A shoe having a replaceable sole pad for use by roofers is provided wherein the shoe has a thin lower flexible portion with a sheet or layer of hook fasteners of the hook-and-loop type fastener system disposed on a bottom surface thereof, and having a band secured thereto extending around a periphery of the shoe, and wherein a replaceable sole pad is provided having a sheet or layer of the corresponding loop elements provided on an upper surface thereof. The sole pad is constructed of a high density, closed-cell foam that provides greatly improved traction on roofing surfaces, thereby improving worker safety and productivity or efficiency, and provides adequate durability to make the shoe with the replaceable soles cost justifiable, when factoring in the improved productivity. The sole pad is installed and removed from the shoe in the conventional manner in which two object are fastened and unfastened by the use of hook-and-loop fasteners.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a shoe having a high traction, replaceable, sole pad. The shoe is especially well suited for use by roofers and others working on steeply inclined surfaces.
2. Description of Related Art
Many devices have been developed over the years to improve the stability of roofers working on the inclined pitches commonly encountered. This is a problem that has worsened in recent years, particularly in the residential building market, as many newer homes are being designed with steeper roof pitches than had previously been used in residential construction.
The different types of traction-improving devices developed for use by roofers are numerous. Many years ago, steel or metal shoe attachments were prevalent in the patented art, which attachments generally had spikes or pointed spurs that would extend downwardly from the sole once the attachment was fastened in place. Some of the devices of this type were constructed such that the shoe would be maintained in a substantially horizontal position, and the device would have angled plates to engage the pitched roof surface and to support the shoe in a horizontal position.
Other patents evidence attempts to provide a sole or a shoe attachment that provides improved traction over a normal shoe sole. U.S. Pat. No. 2,628,437, to Forsythe, discloses an anti-slip shoe attachment which has a sole formed from a flexible sheet of coarse abrasive material. U.S. Pat. No. 5,259,125, to Gromes, discloses an attachment for the front part of a shoe having a sole made of indoor-outdoor carpet of a medium weave, that is said to provide improved traction for the wearer. That patent also discusses other various designs and devices previously proposed for use in aiding roofers to maintain better traction.
As further noted in the Gromes patent, asphalt roof shingles have been used extensively in roof constructions for a good number of years. The roof shingles have various grades of stone gravel embedded in a flexible, petroleum-based, sheet material. Care must be taken by the roofer not to damage the shingles, either by tearing or gouging the shingle, or by causing a large amount of the embedded gravel to be scraped off, during installation and thereafter in completing construction of a house or other building. Generally speaking, a hard or relatively rigid material that might otherwise provide acceptable anti-slip properties would not be suitable for use by roofers because such surfaces would be too prone to damaging the shingles.
Other anti-slip soles and shoe attachments have been developed for specific applications outside the roofing business. U.S. Pat. No. 4,924,608, to Mogoyne, discloses a replaceable anti-slip sole that is constructed of a non-woven synthetic, fibrous material. The shoe is intended to be used by maintenance persons such as floor cleaners, to provide traction on wet, slippery floors. Indeed, the anti-slip material is disclosed as preferably being the same material as is used on the cleaning machines themselves. While soles made of this material are disclosed as being durable, the surface on which these soles are used is not abrasive, but exactly the opposite, i.e., very slippery and substantially horizontal. The professed durability of the anti-slip material appears to be principally directed to the material's resistance to attack by chemicals and cleaning compounds, and not a physical durability.
It is believed that such soles would not be suitable for use on a roofer's shoe, primarily due to the lack of durability if used on an abrasive working surface. Further, as noted in the Gromes patent, the problem facing roofers is not that the surface is inherently slippery, but rather the surface is presented to the roofer or other worker at steep inclines. Materials that provide increased traction on wet floors may not perform adequately on an abrasive, but angled, surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,897,935, discloses a shoe attachment or an overshoe, principally for use on sloping and/or slippery ground. The non-slip surface is disclosed as being an open-celled foam of low density, defined in that patent as between 30-40 kg/M.sup.3. The non-slip layer is disclosed as being replaceable, and is secured to an intermediary foam layer of slightly higher density, by an adhesive. The open-cell, low density non-slip surface of this device would not be suitable for use on a roofer's shoe, from the standpoint of the lack of durability, and also because it is believed that the layer would not provide sufficient traction, and instead would tear or shred when placed in contact with asphalt shingles, once higher shear forces are applied.
The surfaces that a roofer encounters, such as plywood sheathing, a tar paper interlayer, and the asphalt shingles, are not themselves inherently slippery. It is the slope at which these surfaces are presented, and the fact that the roof is at a considerable distance above ground, that make improved traction on angled, ofttimes abrasive, surfaces so important for the shoe sole. The sole must also be reasonably resistant to wear when used on these sloping abrasive surfaces. Despite the prior attempts to fashion a shoe or shoe attachment suitable for use by roofers, a strong need persists in this field for a shoe that provides a combination of high traction and durability at a reasonable cost, thus making it economically feasible for roofers to buy and wear the shoes, or for a company to outfit its workers with such shoes.
One factor that appears to have been largely overlooked in the design of shoes for roofers is that a somewhat greater expense for the shoes over the long-term can be justified if the shoe provides such good traction that the efficiency of the roofer or other worker is improved due to the ability to more quickly and ably move about on the pitched surface. The above-noted Gromes patent and other patents directed to attachments for roofers' shoes tacitly acknowledge that additional expense may be justified in attempting to improve safety, but do not directly address worker efficiency. These patents approach the problem by providing devices that are not a part of the shoe, but are instead attachments to be worn over the shoe while the person is working on the roof. Thus, while better traction might be provided, the attachments add weight to the shoe, generally decrease the flexibility of the footwear, and may also prove to be unwieldy when the worker attempts to move around on the roof.
As noted previously, the principal problem with maintaining traction on a shingled surface is not that the shingles are inherently slippery, but that they are presented on a slope, and, particularly in new residential construction, the roofs have, in recent years, been designed to have even steeper pitches. Various materials were assessed in developing the shoe design and sole pads of the present invention, including the principal types of shoes currently worn by roofers.
Conventional athletic shoes (or tennis shoes) and work boots are the prevalent types of footwear worn by roofers today. Those generally have high density, solid, hard rubber soles, which provide a fairly durable shoe, in terms of wear and sole life, when used on the types of surfaces encountered by roofers. However, such soles are problematical in terms of the traction they provide. The relatively hard, solid soles can tend to lose traction as the wearer moves around on the roof, as the material is not resilient enough to "grab" or "bite into" the shingles and other roofing material. Where such a material does "grab" the shingle, it is generally at the expense of gouging the shingle, i.e., exerting force that has the result of dislodging the stone gravel making up the upper surface.of the shingle. It is not uncommon that courses of shingles have to be replaced because they have been gouged. Other hard, solid sole materials, such as shoe leather, would have substantially the same disadvantages.
Open-celled foams may have reasonably good anti-slip properties, from the standpoint of being resilient and thus being able to grab or grip the roofing surfaces. Low density, open-cell foams, of the type disclosed for use as the anti-slip surface for the shoe attachments in the above-noted U.S. Pat. No. 4,897,935, to Fel, would not, however, be sufficiently durable to evaluate their anti-slip properties, as the low density foams would be quickly shredded and worn away by the asphalt shingles. Higher density open-cell foams would be only slightly more durable, but the open-cell nature of the material causes even the higher density material to wear rapidly, as well. Such materials are not sufficiently durable, even if made to be replaceable, to be suitable for use by roofers. The soles would have to be replaced possibly up to several times a day, thereby severely adversely impacting the worker's efficiency, and possibly making the shoe and sole itself cost prohibitive.

Safety shoe with high-traction replaceable sole


An impurity can be introduced into a semiconductor layer of a workpiece to affect the oxidation and the relative concentration of one element with respect to another element within the semiconductor layer. The impurity can be selectively implanted using one or more masks, manipulating the beam line of an ion implant tool, moving a workpiece relative to the ion beam, or the like. The dose can vary as a function of distance from the center of the workpiece or vary locally based on the design of the electronic device or desires of the electronic device fabricator. In one embodiment, the impurity can be implanted in such a way as to result in a more uniform SiGe condensation across the substrate or across one or more portions of the substrate when the semiconductor layer includes a SiGe layer.

