A white decorative member comprising: a substrate; a primary plate layer having a thickness of at least 1 .mu.m and covering the substrate, which is composed of Cu (alloy); an Sn--Cu--Pd alloy plate layer having a thickness of at least 0.2 .mu.m and covering the primary plate layer, which comprises 10 to 20% by weight of Sn, 10 to 80% by weight of Cu and 10 to 50% by weight of Pd as essential components; and a finishing plate layer having a thickness of 0.2 to 5 .mu.m, which is composed of at least one element selected from the group consisting of Pd, Rh and Pt. The decorative member of the present invention does not contain any Ni component, so that, when worn, it does not induce Ni allergy. Moreover, the decorative member which may have white, gold, black or multicolor being a combination of the above colors can be produced at lowered cost.

Exterior watch parts such as wristwatch case frames, back lids and bands, ornaments such as necklaces, bracelets, pierced earrings, finger rings and earrings and spectacle frames are decorative members which are brought into direct contact with the skin when worn. Most of these decorative members have a tone such as white gloss, golden gloss or black gloss.
In the industrial manufacturing of these decorative members, the common process is employed in which a coating layer with the above tones are formed on a substrate, for example, a substrate of a metal in accordance with the wet or dry plating technique.
For example, in the manufacturing of a watch case with white gloss, the common process comprises the formation as a primary layer of a Ni plate layer having a thickness of about 2 to 3 .mu.m on a surface of a substrate of brass or German silver and thereafter the formation as a finishing layer of a Pd--Ni alloy plate layer having a thickness of about 2 to 3 .mu.m on the Ni plate layer, optionally followed by flash plating of Rh or Pt on the above Pd--Ni alloy plate layer.
In the manufacturing of a decorative member with golden gloss, the common process comprises the formation of a Ni plate layer having a thickness of about 2 to 3 .mu.m on a surface of a substrate of, for example, brass or German silver, thereafter the formation of a Pd--Ni alloy plate layer having a thickness of about 2 to 3 .mu.m on the Ni plate layer and finally the formation of a layer of, for example, 22 carat Au--Ni alloy plate or an Au plate layer having a thickness of about 1 to 2 .mu.m on the Pd--Ni alloy plate layer. Further, a golden decorative member has been proposed which is produced by sequentially forming an Ni plate layer and then a Pd--Ni alloy plate layer on a surface of a substrate according to the wet plating technique and thereafter sequentially forming an about 0.1 to 10 .mu.m thick TiN layer and Au or Au--Ni alloy layer in this order on the Pd--Ni alloy plate layer according to the dry plating technique such as sputtering or vacuum evaporation technique.
In the manufacturing of a decorative member with black gloss, the common process comprises the formation of about 2 to 3 .mu.m thick Ni plate layer or Cu--Ni--Cr alloy plate layer on a surface of a substrate of, for example, brass or German silver and forming thereon an about 0.5 to 3 .mu.m black Ni plate layer or black Cr plate layer. Further, a black decorative member has been proposed which is produced by forming the above Ni plate layer or Cu--Ni--Cr alloy plate layer on a surface of a substrate according to the wet plating technique and forming thereon a TaC layer having a thickness of about 0.1 to 2 .mu.m according to the PVD technique such as ion plating or sputtering technique.
However, all the above conventional white, golden and black decorative members contain Ni, so that they have the danger of inducing dermatitis because the Ni may be dissolved as free Ni in, for example, the sweat excreted from the skin and brought into contact with the skin.
White, golden and black decorative members which do not contain Ni have recently been proposed for suppressing the above Ni allergization.
For example, white decorative members are known which are produced by forming a Cu plate layer or an Sn--Cu alloy plate layer containing 30 to 35% by weight of Sn in a thickness of at least 2 .mu.m on a surface of a substrate of, for example, brass and forming thereon a finishing layer of a Pd plate layer having a thickness of about 0.1 to 5 .mu.m. Also, white decorative members are known which are produced by forming a flash plate layer of Rh or Pt on the above Pd plate layer.
Golden decorative members are known which are produced by first forming a Cu plate layer or a plate layer of Cu alloy such as the above Sn--Cu alloy on a surface of a substrate of, for example, brass, and subsequently forming a Pd plate layer thereon and thereafter forming an Au plate layer or a plate layer of Au alloy not containing Ni, such as Au--Fe alloy, on the Pd plate layer.
Also, golden decorative members are known which are produced by sequentially forming an about 0.1 to 10 .mu.m thick TiN layer and a layer of Au per se or Au alloy not containing Ni in this order on the above Pd plate layer according to the dry plating technique.
Black decorative members not containing any Ni component are known which are produced by forming the above TaC layer directly on the above Pd plate layer according to the dry plating technique.
All the above decorative members do not contain any Ni component, so that, when worn so as to be brought into contact with the skin, they do not induce Ni allergy.
However, these decorative members, without exception, form a plate layer from Pd which is an expensive noble metal, so that the product cost thereof is inevitably very high.
Thus, efforts are being made to use a plate layer of Pd alloy in place of the plate layer of Pd per se for reducing the relative content of Pd in the plate layer to thereby lower the whole product cost thereof.
A known example of the above plate layer of Pd alloy is a plate layer of Sn--Cu--Pd alloy. However, this plate layer of Sn--Cu--Pd alloy is unsatisfactory in the reduction of product cost because the Pd content thereof is as conspicuously high as about 50 to 99% by weight.
In the above situation, the inventors made investigations on Sn--Cu--Pd alloy plate layers having a low Pd content and developed a method of plating an Sn--Cu--Pd ternary alloy composed of 10 to 20% by weight of Sn, 10 to 80% by weight of Cu and 10 to 50% by weight of Pd and a plating bath for use in this method. These are described in Japanese Patent Application No. 5(1993)-80844.
The Sn--Cu--Pd alloy plate layer proposed therein has a low density as compared with that of a plate layer of pure Pd and, for example, when compared in plate layers of the same thicknesses, the Sn--Cu--Pd alloy plate layer has its Pd content reduced by about 60%, so that the product cost can be lowered. The Sn--Cu--Pd alloy plate layer has excellent corrosion resistance and is furnished with excellent specular gloss.
The object of the present invention is to provide a decorative member which may have white, gold, black or a multicolor combination of the above colors and which does not induce Ni allergy and can be produced at lowered cost, by utilizing the above excellent properties of the Sn--Cu--Pd alloy plate layer.


A Hall element outputs a Hall voltage generated at a first terminal pair or a second terminal pair to first and second output terminals by switching the voltage in a first status and a second status. Based on the voltages of the first and the second output terminals and a reference voltage, first and second capacitors are charged. Then, the voltages of the first and the second capacitors are compared, and a detection signal is obtained. Thus, a magnetic sensor circuit which reduces influence of an element offset voltage of the Hall element and also reduces influence of an input offset voltage generated at an amplifier, and a portable terminal provided with such magnetic sensor circuit are provided.

A magnetic sensor circuit generally includes a Hall element outputting an output voltage in proportion to magnetic field intensity, an amplifier amplifying the output voltage of the Hall element, and a comparator comparing the output voltage of the amplifier with a prescribed reference voltage and outputting a result of comparison. Further, the magnetic sensor circuit is adopted to output a binary (high (H) level or low (L) level) signal dependent on whether the magnetic field of the place where the magnetic sensor is arranged is higher or lower than a prescribed reference.
In order to obtain an accurate result of comparison based on the magnetic field intensity, it is necessary to reduce offset signal components involved in the signal output from the amplifier and to curb variation in signals output from the amplifier. Main factors causing the offset signal component include an offset signal component involved in the output voltage of the Hall element (hereinafter referred to as an "element offset voltage") and an offset signal component existing at an input terminal of the amplifier (hereinafter referred to as an "input offset voltage"). The element offset voltage is mainly generated, for example, by a stress from a package to the body of Hall element. Further, the input offset voltage is mainly generated by variation in characteristics of elements forming an input circuit of the amplifier.
Japanese Patent No. 3315397 (Patent Document 1) discloses a magnetic field sensor that reduces the influence of such offset voltages. Specifically, a Hall element used in a magnetic field sensor is generally formed as a plate of geometrically equivalent shape with respect to four terminals A, B, C and D, as represented by a Hall element 1 shown in FIG. 17. Here, a geometrically equivalent shape means that the shape in the state shown in the figure is the same as the shape when the element is rotated by 90 degrees (rotated so that A-C matches B-D), as in the case of Hall element 1 of square shape shown in the figure. A voltage generated across terminals B-D when a power supply voltage is applied across terminals A-C and the voltage generated across terminals A-C when a power supply voltage is applied across terminals B-D of Hall element 1 as such have effective signal components reflecting the magnetic field intensity of the same phase, and element offset voltages of opposite phases.
At a first timing, a power supply voltage is applied across terminals A-C of Hall element 1 through a switch circuit 2, and the voltage across terminals B-D is input to a voltage amplifier 3. Then, a voltage V1 that is in proportion to a sum of the voltage across terminals B-D and the input offset voltage of voltage amplifier 3 is output from voltage amplifier 3. Further, at this first timing, a switch 5 is closed, so that a capacitor 4 is charged to the voltage V1.
Next, at a second timing, the power supply voltage is applied across terminals B-D of Hall element 1 through switch circuit 2, and the voltage across terminals C-A is input to voltage amplifier 3 to establish polarity opposite to that at the first timing. Then, a voltage V2 that is in proportion to a sum of the voltage across terminals C-A and the input offset voltage of voltage amplifier 3 is output from voltage amplifier 3.
The influence of input offset voltage is the same as at the first timing regardless of the polarity of input voltage, and therefore, output voltage V2 of voltage amplifier 3 comes to be a voltage that is in proportion to the sum of the voltage across terminals C-A having the polarity opposite to that at the first timing and the input offset voltage.
Further, at the second timing, switch 5 is opened, and between output terminals 6 and 7, an inverting output terminal 3a and a non-inverting output terminal 3b of voltage amplifier 3 and a capacitor 4 come to be connected in series. At this time, charging voltage of capacitor 4 is kept unchanged from the output voltage V1 of voltage amplifier 3 at the first timing. A voltage V across output terminals 6-7 (output voltage of magnetic field sensor) is a sum of voltage V2 at non-inverting output terminal 3b with inverting output terminal 3a of voltage amplifier 3 being a reference and a voltage −V1 at a terminal 4a with a terminal 4b of capacitor 4 being a reference, that is, a voltage obtained by subtracting voltage V1 from voltage V2. Therefore, the voltage V that cancels the influence of input offset voltage Voff is obtained as the output voltage of magnetic field sensor.
Further, as a magnetic field sensor that reduces the influence of element offset voltage and that can also reduce the influence of input offset voltage generated in the amplifier, a sensor disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 08-201491 (Patent Document 2) has been known. The magnetic field sensor includes a Hall element, a switch circuit, a voltage/current converter-amplifier, a capacitor as a storage element, a switch and a resistor.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 3315397
Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 08-201491

