The present invention provides a flexible metal-clad laminate obtained by directly applying a polyimide precursor to a metallic conductive foil, and then drying, heating and curing the precursor to form a polyimide film, this flexible metal-clad laminate being characterized in that the polyimide film is composed of two or more polyimide layers, the linear thermal expansion coefficient of at least one of the second and later polyimide layers is larger than that of the first layer brought into contact with the metallic conductive foil, and the requirements of the following formulae are met: EQU 3.0<Q.sub.n-1 .times.t.sub.n <50, EQU t.sub.n-1 >t.sub.n and ##EQU1## wherein t.sub.n is the thickness (.mu.m) of the outermost layer (the nth layer) of the polyimide layers, t.sub.n-1 is the thickness (.mu.m) of the film comprising the first layer to the (n-1)th layer of the polyimide layers, and Q.sub.n-1 is a double value (cm) of the curvature radius of the curl of the film comprising the first layer to the (n-1)th layer of the polyimide layers and Rz is the average surface roughness (.mu.m) of the metallic conductive foil. This board does not curl immediately after curing, and the curl does not occur even after the formation of a circuit by etching.

When a flexible metal-clad laminate (hereinafter referred to as "flexible metal-clad laminate") is etched to remove unnecessary portions of a conductive material from the board, a printed circuit board can be formed. On this printed circuit board, various electronic parts such as semiconductors are mounted, and the board is then incorporated into an electronic apparatus.
The mounting is to attach parts to the board by the use of soldering, screwing or the employment of wiring materials. Examples of the mounting means include parts insertion type mounting, surface mounting, flexible mounting, tip bonding mounting, controlled collapse bonding mounting and organic multitip mounting.
In recent years, the mounting density of the parts on this kind of printed printed circuit boards has increased year by year, and there is the tendency that the mounting means be automated. In these mounting steps, the automatic soldering is carried out at a high temperature, and therefore the boards are required to be heat-resistant.
Furthermore, in the step of circuit formation, a chemical or thermal change such as etching or washing is given, but it is required in this step that the board maintains an original plane state without curling and without separation between the metallic conductor and film used.
Each of the conventional polyimide flexible metal-clad laminates is mainly formed by causing a polyimide film to adhere to a metallic conductive foil with the interposition of an adhesive. However, since this laminate contains the adhesive, its heat resistance is poor and its electrical properties change with time, and therefore it is difficult to apply conventional boards to a field in which the high-density circuits are automatically mounted on the laminates.
As means for solving these problems, methods for producing a polyimide flexible metal-clad laminate having no adhesive have been disclosed in which there is directly applied, to a metallic conductive foil, a solution of a polyimide precursor having a linear thermal expansion coefficient substantially equal to that of the metallic conductive foil, followed by a thermal cure treatment to form a polyimide film thereon (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Nos. 61-111359, 63-214185, 58-155790, 63-245988 and 61-111182).
The polyimide flexible metal-clad laminate having no adhesive not only solves the problem of deterioration by the adhesive but also permits the remarkable simplification of a manufacturing process and the decrease of cost. However, in order to prepare this polyimide flexible metal-clad laminate having no adhesive, it is necessary to select the polyimide having a linear thermal expansion coefficient substantially equal to that of the conductor, considering the curl properties of the laminate.
Nevertheless, the thus obtained flexible metal-clad laminate curls immediately after the curing, with the conductor foil facing to the outside. In addition, when the unnecessary portions of the conductor are removed by etching to form a circuit, the polyimide film curls, with the conductor foil facing to the inside, which interferes with the subsequent operation.
As a technique for controlling the curl immediately after the curing, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Nos. 59-22388 and 59-22389 have disclosed a simple curl prevention method by which a reverse bending plastic deformation is given to the metal. In the case of this method, stress must be forcedly applied to the metal conductor, and thus the metal conductor is fatigued.
In addition, another method for preventing the board from curling has been disclosed in which the laminate is bent in a drying/curing step for the formation of the polyimide, as shown in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 63-74635. In this method, facilities for bending the laminates are necessary in the drying/curing step.
With regard to a curl prevention method after the removal of the unnecessary portions of the conductor by etching, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 63-181395 has disclosed a method in which the surface of polyimide is chemically etched after the removal of the unnecessary portions of the conductor by etching. However, in this method, a processing step is additionally required in addition to a production step. Moreover, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Nos. 64-82928 and 1-245586 have disclosed an attempt in which a polyimide film is coated with plural polyimide layers having different thermal expansion coefficients to decrease the curl of the polyimide film. However, it is difficult to decrease the curl only by the formation of the plural layers having the different thermal expansion coefficients.
An object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing a flexible polyimide metal-clad laminate having no adhesive by which the above-mentioned problems can be solved and by which the curl of the laminate immediately after curing and the remaining curl of a polyimide film after the laminate etching for removing the unnecessary portions of the conductor can be controlled economically and practically.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing a printed circuit board from this flexible metal-clad laminate, and an electronic apparatus having the printed circuit board on which electronic parts are mounted.
The present inventors have investigated the curl appearance of a flexible metal-clad laminate which can be obtained in accordance with a method comprising directly applying a polyimide precursor solution onto a metallic conductive foil, and then subjecting the same to a thermal cure treatment to form a polyimide film, and as a result, they have found the following facts.
The first curl takes place at the time of the drying of the applied precursor solution and at the time of the subsequent thermal cure treatment, and the second curl appears at the time of the removal of the unnecessary portions of the metallic conductive foil by etching, and in the latter case, with the metallic conductive foil facing to the inside. The formation of the first curl is due to stress generated by the volume contraction of the polyimide film. However, most of this stress can be relieved by fixing the conductor so that the latter may not be bent at the time of the curing, and by providing a hysteresis or heat history higher than the glass transition point of the polyimide. On the other hand, the formation of the second curl would be due to the following fact: The molecular chains of the polyimide are difficult to move owing to the roughness on the interface between the polyimide film and the metallic conductive foil, so that the stress is scarcely relieved, and in consequence, the remaining stress layer is formed on the interface to form the second curl.
In addition, the degree of internal stress generated in the polyimide film depends upon the roughness on the surface of the metallic conductive foil which comes in contact with the polyimide film. When the roughness is large, the stress increases, and when the thickness of the polyimide film increases, the curl formation is inhibited by stress release after the etching owing to stiffness of the film.
The present invention has been completed on the basis of the above-mentioned knowledge.

Metal-clad laminates and method for producing same


A rotor for an electrical machine according to one embodiment of the present invention includes first and second individual slip rings mounted on a rotor shaft. A first end of the coil wire for the rotor passes through a first axial passage in the first slip ring and is terminated to conductive material on an axial end of that slip ring. The other end of the coil wire passes through a second axial passage in the first slip ring and through an axial passage in the second slip ring and is terminated to conductive material on an axial end of the second slip ring. The second axial passage of the first slip ring is electrically insulated from the conductive material of that slip ring, so the second wire end does not inadvertently short-circuit to the first conductive material. Also, the first and second slip rings are each designed to cooperate in providing a gap therebetween which provides space to accommodate the termination of the first wire end onto the axial end of the first slip ring.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to rotors for electrical machines and more particularly to an improved design for the construction of slip rings for such machines and termination of electrical connections to the slip rings.
2. Description of the Related Art
In many electrical machines, a rotor includes an electromagnetic field generating coil which rotates with the rotor. In such machines, slip rings are typically provided as a part of the rotor assembly. The slip rings are means for connecting the field-generating coil to a source of electrical current.
Typical slip ring designs can present reliability improvement opportunities. For example, the two slip rings in a rotor are typically manufactured as a single assembly, with two wires extending from the assembly for connection to the field-generating coil. A first end of each wire is welded to a respective slip ring. A second end of each wire is welded to the wire which comprises the windings of the field-generating coil. The result is four interconnections between the field-generating coil and the slip rings. Although such designs have been honed to a relatively high degree of reliability, a reduction in the number of interconnections can improve reliability further. Also, the connections between the wires and the slip rings are challenging connections which, although reliable, can be made more reliable.
An additional area of potential improvement in prior art designs is in the cost of the slip ring assembly. A typical slip ring assembly is manufactured by the aforementioned welding of wires to the slip rings, followed by insert-molding of this subassembly in plastic. The resulting slip ring assembly is a fairly expensive part, exhibiting considerable opportunity for cost reduction.
Therefore, slip ring designs for electrical machine rotors which can provide improved reliability and reduced cost can provide advantages over the prior art.

Slip ring design for a rotor of an electrical machine


A surgical stapler includes a handle assembly 80 made of paper pulp products or other eco-friendly material. The handle assembly and components of the staple mechanism housing are designed to account for the decreased material strength of the handle assembly. A new retainer clip 81 or handle retainer includes assembly ribs 82 which include interference fit ribs 96. The retainer clip 81 in combination with a raised circular boss 16 of the handle assembly facilities the use of lower strength materials, such as paper pulp products. An efficient staple housing mechanism includes the use of new staple carrier assembly fixture pin 86 and other disclosed components.

