surface. FIG. 21B shows a cross section parallel to the air-bearing surface of the magnetic pole portion.
The composite thin film magnetic head has an insulating layer 102 made of, for example, alumina (aluminum oxide, Al2O3) of about 5 to 10 xcexcm in thickness formed on a substrate 101 made of, for example, aluminum oxide and titanium carbide (Al2O3.TiC). Further, a bottom shield layer 103 for a reproducing head is formed from a magnetic material on the insulating layer 102. Alumina or aluminum nitride, for example, is sputtered on the bottom shield layer 103 to form a bottom shield gap film 104 as an insulating layer. An MR element 105 for reproduction is formed on the bottom shield gap film 104. Furthermore, a pair of first electrode layer 106 which is electrically connected to the MR element 105 is formed on the bottom shield gap film 104. The first electrode layer 106 is formed by stacking TiW, CoPt, TiW, and Ta, for example.
Also, a pair of second electrode layer 107 is electrically connected to the first electrode layer 106. The second electrode layer 107 can be formed from copper (Cu), for example. The first electrode layer 106 and the second electrode layer 107 constitute a lead, which is electrically connected to the MR element 105.
As an insulating layer, an upper shield gap layer 108 is formed on the bottom shield gap layer 104 and the MR element 105. The MR element 105 is buried in the shield gap layers 104 and 108. A top shield-cum-bottom pole layer (called bottom pole layer in the following) 109, made of a magnetic material and used both for a reproducing head and for a recording head is formed on the upper shield gap layer 108. A write gap layer 110 made of an insulating film such as an alumina film is formed on the bottom pole layer 109. A photoresist layer 111 which determines throat height is formed on the write gap layer 110 in a predetermined pattern. A first layer of a thin film coil 112 for an inductive-type head for recording is formed on the photoresist layer 111. Further, a photoresist layer 113 is formed in a predetermined pattern on the photoresist layer 111 and the thin film coil 112. A heat treatment of the temperature of 200-250xc2x0 C., for example, is applied for stabilizing the photoresist layer 113. A second layer of a thin film coil 114 is formed on the photoresist layer 113. A photoresist layer 115, which is stabilized by heat treatment, is formed in a predetermined pattern on the photoresist layer 113 and the thin film coil 114.
The write gap layer 110 is etched partially to form a yoke in the rear (right-hand side in FIG. 21A) of the thin film coils 112 and 114. A top pole layer 116 made of a magnetic material for the recording head, that is, a high saturation flux density material such as permalloy (NiFe) or nitride ferrous (FeN) is formed on the write gap layer 110, the photoresist layers 111, 113, and 115. The top pole layer 116 has a contact with, and is magnetically coupled to the bottom pole layer 109 in the rear of the thin film coils 112 and 114. An over coat layer 117 made of alumina, for example, is formed on the top pole layer 116. Each of the side walls of a part of the top pole layer 116, the write gap layer 110 and the bottom pole layer 109 is formed vertically and in a self-aligned manner to form a trim structure. This trim structure can prevent widening of effective write track width caused by widening of magnetic flux in writing data in the narrow track.
FIG. 22 shows an example of a shape of the top pole layer 116. The top pole layer 116 has a magnetic pole portion 116a which is placed closer to the air-bearing surface 120 and a yoke area 116b which is placed at the position facing the thin film coils 112 and 114. A part of the yoke area 116b at the side of the magnetic pole portion 116a is tapered off as it is close to the magnetic pole portion 116a. The outer edge of the tapered part is inclined to 45xc2x0, for example, against the surface which is parallel to the air-bearing surface 120. The TH0, Throat Height position 0, in figures indicates a position of the edge of the insulating layer closer to the air bearing surface, which separates thin film coil electrically.
These days, reducing the write track width, or the width of the magnetic pole portion (called pole width in the followings), is required for high surface density writing. FIG. 23 shows an example of a shape of the top pole layer 116 with narrower pole width than that of FIG. 22. In this example, the width of the magnetic pole portion 116a is 0.8-1.2 xcexcm. It is possible that the width of the magnetic pole portion 116a will be around 0.4 xcexcm of the submicron order in future.
Conventionally, if the top pole layer 116 is formed like that in FIG. 22, the magnetic flux caused from the thin film coils 112 and 114 does not saturate on the way but reaches to the top of the magnetic pole portion.
However, as shown in FIG. 23, for example, when the pole width is reduced, the flux saturates in vicinity of the Throat Height 0 position, TH0, and the flux does not reach to the top of the magnetic pole portion. As a result, an over write characteristic, that is, a characteristic in over-writing data on a recording media on which something is written already, indicates values as low as around 10-20 dB, for example, and the sufficient over write characteristic can not be obtained.
Meanwhile, the top pole layer is formed by the frame plating method, for example, described in Japanese Patent Application laid-down in Hei 7-262519. In order to form the top pole layer by the frame plating method, first, a thin electrode film made of permalloy, for example, is formed by sputtering, for example, all over the apex area which is a coil portion formed into a shape like a mountain. Next, photoresist is applied thereon and patterned through photolithography. A frame for plating is thus formed. Further, the top pole layer is formed through the plating method, using the electrode film formed earlier as a seed layer.
However, the apex area and other areas have, for example, equal to or more than 7 to 10 xcexcm differences in heights. The photoresist of 3-4 xcexcm in thickness is applied on the apex area. If the film thickness of the photoresist on the apex area is required to be equal to or more than 3 xcexcm, a photoresist film of equal to or more than 8 to 10 xcexcm, for example, in thickness is formed in the lower part of the apex area since the photoresist gathers into a lower area because of liquidity.
