An apparatus for joining precast concrete units. A precast concrete unit, such as a section of pipe, decking and pavement includes a plurality of spaced, longitudinally aligned tubular members. The ends of each concrete unit are flush and are bounded by rounded edges to prevent chipping. The ends of the tubular members are flush with the end of the concrete unit. When two of such units are to be joined together, a guide member is inserted in one end of each tubular member on one concrete unit while an internally threaded insert member is inserted into each end of the tubular member in a second concrete unit. The guide members and insert members have axial apertures with the aperture in the insert member being internally threaded. The two precast concrete units are brought together so that the guide member on one concrete unit enters into the ends of the tubular members containing the inserts in the second concrete unit. A bolt is passed through each guide member and is threaded into the internally threaded aperture in the insert member. The bolts are tightened to join the two precast concrete units together. A resilient gasket can be cast into one end of a concrete unit when it is formed or can be inserted into a groove which is formed in a face of a precast concrete unit at the time it is formed. The gasket used in the groove is U-shaped and a resilient cord is inserted to the bottom of the groove to spread the sides of the gasket to securely lock it in place in the groove. The method of assembling precast concrete units is also disclosed.

In the past, concrete pipe sections have been connected to form drains or culverts by using a male and female type of connection such as a bell and spigot and tongue-and-groove. The spigot is a tapered end while the bell is flared. The spigot end on one pipe is inserted into the flared end on another pipe. Rubber gaskets have been placed on the spigot with the gasket rings compressed in making the joint. The joint is then filled with mortar or asphalt to seal the pipe. As the pipe settles over time, the joints tend to open as the mortar or asphalt dries out and cracks.
In order to provide a more rigid and lasting connection, sections of concrete pipe were cast with the ends of reinforcing rods projecting out of the pipe at one end and with an aperture or recess at the other end for receiving the end of the reinforcing rod from a section of pipe to be joined. The ends of the reinforcing rods were threaded and washers and threaded nuts were used to fasten the sections together. This method presents a serious problem in that the threaded ends of the reinforcing rods can be damaged in shipping or in joining sections of pipe together, destroying the usefulness of the entire section of pipe.
Other techniques have also been used, such as hook-and-eye methods; however, these also suffered like the exposed reinforcing rods from damage in shipping or in assembling pipe sections together.


A drive axle assembly is provided in which the differential cross-shaft supporting the differential gears is driven directly by the ring gear. The assembly reduces loading on the differential case to which the ring gear is attached thereby enabling the use of low capacity joints between the ring gear and differential case and/or a lighter differential case.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to drive axle assemblies and, in particular, to a drive axle assembly in which a differential cross-shaft is driven directly by a ring gear.
2. Discussion of Related Art
A conventional drive axle assembly includes a drive axle housing from which a pair of axle shafts extend to rotatably support one or more ground engaging wheels on opposites sides of a vehicle. Power is input to the drive axle assembly through an input shaft that rotates a pinion gear. The pinion gear engages a ring gear that is coupled to a differential case rotatably supported within the drive axle housing. Within the differential case, a plurality of differential gears are mounted on a differential cross-shaft or spider. Rotation of the differential case (through the action of the pinion gear and ring gear) causes rotation of the cross-shaft and differential gears. The differential gears engage side gears that are coupled to the axle shafts.
In most conventional drive axle assemblies, the ring gear is coupled to the differential case using fasteners such as bolts or welds. Torque is transferred from the ring gear through the fasteners to the differential case and differential cross-shaft. Over time, fasteners such as bolts may loosen and welds may break under the constant loads transmitted between the ring gear and differential case.
The inventors herein have recognized a need for a drive axle assembly that will minimize and/or eliminate one or more of the above-identified deficiencies.


A supporting disc for a supporting disc bearing of open-end spinning rotors consists of a disc-like base body and a running ring made of plastic. There are small, ball-shaped filling bodies, preferably of glass, embedded in the running ring. These filling bodies, which amount to between 0.1 and 10% of the total volume, have a diameter of, for example, 0.1 to 0.3 mm. After the peripheral surface of the running ring has been machined, a more or less porous running surface arises.

This application claims the priority of German application 198 18 125.6, filed in Germany on Apr. 23, 1998, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The present invention relates to a supporting disc for a supporting disc bearing of open-end spinning rotors comprising a disc-like base body and a running ring made of plastic and having a running surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,713,932 exemplifies supporting discs of this general type. Such supporting disc bearings are not in general encapsulated towards the outside. It can occur therefore that fly, trash or avivage establishes itself at the spinning rotors in the area of the support discs, which can lead to an untrue running. In the case of certain running ring materials, it can even happen that so-called chatter marks occur on the running surfaces.
It is an object of the present invention to significantly reduce the polluting of the open-end spinning rotor and also the occurrence of chatter marks.
This object has been achieved in accordance to the present invention in that small, ball-shaped filling bodies are embedded in the running ring.
The filling bodies give the running ring other flexible properties. The ball-shaped filling bodies can be made of plastic or preferably, of glass, and be hollow. The filling bodies are added to the liquid plastic when the running ring is cast onto the base body, namely, according to the application purpose, with a volume of between 0.1 and 10% of the total. The diameter of the ball-shaped filling bodies lies, for example, in the range of 0.1 to 0.3 mm.
Although the filling bodies are distributed over the entire interior of the running ring, they are needed mostly on the running surface. Due to the usual machining of the running surface, a few filling bodies break out of the running surface, so that tiny pores arise thereon. Other filling bodies are cut off during machining, others remain anchored in the running ring and project only partly out of the running surface. The running surface gives the optical impression of being slightly porous. Surprisingly, it has been established that owing to these measures, less trash accumulates on the open-end spinning rotor, and practically no chatter marks occur on the running surfaces of the supporting discs.
The applicants still have no explanation for this phenomenon. It is thought to some extent that due to the ball-shaped filling bodies on the running surface, the heat transfer from the open-end spinning rotors to the running ring is reduced, so that less or even no chatter marks occur. Another explanation could be that a hard skin, which usually forms on the running surface when the plastic cools, does not quite assert itself due to the effect of the filling bodies, so that chatter marks arising as a result of the hard skin do not now occur anymore.
As for the reduced soiling of the open-end spinning rotor, the applicants presume that the filling bodies have an erasing effect and thus keep the open-end spinning rotor constantly clean. The altered temperature and flexing work caused by the filling bodies could also have a positive influence. This seemingly does not involve an increase in wear of the bearing points, as the shafts of the open-end spinning rotors are usually coated against wear.
It is known from German published patent application 19 62 247 to provide the plastic supporting rollers of false twist spindles with hair-like reinforcing elements made of carbon. The aim thereof, however, is to improve the poor heat conducting properties of the plastic, so that the heat can be better conducted to a base body supporting the plastic running ring.

Supporting disc for a supporting disc bearing of open-end spinning rotors and process of making same