(1) Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to disposable skin staplers. More particularly, the invention relates to means and methods of maximizing the volume of plant based materials while minimizing the use of petroleum based plastic.
(2) Description of the Related Art
Other disposable skin staplers are known in the related art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,411,378 issued on Oct. 25, 1983 to Warman discloses the use of plastics in making a skin stapler. The use of plastics purportedly makes the Warman stapler disposable. After one use, the entire Warman stapler becomes a biohazard waste product to be disposed of by incineration.
U.S. Published Patent Application 2009/0206137 by Hall et al, published on Aug. 20, 2009 discloses a disposable loading unit for inserting staples into a traditional stapler. While the addition of staples to a stapler may prolong the useful life of a stapler, the stapler contemplated by Hall appears to be devoid of any recyclable components and appears to undergo traditional sterilization procedures before each use.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,793,812 issued on Sep. 14, 2010 to Moore et al discloses a motor driven disposable loading unit for adding staples into a traditional stapler. Here again, no means or methods are even contemplated to recycle parts of the stapler in an environmentally sustainable manner.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Skin stapler with components optimized for construction with plant based materials


A capacitively-coupled successive approximation analog-to-digital converter utilizes a capacitively coupled multiplying digital to analog converter to generate a succession of voltages which are compared to the input voltage to be digitized. The capacitively coupled multiplying digital to analog converter generates the required succession of analog voltage levels utilizing very low power in response to digital signals. A double-sided version of the invention processes differential inputs with improved common-non-ideality mode rejection.

There are many applications for analog-to-digital converters. Real world analog information must be converted into a digital form before it can be processed by digital computers. There are a number of types of analog-to-digital converters employing various conversion methods. Each of these methods offer different performance characteristics such as operating speed, power consumption, achievable accuracy, chip area, required amplifier gain, bandwidth, impedance matching and noise.
Conventional electronic systems often package analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) on a separate integrated circuit. Generally, increased electronic integration offers a number of advantages. Hence it is desirable to integrate ADCs onto existing integrated circuit chips. This would reduce the total mass, volume, and system power, as well as the number and volume of power supplies in many systems. An indirect benefit would be a lowering of system design time and design error rate.
One example of an application for such integrated analog-to-digital converters is in the field of semiconductor imagers. There have been recent efforts to implement on-chip ADC onto detector arrays, such as focal-plane arrays (FPAs). Typically, signal chains introduce noise in focal-plane arrays. Therefore, besides the abovedescribed advantages of integrating ADCs, an FPA system with an on-focal-plane (on-chip) ADC would be expected to exhibit superior noise performance. This is due to the inevitable introduction of unwanted noise through cross-talk, clock pickup, power supply noise, electromagnetic interference (EMI) and other mechanisms. Since the serial data rate in the signal chain is typically the highest rate in the entire imaging system, white noise is introduced with a maximum bandwidth. Clock noise and other capacitively-coupled sources are also known to increase with increasing data rates.
On-chip ADCs would operate at a significantly lower bandwidth, ameliorating these effects. Since no off-chip analog cabling is required, pick up and vibration sensitivity would also be eliminated. More fundamentally, multiple sampling, or over-sampling, of the detector signal can be much more effectively performed on the focal plane compared to off-chip. Thus, on-chip ADC would eliminate mechanisms for the introduction of noise, as well as permit increased signal-to-noise ratio through over-sampling techniques. On-focal-plane ADC can also lead to a reduction in total FPA power dissipation.
Furthermore digital signals can be digitally processed on-chip as a further level of integration. For example, on-chip digital signal processing can be used for autonomous sensor control, e.g. exposure control, or for control, of windowed region-of-interest readout. Image compression can also be achieved on-chip to reduce off-chip drive requirements.
The incorporation of high resolution ADCs on focal-plane arrays has proved to be a difficult challenge. There is much less silicon area available on focal-plane arrays than there is on stand-alone ADCs. An ADC with serial architecture would be required to operate with the highest bandwidth of all focal-plane components, since the conversion rate would be the same as the pixel data rate. In a scientific application, a typical pixel data rate is about 100 KHz. In defense applications and in certain scientific applications, data rates in excess 100 MHz are often required. The power dissipation of CMOS at such high data rate circuits is also a concern.
These problems are compounded in scientific applications which routinely require resolutions greater than sixteen bits. This level of resolution generally requires over-sampling techniques that drive the ADC clock rate even higher. On-chip ADCs would also increase focal-plane power dissipation because of the required high speed operation of several analog circuits; compared to the single driver amplifier used in conventional focal-plane readouts. For these reasons, the inventors believe that a serial on-focal-plane ADC architecture would not be optimal.
Another alternative is a massively parallel architecture; for example, with one ADC on each readout pixel in the focal-plane array. However, only a relatively small area is available for most applications; typical pixel size is about 30 .mu.m.sup.2. Thus, this does not leave enough room for conventional ADC approaches which require a relatively large chip area.
In summary, speed limitations in serial architectures and area limitations in parallel architectures have restricted the implementation of on-focal-plane ADCs. The present inventors have recognized that the use of a semi-parallel architecture can be expected to preserve the advantages, and mitigate the adverse consequences, of both of these architectures. A semi-parallel architecture would, for example, utilize an ADC for every column of the readout. This affords virtually unlimited chip area in one dimension and tight, but feasible, design space in the other dimension. Such tall, skinny, ADCs would operate, in parallel, on one row of image data at a time.
A number of ADC techniques are available for use in focal-plane applications. These conversion methods differ from each other in terms of operating speed, power consumption, achievable accuracy, and chip area. An important difference between on-focal-plane ADC and a single chip monolithic ADC, is that an on-focal- plane ADC must occupy a relatively small chip area. The real estate becomes an even more serious concern for column-parallel approaches. Due to the unavailability of a large chip area, focal-plane ADCs cannot usually take advantage of elaborate trimming techniques for resolution enhancement. Thus, the immunity of the ADC performance to circuit parameter mismatch is a problem.
Low power operation is preferred in focal-plane ADCs. Maximum overall power dissipation in the combined ADCs would typically be limited to one to 20 mW. The required resolution and conversion rates vary widely depending upon applications. The conversion rate depends on the array size, the integration time, and the choice of ADC architecture, and is usually in the range of 1 KHz to 1 MHz. Scientific infrared imagers usually demand high resolution (greater than sixteen bits), but several other applications require only eight to ten bit accuracy. Thus there is a wide range of operating requirements. Conversion rate requirements vary from 1 KHz to 1 MHz, and the bit resolution requirements vary from six to over sixteen bits. There does not appear to be a single ADC algorithm that optimally meets all of these widely varying requirements.
Candidate ADC algorithms which meet some of these constraints include flash ADCs, successive approximation ADCs, single/dual slope ADCs, and over-sampled delta-sigma ADCs. For ADC operation in the two to ten bit range, the inventors have recognized that the successive approximation ADC is an attractive alternative for focal-plane applications. This kind of ADC achieves high resolution at medium speeds and with minimal power dissipation. One advantage with successive approximation is that for n bits, only n comparisons need to be made. This results in high speed and low power dissipation. Furthermore, this architecture does not require excessive chip area.
The successive-approximation analog-to-digital conversion process is essentially a "ranging" algorithm. Each conversion step estimates the upper and lower bound within which the input voltage lies. The analog voltage is approximated to within a small error by successively shrinking these bounds. The ranging can be done in several ways. One successive-approximation algorithm that is compatible with CMOS implementation is described in S. Ogawa, et al., "A switch-capacitor successive-approximation A/D converter", IEEE Trans. Instrum. and Meas., Vol. 42, pp. 847-853, 1993. One disadvantage with that approach is that the residual voltage decimates to approximately V.sub.ref /2.sup.n after n conversion steps. As a result, the ADC can be susceptible to circuit noise, offset and non-idealities.
It is hence an object of the present invention to overcome these disadvantages in order to realize many potential advantages of on-focal-plane ADC. It is also an object of the invention to provide an ADC which requires minimal chip area and power consumption. This is done according to the present invention by providing a successive approximation ADC that employs a capacitively-coupled multiplying digital to analog converter ("CCMDAC") to generate comparison voltage. This CCMDAC receives a plurality of input bits from a digital register. These input bits are coupled to capacitors that are weighted in powers of two. The output of the CCMDAC then depends on which input bits are on. The CCMDAC is an extremely low power digital to analog converter that generates a succession of comparison voltages for implementing the successive approximation algorithm of the analog-to-digital converter of the invention.
The capacitively-coupled successive approximation analog-to-digital converter of the invention includes a comparator that receives two inputs: one is the analog voltage input to be digitized; and the other is the CCMDAC output. The state of the digital register in the CCMDAC is controlled by a logic circuit that senses the output of the comparator indicating which of the two inputs is larger.
The digital register is initially set to be all zeros. The most significant bit (MSB) is then toggled and the first comparison is made. If the comparison shows that the CCMDAC output (V.sub.MDAC) is greater than the analog input (V.sub.in), then the MSB is set is to zero. The next significant bit is toggled and a new comparison is made. Again, if the V.sub.MDAC is greater V.sub.in, that bit is set to zero. Otherwise, it is set to one. This process is repeated for n bits. During each iteration, the output of the capacitively-coupled multiplying digital to analog converter increments by a successively smaller amount (such as one-half) due to the coupling of additional, sequentially smaller, capacitors within it. This process is repeated for n bits. The result of n comparisons is n-bits of resolution.
Another embodiment of the invention uses a double sided converter to accommodate a differential input. This embodiment can improve the common-non-ideality mode rejection of the comparator. This embodiment couples each comparator input to a circuit comprising a CCMDAC, digital register, and logic circuit, as described in the previous embodiment. The two sides of the differential input are now used as clamp signals to upper and lower CCMDACs. One digital register holds the converted value and the other its two's complement value. This embodiment works for both positive and negative input signals; the first bit is interpreted as a sign bit. Offset can be digitally compensated by setting the input voltage to zero (both sides equal) and storing the results in digital output.