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Magnetic sensor circuit and portable terminal provided with such magnetic sensor circuit


An information processing apparatus, in which an operating system operates, includes a setting unit and a control unit. The setting unit sets, in a case that an application is installed and if an installation target application is installed by updating or if the operating system is not a predetermined version, to activate the installation target application in a hardware rendering mode. The control unit install, if software necessary for installing the installation target application is not installed, the necessary software, wherein the control unit installs the installation target application after installation of the necessary software, and wherein the installed application is activated according to a setting by the setting unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to processing procedures for installing software and performing an environment check and recovery thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Along with improvement in functions of applications, system changes which are necessary for using software have increased year after year. Items needs to be changed in the system include an increase of a number of modules arranged in the system, addition of descriptions to a registry necessary for operating modules, changes in a security setting of an operating system (OS), and so on and so forth. In addition, some applications may operate using other company's software, and the other company's software need to be installed in advance. For example, Windows Presentation Foundation application (hereinafter, referred to as a WPF application) has a problem in that the WPF application does not properly operate if ".NetFramework" (i.e., other company's software) in a version corresponding to the WPF application is not installed in a system environment (hereinafter, referred to as environment).
In view of such a problem, in a case where software necessary for an operation of an application is not installed, software necessary for the operation of the application is generally installed during installation processing of an installer of the relevant application. However, in a case where software necessary for the operation of the application has been already installed in the environment but there is any defect in the environment of the installed software (presence of files, registry information, or environment variables), there is concern that the application may not operate correctly.
Thus, conventionally, a technique for determining during installation processing of software whether an installation target application properly operates and determining whether to install the application before installing the application, is discussed. (for example, Japanese Patent Application laid-Open No. 2004-129246) According to the technique, since whether the application properly operates can be determined during installation processing, and thus, an issue such that the installation target application does not properly operate can be prevented. In addition, it is described that various pieces of product information such as product identification (ID), a vendor name, an application name, a version, and necessary resources are used for the determination.
In the above-described conventional technique, whether the application can be used is determined from the product information of the target application before the application is installed, and thus it is determined whether to install the application. In this case, if it is determined that the application is cannot be used by an installer, eventually the application cannot be installed.
Further, in addition to the viewpoints of the above-described conventional technique, it is also necessary to take into consideration the occurrence of defects in the operation of OS resulting from installation of the application due to an issue relating to hardware. For example, when the WPF application is activated, the OS may go into a blue screen state due to defects associated with a chipset and a driver. If a user who has fallen into such a situation is not familiar with software or hardware, sometime the user cannot take a solution for properly operating the application.

Information processing apparatus and method therefor


A two-stage protection device for an electronic component protects against transient disturbances. The electronic component may be a semiconductor component, and may include one or multiple transistors and/or an integrated circuit. The protection device is connected to at least a first contact and a second contact of the electronic component, and is disposed essentially in parallel to the component that is to be protected, between the first contact and the second contact. The protection device includes a first stage with at least one diode and a second stage separated from the first stage by a resistor. The second stage includes at least one diode arrangement having two back-to-back disposed diodes which are disposed cathode-to-cathode.

Semiconductor components are often provided with protection against transient disturbances to avoid damage to the semiconductor components that may result from high voltage pulses and/or high current pulses, which pulses may arise from an electrostatic charge. An example of such transient disturbances is ESD pulses. Various one- or two-stage systems are known for protecting against ESD pulses. Two-stage systems usually have a first stage that can accommodate high currents but that has a high voltage drop. In order to protect sensitive components, a second stage is therefore provided which is closer to the component that is to be protected; this second stage can accommodate substantially lower currents than the first stage, but has a lower voltage drop.


In a discriminating apparatus, a substrate portion of printed matter is irradiated with a light beam emitted from a light source, and the intensity of the light beam reflected from the substrate is detected by a photodetector. The discrimination as to whether the printed matter is the original or a reproduction is performed by a discriminating unit based on the contrast value in the intensity of the reflected light detected by the photodetector. Thus, the discriminating apparatus discriminates whether the printed matter is the original or a reproduction at high speed and also permits lowering the possibility of an erroneous discrimination.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a discriminating apparatus for discriminating whether printed matter is an original or a reproduction, particularly, to a discriminating apparatus for discriminating a reproduction obtained by using a base material differing from an original in the color of the base material of the printed matter.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, a color scanner or a color printer that is connected to a digital color copying machine or a computer has been widely propagated so as to make it possible to easily obtain a reproduction of printed matter. Also, the performance of these copying machine, color scanner and color printer has been prominently improved so as to make it difficult to discriminate between an original and a reproduction of printed matter. Under the circumstances, research is being conducted in an attempt to develop a discriminating apparatus for discriminating between an original and a reproduction of printed matter.
The conventional discriminating apparatus for discriminating between an original and a reproduction of printed matter utilizes in general the difference in the printing system between the two. To be more specific, the original of printed matter, e.g., authentic securities certificate, is printed in general by a relief press. On the other hand, a reproduction obtained by a copying machine or a printer is printed by dots of cyan (C), yellow (Y), magenta (M), black (K), etc. Generally, an authentic securities certificate has a high density region in which the substrate surface (non-printing region) and a printed surface (printing region) are arranged at a high density. If that high density region on the authentic securities certificate is irradiated with a light beam, a brightness pattern having large amplitude conforming to the printing pattern is generated in the light beam passing through or reflected from the particular high density region. However, if the corresponding region on a reproduction of the securities certificate is irradiated with the light beam, the amplitude of the brightness pattern of the light beam passing through or reflected from the particular high density region is diminished. Such being the situation, in the conventional discriminating apparatus as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Disclosure (Kokai) No. 2003-323656, the brightness pattern is obtained by a detector in a prescribed resolution, and the discrimination between the authentic securities certificate and a reproduction is performed on the basis of the brightness pattern thus obtained.
However, in order to irradiate the substrate surface and the printing surface with light beams for obtaining the brightness pattern contained in the transmitted light beam or the reflected light beam on the surface, it is necessary for a printing pattern providing a key to the detection to be present. To be more specific, if the reading line of the brightness pattern deviates even slightly, the read brightness pattern is rendered quite different from the brightness pattern contained in the transmitted light beam or the reflected light beam.
Also, in another conventional discriminating apparatus as disclosed in Japanese Patent Disclosure No. 2003-323656 referred to above, it is necessary to suppress the fluttering or wrinkling of the printed matter to a level lower than the depth of the focal point at which sufficient resolution can be obtained in the portion where a printing pattern providing a key to the detection is present. It follows that high accuracy is required in the transfer device of the discriminating apparatus, so as to make it difficult to discriminate the printed matter at high speed. This difficulty does not provide a critical defect in the discriminating apparatus mounted to an apparatus not requiring the processing at high speed such as an ATM because the serviceability ratio of the discriminating apparatus section is low, though the processing rate of, for example, the ATM is lowered. However, it is difficult to use such a discriminating apparatus in a machine required to handle a large amount of printed matter for performing the discrimination between the original and a reproduction.
It should also be noted in conjunction with the conventional discriminating apparatus that, if fluttering or wrinkling is generated in the printed matter in a magnitude larger than the depth of the focal point, the erroneous discrimination is increased.


