A method of conditioning a surface of a polishing pad is used for conditioning a polishing pad on a polishing table for polishing a thin film formed on a surface of a substrate. The conditioning method includes bringing a dresser into contact with the polishing pad, and conditioning the polishing pad by moving the dresser between a central part of the polishing pad and an outer circumferential part of the polishing pad. A moving speed of the dresser at a predetermined area of the polishing pad is higher than a standard moving speed of the dresser at the predetermined area of the polishing pad.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a conditioning method and apparatus of a polishing pad, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for conditioning a surface of a polishing pad used for polishing a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer.
Description of the Related Art
In recent years, high integration and high density in semiconductor device demands smaller and smaller wiring patterns or interconnections and also more and more interconnection layers. Multilayer interconnections in smaller circuits result in greater steps which reflect surface irregularities on lower interconnection layers. An increase in the number of interconnection layers makes film coating performance (step coverage) poor over stepped configurations of thin films. Therefore, better multilayer interconnections need to have the improved step coverage and proper surface planarization. Further, since the depth of focus of a photolithographic optical system is smaller with miniaturization of a photolithographic process, a surface of the semiconductor device needs to be planarized such that irregular steps on the surface of the semiconductor device will fall within the depth of focus.
Thus, in a manufacturing process of a semiconductor device, it increasingly becomes important to planarize a surface of the semiconductor device. One of the most important planarizing technologies is chemical mechanical polishing (CMP). Thus, there has been employed a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus for planarizing a surface of a semiconductor wafer. In the chemical mechanical polishing apparatus, while a polishing liquid containing abrasive particles such as ceria (CeO2) therein is supplied onto a polishing pad, a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer is brought into sliding contact with the polishing pad, so that the substrate is polished.
A polishing apparatus for performing the above CMP process includes a polishing table having a polishing pad, and a substrate holding device, which is referred to as a top ring or a polishing head, for holding a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer. By using such a polishing apparatus, the substrate is held and pressed against the polishing pad under a predetermined pressure by the substrate holding device, thereby polishing an insulating film or a metal film on the substrate.
After one or more substrates have been polished, abrasive particles in a polishing liquid or ground-off particles of the substrate are attached to the surface of the polishing pad, resulting in a change in properties of the polishing pad and deterioration in polishing performance. Therefore, as the substrates are repeatedly polished by the same polishing pad, a polishing rate is lowered and nonuniform polishing action is caused. Thus, conditioning (also referred to as dressing) of the polishing pad is performed to regenerate the surface of the polishing pad which has deteriorated.
A conditioning apparatus (dressing apparatus) for performing conditioning (dressing) of the polishing pad generally has a swingable arm and a dresser fixed to a forward end of the arm as disclosed in Japanese laid-open patent publication No. 2002-200552. In a conditioning process performed by the conditioning apparatus, while the dresser is oscillated radially of the polishing pad by the arm and is rotated about its axis, the dresser is pressed against the polishing pad on the rotating polishing table to remove the abrasive particles and the ground-off particles attached to the polishing pad and to flatten and dress the polishing pad. In general, the dresser having a surface (dressing surface), being brought into contact with the pad surface, on which diamond particles are electro deposited is used.
In the conventional conditioning apparatus (dressing apparatus), in the case where the dresser is oscillated radially of the polishing pad, in order to maximize the life of the polishing pad, the oscillating speed of the dresser is adjusted so that the entire pad surface is uniformly dressed and the polishing pad is worn down flat.
The present inventors have repeatedly conducted experiments of polishing substrates by using the polishing pads which have been conditioned (dressed) by the dresser whose oscillating speed has been adjusted to enable each of the polishing pads to be worn down flat. As a result, the present inventors have learned that a supply amount of a polishing liquid (slurry) to a central part of the substrate becomes scarce due to the relationship between a polishing pressure, respective rotating speeds of the polishing table and the top ring, and the shape of grooves or holes in the surface of the polishing pad, and thus uniform polishing rate cannot be obtained over the entire surface of the substrate.
In particular, in the ceria CMP process in which the polishing pad, called a perforated pad, having a number of small holes in the surface of the polishing pad is used and the substrate is polished while a polishing liquid containing ceria (CeO2) as abrasive particles is supplied to the polishing pad, in the case of high-pressure polishing for polishing the substrate by pressing the substrate against the polishing pad at a high-pressure of 400 hPa or higher, it is difficult for the polishing liquid (slurry) to enter the central part of the surface, being polished, of the substrate. Therefore, an amount of the polishing liquid (slurry) becomes scarce to lower the polishing rate at the central part of the surface, being polished, of the substrate, resulting in nonuniform polishing rate in the entire substrate.
Further, as in the case where an insulating film or a metal film having a relatively large thickness on the substrate is removed, when prolonged polishing is required, the polishing performance of the ceria abrasive particles is lowered due to temperature rise of the surface of the polishing pad, and supply capacity of the polishing liquid (slurry) is lowered with time due to a change in surface state of the polishing pad.

Method and apparatus for conditioning a polishing pad


Provided is information processing equipment capable of efficiently performing data transfer restarted after it is suspended because a possibility of being affected by an impact derived from dropping or the like is predicted or detected. During transfer of data from an HDD, an amount-of-transferred data meter counts in real time the number of sectors from which data has been transferred. An acceleration sensor detects acceleration applied to the equipment. A sector that may be affected by an impact derived from dropping or the like is identified based on the number of sectors indicated with a result of the measurement obtained when the detected acceleration value exceeds a threshold. Information on the sector is written in a register. When the data transfer is restarted, it is restarted with data stored in the sector that is recorded in the register.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to information processing equipment having a large-capacity data recorder such as a hard disk drive incorporated therein. More particularly, the present invention is related to information processing equipment having portability and having a possibility of undergoing a dropping impact or the like during data transfer from the data recording unit, and a data transfer method to be implemented in the image processing equipment.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, the application field of a hard disk drive (hereinafter a HDD) has no longer been confined to the field of personal computers but has expanded because the hard disk drive has come to be incorporated in portable audio-visual equipment or car navigation systems. The HDD being incorporated in the equipment is likely to highly frequently undergo a dropping impact or the like. It is therefore necessary to take measures for protection against an impact.
The countermeasures for protecting an HDD against an impact include a method of using, for example, a gyro-sensor to predict a possibility of undergoing an impact derived from dropping or the like, suspending data transfer to or from the HDD before actually undergoing an impact, and withdrawing a magnetic head to a shelter zone. Thus, data to be read or written from or in the HDD is protected, and destruction of the surface of a magnetic head and a platter is prevented (refer to, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 06-203505 and No. 2003-014776.
However, restarting data transfer after suspending it leads to deterioration of efficiency in data transfer because all data items including data in a sector whose transfer has been completed prior to actual application of an impact must be transferred. In particular, if data transfer is suspended due to an impact occurring during continuous reading of a large amount of data such as a motion picture stream, the efficiency in data transfer may be deteriorated considerably.

Information processing equipment and data transfer method


There is provided an optical switch that can be easily manufactured and has hardly any optical loss. A movable board-like electrode disposed in parallel with a fixed board-like electrode with a predetermined space therebetween by a flexible beam-like element, at least two mirrors fabricated on the surface of the movable board-like electrode, and at least three V-shaped grooves for fixing optical fibers are concurrently fabricated by applying an anisotropic etching to a single crystal silicon having its surface of (100) crystal face. In this case, two opposed mirrors are fabricated such that their mirror surfaces form a right angle, and two parallel V-shaped grooves are formed at positions opposed to the mirror surfaces at an angle of 45° thereto. An output side and an input side optical fibers are received and fixed in one of the two V-shaped grooves and the other groove, respectively.