Capacitively coupled successive approximation ultra low power analog-to-digital converter


A gate oxide and a first conducting layer are formed on a substrate, and then the first conducting layer is patterned and a gate in a NMOS region is formed. A LDD, a sidewall spacer, and a drain/source in the NMOS region are then formed in series. A layer of hard mask is formed. The layer of hard mask and the first conducting layer are patterned and a gate in a PMOS region is formed. A LDD, a sidewall spacer, and a drain/source in the NMOS region are then formed in series.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of fabricating a CMOS(Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor) transistor of integrated circuits.
(2) Description of the Related Art
Integrated circuits which are based on complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technologies are firmly established in modern electronics. A CMOS transistor, which comprises an n-channel(NMOS) and a p-channel(PMOS) transistor, provides the important characteristics needed for both low power dissipation and high integration density designs.
The conventional method of fabricating a CMOS needs five lithographic processes from defining gates to source/drain implantation. The process steps from defining gates to source/drain implantation are briefly described as follows:
(a). forming a first photo resist over a conducting layer and defining gates of both NMOS and PMOS regions. PA1 (b). forming a second photo resist over the NMOS (or PMOS) region and defining a first lightly doped region, and then executing a first ion implantation to form a lightly doped drain/source of an NMOS (or PMOS) transistor. PA1 (c). forming a third photo resist over the PMOS (or NMOS) region and defining a second lightly doped region, and then executing a second ion implantation to form a lightly doped drain/source of a PMOS (or NMOS) transistor. PA1 (d). forming sidewall spacers of the gates of the NMOS transistor and the PMOS transistor. PA1 (e). forming a fourth photo resist over the NMOS (or PMOS) region and defining a first source/drain region, and then executing a third ion implantation to form a drain/source of the NMOS (or PMOS) transistor. PA1 (f). forming a fifth photo resist over the PMOS (or NMOS) region and defining a second source/drain region, and then executing a third ion implantation to form a drain/source of the PMOS (or NMOS) transistor.
Every lithographic process includes lots of steps, such as dehydration bake, priming, photo resist coating, soft bake, exposure, development, after develop inspection and line width measurement, post bake and deep UV hardening, and so on. As mentioned above, the conventional method of fabricating a CMOS needs five lithographic processes from defining gates to source/drain implantation. Therefore, the conventional method takes a lot of cost and fabrication time, and thus decreases the throughput of the production.
The present invention discloses a new method of fabricating a CMOS by using only two lithographic processes. Accordingly, the present invention can not only reduce the cost and time of the manufacture, but also promote the process margin of fabricating the PMOS or the NMOS device of the CMOS.


A multi-channel valve uses a single drive motor to translate a single actuator assembly coupling multiple pintle valves for metering the same amount of media through each channel. The actuator assembly includes a swivel base mounting two or more clevis and nut arrangements coupled to the pintles. The actuator assembly translates the pintles the same distance. The clevis and nut joints can pivot and slide with respect to the swivel base to provide four degrees of freedom between the pintles to significantly reduce binding or side loading on one or both pintles. A stop cushioning assembly is provided to prevent jamming at the interface of the actuator assembly and a motor driven drive assembly.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to metering valves, and in particular, to pintle valves, such as can be used to meter liquid or gaseous fuel in air and space vehicles.
2. Description of the Related Art
Valves for metering fuel and other combustible media to engines in aircraft and spacecraft are well known in the art, see eg., U.S. Pat. No. 6,250,602, assigned to the assignee of the present invention and hereby incorporated by reference as though fully set forth herein. Such valves are used to control the rate at which pressurized fuel, in a liquid or gaseous state, is supplied to inlet orifices in the engine combustion chambers. The valves are relied upon to provide consistent and rapid control of flow rates of fuel at ignition and during sustained operation. Their operation is critical to proper performance of the vehicle. Poor valve operation can result in unstable engine performance and possible failure.
These valves can have movable stem-like valve members, or pintles, aligned with the outlet port of the valve for controlling the rate at which fuel flows to the engine. Pintle type valves are typically less affected by the temperatures and pressures of the fuel passing through the fuel chamber of the valve, due to their contoured head and axial movement parallel to the media.
The pintles are moved between extended and retracted positions by a drive/actuator system, which can be can be a electric, mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic or combinations thereof. Typical pintle metering valves, such as in the '602 patent, require a separate actuator system for each pintle valves. Thus, in applications requiring metering of multiple flow channels, separate actuators must be used. The numerous actuators add cost, size and weight to the metering system. In some applications, such as air and space vehicles, for example vehicles with supersonic combustion ramjet ("scramjet") engines, space and weight must be minimized as much as possible, thus making conventional valves undesirable.
Another problem with separate valves or valve channels is flow division deviation, which occurs when the flow through each valve in a multi-valve system is not identical. Slight deviations between the flow volumes or rates of the valves can significantly adversely impact performance in certain applications. For example, it is critical to minimize flow deviation between the valves metering fuel to the multiple zones of the combustion chamber in a scramjet engine.

Jansen's Aircraft Systems Controls, Inc.


A GOA circuit and a display panel are provided. The GOA circuit could reduce the number of transistors electrically connected to the first node in the GOA circuit. Thus, the number of the current leakage paths is also reduced. In addition, the GOA circuit could real-time compensate the pixel circuit in the blank time period and thus raise the stability of the GOA circuit.

The gate driver on array (GOA) technique represents a technique integrating gate driving circuits on the array substrate of the display panel to drive the panel line by line. In this way, the gate driver circuit portion could be eliminated to reduce the cost and realize a design of the narrow side frame. Therefore, the GOA technique has been adopted in various kinds of displays. However, the GOA circuit is very complicated and the tolerance of the threshold value variance is comparatively low and thus the stability is low.

SHENZHEN CHINA STAR OPTOELECTRONICS SEMICONDUCTOR DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


An output system including an output data storage section storing output data, an output data saving section saving the output data to the storage section, an authentication information acquiring section acquiring authentication information, a usability determining section determining usability of the output data depending on acquired authentication information, a power control section controlling power to the network device, an output data transmitting section sending, to the network device, usable output data, and a power-save switchover section switching between an operating status and a power-save status. The power control section forwarding, to the power-save switchover section, a power-save cancel command for transition into the operating status after the output data is determined usable and before the transmitting section sends the output data.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a system, apparatus, program and method that output is available at a network device with a power save mode, and more particularly to an output system, a device management apparatus and program, output method and printing system that are suited to reduce the power consumption in an authentication output system without increasing the time up to the start of an output.
2. Related Art
As a printing system having a security function, there is known an authentication printing system wherein a user authentication apparatus is provided nearby a network printer so that printing can be started at the network printer when the user sends print data from the host terminal to the user authentication apparatus and then swipes an authentication card in the user authentication apparatus.
In the existing authentication printing system, when the network printer is in a power save status, the network printer remains in a power save status for the duration before delivering print data to an interpreter for the network printer. In such a case, a delay is encountered in starting a printing by the time required for the warming up process. The user is required to wait for the start/completion of printing. Meanwhile, in order to maintain the warm-up status for swiftly staring a printing, a constant amount of power consumption is needed which imposes a burden economically/environmentally.
JP-A-2004-272596 discloses an art wherein a printing is to be started swiftly at a network printer with a power save mode. The invention described in JP-A-2004-272596 is that, when pushing a remote output button provided on a print setting/operation panel, a warm-up command is sent to a previously registered network printer thereby warming up the network printer.
However, where applying the invention described in JP-A-2004-272596 to an authentication printing system, the following problem arises.
In the authentication printing system, because print data is held in the user authentication apparatus, there is a case that printing is not immediately done after a user's transmission of print data from the host terminal but printing is executed by providing a user authentication after the passage of a certain time. Accordingly, even in case the network printer is warmed up during operating the print set/operation panel at the host terminal as in the invention described in JP-A-2004-272596, power is uselessly consumed in case a long time is taken upon providing a user authentication from a sending of print data.
Meanwhile, in recent years, the information processing apparatus, home electrical appliance, or the like is configured to reduce power consumption under the environmental standard, such as International Energy Program, to automatically briefly suspend the apparatus function where the apparatus is out of use for a constant time after the use thereof.
However, in case the warm-up status is maintained for a constant time after completing the printing as above also on the network printer for use in an authentication printing system, a readily printable status is to be maintained despite the appearance that no print output is to be done. This correspondingly consumes power thus imposing a burden economically/environmentally.
Such a problem is not limited to printing at the network printer but can be thought likewise in the case that a display device, such as a projector or an LCD (liquid crystal display), is connected to a network so that display can be effected on the display device.

