A drinking vessel with a hidden utensil compartment includes a cup with a recessed side extending from the bottom to a transition below the top. An elongated hollow structure defines a compartment and extends from the bottom against the recessed side. A base secured to the bottom of the cup includes an opening leading to the compartment. A sleeve-like cover contains the cup and the elongated hollow structure. A drawer holding utensils fits through the opening in the base into the compartment. A drawer stop attached to the recessed side includes a spring to facilitate removal of the drawer.

The countless items of plastic waste polluting oceans, lakes, and rivers and piling up on land is more than unsightly, it is harmful to plants and wildlife. Single-use plastics, such as straws, utensils and plastic bottles, comprise a significant part of the pollution.
World plastics production increased from about an estimated 200 million metric tons in 2002 to 348 million metric tons in 2017, and continues to increase. Roughly half of annual plastic production is destined for single-use products, which include plastic straws, bottles, cups and utensils. Only a small portion is ever recycled, with the balance ending up in landfills, oceans, and elsewhere.
As one example, more than 480 billion plastic drinking bottles were sold in 2016 across the world, up from about 300 billion a decade ago. By 2021 this amount is expected to increase to 583.3 billion. Most plastic bottles used for beverages are made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which is highly recyclable. But as their use soars, efforts to collect and recycle the bottles are failing to keep up. Fewer than half of the bottles are collected for recycling and a small percentage of those collected are turned into new bottles. Most plastic bottles produced end up in landfill or in the ocean. The percentages of plastic straws, cups and utensils that are collected and recycled are even lower. As these items tend to be discarded as trash, with other food waste.
Efforts have been made to devise containers with a compartment for storing utensils. Cups or similar containers with a lid having a storage compartment in which one or more utensils are contained are describe in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,624,787, 3,679,093, 4,930,637, 5,042,712, 5,090,572, 5,705,212 and 5,992,667 and US Patent Application Publication 20010002673. Many of these are disposable cups or containers packaged with disposable utensils. They are part of the problem. They do not provide a means for storing utensils in a cup while the cup is used and remains fully functional. They do not provide means for removing, re-storing and securing the utensils in a separate compartment. They do not solve the problem of single use disposable plastic utensils and cups.
A cup with a compartment for holding utensils should allow use of the cup while the utensils are stored or removed. Such a cup should store the utensils in a compartment apart from the beverage compartment of the cup. The compartment containing the utensils should not interfere with use of the cup. Such a cup should securely hold the utensils, preventing rattling of the utensils when the cup is moved. The compartment containing the utensils should include a closure to prevent soiling and contamination. The utensils should be easy to remove from the compartment. Used utensils should be storable in the compartment without soiling the compartment.
The invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems and solving one or more of the needs as set forth above.

Drinking vessel with utensil compartment


A G-code decoder is coupled to a video tape recorder. When the G-code decoder detects that at least a portion of a G-code will be received or has been received, it checks whether a time clock has been set. If the time-setting is confirmed, the decoder decodes the G-code and terminates the decoding by a terminating means, and, if the time clock is found not to have been set, the decoder indicates the fact at least and terminates the G-code decoding.

In recent years, television receivers having VTRs, e.g., video cartridge recorders (VCRs), attached to them, sometimes built-in, and provided with means to decode a G-code, are becoming popular.
A G-code is a line of numerals formed by coding the year, month, day and the time of beginning and ending of a television program. If the G-code of a program is inputted in the apparatus, the code is decoded by the apparatus to begin and end the operation of the apparatus at the desired times.
According to the conventional G-code decoding process, the data is decoded based on the data and time held by the clock inside the apparatus, and, if the time is not set by the operator, decoding is based on a default value to output the data. For example, decoding is performed according to the time system having AM0:00 Jan. 1, 2000 as its staring time.
However, with such a conventional structure, if the time set by the operator or the default value is not known, so that the decoded data is based on the incorrect time, different data other than that desired is outputted and the desired program is not recorded.
The user could not be informed of the situation of time setting which might lead to incorrect decoding.

G-code decoder for use with a video tape recorder and method for same

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


The subject invention reveals a process for preparing a silica/rubber blend which comprises dispersing silica, a silica coupling agent, and a low molecular weight end-group functionalized diene rubber throughout a cement of a conventional rubbery polymer, and subsequently recovering the silica/rubber blend from the organic solvent. It further reveals a tire having a tread that is made from such a silica/rubber blend.

In recent years, a considerable interest in silica reinforced rubber articles, such as tires, has developed. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,227,425 indicates that tires made with tread formulations that contain silica exhibit a number of important performance advantages over tires manufacture using carbon black as the filler. The utilization of silica in tire tread formulations is believed to (a) lower rolling resistance, (b) provide better traction on snow, and (c) lower noise generation, when compared with conventional tires filled with carbon black.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,227,425 discloses a sulfur-vulcanizable rubber composition obtained by thermomechanical work of a conjugated diene compound and an aromatic vinyl compound prepared by solution polymerization in a hydrocarbon solvent having a total content of aromatic vinyl compound of between 5% and 50% and a glass transition temperature (Tg) of between 0° and −80° C. with 30 to 150 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of elastomer of a silica having a BET surface area of between 100 and 250 m2/g, a CTAB surface area of between 100 and 250 m2/g, an oil absorption measured in DBP of between 150 and 250 ml/100 g, and an average projected area of the aggregates greater than 8500 nm2 before use and between 7000 and 8400 nm2 after thermomechanical mixing as well as the additives conventionally employed, with the exception of the sulfur vulcanization system, comprising at least one heat step reaching a temperature of between 130° C. and 180° C. for a suitable period of tune of between 10 seconds and 20 minutes which is a function of the temperature selected in order to carry out the mechanical work and of the nature and volume of the components subjected to the mechanical work, followed by a finishing step consisting of the incorporating of the vulcanization system by mechanical work at a temperature below the vulcanization temperature.
Sometimes rubber for tires is supplied by a rubber producer to a tire manufacturer in the form of a masterbatch containing an elastomer, an oil extender, and a filler. The traditional filler has been carbon black in the form of fine particles. These particles have hydrophobic surface characteristics and will therefore disperse easily within the hydrophobic elastomer. In contrast, silica has a very hydrophilic surface and considerable difficulty has been encountered in dispersing silica in the hydrophobic rubbery elastomer.
A number of techniques have been developed to incorporate such reinforcing agents and fillers into the polymer compositions, including both wet and dry blending processes. The incorporation of silica and carbon black as reinforcing agents and/or fillers into rubbery elastomers is far more complex than one might initially believe. One problem in wet blending of silica with latices of such polymers arises from the fact that the hydrophilic silica has a tendency to associate with the aqueous phase and not blend uniformly with the hydrophobic polymer.
To overcome the problems associated with the hydrophilic nature of the silica, U.S. Pat. No. 3,317,458 proposed a process whereby an aqueous solution of silicic acid was treated so as to precipitate silica directly onto the surface of an aqueous carbon black in paste form. One significant limitation of this technique is that the surface of the carbon black is altered thus obviating the utility of the many surface structure characteristics of specialty carbon blacks available to the skilled compounder in designing filled, reinforced polymers for specific end uses.
Attempts have been made to use cationic emulsifiers in an effort to distribute such fillers and/or reinforcing agents in polymeric latices; notably among them are quaternary alkylated ammonium halides (see German Patent No. 1,188,797). It has been found, however, that such quaternary ammonium compounds have a tendency to react with the carbon black, dispersing it into the aqueous phase; that limiting the ability to blend carbon black with the polymeric components in the latex. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,686,113 aqueously wet silica is treated with oleophilic quaternary ammonium compounds to blend with an aqueous dispersion of an elastomer containing an anionic dispersing agent. In addition to the problem referenced above with carbon black dispersion, unfortunately, such techniques require specific coagulating agents.
Perhaps the most commonly employed practice, used commercially, is the technique of dry blending either silica, carbon black or both of them into rubber and thermoplastic polymers in a high-shear milling operation. That practice has many limitations. Notable among them include the tendency of the filler particles to agglomerate to each other, resulting in nonuniform dispersion of the filler throughout the polymer constituting the continuous phase. Another problem commonly experienced in such high-shear milling operations is the tendency of the polymers to degrade during milling. That necessitates the use of higher molecular weight polymers, which sometimes require the incorporation of various types of processing aids to facilitate mixing and dispersion of the filler particles into the polymer constituting the continuous phase. The cost associated with the use of such processing aids also increases the manufacturing cost of the polymeric compound or article and can lead to diminished product performance. The use of processing aids has the further disadvantage in that such processing aids may have a negative effect on the cure or end use of the polymer. Such dry blending techniques also result in additional processing costs, in part due to excessive equipment wear caused by the abrasive fillers.
To improve dispersion of the silica during dry mixing, it has been proposed that such compounding operations employ a silica which has been treated with an organosilane coupling agent having dual functionality. Representative of such coupling agents are those well known compounds that include both an organic groups, such as an amino alkyl group, a mercaptoalkyl group, or a polysulfidic-bis-organo alkoxy silane group bonded directly to the silicon atom along with a readily hydrolyzable group, such as an alkoxy group as represented by a methoxy group or an ethoxy group, likewise bonded directly to the silicon atom. In those systems, it is generally recognized that the alkoxy group hydrolyzes in the presence of moisture typically found on the surface of the silica to form the corresponding silanol which reacts with or condenses in the presence of the silica surface to bond the silicon atom to the silica surface. The organic groups likewise attached to the silicon atom are thus available for chemical reaction with the polymer matrix during vulcanization. As a result, the polymer matrix may become chemically bonded by means of the coupling agent to the silica surface during cure or vulcanization of the polymer. Problems associated with the use of such silanes during compounding are unpleasant odors, premature curing, and/or scorching.
In an effort to overcome the problems associated with the use of silane coupling agents, it has been proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,405,897 to employ phenoxy acidic acid along with a methylene donor in place of the conventional organosilanes. The foregoing patent suggests that the use of such a system provides improved physical properties and reduced viscosity of the melt during compounding.
Various other attempts have been made to overcome the problems associated with wet blending such fillers and/or reinforcing agents with polymer latices. For example, it has been proposed, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,055,956 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,767,605 to add carbon black in the form of a slurry directly to an emulsion polymerization process of rubbery polymer, at the latex stage, followed by coagulation and recovery of a rubber-carbon black masterbatch. Such processes work well with carbon black, but fail to incorporate substantial amounts of fine particulate silica. U.S. Pat. No. 4,481,329 proposes a process for dispersing carbon black and like fillers into concentrated rubber latices by the use of a low molecular weight conjugated diene/carboxylic acid polymer in the form of an alkali metal salt dissolved in water as the dispersing aid or dispersing latex.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,482,657 describes mixtures of silica and synthetic polymers prepared by treating a polymer latex with a dispersion of silica and an alkyl trimethyl ammonium halide in water. Not only does the quaternary ammonium halide disrupt the blending of carbon black, the process requires the slow addition of the silica dispersion to prevent premature coagulation. Other elaborate techniques as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,907,734 where a partitioning agent in the form of a blend of precipitated silica and hydrophobic fumed silica are incorporated into a concentrated polymer latex have been suggested. The silica adsorbs the water, and the resulting solid mixture is dried with removal of the hydrophobic fumed silica to form a free flowing blend of polymer particles coated with precipitated silica. That process is limited to relatively small scale batch system and requires recovery and recycle of the hydrophobic fumed silica. That process fails to incorporate into the polymer the more desirable hydrophobic fumed silica.
Such processes with concentrated latex, as those skilled in the art can readily appreciate, involve complex procedures not only blending the silica with the polymer latex, but also in effecting its recovery when excess silica or carbon black must be employed. Another limitation of such processes is that recovery of the filled polymer directly from the latex stage without filtration and like treatment steps used to remove byproducts from the emulsion polymerization can have deleterious effects on the end use properties of the polymer thus recovered. Such problems can be seen in French Patent 2,558,008 and French Patent 2,558,874. In the first, the addition to a rubber latex of precipitated silica effects coagulation of the rubber polymer. In the second, a stable latex of derivatized silica and a carboxylated butadiene rubber is prepared to add to natural or synthetic elastomer latices. The derivatization of the silica is accomplished by treatment with polyamines, polyethylene amines or nonionic polyoxyethylene. Such free agents are wholly incompatible with typical coagulation techniques used in the recovery of the emulsion process polymers.