A laser warning receiver (LWR) to detect a very low power laser beam for a laser beam rider and provide a high angular resolution in determining the angle-of-arrival of that beam. An aperture having a fixed field-of-view (FOV) is located in a detection channel followed by a narrow-band filter and a detector whose output is applied to a pulse analyzer circuit. A localization channel with the same FOV has a similar narrow-band filter and a lens to focus light from that FOV onto a detector through a N×M element LCD matrix, an output of that detector being applied to the pulse analyzer circuit whose output is applied to a LCD pattern selector connected to the matrix which controls elements in the matrix to provide a transparent window of variable size and position. The size and position of that window allows a laser beam to reach the detector, the window being iterative reduced in size when a beam is detected to provide the location of its source.

Many research laboratories and manufacturers around the world are presently involved in the development of laser warning receivers (LWR) for the purpose of protecting military platforms against laser guided weapons by detecting, identifying and locating the laser sources associated with those weapons. A high angular resolution in the determination of the angle-of-arrival of the laser radiation from laser guided weapons is essential in order to effectively optimize counter measures deployed against those weapons. That type of resolution is, however, only possible with the receivers available at present for powerful laser sources such as laser weapons (LW), laser range finders (LRF) and laser target designators (LTD) which generate relatively high levels of power density on a sensing device. The detection of very low level power (VLPL) sources, such as associated with a laser beam rider (LBR), is still generally characterized by a very low resolution with few of the existing LWR's being capable of detecting radiation from a LBR with an angular resolution better than a quadrant. LBR detection up to now has been usually carried out by dedicated wide field-of-view (FOV) high-gain modules, one per quadrant, which simply detect a LBR source without any high degree of resolution. One problem with VLPL detection is high irradiance level created by the sun in normal daylight conditions as compared to the irradiance of the VLPL source so that the beam from the VLPL source is deeply buried in background radiation.
Various techniques for the detection of laser sources are known that use shadow masks, fibre optic bundles, lenses, video imagery, coherence discriminators or holography to achieve detection. Most of these techniques do not provide a combination of a low detection threshold, high angular resolution, wide FOV and wide waveband coverage as required for effective detection and localization of LBR weapons.
The most straightforward method for detecting laser sources combine a photodetector and a narrow-band filter. The filter reduces the level of background radiation and achieves the low detection threshold required. The bandwidth of the filter is fixed and chosen to match the VLPL source wavelength. A problem associated with this method is the lack of angular resolution which is, typically, limited to a quadrant. These types of methods were, however, successfully combined with a gated video camera to produce a high sensitivity system having a high angular resolution as described by Jacques Dubois in U.S. Pat. No. 5,280,167 which issued on 18 Jan. 1994. The main drawbacks of the system described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,280,167 is the relative complexity and, as a result, the high cost associated with that system.

Low irradiance sensor with iterative angular resolution

Her Majesty the Queen in right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of National Defence of Her Majesty's Canadian Government


Small particle yttrium, gadolinium, terbium and cerium borate phosphors are produced by thermal decomposition of gels or solutions or powders containing yttrium, gadolinium, terbium and cerium salts and an organic precursor such as trimethyl borate or boric acid at a temperature below the normal temperature of solid state reaction. The phosphor of the present invention has the empirical formula: EQU (Y.sub.1-x-y-z Gd.sub.x Tb.sub.y Ce.sub.z)BO.sub.3. wherein: 0.0.ltoreq.x.ltoreq.0.2, 0.01.ltoreq.y.ltoreq.0.1, and 0.0.ltoreq.z.ltoreq.0.1.

Plasma display panels (PDP), as used in high definition televisions (HDTV) and projection television (PTV) applications, conventionally use manganese activated zinc silicate phosphor as a green emitting component due to its availability and high quantum efficiency. However, compared with red and blue emitting phosphors, zinc silicate exhibits a wide spectrum of emission with low color purity, long persistence and fast saturation with vacuum ultra violet (VUV) flux. Therefore, many efforts have been made to develop a phosphor that provides improved performance characteristics and can be used to replace Mn activated zinc silicate.
In addition, the red phosphor, green phosphor and blue phosphor currently used in PDP's have different physical characteristics and each requires a different phosphor paste rheology and screening process. Also, after screening, these phosphors exhibit different optical and electrical characteristics. These different characteristics affect the design and performance of the display. Therefore, to provide for compatible physical characteristics, it would be advantageous to form all three phosphors from a common host material that exhibits suitable red, green and blue emission under Xenon plasma excitation.
HDTV and similar types of display devices should have high resolution and high brightness for better performance. This can be achieved only with thin phosphor screens formed with very small phosphor particles (1-2 microns) in a close rib structure. Screens with small particles have a higher packing density and also require a lower binder content. HDTV and other such devices also require phosphors to display short persistence (between 5 and 10 ms) in order to prevent the formation of ghost images. It is known that lanthanide borates provide high quantum efficiency, good stability at operating temperatures and long life time with various activators, coactivators and sensitizers, particularly under VUV excitation. However, very limited information is available on the preparation and luminescence of lanthanide borates, and particularly, rare earth (RE) activated yttrium borate and yttrium gadolinium borate phosphors.

Small particle terbium activated yttrium gadolinium borate phosphors and method of making

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


An information retrieval system is described that dynamically prioritizes search request results prior to output to a user. When a database search yields multiple hits, the results are first categorized into a series of groups. Categories are determined from any number of different factors, such as geographical locations of the search results, amenities, hours of operation, etc. For each category, the search results can be parsed into groups within the category. The results are first reported to the user in general terms, as a number of search results in each of the groups. The user is prompted to select the group that is of most interest, and the portion of the individual search results that are within the selected group are reported.

In our modern, fast-paced society, consumers are increasingly relying upon directory assistance systems instead of conventional telephone books for quick access to directory information and guidance concerning local retail establishments or other popular destinations. Whether by use of landline or mobile telephones, directory assistance systems obviate the inconveniences of physically locating an appropriate telephone book and manually researching through the book to find a desired telephone number to call. Further, directory assistance systems are particularly useful for mobile telephone users seeking to place a telephone call while operating an automobile or otherwise being in transit.
Conventional telephone directory assistance systems operated by local telephone companies have been in place in some format for over a century, before telephones even incorporated dialing mechanisms. In the modern versions of conventional telephone directory assistance, a computerized voice prompts a user to first identify a city and state and then provide a name of a person or a business. If the information can be recognized and identified through speech recognition and/or natural language understanding software, the requested telephone number is provided through a computerized voice. Otherwise, a human telephone operator asks for additional information, such as spelling or a street address, and then performs a database search. While this service is quite useful, it is generally limited to either providing telephone numbers or directly connecting the caller to the requested person or business.
Recently, directory assistance systems, particularly those designed for use with mobile telephones, have incorporated additional features to facilitate searching for other types of information concerning retail business establishments. For example, directory assistance operators can provide information concerning the weather, movie listings, restaurants of a particular cuisine located in the vicinity, etc. These systems have proven to be quite popular. However, their operation requires direct interaction with a human operator, which is expensive.
As speech recognition technology continually improves, applications for utilizing speech recognition for information retrieval systems are becoming a more popular resource for consumers. As an example, "Info-by-voice for Atlanta" is an automated, voice-operated telephone directory that is available to consumers in the metropolitan area surrounding Atlanta, Ga., who wish to obtain directory assistance information concerning topics such as restaurants, traffic information, stock quotes, weather, sports, and business news. By using this service, a caller provides information in response to a series of questions from a synthesized voice, and then receives a list of names and contact information for businesses matching the desired criteria. For example, if a caller submitted a request for Chinese restaurants, the system might identify five places for the caller to consider. As can be readily seen, an audio information retrieval directory can provide a useful and convenient resource for local and topical information.
Developments in dynamic processing of an index in a database for information retrieval systems are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,878,423 to Anderson et al., issued Mar. 2, 1999 ("the '423 patent"), which is incorporated herein by reference. The '423 patent discloses a method and system for dynamically processing an index to create a set of questions used when processing a data query. An index is a guide that is processed and used to find information from within a database, such as a database of classified advertising information. The set of questions are arranged according to a question set order associated with the index, and the set of questions only includes those questions that trigger responses that are found within the index.
While information retrieval systems such as those described in the '423 patent have become more efficient in processing data inquiries and retrieving database information, there are several difficulties that are often encountered when supplying the information to a caller. Even if a caller is fully concentrating on the telephone call, it is difficult for the caller to retain more than limited amounts of the information that was provided orally by the information retrieval system. If the system provides as output a list of several business names that match the caller's request, confusion is created as the caller attempts to remember all of the information. Considering that callers typically access such systems while operating a motor vehicle or are otherwise in transit, there is a need to quickly and efficiently communicate the most pertinent information to the user. Accordingly, there is a need for a system and method of formatting the results generated by an information retrieval system to provide usable and easily discernable information.

Method and system for selectively presenting database results in an information retrieval system

AT&T Delaware Intellectual Property, Inc.


