A layout modeling system for a transport system to transport articles from a starting position to a plurality of target positions along a transport route includes a plurality of nodes having location information to respectively correspond to the starting position and the target positions at which the articles are transported. The layout modeling system also includes a plurality of links to connect respective nodes along the transport route and having route information to correspond to respective routes between the respective nodes. The route information of each link is updated in real time. Thus, the layout modeling system is capable of minimizing labor and time and setting up an optimum transport route.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a layout modeling system for a transport system, and more particularly, to a layout modeling system for a transport system which allows the transport system to implement optimum efficiency.
2. Description of the Related Art
A transport system is herein defined as a system that transports an article from a starting position to a target position along a real layout, which is an area for a transport route of the article.
A layout modeling system having information corresponding to the layout is necessary to implement the transport system.
Hereinafter, a layout modeling system for a transport system will be described based on a layout according to an example of a transport system as shown in FIG. 1.
As shown in FIG. 1, a real layout 1 according to an example of the transport system includes two transport routes 6a and 6b provided in a production line and formed in a closed loop. The real layout 1 includes a processing equipment 3 provided adjacent to the transport routes 6a and 6b to process a transported article, a plurality of storehouses 11, 21 and 31 to transport and stock the article, and a plurality of vehicles 8a and 8b to travel on the transport routes 6a and 6b to transport the article.
The transport routes 6a and 6b include a first transport route 6a installed on the ground and a second transport route 6b installed in an overhead type device.
The transport vehicles 8a and 8b include a plurality of first transport vehicles 8a to travel on the first transport route 6a and a plurality of second transport vehicles 8b to travel on the second transport route 6b to transport the article.
The processing equipment 3 is installed adjacent to the first transport route 6a, and has a processing equipment port 4 to receive the article transported by the first transport vehicles 8a or to transport a processed article to the first transport vehicles 8a.
The storehouses 11, 21 and 31 include a first storehouse 11 and a second storehouse 21 provided adjacent to the first transport route 6a and the second transport route 6b, and a third storehouse 31 provided adjacent to the second transport route 6b.
The first storehouse 11 has a first port 13 and a second port 15 to transport the article from or to the first and the second transport vehicles 8a and 8b traveling on the first and the second transport route 6a and 6b. The first storehouse 11 also has a first shelf 19 to stock thereon the transported article, and a first crane 17 provided in the first storehouse 11 to transport the article between the first port 13, the second port 15, and the first shelf 19.
The second storehouse 21, like the first storehouse 11, has a third port 23 and a fourth port 25 to transport the article from or to the first and the second transport vehicles 8a and 8b traveling on the first and the second transport routes 6a and 6b. The second storehouse 21 also has a second shelf 29 to stock thereon the transported article, and a second crane 27, provided in the second storehouse 21 to transport the article between the third port 23, the fourth port 25, and the second shelf 29.
The third storehouse 31 has a fifth port 33 to transport the article from or to the second transport vehicle 8b traveling on the second transport route 6b, a third shelf 39 to stock thereon the transported article, and a third crane 37 provided in the third storehouse 31 to transport the article between the fifth port 33 and the third shelf 39.
With the above configuration, the real layout 1 according to the transport system described above allows an article to be transported by the first and the second transport vehicles 8a and 8b traveling on the first and the second transport routes 6a and 6b.
A layout modeling system 140 for a conventional transport system will be described based on the layout according to the transport system describe above with reference to FIG. 2.
As shown in FIG. 2, the layout modeling system 140 for the conventional transport system has first through sixth nodes 151–156 to correspond to respective ports at which an article is transported (that is, the processing equipment port 4, and first through fifth ports 13, 15, 23, 25, and 33).
According to a route selecting method of using the nodes, an appropriate route is selected from transport route data (TABLE 1) which registers all routes allowing an article to be transported. The route selecting method is repeatedly performed, to thereby enable a final route to be selected.
The following TABLE 1 shows the transport route data according to the layout modeling system 140 for the conventional transport system shown in FIG. 2.
TABLE 1Transport route1st node 151 → 2nd node 1521st node 151 → 4th node 1542nd node 152 → 1st node 1512nd node 152 → 3rd node 1532nd node 152 → 4th node 1543rd node 153 → 2nd node 1523rd node 153 → 5th node 1553rd node 153 → 6th node 1564th node 154 → 1st node 1514th node 154 → 2nd node 1524th node 154 → 5th node 1555th node 155 → 3rd node 1535th node 155 → 4th node 1545th node 155 → 6th node 1566th node 156 → 3rd node 1536th node 156 → 5th node 155
With the above configuration, in the layout modeling system 140 for the conventional transport system, route selection using the TABLE 1 will be described below.
As an example, it is assumed that an order in which the starting position of an article corresponds to the processing equipment 3 and the target position of the article corresponds to the third storehouse 31. An appropriate route then is selected by searching all available transport routes in the TABLE 1 to select the transport route from the first node 151 corresponding to the processing equipment port 4 to the sixth node 156 corresponding to the fifth port 33 of the third storehouse 31. Herein, a standard for an optimum route selection is based on a transport distance. That is, transport routes available at the first node 151 are the transport routes from the first node 151 to the second node 152 and the fourth node 154. If the second node 152 is selected as an appropriate transport route, the second node 152 selects a following transport route in the same way as the first node 151, to thereby enable the optimum route to be selected.
Thus, in the layout modeling system 140 for the conventional transport system, the article is transported along the optimum route selected by using the TABLE 1.
However, according to the layout modeling system for the conventional transport system, the transport route data on the TABLE 1 has to be written by hand to implement the transport system. Accordingly, if the size of the transport route data is large, writing by hand becomes a very labor- and time-consuming job.
Also, when being implemented by hand, the layout modeling system for the conventional transport system cannot select an optimum transport route because it cannot reflect all kinds of real-time information once a final route is selected.

Layout modeling system for a transport system


The present disclosure relates to a method for transferring data, in which a peripheral device and a central device are wirelessly connected in accordance with the Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) standard and a data packet is transferred within a transfer window of a Bluetooth Low Energy data channel between the peripheral device and the central device.

A modern vehicle usually comprises a bus system and a plurality of functional systems, such as safety systems and comfort systems, which are connected to the bus system. For controlling the functional systems, the vehicle further comprises at least one control device, which has applications corresponding to the functional systems and is also connected to the bus system.
In addition, modern vehicles can comprise communication devices connected to the bus system for wirelessly transferring data, i.e., for transferring data by means of electromagnetic waves. Such a communication device can have a cellular interface, for example, in order to enable an occupant of the vehicle to make convenient mobile phone calls in the passenger compartment of the vehicle. In addition, the communication device can also be used to transfer data to the vehicle. If said data are control data for direct forwarding to functional systems of the vehicle, the data transfer is associated with a high safety risk for the vehicle.
In order to reduce said risk, DE 10 2015 016 334 A1 discloses a roof antenna module and a method for wirelessly transferring external control data to a functional system of a vehicle connected to a bus system of the vehicle. The roof antenna module is connected to the bus system of the vehicle and has a communication control unit with a filter module, which is configured to verify the transferred external control data and to only transfer them to the functional system if the external control data meet a predetermined safety criterion.
If the cellular interface is also used to download updates from a server for applications installed in control units, to transfer operating parameters of the vehicle to a stationary receiver, to exchange other data with further vehicles, or the like, the problem of distributing to the different applications of the vehicle a transfer bandwidth currently provided by a cellular connection arises.
For this purpose, DE 10 2014 200 226 A1 discloses a device and a method for controlling a wireless transfer of data between a central communication device of a vehicle and an external communication unit, such as a base station of a cellular network or a wireless local area network (WLAN) access point. An organization module is provided in the communication device, which, as required, assigns the wireless connection capacities provided by a plurality of connection modules of the communication unit to a plurality of applications of the vehicle. For this purpose, specific parameters, such as the current bandwidth of a wireless connection, a current error rate, a current latency period, and transfer costs can be taken into account.
In addition to a cellular interface, a communication device of a vehicle can have other interfaces for wireless connections, for example, a WLAN interface for transferring data to a stationary access point. If a plurality of wireless connections is available, the data volume to be transferred can be distributed to the respectively assigned interfaces of the communication device.
DE 10 2016 013 517 A1 addresses a similar distribution problem. It discloses a method for wirelessly transferring data between a plurality of terminals and a plurality of stationary access points which are part of a local area network (LAN) and support several different radio standards (radio access technology, RAT). The stationary access points can comprise WLAN access points and base stations of a cellular network. In the method, the stationary access points communicate in order to adapt a parameter of the wireless transfer such that the data to be transferred wirelessly are assigned to the access points in accordance with the available transfer capacities of the respective radio standard.
Apart from a cellular interface and a WLAN interface, a communication device of a vehicle can furthermore comprise a Bluetooth interface. The Bluetooth standard, particularly the Bluetooth Low Energy standard, defines a short-range wireless connection between a central device and a peripheral device, which are arranged at a relatively short distance from one another. Common mobile terminals, such as smartphones, usually also comprise a Bluetooth interface, which is why the Bluetooth standard is basically taken into consideration in order to remotely control the vehicle on sight with a mobile terminal, for example, when parking in and pulling out of a parking space remotely.