To form a narrow magnetic pole portion, a frame pattern with width of around 1.0 xcexcm each must be formed with a photoresist film. In other words, a micro pattern with width of 1.0 xcexcm or less must be formed with a photoresist film of 8-10 xcexcm or more in thickness. However, it has been extremely difficult to form such a thick photoresist pattern with a small width in manufacturing.
Further, during an exposure of photolithography, a light for the exposure is reflected by a bottom electrode film as a seed layer, and the photoresist is exposed also by the reflection light causing deformation of the photoresist pattern so that a sharp and accurate photoresist pattern can not be obtained. As a result, the top pole layer can not be formed in a desired shape; the side walls of the top pole layer take a shape of being rounded, for example. This is the case in particular when the top pole layer 116 is formed in the shape of that shown in FIG. 23. The reflection lights reflected by the bottom electrode film impinge in the vicinity of the border of the magnetic pole portion 116a and the yoke area 116b. These reflection lights include not only the light in the vertical direction but also the light reflected from the slope of the apex area in the diagonal or horizontal direction. The reflection lights affect on the exposure of the photoresist layer, and it easily allows a wider photoresist pattern than that with the desired value, which determines pole width.
The invention is presented to solve these problems. The first object is to provide a thin film magnetic head, which can obtain a sufficient over write characteristic even if pole width is reduced, and a method of manufacturing the same.
In addition to the first objective, the second object is to provide a thin film magnetic head, which can precisely control the pole width even if pole width is reduced, and a method of manufacturing the same.
A thin film magnetic head of the invention comprises an inductive-type magnetic transducer for writing which has two magnetic layers and a thin film coil provided between the magnetic layers with an insulating layer in between, the magnetic layers including two magnetic pole portions which are magnetically coupled to and face each other in part of the sides facing a recording medium with a write gap layer in between and comprise at least one layer for each magnetic layer, wherein at least one of the two magnetic layers comprising: a magnetic pole portion, one edge of which is placed closer to the surface facing the medium which face a recording medium; a submagnetic pole portion, one edge of which is magnetically coupled to the other edge of the magnetic pole portion, having a greater film thickness than that of the magnetic pole portion; and a yoke area being magnetically coupled to another edge of the sub-magnetic pole portion.
According to the invention, a manufacturing method of a thin film magnetic head comprising an inductive-type magnetic transducer for writing which has two magnetic layers and a thin film coil provided between the magnetic layers with an insulating layer in between, the magnetic layers including two magnetic pole portions which are magnetically coupled to and face each other in part of the sides facing a recording medium with a write gap layer in between and comprise at least one layer for each magnetic layer, comprises steps of: forming a magnetic pole portion so that one edge of the magnetic pole portion is placed closer to the surface facing the medium which faces the recording medium; forming an sub-magnetic pole portion, one edge of which is magnetically coupled to the other edge of the magnetic pole portion, having a greater film thickness than that of the magnetic pole portion; and forming a yoke area being magnetically coupled to another edge side of the sub-magnetic pole portion.
In the thin film magnetic head and the method of manufacturing the same of the invention, a sub-magnetic pole portion having a greater film thickness than that of the magnetic pole portion is magnetically coupled to the other edge of the magnetic pole portion. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a large volume of pole in vicinity of the throat height 0 position even if the width of the magnetic pole portion, or the pole width is reduced. Also, it is possible to suppress flux saturation in vicinity of the throat height 0 position and to obtain submicron order of pole width.
Further, in the thin film magnetic head and the manufacturing the same of the invention, the sub-magnetic pole portion may be wider than the magnetic pole portion.
Further, in the thin film magnetic head and the manufacturing the same of the invention, the magnetic pole portion may be formed to be vertical to the surface facing the medium and to the edge surface closer to the surface facing the medium of the sub-magnetic pole portion.
Further, in the thin film magnetic head and the manufacturing the same of the invention, at least the film thickness of the sub-magnetic pole portion may be formed to be reduced gradually as it is closer to the surface facing the medium.
Further, in the thin film magnetic head and the manufacturing the same of the invention, after the magnetic pole portion is formed as a magnetic layer with a rectangular section, the sub-magnetic pole portion may be formed by covering a part opposite to the surface facing the medium of the magnetic layer with at least one layer of other magnetic layers.
Further, in the thin film magnetic head and the manufacturing the same of the invention, after the gap layer is formed, an insulating layer for determining a throat height may be formed between the gap layer and the sub-magnetic pole portion of one of the magnetic layers.
Further, in the thin film magnetic head and the manufacturing the same of the invention, the edge closer to the surface facing the medium of the sub-magnetic pole portion may be placed in vicinity of the edge closer to the surface facing the medium of the insulating layer.
Further, in the thin film magnetic head and the manufacturing the same of the invention, it is preferable that the yoke area be formed wider than the sub-magnetic pole portion.
Further, in the thin film magnetic head and the manufacturing the same of the invention, at least one layer of thin film coil may be formed in a region spreading over the surface opposite to the surface facing the medium of the sub-magnetic pole portion and the surface of the gap layer.
Other and further objects, features and advantages of the invention will appear more fully from the following description.