1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to processes for forming electronic devices, and more particularly processes for forming electronic devices that include a semiconductor layer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electronic device substrates, including semiconductor device substrates, continue to increase in size. Currently, nominally 300 mm diameter substrates are used within the semiconductor industry. As device performance increases, device geometries, including thicknesses of layers, decrease. The ratio of wafer diameter to layer thickness increases, controlling some parameters, such as heat, reaction rates, etc., to be uniform across the entire surface of the substrate can be difficult.
FIG. 1 includes an illustration of a cross-sectional view of a workpiece 10 to better illustrate the problem. The workpiece includes a semiconductor device substrate 12, a buried insulating layer 14, and a semiconductor layer 16, which includes SiGe. Each of the buried insulating layer 14 and semiconductor layer 16 are initially formed to a substantially uniform thicknesses across the semiconductor device substrate 12. When performing a germanium condensation operation to enrich the germanium content within the semiconductor layer 16, an oxidation is performed and forms oxide layer 18. The oxidation rate on the wafer is dictated among other things by local mechanical stress and local temperature. Because of the wafer geometry, the heat can be dissipated more readily near the wafer edge. The same holds for the mechanical stress which will be differently distributed in the center than at the edge of the wafer. It is thought that the combination of stress and temperature effects is responsible for the nonuniform growth of oxide on the wafer. For the condensation operation, the thickness of the semiconductor layer 16 is thinner and has a higher concentration of germanium as compared to the semiconductor layer 16 near the edge of the workpiece 10. Such variations are undesired.
Note that the problem is not limited to just a germanium condensation operation. Other processing operations can be affected. Also, other types of electronic substrates, including flat panel display substrates, may experience similar affects during processing.
Skilled artisans appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the invention.

Processes for forming electronic devices including a semiconductor layer


An opening system in which the glass doors (1, 2) move longitudinally along a customer's side between a load bearing upper bar (3) and a lower bar (4); one or more glass doors (1) are held by upper holding bar (22) and lower holding bar (23) which have rollers (20, 21) on their inner ends; the rollers (20, 21) slide transversely along the horizontal part of the T-shaped bars used as carriages (18, 19) which are equipped with wheels (9, 14) that slide longitudinally along slideways (6, 7, 11, 12) which have horizontal bases which extend longitudinally. Two slideways (6, 7) are positioned in the load bearing upper bar (3) and their bases are placed at the same height from ground level; the remaining slideways (11, 12) are positioned in the lower bar (4) and their bases are placed at the same height from the ground level too. The remaining glass doors (2) are fixed to further holding bars (26, 27) which are attached to wheels (10, 15) that slide in other slideways (8, 13) created inside the upper bar (3) and lower bearing bar (4). The glass doors (1) connected to the carriages (18, 19) can move over the remaining glass doors (2) but all the glass doors (1, 2) meet perfectly when closed.

1. Field of the Invention
The system in question can be validly employed in the field of refrigerated and non-refrigerated counters used for the retail sale of food products such as meats, cheeses, pastries, etc.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The glass doors, both single and glass panel, of counters and display units for the sale of food products are variously attached to frames sustained by posts in order to insulate the food products contained from the external environment, protecting them against dust and/or insects.
Whereas the glass doors placed on the vendor side are small and easy to handle, the doors on the customer side are often very large and consequently heavy. The special shape some of the latter take on for aesthetic reasons further increase their dimensions and weight.
Unfortunately, the glass doors placed on the customer side need to be moved at least twice a day in order to clean the inside of the counter or unit and to insert or remove the foods contained.
A number of known systems can be used to move said glass doors. The simplest consists of removing the glass from its frame and placing it on the floor until the completion of the above mentioned daily operations. However, given the weight of the glass, this procedure is rather tiring and, furthermore, each time a serious risk of the glass sliding and breaking is run.
Other solutions entail the hinging of the top or bottom edge of each glass plate to facilitate movement ensuring that at least one side remains firmly attached to the frame, entailing less physical effort. Yet, even this solution is unable to solve all the problems operators have to face. If the glass is opened downwards, large glass plates must be sustained manually during the cleaning operations and insertion/removal of food products to prevent the hinges from breaking. Therefore, the problems are multiplied: on the one hand the operator has to make the effort of propping up the glass, on the other there is the problem of not being able to move along the counter or display unit as most of it is taken up by the open glass plate.
The opening of large glass doors towards the top is rather dangerous as the edges of the doors are at the same height as that of the head of the operator and the likely consequences are quite obvious. Further, the operator is forced to work by bending over and therefore in an uncomfortable position.
To reduce the physical strain on operators, glass doors can be servo controlled for shifting. Special gas pistons or springs lodged in the casing of the frame accompany the movement of the glass doors generally in upward direction.
Though this is a useful and valid technique, the danger of accidents to the operator's head still persists and the person is forced to work in a bent position. Another problem is the cost of this device. The use of pistons and/or springs for the lifting of the glass greatly increases the production cost of counters and display units and requires periodic maintenance, the cost of which is to be borne by the management.
Sliding glass doors are widely employed in this sector. The glass plates move longitudinally and therefore there is no strain on operators and they are not endangered in any way. Unfortunately, each glass plate used runs along its own slideway with the result that the edges of the different plates are superimposed and therefore never meet, and the dreaded insects or dust can gather in the gap between the plates.

Opening system for sliding glass doors of counters and display units for the sale of food products


Methods and apparatus for detecting machine tool window airtightness includes an airtight state detector, having a sensor detecting the pressure in a space of the window, and a judging section for determining appropriateness of the airtight state of the space based on a pressure value from the pressure sensor and outputting a judgment result. Pressure in the window space, which initially may be pressurized or pressure-reduced, is detected intermittently by the pressure sensor, and the judging section determines appropriateness of the airtight state of the window on the basis of a variation state of the detected pressure.

Usually, taking into consideration safety and environmental aspects, a machine tool is provided with a cover body for dividing a machining region from an external region and the cover body is provided with a window so that the machining region can be observed from the outside thereof.
As an example of such a cover body having a window, conventionally, the cover body disclosed in the Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 3-166037 has been known. The cover body (specifically, a slide door) disclosed in this published application is made of a plate-shaped polycarbonate and has a structure in which a glass plate is attached to the inside (the machining-region side) of a portion to be a window thereof.
According to this cover body, because the polycarbonate plate constituting the cover body has very high toughness and high impact resistance, for example, even if an unexpected accident in which a tool collides with a workpiece happens due to an operation error or an error in program generation, it is possible to completely prevent the tool and the workpiece from shooting out of the machining region due to the collision.
While a polycarbonate plate has high toughness and high impact resistance as described above, its hardness is not so high, that is, its wear resistance is not so high, and therefore a polycarbonate plate has a disadvantage that, when chips generated by cutting or the like hit its surface, its surface is shaved by the chips and becomes rough, thereby resulting in deterioration in transparency (visibility) therethrough, for example.
Therefore, in the above conventional cover body, in order to prevent the surface of the polycarbonate plate from becoming rough due to chips and maintain good visibility therethrough, a structure is employed in which a glass plate having high wear resistance is attached to the inside (the machining-region side) of a portion to be a window of the polycarbonate plate.
Thus, according to the conventional cover body having the above-described structure, the glass plate arranged on the machining-region side makes it possible to prevent deterioration in visibility (good observability from the outside), which is caused by chips, and the polycarbonate plate having high toughness and high impact resistance makes it possible to completely prevent the tool and the workpiece from shooting out of the machining region, and therefore it is possible to secure high safety.
By the way, in recent years, it has been found out that the polycarbonate plate has, besides the disadvantage that it has low wear resistance, a disadvantage that it has low resistance to coolant and, if it is in contact with coolant for a long time, its high toughness and high impact resistance, which are its advantages, are reduced.
Therefore, at present, the cover body except for the window is made of sheet metal and the window employs a structure in which a glass plate and a polycarbonate plate are arranged on the machining-region side and the external side, respectively, and they are airtightly joined together with a pre-determined distance between them.
According to the window having such a structure, the polycarbonate plate is prevented from coming into contact with coolant and it is therefore possible to prevent the toughness and the impact resistance of the polycarbonate plate from being reduced due to coolant.

Method and apparatus for detecting airtight state of machine-tool window


A method at an analytics module on a computing device, the analytics module being at a tier within a hierarchy of analytics modules and data sources, the method including receiving a first data set from a data source or a lower tier analytics module; analyzing the first data set to create a second data set; providing the second data set to at least one higher tier analytics module, the second data set being derived from the first data set; and providing at least one of an inference and an interdiction to the lower tier analytics module.

Modern systems may have a plurality of sensors which provide a significant amount of data regarding such systems. For example, in vehicles such sensors may provide information regarding the operation of the vehicle. Data may be related to physical characteristics of the vehicle, such as tire pressure, battery performance, vibration, position, among other options. Other data may be related to the way the vehicle is being driven, and may include data from accelerator, brake pedal and steering wheel sensors, LiDAR and RADAR readings, among other options.
Similar systems exist in other fields. For example, an Internet of Things (IoT) system may include a smart home, with various appliances such as the thermostat, refrigerator, alarms, among others, all providing data. For example, such data may include temperature readings, temperature change readings, content information such as when a supply of milk is low, air quality readings such as the amount of allergens in a room, alarm data when water or smoke is detected, among many other options.
The data and sensor reading in these systems may be useful for a variety of functions. For example, in a vehicle situation, such readings may be used in models to infer a driver's identity or predict what parts may fail. In an IoT system the readings can be used in models to provide alerts about component failures or about a potential situation within the home. These determinations may lead to associated actions (or interdictions) or notifications based on many sensor readings from within the system and can also be based on reports from across a number of systems.
However, in order to make the data from various sensors or components useful, a system needs to interpret such data in a correct and meaningful way. In a vehicle or IoT environment, each manufacturer of the various components of the system may provide different sensors, or may provide similar sensors with different reading calibrations. This may make reading and interpreting the data difficult.