Transfer of data with different priorities via Bluetooth Low Energy


A cleaning system for removing contamination from at least a part of a surface of a component in a lithographic projection apparatus is disclosed. The cleaning system includes an electric field generator that generates an electric field to provide cleaning particles near the surface of the component.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for removing contamination from a surface of a component of a lithographic projection apparatus. The invention also relates to a lithographic projection apparatus, a device manufacturing method and a cleaning system.
2. Description of Related Art
The term "patterning device" or "patterning structure" as here employed should be broadly interpreted as referring to a device or structure that can be used to endow an incoming radiation beam with a patterned cross-section, corresponding to a pattern that is to be created in a target portion of a substrate. The term "light valve" can also be used in this context. Generally, the said pattern will correspond to a particular functional layer in a device being created in the target portion, such as an integrated circuit or other device (see below). Examples of such patterning devices include:                A mask. The concept of a mask is well known in lithography, and it includes mask types such as binary, alternating phase-shift, and attenuated phase-shift, as well as various hybrid mask types. Placement of such a mask in the radiation beam causes selective transmission (in the case of a transmissive mask) or reflection (in the case of a reflective mask) of the radiation impinging on the mask, according to the pattern on the mask. In the case of a mask, the support structure will generally be a mask table, which ensures that the mask can be held at a desired position in the incoming radiation beam, and that it can be moved relative to the beam if so desired;        A programmable mirror array. One example of such a device is a matrix-addressable surface having a viscoelastic control layer and a reflective surface. The basic principle behind such an apparatus is that (for example) addressed areas of the reflective surface reflect incident light as diffracted light, whereas unaddressed areas reflect incident light as undiffracted light. Using an appropriate filter, the said undiffracted light can be filtered out of the reflected beam, leaving only the diffracted light behind; in this manner, the beam becomes patterned according to the addressing pattern of the matrix-addressable surface. An alternative embodiment of a programmable mirror array employs a matrix arrangement of tiny mirrors, each of which can be individually tilted about an axis by applying a suitable localized electric field, or by employing a piezoelectric actuation device. Once again, the mirrors are matrix-addressable, such that addressed mirrors will reflect an incoming radiation beam in a different direction to unaddressed mirrors; in this manner, the reflected beam is patterned according to the addressing pattern of the matrix-addressable mirrors. The required matrix addressing can be performed using a suitable electronic device. In both of the situations described hereabove, the patterning device can comprise one or more programmable mirror arrays. More information on mirror arrays as here referred to can be gleaned, for example, from U.S. Pat. No. 5,296,891 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,523,193, and PCT patent applications WO 98/38597 and WO 98/33096, which are incorporated herein by reference. In the case of a programmable mirror array, the said support structure may be embodied as a frame or table, for example, which may be fixed or movable as required; and        A programmable LCD array. An example of such a construction is given in U.S. Pat. No. 5,229,872, which is incorporated herein by reference. As above, the support structure in this case may be embodied as a frame or table, for example, which may be fixed or movable as required.For purposes of simplicity, the rest of this text may, at certain locations, specifically direct itself to examples involving a mask and mask table. However, the general principles discussed in such instances should be seen in the broader context of the patterning device as hereabove set forth.
Lithographic projection apparatus can be used, for example, in the manufacture of integrated circuits (ICs). In such a case, the patterning device may generate a circuit pattern corresponding to an individual layer of the IC, and this pattern can be imaged onto a target portion (e.g. comprising one or more dies) on a substrate (silicon wafer) that has been coated with a layer of radiation-sensitive material (resist). In general, a single wafer will contain a whole network of adjacent target portions that are successively irradiated via the projection system, one at a time. In current apparatus employing patterning by a mask on a mask table, a distinction can be made between two different types of machine. In one type of lithographic projection apparatus, each target portion is irradiated by exposing the entire mask pattern onto the target portion in one go; such an apparatus is commonly referred to as a wafer stepper or step and repeat apparatus. In an alternative apparatus—commonly referred to as a step and scan apparatus—each target portion is irradiated by progressively scanning the mask pattern under the projection beam in a given reference direction (the "scanning" direction) while synchronously scanning the substrate table parallel or anti parallel to this direction; since, in general, the projection system will have a magnification factor M (generally<1), the speed V at which the substrate table is scanned will be a factor M times that at which the mask table is scanned. More information with regard to lithographic devices as here described can be gleaned, for example, from U.S. Pat. No. 6,046,792, incorporated herein by reference.
In a manufacturing process using a lithographic projection apparatus, a pattern (e.g. in a mask) is imaged onto a substrate that is at least partially covered by a layer of radiation sensitive material (resist). Prior to this imaging step, the substrate may undergo various procedures, such as priming, resist coating and a soft bake. After exposure, the substrate may be subjected to other procedures, such as a post exposure bake (PEB), development, a hard bake and measurement/inspection of the imaged features. This array of procedures is used as a basis to pattern an individual layer of a device, e.g. an IC. Such a patterned layer may then undergo various processes such as etching, ion implantation (doping), metallization, oxidation, chemo mechanical polishing, etc., all intended to finish off an individual layer. If several layers are required, then the whole procedure, or a variant thereof, will have to be repeated for each new layer. Eventually, an array of devices will be present on the substrate (wafer). These devices are then separated from one another by a technique such as dicing or sawing, whence the individual devices can be mounted on a carrier, connected to pins, etc. Further information regarding such processes can be obtained, for example, from the book "Microchip Fabrication: A Practical Guide to Semiconductor Processing", Third Edition, by Peter van Zant, McGraw Hill Publishing Co., 1997, ISBN 0 07 067250 4, incorporated herein by reference.
For the sake of simplicity, the projection system may hereinafter be referred to as the "lens"; however, this term should be broadly interpreted as encompassing various types of projection system, including refractive optics, reflective optics, and catadioptric systems, for example. The radiation system may also include components operating according to any of these design types for directing, shaping or controlling the projection beam of radiation, and such components may also be referred to below, collectively or singularly, as a "lens". Further, the lithographic apparatus may be of a type having two or more substrate tables (and/or two or more mask tables). In such "multiple stage" devices, the additional tables may be used in parallel, or preparatory steps may be carried out on one or more tables while one or more other tables are being used for exposures. Dual stage lithographic apparatus are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,969,441 and WO 98/40791, both incorporated herein by reference.
Although specific reference may be made in this text to the use of the apparatus according to the invention in the manufacture of ICs, it should be explicitly understood that such an apparatus has many other possible applications. For example, it may be employed in the manufacture of integrated optical systems, guidance and detection patterns for magnetic domain memories, liquid crystal display panels, thin film magnetic heads, etc. The skilled artisan will appreciate that, in the context of such alternative applications, any use of the terms "reticle", "wafer" or "die" in this text should be considered as being replaced by the more general terms "mask", "substrate" and "target portion", respectively.
In the present document, the terms "radiation" and "beam" are used to encompass all types of electromagnetic radiation, including ultraviolet (UV) radiation (e.g. with a wavelength of 365, 248, 193, 157 or 126 nm) and extreme ultra-violet (EUV) radiation (e.g. having a wavelength in the range 5–20 nm), as well as particle beams, such as ion beams or electron beams.
In general, the surfaces of components of a lithographic projection apparatus get contaminated during use, for example, because of hydrocarbon molecules which are always present in the apparatus, even if most of the apparatus is operated in vacuum. It should be noted that in general, an EUV lithographic projection apparatus is a closed vacuum system. Contamination may also be caused by other materials, including but not limited to reactants from radiation induced cracking of hexa-methyl disilazane or other silicon containing materials, for example oxides of silicon. Especially in an apparatus using EUV, the components may suffer from contamination by carbon-containing materials due to radiation induced cracking of hydrocarbon molecules.
In particular, the contamination of optical components in the lithographic projection apparatus, such as mirrors, has an adverse effect on the performance of the apparatus because such contamination affects the optical properties of the optical components. Contamination of optical components, for example, causes losses in reflectivity and transparency, and introduces wavefront errors. This results in short lifetimes of the optics. Contamination of the optical components is especially a problem when using EUV radiation, since the radiation induced contamination, e.g. of carbon, will occur for a large part in the irradiated area, i.e. near the optical components.
In the art, mitigation methods are known to reduce the degree of contamination, for example by suppressing the growth of carbon containing materials on the surfaces of the apparatus.
However, if mitigation is not sufficient, cleaning of the respective component is required. In the ar,t methods for cleaning contaminated surfaces are known, like e.g. removing carbon containing materials using an etching gas, such as oxygen or hydrogen combined with EUV radiation. From European Patent Application EP 1 220 038, a method for cleaning optical components is known, in which optical components are irradiated with micro-wave and/or infra-red radiation. However, such cleaning methods typically require relatively high concentrations of etching agents, typically 5 to 6 orders of magnitude higher than the partial pressure of the hydrocarbon. Furthermore, the local etching rate may not be controlled and thus a higher etching rate per element may occur on some surfaces than on others resulting in a non-homogeneous contamination pattern of the component. If the component is a mirror this might for example result in phase shift errors in the projected radiation.
An additional problem of uncontrolled etching is that during operation, each part of the surface will be exposed to a different degree to the contaminating materials. The resulting growth of contamination on the components varies therefore for each component and even over the surface of a single component. Thus, uncontrolled etching may result in removal of only a part of the contamination on a certain part of the surface while removing all contamination and damaging the surface of the component on another part of the surface.