Provided is a novel vector for immunostimulation and methods of using same in immunotherapy, in particular cancer immunotherapy. The novel vector comprises nucleic acid sequences encoding 4-1BB ligand (4-1BBL, CD137 ligand), single chain IL-12 (sc IL-12) and IL-2, wherein the vector provides for an increased expression of 4-1BBL as compared to the expression levels of sc IL-12 and IL-2. Specifically, the nucleic acid sequences encoding 4-1BBL, sc IL-12 and IL-2 are organized in the vector in 5′ to 3′ orientation in a sequential order 1, 2, 3, with the proviso that the gene encoding sc IL-12 is not at position 1. Embodiments of the present disclosure include virus particles comprising the novel vector as well as cancer or immune cells transduced or transfected with the novel vector.

The immune system provides the means for recognizing and destroying foreign invaders, such as bacteria or viruses, as well as damaged, diseased, or abnormal cells in the body, including cancer cells. Primary players in immune system responses include macrophages and natural killer cells, which provide a general, or nonspecific, level of immune protection. Other cell types, including cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) and B lymphocytes, act against specific targets. Immune responses include humoral responses, in which B cells produce antigen-specific antibodies, and cell-mediated responses, in which antigens or antigen-bearing cells are recognized and destroyed by various types of T cells by using a variety of different mechanisms. Cell-mediated immune responses including a CTL response are considered to be key to the elimination of tumor cells and virus-infected cells.
It is generally believed that the natural capacity of the immune system to detect and destroy abnormal cells prevents the development of many cancers. Nevertheless, some cancer cells have developed strategies to evade destruction by the immune system. For example, several different mechanisms exist which cancer cells can use to suppress immune responses. They can also undergo genetic changes that lead to the loss of cancer-associated antigens, making them less "visible" to the immune system. Similar considerations apply with respect to different viruses, which have also adopted immune evasion strategies, leading to a failure of the host's immune system to control viral infection.
The goal of immunotherapy is to overcome these barriers to an effective immune response. Immunotherapy-based biological therapies restore or increase the activities of specific immune-system components or counteract immunosuppressive signals produced by cancer cells or during viral infectious diseases. Tumor cells, among others, are killed by CTLs in an antigen-specific manner. Thus, agents that promote T-cell activation and impart strong cytolytic and inflammatory properties are ideal candidates for enhancing tumor-specific immunity.
New forms of therapy continue to be needed, and one major avenue of immunotherapeutics is based on gene transfer technology. Gene therapy has been established as a way to deliver immune therapy. Non-replicating viruses and viral vectors were originally proposed 20 years ago as anticancer agents using, inter alia, immune activating (e.g., IL-2) modalities (see, for example, Crofts and Krimsky, 2005, Hum Gene Ther. 16: 169-177). WO 2004/035799 describes an adenoviral vector comprising nucleic acid sequences, which code for single chain IL-12 (scIL-12), the costimulatory protein 4-1BB ligand (4-1BBL), and IL-2, for gene therapy in the treatment of infectious diseases and cancer.
The present disclosure relates to a novel vector-based immunotherapy, which represents an improvement over prior gene therapy approaches effective for converting an inactive into an active immune microenvironment and thereby treating cancer and viral infections.


The folder of a printing press includes an air knife assembly to reduce damage to signatures as they travel through the folder and to guide signatures through the folder.

In web offset printing, a desired image is repeatedly printed on a continuous web or substrate such as paper. In a typical printing process, the continuous web is slit in the longitudinal direction (the direction of web movement) to produce a plurality of continuous ribbons. The ribbons are aligned one on top of the other, folded longitudinally, and cut laterally to produce a plurality of multi-page, approximately page-length segments, each of which is termed a signature. The term signature also encompasses a single printed sheet that has or has not been folded. Because more than one different signature can be printed at one time, it is often desirable to separate the different signatures by transporting successive signatures in different directions or paths.
One way to accomplish the sorting of a single stream of signatures is to use a diverter mechanism, such as a diverter wedge, to divert successive signatures to one of two paths. Once diverted, the signatures typically are transferred to a conveyor using rotating buckets (also known in the art as fans, fan wheels, paddle fans, or rotary flywheels).
Typically, two sets of rotating buckets assemblies are utilized, one set to deliver signatures traveling along a first path to a first conveyor and the other set to deliver signatures traveling along the second path to a second conveyor. Each set of bucket assemblies includes several individual buckets arranged at a spaced distance from one another along a common axis or shaft. Each bucket has multiple aligned blades that define pockets or slots between them for receiving signatures and transferring the signatures to the respective conveyor.
It is desirable to increase the operating speed of a printing press in order to increase the printed product output. However, as the rotational speed of the buckets is increased, it is more difficult to ensure the reliable operation of the buckets and to ensure that signatures are not damaged. For example, signature quality problems that can occur at higher press speeds include ink offset, dog-eared edges, and defects to both the leading and trailing edges of the signatures. These and other defects can lead to paper jams in the folder, resulting in press downtime and expense.
When the signatures are not snugly held between guide belts, the signatures may flutter or, when the signatures are folded signatures, the signatures may open partially. Signature fluttering and/or opening can result in damage to the signatures in the folder. Signatures may also "free fall " (i.e. travel without any belt guidance whatsoever) as they move through the folder, resulting in the potential for the signatures to flutter and/or opening.


Organometallic compounds useful for forming aluminum films by chemical vapor deposition are disclosed. Also disclosed are methods of preparing the organometallic compound and methods of forming aluminum films. The compounds are selected from Rxe2x80x2Rxe2x80x3Rxe2x80x2xe2x80x3Al:Ln wherein Rxe2x80x2, Rxe2x80x3, Rxe2x80x2xe2x80x3 are independently selected from alkyl, perfluroalkyl or alkoxy or borate. L is one or more organic Lewis bases selected from thiophene, thriopyran and,