Method and system for a dynamic data collection and context-driven actions


A manufacturing method is provided to form an overhead transmission cable having an elongated stranded steel core, and at least one layer of conductor wires generally encircling the stranded steel core. Each conductor wire includes a circumferentially extending, metallurgically bonded aluminum outer layer of at least 99.5 percent pure aluminum and having an IACS conductivity of at least 20.3 percent. In one embodiment, the steel conductors include a generally circular cross-section and an aluminum outer layer metallurgically bonded thereto, with the thickness of the aluminum outer layer being at least 10 percent of the overall radial dimension of the conductor.

This invention relates generally to cable, and in particular, aluminum conductor steel reinforced (ACSR) power transmission conductors having core strands with metallurgically-bonded aluminum.
Conventional electrical overhead ACSR power transmission cable typically includes a steel core which may be galvanized for corrosion resistance. Aluminum wires are ordinarily helically wound about the steel core, and the steel core itself is ordinarily formed of a number of steel wires which are themselves stranded together.
In a conventional overhead transmission conductor, the steel core typically carries substantially the entire mechanical tension load placed on the cabling between poles or towers, and the aluminum wires carry the bulk of the electricity transmitted.
It is generally desirable to reduce the weight of cabling in order to reduce tension loads, reduce structural strength requirements, overall cost, etc.
It is also desirable, in those environments where the potential for corrosion is high, such as in coastal applications, to provide ACSR power transmission cable with improved resistance to corrosion.

Method of manufacturing a high strength aluminum-clad steel strand core wire for ACSR power transmission cables


Systems and methods for tracking activities from a plurality of multimodal inputs are described. Activity tracking can include receiving a plurality of multimodal inputs, synchronizing the plurality of multimodal inputs, generating segments from the synchronized multimodal inputs, recognizing activities associated with each generated segment by performing a bagged formal concept analysis (BFCA), and recording the recognized activities in a storage. Tracking of activities can include the detection of moments (e.g., eating moments), during which an activity tracking application can prompt a user for information (e.g., a food journal).

Understanding the daily lives of human beings, what people have experienced, how people have spent their time, when and where they have been and whom they have been with, has long been the subject of scientific inquiry. This interest has led people in the field of multimedia to develop scientific approaches to monitoring and analyzing personal lifestyles and behavioral patterns. Significant advances in computer storage, processing power, sensing technology, and network systems have encouraged researchers to participate in the field of human behavior recognition, using a variety of techniques. In some cases, researchers use activity trackers, which are devices or applications for monitoring and tracking metrics such as distance traveled and calorie consumption. Multimedia researchers have tried to extract semantic level information from visual content so that they can analyze people's lives, and even environmental conditions and social situations. They also have analyzed real-time behavior data, which is collected via wearable devices, such as smartphones or smartbands, and social media, to understand more about personal lifestyles and behavioral patterns. The tracking of different activities can also include tracking specific details of an activity. For example, tracking an individual's food consumption can be used for various medical and health objectives. A food journal can be essential for improving health and well-being. However, journaling every meal can be difficult because it depends on user initiative and intervention. Current approaches to food journaling are both potentially inaccurate and tedious, causing people to abandon their journals very soon after they start.

Systems and methods for automatic activity tracking

The Regents of the University of California


A teletext data separation apparatus has a slice level generating circuit including a slice timing control circuit, a control register, an adder and a divider. The slice timing control circuit generates a timing signal for sampling. The control register carries out ON/OFF control of the slice timing control circuit. The control register sets by its register value the number of the sampling points of the adder and divider. By varying the register value in response to the reception state, the number of the sampling points can be increased from the specified 16 points, for example. This makes it possible for teletext data separation apparatus to generate an appropriate slice level that enables the teletext data to be separated reliably even in conditions where noise or distortion occurs in the video signal because of the effect of a weak electric field or ghost.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a teletext data separation apparatus for separating superimposed teletext data from a composite video signal decoded by a receiver of a television broadcast.
2. Description of Related Art
Today, the television broadcasts have spread widely throughout the world, and individual homes can enjoy video information transmitted by terrestrial broadcasting, cable broadcasting or satellite broadcasting by receiving it by TV receivers. In addition, teletext services become available which provide text information superimposed on a composite video signal of ordinary television broadcasts. The teletext services, which offer text information as well as graphics on the TV screens, provide various services according to the difference of transmission standards. For example, Japan has propagated teletext (ADAMS), the U.S. has propagated CCD (Closed Caption Decoder) and Europe and Southeast Asia have propagated TELETEXT. In any of these teletext services, a broadcasting station superimposes the teletext information on the vertical blanking period of the composite video signal, and transmits it in conjunction with the video information. Then, a receiver separates the teletext data from the received composite video signal, decodes the data and displays the decoded data on a TV screen.
Next, TELETEXT that has come into wide use in Europe will be described. FIG. 7 illustrates a state of the signal in the vertical blanking period, on which the teletext data is superimposed. The teletext data is superimposed on the sixth to 22th lines and 318th to 335th lines in the vertical blanking period. FIG. 8 illustrates some types of teletext data having a packet structure. The initial two bytes in the data region are composed of a Hamming code and include the packet number and magazine number. The Hamming code consists of eight bits, four bits of which constitute data and another four bits correction data. Thus, it can carry out 1-bit error correction and 2-bit error detection. The two items of information, the packet and magazine, are provided for specifying the use of the information of the following data, and for processing the text information or control code. In addition, the Hamming code, which is used for error correction of the data, reduces errors occurring during the transmission. The packet No. 0 is used as a header, Nos. 1–25 are used as 40×25 row display data, Nos. 26–28 are used as extended display data and navigation function data, No. 29 is used as magazine-specific information, and No. 30 is used as data for distinguishing time, recording information and the like used frequently in a VTR.
FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a conventional teletext data separation apparatus. In FIG. 9, the reference numeral 120 designates a RAM for storing separated teletext data (called "TEXT data" from now on); and 150 designates an A/D converter for sampling a TEXT signal superimposed on a composite video signal and for quantizing it to digital data. The reference numeral 130 designates a digital operation circuit for obtaining TEXT data from the digital data output from the A/D converter 150; and 160 designates a sync separation circuit for separating from an input video signal the vertical sync signal (called "Vsync" from now on) and a horizontal sync signal (called "Hsync" from now on). The reference numeral 170 designates a PLL (Phase Locked Loop) circuit for generating an operational clock signal of the teletext data separation apparatus; and 200 designates a slice level generating circuit for generating a slice level using a calculation result of the digital operation circuit 130. The reference numeral 250 designates a comparator for comparing the generated slice level with the TEXT data generated by the digital operation circuit 130 to restore the teletext data at the normal (transmission) mode. The reference numeral 110 designates a control register for controlling the ON/OFF operation of a slice timing control circuit 140 (FIG. 14) in the slice level generating circuit 200. The slice timing control circuit 140 is connected via a bus 108 to a CPU (Central Processing Unit) for carrying out various types of processing in the receiver according to software, and is supplied with control signals for controlling writing and reading.
Next, the basic operation of the conventional teletext data separation apparatus will be described.
The composite video signal, on which the TEXT data as shown in FIG. 10 is superimposed, is input to the A/D converter 150 and sync separation circuit 160. The sync separation circuit 160 separates the horizontal sync signal Hsync and the vertical sync signal Vsync from the composite video signal, and outputs them after shaping. The PLL circuit 170 operates in response to the generated Hsync used as a reference clock signal in such a manner that it locks to the Hsync, thereby generating the operational clock signal (called "VCO clock" from now on) of the teletext data separation apparatus. The slice timing control circuit 140 (FIG. 14) controls the following slicing operation in response to the generated Vsync, Hsync and VCO clock.
The A/D converter 150 samples the TEXT signal superimposed on the incoming composite video signal. FIG. 11 illustrates a example of the sampling within a single bit width of the data. The sampling timings are designated by t1, t2, t3 and t4, and the sampled values at the sampling timings are designated by X1, X2, X3 and X4.
FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram illustrating the sampling and operation process of the digital operation circuit 130. In FIG. 12, reference numerals 151–159 each designate a latch circuit, 132 and 134 each designate an adder, and the reference numeral 133 designates an integrator.
Reference symbols N−4–N+4 each designate a sampling point. The sampling points N−4–N−1 are converted to the digital data in each bit width at the timings t01, t02, t03 and t04. The following bit is sampled at the timings t05, t06, t07 and t08. Thus, the sampling is carried out continuously.
Subsequently, the results of the sampling and A/D conversion are stored into the latch circuits 151–159 sequentially in FIG. 12. For example, when the sampling point N−4 is stored in the latch circuit 159, the sampling point N−3 is stored into the latch circuit 158, N−2 into the latch circuit 157, N−1 into the latch circuit 156, N into the latch circuit 155, N+1 into the latch circuit 154, N+2 into the latch circuit 153, N+3 into the latch circuit 152, and N+4 into the latch circuit 151.
These sampled values are latched so that the value of the sampling point N is obtained not from the value Xn latched in the latch circuit 155, but from the value corrected using its neighboring sampled values latched. The value Xn takes "0" or "1" finally.
The conventional digital operation circuit 130 uses the adders 132 and 134 and the integrator 133 to obtain the corrected value F(Xn) of the latched value Xn according to the following equation.
                              F                                (                          X              n                        )                          =                              aX            n                    +                      bX                          n              -              4                                +                      cX                          n              +              4                                +          d                                        =                              aX            n                    -                      X                          n              -              4                                -                      X                          n              +              4                                          where, b=c=−1 and d=0. The constant a is set in a part of the control register 110.
The comparator 250 compares the corrected value F(Xn) with a predetermined slice level so that the value Xn takes a value "0" or "1". A value corresponding to the operation corrected result F(Xn) is supplied to a first adder 210 (FIG. 14) of the slice level generating circuit 200.
FIG. 13 is a timing chart illustrating waveforms of the actual operation of the teletext data separation apparatus. The waveform (b) is a result of the separation when the video signal (a) is input. It is converted into binary data "0" and "1" bit by bit in response to the sampling clock (c), and the binary data is stored into the RAM 120 operating as a buffer. A slice level A0 is generated by averaging the 16 sampled values a1–a16 in the clock run-in portion as illustrated in FIG. 10. It is also possible to add an offset C0 according to the register value of the control register 110.A0={(a1+a2+a3+ . . . +a15+a16)+C0}/16
FIG. 14 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the conventional teletext data separation apparatus, in which the slice level generating circuit 200 of FIG. 9 is shown in more detail. In FIG. 14, the reference numeral 140 designates a slice timing control circuit for controlling the timing of the entire separating operation of the teletext data separation apparatus. The reference numeral 210 designates a first adder, 220 designates a divider, 230 designates a second adder and 240 designates an offset register.
The conventional apparatus uses 16 sampling points for generating the slice level. In this case, the calculation result F(a) by the first adder 210 is given by the following expression.F(a)=a1+a2+ . . . +a15+a16where ai (i=1–16) designate the sampling points. The operation of the divider 220 is given by the following expression.G(x)=x/16=F(a)/16where x is the sum output from the first adder 210.
Here, the offset register 240 is used for setting the offset value to the slice level. The offset value of the offset register 240 is set using software, a procedure of which is illustrated in FIG. 15. In FIG. 15, the data about the slice level is input and stored (step ST51). Then the software makes a decision as to whether the number of the data equals a specified sampling number A or not (step ST52). If the sampling number reaches the specified number A, the software calculates the average value Y (step ST53). Subsequently, the software makes a decision as to whether the average value Y is greater than the target value B of the slice level (step ST54). If it is greater, the software subtracts the fine adjustment value C from the offset value (step ST55), whereas it is smaller, the software adds the fine adjustment value C, thereby completing the processing (step ST56). Then, the software returns to the storing operation of the next data about the slice level (from step ST57 to ST51).
With the foregoing configuration, the conventional teletext data separation apparatus has the following problems.
The number of the sampling points for generating the slice level is fixed at 16 points. Although an increasing number of the sampling points will be able to improve the slice characteristic, it will increase the current consumption or spurious emission of the processing circuit. Considering these merit and demerit, the number of the specified points is determined at 16 points. However, generating the slice level from the 16-point sampled data for separating the teletext data has the following problems. First, it cannot achieve an appropriate level when the reception is made under a bad condition such as a weak electric field or ghost.
Second, although the conventional circuit generates the slice level during the initial two clock pulses of the clock run-in signal of FIG. 10, it has a problem in that it cannot generate a satisfactory slice level in a bad condition. This is because the number of clock pulses of the clock run-in signal can vary from that of the normal case, or it can become an irregular signal with insufficient peak value or waveform.
Third, it has a problem in that the volume of software grows heavier with the processing speed because of the following reason. To set the offset value of the offset register 240, the state of the irregular signal must be fed back quickly. Although the conventional circuit carries out the feedback processing by software, the processing time of the feedback depends on the clock frequency of a microcomputer. Accordingly, the volume of the software grows heavier with the speed of the feedback processing required.
Moreover, the conventional circuit as shown in FIG. 14 uses the sampled data output from the A/D converter 150 to generate the slice level. However, when the microcomputer operates, its noise is usually superimposed on its power, which offers a problem of having an adverse effect on the power supply of the A/D converter 150, thereby degrading its conversion accuracy.