Method for cleaning a surface of a component of a lithographic projection apparatus, lithographic projection apparatus, device manufacturing method and cleaning system


The present invention relates to a board inverter and a boarding inverting system. The board inverter includes a support, a first board picking device, an second board picking device and a controller. Each of the first board picking device and the second board picking device includes a driving mechanism and a first board picking device. The driving mechanism comprises a first linear driving means mounted on the support, a second linear driving means mechanically coupled to the first linear driving means, and a rotary driving means attached to the second linear driving means. The controller is connected to all the power supply members. The controller controls the motion of the first board picking device and the second board picking device such that the first board picking device and the second board picking device cooperatively inverting workpieces transmitted on a production line. The board inverter can be installed on a production line without altering the arrangement of existing production line.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a board inverter for inverting workpieces and, more specifically, to a device for inverting sheet-like workpieces, for example, printed circuit boards.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Printed circuit boards (PCBs) are widely employed in electronic devices for mounting various electronic components such as resistor, capacitor, and integrated circuits thereon. PCBs can simply be classified into single-sided PCBs, double-sided PCBs and multilayer PCBs. In manufacturing process of PCBs, especially in manufacturing process of double-sided PCBs, two opposite surfaces of PCBs should be protected with photoresist film. Therefore, PCBs must be inverted after photoresist film is applied on one surface thereof for applying photoresist film on another surface thereof.
Board inverter can be used to invert the PCBs. However, when a conventional board inverter is introduced into an existing production line of PCBs, the existing arrangement of the productions line have to be broken and the board inverter is mounted between two sections of the production line. In spite of increased cost, a workshop is usually short of adequate space for mounting such board inverter.
Therefore, there is a desire to develop an on-line board inverter that is capable of inverting PCBs on a transmission belt without breaking the existing arrangement of the transmission belt.

FuKui Precision Component (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.


A frequency signal generator includes a controllable oscillator unit, a frequency control unit and an error detection unit. The controllable oscillator unit generates and provides a frequency signal. The frequency control unit generates a frequency control signal and the controllable oscillator unit varies a frequency of the frequency signal based on the frequency control signal. Further, the error detection unit receives the frequency control signal, detects an error within the frequency control signal and provides an error signal. The error signal comprises information on a detected error.

Electrical signals can be generated in various ways and with a large variety of properties. Nowadays, phase locked loops (PLL) are often used for signal generation (e.g. generation of local oscillator signals, clock signals or carrier signals). For example, phase locked loops in combination with voltage controlled oscillators (VCO) may be used in the area of frequency modulated continuous wave radar systems (FMCW).
The implementation of new safety standards (e.g. for road vehicles) implicate new safety requirements also for electronic systems (e.g. radar systems), for example. Therefore, a continuing improvement of the reliability and safety of use of electronic systems is desired.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Frequency signal generator, a frequency modulated continuous wave radar system and a method for generating a frequency signal


A method for using a self-signed digital certificate for establishing a secure connection between an Extensible Provisioning Protocol (EPP) client and a server on a communications network, including: receiving a communicated self-signed certificate from the EPP client; obtaining a unique identifier of the EPP client, the unique identifier associated with a domain name stored in a Domain Name System (DNS); using the unique identifier to access a designated DNS record in a DNS zone of the DNS associated with the domain name; retrieving the copy of the digital certificate from the designated DNS record, the copy of the digital certificate containing a public key of the EPP client bound to the domain name; authenticating the copy of the digital certificate with the communicated self-signed certificate; and receiving a generated session key from the EPP client to establish the secure connection over the communications network with the EPP client.