Output system, device management apparatus and program, and output method


A novelty knife for use for simulating impact includes a resilient blade formed of shape retentive material having a bottom edge and a fluid reservoir bulb mounted as a handle, wherein the fluid reservoir bulb includes fluid communication through a plurality of conduits directed through the blade and exiting along the blade's lower edge adjacent the blade's tip, with a fluid dye contained within the reservoir for ease of replenishment.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of invention relates to novelty knife structure, and more particularly pertains to a new and improved novelty knife wherein the same is arranged to simulate impact upon an individual.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various novelty knives are utilized throughout the prior art and such is exemplified in U.S. Pat. No. 4,864,759 wherein a toy fire arm is configured as a knife member.
The instant invention attempts to overcome deficiencies of the prior art by providing for a knife member to simulate impact on an individual to direct a fluid simulating blood to be rejecting from the knife member upon impact and in this respect, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.


A test device for determining the analyte concentration in body fluid. The test device has a memory in which calibration adjustments corresponding to calibration numbers are stored. The test device is adapted to receive a test sensor for collecting a sample. The test sensor contains a reagent adapted to produce a reaction indicative of the analyte concentration in the sample and the test sensor has an associated calibration number of a plurality of digits. The test device comprises a measuring unit, a single calibration input element, a user display, and a processor. The measuring unit measures the reaction of the reagent and the analyte and generates a signal indicative of the measured reaction. The single calibration input element permits a user to input the calibration number, one digit at a time, associated with the test sensor. The processor is adapted to determine the analyte concentration. The user display shows available digits to be selected by a user inputting the calibration number and displays the determined analyte concentration.

Those who have irregular blood-glucose concentration levels are often medically required to self-monitor their blood-glucose concentration level. An irregular blood-glucose level can be brought on by a variety of reasons including illness, such as diabetes. The purpose of monitoring the blood-glucose level is to determine the concentration level and then to take corrective action, based upon whether the level is too high or too low, to bring the level back within a normal range. The failure to take corrective action can have serious medical implications.
Beyond the above-describe blood-glucose concentration level monitoring, self-testing systems are used for determining the presence or concentration of other analytes in body fluid such as, for example, cholesterol, alcohol, and hemoglobin in blood or chemical substances in saliva. Beyond self-testing situations, portable test devices are also used to test for various type of chemicals in water and soil.
One method of monitoring a person's blood glucose level is with a portable, hand-held blood glucose test device. A prior art blood-glucose test device 6 is illustrated in FIG. 1. The portable nature of these devices 6 enables the users to conveniently test their blood glucose-levels wherever the users may be. The test device 6 receives a test sensor 7 for harvesting the blood for analysis. The test sensor 7—one of which is required for each test—contains a reaction area including a regent for producing a measurable reaction with the glucose indicative of the blood-glucose concentration level. The test sensor harvests the blood, either prior to or subsequent to insertion into the testing device, for reaction with the reagent stored within.
The device 6 contains a switch 8a to activate the device 6 and a display 9 to display the blood-glucose analysis results. Alternatively, the device 6 is automatically activated upon receipt of the test sensor 7. In order to check the blood glucose level, a drop of blood is obtained from, for example, a lanced fingertip. The blood is harvested using the test sensor 7. The test sensor 7, which is inserted into a test device 6, is brought into contact with the blood drop. The test sensor 7 moves the blood to the inside of itself via, for example, capillary action. Alternatively, the a blood sample is harvested with the test sensor 7 prior to inserting the test sensor 7 into the test device. The blood sample now within the test sensor 7 mixed with the reagent causing a reaction between the reagent and the glucose in the blood sample. The test device 6, then measures the reaction to determine the concentration of glucose in the blood. Once the results of the test are displayed on the display 9 of the test device 6, the test sensor 7 is discarded. Each new test requires a new test sensor 7. There are different types of test sensors for use with different types of test devices. Electrochemical or optical (e.g., colorimetric) assays are two types of testing used to measure blood-glucose concentration levels.
During the manufacture of the reagents used within the test sensors or during the manufacture of the test sensors themselves, manufacturing variations occur from batch of test sensors to batch, also referred to as a "lot," of test sensors that impact the performance of the test sensors or that impact the performance of the reagent in the test sensors. For electrochemical sensors, such variations within normal manufacturing tolerances include the size of the electrodes, the amount of reagent deposited within the sensor, the reactivity of the reagent (e.g., rate of dissolution and enzyme activity), and other sensor geometry variations. For optical sensors, manufacturing variations can include the reflectance of the sensor backing, absorbance level of the reagent, the amount of reagent deposited within the sensor, and transmittance of the sensor optics.
To correct for these variations, every package of test sensors is given a calibration number that corresponds to calibration adjustments stored in the testing device. The calibration adjustments inform the test device of how to adjust the obtained measurement for each particular batch of test sensors. Depending on the test device, there may be over 64 calibration algorithms and associated adjustments stored in the test device. Prior to each test, the user inputs the particular calibration number that corresponds to the correct calibration adjustment for the particular batch of test sensors currently being used for the analysis.
In many prior art devices, the test device 6 has a plurality of buttons 8b–e (FIG. 1) for inputting the calibration number into the test device. An increased number of buttons in the test device adds to the overall cost of the device and adds to the time to manufacture the device.
Other prior art test devices utilize a reading means such as a bar code scanner for reading the calibration number that has been bar coded on the package of test sensors. Other test sensors may be provided with a resistor that informs the test device, which must include an ohm meter for reading the resistor, of the calibration number. Both of these reading means add to the overall cost of the device. Further, the bar coded label can become torn or otherwise destroyed during shipping, making it unreadable, and the resistor can be damaged during shipping.
Other test devices utilize one button, which when pressed, causes the test device to scroll through all of the calibration numbers stored in the test device. While this minimizes the cost of production and the likelihood of breakdown, it is time consuming for the consumer to have to scroll through a plurality of numbers stored in the device, which, in turn, further increases the overall testing time.

Calibration data entry system for a test instrument


The present invention relates to a harmonic circuit for improving linearity, the harmonic circuit according to the present invention comprises a first terminal connected to a collector of a NPN transistor and a second terminal connected to an emitter of the NPN transistor, and removes inter-modulation noise from the signal appeared at the collector of the NPN transistor. The harmonic circuit includes a PNP transistor, a first resistor, and a second resistor. The PNP transistor generates harmonic components without affecting the main signal, and the harmonic components that are generated by the PNP transistor compensate the harmonic components that are generated by the NPN transistor by having load of different sign from the load of the harmonic components that are generated by the NPN transistor. In addition, the harmonic circuit further includes a phase shifter to compensate the phase distortion that is generated from non-linear devices, and it can reduce the inter-modulation noise more minutely by implementing the PNP transistor using a plurality of Darlington-connected PNP transistors.

It is known that the inter-modulation noise is one of the reasons that make the linearity of the receiver be poor. The inter-modulation noise deteriorates the receiving sensitivity at the receiving terminal.
The inter-modulation noise means that frequency components that are composed by the sum and the difference of harmonic components of the input signals are generated at the output terminal when two or more frequency signals are processed at the same time. The inter-modulation noise is usually generated in non-linear devices such as mixer and amplifier. Since the frequency band of the inter-modulation noise is near the frequency of the main signal, the inter-modulation noise is hardly removed by the band pass filter. As the inter-modulation noise became larger, the linearity of the receiver become deteriorated thereby reducing the receiving sensitivity.
To resolve the above problem, a method of improving linearity of the receiver by increasing a voltage or current applied to low-noise amplifier, intermediate frequency amplifier, etc. of the radio frequency receiver is disclosed in the Korean Patent No.10-0222404.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a receiver disclosed in the Korean Patent No.10-0222404.
As shown in FIG. 1, the conventional receiver is constituted of a controller 111, the first attenuator 112, a low noise amplifier 113, a RF band filter 114, a mixer 116, an oscillator 115, the second attenuator 131, an intermediate frequency amplifier 117, an intermediate frequency band pass filter 118, a demodulator 119, and a signal processor 120.
Now, the operation of the conventional receiver disclosed in the Korean Patent No.10-0222404 will be described with reference to FIG. 1.
The first attenuator 112 attenuates an RF signal received via antenna according to an attenuation control signal ATC2. The low noise amplifier 113 amplifies the RF signal outputted from the attenuator 112, and the RF band filter 114 filters the RF signal of the receiving band and outputs it. The mixer 116 mixes the RF signal and the signal outputted from the oscillator to generate a intermediate frequency signal. The intermediate frequency amplifier 117 amplifies the signal outputted from the mixer 116. The intermediate frequency band pass filter 118 performs down conversion of the frequency of the received RF signal, and the demodulator 119 demodulates inputted signal to output I and Q signals. The signal processor 120 receives I and Q signals outputted from the demodulator 119, generates baseband digital data and voice signal, and detects and outputs RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator) and E/Io (signal-to-interference ratio). The controller 111 inputs RSSI and E/Io outputted from the signal controller 120 and generates an attenuation control signal ATT, and the first and the second control signals CLT1 and CLT2 to remove inter-modulation noise by analyzing the signal.
That is, if the linearity of the receiver decreases, the receiver disclosed in the Korean Patent No.10-0222404 improves the linearity of the receiver and the receiving sensitivity by increasing the voltage or current applied to the low noise amplifier 113, the intermediate frequency amplifier 117, and the first and the second attenuator 113 and 131 by generating a control signal from the controller 111. However, the above-described receiver has to be equipped with a separate control circuit to improve the linearity of the receiver thereby causing the complexity of the receiver.