Spindelfabrik, Suessen, Schurr, Stahlecker & Grill GmbH


A liquid applying apparatus can prevent an applying roller from being degraded while contacting with an application liquid for a long time. Specifically, once an applying operation has been completely executed on an applying medium, the apparatus stands by for 60 seconds while holding the application liquid in a liquid holding member. When an applying instruction is not given during this period, the apparatus performs an application liquid collecting operation of discharging the application liquid from the liquid holding member. Thus, upon determining that no applying operation has been performed for a certain period after one applying operation has finished, the apparatus collects the application liquid from the liquid holding member. This avoids immersing the applying roller in the application liquid for a long time. Therefore, the applying roller is prevented from being degraded by the application liquid.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid applying apparatus and an ink jet printing apparatus, and specifically, to a liquid applying apparatus that applies a liquid to a medium for a predetermined purpose, for example, for starting the coagulation of pigments earlier when printing is carried out using inks composed of the pigments as color materials. Likewise, the present invention relates to an ink jet printing apparatus comprising a mechanism that applies the liquid to a print medium used for ink jet printing, for a predetermined purpose, for example, for starting the coagulation of pigments earlier when printing is carried out using inks composed of the pigments as color materials.
2. Description of the Related Art
A spin coater, a roll coater, a bar coater, and a die coater are known as systems for applying a liquid or an aqueous material to various media. These applying systems are premised on continuous applying on relatively long applying media. Thus, for example, in applying liquid to media having a relatively small size and being intermittently conveyed, paint beads may be disturbed at a position at which applying is started or ended. In this case, the coats obtained may be non-uniform among the applying media.
A known configuration that can solve this problem is described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2001-070858. On the basis of the die coater system, this configuration uses a rotating rod bar and ejects a paint to the rod bar through an ejection slit to form a coat on the rod bar. The coat formed is contacted with and transferred to an applying medium as the rod bar rotates. In this case, when the coat formed on the rod bar is not transferred or applied to the applying medium, the paint is returned to a head by the rotation of the rod bar. The paint is then collected via a collecting slit. In other words, the rod bar continues to rotate even during non-applying, while the paint is being formed into a coat on the rod bar. This enables a uniform coat to be obtained even if applying media are intermittently supplied and applied the paint.
Even in the field of ink jet printing apparatuses, those using a liquid applying mechanism are known. Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2002-517341 describes an apparatus which uses a doctor blade contacting with a roller and in which the application liquid is collected between the blade and the roller so that the application liquid is applied to the roller as the roller rotates. As the roller rotates, the application liquid applied to the roller is transferred and applied to a support conveyed between this roller and another roller. Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 08-072227 (1996) similarly discloses a mechanism in an ink jet printing apparatus which applies a treatment liquid before printing which liquid insolubilizes dyes. In Embodiment 1 of this document, the treatment liquid in a replenishing tank is pumped by being attached to the rotating roller. At the same time, the treatment liquid pumped is applied to print paper.
However, in the configurations described in the above patent documents, an application liquid is applied or supplied to the surface of the rod bar or roller. However, the part of the rod bar or roller to which the application liquid is applied or supplied is open to or in communication with air. Thus, disadvantageously, the application liquid may be evaporated or, for example, the application liquid may leak when the posture of the apparatus is changed.
In particular, with an ink jet printing apparatus such as a printer, in view of, for example, the leakage of the liquid caused by a change in the posture of the apparatus, it is difficult to apply the applying mechanism described in the above documents to the apparatus if its size has been reduced.
In contrast, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 08-058069 (1996) discloses a configuration that seals a part that applies or supplies inks, that is, application liquids, to a roller. The applying mechanism described in this document operates in a gravure printing apparatus to apply inks to a roller (applying roller) having the surface of which is formed with a pattern of a printing plate. This mechanism uses an ink chamber having two doctor blades arranged at two vertical positions along a peripheral surface of the roller and extending in a longitudinal direction of the roller and elastic members provided at the opposite sides of the two doctor blades. The chamber is contacted with the peripheral surface of the roller to form a liquid chamber between the ink chamber and the roller. Then, the roller is rotated to apply or supply the application liquid from the liquid chamber to the roller.
However, in any of the configurations described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 08-58069 (1996) and other documents described above, while applying a liquid is not carried out, an applying roller that applies the liquid directly to a medium or the roller that supplies the application liquid to the applying roller remains soaked in a predetermined amount of application liquid gathered. Thus, if applying the liquid is not carried out for a long time, there are problems that the roller soaked in the application liquid may be degraded and non-uniform application is caused in a subsequent application operation.
Meanwhile, in the case that an application of the liquid is continuously executed for a plurality of media, it is desirable that the applying roller that applies the liquid directly to the medium or the roller that supplies the application liquid to the applying roller remains soaked in the application liquid and is ready for the next applying operation, for serving as their applying or supplying roller.

Liquid applying apparatus and ink jet printing apparatus


A breast pump includes a platform resting on the floor or other support and a treadle having a convex surface resting on the platform, permitting a pivoting or see-saw motion of the treadle. A bellows is connected between the treadle and the platform, forming a variable displacement chamber. A flexible hose connects the chamber to a reservoir including a container, such as a baby bottle, and an adaptor attached to the bottle as a cap. There is no valve controlling the flow of air to or from the reservoir, thereby providing complete and precise control of the pressure in the reservoir.

This invention relates to breast pumps and, in particular, to a foot operated breast pump having a pivoting treadle for providing full control of both halves of the pumping cycle.
In the ideal situation where a mother and baby are together most of the time and the baby is able to nurse on demand, there is little need for a breast pump. However, there are many circumstances which make nursing difficult or impossible and a breast pump is necessary to furnish the baby with the mother's milk; for example, a premature infant who cannot be nursed or a mother returning to work shortly after giving birth. The book, "The WomanIy Art of Breastfeeding", published by La Leche League International describes several types of manual and electric breast pumps which have been used by women to enhance or facilitate nursing.
A manual breast pump is awkward because it requires both hands to operate, preventing the mother from pumping both breasts simultaneously, holding a baby, or even holding a book to read during the tedious pumping process. Some pumps are designed for single handed operation but require exceptional strength in the fingers to maintain a rhythmic squeezing action. In addition, a single handed breast pump typically requires that the hand performing the rhythmic, strength-intensive pumping also keep the funnel in place on the breast.
Electrically powered breast pumps are a little better, not requiring so much work from one hand, but are more expensive, noisy, less portable, and have less control of suction and rhythm. Many electrically powered breast pumps are so expensive that they are rented rather than purchased. Since a table-top electric breast pump is often the same size as a small sewing machine, a mother cannot always carry the pump with her, requiring that she be at a certain place at a certain time, several times a day, in order to be able to pump the milk her baby needs. Even if the pump is transportable, the mother must find an electrical outlet in a private area, often a difficult task in offices and other public places.
The noise of a motor can compromise privacy even behind a closed door and may be distracting for the mother. Battery powered breast pumps are usually noisy, producing a buzz like an electric razor. Even if a mother is able to resolve the privacy and distraction issues for herself, the baby may be distracted or upset when nursing on one breast while the mother pumps the other breast, as many women do to aid their milk letdown reflex,
On an electric breast pump, the controls for suction and rhythm are not as immediate as the quick adjustment provided by a manual breast pump, i.e. suction decreases as soon as the woman slows or stops pumping manually. The controls for suction and rhythm on a battery powered breast pump may be more convenient than the controls on an AC powered breast pump but they are not immediately effective. On some battery powered pumps, suction is controlled by placing a finger over an air hole, an imprecise method which causes the suction to be inconsistent, with possibly painful consequences.
A battery powered breast pump has a further disadvantage in that the woman must always have fresh batteries and spare batteries with her.
In the prior art, U.S. Pat. No. 11,135 by O. H. Needham (1854), describes a manual bellows connected by a flexible hose to a funnel which fits over the breast. This pump requires two hands to operate, one hand for the pump and one hand for the funnel. There is no mechanism in the pump for returning the bellows to a start position and the narrow grip for operating the bellows precludes operation by foot.
In view of the foregoing, it is therefore an object of the invention to provide a manual breast pump requiring only one hand to operate.
Another object of the invention is to provide a breast pump which is portable, quiet, and inexpensive.
A further object of the invention is to provide a manual breast pump which permits control of both halves of the pump cycle.
Another object of the invention is to provide a breast pump requiring little, if any, manual dexterity.


Radio frequency receivers are implemented in a variety of embodiments. In one such embodiment, a radio frequency receiver is implemented for detecting synchronization patterns in a receiver, particularly in a UHF receiver or a VHF receiver, by which the average current consumption in a system with a receiver, particularly a UHF receiver or a VHF receiver, and with a subsequently arranged controller unit can be reduced. Using a slope detector and by taking the signal state in a shift register, the radio frequency receiver may be implemented by synchronizing a clock recovery unit with an incoming signal. The shift register pattern can be compared against a predetermined pattern, and when the patterns correspond to the pattern of each other or to the completely inverted pattern of the other, the signal is enabled for further processing in a controller unit.

The present invention relates to a method and a circuit arrangement for detecting synchronization patterns in a receiver, particularly a UHF receiver (UHF=ultra high frequency) or a VHF receiver (VHF=very high frequency).
In a multitude of radio systems currently used on a UHF or VHF basis, the high-frequency signal picked up by an antenna is applied to a UHF receiver or a VHF receiver in conformity with the reception bandwidth and the reception frequency. The demodulated and digitized low-frequency signal is passed on via a data output to a connected controller unit, particularly a microcontroller unit, for further processing.
The decision whether the demodulated and digitized signal is a valid data signal or only digital noise is entirely taken by the controller unit in these conventional systems. In this respect, it is to be noted that a multitude of transmission units having the same carrier frequency is used in the frequency range of the Industrial, Scientific and Medical (ISM) bands so that the controller unit receives a multitude of additional signals which do not originate from the desired transmission unit at all.
The above-described conventional systems have in common that, fundamentally, both system components, i.e. both the UHF or VHF receiver and the controller unit must be permanently or at least predominantly operative for the reasons mentioned above. This fact is particularly a drawback in those conventional systems in which a low average current consumption is required, for example, in battery-operated conditions.

Method and circuit arrangement for detecting synchronization patterns in a receiver


A slide idler for a chain drive wherein the idler is provided with easily replaceable and rotatable bushings. The slide idler comprises two elongated members, each elongated member is provided with two inwardly extending polygonal mounting assemblies. Two cylindrical bushings having polygonal apertures corresponding to the polygonal mounting assemblies are mounted to these mounting assemblies and are sandwiched between the elongated members. A split pin is used to hold the slide idler together.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to a slide idler for a chain drive having replaceable and positionable cylindrical bushings.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Idlers for chain drives are well known in the art. These idlers are usually spring biased to apply a tension to the chain so it does not become uncogged from the driven or driven sprockets. Some idlers are provided with freely rotatable sprockets for engaging the chain. Other idlers such as slide idlers are made of plastic material and are provided with cylindrical surfaces that slide along the chain.
One design of a slide idler, uses two elongated members having two cylindrical bushings sandwiched therebetween. The bushings are affixed to the elongated members. Cylindrical apertures pass through the elongated members and the bushings. The bushing is mounted on a spindle of a frame and a spring is positioned between the spindle and the idler to bias it into contact with the chain. The bushings of this idler cannot be replaced or rotated into different engagement positions.