Domain names are used in various networking contexts and application-specific naming and addressing purposes. In general, a domain name represents an Internet Protocol (IP) resource, such as a personal computer used to access the Internet, a server computer hosting a web site, or the web site itself or any other service communicated via the Internet. In 2014, the number of active domains reached 271 million. Today's Internet presence by companies is considered a critical element of their business.
In order to establish a secure connection between VPN gateways, an authentication method must be employed to validate the identity of the participants. Proper device authentication prevents unauthorized access to the VPN network and provides origin authentication. Two common means of authenticating VPN tunnels are pre-shared keys and digital certificates. Both are considered strong authentication methods. When dealing with large VPN networks, managing large numbers of pre-shared keys can become cumbersome. Digital certificates are a much more scalable authentication solution. Digital certificates are not bound to an IP address, but instead can use unique, static identification information that can be validated by the Certificate Authority. This allows remote users with a dynamically assigned IP address to authenticate using identification information contained in the certificate, and the keying material is formed independent of information in the certificate.
The role of the Certificate Authority (CA) helps re-enforce the trust relationship between peers participating in the VPN, however there are disadvantages with use of CA generated certificates. In cryptography and computer security, a self-signed certificate is a security certificate that is not signed by a certificate authority (CA). These certificates are easy to make and do not cost money. However, they do not provide all of the security properties that certificates signed by a CA aim to provide, including man-in-the-middle (MitM) attacks, which allows a third party to read and modify all data sent between a client and server.
Further, the public CA model upon which TLS can depend is considered fundamentally vulnerable. The DNS-Based Authentication of Named Entities (DANE) Transport Layer Security (TLS) Protocol: TLSA (ISSN: 2070-1721—August 2012), described in RFC 6698, discusses a clear disadvantage with the use of CA issued certificates, being that the public CA model for TLS is fundamentally vulnerable because it allows any of these multiple CAs (involved in the CA implemented chain of trust model) to issue a certificate for any domain name. Any one of the multiple trusted CA that betrays its trust, either voluntarily or by providing less-than-vigorous protection for its secrets and capabilities, can undermine the security offered by any certificates employed with TLS. This security problem arises because a compromised CA can issue a replacement certificate that contains a fake key. Recent experiences with compromises of CAs or their trusted partners have led to very serious security problems.
Further, RFC 6698 discusses that DANE offers an option to use the DNSSEC infrastructure to store and sign keys and certificates that are used by TLS. It is considered that the resulting system (combining DANE with CA issued certificates) still has residual security vulnerabilities, however the resulting system can restrict the scope of assertions that can be made by any entity, consistent with the naming scope imposed by the DNS hierarchy. As a result, DANE can embody a security "principle of least privilege" that is lacking in the current public CA model. In general RFC 6698 discusses the ability for a DNS administrator to make an authoritative binding between the domain name and a certificate that might be used by a host at that domain name, i.e. using the DNS in order to secure this authoritative binding with DNSSEC.
The protocol discussed in RFC 6698 is referred to as the "DANE TLSA" protocol, such that "TLSA" represents the name of the RRtype used to store the certificate. However, a clear disadvantage with the DANE TLSA protocol is that RFC 6698 only relates to getting the DNS information for the certificate association securely using DNSSEC, however authentication of the CA issued certificate resident in the DNS (i.e. in the TLSA record) must be performed using the CA backed PKIX authentication method (PKIX is an IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force) working group with the goal of supporting public key infrastructures based on X.509 on the Internet). It is clear that disadvantageously, the PKIX described certificate authentication method involves the use of the trusted CA's to authenticate the DNS retrieved certificate. CAs frequently reissue certificates with different validity periods, signature algorithms (such as a different hash algorithm in the signature algorithm), CA key pairs (such as for a cross-certificate), or PKIX extensions where the public key and subject remain the same. These reissued certificates are the certificates that the TLS client can use in place of an original certificate.
For example, Appendix C of RFC 6698 describes the target certificate MUST pass a PKIX certification path validation. A TLS client would have multiple trust anchors that it might use when validating the TLS server's end entity (EE) certificate. Also, there can be multiple PKIX certification paths for the CA certificates given by the server in TLS. Thus, there are possibly many chains that might need to be tested during PKIX path validation, which involve the use of multiple CA's in certificate authentication. For example, Appendix C mentions that when the certificate passes a PKIX certificate validation, then the certificate is considered accepted. Accordingly, the PKIX validation method of DANE TLSA protocol (described in RFC 6698) is considered a disadvantage due to potential security risks when involving multiple CA's for the issue and subsequent authentication of CA certificates.
In the case of management of domains, secure connections between EPP server and EPP client are required, in order to safeguard requested changes/updates to objects of domains stored in a domain name registry database.

Domain name management with network entity authentication using self-signed certificates


An image pickup apparatus includes a housing, a lens incorporated in the front of the housing and configured to constitute an imaging optical system, an image pickup device provided in the housing and configured to capture a subject image guided by the imaging optical system, a printed wiring board provided in the housing and having the image pickup device mounted thereon, a barrel provided integrally with the front of the housing, an annular lens cover configured to push a face of the lens facing forward in a rearward direction, and detachably mounted on the front of the barrel, and a support wall projecting rearward outside a rear end of the barrel in the radial direction and inside the housing, and bonded to the printed wiring board with adhesive.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image pickup apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Image pickup apparatuses having an image pickup device, such as a CCD image sensor or a CMOS image sensor, have been proposed.
These image pickup apparatuses are used as digital still cameras or video cameras, car-mounted cameras mounted outside a car body or inside a cabin, as outside surveillance cameras.
Most image pickup apparatuses used as car-mounted cameras or surveillance cameras include a housing serving as an outer casing, a barrel incorporated in the housing, a lens incorporated in the barrel so as to constitute an imaging optical system, and an image pickup device provided in the housing so as to capture a subject image guided by the imaging optical system, for example, as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2005-266276.
FIG. 4 shows an image pickup apparatus 10′ disclosed in the above-described publication. The image pickup apparatus 10′ includes a housing 50 serving as an outer casing, a barrel 52 incorporated in the housing 50, a lens 54 incorporated in the barrel 52 so as to constitute an imaging optical system, an image pickup device 56 provided in the housing 50 so as to capture a subject image guided by the imaging optical system, and a lens cover 58 screwed on the front of the barrel 52 so as to fix the lens 54 to the barrel 52.
The image pickup device 56 is mounted on a printed wiring board 64 that is screwed to the housing 50.
In order to adjust the distance between the lens 54 and the image pickup device 56 during assembly of the image pickup apparatus 10′, an external thread 5202 provided on the barrel 52 is coupled to an internal thread 5002 provided on the housing 50 by screwing.
Further, in order to ensure resistance to water, a first O-ring 60 is provided between the lens 54 and the barrel 52, and a second O-ring 62 is provided between the barrel 52 and the housing 50.
In this image pickup apparatus 10′, the image pickup device 56 is provided inside the housing 50 and on the rear side of the barrel 52, and a space is provided in the housing 50 between a rear end of the barrel 52 and the image pickup device 56.


The liquid crystal display device of the invention includes: a liquid crystal layer taking on a roughly vertically aligned state in the black display state: first and second polarizing plates placed to face each other so that the transmission axes are orthogonal to each other; at least one first phase plate placed between the liquid crystal layer and the first polarizing plate and/or the second polarizing plate; at least one second phase plate placed between the first phase plate and the first or second polarizing plate whichever is farther from the first phase plate; and an illuminator for illuminating the liquid crystal layer with light via the first or second polarizing plate. The first phase plate has biaxial optical anisotropy and has functions of compensating part of thickness-direction retardation of the liquid crystal layer in the black display state and suppressing light leakage caused by deviation of the transmission axes of the first and second polarizing plates from the mutual orthogonal relationship in a tilted viewing angle direction. The second phase plate has negative uniaxial optical anisotropy and has a function of compensating the thickness-direction retardation of the liquid crystal layer in the black display state in cooperation with the first phase plate.