Process for preparing a silica/rubber blend which includes dispersing silica, asilica coupling agent, and a low molecular weight end-group functionalized diene rubber throughout a cement of a conventional rubbery polymer, and subsequently recovering the silica/rubber blend from an organic solvent


A method and a system for automated test and result comparison, suitable for a client computer to control a management server to test sensors in a server to be tested, are provided. In the method, an operating interface of a management program of the management server is logged in through a network, and operating actions of a user testing the sensors by using the operating interface are simulated to generate keyboard and mouse control instructions corresponding to the operating actions by using a keyboard-and-mouse automation program. The keyboard and mouse control instructions are executed to operate the operating interface, so as to control the management program to test the sensors. The test parameters obtained by the management program testing the sensors are captured, and compared with predetermined parameters in a database to obtain a test result. Finally, the test result is stored as a test file.

Field of the Disclosure
The disclosure relates to a method and a system for automated test, and more particularly, to a method and a system for automated test and result comparison for a remote server.
Description of Related Art
A system platform management tool known as IBM Systems Director (ISD) and proposed by International Business Machines (IBM) is capable of being integrated with a management platform of a third party, so as to provide a virtual and integrated service management. ISD provides a control function at single point to a system management personnel, so that the system management personnel may optimize uses of computation and network resources to significantly reduce costs and complication in operations.
ISD further provides functions for remote testing which allow the system management personnel to connect a management server through a network, and control a baseboard management controller (BMC) of a server to be tested through the management server, so as to test and locate problems of the server to be tested for fast maintenance.
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a conventional remote test system. Referring to FIG. 1, a remote test system 10 includes a server to be tested 12, a management server 14 and a client computer 16 connected to each other through a network 18. The server to be tested 12 includes a baseboard management controller 122 and sensors 126 disposed in the server to be tested 12. The management server 14 includes a processor 142 and a memory 144 stored with a remote control program 146. The client computer 16 includes a processor 162 and a memory 164 stored with a browser program 166. The client computer 16 is connected to a monitor 168, a keyboard 170 and a mouse 172. Therein, a user may use the browser program 166 of the client computer 16 to connect the management server 14 and activate an operating interface of the remote control program 146.
Accordingly, the user may then operate the operating interface displayed on the monitor 168 through the keyboard 170 and the mouse 172, so as to control the remote control program 146 of the management server 14 to test the sensors 126 in the server to be tested 12 in one by one manner. Therein, operations such as "clear event log", "trigger event", and "get event log" may be performed on the server to be tested 12.
However, it is a great time-consuming when a testing engineer performs a series of tests on a remote server since a test result of each of sensor events needs to be compared manually. Accordingly, it is necessary to provide a system for automated test capable of efficiently controlling the remote control program to execute testing tasks on the remote server, so as to save labor cost for the testing engineer.

Method and system for automated test and result comparison


A luggage carrier for a two wheeled vehicle comprising an open topped container secured to the vehicle. The open topped container having a hinged lid, the lid adapted to provide a seal for the open topped container. The luggage carrier also has a releasable latch, the latch adapted to secure the container in a closed position. The luggage carrier has an alarm system for alarming the luggage carrier and a remote control mechanism for arming and disarming the alarm system.

Luggage carriers for two wheeled vehicles are known. Known luggage carriers are manually locked and unlocked using a key.
It is an objective of the present invention to provide an improved luggage carrier for two wheeled vehicles or at least to provide the public or industry with a useful choice.

Luggage carrier for a two wheeled vehicle


In one embodiment, an audio decoder for decoding an encoded audio bitstream is disclosed. The audio decoder is capable of being operated in at least three different decoding modes. The audio decoder includes a demultiplexer for obtaining audio data and control information from the encoded audio bitstream. The audio decoder also includes a first audio decoder configured to operate in a first decoding mode using a first decoding technique and a second audio decoder configured to operate in a second decoding mode using a second decoding technique. The audio decoder also includes a pitch predictor integrated into the second audio decoder. The pitch predictor includes a long-term prediction filter and a short-term prediction filter. The audio decoder further includes a selector for selecting one of the at least three different decoding modes based on at least some of the control information.