Thin film magnetic head and method of manufacturing same


A method and system for creating distributed applications without programming is disclosed. A Connection Editor interacts with an interface manager attached to each program in the visual development system. The interface manager allows connections to be made using the Connection Editor between the compatible properties of disparate programs by a visual process. Upon connection, the interface manager automates data flow between disparate properties without requiring any additional programming. Furthermore, the interface manager allows for dynamic properties to be exposed based on the run-time discovery of data.

1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates generally to the field of computers and, more specifically, to a method and system of visually developing distributed applications without programming.
2. Description of the Background
A computers, as in FIG. 1, comprises a digital processor 41 that executes instructions to perform tasks. The illustrated computer further includes input devises (mouse 44 and keyboard 45), a display 46, and a modem 47. These components are connected to a memory 51 via a local interface 43. The memory 51 holds an operating system 52, a window manager 53, and a computer program 100. A collection of instructions, or machine code, is referred to as a computer program. Programs can be manifested in a variety of forms, such as but not limited to stand-alone Executables, Libraries, Dynamic Link Libraries, Drivers, Components, Objects, and Distributed Objects.
Programs are created from instructions of a programming language that are accumulated into the program's source code. The source code controls presentation, interfaces, and logic. A programmer authors source-code and compiles it into processor machine code utilizing a compiler compatible with both the source code's language and target processor.
Some programs have an interface that allows other external programs to interact with the program during run-time execution. The interface to Executables, Libraries, and Drivers is typically called an Application Programming Interface or API, while the interface to Components, Objects, and Distributed Objects is simply called an interface. Despite some functional differences, each provides a mechanism for a programmer to interact with a program.
Regardless of the program, its interface will be comprised of one or more of the following primitives: (1) Parameter or Property of a fundamental data type, or (2) Function or Method, which further has an optional list of fundamental data types.
Applications are constructed from one or more programs. Programmers write source code leveraging interfaces that enable disparate programs to interact with each other and provide greater utility.
The process of writing source-code, compiling the source code into machine code, and debugging programs is incredibly costly and difficult. There are very few programmers relative to the general population, and very few highly skilled programmers relative to all programmers. Furthermore, there is little consistency between interfaces of disparate programs causing programmers to face long learning curves when implementing third-party programs in their applications.
To eliminate many of the problems associated with programming, there has been long standing goal in the field of software development to achieve the same level of "componentized" development as in the field of electronic circuit design. In 1968, Doug McIlroy presented a paper on Mass Produced Software Components. The following is a quote from this paper: "Follow the lead of hardware design! It is not right that every new development should start from scratch. There should be catalogs of software modules, as there are catalogs of VLSI devices: when we build a new system, we should be ordering components from these catalogs and combining them, rather than reinventing the wheel every time."
To assure interoperability between devices, electronic circuit design industry standards emerged in the form of "Logic Families" such as TTL or CMOS. A logic family defines strict operating parameters such as temperature, frequency, voltage-swing, power, or propagation time. These rules assure devices in the same logic family will work together when connected into a functional design. Standardization of logic families was facilitated in large part because of the limited number of market participants. Unlike in software, a high barrier of entry into the world of electronic device manufacture exists because the expense and expertise to create electronic devices is well beyond what any individual or small company can afford. The result is a few large and well-established companies dominate the market.
Electronic circuits, analogous to software applications, are constructed by connecting existing devices together in an order that provides a useful utility. The cost, efforts, and skill required to construct a circuit in this manner is many orders of magnitude less than that of constructing the actual devices, such as an Intel Pentium Processor™. By isolating the most complex job, such as the construction of a processor, into the domain of a very few highly skilled individuals, the industry is assured the rapid, high-quality construction of products that reuse the efforts of the most skilled engineers.
Unfortunately, there is a very low barrier to entry into the domain of creating computer programs, so no industry standardized logic family that would assure disparate programs could inter-operate without the need for programmers has been established. Thus, application development remains a slow inefficient process dominated by human error and competing standards.
Attempts have been made to solve these problems with the introduction of visually developed executable computers programs; however, many have failed to achieve the level of success as experienced in the electronic paradigm. Highly graphical development environments such as Microsoft's Visual-C++™ or Borland's Delphi™ have facilitated the creation of programs and applications, but at their heart remain programming environments requiring programmers to create and compile source code to do any but the most basic operations.
Visual connection paradigms have been developed to automate data flow between the properties of component frameworks that have metadata and support Run-Time-Type-Information (RTTI) and dynamic invocation, such as COM, or CORBA. A visual development environment may include an interface having a component inspector, component manager, component library, and one or more visual editors. A user can construct a program by selecting one or more components from the library, which displays components in a tabbed palette. Using a visual editor of the system, the user may drill-down into the internals of a component, for modifying its logic. Once the functionality of a component is completed, the user may proceed to connect together various components via the component "ports", which allow access to properties of the component. Components of the system may be nested within other components to an arbitrary level.
Other visual approaches focus on creating named relations between classes in a dynamic object-oriented programming environment via mappers. The mapping objects dynamically bind to the class interfaces of the classes being related. These connections between classes are defined within a visual environment. The relationships can be programmatically attached by name to object instances during program execution. Because these relationships are stored in a resource and are dynamically bound by name to the objects, they can be created and modified without requiring the source code of the objects being associated to be changed. This eliminates hardcoded dependencies between objects that impede reuse of the objects in other contexts. This type of program requires meta-data, full dynamic binding and probing support in the objects being connected.
By operating in a completely generic fashion, these approaches are limited strictly to modern component frameworks, and further are limited to the static metadata, such as Run-Time-Type Information (RTTI), of components that cannot alter their behavior based on the run-time discovery of data; this relegates their usefulness to nothing but simple user interfaces. Most importantly, these solutions present numerous user steps to expose connections points between disparate programs and, though graphical and automated, are unable to access and operate dynamic data without programmer intervention.