The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device, and more particularly, to a liquid crystal display device presenting black display when the liquid crystal layer thereof takes on a roughly vertically aligned state.
In recent years, liquid crystal display devices have come into wide use thanks to their improvement in display quality. However, further improvement in display quality is yet strongly desired.
One of the display properties of liquid crystal display devices of which further improvement is demanded is reduction in viewing angle dependence of display quality. That is, it is desired to develop a liquid crystal display device capable of presenting display with a sufficiently high contrast ratio even when observed in a direction tilted with respect to the normal to the display plane (the direction is defined by the viewing angle). In other words, widening of the viewing angle of a liquid crystal display device is desired.
To improve the contrast ratio of display presented by a liquid crystal display device, it is important to suppress light leakage in the black display state. In this aspect, a liquid crystal display device presenting black display when the liquid crystal layer thereof takes on a roughly vertically aligned state is advantageous. Examples of such a liquid crystal display device include a normally-white mode TN type liquid crystal display device and a normally-black mode vertically aligned type liquid crystal display device. These types of liquid crystal display devices present black display using a roughly vertically aligned liquid crystal layer and a pair of polarizing plates placed to face each other via the liquid crystal layer in a crossed-Nicols state. The black display presented by these liquid crystal display devices is good when observed in the direction normal to the display plane. However, when observed in a direction tilted from the normal to the display plane (hereinafter, such a direction is referred to as a "tilted viewing angle direction"), the black display degrades in quality due to occurrence of light leakage.
The light leakage in a tilted viewing angle direction occurs because (1) birefringence is generated when the liquid crystal layer in a vertically aligned state is observed in a tilted viewing angle direction and (2) the transmission axes of the pair of polarizing plates placed in the crossed-Nicols state are deviated from the mutual orthogonal relationship (the angle formed by the transmission axes exceeds 90°) when observed in a tilted viewing angle direction.
For example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2000-39610 discloses that in a normally-black vertically aligned type liquid crystal display device, light leakage in a tilted viewing angle direction can be suppressed by (1) compensating retardation of a liquid crystal layer in the black display state with an optical sheet having negative uniaxial anisotropy and (2) providing an optical sheet having biaxial anisotropy that can be equivalent of a λ/2 plate (half-wave plate) having a slower axis parallel or perpendicular to the transmission axis (also called the polarization axis) of a polarizing plate.
However, when a uniaxial anisotropic optical sheet and a biaxial anisotropic optical sheet are designed according to the disclosure of the above publication, it is found that the selection range allowed for the biaxial anisotropic optical sheet capable of attaining good black display in a tilted viewing angle direction is so narrow that industrial use of this optical sheet is difficult.
Moreover, when the biaxial anisotropic optical sheet having in-plane retardation of 190 nm or more described in the above publication is used, it is found that the margin allowed for alignment between the slower axis of the biaxial anisotropic optical sheet and the transmission axis of the polarizing plate is small. Therefore, slight misalignment will cause light leakage even in the direction normal to the display plane, and this will degrade the front contrast ratio.
The aforementioned publication also describes that it is preferred to use a biaxial anisotropic optical sheet of which Nz (Nz=(nx−nz)/(nx−ny) where nx, ny and nz are the refractive indices of the biaxial anisotropic optical sheet in the slower axis direction, in the faster axis direction and in the thickness direction, respectively) is in the range of 0.28 to 0.67 (see FIG. 4). It is however difficult to industrially manufacture a biaxial anisotropic optical sheet having Nz of less than 1.0 (that is, nx>nz>ny).


Aspects of the present disclosure relate to asynchronous memory management. In embodiments, an input/output (IO) workload is received at a storage array. Further, one or more read-miss events corresponding to the IO workload are identified. Additionally, at least one of the storage array's cache slots is bound to a track identifier (TID) corresponding to the read-miss events based on one or more of the read-miss events' two-dimensional metrics.

A storage array also called a disk array, is a data storage system for block-based storage, file-based storage, or object storage. A storage array can use multiple drives (e.g., spinning hard disk drives (HDDs) or solid-state drives (SSDs)) to store a large amount of data. Further, a storage array can include memory that stores quick access copies of data stored in a drive. Additionally, a storage array can include a management system that manages the array's disk and memory resources.

Memory management based on read-miss events


An epoxy-functional resin composition including the reaction product of (a) a stoichiometric excess of at least one divinylarene dioxide, and (b) at least one of: a primary (1°) monoamine, a bis-secondary (2°) amine lacking nitrogen atoms, or mixtures thereof; a curable composition including (i) the epoxy-functional resin composition, and (ii) at least one curing agent; and a cured thermoset resin prepared from the curable composition.

Epoxy-functional derivatives of epoxy resins are of interest in the industry as these derivatives can be useful to improve the properties of the curable epoxy resin formulations made from such epoxy-functional derivatives such as reduced volatility and reaction exotherm; and to improve the properties of the thermosets derived from these curable epoxy resin formulations such as increased flexibility and fracture toughness.
Epoxy-functional resins comprising the reaction products of an excess of bisphenol A diglycidyl ether and a primary (1°) monoamine (such as n-butylamine) are known in the prior art. However, these known epoxy-functional resins have a relatively poor balance of properties, i.e., one or more of the resins' properties such as heat resistance and melt viscosity may be inadequate for use in some applications.
Various polymers of divinylbenzene dioxide (DVBDO) including epoxy-functional resins comprising the reaction product of excess DVBDO and a polyamine such as diethylenetriamine are also disclosed in the prior art. For instance, Examples 24-28 of U.S. Pat. No. 2,912,389 disclose epoxy-functional resins. However, the epoxy-functional resins disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,912,389 have a very high equivalent ratio of epoxide/amine groups (e.g., r=10) and the resulting epoxy-functional resins gel upon heating to greater than or equal to (≧) 120° C.


Methods are described for the delivery of one or more small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) to a eukaryotic cell using a bacterium. Methods are also described for using this bacterium to regulate gene expression in eukaryotic cells using RNA interference, and methods for treating cancer of cell proliferative disorders. The bacterium includes one or more siRNAs or one or more DNA molecules encoding one or more siRNAs. Vectors are also described for use with the bacteria of the invention for causing RNA interference in eukaryotic cells.

Gene silencing through RNAi (RNA-interference) by use of short interfering RNA (siRNA) has emerged as a powerful tool for molecular biology and holds the potential to be used for therapeutic gene silencing. Short hairpin RNA (shRNA) transcribed from small DNA plasmids within the target cell has also been shown to mediate stable gene silencing and achieve gene knockdown at levels comparable to those obtained by transfection with chemically synthesized siRNA (T. R. Brummelkamp, R. Bernards, R. Agami, Science 296, 550 (2002), P. J. Paddison, A. A. Caudiy, G. J. Hannon, PNAS 99, 1443 (2002)).
Possible applications of RNAi for therapeutic purposes are extensive and include silencing and knockdown of disease genes such as oncogenes or viral genes. One major obstacle for the therapeutic use of RNAi is the delivery of siRNA to the target cell (Zamore P D, Aronin N. Nature Medicine 9, (3):266-8 (2003)). In fact, delivery has been described as the major hurdle now for RNAi (Phillip Sharp, cited by Nature news feature, Vol 425, 2003, 10-12)
Two methods have been described which can be used in mouse models:
(1) Direct hydrodynamic intravenous injection of siRNA or shRNA-encoding plasmids: using this method, several authors have described application of RNAi against various conditions, e.g. hepatitis B (A. P. McCaffrey et al., Nat. Biotechnol. 2003 June; 21(6):639-44), fulminant hepatitis (E. Song, S. K. Lee, J. Wang, N. Ince, J. MM, J. Chen, P. Shankar, J. Lieberman. Nature Medicine 9, 347 (2003)), tumor xenograft (Spaenkuch B, et al. JNCI, 96(1): 862-72 (2004)), hepatic transgene expression (D. L. Lewis, J. E. Hagstrom, A. G. Loomis, J. A. Wolff, H. Hereijer, Nature Genetics, 32, 107 (2002), D. R. Sorensen D R, M. Leirdal, M. Sioud, JMB, 327, 761 (2003)). This method uses a high pressure and high volume injection (2.5 ml) into the mouse tail vein. The mechanism of siRNA/DNA uptake into the cells is not clear but probably mechanical damage to the vascular endothelial layer is involved. A clear disadvantage of this method is that this is not a method which could be developed into human application as it involves a massive volume charge and completely unknown mechanism of action.
(2) Direct injection into the target tissue (brain) of an siRNA encoding adenoviral vector (H. Xia, Q. Mao, H. L. Paulson, B. L. Davidson, Nat Biotechnol, 20, 1006 (2002)). This method showed silencing of transgene (GFP) expression in the brain tissues reached by the adenoviral vector. However, the area of silencing could not be predicted reliably. This method might be developed further and might become applicable for local, e.g. intratumoral injection. Viral vectors have been used widely for gene therapy purposes, but one lesson learned from gene therapy experiments is that viral spreading can be unpredictable at times and lead to unwanted side effects (Marshall E. Science 286(5448): 2244-5 (1999)). A new method is needed for the safe and predictable administration of interfering RNAs to mammals.