In a paper entitled "SELF ALIGNED VERTICAL MIRRORS AND V-GROOVES APPLIED TO A SELF-LATCHING MATRIX SWITCH FOR OPTICAL NETWORKS" presented by Philippe Helin, et al. in Thirteenth IEEE International Micro Electro Mechanical Systems Conference (MEMS-2000) held on Jan. 23 through 27, 2000 at Miyazaki, Japan, for example, a technology is described that if an orientation-dependent wet etching or chemical anisotropic wet etching is applied to a single crystal silicon substrate the surface of which is (100) crystal face, a thin board-like or sheet-like mirror that erects from and is integral with the etched silicon substrate and four V-shaped grooves that extend on the silicon substrate along two straight lines orthogonal with each other and passing through the center of the mirror can be fabricated at the same time. In addition, there is another description in this paper that when a mirror erecting from a silicon substrate the surface of which is (100) crystal face is fabricated by applying a chemical anisotropic wet etching to the silicon substrate, the mirror surface of the mirror becomes (100) crystal face so that the accuracy in verticality and flatness of the mirror surface comes to much high, and therefore, the optical loss can be kept to a minimum.
In the optical switch disclosed in the above paper, four optical fibers are mounted in the four V-shaped grooves formed at angular intervals of 90°, respectively, and the optical switch operates such that light signals emitted respectively from two output side optical fibers are switched by the thin board-like mirror so that either one of them is entered into corresponding one input side optical fiber. For example, the optical switch operates such that in case the mirror is situated in the optical path, a light signal emitted from one of the two output side optical fibers disposed at adjacent positions is reflected at right angles to the incident light signal by the front mirror surface or rear mirror surface of the mirror and is entered into corresponding one of the input side optical fibers, and in case the mirror is not situated in the optical path, a light signal emitted from the other output side optical fiber is directly entered into the corresponding one input side optical fiber that is opposed to the other output side optical fiber.
With the manufacturing method described in the above paper, the thin board-like mirror can be formed accurately at a position that the mirror surfaces (front vertical surface and rear vertical surface) thereof form accurately an angle of 45° with the four V-shaped grooves, respectively. However, the thickness of the mirror varies with an error in the etching time so that the thickness thereof can become thicker or thinner than a predetermined thickness, which results in a displacement in position of the mirror surfaces. If the position of the mirror surface should be displaced, the axis of the optical path also deviates so that it is difficult to enter light signals emitted from the two output side optical fibers into corresponding two input side optical fibers at the same time with low optical loss. In other words, in case a 2×2 optical switch is constructed by use of one thin board-like mirror, there occurs a problem that the axis of the optical path deviates.
Further, in FIG. 2 of Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-270621 (filed on Sep. 6, 2000) previously proposed by the present applicant was shown a prior art optical switch having substantially the same construction as that of the optical switch described in the above paper, and defects of this optical switch due to the thickness of a mirror were described with reference to FIG. 3 thereof. The details thereof should be referred to Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-270621.
In the optical switch described in the above paper, in order to make the thickness of the mirror a predetermined thickness, the etching time in applying an anisotropic wet etching to a silicon substrate must be controlled with high precision. For this reason, there is a drawback that the working efficiency is very low.

Japan Aviation Electronics Industry Limited


Metal sheets, and in particular, metal sheets for roofing of the kind having upstanding flat edges ending with beads, are bent by rolling the flat edges such that they become gradually thinner towards the beads. The sheets will also be bent if the beads are not rolled.

A method of cladding a roof with metal sheets is the standing seam method in which the steel sheets have upstanding longitudinal edges that end with snap-on beads. The beads may then be rolled tight. The seams are so high that there could never be so much water on the roof that the water could reach the upper ends of the seams. The seams could for example be 8 cm high and, usually, full length sheets are used so that there are no transverse joints. This method is not used for cupola roofs whether or not they have constant or varied bending radius since the roofing sheets must then be bent before they are mounted. The sheets may be of metals such as steel, aluminum, zinc, or copper.

Apparatus for thinning upstanding sides of metal sheets


A probe apparatus with control-position detection means is provided for testing an electrical characteristic of a to-be-tested object formed on a substrate W. The probe apparatus includes a prober chamber, a susceptor provided in the prober chamber for placing thereon a to-be-tested object, and a moving mechanism for moving the susceptor in X-, Y-, Z- and θ-directions. The probe apparatus further includes a probe card having a plurality of probes and opposing the susceptor, and a first optical length-measuring unit. The first length-measuring unit emits light to the surface of the to-be-tested object placed on the susceptor, and detects the Z-directional position of the to-be-tested object based on the light reflected from the object. The probe apparatus can have a second length-measuring unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a probe apparatus and probe testing method for testing the electrical characteristic of a plurality of to-be-tested objects (hereinafter referred to as "chips") provided on a substrate (hereinafter referred to as a "wafer") W. More particularly, it relates to a probe apparatus that includes detection means for directly detecting the position of each chip and the position of a probe card, and a probe testing method.
2. Description of the Related Art
To detect the position of a chip, it is necessary to align the X-, Y-, Z- and θ-directional positions of the probes of a probe card with those of the chip, and to raise the chip toward the probes to bring it into accurate contact with the probes with a predetermined overdrive amount. To this end, it is necessary to accurately detect the position of the chip. Since the foundation layers of the electrode sections or electrodes of recent chips are thin and soft, excessive overdrive may damage, expose and/or crack the foundation layers. To achieve such alignment, each electrode of a chip and the tip of each probe have been photographed by a camera to detect their positions. The detection of the X-, Y-, Z- and θ-directional positions using a camera can be performed highly accurately, and is therefore widely utilized. However, in Z-directional positioning using a camera, the camera is focused on a target, and the distance therebetween is measured. Accordingly, this method is disadvantageous, for example, in that the range of distances that can be measured is narrow, and the detection accuracy is low. A detection error, if there is any, adversely influences the contact pressure between the probes and the chip. As a result, the probes and chip may be damaged, or the probes may not satisfactorily contact the chip to cause a characteristic detection error. Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 11-26524 discloses an apparatus for performing Z-directional positioning of probes and a chip using optical length-measuring units. Although the apparatus disclosed in this publication has two optical length-measuring units, it cannot directly detect the positions of the probes and the chip. Further, it is necessary to move a main chuck to a predetermined position for position detection. It is also necessary to perform focusing of a camera during position detection, and to measure the distance between the probes and the chip from the focal point. Therefore, much time is required for position detection, and accurate position detection cannot be achieved.

Probe apparatus with optical length-measuring unit and probe testing method


A method for rendering volume radiographic image content of a subject forms a volume image. The method extracts a first image slice from the volume image, then modifies the extracted first image slice by defining two or more spatial frequency bands from the image slice data and applying one or more viewer adjustments to the image slice data, wherein the one or more viewer adjustments condition the image data to enhance image content in at least one of the defined spatial frequency bands. A set of display rendering parameters is generated according to the two or more frequency bands and according to viewer adjustments made for the first image slice. A second image slice is extracted from the volume image. The generated set of display rendering parameters is applied to the second image slice to render an adjusted image slice and the adjusted image slice is displayed.

Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) or cone beam CT technology offers considerable promise for providing 3-D volume images. Cone beam CT systems capture volume data sets by using a high frame rate flat panel digital radiography (DR) detector and an x-ray source, typically affixed to a gantry that revolves about the object to be imaged, directing, from various points along its orbit around the subject, a divergent cone beam of x-rays toward the subject. The CBCT system captures projection images throughout the source-detector orbit, for example, with one 2-D projection image at every degree of rotation. The projections are then reconstructed into a 3-D volume image using various techniques. Among the most common methods for reconstructing the 3-D volume image are filtered back projection approaches.
Referring to the perspective view of FIG. 1, there is shown, in schematic form and using enlarged distances for clarity of description, the activity of a conventional CBCT imaging apparatus for obtaining the individual 2-D images that are used to form a 3-D volume image. A cone-beam radiation source 22 directs a cone of radiation toward a subject 20, such as a patient or other subject. A sequence of images is obtained in rapid succession at varying angles about the subject, such as one image at each 1-degree angle increment in a 200-degree orbit. A DR detector 24 is moved to different imaging positions about subject 20 in concert with corresponding movement of radiation source 22. FIG. 1 shows a representative sampling of DR detector 24 positions to illustrate how these images are obtained relative to the position of subject 20. Once the needed 2-D projection images are captured in this sequence, a suitable imaging algorithm, such as filtered back projection or other conventional reconstruction technique, is used for generating the 3-D volume image. Image acquisition and program execution are performed by a computer 30 or by a networked group of computers 30 that are in image data communication with DR detector 24. Image processing and storage is performed using a computer-accessible memory 32. The 3-D volume image can be presented on a display 34.
Although 3-D images of diagnostic quality can be generated using CBCT systems and technology, a number of technical challenges remain. A range of various types of tissue can be of interest to the viewing practitioner, for example. Bone and soft tissue have different characteristics for radiographic imaging and often show improved levels of detail under different processing conditions. Thus, for example, imaging filters that are optimized for bone imaging can perform poorly in providing diagnostically useful images of soft tissue. Similarly, imaging filters and processing that work well in showing image details in soft tissue may exhibit disappointing results if used for processing bone content.
Another difficulty with display of detail and obtaining good contrast, brightness, sharpness, and other characteristics relates to the inherent limitations of the human eye and of the display hardware. The image data itself can be 12-bit data, capable of representing 4,096 grayscale shades. The display hardware is much more limited and typically has an 8-bit grayscale range, capable of representing 256 shades of gray. The practitioner or other viewer, however, can differentiate no more than about 90 different shades of gray at best; some viewers are able to discern fewer than 50 different grayscale tones from each other.
Conventional display systems typically accommodate this disparity in grayscale mapping by providing a windowing adjustment for radiographic images. Windowing maps a partial portion of the larger image grayscale range to the smaller, limited dynamic range of the display hardware. Values above or below the mapped range are clipped. This means that the same brightness is assigned to all pixels having a value that exceeds the maximum brightness range; similarly, the same dark value is assigned to all pixels outside the range in the other direction. The practitioner or other viewer has a single brightness control that adjusts the window mapping toward one end of the image grayscale range or the other.
Many practitioners who are familiar with windowing accept its limitations and struggle with the available windowing adjustments to obtain the detail they need for diagnostic purposes. Adjustment of the window to one setting may provide good detail for bone and skeletal structures; however, image detail contrast for nearby soft tissue is degraded. Changing the window adjustment may improve the visibility of soft tissue detail but can then compromise bone contrast and detail. Windowing is thus often unsatisfactory where it is desirable to view both bone and soft tissue structure to a high level of detail in a reconstructed image.
To address this problem, commonly assigned U.S. Patent Application No. 2013/0004041 by Yang et al. proposes fusion of bone and soft tissue data from the 2-D projection images that were obtained using the process shown in FIG. 1, then generating a volume image resulting from this fusion. While this method has merit, however, there can be drawbacks to generating a single volume reconstruction using multiple sets of projection data. Processing time for generating the final "fused" 3-D volume reconstruction can increase significantly, without compensating improvements in the capability to adjust tone scale for image slice display. Improved techniques for enhancing the display of such fused data are still needed. Window level adjustment, although it offers some capability to change the appearance of some image features in local areas of the image, does not adequately address the need for enhancement of overall image content. For example, tone scale adjustment is not provided for the different features in the fused 3-D volume. Only windowing adjustment is provided for the displayed output, limiting the amount of adjustment available to the viewing practitioner.
Thus, it is seen that there would be value in an imaging approach that provides a high level of imaging detail for soft tissue as well as for bone or other anatomical features and that provides improved adjustments for the displayed image content.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method for enhanced display of image slices from 3-D volume image