The present invention relates to precursor compounds useful for depositing alumina films used as a dielectric material in semiconductor devices, processes for preparing the compounds, and methods for vapor deposition of metallic films on silicon substrates using the compounds. More specifically, the present invention relates to compounds for forming alumina films upon adhesive layers or diffusion-preventive layers formed on substrates such as silicon substrates, processes for preparing the compounds, and methods for vapor deposition of metal oxide films.
According to the trend of large scale integration and miniaturization of semiconductor devices, the area occupied by memory cells, such as DRAM (xe2x80x9cdynamic random access memoryxe2x80x9d), is rapidly decreasing. Therefore, it is important in the area of DRAM capacitors to guarantee sufficient capacitance within a small area.
Capacitance increases in proportion to the dielectric constant of a dielectric material and the area of dielectric film used in capacitor and is in inverse proportion to the thickness of film, and therefore, three possible approaches may be considered in order to obtain sufficient capacitance with the limited cell area of DRAM.
First, the cell structure of the capacitor may be converted into a 3-dimensional one in order to maximize the effective area of dielectric film within the restricted small area. Actually in the 4 mega-DRAM, the capacitor having a plane structure has been replaced with that having a stack or trench structure, each of which is a 3-dimensional one, for the purpose of enlarging the effective area. Also in the 16 mega- or 64 mega-DRAM, the effective area has been secured using the more complicated 3-dimensional capacitor such as a fin cylinder or crown.
However, this approach has the problem that very complex capacitor structures need to be formed in a cell having a small area. Therefore, adoption of such 3-dimensional structures in the manufacture of more than 256 mega-DRAM, such as 1 giga-DRAM, is restricted due to their increasing complexity and high cost.
Second, the thickness of the dielectric film may be decreased to guarantee the capacitance. However, even though the 3-dimensional capacitor structure is used for maximizing the effective area, if the existing NO (Si3N4/SiOx) composite dielectric material is used, the thickness of dielectric film should be lowered to 40 to 45 xc3x85 in order for guaranteeing the minimum capacitance per cell, i.e. 25 to 30 fF (femptoFarad). Further, the reduction of thickness may result in the increase of current leakage due to the tunneling phenomenon or the increase of soft error by xcex1-particles, and consequently, the reliability of device may be threatened seriously.
Third, another dielectric material having a higher dielectric constant may be used instead of the currently used one for capacitors, such as for example, ONO structure such as SiO2/Si3N4/SiOx or NO structure such as Si3N4/SiOx, having a lower dielectric constant. Under the situation as explained above, extensive studies have been carried out for forming dielectric films of a capacitor using materials having higher dielectric constants than the earlier developed ones, whereby the capacitance can be stably secured in the manufacture of the next generation memory of more than 256 mega-DRAM. Use of such films having high dielectric constants may settle the problems such as difficulties in manufacturing processes, complexity of capacitor structures, reduction of reliability of devices, etc. One of the dielectric films currently studied for that purpose is alumina film.
Since 1970s, the study of alumina CVD using commercially available alkyl aluminum and aluminum alkoxide was performed in the USA and Japan. The typical aluminum compounds used have been trimethylaluminum having the formula Al(CH3)3 and aluminum isopropoxide having the formula Al(O-iC3H7)3.
The compounds as recommended above, however, show some problems when they are used as precursors. The alkylaluminum compound, trimethylaluminum, has been used for various purposes in different technical areas, and thus, it can be commercially purchased from the market with a low cost. Also, it has the advantage of being effectively used as the CVD precursor because it exists as a liquid having a high vapor pressure at room temperature. However, since the vapor deposition of film is achieved at a high temperature of 300 to 400xc2x0 C., the undesirable impurity carbon may remain in the alumina film and a very careful handling may be required due to the explosive inflammation caused by the trifling contact of alkylaluminum compound with the ambient air, which commonly occurs when the alkyl aluminum compound is used.
The aluminum alkoxide compound, i.e., aluminum isopropoxide, is cheap and commercially available. Also, it does not inflame upon contact with moisture. However, it has the disadvantage that since it exists as a solid at room temperature or its vapor pressure is low, high temperature heating may be required at the stage of vapor deposition which results in the decomposition of the compound, or the deposition process may not be reproducible due to the condensation of the compound.
In the case of vapor-deposition of aluminum films using such compounds, several problems may occur, such as for example, the introduction of undesirable carbon impurities into the aluminum film; the difficult to achieve process reproducibility which is caused by the decomposition of precursor compound in the reactor due to the high temperature heating; and explosive inflammation caused by the reaction of the compound with moisture, etc.
In order to solve the problems mentioned above, the present inventor has complemented the earlier invention relating to a precursor compound for forming aluminum film via chemical vapor deposition method and process for preparing the same, which was filed by the present inventor as Korean Patent App. No. 98-38572, and as a result, completed the present invention.
The present invention provides a novel aluminum compound and process for preparing the same, by which can be solved some problems found in the prior art for precursor compounds for alumina and aluminum CVD, such as for example, difficult to achieve reproducibility of film deposition processes, explosive inflammation of the compounds upon contact with moisture, and the residual impurities in the film. Further, according to the present invention, the skilled person may enjoy the large range of selection of the precursor compounds.
In one aspect, the present invention provides an organometallic complex useful for depositing a highly pure alumina film on a substrate by chemical vapor deposition, having the Formula I:
Rxe2x80x2Rxe2x80x3Rxe2x80x2xe2x80x3Al:Lnxe2x80x83xe2x80x83(I)
wherein Rxe2x80x2, Rxe2x80x3 and Rxe2x80x2xe2x80x3 are independently selected from alkyl, perfluoroalkyl or alkoxy each of which has 1 to 5 carbon atoms, or borate (BH4); L is one or more organic Lewis bases capable of providing an unshared electron pair to the aluminum metal center selected from thiophene, thiopyran and organic amines of the Formulae II or III:
wherein R is an alkyl having 1 to 4 carbon atoms; R1, R2, R21, R22, R23 and R24 are independently selected from hydrogen (H) or alkyl having 1 to 2 carbon atoms; X is oxygen (O) or nitrogen having alkyl group; k and l are integers of 1 to 3; m is an integer of 2 to 8; and n is an integer of 1 or 2.
In a second aspect, the present invention provides a vapor deposition precursor composition comprising an organometallic compound as described above and one or more heterocyclic amine solvents.
In a third aspect, the present invention provides a process for alumina film formation including the step of vapor depositing an alumina film on a substrate, wherein the source of aluminum in the alumina film is a vapor deposition precursor including an organometallic compound of the Formula:
Rxe2x80x2Rxe2x80x3Rxe2x80x2xe2x80x3Al:Lnxe2x80x83xe2x80x83(I)
wherein Rxe2x80x2, Rxe2x80x3 and Rxe2x80x2xe2x80x3 are independently selected from alkyl, perfluoroalkyl or alkoxy each of which has 1 to 5 carbon atoms, or borate (BH4); L is one or more organic Lewis bases capable of providing an unshared electron pair to the aluminum metal center selected from thiophene, thiopyran and organic amines of the Formulae II or III:
wherein R is an alkyl having 1 to 4 carbon atoms; R1, R2, R21, R22, R23 and R24 are independently selected from hydrogen (H) or alkyl having 1 to 2 carbon atoms; X is oxygen (O) or nitrogen having alkyl group; k and l are integers of 1 to 3; m is an integer of 2 to 8; and n is an integer of 1 or 2.
In a fourth aspect, the present invention provides a process for preparing an organometallic compound of the Formula:
Rxe2x80x2Rxe2x80x3Rxe2x80x2xe2x80x3Al:Lnxe2x80x83xe2x80x83(I)
wherein Rxe2x80x2, Rxe2x80x3 and Rxe2x80x2xe2x80x3 are independently selected from alkyl, perfluoroalkyl or alkoxy each of which has 1 to 5 carbon atoms, or borate (BH4); L is one or more organic Lewis bases capable of providing an unshared electron pair to the aluminum metal center selected from thiophene, thiopyran and organic amines of the Formulae II or III:
wherein R is an alkyl having 1 to 4 carbon atoms; R1, R2, R21, R22, R23 and R24 are independently selected from hydrogen (H) or alkyl having 1 to 2 carbon atoms; X is oxygen (O) or nitrogen having alkyl group; k and l are integers of 1 to 3; m is an integer of 2 to 8; and n is an integer of 1 or 2; including the step of combining in the absence of a solvent the organic Lewis base and a tri-substituted aluminum compound of the formula Rxe2x80x2Rxe2x80x3Rxe2x80x2xe2x80x3Al, wherein Rxe2x80x2, Rxe2x80x3 and Rxe2x80x2xe2x80x3 are as defined above.

Compounds for forming alumina films using chemical vapor deposition method and process for preparing the compound

Abstract: or

Abstract: as defined in the instant specification.


A hand held spreader having the bottom-face of the hopper portion at an angle with respect of the horizontal and having the handle for holding the device disposed directly below the hopper and so directly below the weight of the hopper; the handle is angled so as to afford an in-line action between the trigger of the handle and the slide of a dispensing mechanism, thus avoiding any requirement or a linkage between the trigger and the slide mechanism. Also the gear-box portion of the device is of a simple clam-shell design that allows the rotary drive shaft of the device to be removably supported on opposite sides of its load bearing section by means of bearing supports on both sides of at least one of the gears. The supports are part of the separate halves of the housing itself, thus avoiding the need for additional or separate bearing structures. A rotor disc is also provided having blade members strategically disposed thereon in a manner that avoids interference with the deposition of material on the surface of the disc.

this invention relates to mechanically-operated hand held spreaders of broadcasting lawn fertilizer and grass seed and other products suitable for dispersing over the ground.
Normally, hand held spreaders of the present kind are small enough to be held by hand while carrying a load of seed or fertilizer so ah the operator can walk over the ground to be treated and at the same time operate at suitable crank to disperse the contents of the spreader. In view of this compound action--holding, walking and turning a crank--required of the operator of such devices, there is a need to provide a hand held spreader which is easy to use, that is economic in design, efficient in operation, and is simply constructed so as to afford trouble-free operation.


Described herein are architectures, platforms and methods for selective content sharing feature between computing devices, and particularly, a system that supports user configurable application-level privacy for selective content sharing between computing devices.

A typical multi-monitor solution involves a host device displaying content such as multimedia, software application, etc. on a remote display through a wired or wireless link. Many hosts support a mode that clones or mirrors the content of a local display to the remote display. In other words, whatever content that appears in the local display will also be rendered in the remote display. These contents that are rendered to a host frame buffer are sent to the remote display, regardless of the sensitivity of the application (software application) that renders the content.
One of the major challenges in the multi-monitor display configuration is the lack of support for application-level privacy to allow a user to share selective content being rendered on the primary display with the secondary display. This is especially true if the secondary display is used in clone/mirror mode or if the secondary display is acting as the primary display (e.g., PC is connected to a projector; however, the PC display is turned off and projector is used as the primary display).
Therefore, it is a challenge to provide solutions that supports application-level privacy in selective content sharing of computing devices.

Selective content sharing on computing devices


Embodiments of isolated gate driver circuits are disclosed for driving high- and low-side switching devices for half- and full-bridge power converter topology. Disclosed circuits provide sufficient dead-time, operate over a wide range of duty cycles, and require a single power supply (Vcc). Typical applications for such circuits include cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) inverters that are powered by a high voltage DC rail.

Power switching devices having a capacitive gate control input such as MOSFETs, insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs), and MOS-controlled thyristors (MCTs), are used in a multitude of electronic switching applications such as ON/OFF load controls, switching amplifiers, motor drivers, switch mode power supplies (SMPSs), and cycloconverters for their superior performance at high switching frequencies. Such devices are turned on by charging the gate capacitance to some appropriate, relatively low, voltage value and are turned off by discharging the gate capacitance. Information as to when the power switching device is to be on and off is delivered to a gate driver circuit which is designed to rapidly charge and discharge the gate capacitance of the power switching device as a means of turning the device on and off.
However, in circuits using high-side and low side MOS-gated devices, such as motor controllers, the two MOS-gated devices cannot be on at the same time, because it creates a direct short circuit known as "shoot-through" condition. A common application involves using two MOS power transistors stacked in series between two power supply rails as the output stage of a switching regulator, conventionally referred to as a "half-bridge" configuration. In a "shoot-through" condition, when both power switches are turned on at the same time, a low resistance path is created between the two power rails and a large current will flow through the two power switches. A shoot-through wastes power, can cause fluctuations in the power supply voltage, and/or can cause over-heating, which will damage the power switches.

Isolated gate driver circuit for power switching devices


A self dislodging filter element, primarily for automotive applications, has a filter screen attached to an annular magnet. The filter element is installed in a port or conduit through which fluid flows and is held in place with magnetic attraction. If the filter screen becomes too clogged, pressure from the fluid impinging on the clogged screen overcomes the magnetic attraction and the filter slides down the conduit to be deposited in a repository and out of the fluid flow path.