Mitsubishi Electric System LSI Design Corporation


An enclosed test stand may be enclosed by at least two reverberant boundary surfaces. Two of said at least two reverberant boundary surfaces may abut against each other to form an edge. A first linear array of microphones may be configured to detect acoustical signals of a sound field. The linear array of microphones may be arranged along the edge. An evaluating unit may be coupled to the linear array of microphones. The evaluating unit may be configured to locate sound sources of the sound field.

Generally, noise emissions are a kind of environmental stress. In a mobile society, in which the quantity of air traffic rises continuously, the stresses caused by aircraft noise constitute a particularly significant problem, since this affects a large number of people located near airports. For many years, the limit values for the emissions of aircrafts have been tightened and thus have resulted in a clear reduction of the noise exposures in the environment of airports. During take off and touch down, however, aircraft engines are the loudest sound source of an aircraft. In order to reach further reductions of the sound emissions of an aircraft engine it may be beneficial to locate the point of origin of the sound of the engine as precisely as possible.
The points at which acoustic signals are generated and/or leave an object are referred to as sound sources. Besides a simulation of the sound generation it is further necessary to measure the aircraft engines in order to control an influence of measures for the suppression of sound emissions. For this purpose, an aircraft engine is placed as a test specimen in a test stand for sound measurement. At the test stand for sound measurement, several microphones are arranged at a distance from one another, which detect the acoustic measurement signals of a sound field produced by the different sound sources of the test specimen. An evaluating device analyzes the acoustic measurement signals, which is able to locate the individual sound sources by means of the known positions at which the microphones are arranged. By these measures, for example, the sound influence of the inlet, the main nozzle and the secondary nozzle as well as the jet in the case of a jet engine may be separated and analyzed.
Outdoor test stands for sound measurement are known which, however, due to the heavy sound emissions are only erected and operated in secluded areas. This results in high transportation costs for the test specimens and the technical equipment for the measurements. Furthermore, measurements highly depend on weather conditions. As such it is often impossible to carry out a measuring plan due to heavy rain or wind.
It is further known to carry out measurements in enclosed test stands for sound measurement, which are provided with low reflection boundary surfaces. The production of these low reflection rooms is very expensive. For this reason, measurements are made increasingly also in test stands for sound measurement which are constructed like a hall and have sufficient noise insulation and which are normally located on the factory premises of the sites of engine production or development. These test stands for sound measurement comprise boundary surfaces, which are at least partially reverberant so that directed reflections of the sound will occur there. Acoustic signals reflected due to these reflections may be considered as acoustic signals of coherent image sound sources.
The reflections occurring at the reverberant boundary surfaces were normally not considered at all in known evaluation processes. In the case of outdoor test stands, however, it is known that in the case of an arrangement of the microphones on the floor the influences of the single image sound source, which is associated with the floor, may easily be taken into account. In the case of an arrangement of the microphones on the floor, the distances between the sound source and the microphone and between the image sound source and the microphone are equal. Due to interference between the acoustic pressure field of the source and the acoustic pressure field associated with the image sound source, a duplication of the acoustic pressure at the microphone (floor) will occur but no frequency-dependent phase shift. Thus it is possible to compensate the reflections mathematically in that the acoustic pressure is divided by a factor two. In the state of the art an evaluation process for wind tunnels is known in which by means of very extensive calculations the image sound sources are included.

Device and method for acoustic source localization in a sound measurement testbed

Deutsches Zentrum fur Luft und Raumfahrt Linder Hohe


Methods and apparatus for a self-tracking high-side pre-driver control are described. In an example, a method is described comprising charging a first terminal associated with a first capacitive element to a first voltage with respect to ground and a second terminal associated with a second capacitive element to a second voltage with respect to ground, changing the first voltage and the second voltage with respect to ground by changing a swing voltage, selecting one of the first voltage or the second voltage based on a first switched-mode power supply topology or a second switched-mode power supply topology and driving a transistor using the selected voltage.