System and method for visual application development without programming


Disclosed herein is an audio and video data synchronous reproduction method, wherein an audio decoder decodes audio data separated by a demultiplexer from the multiplexed stream in which audio data, video data and a time stamp are multiplexed. A video decoder decodes video data separated by the demultiplexer from the multiplexed stream. Reproduction processing on audio and video data is paused in response to the request to pause the reproduction of the audio and video data. The reproduction processing on the audio and video data a video decoder is resumed in response to the request to release the pause in the reproduction of the audio and video data. The respective internal clocks included in the demultiplexer, the audio decoder and the video decoder is, before the resuming, set to indicate a single time.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an audio and video data synchronous reproduction apparatus and method for reproducing the multiplexed stream in which audio and video data are multiplexed together with time stamps.
2. Description of the Related Art
A method for reproducing the multiplexed stream (e.g. MP4 file) in which coded audio and video data is multiplexed together with time information is proposed.
The multiplexed stream contains presentation time stamps each of which indicates, for example, the output timing of information for each audio and video frame. The time stamp is compared with the time indicated by an internal clock in a decoder, thereby determining the output timing of the decoder.
A description will be given about, for example, a voice signal. An audio decoder decodes audio data separated from the multiplexed stream. The audio decoder compares a presentation time stamp attached to each decoded audio frame with the time (generally, a counter value, which is periodically incremented) indicated by the internal clock included therein. As a result of the comparison, if the presentation time stamp is identical to or exceeds the internal time, a signal is output to an output device such as a loudspeaker.
Similarly, a video decoder decodes video data. Also in this case, the video decoder compares the presentation time stamp attached to each decoded video frame with the time indicated by the internal clock included therein. As a result of the comparison, if the presentation time stamp is identical to or exceeds the indicated time of the internal clock, a signal is output to an output device such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display).
If there is a pause request during reproduction, current processing on a frame is continued until the processing is finished, and the apparatus is set to a standby state. The internal clock of each decoder stops incrementing the counter value when the current processing on the frame has finished. Accordingly, the internal clock holds the internal time at which the process has finished.
In general, the time period required for decoding differs between the audio decoder and the video decoder. Accordingly, after a pause process finishes, the internal clocks of the audio and video decoders indicate different times (i.e. different counter values).
Therefore, when the pause has been released, the audio and video data may be reproduced at different points in time, since the audio and video decoders hold different internal times.
If audio and video data are reproduced at different times every time a pause is executed and released, this may annoy the user. At worst, it is possible that an initial frame immediately after the release of a pause will not be reproduced. If one or more frames are not reproduced, resultant reproduced data is incomplete. Specifically, the display may be lacking in the contents, or voice may be disjointed, which must be avoided.

Method and apparatus for synchronously reproducing audio and video data


A flexible, sterilizable pouch includes a first wall coupled to a second wall and a cavity defined between the first wall and the second wall. The cavity is configured to receive a medical device, and the pouch is configured to seal the medical device within the cavity. At least one of the first wall and the second wall of the pouch includes two layers. Each layer is coupled to the adjacent layer such that a breach in any one layer of the multi-layered wall will not breach the seal of the pouch. A pocket may be formed between the layers of the multi-layered wall and may include a gas under pressure to inflate the corresponding wall to an inflated state.

Sterilizable, flexible pouches, hereafter referred to as pouches, for maintaining the sterility of objects, such as medical devices, for surgical applications have been utilized for many years. Such pouches typically utilize a bag fabricated from flexible, non-porous plastics such as polyethylene and/or gas-permeable materials such as a DuPont product called Tyvek®. Sterilization is accomplished after sealing the medical device within the pouch by exposing the sealed pouch to, for example, a sterilization gas such as ethylene oxide (EtO) or steam, or radiation such as an electron beam or gamma radiation.
In an example, a pouch may utilize a gas-permeable membrane as a first layer of the pouch. The gas-permeable layer is peelably adhered to a second layer of the pouch. When the medical device stored therein is to be removed, the first layer is separated or peeled from the second layer and the medical device removed.
Sterilizable pouches are generally formed from a continuous strip or strips of materials on an intermittent feed heat sealing machine. An opening to access the pouch is left unsealed such that a medical device may be placed therein. Once the medical device is placed within the pouch, the opening is sealed with a heat sealing machine and the pouch and the medical device are sterilized with a selected sterilization process.
These pouches offer sterile presentation and opening in a small footprint. Additionally, the pouches are low cost, easy to handle, and readily disposable. However, these pouches are not particular durable and may fail during transport, handling, and/or storage. More specifically, a breach, or hole may form in a layer of the pouch, sometimes due to a shipping carton rubbing against the pouch during transport. Alternatively, the medical device stored within the pouch may rub against the layers of the pouch form the inside and cause a breach. Any breach in a layer of the single layer pouch renders the medical device therein unsterile and not suitable for immediate service.
Moreover, the current pouches afford the medical device stored within only minimal protection from damage during transportation, handling and storage. Accordingly, there is a need for sterilizable, flexible medical device pouches with improved durability. There is also a need for sterilizable, flexible medical device pouches that afford better protection to enclosed medical devices.