Automotive systems such as air conditioning systems, power steering systems, and the like employ circulating pressurized fluid. The fluid can become contaminated with small particles, so filter elements, such as thimble filters, sometimes are employed in the fluid path to trap contaminates. One problem with such filters is that they can sometimes become clogged, thereby restricting fluid flow and degrading system performance. Various filter units employing some form of automatic bypass in a clogged filter condition have been employed, but most are complicated and can be unreliable. A need exists for a simple filter system that, when clogged, takes itself out of the fluid flow to prevent constriction or restriction of the flow. It is to the provision of such a filter system that this invention is primarily directed.


An immersion upper layer film composition includes a resin and a solvent. The resin forms a water-stable film during irradiation and is dissolved in a subsequent developer. The solvent contains a monovalent alcohol having 6 or less carbon atoms. The composition is to be applied to form a coat on a photoresist film in an immersion exposure process in which the photoresist film is irradiated through water provided between a lens and the photoresist film.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an immersion upper layer film composition and a method of forming photoresist pattern.
2. Discussion of the Background
In the manufacture of semiconductor devices and the like, a stepping or step-and-scan projection exposure device (aligner) has been used in which a pattern of a reticle (photomask) is transferred onto each shot region on a wafer provided with a photoresist through a projection optical system.
The resolution of the projection optical system provided in the projection exposure device increases as the exposure wavelength used becomes shorter and the numerical aperture of the projection optical system becomes greater. Therefore, the exposure wavelength which is the wavelength of radiation used in the projection exposure device has been reduced along with scaling down of integrated circuits, and the numerical aperture of the projection optical system has been increased.
The depth of focus is also important for exposure in addition to the resolution. The resolution R and the depth of focus δ are respectively shown by the following expressions.R=k1·λ/NA  (i)δ=k2·λ/NA2  (ii)
In the above expressions, λ is the exposure wavelength, NA is the numerical aperture of the projection optical system, and k1 and k2 are process coefficients. When obtaining the same resolution R, a larger depth of focus λ is obtained by using radiation with a shorter wavelength.
In the above case, a photoresist film is formed on the surface of the exposure target wafer, and the pattern is transferred to the photoresist film. In a related-art projection exposure device, the space in which the wafer is placed is filled with air or nitrogen. When the space between the wafer and the lens of the projection exposure device is filled with a medium having a refractive index of n, the resolution R and the depth of focus δ are shown by the following expressions.R=k1·(λ/n)/NA  (iii)δ=k2·nλ/NA2  (iv)
For example, when using water as the above medium in the ArF process, since water has a refractive index n for light with a wavelength of 193 nm of 1.44, the resolution R is 69.4% (R=k1·(λ/1.44)/NA) and the depth of focus is 144% (δ=k2·1.44λ/NA2) of the values during exposure using air or nitrogen as the medium.
The above projection exposure method in which the wavelength of exposure radiation is reduced to transfer a more minute pattern is called an immersion exposure method. The immersion exposure method is considered to be an essential technology for lithography with reduced dimensions, particularly for lithography with dimensions of several ten nanometers (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 11-176727).
In the immersion exposure method, both the photoresist film to be applied and to be formed on a wafer and the lens of the projection exposure device respectively contact with water. Therefore, water may permeate the photoresist film, whereby the resolution may be decreased. Moreover, the photoresist components may be eluted (dissolved) in water, thereby causing contamination of the lens surface of the projection optical system.
An upper layer film may be formed on the photoresist film in order to protect the photoresist film from water. The upper layer film which exhibits sufficient transparency for the exposure wavelength, can form a protective film on the photoresist film without being intermixed with the photoresist film, is not eluted into water during immersion exposure to maintain a stable film, and is easily dissolved in an alkaline solution as a developer are demanded.

Immersion upper layer film forming composition and method of forming photoresist pattern


An apparatus for chemical mechanical polishing includes a rotatable platen having a surface to support a polishing pad, a carrier head to hold a substrate in contact with the polishing pad, and a polishing liquid distribution system. The polishing liquid distribution system includes a dispenser positioned to deliver a polishing liquid to a portion of a polishing surface of the polishing pad, and a first barrier positioned before the portion of the polishing surface and configured to block used polishing liquid from reaching the portion of the polishing surface.

An integrated circuit is typically formed on a substrate by the sequential deposition of conductive, semiconductive, or insulative layers on a silicon wafer. A variety of fabrication processes require planarization of a layer on the substrate. For example, one fabrication step involves depositing a conductive filler layer on a patterned insulative layer to fill the trenches or holes in the insulative layer. The filler layer is then polished until the raised pattern of the insulative layer is exposed. After planarization, the portions of the conductive filler layer remaining between the raised pattern of the insulative layer form vias, plugs and lines that provide conductive paths between thin film circuits on the substrate. Planarization can also be used to smooth and remove, to a desired thickness, an insulative layer that overlies a patterned conductive layer.
Chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) is one accepted method of planarization. This planarization method typically requires that the substrate be mounted on a carrier head. The exposed surface of the substrate is placed against a rotating polishing pad. The carrier head provides a controllable load on the substrate to push it against the polishing pad. A polishing liquid, such as slurry with abrasive particles, is supplied to the surface of the polishing pad.

Slurry distribution device for chemical mechanical polishing


A bowl cover assembly having a configuration which provides for secure interlocking between the bowl and cover with at least one opening for venting purposes along the rim of the cover when the cover is locked onto the bowl.

Numerous types of bowl and cover assemblies and means for effecting a closure of the cover on the bowl have been devised. However, the present invention provides a bowl and cover which may be easily fabricated from an expanded foam plastic sheet whereby the skirt of the cover contains a semicircular locking member with an interspersion of undercut grooves for venting purposes. Likewise, the present invention provides a lid configuration whereby a plurality of lids can be stacked without creating a vacuum between adjacent stacked lids and thereby preventing vacuum locking. The elimination of vacuum locking allows the covers to be more easily and quickly handled.
Finally, the present invention fills a need in the packaging art for a lightweight disposable container for hot take-out food, such as Japanese or Chinese food. Heretofore, such containers have often been paper cartons which have little heat retention capabilities and exhibit various undesirable structural features. Foam containers have increased heat retention capabilities over paper cartons, however, heretofore such foam containers, as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,341,324, have generally provided for vacuum sealing when the cover is placed onto the bowl. When hot food is vacuum sealed within the container, the container becomes distorted in shape and such distortion often causes the vacuum seal to break, which in turn causes the cover and bowl to separate. The present invention eliminates the problems of paper containers and cartons, and the problems of vacuum sealed foam containers, and provides a container that is capable of retaining its shape and the seal between the bowl and cover when hot food is placed inside, whereby the freshness and heat of the food contained therein is retained.
The present invention comprises a bowl and cover assembly wherein the bowl includes a bottom, an upper annular rim and upwardly extending side walls rising from the margin of the bottom and terminating in the upper annular rim. An integrally formed annular interlocking lip depends radially outward from the annular rim. The annular interlocking lip comprises an annular top sealing surface and an annular edge sealing surface depending downwardly from the margin of the top sealing surface about the peripheral edge of the annular interlocking lip, and the seal between the cover and the bowl is interrupted at at least one location along its annular edge whereby to provide an opening into said bowl and cover assembly.
In another embodiment, on the inside of the annular skirt of the cover are interspersed undercut grooves for venting purposes, numbering six in this embodiment. Between each set of neighboring undercut grooves is a radially inwardly protruding semicircular interlocking bead which extends almost to the edge of each undercut groove. This bead acts as a locking member when the cover is placed on the bowl because the diameter of the semicircular bead is smaller than the diameter of the lip of the bowl.
In yet another embodiment, between the edge of the semicircular interlocking bead and the edge of an undercut groove is a section of thinned foam that lacks the semicircular interlocking bead. Because such section lacks the additional foam used to form the semicircular interlocking bead, and because no interlocking takes place between the cover and the bowl at that location, the cover is more flexible and such configuration allows for annular spring action making it easier to place one'ss fingers under the annular skirt of the cover and remove the cover from the bowl.
In yet another embodiment, the annular skirt of the cover may include an annular trim lip integrally formed with the cover which defines a radially protruding circumferential member extending from the lower edge of the lower downwardly depending portion of the annular skirt remote from the peripheral flange. The junction between the trim lip and the lower downwardly depending portion defines an inwardly facing stacking heel. The shape and circumferential length of the annular skirt and the domed panel of the lid are then selected so that the stacking heel of the upper cover will rest on the annular skirt shoulder of the lower cover thereby preventing formation of a partial vacuum between the upper and lower covers when they are stacked on top of one another.


An improved coating tool (20) is provided with a variable flexible connection between a head and handle. The improved tool broadly includes a head (22), a handle (23), a flexible connection (21) between the head and handle to permit relative pivotal movement therebetween, and a restraining member (24) operatively arranged to adjustably limit the amount of relative movement between the head and handle, whereby the amount of permissible relative movement between the head and handle may be selectively varied. In the preferred form, the restraining member (24) may vary the flexibility of the connection.