Harmonic circuit for improving linearity


An Internet infrastructure that supports search operations along with malware screening that uses a search server of a search string from a client device. The search server comprises a search engine for searching the Internet and contains modules for malware detection and quarantine functions. The search server identifies the malwares in the search results, generates malware metadata, and provides appropriate messages to the client device that initiated the search service so the user can avoid malware while browsing and searching Internet. The search results that span to a desired level of sub-domain Universal Resource Locators (URLs) and links are quarantined and denied access when found to be infected with malwares. The associated status messages of the search results are displayed with color code and a popup window displays all the information about the searched links when accessed.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to Internet searching; and, more particularly, to virus infection prevention during such searching.
2. Related Art
Today, in the information age, the Internet is used extensively in almost all walks of life. There are millions of web pages containing information on amazing variety of topics. Internet search engines allow for searching the variety of information on the Internet. There are many search engines available today for getting useful information from the Internet. A search conducted with a search engine will often provide links to various web pages containing data of possible interest to the searching user. This data may sometimes be infected with malware, such as adware, spyware, viruses, etc. Usually, there is no information available for a user to know whether the data they are receiving or viewing while searching the Internet on a browser are infected by malware a priori. In some cases, computers may have software that scan for malware after the malware has been provided to the computer and infected it or caused significant damage to the client machine. Therefore, it is problematic that, after getting the search result, a user has no clue whether the retrieved data has been scanned for malware or whether any malware was found until it is too late. Even if the retrieved data were scanned for malware, how recently the data was scanned for malware is also not communicated to the user. Therefore, there is no way for a user that is browsing the Internet to safely know that the information the browser is accessing in response to search queries is safe for viewing, storage, or processing on their computer.
Quite often the virus vectors, programming, protocols, patterns, operation, etc., keep on changing and hence the virus data scans that were performed in the past may be less useful and less safe as time goes on. Hence there is often little or no indication for the user regarding the safety of the associated links/data provided by the Internet search engine until it is too late, if any warning or remedy is provided at all. In addition, even if the current page is safe to use, there is no information conveyed to the user regarding the search result page, wherein the web links leading to other web links that may contain malware. Meaning, that malware may not appear on the surface of a provided web page. Malware may be embedded in content, media, pictures, sub-links, associated web pages, ads, etc., associated with link provided to the user in response to their search. Therefore, as a user advances through search results and clicks and accesses more content and data, the risk of running into an undetected and unscanned virus increases dramatically.
For example, assume a user wants to find and download free software on the Internet. The user performs a keyword search using a browser and gets some search hits in the web browser. The search hits provide web links or search results to various websites or locations that may be associated with the desired free software. The user has no information about the web links that give the user any comfort that the data within the links or data already provided to the user's browser as a result of the searching doesn't have data containing malware. Even if no virus has yet been exposed to the user, the user may surf a bunch of search results (some completely undesired by the user or unrelated to what the user seeks) or did into search results while trying to find the free software. The user may click on media, or ads along the way. When the user clicks a web link or other data/content, there is a possibility that the user gets a virus from that interaction. Further, once the user finds the software he/she is seeking, the software may be virus-infected software and by accessing or downloading that software and installing it onto the local computer, the computer may get infected by the viruses/malware.
These and other limitations and deficiencies associated with the related art may be more fully appreciated by those skilled in the art after comparing such related art with various aspects of the present invention as set forth herein with reference to the figures.

Internet search engine preventing virus exchange


The invention provides a method for antigen retrieval of a formaldehyde-fixed tissue sample comprising incubating a formaldehyde-fixed tissue sample in a first antigen retrieval solution at a temperature of greater than 90° C., transferring the tissue sample to a second antigen retrieval solution, and incubating the tissue sample in the second antigen retrieval solution at a temperature of greater than 90° C. The invention also provides a kit and sample delivery device for carrying out the method.

Diagnostic cell imaging uses methods whereby molecules produced by cells or tissues can be specifically localized to those cells or tissues. This provides a researcher with information as to the sites of production or activity of those given molecules. For the specific localization of proteins in routine pathology, a procedure known as immunohistochemistry (IHC) is routinely utilized. In IHC an antibody for a specific antigen is applied to a fixed tissue sample that recognizes a known specific molecule as a first step. This antibody is then detected with the use of a secondary antibody that has been chemically coupled with an enzyme, such as horseradish peroxidase. After incubation with a chromogenic substrate such as di-amino-benzidine (DAB), a colored deposit is produced at the site of the secondary antibody that has bound to the primary antibody at the specific site of the protein of interest. This procedure is currently utilized for over 200 antibodies in clinical pathology labs and many more in the research environment.
The nature of tissue processing requires that the samples be "fixed" prior to embedding in paraffin and micro-sectioning on a microtome to produce tissue sections suitable for immunostaining. During this process, proteins are preserved using a formaldehyde treatment that produces chemical cross-linking which preserves the cellular features of the tissue. Formaldehyde preserves or fixes tissue or cells predominantly by cross-linking primary amine groups in proteins with other nearby nitrogen atoms in protein or DNA through a —CH2— linkage. The process of tissue fixation however, frequently masks antigens on specific proteins for which detection is desirable for diagnostic and prognostic purposes. Typically procedures are optimized for detection of individual target molecules, and when needed, serial sections are processed in a different manner for the detection of additional targets molecules. With advances in the ability to detect multiple antigens in a single sample, there needs to be a uniform tissue processing that is compatible with the detection of multiple proteins.

Method and apparatus for antigen retrieval process


In a package mounting structure for mounting a package on a case, wherein the package internally incorporates at least one of a high-frequency transistor, MIC and MMIC used in the microwave to millimeter-wave band, and a base thereof is formed of metal and serves as ground, an electrically conductive sheet having excellent thermal conductivity and exhibiting restorability and having a size identical with that of the base of the package is laid on the case at a package-bearing location, the package and sheet are fastened together by two or more screws, and the sheet is mounted on the case while it is pressed by a pressing force of 10 N/cm2 or greater owing to fastening.