A switched-mode power supply voltage regulator uses energy storage elements (e.g., capacitors, inductors) and switching elements (e.g., transistors) to generate a regulated output voltage from an input voltage. In particular, a boost regulator generates an output voltage that is generally higher than the boost regulator input voltage, while buck-boost (also referred to as inverted boost) regulators may have an output voltage that is higher or lower than the buck-boost regulator input voltage and may also be of opposite polarity.
A switched-mode power supply repeatedly switches between two states: an on-state and an off-state. During the on-state, the regulator input voltage has a direct electrical path to charge an energy storage element and/or to power a load. During the off-state, the input is electrically disconnected from the charged energy storage element, which discharges the stored energy to provide power to the load. Typically, one or more transistors act as the switching elements to control the timing and duration of the on-states and the off-states. The states of the transistors may be controlled by driver circuits, which turn the transistors on and off according to an input signal. The output voltage may be controlled by the frequency and relative duration of the on and off-states.
Within an integrated circuit (IC), die area can be a scarce commodity. A frequent goal of IC fabrication is to make the components on the die as small as possible. A limitation of smaller components is that the amount of semiconductor material used in a semiconductor device decreases. Thus, less energy is required to destroy the device.
Currently, for a switched-mode power supply to work in boost and buck-boost modes of operation, the designer uses two pre-driver circuits per output transistor. In an example case having two output transistors in a regulator, four pre-driver circuits are required. Additionally, the pre-drivers must be independent of each other so that when one pre-driver is active (e.g., the boost mode pre-driver), the other pre-driver (e.g., the buck-boost mode pre-driver) is disconnected to avoid damage. Multiple pre-drivers require very complex pre-driver control circuitry at the expense of die space, which may substantially increase the size of the circuit.

Methods and apparatus to provide self-tracking pre-driver controls


A liquid delivery system for delivery of an initially liquid reagent in vaporized form to a chemical vapor deposition reactor arranged in vapor-receiving relationship to the liquid delivery system. The liquid delivery system includes: (a) an elongate vaporization fluid flow passage defining a longitudinal axis and bounded by an enclosing wall to define a cross-section of the fluid flow passage transverse to the longitudinal axis; (b) a vaporization element contained within the fluid flow passage transverse to the longitudinal axis; a source reagent liquid feed passage having a terminus arranged to discharge liquid in a direction perpendicular to a facing surface of the vaporization element; (d) a heating means for heating the vaporization element to a temperature for vaporization of the liquid reagent; and (e) a manifold for flowing vapor formed by vaporization of the liquid reagent on the vaporization element from the fluid flow passage to the chemical vapor deposition reactor, in which the manifold including a diverting means to prevent non-volatile residue from flowing to the chemical vapor deposition reactor. A heater assembly may be employed for heating a component of the liquid delivery system, and the system may utilize a replaceable vaporizer cap removably engageable with the vaporization chamber.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to chemical vapor deposition systems and, more particularly, to liquid delivery systems, and to heaters and vaporizers for use in such systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many materials are utilized in the form of thin films on substrates and are formed by vapor deposition techniques. Examples include refractory materials such as high temperature superconducting (HTSC) materials including YBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.x, wherein x is from about 6 to 7.3, BiSrCaCuO, and TlBaCaCuO. Barium titanate, BaTiO.sub.3, and barium strontium titanate, Ba.sub.x Sr.sub.1-x TiO.sub.3, have been identified as ferroelectric and photonic materials with unique and potentially very useful properties in thin film applications of such materials. Ba.sub.x Sr.sub.1-x Nb.sub.2 O.sub.6 is a photonic material whose index of refraction changes as a function of electric field and also as a function of the intensity of light upon it. Lead zirconate titanate, PbZr.sub.1-x Ti.sub.x O.sub.3, is a ferroelectric material whose properties are very interesting. The Group II metal fluorides, BaF.sub.2, CaF.sub.2, and SrF.sub.2, are useful for scintillation detecting and coating of optical fibers. Refractory oxides such as Ta.sub.2 O.sub.5 are coming into expanded use in the microelectronics industry; Ta.sub.2 O.sub.5 is envisioned as a thin-film capacitor material whose use may enable higher density memory devices to be fabricated.
Many of the potential applications of these materials require their use in thin film, coating, or layer form. The films or layers may also be advantageously epitaxially related to the substrate upon which they are formed. Applications in which the refractory materials may need to be deposited in film or layer form include integrated circuits, switches, radiation detectors, thin film capacitors, holographic storage media, and various other microelectronic devices.
Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is a particularly attractive method for forming these layers because it is readily scaled up to production runs and because the electronic industry has a wide experience and an established equipment base in the use of CVD technology which can be applied to new CVD processes. In general, the control of key variables such as stoichiometry and film thickness, and the coating of a wide variety of substrate geometries is possible with CVD. Forming the thin films by CVD will permit the integration of these materials into existing device production technologies. CVD also permits the formation of layers of the refractory materials that are epitaxially related to substrates having close crystal structures.
CVD requires that the element source reagents, i.e., the precursor compounds and complexes containing the elements or components of interest must be sufficiently volatile to permit gas phase transport into the chemical vapor deposition reactor. The elemental component source reagent must decompose in the CVD reactor to deposit only the desired element at the desired growth temperatures. Premature gas phase reactions leading to particulate formation must not occur, nor should the source reagent decompose in the lines before reaching the reactor deposition chamber. When compounds are desired to be deposited, obtaining optimal properties requires close control of stoichiometry which can be achieved if the reagent can be delivered into the reactor in a controllable fashion. In this respect the reagents must not be so chemically stable that they are non-reactive in the deposition chamber.
Desirable CVD reagents therefore are fairly reactive and volatile. Unfortunately, for many of the refractive materials described above, volatile reagents do not exist. Many potentially highly useful refractory materials have in common that one or more of their components are elements, i.e., the Group II metals barium, calcium, or strontium, or the early transition metals zirconium or hafnium, for which no or few volatile compounds well-suited for CVD are known. In many cases, the source reagents are solids whose sublimation temperature may be very close to the decomposition temperature, in which case the reagent may begin to decompose in the lines before reaching the reactor, and it therefore is very difficult to control the stoichiometry of the deposited films from such decomposition--susceptible reagents.
In other cases, the CVD reagents are liquids, but their delivery into the CVD reactor in the vapor phase has proven impractical because of problems of premature decomposition or stoichiometry control. Examples include the deposition of tantalum oxide from the liquid source tantalum ethoxide and the deposition of titanium nitride from bis(dialkylamide)titanium reagents.
When the film being deposited by CVD is a multicomponent substance rather than a pure element, such as barium titanate or the oxide superconductors, controlling the stoichiometry of the film is critical to obtaining the desired film properties. In the deposition of such materials, which may form films with a wide range of stoichiometries, the controlled delivery of known proportions of the source reagents into the CVD reactor chamber is essential.
While source reagent liquid delivery systems present distinct advantages over conventional techniques, there is often some fraction of the precursor compound that decomposes into very low volatility compounds that remain at the vaporization zone. This deficiency is an important issue in the operation of CVD processes that use thermally unstable solid source precursors which undergo significant decomposition at conditions needed for sublimation. Such decomposition can occur in all reagent delivery systems that involve a vaporization step, including flash vaporizer liquid delivery systems as well as more conventional reagent delivery systems that include bubblers and heated vessels operated without carrier gas.
Although well-behaved CVD precursors vaporized under "ideal" conditions will form no deposits or residue at the vaporization zone, deviations from this situation are common and can be divided into several categories:
1) CVD precursors are employed which are thermally unstable at the sublimation temperature. PA1 2) Reactive impurities in either the precursor or in the carrier gas decompose at the vaporizer temperatures. PA1 3) Spatial and temporal temperature variations occur in the vaporization zone, with temperatures in some regions being sufficient to bring about decomposition. PA1 1. A highly efficient structural configuration of the vaporization zone and process manifolds, and the provision of a process by-pass line and residue trap, which prevent undesired accumulation of non-volatile residue in the vaporization zone. PA1 2. The provision of manifolds in the process system and process by-pass conduits, having fluid flow conductance characteristics which minimize formation of non-volatile residue in the vaporization zone. PA1 3. The provision of means and method for removing the non-volatile residue that does collect in the vaporization zone.
Optimization of the conditions used in the vaporizer of reagent delivery systems can minimize the fraction of the delivered precursor that decomposes (and remains) at the vaporization zone, but virtually all solid and liquid precursors undergo some decomposition when they are heated for conversion to the gas phase. This fraction is negligibly small in "well-behaved" compounds. Use of precursors that tend to decompose near their vaporization temperature may be mandated by availability (i.e., where the selected precursor possesses the best properties of available choices) or by economics, where precursor cost is strongly dependent on the complexity of its synthesis.
Additionally, CVD precursors often contain impurities, and the presence of those impurities can cause undesirable thermally activated chemical reactions at the vaporization zone, also resulting in formation of involatile solids and liquids at that location. For example, a variety of CVD precursors (such as tantalum pentaethoxide) are water-sensitive and hydrolysis can occur at the heated vaporizer zone forming tantalum oxide particulates that may be incorporated into the growing tantalum oxide film with deleterious effects.
Despite the advantages of the liquid delivery approach (which include improved precision and accuracy for most liquid and solid CVD precursors and higher film growth rates), the foregoing deficiencies pose a serious impediment to widespread use of the vaporization liquid delivery technique for providing volatilized reagent to the CVD reactor.
A wide range of CVD processes currently under development utilize solid and liquid precursors. In many cases these chemicals are the only suitable choice in terms of gaseous transport of the element of interest, and this is especially characteristic of a number of metal elements such as Ba, Sr, La, etc. Ba, for example, is most easily transported in the vapor phase via incorporation in metalorganic compounds such as the beta-diketonates (e.g., Ba(thd).sub.2, Ba(thd).sub.2 -tetraglyme, etc.) With such types of compounds, the temperature needed to sublime the material is often >200.degree. C., and the sublimation or evaporation process is accompanied by decomposition of some fraction of the compound, which results in formation of other metalorganic complexes with reduced volatility. These decomposition by-products tend to remain in the vaporization zone, where they collect and serve to progressively diminish the efficiency of the vaporization process. With continued accumulation of decomposition products, and concomitant reduction of efficiency, the rate of decomposition will increase. The accretion of non-vapor byproduct decomposition products thus limits the operating life of the vaporizer. Such products buildup will eventually render the vaporizer and delivery system incapable of even minimal operating efficiency, thereby requiring the removal of the byproduct accumulation from the vaporization and delivery unit by cleaning processes. These maintenance procedures may be very labor- and time-intensive, or may even involve complete replacement of the vaporizer/delivery unit. Accordingly, the operating (on-line) service life of the vaporization/delivery unit may be substantially foreshortened, relative to a corresponding vaporization/delivery unit which does not experience such accumulation of decomposition non-volatile byproducts.
As an example of the foregoing problems, the chemical vapor deposition of barium strontium titanate results in precursor decomposition in the vaporizer chamber, producing an involatile liquid byproduct. When the vaporizer cools, the involatile liquid becomes a brown glass containing all three elements (barium, strontium and titanium). Some flows toward a trap, but some also remains on the vaporization element, typically a frit structure as described more fully in prior copending application No. 08/484,025 filed Jun. 7, 1995 in the names of Peter S. Kirlin, et al. The glassy residue remaining on the frit element decreases its conductance and progressively deteriorates the vaporization efficiency of the liquid delivery system.
It is therefore desirable for high efficiency operation of the liquid delivery system that the formation of non-volatile residue in the vaporization zone be minimized, that the tendency of the vaporizer to collect the non-volatile residue be minimized, and that suitable techniques, preferably in-situ techniques (interiorly applicable in the vaporization zone), be readily performable to remove the residue that does collect in the vaporization zone.
It is also desirable for the vaporizer component of the liquid delivery system to perform consistently, without perturbation or process variation, after the glassy residue has been removed in each maintenance cycle, relative to its performance preceding such maintenance. The vaporizer is also desirably easy to install and to maintain. Additionally, the liquid delivery system should be designed to readily detect leaks, to accommodate simple user operating support and maintenance procedures, and to be of a compact character, with a minimum of zones to heat in operation of the system.
Since the vaporizer must be heated to a temperature in excess of 200.degree. C., with a high spatial uniformity of .+-.5.degree. C., it is also desirable for the vaporizer heater to maintain the vaporization chamber and associated conduits within the same temperature window.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved delivery system for introduction of CVD source reagent precursors to CVD reactors.
It is another object of the invention to provide an improved liquid source reagent vaporization apparatus for a CVD process system which suppresses the formation of source reagent non-volatile decomposition byproducts and minimizes their passage to the CVD reactor.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved liquid delivery system comprising in-situ source reagent non-volatile decomposition byproduct removal and disposition means.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved vaporizer that is readily maintained, repaired and replaced, and that is compact and highly efficient in use. Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more fully apparent from the ensuing disclosure and appended claims.