An upward facing probing mechanism using mercury probe contacts for accurate automatic multi-site measurements of a semiconductor wafer, especially of ultra-shallow ion implanted layers on a semiconductor wafer held top surface facing downward. A fixed force is applied to the wafer regardless of the thickness of the wafer through the of use of a regulated pressure piston. Incorporated are a plurality of spring-loaded rod assemblies to support the floating probe head to position the probe head face into full contact with the wafer surface accurately placing all mercury contacts on the surface of the wafer regardless of the inclination of the wafer as a result of the even support of the probe head by the spring-loaded rod assemblies. Included is a mechanism to refresh the mercury contacts for each probing with full containment and recovery of the mercury used in each probing.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to probe system for use with semiconductor wafers. More particularly, it relates to a probe system having an upward facing probe head disposed to interface with the top surface of a wafer-under-test with the wafer held upside down by a wafer support chuck. Said probe system including an evenly spring-supported, gas piston push-pulled, upward-facing probe head, wherein one or more mercury electrodes of various shape and area can be formed to make low-pressure uniform and clean contacts in the upward facing orientation with the upside down held wafer-under-test. Said probe head, being evenly spring-supported, easily adopts itself to the top surface of the wafer, which may have some inclination. Said probe system is vertically push-pulled by a gas piston for probing the surface of the wafer with consistent force regardless of the thickness of the wafer.
2. Description of the Background Art
Four-point probe systems are commonly used in device fabrications for measuring and mapping sheet resistivity of ion implanted layers and metal film depositions of a blank test semiconductor wafer during the production of integrated circuits (ICs). However, the ion implanted or infused layer of the most advanced ICs are so shallow that a significant portion of test current injected from one of the needles of the four-point probe to such layer can easily leak into the opposite type substrate. This uncontrollable test current leakage can cause deterioration of measurement repeatability and accuracy to the ion implanted layer. Penetration of the probe needles through the implanted layer may also cause the same measurement repeatability problems. These are becoming a greater problem as the geometry of semiconductor devices gets smaller and smaller as technology advances.
Also, if a first test was performed on a wafer with a metal film, and the next test to be performed is on an ion-implanted wafer, it usually is necessary to change the probe head to get the best measurement results and avoiding cross contamination. Previously, changing probe heads has been done manually for all four-point probe systems. Even in a fully automatic cassette-to-cassette system, there is only one probe head that is installed in the system, and there is no provision for automatically changing that single probe head as the types of tests that need to be performed vary. There too that probe head must be changed manually. Changing probe heads is not only time consuming, but also makes it easy to introduce contaminating particles into the system's mini-environment. Furthermore, mistakes may also happen in changing the probe heads.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,435,045 issued Aug. 20, 2002, entitled Apparatus and Method for Automatically Changing the Probe-Head in a Four-Point Probe System (co-owned by the same entity as the current application) discloses a system that automatically changes the probe-heads between tests thus overcoming cross-contamination and errors in changing of the probe heads. This system uses probe needles and thus is less desirable for the newer, smaller geometry semiconductor devices that are becoming increasingly popular for the reasons outlined above.
Severin et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 3,794,912 issued Feb. 26, 1974) disclosed a basic four-point probe that includes mercury contacts to a semiconductor wafer. This system contains no safeguard on the handling of the mercury and is not an automatic system. Greig (U.S. Pat. No. 4,101,830 issued Jul. 18, 1978) disclosed a non-four point probe system that utilizes mercury contacts to a semiconductor device. This system also is not automatic and has only marginal safeguards on the handling of mercury.
Shulman (U.S. Pat. No. 4,521,730), Lederman (U.S. Pat. No. 4,409,547), and Mazur et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,036,271) each disclose a mercury probe system that interfaces with the wafer right side up and the probes extending downward. Additionally, each of the above-listed patents further disclose, respectively, a method for refreshing the mercury in the probe, the suggested use of springs to bias the mercury probe head to the wafer, and a setup for enabling automatic mercury probing. However, in addition to not disclosing a mercury probe system with the probes extend upward, the mercury probes disclosed in each of those patents cannot facilitate multiple mercury contacts in various shapes and area sizes to engage the wafer-under-test.
The present invention overcomes all of the above problems with the prior art as will be seen in the following description of the present invention.

Automatic mercury probe for use with a semiconductor wafer


A speech decoder and a segment aligner are provided in the present invention. The speech decoder may include a spectrum reconstructor operative to reconstruct the spectrum of a speech segment from the amplitude envelope of the spectrum of said speech segment and pitch information, a phase combiner operative to reconstruct the complex spectrum of the speech segment from the reconstructed spectrum, phase information describing the speech segment, and pitch information describing the speech segment. The speech decoder may further include a delay operative to store a complex spectrum of a previous speech segment; and a segment aligner operative to determine the relative offset between the complex spectrum of the speech segment and the complex spectrum of the previous speech segment, align the position of the first pitch excitation of the current speech segment to the last pitch excitation of the previous speech segment; and to apply a time shift and a complex Hilbert filter to said complex spectra, wherein the segment aligner is operative to cross-correlate the complex spectra as

Many speech encoding and decoding systems represent voice segments by their spectral envelope. In some systems the segments are represented only by the absolute magnitude of the spectrum, and the phase is generated synthetically for the reconstruction. Such systems suffer from poor initial phase alignment which results in poor compression of phase data and poor combination with the synthetic phase. They also do not allow real and synthetic phase data to be combined in the same frame, and their final alignment suffers from poor segment connection.

Method for encoding and decoding spectral phase data for speech signals

Abstract: C                    (        τ        )              =                  ∑                  n          =          0                N                                                              F          n                                              G            _                    m                                  ⅇ                                    -              2                                                                                π                                                                          in                                                                          τ                                ,      m    =          ⌊                        n                                              p              G                                      p              F                                      +        0.5            ⌋        ,                where Fn and Gm are the computed complex magnitude of the pitch harmonics n and m of the current and previous spectra respectively, and pF and pG are their corresponding pitch periods.

International Business Machines Corporation


A bollard, which is positioned in a structure having a grade level, includes an outer member having a first section extending above the grade level; an inner member having a filler material; and a connector operationally connecting the inner member and the outer member, wherein the inner member straddles the grade level and is rotatable relative to the outer member.

There has been a long-felt need to provide barriers to protect secured areas from encroachment by motor vehicles. These secure areas vary in size and purpose and include by without limitation, high pedestrian areas proximate to motor vehicle traffic, structures providing drive-through access, and approaches to structures. These secure areas also include road block situations such as border crossings and/or motor vehicle access areas. Unfortunately, in this era of increased terrorism and violence it is a desire to provide barriers in more locations and of sufficient strength and adaptability to deter and/or prevent numerous methods and means of unauthorized access. Commonly, bollards provide a physical barrier or deterrent to entry by a motor vehicle. However, bollard systems fail to provide a mechanism to prevent or deter the disabling of the bollard, for example by cutting, prior to an attempted impact breach.


A thermostat system includes a temperature sensor, an LCD for selectively displaying alphanumeric and graphic devices on a touchscreen with virtual buttons, a processor having a memory for storing program and data information, and means for establishing communication with a remote correspondent. In one embodiment, the communication from the remote correspondent includes functional programming adding functions or virtual buttons to the thermostat not previously available to it. A communications interface connects the processor and a remote correspondent which is a source of functional programming.