The invention relates to a method for operating a network system (2) having at least one client device (4.1, 4.2), at least one management device (16) and at least one printing device (14), comprising: provision of a first order from the client device (4.1, 4.2) for execution by the at least one printing device (14), storage of the order in a memory device (10.1, 10.2) of the client device (4.1, 4.2), transmission of an order request from the client device (4.1, 4.2) to the management device (16), wherein the order of execution of orders is managed by the management device (16), transmission of requests from the client device (4.1, 4.2) to the management device (16) at first prescribable intervals of time to determine whether the printing device (14) is available for executing the order from the client device (4.1, 4.2), and transmission of an enable signal from the management device (16) to the client device (4.1, 4.2) in response to the request from the client device (4.1, 4.2) when the printing device (14) is available for executing the order from the client device (4.1, 4.2).

In order for a printing device to be able to be shared by a plurality of client devices a server device, such as a print server, is normally provided. A print order generated by a client device would be initially transmitted to the print server. The print server stores the print order, i.e. the printing data. In general a queue is provided in the print server in order to manage the execution of the print orders in a specifiable order. When the printing device is available for the print order from the client device, the print server transmits the respective print order for printing to the printing device.
Corresponding network systems and methods for operating the network systems are known from the prior art. However, they suffer from the disadvantage of increased requirements for resources and maintenance. Not only is there a need for an additional server device with corresponding computing and storage performance, but the additional server device also requires maintenance which means additional costs.
A solution to the problem is offered in the U.S. Pat. No. 6,115,132 A which offers a method for operating a network system with a plurality of client devices, at least one printing device in the form of a printer and a print server. The print server, in particular, is used for managing the sequence of the print orders, wherein the print orders as such remain on the client device. After the client device has transmitted printing information, but not the actual printing data, to the print server, this then controls the sequence of the print orders to be executed by the printing device. To this end the print server actively transmits an enable signal to the client device when the printer is ready for printing the respective order. Upon receipt of the enable signal the client device transmits the printing data to the printer. Finally the printer informs the print server that the order has been completed.
However, this method has the disadvantage that the print server must transmit a message to the client device. In view of today's increasing safety requirements this is frequently problematic. The reason for this is that these days the client device or an intermediate device, as a rule, comprises a protection device such as a firewall. The firewall, however, restricts access to the client device from external devices. This means, of course, that the firewall also blocks the enable message actively sent by the print server.
According to the prior art this problem is known to be solved by explicitly disconnecting the protective application for all external devices such as a plurality of print servers, in order to allow the enable signal to be transmitted to the client device. Configuring a protective application in this way, is expensive however, in particular given she plurality of network devices to be disconnected which can quickly overburden a user. On the other hand, if a disconnecting error occurs, this may lead to unauthorised third parties gaining access to the client device.
It is therefore the object of the invention to provide a method for operating a network system which, in a simple way, permits reduction of the requirement for resources and the amount of maintenance involved whilst at the same time ensuring a low security risk.
According to the invention, this object is solved by a method for operating a network system according to claim 1. In particular the requirement according to the invention is solved by a method for operating a network system with at least one client device, at least one management device and at least one printing device. The method comprises the following steps:                providing a first order from the client device for execution by the at least one printing device,        storing the order in a memory device of the client device,        transmitting an order request from the client device to the management device, wherein the sequence of execution of orders is managed by the management device,        transmitting requests from the client device to the management device at first prescribable intervals of time to determine whether the printing device is available for executing the order from the client device, and        transmitting an enable signal from the client device in response to the request from the client device when the printing device is available for executing the order from the client device.

Method for transmitting an enable signal to a client device when a printing device is available to execute an order


Flow passage lines are used to connect the float chamber of a conventional carburetor both to the engine's intake manifold and to a tube positioned downstream of the radiator fan. The air flow produced by the fan provides a continuous source of positive pressure to the float chamber, while the engine's suction and the corresponding vacuum in the intake manifold provide a continuous source of negative pressure. The flow in the positive pressure line and in the negative pressure line is regulated by means of two control solenoid valve. The two valves operate cyclically and off-phase, so that when the pressure valve is closed the vacuum valve is open, and vice versa. The pressure in the float chamber reflects the net impact of the positive and negative pressures transmitted through the lines. The solenoid valves are responsive to a control signal generated by an electronic circuit as a function of deviations in the oxygen content of the exhaust gases from a desired set point. The ambient pressure in the float chamber is either increased or decreased as the oxygen sensor indicates that either a lean or a rich fuel mixture is being combusted in the engine.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention is related in general to carburetors for internal-combustion engines that comprise a feedback control system responsive to the composition of the engine exhaust gases. In particular, this invention provides a new device for improving the air-fuel mixture supplied to the engine by controlling the pressure in the float chamber of the carburetor.
2. Description of the Related Art
As is well understood in the art, conventional internal-combustion engines are fueled with an air-fuel mixture that is formed in the carburetor and passed to the intake manifold of the engine. Referring to the schematic representation of FIG. 1, ambient air is drawn by the engine suction into the intake manifold 2 through a venturi tube 4 contained within the body of the carburetor 6. The flow of air is controlled by the position of a throttle 8, which normally consists of a butterfly valve operated by a user by means of a remote linkage system. When the valve is closed and the engine is idling, little air passes through the venturi tube, so that little or no fuel is drawn into the air stream by the venturi effect in tube 4; the fuel is instead drawn by the engine's suction directly from the float chamber or bowl 10 into the manifold 2 through an idle bypass circuit 12. As the throttle valve is opened and more air is allowed to pass through the venturi tube, the decrease in static pressure created by the restriction in the tube causes a pressure differential that results in fuel being delivered to the air stream within the venturi tube itself through a main jet system 14. As the throttle is further opened and the engine's speed (rpm) increases, more air is drawn causing a yet lower static pressure within the venturi tube and greater fuel flow rate into the air stream.
In order to optimize fuel efficiency and pollution control, the air-fuel ratio in the mixture flowing to the engine should at all times be equal to the stoichiometric ratio required for full combustion. This is impossible to achieve with a system that relies on a number of fixed-size jets to meter the fuel flow to the intake manifold. Therefore, in designing a carburetor, the dimensions of the jets in the idle bypass circuit 12 and in the main jet system 14 are chosen to provide air-fuel ratios corresponding to optimal overall performance within the range of operation of the engine. Typically, the mixture is richer than the stoichiometric requirement (that is, it contains more fuel than necessary for complete combustion) at idle speeds and it becomes progressively leaner at higher speeds. The resulting effect is that the air-fuel ratio is sub-optimal nearly at all times. Thus, additional methods of controlling the air-fuel ratio are required for optimal performance.
From the foregoing and from basic principles of fluid dynamics it becomes apparent that the pressure in the float chamber of a conventional internal-combustion engine carburetor affects the air-fuel mixture delivered to the engine. In conventional carburetors, the float chamber is kept at substantially atmospheric pressure by means of a vent typically connecting the chamber to a region downstream of the air filter. As a result, the air-fuel ratio is determined only by the pressure in the venturi tube (or manifold, at idle speed) and by the metering of the various jets in the carburetor as fuel is drawn from the float chamber by the suction created in the main venturi tube. By varying the pressure in the float chamber, an additional control variable is available that can be used to regulate the air-fuel ratio to the engine. Several patents have described devices that utilize this principle in a feedback control loop system for optimizing the composition of the air-fuel mixture at all times during operation. Typically, these systems measure the oxygen content in the engine's exhaust and utilize it as a measure of the deviation of the air-fuel ratio from the optimal mixture. This information is then used to generate a control signal for varying the pressure in the float chamber. If the exhaust's oxygen content indicates that the mixture is too rich, the pressure is decreased, resulting in a reduced flow rate of fuel to the venturi tube and, accordingly, a leaner mixture. The opposite control action is produced, of course, when the mixture is too lean.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,742,924 issued to Bachle (1973) describes a device for providing variable ambient pressure in the float chamber of a carburetor. The pressure variations are produced by a valve installed in a tube connecting the chamber to the venturi of the carburetor, so that a vacuum (and a leaner mixture) is obtained when the valve is open. The control of the valve is effected by a solenoid driven by the signal generated by a sensor in the exhaust pipe of the engine.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,034,727 (1977), Aono et al. describe a similar device where the pressure variation in the float chamber is produced by a vibrating diaphragm built into the vapor side of the chamber. The diaphragm is driven by an electromagnetic transducer, which is itself controlled by a signal designed to optimize the fuel mixture under varying operating conditions.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,034,730 to Ayres et al. (1977) discloses a carburetor where the pressure of the fuel in the float chamber is determined by the operation of an electric fuel pump. The pump in turn is controlled by electronic circuitry responsive to a sensor in the exhaust pipe of the system. When the fuel mixture is too lean with respect to a set point for the driving conditions, the pump produces a higher pressure and more fuel is supplied to the venturi. The converse occurs, on the other hand, when the mixture is too rich.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,191,149 to Dutta et al. (1980) shows a carburetor where the pressure in the float chamber is varied by means of a line connected to the restriction of a venturi tube. The tube is coupled to a compressor on one side and to a valve open to the atmosphere on the other, so that the pressure drop across the venturi is affected by the opening of the valve. As the valve is closed, the pressure in the venturi increases, also causing the pressure in the float chamber to increase and produce a richer mixture. A system of orifices in every segment of the system is used to optimize the effect of the valve on the float chamber pressure. In another embodiment of the invention, air is drawn by the vacuum in the exhaust manifold from the outside atmosphere into a venturi tube connected to the float chamber. The air flow is regulated by a valve actuated by a controller responsive to the signal generated by an oxygen sensor in the exhaust stream. When the valve is closed, a vacuum is transmitted to the float chamber; as the valve opens, air is drawn from the outside through the Pitot tube and the pressure in the float chamber increases accordingly.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,512,304 (1985), Snyder describes a device for regulating the supply of fuel to the engine. Pressure is applied to the regulator to cause a predetermined rate of flow of gasoline to the carburetor, thereby affecting the air to fuel ratio. The pressure exerted is a result of a signal from an exhaust gas sensor.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,363,209 to Atago et al. (1982) discloses a carburetor system that produces a negative pressure on the fuel jets in order to vary the throughput to the venturi. The negative pressure is obtained by connecting a vacuum source to the jet ducts by means of a valve responsive to a control circuit connected to an exhaust gas sensor.
All of these systems require either modifications to the design of a conventional carburetor or additions of expensive apparatus to standard equipment. Therefore, they are not economically suitable for after-market application. In addition, physical constraints often limit the ability of some devices to perform according to their design specifications. For example, we found that the second embodiment of the invention described in the Dutta et al. patent is not practically feasible for correcting a lean mixture because a very large air intake would be required to generate a positive pressure to the float chamber through a Pitot tube. This air would then flow to the intake manifold and further dilute an already lean mixture, thus aggravating the condition and providing no effective control.
Therefore, there still exists a need for simpler and more effective system for optimizing an engine's air-fuel ratio by varying the pressure in the float chamber of the carburetor. The present invention is directed at apparatus that permits the easy and relatively inexpensive conversion of a conventional carburetor to a feedback-controlled system that effectively varies the air-fuel ratio for optimal operation under all conditions.