Compositions for bacterial mediated gene silencing and methods of using same


The lipstick case has a lipstick dish or cup which has a protrusion. The protrusion is inserted within a longitudinal groove of a dish or cup vertical sliding tube so that the dish is permitted to slide within the dish vertical sliding tube along the longitudinal groove. The dish vertical sliding tube is fixed to a shutter vertical sliding tube within the shutter vertical sliding tube. A dish or cup turning tube is inserted between the dish vertical sliding tube and the shutter vertical sliding tube. The dish turning tube has a spiral guide groove wound along the longitudinal direction of the dish turning tube. The protrusion of the dish is positioned within the spiral guide groove of the dish turning tube. The longitudinal axes of the dish vertical sliding tube, the shutter vertical sliding tube, and the dish turning tube are substantially parallel. An upper case with an opening is fixed to the dish turning tube. A shutter enclosed by the upper case such that when the upper case is turned relative to the shutter turning tube in one direction, the shutter retracts to expose the opening of the upper case while the dish moves toward the opening. When the upper case is turned relative to the shutter turning tube in the opposite direction, the shutter closes the opening and the dish moves away from the opening.

The invention relates to a lipstick case which automatically opens a cover when lipstick is extended from the case and automatically closes the cover when the lipstick is retracted.
FIG. 1 indicates a disassembled view of a previous lipstick case.
In the previous lipstick case, a dish or cup 100, having a machined protrusion 102 on a body 101, functions as a case for housing a lipstick L. A dish or cup vertical sliding tube 200 has a straight guide groove 202 machined in the longitudinal direction of the body 201. The lower portion of the body 201 is so arranged to be a connection portion 203 for attachment to a lower case 400 that is used as, for example, a separately formed handle. A dish or cup turning tube 300 has a spiral guide groove 302 machined along an inner circumferential surface of a body 301. A lower case 400 has a connection portion 402 to be attached to the connection portion 203 of the dish vertical sliding tube 200. The lower case 400 is formed and is used both as a lower portion of the case and as a handle. An upper case 500 is provided for enclosing and covering a lipstick L.
FIG. 2 indicates a sectional view of the previous lipstick case assembly. An outer cylindrical portion of the vertical sliding dish tube 200 is inserted into a dish turning tube 300 so that their mutual turning may be possible. A protrusion 102 of the dish 100 is arranged to be inserted into spiral groove 302 of dish turning tube 300 through straight guide groove 202 of dish vertical sliding tube 200. Thus the dish 100 is housed in dish vertical sliding tube 200. In the bottom region, the connection portion 203 of dish vertical sliding tube 200 is attached to the connection portion 402 of lower case 400. Dish vertical sliding tube 200 and lower case 400 are thus assembled. After the dish 100 houses lipstick L, said elements are to be covered with upper case 500.
When using the lipstick case formed in this way, after pulling upper case 500 off, the lower case 400 is turned by taking the dish turning tube 300 by one hand and the lower case 400 by the other hand at the same time. The dish vertical sliding tube 200 is turned together with the lower case 400, and the protrusion 102 of dish 100 turns along the spiral guide groove 302 of dish turning tube 300 and moves up and down along the straight guide groove 202 of dish vertical sliding tube 200. Thus, the lipstick L, together with dish 100, juts to the outside of dish vertical sliding tube 200 to be ready to use. After using the lipstick L, the lower case 400 is turned in the reverse direction contrary to the above, by taking the dish turning tube 300 by one hand, and by taking the lower case 400 by the other hand. The dish 100 moves down together with lipstick L. In this way, when the lipstick L together with dish 100 has moved down, lipstick L becomes in a safe keeping position by closing and covering the lipstick L with the upper case 500.
However, when using the previous lipstick case as described above, the upper case 500 should be removed. After finishing the application of the lipstick L, lipstick L is to be safely kept by enclosing and covering it with the upper case 500. Therefore, applying make up by holding a mirror by one hand while removing the upper case 500 with the same hand is very inconvenient. Furthermore, whenever the upper case 500 is removed, there is the opportunity for the upper case 500 to be misplaced or lost. Thus, impurities may become stuck to the lipstick L because the lipstick L is unprotected by the upper case 500.

Dongan-Ku, Anyang-City, Kyunggi-Do 430-082


A three-dimensional (3D) memory cell separation among 3D integrated circuit (IC) (3DIC) tiers is disclosed. Related 3DICs, 3DIC processor cores, and methods are also disclosed. In embodiments disclosed herein, memory read access ports of a memory block are separated from a memory cell in different tiers of a 3DIC. 3DICs achieve higher device packing density, lower interconnect delays, and lower costs. In this manner, different supply voltages can be provided for the read access ports and the memory cell to be able to lower supply voltage for the read access ports. Static noise margins and read/write noise margins in the memory cell may be provided as a result. Providing multiple power supply rails inside a non-separated memory block that increases area can also be avoided.

I. Field of the Disclosure
The technology of the disclosure relates generally to three-dimensional (3D) integrated circuits (IC) (3DICs) and their use for processor cores, including central processing unit (CPU) cores and other digital processor cores.
II. Background
In processor-based architectures, memory structures are used for data storage. An example of a memory structure is a register. A register is a small amount of storage available as part of a processing unit, such as a central processing unit (CPU) or other digital processor. Registers are used for temporary storage of data as part of instruction executions by the arithmetic and logic unit (ALU). Registers have faster access times than main memory. Data from memory such as a cache memory is loaded into registers by operation of instructions to be used for performing arithmetic operations and manipulation. The manipulated data stored in a register is often stored back in main memory, either by the same instruction or a subsequent instruction.
A register file is an array of process registers in a processing unit. The register file plays a key role in processor operations, because it is usually the busiest storage unit in a processor-based system. Modem integrated circuit-based register files are usually implemented by way of fast static random access memories (SRAMs) with multiple ports. SRAM-based register files have dedicated read and write ports to provide for faster read and write access, whereas ordinary multi-ported SRAMs share read and write accesses through the same ports.
Register files have several characteristics that can affect their performance. For example, providing larger register files requires a large footprint area in an integrated circuit (IC). Larger footprint areas can increase register file access latency. Larger footprint areas can also increase peripheral logic areas and produce retiming arcs for other components placed around the register files. Multiple supply voltage rails may be used to provide sufficient voltage to avoid inadvertent flips in the stored bit due to insufficient static noise margins (SNMs) and read/write (R/W) noise margins (RWNMs). If multiple power supply rails are provided inside the register file to be able to separately supply and lower supply voltage for SRAM read access ports, additional area in the IC will be required for the register file. Many of these issues are exacerbated in multi-core processing units such as are used in many conventional computers.