Thermostats have been used for many years as a temperature sensitive switch which controls heating and/or cooling equipment for conditioning a space in which the thermostat, or a temperature sensor connected to the thermostat, is placed. In the well known manner, a simple thermostat can be adjusted to establish a temperature set point such that, when the temperature in the conditioned space reaches the set point, the thermostat interacts with the heating and/or/cooling equipment to take suitable action to heat or cool the conditioned space as may be appropriate for the season.
Modern thermostat systems, which take advantage of the ongoing rapid advances in electronic technology and circuit integration, have many features which provide more precise supervision of the heating and/or cooling equipment to achieve more economical and more comfortable management of the temperature of a conditioned space. Many modern thermostat systems include a real time clock, a memory and a data processor to run a process control program stored in the memory to accurately measure the temperature of a temperature sensor disposed in the conditioned space and to send control signals to the heating and/or cooling equipment to closely control the temperature of the conditioned space. Modern thermostat systems permit anticipating and minimizing hysteresis or overshoot of the temperature in the conditioned space. In addition, the program can specify different set points at different times of the day and week and may also include a "vacation" mode which employs different set points when the conditioned space is not occupied for an extended period.
Many modern thermostat systems are programmable by a user. Typically, prior art programmable thermostat system employ a tactile touch pad with various fixed position buttons to be touched in a precise sequence to program set points (which may vary with the day of the week) for programmable time periods which may include a vacation mode. The programming sequence may be followed on a separate display, typically a liquid crystal display.
Outside of the art of programmable thermostat systems and programmable thermostats, dot matrix LCDs, which have pixel display elements arranged in rows and columns, are widely used. Dot matrix LCDs are not common as user-visible displays on programmable thermostats for viewing alphanumeric and iconic graphic information although such a thermostat is disclosed in, and particular features claimed in, co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/440,474, filed May 15, 2003, and entitled: "Reverse Images in a Dot Matrix LCD for an Environmental Control Device" by Howard B. Rosen, incorporated by reference herein.
This limited use of dot matrix LCDs in programmable thermostats is because of basic engineering and practical considerations. Displayed information for a programmable thermostat generally includes such things as environmental conditions, heating and/or cooling equipment operation or non-operation, operational modes of the thermostat and the like. The most important information in thermostat displays is capable of being formed from segmented alphanumeric characters on less expensive LCDs without dot matrix capability and with reduced requirements for memory and programming.
Thus, dot matrix LCDs have not been widely used in prior art user programmable thermostats through a failure to understand an extended functionality capability of those devices when dot matrix LCDs are employed with a touch pad to effect an interactive display. This extended functionality is exploited to advantage in the present invention both to greatly simplify user programming and to relieve the manufacturer of the necessity to fabricate variants of the thermostat to suit the control and display aspects of various heating and/or cooling environments.
It is well known that information or operational interfaces of programmable thermostats can be incomprehensible or overly challenging to many users with advanced age, learning skills, poor vision and others in similar circumstances. Devices such as programmable thermostats, desktop computers, programmable VCR's, and even programmable clock radios often lie un-used in an owner's home because of fear of the complexity of such devices. More specifically, programmable thermostats generally comprise a user interface that use a mixture of raised push buttons with representations of environmental sensor information and control data on a segmented liquid crystal display.
In a modern programmable thermostat, a user is most often challenged with a first set of push buttons that lie outside of hinged cover and a second set of buttons that lie behind that hinged cover. External push buttons are usually those that a user will most often use to make simple program changes while the covered push buttons are lesser used buttons representing lesser used and usually more complex programming options. A user cannot by intuition selectively pick which push buttons represent thermostat program functions that are critical to a user and which buttons are of little consequence.
Some modern thermostat systems incorporate a touch sensitive screen which incorporate representations of buttons which a user may press as part of an interface with the thermostat system. While changing pressure sensitive buttons of a user interface from their more typical spring biased, mechanical form to a more convenient display-located representation, our knowledge of improvements in user interfaces and thermostat system equipment changes and control options are continuously evolving. At a particular moment in time, a form of a user interface may best suit a user's needs and incorporate modern equipment options. However, the day always arrives when an improved user interface is conceived or space conditioning equipment is improved, where either or both require a change in the thermostat system and/or user interface. Thermostats have in the past had very limited ability to be upgraded due to downward price pressure in the marketplace and the practical limitations of a user's lack of inclination to learn a sophisticated interface. A personal computer can accommodate many new programs and functions with its standardized user interface but is inconvenient, too large, and too costly for wall mounting typical of a modern thermostat.
There is a need for a programmable thermostat whose user interface can be easily changed after installation to accommodate equipment or control options not anticipated at installation or to change the user interface to a form not possible with a control program originally installed with the thermostat.

Thermostat system with touchscreen with user interfaces or operational algorithms via a remote correspondent


A device for providing in vivo diagnostics of loads, wear, and infection in orthopedic implants having at least one load sensor associated with the implant, at least one temperature sensor associated with the implant, at least one vibration sensor associated with the implant, and at least one signal processing device operatively coupled with the sensors. The signal processing device is operable to receive the output signal from the sensors and transmit a signal corresponding with the output signal.