Liquid delivery system, heater apparatus for liquid delivery system, and vaporizer


A half-tone processing method includes the steps of generating a half-tone processed pixel value h(u,v) determined by comparing a pixel value f'(u,v) with the dither matrix g(u,v) having the corresponding threshold values, computing an error value e(u,v) between a half-tone processed pixel value h(u,v) and an original pixel value f(u,v), and recomputing a pixel value f'(u+m,v+n) by diffusing the error value e (u,v) to the adjacent pixel f(u+m,v+n) of the original pixel value f(u,v) corresponding to f'(u,v).

The present invention relates to a half-tone processing method which expresses appropriately a picture image having a continuous tone using a limited level value.
A half-tone processing method is to adjust a change of a tone smoothly by expressing every pixel value having continuous values with variously sized dots or with variable diffusion levels of the same sized dots. Since such a half-tone processing method can express the continuous tone with a limited level, it reduces the cost and the complexity of image expression.
In the dithering method which is one of the conventional half-tone processing methods, an output is supplied if an input value is greater than a predetermined value (threshold value) and otherwise an output is not supplied. Since such a dithering method does not consider human's visual sense, half-tone expression is hard to accomplish.
Another example of conventional half-tone processing methods is an ordered dithering. The ordered dithering which expresses the intensity of dots which are mutually adjacent or remote, obtains a dither matrix in consideration of the spatial distribution of dots, compares the respective threshold values and the pixel values and outputs the result as a half-tone processed pixel value. Such a method shows a smoother output than that of dithering method, but produces a Moire phenomenon, which shows a sense of spreading in an expressed image.
Still another example of conventional half-tone processing methods is error diffusion. The error diffusion method computes an error between an original pixel value and a half-tone processed pixel value, which is generated as a compared result of an original pixel value and a predetermined threshold value (in general, the arithmetic mean values of adjacent pixels of an objective pixel), then multiplies the error value by a weight considering a spatial relationship between the objective pixel and the adjacent pixels thereof and diffuses the multiplied error value. The error diffusion method can eliminate the Moire phenomenon, but produces a texture pattern in which a geometrical pattern is repeated. The texture pattern may offend the human's visual sense by repeating a specific pattern.


A laser is biased in the vicinity of the bend in its characteristic curve. It also receives, in electrical form, a base wave applied to an input of the generator and a local wave provided by a local oscillator, and it mixes these waves by adding their frequencies so as to modulate the lightwave that it emits. The invention is particularly applicable to telecommunications systems.

At present, it is difficult to convey microwave signals over great distances because of the attenuation in coaxial cables and in metal waveguides. At 3 GHz, such attenuation is of the order of 0.5 dB/m for a 17/18-RG 217 type cable. Remote antenna location and microwave signal distribution constitute examples of situations where microwave signals need to be conveyed. Optical connections offer an advantageous alternative since the attenuation of an optical fiber is about 0.2 dB/km, such that over large distances, losses between the transmitter and the receiver due to conversion from electricity to light and from light to electricity are compensated by the very low attenuation.
Unfortunately, although an optical fiber has a large bandwidth, the same does not apply to its terminal components. In particular, known lasers have limited passband. The passband is limited mainly by laser packages because of the cutoff frequencies presented by such packages. The semiconductor chips that constitute such lasers are intrinsically capable of operating at much higher frequencies. It is possible to improve the packages, but expensive.
Particular objects of the present invention are the following:
overcoming said passband limitation of packages;
making a signal-conveying system in a manner that is cheap, and in particular a system for conveying microwave signals;
making a signal frequency conversion system that is cheap, in particular a system for microwave signals, and in particular if said signal is to be conveyed by an optical waveguide; and
generating cheaply a lightwave that is modulated at a changed frequency, in particular a frequency that is higher than the frequency of a signal that is to be carried by said wave, said signal being a microwave signal, in particular.

Light generator, in particular for conveying a microwave signal


An adapter for coupling a disposable water bottle to an endoscope including a cap manufactured from a thermoplastic elastomer material. The cap is removably secured to an associated water bottle. The cap includes a first port and a second port. The adapter further includes a scope connector manufactured from the thermoplastic elastomer and/or thermoset elastomer having a first scope connector port and second scope connector port, wherein the scope connector is configured to be frictionally coupled to an endoscope. A first supply tube couples to the first port of the cap and the first scope connector port and a second supply tube coupled to the second port of the cap and the second scope connector port. By using a thermoplastic elastomer and/or thermoset elastomer material, a simplified adapter is provided, which substantially reduces design and manufacturing costs.