A widespread class of coding method for audio signals containing speech or singing includes code excited linear prediction (CELP) applied in time alternation with different coding methods, including frequency-domain coding methods especially adapted for music or methods of a general nature, to account for variations in character between successive time periods of the audio signal. For example, a simplified Moving Pictures Experts Group (MPEG) Unified Speech and Audio Coding (USAC; see standard ISO/IEC 23003-3) decoder is operable in at least three decoding modes, Advanced Audio Coding (AAC; see standard ISO/IEC 13818-7), algebraic CELP (ACELP) and transform-coded excitation (TCX), as shown in the upper portion of accompanying FIG. 2.
The various embodiments of CELP are adapted to the properties of the human organs of speech and, possibly, to the human auditory sense. As used in this application, CELP will refer to all possible embodiments and variants, including but not limited to ACELP, wide- and narrow-band CELP, SB-CELP (sub-band CELP), low- and high-rate CELP, RCELP (relaxed CELP), LD-CELP (low-delay CELP), CS-CELP (conjugate-structure CELP), CS-ACELP (conjugate-structure ACELP), PSI-CELP (pitch-synchronous innovation CELP) and VSELP (vector sum excited linear prediction). The principles of CELP are discussed by R. Schroeder and S. Atal in Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on Acoustics, Speech, and Signal Processing (ICASSP), vol. 10, pp. 937-940, 1985, and some of its applications are described in references 25-29 cited in Chen and Gersho, IEEE Transactions on Speech and Audio Processing, vol. 3, no. 1, 1995. As further detailed in the former paper, a CELP decoder (or, analogously, a CELP speech synthesizer) may include a pitch predictor, which restores the periodic component of an encoded speech signal, and a pulse codebook, from which an innovation sequence is added. The pitch predictor may in turn include a long-delay predictor for restoring the pitch and a short-delay predictor for restoring formants by spectral envelope shaping. In this context, the pitch is generally understood as the fundamental frequency of the tonal sound component produced by the vocal chords and further coloured by resonating portions of the vocal tract. This frequency together with its harmonics will dominate speech or singing. Generally speaking, CELP methods are best suited for processing solo or one-part singing, for which the pitch frequency is well-defined and relatively easy to determine.
To improve the perceived quality of CELP-coded speech, it is common practice to combine it with post filtering (or pitch enhancement by another term). U.S. Pat. No. 4,969,192 and section II of the paper by Chen and Gersho disclose desirable properties of such post filters, namely their ability to suppress noise components located between the harmonics of the detected voice pitch (long-term portion; see section IV). It is believed that an important portion of this noise stems from the spectral envelope shaping. The long-term portion of a simple post filter may be designed to have the following transfer function:
                    H        E                          (        z        )              =          1      +              α        (                                                            z                T                            +                              z                                  -                  T                                                      2                    -          1                )              ,where T is an estimated pitch period in terms of number of samples and a is a gain of the post filter, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. In a manner similar to a comb filter, such a filter attenuates frequencies 1/(2T), 3/(2T), 5/(2T), . . . , which are located midway between harmonics of the pitch frequency, and adjacent frequencies. The attenuation depends on the value of the gain α. Slightly more sophisticated post filters apply this attenuation only to low frequencies—hence the commonly used term bass post filter—where the noise is most perceptible. This can be expressed by cascading the transfer function HE described above and a low-pass filter HLP. Thus, the post-processed decoded SE provided by the post filter will be given, in the transform domain, by
                              S          E                                  (          z          )                    =                        S                                (            z            )                          -                  α                                                                          S                                      (              z              )                                                                    P              LT                                                  (              z              )                                                                    H              LP                                                  (              z              )                                            ,                      where                      P        LT                          (        z        )              =          1      -                                    z            T                    +                      z                          -              T                                      2            and S is the decoded signal which is supplied as input to the post filter. FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of a post filter with these characteristics, which is further discussed in section 6.1.3 of the Technical Specification ETSI TS 126 290, version 6.3.0, release 6. As this figure suggests, the pitch information is encoded as a parameter in the bit stream signal and is retrieved by a pitch tracking module communicatively connected to the long-term prediction filter carrying out the operations expressed by PLT.
The long-term portion described in the previous paragraph may be used alone. Alternatively, it is arranged in series with a noise-shaping filter that preserves components in frequency intervals corresponding to the formants and attenuates noise in other spectral regions (short-term portion; see section III), that is, in the 'spectral valleys' of the formant envelope. As another possible variation, this filter aggregate is further supplemented by a gradual high-pass-type filter to reduce a perceived deterioration due to spectral tilt of the short-term portion.
Audio signals containing a mixture of components of different origins—e.g., tonal, non-tonal, vocal, instrumental, non-musical—are not always reproduced by available digital coding technologies in a satisfactory manner. It has more precisely been noted that available technologies are deficient in handling such non-homogeneous audio material, generally favouring one of the components to the detriment of the other. In particular, music containing singing accompanied by one or more instruments or choir parts which has been encoded by methods of the nature described above, will often be decoded with perceptible artefacts spoiling part of the listening experience.

Audio encoder and decoder with pitch prediction


A node unit of distributed antenna system, the node unit comprises a delay measuring part configured to transmit a first test signal for delay measurement to an upper adjacent node unit and detect the first test signal looped back via the upper adjacent node unit and measure a round trip delay between the node unit and the upper adjacent node unit, and a delay providing part disposed on a signal transmission path through which a second test signal for delay measurement, to be transmitted from a lower adjacent node unit, is to be looped back to the lower adjacent node unit, and configured to provide a delay corresponding to the round trip delay.

1. Field
The inventive concept relates to a transmission delay measurement and more particularly, to a node unit capable of measuring a delay and a distributed antenna system including the same.
2. Description of Related Art
Delay equalization processing in a distributed remote device (e.g., a remote unit in a distributed antenna system, a remote radio head (RRH) in a base station distributed system, or the like) is required in a distributed transmission system for mobile communication signals, such as the distributed antenna system or the base station distributed system.
In particular, the delay equalization processing is important in an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM)-based signal transmission system such as long term evolution (LTE) or WIBRO. In OFDM-based signals, it is important to maintain orthogonality between carrier wavers for performing a discrete Fourier transform (DFT) operation in a cell overlapping region. This is because, in order to maintain the orthogonality, it is required to provide mobile communication services through distributed remote devices at the same time.
Therefore, in a signal distributed transmission system, the accurate measurement of a transmission delay is required as a precondition of the delay equalization processing for improving the quality of mobile communication services.

Node unit capable of measuring delay and distributed antenna system including the same


An arrangement and method for hearing implant signal processing is described. A hearing implant signal processor converts a speech signal input into multi-channel electrical stimulation signals for a cochlear implant electrode array. A feature adjustment module adjusts feature resolution of the electrical stimulation signals to produce a corresponding sequence of cochlear stimulation feature vectors. A speech recognition vector pre-processor maps the cochlear stimulation feature vectors into corresponding speech recognition feature vectors. A speech recognition engine evaluates the speech recognition features vectors with probabilistic state sequence models to produce speech recognition outputs corresponding to the speech signal input.

A normal ear transmits sounds as shown in FIG. 1 through the outer ear 101 to the tympanic membrane (eardrum) 102, which moves the bones of the middle ear 103, which in turn vibrate the oval window and round window openings of the cochlea 104. The cochlea 104 is a long narrow duct wound spirally about its axis for approximately two and a half turns. The cochlea 104 includes an upper channel known as the scala vestibuli and a lower channel known as the scala tympani, which are connected by the cochlear duct. The scala tympani forms an upright spiraling cone with a center called the modiolar where the spiral ganglion cells of the acoustic nerve 113 reside. In response to received sounds transmitted by the middle ear 103, the fluid filled cochlea 104 functions as a transducer to generate electric pulses that are transmitted to the cochlear nerve 113, and ultimately to the brain. Hearing is impaired when there are problems in the ability to transduce external sounds into meaningful action potentials along the neural substrate of the cochlea 104.
In some cases, hearing impairment can be addressed by a cochlear implant (CI), a brainstem-, midbrain- or cortical implant that electrically stimulates nerve tissue with small currents delivered by multiple electrode contacts distributed along an implant electrode. For cochlear implants, the electrode array is inserted into the cochlea. For brain-stem, midbrain and cortical implants, the electrode array is located in the auditory brainstem, midbrain or cortex, respectively. FIG. 1 shows some components of a typical cochlear implant system where an external microphone provides an audio signal input to an external signal processor 111 which implements one of various known signal processing schemes. For example, signal processing approaches that are well-known in the field of cochlear implants include continuous interleaved sampling (CIS) digital signal processing, channel specific sampling sequences (CSSS) digital signal processing (as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,348,070, incorporated herein by reference), spectral peak (SPEAK) digital signal processing, and compressed analog (CA) signal processing. The processed signal is converted by the external signal processor 111 into a digital data format, such as a sequence of data frames, for transmission into a receiving stimulator processor 108. Besides extracting the audio information, the receiver processor in the stimulator processor 108 may perform additional signal processing such as error correction, pulse formation, etc., and produces a stimulation pattern (based on the extracted audio information) that is sent through electrode lead 109 to an implanted electrode array 110. Typically, the electrode array 110 includes multiple stimulation contacts on its surface that provide selective electrical stimulation of the cochlea 104.
Improving coding strategies for cochlear implants requires speech perception tests with large numbers of patients, which are very time demanding and depend to a large extend on the individuals. If changes involve new hardware features of the implant, these tests are not possible before the new devices are implanted. Performance improvements are difficult to prove, they require subjective speech tests with large numbers of cochlear implant patients.

Test method for cochlear implant stimulation strategies


A digital instructional environment leverages an infrared eye-tracker to monitor a learner's reading and viewing of text and simulations for subject matter. The system detects out-of-order reading/viewing patterns that could lead to poor comprehension. The digital learning environment communicates with other tutorial components including simulation environments, pedagogical agents and may respond in real-time to such patterns with messages that guide learners (knowledge acquirers) to return to effective reading/viewing patterns so as to promote effective construction of mental model(s) developed during knowledge acquisition/learning.