Pouches with multi-layer walls for improved durability and protection of medical devices


The present application details methods and systems for improving the reliability of a connection during a communication session on a network device. In one or more embodiments, the network device maps to and connects with multiple datacenters. For example, the network device connects with a primary datacenter and participates in a communication session via a primary media bridge connection while jointly being connected with a secondary datacenter. In addition, the network device can switch from the primary media bridge connection to a secondary media bridge connection if a fault is detected on the primary media bridge connection.

1. Technical Field
One or more embodiments disclosed herein relate generally to facilitating communications over a network. More specifically, one or more embodiments disclosed herein relate to improving the reliability of a connection during a communication session on an electronic communications device.
2. Background and Relevant Art
Advances in electronic communications technologies have interconnected people and allowed for better communication than ever before. To illustrate, users traditionally relied on a public switched telephone network ("PSTN") to speak with other users in real-time. Now, users may communicate using network or Internet-based communication systems. One such network-based system is an internet protocol ("IP") telephone system, such as a voice over IP ("VoIP") communication system.
Conventional VoIP systems commonly rely on a central datacenter/backup datacenter general architecture to provide VoIP services for each VoIP device. The central datacenter provides VoIP services such as facilitating VoIP communication sessions (e.g., voice and video calls). The backup datacenter generally provides an available option to restore the VoIP system to an operating state in the event the central datacenter fails (e.g., network failure, hardware failure, datacenter maintenance).
A number of disadvantages exist with respect to conventional VoIP systems. For example, conventional VoIP systems still greatly lag behind traditional PSTNs in terms of reliability, service, and dependability. For instance, traditional circuit-switched PSTNs have evolved over the last few decades to provide 99.95%-99.999% uptime. In contrast, conventional VoIP systems often are less reliable. For example, users often experience dropped calls, connection timeouts, service outages, and communication delays. Users experience frustration when attempting to access services that are unavailable, or when the VoIP system is not functioning as intended. Further, users experience frustration when the quality of a communication session fluctuates, or when a communication session terminates unexpectedly or prematurely.
When a communication session prematurely terminates, users must request that the VoIP system reinitiate the communication session. For example, if a user's VoIP phone call with a recipient user fails, the user must manually redial to allow the VoIP system to reconnect the user with the recipient user. Further, in some instances, the VoIP system may not immediately be able to reconnect the user with the recipient user, but must wait a period of time before being able to again establish communication with the recipient user due to one or more technical problems with the central datacenter or network connection with the central datacenter.
The central datacenter/backup datacenter model also may increase the possibility of system failure. For example, having a single datacenter for every network device increases the susceptibility to malicious attacks as a hacker wanting to disrupt a VoIP system need only to target the central datacenter. Similarly, accidents, such as a power failure, may cripple the VoIP system until the VoIP system provider can shift operations to the backup datacenter.
In conventional VoIP systems, if the central datacenter fails, the VoIP system is down until the central datacenter may be brought back online or until the services can be migrated to the backup datacenter. For example, customers on a call during an outage will experience a dropped call and often have to wait for service to be restored as the VoIP service provider shifts the VoIP system to the backup datacenter. In other words, while the backup datacenter provides a VoIP system an option to eventually restore service should the central datacenter fail, the backup datacenter does not prevent temporary service outages or dropped calls for users at the moment of failure.
Further, the backup datacenter does not provide support in the event that the network device temporary loses connection with the central datacenter. For example, if the connection between the network device and the central datacenter temporarily goes down, and a user's call is dropped, the backup datacenter provides no assistance.
Accordingly, there are a number of considerations to be made in improving the convenience, access, and systems associated with network-based communication systems.

Reliability of a connection during a communication session on a network device


There is provided an underlayer coating forming composition for lithography, and an underlayer coating having a high dry etching rate compared with photoresist, and causing no intermixing with the photoresist, which are used in lithography process of manufacture of semiconductor device. Concretely, it is an underlayer coating forming composition comprising a compound having a protected carboxyl group, a compound having a group capable of reacting with a carboxyl group and a solvent, and an underlayer coating forming composition comprising a compound having a group capable of reacting with a carboxyl group and a protected carboxyl group and a solvent.