This invention relates to a mounting structure of a package, which incorporates at least one of a high-frequency transformer, MIC (Microwave Integrated Circuit) and MMIC (Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit) used in the microwave to millimeter-wave band, or of a superconducting circuit board. More particularly, the invention relates to a mounting structure whereby a thermally excellent state can be obtained without sacrificing the microwave characteristic.
Any of the following methods has been implemented heretofore in order to mount a microwave circuit, which handles signals in the microwave to millimeter-wave band, on a case (heat sink): {circle around (1)} the circuit is mounted upon interposing a soft metal such as indium between the case and the package or board; {circle around (2)} the circuit is mounted upon applying a silicon compound or grease between the case and the package or board; {circle around (3)} the circuit is mounted directly without doing any of these; and {circle around (4)} the circuit is mounted on the case directly by soldering.
Further, in the case of a low-frequency circuit, use has been made of the fact that a graphite sheet exhibits thermal anisotropy, wherein the heat that evolves from the heated portion of the low-frequency circuit is transported to a remote location by the graphite sheet so that the heat is dissipated. A further method that has been employed similarly makes use of the properties of a graphite sheet, interposes the graphite sheet between the heat-producing portion of the package and the case and applies pressure to the package as by auxiliary hardware to allow heat to escape. However, these expedients are applied to low-frequency circuits and are not implemented in the case of microwave circuits.
Graphite is an allotrope of carbon and in one sense is akin to diamond but in another is merely the lead of a pencil. A graphite sheet is obtained by molding graphite, which is close to diamond that has an attractive crystal alignment, into sheet form and exhibits a high thermal conductivity second to that of diamond. The thermal conductivity of copper or aluminum is less than one-half that of graphite in one direction. For these reasons, a graphite sheet is ideal as a heat transfer material. However, since a graphite sheet is not in liquid form as in the manner of grease, making it adhere perfectly is a difficult challenge.
Problems of Mounting Structures for Microwave and Millimeter-Wave Circuits
In the usual mounting structure of a microwave and millimeter-wave band circuit, a package internally incorporating a transistor, MIC or MMIC that evolves a high degree of heat is mounted on a metal case and a circuit board on which microstrips have been patterned is disposed about the package. In order to facilitate the dissipation of heat produced by the package, the area of contact between the package and the case has its surface roughness removed to improve planarity and provide as much surface contact as possible.
In the microwave and millimeter-wave band, however, it is required that the lower part of the package be grounded in its entirety. No matter how much surface roughness and planarity are improved, contact is point contact in micro terms. In particular, if the package bends due to heat, ground will not be stable and good electrical characteristics (microwave characteristics) will not be obtained. Further, the heat-dissipating effect is limited, the package warps owing to evolution of heat and contact worsens, thus further destabilizing ground. Though warp preventing screws or the like below the heat-producing body can help, the only method available is to screw down the periphery of the package from above. Even if grounding is achieved, the temperature of the semiconductor may exceed the absolute maximum rating if power consumption is high when one takes thermal resistance into account.
A method of securing the package to the case (heat sink) by solder is available as a method of solving the above-mentioned problem. If the package is secured by soldering, however, it cannot be moved again. If a malfunction or the like occurs, therefore, it is necessary to replace the case in its entirety and not just the package in which the transistor, MIC or MMIC is mounted. This means that all of the circuits included in the case must be replaced. The problem that arises is an increase in cost.
Further, there is a method that uses a silicon compound as a material that may be replaced subsequently. However, since the compound is an insulator, a problem encountered is that grounding is difficult to achieve. In addition, the technique for applying the compound thinly and skillfully is difficult. This is a task requiring skill.
A method of laying an indium sheet is available as a method of achieving ground. However, the sheet is squashed by pressure from above and has no resiliency. If it is used for a long period of time, therefore, a gap may form between the package and the case. This gives rise to reliability-related problems and a change in electrical characteristics.
Further, in the case of a low-frequency circuit, sandwiching a graphite sheet between the heat-producing portion and the case has been considered. A structure of the kind illustrated in the sectional view of FIG. 20 has been proposed. Specifically, a cap filter 3 is interposed in a gap between a heat source (MPU, PA, graphic chip, etc.) 2 provided in a package 1 and the upper part of the package, a graphite sheet 4 is laid on the top surface of the package and a case (heat sink) is laid on the graphite sheet and fixed, thereby achieving mounting. If this expedient is adopted, heat is transferred in the directions indicated by the arrows. If the graphite sheet 4 is used, a non-uniform heat distribution HTD1 that prevails when the graphite sheet is not used changes to a heat distribution HTD2 owing to dissipation of heat through the entirety of the heat sink and the heat at the heat-producing portion is dissipated. FIG. 21 is a diagram for describing a DVD-RAM mounting structure. A pick-up 8 is provided below a printed board 7 on which CPUs 6a, 6b are mounted, and a PGS graphite sheet 4 is placed on a heat-producing portion such as a light-emitting diode of the pick-up 8. In the arrangement of FIG. 21, heat evolved by the CPUs and pick-up is transferred to and dissipated from an external case 9 via the graphite sheet 4.
However, it is difficult to apply the mounting structures of FIGS. 20 and 21 to mounting of a microwave circuit. The reason is that in the case of a microwave circuit, it is necessary to place a circuit board, the principle part of which is a microstrip, in a surrounding area in close proximity to the package (transistor, MIC or MMIC).
In the case of a low-frequency circuit, as shown in FIG. 21, no problems arise even if connection is by point contact. However, in the case of a package internally accommodating a microwave circuit, a surface-contact ground structure becomes necessary. In the mounting arrangements of FIGS. 20 and 21, the graphite sheet exhibits superior heat transfer in the transverse direction, as indicated by the arrows. However, since a single sheet is thin, there is little spread of heat in the transverse direction, as indicated by these drawings.
Further, the structure in FIG. 20 is such that in order to press the heat-producing portion against the graphite sheet 4, it is held down from above by the case 5. In this case, the space above the surrounding circuit also is narrowed. In the case of a microwave circuit, the space above the peripheral circuitry is reduced. As a result, even if peripheral circuitry is installed, ground above the circuit is too close and it is difficult to obtain the usual microwave characteristics. Further, in order to dissipate heat in practical terms, special hardware for strong hold-down is required.
Though the attaching method of the case is not clarified in FIG. 21, fixing the CPU package to the heat dissipating portion (the external case) by the graphite sheet 4, which is an adhesive layer, is contemplated. However, the existence of an adhesive layer enlarges thermal resistance. Further, the lower part of the package of the transistor, MIC or MMIC used in a microwave and millimeter-wave band power circuit, which evolves a large amount of heat, is greater than 100° C. Since an adhesive layer can withstand a high temperature only on the order of 100° C., the sheet constituting the adhesive layer cannot be used in mounting a microwave circuit in the manner of the mounting structure of FIG. 21. Further, since the mounting structure of FIG. 21 is for dealing with a low-frequency circuit, the special nature of microwave and millimeter-wave high-frequency circuits is not taken into consideration and there are limitations with regard to the mounting of a microwave circuit that requires the placement of a board, the principle part of which is a microstrip, in a surrounding area in close proximity to the package (transistor, MIC or MMIC).
In FIG. 22, a diagram in which pressure is applied to the package 1 is drawn in order to measure thermal resistance, and the entirety of the package 1 is subjected to pressure. This also is a structure in which the package is pressed from above. Problems the same as those of FIGS. 20 and 21 occur. That is, with a structure in which the entirety of the package of FIG. 22 is pressed down from above, the space above the surrounding circuitry takes on the same height as that of the package. In the case of a microwave circuit, the space above the circuit diminishes. As a result, even if circuitry is installed, ground above the circuit is too close and it is difficult to obtain the usual microwave and millimeter-wave characteristics. Furthermore, in a case where pressure is applied from above, there are instances where Teflon or the like having a low dielectric constant is used. However, this merely gives an assist in microwave and millimeter-wave applications and the package of a transistor, MIC or MMIC cannot be secured by pressure alone.
With regard to dissipation of heat, configurations in which the heat is brought from the heat-producing portion to the heat-dissipating portion by utilizing a graphite sheet have been considered, as seen in the Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 8-23183, 11-110084 and Japanese Patent Application Nos. 11-149329, 10-3333202, 11-128567 and 10-51170. However, these examples of the prior art give no consideration to the problem of ground, which is specific to microwaves. Further, though the graphite sheet has a high thermal conductivity in the transverse direction and therefore has some degree of effectiveness, the sheet has little thickness and exhibits only a small amount of heat transport. For example, if the amount of heat evolved by a transistor, MIC or MMIC is greater than 100 W, it is difficult to lower the channel temperature of the transistor by more than 10° C. Further, in the case of a microwave or millimeter-wave circuit, the circuit board is very nearby and therefore it is necessary to transport heat while avoiding the circuit board. In other words, heat can only be transported from portions not related to the RF characteristic, in which case the amount of heat transported is small and satisfactory effects are not obtained.
For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-21183 discloses a cooling structure for cooling a heated member in a low-frequency circuit, i.e., a cooling structure for a heat-producing member characterized by inclusion of a heat-dissipating part made of graphite exhibiting a high degree of alignment. It is indicated that the heat-dissipating part in this cooling structure may be {circle around (1)} a heat sink for cooling an electronic part that is a member evolving heat, {circle around (2)} a sealing member for sealing an electronic part that is a member evolving heat, or {circle around (3)} a heat-dissipating member connecting an electronic part that is a member evolving heat and a heat-dissipating body for dissipating heat.
According to method {circle around (1)}, the heat-dissipating characteristic of the heat sink is excellent. However, in a case where the heat-producing body is placed inside a package, as in a microwave or millimeter-wave circuit, a problem which arises is that a satisfactory heat-dissipating effect is not obtained unless there is sufficient thermal transfer from the package to the heat sink. Further, according to method {circle around (2)}, it is required that the sheet have an adhesive function. The graphite sheet described, however, does not illustrate an adhesive function. If an adhesive is used, the thermal conductivity will decline owing to the adhesive and the heat-dissipating effect will be degraded. According to method {circle around (3)}, the connecting member has a shape of the kind shown in FIG. 1 of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-21183. However, owing to the small thickness of the sheet, the amount of heat transported is small. For example, if the amount of heat evolved by a transistor, MIC or MMIC is 100 W, it is difficult to lower the channel temperature of the transistor by more than 10° C.
Further, as illustrated in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-283650, there is an example in which a heat sink is fixed using a connecting member in a laser-beam generating apparatus. Though circuit devices can be used independently in a case where there is no relation to frequency, as in this example, the microwave circuit is such that another microwave circuit is in close proximity to the surroundings. This arrangement is not practical. Further, with the method using a connecting member, a problem which arises is that a new member referred to as a connecting member is required. That is, in a case where the package is fixed, the connecting-member material and connecting conditions are required and a problem which arises is an increase in member other than the usual screws for fastening the package.
A structure that allows heat to escape using an indium sheet is illustrated in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-75283. However, indium has almost no restoring force, undergoes deformation with use over an extended period of time, a gap is produced between itself and the case and the heated body may peel off. Problems arise in terms of thermal conductivity and maintenance of ground.
The foregoing is prior art for dissipating heat that has evolved from the heated body. With a high-frequency circuit or high-speed digital circuit that uses superconductivity for dealing with microwave and millimeter-wave high-frequency electromagnetic components, it is required that members be kept at extremely low temperatures. FIGS. 23A and 23B are diagrams for describing a cooling structure. FIG. 23A is a perspective view in which an upper cover 10 of a high-frequency circuit device employing superconductivity has been removed, and FIG. 23B is a sectional view taken along line A′A of the upper cover. A base metal board (Invar, Kovar, copper) 13 on which a superconducting RF circuit board 12 has been mounted is secured to a case 11 by board-mounting screws 14a to 14f. Indium sheets 15a, 15b for removing heat are laid between the case 11 and base metal board 13 and between the superconducting RF circuit board 12 and the base metal board 13. Furthermore, the case 11 is secured on a cold head 16 by screws 17a, 17b via an indium sheet 15c. The arrangement is such that a coolant such as LN or LHe is passed through the interior of the cooling end 16 or such that cooled He gas fed from a refigerator (not shown) is passed through the cooling end. At an operating temperature of about 4K that adopts liquefied He (LHe) as the coolant, a superconducting RF circuit that uses an Nb superconducting film or YBCO, BSCCO film can be cooled. At an operating temperature of about 77K that adopts liquefied nitrogen as the coolant, or at 50 to 80K using a refigerator, a superconducting RF circuit that uses YBCO or BSCCO film can be cooled. In FIG. 23A, reference numeral 18 denotes a superconducting film pattern on the superconducting RF circuit board 12, reference numerals 19a, 19b denote coaxial connectors, and reference numerals 20 to 20d denote holes for receiving screws.
The evolution of heat by a circuit in a portion to be cooled is smaller by an order of magnitude in comparison with ordinary semiconductor circuits and wiring. However, heat that penetrates from the exterior of the cooling device penetrates the portion to be cooled (the superconducting RF circuit board 12) through the case 11. The rise in temperature owing to penetration of heat is lowered by the cold head 16. However, the indium sheets 15a to 15c exhibit almost no restoring force and have adhesion to with respect to many case materials and boards. When the case 11 is removed, therefore, the indium sheet 15c undergoes shape deformation and re-use in the same shape is difficult. In case of re-use, a gap tends to form between the sheet and case, temperature unevenness develops within the board and often it is difficult to achieve active operation and transmission-circuit operation by superconductivity with a high degree of reproducibility.
Further, in the cooling structure of FIGS. 23A, 23B, problems are EMC, vibration in the internal circuitry and degradation of characteristics. The case 11 of the microwave or millimeter-wave circuit usually has the cover 10 and a bottom cover fixed to it by screws 17a to 17b. Since a gap is formed in such case, radio waves leak from the gap, thereby bringing about the problems EMC, vibration in the internal circuitry and degradation of characteristics. EMC involves two phenomena, namely leakage of radio waves to the outside and penetration of external radio waves. Vibration is caused by part of the output being fed back to the input through the gap. Further, the degradation of characteristics also is caused by coupling between circuits through the gap. For example, this leads to a frequency characteristic exhibiting a break.