Teaching and training can be difficult and time-consuming. Good teachers and instructors are usually in scarce supply and high student to teacher/instructor ratios prevent individualized instruction and thus are a barrier to deep learning. Tools to make each teacher/instructor more effective are desirable, as they can decrease the number of teachers/instructors required. These tools are especially valuable if they can also improve the quality of the education given to students, who are constantly pushed to learn more and do to learn it faster because of the ever-increasing economic demand for education/training.
The information that a learner acquires from a graphical interface is often measured by learning outcomes, or other indirect metrics. Eye-tracking offers a direct metric that can measure what the user attended to, i.e., read/viewed on the screen.
Visual displays, diagrams, and simulations are now widely used as information sources for learning in the media in order to convey important information, and at all levels of education for learning, rich problem-solving, and diagnosis (e.g., science, mathematics, electrical engineering, radiology, airport security, airplane navigation). Despite the proliferation of visual materials and the important role they play in knowledge dissemination and knowledge acquisition, surprisingly little is known about how information from visual information sources is acquired, or how their comprehension can be improved.
One of the principal complex issues with visual information sources is that they provide all information simultaneously; in direct contrast to more conventionally-used textual information sources which are structured sequentially. The implications of this are that the knowledge acquisition processes and comprehension processing of textual information follows the structure of the text (from the first word in the paragraph to the last). In the case of visual information sources, however, the processing of information is directed by the learner, that is, his/her attentional processes are guided in a systematic (or unsystematic) fashion to acquire the relevant information to complete the task at hand. It is known that prior domain knowledge is highly predictive of a user's visual search patterns and knowledge acquisition processes. For example, experts in architecture search through each 2-dimensional plan to best understand the 3-dimensional nature of the building, and medical experts systematically seek information in an x-ray to either confirm or disconfirm a diagnosis.
In the case of science learning, the underlying causal structure must be understood from the diagram; since all information is presented simultaneously, this, in the absence of prior knowledge, is a highly complex task. It was once believed that simply adding a diagram as an accompaniment to a text would improve learner's understanding; however, research has shown that novices do not know what is salient in the diagram, and in the case of highly conventionalized diagrams (e.g., topographical maps, VLSI diagrams, architectural maps, etc.), novices are not fluent enough with the symbol system to permit easy comprehension.

Instruction system with eyetracking-based adaptive scaffolding


The invention relates to a method of producing visible, preferably transparent or translucent, continuous streaks and/or delimited fields in paper in conjunction with forming a paper web in a paper machine. The method is characterized by essentially preventing dewatering of paper stock/paper fibres on one or more surfaces of a wire in the forming unit of a paper machine in conjunction with forming a paper web in the machine, and by applying a special stock that contains fibres which differ from the other fibre material deposited on the wire, optionally together with an arbitrary filler and/or binder. The invention also relates to a valuable document, such as a banknote, produced from the aforedescribed paper.

The present invention relates to a method of producing visible, preferably transparent or translucent, continuous streaks and/or delimited fields in paper in conjunction with forming a paper web in a paper machine. The invention also relates to valuable paper, particularly banknotes, produced from such paper. More specifically, the invention relates to the manufacture of a continuous paper web containing delimited fields and/or streaks of varying size and in varying positions, and to valuable paper produced from such webs. The fields and/or streaks differ from the surrounding paper with regard to material, colour, opacity and/or transparency or with regard to some other readily identified property, preferably an optical property. The incorporated fields and/or streaks are preferably transparent or translucent.
The rapid development of reproduction methods and of fourcolour copiers in particular, places increasingly higher demands on the manufacturers of security paper, cheque paper and banknotes. These demands have led to the development of new methods, materials and products which are intended to prevent forgery or at least make successful forgery more difficult to achieve. Many of the methods proposed hitherto are complicated and expensive in practice and the products produced by these methods are encumbered with drawbacks, such as unsatisfactory durability.
There is thus a need for methods which will enable security paper that is difficult to forge by reproduction with the aid of colour copying and which can be printed in conventional printing presses with conventional printing inks intended for security print to be produced in a relatively simple and inexpensive manner.

Method of producing visible, continuous streaks and/or delimited fields in paper


A method of operating an emergency services system entity is disclosed. The method includes receiving, by the emergency services system entity, data from a plurality of data sources; determining that a vehicle collision occurred based on the received data; determining a vehicle collision location; and sending a tow truck dispatch request to a plurality of tow truck dispatch systems in response to determining that a vehicle collision occurred, where the request includes the vehicle collision location.

First responders such as police, fire department personnel and paramedics, are often faced with roadside emergencies in which a vehicle collision has occurred, or other situations in which a vehicle has stalled and is no longer operative, or situations where the vehicle must be abandoned. In these situations, the vehicle drivers may not be able to find a tow truck to remove their vehicle from the road or may not be in a condition to do so. Usually law enforcement officials, or other first responders must place a phone call to obtain a tow truck to clear the road after such emergency situations. However, because the first responders are extremely busy managing the emergency response, finding a tow truck is a poor use of their time and resources.

Apparatus and method for dispatching a tow truck in response to a roadway emergency


A new and distinct Hydrangea plant having a compact growth habit and hot pink colored inflorescences.

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Hydrangea plant known by the varietal name 'Horpa'. The new variety was discovered in 2004 as the result of a spontaneous mutation of hydrangea plant 'Bastei' (unpatented) in Dresden, Germany. The new variety is a mophead like 'Bastei' with similar color and growth habit. However, 'Horpa' differs from 'Bastei' in branching, leaf size, and inflorescence size. The new variety was first asexually reproduced in 2004 via propagation by cuttings in Germany. The new variety has been trial and field tested in Germany and has been found to retain its distinctive characteristics and remain true to type through successive propagations.
The following traits distinguish 'Horpa' as a new and distinct cultivar from other Hydrangea varieties known to the breeder:                1. Compact growth habit;        2. Branching;        3. Leaf size; and        4. Inflorescence size.


A hand held sampling apparatus and method are provided. The apparatus has a handle, a head connected to the handle and a mechanism for retaining a substrate on the head. The substrate is preferably a sheet-form flexible substrate which is mounted so as to present a collection portion thereof for collection of a sample. The substrate is preferably of a dimension so as to be readily fitted into the inlet portion of an analyzer. The apparatus enables an area to be sampled quickly and efficiently, while keeping a user's hands away from the surface, and this enables otherwise inaccessible areas to be sampled. It does not require any intermediate transfer steps, transferring a sample from a collection media to another substrate for subsequent analysis.