Conventionally, in the manufacture of semiconductor devices, micro-processing by lithography using a photoresist has been carried out. The micro-processing is a processing method comprising forming a thin film of a photoresist on a semiconductor substrate such as a silicon wafer or the like, irradiating actinic rays such as ultraviolet rays through a mask pattern on which a pattern for a semiconductor device is depicted, developing it to obtain a photoresist pattern, and etching the substrate using the photoresist pattern as a protective film, thereby forming fine unevenness corresponding to the pattern on the surface of the substrate. However, in recent progress in high integration of semiconductor devices, there has been a tendency that shorter wavelength actinic rays are being used, i.e., ArF excimer laser beam (193 nm) has been taking the place of KrF excimer laser beam (248 nm). Along with this change, influences of random reflection and standing wave of a substrate have become serious problems. Accordingly, it has been widely studied to provide an anti-reflective coating between the photoresist and the substrate (Bottom Anti-Reflective Coating, BARC) in order to resolve the problem. As the anti-reflective coating, from a viewpoint of easy of use,; many considerations have been done on organic anti-reflective coatings made of a light absorbing substance and a polymer compound and the like. For example, mention may be made of the acrylic resin type anti-reflective coating having a hydroxyl group being a crosslinking reaction group and a light absorbing group in the same molecule and the novolak resin type anti-reflective coating having a hydroxyl group being a crosslinking reaction group and a light absorbing group in the same molecule (see, for example Patent Documents 1 and 2).
The physical properties desired for organic anti-reflective coating include high absorbance to light and radioactive rays, no intermixing with the photoresist layer (being insoluble in photoresist solvents), no diffusion of low molecular substances from the ant-reflective coating into the topcoat photoresist upon baking under heating, and a higher dry etching rate than the photoresist (see, for example, Non-patent Documents 1, 2 and 3).
In recent years, in order to solve interconnection delay that has become clear with miniaturization in pattern rule of semiconductor devices, it has been considered to use copper as interconnect material, and to apply Dual Damascene process as interconnect forming method on the semiconductor device. And, in Dual Damascene process, via holes are formed and an anti-reflective coating is formed on a substrate having a high aspect ratio. Therefore, the anti-reflective coating for use in this process is required to have filling property by which holes can be filled without gap, flattening property by which a flat coating can be formed on the surface of substrate, and the like.
However, it is difficult to apply organic material for anti-reflective coating on a substrate having a high aspect ratio, and in recent years, material with particular emphasis on filling property or flattening property has been developed (see, for example Patent Documents 3, 4, 5 and 6).
In addition, in the production of devices such as semiconductors, in order to reduce poisoning effect of a photoresist layer induced by a dielectric layer, there is disclosed a method in which a barrier layer formed from a composition containing a crosslinkable polymer and the like is provided between the dielectric layer and the photoresist layer (see, for example Patent Document 7).
As mentioned above, in the recent manufacture of semiconductor devices, in order to attain several effects represented by anti-reflective effect, it comes to provide an organic underlayer coating formed from a composition containing an organic compound between a semiconductor substrate and a photoresist layer, that is, as an underlayer of the photoresist.
As the underlayer coating is required to cause no intermixing, a crosslinking reaction is utilized for the formation of the underlayer coating in many cases. And, as the composition for forming such a crosslinkable underlayer coating, a composition comprising a polymer, a crosslinking agent and a sulfonic acid compound as a crosslinking catalyst is used (see, for example Patent Documents 1, 3, 4 and 6). However, as the compositions contain a strong acid being the sulfonic acid compound, they are anticipated to have a problem in shelf stability.
Therefore, an underlayer coating formed by use of crosslinking reaction for which no strong acid catalyst is required, and a composition therefor have been desired.
In the meanwhile, there are known compositions for anti-reflective coating that are anticipated to utilize crosslinking system in which no strong acid catalyst is required (see, for example Patent Documents 8, 9, 10 and 11).    Patent Document 1: U.S. Pat. No. 5,919,599    Patent Document 2: U.S. Pat. No. 5,693,691    Patent Document 3: JP-A-2000-294504 (2000)    Patent Document 4: JP-A-2002-47430 (2002)    Patent Document 5: JP-A-2002-190519 (2002)    Patent Document 6: WO 02/05035 pamphlet    Patent Document 7: JP-A-2002-128847 (2002)    Patent Document 8: U.S. Pat. No. 6,686,124    Patent Document 9: JP-A-2001-192411 (2001)    Patent Document 10: JP-A-2000-264921 (2000)    Patent Document 11: JP-A-7-316268 (1995)    Non-patent Document 1: Tom Lynch et al., "Properties and Performance of Near UV Reflectivity Control Layers", US, in Advances in Resist Technology and Processing XI, Omkaram Nalamasu ed., Proceedings of SPIE, 1994, Vol. 2195, p. 225–229    Non-patent Document 2: G. Taylor et al., "Methacrylate Resist and Antireflective Coatings for 193 nm Lithography", US, in Microlithography 1999: in Advances in Resist Technology and Processing XVI, Will Conley ed., Proceedings of SPIE, 1999, Vol. 3678, p. 174–185    Non-patent Document 3: Jim D. Meador et al., "Recent Progress in 193 nm Antireflective Coatings, US, in Microlithography 1999: in Advances in Resist Technology and Processing XVI, Will Conley ed., Proceedings of SPIE, 1999, Vol. 3678, p. 800–809

Underlayer coating forming composition for lithography containing compound having protected carboxyl group


A method of controlling the part-load performance of a turbine includes generating a bypass flow in the turbine by removing a portion of a compressed fluid from a compressor of the turbine, determining an operating load of the turbine, transmitting the bypass flow to a turbine section of the turbine; and selectively heating the bypass flow according to the determined operating load of the turbine.

The subject matter disclosed herein relates to a turbine, such as a gas turbine.
A gas turbine is designed to operate at a peak load or base load. The turbine has a compressor, to take in a fluid and compress the fluid, a combustion section to combust a fuel to heat the fluid, and a turbine section to generate power with the heated fluid. When the turbine operates at peak load, the turbine operates at a predetermined combustion level to drive a turbine section. However, when the turbine is operated off-peak, or at part-load, the efficiency of the turbine decreases.