The procedure of replacing knee joints affected by osteoarthritis and other disease originated in the early 1960's. The success rate of this procedure improved tremendously in the following decades. However, there are an estimated 22,000 knee replacements revised yearly. Revision in other joint replacement surgery is common as well. There is still the need to improve the mechanical aspects and wear characteristics of the knee prosthesis, such that regardless of the age of the patient, any prosthesis will be expected to last a lifetime. The need also exists to improve the tools with which physicians can perform diagnostics on implanted devices in the general patient.
Much of the problem in designing prosthesis for the total knee arthroplasty (TKA) procedure lies in the fact that there is almost no in vivo data on the load conditions available. Much of the data that is available is derived from mathematical models or cadaver studies. A very limited amount of data is available using instrumented implants. There are concerns about the reliability of modeling data due to the inability to verify the modeling data with actual data and it is difficult to produce the forces and motions existing in a human using a cadaver. Most of the systems that have been used to collect data on living humans have been used on a small number of subjects and therefore the applicability of this data to a large population is questionable, and these systems have not been designed for use in a large number of devices over a long period of time, or to be manufactured on a commercial basis.
Complications resulting from patellofemoral resurfacing have been attributed as many as half of all revision total knee arthroplasties (TKA). Most complications are caused by errors in surgical technique, poor prosthetic design, or excessive patellofemoral loads of up to seven or eight times body weight during certain activities such as squatting. In many cases, however, poor knee kinematics and an inadequate understanding of the forces exerted on the prosthetic components play a key role in the wear, mal-alignment, or design flaws associated with the complications described below.
Patellofemoral complications are a prominent cause of failure in TKA. The most common TKA complication is patellofemoral subluxation (dislocation of the patella to either the medial or lateral side of the knee), which occurs in up to 29 percent of some series, resulting in patellofemoral pain and crepitus, component wear, failure, loosening and/or fracture. Other complications that lead to patellar component failure are malposition of the femoral, tibial or patellar components, poor implant design, patellar fracture, mal-alignment, inadequate patellar resection, avascular necrosis, and revision TKA.
Such complications induce many surgeons to avoid patellar resurfacing in patients with osteoarthritis and good remaining articular cartilage. However, several studies indicate increased patellofemoral problems without resurfacing, and secondary resurfacing after primary TKA with a failed nonresurfaced patella has proven inferior to resurfacing at the time of primary TKA.
In a 2002 review of all (212) revisions at one institution between 1997 and 2000, Sharkey et al. attributed early failures to infection (25.4%), loosening (16.9%), instability (21.2%), extensor mechanism deficiency (6.6%), avascular necrosis of the patella (4.2%), and isolated patella resurfacing (0.9%). The prevalent causes of overall failure were polyethylene wear (25%), aseptic loosening (24.1%), instability (21.2%), infection (17.5%), arthrofibrosis (14.6%), malalignment (11.8%), extensor mechanism deficiency (6.6%), patella necrosis (4.2%), periprosthetic fracture (2.8%), and the need to resurface the patella (0.9%). Malalignment was present in 11.8% of all implants requiring revision. Fehring, et al, in a survey of 440 patients, found similar results. These studies did not report patella-femoral complications individually, however revision of the patella-femoral component has been reported in as many as 50% of revisions.
Instrumentation of orthopedic implants has been performed by a few researchers on a small number of patients to measure the loads between the mating components. Most of this research has been performed on hip prosthesis instrumented with strain gages. G. Bergman has published research on hip loading using forces measured using strain gages. His instrumented prosthesis is powered using an inductive coil, and the measurements are sent to a personal computer using an RF telemetry system. The power for this system is generated using an inductive coil worn around the patient's leg during testing. Bergman reported loads from two patients. His data showed that joint loads range from 2.8 times body weight (BW) to 4.8 BW depending on walking speeds. These loads increased to 5.5 BW with jogging, and stumbling caused hip loads to go as high as 7.2 BW.
Similar research on hip implants has been performed by Davy and Kotzar. A similar hip prosthesis was implanted in two patients. Davy and Kotzar measured peak loads of 2.1–2.8 BW during gait and a maximum value of 5.5 BW during periods of instability during single leg stance.
K R Kaufman has reported on the design of an instrumented tibial component of TKA knee prosthesis. This device consists of a specially machined tibial tray. The tibial tray is hollowed out in Kaufman's research to form a diaphragm which is instrumented with strain gages. This device is used to determine the tibiofemoral loads. No reference as to power source or data collection method is given. We are unaware of any data collected or published using this device.
Taylor and Walker measured the forces in the distal femur in two subjects with an instrumented distal femoral replacement (DFR). The DFR was instrumented with strain gages and as in other devices inductive coupling was used to power the implant. The DFR is a large prosthesis which replaces the majority of the femur. The forces measured were as high as 3.6 BW for jogging. This device was capable of measuring the axial torque on the femur. Bending moments were greatest about the antero-posterior axis (varus-valgus) at 9.8 BW-cm.
Post-operative infection is a particularly serious threat occurring in total joint replacement and organ transplant procedures. In a survey of joint replacement surgeries performed at the Mayo Clinic in the years 1969–1996, deep wound infection (DWI) occurred in 2% of 16,035 primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and 1.3% of 23,519 total hip arthroplasty (THA) patients. Patients that develop DWI are at serious risk for loss of limb/organ or mortality. The estimated cost of treating post-surgical infections in orthopedic procedures alone is over $340,000,000 per year (Hansen 1999).
Recent drug-discovery research has focused on a new method of producing oligonucleotides called aptamers. These short (15–30 base) single-stranded, oligonucleotides are more stable than antibodies. Aptamers have protein recognition and binding characteristics similar to antibodies, and can be engineered to target virtually any molecule. Drug discovery researchers have examined using aptamers to aid the immune system in recognizing foreign invaders in a method similar to antibodies.
Research using instrumented implants has been fairly limited as shown in the preceding paragraphs. The research that has been done has been performed to gain an understanding of joint loading conditions has consisted of on a statistically small population. The number of patients and data gathered is given to illustrate the variation in data and statistically small population. The following paragraphs will discuss recent patents in this field.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,706,005 to Roy et al., issued on Mar. 16, 2004, teaches a device for measuring only loads incident on the device using microcantilevers. No teaching of load derivation, temperature measurement, or infection sensing is present.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,470,354 with inventors Hershberger; Troy W. (Warsaw, Ind.); Booth, Jr.; Robert E. assigned to Biomet, Inc. describes a device and a method for determining proper alignment and placement of implant components during joint reconstruction surgery. This patent is primarily aimed for use in the knee joint. Provisional components are often used in joint replacement surgery to determine the proper sizes and relationships of the final components used in joint arthroplasty. In this patent, provisional components are instrumented with force transducers. These transducers are used to determine the forces in the joint and to aid in determining the proper size component and how to balance the forces in the joint. Force transducers are connected to computers and provide readings of the location and magnitude of the forces generated in the joint when the joint is moved through its range of motion during surgery. Therefore, this system is utilized for Intraoperative assessment but is not of value in assessing in vivo, weight-bearing loads after total knee implantation.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,360,016 and 5,197,488 invented by Nebojsa Kovacevic is assigned to NK Biotechnical Engineering Company. This patent describes a force transducer for a joint prosthesis. The transducer in this patent is similar to the one described in the research paper published by Kaufman and Kovacevic in 1996. The transducer in this paper is a highly modified tibial tray TKA component. A series of cavities are machined on the superior side of the tibial tray such that they become flexible members. Strain gages are attached to each flexure member to provide a signal corresponding to the force applied to the flexure member. No mention is made of supply power, signal conditioning, or data collection.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,425,775 issued to Kovacevic; Nebojsa (Plymouth, Minn.) and assigned to NK Biotechnical Engineering Company Nov. 2, 1993 describes a method and apparatus for measuring the forces acting on a patella includes a patella sensor comprising a sensor, a sensor cover, and multiple strain gages. This sensor consists of a significantly modified patellar insert, similar to U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,360,016 and 5,197,488 by Kovacevic for a tibial tray force transducer. This system consists of a large metal diaphragm (sensor cover) or deformable member covering the entire diameter of the patellar implant. The sensor cover is attached to the sensor and has an outer surface that is in contact with a femoral insert. The sensor cover transmits the forces acting on its outer surface to the sensor. The sensor has a plurality of strain gages mounted thereon to measure the forces acting on the sensor cover. A requirement of this sensor is a metal-backed patellar prosthesis which has been shown in multiple studies in the orthopedic literature to have inferior long term clinical results and relatively high complication rates. It also seems a requirement that a larger amount of material be resected from the patient's patella than would be with a traditional patellar insert. No mention is made of how an entire measurement system from signal conditioning to operating power is derived for this sensor. No examples of use of this device or similar devices were found in the research literature.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,822,362 Walker; Peter S. (Weston, Mass.); Ewald; Frederick C. (Weston) A prosthesis and a surgical procedure (process) therefore are provided having a relatively thin plate fitted to a resected portion of the tibial plateau with the plate fitting uniformly around a major portion of the calcareous bone of the cortical wall. A pin on the under side of the plate aligned substantially with the axis of the intramedullary canal of the tibia fixes the plate against transverse relative motion between the plate and plateau, and blades or keels also on the under side of the plate are aligned maximum density (strength) of the cancellous bone of the plateau and fix the plate against rotation relative to the plateau. The surgical procedure of the invention employs a template to assure approximate positioning, and exact interrelationship between the plate and the fixing means.
References cited and herein incorporated by reference are:    1. Sharkey P F, Hozack W J, Rothman R H, Shastri S, Jacoby S M., "Why are total knee arthroplasties failing today?", Clin Orthop 404: 7–13, 2002.    2. Fehring T K, Odum S, Griffin G L, Mason J B, Nadaud M., "Early Failures in Total Knee Orthoplasty", Clin Orthop 382: 315–318, 2001.    3. Brick J F, Gutmann L., "The patellofemoral component of total knee arthroplasty", Clin Orthop 231: 163–178, 1988.    4. Bergmann G, Graichen F, Rohlmann A., "Hip Joint Loading During Walking and Running Measured in Two Patients", Journal of Biomechanics 26 (8): 969–990, 1993.    5. Bergman G, Graichen F, Rohlmann, A, Verdonschot N, van Lenthe G H. Frictional heating of total hip implants. Part 1. measurements in patients. Journal of Biomechanics 34: 421–428, 2001.    6. Kotzar G M, Davy D T, Goldberg V M, Heiple K G, Gerilla J, Heiple K G Jr, Brown R H, Burstein A H. Telemeterized In Vivo Hip Joint Force Data: A Report on Two Patients After Total Hip Surgery. Journal of Orthopaedic Research 9 (5): 621–633, 1989.    7. Davy D T, Kotzar G M, Brown R H, Heiple K G, Goldberg V M, Heiple K G Jr., Berilla J, Burstein A H. Telemetric Force Measurements Across the Hip after Total Arthroplasty. Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery 70-A (1): 45–50, 1988.    8. Kaufman K R, Kovacevic N, Irby S E, Colwell C W. Instrumented Implant for Measuring Tibiofemoral Forces. Journal of Biomechanics. 29 (5): 667–671, 1996.    9. Taylor S J G, Walker P S. Forces and Moments Telemetered from Two Distal Femoral Replacements During Various Activities. Journal of Biomechanics 34: 839–848, 2001.    10. U.S. Pat. No. 5,470,354. Force sensing apparatus and method for orthopaedic joint reconstruction. Inventors: Hershberger; Troy W. (Warsaw, Ind.); Booth, Jr.; Robert E. Assignee: Biomet, Inc.    11. U.S. Pat. No. 5,360,016 Force transducer for a joint prosthesis. Inventor: Nebojsa Kovacevic Assignee: NK Biotechnical Engineering Company. Nov. 1, 1994.    12. U.S. Pat. No. 5,197,488 Knee joint load measuring instrument and joint prosthesis Inventor: Nebojsa Kovacevic Assignee: NK Biotechnical Engineering Company. Mar. 30, 1993.    13. U.S. Pat. No. 5,425,775. Method for measuring patellofemoral forces. Inventor: Nebojsa Kovacevic Assignee: NK Biotechnical Engineering Company. Mar. 30, 1993.    14. U.S. Pat. No. 4,822,362 Process and apparatus for tibial plateau compenent Inventors: Walker; Peter S. (Weston, Mass.) and Ewald; Frederick C. (Weston, Mass.).    15. U.S. Pat. No. 6,706,005 Apparatus and method for assessing loads on adjacent bones; issued Mar. 16, 2004 to Roy et al.

In-vivo orthopedic implant diagnostic device for sensing load, wear, and infection

University of Tennessee Research Foundation


A connector (10) has an improved operability by reducing an insertion resistance of a shielding terminal. The connector (10) has a housing (20) and a ground terminal (50). Contact pieces (56) of the ground terminal (50) are movable between a retracted position and a contact position and can be locked at the respective positions. A shielding terminal (15) can be inserted into the housing (20) at the retracted position where the contact pieces (56) and the shielding terminal (15) do not interfere with each other. Thus, an insertion resistance of the shielding terminal (15) can be reduced. Therefore, an assembling operability of the connector (10) can be improved.