Pad-type painting tools have enjoined substantial commercial success for use in certain applications. For example, an average homeowner can use a pad-type applicator to paint trim and border areas with fewer mistakes than with a brush or roller. Shortly after pad-type applicators were developed, hollow handles having internally-threaded portions were added to accommodate extension poles by which these types of applicators could be used to paint higher hard-to-reach places.
Many pad-type applicators have a head portion on which the pad is mounted, and a handle. A painter's arm is reasonably articulable within his personal range of motion. The painter normally moves his arm in whatever direction is required to keep the pad surface pressed against the surface to be painted. While this is viable for lower painting areas (i.e., those within the painter's reach), when painting higher areas through use of an extension pole, it is sometimes difficult to keep the pad in area connect with the wall.
To this end, others have provided paint applicators with flexible connections between the head and handle. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,369,268 discloses a pad-type applicator having a head and handle. The handle is pivotally mounted on the head, and is spring-biased to move toward one position. However, the extent of permissible movement between the head and handle is not adjustable, nor is the flexibility of the pivotal connection.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,594,816 discloses yet another pad-type applicator having a flexible connection between a head and handle. However, this reference does not appear to disclose means for limiting the extent of permissible relative movement between the head and handle, or means for varying the flexibility of the connection therebetween.
Accordingly, it would generally be desirable to provide an improved coating applicator having a flexible connection between the head and handle. The improved connection should limit the extent of relative movement between the head and handle and/or allow adjustment of the degree or extent of flexibility of the connection, in order that the improved tool may be better adapted to the personal characteristics of the painter, and the location of the surface to be coated.

Coating tool with variable flexible connection between head and handle


A semiconductor die includes a chemical sensor, a digital to analog converter, and microcontroller formed therein. The chemical sensor detects the presence of a chemical and outputs an analog signal to the digital to analog converter. The analog to digital converter converts the analog signal to a digital signal. The analog to digital converter outputs the digital signal to the microcontroller. Microcontroller calculates a value of the concentration of the selected chemical.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a chemical sensor formed in a semiconductor die.
2. Description of the Related Art
Chemical sensors are used in a variety of applications. Chemical sensors are used in medical applications, industrial applications, automotive applications, security applications, and domestic applications. Some examples of chemical sensors are blood glucose sensors, carbon dioxide detectors, automobile exhaust emission monitors, radon detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, explosives detectors, and a large variety of other applications.
In the past, many chemical sensors have been large and relatively expensive. Many chemical sensors include discrete sensing elements and circuit components formed separately from each other. Such systems can be bulky and expensive to manufacture.

Single chip having the chemical sensor and electronics on the same die


The present invention provides a method of forming clusters of cells in a wireless communication system. The method includes accessing information generated by measuring channel conditions for at least one mobile unit and a plurality of cells in the wireless communication system. The method also includes adding more than one of the plurality of cells to at least one cell cluster based on the accessed information and coordinating communication between the cells in each cell cluster and the mobile unit(s).

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to communication systems, and, more particularly, to wireless communication systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
Wireless communication systems typically include a plurality of base stations or access points that provide wireless connectivity to mobile units within a geographical area that is usually referred to as a cell. The air interface between the base station or access point and the mobile unit supports one or more downlink (or forward link) channels from the base station to the mobile unit and one or more uplink (or reverse link) channels from the mobile units to the base station. The uplink and/or downlink channels include traffic channels, signaling channels, broadcast channels, paging channels, pilot channels, and the like. The channels can be defined according to various protocols including time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), code division multiple access (CDMA), orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA), as well as combinations of these techniques. The geographical extent of each cell may be time variable and may be determined by the transmission powers used by the base stations, access point, and/or mobile units, as well as by environmental conditions, physical obstructions, and the like.
Mobile units are assigned to base stations or access points based upon properties of the channels of supported by the corresponding air interface. For example, in a traditional cellular system, each mobile unit is assigned to a cell on the basis of criteria such as the uplink and/or downlink signal strength. The mobile unit then communicates with that serving cell over the appropriate uplink and/or downlink channels. Signals transmitted between the mobile unit and the serving cell may interfere with communications between other mobile units and/or other cells. For example, mobile units and/or base stations create intercell interference for all other sites that use the same time/frequency resources. The increasing demand for wireless communication resources has pushed service providers towards implementing universal resource reuse, which increases the likelihood of intercell interference. In fact, the performance of modern systems is primarily limited by intercell interference, which dominates the underlying thermal noise.
Although conventional wireless communication systems attempt to reduce the effects of intercell interference using various interference cancellation techniques, alternative approaches recognize that intercell "interference" is actually caused by signals that include valuable information. For example, on the uplink, intercell interference at one cell site is merely a superposition of signals that were intended for other cell sites, i.e., the intercell interference is formed of mobile unit signals that have been collected at the wrong place. If these signals could be properly classified and routed, they would cease to be interference and would become useful in the detection of the information they bear. While challenging, combining information received at disparate sites is theoretically possible because the cell sites are connected to a common and powerful backbone network. This is tantamount to recognizing that a network of wireless cell sites can form a large distributed multi-access channel and all users can be served through all the cell sites. This ambitious approach, which has been termed "Network Multiple-In-Multiple-Out" or "Network MIMO", leverages the almost unlimited bandwidth available in wireline networks to transcend intercell interference and alleviate the wireless bottleneck.
A complete implementation of Network MIMO requires that all the cell sites in a system are tightly coordinated both in reception (uplink) and in transmission (downlink). However, wireless signals become progressively weaker as they propagate outward from the cell site. Consequently, coordination may be restricted to clusters of cell sites with minimal performance degradation of the Network MIMO system. Reducing the coordination from the entire system to predetermined clusters of cell sites can substantially reduce the backbone traffic required to coordinate operation of the cells.
FIG. 1 conceptually illustrates a static cell cluster pattern for a conventional network MIMO system 100. The system 100 includes a plurality of cells 105 that are grouped into clusters 110. In the interest of clarity only a single cell 105 and a single cluster 110 are explicitly referred to using the identifying numerals. Although not explicitly shown in FIG. 1, persons of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that each cell 105 includes one or more base stations and/or access points for providing wireless coverage to the cell 105. Accordingly, the term "cell" may be used herein to refer to the geographic area and/or the corresponding base station. The clusters 110 shown in FIG. 1 are disjoint and each of them contains 3 cells. For example, one cluster 110 includes the cells 1, 3, 5 and an adjacent cluster includes the cells 2, 6, 14. The membership of cells 105 and the various clusters 110 is predetermined based upon factors such as the geography of the region including the cells 105 and/or the clusters 110. Mobile units may then be assigned to clusters 110 on the basis of factors such as the received signal powers and/or a total interference at the cells 105 in each cluster 110.
The decay in the signal strength that makes clustering feasible is, however, randomized by fading, which may vary over time and frequency. As a result, signals traveling the same distance in different parts of a given system may encounter differences of several tens of dB in attenuation because of distinct fading. Signals traveling through the same part of the system at different times may also experience different fading. For example, signals traveling from a given point in distinct directions may encounter differences of several tens of dB in attenuation. As a result, the signal strength received by cell sites (over the uplink) and/or mobile units (over the downlink) is a variable function of the environment. However, the predetermined cluster definitions cannot account for the variability of channel conditions associated with each mobile unit and/or cell site.

Method for adaptive formation of cell clusters for cellular wireless networks with coordinated transmission and reception


A rear sight is provided for attachment to a bow which has been fitted with a forward bow sight of the type having a pin, the distal end of which can be aligned with a target to aim an arrow. The rear bow sight includes an arm having a forward and rearward end, the forward end being mounted on the bow and the rearward end has a second pin thereon. The distal end of the first pin, and the distal end of the second pin, are sighting points for aiming an arrow to be launched at a target by the bow.

It is well known that sights may be positioned on bows to aim the arrow shot therefrom. Bow sights are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,711,036; 4,669,196; 4,662,347; 4,317,288; 3,477,130; 3,450,122; 4,715,126; 4,263,718 and 4,462,163. A rear bow sight is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,570,352.
The most common bow sight includes a mounting bracket for retaining a sighting point such as the distal end of a pin, and a small loop which is fitted along the length of the bow string. To aim the bow, the archer sights his eye through the loop on the bow string and aligns the sighting pin over his target and centers the sighting point and target in the loop to aim the arrow.
The aiming of an arrow requires not only sighting on the target before the archer releases the arrow from the bow, but requires that the archer maintain the bow at its proper orientation while the arrow is being propelled by the forward moving bow string. The aim of the arrow will be lost if there is movement of the bow while the arrow is being propelled by the bow string. A bow sight which requires the archer to aim through a loop or other object attached to the string cannot maintain his aim while the arrow is being launched, and, therefore, the accuracy of the shot is dependent upon the archer's ability to blindly retain his bow's position while the arrow is launched.
Another problem with bow sights requiring an archer to align the tip of a pin and the target in the center of a loop on a bow string occurs in poor lighting. In poor lighting conditions, the archer cannot distinguish the boundaries of the field of vision established by the loop on the bow string, and cannot tell when the pin and target are in the center of the field of vision.
Another problem with sighting a bow arises from the differences between the arrows used in the bow. At the rear end of the arrow is a longitudinal slot into which the bow string is fitted. Frequently, the slot in the arrow is narrower than the width of the bow string such that the arrow grips the bow string. Some arrows grip the bow string more tightly than others. When an arrow that tightly grips a bow string is shot from a bow, the arrow will retain its grip after the bow string passes the relief position of the bow and will cause the arrow to decelerate before it is finally separated from the bow string. Arrows which more tightly grip a bow string will have a lesser initial speed than arrows with a loose grip, and, therefore, the flight of one arrow is not the same as the flight of another.
It would be desirable, therefore, to provide a bow sight which could be used in combination with a pin of the type on existing bow sights, to aim an arrow which would not be lost once the sting is released and would not require the archer to sight through a small hole. It would also be desirable to provide a device for releasing an arrow from a bow string after the bow string has passed the relief position.