Carburetor kit for improved air-fuel mixture


A laminated electronic component includes a composite obtained by integrally sintering a plurality of laminated magnetic layers, internal conductors being formed in the interior of the composite. The internal conductor and the magnetic layers constitute a plurality of inductance elements, or an inductance element and a capacitance element. The magnetic layer has a composition containing a primary component comprising 45 to 50 mole percent Fe2O3, 0 to 33 mole percent ZnO, and 6 to 20 mole percent CuO, and the balance being NiO, and a Mn compound wherein the Mn compound is contained in an amount of 0.01 to 2.0 weight percent as MnO in the composition.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to laminated electronic components, and specifically a laminated electronic component comprising a composite obtained by integrally sintering a plurality of laminated magnetic layers in which a plurality of inductance elements, or an inductance element and a capacitance element are constituted in the interior of the composite.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various ferrite materials have been used as various magnetic core materials or materials for constituting laminated electronic components such as monolithic inductors owing to excellent electrophotographic characteristics.
In particular, in laminated electronic components such as monolithic inductors, silver or a material primarily composed of silver is used as a material for internal conductors; hence, magnetic layers constituting composites provided in the laminated electronic components must be simultaneously sinterable with Ag contained in the internal conductors. Thus, Nixe2x80x94Cuxe2x80x94Zn-based ferrite materials, which can be sintered at a temperature below the melting point (960xc2x0 C.) of Ag, are generally used as ferrite materials constituting the magnetic layers.
In a laminated electronic component, such as a monolithic inductor, obtained by simultaneously sintering a plurality of laminated magnetic layers composed of a Nixe2x80x94Cuxe2x80x94Zn-based ferrite material and internal conductors containing Ag, the internal conductors are covered by the magnetic layers, generating no leakage magnetic flux and suppressing crosstalk. Thus, this has advantages, such as applicability to high-density packaging and high robustness, and is used in various fields.
In recent years, with reduction in size and weight, higher performance, and functional versatility of various electronic devices, reduction in size and weight and higher performance are highly required for electronic components used in these electronic devices, and high reliability are also required for ensuring the performance.
Regarding reliability, it is important that various electronic devices maintain the properties at, for example, high temperature and high humidity, supposing the use in various environments.
When a conventional ferrite material is, however, used in laminated electronic components having structures which generate potential differences, such as a laminated electronic component constituting a plurality of inductance elements or an inductance element and a capacitance element, migration of the internal conductor readily occurs and insulating resistance readily decreases in use under severe environments such as high temperature and high humidity, as described above.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a laminated electronic component which can solve the above-mentioned problems.
The present invention is directed to a laminated electronic component comprising a composite obtained by integrally sintering a plurality of laminated magnetic layers, an internal conductor being formed in the interior of the composite, the internal conductor and the magnetic layers constituting, at least one electrical element, such as an inductor or a capacitor, or a plurality of electrical elements, such as a plurality of inductance elements, or an inductance element and a capacitance element. In order to solve the above-mentioned technical problems, briefly speaking, it is characterized in that a specific amount of Mn compound is contained in a Nixe2x80x94Cuxe2x80x94Zn ferrite which is the primary component in the composition of the magnetic layer.
In particular, the magnetic layers are characterized by having a primary component comprising 45 to 50 mole percent Fe2O3, 0 to 33 mole percent ZnO, and 6 to 20 mole percent CuO, and the balance being NiO, and a Mn compound wherein the Mn compound is contained in an amount of 0.01 to 2.0 weight percent as MnO in the composition.
The present invention is particularly advantageously applicable when the internal conductors contain Ag.
The laminated electronic component in accordance with the present invention can have various specific structures. For example, in the laminated electronic component, the internal conductor is provided with a plurality of internal conductors and a plurality of external terminal electrodes, each is electrically connected to each end of each of the plurality of internal conductors on outer surfaces of the composite. Alternatively, the internal conductor is provided with an internal conductor and at least one pair of opposing capacitor electrodes.
According to the present invention, as described above, a Mn compound is contained in an amount of 0.01 to 2.0 weight percent as MnO in the composition of the magnetic layer; hence, migration barely occurs when Ag is used in internal conductors, a superior sintered state is achieved at a firing temperature which enables simultaneous sintering with the Ag-containing internal conductors, and a monolithic electronic composite having superior reliability at high temperature and high humidity is thereby obtainable.
Accordingly, the present invention can be applied to monolithic electronic components provided with a plurality of inductance elements, for example, a monolithic electronic component in which an internal conductor is provided with a plurality of inductance conductors and a plurality of external terminal electrodes electrically connected to both ends of each of the plurality of inductance conductors, or monolithic electronic components provided with inductance elements and capacitance elements, for example, a monolithic electronic component in which an internal conductor is provided with an inductance conductor and at least one pair of opposing capacitor electrodes.
For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is shown in the drawings several forms which are presently preferred, it being understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the invention which refers to the accompanying drawings.


An inkjet printhead lid has a light opacity component and a laser light transparent component molded together in two shots in an injection molding chamber. The laser light transparency component has a periphery that extends beyond a periphery of the light opacity component on substantially all sides thereof. An inkjet printhead body laser welds to the laser light transparency component in an area between the peripheries of the two lid components. Inkjet printers for containing the printhead are also disclosed. In the molding chamber, two sources of injection molding materials inject a first and then a second mold to mold the two lid components together. One of the two sources of injection molding materials has laser light transparency characteristics while the other has light opacity characteristics. Mechanical interlocking features may also exist in both of the two lid components.