The removal of dust as a simple household task from domestic dwellings has been and is still carried out with dust cloths. In more sophisticated situations, chatelaines and housekeepers have employed maids, butlers and valets equipped with white gloves or mittens to remove dust, polish silverware and furniture. Previously, there has been no necessity or interest in analyzing the collected dust particles. Rather, the sole intent was to collect and throw out dust and dirt particles.
The necessity to collect dust and particles for analysis is a more recent requirement. With the advent of terrorism where explosives can be concealed to create undetectable bombs and also with drug smugglers concealing their drug shipments, the need for trace/forensic detection has become necessary. While early explosives detectors relied on the collection of atmospheric explosives vapours, modern high power explosives are plastic with extremely low vapour pressures thereby presenting vapour detection instruments with extremely difficult detection situations to the point of impossibility. Modern plastic explosives can have vapour pressures 5 or 6 orders of magnitude lower than the traditional volatile explosives such as nitroglycerine (NG), trinitrotoluene (TNT) and ethylene glycol denitrate (EGDN). For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,909,090 teaches the use of hand operated vapour samplers which heats the surface to assist in dislodging vapours which are trapped on collector surfaces in the probe. However, with the very low vapour pressure of plastic explosives and drugs this method is extremely limited in its usefulness. Drugs like cocaine, heroine and others also have very low vapour pressures and thus are undetectable by existing vapour detection instruments.
Modern detection equipment can detect extremely low levels of explosives, narcotics and the like, in the range of nanograms or picograms. However, this simply raises the problem of obtaining a suitable sample. Accordingly, rather than attempt to collect a vapour sample, an alternative approach of particle collection and analysis was proposed, notably by Barringer, et al, and followed by others, both for forensics purposes as well as for surface geochemical exploration where trace metals and organometals can be useful as pathfinder indicators in mineral exploration activities. Earlier patents have covered these applications, such as Barringer U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,970,428; 4,220,414; 4,192,176; and 5,425,263.
Particle collection techniques include: surface inspection by means of physical particle collection in minute amounts; the use of dust pan-brush arrangements; vacuum suction onto porous or semi-porous substrates, filters, membranes and the like; the use of swabs, swipes, gloves, etc. One such method is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,476,794 which describes the removal of particles with a glove and the use of an intermediate step, that of vacuum suction off the glove. These techniques have been the subject of earlier patents, which have developed into more sophisticated techniques incorporated into various instrumental devices for direct analysis, including plasma optical emission spectrometers, optical analyzers and mass spectrometers among others.
Gloves, mitts and swipes have been used in various forms for particle collection. Disadvantages exist with these earlier systems of collection. The major disadvantage of most of these earlier techniques is that an intermediate step is required to transfer from such a glove or the like any particles/trace chemicals so collected for presentation to the analytical device. One method is to use a suction device to vacuum the glove or mitt, as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,476,794. Not only does this present a loss of time and cause nuisance to the operator, but the secondary stage is inefficient, causing a loss of sample due to incomplete transfer from the glove. Additionally, vacuum suction devices are noisy, cumbersome, and require power to energize the suction motors. Even small vacuum hand samplers have relatively limited battery life. If a positive hit is obtained, then usually the suction device is contaminated and has to be cleaned thoroughly before being used again. Finally, often an even greater problem is created by the suction causing glove/cloth fibers and lint to be released which can either obstruct the collecting substrate, present interfering chemicals or fluff/lint which might compete in the analytical process, as for example, if IMS is used where matrix effects from the hand covering material may well compete too aggressively in the ionization process.
Sampling materials or cloth which cover the fingers are also known for collecting particles from surfaces. These have the advantage of avoiding the intermediate step and use of a suction device. Such sampling cloths or finger covers unfortunately leave the fingers vulnerable to damage from sharp objects or exposed corners, hot objects or surfaces contaminated with toxic chemicals. Finger swabs/hand mitts can also become dislodged during search operations when pressed into tight areas.
Finally the problem of cross-contamination remains, in that if a hand/finger is in direct contact with the swab, or glove/mitt, there is always the possibility that the hand/fingers will become contaminated with the analyte sought and pass this over as false positive alarms or hits onto subsequent samples. Also in some sampling situations, such as Chemical Warfare (CW) agents/liquid droplets, the chemical toxicity of the sample is too dangerous to allow close contact with hands.
As described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,476,794, particles are transferred from the glove to a collection probe, and the complete probe is inserted into the analyzer to vaporize the samples. The major disadvantage with this technique is the complexity of the sampling probe, the ease with which it can be clogged by debris and lint off gloves, and its complexity and hence cost.
An alternative means to collect trace particles is to use small filter discs which are inserted into the suction line of a vacuum cleaner unit to efficiently remove by suction the particles required for analysis. The substrate discs are positioned immediately at the sampling head to prevent particles lodging in the suction line and becoming dislodged at a later time thereby giving false anomalies. The collection substrate must be porous enough to allow air suction while at the same time be sufficiently dense to entrap the particles in the size range of interest. After a collection time adequate to collect a sufficient quantity of dust/material for analysis, the filter disc or substrate is removed and presented for analysis, as for example to an ion mobility spectrometer (IMS). The filter disc is inserted into a thermal desorption device which is rapidly heated to volatilize the collected material. The heating process converts the trace particles to vapours for conventional chemical vapour analysis, such as might be made by an IMS, mass spectrometer or gas chromatography or such other instrument.
The disadvantage of this technique is that it is still possible that the vacuum cleaner can become contaminated. More importantly, it requires manipulating a cumbersome vacuum cleaner to obtain a sample. Bearing in mind that only trace samples may be available, it is highly desirable to be able to quickly and efficiently gather particles from the surfaces of luggage, vehicles etc.

Apparatus for and method of collecting trace samples for analysis


A serial transmission control system accesses data based on status signal, includes a timing register for storing a predetermined times of a basic period width and a predetermined number of trigger times, a data buffer for storing data, a timing control state machine for outputting the status signal until receiving a terminal signal. The status signals have a period width complying with the predetermined time of the basic period width. While the terminal signal is received and a number of outputting the status signals does not comply with the predetermined number of trigger times, the status signal will keep outputting until complying with the predetermined number of trigger times. A transforming circuit is for accessing the data stored in the data buffer.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a series transmission system and, more particularly, to a series transmission system capable of working at different timings.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Today's electronic products, for example cell phones, PDA's, or personal computers, all comprise many micro-processing systems to organize multiple processing functions. In a micro-processing system, a method of sequential control of clock triggers is often utilized for making different devices perform different functions at different timings so that the whole micro-processing system can achieve predetermined functions. For example, if a micro-processing system has to achieve a certain function, the A circuit of the micro-processing system processes data first, and then the B circuit of the micro-processing system carries out the following process of the data. A micro-processing system can utilize the sequential control method to trigger the A circuit to start processing the data, and sequentially trigger the A circuit to transfer processed data to the B circuit. The micro-processing system then further triggers the B circuit to receive the processed data so that the B circuit can do the following processing operation on said data. In other words, through the above-mentioned triggering of the sequential control, the micro-processing system can coordinate the processing order of every circuit in the micro-processing system so that the micro-processing system can complete a certain function.
Before the micro-processing system transfers data to the transmission interface it often utilizes a byte as a unit. For saving transmission resources, however, the system sometimes divides the data into multiple bytes, transfers the data in these bytes, and transforms them back into the original data once they have been received. The above-mentioned transmission method, which utilizes bytes as units, is called the series transmission.
In the prior art, series transmission between each integrated circuit (IC) in the micro-processing system is accomplished through a specific transmission protocol (for example, I2C and SPI) according to the needed data form of the series transmission; or accomplished through a series transmission structure defined by an ASIC. This means that designers can define clock signals, series data signals, and series control signals of the series transmission, which saves the number of data transmission signals between ICs and accomplishes the purpose of data exchange between ICs. Generally speaking, the clock signals, the series data signals, and series control signals have different definitions and timings because the form and the application of series transmission can be different. Therefore, we often utilize two methods to design the series transmission interface. The first method is to design specific hardware to meet the demands of series transmission timing control according to the individual data form of each series transmission signal. The other method is to utilize one or more micro-controllers to meet these series transmission timing control demands.
Now, taking an inkjet printer as example, in order to achieve the goal of simple design and low cost the number of ICs can be reduced to 3 or 4. Please refer to FIG. 1, which is a block diagram of a printer 10 according to the prior art. As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 10 comprises a main control module for controlling and calculating image data, and controlling motors and memories; a memory module 14 used as an image data buffer, a program code buffer, and an inkjet state data buffer; a DC-DC converter and motor driver module 16 for supplying power and driving motors; and an inkjet driver module 18 for driving the inkjets. In the inkjet printer 10, modules having different functions utilize the following signals to communicate with each other and to process data. The first signal is the series transmission clock for triggering data signals. Generally speaking, there are three triggering methods; positive edge trigger, negative edge trigger, and both edges trigger. The second signal is the series transmission control signal. The control signal is often an enabling signal for controlling IC in a simple series transmission. Finally, the third signal is the series transmission data signal used as the register data of the IC to be controlled. Please note that the data signal can be unidirectional or bi-directional data.
Although modules transfer signals through the series transmission, IC modules from different producers may not utilize the same series transmission. In order to integrate all modules, the main control module 12 has to be designed as specific hardware to meet the demands of series transmission timing control according to the individual data form of each series transmission signal. The alternative option is for the main control module 12 to utilize one or more micro-controllers to meet the demands of series transmission timing control, again according to the individual data form of each series transmission signal. Therefore, if other modules (for example, the DC-DC converter and motor driver module or the inkjet driving module) change, the original series transmission signals are no longer used, causing the series transmission signals to have to be modulated. This causes a design problem.

Shan-Ting Tsun, Gueishan Hsiang, Taoyuan County


The invention provides a mechanical hooping press for framing sections of fabric for embroidery machines. The press includes one or more cylindrical assemblies. The preferred embodiment provides at least two pneumatically-operated cylindrical assemblies being operable either in tandem or independently. The device provides a base having a recess, and with a cylindrical assembly positioned directly above the recess. A first ring of an embroidery hoop is placed in the recess and a fabric section is placed upon the first ring. The cylindrical assembly is provided with a hoop disk for detachably retaining the second ring of the embroidery hoop. The second ring is attached to the hoop disk and the hoop disk is then driven toward the recess, eventually driving the second ring into engagement with the first ring, and capturing the fabric section therebetween. The invention also provides a nested hoop disk, and an embroidery hoop especially adapted for use with the mechanical hooper.