A reinforced foam core acoustic baffle includes a pressure-release polystne foam core, upper and lower steel reinforcing plates, a plurality of steel reinforcing rods, and a high-density foam skirt. The reinforcing plates are bonded to the upper and lower surfaces of the foam core, and the reinforcing rods are received through the core and are secured between the reinforcing plates so as to maintain the plates in spaced relation. The high-density foam skirt comprises a plurality of high-density foam panels which are bonded to the side surfaces of the foam core so as to overlap the upper and lower reinforcing plates. The foam panels are bonded with a watertight epoxy adhesive that forms a watertight seal with the reinforcing plates, and the foam panels further prevent the pressure-release foam from being crushed inwardly at the sides.

(1) Field of the Invention
The instant invention relates to underwater acoustic sensor systems and more particularly to a reinforced foam core acoustic baffle for use at depths up to 1200 feet.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
It is well known in the art to provide underwater noise measurement, tracking and telemetry systems with acoustic baffles in order to reduce underwater background noise such as that caused by wave motion, wind, and electro-mechanical machinery on boats. In this regard, pressure-release foam baffles have heretofore been known in the art for use in shallow water acoustic sensor systems. Pressure-release foam is a low-density foam having a high content of air pockets and therefore it greatly dampens any sound pressure wave impinging on it. However, it has been found that pressure-release foam is not useful in depths greater than 300 feet because hydrostatic pressure crushes the foam. Denser foams are able to withstand greater pressure; however, they also have poorer acoustic baffling capabilities.
A deep water acoustic baffle is disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,975,799 to McGee et al. It comprises a one-inch thick sheet of fiber-metal which is enclosed in neoprene. While this baffle is highly stable at deep water pressures, the material in general is inferior to low-density pressure-release foam in its ability to provide acoustic baffling.
Also of interest is U.S. Pat. No. 4,669,573 to Goodman which discloses an underwater acoustic baffle enhancer. The '573 baffle enhancer comprises a stiffened resistive screen fixed in front of a compliant material. An irregular shaped material is provided on the other side of the screen to provide stiffness. The core of the baffle is suffused with water to prevent collapse of the baffle under large hydrostatic pressures.
Other acoustic baffles for use in depths of up to two thousand feet comprise laminated structures which include a rigid inner element sandwiched between two flexible outer sheets and surrounded around its edges with a waterproof seal to completely encapsulate the inner element. The inner element includes a plurality of evenly distributed air cavities which provide a low acoustic impedance compared to water. The inner element further maintains a constant separation between the flexible cover sheets, and therefore maintains a low acoustic impedance even under high hydrostatic pressures.
Although thee prior art structures can provide a low acoustic impedance at great depths, they are considered to be too costly and too heavy for use in current systems.

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy


There is proposed a methodology for specifying the behavior of reactive systems, which is based on “Playing in” the system's possible scenarios. The use of this methodology is shown by building a practical “Play In Engine” tool based on the methodology. Users will be able to connect their Mock-Up GUI to the tool by “playing” their GUI and specifying the required system reactions in a simple and intuitive manner. As this is being done, the system will automatically generate behavior specifications in the language of Live Sequence Charts (LSCs), or any other suitable requirement language, such as various temporal logics or timing diagrams. On the basis of the system behavior specification, the user can play out scenarios through a play out engine.

Object orientation has been the most dominant methodology for developing software systems in the last two decades. Object oriented modeling (OOAD—Object Oriented Analysis and Design) started to show up in the late 1980's and has been used to "lift" concepts from the programming language level to a more abstract level using visual formalisms. The basic structural model for objects features a graphical notation for such OO notions as classes and instances, relationships and roles, and aggregation and inheritance. As to system behavior, there are two aspects that have to be modeled, the intra-object behavior which describes the way each one of the instances behaves, and the inter-object behavior which describes the interaction between objects in different possible scenarios of the system. As for the first aspect, most object-oriented modeling approaches adopted the statecharts language [1]. Each class is associated with a statechart that describes the behavior of the class instances. As for the second aspect, the most widely used language is message sequence charts (MSCs), adopted long ago by the International Telecommunication Union. MSCs is a visual language used to describe possible scenarios of a system behavior. In this language, objects are drawn as vertical lines and the communication between these objects is denoted by messages (horizontal lines going from the sending object to the receiving one). Messages in the language of MSCs may describe a wide variety of 'real' communications, such as actual messages sent on communication lines between computers, exchanging information using shared memory on a single machine, or even calling functions of one object by another one. Use cases were introduced in order to model the system by identifying the different observable behaviors and interactions of the system with the user.
In 1997 the Object Management Group (OMG) adopted the standard of UML (Unified Modeling Language) This standard encapsulates most of the ideas and notions mentioned above and brings them together as a single worldwide accepted standard. According to most UML-based methodologies for system development, the user first specifies the system's use cases. Then, the implementation of each use case is described using sequence diagrams (the UML name for MSCs). In a later modeling step, the behavior of each object is described by an associated statechart. Finally, each object is implemented as code in a specific programming language. Thus, for example, a use case may specify generally that "a client draws cash in an Automatic Teller Machine (ATM)". This generalized observable behavior is described in a sequence of diagrams referring specifically to the various sequence of operations that constitute the use case of drawing cash. Thus, for example, a sequence diagram describes the step of feeding-in the client PIN and specifies a different treatment for (i) correct PIN or (ii) in-correct PIN (the latter allows, e.g. two additional retries). A specific sequence diagram is further provided for drawing cash within the client's authorized credit, or alternatively if the clients attempts to draw an amount which exceeds his/her credit (giving him/her opportunity to draw smaller amount), etc.
The process described above of specifying and developing systems can be partially automated (see a general discussion of this in [2]) and there are actually different implementations of some of the process steps. The most advanced automated part of the process is that of code generation from object diagrams and their statecharts, as implemented by two tools: RoseRT (by ObjectTime Inc.) and Rhapsody (by I-Logix Inc.). In 1999, Damm and Harel provided a rather extensive expansion of the system behavior specification language of MSCs to live sequence charts (LSCs) [3].
LSCs distinguish between scenarios that may happen in the system (existential) from those that must happen in it (universal). LSCs can further specify what messages may be accepted (cold) and what messages must (hot). Conditions are also handled with higher importance than in MSCs. Conditions may be cold, meaning that the condition may be true, or hot, meaning it must be true (otherwise the system aborts). Since its expressive power is far greater than that of MSCs, the language of LSCs makes it possible to attempt and transits between the first two modeling steps: LSCs and statecharts. Thus, in a recent paper [4], an algorithm for synthesizing statecharts automatically from LSCs specification is given, providing a first-cut treatment of automatically converting LSCs to statecharts. However, the transition from use cases to LSCs (or, for that matter, MSCs or any other language that describes inter-object behavior), is still done manually and is considered an art or a craft, besides requiring a deep knowledge of both the syntax and semantics of LSCs (or other specification languages). Before turning to FIG. 1, there follows a brief overview of system modeling. An indispensable part of any serious modeling approach is a rigorous semantical basis for the model constructed—notably, for the behavioral parts of the model and their connection with the structure. It is this semantics that leads to the possibility of executing models and running actual code generated from them (The code need not necessarily result in software; it could be in a hardware description language, leading to real hardware implementation). Obviously, if it is possible to generate full code, this code would eventually serve as the basis for the final implementation. Some current tools, like Statemate and Rhapsody from I-Logix, Inc., or Rose RealTime from Rational Corp. are in fact capable of producing quality code, good enough for the implementation of many kinds of reactive systems. And there is no doubt that the techniques for this kind of 'super-compilation' from high-level visual formalisms will improve in time. When developing a complex system, it is very important to be able to test and debug the model prior to investing extensively in implementation. Hence the desire for executable models. The basis for testing and debugging by executing the model are the requirements, which, by their very nature, constitute the constraints, desires and hopes concerning the system under development. It would be highly desired that both during development and afterwards that the system does, or will do, what it is intended to do.
The overall system modeling and design life cycle as practiced today is illustrated in FIG. 1, taken from [2]. Solid lines indicate that the used methodologies are automated or close to be, whereas dashed lines indicate methodologies that are not supported by any tools.
There is a need in the art to provide for a tool that offers playing-in and/or playing-out scenarios.