1. Field of the Invention The invention relates to a connector with a shielding terminal and to a method for mounting such a connector.
2. Description of the Related Art
A connector with a shielding terminal is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 8-96895 and is identified by the numeral 1 in FIG. 17 herein. The connector 1 includes a housing 2 and a ground terminal 3 that are mounted on an electrically conductive panel P. The housing 2 is formed with a cavity 2A, and a shielding terminal 4 is accommodated in the cavity 2A. The ground terminal 3 has two opposed contact pieces 3A that extend into the cavity 2A to establish contact with left and right side surfaces of a shielding shell 4A of the shielding terminal 4. The ground terminal 3 then shorts the shielding shell 4A to the panel P.
The leading ends of the contact pieces 3A constantly project into the cavity 2A. Thus, these leading ends and the side surfaces of the shielding shell 4A are held in sliding contact with each other during insertion of the shielding terminal 4. This sliding contact increases insertion resistance of the shielding terminal 4 and results in a poor operability.
In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a connector and a method for mounting a connector allowing for an improved operability by reducing an insertion resistance of a shielding terminal.
The invention is directed a connector with a housing and a shielding terminal mounted in the housing. The shielding terminal comprises a shielding shell that substantially surrounds an inner terminal. The connector further comprises a ground terminal mounted to the housing. The ground terminal shorts the shielding shell to an electrically conductive fixed article. The ground terminal comprises a contact piece that is movable between a retracted position where it is not in contact with the shielding shell and a contact position where it is in contact with the shielding shell. The shielding terminal can be mounted into the housing when the contact piece is in the retracted position. Accordingly, an insertion resistance of the shield terminal can be reduced.
Both the housing and the ground terminal preferably are formed with mount holes through which a mounting member is inserted to fix the connector to the fixed article. The mount holes of the housing and the ground terminal preferably are not aligned when the contact piece is at the retracted position, but are substantially aligned when the contact piece is at the contact position.
The mounting member cannot fix the connector to the fixed article if the mount holes of the ground terminal and the housing are not aligned. Therefore an operator is reminded to move the ground terminal to the contact position.
A leading end of the contact piece preferably is at a detecting portion of the housing when the contact piece is at the retracted position and can be detected from the outside. Thus, an operator can determine whether the contact piece is at a proper position by projecting a light for photoelectric detection.
The contact piece preferably comprises a slanted portion that projects towards a cavity into which the shielding shell is insertable. Similarly, the housing comprises a slanted surface that corresponds to the slanted portion of the contact piece and that has substantially the same inclination as the slanted portion.
The ground terminal preferably can lock the shielding terminal in the housing when the ground terminal is being mounted on the housing.
The shielding terminal preferably is locked partly in the housing by a partly locking means and is locked fully in the housing by the ground terminal.
Most preferably, the ground terminal is mounted on the housing for movement between a first position where insertion and withdrawal of the shielding terminal are permitted and a second position where the ground terminal locks the shielding terminal.
The invention also is directed to a method for mounting a connector for fixing a shielding shell of a shielding terminal to an electrically conductive fixed article. The method comprises assembling a ground terminal to a housing of the connector for bringing the ground terminal into shorting contact with both the shielding shell and the fixed article, and moving at least one contact piece of the ground terminal between a retracted position where it is not in contact with the shielding shell and a contact position where it is in contact with the shielding shell.
The method may further comprise inserting a mounting member through mount holes formed in both the housing and the ground terminal to fix the connector to the fixed article.
Preferably, the mount holes of the housing and the ground terminal are not aligned when the contact piece is at the retracted position, but are substantially aligned when the contact piece is at the contact position.
The method may further comprise detecting whether the contact piece is in contact with the shielding shell by verifying whether a portion of the contact piece is in a detecting portion of the housing.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading of the following detailed description of preferred embodiments and accompanying drawings.

Connector and a method for mounting a connector


Processes for fabricating a multi-layer circuit assembly and a multi-layer circuit assembly fabricated by such processes are provided. The process includes (a) providing a substrate at least one area of which comprises a plurality of vias, these area(s) having a via density of 500 to 10,000 holes/square inch (75 to 1550 holes/square centimeter); (b) applying a dielectric coating onto all exposed surfaces of the substrate to form a conformal coating thereon; and (c) applying a layer of metal to all surfaces of the substrate. Additional processing steps such as circuitization may be included.

I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of electronic circuitry, and in particular to multi-layer circuit assemblies such as chip scale packages, and the preparation thereof.
II. Technical Considerations
Electrical components, for example, resistors, transistors, and capacitors, are commonly mounted on circuit panel structures such as printed circuit boards. Circuit panels ordinarily include a generally flat sheet of dielectric material with electrical conductors disposed on a major, flat surface of the sheet, or on both major surfaces. The conductors are commonly formed from metallic materials such as copper and serve to interconnect the electrical components mounted to the board. Where the conductors are disposed on both major surfaces of the panel, the panel may have via conductors extending through holes (or "through vias") in the dielectric layer so as to interconnect the conductors on opposite surfaces. Multi-layer circuit panel assemblies have been made heretofore which incorporate multiple stacked circuit panels with additional layers of dielectric materials separating the conductors on mutually facing surfaces of adjacent panels in the stack. These multi-layer assemblies ordinarily incorporate interconnections extending between the conductors on the various circuit panels in the stack as necessary to provide the required electrical interconnections.
In microelectronic circuit packages, circuits and units are prepared in packaging levels of increasing scale. Generally, the smallest scale packaging levels are typically semiconductor chips housing multiple microcircuits and/or other components. Such chips are usually made from ceramics, silicon, and the like. Intermediate package levels (i.e., "chip carriers") comprising multi-layer substrates may have attached thereto a plurality of small-scale chips housing many microelectronic circuits. Likewise, these intermediate package levels themselves can be attached to larger scale circuit cards, motherboards, and the like. The intermediate package levels serve several purposes in the overall circuit assembly including structural support, transitional integration of the smaller scale microcircuits and circuits to larger scale boards, and the dissipation of heat from the circuit assembly. Substrates used in conventional intermediate package levels have included a variety of materials, for example, ceramic, fiberglass reinforced polyepoxides, and polyimides.
The aforementioned substrates, while offering sufficient rigidity to provide structural support to the circuit assembly, typically have thermal coefficients of expansion much different than that of the microelectronic chips to be attached to them. As a result, failure of the circuit assembly after repeated use is a risk due to failure of adhesive joints between the layers of the assembly.
Likewise, dielectric materials used on the substrates must meet several requirements, including conformality, flame resistance, and compatible thermal expansion properties. Conventional dielectric materials include, for example, polyimides, polyepoxides, phenolics, and fluorocarbons. These polymeric dielectrics typically have thermal coefficients of expansion much higher than that of the adjacent layers.
There has been an increasing need for circuit panel structures which provide high density, complex interconnections. Such a need can be addressed by multi-layer circuit panel structures, however, the fabrication of such multi-layer circuit assemblies has presented serious drawbacks.
Generally multi-layer panels are made by providing individual, dual sided circuit panels including appropriate conductors. The panels are then laminated one atop the other with one or more layers of uncured or partially cured dielectric material, commonly referred to as "prepregs" disposed between each pair of adjacent panels. Such a stack ordinarily is cured under heat and pressure to form a unitary mass. After curing, holes typically are drilled through the stack at locations where electrical connections between different boards are desired. The resulting holes or "through vias" are then coated or filled with electrically conductive materials usually by plating the interiors of the holes to form a plated through via. It is difficult to drill holes with a high ratio of depth to diameter, thus the holes used in such assemblies must be relatively large and consume a great deal of space in the assembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,266,874 B1 discloses of method of making a microelectronic component by providing a conductive substrate or "core"; providing a resist at selected locations on the conductive core; and electrophoretically depositing an uncured dielectric material on the conductive core except at locations covered by the resist. The reference suggests that the electrophoretically deposited material can be a cationic acrylic- or cationic epoxy-based composition as those known in the art and commercially available. The electrophoretically deposited material then is cured to form a conformal dielectric layer, and the resist is removed so that the dielectric layer has openings extending to the conductive core at locations which had been covered by the resist. The holes thus formed and extending to the coated substrate or "core" are commonly referred to as "blind vias". In one embodiment, the structural conductive element is a metal sheet containing continuous through holes or "through vias" extending from one major surface to the opposite major surface. When the dielectric material is applied electrophoretically, the dielectric material is deposited at a uniform thickness onto the conductive element surface and the hole walls. It has been found, however, that the electrophoretically deposited dielectric materials suggested by this reference can be flammable, and thus do not meet typical flame retardancy requirements.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,224,265 and 5,232,548 disclose methods of fabricating multi-layer thin-film wiring structures for use in circuit assemblies. The dielectric applied to the core substrate is preferably a fully cured and annealed thermoplastic polymer such as polytetrafluoroethylene, polysulfone, or polyimide-siloxane, preferably applied by lamination. Such dielectrics are not necessarily applied as conformal coatings, and may not have dielectric constants or dissipation factors low enough to accommodate the high frequencies of circuit systems currently being designed for the electronics market today. Moreover, dielectric properties of conventional dielectric coatings have been known to degrade at high frequencies.
While the above-identified references disclose through holes ("vias") in the wiring structures, there is no appreciation in the references of the need for a relatively high via density. High via density allows for a high number of chip connections, as may be required in a highly functional chip scale package for applications such as cellular phones and the like.
It should be noted that high via density in a circuit layer is critical for the operation of a circuit system having a high number of chip connections; however, high via density also contributes to crosstalk. Therefore, a circuit package designed with high via density needs to be fabricated using a very effective dielectric that does not degrade at high frequencies.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,153,986 discloses a method of fabricating metal core layers for a multi-layer circuit board. Suitable dielectrics include vapor-depositable conformal polymeric coatings. The method uses solid metal cores and the reference describes in broad, generic terms circuitization of the substrate. Circuitization of intermediate package levels is conventionally performed by applying a positive- or negative-acting photoresist to the metallized substrate, followed by exposure, development, and stripping to yield a desired circuit pattern. Photoresist compositions are typically applied by laminating, spraying, or immersion. The photoresist layer thus applied may have a thickness of 5 microns to 50 microns.
In addition to the ceramic, fiberglass reinforced polyepoxides, and polyimides mentioned above, conventional substrates used in intermediate package levels further include solid metal sheets such as are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,153,986. These solid substrates must be perforated during fabrication of the circuit assembly to provide through holes for alignment purposes. Again, while the reference discloses vias in the circuit layers, there is no appreciation of the need for a relatively high via density to accommodate highly functionalized chips.
In view of the prior art processes, it would be desirable to provide a process for preparing a multi-layer circuit assembly that overcomes the drawbacks of the prior art. That is, it would be desirable to provide a process for preparing a multi-layer circuit assembly with high via density to accommodate highly functional components, using an effective dielectric that does not degrade at high frequencies and meets further requirements including conformality and flame resistance.