Modern embroidery machines typically have multiple sewing heads. Each of these heads can embroider a pre-selected design onto a section of fabric. Before the machine can embroider a given section of fabric, the fabric must be mounted onto an embroidery hoop, which is then attached to the machine. This mounting process is called hooping or framing the fabric. An embroidery hoop typically consists of an inner ring and an outer ring that fit snugly together, with the fabric section captured therebetween. The outer ring might include some adjustment means to adjust precisely the snugness of the fit between the inner and outer rings to compensate for the thickness of the fabric. After the fabric is hooped, the hoop can be attached to an embroidery machine for stitching.
Traditionally, the hooping process was performed manually. Manual hooping is slow and laborious, and with the increased competitiveness of the marketplace, eliminating manual labor has become a paramount objective. If an embroidery facility is using multiple-head embroidery machines, then it is critical to provide those machines with a steady flow of hooped fabric to maximize the throughput of embroidered items. Thus, if the hooping process is not performed quickly and efficiently, it can create a production bottleneck in the entire embroidery facility, thus reducing throughput, hampering production, and decreasing profits.
Also, manual hooping can inflict repetitive-stress injuries, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, upon the workers performing the manual hooping task. To manually hoop fabric, a worker must exert considerable force with the hands and arms to press the two rings together and capture the fabric. Exerting this force dozens or hundreds of times per shift can cause repetitive-stress injuries. In recent years, these repetitive-stress injuries have received increased attention from employers, insurers, and health care providers. The cost of treating these injuries, the cost of insurance and workers' compensation premiums, and the cost of worker downtime have motivated employers to take precautions to prevent their employees from suffering such injuries.

Device and method for mechanically hooping fabric onto embroidery hoops


A guitar amplifier having at least one channel, each channel having a differential amplifier with first and second amplifying members, each amplifying member having a control element, an electron emitting element and an electron collecting element, the electron emitting elements of the amplifying members commonly coupled and an output amplifier coupled to the differential amplifier and having an output terminal selectively coupled to the control element of the second amplifying member of the differential amplifier as a feedback path. An input terminal coupled to the control element of the first amplifying member and a user-adjustable presence control circuit selectively coupled between the control element of the first amplifying member and ground to increase the perceived brightness, when selected. The presence control circuit includes a high pass filter disposed between the input terminal and ground to filter a selected high frequency portion of the signal received at the input terminal.

This invention relates to guitar amplifiers and, more specifically, to a vacuum tube guitar amplifier to provide presence control.
Presence controls for vacuum tube guitar amplifiers are well known and have been in use for many decades. Unlike preamplifier tone controls, the traditional presence control operates in the negative feedback loop of the power amplifier and phase splitter circuitry. Typically, the presence control allows player adjustment of a higher frequency range than a typical treble tone control and operates by attenuating to ground a portion of the negative feedback spectrum. Using a variable resistor as the control element, whatever portion of the negative feedback signal is deleted results in a corresponding increase in circuit gain and audible "brightness". In some traditional circuits, the fixed resistance value across the presence potentiometer may also be important as part of the driver circuit, in that case making maintenance of this fixed or maximum resistance necessary to insure proper circuit performance.
Some prior art guitar amplifiers include switchable performance parameters, including the ability to utilize or eliminate negative feedback. The sound of an amplifier with its feedback removed is characteristically very brash and aggressive, this sound having become extremely popular in current guitar music. In contrast to the so-called traditional "vintage" setting, which uses ample negative feedback and allows for a presence control, the non-negative feedback characteristic could be called "modern" sounding and is the tonal foundation for much of the heavy-metal, thrash and grunge styles of popular guitar music. Unfortunately however, the presence control is no longer functional in such "modern" circuits because the negative feedback on which it operates has been de-activated.
Over the years, a long felt need has arisen in that such so-called modern voicings (without negative feedback) might be overly bright and aggressive sounding, thus inviting some user-adjustable high-frequency attenuation. However, it is under precisely these conditions that the traditional presence control is no longer capable of functioning Even though traditional negative feedback style presence controls are only capable of increasing brightness (by attenuating high frequencies from the negative feedback), there is now the need for an adjustable control which does just the opposite and attenuates brightness. Further, confusion arises in the mind of the player when the knob on the amplifier control panel labeled "presence" becomes non-functional when modern performance is selected due to the absence of the negative feedback.
The obvious solution would appear to be merely a reduction of the negative feedback (rather than eliminating it entirely) which would leave the presence control at least partially functional. Unfortunately, this approach is, at best, a weak compromise because any residual negative feedback greatly diminishes the searing brashness of the modern sonic character while still not providing an audibly effective presence control. Thus, merely reducing negative feedback achieves neither the desired modern sonic amplifier characteristic nor does it provide for satisfactory presence control operation.


Techniques for secure public exposure of digital data include extracting first digital data comprising one or more batches, each batch comprising a plurality of no more than a number T of packets, each packet containing a plurality of a number n of bits. A random binary matrix A consisting of T rows and n columns is generated. For a first batch, a first random n-bit temporary key is generated. For a packet in the first batch, a first packet vector key is generated based on random non-overlapping pairs of bit positions for both the temporary key and for a first packet-corresponding row of matrix A. An encrypted packet is generated for the packet based on the packet and the first packet vector key. The encrypted packet is exposed publicly.

Claude Shannon introduced a cipher system in [1] which achieves perfect secrecy. The notion of perfect secrecy in Shannon's work means that no eavesdropper can deduce any information about the transmitted message regardless of its computational power. He studied the fundamental communication requirements that are necessary and sufficient to guarantee that "Alice" can send messages to "Bob" in a way that "Eve" cannot obtain any information about the transmitted messages. Shannon proved that if Alice uses a different key, selected uniformly at random from the set of all keys for each message, then perfect secrecy is achievable. This communication channel has been studied extensively since then and is the basis for sensitive communication systems including the one-time-pad (or Vernam pad) system used for communications between Moscow and Washington, D.C. during the cold war. However, the downside of this system is the size of the key which should be as large as the size of the message to guarantee secure communications.

Compact key with reusable common key for encryption

THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA


A metal salicide-CMP-metal salicide semiconductor process, suitable for a semiconductor substrate on which gates, sources (drains), spacers, and field oxides are formed. A first metal layer is formed on gates, sources (drains), spacers, and field oxides. A first high-temperature process is executed to form a first metal salicide layer on gates and sources (drains). A first wet etching is then performed. A first dielectric layer is formed over the semiconductor substrate wherein the horizontal line of the first dielectric layer is above the first metal salicide layer located on gates. A first chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) is then executed until the first metal salicide layer on gates is reached. A second metal layer is formed on the first dielectric layer and on the first metal salicide layer that is located on gates. A second high-temperature process is executed in order to form a thicker second metal salicide layer on the gates. A second wet etching is then performed. A second dielectric layer is formed over the semiconductor substrate. A second chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) is then executed. Finally, shallow contact windows and deep contact windows on gates and sources (drains) respectively are formed.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a semiconductor process, and, more particularly, to a metal salicide-chemical mechanical polishing (CMP)--metal salicide semiconductor process by which a thicker metal salicide layer is formed on gates to prevent an unacceptable increased gate contact resistance which results from over etching during the etching of shallow contact windows on gates and causes low device efficiencies.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, different material layers are formed on a base substrate by depositing and etching in a semiconductor process. As a result, the surface of the substrate on which devices have been already formed is rough, i.e., different positions on the surface of the substrate have different heights. Therefore, etching contact windows having different depths at the same time can not be avoided. In a deep sub-micron semiconductor process, wherein the dimensions of contact windows continue to shrink, Ti self-aligned salicide (Ti salicide) technology is adopted and a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) method is employed. This results in an increasing severity of the over etching problem that causes material loss inside shallow contact windows during the etching of shallow contact windows.
Referring to FIGS. 1A to 1C, a semiconductor wafer contact window process according to the prior art is illustrated. FIG. 1A shows a part of a cross-sectional view of a semiconductor wafer wherein a metal salicide process and a CMP method for planarization have already been completed. Shown are semiconductor substrate 1, field oxide 2, spacers 3, silicon layer 4 (for example, a poly-silicon layer), Ti salicide (TiSi.sub.2) layer 5 and interlayer dielectric layer 6.
Referring to FIG. 1B, photoresistor layer 7 is deposited over semiconductor substrate 1 of FIG. 1A and a contact window pattern is defined by a photolithography technology. The result shown in FIG. 1B includes a .DELTA.X distance representing the difference between the depths of two expected contact windows for poly-silicon layer 4 and a source (drain) (not shown), respectively.
Referring next to FIG. 1C, shallow contact window 11 is formed in dielectric layer 6 using anisotropic etching. Due to the two expected contact windows having depth difference .DELTA.X, when Ti salicide layer 5 inside shallow contact window 11 begins to be etched during an etching process, there is still the .DELTA.X thickness in deep contact window 12 left for further etching. Therefore, when deep contact window 12 is etched to the end, Ti salicide layer 5 on poly-silicon layer 4, and even poly-silicon layer 4, are seriously etched, resulting in an unacceptable increased gate contact. Typically, Ti salicide layer 5 on polysilicon layer 4 is thinner and more unstable than that on a single-silicon layer, so the selectivity of interlayer dielectric 6 to Ti salicide layer 5 is not preferable.