The art of inkjet printing is relatively well known. In general, an image is produced by emitting ink drops from an inkjet printhead at precise moments such that they impact a print medium, such as a sheet of paper, at a desired location. The printhead is supported by a movable print carriage within a device, such as an inkjet printer, and is caused to reciprocate relative to an advancing print medium and emit ink drops at such times pursuant to commands of a microprocessor or other controller. The timing of the ink drop emissions corresponds to a pattern of pixels of the image being printed. Other than printers, familiar devices incorporating inkjet technology include fax machines, all-in-ones, photo printers, and graphics plotters, to name a few.
A conventional thermal inkjet printhead includes access to a local or remote supply of color or mono ink, a heater chip, a nozzle or orifice plate attached to the heater chip, and an input/output connector, such as a tape automated bond (TAB) circuit, for electrically connecting the heater chip to the printer during use. The heater chip, in turn, typically includes a plurality of thin film resistors or heaters fabricated by deposition, masking and etching techniques on a substrate such as silicon.
To print or emit a single drop of ink, an individual heater is uniquely addressed with a small amount of current to rapidly heat a small volume of ink. This causes the ink to vaporize in a local ink chamber (between the heater and nozzle plate) and be ejected through and projected by the nozzle plate towards the print medium.
During manufacturing of the printheads, a printhead body gets stuffed with a back pressure device, such as a foam insert, and saturated with mono or color ink. A lid adheres or welds to the body via ultrasonic vibration. Ultrasonic welding, however, sometimes cracks the heater chip, introduces and entrains air bubbles in the ink and compromises overall printhead integrity. Adhesion has problems because of its impractically long cure time.
Even further, as demands for higher resolution and increased printing speed continue, heater chips are often engineered with more complex and denser heater configurations which raises printhead costs. Thus, as printheads evolve a need exists to control overall costs, despite increasing heater chip costs, and to reliably and consistently manufacture a printhead without causing cracking of the ever valuable heater chip.
Regarding the art of laser welding, it too is relatively well known. In general, with reference to FIG. 1, first and second work pieces, embodied as an upper work piece 100 laid on a lower work piece 120 along a weld interface 180, become welded to one another by way of an irradiated beam 140 of laser light. As is known, the beam 140 passes through the upper work piece, which is transparent to laser light, where it gets absorbed by the lower work piece, which is laser light absorbent. As the beam irradiates, the weld interface heats up and causes the bottom surface of the upper work piece and the upper surface of the lower work piece to melt and meld together. Upon cooling, a weld joint exists. An optical path between a laser light source (not shown) and the to-be-welded work pieces may include a lens 160, for proper focusing, or other optical elements, such as mirrors, fiber optic strands, scanning structures or other. A clamping device (not shown) typically provides a pressing engagement of the work pieces to maintain relative positioning and good surface contact during welding. The beam of laser light may advance relative to the parts, such as in contour welding, or may irradiate the substantial entirety of the weld interface at substantially the same time in a simultaneous welding operation.
As is apparent in FIG. 1, the upper work piece 100 comprises a generally homogeneous material that allows laser light to transit the work piece in area A at a substantially equivalent rate as compared to area B or any other area of the work piece. Yet, when welding a lid (upper work piece) and body (lower work piece) of a container together, for example, sometimes a need exists to decorate, adorn, color code and/or emboss the lid and/or to hide the contents of the container from a user by making the lid opaque to visible light or other. In such instances, the lid may comprise constituents that make laser welding impractical, difficult or substantially impossible.
In the specific instance of making the lid opaque, perhaps to maintain the contents of a container secret, one presently known solution to the above includes the addition of an organic pigment to produce a homogeneous-composition lid that has laser light transparency characteristics and visible light opacity characteristics. As a result, a manufacturer can perform laser welding while still preventing a user from viewing the contents of the container. Such pigments, however, are exceptionally expensive and have limited chemical compatibility with some embodiments of lids.
Moreover, when an economic or other need exists to make at least the lid a plastic material, the above pigment solution often requires additional manufacturing steps such as painting or coating of the plastic to achieve the necessary opacity.
Accordingly, a need exists in the laser welding arts for economically and efficaciously laser welding two work pieces when one of the work pieces simultaneously requires laser light transparency characteristics and laser or visible light opacity characteristics.

Two shot molded inkjet printhead lid for laser welding


Techniques for determining the spectral content of a data bus are described herein. An example of a device in accordance with the present techniques includes a data bus comprising one or more signal lines, a first phasor generator, and a second phasor generator. The first phasor generator obtains a first data value based on the data to be transmitted over the data bus and generates a first phasor. The second phasor generator obtains a second data value based on the data to be transmitted over the data bus and generates a second phasor. The sum of the first phasor and the second phasor indicate, at least in part, the spectral content of the data to be transmitted over the data bus.

Data busses in a computing platform generally produce electromagnetic radiation that can be a main source of radio frequency interference (RFI) with wireless radio reception in mobile computing platforms such as tablets, smartphones, and portable personal computers. For example, a portable computing platform may have at least three radio antennas, with one or more in its base. In addition, such platforms typically support five or more radio bands, e.g., Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n), Bluetooth technology, and various different cellular standards such as LTE and WiMax, among others.
One RFI mitigation approach uses an active data coding technique referred to as spectral line coding, which mitigates bus noise generated at desired frequency bands by modifying the binary signal data before it is transmitted on the bus. Another RFI mitigation approach, referred to as assisted baseband cancellation, mitigates bus noise by introducing a signal at the radio receiver baseband level that is intended to cancel the noise generated by the bus. Both techniques rely on being able to accurately determine the magnitude and phase of the RFI caused by the digital signals at one or more frequencies.

Determining the spectral energy content of a data bus


The present invention provides an apparatus for packing wafer cassettes, the apparatus including: a loading part to which a wafer cassette is loaded; an accessory inspecting part configured to check a recipe attached to the wafer cassette and inspect accessories of the wafer cassette; a first label attaching part configured to attach a first label to the wafer cassette on which the accessory inspection has been completed; a primary film packing part configured to receive a primary film according to the recipe and pack the wafer cassette using the primary film; a secondary film packing part configured to receive a secondary film according to the recipe and secondarily pack the wafer cassette using the secondary film; a second label attaching part configured to attach a second label to the secondary film with which the wafer cassette has been packed; and an unloading part configured to discharge the wafer cassette which has been completely packaged.

A wafer refers to a thin plate used as a raw material for a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC), and is mainly manufactured using a silicon material.
A fabricating process of a silicon wafer includes a single crystal growing process for fabricating a single crystal silicon ingot, a slicing process for obtaining a thin disk-shaped wafer by slicing a single crystal ingot, an edge grinding process for machining an outer circumferential portion of a wafer to prevent cracking and distortion of the wafer obtained by the slicing process, a lapping process for removing damages due to mechanical processing remaining on a wafer to improve flatness of the wafer, a polishing process for mirror-polishing a wafer, and a cleaning process for removing abrasive or foreign substances adhering to a wafer.
Wafers produced through such various processes are accommodated in a cassette such as a front open shipping box (FOSB) to prevent contamination and protect from external impact, and then are packed and shipped to be sealed from the outside using a packing film.
However, in the related art, as packing for a wafer cassette is manually performed, packing speed is very slow and packing quality is different depending on an operator. In addition, a packing film, a label to be attached, a packing method, and the like are different according to the type of the wafer cassette.


A thrust collar (161) includes a central disk (162), a forward wing (163), and an aft wing (164). The central disk (162) is a disk shaped hollow cylinder with a central axis (97). The forward wing (163) and the aft wing (164) are thin walled hollow cylinders extending axially from an inner portion of the central disk (162) about the central axis (97) in opposite directions. The forward wing (163) includes a forward mounting pilot (165) extending radially inward from the forward wing (163) distal to the central disk (162). The aft wing (164) includes an aft mounting pilot (167) extending radially inward from the aft wing (164) distal to the central disk (162).

The use of magnetic bearings in rotary machines such as centrifugal gas compressors is increasing. Magnetic bearings work on the principle of electromagnetism. The use of electromagnetism in centrifugal gas compressor bearings reduces or eliminates friction losses in centrifugal gas compressors.
Magnetic bearings in rotary machines are generally arranged with multiple windings or electric coils surrounding a shaft formed from a ferromagnetic material. Some magnetic bearings use a ferromagnetic lamination for the radial bearings and a ferromagnetic thrust disk or thrust collar for the thrust bearings. The windings or coils in a radial magnetic bearing radially surround the shaft and produce a magnetic field that tends to attract or repel the rotor shaft. The windings or coils in a thrust magnetic bearing produces a magnetic field that tends to attract or repel a thrust collar attached to the shaft to counteract axial forces. The attractive forces of the windings or coils may be controlled by varying the current in each winding or coil. Magnetic bearing thrust collars may require a larger outer diameter than the outer diameter of a mechanical bearing thrust collar to match the load capacity of the mechanical bearing thrust collar.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,948,348 to R. Doll discloses an immersion pump, especially for low-boiling fluids, having a support for a shaft and a ferromagnetic impeller wheel mounted to the shaft. The support includes at least one controllable electromagnet that operates to axially support and position the impeller wheel.
The present disclosure is directed toward overcoming one or more of the problems discovered by the inventors.