Mounting device for high frequency microwave devices


A hose clip for clamping a hose includes a clamping ring formed by annularly bending a strip of spring plate and deformed between a reduced-diameter state and a spread-diameter state. An arcuate portion is formed in either one of the ends of the clamping ring. A first knob is formed by bending the arcuate portion radially outward with respect to the clamping ring. A second knob is formed by bending the other free end of the clamping ring radially outward with respect to the clamping ring as so to pass through the arcuate portion. An engaged piece is formed on the one end of the clamping ring so as to project axially with respect to the clamping ring within a width of the spring plate. An engaging edge is formed on the other end of the clamping ring so as to move over the engaged piece and engage it when the first and second knobs are slid to come close to each other, thereby holding the clamping ring in the spread-diameter state with the knobs being substantially superposed. Also, a guide face is formed on a portion of the engaged piece with which the engaging edge engages. The guide face axially displaces the engaged piece and the engaging edge when the knobs come close to each other so that the engaged piece abuts the engaging edge.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a hose clip for clamping a hose and a releasing bar tool used for releasing the hose clip from a spread-diameter state to a reduced-diameter state in which the hose clip clamps the hose.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art has provided hose clips clamping for a hose by using a spring force which is inherent therein. The hose clips are used in an engine room of an automobile, for example. It is desirable that the hose clip should be conveyed or carried in a spread-diameter state in consideration of works at a job site. For this purpose, the prior art has provided a hose clip of the type in which knobs provided at both ends thereof are held by a holder so that the hose clip is held in the spread-diameter state. In this construction, however, the spring force of the holder springs out the holder to thereby scatter it in the job site when the holder is pulled out so that the hose clip is released into the spread-diameter state. To overcome this problem, the prior art has proposed a hose clip provided with a function of holding itself in the spread-diameter state without use of the holder. This hose clip is referred to as "self-holding type hose clip."
The assignee of the present invention has proposed such a self-holding type hose clip in a Japanese utility model application which was laid open under the Japanese laid-open utility model publication No. 6-69581. FIG. 17 illustrates the proposed hose clip. The hose clip comprises a clamping ring 30 formed by circularly bending a strip of spring plate. An arcuate first knob 31 is formed at the side of one of two free ends of the clamping ring 30. A second knob 32 is formed at the other free end side of the clamping ring 30. The second knob 32 is caused to pass through the first knob 31 and then to rise to thereby be opposed to the first knob 31. A hose H can be clamped by the hose clip when the diameter of the clamping ring 30 is reduced into a free state. On the other hand, when both knobs 31 and 32 are caused to come close to each other, the clamping ring 30 is deformed so that the hose clip can be attached to and detached from a hose H.
In order that the clamping ring 30 may be held in the spread-diameter state, the first knob 31 is formed with an engagement strip 33 extending from an inner side edge of a right-hand leg thereof and having a distal end curved frontward. The second knob 32 has an arm 34 protruding from a right-hand edge of the right-hand side edge thereof toward the first knob 31. The arm 34 includes a temporary holding claw 35 having an arcuate guide face 36 engaged with and disengaged from the engagement strip 33.
In order that the clamping ring 30 may be held in the spread-diameter state, both knobs 31 and 32 are held by a pair of pliers P as shown in FIG. 18A. Then, the temporary holding claw 35 rides via the guide face 36 onto the engagement strip 33. The knobs 31 and 32 come close to each other with the second knob 32 being displaced in the direction of the arrow or axially with respect to the clamping ring 30. Upon riding over the distal end of the engagement strip 33, the temporary holding claw 35 is engaged at the backside of the engagement strip 33 with the second knob 32 being returned by a restoring spring force, so that the clamping ring 30 is held in the spread-diameter state. On the other hand, when the hose clip is released from the spread-diameter state, the knobs 31 and 32 are held by the pliers P widthwise as shown in FIG. 18B. The knobs 31 are then forced to move axially with respect to the clamping ring 30, so that the temporary holding claw 35 is disengaged from the engagement strip 33. Consequently, the clamping ring 30 is deformed by the restoring spring force into the reduced diameter state. In the above-described hose clip, the clamping ring 30 is deformed axially but not radially when held in and released from the spread-diameter state. Consequently, the clamping ring 30 can be prevented from being deformed to such a degree that the circularity thereof is lost.
The above-described hose clip, however, presents the following problems. First, as shown in FIG. 18B, a gap or space S is defined between the knobs 31 and 32 when the clamping ring 30 has been held in the spread-diameter state. A maximum radius of the clamping ring 30 in the spread-diameter state can be obtained when both knobs 31 and 32 come close to each other until they are superposed. In the case of the above-described hose clip, however, the clamping ring 30 is held when it is reduced from the maximum radius by a predetermined amount. Thus, the hose clip is attached to and detached from the hose H in the reduced state from the maximum radius. This results in difficulty in the attaching and detaching works.
Furthermore, portions of the respective knobs 31 and 32 held by the pliers P are shifted from each other with the space S defined therebetween when the clamping ring 30 is released from the spread-diameter state, as shown in FIG. 18B. In this case, since the knobs 31 and 32 are twisted, the pliers P tend to be disengaged from the hose clip. This results in difficulty in the releasing work. Moreover, the hose clip is sometimes attached to the hose H obliquely when the knobs 31 and 32 have been twisted. In this case, since the hose clip is to be completely fitted over the entire circumference of the hose H, the sealing performance of the hose clip is reduced.
Furthermore, the temporary holding claw 35 is provided at the distal end of the arm 34. In forming the arm 34, the spring plate strip is stamped out of the material in a developed form, and the arm 34 projects from the base of the knob 32 on the same plane. Thereafter, the arm 34 needs to be bent. Thus, the projecting arm 34 increases an area of the strip in the developed form, resulting in reduction in the yield of the material and accordingly an increase in the manufacturing cost.
Additionally, the pliers must be used to release the hose clip from the spread-diameter state. The use of the pliers requires a working space to accommodate an open state of the pliers around the hose clip. However, it is sometimes difficult to secure sufficient working space in an engine room of an automobile which is closely packed with a large number of parts. Moreover, the pliers are applied to the hose clip only from above the same. This reduces a degree of freedom in selecting places where the hose clip can be installed.