Process for fabricating a multi layer circuit assembly


The wafer transport apparatus prevents contaminant deposited on an unprocessed wafer from adhering to a processed wafer. Carrying-in load port 2A is loaded with a FOUP 1 storing an unprocessed wafer W1. Carrying-in chamber 3A has a transport robot 4A which takes out the unprocessed wafer W1 from the FOUP 1. Carrying-in load lock 5A is accessed by the transport robot 4A from the carrying-in chamber 3A side. Carrying-out load port 2B is loaded with the FOUP 1 that can store a processed wafer W2. Carrying-out chamber 3B has a transport robot 4B which passes the processed wafer W2 to the FOUP 1. Carrying-out load lock 5B is accessed by the transport robot 4B from the carrying-out chamber 3B side. The carrying-in chamber 3A and carrying-out chamber 3B are separated from each other. The carrying-in load lock 5A and carrying-out load lock 5B are arranged on different stages.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wafer transport apparatus arranged in a clean room and capable of transporting a wafer.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a semiconductor manufacturing process, wafers are processed in a clean room to improve yield and quality. However, today when the integration degree of elements is increasing, circuits are being miniaturized, and the size of wafers is increasing, management of a speck of dust in the whole clean room is becoming difficult from cost and technical viewpoints. For this reason, means for performing wafer transport and other processing, using a "mini-environment system" that improves the cleanliness of only a local space around a wafer instead of improving the cleanliness of the whole clean room, has recently been adopted. In the mini-environment system, a wafer in a storage container called a FOUP (Front-Opening Unified Pod) for transporting and retaining a wafer in a highly clean environment can be loaded into and unloaded from a wafer transport chamber through a load port.
In a state in which the FOUP is placed on the load port, a door section provided at the load port and a door provided at a back surface of the FOUP are simultaneously opened while the door section is in close contact with the door, and a wafer transport robot provided in the wafer transport chamber, such as an arm robot, can take out a wafer in the FOUP into the wafer transport chamber or store the wafer from the wafer transport chamber in the FOUP through the load port. The load port is arranged at a front surface of the wafer transport chamber. A wafer transported by the wafer transport robot from inside the FOUP into the wafer transport chamber through the load port. And the wafer is transported to a semiconductor processing chamber (semiconductor processing apparatus) which subjects wafers to a semiconductor process (e.g., processing and cleaning) via a load lock chamber arranged at a back surface of the wafer transport chamber. After being subjected to appropriate processing in the semiconductor processing chamber, the wafer is transported to the load lock chamber and wafer transport chamber in this order and is stored in the FOUP on the load port.
In order to improve the processing efficiency (throughput) of a wafer to undergo the above-described transport procedure, a technique is disclosed for arranging a plurality of load ports at a front surface of a wafer transport chamber, arranging in the wafer transport chamber one wafer transport robot capable of sliding in a direction in which the load ports are installed in parallel, and transporting a wafer between each load port and a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus (semiconductor processing chamber) by the wafer transport robot (see, e.g., Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-318244).
However, in the case of the configuration disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-318244, both a wafer (unprocessed wafer) to be transported from one load port into a semiconductor processing chamber and a wafer (processed wafer) after predetermined processing to be transported from the semiconductor processing chamber to the other load port pass through a common wafer transport chamber. Accordingly, a contaminant such as residual gas deposited on the unprocessed wafer may adhere to the processed wafer or a FOUP to store the processed wafer in the wafer transport chamber. Additionally, a wafer transport robot sliding in the wafer transport chamber may stir a gaseous atmosphere in the wafer transport chamber, and the interior of the wafer transport chamber may be contaminated with the contaminant.


A manner of providing ring-tune alerts to announce the arrival of incoming communications at a communication device such as a mobile station operable in a wireless communication network. When notification an incoming communication arrives at the mobile station, the mobile station detects the type and origin of the communication and then composes a ring tune enhanced to provide incoming call information to the subscriber. The enhancement may include temporarily compounding the ring tune, tonal or stylistic enhancement, applying compound accompaniment, or applying tempo variation. The ring-tune components may be installed by the manufacturer or distributor of the instrument, or may be downloaded by the subscriber. The communication device may also be a personal computer operable to communicate through a communication network such as the Internet.