Centrifugal gas compressor magnetic bearing thrust collar with mounting pilots


A removable fallopian tube plug includes an elongated shaft member that has a diameter dimensioned for insertion into a human fallopian tube. The shaft has an imagable portion located at each of a distal end and a proximal end. A plurality of flexible fingerlike protrusions are affixed to at least a portion of the shaft, and are movable between a first position generally adjacent the shaft and a second position extending radially outward therefrom. The protrusions are biased to the second position and are adapted for closely engaging the fallopian tube when in the second position, and they are further arrayed radially and axially so as to form a barrier sufficient to prevent a passage of an ovum or a spermatozoa in an axial direction.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices for blocking a bodily passage, and, more particularly, to such devices for removably blocking a fallopian tube.
2. Description of Related Art
Sterilization remains the most popular contraceptive method in the United States, particularly among women, with approximately 40% of all men and women combined relying on sterilization as a contraceptive method. Based upon 1988 date, approximately 600,000-700,000 female sterilizations are performed each year in the United States, with about 50% of these comprising postpartum tubal ligations via minilaparotomy.
Safe, nonpermanent physical methods of contraception are desirable for women who do not wish to or cannot take contraceptive medication. Since the intrauterine device (IUD) has been largely removed from the U.S. market, efforts have been expended to devise an effective fallopian tube plug to prevent the passage of an ovum into the uterus or of a spermatozoa toward an ovary.
Among the devices that have been disclosed are the fallopian tube plug of Heltebrandt et al. (U.K. Pat. Appl. GB 2 010 728 A), the plug and clip device of Roth et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,523,590), and the tubular pessary of Hamou (U.S. Pat. No. 4,579,110).
Over the past several years higher-quality flexible hysteroscopes having operating channels have become available, along with improved optics. It is believed that such devices can contribute to the development of an alternative reversible contraceptive method.

Removable fallopian tube plug and associated methods


A number frequency counter for games such as bingo, keno, and lotto, which comprises a housing, a display, numerical calculator electrical operation circuit with a memory add circuit and storage registers, a plurality of number buttons that correspond to game numbers, a plurality of display lights corresponding to the number buttons, storage buttons, recall buttons, and buttons for clearing a storage register, a game of number buttons pushed, or an individual number button that was pushed. When a number button is pushed a value of one is stored in the memory add circuit and associated with that number button. Also the corresponding display light is illuminated. A series of pushed number buttons or game of pushed number buttons can be added to a storage register which adds the values associated with each number button to the previously stored values for every number button pushed. Multiple storage buttons can be included to store different games in different storage registers. Every time the storage button is pushed, the storage register adds values and thereby keeps a count of the number of times a number button has been pushed. The recall buttons can be pressed to display the values in a storage register and a clear button can be pressed to reset the values in a storage register to zero. Finally, clear buttons can reset the value associated with one number button to zero and to reset all of the values associated with the number buttons to zero.

As is well-known, in games such as bingo, keno and lotto, a series of numbers are required to obtain a winning game. For instance, in bingo, a player has a card containing a 5 by 5 matrix of squares containing numbers from one to eighty. Numbers are called, and if the bingo player has the numbers displayed on his or her card in a particular pattern, then the bingo player has won. Many bingo players would like to record how often each of the possible bingo numbers has been called to develop and confirm strategy.
Prior art bingo devices, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,332,389 to Loyd, Jr. et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,651,995 to Henkel, U.S. Pat. No. 4,661,906 to DiFrancesco et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 3,876,209 to Militello disclose various ways to record what numbers were called during a particular bingo game. Loyd, Jr. discloses an electronic bingo game that stores all the numbers called in a first bingo game during a second bingo game and until a third bingo game is initiated in order to verify late bingo win claims. Loyd does not, however, store numbers for repeated games and then calculate the frequency with which each was called.
Henkel and DiFrancesco disclose portable electronic bingo cards. Henkel discloses an electronic bingo card where the player can create the matrix of numbers on the card and then input the numbers as they are called. The electronic bingo card indicates with lights which numbers have been entered as called, which numbers are needed to achieve bingo, and all of the winning combinations when a win is achieved. DiFrancesco discloses an electronic bingo card for selecting numbers for several bingo cards and for assisting in playing and monitoring several bingo cards simultaneously. Neither Henkel nor DiFrancesco, however, allow for storing repeated games and calculating the frequency of the numbers called.
Militello discloses a mechanical device for recording what numbers were called during a bingo game wherein gamecounters are deposited in holes corresponding to a bingo number. Militello, however, lacks any electronic means and records what numbers have been called for only one game. It also lacks any means for automatically calculating how often a number has been called.


Weighing apparatus of the electromagnetic load compensation type includes a thermal conductor for transmitting coil heat from the internal region adjacent the air gap of a permanent magnetic field within which the compensation coil is arranged to a remotely-arranged thermal sensor, thereby to dissipate the coil heat and to modify as a function of internal temperature the compensating current that is supplied to the compensation coil. As a consequence of the dissipation of heat from the air gap, heating of the permanent magnet and its pole member is avoided, thereby, to prevent variation of the intensity of the permanent magnet field.

1. Field of the Invention
A weighing balance of the electromagnetic load compensation type includes a thermal conductor for dissipating the internal heat generated by the compensation coil to a temperature sensor located remotely from the air gap containing the compensation coil, thereby to modify the compensation current to produce a more accurate load measurement.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Weighing scales or balances of the electromagnetic load compensation type are well known in the patented prior art, as evidenced, for example, by the U.S. Pat. Nos. to Kunz Nos. 4,545,448, 4,722,409 and 4,938,300, and Strickler No. 5,141,066, among others. In these known weighing systems, the magnitude of the load applied to the load-receiving member is displayed as a function of the compensation current supplied to the compensation coil to maintain the movable load-receiving member in a given position relative to its fixed support. The compensation coil is connected for movement with the load-receiving member and extends within the air gap of a stationary permanent magnetic field produced by a permanent magnet carried by the fixed support. The intensity of the magnetic field produced by the permanent magnet means is influenced, for example, by the load-responsive compensation current and/or by the heat generated by the compensation current in the coil, and consequently, compensation is required to eliminate the adverse influences affecting the accuracy of the load measurement. In this regard, one must distinguish between short-term and long-term temperature changes.
The compensation of long-term temperature changes, such as occur when the balance is turned on, has been known for a long time, and various proposals have been presented in the prior art.
In the electrical balance proposed in the German patent No. DE-GM-84118503, an aluminum tubular member is inserted by a press fit or by means of a heat-conducting filler between the active magnetic core and the magnetic yoke member. The aluminum tube contains a bore in which is mounted a temperature sensor that receives temperature changes produced by the heat dissipated from the pole piece with which the aluminum tube is in good heat-conducting engagement. The heat-conducting aluminum tube affords rapid heat dissipation from the pole piece of the permanent magnet system. It thus constitutes a heat diverting bridge that produces a reduced heating of the active magnetic core, and thus diminishes sensitivity changes in the permanent magnet system that are caused by heat. Regardless of the good heat conductivity of the aluminum tube, a temperature change may be sensed by the temperature sensor only after a certain degree of delay, which means that any electronic correction will also be delayed. The aluminum tube can also be arranged to form a gap relative to the active magnet core, and the heat from the pole flange can be dissipated directly downwardly for measurement by the temperature sensor. In both embodiments, the temperature change of the pole piece is measured indirectly, and the pole piece conducts further downwardly the radiation heat absorbed by the coil.
In the German patent No. DE-A1-3324402, a temperature sensor is inserted within a bore contained in the permanent magnet system to measure the heating of the magnet by the load-dependent current in the coil. A time delay is therefore unavoidable here also, since first of all, the pole piece and the permanent system have to be heated up before the temperature sensor can detect the temperature change. The deleterious consequences of the temperature change occurring in the permanent magnet appear immediately, and the corresponding compensation can occur only after some time delay.
The Japanese patent No. A-07218323 discloses an electromagnetic balance including a temperature sensor inserted within a recess contained in the pole piece directly opposite the coil for measuring the adjacent temperature in the magnetic system. A plate is provided that spans the recess. Using this known arrangement of the temperature sensor on the face of the pole piece, the temperature is measured before the dissipated heat of the coil can heat the pole flange and, more particularly, before the heat reaches the permanent magnet. This can result in an over reaction during the compensation of the effect of the temperature change on the permanent magnet. The temperature is measured directly within the effective range of the compensation coil, so that the temperature sensor is not subjected to heat in the same manner as the heat-sensitive permanent magnet from which the temperature change is produced. As distinguished from the previously discussed patents, the apparatus of the Japanese patent measures the temperature change too quickly, with the result that the measured temperature change is not in agreement with the change produced by the heating of the permanent magnet.

Weighing apparatus having temperature-modified electromagnetic compensation means


A system for severing lesions within a living body includes a housing defining an interior tissue receiving chamber is coupled to the distal end of an endoscope. At least one snare extends around the ligating band supporting surface so that, when at least one ligating band is received around the ligating band supporting surface, drawing the at least one snare off the ligating band supporting surface releases a corresponding ligating band from the ligating band supporting surface. In addition, a method for severing tissue comprises the steps of introducing into the body an endoscope to which a housing defining an interior tissue receiving chamber is coupled, wherein at least one snare and at least one ligating band extend around the ligating band supporting surface and advancing the distal end of the endoscope into the body until the housing is located adjacent to a first portion of tissue to be severed. The first portion of tissue is then drawn into the interior chamber and a snare is drawn off the distal end of the housing to release a corresponding ligating band from the ligating band supporting surface so that the ligating band and the snare encircle the first portion of tissue.