Three-dimensional (3D) memory cell separation among 3D integrated circuit (IC) tiers, and related 3D integrated circuits (3DICs), 3DIC processor cores, and methods


A display apparatus includes a panel module, an assembly member, a glue layer, and a touch module. The assembly member is engaged with a sidewall of the panel module. The glue layer is disposed on the panel module and at least one portion of the glue layer is disposed on the assembly member. The touch module is disposed on the glue layer. The panel module and the assembly member are adhered to a first side of the glue layer. The touch module is adhered to a second side of the glue layer opposite to the first side.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a display apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, owing to the rapid development of the electronics industry and the information industry, the related products also become increasingly sophisticated. For the current personal computers, in addition to seeking more rapid and more powerful computing units and a wide range of peripheral equipments to meet user needs, compact sized portable computers are the key development area of the industry.
For example, liquid crystal displays have advantages such as high definition, small size, light weight, low driving voltage, low power consumption, and a wide range of applications, and thus can be widely applied in portable televisions, mobile phones, camcorders, notebook computers, desktop monitors, and other consumer electronics products and become the mainstream of the displays.
A backlight module is one of key components used in a liquid crystal display (LCD). Since the panel module used in the liquid crystal display does not have the capability of emitting light, the function of the backlight module is provide a light source with sufficient brightness and uniform distribution for enabling the liquid crystal display to display an image normally. Nowadays, the liquid crystal display is widely used in an electronic product with growth potential such as a monitor, a notebook computer, a digital camera, a projector, thus continuously growing the demands of backlight module and its related components.
In general, during the process of assembling a panel module and a backlight module of a conventional liquid crystal display, a cell tape of which both sides are adhesive is adhered to an upper polarizer on a top portion of the panel module and an exterior wall of a frame of the backlight module, thereby attaching the panel module to the backlight module. As to a small or medium sized liquid crystal display, the panel module therein has a relatively large width and the backlight module therein has a relatively smaller thickness. Therefore, in order to enhance the capability of resisting the peeling force between the panel module and the backlight module under test, a direct gluing method is used to replace the cell tape adhering method in the design of fixing the panel module to the backlight module.
However, during the process of directly bonding a touch module to a panel module for a display apparatus, a glue layer applied between the touch module and the panel module usually results in overflow glue due to compression, thus further affecting the light-emitting quality of the display apparatus. Therefore, when the overflow glue is drained to the cell tape used for bonding the panel module to a backlight module for the display apparatus, an assembly personnel usually removes the overflow glue by manually scraping or repeatedly wiping with alcohol. However, the foregoing approaches seriously decrease the adhering strength of the cell tape, thus causing the panel module and the backlight module to be separated from each other easily. Furthermore, because the cell tape is opaque, the overflow glue cannot be cured due to failing to expose to curing light, thus exacerbating the overflow glue problem. Accordingly, many in the industry are endeavoring to develop techniques that effectively prevent the overflow glue problem during the process of directly bonding the touch module and the panel module of the display apparatus.


This application discloses a media content recommendation method. The method includes the steps of receiving historical data of access to media content by a user or media content data followed by the user; determining an interest tag of the user according to the historical data or the followed media content data; and determining a recommended user group for the user according to the interest tag, and sending an identifier of the recommended user group to a client for presentation. The method further includes the steps of receiving an access request that carries the identifier of the recommended user group and that is sent by the client; determining, according to the identifier of the recommended user group, media content recommendation information provided by each user in the recommended user group; and pushing, to the client, the media content recommendation information provided by each user in the recommended user group.

Social networking means that interpersonal relationships are networked. Individuals take part in social networking activities on social networking service platforms. With the emergence of various social networking service websites and applications, social networking booms and creates a new mode for interpersonal communication. According to current popular social networking models, users may communicate according to user relationships formed based on a friend chain, a friend circle, or the like. There are an increasing number of circles in this era, from larger circles such as business circles, entertainment circles, and cultural circles to smaller circles such as backpacker circles, rock and roll circles, and food circles. It is more important for users having same interests to exchange information in a same circle.

Media content recommendation method, server, client, and storage medium

TENCENT TECHNOLOGY (SHENZHEN) COMPANY LIMITED


The rock drill apparatus (1) comprises a rock drill machine (6) provided with a percussion device (4), a feed device (9) and a tool (7), the tool (7) end comprising a bit (8) for breaking rock. The tool (7) is arranged to transmit impact energy generated by the percussion device (4) as a compression stress wave to the bit. The feed device (9) is arranged to thrust the tool (7) and the bit (8) against the rock to be drilled, whereby on drilling at least part of the compression stress wave generated by the percussion device (4) to the tool (7) reflects from the rock to be drilled back to the tool (7) as tensile stress, and impact energy of the percussion device (4) is adjusted on the basis of the level of tensile stress (σv) reflecting from the rock.

Rock drill machines are employed for drilling and excavating rock e.g. in underground mines, opencast quarries and on land construction sites. Known rock drilling and excavating methods include cutting, crushing and percussing methods. Percussion methods are most commonly in use in connection with hard rock types. In the percussion method the tool of the drill machine is both rotated and struck. Rock breaks, however, mainly by the effect of an impact. The main function of the rotation is to make sure that buttons or other working parts of the drill bit or bit at the outer end of the tool always hit a new spot in the rock. The rock drill machine generally comprises a hydraulically operated percussion device, whose percussion piston provides the tool with the necessary compression stress waves and a rotating motor that is separate from the percussion device. In the percussion method efficient breaking of rock requires that the bit be against the rock surface at the moment of impact. The impact energy of the percussion device strike produces in the tool a compression stress wave, which is transmitted from the tool to the bit arranged in the tool end and therefrom further to the rock. Generally, in all drilling conditions part of the compression stress wave reflects back to the tool as tensile stress. If the rock is soft and the rock/bit contact is poor the level of tensile stress is high in the wave reflecting from the rock. If drilling is continued into soft rock with excessive impact energy it generally results in worn threaded joints between the drill rods and/or premature fatigue failures of the drilling tool.
In general, the method that is currently used for drilling control, a so-called feed-impact-followup-control method, is not able to prevent drilling into soft rock with excessive impact energy. In the feed-impact-followup-control method the impact pressure is controlled on the basis of the feed of the drilling machine. The interdependence of the impact pressure and the feed pressure in rock drilling is presented in U.S. Pat. No. 5,778,990, for instance. When soft rock is drilled, the feed pressure remains in the set value. Only, if the velocity limit set for the feed of the drilling machine is exceeded, the feed pressure drops and the pressure of the impact along with it. However, in a situation, for instance, where the feed-impact-followup-control method is used for drilling from hard to soft rock, the penetration rate of the drilling rises. In practice, it is impossible to set the velocity limit of the feed to be sufficiently accurate for penetration rate values of different rock types, in order for the velocity limit of the feed-impact-followup-control to restrict the feed pressure in a desired manner. Because the penetration rate of the drilling thus remains below the velocity control limit set for the feed, the feed pressure and consequently the impact pressure remain at the original level, which results in high tensile stress in the tool. Generally speaking, the velocity limit is constant and it is set so high that it will not detect change in rock type, but only drilling into a void.

Method and arrangement of controlling of percussive drilling based on the stress level determined from the measured feed rate


Computer based systems and methods allow collaborative shopping for and/or designing of (e.g., customization) consumer products, such as articles of footwear, apparel, athletic equipment, etc., by plural users using different computing devices. The users' computing devices may be in communication with one another in various manners, such as over networked connections (e.g., a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), an internet connection, etc.); via peer-to-peer communications; through a common server or combination of servers that establish a communications link; etc.). The various parties may participate in an on-line or other computer communicative session to create and buy customized products. Additionally, user interfaces for providing these collaborative sessions are described.

Recent years have ushered in dramatic advancements in electronic computing devices and their capabilities, including dramatic advances in the information readily available to such devices (e.g., over the internet or other networked connections) and communications capabilities between such devices. The present invention takes advantage of these technological advances and in on-line commerce field.