Endoscopic instruments have been developed to provide surgeons with an internal view of the organ or body passage requiring treatment. Such endoscopes typically have channels through which a miniaturized forceps or other device, commonly called flexible instruments, are inserted and advanced. The endoscope assembly includes an elongated flexible cable equipped at one end with an eyepiece or other viewing mechanism and at the other end with an optical head. Only the head is directly and externally connected to the instrument. The cable transmits images or image-producing signals from the illuminated operative site to the viewing mechanism so that the surgeon will have visual confirmation of the action of the instrument's working end.
The cable also provides a flow passage for the delivery of fluid (liquid or gas) for irrigation or other purposes. In conventional practice, it is necessary to provide the optic head with a flow of sterile water. The passage of the sterile water across the optic head prevents the buildup of materials on the optic head.
A conventional endoscope includes a plurality of connectors that can suitably receive various fittings. For example, the connector can include a connector orifice that receives an air inlet and a water inlet. As such, the air and water are delivered through the connector to optic head of the endoscope.
Unfortunately, there is usually great expense associated with the delivery of such sterile water to the endoscope. In past practice, the sterile water has been provided from a water bottle that is directly connected to a tube. The tube generally will have a fitting at one end so as to allow the tube to be connected to the air/water inlet of the endoscope connector. Typically, the fitting will include an inner tube and an outer tube. The outer tube extends into the water bottle. The outer tube is connected to the cap of the water bottle. In normal practice, air is delivered through the area between the inner tube and the outer tube so as to pressurize the interior of the water container. This will force water to flow through the tube and into the endoscope at a desired rate.
After usage, the water bottle, the tubing, and the associated fittings are sterilized. This creates a considerable wasteful expense to the hospital. If the water bottle is sterilized, there is a considerable labor expense associated with the autoclaving of the bottle. There is also the possibility of residual contaminants residing in the area of connection between the tubes and the bottle.

Water bottle adapter for coupling an endoscope to a water bottle


A hot air blower includes a shell including a fan mechanism, a combustion device, a vane mechanism, and a flame protector disposed therein. The vane mechanism includes a clipping seat and a plurality of guiding vanes extended thereon. The plurality of guiding vanes extend obliquely and prevents the air passing through the vane mechanism from generating turbulence. The clipping seat and the flame protector form a half-closed combustion chamber therebetween. Heat in the half-closed combustion chamber causes a thermal expansion of the air and, thereby increasing a speed and a volume of the air passing the guiding vanes of the vane mechanism. The heated air is discharged from an external flow tube and which controls a heating range of an area of the hot air blower.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hot air blower and, particularly, to a hot air blower improved to blow air in a more focused and less spread manner and to allow a user to effectively control the extent of airflow.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 7,065,899 discloses a gas hot air gun including a main body, an air blower, an ignition device, a nozzle and a switch set. The main body includes a barrel, a handle, a heating chamber and a mixing chamber on the inner front of the barrel. A battery set and a gas can are inside the handle. One end of the nozzle is connected to the gas can. The switch set includes a power switch and an ignition switch. Users press the power switch and have gas spray out from the nozzle into the heating chamber to generate heat. The blower sends out hot air in the heating chamber out of the main body. A metal slice to regulate the direction of air and a catalyst to avoid flames from coming out of the nozzle area are inside the heating chamber.
This patented gas hot air gun can be further improved to have better control of the gas flow rate and the heating temperatures. There may be situations in which high gas flow rate inhibits a flame from being ignited. Additionally, when gas flow rate and oxygen supply rate are increased in order to achieve a higher heating temperature, the increased supply of oxygen proportionally causes air to travel at a higher speed as the gas hot air gun includes an air passage with a fixed cross sectional area. However, air can blow out a flame when the burning speed of oxygen is slower or the density of gas is low.
The present invention is, therefore, intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems encountered in the prior art.


A communication device including a source coding unit source-coding data to be transmitted, a transport protocol unit, coupled to the source coding unit, generating at least one transport protocol message from the source-coded data, wherein the transport protocol unit can add to the source-coded data in the transport protocol message control information by means of which processing of the data to be transmitted can be controlled in a communication device receiving the transport protocol message.

During a communication link set up between two communication devices, for example during a telephone call, audio signals are usually exchanged between a transmitter communication device (usually called "source" in communication engineering) and a receiver communication device (usually called "sink" in communication engineering) in real time. During this process, the transmitter communication device usually has no possibility of influencing the handling (for example the processing of the received audio signals, for example for outputting the audio signals) of the received real-time data selectively in any way at the receiver communication device.
Conventionally it is necessary that, when the type of control information is changed which is coded together with the useful signal and transmitted, both the entire coder and the entire decoder are changed.
This is complicated and very expensive. If the coder and decoder are constructed as hardware components, both hardware components would have to be exchanged in the source and in the sink.

Communication device, method for generating a transport protocol message, and method for processing a transport protocol message


Method and apparatus for providing peer-to-peer force feedback over a computer network. A network force feedback system includes a network, a first computer coupled to the network, and a second computer coupled to the network. The first and second computers each include a visual display and a force feedback interface device. Each computer provides a force feedback signal to its force feedback device based on information received from the other, remote computer and in some cases also based on input from the local force feedback device. Positional information of each force feedback device and/or feel sensation information can be transmitted between the computers over the network. A graphical environment can be displayed to enhance the interaction between users. The present invention therefore permits two computer users to interact using force feedback provided over a network on a peer-to-peer basis.

This invention relates generally to human/computer interfaces, and more particularly to human/computer interfaces with force feedback that can operate over a network.
Computer networks have become essential to allow users and computers to communicate with each other. Users transmit and receive data over networks in offices, at home, or in portable devices, and do so for a variety of tasks and applications, including communication, distribution, and entertainment. Many different types of networks are used. Local Area Networks (LANs) are typically provided in a limited area and include a relatively small number of computer nodes. The most large scale example of a network is the Internet, which has become extremely popular. The Internet is a Wide Area Network (WAN) that is structured and distributed such that no one authority or entity manages the network. Different communication protocols can be used over networks to allow computers to communicate with each other; for example, protocols such as "Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol" (TCP/IP) and the "World Wide Web" (WWW) are used over the Internet. TCP/IP sends "packets" of data between a host machine, e.g. a server computer on the Internet, and a client machine, e.g. a user's personal computer connected to the Internet, or between two client machines. The WWW is an Internet interface protocol which is supported by the same TCP/IP transmission protocol. Intranets are private networks based upon Internet standards, and have become quite common for managing information and communications within an organization. Intranets, since they adhere to Internet standards, can often use the same interface software as are used on the Internet, such as a web browser.
A variety of information is currently transferred over computer networks. For example, visual data, text data, and sound data can be transmitted over the Internet and the WWW. Image data can be sent from one client machine to another (or from a server machine to a client machine) in a variety of formats. Or, for example, data packets coded in TCP/IP format can be sent from one client machine to another over the Internet to transmit sound data. This last-mentioned technique forms the basis for Internet telephony.
While the transmission of visual images (both static and dynamic, i.e. video), text, and sound over networks, such as the Internet, is well-known, the transmission of other types of sensory data has not been well explored. In particular, the transmission of data over networks pertaining to the sense of touch and/or force has not been established. "Force feedback" allows a user to experience or "feel" tactile sensations as provided through computational information. Using computer-controlled actuators and sensors on a force feedback device, a variety of realistic sensations can be modeled and experienced by the user. This useful and highly immersive sensory modality for interacting with the Internet and other users over the Internet has hereto been unavailable.

Networked applications including haptic feedback


Various embodiments include one or more of systems, methods, software, and data structures that allow dual access to concurrent data in a database management system including uncommitted updated data. Some embodiments include a dual snapshot of data in a multi-version concurrency control style database, but the embodiments described herein are equally applicable to virtually any other type of database and database management system.

Stored data under management of a database management system typically may be read in two ways. The first way of reading data is read-only which is commonly utilized by users, human and logical, for reporting purposes. No exclusive locks on data are created when data is read in a read-only fashion. The other way of reading data is read-for-update. When a read-for-update is performed, an exclusive lock is placed on at least the affected data, if not the entire rows or pages of data from which the data is selected. In such read-fix-update instances, other users may not access the exclusively locked data until a transaction of the read-for-update is terminated, such as through a commit or rollback. Exclusive locking of data prevents not only other read-for-update transactions, but also read-only transactions.
As a result of data and row locking caused by read-for-update transactions, database latency may become an issue. Although systems accessing data in a database management system may be able to perform operations on data quickly, the database may not be able to keep pace in providing needed data when the data is locked. Thus, database latency is often a root cause of overall system latency.
Multi-version concurrency control (MVCC) provides a solution. MVCC systems maintain multiple versions of a record in a database management system and provide concurrent access to the database. Each user is provided with a "snapshot" of the database. Any changes made within that snapshot are not seen by other users of the database until the transaction has been committed.
MVCC uses time stamping, incremental transaction IDs, or other similar solutions to ensure a transaction does not need to wait for a locked record or other database objects by maintaining several versions of the record. Each version is given a relational identifier, such as a timestamp, to track relations between the concurrent data snapshots. A transaction is allowed to read the most recent committed version of a record that precedes its relational identifier.
Each time a record is edited and the change is posted to the database, the database management system creates anew version of the record. All other transactions operating with the record continue see the old version as long as they do not commit. Accordingly, a user accessing a given record sees the most recently committed version of the record. However, the user cannot access a newer version of the record as modified in an open, uncommitted read-for-update transaction. Such newer record versions are enclosed and isolated within their respective transactions until committed.