Metal salicide-CMP-metal salicide semiconductor process


A bandgap circuit for generating an accurate and stable reference voltage at low power supply voltages. Stacking of bipolar devices allows for a lower opamp closed-loop gain, which in turn reduces the error voltage contribution to the output due to opamp offset. A CMOS opamp having NMOS input reference transistors coupled with a new bandgap architecture allows a 1.2 v reference (unlike other stacked architectures) without sacrificing low voltage operation. A new trimming method provides for very efficient trimming of bandgap output voltage. Instead of fine tuning the output voltage by trimming ratioed resistors, the output voltage is trimmed by either changing the area of ratioed bipolar transistors, or changing the magnitude of ratioed currents in equally sized bipolar transistors. Therefore, very fine trimming resolution is possible because of the logarithmic function defining the current or transistor size ratios. A new curvature correction method reduces curvature without requiring additional circuitry. Curvature can be drastically reduced by using resistors with negative temperature coefficient.

The present invention relates generally to bandgap reference circuits, and in particular to low voltage bandgap circuits with trimming and curvature correction methods.
The output voltage of a bandgap reference circuit is as follows: EQU V.sub.ref =V.sub.be +(K.times..DELTA.V.sub.be)
where:
K is a gain factor set by a resistor ratio, and PA1 Vbe is a bipolar transistor base-emitter voltage drop.
The output of a bandgap circuit is typically around 1.2 v. Improved bandgap circuits include an operational amplifier (opamp) to improve power supply rejection. The opamp is connected in a feedback loop with a closed-loop gain of K. This gain amplifies any inherent opamp offset voltage, which then appears as an error voltage at the output of the bandgap circuit. To reduce the error voltage contribution due to the opamp output-referred offset, different techniques are used to lower the amount of the required closed-loop gain. For a fixed output voltage (V.sub.ref), the closed-loop gain (K) may be reduced if the value of the .DELTA.V.sub.be term is made larger. Two different methods are used to generate the .DELTA.V.sub.be term: (1) differing amounts of currents are forced through two identical diode connected bipolar transistors or (2) an equal amount of current is forced through two bipolar transistors having different sizes. Both of these methods require adding a large number of transistors to obtain either (1) an appreciable current differential, or (2) an appreciable transistor size differential.
A more efficient way of increasing the value of the .DELTA.V.sub.be term is to connect another diode connected bipolar transistor in series with each one of the diode connected bipolar transistors that generate the .DELTA.V.sub.be term. This way the .DELTA.V.sub.be term can be, for example, doubled when two diodes are stacked, or tripled when three diodes are stacked. Stacking the bipolar transistors however, creates two potential problems. First, the resulting output voltage of the reference circuit is no longer 1.2 v, but a higher multiple of that voltage (i.e. 2.4 v, or 3.6 v) (see IEEE JSSC, pg. 896, FIG. 6). Secondly, such stacking limits the voltage range in which the bandgap circuit can properly operate. This is so for several reasons. First, the power supply cannot be lower than the output voltage. If the output voltage is not 1.2 v but rather a multiple of 1.2 v, this can be a problem. Secondly, the portion of the circuitry that generates the .DELTA.V.sub.be (or rather, some multiple of .DELTA.V.sub.be) needs more headroom to operate when stacked. Therefore, low voltage operation of the bandgap circuit is sacrificed to reduce the error voltage due to opamp offset.
In bandgap circuits, it is often necessary to fine tune the circuit to obtain highly accurate reference voltages. This fine tuning is accomplished by trimming the resistor ratio to change the K factor in very small steps. To obtain fine resolution with resistor trimming, however, is costly in several respects. First, provisions for a resistor bank and the corresponding switching circuitry consumes valuable silicon area. Secondly, the switching mechanism in resistor trimming adds more complexity and places additional requirements on the circuit. If, for example, transistor switches are used to switch trimming resistors in and out, transistor resistances would have to be accounted for, which may result in very large switch transistors and/or very large resistors. In addition, decoding may be required for the switches, which would use up more area. Other trimming techniques require a silicon fabrication process that supports zener zapping (to short or insert resistors) and fusible metal. links (to remove resistors). Not all CMOS processes can support zeners. Existing resistor trimming techniques are therefore, costly and inflexible.
Another critical feature of a bandgap circuit is its temperature performance. Bandgap circuits are designed to yield an output voltage with zero temperature coefficient (TC), at a particular temperature TO (e.g. 25.degree. C.). However, the bandgap output voltage drops as temperature departs from TO in either direction. Existing curvature correction schemes involve either a specially designed architecture, or require adding positive TC resistors in series with the emitter or a base of some of the .DELTA.V.sub.be bipolar transistors. This also adds to circuit complexity and cost.

Low voltage CMOS bandgap with new trimming and curvature correction methods


A method for gasification of fuel in an entrained flow of a gasification reactor. The method includes jointly gasifying a mixture of at least two different fuels having different degrees of coalification, including those of differing coal qualities such as brown coals and stone coals. The method also includes pulverizing the coals forming the mixture in specific grain bands and drying the coals forming the mixture to a specific residual water content.

In such cases there is a specific relationship between the degree of coalification of the coals and the volatile component content and the surface structure. Less coalified coals possess a larger content of volatiles as well as a larger internal surface as a result of the pore structure. They are thus more reactive than strongly coalified coals. This characteristic is especially marked between brown coals and stone coals, but also within the stone coals if anthracite is regarded as the most coalified coal and high-volatile coal as the least coalified coal.
For this reason for example brown coals and stone coals are not jointly gasified in accordance with the prior art. The technique of synthesis gas generation in accordance with the method of autothermic entrained flow gasification has been known for many years and is described in detail in H.-D. Schilling "Kohlevergasung (coal gasification)", Verlag Glückauf 1979 as well as J. Carl et al. "Noell-Konversionsverfahen (Noell conversion process)", EF-Verlag für Energie and Umwelttechnik GmbH, 1996, Page 33 and 73. Different embodiments of reactors are further shown in EP0677567B1 and DE3534015A1. With a dry pneumatic feed of the pulverized fuel to the gasification reactor in accordance with patent of application number: 10 200 5 047 583.3 such as CN 200 4200 200 7.1 eddying of the pulverized fuel in a dispensing vessel puts it into a fluid state and it is fed by application of a drop in pressure via a pipeline from the eddy layer of the dispensing vessel to the burner of the gasification reactor. The different densities of brown coal and stone coal also mean that their eddy and flow properties are different. To enable these different coals to be conveyed together, specific ranges of grain size of the coals are required.

Simultaneous gasification of coals of widely differing degrees of coalification in entrained flow gasification


An image processing device including an optical system, a storage device, a position detecting device, and a direction detecting device. An optical system obtains an image of an object, and a storage device stores a predetermined position of an object to be shot. The position detecting device detects a current position of the image processing device, and the direction detecting device detects the directional orientation of the image processing device. A processor then determines whether an obtained object of shooting corresponds to the object to be shot by comparing signals output from said position detecting device and said direction detecting device with the stored position of the object to be shot.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing device such as a digital camera. More particularly, the present invention relates to a digital camera configured to identify a shooting place or an object of shooting.
2. Description of the Background
An image processing device for detecting its position by using a position detecting device is proposed by Japanese Laid-open patent application 2004-102835. This image processing device detects its position, and displays the information regarding an environment of the position.
Furthermore, a digital camera for recording a shot image with one or more additional information input by a user is proposed by Japanese Laid-open patent application 2004-104534.
Technology for correcting white balance that causes a color temperature change in scene illumination is described by a Japanese Laid-open patent application 2004-007545.
Furthermore, a digital camera for selecting the optimum shooting mode from a plurality of shooting modes based on an object of shooting or a detected shooting scene is proposed by Japanese Laid-open patent application 2003-344891. The digital camera sets a shooting mode by using a face recognizing means for recognizing that an object of shooting includes a face, and uses a means for recognizing a situation of the object of shooting.
Furthermore, a digital camera for adjusting white balance in the context of electrical zooming is proposed by Japanese Laid-open patent application 2004-080167.
A digital camera for changing white balance according to a scene is proposed by Japanese Laid-open patent application 2004-064676.
However, the above-mentioned digital cameras can not identify easily when a user wants to shoot a predetermined object. Therefore, the user should know a shooting position and shooting direction in advance. Further, digital cameras having a positioning function by GPS (Global Positioning System), can determine a location, but do not know a shooting direction of the digital camera. Further, a conventional digital camera can not change the white balance in accordance with a direction of a camera or an altitude of the location of the camera.

Digital camera that stores the location of an object


A method and system is presented to route calls to a voicemail system. The method includes receiving a call from an originating device at a first redirecting device and forwarding the call from the first redirecting device to a second redirecting device. The forwarded call has an associated data message that includes a calling number of the originating device and the first redirecting number of the first redirecting device. The method also includes forwarding the call from the second redirecting device to a destination voice mailbox. The destination voice mailbox is selected based on an evaluation of the first redirecting number and the second redirecting number.