A wide variety of lesions, including internal hemorrhoids, polyps, and mucositis, may be treated by ligation. Ligating bands and severing snares are two types of devices commonly used to sever targeted lesions from surrounding tissue.
When performing ligating band ligation, a ligating band is initially placed over the targeted lesion or blood vessel section. As a ligating band is typically elastic in nature, the band must be stretched beyond its undeformed diameter before it can be placed over any tissue. After the tissue to be ligated has been drawn within the inner diameter of the ligating band, the band is allowed to return to its undeformed size and therefore apply inward pressure on the section of tissue caught within the band. The effect of the inward pressure applied by the band is to stop all circulation through the targeted tissue, thereby causing the tissue to die. In due course, the body sloughs off the dead tissue and allows it to pass through the body naturally.
Ligating band dispensing means are used to facilitate the placement of a single ligating band or a set of ligating bands over the targeted tissue. Two examples of ligating band dispensers are U.S. Pat. No. 5,356,416 to Chu et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,398,844 to Zaslavsky et al., both of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Alternately, a lesion may be removed through the use of an electrosurgical severing snare. Electrosurgery can be defined as the use of a radio frequency electric current to sever tissue or achieve hemostasis. A high radio frequency is used because a low frequency (i.e., below 100,000 Hz.) will stimulate muscles and nerves and could injure the patient. Electrosurgery is typically performed at frequencies of approximately 500,000 Hz., although frequencies as high as 4,000,000 Hz. may be used.
Medical diathermy is similar to electrosurgery in that radio frequency current is passed through the patient's body. The major difference between these two techniques is the density of the radio frequency electric current; the current density used in medical diathermy is kept low so as to reduce tissue heating and prevent necrosis.
There are three surgical effects that can be achieved with electrosurgery. These include electrosurgical desiccation, which is a low power coagulation caused without sparking to the tissue; electrosurgical cutting, where electricity sparks to the targeted tissue and produces a cutting effect; and electrosurgical fulguration, where electricity sparks to the targeted tissue without causing significant cutting.
The above-described surgical effects can be accomplished by using either a monopolar or bipolar output. For many applications, however, bipolar output is preferable because the patient return electrode (necessary in monopolar procedures and a common source of accidents) is eliminated, and any desiccation performed is extremely localized because, in a true bipolar operation, only the tissue that is grasped between the two electrodes is desiccated. Bipolar output, however, is poor for cutting or fulgurating, and thus monopolar tools remain commonplace. Severing snares, for example, are almost all monopolar instruments.
Three types of electrical current waveforms are typically used in electrosurgery. These include a "cutting" waveform, which cuts tissue very cleanly but may cause the incised tissue to bleed excessively; a "coagulating" waveform, which desiccates and fulgurates tissue without significant cutting; and a "blended" waveform, which is a cutting waveform that has a moderate hemostatic effect. A waveform's "Crest Factor" describes the degree of hemostasis that waveform can produce if properly applied.
To remove a lesion (or polyp) with an electrosurgical severing snare, a wire snare is looped around the targeted lesion. Next, the lesion is desiccated and is cut through electrosurgically. It is also possible to sever the lesion in a single step. By cutting with a "blended" current, it is possible to cut through a lesion in one pass without having to worry about bleeding. Alternately, a lesion may be cut through mechanically with a thin snare wire after the blood supply to the targeted tissue has been coagulated and the tissue softened by a desiccation current.
After the targeted lesion has been severed from the surrounding tissue, the severed tissue may be aspirated into an endoscope or similar device. In this manner, a sample may be retrieved for further study. Alternately, the severed tissue can be allowed to pass through the body naturally.
While bands are more effective in removing tissue while controlling bleeding, snares allow severed tissue to be retrieved and allow a user to cut deeper into the tissue, when increased suction is applied, to ensure, for example, that all diseased tissue is removed at once.
Electrosurgical cutting, however, is a difficult technique to master, especially when cutting large or sessile polyps. When using the "two step" cutting method (i.e., desiccation before cutting) whether the actual cut is to be made mechanically or electrosurgically, a precise amount of desiccation is required. If there is too little desiccation, the stalk may bleed when cut. If there is too much, the stalk may become too hard and dry to cut either mechanically or electrically. It is also exceedingly difficult to master "one step" cutting, which uses a blended current to ensure sufficient hemostasis. This is especially true when thick snare wires are used or a current with a high Crest Factor is applied. Often it will be very difficult to start cutting a given polyp. Thus, at times it may be desirable to use a pure cutting waveform to get the cut started. However, this may result in serious bleeding because the polyp has not previously been properly desiccated.
Currently, if it is desired to alternate between ligating band ligation and the use of electrosurgical snare, one or the other of these two types of instruments must be inserted through the working channel of an endoscope. Finishing with the first device, the user would have to withdraw this device from the endoscope before replacing it with the second device. In treatment of multiple lesions, for example, this process may need to be repeated several times, wasting the user's time, exposing the instruments to possible contamination during removal, and increasing the time and discomfort associated with the procedure.


The water-deficit stress of plants or crops is managed using plant temperatures to maximize product quality. The temperature of the target plant is repeatedly measured over a period of interest, and after each measurement, the plant temperature is compared with a predetermined plant setpoint temperature associated with a desired water-deficit stress level, above which temperature the plant is deemed to be in an undesired metabolic state. If the measured plant temperature is greater than the setpoint temperature, and humidity is not restrictive to plant cooling, then irrigation can be triggered to retain the plant within the desired stressed level, as determined by the temperature of the plant. By this method, irrigation can be withheld to increase plant temperature or applied to reduce plant temperature. The temperature of the plant is thus continuously increased and decreased relative to a desired temperature value that is indicative of a desired water-deficit stress.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method and apparatus for obtaining desired water-deficit stress levels in a plant by managing plant temperature through irrigation control. Plant temperature is correlated with the level of water-deficit stress. Desired water-deficit stress levels can be obtained by managing plant temperatures through an interactive plant temperature monitoring and irrigation dispensing system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Plants, as sedentary poikilotherms, are subject to thermal variation. Environmental temperatures vary according to both diurnal and seasonal patterns. The thermal environment of many temperate plants is bounded by lethally low temperatures that define their growing seasons. Within the non-lethal thermal range, the plant is subjected to a continuously variable thermal environment. Temperature plays an important role in plant environment interactions and is perhaps one of the most pervasive influences on plant growth and development. Environmental temperature has been used to predict and explain plant growth and development in terms of heat units or growing degree-day approaches.
The relationship between plant temperature and environmental temperature is potentially rather complex. In the literature plant temperature is often assumed to be similar to the air temperature though it is generally acknowledged that under water deficits the temperature of the plant can be higher than that of the air. Direct measurement of plant temperature using contact thermometers and thermistors is possible though often time consuming and tedious. Non-contact thermal measurements using infrared thermometers have become increasingly common with advances in field. Lower cost infrared thermometers are now available for use in production agricultural settings. The temperature of plant and crop canopies can now be measured near-continuously over seasonal time scales.
The concept of thermal optimality of organisms is well documented. Biochemical reactions are inherently thermally dependent with reaction rates relatively sensitive to temperature. Given that the temperature of a plant is related to that of its environment, and that the temperature of the environment is constantly variable, the rates of the biochemical reactions of the plant are continuously affected by temperature in a potentially complex manner. The concept of a metabolically optimal state, while perhaps obvious in principle, is potentially complex in definition.
In the simplest sense an optimal metabolic state in a plant is the metabolic condition apparent in the plant when it is functioning in the absence of external factors that limit its performance. In the more common parlance it refers to a non-stressed condition. While the existence of a non-stressed, or optimal condition, of a plant is recognized as an ideal, the reality is that plants often function under external constraints.
In an agricultural crop, the optimal metabolic state may not be the same as the desired agricultural state. Such a desired agricultural state is defined anthropomorphically in terms of the desired agronomic outcome defined with respect to the agricultural product. Issues of yield and quality are central to the desired agronomic outcome.
In a forage crop, total seasonal biomass may be the desired agronomic outcome while in an oilseed crop the yield and quality of the oil may be used to define a desired agronomic outcome. In cotton, biomass, a result of optimal metabolism, is of value only to the extent to which it is related to the desired agronomic outcome defined in terms of fiber yield and quality. Fully optimized vegetative growth in cotton is often undesirable as it is associated with reduced harvest index and negative fiber characteristics.
In an organism that is subject to thermal variation, the rate of enzyme reactions will vary continuously. Increases in temperature are known to increase plant tissue respiration, as exemplified by a study of soybean (Glycine max) leaves that showed that respiration increased by a factor of 2.5 between 18° C. and 26° C. average night temperatures [Bunce. 2005. Response of respiration of soybean leaves grown at ambient and elevated carbon dioxide concentrations to day-to-day variation in light and temperature under field conditions. Ann Bot (Lond) 95: 1059-1066]. It has been demonstrated that the thermal dependence of the kinetics of enzymes can be used to define biologically optimal temperatures of crops. Irrigation management based upon thermal optima defined in terms of enzyme kinetic properties has proven to optimize cotton production. Kinetic properties of enzymes responsible for herbicide activity have been used to explain thermal dependency of some aspects of herbicide efficacy. This approach was used to define optimal thermal ranges for herbicide efficacy. The thermal dependence of kinetics of malate synthase from cotton was used to develop a model that predicts optimal cotton emergence under thermal variation.
It is well established that irrigation based upon canopy temperature measurements is capable of altering the relationship between the temperature of the plant canopy and the plant's thermal environment. In the most general sense, as plant water use increases canopy temperature decreases. The canopy temperatures of plants experiencing water deficits are generally elevated relative to those that are well-watered. This relationship provides the basis for the BIOTIC irrigation management protocol (biologically identified optimal temperature interactive console) that is designed to maintain crop water status in an optimal condition (Upchurch et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,539,637). Such an approach serves to prevent non-optimal water and metabolic states in the crop. The temperature of a plant indicates the water status of the plant and, when compared to a biologically-based indicator of optimality, a measure of optimal and non-optimal metabolic status.
However, despite these and other advances, the need remains for improved irrigation control systems which are capable of maximizing product quality, and which are suitable for use in environments where water availability is limited.