Mobile communication is rapidly increasing in popularity. Originally, mobile communication was available only in specialized applications such as ship-to-shore radio, police radio, or short range walkie-talkies. The advent of the modern mobile network, however, has made this form of communication much more available, practical, and affordable to large segments of the global population. In some locations, it is even more popular and reliable than standard wireline telephone systems. Naturally, the mobile nature of this form of communication has contributed to its popularity.
A mobile telecommunication system is one that uses a wireless channel to establish the connection between an individual subscriber and a communication network. The wireless network infrastructure is typically, though not necessarily a series of fixed switches, routers, and other hardware interconnected in a hierarchical fashion. In this sense, it may resemble a traditional wireline system. Calls to or from a subscriber are routed through this hardware to their destination. Calls to or from other networks leave and enter through gateways, so that the wireless network subscribers can connect to almost any other device connected to a publicly accessible telephone or computer network.
FIG. 1 is functional block diagram illustrating the relationship of selected components of a typical wireless communication network 100, such as one that might advantageously be used in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Base stations 105-110 are each shown to be connected with an antenna 111-116. Each antenna is intended to handle communications within a selected area, sometimes referred to as a cell. (For this reason the portable subscriber radios used in such a network are often called "cellular" or simply "cell" phones.) For example, in FIG. 1 cell phones 11, 12, and 13 are shown to be in communication with antennas 111, 112, and 113, via radio channels 1, 2, and 3, respectively.
The broken lines in FIG. 1 represent cell boundaries. These boundaries do not represent the precise range of their associated antennae, of course, and are not always regular in shape or consistent in size. And although only six cells are delineated, there are typically many more in the network coverage area. Cell phones may and often do move from cell to cell, and their network communications are generally transferred from one network antenna to another though a process called handover.
Base station controllers (BSCs) 120 and 125 are in communication with, and generally control the operations of base stations 105-107 and 108-110, respectively. The base station controllers are in turn connected with a mobile switching center (MSC) 130, which handles call routing and provides a connection to other network MSCs (not shown) and gateway MSCs such as G-MSC 135. A visitor location register, here VLR 140, maintains information relating to cell phones in the area services by the associated MSC. (A home location register (HLR) (not shown), may be provided to track the location and other information related to all network subscribers.)
The "wireless" part of a wireless network is therefore the connection between the subscriber and the network infrastructure though which calls to or from the subscriber are routed. This connection is normally made through radio channels, meaning that each subscriber will be equipped with a device having a radio transmitter and receiver. A mobile telephone is simply a radio for engaging in voice communication through a wireless network. Despite being radios, however, mobile telephones do not ordinarily communicate directly with one another but rather through the network. The network will employ at least one, any normally a great many base stations for connecting with subscriber devices.
At this point, it should also be noted that as the terms for radio telephones, such as "cellular (or cell) phone" and "mobile phone" are often used interchangeably, they will be treated as equivalent herein. Both, however, are a sub-group of a larger family of devices that also includes, for example, computers and personal digital assistants (PDAs) that are also capable of wireless radio communication in a radio network. In the context of the present invention, being able to communicate with a wireless network connotes the ability to receive a call intended for one or more mobile stations, although in some but not all embodiments the mobile station will require as well the ability to transmit and to initiate calls. This family of devices will for convenience be referred to as "mobile stations" (regardless of whether a particular device is actually moved about in normal operation).
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a mobile station 200 such as one that might advantageously be used in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Mobile station 200 is a radio telecommunication device for use in a radio telecommunication network such as the one described above in reference to FIG. 1. The internal circuitry and components (not shown in FIG. 2) of mobile station 200 are contained in a casing, or enclosure, that typically includes two or more sections, which are sometimes referred to as covers. Referring to FIG. 2, mobile station 200 has an enclosure 201 that includes front cover 220 and back cover 222, which are removably fastened together at joint 205 when the phone is assembled. Attached battery 224 provides a portable power source, and antenna 226 aids in transmitting and receiving radio signals. A plurality of small openings 242 formed in front cover 220 serve as a port for the voice-communication speaker (not shown), which is mounted beneath them. At the opposite end of mobile station 200, microphone port 244 likewise permits entry of sound directed at the actual microphone (not shown) mounted inside. Power port 246 is for plugging in an external power adaptor and headphone port 248 for connecting an external headset and perhaps a microphone for hands-free operation.
The keypad 210 is a user interface including a plurality of openings, through which protrude keys such as alphanumeric keys 211, call control keys 212 (CALL) and 213 (END), scroll key 214 and function keys 215 and 216. As their names imply, these keys perform various duties in the phone's operation, with the alphanumeric keys 211 having a standard telephone keypad role, and the function and scroll keys used in connection with display 234. That is, the functions of the function keys and the scroll keys are variable and determined by the application state that the mobile phone is in, which is often translated into a word or icon displayed next to the key on display 234. Keys having a function that may be changed in this way are often called 'softkeys'. Other keys shown in FIG. 2 are power switch 219 and volume control key 217.
Display 234 is typically a liquid-crystal display (LCD) device. The LCD itself is protected by a plastic window pane 232, which is mounted to cover the display and protrude into window 230, an opening formed in front cover 220. As illustrated in FIG. 2, display 234 presents to the user such information as current softkey functions, telephone numbers, signal strength, and other information useful to the operation being performed. The protective window pane 232 is typically a component separate from the LCD, its chassis, and other portions of the internal assembly.
FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary method 300 of providing an incoming call alert according to the prior art. At START, it is presumed that a mobile station such as the one shown in FIG. 2 is operable to communicate with a wireless network such as the mobile station 200 shown in FIG. 1. The process begins when the alert, or ring-tune database is initialized (step 305). In most cases, this is done by the manufacturer, or by another along the distribution chain and before the instrument is provided to the user (sometimes also referred to as a wireless-service subscriber). At its most basic level this step involves programming the mobile station to ring when a call notification is received from the network. That is, once the network has identified that a call to one of its subscribers has been initiated and determined the current location of the subscriber, a call notification is sent that the mobile station must acknowledge before the call can actually be terminated. The ring tune is an alert that the mobile station will actuate to let the subscriber know that a call is being placed.
Assuming this basic case, that the ring tune is established when the subscriber first obtains the mobile station, certain user options are still available. For example, the user may wish to have a silent alert for incoming call notification. This option is useful when knowledge of calls is desired even though the user is in a location or setting where an audible alert would be inappropriate. The silent alert is normally accomplished using a vibrating function resident in the mobile station, although a light on the mobile station or other visible device may be used as well. Of course, the silent and the audio alert may be used at the same time. In another example, the audio alert function may be adjusted from loud to soft, or set to sound once but not continuously. Typically, these alert preferences may be changed from time to time by the subscriber, and may form part of a 'profile' or set of preferences, that the user may optionally select as a group. (For simplicity, however, in the context of the present disclosure the set of preferences constituting the profile may contain only a single element.)
The next step 310 in the process therefore is to receive a profile selection. Again, the profile may be set by the manufacturer as a default selection, and is in this sense received before the subscriber first obtains the mobile station. In practice, however, many subscribers frequently use their ability to switch from one profile to the other. The process continues as the user actually receives notification from the network that an incoming call is being received (step 315). Note that this notification may come directly from the subscriber's network, or if the subscriber is outside of its network coverage area then through whatever network is being used to complete the call. When an incoming call is detected, the appropriate ring is generated (step 320) according to the current profile selection. The ring tune is generated until the user accepts the call or until a predetermined ring time has elapsed.
Contemporary mobile stations are frequently provided with the ability to generate a variety of different ring tunes, each having a different pattern. The user is able to select one, and to change their selection as desired. Often such selections are assigned to a profile, as mentioned above. Whatever ring tune has been selected is then used when an incoming call is received. To switch ring tunes, the user simply selects another from those available or switches profiles. In some applications, the user may even select a number of ring tunes and associate them with different callers or call groups. In this way, for example, a caller may be able to discern from the different ring whether an incoming call is business-related or personal.
As alluded to above, however, mobile stations may be used for functions other than ordinary phone calls. They may also be used to send and receive text or voice messages that are delivered when the message target is available (and are not frustrated by lack of immediate availability). Facsimile transmission may also be accomplished, as can other types of data communication such as retrieval of Internet-accessible Web sites. A subscriber who uses their mobile station for both business and personal communications (as many do) may be inundated with calls that, if announced identically, represent a significant distraction as they are sorted through. Even assigning diverse ring tones to certain call groups may not provide a satisfactory call-management aid; there are only so many tunes available and where there are many their selected association may be difficult to remember. Needed therefore is a way to provide incoming-call alerts that are capable of provide the user with information regarding the incoming call that is as comprehensive as possible. The present invention provides just such a solution.


A reference generator circuit has a resistor string between the potentials of the power supply voltage that is partitioned into a top string, a middle string, and a bottom string. PFET devices are used to couple the positive power supply voltage a selected node of the top string in response to first control signals and complementary second control signals are used to control NFET devices that couple the ground power supply voltage to a selected node of the bottom string. If a resistor is effectively removed from the top string a corresponding resistor is effectively added in the bottom string keeping the total resistance in the resistor string substantially constant. A pass gate network is used to select between nodes of the middle string as a vernier for generating small step sizes.

Digital computer systems have a history of continually increasing the speed of the processors used in the system. As computer systems have migrated towards multiprocessor systems, sharing information between processors and memory systems has also generated a requirement for increased speed for the off-chip communication networks. Designers usually have more control over on-chip communication paths than for off-chip communication paths. Off-chip communication paths are longer, have higher noise, impedance mismatches, and have more discontinuities than on-chip communication paths. Since off-chip communication paths are of lower impedance, they require more current and thus more power to drive.
When using inter-chip high-speed signaling, noise and coupling between signal lines (cross talk) affects signal quality. One way to alleviate the detrimental effects of noise and coupling is through the use of differential signaling. Differential signaling comprises sending a signal and its compliment to a differential receiver. In this manner, noise and coupling affect both the signal and the compliment equally. The differential receiver only senses the difference between the signal and its compliment as the noise and coupling represent common mode signals. Therefore, differential signaling is resistant to the effects that noise and cross talk have on signal quality. On the negative side, differential signaling increases pin count by a factor of two for each data line. The next best thing to differential signaling is pseudo-differential signaling. Pseudo-differential signaling comprises comparing a data signal to a reference voltage using a differential receiver or comparator.
When high speed data is transmitted between chips, the signal lines are characterized by their transmission line parameters. High speed signals are subject to reflections if the transmission lines are not terminated in an impedance that matches the transmission line characteristic impedance. Reflections may propagate back and forth between driver and receiver and reduce the margins when detecting signals at the receiver. Some form of termination is therefore usually required for all high-speed signals to control overshoot, undershoot, and increase signal quality. Typically, a Thevenin's resistance (equivalent resistance of the Thevenin's network equals characteristic impedance of transmission line) is used to terminate data lines allowing the use of higher valued resistors. Additionally, the Thevenin's network is used to establish a bias voltage between the power supply rails. In this configuration, the data signals will then swing around this Thevenin's equivalent bias voltage. When this method is used to terminate data signal lines, a reference voltage is necessary to bias a differential receiver that operates as a pseudo-differential receiver to detect data signals in the presence of noise and cross talk.
Integrated circuit (IC) power supply voltage levels have been decreasing to manage power dissipation as circuit density has increased. The low power supply levels require corresponding low level reference voltage levels for receives using a pseudo differential topology. To optimize signal quality, it is desirable to have the reference voltage level programmable which requires corresponding small voltage step sizes. To insure uniform resolution, it is also necessary for the step sizes to be linear. There is, therefore, a need for a circuit for generating a reference voltage for pseudo differential receivers that is programmable with linear, uniform small voltage steps.

Programmable reference voltage generator


An image processing system comprises a photocopier and an information processor. The photocopier scans and images each page of a document, creates a thumbnail image from each scanned image, and sends the thumbnail images to the information processor. Using the information processor, a user then specifies an image output sequence by rearranging the thumbnail images with a pointing device. The photocopier receives this output sequence information from the information processor, and using the printer section of the photocopier prints the scanned images according to the specified output sequence contained in the received sequence information.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing system for outputting a scanned image, and more particularly to an image processing system for changing the output sequence of scanned images.
2. Description of Related Art
Photocopier for business use today is typically equipped with an automatic document feeder (ADF), and starts copy operation when a user presses a start button on a control panel after the user sets a document in the ADF. When one or a plurality of pages of the document is set at one time in the ADF, the photocopier scans the document in the order in which they are set, and then prints out the copies in the scanned sequence, that is, the same sequence to set sequence.
There are cases, however, in which the user does not wish to copy all pages in a set of document, or does not want to copy the document in the order in which they are set in the ADF. In these cases the user must first remove some pages of document not to be copied, or rearrange the document set in the desired sequence, before placing the document in the ADF for reproduction. The time and effort required to complete these tasks, however, increase as the number of pages increases and as the reordering requirements become more complicated. What's more, the original document set must typically be restored to the original sequence by the user after the copy operation is completed, requiring the same time and effort required to prepare the document for copying.
Therefore, there is a need for a photocopier in which the order and/or combination of pages of printed document can be easily changed according to the user's requirements.

Image processing system for outputting scanned images in the specified sequences