Call forwarding has been used to route calls from an unused telephone device to a different phone where the user expects to be available. Voice mail systems are used to handle calls where the user is busy or is unable to answer. Call forwarding systems can route calls from many different devices to a single device that is directed to a voice mail system. While such systems are useful, users may have multiple voice mail accounts and may desire increased call forwarding and voicemail call retrieval options.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved system and method relating to handling forwarded calls and voice mail systems.

Call forwarding to voice mail systems based on redirecting number


A method for forming a face film on a face panel includes the steps of applying electromagnetic wave-shielding solution on the face panel, calcining the face panel, and photoreducing the precursor metal ion contained in the electromagnetic wave-shielding film by radiating ultraviolet ray on the face panel for about 20-50 minutes. The precursor is selected from silver or gold. Preferably, the step of calcining is conducted at a temperature of about 160.degree.-200.degree. C. Further preferably, the ultraviolet ray is in the range of 1-50 mW/cm.sup.2.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for calcining a cathode ray tube and, more particularly, to a method for calcining a film, that can shield electromagnetic wave or prevent static electricity, on a face panel for a cathode ray tube.
2. Description of Related Art
Generally, a face panel of a cathode ray tube manufactured through an assembly line goes through a coating process of a nonglare film, an antistatic film, an antireflection film, or/and an electromagnetic wave-shielding film.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,660,876 to Kojima et al. discloses a method of manufacturing a cathode ray tube with a nonglare multi-layered film comprising at least a visible light absorbing layer containing a black dye, and an antistatic layer containing an inorganic metal compound used as a conductive agent.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,523,649 to Tong et al. discloses a video display panel having a multi-layered antireflective coating.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,652,477 discloses a display device having a multi-layered antistatic/antireflective coating.
The electromagnetic wave-shielding film for interrupting the electron waves is usually made of a single-layered structure having a silica layer or a dual-layered structure having antistatic and silica layers.
The antistatic layer comprises a transparent conductive coating layer made of a material selected from the group consisting of an ITO and ATO or comprises a thin metal layer made of Ag, Ag/Pd. The silica layer is made through a sol-gel method. As a well-known method for forming a silica film, water is added to silicon alkoxide for an hydrolysis reaction. Alcohol is used as a common solvent of the silicon alkoxide and the water. In addition, acid is used as a catalyst to derive hydrolysis and polycondensation so as to form a thin film.
Describing more in detail, in the sol-gel method for forming a silica thin film, the silica film is made through a silica sol composition, coating, drying, and heating treatment processes. That is, composition of the silica sol is realized by adding a predetermined amount of water to a precursor such as, for example, a tetraethyl-o-silicate or a tetramethyl-o-silicate so as to derive hydrolysis reaction. At this point, since the silicon alkoxide is hydrophobic, a common solvent such as ethanol, methanol, or butanol is added. After this, catalyst is further added to provide a sol particle structure that is suitable for being formed into thin film by a spin coating process or a dip-coating process and for accelerating hydrolysis reaction and polycondensation reaction.
Generally, when the silica layer is coated on the face panel, it is calcined at a temperature of about 300.degree. C. using, for example, a ceramic heater so that the organization of the film is fined and the attachment thereof can be stabilized. This calcination process is performed as a final process for making the cathode ray tube so as to prevent the surface of the silica film from being physically and chemically damaged.
However, since the calcination process is locally performed in the face panel of the cathode ray tube, resulting in thermal expansion difference between the panel, explosion proof band, and a funnel, there is a drawback in that the cathode ray tube can be cracked. In addition, since the phosphor layer can be damaged by the high temperature, the quality of the cathode ray tube is deteriorated. Furthermore, gas is generated inside the cathode ray tube by thermal decomposition, deteriorating a degree of vacuum.

Method for forming electromagnetic wave-shielding film on a panel used in a cathode ray tube


A method and preparation for reducing dry eye symptoms and promoting tear secretion in a subject in need of such treatment is disclosed. The method comprises administering to the eyes of the subject a non-drying antihistamine compound, such as epinastine hydrochloride, in an amount effective to reduce dry eye symptoms and stimulate tear fluid secretion. Pharmaceutical formulations and methods of making the same are also disclosed. Methods of administering the compound include topical administration via a liquid, gel, cream, or as part of a contact lens or a continuous or selective release device; or systemic administration via nasal drops or spray, inhalation by nebulizer or other device, oral form (liquid or pill), injectable, intra-operative instillation or suppository form.

There are many situations where it is therapeutically desirable to increase the amount of tear fluid produced by the eye. Dry eye disease is the general term for indications produced by abnormalities of the precorneal tear film characterized by a decrease in tear production or an increase in tear film evaporation, together with the ocular surface disease and symptoms that result. Approximately 38 million Americans are affected with some type of dry eye disorder. Among the indications that are referred to by the general term "dry eye disease" are: keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS), age-related dry eye, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, Sjogren's syndrome, ocular cicatrical pemphigoid, blepharitis, corneal injury, infection, Riley-Day syndrome, congenital alacrima, nutritional disorders or deficiencies (including vitamins), pharmacologic side effects, contact lens intolerance, eye stress and glandular and tissue destruction, environmental exposure to smog, smoke, excessively dry air, airborne particulates, autoimmune and other immunodeficient disorders, and comatose patients rendered unable to blink.
Dry eye disease, although seen pathologically during ophthalmic exams as superficial punctate keratopathy (SPK) of the ocular surface epithelium, is largely a symptomatic disease. Chronic dryness leads to pain and irritation that is often debilitating to the subject, preventing the performance of normal daily activities such as reading, driving, etc. Dry eye is most common in postmenopausal women; however, hormone replacement therapy has not been proven to help dry eye signs and symptoms.
Currently, the pharmaceutical treatment of dry eye disease is mostly limited to administration of artificial tears (saline solution), anti-inflammatory agents (cyclosporine, steroids) and secretagogues (diquafosol, 15-HETE, rebamipide). In addition, artificial tears often have contraindications and incompatibility with soft contact lenses (M. Lemp, Cornea 9(1), S48-550 (1990)). The use of phosphodiesterase inhibitors, such as 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX) to stimulate tear secretion is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,753,945. The effectiveness of these phosphodiesterase inhibitors has been investigated (J. Gilbard, et al., Arch. Ophthal, 112, 1614-16 (1994) and 109, 672-76 (1991); idem, Inv. Ophthal. Vis. Sci. 31, 1381-88 (1990)). Stimulation of tear secretion by topical application of melanocyte stimulating hormones is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,868,154. Although these interventions can reduce inflammation and/or reduce SPK associated with dry eye, they have not been proven to significantly reduce the symptoms of dry eye.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,313,931 discloses a method of treating reactions provoked by liberation of histamine or serotonin; bronchial asthma; allergic bronchitis; allergic rhinitis; allergic conjunctivitis; or allergic diathesis in a warm-blooded host, which comprises administering to said host an effective amount of a fused dibenzo imidazolo compound such as epinastine.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,942,503 discloses a method for treating pain such as migraine, Bing-Horton syndrome, tension headache, muscular pain, inflammatory pain or neuralgias, in a patient in need thereof which comprises administering to said patient an analgesia producing amount of epinastine or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
U.S. Pat. Publication No. 20040097486 discloses a method of treating vernal keratoconjunctivitis, giant papillary conjunctivitis, atopic keratoconjunctivitis, and allergic conjunctivitis in mammals, which comprises administering a composition comprising 0.01-0.3% of an H1 antagonist and 0.05-1.5% of a safe steroid. Vernal keratoconjunctivitis is an allergic type of conjunctivis, which symptoms include severe ocular itching, and mild stringy, mucous discharge. Vernal keratoconjunctivitis is different from keratoconjunctivitis sicca, which is a dry eye disease. All the above cited U.S. Patents are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
Abelson, et al., have reported that epinastine reduces redness and itching associated with allergic conjunctivitis (M. B. Clinical Therapeutics, Vol. 26(1), 35-47, (2004)).
Ousler, et al. (Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 93:460-4, (2004)) reported that systemic antihistamines, such as loratadine and cetirizine hydrochloride, induced signs and symptoms associated with ocular dryness, including increased corneal and conjunctival staining, decreased TFBUT, and increased ocular discomfort in healthy individuals.
Dry eye disease is different from allergic conjunctivis; the two diseases have different patient populations. Dry eye symptoms are dryness, photophobia, foreign body sensation and grittiness in the eyes. Dry eye symptoms are different from the main complaint of itching associated with allergy, and are not related to histamine activity or allergic response. Redness of the eyes is not a main sign of dry eye disease. The primary end points for studying allergic conjunctivis are generally ocular itching and conjunctival hyperemia. The primary end points for studying dry eye diseases are corneal staining, tear volume (Schirmer tests), dryness, photophobia, foreign body sensation and grittiness.
As a result of the ineffectiveness and inconvenience of current therapies of dry eyes, there remains a need to provide a method for the treatment of dry eye disease, which is not only effective, but also free of significant side effects.

Method of treating dry eye disease with non-drying antihistamines