Method and apparatus to control part-load performance of a turbine


In a CPP magnetic head a free magnetic layer and a magnetic biasing layer are disposed within a central layer stack. To pin the magnetization of the bias layer, an antiferromagnetic (AFM) layer is fabricated on the sides of the central stack. The AFM layer may be comprised of an electrically non-conductive AFM material such as NiO, or, where the AFM material is electrically conductive, such as PtMn or IrMn, a layer of electrical insulation is deposited to prevent the sense current from flowing through the outwardly disposed AFM layer. Portions of the bias layer are deposited upon the outwardly disposed AFM layer, such that the magnetization of the outwardly disposed portions of the bias layer are pinned by the AFM layer, which creates an effective pinning of the central portions of the bias layer. This then provides an effective biasing of the magnetization of the free magnetic layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to read head sensors for magnetic heads, and more particularly to an improved sensor structure in which an antiferromagnetic pinning layer is removed from the central stack of sensor layers between the magnetic shields of a CPP sensor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A hard disk drive stores and retrieves data by positioning a magnetic read/write head over a rotating magnetic data storage disk, where the magnetic head, or heads, read from or write data to concentric data tracks defined on surface of the disks. The goal in recent years is to increase the amount of data that can be stored on each hard disk. Increasing the a real data storage density of the disks can be accomplished by reducing the size of data bits, such that the number of bits per inch (bpi) on the data tracks on the disk can be increased. However, to read data from a disk with an increased bpi, it is also necessary to develop a sufficiently thin read gap structure within the read head of the magnetic head, such that unwanted magnetic field interference from adjacent data bits is substantially eliminated.
A read head typically includes a magnetoresistive (MR) spin valve sensor structure for reading the data from the disk of the hard disk drive. As is well known to those skilled in the art, such MR sensor structures include a plurality of thin film layers disposed between two magnetic shields that define the read gap. The thin film layers have particular magnetic properties, and are sensitive to the magnetic field of the data bits on the hard disk. Thus, thinner layers disposed between the two magnetic shields will create a thinner read gap, which will allow the read head to detect the smaller data bits that a higher bpi data track contains.
The thin film layers of a typical GMR spin valve sensor will include at least one antiferromagnetic (AFM) layer, at least one pinned magnetic layer, a spacer layer, at least one free magnetic layer and a magnetic biasing layer for the free magnetic layer. The magnetic biasing layer may require a second AFM layer to pin its magnetization in a desired direction. In operation the magnetic moment of the free layer is free to rotate laterally within the layer with respect to the ABS from a quiescent or zero bias point position in response to positive and negative magnetic field signals from data bits located on the rotating magnetic disk. The biasing layer stabilizes the free magnetic layer in its zero bias point position.
There are generally two ways to provide sense current to the read head. The older way is by supplying a current that runs longitudinally in the plane of the ABS from one side of the free magnetic layer to the other side. A more recent design is to supply the sense current perpendicularly to the plane (CPP) of the central layer stack; that is, between the magnetic shields. In such CPP head designs it is a practice in the prior art to pin the magnetization of the bias layer by using a layer of antiferromagnetic (AFM) material within the central layer stack, but this method can have disadvantages that result from the thickness of the AFM material, which is typically relatively large. This thickness of AFM material may be so great that it is a significant factor in the size of the read gap of the read heads. Therefore, there is an advantage to CPP read head sensors having a pinned bias layer that do not require that the AFM layer be disposed within the central layer stack between the magnetic shields.

Magnetic head with improved free magnetic layer biasing for thinner CPP sensor stack

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands, B.V.


A pallet can be detachably carried on a sled for shipping heavier objects on the pallet as carried by the sled, or lighter object on the pallet alone, the sled spreading the weight over a greater area than the pallet alone. The dimensions of both the pallet and sled are related to contribute different integer fractions of a given dimension such as the length of a standard intermodal container. This arrangement is apt for shipping smaller steel coils on pallets and larger steel coils on pallets carried by sleds. Thus, for example, quarter-container-length pallets, normally appropriate for a pallet to carry lighter coils, can carry heavier loads on a sled occupying a larger proportion of the container length, such as a half-container-length sled. An attachment mechanism affixes the sled to the pallet and the assembly is configured for manipulation with a fork lift.