Active management of plant canopy temperature as a tool for modifying plant metabolic activity

The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of Agriculture


A method and apparatus for controllably shifting into a lower gear of a manual transmission is disclosed. A maximum downshift limit value is established and stored in a memory. The downshift speed variable of the manual transmission is set equal to the maximum downshift limit value in response to a valid control condition being determined. The manual transmission is controllably shifted into a lower gear when the engine speed is less than or equal to the downshift speed variable.

On-highway trucks having manual transmissions are often used to move payloads over long distances. The manual transmissions used in on-highway trucks can have any number of gears and typically have 10,13 or 18 gears or speeds. Generally, a stick shift is used in automobiles to change between gears of a five speed manual transmission by moving the stick shift to a position corresponding to the desired gear. However, with so many more gears used in on-highway trucks, it is common for a single stick position to be used for more than one gear.
Conventionally, a shuttle switch and/or a range switch is often used to shift between gears sharing the same stick shift position. For example, on a manual transmission having ten gears and a shuttle switch, the stick shift only moves through five positions in order to downshift from the tenth gear through all of the gears to the first gear. When the transmission is in tenth gear, the operator downshifts into ninth gear while the engine is below the downshift speed by operating the shuttle switch. To downshift into eighth gear while currently in ninth gear, the driver shifts into eighth gear by moving the stick shift into the corresponding position when the engine speed is below the downshift speed. This pattern generally continues until the driver moves the stick shift into the first position and operates the shuttle switch to shift into first gear.
Currently, traffic disturbances are often due to a driver failing to operate the truck at a slow and safe speed. Often, operation of the truck at speeds above those desired is due to a driver failing to properly brake and slow down the truck. Most notably, this situation occurs when a truck is driven down a hill and the driver is concerned with excessive wear or overheating of the conventional brakes on the truck.
Conventionally, there have been methods and apparatus, commonly known as "Jake Brakes" available from Jacobs Vehicle Equipment Company of Bloomfield, Connecticut, for loading an engine by opening the exhaust valve on the compression strokes of the engine and using the drag of the engine to assist in braking the truck. However, these systems require additional specialized equipment, can potentially cause problems if not set properly and are expensive to use, operate and maintain.
Currently, the truck driver must ensure that the truck is properly operated to prevent traffic disturbances. In the normal operation of a truck, many events are occurring simultaneously. This increases the potential for driver error, including the risk of incorrectly operating the truck by not driving at a slow and safe speed.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems as set forth above.

Apparatus and method for shifting into a lower gear of a manual transmission


Policy based data shredding is provided to be executed in a storage controller. A logical volume stored on media, such as magnetic disk drives, may be assigned one or more possible shredding policies. Storing and executing the policies in the controller is more efficient than performing host-based shredding and requires the use of less valuable bandwidth between the host and the controller. In addition, the controller is aware of failures, degradation and offline status of each drive in an array, and is able to thereby terminate or modify a shredding operation if necessary. Each policy includes the number of write passes to be performed on the media location in which the volume is stored and the pattern to write on the media location. The policy may also indicate whether to update a parity area during each of a plurality of write passes or only on the first.

Due to business, security, regulatory or governmental requirements, customer data which is stored but is obsolete or no longer needed may need to be securely erased or deleted in such a way as to be unrecoverable (known as data shredding). Shredding involves overwriting the areas of the physical media on which the customer data is stored. Overwriting typically replaces the data with one of a variety of bit patterns, such as all 0's, all 1's. Moreover, because errors may occur during an overwrite operation, some security protocols require more than one overwrite pass to ensure that no remnant of the original data remains. Thus, one governmental shredding policy requires that a specified pattern be written seven times. Another, more stringent, policy requires that the data be overwritten with its complement, then overwritten by all 1's, then overwritten by all 0's, and then finally overwritten by a specified pattern seven times. Other shredding policies are also in use and may vary by application and regulating authority.
In the past, tape drives and optical drives have implemented fixed commands which perform an overwrite or erase entire volumes in a fixed pattern. Newer data retention products, such as the IBM® Data Retention 450, are being based on magnetic disk drives and include servers (or hosts) and external disk controllers. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary data retention device 100, including a host 110, a storage controller 120 and attached disk drives (which may comprise a RAID array) 130. Software 122 within the host 120 tracks which sectors of a logical volume are to be shredded and directs the execution of the shredding operation.
The fixed erase commands which have been used in the past to destroy data from tape and optical drives are not flexible enough to satisfy the newer and varying regulatory shredding requirements. Furthermore, in order to overwrite a data sector, the host must send the overwriting pattern to the storage controller as if it was actual data. In a network environment, transmission of such data uses expensive bandwidth.
Additionally, in a storage array 130, sectors of a logical volume are typically spread across multiple physical drives of the array 130. It may be that one of the drives is offline or in a degraded state, a situation which is known to the controller 120 but not to the host 110. In such an event, data on the offline or degraded drive remains unshredded although the host 110 believes that the shredding operation was successful.
Consequently, a need exists for a flexible shredding system which accommodates various shredding requirements, reduces bandwidth requirements and takes into account offline or degraded drives.

Policy based data shredding for storage controller

International Business Machines Corporation


In techniques for testing and calibrating an ablator, a tissue probe emulator is connectable to a tissue ablator being tested. The emulator includes a temperature sensor, a thermoelectric unit operative to vary a temperature sensed by the temperature sensor, an adjustable electrical load, electrical control circuitry connected to the thermoelectric unit and the electrical load and operative to independently adjust the electrical load and an output of the thermoelectric unit. The emulator conveys signals emitted by the temperature sensor to the tissue ablator and conveys an ablation energy output of the tissue ablator to the electrical load.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to medical devices. More particularly, this invention relates to a test harness for evaluation of control circuitry in medical devices that perform tissue ablation.
2. Description of the Related Art
Ablation of body tissue using electrical energy is known in the art. The ablation is typically performed by applying alternating currents to the electrodes, for example radiofrequency (RF) energy, at a sufficient power to destroy target tissue. Typically, the electrodes are mounted on the distal tip of a catheter, which is inserted into a subject. The distal tip may be tracked in a number of different ways known in the art, for example by measuring magnetic fields generated at the distal tip by coils external to the subject.
A known difficulty in the use of radiofrequency energy for tissue ablation, e.g., cardiac tissue ablation, is controlling local heating of tissue. Precise control of the amount of RF energy applied by the catheter electrode is important in achieving consistent therapeutic results while avoiding excessive injury to surrounding tissues.
Self-regulating tissue ablators have been proposed to achieve the desired control. For example, PCT International Publication WO9600036 discusses ablation of body tissue in which ablating energy is conveyed individually to multiple emitters in a sequence of power pulses. The temperature of each emitter is periodically sensed and compared to a desired temperature established for all emitters to generate a signal individually for each emitter based upon the comparison. The power pulse to each emitter is individually varied, based upon the signal for that emitter to maintain the temperatures of all emitters essentially at the desired temperature during tissue ablation.


In some implementations, a system may obtain document lineage training data associated with a plurality of historical documents and corresponding lineage data of independent historical documents of the plurality of historical documents. The system may train, based on the document lineage training data, a lineage analysis model to determine a lineage of edited sections of a source document. The system may receive a plurality of document files that correspond to a plurality of versions of a document. The system may determine, using a similarity analysis model, that a first section from a first version of the plurality of versions corresponds to a second section from a second version of the plurality of versions. The system may determine, using the lineage analysis model, a lineage of a corresponding section of the document that is associated with the first section and the second section.

Data lineage of data includes the data's origin, processing performed on the data, where the data moves, and/or the like. Correspondingly, document lineage identifies a document's origin, adjustments to the document, from where the document was adjusted (a device used to adjust the document), who adjusted the document, and/or when the document was adjusted. Document lineage provides the ability to trace errors in the document, to access past portions or inputs associated with the document (e.g., for reviewing and/or analyzing the document). Document lineage can provide an audit trail of the document.