Dual access to concurrent data in a database management system


An integrated circuit includes one or more transaction data sources and one or more transaction data destinations connected via interconnect circuitry comprising a plurality of interconnect nodes. Within the interconnect nodes there are one or more converging interconnect nodes. A converging interconnect node includes prediction data generation circuitry for reading characteristics of a current item of transaction data from the converging interconnect node and generating associated prediction data for a future item of transaction data which will be returned to the converging interconnect node at a predetermined time in the future. This prediction data is stored within prediction data storage circuitry and is read by prediction data evaluation circuitry to control processing of a future item of transaction data corresponding to that prediction data when it is returned to the converging interconnect node. The interconnect circuitry may have a branching network topology or recirculating ring based topology.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of integrated circuits. More particularly, this invention relates to the control of a converging interconnect node within interconnect circuitry comprising a plurality of interconnect nodes serving to connect one or more transaction data sources to one or more transaction data destinations.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known to provide integrated circuits with interconnect circuitry for transferring transaction data between one or more transaction data sources and one or more transaction data destinations. Such interconnect circuitry can comprise a plurality of interconnect nodes between which transaction data is transferred. The interconnect nodes can be arranged in a variety of different topologies. One example topology is that of a branching arrangement of interconnect nodes with transaction data sources and transaction data destinations disposed at the end points of data paths passing through the branching network. Another example form of interconnect topology is ring interconnect circuitry in which interconnect nodes are disposed in a ring around which transaction data circulates. Transaction data is extracted from the ring or injected into the ring at interconnect nodes disposed at different positions around the ring. More than one ring may be provided, such as embodiments having two counter-rotating rings.
Within the various different forms of interconnect circuitry topology there exist converging interconnect nodes at which two or more data paths meet. Such converging interconnect nodes are potential traffic bottlenecks which can impede system performance. Measures which can increase the efficiency of data throughput within interconnect circuitry are desirable.

Converging interconnect node controlling operation related to associated future item in dependence upon data predicted based on current transaction data item passing through


To enable a utilization frequency of each segment in a source video to be readily assessed between videos in a corresponding relationship during a creation process. Relationship information that is information indicating a segment in a corresponding relationship between a source video and a plurality of derived videos created using at least a part of segments of the source video is stored in a relationship information storing unit, and a corresponding relationship of the segment between the source video and the plurality of derived videos and a utilization frequency of each segment of the source video by the plurality of derived videos are displayed based on the relationship information stored in the relationship information storing unit.

The present invention relates to an inter-video corresponding relationship display system and an inter-video corresponding relationship display method.
The proliferation of digital videos has made it easier to use an existing video to create another video. For example, at broadcast stations, a coverage video generated as a result of coverage is edited to create an edited video. A plurality of edited videos is used to create a broadcast video that is actually used when broadcasting a program. In addition, a coverage video is not always used in one edited video and may sometimes be edited in various ways as necessary to create a plurality of edited videos. On a similar note, an edited video is not always used in one broadcast video and may sometimes be used in a plurality of broadcast videos.
As described above, corresponding relationship between videos becomes more difficult to assess as the number of videos increases. In consideration thereof, for example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, a method is proposed for displaying corresponding relationship between videos by registering corresponding relationship among raw material videos, edited videos, and on-air videos in a database. With this method, when a video is created, a corresponding relationship between the video and other videos are registered in the database. Therefore, with respect to created videos, it is premised that corresponding relationship thereof has been registered in the database.
However, in actual practice, a plurality of videos is often generated without registering a corresponding relationship of created videos in the database. In such a case, first, a corresponding relationship between videos must be detected. For example, Patent Document 2 discloses a method of searching for a content that is similar to a given content by using feature information of the given content. In addition, for example, Patent Document 3 discloses a method of judging an identity of contents based on feature amounts of the contents for the purpose of grouping the contents.
Furthermore, for example, creating a broadcast video from an edited video may sometimes involve a modification such as adding a telop. Therefore, such modifications must be taken into consideration in order to find a video in which a corresponding relationship exists from a large number of created videos. Accordingly, for example, Patent Document 4 discloses a method capable of judging identity between videos with a high discriminatory ability even when such modifications have been made.
Patent Document 1: Patent Publication JP-A-2004-172788
Patent Document 2: Patent Publication JP-A-2005-148801
Patent Document 3: Patent Publication JP-A-2007-164633
Patent Document 4: WO 2010/084714
However, with the method disclosed in Patent Document 1, although corresponding relationship between videos is displayed, a utilization frequency of each segment in a source video cannot be readily assessed. For example, when a plurality of edited videos or broadcast videos is generated using a part of the segments of a coverage video, it is impossible to readily assess which part of the coverage video has been used to what degree. In addition, while Patent Documents 2 to 4 disclose methods of judging a similarity or an identity between videos, no disclosures are made with respect to a method that enables a utilization frequency of each segment in a source video to be readily assessed.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Inter-video corresponding relationship display system and inter-video corresponding relationship display method


A nozzle mechanism for generating an aerosol-type liquid discharge is provided, which nozzle mechanism ensures one-way movement of liquid during discharge and also has a substantially zero "dead volume" at the tip of the nozzle. The nozzle mechanism includes a flexible nozzle portion with an outlet and a fluid channel, a rigid shaft received within the flexible nozzle portion, and a rigid housing surrounding the flexible nozzle portion and exposing the outlet. The rigid shaft interfaces the outlet to form a first normally-closed, one-way valve, as well as to define a swirling chamber for collecting the liquid which has been channeled from the liquid reservoir, prior to being discharged via the outlet. The outlet has a tubular wall with thickness that decreases along the elongated axis of symmetry for the outlet toward the tip of the outlet. The fluid channel is circumferentially positioned within the flexible nozzle portion to create swirling action of the liquid delivered to the swirling chamber. Once the pressure on the swirling liquid reaches a threshold pressure sufficient to radially deform the portion of the outlet forming the first normally-closed valve, the liquid in the swirling chamber is discharged through the outlet. The nozzle mechanism is coupled to a flexible body portion which has a substantially tubular shape and a wall thickness which decreases from the bottom of the body portion toward the flexible nozzle portion. The rigid shaft received within the flexible nozzle portions extends down into the flexible body portion so that a second portion of the rigid shaft interfaces the flexible body portion to form a second normally-closed, one-way valve in the fluid communication path between the liquid reservoir and the swirling chamber.

In recent years, spray and/or aerosol-type dispensers have received attention for their use in dispensing liquids, particularly medicaments. One persistent problem in designing spray and/or aerosol dispensers for dispensing medicaments is preventing contamination of the medicament which can occur when the medicament that has been exposed to ambient air returns and/or remains in the aerosol outlet channel, e.g., within the aerosol nozzle. One solution to this problem is to simply add preservatives to the medicament being dispensed, thereby preventing bacterial growth. However, this solution has obvious disadvantages, e.g., added costs and toxicity of the preservatives. In order to prevent bacterial growth in medicament which does not contain preservatives while allowing dispensation of multiple doses of the medicament, the aerosol nozzle must prevent medicament that has been previously exposed to ambient air from being sucked back into the aerosol outlet channel.
Another problem in designing spray and/or aerosol dispenser for dispensing medicaments is minimizing the number of components which constitute the spray/aerosol dispenser. As the number of components increases, the difficulty and cost of mass production increases.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an outlet nozzle or tip mechanism for dispensing liquid from a pump-type dispenser in aerosol or spray form, which nozzle or tip mechanism is adapted for combination with the pump-type dispenser without the need for additional components for, or modification of, the pump-type dispenser for facilitating the combination.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an outlet nozzle for an aerosol dispenser, which nozzle ensures one-way movement of liquid through the nozzle.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a method of dispensing liquid through an outlet nozzle for an aerosol dispenser, which method ensures one-way movement of liquid through the nozzle.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an outlet nozzle for an aerosol dispenser, which nozzle has a substantially zero "dead volume" in which liquid that has been exposed to ambient air can remain, i.e., the liquid is completely released once it passes through the outlet nozzle, or the combined effect of the surface tensions of the liquid and the surrounding outlet nozzle forces any remaining liquid out of, and away from, the outlet portion.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a method of ensuring that no liquid which has been exposed to ambient air returns to the interior portion of the nozzle of an aerosol dispenser.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an aerosol dispenser with a one-way nozzle, which dispenser minimizes the number of parts for manufacturing.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an aerosol dispenser having a plurality of valve mechanisms in the fluid communication path between the liquid reservoir and the outlet nozzle to ensure minimization of contact between the content of the liquid reservoir and liquid which may have been previously exposed to ambient air.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an outlet nozzle for an aerosol dispenser, which nozzle is adapted to generate an aerosol-type discharge by means of elastic, radial deformation along the circumference of the nozzle which provides an integral spring, while substantially maintaining the physical profile in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the nozzle.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an aerosol-type dispenser which does not require propellants such as CFCs, the release of which is harmful to the ozone layer, or the release pressure of which propellant is temperature dependent, thereby creating variations in dispensed dosages.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a pump-and-nozzle system for generating an aerosol-type discharge via a swirling chamber by means of an integral spring effect achieved by elastic, radial deformation along the circumference of the nozzle, which aerosol-type discharge is achieved with a minimum of "head loss."

System and method for one-way spray aerosol tip