Pallets are conventionally used to ship various types of goods. Placing a load of goods on a pallet, particularly if tied down and attached securely to the pallet, allows the load to be handled efficiently using vehicles or devices having manipulators adapted to fit into or under the pallet, such as the tines of a fork lift. This affords protection for the goods. Handling stresses are borne by the pallet. There is substantial efficiency in handling the goods as a unit load larger than cartons or other components in the load. The pallet is a standardized platform on which odd shaped goods may be carried. Pallets can be associated with structural spacers for stacking.
Some of the same advantages enjoyed when using pallets have led to the development and widespread adoption of intermodal containers. Intermodal containers can accommodate multiple pallet loads, providing the ability to handle an even larger load as a unit. Intermodal containers also provide standardization of sizes. More capable manipulators can be used in addition to fork trucks. The containers are typically closed boxes that can be stacked. The containers can be connected to one another, for example by corner couplings for stacking in registry, and also for fitting standardized berths on ships, truck and rail chassis and the like.
Containers offer superior protection for their contents. The container and its load are readily transferred between different modes of transport, e.g., road, rail or ship, carrying along the protection and convenience, without the need to open the container unless the load is to be broken. Large ocean-going vessels have been designed for handling the containers which can be stacked one on top of the other perhaps as many as seven high, with the container framing carrying the weight of the contents of the stack. The standard width of ISO containers is 8 feet (2.44 m), the standard heights are 8 feet 6 inches (2.59 m), and 9 feet 6 inches (2.9 m), and the most common lengths are 20 feet (6.1 m) and 40 feet (12.19 m). The containers are also manufactured in a number of different lengths from 24 feet (7.31 m) to 56 feet (17.22 m). The 20 foot length is a common variety, internally about 6 m long by 2.4 m wide.
Containers are often regarded as appropriate for loads comprising smaller packages such as cartons. Some products involve relatively large and/or heavy units and are sometimes transported as bulk loads, rather than in containers. However, transport of such loads in containers, if possible, can have distinct advantages.
One type of product that is still frequently transported as a bulk load on board ship is steel coil. These coils comprise elongated sheet metal strips in various widths weighing up to 25,000 kg. The coils are stored in dockside warehouses on the order of 20,000,000 to 50,000,000 kg storage capacity. Sufficient warehouse capacity is needed to accumulate and dispense stock so as to smooth over time variations between the demand for steel coils and periodic shipments. If regular supplies could be established, less warehouse capacity might be sufficient.
Transportation of bulk cargo such as steel coils, may expose the cargo to potential damage. Mechanical damage can result if a coil is struck or dropped. Environmental damage can occur, for example from exposure to the elements, such as sea water. Resting a coil on a flat surface or stacking a coil in a nested stack can cause deformation. Resting the coils on the ground or on a wet or dusty surface can introduce unwanted dirt, and can damage the coils when stones or uneven surfaces are beneath the coil. Often the sheet coil material has been provided with a surface treatment at some expense, such as a surface coating of organic paint or another finish. Such a coating or finish advantageously should be protected against damage. For bulk coil cargo, problems of exposure and the like have led to encapsulation of the coils in protective packaging. Many of these problems might be avoided if the coils could be transported in containers. But there are problems. One problem results from the fact that the coils can be very heavy and their weight is densely concentrated.
Standard intermodal containers may be structured to carry substantial weight, but typically the weight is distributed evenly over the available floor area of the container in laterally abutting units such as palleted cartons. Assuming that a dense and heavy weight such as a sheet metal coil is mounted on a pallet, all the weight of the coil is applied to the area encompassed by the pallet. This weight may be too concentrated. Assuming a container is designed, for example, to carry up to 30,000 kg, that weight is expected to be distributed over the floor and not applied to only a small area of the container floor. A typical steel coil, weighing 7,000 kg or more, carried on a typical pallet, may exceed a container's design capacity as to weight concentration. If a coil is a lone weight on a pallet and/or if the pallet is a small item in a container, of whatever weight, dynamic loads imposed during transportation at sea may cause the weight to move, and develop inertial force that is more than the container structure can bear.
The coils can be carried on pallets that are sized to occupy an area of the container, wherein the area occupied is proportional to the weight of the coils to be carried, and perhaps also encompasses the corresponding proportionate area of the container. In that case (and assuming that the pallets are weighty as well), the standard 30,000 kg capacity shipping container might carry three 7,000 kg coils, each on a structure occupying a third of the floor space, or two 13,000 kg coils, each occupying half, or one 25,000 kg coil on a structural reinforcing pallet that distributes the weight over the whole area.
Such a technique is exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 6,231,284—Kordel. According to that patent and the products available currently from Coil-Tainer Ltd., West Chester, Pa., large pallets that occupy the full width of standard shipping containers are designed to handle very heavy cylindrical loads such as steel coil. The pallets are considered "modular" in that pallets are proportionately sized to distribute the weight of coils over integral lengths of the container. For example, a container can be filled with two half-length pallets, four quarter-length pallets or two quarter-length and one half length pallet. Empty pallets can be used to take up space and lock in load-bearing pallets in a partially-full container.
The pallets disclosed in Kordel thus help to solve problems associated with weight distribution and permit the use of intermodal type containers to carry dense heavy weights such as sheet metal coils. However, this system relies on having a range of pallet sizes (or at least two distinct pallet sizes), and that has introduced logistical difficulties and inefficiencies. Often, larger and heavier steel coil is routinely shipped to a given destination for processing in the production of products. Smaller and lighter processed steel coil is more likely to be shipped out from that location than large coils. As a result, large pallets accumulate at that destination and there is an insufficient supply of smaller pallets.
In the foregoing scenario, it is possible to use the extra large pallets (e.g., half-container-length) pallets to ship out smaller coils (e.g., coils that could be carried in a quarter of the container capacity instead of half). It is also possible to ship a supply of small pallets to the destination, empty, and to ship the large pallets back to the original shipping point, also empty. Either the pallets are under-utilized or the containers are under-utilized, or both.
Known modular pallet arrangements could be effective for distributing the weight of large or small coils or other loads proportionately over the area available in a container. The known technique also could efficiently use available shipping capacity. Due to the lopsided movement and need for large and small pallets, it has not been possible to realize both objectives. There is a need for a palletization system that can better realize the potential to accommodate both large and small steel coils, to use all the shipping capacity that is available in containers as well as the pallets they carry, and at the same time to reduce the need to support the operation by shipping pallets and equipment unloaded or otherwise used to less than their full capacity.

Freight pallet with detachable base shed