Hose clip and releasing bar tool therefor


A laser scanning microscope capable of quickly and accurately setting control values of control items for a microscope apparatus is provided. The control items and a time line are displayed along a vertical axis and a horizontal axis, respectively. The laser scanning microscope includes a graphical user interface configured to set the control values of the control items along the time line and a control unit configured to acquire luminance information of a specimen by irradiating the specimen with a laser beam in accordance with the control values set by the graphical user interface.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a laser scanning microscope apparatus configured to irradiate a specimen with a laser beam and obtain luminance information about the specimen.
This application is based on Japanese Patent Applications Nos. 2004-360604, 2005-161447, and 2005-162433, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, a laser scanning microscope apparatus has been used to irradiate a specimen with a laser beam and obtain luminance information about the specimen in the form of an image. In general, such a laser scanning microscope apparatus is controlled by a computer by executing an application program. The application program requires a complicated process for setting control values for various control items. Accordingly, a laser scanning microscope apparatus that allows control items to be set through a relatively simple input process has been proposed (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-172877).
However, the input process for the laser scanning microscope apparatus described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-172877 is only capable of determining the execution order of the control items to be set to establish an experimental procedure based on a combination of control values of the control items.


Techniques for scanning other frequency channels for candidate base stations are described. In one scheme, the scanning of other frequency channels is performed based on the received signal quality (e.g., pilot Ec/Io) for an active base station that a wireless device is monitoring for user-specific and overhead messages. The scanning is bypassed if the active pilot Ec/Io exceeds a high threshold and performed if the active pilot Ec/Io is between the high threshold and a low threshold. In another scheme, the scanning of other frequency channels is performed at a rate that is a function of the active pilot Ec/Io. In yet another scheme, the scanning of other frequency channels is performed based on the active pilot Ec/Io and further using an adaptive timer. The timer is set to an initial value and thereafter adjusted by variable amounts determined by active pilot Ec/Io measurements.

I. Field
The present invention relates generally to communication, and more specifically to techniques for scanning frequency channels to search for candidate base stations to potentially handoff in a wireless communication system.
II. Background
A wireless device (e.g., a cellular phone) in a wireless communication system is typically designed to operate in one of several modes, such as "active" and "idle", at any given moment. In the active mode, the wireless device can actively exchange data with one or more base stations in the system, e.g., for a voice or data call. In the idle mode, the wireless device typically monitors a paging channel for messages applicable to the device. Such messages may include page messages that alert the wireless device to the presence of an incoming call and overhead messages that carry system and other information for the device.
In the idle mode, a wireless device continues to consume power to sustain circuitry needed to monitor the signals transmitted by the base stations in the system. The wireless device may be portable and powered by an internal battery. Power consumption by the device in the idle mode decreases the available battery power, which then shortens the standby time between battery recharges and the talk time when a call is placed or received. Therefore, it is highly desirable to minimize power consumption in the idle mode to increase battery life.
In one common technique for reducing power consumption in the idle mode, user-specific messages are sent on the paging channel to the wireless device at designated times, if at all. The paging channel is divided into numbered "slots". The wireless device is then assigned specific slots on which it may receive user-specific messages. With such a slotted paging channel, the wireless device can operate in a "slotted" mode whereby it periodically, rather than continuously, monitors the paging channel for messages from base stations in the system. In the slotted mode, the wireless device wakes up from a "sleep" state prior to its assigned slot, enters an "awake" state and processes the paging channel for messages, and reverts back to the sleep state if additional communication is not required. The wireless device remains in the awake state if a received message requires the device to perform additional tasks. In the time period between successive presences in the awake state, the wireless device is in the sleep state and the base stations do not send any pages or user-specific messages to the wireless device. The wireless device powers down as much circuitry as possible in the sleep state to conserve battery power.
The base stations in the system may transmit data and messages on multiple frequency channels. To enhance performance, it is desirable for the wireless device to scan these multiple frequency channels for candidate base stations while in the slotted mode. The wireless device may choose to listen to a specific base station (usually the base station with the highest signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) at the device) and designate this base station as the "active" base station. A "candidate" base station is one that is deemed to be "better" than the active base station and to which the wireless device may handoff to receive communication service, if all handoff criteria are satisfied. Another base station may be deemed to be better than the active base station if (1) the signal from this other base station is measured with a higher SNR at the wireless device than that of the active base station and (2) the higher SNR is above a predetermined threshold. The wireless device can typically process only one frequency channel at a time and is normally tuned to one of the frequency channels supported by the active base station. The wireless device would need to tune its RF circuitry to each different frequency channel in order to scan for candidate base stations on that frequency channel. The tuning and scanning for candidate base stations on other frequency channels may significantly deplete battery power and reduce standby time.
There is therefore a need in the art for techniques to scan other frequency channels for candidate base stations while minimizing battery consumption.

Method and apparatus for scanning frequency channels for handoff candidates while minimizing battery consumption


An automatically rotatable lamp ball includes a power unit provided with a motor having its downward shaft driving two rollers to rotate and its upward shaft driving a lamp arm to rotate. The lamp arm is disposed thereon with a plurality of LEDs, and the integral body of the power unit and the lamp arm is received in the interior of a transparent outer casing and actuated to rotate therein for pushing the outer casing to roll freely at the same time. When the lamp arm is actuated to rotate, the LEDs installed thereon will simultaneously give out flickering lights in sequence and at intervals and, due to visual persistence, presenting freely movable stereoscopic light patterns or letters. So the invention is innovative and exclusively original in structure and having excellent entertaining effect.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an automatically rotatable lamp ball, particularly to one provided with rollers and a lamp arm able to be rotated and give out bright lights at the same time. After the lamp ball is placed in the interior of a transparent outer casing, the whole outer casing can be driven by the rollers to roll and move forward freely, and LEDs arranged on the lamp arm can be controlled by the IC programs inside the lamp ball to give out flickering lights in sequence and at intervals. By rotation of the lamp arm and due to visual persistence, the automatically rolling stereoscopic lights will be seen, offering viewers an exclusively original and surprising visual feeling.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Nowadays, there are various kinds of automatically rolling spherical toys, such as disclosed in a Taiwan patent No. 277343, titled "Improved Structure For Rolling Toys", and No. 294052, titled "Improved Structure For Rolling Toys (2)". In general, some spherical toys are provided with a power unit and able to roll automatically, but unable to actuate the radial arms appended thereon to rotate and give out bright lights synchronously, while other spherical toys are able to be rolled and give out flickering lights, such as shining yo-yos, but unable to roll automatically and provided with no radial arms to rotate synchronously for increasing entertaining effect. For the present, technology has been developed and toys have become more manifold than ever; therefore, toys must be exclusively original, interesting and diversiform; otherwise, they cannot appeal to consumers, especially children. For instance, if automatically rotatable toys can be additionally provided with a device for giving out and controlling flickering lights, they can surely attract consumers. For avoiding monotony and achieving entertaining effect, automatically rotatable spherical toys, which are provided with LEDs inside and able to give out flickering lights, had better be able to present brilliant and changeable light patterns when the lamp ball rotate.


A vehicle seat includes an illuminated graphic feature. The vehicle seat includes an occupant support. The vehicle seat also includes a light source supported on the occupant support. The light source emits light in an illumination direction when activated. The seat also includes a graphic image that the light that travels in the illumination direction. A cover layer is located in the illumination direction from the graphic image. An illuminated graphic feature is visible through the cover layer when the light source is activated.

The present invention relates in general to vehicle seats. In particular, this invention relates to an improved structure for a vehicle seat that includes one or more illuminated graphic assemblies.
Vehicles, such as passenger cars, are often provided with graphic features, such as manufacturer brand names, logos, or other decorative elements. These graphic features can be included in a variety of locations on and in the vehicle. It is often desirable that these graphic features be visible not only to occupants within the interior of the vehicle, but also to people viewing the vehicle from the exterior. Thus, such graphic elements may be included on either, or both, of the interior and exterior of the vehicle. Surfaces, such as vehicle seats, may include embroidered logos. It is often desirable that these graphic features have a distinct visual appearance. It would be desirable to provide an improved structure for a vehicle seat that includes one or more illuminated graphic assemblies.

Vehicle seat including illuminated feature


A new dictionary can be created for a result column in a query plan operation executed on a database. The result column can be generated by multiple worker jobs running in parallel to read tasks from a shared queue as part of a query plan operation that includes a group-by column within an input set of input columns. The group-by column can include an original dictionary for all values contained within the group-by column If the new dictionary has fewer entries than the original dictionary for the group-by column such that mapping is required between old value identifiers within the group-by column and new value identifiers within the result column, the old value identifiers are renamed to the new value identifiers using a mapping vector.

In a distributed database management system (DBMS), for example a main memory-based DBMS, aggregation within an online analytical processing (OLAP) engine can be highly parallelized. As a consequence of this a parallelization, computed results are typically distributed over several parts. These parts are moved to one processing node where all relevant data are collected to allow generation of corresponding result columns. Different parts are likely to have different sizes due to a "having filter" in the SQL statement that may remove an arbitrary number of rows. The task of a plan operation is the collection of all valid rows that may be returned directly to the user or constitute an input for a subsequent query. In general, result columns are either aggregation results or values that are part of the "group-by" statement of the input query.
Previously available approaches to plan operations have typically involved generating materialized columns, which do not maintain an additional dictionary but rather save each value directly within the column.

Lock-free generation of columns with minimal dictionaries after parallel aggregation