Collaborative activities in on-line commerce


Compressible and resilient sealing compositions for injection into oil or gas wells are provided, which are capable of forming effective seals adjacent well casings even at elevated downhole temperatures. The compositions comprise an epoxy component present in a predominant weight percentage, including an epoxy resin and a glycidyl ether modifier, as well as additional components rendering the cured compositions both compressive and resilient. The compositions are used as a partial or complete substitute for casing cements, and can be used to good effect with expandable casing installations or for sealing casing breaks. High set-up temperature (220-300° F.) compositions preferably include an ethoxylated alkyl (C10-C20) monoamine or diamine, and alkyl pyridine quaternary ammonium components.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is broadly concerned with downhole-curable epoxy-based compositions for use in oil or gas well applications as a total or partial substitute for conventional casing cements. More particularly, the invention is concerned with such compositions and methods of use thereof, wherein the compositions include a predominant epoxy component including an epoxy resin and a glycidyl ether modifier, and one or more additional components, whereby the complete compositions may be injected into a well and cured therein at temperatures of from about 75-350° F. to create a compressible and resilient sealing body within the well.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional oil and gas wells have to be drilled in multiple sections in order to ensure that the hydrostatic pressure in the section being drilled lies between the pore and fracture pressures of the surrounding formations. After drilling each section a casing is lowered into place and the annulus between casing and rock is filled with cement. Once set, the cement provides support and protection for the casing and should also provide a seal to prevent fluid communication between the formations through which the well has been drilled. However, cement often does not produce a reliable seal because it is a rigid and brittle material and because standard placement techniques do not provide a mechanism whereby it can be set into a suitable state of stress.
Conventionally, each subsequent section of the well has to be drilled at a smaller diameter in order to allow for its casing to be lowered down through the previous one, so that for very deep wells the reservoir can only be reached with a narrow diameter casing. This is a serious problem, because the smallest diameter, bottom-most casing limits the amount of hydrocarbons which can be recovered per unit time from the well.
Recently, expandable casings have been introduced into the market. These are lowered into the well and then expanded in situ to a larger diameter using a conical swaging mandrel moved from bottom to top. Using this technology the reduction in diameter with each successive section is reduced, and they can potentially be used to construct a well of constant diameter along its whole depth.
The use of solid expandable tubing in the oil and gas industry is becoming increasingly common. Such tubing offers the potential to drill deep wells of significantly larger diameter at the reservoir than can be done with conventional casings. However, expandable tubing poses new challenges for cementing. After casing expansion, the annulus between the casing and the borehole can be very narrow, which makes it difficult to achieve satisfactory mud displacement if cement is pumped at this stage. Therefore the cement is normally placed prior to the casing expansion. Accordingly, the expansion must be carried out after placement but before the cement has set; otherwise the rigid set cement will either be crushed by the expansion (potentially fracturing the surrounding rock) or will prevent expansion altogether. The cement must therefore have an unusually long thickening time, in as much as extra time must be allowed to carry out the expansion.
It is common practice to cement only the lower portion of each section in this way; if the whole annulus is cemented then an even longer thickening time is required, and this leads to excessively long wait-on-cement times in order to operate in a safe window. However, cementing only the lower section of the casing carries risks also, since it leaves the bulk of the casing unsupported and unprotected against corrosion by formation fluids, and reduces the probability of achieving zonal isolation.
Patent publication U.S. 2008/0105429 describes a method of cementing expandable well tubing making use of a sealant composition which is injected downhole and allowed to solidify into a deformable matrix. The composition may comprise poly(propylene oxide) diglycidyl ether and amine crosslinkers.
During well production, casing breaks sometimes occur along the length of the casing string. Unless promptly remedied, such breaks can drastically lower well production. It is common practice to inject additional well cement in an effort to plug the break, but this often gives only partial results.
There is accordingly a need in the art for improved downhole sealant compositions which can be used as a partial or complete replacement for conventional casing cements and which provides a compressible and resilient seal adjacent part or all of the casing.

Modified epoxy-amine compositions for oil field uses


A semiconductor device may include a first semiconductor die. A passivation layer supports the first semiconductor die. The passivation layer may include a first via having a barrier layer and a first redistribution layer (RDL) conductive interconnect coupled to the first via through the barrier layer. The first via may couple the first semiconductor die to the first RDL conductive interconnect.

Field
Aspects of the present disclosure relate to semiconductor devices, and more particularly to a redistribution layer for fabrication of a fan out structure.
Background
The process flow for semiconductor fabrication of integrated circuits (ICs) may include front-end-of-line (FEOL), middle-of-line (MOL), and back-end-of-line (BEOL) processes. The front-end-of-line processes may include wafer preparation, isolation, well formation, gate patterning, spacer, extension and source/drain implantation, silicide formation, and dual stress liner formation. The middle-of-line process may include gate contact formation. Middle-of-line layers may include, but are not limited to, middle-of-line contacts, vias or other layers within close proximity to the semiconductor device transistors or other like active devices. The back-end-of-line processes may include a series of wafer processing steps for interconnecting the semiconductor devices created during the front-end-of-line and middle-of-line processes. Successful fabrication of modern semiconductor chip products involves an interplay between the materials and the processes employed.
An interposer is a die-mounting technology in which the interposer serves as a base upon which the semiconductor dies of a system on chip (SoC) are mounted. An interposer is an example of a fan out wafer level package structure. The interposer may include wiring layers of conductive traces and conductive vias for routing electrical connections between the semiconductor dies (e.g., memory modules and processors) and a system board. The interposer may include a redistribution layer (RDL) that provides a connection pattern of bond pads on the active surface of a semiconductor device (e.g., a die or chip) to a redistributed connection pattern that is more suitable for connection to the system board.
Fabrication of wafer level package structures may include attachment of a semiconductor device (e.g., a die or chip) to the wafer level package structure according to a chip first attach process prior to forming the redistribution layer. The chip first attach process, however, may be problematic for split die applications, rendering the semiconductor device defective because of the formation of the redistribution layer and/or because of defects associated with the redistribution layer.

Damascene re-distribution layer (RDL) in fan out split die application


A method for checking quality when resistance-welding workpiece includes pressing welding electrodes with an electrode force against a weld spot of the workpieces using an electrode drive and energizing the welding electrodes with a welding current for a duration of a welding time in order to liquefy a surface of the workpieces. The method further includes determining, at a first time before a beginning of the liquefaction, a first value of a welding electrode parameter identifying a position of one or both electrodes, and determining, at a second time after the beginning of the liquefaction, a second value of the welding electrode parameter identifying a position of one or both electrodes. The method further includes comparing the first value and the second value and, evaluating a quality of the welding process based on the comparison.

Welding processes, such as for example resistance welding, may be used to connect workpieces to one another in a bonded manner. By way of example, in the course of automated body in white production using robot-controlled welding guns, various workpieces, for example metal sheets, are welded to one another by way of resistance welding.
In the course of the resistance welding, two welding electrodes of a welding gun are first of all pressed against a weld spot of the workpieces by way of an electrode drive in the course of what is known as a force generation phase until a predefined electrode force is reached. The actual welding process then takes place, in the course of which the welding electrodes are energized with a welding current for the duration of a welding time, as a result of which resistance heating of the two workpieces to be welded takes place between the welding electrodes, and the workpieces are heated until reaching a required welding temperature.

Method for checking quality when resistance-welding workpieces


Systems and techniques for computing a timing effort metric are described. According to one definition, the computed timing effort metric indicates a level of difficulty of fixing a timing violation associated with a timing path between two circuit objects in a circuit design layout.

1. Technical Field
This disclosure relates to electronic design automation (EDA). More specifically, this disclosure relates to path-based floorplan analysis.
2. Related Art
Advances in process technology and a practically unlimited appetite for consumer electronics have fueled a rapid increase in the size and complexity of integrated circuit (IC) designs. The performance of EDA tools is very important because it reduces the time to market for IC designs. Floorplanning is an important stage in an EDA design flow that involves arranging relatively large circuit blocks (e.g., macros, memories, groups of smaller logic cells, etc.) within the area allotted to the circuit design. After these circuit blocks have been arranged in the circuit design (i.e., the circuit blocks have been placed in their assigned locations in the circuit design), the logic within each circuit block can then be placed and optimized to meet circuit performance goals.
Unfortunately, due to the rapid increase in the size and complexity of IC designs, due to the stringent timing, area, and power budgets that are imposed on the IC designs, and due to the limited capabilities of conventional floorplanning tools, the floorplanning stage often takes a very long time to complete and/or produces poor quality results.